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astatia-ghast · 1 month
Text
What the fuck Lexx, THIS is why I couldn’t cast my vote yesterday?? Because there was a DEAD BODY blocking poll #11?!
That line was there for FIVE HOURS! I waited through three of them before I just couldn’t take it anymore. My feet were splintering from standing for so long, and tears were streaming uncontrollably down my miserable little face. The only reason I know the line took five hours to clear up is that my bestie did a drive-by to see what abomination had made me break down so thoroughly.
It is UNACCEPTABLE that a CORPSE was not cleared from the polls promptly. Do you have any respect for the dead? Any remorse?!
This is ridiculous. If I return to the polls today unable to cast a vote in support of Schnuffel’s Jack campaign because of YOUR negligence, I’ll be getting the Phandom Discord mods involved.
HMPH.
DAY FIVE of the DP Side Hoes Week 2024 VOTING form has continued with some unbelievable ebbs and flows! Since yesterday's Top Ten, there has been another 50 votes! Our current Top Ten is as follows:
Cujo 
Nocturn
Jack Fenton (tied for 3rd & 4th)
Dani (tied for 3rd & 4th)
Wulf
Super Danny
Frostbite
Jazz Fenton
Ember McLain
Fun Danny
Although it's been a tight race, Cujo is currently holding #1 spot over Nocturn by only two votes! The campaign for Jack's inclusion on this list lead by @schnuffel-danny has paid off, as Jack has jumped from 7th place to tied for 3rd in the last day. Super Danny has fallen in the polls from 4th yesterday to 6th place today, but seems to be holding his spot in the Top 7 for now. There are still two days left in the polling, so anything can happen!
Below 10th, we also have other characters fighting for their chances including Amorpho, Box Ghost, Dan, Dash Baxter, Ghostwriter, Johnny 13, Maddie The Cat, Nicolai Technus, and Vlad Plasmius. We also have an interesting new campaign for Pookie (Dash's dog) lead by @duchi-nesten which began this evening to a noticeable success. However, with only two days left, they certainly have their work cut out for them.
I also wanted to take a moment to address this response from the poll:
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If someone can please clear up the dead body blocking poll #11, that would be wonderful. There's a queue forming behind it, and the voters are beginning to ask questions.
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astatia-ghast · 2 months
Text
@hailsatanacab, thanks for the tag! I've actually done the WIP game before, but I was only asked about one WIP -- #9 -- so I'd be delighted if you or anyone else wanted to ask questions about any of the others!
I've also added the following WIPs since then:
11. The Wombening II: Ectoplasmic Boogaloo 12. The "King's Quest" Sequel 13. Lost Time Drabbles 14. Temporal Trust Drabbles
Thanks so much for the tag, @jackdaw-sprite! That was very sweet of you!
RULES: post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! and then tag as many people as you have WIPs.
We would be here forever if I included all the ideas I wrote down in my journal, so I'm going to keep it to my Google Docs and the notes on my phone. I'm also excluding all documents that only have brainstorming or outlines in them because, again, we'd be here forever. That leaves me with these bad bois:
Daniel Vladimir Fenton
#53: Danny Transforms in His Sleep
Untitled Document
#4: An Earthly Analogy
Phic Phight 2023: Danny's Dedder Than Usual
#2: Smoke and Mirrors
#3: Fire Alarm
#36: Fangs
Clockwork has discovered how to create pocket dimensions and is creating one now
Clockwork Insists That He Is Danny's Parent
Seeing the lack of uniformity in all these titles has got my eyes twitching. lol
I did cheat just a little bit -- "An Earthly Analogy," "Smoke and Mirrors" and "Fire Alarm" are actually all on the same document -- but I figured I'd separate them because for some ungodly reason, the actual title of that document is "#1: Clockwork Explains Why No One Can Find the Elsewhereness," and no one would ever pick that because I published that phic already. lmao
For extra fun, if anyone's interested in this, I actually have a whole 'nother account full of story ideas for my World of Warcraft characters. Hit me up if you're interested, and I'll make another post with those.
I'm going to keep my tag list small. I'd like to see @thesilentbard, @phantomtwitch and @lance-thunder-reporting-live do this. :3 Sorry if any of you have been tagged already -- please link me to your post(s) if you have!
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astatia-ghast · 2 months
Text
#ahhhh!!!!!! really happy #youre a fantastic writer and i love the way you portray both clockwork and danny's relationship #AND the complexities behind Clockwork's reasoning - and whether its intentional or not that manipulation is a huge part of their dynamic #idk im just very excited to see where it goes #thank you thank you thank you
You are too sweet. :) My God -- what do I even say? Just. Thank you for the absolute waterfall of love!
I feel so lucky to have written this phic for someone who's apparently as feral about Clockwork and Danny's relationship as I am. lmaoooo, it feels like I've been given permission to fully unleash the inner Lost Time brain rot.
And I will.
>:)
Hey, folks! I have a couple things I want to talk about today.
The King's Quest Continues
First, I want to offer a huge thank-you for the response "The King's Quest" has gotten. When I wrote this story, I didn't have the broader audience in mind; my only goal was to write something @hailsatanacab would enjoy. So when I woke up to a flood of kudos and comments the next day, I was truly taken by surprise.
And then they just kept coming. "The King's Quest" still gets a couple kudos every day, and some of the comments I've received have been just... beyond flattering. They all mean so much to me and fuel my drive to write. So really, thank you from the bottom of my heart!
As a token of my appreciation, I wanted to give you all, and particularly hailsatanacab, a little somethin'-somethin'.
I have a sequel in the works. It'll be about triple the length of "The King's Quest," and it's primary purpose will be to explore why Clockwork made the decisions he did. And I want to share the first scene with you today!
For full disclosure, I'm not 100% sure this sequel will be finished or how quickly it will be written, because I'm drawing a blank on some sections, and I have other fics I want to work on, too. But I would really like to see it finished this year. I think it would be a fun companion piece, especially since Clockwork's behavior raises so many unanswered questions in "The King's Quest."
So here's the first scene! Fair warning: this is in very early draft stage, so it won't have the polish my published fics do. But I hope you still enjoy. :)
------
Clockwork drapes a cape over Danny's shoulders. It is thick and soft and heavy, made by the yetis of the Far Frozen as a coronation gift. The outside is a sleek black fabric, and the inside is fluffy white fur.
Clockwork smooths out the wrinkles on Danny's shoulders, and then his hands just stay there. It reminds Danny of when he did the exact same thing all that time ago. The weight around his soul grows heavier.
"What do you think?"
Tears well in Danny's eyes. They are plastered to his reflection in the mirror, which is slowly being adorned with all the regal clothing and treasures that will mark him as King. His coronation is around the corner, and the whole of Clockwork's tower, usually so silent, is now bustling with ghostly allies working to prepare. They sing and laugh, but Danny shares none of their mirth.
Gently, Clockwork turns Danny around and sinks to eye level. He is handsome today; his hair, white like Danny's, has been pulled back into an elaborate array of braids. He gently brushes a strand of hair out of Danny's face.
"Remember: you just need to get through today." Clockwork's voice is low and soft, meant for Danny's ears only. "Get through today, and the Council of Ancients will take things from there. And then you can focus on your mortal life until you are ready."
Danny feels like he should say something, but he can't; he knows that the moment he speaks, those tears are going to fall. Except then, in a cruel rebellion, one tear falls anyway. Clockwork procures an embroidered handkerchief, and with remarkable softness, he wipes the tear away. Danny puts up with the first dab, but when the second one comes, he pushes Clockwork away.
Clockwork doesn't fight him; he stows the handkerchief away. He seems to be teetering on the verge of action, but he stays still, keeping his hands in his lap. Danny turns away, trying to wipe his eyes as casually as possible, even as he knows there is literally no point in pretending. Frustration grows inside him as he wills himself to stop crying, but the tears only fall more steadily.
Fuck the mirror. Fuck the cape. Fuck this coronation.
A yeti peeks his head inside the room and asks Clockwork a question about something or other. He answers his question and follows up with, "We'll be just a minute." The yeti nods, peering at Danny curiously, as Clockwork closes the door. At once, the tower is quiet again; Danny is thankful for the privacy.
A necklace settles around Danny's neck. He jumps, thinking Clockwork has soldiered on with his preparations and dropped his own coronation gift around Danny's neck, but then he notices that it's just a normal time medallion. He looks up at Clockwork in askance.
"Take all the time you need," he says. "I will be waiting right outside when you are ready."
Clockwork opens the door, revealing yetis frozen in the midst of carrying streamers and delivering food, and closes it behind him.
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astatia-ghast · 2 months
Text
Hey, folks! I have a couple things I want to talk about today.
The King's Quest Continues
First, I want to offer a huge thank-you for the response "The King's Quest" has gotten. When I wrote this story, I didn't have the broader audience in mind; my only goal was to write something @hailsatanacab would enjoy. So when I woke up to a flood of kudos and comments the next day, I was truly taken by surprise.
And then they just kept coming. "The King's Quest" still gets a couple kudos every day, and some of the comments I've received have been just... beyond flattering. They all mean so much to me and fuel my drive to write. So really, thank you from the bottom of my heart!
As a token of my appreciation, I wanted to give you all, and particularly hailsatanacab, a little somethin'-somethin'.
I have a sequel in the works. It'll be about triple the length of "The King's Quest," and it's primary purpose will be to explore why Clockwork made the decisions he did. And I want to share the first scene with you today!
For full disclosure, I'm not 100% sure this sequel will be finished or how quickly it will be written, because I'm drawing a blank on some sections, and I have other fics I want to work on, too. But I would really like to see it finished this year. I think it would be a fun companion piece, especially since Clockwork's behavior raises so many unanswered questions in "The King's Quest."
So here's the first scene! Fair warning: this is in very early draft stage, so it won't have the polish my published fics do. But I hope you still enjoy. :)
------
Clockwork drapes a cape over Danny's shoulders. It is thick and soft and heavy, made by the yetis of the Far Frozen as a coronation gift. The outside is a sleek black fabric, and the inside is fluffy white fur.
Clockwork smooths out the wrinkles on Danny's shoulders, and then his hands just stay there. It reminds Danny of when he did the exact same thing all that time ago. The weight around his soul grows heavier.
"What do you think?"
Tears well in Danny's eyes. They are plastered to his reflection in the mirror, which is slowly being adorned with all the regal clothing and treasures that will mark him as King. His coronation is around the corner, and the whole of Clockwork's tower, usually so silent, is now bustling with ghostly allies working to prepare. They sing and laugh, but Danny shares none of their mirth.
Gently, Clockwork turns Danny around and sinks to eye level. He is handsome today; his hair, white like Danny's, has been pulled back into an elaborate array of braids. He gently brushes a strand of hair out of Danny's face.
"Remember: you just need to get through today." Clockwork's voice is low and soft, meant for Danny's ears only. "Get through today, and the Council of Ancients will take things from there. And then you can focus on your mortal life until you are ready."
Danny feels like he should say something, but he can't; he knows that the moment he speaks, those tears are going to fall. Except then, in a cruel rebellion, one tear falls anyway. Clockwork procures an embroidered handkerchief, and with remarkable softness, he wipes the tear away. Danny puts up with the first dab, but when the second one comes, he pushes Clockwork away.
Clockwork doesn't fight him; he stows the handkerchief away. He seems to be teetering on the verge of action, but he stays still, keeping his hands in his lap. Danny turns away, trying to wipe his eyes as casually as possible, even as he knows there is literally no point in pretending. Frustration grows inside him as he wills himself to stop crying, but the tears only fall more steadily.
Fuck the mirror. Fuck the cape. Fuck this coronation.
A yeti peeks his head inside the room and asks Clockwork a question about something or other. He answers his question and follows up with, "We'll be just a minute." The yeti nods, peering at Danny curiously, as Clockwork closes the door. At once, the tower is quiet again; Danny is thankful for the privacy.
A necklace settles around Danny's neck. He jumps, thinking Clockwork has soldiered on with his preparations and dropped his own coronation gift around Danny's neck, but then he notices that it's just a normal time medallion. He looks up at Clockwork in askance.
"Take all the time you need," he says. "I will be waiting right outside when you are ready."
Clockwork opens the door, revealing yetis frozen in the midst of carrying streamers and delivering food, and closes it behind him.
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astatia-ghast · 2 months
Photo
#i reblogged this before op deactivated and have it saved as being made by lazerfight #it is still SUCH a good piece of art
@anthropwashere
Oh my goodness! Thank you so much! I've been wondering who this art was created by for a while! It's such a lovely piece of art, and it's such a shame that a name isn't attached to it.
You rock. 💚
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this kid needs a time out and a hug
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astatia-ghast · 2 months
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@ghoulishautism @creep-dot-commercial @the-witchhunter
You three. You. You get it. This is it.
I'm so happy we could share this moment together. 💯🔥
Casually reflecting on how I think Danny’s catchphrase “goin’ ghost” is just about the stupidest thing in the entire show and I refuse to ever grant it the dignity of being in one of my fanfics, but Clockwork’s “time: in” and “time: out” are somehow so sexy to me and I’d throw them into a fanfic in a heartbeat.
Make this make sense. lol
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astatia-ghast · 2 months
Text
Casually reflecting on how I think Danny’s catchphrase “goin’ ghost” is just about the stupidest thing in the entire show and I refuse to ever grant it the dignity of being in one of my fanfics, but Clockwork’s “time: in” and “time: out” are somehow so sexy to me and I’d throw them into a fanfic in a heartbeat.
Make this make sense. lol
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astatia-ghast · 2 months
Text
And now, the second thing I wanted to talk about--
Clockwork's Odyssey Returns
I believe I am finally, finally, ready to get back into writing "Clockwork's Odyssey." The burnout was killer, but I've had a few months to rest, and "The King's Quest" helped me get back into a fun and carefree frame of mind. I feel upbeat about it now, and I'm excited to jump back into it!
I'm going to ease back in to working on it throughout February. No ETA yet on when chapter 3 will release because, frankly, I'm not sure how long it's going to take. The chapter is partially written, but I wanna put some parts through a shredder and reconstitute them into something I'm more satisfied with, sooooo we'll see. lol
Sometime this month, I'm going to post my behind-the-scenes stuff on chapters 1 and 2. I'll set up a navigation page so that it's easier to find, but going forward, make sure to check out the Clockwork's Odyssey tag if you're interested in seeing that stuff!
And, the best part -- I also have an excerpt from this for you today! :D Because why not two somethin'-somethin's?!
Below the cut is the first scene of chapter 3. This one is in the second-draft stage, so it's more polished than the "King's Quest" scene was. Some edits are still going to be made for sure, but it's much closer to what I want.
I hope you enjoy! :D
------
True to his word, the portal drops Danny into the exact same time and place from whence he came. It's strange, somehow, with its dull lockers and scuffed floors, devoid of the masses that normally fill it with their din. It's too real, like he only just woke up from a dream he didn't realize he was having. He has to take a moment to wonder if the events in Clockwork's tower really happened, and then what "reality" even is.
Reality doesn't grant him a soft re-entry, however. With reality comes the hunger, reasserting its unwelcome place in the core of his being, where the ghost is and the human isn't. Now that the Ghost Zone (or Clockwork, he tries to stop himself from thinking) isn't there to sustain him, all the pains gradually settle back in, leaving him with the beginning of a headache. Or really, an everything-ache.
He really needs this, doesn't he?
Dread settles in his gut as he begins to walk toward the exit. The dread, coupled with the shell-shock of having been force-fed a feast in the shape of a treat, is consuming enough that it takes him a few steps to remember that he is in his ghost form. He only realizes it because of the way gravity feels more like a choose-your-own-adventure novel than a basic law of the universe.
With a jolt, he shifts back. Through clenched teeth, he samples the air, but it reveals no shock -- only pity and a kind of resigned annoyance, which tells him that Lancer hasn't noticed Amity Park's #1 hungriest ghost boy lurking just a few paces from his classroom door.
Phew. He relaxes his jaw and soldiers on.
He was supposed to play video games with Sam and Tucker, but that suddenly doesn't seem so enticing anymore. All leisure and play pale next to the draw of Clockwork the Ghost Zone. How is he supposed to pretend that everything is normal? When it has already been so hard to pretend these past few weeks?
He's tempted to cancel. In fact, he's already pulling his phone out of his pocket and spinning up some half-baked excuse. But… no. Sam and Tucker have been with him through thick and thin. He needs to tell them about this and get their advice.
Just… how does he do so without bringing up the hunger?
Well, the good news is that he has the entire walk home to think about it. He does just that, maintaining a much slower pace than normal.
Hey, folks! I have a couple things I want to talk about today.
The King's Quest Continues
First, I want to offer a huge thank-you for the response "The King's Quest" has gotten. When I wrote this story, I didn't have the broader audience in mind; my only goal was to write something @hailsatanacab would enjoy. So when I woke up to a flood of kudos and comments the next day, I was truly taken by surprise.
And then they just kept coming. "The King's Quest" still gets a couple kudos every day, and some of the comments I've received have been just... beyond flattering. They all mean so much to me and fuel my drive to write. So really, thank you from the bottom of my heart!
As a token of my appreciation, I wanted to give you all, and particularly hailsatanacab, a little somethin'-somethin'.
I have a sequel in the works. It'll be about triple the length of "The King's Quest," and it's primary purpose will be to explore why Clockwork made the decisions he did. And I want to share the first scene with you today!
For full disclosure, I'm not 100% sure this sequel will be finished or how quickly it will be written, because I'm drawing a blank on some sections, and I have other fics I want to work on, too. But I would really like to see it finished this year. I think it would be a fun companion piece, especially since Clockwork's behavior raises so many unanswered questions in "The King's Quest."
So here's the first scene! Fair warning: this is in very early draft stage, so it won't have the polish my published fics do. But I hope you still enjoy. :)
------
Clockwork drapes a cape over Danny's shoulders. It is thick and soft and heavy, made by the yetis of the Far Frozen as a coronation gift. The outside is a sleek black fabric, and the inside is fluffy white fur.
Clockwork smooths out the wrinkles on Danny's shoulders, and then his hands just stay there. It reminds Danny of when he did the exact same thing all that time ago. The weight around his soul grows heavier.
"What do you think?"
Tears well in Danny's eyes. They are plastered to his reflection in the mirror, which is slowly being adorned with all the regal clothing and treasures that will mark him as King. His coronation is around the corner, and the whole of Clockwork's tower, usually so silent, is now bustling with ghostly allies working to prepare. They sing and laugh, but Danny shares none of their mirth.
Gently, Clockwork turns Danny around and sinks to eye level. He is handsome today; his hair, white like Danny's, has been pulled back into an elaborate array of braids. He gently brushes a strand of hair out of Danny's face.
"Remember: you just need to get through today." Clockwork's voice is low and soft, meant for Danny's ears only. "Get through today, and the Council of Ancients will take things from there. And then you can focus on your mortal life until you are ready."
Danny feels like he should say something, but he can't; he knows that the moment he speaks, those tears are going to fall. Except then, in a cruel rebellion, one tear falls anyway. Clockwork procures an embroidered handkerchief, and with remarkable softness, he wipes the tear away. Danny puts up with the first dab, but when the second one comes, he pushes Clockwork away.
Clockwork doesn't fight him; he stows the handkerchief away. He seems to be teetering on the verge of action, but he stays still, keeping his hands in his lap. Danny turns away, trying to wipe his eyes as casually as possible, even as he knows there is literally no point in pretending. Frustration grows inside him as he wills himself to stop crying, but the tears only fall more steadily.
Fuck the mirror. Fuck the cape. Fuck this coronation.
A yeti peeks his head inside the room and asks Clockwork a question about something or other. He answers his question and follows up with, "We'll be just a minute." The yeti nods, peering at Danny curiously, as Clockwork closes the door. At once, the tower is quiet again; Danny is thankful for the privacy.
A necklace settles around Danny's neck. He jumps, thinking Clockwork has soldiered on with his preparations and dropped his own coronation gift around Danny's neck, but then he notices that it's just a normal time medallion. He looks up at Clockwork in askance.
"Take all the time you need," he says. "I will be waiting right outside when you are ready."
Clockwork opens the door, revealing yetis frozen in the midst of carrying streamers and delivering food, and closes it behind him.
14 notes · View notes
astatia-ghast · 2 months
Text
Hey, folks! I have a couple things I want to talk about today.
The King's Quest Continues
First, I want to offer a huge thank-you for the response "The King's Quest" has gotten. When I wrote this story, I didn't have the broader audience in mind; my only goal was to write something @hailsatanacab would enjoy. So when I woke up to a flood of kudos and comments the next day, I was truly taken by surprise.
And then they just kept coming. "The King's Quest" still gets a couple kudos every day, and some of the comments I've received have been just... beyond flattering. They all mean so much to me and fuel my drive to write. So really, thank you from the bottom of my heart!
As a token of my appreciation, I wanted to give you all, and particularly hailsatanacab, a little somethin'-somethin'.
I have a sequel in the works. It'll be about triple the length of "The King's Quest," and it's primary purpose will be to explore why Clockwork made the decisions he did. And I want to share the first scene with you today!
For full disclosure, I'm not 100% sure this sequel will be finished or how quickly it will be written, because I'm drawing a blank on some sections, and I have other fics I want to work on, too. But I would really like to see it finished this year. I think it would be a fun companion piece, especially since Clockwork's behavior raises so many unanswered questions in "The King's Quest."
So here's the first scene! Fair warning: this is in very early draft stage, so it won't have the polish my published fics do. But I hope you still enjoy. :)
------
Clockwork drapes a cape over Danny's shoulders. It is thick and soft and heavy, made by the yetis of the Far Frozen as a coronation gift. The outside is a sleek black fabric, and the inside is fluffy white fur.
Clockwork smooths out the wrinkles on Danny's shoulders, and then his hands just stay there. It reminds Danny of when he did the exact same thing all that time ago. The weight around his soul grows heavier.
"What do you think?"
Tears well in Danny's eyes. They are plastered to his reflection in the mirror, which is slowly being adorned with all the regal clothing and treasures that will mark him as King. His coronation is around the corner, and the whole of Clockwork's tower, usually so silent, is now bustling with ghostly allies working to prepare. They sing and laugh, but Danny shares none of their mirth.
Gently, Clockwork turns Danny around and sinks to eye level. He is handsome today; his hair, white like Danny's, has been pulled back into an elaborate array of braids. He gently brushes a strand of hair out of Danny's face.
"Remember: you just need to get through today." Clockwork's voice is low and soft, meant for Danny's ears only. "Get through today, and the Council of Ancients will take things from there. And then you can focus on your mortal life until you are ready."
Danny feels like he should say something, but he can't; he knows that the moment he speaks, those tears are going to fall. Except then, in a cruel rebellion, one tear falls anyway. Clockwork procures an embroidered handkerchief, and with remarkable softness, he wipes the tear away. Danny puts up with the first dab, but when the second one comes, he pushes Clockwork away.
Clockwork doesn't fight him; he stows the handkerchief away. He seems to be teetering on the verge of action, but he stays still, keeping his hands in his lap. Danny turns away, trying to wipe his eyes as casually as possible, even as he knows there is literally no point in pretending. Frustration grows inside him as he wills himself to stop crying, but the tears only fall more steadily.
Fuck the mirror. Fuck the cape. Fuck this coronation.
A yeti peeks his head inside the room and asks Clockwork a question about something or other. He answers his question and follows up with, "We'll be just a minute." The yeti nods, peering at Danny curiously, as Clockwork closes the door. At once, the tower is quiet again; Danny is thankful for the privacy.
A necklace settles around Danny's neck. He jumps, thinking Clockwork has soldiered on with his preparations and dropped his own coronation gift around Danny's neck, but then he notices that it's just a normal time medallion. He looks up at Clockwork in askance.
"Take all the time you need," he says. "I will be waiting right outside when you are ready."
Clockwork opens the door, revealing yetis frozen in the midst of carrying streamers and delivering food, and closes it behind him.
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astatia-ghast · 2 months
Text
I absolutely LOVE the way Clockwork looks in your style. Excellent work! 💙
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🫡
697 notes · View notes
astatia-ghast · 2 months
Text
The King's Quest
At last! Finally, it has come -- my 2023 Holiday Truce gift for @hailsatanacab!
You're a trooper. I'm sure it drove you crazy to wait all this time. I wanted to give you a preview on Christmas Day to tie you over, but it took too long for me to settle on how I wanted to fill this prompt. I hope you'll forgive me for the wait!
The prompt I chose is this one: "To ascend to the throne, Danny must complete a quest. This is great, because Danny doesn't want the throne! Screw the quest — Danny's hanging out with his friends and going to school like the normal boy he is! …Unfortunately, fate has other ideas. No matter what he does or how badly he tries to do the opposite, Danny just keeps fumbling his way into winning the crown."
It was a great challenge for me because while I have spent plenty of time daydreaming about the ghost king AU, I don't typically read or write fanfiction about it. This prompt helped me exit my comfort zone while still letting me work with the characters and tone I love.
Before I began to work on this, I spent a lot of time lurking on your blog to figure out what kind of fanfiction you like, and I must say, you seem like a pretty cool person. I'm glad I was paired with you!
And of course, a big thanks to @phandomholidaytruce for making this whole thing happen! It was my first time participating, and it was a delightful way to end the year.
Alright, enough thanks! On to the fic!
Read on AO3
---
"I never wanted you to find out this way."
Danny leans frozen over a basin still shimmering with the ripples of a just-disturbed future. His eyes are wide, heart pounding, vision tunneling, knuckles white around the rim.
There's no way he saw what he just saw. There's no way.
Behind him, Clockwork watches in silence. He had left the room for only a moment, and Danny had taken the opportunity to sate a curiosity that he now knows should never have been sated. He had stuck his face in the basin, and he had seen a future — a future of him.
"This is my future?"
"It is one of them."
Danny turns around. His eyes are still wide and his body shaking, but Clockwork's words are like a steadying stone he can latch on to. "So it doesn't have to be this way?"
Clockwork's lips grow thin. He rests his staff by the door he had just entered, slowly and measuredly, as if stalling for time. Even once his hands are free, the silence grows longer still; long enough for him to shift into a toddler and then an elder and then an adult again before any word breaks the stillness of the tower.
At last, he speaks. "The truth is, the clock started ticking the moment you deposed Pariah Dark. It is one future of many, but its passing has already been etched in stone."
As if in emphasis, a clock strikes eleven somewhere deep within the tower.
"You will become King."
Ectoplasmically-white petals falling from the sky. Ghostly crowds cheering. A cape. A crown. A parade. A coronation.
Daniel Jack Fenton, King of the Infinite Realms.
Even now, the tower seems to sing to him — regally, mockingly. He wonders if those ripples in the basin are cascading through the timeline, setting in place the bars that will one day imprison him.
"No. I can't be a king." A bead of sweat trails down his temple, tickling him as it goes. "I can barely deal with my life as it is. And no ghost is going to listen to me — all they want to do is attack me. I want to go to school and play video games and at least try to get into NASA. I don't want to be a king."
Clockwork's lips draw even thinner still. In the silence that follows, his gaze falls to one of his many watches, which he begins to twist idly with one hand.
"I remember many things," he says with a hushed rumble. "Pariah Dark was a great king, until he was not."
His gaze grows unfocused. The hand on his watch goes to his face, where it slowly traces his scar. Danny has never seen him do that before.
"I remember the destruction he wrought. I remember looking him in the eyes as he was shut inside his tomb."
His hand falls to his side as his gaze meets Danny's once more.
"You are more than triple the man he ever was. You would make a great king."
Danny's hands go to his head, where his fingers thread through his hair. He takes a step backward in some subconscious attempt to get away from Clockwork and this — this lie, but he runs into the basin still shimmering behind him. Its pedestal rocks dangerously, and Danny wants to scream enough for his Ghostly Wail to take over and shatter the wretched thing into pieces.
But instead of screaming, a fire bursts into life within him. He meets Clockwork's gaze afresh with blazing eyes. "No. I'm not going to become King. You're going to have to find a new future, because that one is not coming true."
Clockwork's expression turns into something like pity. It's enough to quiet the fire for a beat — just a beat, though. "Danny." He drifts forward until the two of them are within reaching distance. He lifts his hands as if to place them on Danny's shoulders, but then he seems to reconsider it and clasps them in front of himself instead. "The Realms have been heralding your arrival since the dawn of my work. You are going to become King."
Danny says nothing. The fire crackles in protest, but it doesn't know what to burn.
Clockwork sighs. He raises one of those hands he dropped before, and at last, it makes contact with Danny's shoulder. "If it helps, it's not going to happen right away. There is a quest you must complete before you take the throne. You can—"
"A quest?" Danny's eyebrows fly up. He latches onto this thread like a rope draped over a cliffside.
"Yes, a quest. Before any monarch can ascend, they must—"
A bark of laughter escapes Danny's throat, and then a font of mad cackling bubbles up behind it. He cackles like a man unhinged, having found the simple yet ingenious solution to all his woes.
Clockwork's eyebrows knit together. "Danny—"
"Don't you get it?!" he jeers. "If I don't know what the quest is, I can't become King!"
Clockwork grows stern. He says his name again — "Danny" — and this time it's clear he wants him to quit laughing and sit down and listen, but Danny isn't having it. He's already lifting himself up into the air and away.
"Start checking your futures, Clockwork, because you missed one! I'm not becoming King!"
Clockwork reaches out as if to restrain him, but the fire finally explodes. Danny violently pushes him away with ectoplasmically-charged hands, keeping one ectoblast at the ready for good measure.
"Stay. Away." His voice is charged in a way that it has rarely ever been before. An otherworldly chill dampens the room. Clockwork is far too powerful a ghost to be affected by it, but if any human had been in this room, they would be screaming.
Clockwork gets the message. He watches with trepidation as Danny flies away.
---
Danny returns to Amity Park determined to slide right back into his normal life and pretend like that moment in the tower never happened. To forget about what he saw — petals, a cape, a crown — is impossible, but hell if he's not going to try his hardest to stay as far away as possible from anything even remotely king-like.
And so he does. He goes to school, fights ghosts, gets bad grades, listens to his parents' mad-scientist ramblings, plays video games, sleeps over at Sam and Tucker's houses, and generally lives exactly the life he'd rather live.
And he doesn't visit Clockwork in all that time, either. It pains him, as he enjoys Clockwork's company a lot and had even become something of an apprentice to him, but he can't risk subjecting himself to some well-intentioned lecture about the virtues of being King.
…Plus, he did kind of assault him and run away. Clockwork probably isn't very happy with him. But apologies would have to wait — for some future in which he isn't King.
School. Ghost fights. Bad grades. Mad-scientist ramblings. Video games. Sleepovers.
Life goes on.
---
Sometime after Danny defeats Undergrowth, Sam drags him along to the Amity Park Botanic Gardens. Well, "drags" is a strong word — he's grateful for any excuse to hang out with Sam — but still, the thought of visiting a botanic garden and admiring plants in the wake of Undergrowth's reign of terror is insane. He expresses as much, but Sam insists that that's all the more reason to visit, as both of them need to unravel their new Pavlovian fear of perfectly innocent plant life.
Plus, apparently admissions are way down — surprise, surprise — and Sam wants to help them out before the dip in finances forces them to shutter. Fair enough.
She tried to get Tucker to come along too, but there was zero chance of getting him through the doors even before Undergrowth gifted the whole city with a healthy dose of botanophobia. So that fine day finds the two of them alone in the Gardens' newly-opened orchid exhibit, Danny antsily resisting the temptation to reach out and hold her hand.
Under the canopy lush with tropical leaves, it's hard not to feel cocooned — in a way that feels remarkably warm and safe. Everywhere they look, orchids peer back, bright and colorful with every color of the rainbow. There are big orchids and small orchids, potted orchids hanging from the limbs of towering trees, orchids that look like pinecones, orchids that look like neat tufts of fur, orchids with stripes and orchids with whiskers.
To Sam's very great credit, the exhibit is astounding, and even his shriveled, technology-loving heart can't help but marvel and be thankful that she convinced him to come here.
In time, he finds himself growing drowsy. It's like the peace and beauty of the place is infectious, to the point where his heart rate seems to slow. Eventually, he turns to Sam and asks, "Would you like to lay down?"
She agrees, and the two of them pick one of the few spots in the exhibit not overtaken by stone pathways or lush vegetation. They spend a few minutes chatting about something or other, but in time, they lapse into a peaceful silence, and Danny begins to space out.
He stares up at the canopy. The sunlight, so radiant and soft, seems to sparkle as it filters through the roof of the greenhouse and the tropical leaves below. Somewhere, a stream gurgles.
And there is a song. It takes a moment for him to realize that he's hearing it, but once he does, it's unquestionably there. It's distant and peaceful, echoing, like standing outside the door of a lofty cathedral while a choir sings inside. Sluggishly, he looks around, and as his lazy eyes focus on the beautiful strands of a white orchid, he is suddenly positive that the song is coming from them. From the orchids. From all the plants in the greenhouse, and perhaps even beyond. He doesn't know how he knows, but he knows.
He falls into a trance, enjoying the song, until suddenly, there is a sharp poke on his shoulder. He sluggishly turns his head to see Sam, who has clearly been trying to get his attention.
"Earth to ghost boy. Anyone home?"
Danny blinks a few times, but his eyes are reluctant to focus. He feels like he just surfaced from a dream. "Sorry. I was just… It's nice in here."
Sam chuckles. "You're really enjoying yourself, huh? Way more than I thought you would."
Danny chuckles too. "Yeah. You were right. I'm glad you convinced me to come here."
Now that his mind is clearing up, it slowly begins to dawn on him how utterly bizarre the last several minutes were. Plants? Singing to him? Surely he's just imagining things — he wants to believe that's the case — but no. Somehow, he's sure. Those plants were singing to him.
Maybe a touch of Undergrowth's power is still in them, like some sort of ectoplasmic residue? That's the only explanation he can think of, and it makes sense, since these very same plants were undoubtedly enthralled by the ghost just a few weeks ago. But why were they singing?
He decides not to tell Sam. He doesn't know why, but it just feels like something he should keep to himself, and not just because it sounds crazy. So he files it under "ghost thing" and leaves it at that. 
It's not until he's watching a video in history class a few days later that he realizes that the song sounded an awful lot like a coronation song.
---
Something similar happens after he defeats Nocturn. Three sleepless nights after he sends the ghost back to the Ghost Zone, he's finally too tired to care whether or not he will show up in his dreams again the moment he closes his eyes.
As he slips into the twilight zone between wakefulness and sleep, ensconced in a darkness broken by one particularly annoying street light, his dreams turn into something… odd.
Before him, he sees seven creatures like Nocturn — tall, dark and starry, like the night sky made manifest. He slips into a ready position, poised to either fight or run, but instead of attacking, they bring their palms together and bow, all seven in unison. And then there is at once a horde of similar creatures behind them, stretching as far as the eye can see, bringing their palms together and bowing in turn.
He wakes in a cold sweat. No. There's no way. There's no way this king thing is still following him. That couldn't be real.
He spends the next day convincing himself it was just a dream, but really, he knows better.
---
The moments keep piling up. When he defeats Vortex, the clouds seem to part for him wherever he goes. When he returns Pandora's box, an ornate jewelry box mysteriously appears on his desk, which, when opened, reveals cavernous, physics-defying depths. Danny grows increasingly concerned that the ghosts have waived his quest and are pledging their fealty to him anyway.
When Clockwork appears in his bedroom one night, nearly a full year since their fight in his tower, Danny is no longer nervous to see him. Actually, he's quite relieved, since at this point, the only thing he's concerned about is getting answers.
"Would you like to have a chat?" Clockwork asks with a smile that almost seems sheepish.
It's a non-question, of course; Danny goes readily, and he's sure that Clockwork knew that he would.
Entering the tower is almost like coming home. A calm quiet; ticking; cavernous rooms cast in shadow — the whole place seems to envelop him in a hug, and briefly, Danny feels tears prick at the corners of his eyes. The past several months have been stressful. He regrets the way he treated Clockwork the last time he was here, and he regrets that he didn't have the maturity to return much earlier.
But Clockwork is ever calm and welcoming, and Danny finds thankfulness shooing away the regret in his heart. What a remarkable person Clockwork is.
The two of them stop in the same room with the basin, whose waters stand completely still. At first, Danny thinks Clockwork is going to encourage him to revisit his future, but instead, he opens a cabinet standing against the opposite wall. As he reaches inside, he says, "I have something for you."
Danny waits, more than a little curious and struggling to resist the urge to see if his coronation is still in the basin. When Clockwork turns around, he's carrying a necklace — not unlike the medallions he uses to take people out of time, but much more ornate. Gently and in silence, he drapes the necklace around Danny's neck. Once it settles, he rests his palms against Danny's chest, in a way that makes Danny think something weighty is about to come.
Their eyes meet. "You recall what I said before, yes? That there is a quest you must complete?"
"Yes."
Clockwork smooths out the wrinkles on Danny's shoulders, and then his hands just stay there. "There is a reason I tried to restrain you. By refusing to learn the quest, you expedited its completion."
Everything in Danny goes cold.
"The quest was to either defeat or receive the approval of all seven of the Ancients: Pariah Dark, Frostbite, Undergrowth, Nocturn, Vortex, Pandora and myself. And you have done so for all of them — including me."
A rushing sound fills Danny's ears.
"You have had my approval since even before Pariah Dark was granted the throne. So with the bestowing of Pandora's gift, you have become King."
The necklace feels heavy around Danny's neck — a necklace he now realizes is a coronation gift.
"I am sorry, Danny. But I stand by what I said before: you will make a great king."
Clockwork pulls him in for a hug, and Danny goes willingly. His wailing fills the tower.
Somewhere deep inside, a clock strikes twelve.
---
Ectoplasmically-white petals falling from the sky. Ghostly crowds cheering. A cape. A crown. A parade. A coronation.
Danny's knuckles go white around his scepter, just as they did around the basin all those months ago.
Daniel Jack Fenton, King of the Infinite Realms.
---
(Yes, I may have warped the timeline of Season 3 just a little bit. Clockwork will be waiting in the lobby to take your complaints! :þ)
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astatia-ghast · 2 months
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I’m more than happy to spread the love. I know how it feels to watch someone scream over something you wrote, and you deserve that feeling. :)
Well… *Rolls up sleeves, plops into a chair, puts on glasses, and unfurls a newspaper.* I guess it’s waitin’ time!
aaaa the 'danny forgot he's human' chapter hit me like a truck! (i haven't really got lost reading anything lately, and this was so so good. i'm so excited to see if you take it further/where you'll take it since this is chapter 1?! 👀👀👀👀)
(the hints that he's been captured by the giw before and that his friends thought he was all the way dead for a while, and if that's related to why danny can't remember, and the tension of him having a broken leg on top of everything, and when he wiped away jazz's tears! i am! so normal about this right now! aaaaaa!)
hope you are well and thank you so much for writing!!
(This is in reference to the first chapter I posted for this fic here under the initial prompt/idea)
Ahhhhhhhh thank you!!!!! You have no idea how happy your response made me, and I love how much you picked up on there that I laid the groundwork for so far.
I have about five or so chapters currently written that are in the rough draft stage and definitely want to write more. I'm hoping I'll get it done in the next few months, but it'll depend on what life throws at me.
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astatia-ghast · 2 months
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Yes. Just. Yes.
I think Danny Fenton should bite people. Regularly.
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astatia-ghast · 2 months
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Holy SHIT, you just described Warcraft fans exactly. The amount of times I’ve felt a headache coming on because friends, guildmates and internet strangers keep complaining about every facet of the game… while actively playing the game… and logging in every single night… for years…
Bitch, either admit you like the game or shut up.
most baffling and annoying type of person in fandom will always be the ones who are deadass like “i hate literally everything about this dogshit thing but i’m still gonna complain constantly instead of dropping it and you have to take my opinions on it seriously bc i’m a fan too”
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astatia-ghast · 2 months
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thanks @ladyaudentium and @phantomspirit14 for the idea help!
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astatia-ghast · 2 months
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Ugh, I’m so into this.
You know, I’ve seen this concept before, particularly in Dream Trance’s works, but what I appreciate about your particular flavor is how Phantom starts out bitterly angry at Danny for robbing him of life, and also how Phantom wants to re-enter Danny’s body in the end because somehow, it has gotten so comfortable for him. Actually, he really liked the feeling of Danny’s heart next to his core. It was warm and steady and nice. (And Danny likely feels the same way in reverse.)
I’ve before brainstormed about Phantom having to re-enter Danny’s body because both of them grow weak when they’re apart for too long. I like your version because there’s no real reason for it other than that Phantom wants to. Danny is home, as weird as that is.
I wonder how Danny feels about it — if the moment Phantom overshadows him, he feels a flood of relief. He didn’t realize he was missing something, but now he feels whole. I wonder how long Phantom stays, and if he keeps coming back. If it becomes a ritual for Phantom to leave by day and return at night. Like cuddling together as Danny sleeps, but more extreme. lol
Man, I’m getting a lot of thoughts about this.
woke up from a dead sleep last night realizing I could make soroku flavored pitch pearl and no one could stop me
edit: you know what? I'm feral and I won't apologize. more under the cut bc this is my house
I slammed this out all at once so I apologize for the quality but I'm having EMOTIONS
so imagine. bc of the way Danny was quickly resuscitated, his ghost only barely started forming. With the excess blast of ectoplasm from the portal being created, that little whisp was given form even after Danny's soul returned to his body.
except this ghost (Phantom) slowly comes into consciousness while trapped in Danny's body. they're separate entities sharing one body, but Phantom doesn't really have a sense of self right away. he pieces together vague fragments of Danny's memory to get a basic understanding of the world, and is mostly just observing like a backseat passenger.
Phantom starts reflexively protecting Danny, his powers and instincts bleeding through when his emotions are high. Danny doesn't really transform, and his personality doesn't totally shift that much at first because Phantom’s mind isn't complex yet. but as time goes on, and Danny has tense conversations with ghosts, Phantom realizes that's what he is. he's a ghost, somehow trapped in his old body. and even now, this early on, he already feels separate. he doesn't have all the memories Danny has.
this slowly turns into horror. into rage. sorrow, mourning a life he never got and will never get to have. forever trapped behind the eyes of someone else, never able to interact with the world. Phantom's rage eventually boils over until it allows him short bursts of taking over Danny's body. it starts out small–a stray hand moving without his consent, knees locking up, ghost abilities going awry. Danny can start feeling emotions that don't belong to him. get vague impressions, almost hears a voice inside him.
and eventually, Phantom is able to fully take over. this is when Danny “transforms". at first, Danny blacks out because his consciousness isn't used to being shoved into the back seat. but eventually, he's awake for these “episodes", trapped in the back of his mind while Phantom controls his body. this only happens when ghost stuff is happening, when Phantom feels threatened enough. he's not protecting Danny, he's protecting himself. Phantom knows instinctively that if Danny dies, he dies too. he's not a normal ghost, he wouldn't be freed. he'd simply disappear.
at one point after a fight, Phantom can feel Danny struggling to take back control. and he talks to Danny for the first time, acknowledges he's there. asks how it's fair that Danny is the one that gets to exist. but Phantom is tired and weak, he slips back into the passenger seat.
over the next few days, he's able to start talking to Danny even while he's not driving. though he's not chatty, it's only when necessary. and Danny knows, can feel it across the link between them–Phantom hates him. the ghost he created is desperate to find a way to take over completely. and as time goes on, Danny realizes with horror that it might actually be possible for Phantom to do that. he grows stronger every day, can stay transformed longer, controls Danny's body with much more ease.
it's only through a chance meeting with Frostbite that Danny and Phantom fully learn what happened to them. Danny feels sympathetic towards Phantom now. this isn't a malevolent ghost, it's a person who was never given the chance to live. who's trapped. who has to watch someone else live a life they're just as deserving of.
and Phantom feels that emotion from Danny. is so shocked by it, he doesn't know how to handle it at first. it takes him a while to contemplate, to talk to other ghosts like Frostbite. until one day, Phantom realizes… he feels sympathy for Danny, too.
neither of them asked for this. both of them deserve to live. Danny didn't do anything wrong. they're both villains to each other's story. and if anything… doesn't Phantom owe his life to Danny in the first place?
Phantom takes over less often. Danny doesn't feel hatred from him anymore. anger, yes–but not aimed at him. in fact, Phantom starts controlling their body in little ways in order to protect Danny from things that aren't even dangerous. just to avoid pain that would only affect the human tethered to him.
it isn't long before they're separated, either thanks to another ghost or Danny's parents. they're thrown apart in the middle of a horrific fight, and when Danny sees Phantom's equally shocked expression, he's terrified.
this ghost that hated him for so long–at best, Phantom would leave him defenseless. at worst, surely some part of Phantom still wants to kill him for stealing away his chance for autonomy.
and yet, when fire rains down on them, Phantom risks it all to grab Danny and get them both to safety. they're still both shaken and stunned this is even happening, but Phantom is able to nervously be like shit shit shit okay stay here don't go anywhere or I can't protect you, okay?
after the fight is over and dust settles, Phantom offers Danny his hand. they stare at each other and god if this isn't the weirdest thing. like, uh, okay, what now? they decide to go see Frostbite, who confirms that they're fully separate now. they ask if there's any chance of merging again and Frostbite assures it's impossible.
Phantom asks, even if I overshadowed Danny? or stay real close? yes, it's nothing to worry about. they leave, and back in the quiet of Danny's room, they talk. Phantom isn't sure what to do. now that opportunity is in front of him, he feels paralyzed. Danny does his best to let Phantom know that… they might be separate now, but if he ever wants help or even just a friendly ear, he's here for him.
Phantom is quiet for a while. then says maybe he just needs to rest first. he'll think about it tomorrow. they're both exhausted and injured. Phantom asks quietly… if he could rest in Danny for the night.
Danny's shocked, and–really confused. Phantom blushes and is like I don't know what my haunt is yet, I don't know where to go, but I know… you're kind of my home. now that I know I can leave whenever I want, it's not something bad anymore. I miss feeling your heart next to my core, just a little bit.
and Danny is just as surprised when Phantom overshadows him, then quietly nestles into the passenger seat again. he didn't realize how he got used to feeling Phantom with him. it's a feedback loop of contentedness, and Danny sleeps easily. (they also find out while sharing a body, Danny gets to reap the benefits of Phantom's supernatural healing)
anyway that's all I got for now thank u for coming to my ted talk
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astatia-ghast · 2 months
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Due to some kind of spell Danny doesn't remember that he's half human.
Like Many ghosts, Phantom doesn't remember his human life, just his ghostly purpose, that he's meant to protect Amity Park from other ghosts. Which he has been doing with his usual sass and snark for three days straight now, but something's wrong. He's feeling tired, hungry. These are human things, why is he experiencing them? and more and more often these white rings that he doesn't recognize keep appearing around his waist that he has to put effort into going away.
Three teenage Amity park citizens, a goth girl, a boy with some tech gadgets, and a redhead keep following him around telling him nonsense. That his parents are worried because he hasn't come home, that he's got to eat and rest because he'll die if he keeps this up. At first he brushes them off but as his symptoms increase and they refuse to leave him alone, he's willing to hear them out.
He takes their advice and lets the white rings do their work. He's in a human body now. He can no longer fly or go through solid objects and the pain of not eating or sleeping for days finally hits him full force.
To him, this is a body horror.
He has this meaty, bony body that he can't move like how he's used to. liquid leaks from his face and he's sure that means he's melting. He feels a pain in his head and middle area that he can't ever remember feeling before. He screams and it hurts his throat Everything hurts.
The three teens who convinced him to do this try to grab him and calm him down, saying this is how he's supposed to be and they'll help him. He tries in vain to get away, not sure how to move in this new disgusting form.
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