#Not sure I'd seen one on Valerie

[starry-bi-sky]

I am absolutely loving your Danyal Al Ghul au. While I have a soft spot for the whole plotline of Danny becoming his canon personality almost right after breaking away from the LOA all because of Jazz, I'm just as much for your take in which he goes through the same character development as Damian.

Now I'm curious. You already tackled his relationship with Dani, will you eventually take a stab at when he, Sam, and Tucker meet Gregor? Given that it's one of my hated episodes as I couldn't stand Sam's infuriatingly hypocritical attitude to Danny's suspicions of him, I'd kill to see your spin on it.

Aw, thank you! Danyal Al Ghul aus are what got me into DPDC first, so I have a major soft spot for them. That being said, uh, its exactly that soft spot that causes me to have Many Opinions about the trope you just mentioned. Like the trope is all fine and dandy, i don't blindly hate it, my main issue with it is that most aus i've seen treat his backstory as an ex-assassin more like a pretty cosmetic accessory rather than something that actually should have had an impact on him. Especially if he remembers being in the league.

Like i cannot stress enough the fact that being in an ecofascist assassin cult (regardless of his standing in it) should've left him, in some way or another, screwed up morally and psychologically because that's just how development works. Nature vs. Nurture is like a game of tug-o-war that never ends, where they are constantly fighting against each other and one side usually has the upper hand or greater influence. Children model the behaviors of the adults around them (ex: bobo the clown doll experiment), and what impacts them in childhood can stick with them permanently.

Like how my psychology professor put it: a baby's brain is like wet cement; if you slap your hand on it, it leaves an imprint, and the cement dries that way. The same rings true for small children.

I could go on, but I frankly have so many thoughts on that alone that I would end up completely derailing from the second half of your ask, and I don't want to be more critical than I already have. Especially since you just mentioned you have a soft spot for the trope.

[Okay, hold onto your hats because this is long. Naturally lmao.]

Gregor! Man, I'll admit I last watched the show back in middle school on a dodgy illegal website (it had surprisingly good audio and visual graphics, and full episodes. But really annoying porn ads.) but I only made it to like season 1 before my hyperfixation faded and I lost interest. So I never actually saw the Gregor episode.

But... it is relatively easy to find free websites that stream Danny Phantom :), so finding the episode took me like. Thirty seconds. Plus the Tv.Tropes recap page because my damn earbuds just died and im out in public as of rn.

I'm not sure if I'll write something for the gregor episode like I did with Dani, since Dani's a bit of a special case in that she's a clone and tends to be a reoccurring presence in DPDC, and I thought the new dynamic with Danyal would be interesting.

Plus, I'm not a big amethyst ocean shipper for the pure reason of I'm just not all that interested in it; its kinda bland to me. I'll admit I've entertained the thought in this au due to the whole balcony scene i wrote, but I would've entertained the thought anyways if it was Tucker in that position instead. Big multishipper, me.

But, if I had to make it official? Danyal is not interested romantically in Sam when the Gregor episode happens, regardless of his relationship with Valerie. Who, speaking of I'm trying to think about how that would go, and I'm torn between including him almost-dating Valerie or not.

Because on one hand it helps point out Sam's hypocrisy (and i love her but i am always happy to point out her flaws and address them in au) in this episode in terms of Danny spying on them, but on the other hand I'll want to include a lot of set up in order to make Gray Ghost work in this au and wow will that take a while.

Especially with the Flirting with Disaster episode because it happens due to Technus' meddling, and Danny is, well, the son of the Batman? A trained assassin? An ex-assassin nonetheless, but still an assassin? A prodigy child in this au? He might not have needed to use most of his skills in the last few years, but like... there's just a bunch of 'what if' and 'well technically...' and 'would he? he could, but would he?' things that is getting in the way of my thought process and making my head spin.

.

Mmm. Okay. Flirting with Disaster occurs relatively the same as canon with a few exceptions; like Danyal noticing the strange coincidences, and he might take the idea into proper consideration because Sam has a point it is strange, especially out of nowhere.

However,,, he really enjoys Valerie's company, and he does really like her. He's been adjusting to civilian life for the last four years and while he's made a lot of progress, he's still. an ex-assassin child living like a wolf amongst sheep. This is normal, typical teenager stuff, and usually his friends like to encourage him doing normal teenager stuff.

So he's stubbornly holding out on the thought that this is normal, that ghost stuff isn't interfering here. He's a little hurt that his friends are discouraging this, he's not bothered by the fact that Valerie is a ghost hunter and he a ghost -- his mother is an assassin, and his father is Batman, and they still had a relationship. (Granted, he's not gonna tell them that)

If anything, being diametrically opposed to each other but still being in love is part of the family! Granted, usually both parties are aware of said opposition to each other, but he'll make a special exception this time around.

(And man now that i'm thinking about gray ghost, im now thinking about various like. scenes i could write between the two of them. maybe in a reblog.)

Anyways uhhh things relatively go the same as canon. Yeah. I think Sam still has a crush on Danny and still spies out of jealousy with Tucker.

.

Now, the Gregor episode! With that out of the way; the TVTropes recap for this episode isn't the best because it doesn't go into detail about the entire episode like it does with Flirting With Disaster and Shades of Gray.

(which i looked at earlier because I made a section of this post talking briefly about what changes I'd make to the Shades of Gray episode to help set up Gray Ghost, but ended up deleting because it was kinda irrelevant for the matter at hand.)

So I'm taking in bits of the episode clips at a time, I'll try not to get too nitpicky about how each scene goes because then it's gonna take me a longer time to write this.

But! First thing's first; since Danny is not romantically interested in Sam, he is also not jealous of Gregor. He is however, a bit eyebrow-raisey at him in their first introduction, but that's because Gregor is coming off as obnoxious.

Danny thinks he's kinda annoying, and it doesn't take a genius to see that Gregor is trying to impress Sam. But since they've only known him for five minutes he takes the good faith assumption and assumes that Gregor is genuinely trying to show interest in Sam's interests too because he likes her, so he keeps mum. The fake hungarian accent is weird, but it's overall harmless, so he doesn't point it out.

He does do the spying thing when he starts suspecting that Gregor might be working for the GIW. The episode only has this happen twice, but for the au this happens a handful of more times over the course of the week, with Danyal's suspicion steadily rising more and more each time.

Hah, when he brings up wanting to spy on Sam and Gregor because of this reason, Tucker still does his "woah! you wanna spy on Sam?" thing.

Danny immediately turns to him, completely unimpressed, and crosses his arms. "Tucker," he says, deadpan, "you and Sam spied on me and Valerie."

He uses a combination of his ghost powers and his regular stealth ability to spy on them. He's hiding in a tree when they're skipping rocks, close enough that he can use his powers to hear them talk but far enough away that he has a good view of their surroundings.

He's invisible in the cinema, but doesn't accidentally get in front of the projector. He checks the inside of the room for the GIW, and then waits outside the actual room itself, keeping an eye on the area and occasionally flying in to watch the movie out of boredom. It reminds him of being back on a recon mission with the League, but it doesn't end with him orchestrating someone's death.

Then when they're at the mall he stays in human form, blending in with the crowd. He runs into the GIW there, but realizes that they're not there because of Gregor; they're just shopping. They didn't show up at either of the last two locations, and he follows them to make sure they're not also trying to blend in. But they're literally just there for shopping.

Danny is rather pleased with this turnout; so far Gregor isn't a spy, he's just annoying. The next day at lunch he asks Sam how her date with Gregor went, and that's how she figures out he spied on them, because well, she didn't tell him that.

"Have you been spying on me?"

Danny messes with his food a little bit, and Tucker is sinking into his seat with embarrassment. He frowns, "Only last night. Those incompetent government dodos--"

His lip curls up; he gets all 'Shakespeare-y' (as Sam and Tucker put it) when he's insulting someone, "--kept appearing whenever Gregor did. I followed you and him last night to make sure he wasn't a spy."

A roundabout way of saying, "I was worried".

Sam is, as canon, furious. Danny understands why, he knows generally speaking that people don't like being spied on. But he's confused on just how angry she is, and is a little irritated by it.

"Why would you do that!" She exclaims, "That's way out of line, Danny."

"How? You spied on me when I was going on dates with Valerie." He narrows his eyes, and points his fork at her, "I'm not blind, I noticed."

"That's different, we told you why we were suspicious. And we don't have ghost powers like you do."

"I don't need ghost powers to sneak around, Sam, you've seen this firsthand. And I just told you why I followed you, I thought he was working with the guys in white--"

"So you think someone can only be interested in me if they're after you?" (this is a paraphrased quote, folks ;D)

"No! If that was the case I would have voiced my concern the moment I thought it. I don't get why you're so angry, you spied too."

Iiits.... a mess. Sam storms off with Gregor, Tucker tags along because okay, yeah, maybe Gregor isn't with the GIW, or maybe last night was a fluke. Either way he ends up tagging along. Danny overhears that conversation between the GIW and Mr. Lancer, and maybe he's right, maybe he's wrong; but something is up.

I've gotten to that scene in the locker room where Gregor tells Danny that he knows he doesn't like him, and I've paused at Danny's reply to say this: Danyal doesn't even bother trying to deny it.

"I know you do not like me."

"You're right; I don't."

"Ah, let me finish. I know you do not like me because you want to protect your friend, Sam, and I respect that."

"...That's correct."

"Good! Because I am going to ask her out."

"I had a feeling you'd say that," he stands up, claps his hand tight on Gregor's shoulder, and leans close to him with a threatening smile, "so you understand me when i say; if you break my best friend's heart, you're as good as dead, right?"

"Ah,, yes. I am so glad we got that cleared out of the way, and now I hope after we can.. how you Americans put it, hang out?"

In the episode he hugs Danny and gives him a la bise (which is that french greeting where you kiss someone on the cheek two or more times) after they end their conversation. But here, when he goes to do that to Danyal, Danny leans away, points an accusatory finger at him, and says; "Absolutely not; we are not close."

The next scene after that is like, end of day. Sam, Tucker, and Gregor walking away. Sam looks over her shoulder to glare at Danny, then gets forlorn. Tucker looks back and just looks forlorn.

(When did I start narrating each scene?? Eh, I'm writing this in brief spurts of time throughout the day. Don't fix what's not broke)

After that there's this whole scene with the two GIW agents that have been chasing Phantom all episode. They're there because they have Tucker's PDA that Skulker took, and it's got the information of their purple backed gorilla assignment on it. They've been going around seeing who Tucker associates with in hopes of catching Phantom.

Uhh ahaha and that is where this gets a little interesting imo, and also allows me to mention that im retconning Danyal's (already) redesigned ghost form. Which I've wanted to retcon even before this moment bc it was just too busy. I'll get to that in a moment.

The GIW suspect Gregor for being the Phantom because of his white hair and green eyes, which is all fine and dandy until you remember: Danyal (and by extension Phantom) has that very noticeable, rather identifiable facial scar that goes across the middle of his fucking face. The GIW could easily suspect that Phantom hides his scar with makeup if he's in disguise, but if they meet a kid with a seemingly identical facial scar and similar disposition? Hoo boy.

Solution? I've got two: Gregor is canonically a kid from Michigan who faked everything to impress Sam. Considering he knows she's gothic and knows that she's ultra-recyclo vegetarian? He probably watched her from afar or got information on her somehow. His hair is dyed, his eyes might just naturally be green, but if he notices that she's got a crush on either Danyal or Phantom? A little sfx makeup could help him recreate a similar looking scar.

My second solution that's gonna happen anyways bc its that suit redesign; Danyal does hide his face as Phantom. Ghosts are emotional creatures and its a popular headcanon that their interests, ambitions, etc, influence the way they look as a ghost, not just their death. A big reoccurring theme of my au is that Danyal did not leave the League unscathed, and that being an assassin is an important part of his identity.

So i'm discarding the hazmat suit look entirely and leaning into the 'assassin' thing. But the general (stylized) feel is like, white ribbon/cloth vambraces that he has used as a garrote at some point, a hood, a gaiter scarf-type thing. I'm keeping the cape. I did a doodle a few days back that's not the official redesign, but a redesign for Phantom. I may reblog this post with that attached because it's got the general feel down. There's very little white involved, but the inside of his cape flares out and looks like the night sky.

Now, the hood and gaiter scarf gets rid of most of the problem, but Danny's hood doesn't stay on all the time, so the GIW have likely seen the upper half of the scar. :] Gregor's own drawn-on scar doesn't have to be 1:1, but it looks close enough, right? A small scar cutting through the edge of his brow and ends right below the corner of his eye. A 'cool, badass' one opposed to Danny's 'garish' scar.

But! Back to the episode scene. Canon Danny gets written off as being 'too prepubescent' to be Phantom, and honestly it'd be hilarious if Danyal was written off for the same reason (he's calling them idiots in his head if they do). But instead -- leaning into the GIW's incompetence here -- he gets written off as being too mature or too talkative. Or something equally as absurd.

Sam breaks up with Gregor for canon reasons, but when Gregor does his "i really like you, but, come on-!" and gestures to tucker, he adds on "and that scary friend of yours too, seriously!"

Things go relatively the same as canon after that. Danny does end up apologizing for spying, however. Sam does it first. Sorrows, prayers, all that.

.

Things usually end up changed or different when I actually write it down, so I'd likely add more or adjust different scenes according to the flow of the oneshot. This is just like, a general vibe of how things would go, and where some of the more obvious changes would be if I did write this oneshot.

Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for the ask :]

[theworldofotps]

Man Crush (Drabble)

Pairing: Jeff Hardy x OC Melissa Word Count: 874 Prompt: 'But friends don't look at each other like we do, if i kissed you, I don't think I'd be able to stop'

Hope you enjoy babes thank you for requesting @melissahausen ________ Tag list: @omg-im-such-a-masochist @melissahausen​ @new-zealand-chic @writtingrose​ @99hook @madhatterbri @sjwrites22​ @sassymox​ @mrsacklesevansmgk @xladyxfatex​ @adamcolesbaybay @irish-newzealand-idian-dutch​ @demonqueen29​ @itsicantbelievethis666​ @lilred91​ @rebellious-desires​ @claymorexpunisher @letsgivethisonemoreshot @ava-valerie​ @shortyiceheart @serpantscorpio8497​ @thatpanpal @thatnerdwriter​ @wrestlersownmyheart @vebner37​​ @seeingstarks​ @whenimakeitshine1234 @legit9thlunaticwarrior​ @blaquekitty @ironshamelessyouth​ @unoficialy-married-to-ace-austin @ripleyswhore @moonrosekk @xbreezymeadowsx @alyyaana  @elevennbloom @melblacc @alliwant456  @mcreignsera @auburnwrites​ @aews-four-pillars If you wanna be added to the list lemme know. ________

“It’s been three weeks Melissa, you’re either going to need to confess to Jeff that you like him or figure out something. You can’t keep avoiding him you two are so close and it’s bothering him knowing what’s wrong.”

Melissa sighed as she looked at Jeff’s older brother Matt, she did not know who else to turn to when her dreams about one of her best friends had started getting erotic. Sure, she knew that she had a crush on Jeff she had for years how could she not. But she didn’t know how to deal with the man when her mind tortured her at night with dreams of him caressing her flesh, watching his eyes as he dipped his head down to sample her wetness with his tongue.

After that first dream, she had a hard time looking him in the face, when the dreams wouldn’t stop she started avoiding him, afraid she’d reveal her secret. The only reason she told his brother was because she was desperate and needed some advice.

“I just worry it’s going to make him uncomfortable and that last thing I want is to do that to him. Part of me believes he may be flattered, but friends don’t look at each other the way we do.”

“Honestly, I can’t promise his reaction I don’t know how he’ll behave but regardless I’ll be here to help you and I truly believe it’s not going to harm your friendship if he doesn’t like it. You’ll always have us and I agree you two do look at each other different.”

“Thanks Matt, well I guess I better go find him.”

“Good luck kiddo.”

Waving, Melissa continued her way down the hall in search of Jeff while doing her best to try and keep herself together. It had been so hard avoiding him for three weeks and it was getting to the point where she wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep him from just cornering her at work.

“Hey Kenny, have you seen Jeff anywhere?”

She asked rubbing her hands together nervously as she looked at her friend who was on his phone. Kenny looked up smiling at her and nodded, motioning towards the left down the long corridore.

‘Locker room.’

He mouthed, giving him a quiet thanks she went towards the men’s locker room and pulled her phone out; sending Jeff a text to let him know she was here looking for him. After a few minutes the door opened, and Jeff smiled seeing her.

“Hey, give me a minute to get my stuff then we can walk, and talk do you have a ride?”

“Yeah, I got a ride with one of the girls but it’s fine.”

Nodding Jeff gathered his things and the two of them began making their way through the halls waving to coworkers or friends. The silence stretched between them neither knowing how to exactly start until Jeff did.

“Did I do something to upset you?”

“What?”

Melissa looked over at him before quickly shaking her head pushing a door open.

“No, you didn’t do anything I’m sorry for avoiding you lately I’m going to explain why I just it’s not as easy as I would hope for.”

Jeff nodded relieved to know he hadn’t upset or offended her in some way. He stayed quiet to let her gather her thoughts.

“You let your gray grow out?”

Melissa wondered aloud looking over at him Jeff smiled at her change of subject touching his face and hair he glanced at her.

“I did, do you like it?”

“I really like it honestly you suit gray pretty well.”

“Thank you.”

The two continued to walk in silence for a bit longer as Melissa decided it was just best to get it over with now.

“So the reason I’ve been avoiding you is I’ve been dreaming about you and I got confused.”

“That’s it? I dream about you too darling it’s not weird we dream about friends all the time it’s actually pretty normal.”

“No these are different my dreams have been well.”

Swallowing, she felt her cheeks heating up while her eyes darted to the floor suddenly interested in the concrete. She couldn’t believe she was going to just spit this out right here where anyone could possibly hear.

“They’re what?”

“On the more erotic side.”

“Oh? Erotic, OH.”

He exclaimed after a moment and stopped walking grabbing her arm to pull her to a stop and lifted her chin with his finger to get her gaze to meet his.

“You like me, don’t you?”

“Well, I mean it’s pretty obvious after what I just told you.”

“That’s no reason to avoid me we could have made those dreams a reality; you know sometimes I listen to you talking I just want to lean over and kiss you.”

Melissa could feel her heart pounding in her chest listening to his confession, she decided to be brave once more.

“Why don’t you kiss me now?”

“If I kissed you, I don’t think I’d be able to stop.” “What if I don’t want you too.”

Jeff smiles cupping her cheeks gently lowering his lips to her in a kiss sweeter than either could have ever hoped for.

[lulubelle814]

In Every Life - Part 3

Part 2 - In Every Life Masterlist

Masterlist

Present Day (1975)

Everything was on fire.  Smoke and screams filled the air.  He was glad she wasn’t here to witness this, but he knew it’s what he deserved for what happened to her, for trying to move on afterwards.

Glancing over the balcony wall, the building next to theirs was suffering a similar fate.  Thankfully that’s where the chaos and destruction seemed to end.  In the far distance, he saw the city, quiet in the early morning hours.  He could almost spot the neighborhood where they were supposed to live together before it happened.  

Bitter-sweet memories / That's all I'm taking with me / Good-bye, please don't cry

He could hear the music floating on the wind, reminding him of the enormous hold in his heart.

1 year ago

Valerie needed to get out of her apartment for some fresh air, and it was such a beautiful day.  Grabbing her purse and a book, she headed outside and down the block.

Standing at the crosswalk, she patiently waited for the crossing sign to give the go ahead to cross safely when someone walked past her, evidently not paying attention.  He was, however, jolted back to the present by someone grabbing his arm and pulling him back just as a car was about to hit him.  The gentleman managed to keep himself upright.  Looking at his savior, she was just a tad shorter than him with wavy auburn hair and the bluest eyes he’d ever seen.  “I can’t believe I almost walked straight into traffic,” he exclaimed.  “I’ve never done that before.  I swear.”

She smiled at him.  “It happens to the best of us.”  

Although embarrassed, he introduced himself.  “I’m Robert Laing.”  

“Valerie Hutton.”

“Can I buy you a cup of coffee to thank you?”

She nodded.  “I’d love that.  I was just on my way to get one anyways.”  It seemed fortune favored him this morning.

Once safe to do so, they crossed the street together.  There was a diner she enjoyed going to since she moved to the area a few weeks ago.  Evidently he was also a fan of the same diner.  Sitting down, he ordered a coffee while she had tea.

Looking back at him, she had to ask. “So what made you so preoccupied that you almost walked into traffic?”

She smiled and laughed a little, as did he. “I've got this complicated surgery later this afternoon, and I keep going over it in my head. I want to make sure it goes well.”

Frowning, she was confused. “I'm you're having surgery, should you be drinking coffee? I thought you couldn't eat or drink for, like, hours before going under the knife.”

He raised his eyebrows, confused a bit before it dawned on him. “Oh! I should probably clarify. I'm a doctor. A surgeon actually.”

‘Impressive,’ she thought. “What kind of doctor?”

“A neurosurgeon actually. My patient this afternoon has a tumor that's delicate to operate on, and I want to make sure it goes as well as it possibly can.”

“Well, walking into traffic isn't one of those things, I hope.” Valerie smiled at her own joke. Robert laughed as well. “No, it definitely is not. Thank you again for saving me. I feel like buying you a cup of tea isn't thanks enough. Maybe I could take you to dinner tomorrow?”

“I'd love that. Plus you can tell me how the surgery went.”

“Sounds like a great plan to me.” He realized he hadn't eaten breakfast yet this morning and was feeling a bit peckish. “I'm going to order some breakfast. You're welcome to order something as well. It's on me.”

“Oh, breakfast AND dinner? You really know the way to my heart.” She laughed, as did he. When the waitress came back with their drinks, they ordered some food: pancakes for her and an omelet for him. As they chatted, they ended up sharing bits of their food with each other. 

“So what do you do for a living, if I may ask?”

“I'm a secretary at a law firm. It's nothing fancy, but it pays the bills. I mostly just answer phones, file paperwork, and let my boss know when their clients arrive.”

She was certain at that moment that he’d make an excuse to cancel their dinner date for the following night.  Why would a neurosurgeon be interested in dating a secretary?  Oh well.  She at least got to have breakfast with him.  But maybe he wouldn’t cancel?  While they had just barely met, she had this feeling about him, that he wasn’t that kind of guy, that she wanted to spend more time with him.  What she didn’t know was that he felt the same.  Not about the job comparison but that he also desired to spend more time with her.  It’s like there was some sort of connection from the moment he saw her when she pulled him back just in time to avoid getting hit by a car.

When their dinner date rolled around the next evening, they could barely take their eyes off each other, playing a bit of footsie under the table.  It was like they’d been together for years and the rest was only minor details.

“How did the surgery go?”  She was genuinely curious, not just asking to be polite which surprised him a bit.  The ladies he usually went on dates with didn’t care about the actual surgeries, more just that he was a doctor.

“It went very well!  Thank you for asking.  I was able to get the entire tumor removed, and my patient is recovering well so far.  That’s all thanks to you by saving me from walking in front of a car while being stuck in my own head.  I quite enjoy telling my colleagues that I was saved by a beautiful woman who agreed to have dinner with me.”

She could help the blush that spread across her cheeks, feeling slightly embarrassed.  She wasn’t used to being complimented like that.  Usually when that happened, she was being cat-called by construction workers or getting hit on by random drunks (which is why she steered clear of going to bars at this point in her life).  “You are too kind, Robert.”

“I mean it! You are the most captivating woman I’ve ever encountered.  While I do not relish the thought of being hit by a car, I’m glad it gave us a chance to meet.” She blushed again. “How was your day at the office?”  He genuinely wanted to get to know her.

“It was the same for the most part.”  He raised an eyebrow at her statement, silently inquiring what made it different.  “A new client came in today, and something about him just gave me the creeps.  My boss has different kinds of clients, but something about this guy just ....”  She shuttered. “I’ll be very glad when their business is concluded.  I hope it won’t take long.  Roger was fingered as the guy who robbed that petrol station a couple of weeks ago, but the entire case (from the bits I’ve heard) are largely circumstantial.”

“I’m so sorry, darling.  I can’t imagine what that must feel like.  If he does give you trouble, let me know?  I’d happily defend your honor.”  It was easy to tell he meant every single word.  There was just something about Robert that made her feel safe, like she could run to him with any problem, and he’d solve it for her. Frankly, it scared her a little as well, to feel this way about an almost complete stranger.  The only person in her life that she’d felt this way about before was her dad, but he passed a few years ago, heart attack.  

“I really appreciate that.  Really.  More than you know.”  He could tell from her response that she didn’t have someone like that in her life, and it made him sad and even more determined to be there for her when she needed it.  He decided at that moment that no matter if this worked out or not, he’d be there whenever she needed someone, but there was no way he’d let this incredible woman walk away without a fight should something happen.

Looking at the menu, everything sounded incredible.  She ordered the shrimp garlic pasta while he ordered the lasagna.  Both looked so good that they ended up sharing their dishes.  When she offered some to him on her fork (with the intention of putting it on his plate), he instead leaned forward and ate it directly off the utensil causing butterflies to explode in her stomach.  So when he held up a piece of his lasagna for her to try, she did the same.  It then took everything he had not to just jump across the table to kiss her silly.

To say dinner went well was an understatement.  Valerie didn’t have a car.  So she splurged and got a taxi.  Rather than take a taxi back home, Robert offered her a ride.  When she gave him the cross streets for her apartment, he got excited as it was not that far from his place.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he exclaimed.  “I live on the other side of Creston street!”

“By that beautiful flower shop?”

“That’s the one!”

“No way!  You’re maybe a 10 minute walk from here.  Talk about coincidence!” 

Parking his car, he walked her up to her apartment.  Not wanting to get ahead of himself and scare her, he gave her a kiss on the cheek.  “I’d like to see you again, if that’s alright.”  She agreed, and they made plans to go to the new Robert Redford movie, The Great Gatsby.

She woke up early the next morning to a light knock on the door.  Looking through the peephole, she didn’t see anyone.  Maybe it was a delivery or something?  Opening her door, she saw the most beautiful bouquet of peonies.

Tucked inside, she found a card.

These pale in comparison to your beauty.  Thank you for a wonderful evening. -Robert

She squeed so loud with joy that her elderly neighbor opened their door.  “Is everything alright, dear?”

“Yes, sorry Ms. Tully.”  She loved her neighbor.  Ms. Tully welcomed Valerie to the building when she moved in.  Her husband had died some years before, and Valerie took it upon herself to look after her sweet neighbor.  She was small but mighty.  Someone had tried to rob her on the street a while back, and she beat them with her cane, scolding them to the point that they turned themselves into the police to protect him from her.  As it turned out, the police had been looking for the would-be robber as he’d attacked several women to steal their purses.  The arresting officer at the precinct laughed when the robber told him why he turned himself in, not believing an elderly lady would be able to do such a thing.

“Why don’t you come over for a cuppa and tell me about the gentleman who sent those?”  Ms. Tully always had the best biscuits, and Valerie could never turn her down.  After placing the flowers on her coffee table, she scurried over to her neighbor’s place.

As soon as she sat down, Muffin jumped into her lap, demanding pets.  Muffin was an overweight but very sweet calico.  Well, sweet to her and Ms. Tully.  Muffin typically hated most people and had the tendency to lay in the window to judge everyone walking by.  Her mortal enemy was the bird who would regularly sit on a branch just outside the window and mock her, at least that’s how muffin felt.  Okay, fine.  Muffin was a spiteful old bitch who was very picky about who she liked.

Ms. Tully brought over a pot of tea with 2 cups and a fresh batch of homemade biscuits.  Valerie told her all about Robert: how they met, him taking her to breakfast, and their date last night.  No detail was spared.  

“That’s how I felt about my Steve.  People said love at first sight doesn’t exist, but I can assure you it does.  We met when my friends took me out dancing.  When I saw him, it was like everyone else ceased to exist.  We danced all night, and then he walked me home.”

Valerie loved when Ms. Tully would tell stories about her husband.  She wanted that, a relationship like the Tullys.  The only problem is that other than her neighbor, those stories only seemed to exist in fairy tales.  At least until she ran into Robert.  They’d only known each other a few days, but from the moment their eyes met on that street corner, nothing else seemed to matter.  

It’s not that she was unhappy with her life.  In fact, she was quite content. She had a good boss, a couple of good friends, an elderly neighbor she adored, and an apartment she loved.  If that was all she got in life, she was very happy with it.

“If he hurts you in any way, he’ll have me to deal with.”  Valerie laughed, imagining Ms. Tully beat Robert (who was more than a foot taller than her dear neighbor) with her cane.

“I’ll be sure to let him know.”  She couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when she told him.  It was inevitable that Robert would meet Ms. Tully, and she’d put the fear of God in him.

Val had to leave.  There were a few things she had to take care of today, namely her laundry.  Her building didn’t have machines.  So she packed up her laundry in a large basket, a book, and a fist full of quarters and headed to the laundromat for the next 3 hours (depending how many machines were available).  When she arrived, there were (thankfully) 2 machines available.  She promptly filled them up and started her wash before tucking away in a chair with her book.  

Not even a few pages in, she heard the door open and felt a pair of eyes on her.  Looking up, Robert was looking at her while holding his own bag of laundry.

“Fancy meeting you here.”  They both laughed.

“I’d think a fancy doctor like you would have your stuff dry cleaned.”

He grinned, loving her snarky remark.  “Just for my suits.  For everything else, I prefer to slum it.”  She couldn’t hold in a snorting laugh which made him smile even more.  He wanted to hear more of that laugh.

Thankfully more machines were becoming free, allowing him to start his own laundry.  While he did that, she cleared out the seat next to her in case he wanted to sit there, which he did.  He’d brought his own book to entertain himself.  Instead, they spend the next couple of hours chatting and laughing.

She told him about Ms. Tully’s warning.  “You’ll have to meet her sometime.  Watch out though.  Her cat hates people.  Well, most people.”

“I’ll be sure to pack my pockets with treats.  My mum had a cat like that, and bacon was the way to his heart.”

“I think bacon is the way to most people’s hearts.”  The entire time they were there, neither touched their books.  

“Normally I try to do my laundry on a Thursday evening, but the surgery ran long.”

“I usually come on a Friday night, but I had a date with this cute guy.”

He raised an eyebrow and smirked.  “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.  It went well at first, but I don’t think anything will come of it.”

“Why’s that?”

“Well, he didn't seem to pay attention and almost walked straight into traffic.”  

He laughed.  At some point, his arm rested on the back of her chair.  In her imagination, she could see them doing laundry together for the coming months until they got married.  He’d buy a house with a washer and dryer.  Then they’d do laundry together while taking care of their kids.  She could see the toys strewn around the living room, the books relocated to a little library room that also acted as a home office when he needed to work on paperwork.  The kids would play around the backyard with 

She had to shake herself out of that image.  There was no telling if this would work out or not, and she didn’t want to get ahead of herself.  But it was just such a beautiful picture in her mind.  Little did she know that he was picturing something similar.

“Thank you so much for the flowers.  They’re beautiful!  Peonies are my favorite, especially white and lavender ones.”

“I’m so glad you like them.  I saw them at the flower shop when I was passing by, and they made me think of you.  I couldn’t not get them for you.”  He made a mental note about the peony being her favorite.

When their laundry was done, they used one of the tables to fold everything.  It was hard not to laugh watching him struggle to fold a fitted sheet.  She took it from him and folded it (mostly) for him.  “That’s much better than anything I can do with that.  It seems like they make those things impossible to fold.  Sometimes I just roll it up and toss it in a cupboard.”

“I get that.  I’m not great at folding those, but Ms. Tully showed me how she folds hers.  I can’t do it nearly as well as she can.  That’s about as close as I can get.”  

Robert didn’t care one bit, not even if she had set the sheet on fire or thrown it in the bin.  Running into her at the laundromat made his day.  There was just something about her he couldn’t put his finger on, but being even in her vicinity brought him comfort and helped him to relax.  His colleagues had been giving him a hard time for quite a while, even trying to set him up on dates.  Women would very openly flirt with him as well.  He was just never interested.

She handed the sheet back to him, and his hands brushed hers as he went to take it from her.  That one touch made him forget where they were.  He tossed the sheet carelessly into his basket as he leaned down, placed a hand on her cheek, and lightly placed his lips on hers.  The moment their lips touched was like fireworks.  She leaned up into him, returning his kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck.  As he wrapped his around her waist, a distinct coughing sound brought them back to reality causing them to pull apart.  Looking around, the handful of patrons in the laundromat were all staring at them.  “Get a room,” someone said.  Sheepishly, they finished folding their laundry and headed their separate ways.

Two weeks had passed.  Robert and Valerie continue to go on dates, and he’d kiss her each time he took her home.  Last night he’d taken her dancing, which she hadn’t done in a long time.  Neither had he, in fact.  But they both had so much fun.

Today, however, he was at the hospital.  There was a minor surgery he was performing.  She’d come back from grocery shopping to find Ms. Tully’s door broken open.  Logically she knew she should call the police, but that thought went out the window when she heard Muffin’s meows.  Dropping her bags by her door, she ran into Ms. Tully’s place to find it in shambles.  Muffin came out and led Valerie to where Ms. Tully was unconscious on the floor, bleeding from the back of her head.  She ran over to check that she was still breathing.  Placing 2 fingers on the pulse point in her neck, Ms. Tully was definitely still alive.  Hurriedly, she rang the police, giving them the address and apartment number.  While she waited, she stayed with her elderly neighbor, knowing enough, at least, not to move her.  

The police arrived a few minutes later along with an ambulance.  Valerie answered questions while the paramedics loaded Ms. Tully into the ambulance.  When all was said and done, they let her know which hospital her neighbor would be taken to before leaving her alone.  

Before anything else, she took Muffin to her apartment so that the cat wouldn’t get hurt accidentally by the broken glass and such.  She also took over the cat’s food (putting it in a cupboard in the hall) and litter box (which she put in the spare bathroom).  Now that Muffin was safe, she spent the next couple of hours cleaning up her neighbor’s apartment, trying to salvage what she could.  

Another caring neighbor had seen the aftermath with the door in shambles and, without asking, worked on repairing what he could.  It would stand well enough to appear secure, but in the end, the door would need replacing.  He took the liberty of talking with the landlord who had the door replaced very quickly.  The landlord had a sweet spot for Ms. Tully especially as she was the longest running tennant he’d had in that building with little to no issues.

Once the door was replaced, he left a copy of the keys with Val who would give them to her neighbor.  When all was said and done, she hopped in a cab to the mentioned hospital.  Finding the welcome desk, she asked about Ms. Tully.  She was in surgery as they’d found a brain clot from being hit on the back of her head but the attending surgeon should be done shortly.  The kind nurse said they’d keep her up to date if she was staying, which of course she was.

It was at least another hour later when the nurse told her that the doctor would be out shortly to talk to her.  When the doctor came out, he asked the nurse who was the one here for his patient.  Pointing to Valerie (who had her back facing the nurse), he walked over to her.

“Are you here for…..Valerie?”  Hearing his voice, she looked up, seeing Robert in his scrubs.  She wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him.  She began to cry on his chest.  He sat them down and held her close.  “I didn’t think when I saw the name Tully that it would be your neighbor, darling.”  He shushed and cooed into her ear, trying to help calm her down.

“It was so awful, Robert!  I was only gone for maybe 20 minutes to get a few things from the store.  When I came back, her door was wide open…..glass everywhere………”  He continued to console her, trying to help her calm down.

“It’s alright darling.  She’s alright thanks to you.”  He pulled back to look her in the eyes.  “She’s a fighter, that one.  Ms. Tully has a fair number of bruises and a fractured right arm.  The most alarming part was the brain clot from where she’d been hit, but I was able to get it cleaned up.  It’ll take a while, but she’ll recover.”

Knowing that it was her Robert who performed the operation brought her an immense amount of relief.  “I’ve got Muffin set up at my place.”  She thought for a minute.  “Who could have done this?  Who would attack poor Ms. Tully?  IN HER OWN HOME!”

“I don’t know, darling.  I don’t know.  But I’m sure the police are working very hard to find out who did this.  She’s in recovery right now.  I need to go check on her.  I’ll come get you once she’s settled in a room?”  She nodded.

When he came back to the waiting room, he guided her back to his elderly patient’s room.  Being the head neurosurgeon, he pulled some strings to get Ms. Tully her own room.  It even had a view of the hospital garden.

Valerie was happy to see her neighbor awake already.  Robert checked her vitals and looked over the stitches in her head to make sure everything was still holding properly.

“Valerie, I know you’ve been seeing that gentleman you told me about, but I think Dr. Laing here is a real catch.  Just look at him!”

Robert blushed, and Valerie was shocked.  “Ms. Tully!  You just got out of surgery, and you’re trying to set me up with your doctor?”

Ms. Tully grinned as she nodded.  Rather than tell her who Robert was to her, she walked over and gazed into his eyes.  “I suppose you’re right.  He is very easy on the eyes.  I wonder…..”  She leaned up and kissed him.  “Yep, good kisser.  I think you’re right, Ms. Tully.”

Robert wasn’t sure what to do at this point until Valerie broke down laughing.  “Ms. Tully, this is the man I’ve been telling you about, Robert.”  Ms. Tully looked between the two before narrowing her eyes at her doctor.  “If you do anything at all to hurt her, you’ll have to answer to me.  And keep that dingle-doodle to yourself.”

Robert held his hands up in retreat.  “You have my word, Ms. Tully.”

Valerie giggled a bit before turning back to her neighbor.  “Don’t worry about Muffin.  She’s at my place.  I’ve got her food and litter box.  Mr. Jenkins already replaced your door, and he gave me the spare keys.”  

Robert took his turn, this time as Dr. Laing.  “Surgery went well.  You had a clot from the hit to your head, but it’s cleaned up.  Your right arm is fractured, and you’ve got a fair number of bruises.  I’d like to keep you here for a week to make sure you’re healing well.  We’ve also got you on some medications to help with the pain.  Is that alright, Ms. Tully?  Do you have any questions?”

Rather than address her doctor, Ms. Tully looked to Valerie.  “Is Muffin alright?  She gave the man a fright, scratching and clawing at him.  Even bit his ass.  I’ve never seen Muffin move like that before, especially for an old fat cat.”

“She’s good.  I looked her over, and nothing seemed to be wrong.  I’ll take good care of her until you get home.”  It was touching how she was more worried about the cat than herself.  “Is there anyone you want me to call?”

In the end, Ms. Tully had Val call her son.  Robert offered to call himself as he was her doctor, but Val thought it would be better coming from her.  The call was brief, and her son was at the hospital within the hour.

“Mum, I’ve told you that you shouldn’t be living alone!”

She scowled.  “I can take care of myself.  I don’t need a caretaker.  I won’t let you put me in a nursing home.”

Robert interjected.  “I hate to say this, but I agree with your son.  Valerie was fortunate to find you as quickly as she did, which is why you're in better shape than what could have happened.”

Acting like a petulant child, Ms. Tully pointed at Robert.  “You’re officially on my shit list.”  It wasn’t the first time a patient had told him that, and he didn’t mind.  He had their best interests at heart.

“Mum, I know you don’t want to go into a nursing home.  I wouldn’t do that to you, but Diane and I would like you to consider moving in with us.  You’d have your own space, but we’d be near.  I know you want to be independent, but we worry about you.”

No decisions were made that night, but Ms. Tully consented to at least think about it.  Valerie assured her that Muffin was fine at her place, and she’d take good care of her cat.

Since his shift was over and all patients had been checked on, Robert drove Valerie home so she wouldn’t have to pay for another taxi.  Well, that and he wanted to see the state of everything for himself.  Valerie used the new key to get into Ms. Tully’s place.  There was still cleaning to do and furniture to put back in place, but it was enough to rattle him.  He moved the heavy  furniture back in place.  It was evident that whomever broke in was checking loads of places for where the elderly resident might hide money or anything of value.  The overturned couch was no surprise.  His own grandma used to hide cash in her couch.  

They eventually made their way over to Valerie’s place next door.  Robert spotted a folded notice on her door and grabbed it for her.  Looking around, most doors had the same one on theirs.  Handing it to her, she didn’t hesitate to open it with Robert reading over her shoulder.  It was a short message from the landlord advising that there was a break-in, that it was an isolated incident, and that he would be working with the police to find out how the intruder got into the building.

Opening the door, Muffin came running to her.  Picking her up, Muffin sniffed Robert, unsure of him at first until she caught a whiff of both her owner and her favorite person (Valerie) all over him.  She gave him a tentative approval and allowed him to pet her.  Robert gave the cat a quick look over to double check she was okay, which she thankfully was.  This cat likely prevented the intruder from doing more damage to Ms. Tully.

“It scares me that someone broke into your building.”  Looking around her apartment, all he could see in that moment was someone breaking in and tearing her place apart.

“Same.  This is usually a pretty safe neighborhood.”  He could tell she was scared that it might happen again.  They sat down on her sofa, and Muffin curled up in her lap while Robert wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Taking a deep breath, a thought came to his mind. “I have a proposal.”

She hummed in response as she continued to pet the cat.  Her mind was spiraling with thoughts of what would have happened to Ms. Tully if she hadn’t found her so quickly.

“You’re welcome to say no, but how about you stay at my place for a couple of days?  At least until they figure out how the guy got in and can fix it?”

“I…what?”

“I have plenty of space.  You can even sleep in the guestroom.  I promise to be a perfect gentleman.  Absolutely nothing will happen without your express consent.”

She was a bit surprised at his offer.   “We’ve only known each other a few weeks, Robert.  Are you sure about this?”

“I’m very sure.  If you don’t want to stay at mine, I could sleep here on the couch?  I just worry for your safety right now.  I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you.”

It was easy to see the concern in his eyes.  There was no sign of lies in anything he said, and she knew he’d keep his promise.  In fact, it brought her a sense of comfort.  “What about Muffin?”

“Muffin is always welcome.  I don’t have any pets, and she can have the run of the place.”  The cat lifted her head, looking up at Robert as if she understood what he’d said and gave her answer by moving over to Robert and curling up in his lap.

“I think that’s a yes from Muffin.”  They both laughed.  Val packed a few things while Robert loaded up the litter box, food bowl, water bowl, and bag of food for the kitty.  Once she had everything else together, he took her bags to his car as well.  She carried Muffin in her lap during the short drive to his place.

He let her inside before unloading everything from his car.  He showed her to the guestroom while Muffin explored his house, deeming it acceptable.  Robert gave her a spare key.  “I don’t want you to feel like I’m holding you hostage or anything.”

“Not at all.  I’ve just………..okay.  Don’t laugh at me when I say this, but I’ve never stayed over at a man’s place before, not by myself.”

“Why would I laugh at that?  I don’t see anything wrong with it.  If it helps you feel better, I’ve never invited women to stay over, except for my sister.”  He took his hands in hers.  “I know a lot of this is new to both of us, but I swear I won’t do anything to make you uncomfortable.  If you don’t feel alright staying here with me, then I’ll go stay in a hotel so you can be here with Muffin.”

“I couldn’t ask you to do that.  This is your house, your place.”

“You mean so much more to me.  Just promise me you’ll let me know if something bothers you?”

Valerie nodded.  “Okay.”  He picked up her bags and placed them in the guest room.  She put the litter box in the guest bathroom while Robert placed the bowls in the kitchen, filling one with water.  Muffin didn’t hesitate to make herself comfortable on his loveseat, claiming the entire thing for herself.  Valerie changed into some sleepwear before going back to the living room.

He had changed as well, into a pair of joggers and his old Cambridge shirt.  “I have pizza on the way.” 

They turned on the TV to watch whatever was on (it was an old episode of Doctor Who).  

“How is it that you have this house but no washer/dryer?”  It just dawned on her that with a place this size, it didn’t make sense.

“I started renting this place about 3 months ago, but it didn’t come with them.  I have the hookups for them, but I just keep forgetting to do it until laundry day happens.”

“I’ll go with you, if you’d like?  I don’t know anything about buying a washer/dryer set, but I can keep you company.  We can go on your next day off.  I’ll make a list of local places we can go to.”

He grinned.  “I’d like that.”

Once the pizza arrived, they dug right in.  She was still a little too rattled to be able to eat much, but she was able to consume a couple of slices before she curled up next to Robert, laying her head on his chest.  

He started to yawn and looked at his watch.  It was later than he thought.  He started to get up before realizing she was asleep against him.  Instead of moving her, he reached and grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch to spread over them both.

When he woke up in the morning, she was gone.  As he started to look around, he could smell something cooking in the kitchen.  Slowly getting up, he made his way towards the amazing smell and found her cooking eggs and bacon.  “I could get used to this if you’re not careful.”

“It’s the least I could do for you letting me stay here for a couple of days.”

While she finished cooking, he set the table.  He really could see them doing this on a regular basis, and it felt good.  “I have to go to the hospital today.  I don’t have any surgeries planned, but I have patients to check on and paperwork to go through.”

“I have to go to work as well.  Do you have time to drop me off?”

Smiling, he could definitely get used to this.  “Of course, darling.  In fact, how about you drop me off at the hospital?  You can come by and see Ms. Tully when you’re off work, and I should be ready to leave around then as well.”

“First you trust me with your house, and now with your car?  You must really like me or something.”  Valerie couldn’t help the giant smile from spreading across her face.

“I really do.  Actually, I……” Taking a deep breath, he continued.  “I love you, Valerie.  I know it hasn’t been long, but I do.  I’ve never felt this way about anyone.”

She placed a hand on his mouth to stop his rambling.  “I love you too.”  With those words returned, he swept her into his lap and kissed her madly, never wanting to let go, not that she minded one bit.  

Pulling back, he laid his forehead on hers.  “I’ve wanted to tell you that for a while but was afraid you wouldn’t feel the same.  I know this is fast, but….”

Valerie placed her hands on the sides of his neck.  “It is, but it also feels right.”  Her words gave him the reassurance he needed.  Leaning up, she kissed him softly before getting off his lap.  “We’d better get ready for work, mister.”

She sauntered off to the guest room to get ready.  As he got ready in his room, his mind was a whirlpool of thoughts.  It’d only been 2 months.  In his previous relationships, he’d always felt this need to run and hide, afraid to commit.  This time it was the opposite.  From the moment they ran into each other at the crosswalk, he wanted to be with her, stay with her for as long as she’d have him.  Knowing she loved him too was the icing on the cake.

A knock on his bedroom door broke him out of his stupor as he was putting on his tie.

“Does this look okay?”  

“You look amazing.  I’m not sure I can let you out of the house in that.  In fact, I’m not sure I can ever let you leave again.” He smiled, joking of course.  Seeing her look so incredible caused him to forget how to tie a tie.  So she walked over and helped him.  “I could say the same about you, mister.”  

Present Day (1975)

He could hear screams coming from every direction, but none phased him.  This wasn’t where he wanted to be.  No.  He wanted to be at home with his new bride, but fate had other plans.  Damn fate.  Since that was taken from him, this was where he felt he belonged: alone, waiting for the building to finish consuming him.  This is what he deserved after what he did…..well, more like what he didn’t do.

The only thoughts he allowed to pass through his mind at this point was his beloved Valerie and how much he missed her.  

Tears fell down his face again, thinking of her.  Today was supposed to be their wedding day.

4 months ago

The lease on her apartment would be up soon.  With Ms. Tully gone to live with her son, Valerie wasn’t keen on staying.  Her landlord was kind and said she could stay longer as long as she gave him a 30 day notice.  While he enjoyed having her as a tenant and didn’t want her to leave, he had too much respect for her.  She’d always been kind to him, on time with the rent, and all the help she gave Ms. Tully when the break-in occurred.  

Looking at her left hand, she admired the ring.  Robert really had great taste.  While she never imagined getting engaged, she had absolutely no doubts that he’s the one and couldn’t wait to spend the rest of her life with him.

This afternoon, Robert was taking her to look at a house.  “Why are we looking at new places?  Your house works the way it is.”

He looked over at her from the driver’s seat.  “That’s true, but it’s only a rental.  I’d like for us to have our own little slice of paradise.”

He pulled up to a beautiful cottage.

To say she was stunned would be an understatement.  This was her dream home!  “You’ve got to be shitting me.”

She got out of the car and started looking around.  He took his time catching up to her, laughing a bit in the process.  “Is it to your liking?”

Valerie was speechless.  Taking her hand, Robert took her on a tour of the house, showing her the bedrooms, living room, kitchen, and such.  Her favorite part though was the garden out back.  “You can decorate or set up however you’d like.”

She turned to look at him. “Robert, I love it, but this is too much.  I can’t begin to imagine what a place like this costs, not to mention decorating it?  Plus there has to be several others looking at this place, too.”

Robert grinned.  “I wouldn’t say that last bit.”

“What do you mean?”  Confusion spread across her face.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys.  “Because it’s ours.”

Birds fled at the sound of her squealed excitement and jumped into his arms, nearly knocking him over.  “What?  Really??  I can’t believe you bought this place!  It’s perfect!”

Holding her, he spun around a couple times before kissing her and setting her back on her feet.  “You deserve nothing but the best, my dearest.  The wedding isn’t for another 3 or 4 months, but I know your lease is up.  When I saw this place, I knew it was the one.  It will also remove the need to renew your lease on a month-to-month basis.  That was incredibly kind of your landlord to offer, but we can go ahead and move you in here.  As the wedding gets closer, I can pack up my place to move in once we are married.”

“I love you so much, Robert.  You are the most wonderful man I’ve ever known.”

“I love you, too, my darling girl.  You deserve all this and more.”  He took her hand and guided her over to the garage.  “There’s one more thing.”  Opening the garage, they found a brand new Jaguar.

“Oh Robert!  You really shouldn’t have.”

“Yes, I should.  You deserve nothing but the best.  Plus, it’ll be easier than trying to juggle one car between the two of us for going to work……..or picking up the kids…..”

“You want kids?”

He smiled and nodded.  “I do.”

“Me, too.”  Rather than rushing up to him again, she sauntered to him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and gave him a sweet kiss.

The next week was filled with packing and moving.  Most of her furniture was sold or donated.  In between everything, wedding plans were being made.  Everything was coming together.   There was even talk about getting a dog.  With so much already going on, they decided to wait until after the wedding to look for just the right dog.

To make unpacking easier, Val had labeled each box by room.  That way when they unloaded boxes, they were put into the room where the contents would be placed.  Hanging up the clothes was easy followed by the kitchen boxes so she could start cooking once she’d gone grocery shopping.

Hearing a knock at the door, she answered it only to find her fiance.  “You know you can let yourself in, right?  Or did you lose your key already?”

“I just didn’t want to walk in on you naked or such.  Not that I would mind, but I figure you might.”

She paused, thinking for a moment.  “Excellent point.  Thank you.  So what are you doing here?  I thought you had surgery this morning?”

He sat on the back of the couch and sighed.  “It got canceled.  When I left last night, she was stable, but something happened overnight, and the patient didn’t make it.”  She walked over to him and gave him a hug which he appreciated.

“I’m so sorry.  That can’t be easy.”

“It’s okay, but enough about me.  I came by to take you out to brunch.  You’ve been working so hard on unpacking and setting things up that I thought you’d like a break.”

She rummaged around in her purse. “I completely forgot to take my keys back to my landlord.  Do you think we could swing by my old place while we’re out?”

Wrapping an arm around her from the side, he leaned over and placed a kiss on the top of her head.  “We can do whatever you’d like.”

They walked out to his car.  Being a gentleman, he opened her door before going around to his own.  The car started with a beautiful rumble, and they made their way into town and to her old complex.  “Would you like me to take them in for you?”  He offered, but she declined.  “I’ll only be a minute.”  She disappeared into the building, coming back out about 10 minutes later.

After brunch, they decided to go on a ride through the countryside.  There was no specific route or destination in mind.  They just went wherever their hearts told them, or at least until the car was almost out of petrol which they took as a sign to head back.

Robert pulled up to a petrol station.  There were 2 other cars there: one was empty but still running by the front door.  The other was parked off to the side, likely belonging to the attendant inside.  He felt this unease as they pulled up next to the petrol pump.  “I think we should maybe try the next petrol station.  Something feels, I don’t know, off?”

Val patted his shoulder. “It’s alright, Robert.  We’re already here.  Go ahead and get the tank filled while I run in to get us some drinks?  I’ll pay for the petrol while I’m inside.”  His gut told him they should leave right then, but he conceded.  “Alright, but let's be quick.  There’s just something about this place that gives me the creeps.”

She agreed, picking up her purse and walking inside.  He got out of the car and started to fill the car up.  Just as it finished and was placing the handle away, there was a loud bang.  Not even thinking about it, he ran inside.  He needed to make sure Valerie was alright.  As he opened the door, a man flew out, almost plowing over Robert in his haste to get away.  If he’d thought about it for even a second, he would have seen the gun in the man’s hand and the blood splatter on his shirt, but he was too focused on finding Valerie.

His eyes darted everywhere.  Moving further into the petrol station, there she was on the ground, gunshot wound to the abdomen, bleeding profusely.  He dove to her side, taking off his jacket to try to stop the flow of blood, but even his medical knowledge told him there was nothing he could do, but all logic had left him at that point.  The bullet had gone through her kidney causing her to go through hypovolemic shock.  

“So cold.”  It was difficult to understand her, but he could feel her getting colder by the second.  He scooped her up, holding her close in the vain hope that he could keep her warm, keep her alive.  Just as long as she was in his arms, everything would be okay.

As he held her, he kept brushing her hair with one hand, trying to tell her everything was fine, that help was on the way, and she’d be fine, that she just needed to hold on, but her pulse continued to grow weak.  The tears on her face slowed down as she looked into his eyes.

Bitter-sweet memories / That's all I'm taking with me / Good-bye, please don't cry

“I love you,” she squeaked out.

“I love you, my darling Valerie.  Always.”  His tears started falling faster.

He could feel her heart slowing.  “Always,” she whispered with the last of her breath.  Robert held her body tightly, rocking back and forth as he cried, his reason for living now gone.  It took two police officers and a paramedic to get him to let go of her so they could take the body away.

Present Day (1975)

That was the absolute worst day of his life.  He blamed himself, saying he should have gone with his gut feeling and left to get petrol elsewhere, or at least gone in to pay himself.  Maybe then she’d be here with him or instead of him.  “It should have been me,” he cried to himself.

The foundation was crumbling, the support beams falling.  Robert didn’t care.  He’d only moved to this apartment building because he couldn’t bear living in the house meant for him and Valerie.  Friends and colleagues helped him take care of her belongings and relisted the house while he moved into this concrete monstrosity.  It felt cold and unfeeling from the moment he stepped inside, exactly what he thought he deserved.

The balcony rumbled, vibrating harshly.  Closing his eyes, he accepted his fate just as the balcony on his 25th floor apartment gave way, the building collapsing in fire and dust.

Taglist: @vbecker10

Dividers created by @jiyascepter

[tinkabelle24]

To Build a Home

Chapter 8: Bad Child

A/N: The altercation between Val and her mother depicted in this chapter is loosely based on an incident I had with my own mother, at sixteen.

This incident is what prompted me to write this story, four years later, to help me cope with the lingering trauma. It's been incredibly therapeutic.

TW! Physical and emotional abuse inflicted by parent onto adult child.

Masterlist / Chapter 7

---

"Hey, you. How's it going?"

"Hey, Val," Liv answered. "Yeah, fine, I guess. School's still shit-"

"Hang on, lemme put you on speaker so I can keep going with this... There. Can you hear me?"

"Yeah... What are you doing?"

"Making dinner."

"At 8 o'clock? Bit late for you, isn't it, grandma?"

"Hardy-har. I have a friend coming over; he couldn't get here any sooner."

"He?" She could hear her sister's grin through the phone.

"Hey, don't get any ideas - he's just a friend."

"You said it, not me."

Val playfully rolled her eyes. "...Any more incidents with that boy?"

"Nope. I think bein' knocked on his ass by a girl finally did the trick."

"Hmm..."

"What?"

"Nothing. I just... I really wish you didn't need to go that far, that's all."

"Yeah, well..."

"I know, I know... I'm proud of you for sticking up for yourself, though."

"Thanks, Val."

"...Where's Noah?"

"In his room - playing his game."

"I wanna say hi."

"Yep... Hey... Hey, shithead! Don’t what me. Take your headphones off. Valerie's on the phone."

"Don't call your brother that, thank you."

"Yeah, don't call me that," Noah parroted. "Hey, short-ass. How's it goin'?"

"Don't call me that, either," Val let out an exasperated sigh. "I oughta wash both your mouths out with soap..."

"Can't do that if you aren't here," Liv retorted.

Was that a passive aggressive remark, or was she still messing around?

"...How's mom?"

"She's fine," her sister answered simply.

"Where is she?"

"In the living room, watching a movie - with Steve."

"Steeeve!" Noah exclaimed in a high-pitched voice.

A small smile pulled at the brunette's lips. "...Is he nice to you guys?"

"Yeah, he's fine," Liv replied. She was using the word 'fine' a lot... "Sleeps over almost every night..."

"Okay..." Val wasn't sure what else to say to that. Her first thought was to suggest her sister inform mom of her discomfort, but it'd likely do no good. She did this herself once, when they overheard mom doing... things, with another man she introduced them to literally that day. It did not go well...

"Hey, it's been forever since we've seen you. Are you coming home any time soon?"

Val could no longer hear her brother’s incessant mouse clicking in the background; Liv must've gone into another room.

"...No, I won't be coming back to the house... I can't. Not yet." She finally replied. "I've got my own place now, remember? But I'd love to see you guys sometime soon. Maybe we could meet up at Central Park after one of my shifts next week? The three of us? ...Or maybe you'd like to check out my new place? It isn't much to look at on the inside, but it has nice views."

"Are you ever gonna tell us what happened with you and mom? Mom still won't tell us anything..."

Mom keeping shit to herself? Must've thought it was pretty bad... Good.

"We had an argument."

"Well duh," Liv was growing impatient. "About what?"

"I'm sorry, Liv; I really can't say any more than that - it's adult stuff."

"Yeah, whatever..."

Val sighed wearily. "Don't be like that, please... You know I'd tell you if I could. But I can't."

"Yeah, you can; you just have to open your mouth and speak."

"I'm sorry, Liv," the eldest sister doubled down. "I'm not gonna do that-"

"Y-you can't just take off like that and not expect me to ask questions!" Liv snapped, voice breaking. "What could mom have done that was so bad that you won't talk to her, or even come to the house? I don't understand. I just want my sister back..."

That last part felt like a stab to the heart...

"Liv, I-I'm so sorry-"

"Whatever. Bye."

Click.

"Liv? Hey, Liv! ... Shit!"

Panicked, Val went to compose a message for her sister. It broke her heart to hear her cry... But what else could she say that hasn't already been said? She wasn't about to involve a thirteen-year-old in adult matters, no matter how much it upset Liv. She wanted to preserve what little innocence those kids had left...

A text notification popped up on her screen. Immediately assuming it was her sister, she opened it without checking the ID.

She really wished she had...

[So, you'll talk to the kids but not your own MOTHER??? I see how it is. You have NO IDEA how difficult our lives have become since you upped and ABANDONED us!!! I'm sorry that I hurt you but YOUR SELFISHNESS drove me to it. In case you forgot, family HELPS and SUPPORTS one another!!! All I needed was a packet of cigarettes because I hadn't had a SINGLE one in THREE DAYS and you couldn't even do that for your own MOTHER. I gave you life and raised you BY MYSELF with NO HELP from anyone!!! And this is how you repay me??? It's been TWO MONTHS and they haven't seen you. We don't even know where you're living!!! I WILL NOT put up with the silent treatment ANY LONGER!!! When you're ready to behave like an ADULT and have an actual conversation, let me know. You're VERY lucky they still want anything to do with you after what you've put them through, because this will be the last time you hear from ME!!!]

Val fought back tears as she read through the wall of text. She knew, as soon as she realised who it was, that she shouldn't have kept scrolling. But, as usual, curiosity got the better of her. Or was it hope? A hope that her mom may actually be offering an apology without a big fat 'BUT' attached to it...

Selfish.

Mom liked using that word. She said it a lot that night; the night Val fled...

Selfish-

"No. Stop it," the brunette chided herself, promptly silencing her phone and placing it face-down on the kitchen counter. She quickly wiped away her tears.

In...and out. That's it, Val.

It'll be okay...

She returned to slicing her cucumber.

A soft knocking drew Val's attention to the window - it was Raph, carrying a backpack. She expected to feel many things in that moment. Excitement, mostly. A bit of anxiety, for sure. But not this...

Not dread.

The urge to hide was overwhelming. If he asked, Val was certain she'd cry again. She didn't want to cry in front of him; not so soon after the first time...

It took everything in her to step away from the counter and approach the window.

It'll be okay, she repeated her mantra. It'll be okay...

In...and out. In...and out...

"Hey," Val greeted, stepping aside to let him in.

"Hey," Raph replied with a warm smile. She attempted imitating it. "Smells great in here. Curry?"

"Uh, yeah- no." She was already stumbling over her words. "It's, um... it's one-pot chicken and rice. I found the recipe on Tik Tok, of all places, heh. It's one of my favourites... I was just finishing up the salad..."

The terrapin quirked a brow ridge at her. Val recognised that look; it was the same one Molly levelled at her whenever her friend suspected she was hiding something.

Please, don't...

"You alright?" He asked, setting down his bag. "You seem... upset."

Keep it together.

"Yeah, I'm fine," the brunette reassured, nodding a little too enthusiastically. She could feel the tears threatening to fall, again...

"Val," he insisted gently.

Hoo boy...

"I-I was just, um..." Val croaked, her entire body trembling with adrenaline. "I, uh..." One tear became two, then suddenly they were streaming down her cheeks.

She could not keep it together...

Raph caught her wrists as she attempted hiding her face, bringing her into his arms. She practically melted into him. He held her firmly while she sobbed, about a minute or so, before she finally pulled away.

"S-sorry, let me get this shit off you..." Val sniffled as she wiped his shoulder with her sleeve. She felt calmer, more clear-headed. But now she was going to have to explain herself; it'd be unfair of her not to.

"My mom... She texted just before you arrived... It wasn't nice to read..."

Raph nodded, compressing his lips; he looked to be contemplating whether to enquire further. After some hesitation, he finally asked: “Wanna talk about it?”

"...Would you like some dinner first?”

---

They decided to eat on the roof. Val passed the food and blankets to Raph from the fire escape, then was helped up herself. Neither really spoke to the other during this time, though she could feel his concerned gaze on her throughout.

“I’d planned on staying home as long as I could, for my siblings,” Val began, once they were settled with a plate of food. “I’d been paying my part of the rent, utilities, whathaveyou, pretty much since I started working. I left school to go full-time, so I could help more... I felt I was doing everything I could for my family... But then...”

She paused to compose herself, before continuing. “...T-the morning I left, my mom asked for my card. I asked her: ‘what for?’ She told me: ‘does it matter?’ … She didn’t say anything else after that; she just left the room... I thought she’d dropped it. I left for work. When I arrived home that afternoon, she wouldn’t speak to me. Wouldn’t look at me. Just completely ignored my existence... I went into mine and my sister’s room, and..."

---

Val barely had the time to register what was coming before it literally hit her.

She shrieked as the large object struck her chest, causing her to topple backward. Fortunately, her bed broke her fall. Once the initial shock wore off, the brunette quickly realised she was holding a suitcase. Confused and alarmed, she looked up - oof.

Another smaller, lighter object flew into Val's face, momentarily blinding her. She swiped it away only to be immediately bombarded with several, similarly weighted items. Arms, legs, chest, face...

When she could finally see clearly, she saw her mother standing before her; red-faced with clothing spilling out of her white-knuckled grip.

Clothes were strewn all over the floor and beds. Behind her mom stood Val's narrow chest of drawers, which had been ransacked. Nearly everything she had hanging up had been pulled down - ripped down. one of her more delicate dresses dangled haphazardly from its hanger with a torn seam.

She was stunned.

The brunette flinched as her mom suddenly slammed a fistful of shirts onto the ground, before jabbing a finger in her face.

"You can get the fuck outta here if you're gonna continue being a selfish bitch!" She bellowed, trembling with anger. "Go live with your dad, wherever the fuck he is. I don't give a shit. Just get outta my sight!"

Val was sobbing by this point, cowering on her bed while her mom raged. Her mom's done some pretty scary shit in the past, but nothing like this. No matter how angry she became, not once had she intentionally caused any of her children physical harm...

"You know, all I wanted from you was some goddamn cigarettes! Do you know how long I've been without them? Three days! Three days and not a single one, Valerie! I'm going insane, here, and you don't give a shit! ..."

Val was no longer listening. Her mind had taken her somewhere else; somewhere infinitely more pleasant.

By the time she finally came to, she was alone.

Val realised then and there she had to leave. What little hope she had left for a somewhat peaceful cohabiting situation had just been obliterated.

Her own mother assaulted her, plain and simple. She no longer felt safe. This was not something she could easily forgive, if at all.

---

"So, she blew up your relationship over cigarettes?" Raph was incredulous. "Are you serious?"

The brunette averted her gaze, unsure how to respond. She didn't want to believe her mom would be this cruel over something so trivial. Surely, she wasn't that expendable...

The terrapin scoffed, shaking his head. "What a piece of-" he promptly stopped himself. Exhaling slowly to expel his anger, he eventually returned his gaze to hers. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't... She's still your mom."

"Yeah..."

"Were your siblings around durin' this?"

"No, thank God; they were still at school. I haven't told them exactly why I left, just that mom and I fell out. My sister's upset with me right now; she wants to know what's going on and I won't tell her..."

"Why's that?" Raph enquired, confused. "I mean, I'd wanna know if someone close to me was doin' that shit."

"They're kids, Raph," Val countered gently. "I get where you're coming from, I just... I can't. They already know they can't rely on their dad; I'm not about to pull the rug out from under them with their mom, as well..."

"So, you're lyin' by omission."

"I'm trying to protect them," Val shot back, levelling the terrapin with a hard stare. "The things I've seen, the things I was told, at their age... I wished for this. I prayed for someone in my corner, to say: 'hey, this isn't right. She shouldn't know these things. She's only little...'"

At that, Raph's expression softened considerably. He lowered his gaze.

"...Believe me, if something even remotely like what I experienced happens to them, the gloves come off... Until then, it's between mom and me. If that makes me the bad guy, then fine - I'll be the bad guy."

"Fair enough," the terrapin nodded with sad smile.

The pair finished eating in silence.

"So... what'd you decide on - for dessert?" Val finally enquired. She let out a soft chuckle. "I hope it didn't need to be refrigerated..."

"Nah, it didn't." Raph avoided her gaze. "It's nothin' special, just a bar'a chocolate... I tried makin' mousse with avocado in it; figured it'd be somethin' you'd like. Tasted like ass, though, so I chucked it."

Val didn't know whether to be flattered by the gesture or horrified by the fact he threw out perfectly good food. “Did you let it set?” She braced herself for the answer.

Raph stared blankly. “Was I supposed to?”

“Oh, God...” The brunette laughed incredulously, shaking her head. “You’re supposed to let it set; the avocado taste goes away once it’s set.”

“...Oh.”

“Oh, indeed... Oh well, plain old chocolate will do just fine. Chocolate's always good.”

---

Masterlist / Chapter 9

@miss-andromeda @android-cap-007 @happymoonangel

[miraculousagentsofkrypton]

Afterimage Danny Phantom AU

This au takes ghosts being more of an ectoplasmic after-shadow a little too seriously. If someone else has come up with a similar au, so sorry I'd love to see it.

Basically, when Danny died a ghost version of him was created, while the human remained fully alive and normal. Danny, Sam and Tucker didn't see this, and just rush the breathing boy to a hospital. Ghost Danny is Danny, just one that died when the portal opened. For a while it becomes a bit of a No One Knows AU, except not even Fenton knows.

Phantom is exactly the same as in the show, but Fenton, having only seen ghosts cause mayhem, joins up with his parents. He is much more competent, and actually helps take down a lot of rogues. Sam and Tucker are a bit more removed from the ghost hunting in this au, they help sometimes, but don't understand his obsession. The problem is that he has absolutely no trust in Phantom. Phantom doesn't turn to his living self for help out of both fear and utter jealousy. Fenton got to keep his friends, family, and life. Phantom was dead.

The two are still slightly connected, though they originally don't know. Fenton doesn't find out for a long while. They can be affected by certain kinds of things that happen to the other, and by major injuries.

Then Spectra happens. Jazz learns about ghosts and the existence of Phantom when he saves her life from Bertrand. He frets over her, and worriedly asks if she's alright. It sparks something in the back of her mind. Her immediate thought is not that this is a dead version of her brother, but he does remind her of him.

She's never trusted her parents methods in the first place. She may now know that ghosts are real, but that doesn't mean their approach about them had ever been scientific or appropriate. She sees her caring little bro in this hero, and she determines to help him.

Phantom turns to her for help and injuries, because Jazz was the one person he had every truly trusted before he died. She was the one that made sure he ate every day, and who comforted him when he got sick. She would love him, not matter what, but he couldn't tell her. She may have been willing to accept he was a good ghost, but not that he was her brother, when her brother was also sitting in the room over.

She figures him out after one too many slips. He's just a little too familiar, just a little too similar to Danny. What convinces her it actually is him is the way he reacts when she confronts him. If he had been a ghost taking traits from her brother to gain her trust, he wouldn't have denied it so much initially. He wouldn't have been so scared of her learning how her little brother had died. Of her learning how jealous and lonely he really was. He wouldn't have cried so hard at the new reality of someone recognizing him as Danny.

Additional Ideas:

At some point after Jazz figures it out, Danny has a breakdown in front of her about his reality. "Am I even Danny? Maybe Mom and Dad were right about ghosts just being imprints of a person's last thoughts. I'm not a complete person."

Jazz has to help him work through those doubts multiple times. She knows both Dannys well enough to be able to tell Phantom isn't a two-dimensional version of her brother. She essentially considers them her twin brothers.

Vlad actually is a halfa. He doesn't know who Phantom is, but they still become arch-nemeses because Phantom has to protect his family from his Maddie-obsessed plans.

Phantom has a little more support in the Ghost Zone, because he fully died and got a little more introduction to what being a ghost is.

Sam and Tucker start to trust Phantom long before Fenton does. They're a little more removed from Jack and Maddie's vitriol.

Danny takes Valerie's place as Vlad's personally funded ghost hunter.

Jazz and Danny Fenton's relationship takes a hit for a while, as they fall on opposite sides of the ghost debate. Much of Jazz's time is also taken by helping her superhero brother. They don't utterly fall out, as she's still the ultra-supportive and loving sister she always was.

Jazz is Liminal. Fenton isn't. This is because that excess ectoplasm got converted into Phantom. This is why Phantom is a completely whole version of him, more powerful and complex than the majority of ghosts.

This means Jazz is the one who has to be a little more careful around their parent's inventions, because she has had high contamination from conception. No one else is even close to her level of effected.

Fenton wearing the Spector Deflector affects Phantom. Not sure exactly how yet. Possibly makes him weaker?

[imekitty]

Star Error XIII

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12

Star investigates Danny’s glowing freckles.

-----

The following day, Star watched Fenton from a distance as discreetly as she could. The last thing she needed was for everyone to think that she was hung up on Fenton after he brutally dumped her in front of everyone.

Oh, she would definitely have to get back at him for this somehow. Some way. Someday. But not right now when she knew Valerie would come after her if she did.

What did Valerie even see in Fenton anyway?

Star sat behind him a couple rows back in English class, glancing up from her notes every few seconds to check him out. Sure, he had nice hair that looked pretty soft and fun to run some fingers through. And he was a lot more muscular than she remembered him being in freshman year. Taller, too. And his eyes were kind of nice, she guessed. Icy blue, a piercing color that really stood out under his dark eyelashes.

She couldn't exactly say he was ugly but he certainly wasn't, like, cute.

Not really, anyway.

Maybe just a little cute.

Star looked up again and this time found Fenton looking back at her. He smiled, and Star immediately put her head down, blushing furiously as she pretended to concentrate very hard on taking detailed notes. She did not raise her head again for the remainder of class.

Later that night as part of their typical Friday night sleepover at Paulina's house, Star sat on the carpet near Paulina's canopy bed while Paulina sat at her vanity, brushing her long dark hair. The window was open, bringing in the cool night air as the pink curtains fluttered around the frame. Paulina always insisted on leaving the window open at night, hoping to catch just one glimpse of the ghost boy before she went to bed.

"So now that it's finally just us girls…" Paulina pulled half of her hair over her shoulder and began braiding it. "How are you taking your breakup with Danny?"

Star groaned. "We really weren't dating."

"You don't need to be embarrassed," said Paulina. "You could do a lot worse than Danny."

Star thought back to Valerie's glowing words about Fenton. "You don't think he's cute, do you?"

"Of course I do. Prettiest blue eyes I've ever seen." Paulina sighed as she tied off her first braid with a sugary pink bow. "Such a shame he and his family are a bunch of weirdos."

"He is weird, isn't he?" remarked Star.

"Yes." Paulina turned to Star, her eyes wide and full of concern. "Did he break your heart terribly when he dumped you like that? Because the cheerleaders and I can get back at him if you need us to."

Star was pretty sure Valerie would kick her ass if she allowed the cheerleaders to hurt or humiliate Fenton on her behalf. "Uh—no, don't do that, please."

Paulina smiled. "So you still care about him?"

"It's really not what you think."

Paulina chuckled and tied off her second braid. "That boy has made me feel some complicated emotions, too."

Star raised a brow. "Really?"

"Yes." Paulina grabbed a teddy bear from her collection of stuffed animals in the corner of her room and hugged it close to her chest as she joined Star on the floor. "He's cute but also a huge dweeb, like I can't actually associate with him even if he is nice to look at." She sighed dreamily. "But then he's also kind of mysterious, you know? He pretends like he knows nothing about ghosts, but I know he knows a lot more than he's letting on."

Paulina petted the bear between its ears, lost in some thought Star could only guess at.

"So, uh." Star cleared her throat to get Paulina's attention. "If you could ask Fenton one question and he had to answer honestly, what would you ask him?"

"Oh, that's easy. I'd ask him about his relationship to the ghost boy."

"His…relationship? To the ghost boy?"

"Well, sure," said Paulina. "Obviously he knows the ghost boy somehow. The ghost boy is always using that Thermos with the name 'Fenton' on it."

"So, what, you think Fenton gave the ghost boy that Thermos?" asked Star.

"Well, how else would he have gotten it?" Paulina turned up her nose. "The ghost boy is not a thief. He's good."

"Hmm." Star creased her brow. "So you really think Fenton and Phantom know each other?"

"Mmm hmm," said Paulina, once again petting her teddy bear on the head. "Although I've never been able to get Danny to admit it, but if he had to answer honestly, that's what I would ask him."

Star looked off to the side, wondering if maybe she didn't need to come up with the one perfect yes-or-no question to ask Fenton after all. If Phantom was close enough to Fenton that Fenton actually let him borrow his family's ghost inventions, then surely Phantom would know why Fenton's freckles glowed, right?

Maybe all she had to do was find Phantom and ask him instead.

"Oh!" Paulina gasped and jumped to her feet. "The ghost boy!"

She dropped her bear and ran to the window, excitedly pointing at the sky. Star joined her, gazing up at the glowing flash of light streaking high above them. Looking more closely, Star could see that it was actually a white-haired ghost wearing a jumpsuit.

"It's the ghost boy!" squealed Paulina. "Ooh, make a wish! Shooting ghosts are so much luckier than shooting stars!"

Paulina clasped her hands beneath her chin and shut her eyes tight. Star watched her silently mouthing her wish, then turned to look out the window again. Phantom's glow was getting farther away, winking out amidst the constellations.

Right now, Star had only one wish.

I just wish I could figure out Fenton's secret.

Part 14

[baublekute]

OC Interview Questions: Valerie Rose Barrère

Tagged by @ghostoffuturespast thank you! Love these little games and writing practices. Also needed to think how my V would actually answer these questions...

[Mama Welles' on a Saturday night.]

V (reading a book on the couch with her feet up): "What are you two giggling about over there? It's suspicious and I don't like it." Misty (cuddling with Jackie on the opposite end of the couch): "Oh, we decided to make you a dating profile." V (initial confusion followed by a bit of rage): "A dat… The fuck?" Jackie (with the laptop): "You need some action, hermana." V: "No. Absolutely not. Delete that shit right now." [Jackie gives V his best puppy dog eyes.] V (waiting a moment): "Uggh. Fine… I'm gonna regret this." Jackie: "Heh, wasn't actually sure that was gonna work." (straightening himself out to look more serious) "Nickname?" [V gives Jackie a bombastic side eye.] Jackie: "Oh right!" (Types the letter as he says it) "V." Misty: "Height?" V: "5ft 3in." Jackie: "Gender?" V: "Seriously, Jack?" Jackie: "What? I don't want to assume." V (sighing, realizing he has a valid point): "Sure. Female." Misty: "Orientation?" V: "Straight I guess?" Jackie: "Nationality and… or… ethnicity?" V: "Uhh, my mother was Scottish/French and I think she said something about my father being Finnish. Anyways, born and raised in Heywood." Jackie (speaking the words slowly as he typed his version): "White. Very white. Heywood born and bred." Misty: "Star sign? I know this one already. Sagittarius." [Updating to Libra - forgot it's actually been official, and I stick with a lot of canon] Jackie: "Favorite fruit?" V: "Honeydew melon." Misty: "Favorite season? Autumn, right?" V: "You got it." Jackie (using his most delicate voice): "Favorite flower?" V (sharply): "Snapdragons." Misty: "Your favorite scent?" V: "Oh man… I have so many… cedarwood, jasmine, sandalwood, bergamot, books…" [Misty nods in agreement, thinking of her favorite incense in the shop.] Jackie: "Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate?" V: "Tea usually. I'm… selective when it comes to coffee." Jackie (types and mutters): "Psh. I'll say. Can never bring you coffee anymore." Misty: "Average hours of sleep?" V: "9 to 10. I get cranky with less." Jackie: "You sure do." V (annoyed, raised voice): "Do you want me to finish these questions or not Jackie?" Jackie (puts his hands up in surrender): "Alright alright… I take it you didn't get your beauty sleep… princess." [V punches Jackie pretty hard in the arm.] Jackie (rolling over holding his bruised arm, laughing): "Oww…ahah… oww. Heh." V: "Misty, if you'd please take the rest of the questions… unless you want to drag an oversized bodybag out the door." [Jackie flashes V a stupid grin.] Misty: "Dog or cat person?" V: "Hmm… It feels like cheating to say both. Maybe I lean towards dogs. It's been awhile since I've seen one though." Misty: "Dream trip?" V: "Europe maybe? I don't know if there's anything left of my parents over there but I guess I'm curious." Misty: "I'd love to go back to Poland one day. Favorite fictional character?" V: "Probably… Edmond Dantes from The Count of Monte Cristo. It was one of my mom's favorites." Misty: "Number of blankets you sleep with?" V: "Zero or one… It's just too damn hot." Misty: "Aaand last one." V: "Oh thank god." Misty: "A fun fact?" V: "Uhhh. I guess… I enjoy retro video games?" Misty: "OK. Published." V: "Now will you two leave me be?" [bing.] Jackie (throwing himself at the computer): "Ooh! Look! Matches already, chica!" V (snatching the computer out of Jackie's hands): "Wait what? Lemme see." [V scrolls a bit, the reflection of the screen lighting up her face in the dark room.] V: "No. Noo. Definitely not. No." Jackie (takes the computer back): "Lemme take a look… I'll find you someone... Here! This guy looks promising, huh?" (excitedly turns the screen to face V.) V: "Oh. Damn. Lemme take a closer look… Nah. What a damn shame. He's NCPD."

[archon-of-cyberspace]

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty ending analysis | When three times for Pistis Sophia passes and tower crumbles

Spoiler warning.

After 3 years I can finally tell myself V survives to see another day. I couldn't be happier. I couldn't be more melancholic. I couldn't be more terrified. I can finally stop kidding myself about Arasaka evil holocall scheme™ and face the truth. People around V are just people.

The Tower ending is bittersweet and painfully realistic. People do and will move on. Many you consider trustworthy and your friends are neither. You will be seen as a burden, an inconvenience to be forgotten if you find yourself in extremely difficult situation. If your health declines. This conclusion, unfortunately, comes from personal experience.

V is a protagonist whose choices I can shape, and with CDPR's brilliant writing it's obvious I will relate to them. The Tower made these similarities dangerously close. If it was otherwise, it wouldn't be cyberpunk. V just became physically disabled, possibly for the rest of their life. That fact will change their perception of the world and make them vulnerable as never before. Earlier they could at least pretend, play the tough merc not to be messed around with.

Judy

was the first person I ordered Valerie to call after being awoken up from 2 years coma. I feel for V. Judy is a slow globe of bad decisions the entire game. She's desperate to feel secure and loved, and that causes her to move on surprisingly fast from and to different people. Needing a constant distraction, rarely thinking anything through, she bails out whenever something's wrong. I think that even if V agreed to meet her in Pittsburgh, the moment V arrives Judy wouldn't be there. Or still married to Bianca. Her entire conversation was just "no, V, I'd rather not see you in my life ever again" but using nice words. Which makes me wonder, what Judy actually said to her grandma and Bianca about V disappearance. Perhaps Judy's mails to Maiko Maeda on Maiko's laptop are overshadowing.

Panam

is already or almost 30 in 2079, but man, is she mentally still a teenager. Immature, unable to deal with personal feelings like grown-ups do. Our Queen of the Highway needs a therapy and a family to stop tolerating her childish behavior. People like her are all fun and loyal until they aren't. The moment something isn't about them – poof, gone, suddenly you're the problem, the bad one, the mistake of the past. Credits voicemail from Mitch in Panam's name is embarrassing but stays in character for both. Mitch is avoidant type, values inner peace over stepping on toes of whoever is in charge of Aldecaldos at the moment. His messages to V about Panam, Saul and Basilisk gave him away long time ago.

(Note (05.10.2023): I've seen the theory Panam probably committed suicide or snuffed on action and, frankly, that puts Aldecaldos in bad light still. V has on done so much for them, the least V deserves is honesty from Mitch.)

River

I cannot really blame, I ghost him after The Hunt anyway. Still sad as hell to see he became everything he despised to get money for Randy's rehab. Desperate times call for desperate measures, I'm sure former co-workers from NCPD are seeking revenge for the stunt he pulled with Trauma Team. From ex-cop fired for principles to corrupt private investigator. How bizarre. I hope TT kept their part of the deal at least.

Kerry,

knowing V for the shortest amount of time, behaved most decent compared to other potential love interest. I don't know if the version for players romancing Kerry is the same, however I found it sweet he offered financial help and promised to catch up with V as soon as his tour ends. Would his attitude change if he knew Johnny's gone? That remains unknown.

V,

my sweet Valerie, my comfort character, is now going through the first stage of grief. Denial. Hopefully one last time. If she wasn't in shock, she wouldn't even bother visiting Night City. So many things have changed, So Mi unintentionally predicted the outcome. "You are alone. All alone". Viktor was threatened by Zetatech and is now relocating to San Francisco. Misty, based on what she told V, was suicidal until she discovered her best friend returned to life, but is already leaving for Poland. And yet, those two found time for Valerie, inviting her once again to talk about their experiences.

You may say, V did a lame ass job explaining nearby disappearance to all these people. First, it's FIA. Top secret, discreet, yadda, yadda, yadda. Second, V was influenced not only by Johnny, but by Jackie as well. It was him who slotted biochip in his head first, though for a mere moment. Deep down, both V and Jackie were naive children dreaming of better future for them and their loved ones. Reason is not natural state of human mind. Mentally, V was afraid, stressed out and vulnerable. Texting friends the vacation takes only a month is simply coping mechanism. Trying the hardest not to accept something can go not as planned.

They say the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb, but alas. Friendships forged in hardship and common interest couldn't withstand the passage of time. Tower ending might as well be called "trust issues ending". If my girl won't develop these due to everything that happened, I will be surprised. V have only four true friends in their life, and two of them are already dead.

One more thing. What Rogue says about visit in Afterlife is a blanket over the truth. I believe, because of her good will and sympathy towards V. It's about social customs and clientele there. If you think mercs' reaction would be “oh, so V's alive, nevermind then”, think again. Remember these thugs who beat the shit out of V minding their own business on their way back to Delamain? No one would lay a finger on V in Rogue's company, but the mockery would be endless. In my opinion Rogue is convinced V needs to go cold turkey with merc life, never look back. She's absolutely right. A mercenary “died” so Valerie/Vincent could be born anew. Dwelling on past rarely helped anyone – in fact, it could make V suicidal.

[x-heesy]

🆂🆆🅰🅶 🅰🆃🆃🅰🅲🅺

Yo... Eski-boy in the building

December madness

This ain't a fluke, this ain't a parody

I be in the hall of fame and art galleries

Vision in my head before Amy did Valerie

Gradually you felt like you knew me and added me

I am not a present, ain't nobody wrapping me

Shoulders ahead, many women they love tapping me

Chatting about how I come across unmannerly

Like I'm in a bike gang, Sons of Anarchy

Step on to the track, burn calories

Pekker got me on the higher salary

Heavier riddims, I got the clarity

Nobody pushed me, nobody carried me

Search for comparisons you're only gonna find similarity

I blaze weed, it controls my sanity

Without I couldn't defy gravity

I'd be a floater, and you'd be mad at me

I'm from the hood and I ain't new to tragedy

6 in the bloodclart morning, you follow me

I run bass, I'm the Bass Odyssey, of course you're dodging me

For me to act like I never knew you? It would be odd of me

It would be cold of me, it's the older me

In effect, directly from the L-O-N

East side tech, got bangers, got manors

But no respect for goal-hangers

Wiser the older I get

I said, nobody's fucking with the shower man flow

I said, nobody's fucking with the shower man, bro

You'd better know

Man can't handle these levels and I'm sorry bro, you gotta go

Draw from the pain that I had and the brain that I had

From the days when the money was low

Might sound crystal clear, we're like wolves

Walked in the dance, in the war you froze

My ability is a par, that's why I don't wanna use it

It's lary, start showing off with the music

Shows you, why I lived this why I do this

Shows you, if I'm complacent and abuse it

Got it installed in my skin, I was born to win

Maintain so I can't loose it

I don't know why you wanna question my flow in the game every day, man prove it

Popping, I got a vibe that's popping

Won't work blud if your vibe ain't popping

I've spent so many hours on the radio

Ask anybody car most of them locked in, popping

I get it done get it popping

Been here for years and the style ain't stopping

Got a whole back catalogue of songs, but it's a new day got a vibe what's popping

Don't get stuck, roll with the times

You're there in the past, we've grown with the times

Who do you know from the new generation?

No one, cus you don't roll with the times

I don't get blocked man roll with the lions

I will never get lost man go with the signs

When I was a kid I was in 9 mass lots

Friday night man might go to the chimes

If you hear me sound whack tell me I'll get my to bag to pack

I'll leave there and I'll never come back

I'm sure of myself

You're raw in a crew, but I'm raw by myself, I could tour by myself

If its shanks you're looking for turn back now bro

I'll bust a roundhouse kick like Shaodow

Straight in ya chest, hurling dub plates in ya chest

That flows without breaks, I'm the best

6 in the bloodclart morning, you follow me

I run bass, I'm the bass Odyssey, of course you're dodging me

For me to act like I never knew you? It would be odd of me

It would be cold of me, it's the older me

In effect, directly from the L-O-N

East side tech, got bangers, got manors

But no respect for goal-hangers

Wiser the older I get

And I think for myself, I was born on my own

I don't wanna false friend in my zone

Tell a brudda don't chat to man, it's alright

Stay on your side, don't wan' it with our side

Enough of them are too ropy

Can't cope with all the vultures

We don't want ya here you're like ulcers

We ain't vibing with you cause you're fake bro

When I speak it's truth we're like hey bruv

Let me move on step up the pace

I had to chill a bit when I got her wet in the face

Have you ever seen a devil when you step in the rave

Versace shades and screw face step in ya face

And say what

I'm too London I've realised

At 22 I was getting texts from XL and EMI

Looking like a walking pound sign

Bait as you like they saw my cold town side

Don't rub your wins in the face of the hood

The outcomes not gonna be good

I know the, real ones I don't wanna be shook

I had to, take time so the quality's good

And now I'm back in the mix back in the combo

Back with an umbrella back with a poncho

If you got a good vibe you can holler me

Six in the bloodclart morning you follow me

@ro3000 @2020blaq #bounza 🕺🏼☠️🕺🏼

6 In The Morning by Wiley

[purplesurveys]

1851

Who will you be spending Christmas with this year? I've always spent it at home with my immediate family, and I'm like 101% sure that'll remain to be the case this year. Especially now that my dad's contracts allow him to be home for Christmas – something that we didn't get to have for over 20 years.

What time do you usually go to sleep at night? Anywhere between 1-3 AM because revenge bedtime procrastination is still very real for me.

Did you go to high school with your current best friend? I did. I went through the entirety of grade school, high school, and college with her. Same schools for 15 straight years.

Have you ever wanted to be vegetarian or vegan? I had considered becoming vegan, but it's just really not a sustainable and accessible practice where I'm from unless you're rich and live in a more expensive place that can cater to such a lifestyle.

Do you park your car in a garage, carport or just in a driveway? We have a carport.

Have you ever been a passenger in a semi-trailer truck? Uhhh as far as I can remember, nope.

Have you felt sick today? Kinda. The elevators at my client's headquarters move SO fast they fucking suck lmao.

Whose was the last funeral you attended? I have never attended a funeral proper, but the last wake I paid a visit to was for a preschool friend's dad. He and my grandpa were very close and used to be chatting buddies while waiting for my friend and I to be dismissed.

Have you read The Hunger Games trilogy? No. The only Hunger Games anything I've consumed was the first movie.

How many times a week do you wash your hair? Everyday.

Do you need to wash your hair right now? Nope, I'll be doing that tomorrow morning.

Do you avoid using public restrooms? As much as I can, but if I really need to go then I just go to one.

What is your boss’ (or school prinicpal’s) name? Valerie.

Have you seen any extended relatives in the last month? My cousin came over at the start of the month just to hang and play video games with my sister.

Do you like eggnog? I've never had it but it sounds so delicious!!! I'd love to try it at least once.

Is there anything important you need to do today? Not anymore, it's 10:40 PM and I've called it a day.

Who is the person you dislike the most? I don't hold that feeling for one particular person.

Girls, how old were you when you first got your period? I was only a couple of weeks into being 10.

Do you take part in paying the bills for your household? My parents insist that I don't, so I don't; but I still give them a portion of my pay every two weeks.

Have you ever properly listened to classical music? Did you like it? Idk what you mean by 'properly' lol but yeah I do sometimes! It's great when I'm in the mood for it.

Do your parents know how to text? Yes, I mean they were part of the generation of when cellphones boomed so they definitely know how to.

Do you text your parents often? Sure, we have a family group chat so communication is alllllways happening over there.

What letter does your middle name begin with? My maiden surname starts with an A.

Do your initials spell an actual word? Nope.

What will you do when this survey is over? I'd like to take another one.

Do you know anyone with celiac disease? I don't think so.

How many siblings do you have? Are they all full siblings? Two, and yes.

What’s the weather like today? Hot enough that an airport parking lot caught fire and toasted like 19 cars lol. Suffice it to say Filipinos have NOT been doing well.

Have you ever eaten a cinnamon donut? I'm pretty sure I have, but they're not all that common here now that I think about it.

What is the longest relationship you’ve ever been in? It was an on-off that lasted around 6 years total, iirc.

How many times a day do you brush your teeth? Twice.

How do you usually celebrate New Years? With extended family, at home. We have NYE mass in the evening, then have media noche while waiting til midnight. We never go out for vacations because 1) the dogs, 2) fireworks are crazy so we wanna make sure we're at home just so nothing gets set on fire.

Is the place that you’re in right now quiet or loud? What can you hear? It's quiet, and I can only hear the whirring of my aircon.

Do you currently have any alarms set? Nope. I usually do that just before falling asleep.

How many cars can fit in your driveway? I want to say around four.

Do you like whiskey? Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate it.

When was the last time you ate, and what did you have? Around 6 PM. I had the sisig that my mom prepared for me.

[omegasmileyface]

The Forest, the Trees, the Fire I: CATALYST

Chapter 10

the final chapter of Book I. Also, chapter 9 just went up, so make sure you didn't miss that! To keep an eye on Book II, subscribe to the series on ao3 or (less reliable) follow the "the forest the trees the fire" tag on tumblr! We all had a lot of fun writing this and working with Chrunchy, and we very much hope you enjoy! <3 Authors: @attackradish, myself, @ectolemonades Artist: @/crunchysart

For the full characters list, word count, content warning, and a directory to all the currently available chapters and related content, see the Table of Contents!

full summary: The world outside of Amity Park has learned about the existence of ghosts, and the time for first impressions has arrived. The delicate public consciousness could be disrupted by the slightest ripple. Danny Fenton is being ripped apart from all sides, and when he finally breaks, the ripples will be very big indeed.

warnings: none

words: 1780

AO3 link

first chapter

previous chapter

===

When Valerie came through the portal, she couldn't decide whether to yell for help or try to go unnoticed. Instead of doing either, she just flew as fast as she could in one direction while still holding Dani intact. Time blended together, and Val had seen thousands of floating doors by the time she came across civilization. There was a small cluster of white stone buildings with lush roofs of blue plants, and a single humanoid ghost sitting on a wall.

When the ghost saw Valerie, she silently beckoned her closer, and Val took the chance. The ghost motioned for her to lay Dani down, and when she did, the ghost recoiled in shock. Val was worried she was about to be kicked out, or worse, but the ghost rushed to loosely wrap some ethereal fabric around Dani's wounds, and then immediately gestured for Valerie to pick her back up and follow.

Valerie had no better options. The ghost sped off at a right angle from her previous direction, and her board was just barely able to keep up. Right as Val started thinking she was going to pass out soon, they came close to a massive ghostly palace. It was mostly neo-Gothic structures made of black stone bricks with white veins, but discordant rooms stretched off it nonsensically. Some walls bore stained glass windows, some were in completely alien architectural styles, some were made of crumbling red brick. It was imposing and, in an odd way, elegant, but above all else it was ghostly.

They were heading straight for the main door.

When Valerie reached it, the ghost clasped her hands politely and sped off. Val made sure to yell thanks after her.

The teal doors opened with an ominous creak, and Valerie felt like she was in a fantasy movie. There was no one inside, so she just accepted that she might be dooming herself and her friend, and… walked. She made sure only to go straight forward and through doors that looked official and public-facing, and hopefully whoever owned this palace would be okay with having visitors.

And now, here she was. Her walking had taken her to a throne room, which had windows on both sides despite being seemingly in the center of the building. And sitting upside-down against the bottom of the dais and wearing a crown was Danny Phantom.

He looked utterly bewildered when he saw her. He shot upright. "Va— Red! Wh— I— Oh, my God, is that Dani?"

Phantom rushed over to Valerie and gestured for her to hand him Danielle. She hesitated, but he looked so anguished, and they were cousins… so she moved her over as gently as she could.

Slowly, he carried her through one of the doors in the wall behind the throne. "What happened?"

Valerie followed him through a branching hallway. "She was with the GIW. Look, can I ask where I am, first? I'd love to know what's going on."

"Right. Sorry." Phantom was frowning, which Val found a little odd. Yeah, he was holding the barely-kept-together body of his cousin, but he usually found a couple moments to crack jokes when he was upset. Now, after she hadn't seen him for months, he was sort of quiet.

One of the identical doors along the hallway opened as they got close. Inside was a fairly normal bedroom, if a bit more rococo than Valerie was used to seeing outside of movies. Phantom gently put Danielle on the bed, where her blood immediately stained the sheets. A bowl of water and a cloth appeared out of a haze in the air, and he started cleaning her wounds.

"So, this is my castle—"

"Yeah, I could figure that one out on my own. I was more curious why you have one of those."

He chuckled a little. Score.

"I'm, um, the Ghost King."

Valerie frowned. "Like that Pariah Dark guy? Did you get his title when you fought him?"

"Got it in one."

"Phew! My next guess was that he was your dad."

Phantom choked a little, then laughed. Good, it scared her a little seeing him so serious. "Yeah, no, it's just a… dominance thing. You beat the King, you get a chance at the crown. And it liked me, so… here I am."

Valerie chose not to think too hard about whether he meant that last part literally. She had more immediate issues on her plate. "So is that why I haven't seen you around? Paperwork?"

He sighed. "A little, I'll admit. But no, I've had some, uh… issues. The last few times I was in Amity. I've been trying to stay away."

That sounded almost personal. Ah, or not, considering the GIW presence. "I guess it's been pretty dangerous there. I'd be trying to stay away, too, if I were a ghost." Val remembered, then, all the things that had happened to bring her here. She… probably couldn't go back any time soon or they'd have a bounty on her head. "…Or if I were myself, I guess."

They sat with that for a moment. Val felt something like dread and loneliness at the same time, like she was being preemptively lonely for her future self. She thought of staying somewhere away from home for long enough for everything to blow over, and the idea almost made her feel like she was in a submarine or a spaceship. In a tiny, enclosed, unfamiliar world, with nothing to see for miles around, and if she took one step outside she'd die before it would make a difference.

She wondered if Phantom felt the same thing, even though he obviously didn't live in Amity all the time like she did.

The bowl disappeared, and in its place materialized some perfectly normal medical tape and bandages. "Well, you're perfectly welcome to stay here until you're comfortable with going home. Everything's human-safe, there's food and stuff… I've got a lot of empty rooms, I don't mind."

In another dimension, away from everybody she cared about? She wanted to talk to somebody, but she hadn't brought her phone to the GIW interrogation. She was worried it would connect her identities. Would she even get cell service here? Probably not, right?

And… who would she call? Her dad, obviously, but maybe he'd be better off if she didn't get him too wrapped up in this. Didn't give him a chance to try to come with her. She should just leave him a note or something. And nobody else she hung out with was exactly a comfort to talk to. Except Danny, but he hadn't been responding lately anyway.

In all honesty, the longer Valerie was here, the more she suspected she knew where Danny had been recently. He'd always been too close to the middle of this ghost stuff.

She shrugged. "Fine, but I want to leave my dad a note, and I get to leave whenever I want."

"Of course! I would never force you to stay somewhere. I don't think I could." The extra medical supplies dissolved, and a notebook popped into the air. There was a lot more appearing and disappearing going on than Valerie was used to. "Here, give me a sec, I need to call my doctor."

That was a delightfully normal thing to say in this fantasy dimension with a half-ghost unconscious on the bed. Valerie just watched as Phantom wrote something in his notebook and then tore the page out. He let it go, and it dissolved into motes of light, carried away on an unfelt air current. Neat.

"Okay, do you have any more right-now questions?"

Valerie shook her head.

"Cool. We can do the note and stuff later. For now, let's go sit down and you can tell me what the hell happened to my little cousin."

"Right."

They moved to another movie-set rococo room in the same color scheme as most of the place, this one filled with giant beanbag chairs.

They plopped down and Valerie tried to reconcile the chill furniture with the tragic story she was about to tell. It didn't work, and she just felt sort of silly as she talked about her interview and the way they put the vivisection on display.

Phantom kept getting madder. He never said anything and he never made eye contact with Valerie, but the unearthly air became still and cold. His expression was blank and he never moved from staring at the same section of white rug, but Valerie could swear she saw tears in his eyes. 

When she admitted that it was the Drs. Fenton who were up to their elbows in Danielle's chest, the rug ripped cleanly in two with a sound like a whip cracking. Valerie looked up, and Phantom's eyes were fixed on her like he had caught her with her hand around the handle of a knife in his stomach. Clear, attentive pain. Her suit shivered against her skin.

"You're sure it was them?" he whimpered.

Valerie nodded.

Phantom stood up and stomped toward the door, his whole body trembling. "I'll be back," he growled.

"Wait!"

He turned.

Valerie cleared her throat and double-checked the little theory that had wormed itself into her brain. She didn't find any obvious holes. "You're Danny, aren't you?"

Phantom pulled his lips back, not into a smile, but into some sad expression of acceptance. An expression that said "yeah, but what can you do?" He nodded once. Then he marched out the door.

Valerie fell back into her beanbag and thought.

===

The GIW's first remote rocket-powered device, named Michael after the Archangel and nicknamed Mike by its creators, floated through grey mists until it couldn't see the green of the void anymore. It dutifully observed and recorded its surroundings, from loose piles of bleached bones to flocks of perfectly normal-looking crows. It floated through living, leafless trees and blood-red grass, half-bound by gravity. Its path was fixed.

As it approached, a hole appeared in the ground, hidden by mounds of rock. Michael went down the hole. And it continued down the hole, even as the ectoplasmic air became too thick with darkness to use its visual sensors. It simply switched to sonar and kept going.

After several minutes of darkness, during which Michael's signal back to HQ became steadily less reliable, it reached its destination. The object wasn't visible, but its presence was obvious; a massive sarcophagus, fluorescent with the toxic colors of ectoplasmic paint.

A flexible arm unfolded from under Michael, and it reached above the engravings of crossed arms carved and gently inserted a key into the center. The key was turned, and the signal cut to nothing.

[seraphfighter]

OC Interview: Valerie

Thanks for the tag, @glitchinginthegarden! This was a fun one.

Name?

V: "Call me V. Only people who know me real well can use my actual name."

Her full name is Valerie Ramirez (no middle name because I never think about them). She started going by "V" instead of Valerie when she began merc work as a teenager to protect her identity.

Nickname?

V: "V is my nickname. Don't have a lot of other nicknames except for whatever my input decides to call me at that moment."

"Val" is her most commonly used nickname but once again, it is reserved for people who know her really well. Johnny started calling her "Red" because of her hair as a way to annoy her and it ended up sticking. He also uses a variety of pet names once they're in a relationship.

Gender?

V: "Female. Why does it matter?"

Star sign?

V: "I think I'm a Libra? You'll have to ask Misty."

Val possesses several of the typical Libra traits. She's very creative and artistic. She has a strong desire for people to see her as trustworthy and responsible, especially when it comes to her work. Even though she isn't very social, as a Libra she doesn't like to be alone.

Height?

V: "I'm 5'8."

Orientation?

V: "Again, why is it important? All that matters is it's someone I trust."

She doesn't have a preference for gender and hasn't bothered to label herself. If she's going to be with someone, it has to be someone she knows well and can trust. Flings and one-night stands aren't her thing.

Nationality/ethnicity?

V: "I don't really know because I don't remember my parents. All I know is I have Hispanic descent from somewhere in my family."

Favorite fruit?

V: "I haven't had the chance to try many 'ganic fruits but from what I've tried, I like strawberries the most. As long as they have some sugar on them."

Favorite season?

V: "Spring when it's not too hot or too cold. The storms can be a pain in the ass, though."

Favorite flower?

V: "I guess roses? I've never really thought about it."

From growing up in Heywood, Val has a fondness for roses from the Valentinos' graffiti she always saw.

Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate?

V: "Coffee, especially if it's iced with a bit of synthmilk. Misty's given me some pretty good teas, too."

Average hours of sleep?

V: "It depends on the night."

Val doesn't have a very consistent sleep schedule. Her work at the Afterlife varies day by day, so sometimes she sleeps at night or others during part of the day. Her average amount of uninterrupted sleep is six hours.

Dog or cat person?

V: "I've never seen a dog in person and I have a cat, so I'd say I'm a cat person."

Dream trip?

V: "Honestly, I'd be happy to take any trip. I've never traveled besides going to Atlanta, so I'd be happy to see anything that's not Night City. I have always wanted to see snow, though."

Favorite fictional character?

V: "I don't fuckin' know. Don't have one."

(aka seraph has no idea what the answer would be.)

Number of blankets you sleep with?

V: "You mean when my input isn't hogging them? Usually just the comforter or a fuzzy blanket depending on how cold or hot it is."

Random fact?

V: "When I was twelve I came down with appendicitis. My sister couldn't afford to take me to a ripperdoc clinic so we went to a back-alley ripperdoc. He removed my appendix but it ended up being a chop job. It left a big scar on the right side of my abdomen."

No pressure tagging: @trashcatsnark, @bloodydragam, @tarmac-rat, @nightcxty (I'm not sure who all has been tagged lol)

[deadlypinks]

for  a  violent  starter . ( stu )

"You really believe you've seen something? Huh, little girl?!" Stu snarled under his breath, he'd always been careful. But when he'd last removed his Ghostface mask, he was sure Valerie had seen something and now? She wouldn't stop looking at him weird. He was anxious she would say something, do something, the last thing he needed was someone suspecting him to the point of reporting him. That was when he cornered the pretty little girl when she was alone, shoved her against the wall with both of his arms preventing she could slip off to run off. "Because if you think you did, Valerie... I'd suggest you took any funny ideas out of your head? See, ugly shit happens to nosy ones... And I'd hate having to hurt someone like you."

[alifeofred]

Danny's Recurring Identity Crisis pt 2

Ever since it was revealed that there's a ghost fighting super hero living in Amity Park in season 1 (Since at the start no one was differentiating one ghost from the next) But ever since the Inviso-bill fiasco, Danny became more vigilant with keeping his two sides separate.

Because people were looking more closely now.

That was after What You Want, meaning the Ghost Catcher most definitely picked up on the difference that Danny so evidently made within himself.

Hence why things became crazy in Identity Crisis with the device (It could also be a retcon from the creators, but I'd like to think there's a bigger picture here.)

What Danny intended was to make two of himself (Splitting himself like he'd seen Vlad do, he thought that's what it was) He thought that's what the Ghost Catcher did the first time.

As it did with Technus. Purging that which he possessed, or making two of what was there in the first place.

Let's talk about what the distinction between Phantom and Fenton actually means for Danny and why it was important for him in the first place.

Considering how loony their parents can be. Danny and Jazz started disassociating from the craziness of the Fenton household early on.

With Jazz psychoanalyzing everything and placing it all in neat little boxes she created and labeled herself. Touting herself as the only sane one in the house, looking after everyone, especially Danny, because only she could. Because she was the only normal one there was.

Danny started hiding himself. Making himself invisible in a crowd. Aiming towards the most mediocre of things. Like wanting to be part of the normal accepted crowd of kids. Going on dates. Hanging out with his friends. Liking the most obvious chick in school. Like, he was trying too hard with wanting a normal childhood experience.

All because both Danny and Jazz were fighting against their Fenton instincts. Ghost fighting and the mania that comes with being a Fenton was in them from the start. No matter how hard they tried to disassociate from it.

Their parents encouraged whatever they wanted, but hoped for the same passion and zeal that they had.

And wouldn't you know it, when given the chance. Both Danny and Jazz pull out all the stops and show just how much that Fenton DNA matters. They can't fight it. And with time, they don't even try.

The thing is that Jazz, once exposed to this life, went full in. Starting by saying it was for Danny's sake but she started to enjoy it after a while.

Danny, on the other hand, only let half of himself fully immerse in it. Saying that Danny Fenton was still human and mundane. As far away from the ghostly craziness as possible.

Except this mask slipped up from time to time when the situation asked for it.

Pirate Radio, anyone?

Danny took charge as himself. And his natural instincts and leadership shone through. One he tried to hide so much.

As the series progresses, he might have forgotten about what shallow things he wanted in season 1, like popularity and dating the hot girl.

Instead, he wanted down time with his friends without anything ghostly interrupting. And he wanted to date the pretty and kick ass girl who he genuinely liked to be with.

He's growing, right? (Not enough to see what's right in front of him, but sure.)

This still isn't what's right for him. He's still so fixated on separating his two selves that he doesn't even care that Valerie hates his alter ego and wants to kill him. So long as she likes Fenton, it's all good.

When that ship sails, not because of anything Danny does, but because Valerie chose for him. Danny starts to ponder on how he should go forward.

Another kick to the head, very much needed as it was, came in the form of Gregor. Making Danny realize his feelings for Sam. He's getting there, right?

But it's still through the lenses of Fenton. He wants the normal experience still.

Livin Large and Phantom Planet were continuations of a conflict that wasn't resolved in Identity Crisis, just delayed prematurely.

So when given an out, Danny reverses his powers. Thinking that now that his ghost powers are gone, so are the responsibilities that came with it. Any positive thing associated with that part of his identity, is lost.

He doesn't realize that fighting for the right cause wasn't something that his ghost powers could do. It was something he could do all on his own. But by cutting off that one vital part of himself, he became half of who he was.

Hence why calling what Sam and Tucker and Jazz did as quote unquote 'Bullying' him, is uncalled for. Because they never viewed Danny as two separate people. He was always one and whole to them. And when they saw him lose a vital part of himself, they were distraught.

Jazz was saddened, but it was her brother's choice.

Tucker was disappointed, but he'd support Danny.

Sam was angry, and she would say it to your face.

And she did. Sam never minced words with Danny. A quality of hers that he always admired. (Which was what he meant when he said this btw...)

He needs her to ground him. Tell it to him straight.

It wasn't the powers that made Danny a super hero. It was himself and his resolve to do the right thing that made him a superhero. And he had to realize that.

Mind you, this was in one episode.

His two sides. One that gives up on everything but the people he loves. And the side that will risk it all till the very end. Putting his life on the line to protect his town.

He's done it before too. In Reign Storm he would have died and he was willing to as well, if it meant getting rid of Pariah Dark.

This isn't a retcon or bastardization of Danny. It's this constant pendulum inside him that switches from all to nothing and back again over and over again.

He doesn't need Phantom to fight. And he realizes this after Sam pushes him to confront himself.

He goes from this...

To this...

He does all this without powers. He's a natural leader, always has been. And when he tells his friends to get in the escape pod when all the ghosts were after them, everyone listened. Sam lingered because that's just how these two operate.

Speaking of (since I'll bring up Sam and Danny any chance I get cause I love every aspect of their relationship and just how perfect they are for one another), when Danny gets his head on straight, without powers I might add, these two come to life again.

I see those smiles and I know what they mean. That's Sam for ya. She's his conscience and he needs her. (Something I'll talk about at length in another post, promise).

He gets his powers back, but he learned a valuable lesson as well.

No matter how much he wants to separate his two sides, he just can't. They are the same person. Him!

In the end, with his secret out to the world. There's no need for differentiating Phantom and Fenton anymore.

But he still realizes what he wants is what both sides of himself strived for.

He wants to fight evil and protect as many as he can.

But he also wants to experience life like a normal teenager too.

Finding a balance between these two is something he'll always struggle with, but that's life.

And with the end showing him with the globe of the world on his hands, showcasing how he protected the planet. It could be considered a nice sentiment, but at the same time an omen too.

It could be showing us that Danny now bears the weight of the world.

If given the chance to explore further (if ever) in the future. There could be multitude of stories. One of which Butch Hartman himself alluded to. Where Danny now seeks shelter in his ghost half.

So he tries it with himself. And we got two Danny's... just not the way he'd hoped.

The pendulum has swung the other way. Now he's going to take on everything. No matter the price. Which is a great plot point that I would love to see explored.

That's it. Hope you guys like these takes.

[magicalwarriorbattleroyale]

TY FOR TAKING PART :D

this was really fun for me, I know that the cast gets a good amount of votes on other polls but I also have seen quite a few people who voted solely based on things like "well Clover IS purple… AND has a hammer!" or "IDK who Val is but she's cute and black so" So I ddidn't know for sure how much ppl will participate lol. Plus I know the MWDH fanbase is still pretty small all things considered, and despite how arrogant I might act, inside my expectations are often a lot lower than I show on the outside lol. So seeing even more than like a hundred votes is always really cool.

Some of the battles were really surprising. I picked the round one match-ups on a mix of randomization and my better judgement on which characters I thought would be a fair match against. Although with less Crystal Warriors on the bracket, it did make it difficult to chose who Valerie would go up against LOL. I said a few times on my personal accounts that I wanted a final match up to be Clover up against Valerie or Zacharie. I felt that Zacharie is one of the more beloved characters and the possibility existed that they'd make it. I didn't think Zacharie actually would to be honest... I wasn't confident they could get past Val lol. But I really didn't expect her to sweep so HARD lmaooo. I also briefly forgot what kind of community I have been fostering, namely you people are GOOFY AS HELL!!! I did NAWT expect the frog to get as far as it did, And I thought Liam would at least die with dignity lmao. and I kind of feel bad for Ethan now. his second match was mean 😭... I 100% didn't think Liam would make it to the finals but since Liam vs Clover is the true rivals duo, i had to make sure the opportunity existed. They wouldn't want it any other way. If I had been 100% sure Alex was getting in, I'd have matched him with Liam instead at the start, but during the matching I had Alex's spot listed as "reserved" in case I ended up having Diana in his plac.

I feel like Val's mom against Clover in round 1 might seem silly to some but Val's mom is like, surprisingly popular lol. She had a fair shot imo, and honestly? She did pretty well. it's not like she was totally demolished. And I definitely made the correct choice to put Val opposite to Clover, I think if anyone would be a fair match it would be them for the finals. I think maybe the frog was the only other one who coulda done it, because you people are jokesters.

Anyways ill do more polls here since there are characters that didnt get in, and I'm sure the results will change as more episodes will release lmao. I'll also just use this as a general poll account so I can keep the main mwdh account clean, and I might post other magical girl polls here bc this is my account and I can do that :p

[myth-blossom]

For your song recs writing challenge! I'd love to request Valerie by The Zutons.

The Amy Winehouse cover of this song is such a banger too, but the riff of the original song is just too good.

Thank you for the request! Instantly thought of Diana/47, which is why this seems less of a short fic and more of a drabble-babble (double drabble) in length. :D

The beach was alive with the delighted sounds of tourists enjoying the summer sun. The call of hungry gulls and the soothing crashing of waves welcomed a picturesque start to the weekend. Everyone was having a lovely time—with the exception of the lonely sniper perched nearby.

It had been months since 47 had last seen Diana. She convinced Arthur Edwards that she had betrayed 47 when she was actually giving him the opportunity to get close to eliminate Edwards. While 47 later realized this, he felt unsure as to where he currently stood with his former handler. 

Would she want to see me? Does she even want anything to do with me? 

47 sighed as he adjusted his scope. He remembered their tango in Mendoza, and Diana framed in the warm sunset in the olive grove…him crumbling to the ground from the effects of the neurotoxin, and Diana’s heel pushing him onto his back as if that were the final nail in his coffin. The look of contempt on her face was harder to deal with than the Ether chemicals in his system, if he was honest. 

47 knew now that Diana would dismantle Providence from the inside, using her new power as Constant to topple the organization that cruelly ran the world for so long. The betrayal was, as she put it, a necessary evil. But there was a brutal honesty under her guise of betrayal: 47 had caused her pain, and she made sure to use that grief to make it all the more convincing to Providence. Was she also trying to convince 47 that their time together was through?

He carefully scanned the horizon through his scope for any changes. There were sailboats of various sizes out on the sea and jet skiers weaving carefully in the wake of larger ships moving around the harbor. Still, no sign of his target. He checked his watch. Six more hours to go, he thought, concluding that he should hold onto hope for a little longer.

Once Edwards was out of the picture, no one seemed to be hunting him. 47 knew that Providence was likely not of his concern anymore, but the remains of the ICA still could be a threat. So he stayed on the move as he had for decades, never being in one place for too long before making his exit towards the next adventure. Since he was unattached from his previous life with the ICA, he was free to discover his own sense of agency in life. No longer was he Agent 47, Diana’s assassin and the best weapon the ICA had to offer. He was, simply, 47. And he was using this time to decide how he wanted to control his future, without anyone else directing the sway of his strings.

Ironically, he had decided pretty quickly on one part of his past that he definitely wanted in his future.

Diana.

He loved her. It was as natural to him as the need to breathe. He couldn’t imagine moving forward with his new life without Diana by his side.

47 had tried to make contact with Diana before but without success. There was a reason why Providence stayed hidden for so long, they were nearly impossible to track with a network as well connected as theirs. Still, perhaps Diana was keeping tabs on him? He didn’t make his trail obvious, so he didn’t know how well she could track his movements with her resources as the Constant. So a month ago he decided to send up a signal, one that only she would recognize, in the hopes that she would respond. If Diana wanted to see him, he knew she would show some sort of sign.

He signaled that he was going to be in Miami in the next month during one particular week from sunrise to sunset. If Diana wanted to see him again, she could be at the given coordinates which were out at sea. He wanted to try to make contact with her, but not jeopardize their safety with Providence still around.

Today was the last day of his week in Miami, the final opportunity for Diana to contact him per his instructions. 47 visited the same open-air twelfth floor of the active construction site, hoping to catch a glimpse of her through his rifle scope before sunset. She’ll be there, he thought. I know she will be.

With three hours left, 47 found his mark at one of his listed coordinates. The Jean Danjou set anchor about half a kilometer off of the Miami coastline. Using the scope of his rifle, he looked around the vessel for the woman who held his heart. 

47 found Diana walking across the deck in a crimson red bikini towards the sun loungers. There were guards posted nearby on the ship, but she was mostly by herself as she readied to tan. As she laid out on the chair, facing 47’s direction, she picked up what seemed to be a foil reflector for tanning. However, he noticed soon after that she was moving it around, not frantically, but deliberately. She completed a cycle and paused for a bit, holding the reflector still, before tilting it up and away from herself in the same sort of pattern.

Then it clicked. Diana was using Morse code to send a message: Seven months left. Miss you.

He wished he could send her a response in return, but he knew that she knew he was watching. After she cycled the message two more times out of caution, she put the reflector down in her lap and took off her sunglasses. 47 knew she couldn’t see him at that distance, but she seemed to be smiling right at him through his sniper scope. 

47 pulled away from the rifle with a smile, hope blooming in his chest. Diana missed him too, and she just needed him to wait a little longer to bring Providence down.

If seven months is what it would take, then 47 would endure. They would have the rest of their lives to make up for lost time.