#and dad asking is someone left the junk open and threw something rotten in there

[artgirllullaby]

Murphy’s First Date

*Arrives late with a Starbucks frappucino* I won’t even ask because being late is now my thing so *shrugs and slurps from frappucino*

Well, after being forcefully transferred non-officially to my new position in my work, my time to write has been reduced (not to talk about the whole stress that consumes my energy to write) so when inspiration/motivation hits I literally have to go overdrive before it expires. Which is why I’m not joining many fandom events, sorry guys.

anyways, this is inspired on true fact events that happened this weekend at home which got me to think “what if was Starco” and it got me giggling so much to think that I have to write and share this. And since the shoe fits, why not join @starco-week Day 1 and try fill in again? :D

So let’s go!

Fun fact: The part that was inspired in true events it’s in the tags, but I recommend you to look only after reading the whole thing ;)

...

Murphy’s First Date

Marco let himself drop on Star's fluffy carpet. With the towel still on his head he tried to hide his face from her, frustrated on how the day went from awkward to a holy level of mess.

It was their first official date as a couple, but everything went down in the most awkward ways. First with both their parents wanting to tag along, it took them a run along the mall to lose them and get somewhere else, then they ran into Janna who was monitoring the date through one of the cameras in his hoodie. So while getting a new shirt and hood, they run into Ferguson and Alfonso, who decided to pay help Marco which was nice… until they left for their DND meeting and Marco realized they switched bags, leaving him with a elf costume he had to wear so Janna stop looking into his date.

So they finally get to tacos and made their order… And then Jackie and Tom arrived and sat by their table trying to find comfort and completely missing the fact it was a date by them (Marco couldn’t blame them when he’s wearing a freaking elf costume) because, one had a huge fight with her girlfriend and was afraid they would break up, and the other got stood up by his date. So instead of eating more tacos, Star and Marco ordered them to go and tried to calm down both the friends who were crying their hearts out and stuffing their faces on tacos.

That is, until Jackie girlfriend showed up and talked to her and they were making out right then and there (At this point he didn’t even know if he wanted to ask for them to take another table or just leave) and Tom's date (Janna?! Say what?!) Showed up eventually since she was late trying to fix her TV ("thanks, Marco." She had said and suddenly it got him that their date was spying on his somehow.)

It was almost night and things were a mess, but it was OK! Because he got Star, she was happily walking beside him holding his hand and they had some tacos to eat somewhere nice and finally things could be fine!

That was, until the thunder and sudden downpour went on them.

Holding her hand tightly and trying not to slip on the streets as everyone run for cover, Marco got in his house and search for his key… Which was on the hoodie he threw away with Janna embodied camera. He hitted his head on the door angrily as Star tried to call his parents by no results.

His parents got home ten minutes later finding them soaking to their bones as they waited by the door, trying to take cover in the little patio build there with no use (it almost could shelter one, two people was impossible). The Diaz opened the door to them, Star's parents walked in right after them carrying Mariposa under an umbrella.

He took a looked on the tacos in vain before throwing them in the trash for being soaked and ruined.

But the worst part, the worst of it all wasn’t the awkwardness, the shame or everything that went wrong. The worst was when he got her a towel and was about to tell her to take a shower to get warm and she began to sneeze.

Star got sick.

They stayed out in the rain for too long and she just had because a normal human, so it was only natural she as her body wasn’t used or weren’t prepared for such things as getting soaked in sudden cold rain, of course she would get cold!

And now here they were, sitting in Star’s fluffy carpet in the room she left ready for her visits in his house, as Star had her hair dried by her mother, curled under a blanket his mother gave and a hot drink (probably some mint tea by the smell of it) to try help her to avoid getting anything deeper than sneezing from cold.

Marco sighed frustrated as ever throwing the damp towel away as he finished drying his hair and left it a mess.

"Are you mad?" Star asked cautiously.

"Of course I am!" Hiding his face between his hands he confessed to her "I was right all along, I was a terrible boyfriend to Jackie and I a worst boyfriend to you!"

"Wait, what?!" Star put her mug with the tea down and took his hands away from his face "Marco, what are you talking about?"

"What am I talking about?! I am talking about this our first date as a couple being ruined!"

Star blinked at him "What?"

"Come on, everything that could be wrong today had gone wrong!" Marco pulled his pajama shirt up to hide his face "From our parents, to Janna, to Ferg and Al, to Jackie and Tom to the stupid rain and now you’re sick! I’m the worst boyfriend ever!"

Star smiled ever so lovingly at him, remembering how she fell for this dork. "Marco, you’re not the worst… You’re the best ever."

Gently, Star pulled his shirt down until it was down his neck and she could see his face again, but he avoided her eyes by looking to the other side.

"It’s not your fault… Actually I think it’s mine."

"What?" Marco asked confused looking at her.

"Well… I didn’t really think of this as our first real date or anything… I mean, dates are for couples to know each other and bond and we already have all that, we have for a long time… So when you told me we would go out, I thought it was, more casual hang out and stuff. So I told our parents and I might have let them think they were invited because wasn’t anything special… Like, you said ‘we’ as The Diaz and The Butterfly, not as Star and Marco."

"Oh…"

"Sorry, I should have asked before talking to your mother and kinda letting her think the same thing."

"No, it’s ok…" He sat up thoughtful, "I think I also should have let more clear, I never mentioned about movie and dinner, now that I think about it make sound like hanging out… I wanted to make it kinda like a surprise, but I should have at least let you known I wanted to be just the two of us.” He smiled at her.

Star nodded and went on, "Then about Janna… I asked her to record it." Marco blinked at her several times too shocked to speak, so she went on "I… Once she said about the cameras, I thought would be nice to have some recordings for us, so I asked her to record… But when you found out you got so freaked out I couldn’t tell you! So… I just let on mine." She looked at her lace pin soaked and frowned "But I doubt something survived the rain."

Marco rested his hands in top on hers and caressed gently "I guess, I did freaked out more than I should have…"

"You guess?" Star chuckled

"Fine, I screamed like a little boy wetting his pants for finding monster under his bed." He sighed "Recordings are fine, but we can do that ourselves Star. We can take pictures, videos and whatever else you want. Even contract Janna, but let me know first, OK?"

Star nodded and held his hands, "Then… There’s Ferguson and Alfonso."

"How you have anything to do with us switching bags?"

"Cause I was trying to recover your hoodie and the camera without you noticing, so I dropped the bags, but both looked the same and were zipped, I didn’t have time to look cause they came and I had to guess, so I went with the lighter one because I thought his costume would be heavier!" Star facepalmed herself "When you checked and I realized the mistake they were already off. I had sent a text for them, but they were on the road until few minutes ago, Ferg said he will get your hoodie back to switch."

"I don’t care much about the hoodie, I just didn’t want to make you feel a idiot walking around with a guy dressed as a elf for no reason… But didn’t work much."

Star laughed "I guess it didn’t."

Marco smiled and sat closer to her passing his arm around her shoulders and giving her cheek a gentle kiss that made her giggle.

"Wait, you don’t have anything to do with Jackie and Chloe’s fight, do you?"

"No! No, no no no. That was just an unfortunate coincidence for real. Though Janna did get late because I had asked her to go get the camera you threw away" she smiled ashamed.

He smiled painfully back, "Yeah we gonna need to make it up to Tom somehow even if I ruined without knowing. He deserve better."

His girlfriend agreed and held him closer, "I thought you got angry because after you threw the hoodie away you lost your keys and got wet… And I know you hate wet socks. So I was afraid to speak and getting it worse… I’m sorry."

He smiled at her and rested his forehead on hers, "I was angry that the date went wrong and you were getting wet. I was never angry at you… Well, maybe a little bit now, but it’s already gone knowing you meant well."

Star smiled at her boyfriend leaning up and touching his lips with her own on a longing kiss before snuggling into his embrace wrapping them both in the blanket.

"You know, we don’t need anything else. This is good."

Marco hummed in agreement caressing her back, "Yeah, this is fine… As long as I have you it’s OK."

Star smiled "With or without dates, we belong together" she giggled.

"That was super clichê" Marco laughed.

"Shut up."

For a while they stayed like that. Getting warm in each other arms and being just comfortable in each other. And for that moment Marco realize he really was too stressed on what he wanted them to be instead of what they are and taking that into the natural way. Star was right, they had their relationship a long way already, some things did change now they were a couple, but they become a couple by who they were and that could not change; if so what would be the point?

Yes, they had flaws and things to solve as any other, but they were just in the beginning and sincerely? Marco couldn’t wait to see what was to be  in future.

They rearranged their position and he turned on his notebook in her room, choosing a movie to watch undercovers with her, and to be fair? This was as good as any date they could have. Maybe wasn’t fancy or epic, but they had each other and they were having fun watching some silly movie in the comfort of the home, and that was good enough for them. So what? They didn’t need anything else, opportunities for all the other stuff would happen eventually.

As he thought about all that, taking her shampoo essence and handing her tissues when she sneezed a few more times, he heard it. A squishy sound, so soft and low he almost missed if wasn’t for the silence in the room as he was selecting another movie.

"Star… Did you just fart?"

Suddenly looking like a red tomato, she looked down completely embarrassed "I-I guess that Taco didn’t get me so well… Sorry ha ha"

Marco laughed, "It’s ok, it’s very normal-" he was about to comfort her, when he stopped mid sentence and felt the smell looking at her horrified "I take it back, it’s not normal."

"What?"

"Star, you’re rotten" Marco said getting out the blankets.

"Marco!"

"Air! I need air!"

"It’s not that bad!" Star pouted getting more embarrassed.

"You can get worse than this one?!" He said surprised as he opened the door.

"Stop that!"

"Oh my God, Star!"

Star facepalmed herself, she was really being fart-shamed by her boyfriend? "Marco Diaz!”

"Marco!" Rafael called from the living room "What is this rotten smell?! Did you find the corpse of Mr. Cinnamon?"

Star wrapped herself under the blankets hiding embarrassed, as Marco replied "No, dad. Star just farted!"

She looked out the covers with a look that said betrayal to what Marco didn’t see as his back was to her.

"Oh my, that was a powerful one." Angie commented.

Marco suddenly took a moment to realize "Wait, corpse of Mr. Cinnamon?"

"Yeah, your hamster in Fourth grade stays for another time, Marco. Fix your girlfriend!" Rafael replied murmuring about turning the fans on and home essences.

Marco turned around and got attacked with a pillow by Star "I can’t believe you told them I farted!"

"What?!” He replied as he defended himself as he replied “They could smell!"

"Ugh! Marco Diaz, you’re the worst!"

Marco began to laugh as he knew she wasn’t serious just extremely frustrated on her embarrassment. Now this was more like them, switching from a sweet moment to awkward to laugh.

It would be a long and fun journey.

"We spiraled high on a gust of love!" Marco began singing as he got a pillow to defended himself of her pillow attack "And I knew right from the start, nothing could tear us apart… Until the day you farted hard-"

"Marco Ubaldo Diaz!" Star screamed at him angry. He began to fall down as if he was being dramatically defeated.

"-and now it’s too little too late!"

Oh oooooh

[kinglazrus]

Not Your Danny – Ch 4. Who Understands

Previous | First | Next | FFN | AO3

Word count: 3739

The memorial notebook sits open on Jazz's desk. For the twenty minutes, Jazz has sat here with her rule and pencil carefully tracing out a template for the event schedule. The hour of the event, pencilled in as one to two p.m., is broken into fifteen-minute increments which have three bullet points each. The bullet points, along with the fifteen-minute boxes, are colour coded and measured out to perfect, equal distance.

At the top of the page, the words "Memorial Schedule" are written in a loose, flowing script and dark ink. Eraser smudges behind the ink are the only indication of how much time and care Jazz put into making those letters.

Now, the blank schedule stares up at her, waiting only for Jazz to finalize the plans. The memorial itself is still three weeks out, but it is still too soon. Even though they buried Danny a fortnight ago, the memorial feels more final. Jazz doesn't want to say it, but she already knows why she feels this way.

Danny was a halfa. He was her sweet, human brother, but he was the town hero, too. There's a chance, no matter how slim, that he might still be out there as a full ghost. There has to be a chance. It doesn't matter that he died as Phantom. It doesn't matter that Sam and Tucker themselves were there to see his ghost half fizzle out, see the human body it left behind. There has to be a chance.

The funeral was for Danny Fenton, but the memorial is for Danny Phantom, for the whole city to mourn the loss of their hero. For Jazz to acknowledge that her brother, in his entirety, is gone forever.

Suddenly, looking at the notebook makes her feel nauseous. She closes it and shoves it aside. It's late enough now that she could go to bed, but she doesn't feel tired, not physically. After the fiasco at dinner, Jazz wants to shut everything out for a little bit. Pretend she lives in her own bubble where everything is fine.

How could she have forgotten? Seeing Dani's human face certainly took her by surprise, but she was not unprepared for it. Unlike their parents, Jazz didn't have trouble separating Fenton from Phantom. They were the same to her and looking at Dani's ghostly face was already close enough to seeing her little brother. Instead of the face itself, Jazz was stunned to see Dani in human form at all. At the same time, it brought her comfort. Dani and Danny, no matter how similar, are not the same. But having her here, seeing her do the things Danny used to do...

It's so easy. Having Dani fill her little brother's place on the couch when the watch TV. Having her by Jazz's side when they cook. She can't help it. It's almost like having Danny back, so soon after they lost him. And every time Dani doesn't fill that hole, it hurts in a way Jazz never expected.

She rubs her eyes and leans back in her chair. Maybe she should go to sleep after all.

—

"You want us to host... a memorial?" her mother asked. It was obvious Maddie had been crying that day, her eyes red and puffy. Perhaps not too long before Jazz came to talk to her parents.

Jazz herself had been in tears not too long ago when Sam phoned her with the idea. She nodded. "Yes. I know it's only been a few days, but this is Sam's idea and I think it's a good one. Mom, Dad..." she took a deep breath, bracing herself. "I knew. All along, I knew about Danny being Phantom. And it was so important to him. A memorial to Phantom could help you come to terms with not knowing about this side of Danny."

Maddie's hand, flat on the table, curled into a fist. "Jazz, we haven't even... the funeral is tomorrow. I've been on the phone with Alicia all day because she can't make it down in time. Chartering a plane costs too much and there isn't a flight out for weeks. I know this is important, but—"

"I think it's a good idea," Jack said. Stretching forward, he reached across the table and patted Jazz's shoulder. "But I think what you mother means is that we need time to consider it. It's hard adjusting to all this."

"I know. But promise me you really will think about it? It would mean a lot to him." Jazz waited until her father nodded. "Okay. I'll just... yeah. Think about it."

She left the kitchen in silence. That went okay. A shorter conversation than Jazz would have liked, but small steps are still steps. She needed to text Sam later and let her know the verdict, as tentative as it was. For now, she will leave her parents to think, hoping they eventually agree.

Halfway to her bedroom, a noise from Danny's room made her pause. She couldn't be certain, but it sounded like the squeak of his bed springs. Tip-toeing closer, Jazz stared at the crack under his door. A faint white light shone through.

"Danny?" Jazz whispered.

There came another creak.

Jazz's breath stopped, caught in her throat. She crept closer, pressing her hand against the door, and eased it open. In the dark of Danny's room, the figured outline in glowing light leapt from the shadows, impossible to miss. The aura, far brighter than the dim light of hall, nearly blinded Jazz, but its colour was unmistakable.

She pushed the door open. "Danny!"

The figure flinched and threw themselves into the air, twisting around to face Jazz. She slapped her hand against the switch on the wall, flooding the room with orange light. No longer blinded, she found herself now face-to-face with a Phantom. Not Danny, though, but Dani-with-an-I.

She looked horrible, her white hair caked with mud, dirt smeared along half her face. Suit wrinkled and damp.

"Oh, my God, Danielle." Jazz gasped.

"It's true?" Tears welled in Dani's eyes. "It's true? He's gone?"

"I'm so sorry, I didn't even think..."

That was all Dani needed to hear. She spun away and bolted, flying through the wall.

"Dani, wait!" Jazz called after her, but the young halfa was already gone. Jazz threw the window open, leaning out over the alley to a dangerous degree. Searching the sky, she tried to find and trace of Danny's clone, but everything around her was dark. Not a single glimpse of silver light to be seen.

Jazz pulled herself back inside and dropped to the floor, hands pressed over her mouth. She had forgotten, completely, that there was another person out there important to Danny, someone who wouldn't know about his death right away. In the days since Danny's death, Danielle's existence hadn't crossed Jazz's mind. It made her feel rotten. Dani had been important to Danny, but she slipped so easily from Jazz's memory.

However, through the wave of guilt, Jazz could not forget that single moment before she turned on the light. No more than a second, but still the happiest she felt in days, when she saw the aura of a Phantom and believed that her brother had not died after all.

—

The star shirt fits well, better than Dani expected it to. She drapes her hoodie across the back of Danny's desk chair before sliding in front of the mirror. It fits and it looks good. Looking herself up and down, Dani blushes. She has never thought of herself as a self-conscious person but seeing herself in something other than her regular hoodie fills her with warmth. She likes wearing something that doesn't look two times too big for her, showing off more of her form.

Although she has never said it out loud, that is part of the reason why she likes being in her ghost form so much more. The pants, the crop top, she likes them so much better than her human clothes. Until now, they were her only option, since she didn't want to cart around a backpack full of clothes, but now she has a room. She has a place to keep things, her things.

She could actually have things. The temptation to own stuff has always eluded her, but the longer she stays at Fenton Works surrounded by things that are not hers, the more she understands.

Dani rarely stays in one place for so long. Only a week and one day, but it feels so much longer. Looking at herself in the mirror, she's struck by the realization that this is home now. She has a home. Her mind still struggles to wrap around the idea, but the word does not feel so foreign anymore. After Vlad, all she wanted was freedom, and she got it. But while roaming the world was fun and exciting, it was also incredibly lonely.

She had always had Danny, though. Their relationship wasn't perfect, and they never acknowledged how they were related beyond the loose label of cousins, but she had him. And then he was gone without her even realizing.

Dani didn't know what to expect when Jazz extended her the offer of moving into Fenton Works. And, to be honest, she still doesn't know. Things are strange, and still lonely sometimes, but not bad. That has to count for something, right?

She toys with the buttons of the shirt, wondering if she could somehow tie the bottom, wear it shorter than it is. As she considers the style, her hands drop to the waist of her shorts, bright red and loose. They don't go with the shirt very well. Unfortunately for Dani, she has already been through all of Danny's clothes, and she does not like any of his pants, even if there were some smaller, older pairs that might have fit her.

There is a hint of promise, though. Dani has seen how much junk fills the Fenton garage. They are the kind of people who hold on to things until they absolutely do not need it anymore. Judging by Danny's drawers and closet, clothes get the same treatment as any other junk.

Jazz must have a few old pants lying about. A skirt sounds nice. Dani has never worn one of those, but girls always look so pretty in them.

Her door is open when Dani makes the trek down the hall. Jazz herself is slumped over at her desk, arms folded under her head.

Dani walks into the room and pokes Jazz's shoulder. "Did you sleep at your desk last night?"

Jazz wakes with a start, flinching at Dani's touch. She rubs her eyes, then the side of her face. A thick red mark overtakes her cheek where it had been laying on her arm.

"Dani?" Jazz's voice is thick with sleep. She sits up, stretching her arms and arching her back until it pops. Her neck cracks a few times as she roles her head. "What are you doing?"

"Do you have any old clothes?"

Jazz blinks. "It's rude to walk into someone's room without warning them."

"You were asleep, though. Clothes?"

Blinking a few more times, Jazz clears her eyes and looks Dani up and down. Her gaze lingers on the shirt. "That’s..."

"Found it in Danny's closet. I can't believe he actually wore something like this."

Jazz shook her head. "No, he didn't like it. Sam got it for him as a joke, because of the stars. I don't think he ever wore it."

"Really?" A smile breaks out across Dani's face. If Danny didn't wear this shirt, then technically that makes it hers. She owns something now.

"Yeah. Did nothing else of his fit? It's okay if you want to wear it. I think that would feel better than packing it all up," Jazz says. "You don't have any clothes besides the pyjamas Mom bought, right?"

Dani actually forgot that she has those. "I went through his clothes already. Didn't really like them much. Do you have a skirt?"

Jazz's eyes go wide. "A skirt?" For reasons' Dani can't fathom, Jazz says it like it is the strangest thing in a world. Dani wanting a skirt? Preposterous. "Danny never liked skirts."

There it is. "Duh, Danny was a dude."

"I know, but I mean. He wasn't comfortable in that kind of clothing before he transitioned. Your hoodie and cargo shorts aren't so different from what he used to wear, so I thought..." Jazz trails off, but her point is already made.

"Jazz, I'm comfortable being a girl. I like being a girl. Being made from his DNA doesn't make me his clone."

Jazz opens her mouth to correct Dani.

"You know what I meant." Dani wraps her arms around herself, feeling small like she did her first day here. "I don't know why I need to keep saying this, but I'm not Danny, okay?"

Jazz grimaces. "I know, Dani. I'm sorry if I made you feel like you were."

That isn't what Dani meant, but she doesn't press further. "So, about that skirt?"

—

Later that day, when Jazz asks Dani if she wants to watch a show, Dani says no.

—

"What did you do when you weren't in Amity Park?" Jack asks. The question comes out of nowhere, as they always do. In the few days since he took Dani's samples, she has seen him outside the lab far more often. Joining them at mealtimes, coming upstairs in the evening. Sometimes she hears the heavy beats of his approach moments before he pops into the room with a question on his tongue, like now.

Dani holds a moment, her gaze lingering on the models surrounding Danny's desk, before spinning in the chair to face Jack. "I travelled."

Jack, rightfully so, takes her answer as an invitation and comes further into the room. "Oh, yeah?" He sits down on the bed facing her. "Where did you go?"

"All over. I mostly stayed in the United States, at first, but there's so much stuff to see out there. The pyramids were awesome."

Just as Dani found her rhythm with Maddie and Jazz in her first days at Fenton Works, she and Jack seem to be finding what works for them. She likes the time they spend together. His questions feel genuine. Sometimes, he asks her about what being a ghost is like, what abilities she has. His eyes glow with fascination every time she answers. Dani has never seen anyone so engrossed by a single topic before.

But her favourite times are when he asks about her. What does she like? Does she have any hobbies? She gets the feeling that this is how Jack shows interest in people, by asking about themselves, and she returns the favour whenever she can.

"Have you ever been to Egypt?" Nudging the desk, Dani pushes herself back and forth on the chair, turning slowly in place. Her eyes keep catching on the models she had been examining when Jack entered.

Danny had a lot of models, all of them related to space, apparently. Planets, spaceships, little astronaut figures. Much like the posters on his wall, Dani sees no use for them, but Danny obviously liked them. He has two spaceships that look identical. One sits on his desk, safely kept behind a glass box. The other stands tall on the shelf above the desk.

"No." Jack's voice pulls Dani back to the conversation. "Mads wants to go, though. What was your favourite place that you saw?"

Dani has to pause and think about this. The pyramids are high contenders. She went to Japan for a few weeks last year and explored the natural landscape. There was so much beauty there. She has been to a lot of beautiful places, but none of them are her favourite.

"I don't know where it was. It was back when I could barely hold myself together, when I was destabilizing, remember?"

Jack nods. Dani told him that story only yesterday.

"Flying was really hard then, and it made me tired. I got lost a lot between cities if I wasn't following a highway. When I was heading back to Amity Park, I passed out once when flying." Dani hugs her knees. That was one of the scariest moments of her life, second only to melting in Vlad's lab. Before passing out, she could barely see, the sky and the ground blurring together. Her very core ached and, when the darkness started creeping in, she thought she was done fore.

"I woke up in this woman's home. She found me out in the forest and took me in. Didn't care that I was a ghost. I stayed with her for a few days. She actually... she offered to let me stay forever." Dani said no, of course. She had to get to Amity Park, to Danny, to get fixed. "She didn't even know me, but when I told her I didn't have any family beyond a cousin, she just... said I could stay. I left as soon as I could fly again. Haven't been able to find my way back."

Jack's heavy hand settles on her head. He ruffles her hair, the small act of comfort filling her with warmth. "Sorry you didn't get to take that chance, kiddo."

Dani ducks her head and rubs her eyes. There are no tears, but she needs the excuse to look away. There is a weight behind Jack's words, one Dani can feel, but not decipher. She thinks, perhaps, that Jack's words aren't entirely for her.

"So, what were you doing just now?"

Grateful for the distraction, Dani slides the chair over so Jack can see the desk. "Looking at stuff."

Her endeavour of going through of Danny's things has proved harder than she originally thought. It's so easy to get distracted by some small trinket, and she often finds herself wondering what Danny did with it, why he kept it all. Cheap toys from fast food restaurants. Paper airplanes stuck between book pages. A ball of rubber bands bigger than Dani's fist.

At first, she only wanted to look, commit these items to memory. Jazz said it took time before people put away a lost loved one's things, and even though Dani didn't understand, she would respect it. But Jazz's comment about the clothes has been lingering in her mind all day.

Despite Dani's own assurance of her personhood, was there anything she could like only because Danny did? She thought she might find the answer if she pondered long enough, but so far all its done is made her question why people collect things.

She touches the box encasing spaceship.

"That was his favourite."

Dani starts, jerking her hand away from the glass. For a moment, she forgot he was there. His face is turned toward her, but his eyes fixate on a point to her left. Dani doesn't need to turn back around to know what he's looking at.

"What is it?" she asks.

"Space Shuttle Columbia, the first of the Space Shuttle program. At least that's what Danny said it was. I can never tell the difference."

Dani looks from the Columbia to the second model on the shelf, this one smaller and lacking a protective case.

"Are you sure they aren't the same shuttle?" she asks.

Jack chuckles. "Absolutely. Danny never let it go if anyone mixed the two up."

"What's so special about this one?" Dani taps the Columbia's box.

"It was maybe the third model that he got? The first two were pretty cheap. He saved up for them himself. Took a while. I didn't even realize he had them until he mentioned wanting a third. Didn't even realize he liked space so much... I bought this for him a week later and gave it to him after school."

Dani nods along as Jack speaks, although she doesn't see the point yet. Lots of people have expensive things; that doesn't automatically make them special.

"We built it together. I wasn't interested in stars and astronomy, but Danny asked me to help him with it, so I did. I never got why it was his favourite, though. He had better ones, models he saved up for penny by penny. He made that one"—Jack nods to the model on the shelf—"with Sam and Tucker. But sometimes, I think..."

Jack falls silent.

Dani catches his reflection in the glass display case. He has one hand pressed over his eyes, the other fisted at his side. Dani has yet to see either Maddie or Jack cry since coming to Fenton Works, and she thinks that streak is about to end.

"I know we weren't the best parents. There've been times when we've... neglected our duties to focus on ghosts instead. I never thought about it before, but it couldn't have been easy on a couple of young kids. All I ever wanted was for Danny to follow the Fenton family footsteps. But space was his. And sometimes I think he liked this model the best because it was the first time I showed any interest in something he liked."

Jack shudders as he exhales.

Dani resists the urge to go invisible. This heart-to-heart stuff really isn't her thing. Their little question and answer sessions have been fun, but talking about the woman in the forest was already deep enough for Dani. Now things are getting a little too intense.

If Jack does start to cry, she might flee out of sheer awkwardness. He doesn't—thank God—but when he pulls his hand away from his face, he looks old and tired.

Dani racks her brain for something to say. "I think... maybe... he liked it the most because it showed that you loved him, not just because it was about space. Or something."

Jack meets Dani's eye through his reflection and cracks a smile. "I guess if anyone could say what Danny might think, it would be you."

The words cut through her.

"Right," Dani says, her voice empty. "Sure."

Jack nods, as if Dani has revealed some great truth to him, and turns away. His footsteps are louder as he heads for the door, more like his regular self. Dani has no doubt that Jack is leaving this room feeling brighter than before.

All Dani feels is an uncomfortable twist in her gut.

Previous | Next

[neshabeingchildish]

WEEK ONE: CHARACTERS 1/08 | Jasper Dunlop

I decided to share my favorite piece from a fic that I’ve written about Jasper. It’s an excerpt/flashback sequence from Determined: A Chasper Fic where I establish a headcanon for Jasper that I bring everywhere with me now, unless something else specifically happens. It’s about buckets, but sad. I was gonna do one of my Jasper headcanons thingies... Maybe another time. :)

And the FCs for these unknown/other characters are HERE. Did not select a Bilsky dad. 

Whenever Jasper's dad popped the question to his mom, she was just about visibly pregnant, embarrassed about it and desperate to do this the right way. Jack Leigh was desperate to "fix his mistakes" and "make an honest woman out of her." Oh, and also drunk. So drunk, that he didn't know if he was coming or going. He needed the liquid courage to go back to her after she'd told him that if she had to do this on her own, she would. She didn't have to do it on her own! At least, he didn't want her to. He couldn't figure out where he'd get a ring at this time of night, but came across one of those Bilsky brothers. The whole family was a bag of rotten apples. One of them had to know a guy… Hell, one of them WAS the guy. "A ring? Yeah, I got rings. What's your budget?" Jack Leigh emptied his pockets and had maybe a few hundred bucks, and a punch card. He shook his head and called, "Jeff! Get Daddy that box of rings! The cheap ones!" A teenage boy rushed to… of all places… the BBQ pit and lifted the lid and grabbed a box. Daddy Bilsky gave it to his old buddy and said, "I'll letcha grab two of 'em. I hear you gotta get two. My old lady and I got hitched on the run, so we never even got one of them, but I've collected her plenty over the years. She don't notice when the cheap ones go missing." Jack Leigh didn't even shift through the box. He grabbed a couple, waved to them and went on his way.

Jeff came back to his father and asked, "Dad, how mad would you be if I think I gave you the good stuff?" Jack Leigh heard Daddy Bilsky fussing at his kid, but he was too out of it to hear what he was saying.

Whenever Pansy left, Jack Leigh got one of those rings back. She threw the wedding ring right at his head and slammed the door as hard as she could with a baby on her waist. He was too drunk to care about whatever she'd said, too. He was often that way, but he did come across that ring again when he was clearing out of that little place. He tossed it in his pocket, in case he ever wanted to pawn it. Might be cheap, but he could probably get a few beers for it. It stayed in his wallet most of the time, though. He couldn't see Jasper back then… legal stuff that he totally understood at the time, but whenever he would look at the ring and think about hocking it, he'd think about his baby boy, out there… The one that he'd even bought the stupid thing for. He couldn't seem to part with it. Not because he missed his wife, but because he took a wife because he was going to be a father, and nobody but him messed that up. It was a reminder that he needed to get clean and needed to straighten up. Maybe some day, he could see Jasper again. Maybe someday, he'd give him this stupid ring. He got it appraised, just to see if it was worth anything. Because he was curious if the sentimental value of it would even mean anything to the kid… this was maybe 3 years later. The damn thing was worth more than his crummy life. He could literally sell it and probably wind up getting himself out of his debt! But… looking at the thing, listening to the guy talk to him, very suspicious that this shady character probably stole this from some place, and was likely gonna put out an alert about it… Jack Leigh thanked him for his time and put it back into his wallet. He hadn't gotten completely clean, but that was sobering. He knew he had to keep it together, carrying something worth that much with him, especially considering that it was worth even more in sentimental value.

He met Jasper when he was four. Adorable chubby kid with dimples and curly hair. He was excited to meet him and told him everything that he could possibly tell him. Jack Leigh came to a realization whenever Pansy told him that he could come to see him… He'd messed up. He should have had a room FULL of gifts and cards and money that he never got a chance to deliver over the past four years. He should have had candy and cookies and really… fanfare. All he had was that ring and he certainly couldn't hand him that at age 4. He stopped at one of those weird gas station gift shops and said, "Anything for like a 4 year old kid… I don't even know what he likes!"

"We got grab buckets," she said and pointed towards a display. It was like a grab bag, but in a bucket. All kinds of little toys and stuff that would most likely break and stuff if it wasn't a choke hazard. Hopefully, Pansy wouldn't kill him. He went over there with a bucket of junk and threw in a hundred dollar bill that he got back after this purchase. Pansy was judging him from the moment that he handed that garbage to her son. But, the kid was excited, "WOW! A BUCKET!"

"Uhhh… there's stuff in it. Toys and stuff," Jack Leigh said. Jasper got onto his tiptoes, but Jack kneeled in front of him, seeing his features for the first time since he was an infant. Seeing how much like his own childhood photos he looked. Pansy must've seen it too. There was something about the way that she looked at the kid. Jack Leigh didn't like it, but who was he to judge? He hadn't even been around.

"Jasper, I don't think that any of that stuff is safe to play with!" She said and snatched the bucket from his little hands. He jumped, frightened and Jack Leigh noticed and reached for his hand, to try to give him some comfort. He was about to cry. She was taking away the only thing his daddy had given him…

"Well, can't he at least have the bucket?" Jack Leigh asked.

She looked at him like he was an idiot. "He's four. Why would he want this ugly big bucket?"

"I do want the bucket, Mom! I love it. It's a nice bucket, Daddy." She looked bothered. She dumped the toys in the garbage and handed him the bucket back, then went to sit down, and glare at them. Jasper didn't really look in her direction during the visit, but Jack Leigh wondered if he couldn't feel the same… whatever it was that she had radiating for him that he felt from her. He was allowed a few more visits, until he showed up with Adanna one day. Pansy stepped outside and interrogated her, then said that Jasper wouldn't be coming for any more of these "disappointing little visits," and sprinkled on at the end, "And I WILL be contacting you about child support!" That was that.

Adanna convinced him to fight for custody, at least shared. He had gotten his life together and he shouldn't have to be punished forever. There were disputes, but after a while, he ran out of money for that fight and her husband didn't. So, not only could he still not see Jasper, and had legal fees, but… child support. He couldn't do it. He'd already gotten so low, that he went back to some of his old ways. He was lucky to have Adanna around. Eventually thought about giving her the ring, but explained to her why he didn't think that he could. "Can I at least see it?" she wondered.

He pulled it out and she was already uneasy. He handed it to her and she cried, "I'm glad that you don't want to give this to me, because it's full of negative energy. Guilt, despair, regret, heartache… This isn't something that you give to someone that you care about."

"Should I get rid of it? Sell it? I'm probably never going to see my son again…"

"Even if you see him, he can't have this, Jack Leigh. It's got a signature on it."

"Is there a way to fix it?"

She cleansed the ring and once she was done, she smiled at it and said, "This ring has new hope. It wants to find someone to love, but it feels like it belongs to someone."

"Who?"

"I don't know, but I sense that this ring wouldn't be at home with me." She reached out to give it to him, but he shook his head.

"If you hand it to me, it'll just absorb my negative energy again. You hold on to it for me. If I don't give it to Jasper, I guess it'll find its way to whoever. I want it to find them in peace."

Jasper, Charlotte, and Henry were sitting on the floor, talking about their readings. Henry was shaken up by his, but Jasper kept staring at the Fool. Adanna said, "Jasper, can I show you something?" He got up and followed her through some crystal beaded curtains to a cute little room, where she climbed up a step ladder and got a ring box off of her bookshelf. "Jack Leigh told you about this, right? When you two talked?" She stepped down and opened the box to show him a ring and his heart leaped in his chest.

"Is this my mom's wedding ring that she threw at his head? I've heard about it from her! She'd say, if I'd been more smart than mad, I'd have pawned that for the child support! Can I touch it?" She handed it to him and told him the story, because obviously, Jack Leigh had been more focused on the drinking, the fighting and the accident. Jasper gasped and said, "You think that this ring belongs with me?"

"I think that it belongs with her," she said and glanced at Charlotte through the beads. Charlotte was laughing a melodious laugh at a story that Uncle Roscoe was telling on speaker phone, while catching up with Jack Leigh. "I think that she'll love it, when you're ready." She cupped his chin and lovingly said, "Fool."

[chaospenelope]

Stitched Together with You

Weeping Wood

Almost completed Chapter 1 of a writing prompt

Prompt made by BrannahGirl

“So this is where ye lived? I thought it be a bit more…Cozy.” Kit shielded his eyes as he stood in the wake of the hot sun. Walking closer the outstretched shadows gave his strained eyes relief.  The fox stood next to the brown bear at the gate that separated them from the mysterious building they searched for. The bunny climbed up it as if they weren’t twice their age. The larger golden bear remained in the vehicle behind them.

“Yeah, They all said that…” Plushy mused as they looked over the large mansion that stood shrouded by the forest that grew around it. The structure was very obscured as it was at the end of a long road that was also difficult to make out. “The four of us shared it with a bunch of other renters so it was basically an apartment complex. A very fancy one.” They jumped to the other side to unhitch the gate. It looked incredibly rusted. They thought for a moment they’d have to get their son to slam into it but found it easily unlocked. “Someone must’ve been here before us.”

The three of them pushed the gate aside and ran back to the car. The slam of the car doors made FredBear look up from his phone. “That was fast. Thought for sure I’d hav ta break it open.” He laughed his big hearty laugh.

“Wasn’t rusted shut after all. I’m thinking that grounds keeper still comes here. You know how much he loved the place.”

“Um, HoneyBun, He died.”

Plushy paused for a moment. “No, I don’t remember that.”

“Yeah, He went missing before Robert was born, remember?”

“That doesn’t mean he’s dead! The guy was a loner who slept in the woods more often than his own house. Probably just decided to move out there.”

“Yeah…Then he was eaten.” He shifted the gear and the van started moving again.

“You said it was cramped, did you share a room with Uncle Teddy and Aunt Mango?” Freddy continued with the previous topic to end the silence.

“Had to, we wouldn’t be able to afford it otherwise.” FredBear shrugged. “We were just starting out then. I was going to the StarCourse College trying to work up enough credits to apply for scholarships to GraceWood. Your mother made most of the money then and their crafts weren’t as well known. Your Uncle was doing us a huge favor.”

“Which is why we never told him about the rumors all the other tenants used to say about us.” Plushy chimed in. FredBear nodded in agreement, fighting back the giggle with an amused smirk.

“Should I even ask?” Freddy asked dryly.

“They just thought we were swingers.” The bunny explained.

The road was mostly clear of any obstacles, overgrown with grass and small shrubbery. The only exception being occasional sapling tree. It was a straight and once wide road. The rose bushes that bordered it had become wild growing vines that climbed the trees behind them. The mansion stood tall and proud as if it had not been abandoned for thirty years. Though it was difficult to see if it suffered any damage due to the vegetation that now covered its brick walls it appeared to be completely intact.

“Our room was in the back on the third floor.” The older man sighed as he thought back. The car pulled up close to the front doors. “A lot happened here.”

They all undid their seatbelts and stepped outside the van. Plushy walked to the back of the van to grab and sling a backpack over their shoulder. The pebbles crunched under their feet as they walked toward the stairs. Kit reached the door first. He rested his paw on the handle and gently turned it. It resisted a bit but after he applied a little pressure the top hinge popped loose. He jumped back as it swung back to expose the entrance room.

“We’ll have to be careful. The floors might be rotten through.” Plushy said as They slipped carefully into the building. They hopped on the floor to test its strength causing their husband and child to flinch nervously. “It’s safe.” They assured them.

“Warn us next time.” Freddy sighed, getting over the rush of dread. “I’m beginning to think we should just head back. I really don’t think this is worth dying over. The ring might not even be here.”

“It has to be. There’s nowhere else it could be. It has to still be under that floorboard. It’ll be perfect for the wedding! Something old!”

“Why didn’t ye get a wire hanger or something?” Kit stepped carefully into the entrance. He looked around the large room still furnished with side tables, carpets, and paintings all dulled with age and dust.

“I couldn’t. It was too deep and at that point Dot had grown too big to do anything. Now that it’s abandoned we can just tear off the floor.” The Rabbit and Fox headed up the stairs carefully.

Freddy was lingered a bit, taking in the strange air. It felt like everyone had vanished without a trace but nothing felt still. There was still life in these walls.

“You smell that?” FredBear caught his attention. His snout rose as he sniffed around. “I smell…Pie.”

“Dad, what are you-?” Then he realized something that lingered there. The life that lived in those walls. The scent that was so familiar to him that it slipped his perception the first time. “Black and blue berry pie?”

“It smells like one of mine…” He noted as he wondered toward the doors tucked behind the base of the stairs.

“Where are you going Dad?”

“The Kitchen.” He answered simply. The floors creaked lightly under his weight. He placed his massive paw on the door with chipped white paint. Freddy followed his footing exactly, not wanting to test the floors too much. As the door swung open the scent became much stronger.

A smell that took him back to a small cub sitting at the counter as his father bent over the oven with old scorched oven mitts on each paw. The heat assaulted him as he reached in and pulled out the steaming pastry. Flaky butter infused crust holding the sugary bitter mix of different berries with a hint of cinnamon spice. He’d place the pan on the window to allow it to cool. It was as fragrant as a field of flowers but distinct in its own right.

“This is definitely a trap.”

“Son, you know I shared that recipe a lot right?”

“How does that explain any of this?”

“Foil, the groundskeeper your mother and I talked about earlier, really liked. He’d bake it everyday…” He leaned into the kitchen. “So he probably still makes it as a ghost.”

“He’s haunting this place?”

“Maybe, Just wanted to be sure. We can come back with the proper ingredients to help him pass on.”

“Are you allowed to do that off the clock?”

“Yea, I got a license after that Harem fiasco.”

“Oh, I-The, what?”

“Oh, It’s not that interesting…” He waved it off as he spotted the pastry placed on the oven top. The industrial sized stove stood at the very back of the large room. He walked towards it with Freddy trailing cautiously behind. He glanced around the room. This room was much more aged than the entrance. Many cracks sprawled along the walls. Some were more gaping holes filled with shadow. The cabinets were somewhat intact, only one out of the hundreds was off the hinges. The floor had scratches in the tile and cracked in-between. Some of the cracks were a little too straight, it was odd.

Then it hit him. He looked up at his dad in front of him, reaching over the oven to feel the heat rising off the pie. The scent was utterly delicious.

“Feels fresh!” He looked over at his son, confused by his look of horror.

“Dad, we have to-.” He could feel the floor loosen beneath him. His Father’s expression changing as he realized the same thing. He tried to reach out to grab him, but he lost his balance and fell in too.

  “It should be right around here.” Plushy walked along the old wooden floor. The room seemed slightly larger than most bedrooms but Kit could tell it would still be a bit cramped for four adults. There were small scraps of plain furniture left in the corner. The walls were eerily bare, with patches of paler pallet in the shape of the photos that once hung there. Kit knew The FazBear’s house so well he could tell which were where, well most of them anyway.

“You were the last ones here then?”

“Yeah, no one else wanted to move in. Rent was too high and the place was starting to go I guess. I mean they only had one guy keeping the place in shape.” She placed her bag on the ground and started to root through it. She pulled out a flashlight, hammer and crowbar. “Can you hold the flashlight please?”

“Aye.” He walked over to comply. Taking the light and turning it on flinching when it blared into his eyes. Shaking his head he redirected the beam to their workspace. Something in the small hole shined back. A glimmer of silver.

Plushy examined it for a few moments with a look that suggested they never expected to see it and had temporarily forgotten the foolproof plan they had concocted over the years. After snapping themselves out of it they put down the hammer and positioned the crowbar so that the flattened end hooked under the floor. It didn’t seem to budge but there was a distinct cracking noise.

“Maybe we should get FredBear to-”

“Nah I got it.” They insisted. Pushing on it harder the cracking became louder. They put all their weight onto the bar, but with all that force it only barely started to show a little splinting in the wood.

Kit didn’t say anything. He knew by the look on her face she was not in the mood to accept help. Either she’d tire herself out or she’d get it done.

She adjusted the bar, moving it further down. Trying and failing to find a weak point. She sighed angrily. “This piece of junk is a hundred years old! How could it still be this hard?” She threw the crowbar down and went back to her backpack. Kit jumped back a bit when he realized what they were grasping for.

“Oi, Miss FazBear, Ye really think ye should-.” He stopped himself as the rabbit knowingly gripped the axe. As if they had a used it many times before. He remembered how they’d split wood for the cauldron and the woodstove whenever the electricity went out.

They swung it at full force. The large snap made the floorboard shake as they made contact. They were both relieved to see the wood slightly caved in. Plushy prepared and threw five more strikes until the hole was wide enough for their arm. Kit held the light steady as they reached down. It didn’t serve much good since the bunny’s head was in the way but he liked to feel useful.

Their face pressed against the floor. Dust kicked up as they huffed. Every once in a while they’d lift their head up to check the shine of silver in the layer of dust and dirt. Then, with a broad swipe scooping up a handful of filth they lifted their paw with great anticipation.

Their slack jaw lifted to a smug smirk as the silver green ring revealed itself. It was small and decorated with small green and purple precious gem, but it was theirs.

“No stones are missing.” They turned to Kit cleaning the bits of dust that have given a false tarnished appearance. “Here, try it on. Your fingers look like they could be the same size as mine. We might not have to get it fixed.”

“Me?”

“Yes, this is for you. You’re going to be part of the family soon. Well, you already were, but you know it’s nice making it official.”

“Aye,” He smiled and reluctantly took the ring. He admired the jewelry, he loved jewels and precious metal. He could guess the exact monetary value if he wanted to but it was nothing compared to the lovely gesture. He tried to slip it onto his ring finger it was getting a bit snug so he took it off.

“Just wear it on your pinky until we get it fixed.”

“Aye, ‘tis good craftsmanship. Nice ta see emeralds and amethysts on a wedding ring instead of the usual diamond.”

“Is that what those are? We just liked the colors. I’m still surprised he managed to hide that from me.”

“Where is the Captain anyway?” He faced the still empty doorway. He was trying to recall weather or not he heard them following up the creaky stairs.

“I dunno, he and Freddy are probably checking the place out. You know, see how much it’s changed.” Foxy nodded silently. He walked over to the door and peeked out the hall. He felt his fur prickle up as he stared down the empty barren walls. Something his bones felt a sense of dread.

  Freddy woke up with a jerk. He couldn’t see anything but the dying candle next to his head. His body felt stiff but he managed to force himself to sit up. He started to tense up, feeling something pushing up his throat forcing him into a coughing fit. He gagged and clenched his throat as his body desperately fought to expel the foreign entity. The formless lump fell on his lap. He’ll never forget the strange texture similar to silky cotton on his tongue as he threw it up.

Oddly enough the substance did not feel wet with his saliva as he picked it up. It looked and felt like the size of a baseball. He looked over to the candle and brought the mass to the dim light. It seemed to shift away ever so slightly as the light hit it. It seemed to shift in transparency, almost squirming. Small black strings coiled, tangled, and twitching.

His eyes stared at the mass as he examined it closely. His still sleepy mind trying desperately to remember what had led him to this moment. The echo of another’s cough pulled his attention away.