#clockwork is the primordial force of time itself

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 239

Y'know what I think would be hilarious for a DP and PJO crossover? Percy & co finally getting to Kronos, straight up ready for anything after they pass through magic and portal of green and-

There's the smell of cookies. Freshly baked cookies, a warm oven, something about it reminding them of home in this strange place of floating gears and ticking clocks.

And there's a long, serpentine tail twisting through the gears, twisting up and down and across in a size that could hides yet reveals just how large this entity is. There's power soaking into every inch of this place, every centimeter nearly sending lightning up their legs with each step.

The ticking is getting stronger, a distant gonging of the hour echoing through a place that should feel cold and empty like the ringing of bells in the end of times.

And suddenly there's a kid- a teen like them, human yet not- with a cookie half in their mouth and hair flickering like the cosmos as they peer down from above them with a frown, eyes brighter than the sun yet darker than the moon.

"Oh great, what did my half-siblings do this Time?"

[darkmodepls]

who is Gaea? None other than Sam

Fierce and wild and untamed, who bows to no one, not her husband nor her children.

Undergrowth attempted to adopt her, to raise his mother the way Clockwork is raising his father, but his insistence on her subservience has soured any affection between them.

Without his help, years may pass before Sam regains her memories.

Until then, Gaea walks upon her own sleeping flesh, unknowing the truth of her very soul.

So, I was reading some Percy Jackson fic stuff today and....I had a Danny Phantom thought.

And thought you might vibe with this at least a little bit.

Anyways, you know how the Phandom frequently has Clockwork be Kronos, or at least a piece of Kronos that regrets his actions towards his children?

Now, Danny being adopted by Clockwork. Who keeps bringing him little pieces of clouds and stars to bake into cookies and turn into marshmallows, and always has a pitcher of fresh rainwater for Danny to drink from if he feels thirsty.

Danny is very much vibing with this. He gets to Eat Space!!! The Sky is a part of him now, and he can FEEL that final frontier so very much at hand. He can close his eyes and See.

Earth below him, kept safe and warm under him, like a mother duck with an egg.

Looking up, Space is right there. It rolls against his back like a friend. The Sun bears down on him, as if bearing witness to him.

And then Danny...Dreams. He dreams of a Time that is not his own, but yet is, all at once.

Time's sickle takes him apart. Methodically, but as painless as he can make it. Kronos his son weeps, even as he and his siblings his babies reach for their Father's pieces and carefully, lovingly, place each and every single one amidst the sky.

"Forgive us" they say.

"We did as we must. We could not let you continue" they weep all over again.

"We will take care of the world you leave behind" They promise.

And so, Ouranos watches. Even with the weight if a Prophecy, and Fate upon them, his children would forever love their parents. He could've been stuck underneath the ground, where that detestable Tartarus was locked away.

But every child of Sky and Earth took the care to place their Father amidst his element. His pieces became the very Sky itself.

And then Danny wakes up.

His hands shake, and his everything aches with fleeting memories. The Infinite Realms are home to dead Gods and Titans. Who's to say, the Father of the Titans could not be spawned with it's embrace?

The next time Clockwork hugs him, Danny knows. His very skin sings with love and joy, that at least one of his children did not forget him.

But no matter how many pieces of the Sky he may eat, no matter how many memories of Old Man Ouranos Danny regains, that has passed.

Time greets the Sky once again, Father and Son reunited, but this go around it falls upon Kronos to be the Father, and Ouranos the Beloved Son.

In the back of his head Danny hears a song. One that Ouranos and Gaea used to sing for their little ones. He knows where the other half of the melody is. Soon, they shall be reunited.

(Hope that's at least halfway coherent? I know some people are gonna be mad that I'm making Danny more than Just Some Guy again, but is that not the spirit of fanfics? To take your specialest blorbo and Put Them in Situations?

Anyways, TL,DR: Danny's Space Obsession is in part his previous life as Ouranos, the Sky, Father of the Titans. Kronos, as Clockwork, is raising his Father's reincarnation and returning his pieces to him, now that pesky Prophecies aren't in the way.

They decide that letting Clocky be the Dad this time around suits them just fine.

Danny hears the song he and his wife, the Earth used to sing, and will answer her call soon, ((who Gaea is is up to interpretation, although I the show itself practically tosses Sam into this role)) once he's NOT a mess from the split memories)

Oh THIS? This is lovely! I DO vibe. Honestly can't think of anything I want to add, but I SURE DO WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYONE SEES IT.

Look at it! o/ *smacks it on your dashboard*

[toptenthing]

Top Ten Unbelievable Facts About the Universe 2023

Top Ten Unbelievable Facts About the Universe 2023 #SpaceMarvels, #UniverseUnveiled, #CelestialEnigmas, #CosmicEpic, #CosmicJourney Introduction A. The Cosmic Enigma: A Brief Prelude In the quiet night sky, the universe's mysteries beckon us to explore the vast unknown, challenging our understanding of reality itself. B. Unveiling the Unseen: Peering into the Cosmos Our journey through the cosmos leads us to unearth astonishing revelations that defy the boundaries of human imagination. Vastness Beyond Comprehension A. Cosmic Dimensions: Beyond the Terrestrial Scale Attempting to encapsulate the vastness of the universe within human scale is akin to capturing an ocean within a teacup—limitless and awe-inspiring. B. The Observable Universe: A Glimpse into Infinity The observable universe, though an infinitesimal fraction of the cosmos, offers a telescopic window into a realm so immense that words falter. Stars: Jewels of the Night Sky A. Celestial Spheres: Galaxies as Star-Filled Orchards Galaxies, those magnificent assemblages of stars, resemble cosmic orchards where each star is a glimmering fruit in the vast expanse. B. A Counting Conundrum: Grasping the Number of Stars Efforts to tally the stars in the universe unveil numbers that stretch the boundaries of human comprehension, leaving us humbled by their sheer multitude. Unseen Forces at Play A. Dark Matter Mysteries: Sculpting the Cosmic Landscape The enigmatic presence of dark matter, a substance that eludes detection but exerts a gravitational grip, shapes the evolution of galaxies and cosmic structures. B. The Dance of Gravity: The Universe's Invisible Puppeteer The dance of gravity, choreographed by the mass of cosmic entities, weaves the tapestry of cosmic motion that governs the trajectory of stars and galaxies. Eons in the Making: Age of the Universe A. Cosmic Clockwork: Unraveling the Fabric of Time Traversing the corridors of time, we uncover the age of the universe through the analysis of ancient light, a chronicle etched in the cosmic canvas. B. Billions of Years: A Perspective Beyond Human Lifespan The universe's timeline stretches over billions of years, a temporal canvas that extends beyond human existence, inviting contemplation of time's vastness. Expanding Realms: Universe's Acceleration A. A Puzzling Force: Unraveling the Mystery of Dark Energy Dark energy, the mysterious force accelerating the universe's expansion, challenges our grasp of fundamental physics, a puzzle with cosmic implications. B. Cosmic Destiny: The Fate of an Ever-Expanding Universe As the universe's expansion accelerates, the distant future unfolds in uncertainty, leaving us to ponder whether the cosmos will continue its outward journey. Black Holes: Cosmic Vortexes A. Singularity Unveiled: Where Space and Time Disintegrate Black holes, cosmic enigmas, where gravity warps space and time to the point of singularity, leaving us with a glimpse of the universe's most extreme regions. B. Event Horizon's Gravitational Embrace: A Point of No Return The event horizon, an invisible boundary, engulfs anything that crosses it, capturing light and matter, revealing the profound grip of black hole gravity. Birth Cry of the Universe: Cosmic Microwave Background A. Ancient Echoes: Unveiling the Remnants of the Big Bang The cosmic microwave background radiation echoes the universe's birth, offering insights into its earliest moments, a snapshot of the primordial cosmos. B. Cosmic Fossils: Decrypting Clues from Primordial Radiation The patterns in cosmic microwave background radiation unveil the universe's composition, confirming the emergence of galaxies and offering a glimpse into cosmic infancy. Alien Worlds: Exoplanets and Their Diversity A. Beyond Our Solar Abode: The Exoplanet Revolution The discovery of exoplanets sparks a revolution, revealing a galaxy teeming with a diversity of planetary systems, each with its unique cosmic story. B. Goldilocks Zone: Searching for Habitable Extraterrestrial Havens Within the Goldilocks zone, planets enjoy the sweet spot of habitability—a balance between proximity to a star and the potential for liquid water, igniting the search for life beyond Earth. Bridging Quantum and Cosmos A. Quantum Gravity Conundrum: Marrying the Micro and Macro The quest to unite quantum mechanics and general relativity forges the path toward a theory of quantum gravity, an endeavor that blurs the boundaries of the microscopic and the cosmic. B. Theoretical Pursuits: Quests for a Unified Theory The pursuit of a theory of everything intertwines with the cosmic narrative, offering a tantalizing glimpse of a unified framework that binds the fundamental forces. Anomalies of Cosmic Expansion A. Hubble Tension: Cosmic Pace and Perplexities The Hubble tension—the disparity in measuring the universe's expansion rate—challenges our understanding of cosmic dynamics, leading to debates about the fabric of the universe. B. Beyond the Horizon: Probing the Uncertainties of Expansion The uncertainties in cosmic expansion pave the way for innovative research, unveiling the mysteries that lie beyond the cosmic horizon. Cosmic Web: Threads of the Universe A. The Grand Lattice: Galactic Filaments and Voids The cosmic web, a sprawling network of galaxies connected by threads of gravity, weaves a mesmerizing tapestry where vast voids and intricate filaments intersect. B. Mapping the Unseen: Visualizing the Structure of Space Advanced observations and simulations shed light on the invisible cosmic architecture, painting a vivid picture of the interwoven galactic threads that compose the universe. Time's Relativity: Bending the Fabric A. Einstein's Legacy: Gravitational Time Dilation Einstein's theory of relativity unveils the intricate relationship between gravity and time, where intense gravitational fields slow down the passage of time, offering us a glimpse into the cosmic clockwork. B. Time Travel Dreams: The Cosmic Playground of Possibilities The concept of time dilation fuels speculative ideas about time travel, igniting the imagination with visions of journeys into the past or future, a terrain explored in both science and fiction. Dark Energy: Universe's Mysterious Force A. Countering Gravity's Pull: The Dark Energy Enigma Dark energy, an elusive force responsible for the universe's accelerating expansion, remains an enigma that perplexes scientists and leads to profound questions about the nature of reality. B. Propelling the Future: The Expanding Influence of Dark Energy The push of dark energy shapes the destiny of the cosmos, propelling galaxies away from each other and sculpting the universe's ultimate fate in ways we are only beginning to comprehend. Multiverse: Beyond Our Cosmic Borders A. Parallel Realities: Navigating the Multiverse Theories Multiverse theories propose the existence of multiple parallel realities, each with its own laws of physics and possibilities, inviting us to question the nature of existence itself. B. String Theory and Beyond: Portals to Other Dimensions String theory, a contender for a unified theory, explores the possibility of extra dimensions beyond our usual three dimensions, hinting at portals to unseen realms within the multiverse. Cosmic Alchemy: Stellar Nucleosynthesis A. Furnaces of Creation: Stars as Elemental Factories Inside the fiery cores of stars, the alchemical process of nucleosynthesis fuses atomic particles, forging the elements that compose everything in the universe, including the elements of life. B. The Birth of Matter: Tracing Elements to Stellar Cores The quest to understand the origins of elements takes us back to the stars, where the birth and death of these cosmic entities leave behind a legacy of elements that continue to shape the universe. Cosmic Curtain Call: The Fate of the Universe A. The Chilling End: The Heat Death of the Universe The concept of heat death presents a chilling scenario in which the universe reaches a state of maximum entropy, where energy becomes evenly distributed, and all processes cease. B. Cosmic Legacy: Lessons in Impermanence and Infinity Contemplating the eventual fate of the universe encourages us to reflect on our place in the grand cosmic scheme, offering insights into both the impermanence and the infinity of existence. Quantum Entanglement: Spooky Connections A. Quantum Enigma: Entanglement's Instantaneous Bond Quantum entanglement defies classical notions, connecting particles in a mysterious dance that transcends distance, a phenomenon Einstein famously referred to as "spooky action at a distance." B. Communication Beyond Light: Quantum Entanglement's Implications The phenomenon of quantum entanglement raises profound questions about the fundamental nature of reality and has implications for quantum communication and potentially even quantum computing. Curiosity's Journey: Continuously Unraveling the Tapestry of Existence As we journey through the cosmic landscape, our curiosity propels us forward, encouraging us to continuously peel back the layers of the universe's secrets, always seeking to illuminate the dark corners of our understanding. #CosmicWonders, #UniverseRevealed, #AstonishingCosmos, #CosmicMysteries, #CosmicExploration Read the full article

[evilminji]

Is that why the Speed Force kept trapping people inside itself? It would make sense. If natural Ancients aren't available... store bought is fine? Just... just grab one and artificially age um.

Keep them there. Until THEY are an Ancient. 10 out of 10 Plan, Me! Says the semi-cognizant primordial force trying to keep itself together.

It's a terrible plan. But primordial forces don't exactly HAVE brains, so frankly no one should be surprised it went with "pounce on it and grab... like... REALLY TIGHT" as it's Master Plan(tm).

Danny is still kinda miffed that Space(~☆☆☆!) Was taken. Both adores and has beef with the ancient of it. They probably find him ADORABLE.

But?? What's HILARIOUS?? Is there is in fact??

A SLOW FORCE. Like, canonically.

Danny has a new Nemesis. FOREVER.

THE slowest Ghost in existence. Danny's opposite in every way. Someone who can TAKE the speed from ANYTHING. Just... just drop it down to near perfect stillness.

A zen, methodical, machavelian, genius of a ghost that NEVER MOVES. Like a big old spider, smug and feasting off the ghosts that get trapped in his web. Ectoplasm near sucked dry. Drifting like a massive jellyfish of second death through the Zone.

Slooooooowing anything that gets too close. Until it's trapped. Eating them near dry. Then drifting on. Like a giant web. A bubble of Slowness radiation.

Danny hates him. FUCK that guy.

Yes, if you see him coming, it's easy to get out of the way. He's be NATURE... slow. It's like dodging a turtle. But STILL! Not everyone DOES notice him! And it makes Danny want to chew GLASS! Spit nails! Bite and bite and BITE!

But! You can't just... just End your Primordial Opposite. Fight them? All day, every day. It's expected, honestly. But that's what HAPPENED. So Danny needs to go chill out, while he gets to grip with things. Because the LAST Ancient of the Speedforce?

Tried to END the Slowforce.

Worst part is Danny understands WHY. And he doesn't like that. At ALL. It feels WRONG to be cool with Ending anyone. But... but every time he so much as THINKS about that FUCKER! Bite and rend and STAB AND HURT AND-!

Yeeeeeah. Clockwork is right. Gotta take a "walk". Cool his head. Meet the "speedsters" that have heald everything together, maybe.

Because if anything happens to the Slowforce? You speedrun the universe. Hit the fast forward button and watch it all go by in seconds. Straight to the END end. Heat death of everything. Nothing but void.

You need BALANCE. No Speedforce? And time takes eons per pico-second, if you're LUCKY. Clockwork may govern and maintain TIME itself, but he doesn't control the SPEED of things. Technically. There's overlap.

Danny has charts.

You wanna see them? He worked really hard on them! Meh. Captive audience, you're gonna see the charts. ANY WAY! If you'll direct your attention, Mr. West, to the FIRST chart....

And Wally? Is learning that the New Speedforce... god... thingy, is EXACTLY as manic as they are. And a scientist. HA! Called it! Mystical wonders and mysteries of the magical Realms his ASS! The SPEEDFORCE has SCIENTIFIC STUDIES!

And should sleep. Dude, are you okay?

Short DPXDC Prompts #886

Wally has some trouble figuring out why he’s been slower than normal. He thinks there’s a new speedster somewhere but it doesn’t feel like a new speedster. It feels more like a parasite. But a symbiotic one, that both benefits the speedforce and itself. He’s much more refreshed every day he wakes up and feels a strange sense of purpose now. He didn’t expect that parasite to be the mentee of the physical embodiment of time.

[danofcrowsnest-blog]

The Awakening of Fire and Light Over Water

We have come to a world which exists not only as a set of conditions in and itself but as a set of conditions that operate in flux with the ever-shifting set of conditions, which is the self. This border between “self” and the “world” is not entirely obvious, other than to say that we are in possession of consciousness that remains in a constant state of arrival upon the unconscious realms.

What is this unconciousness that we have called the world? Where does it begin and where does it end? Where have the borders been set down? This is not an easy question to ask, and the easier that is seems to answer, the less you may be certain that you understand it. To start somewhere, it can be said that the unconscious world is everything that is not conscious. While the majority of us are capable, at least at some level of cognition, of understanding that the majority of our desires, our instincts, our emotions, our drives, our body, and our thoughts do not originate from within our conscious free agency, we very seldom feel, think or act this way. 

What is more, the unconscious world does not stop there at the edges that crown the dark recesses of our inner clockwork. In the same way that you have found that your nervous system is strung up and through your flesh and that this has given you an existence and a place of operation, the same can be said of the entirety of the universe around you. The inner operation of the traditional unconscious is not separate from the overall operation of the universe itself. It is to your own consciousness, a total sum of unconscious events spanning time and space, leading up to and away from you. In this way, the proper consideration of the unconscious process that is our body does not start and stop at the surface our own skin: yes, it is that, but it is also the rocks at our feet, and the stars in the sky. It is the people we share our lives with and the people that we don’t. It is the sound of birds or the babble of a mountain brook. The unconscious world is everything that is not yet known directly and intimately by that light of the conscious awareness.

I say yet because that is the journey of consciousness. To know. To explore. To spread itself. From the time you came to this existence, you have been moving from the darkness of the unconscious world to the light of your own conscious experience. At first, this expansion, this little-big-bang, began as you rapidly awoke to the realities of your own inner environment, which came to you as a four-billion-year-old progression of biological life. From here, your social, cultural and ideological context informed you of what and who you are. 

For most of us, we simply stop here, accepting this territory of being as a given.

There is another stage awaiting us, however, and that is the moving of the progression of consciousness from as something developed through the unconscious mechanisms of chance and accident, to something that is being developed by consciousness itself. The calling out of the deep to the deep, as it has been beautifully said.

This is the process that Christ referred to when he said that we live in a world of two births, the first being that is forced upon us as the flesh and the second being that of the spirit, which when it is called upon descends from “above”.

Up until now, this calling down of consciousness from above has been reserved for the saints and the sages among us, but as the unconscious world is itself growing in power and influence through the amplification of society and technology, the conscious will for consciousness itself is also building in a rapid response.

It is coming to pass that many in this age are beginning to feel the call for a new kind of life, even if they cannot yet articulate it. The world, despite offering an untold amount of wealth and comfort, is growing more and more confusing to our own programming. It is as if the more vivid the promises of the world and flesh have become, the more obvious it is that they are lacking something essential. It is when we have eaten our fill, satisfied our every urge, traveled to every land, and experienced the fruit of our greatest and most honest of our primordial ambitions, that we have been left with our hearts vacant and hollow. From this space, comes the rising of a new desire; the consciousness in the world stirs, and as it begins to wake up from its own dream of the world, opens new eyes to a new light.

The apt metaphor for this process, at least in the classical sense, would be the flame (consciousness) has it comes to burn upon the torch (unconsciousness). However, for the sake of a purposeful, if not even a playful concealment of the overt obviousness in that, I think a more poignant metaphor is that of the sailboat moving over an endless ocean. It is more inviting to that very consciousness to explore itself, to reveal itself, to itself.

So here it is:

You have arrived here, to this world as if you have awoken to find yourself on a sailboat adrift upon a violent and cruel ocean of potentials. The deck is empty, littered with refuse, and while you have a huge sail set against the onslaught, you find yourself with neither functioning rudder nor compass. Instead, you find an ornate painting of a wheel next to an equally elaborate painting of a compass. It is obvious that someone, or far more likely a series of someones, had carefully put them there, but regardless you are now alone. You know how these things should work, but no matter how hard you claw at the wood, no matter how bloody your fingers become, the vessel does not respond. It does what the ocean has compelled it to do.

So you turn to the map, which of course, has been torn into a thousand pieces and scattered. Those few fragments that have not been lost to the waters can only be found in the darkness of the damp corners and hidden nooks and crannies. What little information that you have gathered is now clutched into your white-knuckled fist and you are forced up to the mast, where you then begin to navigate only by blind force; you raised and lower the sails, driving you more or less into nowhere, from nowhere.

However, as you are nearly overcome with the absolute futility of this cruel arrangement, you find yourself starting out over the ocean. In these long moments, you have become aware of something else, something far more subtle than the pointless ropes and pulleys and painted facades that appear to present themselves to you. This something you sense is beyond the ocean and the creaking of the wood, the spray of the waves and the rolling of the wind, the pain and the loneliness of the current endeavor. Even though you are aware of it, you cannot look directly at this new thing, as if it can only be looked at out of the corner of your eye. Regardless, it is there. You know it.

It is growing awareness of a new vessel that exists just underneath everything, and you are aware that it somehow carries the entire scene. The boat, the water, the wind, everything. And it is here when something in your heart whispers, “now, up to the helm with you”.

I hope this voice finds you.

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 230

He's been given many names over the eternities.

Kronos. Time. Ouroboros. The World Serpent. It comes with being an Ancient. With being one of the oldest primordial being of them all. Only his own parent, Infinity itself was older.

He was an unstoppable force, no matter what the Observants wished to think, their chains akin to mosquito bites- if that- as they shattered.

Clockwork is his favorite name he decided long ago, when he'd first seen the possibilities of the world his so-called employers complained he had obsessed over.

Yet how could he not? This world had given him children after all. Ghostlings all his own, human and not, mortal and more. Invisible to his machinations and strumming of the strings of Fate.

And here he lay, curled in a bed he had no need for but had meticulously crafted for the Cores he held against himself so lovingly. His own little bit of Space, a smaller Moon and Sun, joined by Life and Storm and Sea and Ore. Newborn Ancients in their own right, Cores unstable and cracked from the actions of mortals who did not understand, who could not.

Perhaps, he pondered, it was best.

They might be Ancients under their own rights, but they were still young. Too young, their very essence risking collapsing under their own power unless he did something.

Clockwork crooned a lullaby in the words of Reality, running a finger across one of the cracks before picking the core up. And swallowing it.

One by one until they were safe. Protected. Able to use his own energy to stabilize their own instinctively. He hummed a song he knew by heart, by Core, and let the clocks tick on. He had much work to be done.

His ghostlings only deserved the best after all.

[evilminji]

I recently read your DPxDC post comparing the Ghost Zone to Yggdrasil.

Ans I've been playing Elden Ring again lately, mostly because the Lore in it keeps dragging me back.

And I think you'd like the concept of Erdtree Burial. It even matches up with your post.

Imma try my best to explain the concept so Spoiler starts here:

-------------

Anyways, so Erdtree Burial means to take a recently dead body of someone who committed grand feats and/or is worthy of honor, and place them to rest amidst the roots of the Erdtree (which is basically Yggdrasil vut legally distinct).

The Tree itself will then take the soul and memory of the deceased and etch them upon itself, preserve their soul and remember them.

----------------

What if the Erdtree is that world's link to the World Between Worlds?

So, can you imagine all these Elden Ring Demigods, Honourable Dead and Great Fighters occasionally taking a leisurely stroll out of their Afterlife Home amidst the branches of the Erdtree to go visit the Ghosts that live in the Zone?

Random giant dude passes by, twin Greatswords at his back, and goes to grab a whole 20 barrels of ecto-ale to bring back to his friends.

Danny, coming back from visiting Clockwork, has to do a double take, and ask the bartender some questions.

"While was that guy? He looked a little too golden to be a Ghost"

"Ah, that's just Radahn. He says he's a General or something. That he once held back the stars all by himself. Apparently fought some wars, and they still needed like 20 great warriors fighting together to put him down after he went senile. Hogwash, if you ask me."

Danny hears that the guy used to throw hands with celestial bodies regularly, and knows exactly where he'll be for summer vacation.

If the Tarnished player character is already Elden Lord by then, I can definitely see Danny coming back wearing the Twinned Armor set.

(Especially if it's my Strength/Faith/Arcane character. She used the Butcher's Knife greataxe, with the Stormcaller Ash of War and a Bleed enchantment, plus Rot Dragon and Black Flame spells)

Hello yes! I DO enjoy this thought! You were ABSOLUTELY correct!

Haven't played the game? But? Now? I CAN NOT get the idea of the Zone itself being The Erdtree out of my head?

Great and endless. With roots and manifestations, that may or may not reach into the world it cradles, that will imprint upon itself souls of those buried close. That it may cherish them FOREVER.

Are we within in it? Held by it? Consumed? It is not for our mortal minds to know. Perhaps not even for gods to know.

But, oh. OH! What made Danny so DIFFERENT? No answer found in his world. No answer found anywhere near it. Yet? Here they know it. A simple answer, given freely. It feels almost unfair. Like he has been cheated of catharsis. As though he should have had to fight and scrape and FORCE them to speak.

They can not even begin to understand, what it is like. Being so alone.

Or maybe... maybe they can.

He's not sure which he wants more. Which he fears is true.

For what was the portal? If not sharp blade cut into the celestial earth? Plunging into starlight soil and primordial soup, to the tangled roots of something greater. A tree. THE tree. Dragging back that soil and nicking those tightly woven, buried things. A welling of ichor, golden and green and DIVINE.

A plunging of that blade into his heart.

His lifeblood with the tree's.

A pathway where none could ever have been.

Oh, what rituals we blindly perform. Our ignorance of their meaning does not give them less power, only leaves us unguarded. It does not have to be on ancient stages and with ancient things, to be a ritual. It can be a laboratory. A machine instead of a ritual blade.

Still a thing forged by Father's and Mother's hand, that killed the Son.

And then Again, through the twist of Time, by dear friends hand, first in ignorance now twice in knowing, killed again.

Twice Half Dead, Is A Corpse. And Thus, With The Tree.

Cradled and loved. Etched forever into itself. Perhaps even a bit more so, for the difficulties of his birth. For how rarely does the Erdtree bleed. How rarely the Zone spill its Divine blood. A little starlit snowflake, flitting along its many paths. Cradled in its heart. So clever and bright.

The problem, I imagine? Is that such a Divinity? Has a very distinct nature. You give unto them. They take. They cherish. They do not return.

And Danny is being a Trouble Child. Sneaking off into Worlds, mostly his own, and NOT staying in the Zone. The Tree's domain. Other Gods have power in those places! Child, cease! That is dangerous! It is like a mermaid deciding to go climb the alps. Even if she CAN make legs for herself, that is WAY to far from the safety of her God's domain! Are you mad, child!? Have you heard of acceptable Risk?!

Danny has. It made a whooshing noise as he tossed it out the window.

[bodybaggage]

Time Baked Cookies

DP x PJO

Percy Jackson had faced a lot of strange things in his life, but this—this was a whole new level of weird. Standing beside Annabeth and Grover, he felt the familiar thrum of adrenaline coursing through him as they stepped through the swirling green portal, weapons drawn, ready for anything. They had fought their way here, to the heart of Kronos’ domain, expecting darkness, doom, and probably some really terrifying monsters.

But the first thing they noticed wasn’t a monstrous foe or an ominous dark cloud. It was the smell of cookies. Freshly baked cookies.

“Do you guys smell that?” Grover asked, his goat nose twitching furiously. “That’s… that’s chocolate chip, right? Or maybe oatmeal raisin?”

Annabeth narrowed her eyes, scanning the strange, surreal landscape around them. They stood on a floating platform, surrounded by massive gears turning slowly in the air, each one ticking with the rhythmic precision of a clock. The entire place felt alive with energy, every inch of it humming with a power that made Percy’s skin tingle. It should have felt eerie, threatening even, but that smell was completely disarming.

“It doesn’t make sense,” Annabeth murmured, her voice full of suspicion. “This place is supposed to be the heart of Kronos’ power. But it feels… warm. Almost like—”

“Like home,” Percy finished, gripping Riptide tightly. “But it’s a trap, right? It has to be.”

“Definitely a trap,” Annabeth agreed. “We should be on our guard.”

The gonging of a distant clock echoed through the space, and the ground beneath their feet vibrated with each resonant toll. Percy’s pulse quickened, and his senses went into overdrive. The closer they moved to the source of the sound, the stronger the energy became, like static electricity building in the air. And then they saw it.

A massive serpentine tail snaked its way through the gears, its scales glinting faintly in the dim light. The sheer size of it made Percy’s stomach churn. Whatever creature it belonged to was enormous, hidden within the twisting maze of gears and cogs.

“Uh, guys?” Percy said, pointing at the tail. “I’m guessing that’s not a friendly pet.”

But before they could react further, a voice cut through the air, clear, exasperated, and strangely normal considering the circumstances.

“Oh great, what did my half-siblings do this Time?”

Percy, Annabeth, and Grover spun around, their weapons at the ready, only to freeze in confusion. Perched on the edge of one of the giant gears was a teenager, about their age. He had raven-black hair that shimmered with flickers of starry light, like the cosmos itself had been woven into it. His eyes were an odd combination of bright gold and deep black, as if the sun and the moon were both fighting for dominance. And he was holding a cookie, half of it already stuffed in his mouth.

“Who the Hades are you?” Percy blurted out before he could stop himself.

The boy blinked at them, then took another bite of his cookie, chewing thoughtfully before answering. “I’m Phantom. And you guys look like you’re lost.”

Annabeth, ever the strategist, was quick to recover. “We’re not lost. We’re here to stop Kronos from destroying the world.”

Phantom raised an eyebrow, the gears around him continuing to turn, the ticking growing louder and more insistent. “Oh, that old mess. Yeah, about that, Kronos isn’t exactly who you think he is.”

“What do you mean?” Percy asked, feeling the tension rise in his chest. They had fought so hard to get here, and now this guy was telling them they had it wrong?

Before Phantom could answer, the ticking grew louder, and the air around them shimmered with a bright green light. Percy instinctively raised Riptide, prepared for whatever might come next, but instead of a monster or a Titan, a new figure appeared before them.

He was tall, cloaked in flowing robes that shimmered like starlight, his eyes ancient and wise beyond measure. He held a staff in one hand, the end of which glowed with a soft, otherworldly light. There was no mistaking who—or what—this being was.

“Clockwork,” Phantom greeted the newcomer with a wave of his cookie, as if this was the most normal thing in the world. “I was wondering when you’d show up.”

Clockwork—who Percy now recognized as the God of Time—smiled, his expression serene. “I always arrive exactly when I intend to, young one. And it seems you’ve already met our guests.”

“Wait, wait,” Percy interrupted, his mind spinning. “So you’re Clockwork—the God of Time? And you’re Phantom? What’s going on here? We’re supposed to be fighting Kronos, not—”

“Kronos is a fragment of me,” Clockwork explained, his voice calm and measured. “A part of my past self, one that sought power and domination. But I evolved, grew wiser, and became Clockwork, the guardian of time itself. Unfortunately, the remnants of Kronos still linger, trying to reclaim the power they once had.”

“And you,” Annabeth said, pointing at Phantom, “you’re what? His apprentice?”

“More like a Godling in training,” Phantom replied with a shrug. “I’m supposed to be the God of Balance between Life and Death someday. Also, I’m the Protector of Earth, so… you’re welcome, I guess.”

Grover’s eyes widened. “So you’re on our side?”

“Duh,” Phantom said with a grin. “But you guys really shouldn’t have worried so much. Kronos was always going to lose. I’ve seen all the timelines, and in each one, you win. Sure, it’s a rough journey, but you come out on top.”

Percy’s head was spinning. “So… we’re not here to fight?”

“You were never meant to fight me,” Clockwork said, his voice carrying a weight of inevitability. “Your journey brought you here to learn that some battles are fought not with swords, but with understanding. The remnants of Kronos’ power need to be absorbed back into the timeline, to bring balance. Phantom here will take care of that.”

Phantom nodded, as if this was the most obvious thing in the world. “Yeah, I’ve got this. Just gotta finish my cookie first.” He took a final bite, then stood up, dusting crumbs from his hands. “You guys have done great. Seriously, top-notch hero work. Now it’s my turn.”

Percy felt a strange sense of relief wash over him. After everything they had been through, to hear that they were going to succeed, that they weren’t alone in this fight—it was more than he could have hoped for. But there was still something he didn’t understand.

“What happens next?” Percy asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

Clockwork smiled, the kind of smile that seemed to see through time itself. “You return to your world, stronger and wiser for the journey you’ve undertaken. Phantom will handle the rest. Balance will be restored, and the future will unfold as it should.”

“And the cookies?” Grover asked, ever the food lover, his eyes still locked on the plate that had mysteriously appeared beside Phantom.

Phantom chuckled, waving his hand over the plate. “Take them. Consider them a parting gift. You’re gonna need the energy for what’s next.”

Percy, Annabeth, and Grover each grabbed a cookie, the familiar taste bringing a sense of comfort and warmth that they hadn’t felt in a long time. As they ate, the gears around them began to shift, the ticking softening until it was almost a lullaby.

Phantom gave them a mock salute, a grin on his face. “See you around, heroes. And don’t worry, time’s on your side.”

With that, a portal opened before them, swirling with green light. Percy looked at his friends, their faces calm and resolved, before stepping through, leaving behind the ticking of clocks, the scent of cookies, and the surreal domain of a God and his apprentice.

As the portal closed behind them, Phantom turned to Clockwork, his grin fading into a thoughtful expression. “Do you think they’ll be okay?”

Clockwork placed a hand on Phantom’s shoulder, his eyes twinkling with ancient wisdom. “They will be. But remember, young one—balance is not always easy to maintain. There will be challenges ahead, for all of us.”

Phantom nodded, understanding the weight of the responsibility that lay ahead. But for now, he was content. The balance had been restored, and the future, though uncertain, was full of possibilities.

And with a final, satisfied sigh, Phantom reached for another cookie. After all, even Godlings needed a snack now and then.

Prompt 239

Y'know what I think would be hilarious for a DP and PJO crossover? Percy & co finally getting to Kronos, straight up ready for anything after they pass through magic and portal of green and-

There's the smell of cookies. Freshly baked cookies, a warm oven, something about it reminding them of home in this strange place of floating gears and ticking clocks.

And there's a long, serpentine tail twisting through the gears, twisting up and down and across in a size that could hides yet reveals just how large this entity is. There's power soaking into every inch of this place, every centimeter nearly sending lightning up their legs with each step.

The ticking is getting stronger, a distant gonging of the hour echoing through a place that should feel cold and empty like the ringing of bells in the end of times.

And suddenly there's a kid- a teen like them, human yet not- with a cookie half in their mouth and hair flickering like the cosmos as they peer down from above them with a frown, eyes brighter than the sun yet darker than the moon.

"Oh great, what did my half-siblings do this Time?"