#densen

[alfredosauce50]

Coming up in 2nd place is our very own Mathias! Requests are closed, but it’s about time I gave him some more headcanons. Once again, writing him is gonna be an absolute piece of cake because he’s one of my best characters, if not the best.

Without further ado, let’s hop right into it!

Content warning: Very brief NSFW.

Denmark headcanons

As the resident golden retriever, Mathias is always bounding with energy. He loves to have fun, and is up for just about anything. But under his kind and unassuming nature is something quite untamable.

Appearance

Mathias looks exactly how he sounds. He has spiky blonde hair that sticks up in the front and around his head. He also has some sideburns going on. It’s a bit wild and unruly, but he’ll just tell you it’s indicative of his personality! From a distance, he might even look like a pineapple.

Being in his early to mid-twenties, he has rather sharp features. You could even say Mathias looks mature, but it’s hard to tell with all the different expressions he makes. You’ll have to catch him reading, focusing on a movie, or building a hard Lego set to see his neutral face. It only lasts so long before it changes to something else entirely.

He’s very pale. It’s only his cheeks and nose that are a little pink from rosacea. Mathias also turns really red after physical exertion or sunburn. He needs to slap on a heap of sunscreen or he’s else not gonna survive. In regards to height, he’s well over six-feet. If you told him he was tall, he’ll just laugh and say, “you should see everyone else back home. You’d be surprised!” The average height of Danish males is 5’11” (181 cm), so you best bet there’s lots of guys even taller than him.

Mathias is huge. On top of his height, he works out a lot, so he has pretty big muscles. What he doesn’t like as much is cardio, so he has a bit of fat. It doesn’t make him look any less fit, only more on the bulky side. He prefers it, actually.

(Here’s a drawing of him I did)

Personality

He’s an extrovert that thrives off attention. If he doesn’t get it, he dies like a house plant in bad soil. It’s not validation he’s looking for; it’s the company. Mathias is the happiest when he’s around friends. He’s super outgoing, optimistic, and loves doing things with people around him. Not only is it lively, he feels more supported that way. On the flip side, he will get quite lonely if he doesn’t have anybody to hang out with.

The closest he gets to alone time is parallel play. If he’s winding down, he would like someone to sit with him. He’s the type to need a study buddy so he can be held accountable, and so he doesn’t get bored. He focuses much better, even.

Mathias is very loud. You can hear him coming, going, and when he talks, his voice overpowers everything else. Sometimes, it feels like he’s just shouting whenever he opens his mouth. If you tell him to be quiet, he will, but forgets and goes back to normal ten minutes later. So in places like shop, parks, or restaurants where it’s not an immediate rule to speak with inside voices, you’ll have to get creative. Try whispering at him so he can copy you. “Why are we whispering?”

He’s sweet, but really dense. Rest assured, you won’t find him in any of those horror stories of guys being ignorant, inconsiderate or unhelpful. Mathias is too kind for that. He would go out of his way to help anybody, and without expecting anything in return. If you had a hard day, he will suggest to do something together to cheer you up. “Let’s go grab dinner and dessert. My treat!”

He’s just oblivious. He won’t understand the very obvious implications in front of him, but it’s a part of his unassuming nature to not get ahead of himself. As a result, he’s immune to awkward and intimate situations. Long silences, deep stares, and being alone in private places. Mathias won’t react and carry on like normal. If someone flirted with him, he’d think they were just ‘being nice.’ He wouldn’t even realize they liked him if they said it to his face. “Aw, I like you too!”

He gets distracted easily. If it’s not something he can do lickety-split, he tends to wander off to do other things. Mathias might start folding the clothes, get hungry halfway, then cook and eat. After that, he’ll work out, shower, and power nap. Then when he wakes ups, he’ll wonder why the clothes aren’t folded! As you can see, he’s a little forgetful, so a reminder would do. “Oh, yeahhh.”

Mathias never gets angry. He has a very good temper, and so much that it’s calming for those who don’t. But if he does lose it, there’s usually a good reason. That makes his anger really scary, especially when he falls dead silent. That, or he says some pretty hurtful things, so it’s no wonder why he stays quiet for the most part. With his patience, it takes a lot to push him to that point, but don’t take him for granted. He can take back his kindness as readily as he can give it.

He’s not what you would call ‘protective.’ For one-time situations, Mathias sits watch in the back. He trusts you to handle things on your own, and if you can’t, he’s already next to you. He’ll calmly tell someone to leave you alone, or take over how he sees fit. Acting ‘macho’ and making a scene couldn’t be further from who he is. What he might do is put on the most neutral poker face, hug you, then stare long and hard at the person for a reaction. Indifference is the biggest insult you can pay someone. You’d be surprised at what else he’s capable of, or knows.

Interests

Mathias is a true Lego fan. He grew up playing with it, and never grew out of it. The sets he buys just got more complicated. If he doesn’t have one to build, he’ll just make something up. And you bet he has merch! Keychains, shirts, stickers, etc. He’s also gone as Lego characters for Halloween. Batman? Psh. Lego Batman? You have his attention. Himself as Lego? Even better.

He’s a gamer. Mathias plays a lot of Minecraft, and gets pretty creative with his builds. What can he say, he already likes building blocks in real life! If you play it with him, he’ll make a cute house and farm with you. To top it off, he’ll add a little Danish flag. He’s also the type to customize his characters to look just like him, and use plain old ‘Mathias’ for his usernames. Just imagine him as a Minecraft character spamming the crouch command when he’s trying to get your attention (or as a declaration of peace in survival mode).

He loves EDM, and in particular, house music. It’s hyper, feel-good, and sentimental all at once. Mathias would kill to attend all the big festivals like Tomorrowland and Electric Daisy Carnival. (Only he can’t get tickets before they sell out!) He wants to experience the energy of partying with thousands of other people. The lights, the crazy sets, the bass that he can feel. If you go with him, he’ll carry you on his shoulders and dance under you. Mathias is actually the biggest party animal, but manages to be responsible!

Mathias is an avid traveler. He would practically go anywhere that lets in visitors. Bali for beaches and wrestling with Komodo dragons, Cairo to see the Pyramids and ancient ruins, and Kyoto for the temples and shrines. He does well just about anywhere, and would most likely return with gifts from locals he befriended. It also doesn’t matter what hotel he stays in, or if he stays in one at all. He can go backpacking. So long as the itinerary is packed and the food is amazing, he’s all set!

He’s a gym bro. He works out five times a week, and never skips leg day. Mathias is really strong. He squats pretty heavy, and can bench four plates. What he can’t do as well, is cardio. Allen beats him by a landslide in this department. Mathias isn’t nearly as consistent and might prefer doing it at home (if you know what I mean)

Aside from being college student, he’d either be a boxer, firefighter, or marine biologist. Mathias would be a southpaw with a mean left hook, and his build lets him absorb a lot of punches. As for the fire department, he has the selflessness and physical capabilities to rescue or carry people to safety. And last, but not least, he’s always been fascinated with the sea and the creatures that live in it. He’s not afraid of going to cold places like the Antarctic, and he sure as hell isn’t afraid of the idea of ‘unstable employment.’

Psychology + romance

If you breathe right in his direction, he’d already consider you his friend. Mathias is that open and warm of a person. But that’s the same reason why romance with him is so difficult. He’s quick to smile, laugh, and unleash hugs for anybody. Not just you. So the question is, does he actually like you, or is he just affectionate with everyone?

Everything begins with a good friendship. Maybe you’re an indifferent classmate that happened to sit near him. And he isn’t a straight-A student. He falls behind from time to time, has difficulty understanding material, and can be poor at juggling tasks. But he really tries! Mathias asks a lot of questions, ‘stupid’ ones included, and you’ll inevitably find yourself helping him out of pity. “Psst. Did you get to copy down that last slide?”

He seems like a nice guy, and you’d hate to see him fail. You agree to meet up with him to do work together, but it usually turns into an unpaid tutoring session. You’ll need to be very patient with him. He’s not book smart. Your only saving grace is how earnest he is about his studies.

“Look closely, okay?” You instruct.

“Okay.” He stares intensely at your face, and you only get to explain for a few seconds before stopping.

“Not me. The diagram!”

The ball gets rolling when Mathias invites you out. That’s when you start appreciating him as a person, and not just a classmate who’s copying your homework! He’s fun, bubbly, and easy to talk to. You won’t be afraid of asking him for things, and get accommodated with his touchy nature. In fact, you’ll have a hard time not hugging him when he’s smiling at you like that.

On the other hand, you can be perfectly stern with him too. After many *frustrating* hours of tutoring him, you feel perfectly comfortable telling him off when he needs it. Mathias isn’t a masochist at all, but he finds that insanely attractive. It just means you care about him. Because even if he does stupid things, you still stick around. But what gets him to fall hard is when you defend him for the first time.

Mathias is so unselfish, his kindness gets taken advantage of. And he’s usually too oblivious to see it. He’s sometimes buying food for ‘friends’ that never pay him back. And when he’s in group activities, he’s always the spokesperson even when he doesn’t understand the material. Either that, or he promises to help them with their load of the work. When you find out, you’re furious.

“Can’t you see they’re using you?”

“But I don’t mind doing these things,” Mathias says, frowning a little. “It’s just how I’ve always been.”

“I know. But I’m starting to think you don’t have a selfish bone in your body--and not even for yourself. You’ll lose out on things that matter to you because you’re so busy doing everything for everyone else.”

“I wouldn’t say I’m that busy.”

“You can barely keep up with class, Mat. And you don’t even have time for your hobbies anymore.”

He falls silent, unable to argue with that.

“You may not be selfish, but other people are.” You murmur faintly, face contorting as you continue. “And it makes me sad. I hate the way they treat you.”

Mathias starts following you around like a puppy. Wherever you go, he follows. He’s affectionate by nature too, but picks up more and more habits. Since when was he always holding your hand? Kissing your head? When he hugs you from behind, he fits perfectly around you like your favorite sweater. You might brush it off as his personality, especially when he’s so huggy with other friends. Funnily enough, you end up being the dense one. You’re in denial out of respect, but to be fair, it’s not like he’s said anything.

“Your hand is really hot, Mat.”

“Okay. Let’s go inside where the air-con is.”

His number one love language is physical touch. So it’s no wonder he gets upset that you don’t react to it at all. You’re not responding to his efforts at connecting with you, and it leads him to believe you’re not all that interested. Mathias has the communication skills of an egg, and is too shy to say it outright that he likes you--which is interesting because he can touch you like he does. That’s partially because you don’t make a fuss about it, so his cover isn’t ever blown.

The slow-burn is a hot one. He’s sad about being rejected (despite not having asked you out yet) but he just can’t resist you. Mathias is always staring at you like he wants something. He’s an open-book, and ends up having it written all over his face. Dazed looks, pouts, any kind of expression you’d make when you want more. And if you ask what’s wrong, he’ll just hug you and say, “nothing. I just missed you today.”

His breaking point is simple. You let your guard down. It’s inevitable with someone like Mathias, whose kind and unassuming nature makes him practically harmless. Right? Wrong. You’re at his place, wearing his shirt, and getting ready for bed after spending the day with him. He just got out of the shower, and he’s wearing nothing but boxers. And he’s just standing there, menacingly.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

His gaze on you is too hot for you to stomach.

Just when you think it can’t get any worse, he comes over and gets so close, he’s pressing up against you. His arms are around your waist, and he tilts his head to hover his lips over yours. Then, he just stops, almost like he’s letting everything sink in.

All those dazed stares, forehead kisses, hugs, and squeezes. Mathias has always liked you.

When it finally hits you, his mouth is on yours.

Dating doesn’t come after friendship. Sex does. Mathias fucks you all night, and really hard to dispel all the sexual tension that’s built up for months. By the time you wake up, you have a new boyfriend and an uncontrollable shaking in your legs. But that’s not all. Whoever that’s sleeping next to you is barely like the golden retriever you first met. Not anymore.

Just when you thought he couldn’t be selfish, he becomes the most selfish person in the world. The only redeeming factor is that it’s only when it comes to you. Mathias will be crazy stubborn then. When he wants something from you, he won’t stop until he gets his way. And when he argues for it, he masks his persistence by asking a lot of questions. “Why?” He asks. “Why not?”

He gives intensely, and takes intensely. Mathias may be a kind and reliable partner, but he’s very demanding when it comes to anything sexual. It’s how he processes affection, and he’s a needy person. Even if he won’t goad you into anything, he’ll get pouty and feel neglected if you don’t respond to him. Sex is central to the relationship, so expect to be ravished into oblivion.

He’s smarter than he looks. He knows more than he lets on, and may pretend to be dense when he doesn’t want something. Once again, the endless cycle of “why” will start and get pretty tiring. Don’t cross him. You won’t be able to because of how he feels for you, but other people could. And Mathias can be frightening when he wants to be.

He tries to be nurturing, but ends up suffocating. Mathias would do anything for his partner, that’s for sure. But he might cross boundaries under the assumption he’s helping you. That, or he asks too much from you. Love, time, sex. You’ll never feel unwanted, but sometimes, you just need the space. It’s gonna be a long learning curb, you’ll go in circles with him again and again, or might not end up anywhere at all, but it’s always his adoring smile that gets you running right back.

There’s no winning with Mathias, and it’s hard to stay mad at him when he’s crazy about you. His love is passionate and even a little obsessive. Everything he does is for you and him. His life with you, and his future too. The sooner you realize that, the more leverage he’ll have over you. You’ll never escape him, and he’ll chase you to the ends of the Earth if he has to.

[valyrra]

oh yeah the famous tourist squad

[maddiesflame]

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[insidious-journalist]

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@wanderingsongbird

<3

[cantva190]

ALI PROJECT - Kyomu Densen - 凶夢伝染 Oppening , Anime: Another

[starlit-crossing]

Lost in Foster (Working Title) Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Meeting the Waynes

Slowly the skyscrapers of the city were replaced with the rolling hills as the car made its way to Crest Hill. They hadn’t told Danny much about his new foster home, leaving it vague. The only things he could get out of them was that the man ran his own business, and he had many successful adoptions in the past. At this point he thought he was going to a farm, being forced to do chores early in the morning. The further they went the less sure he was, as houses began to periodically appear he began wishing it was a farm.

The homes they passed were large, fashionable manors with acres of land in between. Gated fences and lavishly long driveways sat in front. Not a single other car appeared in the streets as they quietly made their way deeper in. It took about twenty minutes to get from the city to the last house in the neighborhood. Similar to the others a wrought iron fence blocked the driveway in, the car pulling up to a grey speaker just outside the gate. Mr. Densen, the man put in charge of Danny’s case, rolled down his window and buzzed the button on the speaker box. A voice answered but it was too quiet for him to hear.

“It’s Chris Densen with the Gotham CPS. I was informed you were expecting our arrival with a new foster placement?” Densen answered, the voice responding in time with a positive tone. The gates creaked as they opened wide enough for the car to pull through. The manor ahead of them was the largest of those they had passed, even larger than Vlad’s back in Wisconsin. It stood four stories tall with light colored brick making the walls. Large windows reflected the rare morning sun, smoke flowing out of the chimney among the dark tiled roofs. The driveway went in a circle around a large patch of grass with a fountain nestled in the center.

Standing on the patio atop of the stairs leading to the manor was two men and a kid. The oldest was dressed in a fitted suit with a small mustache and a balding head. Next to him was a man around his parents age with black hair and tired blue eyes. He wore pressed black pants and a light grey turtleneck. Finally, standing back towards the door was the kid, his skin was tan with black hair and green eyes. Dressed in shorts and a hoodie he stood with his arms crossed as he glared at the car. They all began walking down the steps as the car came to a stop.

“Hi Danny, I’m Bruce Wayne. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, I’ve heard a lot about you.” Bruce smiled, offering his hand as Danny exited the car. Danny looked at the hand and back at him, first impressions were okay. He didn’t seem like Vlad, there was no smooth-talking flattery or blatant evil tone, but he was rich. If the house was anything to go from and though being rich didn’t make you evil, it didn’t help you in Danny’s book. The whole situation was just dredging old memories leaving a bad taste in his mouth.

“Hi.” Was all Danny could offer in return while shoving his hands into his hoodie. Bruce gave a small laugh and brought back his hand.

“Well, I hope you enjoy your time here at Wayne Manor. If you need anything feel free to ask myself or Alfred; he may be the butler, but he deserves the utmost respect. He’ll be able to show you your room later this evening. The one lingering behind us is my son Damian, he’ll be giving you a tour of the grounds while I speak with Mr. Densen here.” He watched as the butler took his backpack from the car and headed back inside. The kid finally approached; a look of disinterest glued to his face.

“Welcome Daniel, follow me. Let’s get this tour over with.” Damian drawled.

Isn’t he a peach, Danny thought to himself rolling his eyes. “It’s Danny. Just Danny.” He repeated.

This kid ignored him as they made way for the front doors. Inside was the entrance hall, it was fairly large with white tile bordered by wooden flooring along the walls and staircase. The staircase itself was two separate stairways that connected at the top of the second floor. The walls were covered with red wallpaper, paintings, and portraits. Most notable was a large frame with a velvet background. It held six ovals each with its own silhouette and name. The first was Bruce’s name and portrait, followed by three more underneath that said Richard Grayson, Jason Todd, and Timothy Drake. Below them were two more that said Cassandra Cain and Damian Wayne.

“Is this painting your family?” he asked.

“Some, yes. It needs to be updated but it has the elder children of my father. All adopted except for myself, I am my father’s only biological son.” Damian explained proudly, not before his eyes went wide and adding, “Don’t get any ideas about being adopted. I have enough brothers as it is!”

“Trust me, I don’t plan on it.” Danny answered, as proud as the kid was, he’s still just a kid.

“Good. Let’s continue,” He led them through a door to a large kitchen, it was as nice as a five-star restaurant with expensive stoves and appliances. “This is the kitchen, it’s Pennyworth’s domain. If you cause any trouble here, you will be banned. My father is an unfortunate example.”

“Understood.” Danny continued, following Damian further into the building. It had been nice being able to eat food that didn’t fight back. It was good to know that it would continue. The tour went on through the manor with small comments here and there. Apparently, Bruce was a well-known figure in Gotham with him hosting parties on occasion in the manor. They did in fact have a barn on the grounds though Damain mainly spent the time there introducing Danny to all the animals. The Bat-Cow being the most interesting, named for the city’s protector and the bat marking on its face. They ended the tour in the garden just behind the mansion. “That’s the entirety of the grounds. It’s quiet for now but Duke will be home later this evening for dinner and the others will surely visit once they know of your stay.” He went on, Danny had been mostly quiet during the tour, only offering responses and questions that would help him later. Danny hadn’t seen much that would’ve stood in his way of leaving. In fact, with little to know security around outside of cameras it should be as simple as any other home they put him in.

“By the way, I know why they asked my father to take you in. I thought I’d save you the trouble and let you know there is no way off the grounds without getting caught or falling into a booby-trap. I should know, I’ve tried.” With that Damian headed inside the building, leaving Danny outside the manor. How did he know I was thinking about leaving? Also booby-traps? Danny wondered, making his way inside. They’d expect a runaway to go at the first chance he got, best for him to wait till later that week.

---

Danny was eventually shown to his room on the second floor, which happened to be across the hall from the other resident Duke. Apparently, everyone who lived here at some point still had a room for themselves and could come back to it whenever they visited. He had double-checked his backpack which had been placed on top of the desk next to a computer. Everything seemed in place, next he checked the room for any cameras and recorders. He didn’t really expect to find anything, but it was better to be safe than sorry. This took up much of the afternoon leaving him to read on the bed when he was done. Around 6pm there was someone knocking on the door to his room.

“Danny? It’s time for dinner,” The door opened to reveal another teen around Danny’s age, his skin was dark, and he was wearing jeans with a red t-shirt, a lightning bolt on the front. “Better hurry Alfred made some cookies for your stay. Trust me, you don’t want to miss them. I’m Duke by the way, nice to meet you!”

Danny gave him a nod and followed the guy down the hall and stairs to the dining room. Already sat around was Bruce at the head of the table and Damian in the seat to his right. Duke took a seat across from him and gestured for Danny to seat beside him. As soon as he took a seat Alfred placed a serving of pasta and salad in front of him, a glass of water already on the table.

“Thanks.” Danny said, grabbing a fork and digging in. As the food hit his mouth Danny had to keep himself from scarfing the whole thing down. The pasta had a creamy sauce of cheese and marinara with well-seasoned chicken shredded and mixed in. It was delicious, he could only imagine the cookies Duke had mentioned.

“So, Danny how was the tour Damian gave you?” Bruce asked from across the table.

“Good.” Danny answered in between bites. Duke gave a look to Damian almost surprised at the kid.

“If it was anything like mine, I’m sure he threw some odd comments in.” Duke chimed in.

“Excuse you, Duke. Both of my tours for you and Danny were quite excellent. We even gave a visit to the animals.” Damian smiled pointing his fork at the teen.

“I’m sure, did he tell you about the booby-traps on the grounds? Loves to mention them but not which ones are real or not.” Duke said elbowing him. Bruce smiled at the antics between the two.

“He is right though, most only get armed at night though so there is nothing to worry about.” Bruce went on. “Most are there due to large amount of villain attacks in the city, though we’re far from most of the dangers you can’t be too safe.”

“Yes, very safe with the laser grid that got installed over a month ago.” Duke tagged on sarcastically, Bruce giving him a quick look. I thought I was done with lasers, Danny thought sinking into his seat. Things continued like this for most of the meal and he was starting to get some sense of what everyone was like. Damian, being the youngest, tended to boast about his skills and achievements. Duke was like Danny in being new to the manor but was more familiar with everyone than he was. Bruce was still a bit of a mystery; he was trying to be a positive influence in the conversation but seemed to be holding back. They all were in some way, dancing around a topic none of them were willing to bring up. It was probably due to him just showing up, the people at the CPS had told him the home he was going to didn’t normally foster random kids.

Alfred was just bringing out the cookies when he stopped by Bruce and whispered something in his ear. Danny watched as Bruce’s face shifted from the smile he had been wearing all night to something more serious. He almost looked like he was brooding as he listened to what Alfred said, Damian and Duke looking at him waiting.

“Sorry Danny, but something has come up at Wayne Enterprises. It’s nothing to terrible but as CEO of the company I need to look into it.” He rose from his seat; Damian was following suit.

“Do you need any help, Father? I will one day work at the company so it would benefit for me to accompany you.” Damian was practically already out the door when Bruce responded.

“No Damian, I need you here. It’s a school night anyway so you’ll need to get some rest.” Bruce reasoned, meanwhile Duke held back a laugh. Damian scowled at the two before returning to his seat and grabbing a cookie from Alfred’s tray.

“I’ll see you all tomorrow.” He said before continuing out the door. Danny didn’t give it too much thought, he had never owned a multibillion-dollar company so who knows what stuff that entailed. So, he grabbed a cookie or three and made his way back to his room. As he went, he thought for a moment that the grandfather clock at the top of the stairs was off. Its face read 10:48, taking a look at his burner in his pocket it read 8:06. It must be broken, Danny thought and returned to his new room for the rest of the night.

Master post - Chapter 4 Prev. <<< Next >>>

[tourettesdog]

Still Deeper

Based on the prompt “How deep is the Ghost Zone?” for Phic Phight!

For @aggressivelyclueless Word count: 3,055 AO3 Link

Danny often wondered how deep the Ghost Zone ran. When he let himself drift over the islands, watching the lap of ectoplasm tug at the purpled stones like the endless waves of a moonless ocean. When he drifted closer, feeling that pull that ached to tug him into the depths.

Settling down on one of the islands, Danny let his spectral tail dip where the ectoplasm grew heavy. It sent a shiver down his spine, not unlike a cold splash of water, freshly thawed in the spring.

He couldn’t help but compare it to the sea. Green and ghastly as it was, the similarities felt hauntingly close when great behemoths rose from the depths, too many eyes skirting what Danny could only call the surface, before sinking back down to the depths.

He tried to venture there once.

Shutting his eyes, Danny recalled that hapless voyage with a shudder. He’d tied a Fenton fishing line around his waist and trusted Sam and Tucker with the other end. They’d advised against it, knuckles whitening with fear for his safety as they held that thin thread with everything they had.

Danny offered a smile and a salute as he took the plunge.

Diving was easy. The ectoplasm did not fight him, rather welcoming him as he struck through the wash of green. That first layer was not too dissimilar to the surface itself, and by the time Danny glanced upwards he would not have been able to see the difference at all were it not for the sharpened bases of the islands striking downward.

He struck downward too, his tail flickering as he went.

If the surface of the Zone was air, this layer was a fog. It clung to Danny’s skin like mist, cold and hazy with the scent of petrichor heavy in his nostrils.

Blob ghosts trilled in the distance, their sounds echoing on and on in the open expanse. They darted towards Danny, a flock of bright green and brighter red eyes. He welcomed them with a pulse of his core and their trills redoubled with glee.

“Is everything okay?” Sam asked through the Fenton Phones, her tone as tense as the line around his waist.

“Everything’s fine, Sam,” Danny reassured as he held his hand out, letting one of the blob ghosts roll over his fingers. “There’s just some blob ghosts here.”

She wanted him to resurface, but Danny had more to see.

The blob ghosts stuck with him for a time, corkscrewing around his tail and settling in his hair like fat drops of rain. Danny hummed with their trills, finding a chorus of song answering his own.

The mist of the expanse began to densen, coalescing in a blanket of jade fog. It coiled around Danny as he met it, the chill it left on his skin buzzing. 

The blob ghosts quieted as he swept his tail through the fog. They tentatively drifted to meet it, their own tails skirting just above the layer. Curiosity and unease mixed, pinging from their little forms with each warbling trill and chirp.

Tentatively, Danny sank his hand beneath the layer of fog, feeling that electric buzz shudder through his ectoplasm. 

It wasn’t unpleasant. Strange and new, but no less unpleasant than the crackle of a distant storm.

With one last glance at the blob ghosts, sure they would not follow him down, Danny sank deeper into the abyss.

The cold sparks that danced across Danny’s face electrified his core, filling him with energy and nerve. The jade of the fog had faded into a strange sort of blue, not unlike the open atmosphere of the world the Zone paralleled. 

Large, cloud-like structures rose up from the new depths, cyclical spirals that drifted slowly, as if caught in a current. Danny could spot rocks drifting along with them, some as vibrantly purple as the ones at the surface and others as jet-black as obsidian. He moved in an arc to meet one of the stones, finding it tumbled and rounded like the pebbles of a river.

A loud trill startled Danny from his thoughts. He spun around to find a large blob ghost winding towards him, a long tail flowing behind it. Its ectoplasm was as teal as Jazz’s eyes and its face pointed like the tapered snout of a sturgeon. It met Danny with beady magenta eyes, his own glow reflected in those bright orbs as it drifted around him. Its tail ghosted across his arms, curiosity brimming from its ectoplasm in one long, drawn-out trill that whistled and crackled at the end.

Danny returned it in kind with a chirp from his core, watching the ectoplasm ripple across the ghost’s back as it made one last spin around him.

Just as soon as it came, it was gone, tail flicking lazily as it threaded through the stones circling one of those cloud-like spires.

Danny wondered just how deep the spires went. He followed their spiral, finding more oddities amidst the collection of stones. There were odd items gathered in the current: old watches, faded photographs, and glistening jewelry. Trinkets lost to time— though how literally, Danny couldn’t say. He regarded a locket with an inscription so worn that he couldn’t read more than the letter ‘A’. It took everything in him not to reach out and touch it and see if something lay inside.

Something as innate as the hum of his core told him that he shouldn’t disturb their rest.

Rest… it was a funny word for a lump of old bronze and a rusted chain.

“Where are you?” came Tucker’s voice in his ear, the words oddly distant and ringed with static.

“I’m not sure,” Danny answered, still following the curve of the spire, giving distance to the items pulled towards it. “It almost looks like the sky here. It’s nice, honestly.”

Tucker hummed, his anxiety evident. “Just don’t go too far. There’s still plenty of line, but you need to turn back at the first sign of danger.”

Danny nodded, though they couldn’t see. “I know, Tuck. I’ll be careful,” he said.

The buzz hummed alongside his core as he dove still deeper.

The spires did not end, in a sense. They merely faded, drifting apart into a layer of rich white fog that mixed in swirls and rivulets with bright streaks of goldenrod. The static lingered most prominently there, as cold as the Far Frozen and as lively as a sparking wire. Danny hesitated before he met this fog, worried for a moment that the sparks would be more electrical and biting than the familiar caress of active ectoplasm. He brushed the tip of his tail through the swirls, watching as it melted outwards from the contact in jagged ripples.

His core pulsed with energy, a cold hum resonating with the fractals of ice that lingered in his own ectoplasm.

He readily dove through it, laughing as ice bloomed over his hands and in his hair, trailing off of him in powders of snow.

The channels of white fog faded altogether into that goldenrod yellow. It was denser than the green and blue had been, yet no less alive— in a way only ectoplasm could be. Danny tensed as he saw shadows in the distance, moving through the last fading reaches of the spires. It took him a moment to recognize them as ghosts, though he supposed he ought not be surprised.

They were like no ghosts that Danny had ever seen. More fish and mollusk than blob, with arching fins and tangling whiskers. They drifted in schools, watching him with too many eyes above too many teeth. Each was as different from the next, some more vapor and smoke than anything, and others as dense and sharp as horn. 

They ignored Danny for the most part, continuing on their course, though some darted away as soon as their eyes met. 

One approached, six eyes green and gleaming in the golden haze. Danny knew fear, his hand tensing on the line as it drew close. It was as large as he was, an awful thing that was more shark in the front and nautilus in the back, with a mouth that stretched from its snout to the horn of the shell. 

It kept some distance and Danny let go of some of his fear, regarding the ghost with a tilt of his head that it copied— as much as it could with the stiffened, inorganic rigidity of something that may have never existed outside of this place. 

Three of the eyes blinked and two long tendrils stretched out, brushing close to Danny’s face as the ghost let out a staccato of unearthly clicks. 

The same curiosity as the blob ghost from the layer above, enough to mirror Danny’s own. He tried to return it in kind, finding a trickle of something neighboring on amusement when his core garbled the odd notes.

The creature went on its way, leaving a channel of rippling goldenrod in its wake. Sparks danced along its ectoplasm as it went and Danny watched as the green of the ghost's eyes faded into the mire around him.

More of those strange ghosts followed Danny, perhaps emboldened by the first. They ranged in size, some no larger than dimes and others enough to rival small whales. A ghost swam below Danny, all tentacles and eyes, like a jellyfish without its crown. Small fish-like ones flitted around his head, all teeth and sharp edges.

He kept his guard about him, ready to make good on his word and flee at the first sign of danger, but… found none amidst the odd assortment of ghosts. They almost danced, in a way, following currents he couldn’t feel in patterns he couldn’t see. Many of them dove downwards, fading to golden shadows in his periphery.

Danny followed one of them, tracing the trail it left in its wake, watching the flicker of its smoke-like tails as they wound and undulated with the ghost’s movement.

The goldenrod darkened into a rich sunset orange. The trail tunneled, the path wavering like sand pulled by the tide. Sparks crackled along Danny’s back, the space smelling of ozone and, strangely, of stone. The mute scent of a cavernous cave far below the soil, all rock and dripping water.

The ghost before him took a sharp dive downwards, the smoke of its tails stretching to faint wisps that tickled Danny’s nose. He scrunched up his eyelids, shaking the vapor from his face. His movement felt slow and stuttered, the air as dense as the mud-choked waters of a swamp. 

When he opened his eyes again, Danny had to blink to make sure he was seeing things correctly. The rich sunset ombre of orange had gone, and in its place the sky bled red.

A red so absolute that it pressed on Danny’s eyes, warping the colors around him. It stained his gloves the same color, as rich and bloody as a weeping wound. The static had lessened from the lively buzz to something much more languid and rhythmic. The slow beats of a resting heart. The offbeat thumps of a timpani drum. The rumble of faroff thunder without so much as a spark of lightning to see.

Shadows hung in Danny’s periphery, blacker than the night. They formed strange structures not unlike tangled tree branches, only too geometric and sharp-edged to ever be something so organic. The ghost he had followed swam on, its blue ectoplasm now a rich purple in the red light. It coasted along, uncaring of the shift in pressure.

Danny tried to follow it, but paused when that energy squeezed at his core, pulsing like the heartbeat of something far too vast and far too old. It had pinpricks racing along his arms and to his chest, freezing his torso in a way that had nothing to do with the chill surrounding him and everything to do with the frantic, nervous humming of his core.

He shouldn’t be here. Wherever here was, it did not know the living. It hardly knew the dead, too uncaring of Danny’s fear in its vast wake. 

Sounds echoed around him, the cracks of shattering glass and grinding stone joining the monotonous tune that squeezed at his chest. The air smelled strongly of iron, only worsening the awful likeness to fresh blood.

The ghost was nearly gone now, aiming towards one of the blackened structures with slow, languid flicks of its tails. Danny could just make out its eyes, too many luminous dots that raced along every inch of its form. 

Just as it began to round the corner, the air seemed to shift. The space behind the structure rippled, a wall of red colliding with the ghost, opening into a vast, cavernous maw of blade-sharp teeth. 

It swallowed the ghost whole, the rich purple ectoplasm disappearing into the void-dark belly of the beast.

Danny’s core could have shattered with how strongly it hummed, fear coursing through every inch of his being. He remained stockstill, hoping that the thing with too many teeth wouldn’t turn its attention on him.

Static crackled in his ears, the garble of voices unable to make it through the wall of interference. 

A thousand eyes, each darker than shadow, turned to meet him.

The line tugged and Danny didn’t fight it. He welcomed the reminder of safety up above and turned sharply, throwing everything he had into rocketing upwards through the warped tunnels above.

The static rippled in his ears, a small nuisance compared to the heavy thunder of crashing glaciers and rumbling earth that chased behind. It brought its own static, too piercing and high for Danny to make sense of anything more than a cruel, twisted pitch that met his ears so sharply he was sure they bled.

Danny didn’t stop, his chest heaving with breaths he didn’t need as he shot through the electric buzz of goldenrod, this time finding no safety in its energetic embrace.

He could feel the creature behind him still. Its thrum of energy, the acidic bite of its breath. He didn’t dare spare a glance backwards, least of all when he felt something sharp rake along his tail, the world darkening as the thing that shadowed him drew too close.

Danny put everything he had into soaring upwards. Every last ounce of energy, every prayer. He ignored the fish-like ghosts as they peeled away, their cores sparking with a horrendous fear as Danny brought the thing that lurked in the bloody depths into their peaceful layer of gold.

Danny could have cried when he saw the goldenrod mix with white. Could have kissed the odd trinkets that danced around the spires, if disturbing their rest meant escaping the gnash of too many teeth. 

Its presence lingered behind Danny far too long, his core stuttering with each rhythmic pulse of ancient, resonant ectoplasm. It knew no emotion he could recognize. Nothing he could understand past the desire to tear and bite and end.

Danny didn’t stop when the last deep thrums of the ghost’s core faded, sinking back to the depths far below. He kept going, tears pricking the corners of his eyes when he spotted the sharp stones of the islands overhead.

Danny shot out of the ectoplasmic sea and breathed like a man starved of air. His chest heaved, his arms shook. He landed on the nearest island, crumpling into a quivering heap. 

He sobbed.

Danny hardly remembered when Sam and Tucker found him. They had been several islands away when he resurfaced, he was told.

They had almost gone down for him, they had said. 

That memory lingered much more strongly— the fear tied to it as he looked at his friends with tear-stricken eyes and made them promise to never venture where he had gone.

Danny rolled on his side as he remembered the fear that had gripped at his core. How close he had come to finding himself in the belly of a beast, utterly lost to anything resembling home.

His hand ghosted along his hip, right over where the ghost’s teeth had scraped him, digging deep channels into his body that bled through layer upon layer of gauze.

More layers than he has dove.

The scars remained, just as much as that fear, and yet… as Danny flicked his tail through the dense waves of ectoplasm, part of him longed to delve still deeper.

~*~

A fish-like ghost, more shark and nautilus than any one thing, knew the red depths well. It often sank through the goldenrod tunnels to linger in the forests of blackened branches. It was quicker than most, able to dart away from the behemoths that stalked the open stretches and hummed discordant songs that spelled a death it didn’t know.

The black branches shot downwards into the familiar dusky stretches of its first home. Here the branches merged into colossal trunks that stretched too high and too low. It would hug the trunks, sinking deeper until the red faded into a cold silver rich with fragments of stone and drifting globules of ectoplasm.

The trunks branched out again if the ghost went deep enough. They formed massive roots, digging into shattered plains amidst glowing fronds, each clinging to the other. Small ghosts congregated on these expanses, finding shelter in the vast network of roots, and sustenance in what fell from the stretches above.

The behemoths, ancient as they were, did not always last. When they fell they would drift through the haze and into the silver, their weakened forms snagging on the roots and laying within the fronds. The last hums of their cores, if they still pulsed, rang like a dinner bell throughout the hallowed roots. The ghosts that lingered there would congregate, a symphony of cores welcoming a feast for the Ancients— perhaps even of them, if they could ever be so lucky to have one fall.

The plains were not endless, broken by great cracks that wove over the blackest black.

It didn’t know what lay below, only that it went still deeper.

[butchdykekondraki]

just saw your post with german pronouns,, and i’m currently learning the language, hoping to move to germany at some point, but im curious about how people actually use gender neutral pronouns ‘auf deutsch‘ because it’s a struggle to get anyone in my german classes to use xier because it feels clunky and the professors aren’t educated on how to use them either… but i don’t wanna be stuck with using sie…

no worries if you can’t or don’t wanna answer, but i figured i’d ask!! 🥰

oh dey/dem is an option i see a lot!! es/ihm, es/ihr, and es/densen are also pretty common i think, but they/them is also used pretty frequently .:-)!!

[alfredosauce50]

One more night

[Boxer! Denmark x reader] 11

Wordcount: 4, 365 Rating: M for strong language and mature themes

The reader is referred to as she/her

One more night - 11

Off to the races

Mathias rolled his fists against a speed bag, getting it to bounce back and forth rhythmically. A sheen of sweat had glazed over his skin from head to toe, but he never faltered. He was finally back in the zone.

He also lost everything he gained, revealing his past triumphs. Bulging shoulders, a six-pack, and strong legs for a muscular body. He swung into the speed bag one last time, making it rock to and fro.

And he was just getting started.

“You’re in a good mood today,” You commented from the kitchen, sipping a warm cup of coffee. Everyone slept in on Sundays, Allen included, but he got up at nine to do nothing but scribble in his sketchbook.

“Am I?” He lifted his eyes to you, only to look down at his page again. “What gave it away?”

“You’re drawing.”

“I can’t channel my inner negativity sometimes?”

“I think we both know how you actually do that.”

“Okay, fine. You got me.” He mumbled, moving his pencil around for a few finishing touches. Once he was satisfied, he held up his drawing with a proud, toothy grin. “Look. It’s a fortress.”

“Wow,” You mouthed. A smiling stick figure with black shades stood on top of a castle, raining machine gunfire and grenades on the masses below. “And who’s that guarding the fortress?”

“Me.”

“What about all the people down here?”

“I think you know.” He put his sketchbook down.

Now that Mathias moved back home, Allen was the happiest he’d ever been. Even though they were on better terms, this was his home, and he had a very particular idea of what that looked like.

“You guys realize Hammy has been roaming outside his cage for a while.” Amy sauntered in with a squint.

Allen flew off the couch and scrambled into the hallway. With his spot vacant, she plopped down next to you and kicked her feet onto the coffee table. When he came back with his pet, he scowled.

“Hey, you stole my spot!”

“Didn’t see your name on it.”

“I was literally just there!” He stuck out a hand.

“Well, you weren’t for a second.” She hummed.

The three of you, just like old times.

“To think I used to complain about people bringing their babies to the theater,” Amy muttered, collecting her popcorn from the snack bar. She spun around to reveal Bob strapped to her torso. “Now I’m people.”

“And you’re seeing Captain America of all movies.”

“I must be crazy.”

“I mean,” You made a face. Amy was the one who suggested this, but now that she was here, she had to be persuaded. “It was either here or the gym. It’s not your fault Malena couldn’t take him tonight.”

“That’s not even the problem,” She sighed.

“Then what is?” You asked, confused.

“I don’t wanna leave Bob with anybody right now.” Amy hugged him close, face falling slightly.

She still had a hard time being away from her baby after that incident. She didn’t have a choice while working, but now that she was off-duty, keeping him around was always at the back of her mind.

“Then I guess we’ll have to get him used to these kinds of places.” You pulled her along, watching her expression closely. She let you, albeit reluctantly. “There’s a first time for everything, you know?”

“I guess,” She fixed his earmuffs. “Sorry, Bob.”

“When was the last time you went to see a movie anyway?” You asked, walking inside with her.

“Beats me.”

Two hours later, you both emerged from the theater.

“That was fucking amazing,” She let out, smiling from ear to ear. “Bob fell asleep halfway through!”

You and Amy swung by Whole Foods after.

“Do you think he’s gonna win?” She asked, watching you add several bananas to the shopping cart.

The question had been looming over your minds ever since Mathias brought it up. The WBC Continental Americas title. He and another heavyweight boxer would go toe to toe in the arena for that belt.

“It’s hard to say,” You shook your head, falling deep in thought. “This is his first shot at a real title.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m just relieved he didn’t give up.”

“Me too.” She furrowed her brows.

“Whatever happens, I’m really happy that he’s kinda himself again,” You added, smiling briefly. Because even after everything that happened, he didn’t quit. And that couldn’t be more fitting for who he was.

“Well, I’m glad he’s back.” Amy hummed, though her expression came off as more bittersweet than anything. Your face fell slightly when you picked up on it. “I wouldn’t be telling you this otherwise.”

“Telling me what?”

“That Mat told me,” She inhaled a deep breath before revealing what had been on her mind forever. “He wanted you to move out with him. And I just want you to know that I’m a hundred percent for it.”

“What?” Your heart sank. “He told you?”

“Ages ago, actually. I just never had the chance to bring it up. Didn’t wanna cause any more drama,” Amelia explained, pushing the cart along as she spoke. “What, with everything that went down?”

You turned away, eyes darting restlessly and mind racing with a million thoughts. This whole time?

“Allen would’ve gone nuts.” She widened her eyes.

It was no secret that he loved you dearly, going so far as to use you as an emotional crutch. To leave was to put him in a vulnerable headspace, but you couldn’t be there for him forever, not even if you wanted to.

“Not that he won’t freak out if you told him now, but he might not fly off the handle when you do.”

“But what about the apartment?” You asked, voice faint. Now that moving out was on the table, every doubt you’ve ever had flooded your mind in a rush of anxiety. “And what about Bob? I can’t just leave.”

“We’ll be fine,” Amy assured, holding your shoulder. It was a blanket statement at best, but how else were things supposed to be? “Allen will have to get a job someday. And Bob won’t be small forever.”

“But he’s only six months old.” You uttered.

“He can sit upright and eat scrambled eggs, now. That’s pretty big if you ask me.” She nudged you.

You laughed some, thankful for her lightheartedness.

“But, point is,” She went back to pushing her cart, as reflective of the continuation of the conversation.  “You’ve already been there for the most crucial part of his life. And nine months before that too.”

“Of course I was, Amy. That’s a given.”

“What if it’s not supposed to be given?” She asked, much to your dismay. “You’ve already done so much for us, and I can’t just force you to stay forever. That would be the most selfish thing I could do to you.”

“Maybe,” You replied stiffly. Everything she just said was a stark reminder of what you told Allen once, and you always regretted it from the bottom of your heart. “But you aren’t forcing me to do anything.”

“Really?”

“I love living with you guys,” You let out, voice faint to hide the sadness in it. “You’re my best friend.”

Amy stood perfectly still, overwhelmed by a rush of emotions. Then, she turned to you, eyes wide. When she saw that you were barely holding it together, she did something completely out of character.

She hugged you as tight as she could.

“I know.” She shut her eyes. “But you have to go.”

You hugged her back, lips pursed tightly in a frown. She knew what you really wanted, and would go to great lengths for you to have it. Even if it meant letting you go, the hardest thing she could ever do.

“Do you think Bob will remember me?”

“He will if you visit,” She released you with a content smile, knowing she managed to convince you. So, she took in your face for what felt like the last time. “So don’t go somewhere I can’t get to, okay?”

Getting Amelia on board with the idea was easy because she was already all for it. Allen, on the other hand, would be a completely different story. But you had to tell him someday, even if that wasn’t today.

You pushed the door open to the local boxing gym.

When you got inside, you saw Mathias doing mitt work with Allen. Their brewing friendship was the most unexpected development yet, and you had to cover your mouth to hide your enthusiasm.

They had more in common than they looked.

The sun was almost set when you three walked home together. Allen had his arms folded behind his head, his dark eyes staring into the distance. Mathias had your hand in his, which squeezed you here and there.

“So,” You began, breaking the comfortable silence with a query. “Are you two friends now?”

They both made a face, brows raised and squinting.

“I don’t think Allen would be comfortable with that.”

“No, I wouldn’t.”

“Oh, alright.” You sighed, stifling a laugh at their synchronization. “I was just curious, is all.”

“Saying we’re friends would be putting him on the same level as you. And that’s gross.” Allen mumbled.

“There’s always distinctions you make with different friends you have,” You glanced at him and watched his expression intently, which didn’t seem to change. “Surely you have friends you’re close to, or not at all.”

“Not really,” He shrugged. “I mean, I used to.”

A brief silence followed, and you were left to put the pieces together. Mathias didn’t have any idea what he implied, but you knew better. He must’ve been talking about his pals from Afghanistan.

“It’s fine.” Allen grinned at you. “I have you guys.”

You didn’t say anything more, only bringing his arm down to hold it. He appreciated the gesture, the discreteness of it, and smiled warmly at you to prove it. You smiled back as if to tell him he was right.

He had you, Amy, and Bob.

Slowly, but surely, Mathias could make the cut too.

“You told Amy,” You began, staying in the doorway as he shuffled through his things in his bedroom. Allen waited outside in the front yard, giving you both a moment of privacy, however brief that may be.

Mathias stopped for a moment, back turned to you.

“Are you mad at me?” He murmured.

“No,” You neared him, gaze softening. He glanced over his shoulder, surprised. But that dissolved into relief as soon as you said this. “I’m actually glad you did. I don’t think I would’ve been able to tell her.”

“I’m glad,” He smiled, taking your hands.

You smiled back, warmed by his touch.

“She loves you more than you know.”

Out of the four of you, Mathias was the least afraid of change. It took a lot of faith to carry himself the way he did, and he did so naturally. Without him, you would’ve been stuck in the same place for years.

“So, what did she say?”

Allen kicked a pebble off the pavement. When he glanced up at the apartment again, he saw you two having a conversation. About what, he didn’t know. But he could make a judgement from afar.

The way Mathias looked at you, laughed, then picked you up in the tightest embrace had him wondering if this was the end of everything he knew. It was a huge jump from point a to b, but he wasn’t stupid.

He looked too happy for it to be anything else.

You did too, talking excitedly about something he wasn’t a part of, and never would be. When that dawned on Allen, he turned away, heart in his hand. That night, he walked home by himself.

Out on the balcony where he always was, he knelt over his plants and tended to them. Basil, thyme, sage, and parsley—all Summer herbs. He snipped off the stalks and harvested them for the coming Fall.

“Why didn’t you wait for me?”

“I thought you were staying at his place.”

“If I was, I would’ve said that.” You stepped outside with him. When he didn’t respond, you instantly knew he was bent out of shape over something, but what, you didn’t know. “What is this really about?”

“Nothing,” He kept chopping his plants, but his movements grew less and less controlled as he continued. His front was already crumbling, and you just got here. “Everything’s just nice and peachy.”

“Okay, Al.” You relented, turning to the sliding door.

The sight of your back was all it took.

“If you don’t wanna talk about it, you don’t have to.”

What remained of his hard exterior was all but gone. You broke him down all over again, and simply by letting him be. He couldn’t take it anymore. Not the distance, or the reality that he could never have you.

“Wait.” He stood up, sighing. “Don’t close that door.”

You stopped halfway through the door frame, your eyes softening at his change of heart. If he had something to tell you, you did too. And your concerns were realer than what he thought he saw out there.

“I wanna talk.”

Mathias knocked on the doorframe of his coach’s office. In his hand was the slip of paper he’d been itching to get for the past month. He handed it to his mentor, who scanned it before tossing it on his desk.

With that out of the way, the old man stood up and brushed past him in a slight hobble.

“Get your wraps. We’re gonna start with the basics.”

Allen stood with you on the balcony, his arms draped over the railing. He stared into the night as he tried to think of the words. After a few minutes of mulling it over, this was the best he could come up with.

“So, what, he propose to you or something?”

“No!” You shot him a heated look, watching his brows go up. “Is that what you were upset about?”

He pursed his lips, hands raised in denial. But seeing that you were unconvinced, he just sucked it up.

“Yeah.”

“Well, he didn’t propose, okay?”

“Then that’s all I wanted to know,” He grinned, voice rich with satisfaction. He went back to his usual self almost instantly, hopping back into the living room. “Now all I’m missing is a kiss for good measure.”

“A kiss?” You stifled a laugh.

“You know I’m only kidding.” He scraped the bottom of his flip-flops against the entry mat to clean them. When Allen faced you again, he leaned against the door frame. “You don’t have to if you don’t wanna.”

He might’ve said one thing, but the gentle smile on his face meant another. And since you couldn’t give him what he really wanted, you gave him the next best thing. You leaned forward and hugged him.

Allen’s arms went around you on instinct, like a reflex he didn’t need to think about. There, he nestled his chin on your head, closing his eyes in the embrace. Then, his smile grew out of a deep sense of peace.

Now this wasn’t so bad. He also got the assurances he needed, so why was he still so sad?

“Listen, Al.”

Mathias raised his gloved fists, bright red in color.

“I have something I need to tell you.”

With his head low and eyes up, he looked intensely focused as he jabbed the sandbag in front of him. Only they were nothing but light taps, hitting the same spot on the leather, over and over.

“Okay, then tell me.” Allen was a little unnerved that you even had to announce it. What he saw tonight, how he always felt around you, and your anxious demeanor only seemed to validate that fear.

“I’m moving out with Mat.” You finally let out.

“Oh.”

A few seconds of painstaking silence went by.

“When?”

Mathias tightened the strings of his hoodie until only his face was left uncovered. Now that Summer was ending, he could feel a cool breeze on his morning runs. The seasons were changing, and so was he.

“I don’t know, but probably sometime after his tournament. We haven’t decided on anything yet,” You answered truthfully, scanning his face for something, anything. But he gave you nothing.

“Does Amy know?”

Or so you thought.

“Yeah.” You nodded. “I told her last week.”

“Right.” He looked down, eyes darkening. It was inconceivable that anybody could be so hurt over something so minor, but Allen wasn’t just anybody. “Why am I always the last one to know things?”

“I was gonna tell you, Al. I promise.” You spoke softly, taking his arms. “I just had to find the right time.”

“Why is it always Amy you go to when you know something will affect me most?” He rubbed his eyes with one hand, choking back a sob. “You guys are always keeping things from me and leaving me out!”

“We only do that because we don’t wanna hurt you!” You flushed, making him shake his head bitterly.

“You’re gonna hurt me anyway. So you might as well just say it.” Allen muttered, staring dead into your eyes as a single tear fell from his. His words were cutting, and the way he looked at you, even more so.

“I’m sorry,” Your voice broke. “I never mean to.”

He was right about being excluded, and he had all the right in the world to berate you for it. It was also selfish to expect him to react any different, especially when you’ve always known of his greatest fear.

Being isolated, physically or mentally.

“And you probably already knew that, too.” He shook his head again, turning away to get to your bedroom. But before he could lock himself in it, you grabbed onto his wrist. “You just didn’t wanna freak me out.”

“Of course I didn’t wanna freak you out,” You let out, tone desperate. “That’s the only reason why I have a hard time telling you about these things. Not because I don’t love you, or don’t feel close to you.”

“And how’s that turning out for you?” He faced you, eyes burning with truth. “I’ll find out anyway. I always do. Then I’ll find my own time to freak out. Because that’s just what I do. That’s what I’m the best at.”

Usually, he was the one making compromises in conversations, taking the fall for his faults.

“Losing my temper. Because I’m a fucking manic.”

“That’s not true!”

But right now, he was as quick as a whip.

And he was right about everything.

“It is, though. If it wasn’t, we wouldn’t be here having this fucking conversation.” Allen glared, but his anger with you only lasted so long. “And since we’re here, you wanna know why I flipped out in the first place?”

“Why did you flip out, then?” You uttered.

“It’s not just because I have a thing for you, okay?” He exclaimed, chest heaving and face reddening.

“Then why?” You flushed, eyes darting restlessly.

“Because if you get married, you’re gonna go away.” Allen said shakily, voice faint with unbearable hurt. “You’re gonna go somewhere I can’t get to, get busy, have a few babies, and you won’t have time for me.”

Your face contorted.

“Then you’re gonna forget about me,”

It was unthinkable that you could ever cut him out of your life, but he was already treating it like reality.

“And I won’t be a part of your life anymore.”

“You’ll always be a part of my life, Allen.” You reached up to caress his face, currently streaked with tears. “Even if we won’t see each other as much, I’ll always be thinking of you. And I’d still call and visit you.”

“But that’s not good enough,” He choked.

“I won’t be far, I promise. I promised Amy that too.”

“But you won’t be here.”

“You have to learn be independent from me, Allen.”

He shook his head, breathing too hard to manage a verbal protest. You were asking way too much of him, even if it was just to live out partially separate lives. You were his rock, and he wasn’t ready to let you go.

“But you also have to trust me.”

A string was tied across the ring like a washing line. The gym was dark, save for the spotlight they stood under, coach and pupil. The pupil in question stood next to the line, his shoulder barely just grazing it.

Then, he ducked under it to the other side.

He repeated the motion, bobbing under the line from side to side. By bending down and moving quickly from left to right, he could dodge anything thrown at him. But the timing and range had to be perfect.

“I’m so jealous of Mathias,” He squeezed you, eyes shut tight as he whispered frantically into your neck. “He’s got everything going for him. When he wants something, he just gets it. I can’t do that.”

“I think we’ve all felt that way before,” You admitted, holding him closer. “He’s the best of all of us.”

Mathias rolled under a punch, dodging it like second nature. When he rose, he jabbed his opponent twice, getting them to back up. He was a speed demon, taking advantage of their mistakes on the fly.

With the newly-established distance, he threw his fist up for a killer uppercut. It collided with their jaw, throwing their head back in a splash of saliva. And just like that, his partner fell on the mat, defeated.

“But there’s something you have that he doesn’t.”

“And what’s that?” Allen murmured, pulling back.

“Mathias and I can fight, argue, or even break up one day, but not us,” You answered, frowning deeply. “And I know that sounds bad, but there’s nothing in the world that could change what we have.”

He smiled and bowed his head at what he’d already known, a truth he constantly needed reminding of. But you always knew the right thing to say. And for that, everything felt like it was going to be okay.

“You’ll always be my family.”

“Maybe that’s why I never tried anything,” Allen said. He’d been so hung up over what he could’ve had, he never realized this was what he really wanted all along. “Because I didn’t wanna ruin what we had.”

“And what did we have?” You smiled.

He gazed up at you, eyes twinkling.

“Something perfect.”

He was your best friend, and maybe a little more than that, but he made it a point to never cross that line. What you had with Allen was incorruptible, the kind of love people spent their entire lives looking for.

“Something pure.” He kissed you on the forehead, the most innocent kind of affection one could give. And you leaned in, basking in the warmth of his soft lips. “And I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Allen stayed with you all night. With your body next to his, he never fell asleep so fast. This may only be for so long, but he couldn’t be upset about it forever. You were moving on, and he had to accept that.

“That makes seven rompers and five pairs of pants,”

You sorted through the baby clothes in the basket Mathias held. He insisted on tagging along with you to ‘help you hold things,’ but you had a sneaking suspicion he came for another spending spree.

“Anything else we need?”

“Uhhh,” He scanned the shopping list with a focused expression. “Four pajama outfits… And a tank top?”

“Oh. That’s for Allen,” You pointed at the bottom of the note. “See how the handwriting changes?”

“Oh,” Mathias mumbled. Now that you mentioned it. When he glanced up again, you were off to look for those items, so he did what he thought would be the next best thing: doing some browsing on his own.

When he approached you for your opinion, you were still in the baby section, picking out sleepers.

“What do you think?” He held two outfits in front of you and moved them up and down. “Blue or yellow?

“Those are for newborns, Mathias,” You answered, going back to the rack. “They’re not gonna fit Bob,”

“I know they’re for newborns.”

“If I say ‘blue’ and see the blue one in your dresser, I’m seriously gonna murder you,” You sighed, knowing exactly where this conversation was going. And frankly speaking, you were a little nervous.

“Okaaay. Does that mean you’ll spare me if I buy the yellow one?” He hummed with growing smile.

“Mat,” You shot him a heated look, embarrassed out of your wits. “The bear was cute, but this is crazy.”

“But these are cute too!”

“No, I meant you,” You sighed, stifling a defeated laugh at his outburst. “We haven’t even moved out and you’re already thinking that far ahead. Imagine what Allen would do to you if I ever got pregnant.”

“You don’t have to wait for his approval, you know?” Mathias grumbled, putting both outfits back, blue and yellow. “I know he’s close to you, but what we do is none of his business. So he should stay out of it.”

“Still,” You shook your head. “You’re going too fast.”

“I know, I know. I just got excited,” He sighed, noting how worried you looked. And it was a fair reaction given the kind of person he was. Tenacious, self-indulgent, and apparently, family-oriented.

But he’d be damned if he didn’t already learn his lesson. So he stopped you in the aisle, hands on your shoulders. “I’m not rushing you into anything. Especially not something this important, okay?”

“Good,” You softened your gaze, peering up at him. “Because I don’t wanna fight with you anymore.”

If anything, he’d save this for after the fight.

“I wouldn’t wanna fight me either.”

You were about to give him an earful for being so unserious, but you let it slide this time. After overcoming a roadblock and months of preparation, he was finally in shape for his biggest match yet.

“Are you nervous?”

“A little,” He grinned. “But I’m ready.”

Next chapter: Coming soon

Tag-list: @sunnysssol @chicha027 @javelintine @sport-lova @archive-of-bones

[someone-you-do-not-know]

I need to talk about Denmark's human name. I never liked the fandom name Mathias Køhler, because I have some personal beef with the name Mathias, and I'd rather have a -sen last name to represent him, since those are way more common in Denmark. But hey, it's a fandom name, so just use some of Himaruya's suggestions then, right?

Well.

Everywhere you look for Denmark's human name in the English-speaking fandom, you'll find something along the lines of this:

So first name, use one of those, last name, Densen, case closed, right? Except, no. It's not. As a Dane, Densen (I've seen it spelled Dansen on occasion) is SUPER rare. It doesn't read as a real last name to me, and if I go to the Danish statistic site for names, there's only four people with Densen as a last name, and ZERO with Dansen. So it never sat right with me. That, and this misconception that Andersen, Arnesen, and Christensen could work as a first name just seemed wrong to me – the -sen suffix means "son of", and is never used in first names unless your parents hate you or something. That's why I dug deeper.

I clicked the source.

Now, my Japanese is pretty bad, but there's this nifty little thing called website translation, so I translated it to English, and this was the results:

And I thought, "huh, that's weird? Where's that horrible Densen?" I can guess that "Anelsen" is a poor translation of Andersen and "Anasen" is either a different spelling of that or Arnesen. "Mikel" should be spelled Mikkel (which Hima does spell it as). But clearly, something was missing. In the whole translated page, there was nothing about Densen. So I sent it back to Japanese and searched for デンマーク to get to the right spot:

There's no デンセン or anything close to it. It doesn't exist. So I came to the only conclusion I could – it's a mistranslation/add on made by the translator. I don't know if it was done with bad intent or not, but either way, this Densen-thing is wrong! I remember coming across someone speculating it might be a bad translation of Dinesen, the pen name of a Danish female author, but it never even existed in the first place!

So please stop using Densen/Dansen as Denmark's last name with the justification that Himaruya liked it. You can use it as a fandom name (and I'll think you're silly for it), but don't say it has any canon justification, because it doesn't.

It does make me wonder how many other odd translations there is in the English-speaking fandom...

[ceramiccity]

Modern Chest with Art and Chair

Ritter Chest, Poly Bookends, Densen Chair and drawing by cagey_cretin via eggcollective - Modern minimalist room with blue dresser, wall art, wood chair and books. Follow Ceramic City on Tumblr Source: https://www.pinterest.com/theceramiccity/

[valyrra]

COURIER SIX OC:

Last name: Bell

First name: Eve

Species: Human/Female

Age: ~22-23

Height: 175cm

Hair color: blonde

Eye color: blue

Appearance: pretty athletic tall adult woman with blonde wavy hair and blue eyes.

Fav. weapon choice: Lucky (.357 Magnum round revolver) + .44 Magnum revolver (dual-wielded)

Alignment: Chaotic good

Pros: tries(!) to do the right thing, adaptable, good at shooting, charismatic, easy to calm down

Cons: barely can read, addictive, suffers from mood swings and partial memory loss

PERKS: Cowboy, Black Widow, Finesse

Short Lore: Adult woman who was raised by two violent raiders. Later became courier 6 (!) who travels with an gen-2 Synth named Bill.

Theme song: Seven Nation Army – The White Stripes

Face Claim: Imogen Poots

Inspiration: mostly Micah Bell (appearance)(RDR2), female nomad V (CP2077), Kate Densen (DBD), Ashe (Overwatch), Elena Fisher (Uncharted), Cassie Cage(MK)

[insidious-journalist]

Water - to offer my muse a glass of water

The doe masked Kate had spent quite a bit of time dancing in the ballroom, both by herself and with others. Soon enough she found herself at the refreshment table, seeking out some water. She glanced out of the corner of her mask and spotted the bird mask first. The scar looked a but familiar, but she didn't say anything.

"Water for the tall drink of water?" She teased, holding out a glass to him.

@wanderingsongbird

It was hard to find respite from other people in a ballroom surrounded by, of course, other people. As much as he liked attention for his ego it was a bit overwhelming when all eyes were on him, even if briefly just to acknowledge his presence. It was getting under his skin and he was about to head elsewhere when someone approached him, offering some water and a cheesy bit of flirting. It distracted the man from his own thoughts and earned a chuckle as he took it in his left hand, opting to ignore the right.

"Cute, thank you. You saved me about a minute to go over and get it myself, so I'm forever grateful."

A sip to calm his nerves as he took in the other's appearance, thinking her voice to be familiar. He'd probably figure it out soon, and decided not to pry about it off the bat. The masks were meant for mystery, after all. "Have you been here long? I just arrived and I'm struggling to decide what to do, exactly... Care to help me out?" Anything to slip into normalcy here, and not just be the man out of place.

[glittery-ishfish]

For context:

"In a 2010 blog post of Himaruya's, the names Himaruya had suggested to him that he liked for Denmark were Andersen, Christensen, Arnesen, Simon Densen, Abel, Mikkel, Magnus, and Bertram, with "Densen" being the surname he liked.[43]" -Hetalia Archives

Mathias Kohler was never one of the name ideas.

[forecasts-daily]

8 AM : Cloud cover continues to densen, likely into the mid afternoon. Organizers of the Hot Air Balloon Festival have released a statement on their official social media explaining that the event may be canceled if conditions do not improve. Pray for the dissipation of winds by evening.

[unheardcorner]

The World's words in a densening lump disables me to speak.