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pranksinatrastrology · 4 years

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Sun Signs Vs. Moon Signs

Your sun sign in astrology is your ego, personality, will, a fundamental sense of self. The best way I had it described to me was the sun sign is what you strive to be. Your moon sign is deeper, more subconscious in the way it presents itself in people. The moon represents your desires, your emotions, the things we keep internalized, longings, who you are when you are alone. If the sun “strives to be”, the moon simply “is”. The moon is not put on or aspired to, it is what is under the surface, inherently a part of us. It bubbles and desires and lives under the sun, impacting us heavily in how we relate to others, what we need out of those relationships, and how we bound about others. For the sun think the outer jazz hands of who we are, moon think deep, what you see after you get to really know someone and engage with them emotionally. Here are some key differences between the SUN in the signs and the MOON in the signs:

Aries Sun: Aries is a fire sign and also the first sign of the zodiac, the newborn baby of the signs, so to say. The Sun is also exalted in Aries which means it is at home in this combination, it is comfortable here. The Sun likes being in the motivated, action-driven sign of Aries. While a sun and moon in Aries share many characteristics, there are some key differences, one of which being the sun can be less aggressive than the moon. The Aries sun people have a lot of energy, but are usually less reactive than the Aries moon will be. Both share the qualities of being childlike, competitive, and a tendency towards being argumentative.The Aries sun can contain their nature better than the Aries moon can which means they will come across more composed than an Aries moon. Aries sun people are generally brave and pioneers who enjoy a challenge.

Aries Moon: The moon is where all the quintessential fiery Aries characteristics are very apparent. They have lots of mental energy and fire and passion, in the feminine planet of the moon. The masculine energy of Aries and the feminine moon colliding can make for some explosive inner conflict, as the moon is not at ease in this placement. The Aries, ruled by mars, wants action, while the feminine moon wants stability and softness. Aries moon can be a very strong placement that can overpower a less bold sun sign (i.e. pisces) and it may make the person appear more Aries-like than Piscean to those close to them. This moon sign burns hot and bright, feels a lot, and can be ready for a fight at any moment. It doesn’t mean that they are always arguing, but the potential for an argumentative personality when they are emotionally provoked is there for a less evolved person. An aries moon can be more playful than the sun, as it has more raw Aries energy, in the placement of emotions and desires (the moon).

Taurus Sun: Taurus is an earth sign, the sign of the bull, and the sun in Taurus is more of the quintessential bull stereotype when compared to the moon in Taurus. It is protective, strong, and solid. It is more visibly Taurus, as the sun, than it is in the moon. The fixed nature of the Taurus is more apparent here, as well. Fixed signs are stubborn and can be set in their ways, and those can be traits displayed by Taurus Suns. Taurus can be more shallow in the sun than in the moon, because it is striving to be Taurus like, while the moon just is. They enjoy the finer things in life like food, music, nice scenery, all things that delight the senses, but they are less overindulgent than the moon signs, typically. Taurus sun is also less tactful and sensitive to other’s feelings than the moon. Taurus suns stubborn personality can be their asset when they use it to accomplish their goals, they can be extremely determined. They work hard to obtain the things they want that can help them relax and feel comfortable, they are working for an end, not just working to work. They want their hard work to pay off and lead to a more comfortable, secure life.

Taurus Moon: The Taurus moon is softer than the sun, more graceful, and more refined. They can have an apparent softness or femininity to them the suns lack. They are more sensitive than the sun with their own feelings and with others’. Taurus loves the finer things in life but the moon sign, being the deeper more inherent manifestation of Taurus energy, just exudes a sensuality and feeling of comfort. They can be described as coming across as “chill”. They are also more indulgent in all things comfort and sensual, than the sun signs, and can get lost in laziness more easily. They are stubborn, but it comes from a deeper place, either evoked by an emotional trigger, or stubborn about their emotions. Both placements have a need for security and stability, but the moon sign will suffer greatly emotionally without it. They also love, love, because Taurus is ruled by Venus (planet of love), and are in the soft feminine moon here...this makes them real lovers of love. They will dote on the one they love and spoil them with romantic gifts and things that indulge one’s senses.

Gemini Sun: Gemini, Gemini, Gemini, you can be so fun in the sun! You can also be incredibly “put on”. The sun in Gemini “strives to be” seen as intelligent, quick witted, and interesting and more times than not they are...but it can come across as shallowness to others. Gemini is a cerebral air sign, in their heads with very active minds. The sun tends to be more of the social butterfly when compared to the Gemini moon. They are more intense than the moons, as if they want to appear easy going, but inside they are not. They are less about asking questions and more about providing answers, than the moon in Gemini is. They are the fun aloof friend at the party working the room, or the dry factual friend who is giving out information and facts (that maybe no one asked for) depending on their other placements. They want a mental connection first and foremost, which is a trait they share with the Gemini moon placement.

Gemini Moon: The Gemini moon is also restless, cerebral, and intellectual but they tend to be more in their head than the sun. They are very naturally curious for curiousity’s sake, and less showy about their knowledge. Yet, still Gemini is ruled by mercury, the planet of communication, so communication is a vital need gemini moon’s have. They can sometimes take that to the extreme and end up being gossips and collect information about those around them but that is not always the case. They are internally restless, easily bored, minds constantly in motion. They come across as easier, breezier people than the sun signs do. They are more willing to say they do not know something than the sun signs, because remember, they are not striving to be seen as curious, they just are. They also long for a twin flame or a partnership, preferably made by mental connection first. They can have a hard time making decisions and experience a lot of anxiety because there is so much constant mental activity happening here. Crave communication.

Cancer Sun: They behave outwardly more like a Cancer than the Cancer moons do, meaning they ACT on the desires of a cancer more. A Cancer likes security, the sun will go out and get it, while the moon will FEEL the desires for security but may have a harder time going out to get it. A Cancer sun takes more action than a cancer moon to change a situation they don’t like. Both the sun and the moon have strong survival and self protective instincts. They are the crab after all, they have tough outer shells but are mushy inside. The suns are lighter than the moons and tend to have a goofy, if not wacky, sense of humor. Both signs place an importance on family, or those in their life they make into their family (doesn’t have to be their birth family, chosen family is just as important to them), but the Cancer sun is less of a homebody than the Cancer moon is. The sun is more outwardly Cancer presenting, meaning they will go into a space and make it comfortable for others and home-like. They can have strong leadership skills but won’t lead in a typical way, it will be more encouraging people to unite under a common goal, than strictly delegation. Cancer suns are less of the motherly cancer stereotype than the cancer moon. Once they come out of their shells, they will express very raw authentic feelings to those close to them.

Cancer Moon: The Cancer moon is right at home in this placement. The moon is the ruling planet of cancer, so it is the sign in the planet that rules it, so soft and mushy...these people are highly sensitive! They are so at home here, it is easy to get stuck in their feelings and brood or mope. Less evolved cancer moons can sulk and throw pity parties, but an evolved cancer moon will learn to accept their level of sensitivity and know when to put up boundaries and when to let others in. Cancer moons FEEL like a cancer, they feel the desires or emotions that are stereotypical to the Cancer energy: nurturing, needing security, desire for family or family-like belonging. They also tend to express their anger through crying, as they are very soft inside. They are BABY. They have the tendency toward being passive aggressive to others and to be manipulative to protect themselves before they mature. A cancer moon can be a gift to have around when they have matured and know how to handle HOW MUCH THEY FEEL, which is a lot! It also means they are highly empathetic and nurturing to those they love, once they let them in.

Leo Sun: Leo is a fire sign and often characterized as the lion. A Leo is more at home in the sun placement than the moon, all fire signs are really. The sun “strives to be” whatever sign they are in and Leo is no exception! Leo’s are playful, flamboyant, all things glam and glitter (doesn’t mean they are dressed in bedazzled denim head to toe, their personalities take on those sparkly shapes!) They like to be the leader, they enjoy and thrive off in situations where they can garner some attention or praise. The suns tend to be more of the stereotypical male lion, than the moon, strutting around commanding attention and can have a regal air to them. They can also be very gregarious and generous in return with the attention they languish on those around them that they love. They are more of the leo that will laugh at their own jokes, they are more performative than the moons. Both placements are playful and creative.

Leo Moon: A leo moon is more of the lionness, less about the strutting, more about the hunting. They can be tough and serious when threatened. A leo moon is less striving to be seen as confident and just “is”, when compared to a leo sun. This placement is less bark and more bite. Leo is also an energy that wants to push forward, dream big, take risks, and the moon likes to hold back, be safe, and long for security. Those are dueling energies (leo and the moon), which can create an inner moodiness in a leo moon. They don’t show off as much as a leo sun, but can be surprisingly warmer than the suns can be. When you get close to them and see how their moon is at work you will see they have a lot of inner fire. They can behave very dramatically or react dramatically when emotional. They need attention from those they love. The suns play to the crowd and any attention can fill that need, but the moons need attention from those closest to them. They are more protective, like a lioness, of those they love than the sun, male lion is. Leo is also a fixed sign which makes these people emotionally stubborn. But generally people with a leo moon are optimistic, creative, and big dreamers like their sun sign counterparts, they just display it differently. They are the leo that will laugh with you at YOUR jokes.

Virgo Sun: Virgo suns are the analyzers. Again, the sun strives to be, so they want to project the virgo image of having it together, it doesn’t mean that is how they feel inside or on an emotional level. The stereotypes of cleanliness and anal retentive behavior can be true but it is very much just a stereotype. The suns are actually less likely to be organized than the moons are. Virgo suns can be more of an outward projection of that perfection people associate with the sign of virgo. They want to inform others on the best way to live their lives, virgo moons more often feel internal pressure to live up to whatever standard they believe in. That does not mean Virgo suns are arrogant, they believe it is good and loving to help those around them live the best life they can and be the best them they can be! They are not trying to be naggy or know it alls, they truly believe in improvement and self betterment and they will share that knowledge with you. They can be incredibly humble people and can be self critical as they want to project a certain level of “having it togetherness”. They are also incredibly driven when they do invest in a skill or want to learn something they learn everything they can and can become experts in whatever their interests are as a result. They are not boring, as they can be portrayed (no one is boring, just different from you) but they do usually like to have fun in a way that they still feel safe and feels healthy to them.

Virgo Moon: The moon is internally more of the stereotypical virtues related to the sign of virgo, than the sun is. They can be more stressed and anxious than the sun if they don’t live up to the ideals of perfection or the “right way to do something”, in their mind. They need to feel productive, whatever productive means to them. They are very analytical and detail oriented, more so than the suns. They also tend to be more reserved and gentle than the suns. The virgo energy gets projected inward a lot of the time with the moon placement, so they feel critical of THEMSELVES, more than others, which can lead to poor self esteem. It does not mean they can’t be critical of those around them, they can. When they feel out of control emotionally they can begin to project that need for safety and doing things”the right way” onto others. They have to learn how to accept their imperfections and others or they will suffer emotionally. They tend to be more actions based, as an earth sign, than verbal, but are generally introspective souls.

Libra Sun: Libra suns are the more social of the two libra placements. These are the social butterflies of the zodiac, with their outward charm, grace, and preoccupation with beauty. Libra is ruled by venus (planet of love and beauty) so in any libra placement beauty will be of importance. The sun is more concerned with people pleasing than the moon in libra is, at least on a more superficial level. They are also more confident about their beauty than the moon in libra is, which surprisingly can make them less preoccupied with it. They can go to a party and have a hair out of place and still believe in their ability to come across as beautiful, a moon in libra will be very distracted knowing that hair is out of place and have a harder time letting go and becomes preoccupied with whatever beauty related flaw they are displaying. These people can be naturally very flirty, so much so, they may not know when they are doing it or they may not be flirting at all they are just that charming and pleasant to be around. The need for people to like them can lead to some shallow behavior at times and they can be almost aggressively nice. They may actually care less about others than the moon sign because they can be very concerned about whether or not they are liked versus do they like you and want to know you. Libra suns are much more likely to casually date around than a libra moon would be. There is usually something inherently aesthetically pleasing about a libra sun, even if they’re not conventionally attractive and they usually have a large group of friends.

Libra Moon: Unlike the libra sun, the libra moon would not be interested in casually dating for the long term, because a libra moon placement is all about partnership. These people are more intense and romantic than the sun signs. They are also more inherently charming than the suns, who tend to put it on, they just ARE charming and pleasant. They have a very strong emotional need for balance. Libra is characterized by the scales and that is never more apparent than it is with Libra moon’s need for balance. Libra is the sign of relationships and partnerships and if you put that into a moon placement, you get a deep emotional longing for relationships and partnerships. These people need long lasting meaningful relationships to feel emotionally fulfilled. It isn’t that they cannot be whole without another person, even though many of them can feel that way, it is that they will always have a deep longing for a partner. They feel they do their best, have the most emotional growth, are living their best life when they have a partner to do it with. All moon signs have a default, have some kind of common weakness that can ensnare us, and for the libra moon it can be codependency. If they do not have the fortitude to wait for the right partner and invest in themselves first, they can fall into codependency and trying to make partnerships work that they should let go of. These people love love, they yearn for it, exude it, think about it, and think about it some more. In the end they will try and find the right balance because that is what a libra desires, balance. They want a partner they can connect with mentally, who will be their best friend, and who will stick around for the long haul. It is complicated to have a core need be another person or people, so that is something libra moons have to learn to navigate in a healthy balanced way. They can be indecisive because a libra moon come at things weighing both sides and trying to maintain that balance. They are less confident and more self critical of their own physical beauty than the suns. They are far more likely to settle down earlier in life than a libra sun is.

Scorpio Sun: The scorpio sun and moon may have one of the biggest differences between the sun and the moon placements in the same sign in all of the zodiac. The way they present themselves can be very different. As a sun placement strives to be, a scorpio sun strives to be all things scorpio. They want to be seen as mysterious, powerful, unique. They can have act more on scorpio desires than a moon, meaning they can be more reckless with the scorpio energy than the moon sign can. The scorpio sun is a lighter placement than the scorpio moon placement. These people can be dominant and like to be the center of attention but not in a flashy leo-centric way, in a way that craves power over just plain attention. The suns are more open than scorpio moons and more willing to share their feelings. There can be an ego to the scorpio sun because they strive to be powerful, instead of inherently being so or believing deep down they are. They may engage in power plays with people. They tend to form smaller groups of friends than the moon because they open up more than the moon...they form very tight small groups of friends, but with very strong bonds. If a sun in scorpio doesn’t like you, you will usually know it, and with a scorpio moon you may not. They are very determined people and they rarely give up when they want something. They act on the scorpio feelings and things associated with scorpio, while the moon feels them more.

Scorpio Moon: Because a moon sign just is and isn’t striving to be the sign, the scorpio moon is more of the dark stereotypical scorpio energy you hear about. These people are intense, can be very comfortable with the dark side of life, and are the most secretive of the moon signs, and possibly overall placement of the zodiac. They are extremely guarded and self protective, especially when younger. As they mature and evolve they may become more open and less secretive. They are afraid of losing their power to others so they guard their heart and selves heavily, to maintain that control and power. A lot of scorpio moons, for whatever reason have experienced a lot of early traumas in life and they had to learn early on how to emotionally safeguard themselves. While scorpio suns are more outwardly egotistical, scorpio moons can show a more egotistical side to those close to them. It all stems for the internal need for power that lives in all scorpio energy. It is not that they always want to overpower you, they are afraid of losing that power over themselves and therefore not being safe anymore. They can take a very long time to open up and let people in. They loathe being embarrassed or humiliated in any way and can show a vengeful side if they feel you have purposefully set out to hurt them, or they will cut you off completely. The moons can actually be a lot warmer and kinder than scorpio suns because in the moon there is less need for action, they just feel like scorpios but they don’t have to prove it to you. Tends to be more loyal than the suns, but with big loyalty come big feelings and responses if they feel you have set out to betray them. They will try and hide the darkness they feel from others, sometimes even from themselves! They may have a wider social circle than the suns but they are probably less invested in those relationships than the sun will be because it’s rare for them to let people in. These people burn deep with passion and desire and many times, sensuality. This is an inherently sexy placement and they are interested in sex as a subject, but are more private about that then the suns will be. Scorpios like to transform and evolve, so once a scorpio moon matures, this can be a beautiful placement, but before that it can be painful.

Sagittarius Sun: Fiery Sagittarius energy likes to have fun, loves adventure, and is very playful. The Sagittarius suns are all of those things! They are more playful, social, and bubblier than their moon counterparts. They are more philosophical and conscious than the moon is. They can come across very warm and jovial. They can have moments of being snarky or judgmental, but are less so than the moons. Sagittarius energy is more at home and comfortable in the sun placement than the moon. Sagittarius likes action and impulse and so does the sun! They can either present as exhilarating and exciting to someone and they’re drawn in by their almost childlike abandon, or they can present as rash and tactless, even crude to some. The sun sign is more self aware than the moon sign is, the moon sign just inherently is these things. All sagittarius energy can be blunt under the umbrella of trying to appear genuine or honest, but the sun is less blunt than the moon. They are able to hold their tongues a little better than the moon is able to. Sagittarians are truth seekers and usually have a youthful exuberance about them, but it is more apparent in the sun placement than the moon. The suns are more intellectually focused and want everyone to join in on their quest for truth and adventure. Sometimes they can seem like a really excited professor who just can’t wait to impart their knowledge on you, while still being able to hang with the kids, the cool professor. Sagittarius needs freedom as a general rule, freedom to roam and explore, and the sun is no way exempt from that.

Sagittarius Moon: A sagittarius moon can be one of the hardest moon signs to see in someone, they can be hard to spot. They are usually a lot less outwardly sagittarius than the sun signs are. They are generally more critical, even judgmental of the world around them and the people that inhabit it. This can be because they feel they are just being honest and truthful, but they can be incredibly blunt about what they perceive as truth. They can also seem less interested in the philosophical topics that the sun sign is preoccupied with and just want to have a good varied time. They like a lot of variety and change and also desire freedom at their core. If their emotional needs aren’t being met they have the tendency to move rapidly from person to person, or activity to activity trying to find some kind of new thing that will help them feel fulfilled again. They can be incredibly spontaneous which some may find fun and some may find destabilizing to be around.In their quest for their own truth, they can project whatever they believe onto others and require those around them to live by their truth, just because it is true for them. They are people with a complex inner need for variety and that can lead to them forging ahead and leaving behind relationships and people that no longer work for them. They can be somewhat callous in how they go about, what they feel inside, is a noble pursuit of truth. They can be careless with other people’s emotions when they are less evolved. They can lack a filter, especially before they have matured. When a sagittarius moon evolves and learns to be just a bit more tactful, they can be fun friends to have around. They can be inherently optimistic, friendly, and have an easy going feeling vibe to them. They can struggle to commit to things and people but are committed to growth!

Capricorn Sun: Capricorns in general are all about achievement, status, hard work, and accomplishing goals. Capricorn suns strive for status, power, and security. They can be inherently practical and incredibly driven people. There is a certain largeness to a capricorn sun that isn’t felt in the moon placement. They will push themselves out of their comfort zones to achieve what they want, while a capricorn moon has a harder time stepping out of their comfort zone. The suns tend to be more open and communicative than the moons. They will outwardly project the status, and sometimes wealth, they achieve more often than a capricorn moon will. The suns usually display a lot of confidence (regardless of it that’s how they truly feel or not) and they usually draw a lot of respect from those around them. The capricorn suns are more likely to have extrovert-related characteristics than the moon signs will. The suns are usually realistic and grounded people that know what they want and have a plan for how to achieve it. They do have a stronger need for recognition of their achievements than the moon counterpart does. The suns try to maintain control over their emotions and display a practical high achieving persona and they can come across as reserved because of this.

Capricorn Moon: The moon is in detriment in capricorn, it’s just not that comfortable here. Capricorn moons usually maintain the same air of confidence that capricorn suns do that may make them seem successful or dominant but they are far mare guarded and cautious than the suns. They are selective about what they reveal to others about their life and feelings. They tend to be a more stable moon energy and can be very disciplined. They need time to trust you and figure you out before they will open up to you. They exhibit more of a quiet strength and confidence, more inherent, than what the suns put on display. They are much more emotionally restrained than the suns are which can make them appear more intimidating and cold. They are more subtle in their pursuit of their goals than capricorn suns will be, but no less determined. These people can be innately serious and are usually responsible. Not that their entire life will be traditional, but they generally have traditional views about honor and duty and a code of conduct. Because this placement is in detriment, the cooler more disciplined energy of capircorn has a hard time impulsively displaying their emotions in the soft planet of the moon. But once you get close to a capricorn moon you will often experience a lot of reassurance and stability from them. They can have a lot of heart but have a difficult time expressing it. Big emotional dramatic outbursts are not likely to be found coming from a capricorn moon, not unless they are pushed to the absolute brink, but it is more likely they would just cut you off then lose control of their emotions. Achievements are emotional for them, they fill some kind of emotional need for a capricorn moon that is inherent in their make up. They need to be doing their best and being their best; they want that for themselves. Whatever the definition of success is for the individual capricorn moon, they want to achieve it.

Aquarius Sun: Aquarians often get called aliens, otherwordly creatures, and emotionally detached, but I think they are just misunderstood. They can be detached, the sun and the moon, but that doesn’t mean they are unfeeling. Aquarius suns can be very wise, polite, respectful, and make good friends. They care for humanity as a whole and they are intellectual, cerebral beings that like to think there is a higher plain of existence humans could be operating on. They are usually confident in who they are as people and sometimes that can lead to them appearing arrogant or having a god complex. The aquarius sun exhibits its aquarius energy in how they act, not how they feel deep down or their emotional needs, unless their moon sign is also in aquairus. They can detach from their emotions when dealing with people because they believe feelings can cloud judgement. They can be awkward around feelings, especially the less evolved aquarians, but they are not emotionless. They can engage with emotions when they find it necessary. Also aquarian suns can actually feel a great deal of emotion, but the way they express it may seem unusual to others, so they may miss it. They do need space and personal freedom, they do not like being boxed in. The suns are more patient with people and their emotions than the moon signs are. They want to help and provide solutions in intellectual ways for people first, when the people they love around them are upset, but they are capable of engaging with the emotions of those around them as well, when necessary. They like to connect mentally with people. They have strong beliefs and opinions and are unlikely to change them for others. They want to appear, they strive to be seen as, above their emotions, evolved, and highly unique. The aquarius sun can project their uniqueness with fashion and outward things more than the moon. The suns can be moodier than the moons, switching from happy to sad to angry quickly, especially if they have a very emotional moon sign that is battling with their aquarius sun who is trying to intellectually process all those emotions.

Aquarius Moon: The aquarius moon is not striving to be the aquarius characteristics, they just are. These qualities live at their core. Their care for humanity as a whole, the importance of intellect, and their uniqueness are more inherent. They feel more unemotional than other moon signs. They think of people as part of a whole, they see humanity as a whole. If an aquarius is going to be a loner, its more likely going to be the aquarius moon over the aquarius sun. They are generally less social than the sun signs.They can see themselves as above childish emotions and emotional outbursts, but that can be because they are detaching from their true feelings at times. An evolved aquarius moon will allow themselves to feel their emotions, instead of defaulting to detachment. This is a fixed moon sign, so they form strong opinions and beliefs and it is hard to get them to change their minds. They are less preoccupied with appearing unique than the suns are, they are just unwilling to be anyone other than who they truly are. They dance to the beat of their own drum and they will not allow anyone else to change the tempo. They can be very witty and goofy. These moon signs can be obvious to spot in people. They are more at peace with themselves than the sun signs who are trying to project uniqueness and detachment, rather than just being so.

Pisces Sun: Pisces suns can struggle because of how soft and feminine pisces energy is up against the fiery nature of the sun. It can make the very soft energy of pisces a little easier to deal with by balancing it out with sun energy, or it can be a constant inner battle. The sun wants action and pisces isn’t a very action forward energy. Pisces is a very creative energy and the pisces sun signs are very creative people. The sun signs absorb a lot of the energy around them until they just can’t take it anymore and they may lash out. Pisces can be very sponge-like and soak up things around them and become very full of whatever energy surrounds them. A pisces sun may be more sensitive to their own feelings than the feelings of others which can be the opposite case for the moon. They are open minded and compassionate, both the sun and moon. The sun may be more outwardly dramatic than the moon. Out of all the sun and moon signs in the zodiac, a pisces sun and moon may be the most similar, but where the energy goes and how it displays is the difference.

Pisces Moon: A pisces moon is also sensitive, compassionate, and creative like the sun. Because pisces is such soft feminine energy, when paired with the soft feminine energy of the moon, it can be emotional overload. There is no masculine energy to pull a pisces moon out of their feelings. It doubles down on the softness and can get lost in emotion. The pisces moon is likely the most sensitive placement for the moon to be in, only rivaled by the cancer moon. They can vacillate between being very happy to very sad. They are very sensitive to what others are feeling as well and they can have the tendency to hijack what others are feeling and take that on as their own, because they are so absorbent of the energy around them. Pisces moon softness can be very dreamlike, pillowy, and these people can be very dreamy, sometimes spacey, ethereal feelers. The moon will feel these things more deeply than the pisces sun placement will. There may be a constant battle against absorbing other’s emotions and trying to stick to what they alone are feeling. It is a submissive moon sign that naturally wants to please, love, and be loved. The moon can have darker thoughts and feelings than the sun and use different coping mechanisms, both healthy and unhealthy, to try and escape from reality. Pisces moon people are beautiful, dreamy, and extremely sensitive humans. When they evolve they learn that their softness is a strength, but also not everyone deserves to take up room in their life, and will make more room for themselves.

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nightswithkookmin · 4 years

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Hii, me again. 😅

Jungkook made a three syllable poem with "min yoongi" name. At the last name of "Gi" He made yoonmin. Is he try to expose that yoonmin is a thing/ or real??

Ahjumma.... why are you being like this?

What did I do to deserve this ghettory?😟 It's too early in the year to be this ghetto uno.

Don't be like that😒

You are asking me, Goldy- GOLDY of all shippers, if I think JEON JUNGKOOK is confirming his boyfriend of seven years and counting is in a relationship with another member within the same group...

Doing what exactly in that relationship??

Is JK cockholding? What's going on.

KWENCHANAYO?!

You think BTS will survive two members dating the same guy in the same group???

Never mind that it's Jeon Jungkook and Park freaking Jimin- Mr I'm greedy and Mr I don't share my friends.

Like make it make sense to me please😭

After everything we've been said on my blogs for months now, you still asking me this??

You are bold, I'll give you that.

Now tell me slowly and in coherent words why I shouldn't pull your hair and give you three quick punches to your throat- ninja style👀

Someone get her before I snap their neck💀

For the last time-

NEITHER 🤺OF🤺JIKOOK🤺 IS 🤺 WAS🤺 HAS🤺 HAD🤺 PURPORTS TO HAVE🤺 WOULD HAVE HAD🤺 COULD HAD HAD🤺 HAD HAD HAD🤺IS HAVING 🤺 ANY 🤺ROMANTIC🤺 FEELINGS🤺WHATSOEVER 🤺 DESIRE🤺CRAVING🤺 WET DREAMS🤺 YEARNING🤺 PASSION🤺ATTRACTION🤺 AMOROUS 🤺INTENT🤺TOWARDS🤺 ANY🤺🤺MEMBER🤺 IN🤺 BTS🤺BESIDES🤺 EACH🤺 OTHER🤺

GET🤺 OUT 🤺OF🤺 YOUR🤺 IMAGINATION🤺

If you are new to the shipping community I suggest you familiarize yourself with every ships dynamics or at least Jikooks- if multishipping isn't exactly your thing.

Jikook's entire dynamics is founded on JK teasing JM to death. It's their thing.

He's said he enjoys teasing Jimin because he loves Jimin's reaction to when he's being teased. In fact, the entire group have said same about Jimin.

Did you see JM's reaction to when JK called out the Yoonmin comment in the dynamite reaction VLive?

Did you see RMs reaction too?

He is trying Jimin with these Yoonmin jokes. He's gonna get stabbed. Lmho.

Jimin reacts strongly to when JK in particular teases him with ships, Yoonmin more recently. Yet he didn't seem to mind when V did it.

V used to be the biggest Yoonminer on the planet rooting for and encouraging certain interactions between Yoonmin. Lmho.

Jimin himself perpetuates Yoonmin as a ship.

It would be an insult on his intelligence for anyone to assume he didn't know exactly why people ship two people together or what interactions and moments is considered a moment in shipping sphere.

Statements like, why can't Suga hyung look me in the eye, why does he say I'm irreplaceable to him, insinuates something and he knows this.

Once upon a time, JK couldn't look you in the eyes too. Still can't sometimes.

Jimin has a presence and he has a hold on these men and he knows it.

He goes out of his way to create the impression he and Suga have a very close bond and dynamic- I'm sold on it. Lol.

'5 Jms? As expected. You'll fall in love with them' not sure if JM said the last bit in the BE.TS Vlive, yall check for me.

It's crazy then that he turns around to react the way he does when JK teases him with his ship with Suga.

It seems to me, Jimin knows the intent and energy behind such seemingly harmless jokes- JK can be petty and passive aggressive with these things. You'd think he is joking but deep down he would be pouting and throwing tantrums behind cams🤧

It's Jimin apologizing and looking like his spirit left his body as he sat on the edge of JK's bed in the new Jersey VLive for me.

He needs to free Jimin.

Talk of things I'm getting too old for- Let's talk about why he posted his version of the bridge in disease online🤧

Not to say he shouldn't have posted it. I support that he did wholeheartedly. Deadass found his groove since he started unbuttoning the front of his shirts in 2020.

He's reclaiming the spotlight, putting himself at the forefront unlike before where he'd resigned himself to a supportive role watching his hyungs be at the center of things.

Now he's been talking about that he wants have sexy dance performances like Jimin, write rap melodies for RM, share his own music, try on a solo career one day- we get it. You found yourself Mr I'm independent asserting myself yall better fuxk off but chilee not at the expense of Jimin! 🤺

I mean it's a broad spotlight and they both can share it but damn is someone changing drastically. Not sure if I should be proud or terrified.

It's great and amazing and I'm really truly happy with where he's at mentally and physically since 2020- it's a great sign, don't get me wrong. Significant improvement. His becoming is long over due but he didn't have to grab the spotlight from Jimin like that.

Jk vs JM isn't something I'm a fan of.

It's a shame it didn't work out? What do you mean JK. I'm sorry but Jimin's version is amazing too!😟

What the actual hell JK😭

Back it up. This is not how to Jikook🤺

On guard sir🤺 on guard🤺

Dude did Jimin dirty🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧

I need a refund😭😭😭😭

Here I was waiting for y'all to get on your Jikook agenda and post that first Jikook selca of the year and you are there shipping Jimin with your bandmate and thiefing his shine. Who taught you that?!😥

Y'all are competitive but y'all don't compete with eachother's shine! JIKOOK 101😭😭😭

You share it😥

Show me where in the books this new development falls under. Show me

You winging it and it's unconstitutional😟

I rebuke it in Jesus name!

Someone beam me up.

You got these 13 year olds coming in my DMs telling me you are not supportive of your man's career.

I don't have time for this shit.

SOMEONE BEAM ME UP! Kirk!

If you've watched their Be behind video, and you've seen Jin talk about how RM complained to him when Tae chose Suga's version over his version you'd know where JK is coming from or where I think he is coming from having JMs version chosen over his.

Watch their Be self interview on yt too.

He said there's a melody he worked on for RM and when Jhope thought he got snubbed he recommended he release it instead- to quench his artistic drive perhaps.

That is why he released this song. He did it for himself. Like he said, he won't put out a song unless he was confident about it.

Suga have said time and again how the music and melodies they create never go to waste because they can repurpose it like he did with Telepathy I think.

Even JK explained he was reserving the melody he made for RM for a future group song.

He could have repurposed this or something.

When Jin talked about V vs JM's Christmas song and kept repeating how much he preferred Jimin's song to Tae's because Jimin"s was bright and upbeat, he made sure to clarify he wasn't implying Tae's song was bad. He was just indicating preference.

I won't lie, I was happy he preferred my bias's song but it made my VMin heart ache a little.

V and JM made very different songs, they shouldn't be compared to eachother in that way.

I don't like competitions. And I don't like when two artists are pit against eachother- which is exactly what these two versions of the bridge is doing out here.

I will literally die if in an interview JM is asked about his part and JK isn't. I can't do this😭

Those saying JM's is better make me sick, and those saying JK's is better make me nauseous. They both great. Point blank purr.

What's even more heartbreaking is hearing how excited he really was to share that bit with Army. Dude's eyes was glistening and everything. His bunny smile! 😥

Thats what makes this very hard for me.

The JJK in me is overjoyed and excited that he is doing things that make him really happy. I'm proud of him.

But the PJM in me just😕

I even feel more guilty that I prefer JM's version this time around😭😭😭😭

I feel like I'm betraying JK🤧

I was so happy seeing JM recieve all the love and attention I know he deserves.

Then here comes his boyfriend

'Hold up what about me!' Lol.

Imagine if RM releases the version of Blue and grey he made for Tae and it turns out we prefer that to the version Tae chose💀

Imagine that.

This has been a recurring theme throughout late 2020 to date. Jk's been choosing authenticity and self interests and passions over anything else and I couldn't be more happy for him.

Like we discussed, he's been learning to compromise too lately, which is great.

But honey this is a red flag. Deadass.

To me anyways😏

I've been a strong advocate for a certain level of independence and detachment in Jikook's dynamics because they lowkey exhibited codependency tendencies in their dynamics which is great for us shippers but not so great in the long run for their relationship or them as individuals .

Maybe I'm thinking out loud and prematurely here. I mean we are only beginning to have intimate access to their raw unscripted selves.

I don't think it's not that much of a big deal. RM and JM have equally shared their own versions of fake love on the internet but it is an interesting development in their dynamic to me.

I remember how happy JM was about his version of fake love, and it remains to date one of my favorite beats even though he was just spewing nonsense on that track. Lol.

He was so excited when he shared it with JK and Jin. He said when he showed it to JK the first time, JK said he loved it very much- how loving and supportive is that!

More of this please. Thank you.

PMS is a bitch y'all🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Has me in my feels about this.

I'm pretty sure JM is the one that even encouraged him to share his part in the first place. Won't put it past him.

'Ya Jungkook, release your version too'

'Army will love it'

'Right but I don't want it to seem like- Goldy is crazy you know'

'Goldy who now?'

'What about the thirteen year old fans-'

'Aht aht aht Who cares about them.'

Lmho.

I mentioned a few times on here how I felt JM seemed to have been demanding 'space' and a little bit of breathing room in their dynamic which was causing a little bit of tension here and there middle 2019 through to March last year and it all sounds like drama and speculation but...

May be if I told y'all I am a witch and my analysis of their relationship is based on mediums, phantom whisperers, empathetic readings or tarot cards y'all will leave me alone?🤥

Y'all don't seem to have a problem with the witches and empaths who be doing the same shit I do out here😒

Like we are all 'reading' these mens!

There's nothing wrong with 'psychoanalytically' evaluating a ship you know? Chilee.

Imma call myself a witch if it will get y'all off my back😹😹😹😹

I mentioned JK equally embarking on his own journey to assert himself within the group and within the relationship due to this?

But damn I did not see this one coming.

This is a red flag for me. And no, it doesn't mean they are broken up or having issues in their relationship.

Jk's TMI indicates they still been spending a lot of time together.

This is just a sign there's too much independence in their dynamic now- if you know what I mean.

Relationships flourish based on how attached we are to people- too much attachment is a problem, too little attachment is equally bad.

Jikook have always had a problem with over attachment in their dynamics in my opinion, to the point it was lowkey unhealthy- the jealousy, not being able to 'act professionally' within a group and work environment, having problems with being separated however briefly, constantly wanting to be where the other is etc.

Less attachment isnt necessarily a bad thing either. It means less of all the 'toxic' aspects of their relationship that over attachment brings but too much of that too can trigger anxiousness and insecurity and resentment.

Especially if one of them hates change. Cough Jimin.

With that comes all the wild aspects of love such as possessiveness, jealousy and I know JM doesn't do too well in that department...

In my opinion, I see JM as having a problem when JK breathes down his neck emotionally speaking, and at the same time he has a problem when he is too emotionally distant.

All this is interesting to me.

Who do I need to talk to to give me more of Jikook interactions individually or jointly?

I want to see more of their interactions beyond the overly staged, dramatized fanservice and official content.

Spending a lot of time around eachother and eating each other's ramen- pun intended, does not reflect on how intimate you are.

Intimacy requires depth and depth requires attachment.

How you treat eachother's needs and goals, dreams and desires is equally indicative of the intimacy in your relationship.

That has always been one distinctive quality of Jikook's ship.

And so I wonder the thought process that went into this decision. I know JM wouldn't object to JK sharing things like these or doing things that make him happy even if it has the potential to impact his own shine in any way.

Jikook don't compete against eachother.

I keep saying this.

Remember when I said I found it sus that JK was lying there staring at JM with his hands in between his legs?

Did yall see what the run editors said when JM and JK went up against each in the pool?

'Jikook don't play by the rules'

Jimin had to push JK in the water to end whatever ancient sex ritual foreplay rooted in kamasutra they had going on. Bless him.

And in so doing, he lost to JK.

Whenever they go up against eachother, one of them intentionally lose even though they are both very competitive.

Isn't that why JK said he'd rather 5 Jms so he can watch them compete against eachother?

When JK first made that post, I felt it was out of pettiness or a move to 'humble' JM.

I thought of when he'd posted that photo of himself with a hickey after JM had 'dated' him during the JinMinKook live.

I rolled my eyes and asked, 'what yall gays up to this time?' Why you out here humbling your man?

Anywho chilee we will never know.

At ease.

Signed,

GOLDY

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jypbae7 · 4 years

Text

GOT7 as a Boyfriend based off their Zodiac Sign

All in good fun based off their signs & their behaviors/quotes! Don’t take it too serious!

BAMBAM - TAURUS

Traits that match his sign:

Ahhhhh yes the flashy earth sign of the bunch, as we allllll can already see. You can see the vibe difference just by looking at him compared to the Virgos (JY, YJ, MT) and Capricorn (JB)

He’s all about “work hard, play hard” - as are all Taurus

He takes his fashion and his confidence seriously, they make him feel good and he tries to encourage other people to try new things and “treat yo self” as well

Taurus (like all Earth signs) are huge on family and friendships but the men tend to go in one extreme or another - either lifetime bachelor and serial dater or he’s gonna settle tf down and have kids and the whole nine.

IF he does settle down (which I think Bam will based off the hoard of cat children) omg he’ll be a great dad who’s not only supportive and has great knowledge to give but is chill & fun af! The kind of parent you can tell every and anything to and they’ll have your back AND be able to laugh about it with you

He will fly you every and anywhere whenever he can - Thailand (of course), Paris, wherever he feels like honestly.

Is so vulnerable with you once he’s comfortable - laying beside each other late at night and telling you all the stories he doesn’t really tell anyone else (you better comfort him and hold his little baby heart gently!!!)

HE LOVES BEING LITTLE SPOON AS MUCH AS BIG SPOON

Wants to go shopping all the time

Runway show dates, fashion week is quite frankly not ready for Bambam and his significant other

Couple outfits galore (only designer of course), luxe hotel stays galore

Bomb couples pics, wouldn’t surprise me if he wanted to have professional photoshoots with you all the time

Feels soooo proud when does well in his career and when you praise him for his hard work, ethic, and talent

Cat dad af and loves that you love them too

Oof when he mad….he MAD. Loud and serious. Good news is that it happens infrequently and he’s mostly a happy boy and he prefers to stay that way

Sooo many food dates that boy is slim but he can eat for days

Is generally confident but it still really helps him feel secure (and overjoyed) when you praise him, especially when you refer to him as your bias

Will send you previews of his new raps to get your opinion

While he does like going out, after being busy for a while or on tour he likes to literally hibernate with you and the cats. It’s his actual heaven to just Netflix and eat, wearing comfy little pjs and cuddling and being goofs. Definitely will try to play video games with you

The kind of KING to love doing face masks together especially during movie night at home

18+ Traits:

Masculine & bold af

Silk sheets and blindfolds

KINKY AF but in a more classy Sir/Daddy vibes way- BBam is the type of guy that always showers and smells amazing before he lets anyone touch him also the type of man to have candles going at all times bc young & rich - so kinky for him is blindfolds, handcuffs, lingerie, shower/bath sex and outdoor/risky location sex

Prefers someone with edgy taste or varied sense of style - like someone who frequently changes hair color or clothing style, or has tattoos or piercings etc.

Mental stimulation is important! He’d like someone successful like himself because he’s really independent and gonna wanna continue having his own things separately. He’d also find it a major turn on to be with a hard working professional woman especially when you talk passionately about what you do.

A very experimental and curious lover who will often want to try new things therefore he will need an open minded partner - your body is his wonderland he wants to explore every part of it with no limits. The longer you’re together the more kinks he’ll develop lol

On the other hand he’s super interested in fulfilling your fantasies as well and is amazing with aftercare

He’ll wrap you up in the blankets and order food while you watch tv and snuggle with the cats - literal heaven I know

Every once in a while, especially when you’ve been apart for a while he’ll switch it up and opt for a slow tender session - steamy passionate round after round, lots of kissing, he’ll lick wherever he can reach while in you, hand holding, slow but hard deep movements

Turn ons:

Doing it/teasing in risky and or public places

Oral - one word: LIPS

His perfect night ends with a couple beers and you, he can never get tired of tipsy/drink sex

Secretly gets turned on when jealous (as long as there’s no actual threat/boundary crossing) - if he sees guys check you out or flirt he’ll be extra dominant and rough when you guys are alone. Will also make subtle dominant/possessive gestures like put a hand on your butt or hold you extra close in front of them.

NUDES - tasteful ones in expensive lingerie that look Vogue chic & effortless.

Or STRAIGHT KINK (latex, costumes, videos) no inbetween

Completely naked except jewelry and heels would make him explode

DREAMS to engage with multiple partners

Dirty talk

Car sex, possibly even plane sex if he can get away with it

#got7 #BamBam #kunpimook bhuwakul #got7 scenarios #got7 imagines #got7 zodiac #got7 astrology #bambam smut #bambam imagines #bambam scenarios

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phantomphangphucker · 4 years

Text

Ectober Day 10: Ring - Heavy On The Heart, Light Upon The Head

Maddie worries over Danny plenty and he’s more than a little strange. But ghost royalty seems to be taking things a bit far. Yet somehow, it suits him.

Maddie knows something’s up with her son. Has been for a while. Two years at least. And she has a bad feeling ghosts have something to do with it.

He was stronger, bolder in personality and she knows his baggy clothing hides defined muscle. More muscle than either her or Jack have. She doesn’t know exactly how that happened. But the muscle she could understand to a level, same with the scarring she occasionally spots. Ghosts had plagued this town for nearly four years now. And the school was a hot spot. Self-defence was a required class now and everyone frequently had to run or even possibly fight. Every single person was stronger, Danny just seemed more so than others. She could maybe pass it off as genetics from Jack; who had always had an easy time putting on muscle... and fat.

What concerned her more was the mental changes. The increased confidence and boldness was one thing, not strange in the slightest for a teen nearing adulthood. But it was more than that. He had this wise air about him. Not smart, but wise. Something she once felt off of her grandmother. To get that from her son was strange and wrong. Not bad, just wrong. And that air about him felt powerful too, and commanding. It was as if an army commander had just walked into the room half the time. And the way he would look at people, soft and protective. Like he really was a soldier coming upon a group of sweet innocent children. Even relaxing or lounging around, it still seemed like power thrummed under his skin. And talking to him often made her feel like he knew things she didn’t and that he knew that she didn’t know what he did. But it wasn’t pompous. It was more like an adult protecting the innocent mind of a child. In Jack’s case, she could understand a little. Jack could be a little naive and oblivious. But her? Danny shouldn’t be able to make her feel that way so easily, and clearly unintentionally.

It was strange. It was off. And it didn’t make sense. Sometimes he didn’t even seem to resemble the boy he used to be.

As for why she thought ghosts might have something to do with why? Well looking at him at the supper table... It’s late October. The sun is setting. And the lights were broken this morning. Leaving the fading dark orange sunlight as the only thing lighting up the mess of noddles, her son, and her. Jack off fixing the lighting situation and Jazz off at Havard. And in this dark light, she notices that ring of his, the one he’s worn like it’s attached to him for the past year, is glowing. It’s green and it’s glowing. It’s faint, but it’s there. So that’s why she thinks he’s gotten involved with something ghostly; and that it’s changed him. Because that ring is absolutely ghostly in origin.

The first thought that enters her head as she pauses, spoon halfway to her open mouth, is: could that be possessing him? Or allowing a ghost to? The second is: did he steal that from some ghost? Those thoughts should be in the opposite order, but they’re not. Because something’s off with Danny.

Her eyes move from the ring to Danny, finishing the motions of putting the noodles in her mouth while he moves his left hand under the table. Obviously he noticed she noticed. Obviously he knew something was up with the ring and was hiding it. Obviously he didn’t want her commenting on it or being suspicious of it. Was that something to be concerned over? Or suspicious of? Did that mean there was, in fact, something nefarious surrounding the ring or why he wears it? She’s unsure, and other than moving his hand out of her line of sight, he doesn’t outwardly acknowledge her suspicions. He successfully made the motion look nonchalant. Normal. But she can’t let that make her feel better or trick her into thinking he didn’t actually notice her pause. Because she knows how good of a liar he is. How skilled of an actor he was. Could that be the doing of the ring? But that wouldn’t quite make sense, he’s been changing, changed, for a while. It’s just become more pronounced as of late.

She needs to think.

But in all honestly? Thinking hasn’t been doing her much good. All she’s done with Danny is think. Think on his changes. On if the ghost problem affected him. On if he really could ever become a hunter, take over FentonWorks. On a lot of things. And it had gotten her nowhere with him. It was like no matter how much she stared at the puzzle, she couldn’t put it together. Like too many pieces were missing or damaged to make any sense of the whole. And how is she supposed to figure out what those missing pieces were if she couldn’t even understand the whole? She couldn’t. So maybe she should try something different. Though Jack was always the more vocal and bold one, she could do that too. And sure, she could ask Jack to talk to him, but he didn’t put enough thought into things. Didn’t notice the finer details. And with Danny, those finer details were everything.

Like how he was eating just slightly faster. Clearly wanting out of this situation before she decided to speak up or maybe noticed something else. Saw a different glimpse of the mystery that was her son. If he even was her son.

She tries not to follow him with her eyes suspiciously as he gets up to put away his dishes. Choosing to speak up just before he actually crosses the threshold to the living-room, “your ring is glowing”. No beating around the bush, give him as little to work with as possible. And if he keeps walking now it would not only be very rude but also effectively an act of running away. No way would his pride allow for that. Whether that pride was from plain old confidence or ghostly in nature.

As she hoped and planned he pauses, stilling for a second before turning his head back to her; body only turned slightly to her, hiding his entire left side from her view. “Oh?”. Guess he was giving her as little to work with as possible too.

Maddie nods softly, better to not seem on the offensive, “yes it is. No the question is, why?”.

He’s silent for a bit before, “no reason, Halloween knick-knacks like copying ghosts. Especially around here”, shrugging, “glow-sticks are pretty popular after all”.

Maddie can’t help sighing at that. She could throw in the towel and just leave it at that. Just accept the blatant lie. Stay ignorant. The look Danny’s giving her is obviously encouraging her to do just that. It’s the kind of look given to children when they ask where babies come from when they’re honestly still too young. But with more... pity. Just the thing is, if she doesn’t ask now. Doesn’t grab the small thread that’s unraveled from his tightly woven cover before he snips it off. Then she’ll never know. And not just about the ring specifically, but Danny as a whole.

If she ignores this now, she’ll have to write him off as a lost cause. And based on that look on his face and the fact that he’s still standing there, waiting on her. Tells her that he knows that too. So to her that leaves her with no choice. He’s her son, or maybe was, and she won’t leave him behind. If this is some ghost possessing him or polluting him, then she’ll save him. And if it’s not, then she’ll go from there. “Danny, please. I know that’s a lie”.

Danny blinks at her, and he looks like he can’t decide between a smile and a frown. He catches her completely off guard though, “yeah. Yeah it was”, and chuckles. Lifting up his left hand and looking down at the glowing ring before looking back to her, “I’m surprised it took you so long to notice”, chuckling some more.

If it wasn’t for the clear humour behind his words she’d almost feel offended. Her, a ghost hunter, not noticing something ghostly. That was absolutely embarrassing. But Danny didn’t make it feel like she should be embarrassed about it. She’s oddly thankful over that. “If I scanned that, would it have an ecto-field”, there’s no point framing that as a question. The answer was obvious to both of them honestly.

Danny looks around, rubs his neck, and gives an oddly charming lopsided grin. Chuckling, “heh. Caught me?”.

Maddie blinks at that. Just like that? That... that didn’t even make sense. It usually took teeth-pulling to get Danny to be fully honest. And a ghost wouldn’t give up that easily; especially not around a ghost hunter. Getting up, “just like that? I mean, you know I’m not going to be happy you’ve got something ghostly on you. Ghostly of unknown origin at that”.

Danny shrugs, “no point really”, lifting up his left hand again and thumbing the ring to spin it around his finger. It was plain unnatural how smoothly and easily it spins around. Like it was slick and flawlessly fitted. “It’s kinda noticeable, and like you said, you are ghost hunters. I don’t think I genuinely could convince you it wasn’t ghostly”.

Maddie furrows her eyebrows at that, “picking your battles. Is that all it is”.

“Yes and no. Part of me was wondering if you ever would notice. And if you’d even be bothered to ask”.

Maddie can’t help but flinch at that. She knows she hasn’t been the most attentive mother. She knows that. She also knows she hasn’t given Danny all the support and help he probably needed when he was younger. Jazz thrived so much on her own, preferred that. In some ways she had just thought Danny would be the same. And sure, in some ways it does look like he’s thrived; is actively thriving. But he clearly wants her, needs her, in way Jazz never did and never would. But he’s always been so hard to read, to know. You could always tell what Jazz was thinking, how she felt; and if it wasn’t obvious then you bet she would make it obvious. While everything with Danny was just out of arms reach. Danny didn’t put the first foot forward with them the way Jazz did. Danny didn’t pounce on openings to make his thoughts and feelings known the way Jazz did. She needed to chase after him; but he always seemed to pull away more or throw up a wall. Maybe she just hadn’t tried hard enough? Or maybe he had just grown up. Maddie puts away her dishes, turning away from him, “sorry. I just never know what to do with you”, looking back to him, “you're just so...”.

Danny quirks an eyebrow, and finishes her thoughts for her, “strange?”.

Maddie sighs, a bit relived to hear him acknowledge that himself, and nods. Sitting back at the table, “yeah”, looking to his hand and the ring, “that ring. Can you take it off? Can I see it?”.

“That depends”, Danny actually smirks a little, “will you try to destroy it?”.

Maddie can’t help chuckling at that a little, that was blunt but he did have a point. She will absolutely admit to being a bit... rash when it comes to ghostly anything. But she knows Danny doesn’t like it when they get on about the evils of ghosts. And more than once that feeling of him knowing something has nagged at her during those rants. Jazz too, but Jazz always had an air of knowledge around her. And here and now, she’s positive that Danny will refuse outright if she even seems like she’ll damage this ring thing. So she shakes her head, “no”, thinking on it a little, “you’ve been wearing that for a while now. Constantly. Obviously there’s a reason or it’s important”, sighing, “I though it might be a gift from Valerie or even Vlad”. Danny becoming friendly with Vlad still threw her through a loop. Especially since it happened out of nowhere. And his girlfriend could honestly be downright intimidating. She could see either of them giving him a ring with a skull on it, even if the skull looked sad for some reason.

Danny laughs a bit loudly at that, “Vlad would let Jack punch him in the face before giving me this”. Maddie’s not sure what to make of that. “But in that case, then okay”, and walks over to the table, twisting the ring off and eyeing it for a bit before setting it down on the table; it making a loud click like it weighed a lot more than it seemed.

Maddie eyes it, making no move to grab it, “so Vlad knows what this is”, Danny was obviously implying as much. But honestly? Right now she’s just glad he can take the thing off. That means it’s not possessing him. Doesn’t eliminate influencing him though. And if this was something that belonged to a ghost overshadowing him then there’s no way It would hand it over to a ghost hunter. None.

Danny nods, “he never did lose interest in ghosts. He’s more into the mythology and history though, than biology and weaponry. More anthropologist than hunter”. Maddie looks up to him as he sits down across from her. Him nodding his head at the ring still sitting on the table, “that’s very old. In a way”, smirking and eyeing her a bit, “it’s not going to bite you know”.

Maddie gives him a look clearly saying with ghost things anything could possibly bite or harm. But she does pick it up, thumbing it and bringing it close to her face to inspect; though being a bit cautious about it, “if you say so”. Danny chuckles at that, “I do”. Which fine, does make her laugh a little.

Flipping the ring around, it really did just seem like a glowing ring. That’s it. Nothing seemed special about it. Of course she knew better. Ghostly things, and ghosts in general, could often be unassuming. So that didn’t really mean much. “What is it exactly?”.

Danny deadpans, “a ring”, making Maddie give him a ‘you know what I mean’ look, which he chuckles over, “you might understand a bit better if you scan it”, tilting his head, “slightly surprised you haven’t already done that”.

Maddie sighs, “I didn’t want to push it”.

“That’s fair”. Regardless, she does pull out one of her smaller scanners -not like something of this size would need anything more- and promptly scans the ring. Immediately stilling and just staring at the screen.

This thing... she could literally see waves of ectoplasmic energy being sucked into it. And the things glow was actually the reverse of normal. Instead of bleeding out ecto-energy it was creating a small field that pulled in ecto-energy. What in the world? What was this thing?

Pulling out a small vial of ectoplasm she had left in her pocket and holding it near the ring; never noticing the slight look of concentration on Danny’s face. Instead watching as all the ecto-energy is just... sapped out of the sample. What? Was this something that could literally remove ecto-energy from anything? What about a full-blown ghost? Or- blinking, or what about decontaminate someone. Danny had been badly contaminated ever since his accident and nothing seemed to permanently decontaminate him. Somehow the ectoplasmic energy would just restock itself. Could it be? Could he have found something that could constantly and consistently decontaminate him? And Vlad, he likely was ecto-contaminated in a similar fashion. His ecto-acne did return that one time after all. So that would explain him likely wanting this thing. Looking back to him, “have you been using this to control your contamination?”. If so, then this was something she should really be encouraging him to wear.

Danny blinks at her and looks slightly like he doesn’t understand how she came to that conclusion for a couple seconds. Which tells her she’s missed something here. He gives her a quizzical look, “mom... when was the last time you scanned me”, and seems almost worried for her. Like he found it concerning that she hadn’t been doing that frequently.

Maddie blinks and glances to the scanner then back to him, “you never seemed to like that, so we just... stopped”.

“Oh”. He sounds a bit apologetic.

Maddie nods, looks to the scanner, and bites her lip slightly. Looking back to him and holding it up a little, “can I?”. He nods and she nearly drops the scanner when she scans him. His contamination was worse. So much worse. He was practically bleeding ecto-energy. She can’t find anything to say and just watches him as he moves his hand over the ring. Her eyes widening at seeing energy move from the ring to his hand. Like it was feeding him. This wasn’t reducing or control his contamination, it was making it worse! And Danny knew. What the Hell?

She can’t help snatching the ring away from him, looking to him with worry, “why?”, there was so many questions in that one ‘why’. Why was this expelling ectoplasm into him. Why was he wearing this if he knew. Why was it even doing that. Why was it absorbing ectoplasm from everything but him. Why would he even want something like this. And better yet, glancing back down at the ring through the scanner and seeing that it is not feeding ectoplasm into her, why the heck was it only expelling ectoplasm into him specifically.

Looking back to Danny, who’s giving her a clear ‘you said you wouldn’t damage it’ look as he speaks, “I have my reasons”. Making it clear he wasn’t going to tell her unless she gave it back and trusted him. Which yes, was more difficult than it had any right to be.

She gives him back the ring.

She’s surprised though when he just leaves it on the table in front of him. She clues in though, that this is him saying the conversation isn’t over. That he’s open to explaining. Trust for trust. Danny nods, “thanks”. Maddie nodding back awkwardly, she honestly did not want to give it back. That thing shouldn’t be anywhere near him. But checking the scanner, it wasn’t feeding into him; obviously it wasn’t quite close enough. So clearly he was aware of her discomfort.

Maddie swallows, looking back to him, “so...”. Her question was still the same and she didn’t even know where to start on elaborating. He had a ring that sucked ecto-energy out of things and fed it into him, and wanted it. Could be like an addiction or something?

Danny nods and leans back in his chair, “alright. This ring, it’s part of a set. I have the other part, obviously”, nodding his head at the scanner, “that’s why it only does that to me. Not you”. Maddie looks at his other fingers, which he clearly notices, “the other part’s not a ring”.

Maddie nods and bites her lip slightly, “so, this... effect would happen to anyone if they had both parts. But that- why? Why would you want that?”.

Danny wiggles his hand in the air, “that would depend. Most would be destroyed if they did”. Maddie chokes at that. This thing could destroy someone??? What is her son thinking???? She doesn’t even have to ask though, Danny poking the ring and wiggling it back and forth on the table, “the set was modified specifically for me, so I’m fine. Don’t worry”.

Maddie barely feels relieved by that. Because honestly? That just raised even more questions. “Why? How even?”.

“That’s complicated”.

Maddie instantly recognises that as another ‘will she push or just accept it’. “Then explain it. I want to know, Danny. I want to know you”, sighing, “and I don’t. Haven’t for a while”. And Danny doesn’t even beat around the bush when he replies, “yeah”. Which hurts to hear. Sure she knew, but still.

Danny eyes the ring for a bit before nodding, looking up to her, “it makes more sense if you know the story of this thing. And before you worry too much, while the ring takes in energy, the other piece expels it”.

Maddie leans back at that, likely noticeably relieved, “that... I’m glad to hear it. Even if that doesn’t seem to make sense. What’s even the point of pulling in energy just to expel it?”, that made zero sense. None. But at least that meant it wasn’t actually making him worse.

Danny chuckles, “and that’s even more complicated. The backstory really will help”. Maddie sighs and nods, Danny was clearly directing this conversation. Which on one hand made her happy because he was trusting her; but that also meant he would only tell her what he wanted to, nothing more. Not like she could make him tell her more though.

Danny smirks slightly, “there were three before me. I honestly don’t know the name of the first. Or much about her for that matter. But the second was a guy named Laufiel who thought he was blessed by the gods and had some seriously speciesist opinions. Thought ghosts were some kind of ultimate beings. He also killed the first owner”. Maddie can’t help but shake her head and scoff a little at that, though she could see how someone could think ghosts were god-like; especially if this-these things were really incredibly old. “The third owner killed Laufiel and also had some weird opinions on ghosts. More like a hunter I guess. Thought ghosts needed to be contained, controlled, or obliterated. Also thought humans were inferior though. He thought he literally was a god. Ridiculous, I know”.

Maddie has to cut in, “so all these ‘previous owners’ had opinions on humans and ghosts, and clearly acted on them? And... killed the previous owner?”, that last bit carries an implication that she hopes he doesn’t miss. Because this trend... it implied Danny had killed someone. Danny gives her a look that makes her think she missed something again.

Danny purses his lips and hums, “hmmm. Okay. I guess that wasn’t all that helpful. Though it does have to do with them acting on their opinions”, rubbing his neck and seeming slightly embarrassed, “and the ‘killing the previous owner’ thing”. Which makes her gulp, he thankfully explains himself though, “it’ll be better if I explain who the previous owner was, and -to you at least- what he was”. Maddie’s eyebrows raise, was Danny implying that this previous owner was a ghost. Because yes, that did change things. Killing a ghost and killing a person weren’t the same thing. Though Danny was also obviously pointing out that it wasn’t all that different to him.

Danny shocks her out of her thoughts as he speaks up again, “he was Pariah. Yes, as in the ghost that transported Amity into the Ghost Zone a couple years back”, rubbing his neck again, “I might have... kinda... wound up ramming a sword through his Core”.

Maddie... Maddie has a lot of questions about that. How did that even happen? When was he even in a position to do that? Why’d he do that? She does feel a bit proud that he destroyed a ghost, but he clearly wouldn’t appreciate that pride. Which just makes her mentally emphasis the ‘why the heck would he do that’ question. And Pariah... that ghost was the most powerful they’ve ever seen. She knows Danny can be reckless but that was pushing it. “You know how powerful that ghost was, Danny? Why did you? How were you even? Is that why Vlad found you all beat up?”. She barely resists giving him a full scolding.

Danny rubs his neck some more and looking around, “yeah it was reckless and stupid. I know”, sighing and looking back to her, “but, he was effectively comatose when I did that. Down for the count. And if I didn’t, someone else would have”, fiddling with the ring again, “these two things, that have this kind of... aspect let’s say, that can tell if the wearer is ‘no longer worthy’ and needs to be passed on. Which happens if whoever loses to many battles or damages the Zone a ton. Pariah, he was sealed away by a bunch of pissed off ghosts a long time ago, and then when he was let loose Phantom went and beat him up. And so Pariah lost too much. So the ring and whatnot needed to be passed along”.

Maddie shakes her head a little, that practically explained nothing, “but that doesn’t explain why you did that? So what if someone else would have done that and got this ring? Why did you have to do that? Want to do that?”.

Danny sighs, “I have my reasons. A lot of them actually. There really wasn’t any one reason why I did it. Someone else possibly being able to do it was definitely a deciding factor for why I did it when I did. I personally would have preferred to wait ‘till I had graduated”, shrugging, “but I don’t mind. And the reduction in ghost attacks, and them not really attacking people is because of this”.

Maddie looks to the vial, which still was lacking any kind of glow. Could he? Could he destroy a ghost with just a touch? That... that would definitely encourage ghosts to be more restrained. She knows Danny’s a protective person. He is absolutely the type of person that would go to an abnormal extreme if it would protect a lot of people. But... protecting the town, humanity, from ghosts was a hunters job. Her and Jack’s job. And he was still young, and this sounded like something that was an ‘until death’ kind of thing. That.., that absolutely makes her feel guilty, “Danny, protecting the town isn’t your job”, she ignores the slight tense she almost misses, clearly saying that he did think it was his job, “why couldn't we have done this? Me or Jack?”.

Danny actually looks at her like she’s nuts. “Mom, that- you-“, shaking his head, “not just anyone can just take these things. There are prerequisites. And you two do not meet them”.

Maddie frowns, okay that makes sense but... “what... what are they? What could you have that we don’t?”. He was a minor for peat’s sake! And they were hunters.

Danny purses his lips, crosses his arms, and taps at his chin. Muttering, “how to explain this...”, and opens and closes his mouth a few times. Then sighing after a bit and meeting her eyes, “you’re going to hate Vlad for this”. Which immediately gives her an unpleasant ominous feeling. “Remember how I mentioned Vlad would never give these to me? Yeah he let Pariah out after finding the key to his keep. Vlad is at fault for that entire situation. And he did it to get these items and used Valerie as bait. Vlad didn’t ‘find me beat up’ he threw me at Pariah and watched me get beat up”, grumbling seemingly to himself, “if it wouldn’t have upset you, he might have left me to die”.

Maddie stares at him, feeling more than a little furious. “I’m going to kill that man”. Danny actually rolls his eyes, “you and half the Ghost Zone. Don’t bother”, shrugging, “besides, he’s better now. Still vaguely evil, but not actively maliciously evil. It’s something”.

Maddie blinks at him, “why the Zone are you even friendly to that scumbag. And I’m still going to kill him”, sighing and putting her head in her hands for a second before looking back to him, “but this still, still, doesn’t explain things. Vlad’s douchebaggery aside”.

Danny gives her another slightly pitying look, “our relationship is stupid complicated. I’m not sure I could even explain the mess between us. But ignoring him and his past villainy, because of that situation it was either me or him”, shaking his head with a slight chuckle, “and Vlad does stupid crazy things if you give him even a slight amount of power. The whole mayor thing is a stellar example”. Maddie cringes at that. That had been pretty bad. It did also effectively make his point though. And she knows Danny can be spiteful, even impulsive, when it came to Vlad. So that did explain things a little. Barely. But a little.

Danny pokes the ring, regaining her attention fully, “so there’s the backstory, and my part in it I guess. As for the rest of the background, it explains things more. Better”.

Maddie straightens up and gives him a strong nod. This is already a lot honestly. But, thinking on it, it was almost nothing too. All he had really explained was how he got this thing, or pair of things really. Heck, she doesn’t even know what the other thing was.

Danny rubs his neck and nods himself, “okay. So the pair, they’re artifacts of sovereignty. Yeah, you heard that right”, tapping the ring.

Maddie blinks, what? Is he using that word right? “What... what do you mean. ‘Sovereignty’, as in kings and queens and royalty, ‘sovereignty’. Are you trying to say you’re royalty now?”. What? No seriously, what?

Danny actually winces at that, “well... yeah. That’s what I’m doing”, Maddie just blinks at him which he obviously takes as a hint to keep going, “the items, their names and appearances change from owner to owner somewhat. But...”, he holds up the ring in front of his face, “the rings default name is The Ring Of Rulers”.

Maddie blinks at him more, mouth a bit dry. Swallowing and trying to put the sovereignty thing on the mental back-burner, “and the... other item?”.

Danny is clearly studying her, “I don’t really think you’re ready for that. I’m glad I can keep that one invisible”.

“...And you can’t do that with the ring”. Did Danny even realise he basically just said he had a ghost power!? Or maybe it only applied to these items. Shaking her head a little, “I want to know”.

Danny looks at the ring and shakes his head, looking back to her, “no I can’t. It’s because it sucks in instead of expels. Which I know hasn’t been explained yet”.

Maddie gives him a hard look, he was avoiding the question. Which means she would probably never know if she doesn’t push it, “no you haven’t, but I still want to know what the thing that expels is and everything. And the royalty thing”. Royalty over what? Where? How? Did just having these things make him royalty somehow? Biting her lip, “is that why you said you’d rather wait till after Highschool? Has this given you some kind of responsibility?”. What has Danny gotten himself into? What’s this ghostly thing done to him?

Danny sighs and seems to sag slightly against the chair, she can tell he’s clearly debating something. Him sighing again, “do you think you could wait a little? Explaining the expel/pull thing will kinda explain that, the royalty thing. But, yeah, that’s why I wanted to wait. Things can be a lot”, shrugging, “but I’m used to it at this point”.

Maddie has to force herself not to wince at that. No one wants to hear their kid say they’re used to things being difficult. Nodding while looking at the table instead, “okay. But I still want to know”.

“Fair”. Danny fiddles with the ring some before pointing to the scanner, “okay so, hear me out here”. Which only makes that nagging ominous feeling return full force for Maddie. “These items are obviously ghostly, right? And everything ghostly is connected to the Zone in some way, correct? Well, these two items are much more connected”, pointing to the vial, “you saw what happened there, when the ring was close. Now imagine what would happen in the Zone. Where not being close to ectoplasm is functionally impossible”.

Maddie furrows her eyebrows a bit, “well then it would just suck it all...”, eyes widening a bit, “in. It would suck everything in”. Oh god. Shaking her head, “but... but you’re here, not there?”.

Danny blinks at her, “um. Mom? Here and the Zone overlap, remember? Me being here doesn’t stop me, or the ring really, from pulling in energy from there. Like I said, more connected. Being here just slows it down”, pointing at the vial again, “normally sapping from that would have taken way longer, but I was making the ring focus on it so you would notice”, rubbing his neck, “since that helped my explanation”.

Maddie blinks, glancing at the ring quickly, “you can do that? Change it’s... effect?”, swallowing, “and, so you just perpetually absorb from the Zone? I- I don’t know what to say or ask about that”, shaking her head, “why?”.

Danny chuckles awkwardly, “I can alter the effect yeah, I can’t stop it though. And yeah, that’s what I do. Or the ring really. And the other piece sheds or expels all that energy back out to the Zone. So it doesn’t stay in me, it just moves through me. Kind of”, rubbing his neck and looking around a little before continuing, “-kind of like a filtrator. The ring pulls everything in, my body siphons out the bad and impurities, and the other piece feeds the cleaned ecto-energy back into the Zone. But also like a heart. Because you know that ‘contamination’ I have? Yeah that mixes in with the stuff I expel out, which makes the ecto-energy stronger”, he then starts gesturing with his hands a little, still not meeting her eyes, “which effectively sustains the Zone and the Zone takes the extra to repair or grow itself”.

Maddie has to cut in at that, “wait wait, so you are actively helping the Zone. Making it stronger. And, and what happens to the ‘bad’ your body’s taking? Is the Zone just using you to fed itself? I still- this doesn’t make sense and this sounds actively bad. And you can’t get out of this without someone killing you. This just makes me want to take that away from you. But I don’t know if that would even do anything”, she clamps her mouth shut to avoid rambling and possibly offending him. Sighing after a beat instead and hopes Danny speaks up before she winds up putting her foot in her mouth.

Danny quirks an eyebrow and actually chuckles slightly, at least she hadn’t offended him. “I’m sort of part of the Zone circulatory and respiratory system yeah. Which a body can’t exactly survive without”. Maddie can’t say she’s exactly bothered by that. She doesn’t want the Zone to ‘flourish’. Why would she! That would just make ghosts stronger. Why was- how was Danny okay with this? Obviously he can tell she’s not impressed. Him narrowing his eyes, “mom, have you ever thought about what the Zone is? Not in the literal ‘home of the ectoplasmic manifestations’, but in the ‘what is the Zone’s relation to Earth’ way”.

Maddie just purses her lips, the Zone was just an alternate dimension that Earth happened to be close to. Sure that dimension was part of the afterlife obviously, but that didn’t really mean anything. But clearly Danny was heavily implying it did mean something. Danny sighs and doesn’t give her a chance to say anything, him shaking his head seeming almost disappointed; which does sting a little. “It’s not some detached plane. It’s intrinsically interconnected”, motioning with his hands, “if you take a coin and flip it in the air, sometimes you’ll get heads and sometimes tails. But regardless of what side you see or what side you’re on, both are still there. And if you, say, try to blow up or dissolve or cut off one side you’ll wreck the whole coin. You can’t have one without the other. If one sides damaged, the whole thing is. If one side has a giant hole, then so does the other. The Zone isn’t just connected to earth either, but the whole universe. Mom, if the Zone goes, everything goes. And the Zone goes if there isn’t someone doing what I am”, tapping the ring again, “I’m a rechargeable battery for the Zone that’s perpetually being recharged, yes. But that isn’t a bad thing. It’s emphatically not”.

Maddie blinks a bit owlishly. That can’t be- but that’s not- how? Is he? How is he even? Maddie can’t help sputtering a bit, “b-but how, how, are you- how can you even be? Sure? H-how are you sure?”.

Danny’s stare is honestly a bit unnerving, “I can feel it just as I can my own body. The Zone is as much a part of my body as I am part of Its metaphorical body. It is effectively an extended part of myself. Every bit of ectoplasm, of ecto-energy, every ghost even; is technically part of me. And-”, Danny pauses before suddenly looking a bit calmer, “I’m overwhelming you, aren’t I?”, looking to the side, “and I didn’t even respond to what I do with the bad I siphon out, did I?”.

Maddie shakes her head a bit stiffly, “no.... but I honestly, forgot. And yeah, this is, a lot”. Danny winces at that before looking back to her.

The two sit in silence for a bit, Maddie’s not really sure where this conversation has gone or what of any of her questions has actually been answered at this point. But she can tell by the way he’s just staring off into space, though it doesn’t look unseeing, that he’s giving her time and that he probably won’t speak back up till she does. She can appreciate that. And he’s probably off... feeling this Zone? How does that even work or make sense?

That’s another thing about Danny, he’s gotten really good at being confusing.

Okay, take stalk of what she knows and the answers she’s gotten here. Danny has a ring that is indeed ghostly, that has to do with ruling/royalty and three other people -at least one being a ghost- had before him; oh and there’s some other item that is paired with it. He destroyed the previous owner, Pariah, but it was all because Vlad is an even worse person than she thought. Which she is now again a bit mad over. What else? Right, the whole ecto-energy of the Zone being filtered through his body thus cleansing it and strengthening the Zone. And the whole spiel he just went on that had something to do with the Zone being part of his body? Which didn’t make sense. And an analogy about coins that somehow means that destroying the Zone just destroys everything. Which, that makes some sense. It was obvious to even a fool the two places were connected, it wouldn’t take much of a leap to suggest that disconnecting them would be catastrophic. And didn’t he say that ghosts were part of him or something? What?

Maddie blinks and bites her cheek, she’s not going to guess how long it’s been now, “okay, so I think I get most of what you’ve said. Hopefully. And I could see how destroying the Zone wouldn’t be exactly good. But the.... you can feel it thing. I don’t- that doesn’t make sense. And how can it be part of your body?”, gesturing to him, “your body’s right here. You’re a solid being. A person”.

Danny looks to her and hums, “well let’s see”, tapping his chin before stilling for a second, then pointing a finger at the scanner, “if you look at me through that I might be able to make it make more sense”. Maddie nods, pulling it back up and looking at him through it. He really looked no different than anyone else who happened to have enough ecto on/in them to shed off energy. Danny hums, “I guess you need something to compare to, to realise what your looking at isn’t normal”. Maddie’s almost offended by that.

Watching him look at his hand for a second before shaking his head and sticking his hand under the table. Producing an actual glob of ectoplasm a second later. “Where did that come from”. No way that was just stuck under the table.

“No where particular”. Maddie squints at him and honestly can’t tell if he’s lying. Though he should know exactly where he got that, he grabbed it. He just points at it so she sighs a little bit directs the scanner to it. Managing to get Danny and the glob in frame and staring. It takes a few seconds to notice the difference. The energy shedding of Danny appeared solid rather than transparent. How hadn’t she noticed that? Muttering, “yours isn’t transparent”.

Danny nods, “exactly. But”, Maddie watches through the scanner as he moves his hand and actually plucks on one of the strands of ecto-energy, it bending with his finger like he was actually touching it. Which was utterly illogical. It was like how you couldn’t literally pluck a ray of sunlight. What he just did, was a literal impossibility. Whispering, “what?”. Which he apparently finds funny and promptly chuckles. Her watching a bit stunned as one of the strands moves and bends to spell ‘I can touch these as easily as hair. And move them as easily as fingers’. She was firmly gobsmacked. “That should be impossible”.

Danny chuckles some more, “you’d be surprised how often I hear that. Like I said all that energy is part of me as much as my fingers are. Though hair would be a slightly better comparison, except you don’t have feeling in your hair. This one-”, she watches him pluck a different strand of energy, it coils around his finger slightly, “-one of the branching off sections is connected to an area of the Zone where there’s a big battle of some kind. I can tell because of how they are moving through the ectoplasm, which is again connected to me. And through the ectoplasm in them, which is also connected to me. If I wanted, I could move that ectoplasm and make them unable to move in an instant”, he chuckles quietly, “but I’m not that mean. I’m kinda big on the bodily autonomy thing”. She’s pretty sure she hears him mutter, “that, and it’s pretty hard... and feels unnatural”.

All Maddie’s hearing is that her son can control ghosts and without even being near them. Immediately she wants to ask why he didn’t do that to all the ghosts that show in Amity, but considering the last bit he said; he’d be really against doing that. But... why? They’re ghosts and the Amity ones are attackers. Why wouldn’t he just stop them if he could? Blinking at him, “why?”.

He looks to her, “‘why’ what? Why I’m oddly impossible. Why siphoning the Zone makes all of it connect to me. Or-”, Danny then gets that hard dangerous look in his eyes, and just feels dangerous; but catching a glance of the scanner she finally knows how he does that, because all the strands and bits of ectoplasm coming off him are vibrating and even lashing. “-are you asking why I’m not ripping away any ghosts bodily autonomy”. Like usual when Danny does this, that entire sentence feels like a threat. She’s a bit grateful right now for having experienced this side of him before.

Maddie swallows, “stop that. And honestly? All of them”, feeling the need to explain herself when his eyes narrow, “it’s just, with all these ghosts that... attack Amity. Couldn’t you just... make them, leave”, swallowing a bit again, “or something”; because damnit, Danny’s intimidation tactics were really good at hitting that part of the brain that just screams at a person that whatever’s in front of or around them is absolutely dangerous. And while she’s proud of him getting bullies off his back, he shouldn’t be doing that to family and he knows that. Both her and Jazz have told him that multiple times, but sometimes it was genuinely an accident.

He stares at her a bit more, with her trying not to shrink in her seat, before looking away and huffing; the feeling alleviating almost instantly. And glancing at the screen, the ecto-energy was back to normal slow waving. Well, almost. For him to do that accidentally at all... it must just be like an instinctive natural response. Which supports Danny’s claim that all this was connected to him. Ectoplasm literally behaved ‘angrily’ if he was angry. That was... so strange but nearly undeniable proof in a way. Which means he absolutely knows what he’s talking about and isn’t just being fed baloney by some ghost. Danny runs a hand through his hair and mumbles a, “sorry”, before looking to her again, “and I guess you do have a point. Though like I said, ghosts are less aggressive towards humans now and that’s my fault. They aren’t generally stupid enough to cause serious genuine problems in the home of- my home”. Maddie absolutely picked up on him cutting himself off from saying something else. Did ghosts have a specific title for him? Though thinking of it, that’s probably rounded back to the ‘royalty’ thing. It was probably ‘king’, ‘prince’, ‘lord’, or something. What? Zone Lord? Dimensional Prince? Or- oh god.

Maddie looking to him a fair bit wide-eyed as he explains her previous sorta questions. “Which is actually partly just respect. Yes ghosts are capable of respect. But fine yeah, some it’s just because they know I can basically smite them”. That doesn’t make Maddie feel better about what she’s currently thinking. “I’m not going to straight-up control their bodies though mom, like I said that’s mean. That would be no better than controlling a human to me. Which, in the interest of honesty”, he points to her arm, looking almost sheepish. While her eyebrows raise as she watches her arm lift up and wave at her entirely out of her control. She can tell how though, she can feel the slight pressure the ecto-energy in the air is exerting on her arm to do this. So it was more like he was grabbing her with the invisible ecto-energy than actually controlling the limb. Danny continuing as her arm comes back entirely under her control, “so no, I’m not going to control ghosts”, shrugging, “I have my other reasons too. The Zone creates ghosts after all, which rather means I do. It’s not an active thing on my part but I can feel it. So in a way, ghosts are a bit like children”.

Maddie blinks, when thinking about Danny that made a weird level of sense. He did seem oddly defensive about ghosts, quick to explain away their actions or claim they weren’t bad. A parent would do that. But... Shaking her head and staring down at the ring, “I wish the Zone wouldn’t make more. No offence. And I don’t know why you’d be okay ‘making them’”, swallowing and meeting his eyes, “but it’s more than that isn’t it”.

“Ghosts aren’t evil. I’ve pointed that out many times”. He continues when she gives a disbelieving huff. “Amity Park just sees more of the rotten eggs. Well okay, I wouldn’t call the Box Ghost a rotten egg. He’d just... stupid and has delusions of grandeur. Maybe a masochistic streak”. That Maddie can agree with. “But they’re all ghosts created under Pariah’s reign. And he was obviously a really bad dude”, fiddling with the ring, “you haven’t met any of the new ghosts”.

Maddie opens and closes her mouth a few times, because he had a point. If he was part of the ectoplasm in these ghosts, it would be logical to assume he had a level of effect on them. Like a parent's genetics when they have a kid or something. So she decides to give him something of a leap of faith, “I guess I’ll try to withhold judgment on the... new ghosts”, thinking on the words he used, “the ones made under your reign”. She can see the moment he realises his wording gave away more than he meant to. Or at least implied something he was likely skirting around. Avoiding. Because well... “Danny, answer me honestly, are you considered their king. The King Of Ghosts or the Zone”. She doesn’t bother making it sound like an actual question. Because she knows both of them know it’s not a question. More a statement of fact. One that she needs to hear him confirm. And if he denies it... then how?

Danny folds his hands in front of his mouth and stares off into space, humming contemplatively. Which he often does when he was acknowledging that she said or asked something but wasn’t choosing to make his opinion known. Which makes her worry he’s going to clamp up. That he’s not going to answer. And now that she thinks about it, didn’t that Pariah ghost have a crown?

Danny nods after a while and gives the simple blunt answer of, “yeah”.

She looks down to the table, “okay”. And doesn’t know what else to say about that. Because, even if she wrote off the ‘my children’ feeling or Danny’s ever-present odd tolerance of ghosts, that has been around way longer than the ring. Then ghosts would still be his subjects. His ‘people’. And a king is supposed to support and protect his people, whether he likes all of them or not. Hell, he could hate them and that still wouldn’t change his role. Sure part of her feels glad or impressed maybe over that since ghosts at the very least reasonably shouldn’t go after their king. Swallowing and speaking at the table, “is it just a... title, or do you have responsibilities. Do you actually rule them”.

“Yeah. I rule them. My word is effectively the highest level of law. The Kings Decrees. But again, I’m not a controlling person. And I don’t ask for much”, she can hear the shrugging in his voice, the forced nonchalance, “I stop wars sometimes. Resolve skirmishes. Hear requests or complaints. My birthday is a Zone wide holiday”. She’s not sure what to make of the weird emphasis on ‘birth’ there. “There’s balls and parties. I have knights and an... army”. She can feel that he hadn’t really wanted to keep talking but did probably because he feels she deserves to know at this point. She put her foot forward. She chased after him. She tried. Both to get to know him and to trust and believe him. Maybe that was all he needed to be open with them, open to a degree at least. And it had taken four years. No. Longer than that. Most of his life.

And how sad was that?

But... Armies and knights. Balls. This was a lot. And he didn’t just work like the Zone’s battery. Wasn’t just being used by it or part of it or however he felt about it. If anything, that was just an aspect of being their king. The real secret, the real revelation, the piece of the puzzle, here wasn’t the ring and what it does. Wasn’t him sucking in and expelling ectoplasm ‘like a filtrator’. It was what that ring represented. It was that her son was the ruler, the king, of the things she hunted and wanted to destroy and study. He fed them, nurtured them, supported them, socialised with them. And they respected and feared him. Maybe followed him. Her and her son's ideals and goals couldn’t be more opposing if they tried.

No wonder he never said anything. No wonder he had become so distant. Now wonder he would oppose or question their hunting and ethics. And no wonder he had the air of a commander and a sense of wisdom to him. He was a king for peat’s sake! That probably comes with the... position. A requirement or learned attribute. And he quite literally had power thrumming under his skin. His power was technically even in the air. It was an entire dimension and species. What is she supposed to do with this? Because this obviously isn’t something he can change. And it’s not even fair for her to even consider asking him for that. And to ask him to treat them like the monsters she considers them to be, would be plain wrong. In fact, wasn’t that what Danny said Pariah had done? And look how well that turned out.

But what did this mean for them? For them as a family? Because she was effectively a person belonging to an outside ‘kingdom’ and species. Who was an aggressor towards his ‘kingdom’. So where did that leave them? Or really, what’s more important to her? Her family or her career. Which was a stupid question with an obvious answer. But still, they were dangerous, they were monsters. Regardless of Danny being their king. Even if he didn’t agree on them being monsters. And maybe she actually genuinely can refrain from judging the ‘new ghosts’ or maybe Danny being ‘part of’ all the ghosts now would make them less dangerous. Maybe even give them a bit of humanity. Danny was human after all. So maybe.., maybe this was actually for the best. For both sides in the war on ghosts. She already knows what he’ll say if she’s brings that up though. He already thought ghosts were just like humans.

Maddie looks back to Danny, who’s just sitting there watching her quietly. Waiting for her to think and decide what to say. Obviously family mattered to him. He wouldn’t even be trying or doing this otherwise. But his ‘career’. He ultimately had to do it. He couldn’t drop it. Her and Jack arguably could. Danny couldn’t put them first. He had to put his ‘people’ first. That’s the job of a king. Even if it hurt or he hated it. Swallowing, “I’m sorry”.

Danny quirks an eyebrow and gives one of his charming lopsided smiles, “for what? You’ve got nothing to be sorry for”.

Maddie blinks at him, a bit dumbfounded, “we, me and your father, are hunters, Danny. We’re attacking and studying what’s effectively your subjects. And that’s not even mentioning that we never noticed all this till now”.

Danny cuts in, keeping her from saying anything else, “I’m going to stop you there”, leaning forward across the table and patting her hands, “mom, that’s fine. I hid it. If you’d noticed right away that would have been embarrassing. Even more so if you figured everything I just told you out on your own. And as for the hunting”, sighing and giving her hand another pat, “you guys are only going after ghosts that come here and are practically always aggressors. Why would that be a problem? Why would you need to apologise for that?”, Danny leans back while Maddie just blinks and gapes at him, “when you go to another country, you have to follow their laws or the cops will chase you down. It’s no different. If a ghost comes here, they expect to be hunted. Heck, coming to the human world and attacking humans is against Zone law. The Box Ghost is pretty much the only ghost that doesn’t get chucked in jail very frequently. And that’s because he’s viewed as pathetically pathetic there as he is here. And-”, Danny runs a hand through his hair, “-one of my decrees actively allows and supports ghost hunters. So long as it’s after aggressors in the human world anyway”, obviously making a point to give her a serious look, “now if you went into the Zone and started attacking, yeah we’d have ourselves an issue”.

Maddie feels ridiculously touched. He made laws, or just one, that supported her career? “Sweetie I, that- thank you. Are you... sure? That what we do is okay? Okay with you?”.

Danny chuckles and nods, “it’s fine. I might not agree with your opinions, or what you claim as fact, and you know I have sabotaged things before, but it is objectively fine. And personally, of course I support you guys doing what you love”.

Maddie reaches over and grabs his hands, smiling at him, “that means a lot, sweetie. I imagine the G.I.W. are different?”, that was a government organisation after all. Not general hunters.

Danny scowls, and feels a bit intimidating again, “considering they attempted to blow up the Zone, no. And the Anti-ecto acts are a host of issues”, and grumbles off to the side incoherently. Maddie doesn’t doubt that if she checked the scanner that the ecto-energy in the air would be lashing around again. At least it wasn’t being directed at her, reducing the effect.

Maddie blinks at him, leaning back and shaking her head, “wait, would that? Be trying to destroy you?”.

Danny tilts his head and chuckles, “yes and no. The Zone’s part of me, yes, again it’s like an extension of me”, putting a hand to his chest, “my body is more my body than the Zone is”. Maddie nods, glad to hear that. Watching him pat at the blob of ectoplasm that she honestly completely forgot about in lue of Danny being a king amongst other things. Humming at it before looking to her, “and thinking of the ghosts I create, would you like to met a Whisp one?”.

Maddie blinks, what? Well... Whisp weren’t exactly dangerous and sometimes they cropped up naturally even in Amity. But where? Could he just locate one and pull It here? Or more so would he even be willing to do that with the whole bodily autonomy thing? “From where?”, shaking her head a little, “I mean yes, but wouldn’t you have to make one come here?”.

“Ah, hmmm no. I was just going to make one. It doesn’t take much and it happens on accident a lot actually”, and pats the blob of ectoplasm again. Maddie eyeing it, so he could just make a ghost out of chuck of ectoplasm? Just like that? Wait... squinting at him a little, “is that why our samples seem to disappear so often? It’s not Jack?”.

Danny looks a little sheepish and rubs his neck, “yeah, well for the most part at least. Dad does just misplace it sometimes. But it has to do with me always expelling ecto-energy. If enough of that gets absorbed by ectoplasm it can become sentient. Blobs and Whisps generally. SignalShines once. Proper ghosts are a totally different matter though”.

Maddie shakes her head, absolutely a bit stunned. It did make sense though, if he really expelled so much; which he clearly must if he’s ‘the Zone’s heart’ in a way. All of it had to pass through him. Which was still a bit much to know. “Okay. What are SignalShines though?”. Danny chuckles a bit and pats the blob of ectoplasm again, her watching it start misting and leaning a bit over as it, It, twitches and uncurls from the ball into a more proper Whisp shape. Just like that. Watching It promptly wind around his hand and arm. Him lifting that hand up and letting It start nipping at his hair.

“SignalShines can’t survive out of water. There’s not exactly ecto-water in the human world”, chuckling, “I forgot a thing of Gatorade under my bed for a while. It wasn’t Gatorade anymore after a month or so, I can tell you that. There was around forty odd SignalShines in there. They’re very tiny”, moving his hand over to her, the ghost very clearly not willing to let go of him. Was It still feeding off the energy he was shedding? She can’t help chuckling a little at his story though, that did sound like a very Danny thing to do.

Poking the Whisp, It poking her with Its tail tip right back. “You know, this doesn’t really say much”.

Danny shrugs, both of them watching It push his fingers around to wind through them some, “I know. Whisps are practically just vaguely sentient air after all. But well, I figured you’d appreciate some proof. And don’t worry about them biting, little guy won’t with me here”.

Maddie nods and mumbles, “yeah”, while watching Danny’s face a little. She can easily read the soft fondness there. She knew he was ghost tolerant, had known that pretty much since ghosts were proven to the whole town as being real. She just never realised that it went so far beyond just tolerance or ‘getting along’. It was probably different with fully sentient ghosts, what with their pseudo-consciousness and pseudo-personality after all. Not that Danny considered it to be ‘pseudo’ anything. Deciding to do something of a leap of faith and pet the thing with a finger a little. Danny obviously appreciated the effort and Whisps were practically harmless. The most they’d do is nibble on your clothes or fingers.

Though thinking of It being ‘obedient’ and Danny maybe, possibly, giving ghosts a level of humanity. How and why were ghosts even willing to tolerate him being their king? ‘Bowing down’ and being controlled, being sustained/fed, by a human. Ghosts clearly thought they were better or ‘above’ humanity. So why? “Hey Danny?”. He hums at her so she continues, “you’re human, so why are ghosts, this one, willing to be so... submissive to you”. Heck, even with pointing weapons at the things her and Jack have never gotten even a Whisp to be this submissive and cooperative. It hadn’t even attempted to nibble her or screech or anything. Watching It squirm Its way under Danny’s wrist and just stay there.

Danny deadpans, “king”, but immediately chuckles, obviously knowing that’s not what she meant really. “For Whisps like this it comes down to a simple matter of being able to sense all the energy running through me, and how, exactly, it’s running through me. Ghosts can sense my status. They just know. Whisps, and blobs really, will be like this to anyone strong enough in ecto-energy. You two don’t have any due to your suits protecting you, so there’s no reason to be submissive to you. And me, well, I could destroy a Whisp like this as easily as I can make one. And they can tell”, shrugging, “so in a way, it’s a survival instinct. All ghosts are that way. Get something strong enough around them and they’ll bend the knee... or run away. The more sentient though, the less you’ll be able to tell”.

Maddie nods, huffing a little, “pride”. Which Danny does nod over. “That still doesn’t answer my question though. Having the whole Zones worth of ecto-energy or not, you’re still human”. Immediately finding herself on the receiving end of that feeling that Danny knew stuff that she didn’t.

Danny shakes his head a little, “I had a feeling that would be a hangup you’d have. I’ll admit there’s plenty who don’t exactly like me. And there’s some that don’t like or respect me in the slightest. They’re still not dumb enough to go against me though or ignore me if I actually demanded something. Okay, and there’s the Box Ghost, who’s is, well, him. But for the most part, my humanness doesn’t matter. Most don’t care”, chuckling faintly, “I’ve ran into one or two that find it novel actually. Though there are also some who think I should be forced to become a ghost”.

Maddie has to cut in at that, “you’re not and don’t, right?”. She absolutely would not tolerate him being forced to die or some ghost even attempting to kill him. Period.

Danny immediately shakes his head, obviously well aware how much of an issue she’d have with that; the Whisp winding up his arm as he talks, “no. Don’t worry. A couple, ah, older ones tried to push for it but my head knight, called a Dread Knight by the way, didn’t take to kindly to that”, chuckling, “basically swore to obliterate them if they even attempted to attempt it. So no, no ghost’s trying to get me offed, mom. Also-”, smirking slightly, “-trying to is illegal under the Kings Decrees anyway”.

Maddie nods strongly, “good”, she guesses she shouldn’t be to surprised he went and made it illegal to kill him. She’d do that herself in a heartbeat. “And your... Knight’s that loyal to you? Or obedient?”.

Danny purses his lips slightly, “he’s loyal to the crown, not me. He’ll obey whoever’s the ruler with absolute loyalty. It’s his Obsession”. Hearing that did actually make her feel better. A ghost wouldn’t go against their own Obsession. Often even at the risk of destruction. So this ghost being ‘loyal’ and thus ‘protective’ of her son was effectively a guarantee.

Eyeing the Whisp as It seems to be attempting to curl up over his heart, “well I'm glad you’re protected then. I still don’t get how so many could not care that you’re human though”.

Danny sighs, “they just don’t. It’s really not that important to them. Strength matters far more, as well as capability and fearsomeness. And that I have proper claim of course”. Maddie blinks a bit disbelievingly at that. She’s not sure how Danny had any of those first three. Particularly before he got this title. How could a teenager without any experience or training be capable as a king? People raised their whole lives to be royals were frequently terrible at it. And human strength just didn’t compare to ghosts; raw human strength anyway. And fearsomeness? Maddie’s pretty sure the only thing ‘fearsome’ about him is the intimidation thing he can pull, which is thanks to this connection to the ecto-energy that he has.

“No offence sweetie, but I think you’re rather lacking in those departments. Especially compared to ghosts. Also”, looking at the Whisp still snuggling his chest, “what’s that doing?”.

Danny glances down and chuckles, “oh they’re just curious over the heartbeat. No surprise really”, looking back to her, “and mom, I’ve been involved in more than a fair few ghost fights. Even before the king situation, in fact, I get in less now. I’ve never truly lost. Ever. Amity’s kinda crazy like that”.

Maddie shakes her head, “I didn’t realise the school hotspot was that bad”.

Danny shrugs, “I just have bad luck half the time. Wind up with a haunted locker or accidentally dating a ghost without realising it. Her boyfriend was pretty pissed about that. Other situations. And-”, looking her in the eyes, “-you’ve never actually seen scary Danny before. Or really angry Danny for that matter. Mad? Sure. But completely pissed off? No”. That’s honestly enough to make Maddie decide that maybe she’d rather not see that at all.

But still... “I don’t know, Danny. Ghosts following and respecting a human still seems so wrong. Like it shouldn’t be possible”.

Danny just shrugs at her, “well it is what it is. You can take it or leave it really”. Which was a clear sign she wasn’t going to get anything more out of him on the subject. Watching him move to scoop the Whisp off his chest, “you should go now. You’re getting greedy”. So that was a ‘yes’ on It feeding off his shedded energy. Gaping slightly when a small portal just swirls into existence and he sticks his hand through; depositing the ghost directly into the Ghost Zone.

Speaking up as he pulls his -now empty- hand back out and the portal swirls away, “just how many things can you do???”, it was actually a bit unnerving. He had powers. Like a ghosts. Though with all the ecto-energy in him/running through him should she really be surprised.

“Its just manipulating my ectoplasm. Nothing more. Just like when I moved your arm or made the Whisp. All ectoplasm is part of me, so I can do with it what I want”, and shrugs like this is no big deal.

“Could you cover the town in little ghosts like that?”.

“I could yes, but it would be pretty tiring and pointless”.

“What about turn the sky green?”.

“I’ve done that on accident”.

“Telekinetically move things by wrapping ecto-energy around them?”.

“How do you think I clean the lab so fast”.

“Clean things by ecto-radiating the surface? Ectoplasm does destroy pretty well everything after all”.

“I’ve... never actually tried that, but probably”.

“Could you-”, Maddie bites her lip a little, “-transport the town into the Zone like Pariah did?”.

“Yeah. With a little bit of concentration at least. Not that I would”.

Maddie shakes her head a bit to herself. So much power, and all from a title. She decides to be honest, “I’m not sure how I feel about all that”.

Danny shrugs, “that’s fine. I surprise myself sometimes”.

Maddie furrows her brows a little, “but it doesn’t scare you? All of it? The... abilities. Or filtering the Zone. Or the king thing. Or having to deal with ghosts a lot”.

Danny shakes his head and smiles fondly almost instantly, “hardly. I’m content. I’m okay. Don’t worry”. She’s not sure if she should smile back or sigh. Sure he said he was happy, okay, and it looks like he means it. But at the same time, this wasn’t really okay. He could never hope to have a normal human life. Of course it was never going to be normal normal, he was a Fenton after all, but it was never going to be Fenton normal either. And even though he didn’t really touch on it, had downplayed it, he had responsibilities. Probably lots of them. He wasn’t even out of school yet. A summer job was one thing, but what he was doing might be better comparable to the president. Just for ghosts. Which were a different species than him and existed in a different dimension. She’s not even sure how he manages that. And he probably can’t really get any help with it either. She hadn’t known this kind of position even existed before today. And it would be risky at best for him to talk about details, combined with him being on the paranoid side; he wouldn’t seek people out for advice either. Or at least probably not. Could he even have a regular human job really? Heck, being a hunter was absolutely out the window. Maybe she could find some way for him to be in the family business, but it was obvious this king thing came first. And not just because it was ‘more important’.

Danny wanted this. On some level or another.

Which is where the positives come in. He was arguably a better person now, and stronger too. He could clearly stand on his own two legs and was at the point where he probably didn’t need her and Jack as a child would. Which yes, was something to be proud of. And what he’s achieved was arguably impressive, grand, unprecedented. Was, when it came down to it, good. Especially if this made ghosts less violent and dangerous. He himself was clearly proud. In the end, wasn’t that the point? What any parent should want for their child? For them to be proud, successful, and respected? He had all three. Just in an explicitly non-human way.

Looking at him, he was looking off to the side silently. She’d normally guess he was just giving her time to think, which he probably was, but maybe he was feeling? something somewhere. In the Zone or Amity, Amity was pretty horribly contaminated. She couldn’t even blame him for that, there was probably ghosts here as often as some more scarce places in the Zone. Him and his cycling the Zone’s ectoplasm thing almost definitely made it worse though. Maybe she should scan his bedroom sometime? Shaking her head, she definitely wasn’t doing that right now. But eyeing him, she honestly can’t really find anything else to say. Just relaxing and not thinking for a bit might be a good idea.

After a while she glances to the doorway, speaking a bit absently, “sure is taking Jack a while”.

Danny hums and nods, “he’s asleep actually”. Maddie sighs fondly at that, because of course he was. Shouldn’t have let him have that second helping of fudge peanut brittle. Danny looks to her, “so, we’re good?”. Oh god, she’s glad he’s the one to broach that topic again.

Maddie looks him over, eyeing the ring on the table, and nods at him. Fairly easily deciding at this point that it was fine. It was okay. And he was absolutely family. Not that that had ever been genuinely up for debate. “Yes sweetie, of course. I still honestly don’t understand this and I can’t say I really like it. But it’s you, this can’t really be changed and it’s not really right for me to even want you to change this. So yes, we’re good”.

Danny grins and nods, “good”, and moves to grab up the ring off the table. Maddie tries not to feel a little bothered and weird over him slipping it back over his finger. Especially seeing the muscles in his arm and face tense up. Does... does this hurt him?

Danny looking to her as she speaks, “Danny... does that hurt you?”.

Danny chuckles, and it sounds a bit stiff, “I’m honestly surprised you didn’t ask that already”, shaking his head with a slight smile, “mom, an entire dimension follows through my body, that’s unpleasant to adjust to. But I am adjusted, it’s just slightly unpleasant to reconnect properly“.

Maddie blinks, “wait, so you need your two items? Was taking that off bad for you?”. And how did she not think of that sooner? Cluing in that that only made sense. He used the items, as a pair, to filter ecto-energy. It was logical he might actually need both of them on him to do part of his job. But still, she’s pretty sure that was a pained tensing.

Danny wiggles his hand in the air, “‘bad’? No. Just not pleasant and they’re pretty much part of me. More so than other ectoplasmic objects”, Danny tilts his head and smiles at her, “and at this point I think it’s probably obvious the other item is a crown”. Maddie nods, yeah that felt honestly obvious now. Danny gestures to his head, “do you want to see it? Not much point in not showing you”, and chuckles.

Maddie glances at his head, she knows this is a distraction tactic. But she thinks she’s okay taking the bait. She couldn’t change this or do anything about it. And thinking of the footage of Pariah, “is it the flaming green thing Pariah had?”. Danny chuckles more at that and nods. So Maddie makes a point to ruffle his hair, realising she’s probably going through it. Intangible and invisible. That was probably for the best. He couldn’t very well walk around town with a bright green crown on his head. The ring was less... conspicuous.

“Yeah I want to see it”.

Danny smirks a little, a green glowing flaming crown appearing with a bit a fire show. Which Maddie has a feeling he did intentionally, so she rolls her eyes a little at him while eyeing the crown. It was much more in your face and even a bit intimidating compared to the ring. Even if it seemed rather plain and simple if you ignored the fact that it was floating, glowing, and on fire. Green fire. Though squinting a bit, it looked like there might be crystals? or frost? coating it. “Is it... safe to touch?”. Danny nods and leans his head down towards her. Her poking it tentatively and feeling more than a bit surprised that it was ridiculously cold. Frost it was. Which seems as illogical as cold fire. “It’s... cold”.

Danny chuckles and stands up right, and again with the charming smile, “yup. It’s default name is the Crown Of Kings, surprising I know, but under me it’s the Crown Of Cold Fire”. Maddie thinks that’s a little on the nose. Danny lifting up his ring hand, “and the ring’s the Ring Of Suffering”. She’s not sure what to think about that, it was fairly concerning actually; especially considering how literal the crowns name is. Danny runs a hand through his hair, passing under the crown easily, “don’t worry about the names. Anyway, can I go to bed now? It’s a bit past midnight”.

Maddie has to laugh at that a bit, not that she wasn’t tired too, “I don’t think you need my permission, sweetie. And I’ll probably have more questions in the morning, if you want to answer them anyway”.

Danny shrugs, “maybe I will, maybe I won’t. Do try to get some sleep though”. Maddie just nods at that as she watches him head up the stairs, the crown blinking out of visibility as he enters his room and taking away that bright waving glow of its that had been lighting up everywhere around him. It really did change the way he looked, it made him feel almost like he was out of reach. Like she couldn’t really exist in the same space as him. In the metaphorical sense anyway. Which she guesses, is true.

Her looking back to the kitchen, it’s going to take a while to really understand this. And maybe saying something was up with Danny had been an understatement. Her son was a king and effectively a dimension... sorta. He took being weird and unique to a whole different level. A path that she couldn’t follow him down or guide him with. At least his personality made much more sense now. Especially how he seemed as if above people and like people were children to him. Or ghosts more specifically. Because in a way, that actually was the case for him. Though she feels both less and more worried about him now, in more than a few ways. But worrying about him was pointless, and maybe, just maybe, unneeded. It was a bit hard not to though, she was a mother and all; and Danny had gotten himself mixed up in something equal parts important and dangerous. Though she’s really glad to have gotten some honesty from him. Gotten to know him more genuinely. He was clearly still himself, just a different him than the little space crazed little boy he used to be. Which was okay, kids grew up; it was a fact of life. Hers just grew up running full tilt in a direction that should have logically been utterly impossible. He faced life and made himself the king of death. Which... honestly was rather funny and ironic now that she thinks about it. And knowing Danny... he absolutely got a kick out of it. Which makes her smile a little before shaking her head and heading up to be herself.

One thing’s for sure though, she’s so going to have to have a talk with Danny about telling Jack all that at some point.

End.

#ectober #ectober2020 #ectober 2020 #danny phantom #phandom #danny fenton #maddie fenton #reveal #ghost king danny #op danny #fan fic #phan phic #have a fic suck my dick #phantomphangphucker #my writing #late because of crappy internet

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recurring-polynya · 4 years

Note

I have to say I knew that at one point renji, ikkaku, yumichika and iba were in the same squad with kenpachi but good god you managed to paint a beautiful picture for me. I simply assumed that for them it was simply party time all the time along with a few bald jokes but this is much better. Emotionally healthy squad 11 which still love fighting more than anything. I always cringed when someone would just describe them as hooligans that do nothing but fighting. I mean they do that too but I love the idea that they are all emotionally healthy and mature, a loving and supportive family to their own - in their own wakka doodoo kind of way thats endearing - and of course they are in my opinion they single capable force against sexisim. Because they don't care about anything else - gendere, sexuality, gender performances, race, mentality or anything - other than if you fight good you respectable and if you fight good in squad 11 you family. ( like when kenpachi just became captain he made yachiru his lieutenant and no one was against it no one thought it was beneath them, sure thru nag at her sometimes but that's mostly in a banter like way because she call them stupid nicknames but no one hates her for being unrightfully their superior. One day they got a new captain and a new lieutenant that's a child and they just went with it.) I admit their disdain and disrespect to squad 4 is still frowned upon but I do believe some squad 4s can handle their own, it's just that we saw the really peaceful ones. Anyways sorry for ranting. Just wanted to say that yeah, I really like how the past squad 11 with iba and renji in it was a great place in general. I think if they found out some one was being sexist - for whatever reason - they would be there right next to nanao - or iba's mom protesting. Kenpachi and yachiru as well. And that makes me want to be squad 11 ,despite not being much for fighting, so bad.

So, for starters, thanks! I try to have fun whenever I write Squad 11, and I’m glad you enjoy my take on them.

My Squad 11 is just... really not very canon, though. Canon Squad 11 is actually pretty gross and sexist. Yumichika is transphobic, Kenpachi makes homophobic remarks about Yumichika, they bully Squad 4, there’s a filler episode devoted to a guy that Ikkaku bullied for, like 100 years because the guy lost his reiatsu saving Ikkaku’s dumb ass.

When you write fanfic, you occasionally run into these more problematic aspects of the source media, and you can choose to dig in and analyze them, or just... remake them in your own way. Take for example, Gin. If you read fanfic about Gin, there are some people who will peel away the layers of him and his fears and insecurities and still make him be a horrible gremlin, and it’s really stellar writing. Other people prefer to write him in an AU where maybe less bad stuff happened to him, and he’s more mischievous than sociopathic, and this is a less meaty interpretation, but it’s also more fun. Sometimes fanfic is a meal and sometimes it’s candy. It fulfills different needs and different fantasies and all of it is welcome.

Yumichika, who for me is the fulcrum of Squad 11, presents this problem. I really don’t like the way his “appreciation for beauty” plays out in canon. He doesn’t actually appreciate beauty, he just likes telling other people they’re ugly. I don’t think he’s ever pointed out beauty in anyone else aside from himself or his zanpakutou. I remember the first time I watched his fight with Charlotte and it struck me as so off -- why wouldn’t he find her beautiful? I mean, I know it’s a transmysogynistic joke, that’s why, men dressed as women is funny, hurr hurr, but Yumichika is gender nonconforming himself. This was an opportunity to make a cool character point, and Kubo took the cheap laughs road instead. Going back to what I said last paragraph, a skilled writer could, in theory, write about his insecurities and his brittleness and meanness and write a pretty compelling story, but a) Kubo certainly doesn’t, and I have never actually found a Yumichika-centric fanfic of this nature, and b) this doesn’t fit the role I need him to play in my stories. I am rarely really interested in writing about Squad 11 for its own sake. I like to write them as a backdrop for the period of Renji’s afterlife where he hit absolute rock bottom and bounced back up again. We already know the role Ikkaku played in this, except that Ikkaku is a complete moron in terms of mental health, and I really, really felt like this is where Yumichika needed to come in.

I like to massage Yumichika’s character a bit, but I do want to keep the flavor of some of his character flaws-- he’s still shallow and mean and judgy, and I love that for him, but I like to add in a positive side to his appreciation for beauty. Having Yumichika make fun of Izuru’s pores is funny but it’s even funnier if he’s just given Renji a compliment on his hair first. The idea that a Yumichika compliment is attainable makes all his drags the more vicious. Yumichika also judged people by their beauty instead of their moral character, which is humorous to me. He dislikes Byakuya as a person, but is obsessed with his haircare regime. I like to have him treat Rangiku as an equal, beauty-wise, and a person whose opinion he respects based on her aesthetic. Rangiku is actually a pretty savvy and very emotionally intelligent person whom many people write off because she likes to present herself as a lazy airhead, so in an extremely convoluted way, this all works out. I like to think that Yumichika’s ideas of beauty are also caught up in boldness and risk-taking and having one’s outward presentation ring true to their inner self. To me, this is the core of why he loves Ikkaku. To him, Ikkaku’s devotion to doing the most Ikkaku thing at all times, no matter how stupid, is irresistibly sexy.

Aside: At some point, I decided that the fact that a lot of people in Bleach have colorful marks on their faces and elaborate hairstyle and accessory games implied that make-up in Soul Society is gender neutral. I like to think there is actually more of a divide between the nobility, who like their make-up to follow rules and be classy, and, well, Squad 11, who like to get make-up ideas from Jem and the Holograms. I don’t even wear makeup (I don’t know how and it’s expensive and I am ashamed of myself, we can talk about my own gender presentation later) but I like to write about both my male and female characters wearing make-up. I don’t actually know how my readers feel about it, but it just falls under the “Is that what people want?”/“It’s what we do” philosophy of all my writing.

I think one of the theses of my writing is that middle management is more important to the character of a squad than the person at the top. Captains sort of act as ideals to strive for, but they are generally unapproachable for one reason or another. Yachiru is more like her captain in this respect (which makes sense, since she is, in fact part of her captain). Ikkaku and Yumichika present this dual idea that 1) strength is awesome, fighting and being the best is awesome, and 2) part of strength is presenting yourself to the world in a bold and confrontational way. (The fact that both of them are hiding huge parts of themselves is laughably ironic). Kenpachi and Yachiru are shining examples of Do Whatever You Want and Be So Strong That No One Can Stop You.

What really makes this work is that you need someone one layer down-- does anyone actually subscribe to this nonsense, and that’s why Iba - Abarai Squad 11 is Best Squad 11. I really, really enjoy the genre of Reddit posts where a total bro will find out that his girlfriend is trans and react by becoming a vehement advocate for trans rights. I love the bodybuilders typing encouragement to each other meme. Our world is flooded with disingenuous messages from concern trolls trying to tell us why being kind and inclusive to one another is bad or that you should reject help because struggle makes you stronger and the idea of a Himbo looking at something like that and saying “that seems dumb" is delightful to me.

I actually feel like there are a lot of awful people with bad ideas in Squad 11, it’s just that Renji and Iba don’t put up with their shit, and over time, that becomes the culture of Squad 11. I think that Squad 11 has incredibly turnover, but the ones who stay are the ones who subscribe to the ideas you mentioned-- fighting is what matters, if you wanna go argue about shit, go join Squad 5. In the IkkaYumi story I wrote, which happens shortly after Zaraki takes over, a ton of people leave. The Bount Arc (which I know a lot of people skipped) features a dude who was extremely pissed off because he had liked the old Kenpachi and thought Zaraki sucked and was so mad about it that he betrayed Soul Society. You might think that this arc would feature Zaraki caring about this in some way shape or form, but he really didn’t. So, I think there are a lot of Soul Reapers that took issue with serving under a little girl as a vice captain, they just aren’t in Squad 11 anymore.

Oh, one last note on Iba’s mom. I am of an age where a number of my friends have mothers who were Second Wave Feminists. The moms in question are a real mixed bag, because they Came From a Different Time, and on one hand, you have to respect what they went through, and on the other hand, they are very difficult to get along with. I liked the idea that Iba has always chafed against his mom and her big personality, and then Renji comes in, and is like, “hey, your mom is strong as hell and she has a lot of ideas that I never thought of but they make sense” and Iba realizes that, even though she’s still a huge pain in his ass, his mom is the person who made him who he is. Moms are complex.

Uhhhh, I have definitely lost the thread of wherever I was going with this post. Thank you for enjoying my Squad 11, which is nothing like canon Squad 11. Hopefully maybe this year, I will actually finish my Squad 11 Self Care story, where Renji stops being a drunk disaster person after Yumichika teaches him how to fill his brows; I got stuck on a part where Rangiku gives Renji a talk on ethical sluttery.

#squad 11 #sometimes i look at Things I Have Wrought and pull a full Talking Heads style 'how did i get here?'#my squad 11 stuff is my absolutely weirdest most bonkers writing #i am glad people seem to like it #just trying to find some meaning in this hot mess #i think i blame The Toast

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dwellordream · 3 years

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“Even beyond the age when girls might be encouraged to play in the city streets, their presence was sanctioned by another activity: the healthful walking between home and school, and the long constitutionals judged critical to a maturing girl’s health. If the lives of Victorian girls were defined by disciplines, one of those disciplines was daily exercise, most commonly long walks, sometimes of several hours’ duration, from one side of town to the other.

Good daughters embraced a walking regimen as religiously as they did a regimen of diary keeping. Like writing, though, walking suggested form rather than content. In their long rambles from one side of town to the other or into the country, or their promenades back and forth along Main Street, girls achieved a level of social freedom which ran against the grain of chaperoned domestic propriety.

Most physicians and advisers agreed about the benefits of walking. Writing in the 1890s, the Ladies’ Home Journal quoted ‘‘a celebrated physician’’ when it endorsed walking as the preferred form of exercise. ‘‘Tennis, he believes, is too violent; cycling renders women awkward in their walk; cricket is also an uneven exercise; at golfing the strokes made are not conducive to the cultivation of physical beauty.... Riding is one-sided, and croquet is not exercise at all. Walking, however, may be fast or slow, according to the desire or health of the individual. Walking is probably the only exercise which calls every part of the body into active and healthy motion.’’

Earlier, a writer for the same magazine instructed American girls how to walk: ‘‘Let the arms swing free; throw the shoulders back, the chest forward and the head high.’’ Another columnist recommended other sports for girls, including tennis, bicycling, rowing, and any men’s sport ‘‘with but one exception, foot-ball.’’ But she fell back on walking as both the simplest and ‘‘perhaps the best,’’ suggesting that girls build up to six miles per day. Walking was an approved form of exercise for a range of Victorians, but it was clearly girls who had both the most time and the most need for its healthful effects. G. Stanley Hall, in his opus Adolescence, suggested the special role which walking filled in the lives of unmarried women, who ‘‘are, and ought to be, great walkers.’’ Walking, Hall implied, might tap energies otherwise likely to go to unhealthy activities, such as ‘‘estheticism’’ or the solitary vice of ‘‘self-abuse.’’

He explained, ‘‘Dr. Taylor thinks . . . that the difference between boys and girls in learning self-abuse on account of the more obvious anatomy of the former is overestimated, and that the latter, more commonly than is thought, not only find their organs and use them improperly, but are more difficult to cure of this vice.’’ A healthy alternative for unmarried women was to spend that excess energy in walking which married women and mothers might spend ‘‘normally in other ways—’’ an allusion both to the demands of raising children and to coitus itself. Walking was exercise, therapy, and ideology all in one. Sarah Browne, a married woman writing at midcentury, explained her walking in language appropriate to her region and class: ‘‘I walk again this forenoon in search of health—my walk is a principle, a religious duty, so the time is not lost.’’

Time spent walking was time invested rather than squandered. Less intense than modern jogging, aerobics, or weight regimens, the walking of nineteenth century girls nonetheless could compete in seriousness; what it lacked in strenuousness was compensated for in its duration, sometimes occupying two or three hours of the day. Margaret Tileston’s sister Mary was afflicted with health problems throughout her adolescence in the 1880s.

Undoubtedly Margaret’s regular walking, on the streets of Salem, Massachusetts, at first in her sister’s company, was in part a response to Mary’s ‘‘search for health.’’ Beginning at the age of thirteen, Margaret worked up to two hours per day as the time she was expected to walk. Even when it was bitterly cold outside, Margaret walked. Even when she had no company, she walked, ‘‘simply for the sake of taking a walk.’’

Some of her walking took place at school recess, but that still left an hour and a half of walking to do either before or after school. When she missed an hour of exercise, she recorded it in her diary. She sometimes walked early in the morning before the sun came up. (One May morning she got up at 4:20 and walked an hour before breakfast.) She often did not return home until after dark, one winter night not making it back until 7:00 p.m.

After one day of walking, during which she had ‘‘thought a good deal,’’ she still found herself short of the required two hours, so she and her sister walked up and down in front of the house before going to bed. Only once did she confess to her diary that walking two hours was ‘‘a tiresome thing to do daily.’’ As befit her self-improving temperament, she instead used this bodily discipline as the occasion for a mental one, explaining that during one long walk she had ‘‘got some more ideas about walking.’’

Seldom do we have witnesses—or walkers—quite as disciplined as Margaret Tileston, but documents of other teenage girls suggest that walking was considered both a preventative and a palliative. When Alice Stone Blackwell’s head ‘‘felt as though I had been hung up by the heels and all the blood had run into it, filling it almost to bursting,’’ her cousin Emma ‘‘prescribed a walk, and we found our way to the chocolate factory.’’ When she took a long circle route home from school—‘‘about 7 miles I should think’’—she relayed her sense of accomplishment: ‘‘Am at present in serene enjoyment of a good conscience and blistered feet.’’

…In addition to being a discipline, however, walking was a necessity for most maturing girls. Going to school in the nineteenth century usually meant walking to school, often in company with friends and classmates. Between discipline and necessity, there were enough agemates walking in the streets that urban girls rarely needed to walk alone.

Indeed, the hours spent walking became opportunities for sociability, for making and broadening acquaintances, for flirtation. The walking that began as a discipline or an expedient eventually turned into an occupation in its own right, which gained its meaning from the opportunities it offered for peer relations beyond adult authority. Walking to school in itself could become a highly choreographed peer ritual.

Jessie Wendover attended public high school in Newark, New Jersey, in the 1880s and 1890s, and in her diary she enumerated her walking companions. When she was fifteen, Wendover often collected friends as she went so that ‘‘we eight went down together.’’ Sometimes, however, they would break into pairs or regroup, as when one friend ‘‘got one of her amusing cranky spells on and tried to make herself believe she was mad at me, and said she would not walk with me.’’ The foursome broke into pairs then, with one pair removing their hats as they puffed up the hill, and the other sitting on the stoop and laughing at them. For Wendover the significance was that ‘‘we four have gay times going to and from school now-a-days.’’

…For the more reserved Margaret Tileston, walking in the Salem streets only gradually expanded her social world and encouraged her to take initiatives within it. After a slow beginning in coeducational Salem High School, Tileston gradually discovered connections to her community. ‘‘I can scarcely take a walk without meeting one of my school-mates or at least some one that I know,’’ she observed in the spring, after beginning classes the previous December. She soon began to walk with some of these schoolmates, noting the next fall, ‘‘I begin to feel better acquainted with the girls in my class.’’

The next winter she noted the company of a boy: ‘‘Dick Manning walked along with me for a part of the way.’’ By the following month, she confessed in the spine of her diary, she felt bold enough to initiate relations: ‘‘I bowed to Master Smith on my way to school.’’ The next week, the group of girls she was walking with actually invited some boys to ‘‘turn round with us, but they could not.’’ The confidence Tileston was gradually accruing allowed her on her own to overtake a boy that month and accompany him to school. Margaret Tileston did not record the ensuing conversation, but she did note some of the subjects she touched on in her long walks with other friends.

On one three-hour walk, she and her companions talked of friends, boys, teachers, and dancing. In different walks that summer of her sixteenth year, Tileston mentioned conversations ‘‘about calling boys by their first names.’’ Margaret Tileston was a purposeful young woman, as her extraordinary diaries make clear. Yet even for Tileston, the meaning of walking gradually incorporated its sociability.

For many girls less focused than she, walking up and down city streets—or ‘‘promenading’’ as detractors would describe it—nearly lost its function as exercise in its fostering of peer intimacies. Ruth Ashmore, the Ladies’ Home Journal columnist championing restrictive morality, cautioned that if there was a possibility that a girl might be joined by boyfriends on a walk, she should be accompanied by a chaperon. (And in any case, a girl of eighteen should not go out without a chaperon.)

This was only one of a long collection of warnings—observed mostly in the breach—offered by advisers anxious about the freedoms of girls in the city. Ruth Ashmore’s advice ran at cross purposes with other, older codes of courtliness which made men responsible for the safe passage of women through city streets. In reflection of this chivalric remnant, it was customary for boys to escort girls during and after evening events, dances, or parties. Often these escorts seem to have been assigned by the hostess. In a later interview, Etta Crawford recalled her life as a girl in frontier Portland, Oregon, in the 1860s and 1870s. Customarily, she would receive written invitations to dancing parties in homes, which specified the name of the escort who would be responsible for getting her to and from the event and for seeing ‘‘that you were properly escorted all evening.’’

She was careful to distinguish this constant attendance from the practice of ‘‘dating’’ popular in the 1930s at the time of her interview: ‘‘We really didn’t have dates. Mother considered we were too young. . . . I don’t approve of this present-day manner of traipsing around half the night. None of the boys that attended me to the dances were on calling acquaintance.’’ This imposed arrangement was reflected in other girls’ accounts of such evenings.

At the age of twelve in Milwaukee in the 1860s, Cassie Upson wore her white dress and pink sash to a ‘‘sociable,’’ returning home at 11:30. She declared that she had enjoyed herself ‘‘only pretty well,’’ perhaps because of her partner: ‘‘I think my escort’s name was Clark. Oh! he was a gawky.’’ When Jessie Wendover attended a boy’s birthday party in 1885 at the age of thirteen, she noted that there were about a dozen ‘‘couples there.’’ She arrived at about 8:00 p.m., she said, and returned home at the extraordinary hour of 3:00 a.m., noting that ‘‘Harry Mccarthy saw me down to supper and home.’’

Wendover led a protected life and was most often accompanied by her parents to and from social affairs and when she went downtown in the evening. It appears, though, that her parents on the Atlantic seaboard shared with Etta Crawford’s on the Pacific Coast a parental protocol which sanctioned the assignment of ‘‘escorts’’ for girls as young as twelve and thirteen.

Whether assigned or not, though, it was incumbent on boys or men not to leave girls unescorted in the evenings—especially as those girls became young ladies. (This chivalric convention put a strain on outnumbered high school boys, who nonetheless remained responsible for their female classmates after evening events.)

While a student at the Harvard Annex, Annie Winsor recorded an embarrassment in the diary written for her parents. She had attended an evening party in Cambridge which her attractive Latin instructor was also attending. She and a fellow female student had agreed to go home together. (She reported that her friend ‘‘trots to and fro from Miss Smith’s at all hours and did not a bit mind going from here alone.’’) The two young women timed their departure carefully: ‘‘We waited till Mr. Preble [their teacher] and two girls had got safely out the door and away, and then started downstairs, and with averted eyes ‘thro’ the entry, opened the front door, and there stood Mr. Preble leisurely fixing his neck handkerchief—evidently waiting for some one.’’

The friends ‘‘felt like two children caught at the jam-pot and no way of escape.’’ The consequences were preordained. Mr. Preble would be obliged to walk everyone home, which was indeed what happened. In a letter to her brother, Ellen Emerson, daughter of Ralph Waldo Emerson, described her discomfort with such genteel expectations when she returned from a party.

Her escort, she explained, was a Mr. Soule, ‘‘who— I can imagine your exultation—made me take his arm. But the experiment confirmed me in my old opinion. It is easier and pleasanter to walk alone and be able to keep one’s dress out of the dust. There!’’ Like other chivalric practices, being escorted was a ritual meant to convey obligation as well as protection. Girls’ presumed need of escorts provided access to welcome and unwelcome suitors alike.

Cassie Upson noted in 1866 that ‘‘that abominable little nip of a Perkins’’ had walked her home from church and had discerned only that ‘‘I wasn’t quite as talkative as usual.’’ A reprinted item from a student newspaper in Kingston, New York, in the 1880s suggested that girls reject the terms, replying, ‘‘‘I would rather be excused,’ when asked by young gentlemen for the privilege of escorting them home from church at night. The practice may be hard on the ‘boys,’ but it is one which every self-respecting girl will adopt and adhere to. For a young lady to be asked on coming out of church, . . . to surrender herself to the society of some young hoodlum who has been waiting outside while she was decorously attending divine worship, is an insult which would justify a kick from father or big brother.’’

Rather than seeking contact in ‘‘this sneaking, unmanly, vagabondish way,’’ an interested suitor should ‘‘call upon her at home, and take pains to ascertain whether his society is agreeable to her parents as well as herself.’’ This item suggested the dilemma embedded in the system of boys escorting girls: sometimes the solution was worse than the problem it was meant to address.

The practice of escorting equally opened possibilities for flirtation, of course. The Milford student newspaper slyly noted that the ‘‘girls of ’88 all believe in ‘protection’—after class parties.’’ Lily Dana noted one such arrangement: ‘‘Of course Brinckerhoff went with Edith Barry and I saw them turning up one of those lonely streets by the Catholic church, in just the opposite direction from her house. Mother says she does not think it was proper.’’

Whether proper or not, it was clear that intimacies contracted within approved contexts of school or church would have ample room to flourish even within genteel practices coming and going in the city streets. The historian Beth Bailey has found radical changes in courting practices in the 1920s resulting from the movement from the maternally supervised ‘‘front porch’’ of home to the ‘‘back seat’’ of male-owned cars.

The fact was, though, that many middle-class girls in the nineteenth century were not at home but at church or at school, and in the evening they were presumed to need male escort well beyond the surveillance of their mothers. During the day, girls had more freedom to walk on their own. These less formal walking arrangements—ostensibly undertaken to run errands, to get to or from school, or for exercise—provided ample opportunity, too, for flirtation.

Alice Blackwell and Lizzie Morrissey, both writing in Boston in the 1870s, though from different class perspectives—found themselves unwitting walking partners in such scenarios. When Alice Blackwell, nearly phobic about encounters with boys, went to meet two schoolmates, the pair was otherwise occupied, talking loudly and waving handkerchiefs to attract the attention of two boys. Alice was so mortified that she hid behind a hedge and finally strode home by herself, ‘‘descended to the cellar, groped my way to the milkroom, and soothed my irritated feelings by drinking an enormous quantity of milk.’’

When Lizzie Morrissey walked to a nearby square to hear a public band concert with two friends, she reported that the walk down was nice, ‘‘but when we got there Ida soon left me for Art Woodride and didn’t come back again; I felt provoked. Then Hattie left me for two fellows, but she came back and introduced them.’’ After this bad experience, Morrissey concluded that she would ‘‘never go to the square again when anything is up with either of them.’’ Part of her subsequent isolation within her house might have been a response to discovering herself abandoned by her best friends in favor of flirtatious promenading.

A more willing participant was Mabel Lancraft, a high school student and spirited daughter of a Fair Haven, Connecticut, oyster grower, whose 1880s diaries cover her fourteenth through seventeenth years. Lancraft spent much of her time in her early teens promenading and flirting outdoors. One summer day of her fourteenth year, for instance, after a trip to the ocean, she and her friends were playing house—‘‘I was the mamma and they were the children’’—when a neighborhood boy came along and suggested they go to the park. ‘‘So we went and we met Mr. Hovey down there though he didn’t approve of us going.’’

The group of friends continued to play, though, picking up others. ‘‘Sadie and I had our arms around each other and Sadie was my beau.’’ The boys accompanied the girls nearly home and exchanged compliments. ‘‘Sadie said I was awfully pretty and if she was a boy she would be in love with me. And he [Ed Dupee] said what pretty eyes that Miss Lancraft has got and he agreed with Sadie.’’

Mabel Lancraft later drew a line through the above, an early—and ineffective—moment of reserve; Lancraft grew more daring as time went on. By the end of the summer, she announced boldly that she and a friend met two boys of their acquaintance ‘‘and we raised and we promenaded up and down with them in front of Mr. H. Olds.’’ At the beginning of the summer, Lancraft simply disregarded the advice of a neighboring adult; by the end of the summer, the opportunity to flout respectable opinion was part of her pleasure.

Mabel Lancraft’s early teenage flirtations were generally confined to friends and schoolmates, whom she met and bowed to in their mutual walks around her Fair Haven neighborhood, to the station, and also sometimes through downtown New Haven. When she was seventeen, though, Mabel Lancraft confessed a modest initiative with a stranger. ‘‘Coming out in the car a young fellow stood up in front of me and I am afraid I flirted a little.’’”

- Jane H. Hunter, “Friendship, Fun, and the City Streets.” in How Young Ladies Became Girls: The Victorian Origins of American Girlhood

#history #american #victorian #how young ladies became girls #jane h. hunter #cities

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diavolosthots · 4 years

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@damplire I gotchu fam u.u

DIAVOLO SFW ALPHABET

Argument: Do they argue? How bad does it get?

Listen, he always gets his way. Always gets what he wants, when he wants it. Hes really spoiled and doesnt take lightly to any "no" you might throw at him. With that being said, YES this man argues but its not really an argument, its like slight manipulation to make you see his side and give up yours.

Babies: fur baby, scaly baby, or no baby?

Uh he has Cerberus so thats enough of a baby for him lol. A three headed dog? Yeah thats all he needs but even if he could get another one, he just doesnt have the time for it.

Cocktails: are they extroverted? Introverted? Both? With their s/o?

Extroverted with a very introverted streak. What you see on the outside is his bubbly personality and light heartedness, but in reality hes pretty much inside his own head and doesnt let anyone in, or comes out a lot.

Dance: would they encourage their s/o to join become "sinful" so they could stay in hell/the devildom? How would they take it if they did?

Lol listen hes worse than Levi and Mammon. He sees it, he likes it, he gets it, and he KEEPS it okay. Be prepared to give up your whole life to stay down here because hes not gonna let you go.

Exit: Do they like to travel? Where would they want to go?

Oh he loves to travel its super fun to see different parts of his own kingdom but also to see different sides of the human realm! Please do take him to all the castles up there and talk to him about rulers long passed.

Food: what's their favorite date with their s/o?

Any date that gets him out of the Devildom lol. He likes to ask his s/o what their favorite restaurant up in the human world is or where theyd like to go and then just take them.

Grease: what's something special they made for their s/o?

He doesnt make shit but you can bet your ass that he gifts them precious jewels and stones all the time. Theyre showered in golds and riches.

Honesty: would they ever hide something from their s/o?

He hides a lot from them, actually. From things concerning the Devildom, to his feelings, to meetings he has with Barbatos and Lucifer. There's no need for his s/o to know any of that, at least in his eyes.

Independence: what type of lover are they? Clingy or carefree?

As much as he likes to say hes carefree, hes actually pretty clingy and likes to keep you around as much as possible. He wants to keep taps and wants to know where you are at all times, especially when youre not with him

Jealous: are they a jealous person?

Lol yes but honestly if anyone has the guts to hit on you, they MUST have a death wish. No one goes against Diavolo and usually a stare is enough to send anyone off.

Kindness: how far would they go for their s/o? Ride or die kind of thing?

That depends on how long they've been together, much like Lucifer. The stronger the feelings grow, the more likely hes to do anything they want.

Love: what's their love type?

Quality time, gifts, and words of affirmation. He doesnt have a lot of time running the Kingdom and all, but he makes time for you. When he doesnt have time, he apologizes through gifts and cute little notes..but he really just prefers to tell you how he feels in person by complimenting your body and soul.

Mouth: where's their favorite place to kiss?

Your forehead. It makes him feel like your protector, but also that you trust him. He could easily squish your brain between his palms, yet here you are, leaning into his touch.

No: anything they wouldnt do with or for their s/o?

Give up his kingdom. You wont get him out of the royalty streak and into a "normal" life. He loves the things he has and the power he holds over everyone. He wouldnt give that up if his life depended on it.

Odor: what's their favorite scent? On a s/o?

He likes Lemongrass a lot. Its exciting and fresh; makes him want to go on an adventure. But also Frankincense and pine.

PDA: how open are they to PDA

Very open. Has no problem making out with you, grabbing your ass, hugging you, or holding your hand. Afterall, who are you to tell the future king anything?

Questions: will they be an open book or not?

Haha you're cute. He lets you believe you know everything about him when in reality you barely stepped onto the surface. He doesnt like it if anyone knows too much because it gives them control over him and that's a no.

Reserved: what's something that only his s/o would know about?

Minor secrets like how annoying Barbatos can be at times or how disappointed he is in his father for just giving up. He will never go into great detail, just enough to get it off his chest.

Serious: how long until they start to get really serious with their s/o?

It takes him a while, much like Levi, to fully trust you because a part of him just thinks you want to rise to power and he drowned in his wealth. It takes a special type of soul to change that thought.

Type: what's their type in a s/o ?

Someone with confidence who can hold their own. Someone bold and adventurous, but also someone loving and caring. In a sense, a fun motherly type would be his preferred s/o. But NOT someone who tries to overpower him. Someone submissive and more feminine.

Untouched: have they been in a relationship before? How many?

Hes had flings and his wild "teenage" years where he uh… hoed around. But most of those girls/boys just wanted to secure their spot beside him in the kingdom and yeah thats gonna be a no from him.

Very: what's something they're really good at outside of hobbies?

I can actually see him be quite decent at sewing. Maybe it's just something he discovered when Barbatos took too long to fix his coat, or maybe he started it out of boredom, but hes quite handsy.

Weird: what's something odd or weird about them?

Hes quite picky about the temperatures in his room. It's either, quite literally, hot as hell, or its colder than Antarctica.

Xylophone: their favorite part about you? Physically? Mentally?

Physically its your curves, which kind of tie back to the more feminine aspects in a s/o. Especially if you have wide hips/bigger thighs, it just shows fertility and he loves a good proportioned body. Mentally it's definitely your forgiveness. He can be quite harsh and he knows its his way or the highway, but you forgive him for lashing out or shutting your thoughts down, and he appreciates that.

Yearning: would they like a family? How many kids?

It's kind of expected of him lol. An heir, obviously a boy, is a must. He wouldnt object to having another child, though, maybe a girl?

Zebra: Do they change throughout their relationship? Are they truly themselves?

I wouldnt say he necessarily changes. Hes still on guard and only lets you see what he wants you to see, but he does have his more vulnerable nights, so yes, kind of.

#obey me #obey me shall we date #obey me headcanons #obey me scenarios #obey me lord diavolo #diavolosthots #om! diavolo #shall we date diavolo #obey me diavolo #diavolo headcanons #sfw alphabet

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spnfanficpond · 3 years

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Pond Diving - Imagineteamfreewill

Welcome to today’s Pond Diving Spotlight! We hope that you enjoy this little insight to our members and perhaps even find some useful tips for your own writing. Happy reading!

Want to volunteer, send us an ask! We’re looking forward to learning more about all of you! Not sure what PD is, you can learn more here.

“Don’t Be Koi About It” - All About You

Name: Meg

Age: 20s

Location: United States

URL: @imagineteamfreewill

Why did you choose your URL: I first started out structuring my stories as imagines, and the “Team Free Will” part was pretty obvious.

What inspired you to become a writer: Reading Supernatural fanfiction inspired me to get back into writing, but I’ve always enjoyed it. My mom likes to talk about how when I was in Kindergarten, I drew a picture about how I wanted to be an author and now I write in my free time.

How long have you been writing: According to tumblr, I’ve been writing fanfiction since 2014, but I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember.

What do you do when you are not writing i.e. Job/Hobbies etc? I’m a music teacher, so I sing and play piano, and I’ve played a bit of cello and tenor saxophone as well. I love movies, baking, sleeping, and a few video games.

How long have you been in the SPN Fandom? I joined sometime around Season 8 or 9, I think. I don’t really remember!

Are you in any other fandoms and do you write for them? I really enjoy Marvel and I’ve read a lot of Marvel fics, but I don’t write for them. I like a lot of TV shows (New Girl, Parks and Rec, The Good Place, Outlander, etc), but I wouldn’t consider myself part of the fandom.

Do you do any writing outside of fanfiction? If so, tell us about it? I love to write poetry. I had a poetry blog at truenorth-ink a while ago, but I haven’t updated it recently at all. Most of my poems aren’t published or posted anywhere.

Favorite published author: I love some of the early series by Rick Riordan and I also really enjoy poetry by Nikita Gill and Atticus. Lately, I've really been getting into Leigh Bardugo's books.

Have you ever read a book that made an impact on your life? Which one and why?: I think "East" by Edith Pattou really affected me! I read it when I was in 6th-8th grade and I think about it often. I think it's something that really stuck with me and got me interested in fantasy books so much. I read it at least once a year.

Favorite genre of fanfic (smut, angst, fluff, crack, rpf, etc): I love angsty stuff, and most of the time I prefer it when it has some fluff mixed in. Straight fluff is often hard for me to read because I need something that’s more realistic for my own life and point of view. I also really like whump, but that can be a lot sometimes so it depends on my mood.

Favorite piece of your own writing: I don’t know if I have a favorite, but I loved writing Back to the Start (my mermaid series) and The Switch (a canon-divergent apocalyptic Reader x Sam series). Right now, I'm really enjoying my Consort series (a Goddess!Reader x Dean series). Creating my own rules in my own little universes is one of my favorite things to do, especially since I can’t always do whatever I want in real life.

Most underrated fic you have written: Empire. I loved getting to write Boyking!Sam because it was so different from my normal Sam stories and I did a lot of research for it. I’m pretty proud that the story never got too bloody or gory, too, so if you want some Boyking!Sam that’s not drenched in blood (for lack of a better term), I’m your girl!

Story of yours that you’d most like to see turned into a movie/tv show: Probably Back to the Start or The Switch. I think those two series would be amazing to see with J2, the rest of the cast/characters I included, and special effects! There’s so much I’d want to explore with both of them that I didn’t put into the series.

Favorite Tumblr Writer(s): @luci-in-trenchcoats, @sunlightdances, @supernaturalfreewill, @lipstickandwhiskey, @smol-and-grumpy, @percywinchester27, and @kaz2y5-imagines

Favorite fic from another writer: I don’t think I could pick just one, but I’ve read all of @sunlightdances Dean fics multiple times. Her works got me through some pretty sucky times in my life and I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of her writing! I’ve also been reading her Bucky fics recently and it’s made me love Marvel fics even more than before!

Favorite character to write: Sam Winchester

Favorite Pairing to write: Reader x Sam (Reader x Dean is a close second)

Least favorite character to write (and why): I don’t like to write for Crowley or Gabriel. Gadreel is hard for me even though I can do it, but I don’t understand Crowley or Gabriel’s personalities at all because they’re literally so far away from mine.

Do you have anyone you consider a mentor? No, although @lipstickandwhiskey and @kaz2y5-imagines really encouraged me in my writing!

Do you have any aspirations involving your writing? I would love to write a non-Supernatural work of fiction to publish, but that’s a long way off.

How many work-in-progress stories do you have: Oh Lord, I have so many! I have at least four series and two one shots in the works right now. I've also got over 100 one shots/series plotlines written out in the notes on my phone and various Google Docs.

What are you currently working on? I’m currently working on a Cinderella series, my Underworld series, my Puer Rex series, my Consort series, an Author!Sam fic, and an Author!Dean fic. I also write stories for my Words series now and again.

“Pond Diving” - All About The Writing

What/who has had the biggest influence on your writing? Reading other people’s work. The intense storylines of @luci-in-trenchcoats ’s fics have gotten me to be more bold with my writing and the emotions and description in @supernaturalfreewill’s works have inspired me to let my work have more feeling.

Best writing advice you've been given: Not necessarily writing advice, but I was once told that anything worth doing is worth doing at least a little bit every day. Think about it—if you wrote even just five minutes a day, how much better will you get over the course of a month? A year?

Biggest obstacle you’ve faced in your writing: Repetition of words and commas. So many commas and so many uses of the same word over and over again. It’s a hard balance between using the word and using synonyms without sounding like I’m sitting there googling synonyms for “said”. I also tend to spend a lot of time on things that I think are super important but aren’t really important in the long run. I’m wordy as hell and my writing would be dull if I didn’t edit it as thoroughly as I do.

What aspects of writing do you find difficult when you write fanfiction? A lot of times I have these ideas that I think would make a great series but I don’t think through them, so planning out the plot of a series (or even a standalone fic) beforehand is something I struggle with.

Is there anything you want to write but are afraid to (and why): I would love to write more fics that have the characters dealing with severe mental disorders or that take place in a mental hospital, but I’m afraid that I’ll portray something wrong and solidify harmful stereotypes about what it’s like to deal with those things.

What inspires/motivates you to write: Honestly, just wanting to write things that I enjoy. Sometimes I get sick of reading other peoples’ stuff since it’s not exactly what I want, so I just write my own!

How do you deal with self doubt: Understand that sometimes it happens. You’ll doubt yourself—everybody does. If I’m doubting myself or my writing, I’ll take a break until I remember why I write. Then I’ll remember that yeah, writing for an audience is fun, but I write because I have cool ideas I want to explore, not because I need the attention or love of strangers. Lastly, I’ll reread my old fics, especially the ones I love, and then I’ll go back and edit old fics that I haven’t looked at in a while. That way I can see how I’ve improved and I don’t feel so terrible anymore! Reading my own fics is a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine, and I’ll read through my masterlists every once a while just to remind myself of the things I’ve loved, where I’ve been, and where I’m going.

How do you deal with writer's block: Like I said, I reread old fics and edit old fics that I haven’t looked at in a while. Seeing the things I’ve done before always helps to focus me. I’ll also read other people’s stuff or talk about headcanons with some friends to try and find some inspiration.

Do you plan/outline your story before you start: Lately I have been, but only because my periods of intense inspiration and productivity are getting farther and farther apart because of my job. I’ve found planning it out to be more and more helpful, especially for my series. A lot of times if I get a great idea, I’ll outline the whole plot or any significant details I want to put in that one shot/series so that I can come back to it whenever I have the time or I’m inspired for it again.

Do you have any weird writing habits: I write best in places that are unfamiliar to me or in places/times where I shouldn’t be writing. Class? Writing. Airport terminal? Writing. 4am when I have to be up at 6? Writing.

Have you ever received hateful comments on your fic and how do you deal with it? Not that I remember! I feel like there’s probably been one or two over the years, but I probably just got upset about it with my friends for a while and then got over it.

Conversely: what’s been some of your favorite feedback on your fanfic? A long time ago, when I was writing Back to the Start, I had one person who sent me asks for every single series update. I screenshotted them and saved them on my laptop. There’s one particular one where they say that they’re happier because of my writing and honestly, isn’t that what we all strive for? That people’s lives are better because of our stories? I’ve also had some pretty great friends recently who’ve made it a point to reblog and send asks/messages on all my works, which has been so meaningful that I never replied to the asks. They’re sitting in my inbox and I go through and reread them sometimes when I’m feeling down.

If you could give one piece of advice to a new and/or struggling writer, what would it be? Write down everything. If you come up with an amazing piece of dialogue, even if it’s just one sentence or one person talking, or if you come up with something you’d think would be a great title… WRITE IT DOWN. It doesn’t matter if it fits into whatever you’re currently writing or not, it’ll come in handy! I don’t know how many times I’ve gone through my idea list and found really obscure lines/titles/inspiration that didn’t make sense when I wrote them down, but are now exactly what I need to finish a fic. Even if you don’t end up using it, jotting down your ideas is still writing, and that’s good practice!

#pond diving #spnfanficpond

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rwbyremnants · 3 years

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WARNING: This chapter contains use of a couple of racist terms for Italian-Americans and Chinese-Americans by a particularly bigoted character; no offense is intended toward the readers and the words used do not reflect the views of the author, but rather the historically accurate attitudes of the 1950s era in the USA. Please be advised that you may wish to skip this chapter if you prefer to avoid terms like those.

Well I knew writing would take up most of last month... sorry about that. I'm gonna try to do better about posting from now on. Hope you guys are having a fun hot girl summer~

=Chapter 38

Before long, Kali did come by to wake them up, and was almost alarmed that the girls were already up and chattering with each other. Though they quieted quickly at being commanded to get ready for school, knowing doing anything else would probably get them in even hotter water than before.

But Kali's eyes remained shrewd on Blake the entire morning, and seemed to be reading Weiss like a book. She knew. That would have surprised her before the past month of insanity, but by now she fully appreciated that Kali Belladonna was nobody's fool. She just had to hope the woman would leave the situation up to them instead of butting in.

And she did… sort of.

“Weiss,” she said as they moved toward Blake's motorcycle to head to class. She stayed back.

“Yes, Kali?”

“I trust you… slept well.” Her eyes were still discerning, stabbing into her as if she had x-ray vision.

“I did. Thank you for asking.” When the silence was growing stale, Weiss prayed that her cheeks weren’t pinkening as she asked, “Was there something else?

Kali shook her head, a half-smile hitched into place. “No. Just be careful. As you've been learning, this world of ours… has a lot of hidden pitfalls. Don't make a mistake that you'll wind up regretting. But I'm probably worried about nothing, right? You're a smart girl. Just don't forget to be smart.”

With those ominous parting words, Blake's mother went back inside and Weiss went back to Blake herself.

“What was that about?” she asked while handing over her spare helmet.

“Oh, nothing, I suppose. But I think your mother was trying to warn me not to make out with you.”

“Mm.” Only after their helmets were on and they were both seated on the bike did she burst out, “WHAT?!”

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

That day at school was very strange for Weiss. As if she had woken up on the wrong side of the bed - which, in a manner of speaking, she did.

As had become usual, Yang spent a lot of time making eyes at her in the hallway, finding excuses to touch her. They didn’t have actual classes together, but the rest of the day found her slipping a hand down below the hem of her skirt and teasing her thighs before drawing it away, making sure nobody would notice. That was normal - though it had lessened during certain points where one or neither of them were in the mood, or were in the hospital. After their fun on the lakeshore, Yang was back at the top of her game, and it was almost more relief than exhilarating.

Now, however… it wasn’t just Yang. Though she didn’t get nearly so bold, Blake was also winking at her occasionally, finding an excuse to whisper something into her ear that probably could have been said out loud without anyone caring. She never did it in front of Yang, but it still happened. Weiss didn’t respond as favourably to her, but neither could she seem to completely ignore this new attention.

She felt like a cheap floozy. It wasn’t fair to herself, and she knew it mentally, but her emotions were another story. So what if Blake let off a little steam? Technically, she didn’t even help her directly; just encouraged her to take care of herself. But she knew her more prudish friends might not see it that way, even if it was all that had transpired.

After classes, Yang took her to their spot at the abandoned depot. They did kiss for a little while, but it wasn’t quite the same; Weiss felt that morning hanging over her like a dark cloud, threatening to crack open and pour down on the whole situation.

“I’m sorry.”

To Weiss’s surprise, she hadn’t been the one to say it. She pulled back to ask, “For what?”

“There’s just so much happening, y’know? With your dad, and…” Yang sighed and reached up to caress over Weiss’s neck. “It’s dumb, but I keep thinking about Ruby and Qrow.”

“No, it’s not dumb. But what have you been thinking about them?”

“That it’s all my fault we got so… so- I mean, I shoulda known they didn’t hate me. Seems pretty obvious now. But I let myself get all wrapped up in my mom’s anger, and…”

Her girlfriend looked so stricken that Weiss couldn’t help leaning up to kiss her forehead. “You didn’t know. Weren’t you a little girl when this all happened? It is dumb to expect a child to understand what’s going on when she’s already dealing with losing her mom. Or step-mom.”

“Yeah.” She nodded very faintly at first, then a little stronger. “You’re right. I only wish I knew then what I know now, I guess.”

“Mmhmm. Was there something else? You still seem…”

“Well, yeah, there are a couple of things. Like your dad, and you and your mom having to shack up with Mrs. B., and Cinder still not being back in class… it’s just so much. Feels like we can’t catch a break lately.”

Guilt fluttered in her stomach. And here she had been about to add to Yang’s worries by asking about that “free pass” to try making out with a few other girls. As if she even needed to, really! “I’m sorry. So much of that is my fault, in a way. Your life just got more complicated when I came along.”

“Complicated in good ways, too,” she said with a half-smile. But Weiss didn’t return it, so she tilted her head a little. “Hey.”

“Huh?”

“Something’s off with you. Did you and Blake have a fight? She’s been acting weird, too. Pretty much… all day. And I saw you two whispering a lot.” Weiss didn’t even have to answer; the way she looked away biting her lip was enough. “Nnnnnot a fight. Got it.”

“Yang-”

“It’s okay, everything’s boss. I’m hep.” But she didn’t look it. Weiss didn’t think she had ever seen Yang so confused and out of sorts before. She wasn’t angry, or scared; just highly confused and maybe a little sad.

“This isn’t what you think,” she tried, knowing that only made it sound worse. “Blake… she just has been really lonely lately. Nothing happened between us, exactly. But I did…” She felt like she would be sick. “I did help her a little.” Her face was burning, definitely, and maybe even her ears and neck. “Mostly I just watched… and told her she didn’t have to stop. Th-that was all.”

Yang forced a smile that only hurt both of them. “Didn’t I just say I’m fine? And… I never said you had to pin me, and I haven’t pinned you. Neither of us is wearing handcuffs, neither of us is committed. You can do whatever you want with her.”

“But I don’t! I want to be with you, Yang! She just… like I said, she’s been so lonely, and I helped her out a tiny bit. That all. And trust me, I’m not the one she wants to be with - but I can’t go into detail.” Yang didn’t answer. “Do you trust me?”

She still didn’t answer - right away. But when she glanced up and saw Weiss looking as if she had just been shot, she relented. “Of course I trust you! Sorry, I'm sorry, Princess. I just… haven't had to think about…” She swallowed hard and reached up to grasp Weiss's shoulders hard. “I've never had a steady girl before. Ever. So this is all brand new! But I think… maybe I really would be alright if you and Blake-”

Weiss's hand came up and pressed very gently into Yang's mouth. “Don't say that right now. Okay? Just, um, just think about it for a while and get back to me later. You have a lot on your plate, and… I didn't even know how to bring this up to you. It seems cruel when you're already dealing with so much. But it's way less important to me than making sure you and I are hunky dory.”

Before Yang even nodded, she was already kissing the fingertips. Weiss felt her knees go weak and was glad for the old couch they were seated on. The lips kneaded more and more against her fingers until they ran up to take the middle one inside, tongue swirling around it teasingly. It didn't completely distract her from their conversation… but went a long way toward doing so.

“We're hunky dory all the time,” the Dragon finally told her without a hint of hesitation. “And… I know how we feel about each other. I've just never had something I could lose like this before.”

“The only way you'll lose me is if you don't want me around anymore. That's it. Even if things get rough, and my father tries to take me away, and a million other girls want to turn my head, I promise I will find my way back to you. Bet on it, Xiao Long.”

Nothing could have kept the two apart after that.

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

A little while later and they were heading back to the Belladonna house, physically sated even if they were still a little emotionally frayed. Once they parked and started to dismount Yang's motorcycle, she reached out to stall Weiss from heading up to the house.

“This thing that Blake's dealing with… whatever it's about. Or whoever. Should I tease her to make it seem less big, or is it too big even for teasing? Just don't want to make the wrong move here.”

Weiss had to fight down a surge of panic. “Nooooo, no, don't bring that up, at all! Please? You're her best friend and she would be really embarrassed if you found out from somebody else. And if you hint that you know part of it, she might accidentally say the rest and then we’ll all feel awful.”

“Right, okay: I don't know anything. I'll be cool.” A little grin tugged at the corner of her mouth. “But I'm glad you're looking out for her, even if it's frustrating not knowing what the hell is going on. She's a good friend.”

Privately, Weiss cringed on Blake's behalf at that last line. And because they were slightly dancing around the notion of opening their relationship up to outside parties. But there was no time to lament such things - especially with Yang standing right there, focused on the situation.

The instant Blake looked up from setting the dining room table and saw the two of them there, her face went through a few quick transformations. Anger, annoyance, sadness, embarrassment. Jealousy in spades. But there was a more pure form of longing there, as well. And that quickly, it all vanished, replaced with an honest gratitude to see her two friends.

“Hey, girls. Mom says it’s almost ready - cacciatore tonight.”

“Great!” Yang glanced at Weiss, her eyes full of an intense question: ‘What is going on with her?!’ Clearly, now that she knew to look for it, she had seen the same transformations Weiss had. But she kept the question in her eyes only, and even that faded away before she turned back to Blake. “Um… so… what’s new?”

Weiss wanted to groan, but it would have been a dead giveaway. Blake blinked and said, “Huh?”

“Seems like I haven’t talked to you much lately is all.”

“Nothing, really. I mean, my news is the same news as your news. By now, you know about Weiss’s dad, right?”

“Yeah! Ain’t that kooky?!”

The rest of the dinner was taken up with chatting about Weiss’s father, and other Dragons goings-on. Kali turned out to have one or two ideas for a new base of operations, even if they weren’t currently workable; she had been ruminating on the problem. The solution just might take time.

“Blake, finish your beets. They’re good for you.”

“Mom, I’m enjoying the chicken,” she sighed weakly. “Don’t ruin it with those red tiddlywinks.”

Weiss may have been the only one to catch the knowing glint in Kali’s eyes as she said in the same casual, matronly tone, “You looked a bit flushed this morning. I’m worried about your blood pressure.”

Instantly, Blake was choking on the bit of beet she had reluctantly nibbled. Yang was quick to go pound her on the back, even though Kali was there nearly as quickly. Weiss was at the far end of the table with her mother, so though they both rose to their feet that was as far as they got before Blake was breathing normally again.

“You aren’t supposed to breathe them!” Kali was chuckling gently, still rubbing up and down her daughter’s back. “Calm down, I only said you looked like you were a bit… strained.”

“MOM!” Blake gagged in annoyance. Everyone laughed, and she looked even more mortified.

“Alright, alright,” Weiss finally said with a wave of her hand. “Lay off her.”

“You laughed, too, Princess!”

Yang smirked and folded her arms over her chest. “Hey, I thought I was the only one that got to call her that.”

“Since when?” Weiss asked.

“Since forever!” When both Blake and Weiss looked at her curiously, Yang laughed again, going back to her chair. “I'm kidding; I don't actually mind, you know.”

“Oh…” Plopping back down, Weiss picked up her fork again. “Good. But don't worry, I still like hearing it from you the best.”

This time, the retching sounds from Blake were feigned, but her mother still turned back to her as if it were a real crisis. That started the laughter again, especially from Willow who saw much of her own parenting reflected in the other mother - even if she had taken an extended leave of absence, thanks to her husband and hundreds of bottles of wine.

Following dinner and dessert, they were relaxing in the living room in front of the TV when they heard a car pull into the drive. “I’m not expecting anyone,” Kali said.

“Me, either.” Blake glanced around at everyone else, then back to her mother. “Is Salem back? Already?”

It certainly wasn’t Salem. When they gathered on the porch to see what was going on, they found themselves staring at none other than Jacques Schnee, leaning on a diamond-topped cane that he had certainly never needed before with his hair and mustache a little too perfect. He was standing in front of an actual squad car, with two actual policemen in the front.

“Porco cane!” Kali hissed under her breath, eyes narrowed. But she made no other sudden movement.

“So this is where you two have squirreled yourselves away,” he sighed in a disinterested voice. “How very… pedestrian. Is it even up to code? I wonder if I could have it condemned…”

“What do you want here, Jacques?” Willow said in as even a tone as she could manage. It wasn’t fiery, and it wasn’t firm. She was terrified that he had found them - as was Weiss. Though she was content to stay in the background of the encounter for as long as possible.

“Why, honey, I thought that would be obvious. I wish to reunite my family.” His smile was genial, like he thought he was Santa Claus. “Whitley misses the both of you.”

While she was trying to come up with a reply for that, Weiss found her voice. “We have a family. Right here.”

“Oh, is that what you call this? Such a random collection of rabble - a couple of black-haired dago greasers and some chink girl? That passes for family to you now? My, my… how the mighty have fallen.”

Kali nearly lost it. In fact, she took a single step forward, but Blake managed to hold her back at the last second. The gentle pressure on her arms reminded her of their situation, of the cop car waiting just behind the enemy, and she brought her temper back under control.

“You see?” he laughed harshly, gesturing with a hand. “Animals that can scarcely control themselves. Come home, Willow. We’ll sort this out later.”

By now, the Schnee matriarch’s anger was starting to overtake her fear, even if marginally. “Come home? So… s-so you can spank me as if I were a spoiled little girl? We have had this discussion, Jacques. I will never sleep under the same roof as you again.”

He only wasted a few seconds digesting her words, glaring daggers at the woman he had claimed to love when he married her. Then he grinned darkly. “Never say never, my dear.” His fingers snapped toward the car, and one of the officers exited to stand next to him. “Fetch the bitch.”

“I wouldn’t do that,” Yang drawled out, cracking her knuckles. “She ain’t done anything wrong. You can’t just go sticking people in handcuffs for no reason.”

“Ah, but they can, and they will. Who’s going to stop us? You? If you resist, we will claim that you were shot in ‘self defense’ - and who will the judge believe?” His hand pressed into the center of his chest. “A respected pillar of this community, running for the office of mayor? Or an unfaithful wife who runs away from her problems and into the waiting arms of a handful of thugs? None of you have a leg to stand on.”

“You’re right,” Kali announced, eyes narrowed and blazing with hate. “But first, you would all have to make it back to the station in one piece.”

Then her gun was aimed at Jacques. Weiss hadn’t even noticed her produce it - and neither officer had theirs out yet. The one already out of the car went for his piece-

BANG! His hat went flying from atop his head, spinning off over the car and toward the ditch that lay between the Belladonna’s front yard and the street.

“Ah, ah, ah,” she said in a dangerous tone. “I actually don’t want to kill a police officer. But that doesn’t mean I won’t if given no alternative.”

“You are committing a serious error in judgement, miss,” the officer said, speaking for the first time. “We could have you locked up on counts of-”

“Spare me. What you are doing is immoral and illegal, even if no one else ever finds out about it. And you will have to live with that for the rest of your life. Now…” Her eyebrow rose as she lowered the barrel, just enough to be noticeable from a distance. “Do you want to spend the rest of that life being able to make love to your wife, or not?”

That definitely got him to gulp, and he raised his hands up over his head. By this time, Blake reappeared - when had she left?! - and had another pistol aimed at the two men, sliding along to the end of the porch. Jacques rolled his eyes skyward.

“You expect me to believe this pipsqueak knows how to use that? We ought to run you all in for harbouring too many dangerous weapons and putting them into the hands of children.”

“I’m not as good as my mom,” Blake admitted easily. “I might miss the cop and hit you instead. Now, take out that piece nice and slow - two fingers. That’s it… toss it on the grass. Cock it before you do and I’ll take you off here and now.”

She hated to admit it, but Weiss was impressed. The Belladonnas didn’t mess around. Once he had disposed of the gun, she nodded sideways at Yang, who dropped down and crawled over to pick it up by the trigger guard with her pinky. Once backed out of firing range of the two women packing heat, she stood again, holding the gun the same way.

“Isn’t she a great shot, too?” Jacques teased irritably.

“I don’t believe in guns,” Yang snapped. “I’d rather have a clean, honest fight any day. The other guy - he can toss us his gun, too. And the keys.”

They obeyed. Jacques looked hopping mad, but he didn’t protest as Yang caught two guns with the same pinky, then circled around the squad car with a wide berth before she unlocked the trunk. At this point, Jacques tensed as if he was going to try something stupid, but Blake cocked her gun and he went still.

“You wouldn’t. You might hit the blonde.”

“We’ve all been shot before,” Yang answered for her. “Or stabbed. But you know all about that, right?” She locked the trunk again with the guns inside, then circled around to the passenger’s side. “Pop that glove box, will ya?” He did, and she tossed the bullets inside. “Good boy.”

“Now,” Kali announced as Yang rejoined the others, tossing the keys in through the driver’s side window. “You’re going to get back into that car, and vacate my property. And don’t bother seeing if this firearm is licensed; it is. I have a legal right to bear arms under the constitution. You don’t want anyone to know what you were doing here any more than we wanted it to happen, so you won’t push this matter. Get back in that car and go away. And if you ever set foot on my property again without a warrant, or an actual legitimate police reason, I won’t be so welcoming.”

“Listen to them!” Jacques snarled. “As if they have the right of w-”

“And if you ever come here again, you will meet your death, future Mayor,” she snarled, and Weiss felt her blood run cold at the level of fury she had reached - especially considering she was smiling, fierce and vicious. “I told you that you shouldn’t thank me. But I doubt you even remember that now.”

His white eyebrows twitched together. “Remember what?”

“GO.”

“What about my hat?” the officer asked.

“You’ll get a new one.”

That seemed to be that. However, Jacques couldn’t seem to resist a parting comment. “You’ll regret this, Willow. Mark my words. You’ll rue the day you ever crossed me. I made you, and I can unmake you. Watch your back.” Then he sneered at Weiss. “That goes for you, too, Junior Hooker.”

Yang pounded one fist into her open palm to emphasise that they were wearing out their welcome yet further. They sped away.

“I can’t believe that,” Willow breathed in shock. “What he called my Weiss… his daughter…”

But Weiss could barely spare any thought for that. She was still shaking from having heard a gun go off so close to her ears, and aimed in the general direction of a family member - no matter how terrible he turned out to be. It had taken a lot of concentration to keep from wetting herself again. Maybe she had some kind of bladder problem. Passing a hand over her eyes, she turned to blink at the others, seeing her shock only truly reflected in her mother’s face.

“You’re not a hooker,” Blake provided instantly, and Yang nodded firmly. Kali merely looked drained from the confrontation, but satisfied with the results.

“I… I know I’m not.”

“Yang,” Kali finally said with a sigh, “would you… be a dear and fetch that hat for us? We’ll need to burn the evidence that they were ever here, and I fired at an officer of the law. Then we need to hide Blake’s piece again; just because my gun is licensed doesn’t mean the other one is.”

They got to work. As they went about trying to erase all indication that their pleasant evening had been interrupted, Weiss reflected that her father had accomplished exactly what he meant to do: he had brought a family closer together. Now, all five of them acted and moved as one, making sure to occasionally touch each other on the shoulders or flash a smile of reassurance.

Her real family was stronger than any illusion of one.

#princess and the dragons #freezerburn fanfic #rwby fanfiction #rwbyremnants #racism tw

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