#lewis is still dead/a ghost but he can turn into his human form like in hellbent dw abt it

[fridgefeet]

the msa trio go to a halloween party! 🎃

[frozenhi-chews]

Pancake and Arthur - MSA AU Lore

Here's some lore with Pancake and Arthur. Idk what to call this AU yet, throw me some ideas pls

Hope ya enjoy! There's a LOT

Some of the lore can be found here, but I'm willing to summarize a bit.

Pancake is the third wheel. She has two childhood friends (which is canon in the OG story, Leave Death to the Professionals). When they got closer and started dating, she was happy for them! They looked happy, and they still included her. That was until she was getting shafted, pushed aside, a "oh right you're here!" kind of thing.

Being alone with no one, Pancake felt she needed to find someplace else. It's not like her friends would miss her, right? So she hopped onto her motorcycle and drove off. To where, she didn't know, but also didn't care.

One day she was just tired. Tired of being left alone, tired of being yelled at for being half alien/human, tired of a lot of things. So she hopped onto her motorcycle and left. It was around midnight where it had problems, so she found the closest town and met Lance. She told him she needed a place to stay, he told her where a motel was, and the next day she decided to sightsee.

This is where she met Vivi and Lewis! (This is after Future and Viv and Lewis started dating again, being more inclusive with Arthur) Upon meeting another person fascinated with the paranormal, she and Vivi bonded really quickly. And also bc Pancake was able to tell Lewis was dead. Despite his disguse.

After talking with the two for a few hours, she went back to the shop to check in on the motorbike. And lo and behold, there's a cute guy there! They introduced themselves, and yes this is Arthur! He liked the bike. The two of them also bonded, and it got to the point he started inviting her out to activities.

However she soon saw Lew and Vi were a type to kinda ignore others around them when they're focused on eachother. So being the brilliant alien she is, she grabs Arthur and they spend time alone a lot. Even Mystery picked up on that

They would talk for hours about random things, stars, mechanics, cars, pets. It was pretty soon when Arthur began opening up to Pancake. She felt...safe to him. They've known eachother for a few weeks at this point, (Pancake finding a small job at the bookstore and camps out at the motel.) Pancake also started feeling the same way. Heck at this point he invited her to his house upon occasion! For the first time she felt like she belonged.

One she feels she can trust Arthur with.

He talked about how he felt with Vivi and Lewis, how he lost his arm, the whole thing with Mystery, and even his family a bit. She told him about her friends, and how she grew up being isolated.

She told him she's not entirely human. He didn't get it at first. (She hides her antennae in a big beanie and tries to hide other alien features under baggy clothes)

He likes bringing her on paranormal trips, she likes having movie nights with him. (Cuz it's an excuse to cuddle)

It's obvious to others when they're crushing on each other. Arthur stares or talks about her nonstop, and Pancake has always got to be holding hands with him and trying to make him laugh. She also decorates his mechanical arm with stickers sometimes

During a ghost hunting trip, the ghost turned out to be a demon and tried to attack Arthur. Pancake, freaking out, shifted to her Terrorvant Form and blasted acid in its face. That's when Arthur fully understood, and Pancake panicked. Would he think of her the same? Would he shun her like everyone else?

He just stared at her in awe, before going in for a hug to thank her for saving his life. That's when she fully fell in love. (She no longer wore that beanie around him)

Their first kiss was at a drive in. During a horror movie. After that, Arthur quickly confessed that he had liked her for a while, as did she. They waited till the end of the movie to talk it out and begin dating.

Also Pancake is really strong, and she picks Arthur up often. Like over the shoulder or under the arm and off they goooooo

Thats it! For now at least.

Sorry it's so long I just kinda. Infodumped. Hope you all enjoyed! I might make a part two who knows.

Taglist: @dwdoesarts @spooky-selfshipping-scene @eternally-smitten @speedstershipping | lmk if you wanna be taken off or be added

[cmstars2]

Symphony of love chapter three

Lewis slowly woke up in his bed. He yawned and sat up. He got out of bed, and walked over to his closest. He went to pull out a suit, when he stopped and remembered what he promised yesterday. He instead opened a drawer he keeps locked. He pulled out a pair of jeans, a nice purple sweater, and a pair of black suede boots that had a two inch wedge heel. He put his outfit in one arm, and then got his breast binder. He walked over to his bed, and laid out his outfit. He put his binder one slowly, then the jeans. He then put on his sweater. He looked over at the mirror. He turned to his more human form, and gently looked his body over. He let a warm smile show as he gently ran his hands over his hips. “I look good in this…” He looked over at the boots, and put them on. He stood up, and went back to his ghost form. 

He walked out of his bedroom and left his house, making sure to lock the door behind himself. He saw a notice on his front door, and looked at it closely. “Residents of limbo beware, a demonic human soul runs amuck, it is a level 9 threat, all who cannot fight it leave limbo, and stay safe…” He took it off his door, folded it up and walked down the path. He rubbed his arms as he watched his surroundings carefully. He knows he can’t last in a fight against a human soul turned demonic at level nine. He can barely handle something at level six. But he does know he can outrun one. He heard a rustle in some bushes and looked at them worriedly. “Times like these I wish I didn’t regain as much of my life force as I did…” Lewis muttered softly as he sped up. He paid close attention to everything around him, and soon enough, reached the fork in the road. He let out a deep breath he didn’t even know he was holding.

“Wow…” A voice said softly, causing Lewis to turn to it. He let his eyes show a smile at the sight of Manolo, but blushed softly when he saw Manolo looking him up and down slowly. He felt his spine chill, but in a good way, but he still crossed his arms and closed his legs reflexively.

“I guess you like what you see, right?” Lewis asked him softly as he blushed a bit, not minding it when Manolo checked him out. Manolo shook himself out of his stupor. 

“Yes, you look… Well, amazing! But you looked really relieved once you got here, is there a reason for that?” He asked him softly.

Lewis sighed and handed him the notice. “I found this on my front door, and… Well, I’m not as strong as I used to be before I regained some of my life force… Mainly to these things. I even had trouble fighting them when I was mostly dead.” He explained softly. He saw Manolo's expression become one of worry. 

“Will you be safe? Maybe someone should walk with you home, just in case.” Manolo held the notice out for Lewis to take back. Lewis smiled and took it back, putting it back in his back pocket.

“Thanks for worrying, and yeah, I would like it if someone walked me back home. My fire can only give second degree burns at best, and I can’t really fly like I used to anymore. But I can at least still out run one if I can see it coming soon enough.” Lewis explained as he began to walk towards the Cafe. “Plus, they already sent out reapers to try and hunt it down. So if it isn’t caught by closing time, someone will walk home with me and stay the night. I could ask Brook, he pretty much lives with me, he stays over so much.” Lewis pondered out loud.

“I could walk back with you? A few years after first dying Manny would take me with him on missions as a way to help me… Uh, deal with a large build up of anger and rage. So I have a bit of experience fighting these things.” Manolo offered Lewis, rubbing the back of his neck.

Lewis nodded. “Yeah, maybe we could swing by your place first so you could get some needed clothes… Your apartment isn’t a mess already, is it?” Lewis asked him to mess with him a bit.

Manolo rolled his eyes with a smile. “No, I kept it clean… Mostly.” Manolo added on more softly as he remembered the fact he hadn’t done the dishes at his place in a bit.

Lewis smiled with his eyes and shook his head. “Well, I guess we’ll be having a sleepover, right? That’s great!” They soon arrived at the Cafe. Manolo unlocked the door and held it open for Lewis, who walked in. Manolo soon followed after, and they both got on their aprons. They started the morning clean up, going over the tables with wash rags. Lewis brewed a pot of coffee while Manolo began to make sure all the treats, both sweet and spicy, were ready to be served if and when ordered.

“Hey Lewis? Where running a bit low on slices for that spicy chocolate cake. I think you’ll need to bake another one.” Manolo called out to Lewis. He smiled when he heard an ok from the ghost. He walked over to the register and counted the money in it, humming a soft tune. Once he finished counting, he walked to Manny’s office. He put the cash in a bag and wrote down how much money was counted. Manolo looked around the office, and saw a paper on the floor. He picked it up and read it over. 

To all off duty reapers, you are to report to the station as soon as possible due to the fact a demonic human soul of level nine is on the loose in limbo.

Cation, it is raping it’s victims regardless of gender, but shows a preferce to biolocical females.

He stared at it in shock, gluped, and put it on Manny’s desk. He walked out and went to Lewis. “Hey, instead of me going over to your place, how about you just go to mine? I’ll sleep in my recliner and you can take the bed?” Manolo offered him softly. He heard Lewis hum softly, and saw him turn to him with a smile in his eyes. 

“Alright! But I should still stop at my-” Lewis was cut off.

“Actually, maybe we could go to a resale shop and get you some clothes there for cheap? It would save us time, and you would have some new clothes that are a bit more casual..” Manolo explained, trying to keep Lewis from going home.

Lewis hummed and smiled. “Alright, we can do that.” He continued to sweep, humming softly. Manolo let out a deep breath. He heard the landline ring, and he went to answer it. 

“Hello?” Manolo leaned against the wall.

“Manolo, is Lewis with you?” Manny asked over the phone, Manolo could hear chatter on the other side of the line as well as the sounds of metal being sharpened.

“Yes, I went to your office and saw… That letter. I plan to take Lewis with me once we get home, but since you called, you don’t plan on coming here to open, do you?” Manolo asked him softly.

“Yeah, do you mind closing back up and everything? I’m sorry about asking this too, but can you take Lewis to the land of the remembered? It’s not safe for him in limbo…” Manny asked Manolo softly.

Manolo nodded softly. “I had planned to do that already. See you… The day after tomorrow?” Manolo said softly.

“Yes, see you then Manolo.” Manny hung up. Manolo sighed and did the same. He looked over at Lewis who was checking everything over and making sure the cafe was ready. He walked over to Lewis.

“Hey Lewis, Manny just called me, he said that we should close back up and leave.” Manolo told him softly. Manolo watched as Lewis sighed and put down all of his baking stuff.

“Alright, let's go.” Lewis walked over to the front door. He held it open for Manolo. He watched as Manolo walked through the door with a smile. 

“Well, I hope those heels won't hurt your feet too much.” Manolo said softly with a smile. Lewis blushed and looked away.

“I used to wear heels all the time when I was younger, my feet can handle it.” Lewis explained softly. He closed the front door and locked it again. He walked over to Manolo quietly. The two of them walk down the path that leads to the split of different worlds. Manolo led the way to the land of the remembered, smiling softly at the sound of Lewis’s heels hitting the ground, making a soft, but noticeable ‘clack’ sound. Manolo soon saw the path of marigolds and began to walk down it. Lewis sped up a bit to be next to Manolo. “So, what shop do you plan to take me too?” Lewis asked him softly.

Manolo smiled softly at him. “Just this little shop near my apartment. It’s run by this small old lady… I think she’s close to being forgotten, so it would be nice for her to meet other people before that happens…” 

Lewis felt saddened. Manolo had explained to him what being forgotten meant, and he knew it was a bad thing. “Maybe I could bake her some soft cookies?” Lewis offered softly as he showed a gentle smile in his eyes. 

Manolo smiled softly at him. “I think she would like that.” He said softly to him, arriving at the town. Manolo looked out over the lively city and smiled, loving how it had both changed, but stayed the same. He began to walk towards the outskirts where he lives. He waved at the people who said hi to him with a smile. He looked around at the faded colors of this smaller area, knowing this is where those who are close to being forgotten live. He went on autopilot as he thought about his family, how they were slowly forgotten by the world. He let out a breath as he remembered his mother and father, telling him how proud they were of him. He shook himself out of the bringing memory and looked around. He now stood before the small resale shop. “We’re here…” Manolo called to his companion softly as he opened the door for him.

Lewis looked at him worriedly as he walked in. “Are you alright? You looked a little out of it for a minute there…” He asked him softly as he walked through the doorway.

Manolo sighed and followed him. “Just lost in thought, trying not to remember painful things…” Manolo walked over to the shirts, and smiled. He pulled out a nice black shirt with a few holes around the bottom in the front. He looked through a few other shirts. “Go look around, and pick out whatever you want. I’m paying.”

Lewis nodded and then did as told. He went over to the jeans, and picked out a few pairs that would fit. He then went and looked for shirts, he pulled out a lovely purple turtle neck long sleeved sweater, a purple shirt with a bishop sleeve that buttons up, a soft lilac knit blouse with florence sleeves, a silk blouse with bell sleeves the color of amethyst stones, and last but not least, an Aiertu Women French Mesh Lace Blouse Stand Collar Three-dimensional Embroidered Puff Sleeves Court Style Slim Shirt in a perfect shade of magenta. Lewis hummed softly, knowing this blouse would need a corset to go with it, but he also knew using one would mean he would have to not wear his chest binder… “I can trust Manolo with the way my body is, right? He… Hasn’t judged me before, plus, it’s not like I would be wearing it in front of him or anything, so it’s ok! Right?” Lewis reasoned with himself as he added it to his pile. He walked around, and saw a nice white corset. He smiled and added it to his pile. He went to look for Manolo, done with picking things out. He picked up a pack of underwear and socks, and finally found Manolo. “I got everything I want, what about you?” He asked Manolo softly.

Manolo held up a black leather jacket, a new pair of shoes, and some jeans and red shirts. “I have everything I want. I’ll take you to check-out.” He walked over to a counter where the old woman sat on a stool. Lewis and Manolo both placed the clothes down. Lewis watched with a warm smile in his eyes as the woman scanned all the items one by one. He looked over at Manolo who was facing away from the counter and looking around the shop. Lewis looked back at the counter and watched as the old woman put everything in bags. “The cost is 80 dollars.” She said softly.

Lewis felt bad about the price. “I-I can pay for half of it if you-”

Manolo shook his head and pulled out his wallet. “I said I’m paying, besides, 80 dollars isn’t that bad…” He pulled out a fifty dollar bill and two twenties. He put the money on the counter and picked up the bags, and then walked to the door. Lewis quietly followed him, feeling bad. He crossed his arms as he walked out the door after him.

Manolo led the way to his apartment, and opened the door. He sat the bags down and stretched. “Anything you want to do?” Manolo asked Lewis softly as he took off his black vest and put it down. He sat down on his recliner and looked over at Lewis who had picked up the bag of his clothes.

“I mean, not really… Except maybe do a bit of baking for that sweet old woman?” Lewis said softly, thinking about all the needed things to make a small batch of crumble cookies.

Manolo hummed softly as he looked around his home. His eyes flashed over to Lewis’s shopping bag, and he smirked. “How about you give me a bit of a fashion show? Pick out two of the outfits you got, and I’ll give them my honest opinion if you want.” Manolo offered softly to him.

Lewis blushed and nodded. He walked into Manolo’s bathroom, and he pulled out a pair of bell bottom jeans with a silk blouse with bell sleeves the color of amethyst stones. He put the clothes on the sink counter, and then undressed until he was in nothing but his binder and underwear. He pulled up the jeans, and found that they accented his already feminine hips, making them look more so, and he then put on the blouse, and then put his boots back on. He walked  out of the bathroom and over to Manolo, giving a small twirl that made the sleeves flow a bit. “Well? What do you think?” Lewis asked him softly.

Manolo smiled softly at him as he blushed. “It’s lovely! You look wonderful in this Lewis! You have an amazing sense of style.” He praised him softly as he watched him pose a bit.

“Thank you! I used to buy all kinds of women’s clothes because they always looked so much better, but then I had to stop because…” Lewis’s eyes went much dimmer than they ever were before as he hugged himself. “I almost told him what he did to me… Do I really feel that comfortable with him?” Lewis asked himself as he couldn’t help but tremble at the memory.

“Lewis? Are you ok?” Manoled asked him worriedly. Lewis looked at him and nodded.

“Yeah, I’m ok, just… Thoughts I don’t like flashing in my head…” Lewis wiped at his face, surprised to find some tears there. He rubbed his arms a bit. “Still wanna see the next outfit?” He asked Manolo softly.

Manolo sighed and nodded. “You can, if you want to…” He leaned back in his chair sadly.

Lewis took a deep breath and went back to the bathroom. He took off and folded the jeans and put them back in the bag. He took off the shirt, and then took out another pair of jeans that had red roses on the left pocket and right bottom pant leg. They would still go over his boots and had a bit more of a flare. He put them on and then pulled out a soft lilac knit blouse with florence sleeves and put it on over his head. He walked out to Manolo and posed a little bit with a smile in his eyes. “How do you like this one?” Lewis blushed when Manolo gave a loud wolf whistle.

“You look amazing! Do you really wear stuff like this regularly?” Manolo asked him in shock as he smiled at him warmly.

Lewis blushed and nodded. “I actually used to wear dresses too…” 

Manolo got up and went to his bed. “Hold on, can you also sew? Mi mama used to make her own dresses, but… Well, as she was forgotten by the rest of the world, she left behind all her sewing stuff… I never knew what to do with it.” Manolo spoke as he went under his bed and searched for the chest. He made a soft sound when he found it and pulled it out to show Lewis. “Here it is! I wanted to give it to someone I trust since I can’t sell it…” Manolo pushed it towards Lewis. “You can have it, there should still be some fabric in it.” Manolo got off the floor and sat back in his chair. He watched as Lewis got on his knees and opened it, smiling when he heard a soft gasp.

“This is all so beautiful! Are you sure I can have it?” Lewis asked him softly. He looked up at Manolo, surprised and unsure.

Manolo chuckled and nodded. “It is, it’s all for you…” He smiled as he heard Lewis make a happy sound and get to work. Manolo leaned back in his seat, and turned on the TV, the rest of the day went by with a blur of time… 

[lailoken]

“From these sources [the mythological cycles of Wales and Ireland, the Traditional Ballads, the Witch Trial confessions, the oral traditions collected by folklorists, and comparative folkloric studies of the Celtic Faerie Faiths with corresponding beliefs/practices in other cultures,] we can collect the classes and characteristics [of faeries] which would have been available to the Elizabethan and Jacobean poets, and examine which they have chosen to use and which leave unnoticed.

The first class is that of the Trooping Fairies, who vary from the heroic fairies of Celtic and Romance tradition down to the small creatures who stole the Hampshire farner's corn. Different as these are in many ways, they vary by such insen- sible gradations that it is hardly possible to divide them into two types. The heroic fairies are of human or more than human height. They are the aristocrats among fairy people, and pass their time in aristocratic pursuits, hunting, hawking, riding in procession on white horses hung with silver bells, and feasting in their palaces, which are either beneath the hollow hills? or under or across water. It is a generally accepted belief that the Irish fairies are dethroned gods, euhemerized into an extinct race and superaturalized again into fairies;' and it is quite possible that the others of that type are the same, though Lewis Spence in his British Fairy Origins points out their close connection with the dead. They are masters of glamour and shape-shifting; they are amorous, open-handed, reward kindness and are resentful of injuries. Time spent with them passes at a different rate than when spent with mortals; seven days in fairyland is generally equivalent to seven years of mortal time, but occasionally it is the other way round. As a rule, though not invariably, they are dangerous to human beings, their food is taboo and people who fall into their power are carried away and often crumble into dust on their long-delayed return. There is sometimes a hint that the fairy beauty is a delusion, like that of the Elf Queen in the 'Ballad of True Thomas', who turned gaunt and haggard when he kissed her.

The ordinary fairy people of Britain dwindle down from these heroic fairies; some are life-sized, some on the small side of people, some are the size of a three-years' child, like Oberon in Huol of Bordeaux, some, like the Wee, Wee, Man of the ballad, are three spans in height, some, like the Muryans of Cornwall and the smallest of the Danish trolls, are the size of ants, and these seem to be particularly flower fairies; but their general characteristics remain much the same as those of the heroic fairies. They still ride, though sometimes their horses are dark grey, stunted and shaggy." They dance, and love music and musicians. They seem to be more donmestic, more of agricultural spirits, than the Celtic fairies. They are greatly concerned with-ortler and cleanliness, and can bring success or failure to the farms they visit. They give presents, which must not be revealed. Like the other fairies 'they are masters of glamour; sometimes the gold they give turns to withered leaves; sometimes worthless-looking rubbish turns, if kept, into gold or precious stones. Their most mischievous activity is the stealing of babies and nursing mothers, who, unless they are protected at the dangerous time of child-birth, are liable to be carried off and replaced by a changeling, an elf or a transformed stock. Their size seems naturally small, but they are capable of assuming any shape or size they please, or of going invisible, though a magic ointment, or¨ even a four-leafed clover, will penetrate this disguise. They can transport themselves through the air, and levitate others. Sometimes they ride grass-stalks, sometimes a magic wand is enough; often they ride in a whirl of dust. They vary in power and malice. Some, like Skillywidden, Coleman Grayo and the borrowing fairies of Worcestershire, are as powerless as Tom Thumb; some are benevolent and virtuous like Elidor's fairies; some have a longing for the privileges of Christianity, like the Scottish fairy in the story of the Bible-reader; some are blood-suckers, tempters and kidnappers.

The second type of fairy existing in Britain is the hobgoblin and Robin Goodfellow in all his forms, lidentified by the Jacobeans, and also by some later writers, with the classical 'lares'. These hobgoblins are rough, hairy spirits, which do domestic chores, work about farms, guard treasure, keep an eye on the servants, and generally act as guardian spirits of the home. Useful as they are, they are easily offended and often mischievous. They are not exclusively domestic, but are often associated with streanms, pools and rocks, like that other tutelary spirit, the banshee. On the whole they were regarded as honest and friendly spirits, though the weight of church authority was against them, as against the other fairies. Some of them were thought to be ghosts, others devils, and the words hobgoblin, bug or boggart gradually assumed a more dangerous sound.

The third type is of mermaids, water spirits and nature fairies, a small class in Britain since the Trooping Fairies had assimilated many of them. The mermaids remain the most distinct of these. As a rule they are dangerous people, though the Highland roane' are an exception, and the little mermaid rescued by the old fisherman of Cury, as well as the mermaid in the Scottish story who took such a benevolent interest in the diet and health of maidens. The river spirits were occasionally friendly, like Sabrina, but generally evil, like Jenny Greenteeth and Peg Powler.

The fourth group, which is closely allied with the nature spirits, is of giants, monsters and hags — Gogmagog, the kelpie and the blue hag of winter. They might hardly be thought of as fairies if the Brash, the Brag and the Grant did not link them with the hobgoblins. These are the main types of the British fairies land their traits would fill a book; but only a few of them were fully used by the Jacobean writers. The change of temper from the medieval times is shown by the traits they chose to write about, and their treatment of the folk-lore material at their disposal.”

—

An Anatomy of Puck:

An Examination of Fairy Beliefs among Shakespeare’s Contemporaries and Successors

by K.M. Briggs

[lightsonparkave]

HAPPY TWO-YEAR ANNIVERSARY TO LIGHTS ON PARK AVE! 🎂🎉 In celebration of LoPA’s birthday (August 22, to be exact), all of the prompts from the previous year are up for grabs.

Round 24 will end on August 31, 11:59 PM ET (what time is that for me?).

As always, you’re free to jump in whenever you’d like during the round, a wide variety of work types is accepted, and there are no minimum work requirements. Unfinished works and works for other fandom events are allowed. You can find more information about Lights on Park Ave and the participation guidelines here.

Here are all 149 prompts. Go crazy and have fun! 🎈

ROUND 13: TIME

A quote about being infinite in the present moment from The Perks of Being a Wallflower

“Vellichor,” the the strange wistfulness of used bookstores

“How long is forever?” dialogue from Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

“Time” - Hans Zimmer (Inception OST)

A quote and gifset from Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival (2016) about the nonlinear structure of time

Agnès Varda’s portraits when she was 20, 36, and 80 years old

A John Irving quote about what time does to the people who matter to us

Ten traveling back to see Rose on New Year’s Day in 2005 before he dies and reincarnates in Doctor Who

Future inventions in 2015 as seen in Robert Zemeckis’s Back to the Future Part II (1989)

A quote about what time does for wounds

ROUND 14: LIMINALITY

A photoset of various liminal spaces

Illustration of a black cat in front of a red-lit house with the caption, “They say no one is living here—but the lights come on, once every year”

A photoset of Victorian-era spirit photography, an art form that attempted to capture the ghost of a deceased loved one

Information on the famous Mojave phone booth, a lone telephone booth in the middle of the desert that received calls from all over the world

Rosemary Ellen Guiley’s The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits Third Edition’s definition of “witching hour”

Illustration of a ghost train on an abandoned trestle bridge in the Pacific Northwest

A quote by Isabel Allende about spirits coming out at night in the library

Gifset of the spirit world in Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away (2001)

Illustration of a neon roadside sign of a motel that only appears at night by a long-forgotten highway

“Pacific Coast Highway” - Kavinsky

A gifset quote from The Twilight Zone (1959)

Scenery from Twin Peaks season 1 (1990)

A quote about something shifting into a strange, new place inside of a person from Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado

ROUND 15: LOSS

A quote about being lost and found by someone special by Sue Zhao

A photo of the Mildred, wrecked off Gurnard’s Head, Cornwall in 1912

A quote about ephemerality and the beauty of it from Troy (2004)

Two paintings of people visiting ruins by Caspar David Friedrich

A quote about desire and loss by Lara Mimosa Montes

A photo of an overgrown, abandoned conservatory

A passage about what disappears and what remains in ruins from Suicide by Édouard Levé

Dialogue about gratitude for people who aren’t meant to stay in your life but shape who you are from BoJack Horseman

A scene from Fleabag where the Priest chooses God over Fleabag and gently tells Fleabag that her love for him will pass before they part ways

A prayer to St. Anthony, patron saint of lost things, people, and souls

Oscar Wilde’s tomb in Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris, covered in lipstick kisses from admirers

Photos of a cemetery statue in Austria, wrapped in branches and dead leaves, holding a single flower

ROUND 16: DEVOTION/SERVICE

A gifset of Kevin on the phone, telling Chiron he’ll cook food for him from Barry Jenkin’s Moonlight (2016)

Buttercup’s monologue to Westley about how she would do anything for him from The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Gifs of Merlin saying that he was born to serve Arthur from BBC’s Merlin

An excerpt about giving all of oneself to someone despite what it costs from House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

A gifset of various times Jaime and Brienne demonstrate their loyalty to and love for each other in Game of Thrones

A gifset of all the different ways Cliff is there for Rick in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)

A gifset of Nadia deciding to be by Alan’s side no matter what in Russian Doll

“Devotion” - Ocean Vuong

A gifset of Bond comforting a traumatized Vesper in the shower in Casino Royale (2006)

A gifset of Sookhee refusing to leave Hideko, saying her job is to look after her in Park Chanwook’s The Handmaiden (2016)

ROUND 17: DREAMS

A dreamscape gifset and quote about repressed thoughts in dreams and the Internet from Satoshi Kon’s Paprika (2006)

A gifset of Mitsuha and Taki finally meeting in their own bodies in a dream from Shinkai Makoto’s Kimi no Na wa (Your Name) (2016)

A quote by Tinker Bell telling Peter Pan where he can find her and where she’ll always love him in Steven Spielberg’s Hook (1991)

The scene where Keating tells his students that poetry, beauty, romance, and love give life meaning in Peter Weir’s Dead Poets Society (1989)

An animated illustration of a storefront called “Hauntings” with a flickering “99¢ dreams” neon sign

Various dreamscape scenes and a quote about ideas being the most resilient parasite from Christopher Nolan’s Inception (2010)

A quote about how all living beings must dream to survive reality from The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

A comic about people we love taking turns to visit us in dreams every night

Lovers and Sleeping Couple, two drawings by Egon Schiele

A quote about belief in a better world by Robert Frobisher to his lover, Rufus Sixsmith, in Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

A quote about the feeling of falling in love lingering when you wake up from a dream in Alexis Dos Santos’s Unmade Beds (2009)

A photo of subway graffiti by an unknown author insisting that they’ll never give up making the world a better place to live in

ROUND 18: PHYSICAL TOUCH

A scene about how to return a stolen kiss from Daniel Ribeiro’s The Way He Looks (2014)

A line about kissing someone the way a flower opens from “I Know Someone” by Mary Oliver

A gifset focusing on showing affection and care through hands from Park Chanwook’s The Handmaiden (2016)

A passage about two people leaving invisible marks on each other through the accumulation of touches over the years from A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood

Two conversations about never being touched before and only being touched by one person from Barry Jenkins’s Moonlight (2016)

Going from yearning to touch someone but stopping oneself to being allowed to touch them from Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy

Moving art of two bodies made of stars and the cosmos embracing

A quote about maintaining sanity by touching someone but being separated despite proximity from The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje

A line about proving that one still exists and is real through touch from On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

Different touches between Villanelle and Eve expressing violence, threat, sexual tension, comfort, and companionship in Killing Eve

A juxtaposition of two scenes from Wong Kar-wai’s In the Mood for Love (2000) of Su Li-zhen rejecting and accepting Chow Mo-wan’s hand

A compilation of marble sculptures by Gian Lorenzo Bernini

Syd (Chris Evans) trailing kisses down London’s back in London (2005)

ROUND 19: IMMORTALITY

James Baldwin talking about how art helps you discover that people before you have experienced the same thing as you and you are not alone

Dr. Brand saying that love transcends time and space in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar (2014)

Nadia and Alan meeting for the first time as they’re about to die and relive the same day again in Russian Doll

The loneliness of losing everyone by having a long life as expressed by Ten in Doctor Who

The doomed eternal time loop romance of Simon and Alisha from Misfits

A quote by Edvard Munch about becoming eternal through the flowers that grow from his body after death

Nagai Kei recalling the traffic accident that killed him and triggered his immortality, making him one of the rare persecuted humans to possess the power, in Ajin

A collection of moments from Jay Russell’s Tuck Everlasting (2002)

A quote by Mary Wollstonecraft hoping for something that lasts inside the heart

Various scenes with Jack Harkness from Doctor Who

Aya telling Asou-kun to live on and live forever as she nears the end of her life in 1 Litre of Tears

An excerpt about the immortalization of the self through love from “Love of the Wolf” in Hélène Cixous’s Stigmata

A collection of scenes from the Black Mirror episode “San Junipero”

Naoko telling Toru to always remember her and remember that she existed in Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

Dom explaining to Ariadne that he uses the PASIV to dream as it’s the only way that he can be with his wife and children in Christopher Nolan’s Inception (2010)

ROUND 20: POETRY

“I’m Going Back to Minnesota Where Sadness Makes Sense” - Danez Smith

A line about wanting to forget how much you loved someone and then actually forgetting from Bluets by Maggie Nelson

“Perhaps the World Ends Here” - Joy Harjo

“In Time” - W. S. Merwin

“By Small and Small: Midnight to Four A.M.” - Jack Gilbert

“Magdalene: The Addict” - Marie Howe

“Wild Geese” - Mary Oliver

“Morphology 2″ - CJ Scruton

“20″ from Moscow in the Plague Year by Marina Tsvetaeva

“To Hold” - Li-Young Lee

ROUND 21: LONGING

“I Loved You Before I Was Born” - Li-Young Lee

A poem about longing for someone through worlds by Izumi Shikibu

A gifset of Marianne and Héloïse falling in love from Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)

“Make Me Feel” - Janelle Monáe

A quote about living in longing being better than realizing that longing from 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

“I Want You” - Mitski

Orpheus and Eurydice in Hades - Friedrich Heinrich Füger

Long definition of the word “saudade”

Definition of the word “hiraeth”

“Something About Us” - Daft Punk

Two lines about burning quietly from the poem “The Pillowcase” by Annelyse Gelman

A conversation about wanting each other after decades of separation from Pedro Almodóvar’s Pain and Glory (2019)

A Hanahaki disease mood board

“Shrike” - Hozier

Two lines about wanting someone to return from Herakles by Euripides

“Love of My Life” - Queen

“Eyes, Nose, Lips” - Taeyang

A screenshot of Kathy and Tommy holding onto each other desperately from Mark Romanek’s Never Let Me Go (2010) and a quote from Kazuo Ishiguro’s eponymous novel

ROUND 22: YOUTH

“Perfect Places” - Lorde

A piece about realizing you’ll never be this young again, but it’s the first time you’re this old by Kalyn Roseanne Livernois

A conversation between Neil and Mr. Keating about Neil feeling trapped and unable to live the life he wants because of his father from Peter Weir’s Dead Poets Society (1989)

An excerpt about being too young to know how to love properly from Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

“I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor” - Arctic Monkeys

Elio’s father telling Elio not to try to rid himself of his sorrow and pain—and with that joy—which he feels so strongly because he’s so young from Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman

A quote about how everything feels final to young people because they’re experiencing it for the first time from Middlemarch by George Eliot

Lara Jean telling Peter that she had to make it seem like she liked him to deal with her love letter fiasco in Susan Johnson’s To All the Boys I Loved Before (2018)

Rue and Jules dancing together and partying it up in Euphoria

“Le Plongeoir” by Laurent Roch

A quote about being pushed into adulthood and not being ready from Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

A photo of a roller rink illuminated by pink and purple lights

Pastel photo series of Coney Island by Mijoo Kim and Minjin Kang

“Hips Don’t Lie” - Shakira feat. Wyclef Jean

“Young Dumb & Broke” - Khalid

Different moments accompanied by the letter to Mr. Vernon at the end of detention from John Hughes’s The Breakfast Club (1985)

Various scenes and a quote about growing up and realizing life isn’t like a fairy tale from Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

Stills of the young lesbian couple in love from the music video of “You Know” - Jaurim

Lines by Effy about her emotional and mental struggles from Skins

Nathan chiding the group for not taking advantage of their superpowers as young offenders from Misfits

ROUND 23: HEDONISM

A passage about giving into passion and losing control from The Secret History by Donna Tartt

“Thot Shit” - Megan Thee Stallion

An aesthetic photoset of the Greek god Dionysus

A quote about living for ecstasy rather than balance from From a Journal of Love by Anaïs Nin

A photo of an anonymous person in nothing but a silk robe and lingerie

A photo of Donatella Versace lounging in a chair, surrounded by shirtless, muscular men sunbathing around her in Capri, Italy in 1994

An aesthetic photoset based on The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

The music video for “Heartless” by The Weeknd

A plea for summer to never end from Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman

“Plastic Love” - Mariya Takeuchi

A gifset from the music video of “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd, a continuation of the “Heartless” music video

“XS” - Rina Sawayama

A gifset from the music video of “Body” by Mino

Photos of people dancing at the legendary Studio 54

Photos and a description of the party scene at Studio 54

Chris Evans and Evan Rachel Wood hooking up in a car in the “Gucci Guilty Black” commercial

[phantoms-lair]

Mystery March 10: Mistake/ Uncommon Ancestry 13b

“Before you ask, Izuku doesn’t know about our prior conversion, and I’d prefer he didn’t find out.”

Iida felt a knot in his stomach untie. The thought that Midoriya had known everything and had been pretending otherwise since Hosu left a bad taste in his mouth; he was glad it wasn’t the case. “May I ask why?”

Lewis nodded. “Vivi and Arthur are Guardian Spirits. I act as one, but that’s not my true nature. I’m a wraith.”

Iida’s eyes narrowed in thought. “At the camp that’s what Mori-san called me. A ‘Baby Wraith’.”

“Shiro loves stirring the pot, but she’s not entirely wrong. I don’t know how you were before Stain, but when I first saw you you certainly had the feel of a wraith to you. And that hasn’t changed.”

“What does that mean?” Iida asked.

“To be honest, I don’t know. I always thought of wraiths as just another kind of ghost, so this is a learning experience.” Lewis led him into a gallery of paintings.

“These are our memories. Preserved so if our minds twist them, we’ll have a true reference.” He gestured to a dark frame decorated with twisted vines. “This one is mine.”

Iida looked at it and found himself within the memory itself. Of driving to a cave, of exploring it before suddenly being pushed to his death while his best friend, Arthur-san?!?!, smiled at his falling form.

Iida experienced awaking in rage. Of trying to make things right, first by attempting to burn the traitor in the very mansion they were standing in, then causing his van to crash, and finally throwing him off the very same cliff he’d killed Lewis on.

The vision ended, leaving Iida back at the mansion.

“Tell me, Iiida-kun, were my actions just?” Lewis asked in a somber tone.

“Of course they were!” Iida snapped. “The man is unforgivable. How could you allow him to be near your family? My classmates?”

“Another perspective,”

Iida found himself guided to a cherrywood frame shaped like nine woven threads. “I don’t care what he had to-”

“Not his, Mystery’s.” was all Lewis said, and suddenly Iida found himself in the cave again.

It was different this time. Through the memory of a kitsune Iida was able to experience things no normal human could. He could see the malevolence in the cave. He saw it grab Arthur through his arm, saw Arthur’s very soul fight and lose and the demon (what else could it be?) murder Lewis-san. And as Mystery, he knew there was only one way to save him.

Iida perceived himself growing and charging forward, when he was blessedly removed from the memory.

Arthur-ojiisan wouldn’t react well to Shinsou-kun’s quirk He vaguely remembered Midoriy saying, at the Sports Festival that felt like a lifetime ago. And maybe it was, as it was before he’d become a wraith.

“This is Arthur’s,” was the only warning Iida got before the beechwood frame carved into intricate gears dissolved into a hospital.

One of Arthur-san’s arms had always been different, and now Iida knew why. He watched him wake up short a limb, but still focusing to almost the exclusion of all else on his missing friend, whom he didn’t remember was dead.

He watched him forgo his recovery time to begin a search and watched Vivi-san be the only thing to keep him from doing even more damage to himself.

He saw him find the mansion and escape, though not without the force of the explosion slamming him into the van, never realizing he had achieved his goal.

He watched him flee from the haunted truck and go through the windshield when it crashed. He wanted to scream as he watched Lewis-san let him fall a second time.

And he nearly cried with relief when he saw Arthur-san land safely.

He saw the wounds between the three heal, saw them reassure the fourth who had all but forgotten how to be himself and the reconciliation with his daughter. He saw the three make an eternal vow to each other, watching Arthur hold his own daughter in his arms for the first time. It felt good. It felt right.

Then he noticed as the memories went further, Arthur seemed to get weaker, ending with him collapsing.

Untreated organ damage the doctor said and Iida saw flashbacks to the explosion that threw him into the van, the car crash that sent him through a window, and the fall off the cliff that stopped suddenly. We’ll do everything we can, but it might be a good idea to get your affairs in order.

In the end Arthur didn’t even look like Arthur, but rather like a blond skeleton, strapped to a hospital bed with the constant *beep* *beep* of the heart monitor.

Lewis-san and Mystery were the same. Vivi-san was older, as was their daughter, who’s hair was a different shade of green, but had the round face he recognized in Midoriya-kun and his mother.

There was something wrong with the memory. The field of vision was darkening and color seemed to be slowly draining from it.

Daddy? He heard the little girl ask as the vision turned dark and all he could hear was the heart monitor’s final *beeeeeeeeeeeeep*

A heavy hand on his shoulder broke the spell. Iida clasped his hands to his mouth to keep from screaming and felt tears he hadn’t realized he was shedding run down his face.

“I ask you again Iida-kun. Were my actions just?”

It was a long while before Iida could answer. “How do you live with it?” he finally asked.

“I don’t.” Lewis said simply. “And unlike my husband, that’s not a comment on my status of being. I remained in this world because that’s what the two I hurt the most wanted. I don’t deserve their love, but they still give it freely, and I’m not cruel enough to reject it for the sake of my own self punishment. The guilt and the shame? It’s been there every day since Arthur got his diagnosis. He tried to keep it from me, he didn’t want me to blame myself.” Lewis shook his head. “It will never go away. I will feel it for the rest of my existence.”

“You’re a wraith, Iida Tenya. Would that I could change it, but I can’t. But at least I could do the one thing in my power. Stop you from making the same mistake I did.”

Iida’s mouth opened and closed a few times. There was so much he wanted to say, so much of it condemning the man, the killer, in front of him. But the words that finally edged out were ‘Thank you.’

Lewis nodded his acknowledgment. “We should get to the kitchen. I did promise snacks for your friends, and you don’t lie to Vivi about snacks.”

His tone was light, but Iida could feel the lodestone that weighed on the ghost’s soul. “Uraraka-kun as well.” He agreed.

He was a wraith (somehow), but he was a cold wraith. He would never burn an innocent. And it was only because of this man he didn’t go down the path of inferno that would only have led to the instruction of him and his loved ones

If one had asked him, even earlier this very evening, if a killer could be forgiven, Iida would have said no. But Arthur-san had forgiven Lewis-san and Iida himself could bear him no ill will.

He would learn from Lewis-san and never make that mistake, nor be tempted by it again.

[nemesis-is-my-middle-name]

like, huh. how do i summarize this.

mystery really doesn’t care as much about the humans as people think. or if he does, he has a funny way of showing it.

The Cave Incident + Ghost:

Okay, there are a lot of unfavorable reads of the Cave Incident you could do for Mystery. Why wasn’t he more on the ball about the malicious spirit hiding in here? You’d think he’d have enough experience with paranormal investigations to go hmm, shit, I smell a problem! But he was still slow enough that Lewis died, and the only thing he could think of to do was rip Arthur’s entire arm off his body. Look at the way he’s holding the arm. He didn’t bite it off, he’s holding it at the elbow. He tore it off.

But who knows, maybe that was legitimately the best case scenario at that point. We can give him the benefit of the doubt.

Ghost, though.

At the time of this screenshot, Arthur has gone missing. Neither of them know where he is. This house was, moments ago, actively trying to kill them.

The rational thing for Mystery to do, if he was actually worried about keeping the other two safe, would be to either a) go search for Arthur before something else attacks him, or b) get Vivi the fuck out of here. Is he doing either? Nope! He’s eating an enormous sandwich. He looks super concerned about the situation and his humans. Rrright. But hey, maybe he knows this is Lewis’s conjuration, and assumes the whole thing is one big prank. Who knows, right? 

Except later, he also sits and watches silently as Vivi jumps in to protect Arthur from a murderous specter. Now, either he knows this is Lewis, in which case he’s aware this is completely out of character, or he still hasn’t figured it out, in which case his human charge just jumped in the path of a murderous ghost. Either way, here’s active evidence that his humans are in danger. And he does... nothing about it. At all.

He’s at the front of the line here, running away from Lewis. Again, whether or not he’s aware this is Lewis, his first priority is himself. He makes no move to protect the other two right behind him.

Freaking Out:

So, a popular fandom thing is Mystery parenting Arthur. Herding him to bed or actively sitting on him to force him to sleep (which is a whole ‘nother thing, that I’ll save for now.) In Freaking Out, Arthur’s up at the dead of night, working on finding Lewis, so exhausted he’s either falling asleep sitting up and having nightmares or actively hallucinating Monster Mystery.

And Mystery’s reaction, when he watches him jolt awake and fall out of the van, is...

Wasn’t me!

Once again, he shows zero concern for Arthur. He was just asleep or resting right next to him, making no move to do anything about him being awake and working. His reaction almost indicates he’s fully aware it was him that scared Arthur, and is shrugging it off to Vivi.

Hellbent: 

Aww, this was such a cute scene, right? Arthur getting over his fear to comfort Mystery?

Except, he has to psych himself up to do it. When he reaches out to Mystery, his hand is shaking. And throughout all of this, Mystery completely disregards him until he starts petting him. He apparently doesn’t care at all that Arthur almost jumped out of his skin at the sight of him.

And later on, when they’re out of the car, being attacked simultaneously by Lewis and Shiromori? 

He drags Vivi out of the back of the van and drops her on the pavement. This is, first of all, wildly unsafe. She’s barely conscious at this point, and there are not one but two people out for blood hanging around out here. But hey, maybe he was just trying to get her to safety! And Shiromori happened to jump him!

Except... he proceeds to cower behind Vivi as soon as she wakes up and starts fighting. Who, I will reiterate, was unconscious moments ago, and also is a human. Did Mystery really think she was going to be able to take Shiromori 100% without any problems? She gets overpowered almost immediately, so, uh, that was poor planning if so.

But- then again, he does shift into kitsune form right after this happens. Maybe he just needed a second to get ready to defend her?

...

Future:

Yeah, no.

Shiromori’s seconds away from stabbing Vivi. Mystery proceeds to... bite... his own paw. Instead of, y’know, her. Granted, it worked, but wow, seriously? This kitsune who had no trouble ripping off an arm four videos ago suddenly refuses to touch Shiromori or get in her way? This was his best plan? But, again, benefit of the doubt. He may have known with full confidence that this was the best and fastest way to distract Shiromori.

And then, while Shiromori’s advancing on him, he... looks at Vivi and gestures for her to grab her bat. So she can start fighting her again.

Same, Vivi. He wants you to do this again?

Vivi and Shiromori proceed to duke it out, Vivi wielding a baseball bat and ice powers she literally just got, versus Shiromori, who has giant and very sharp shears and ages of experience with her plant powers. Meanwhile, Mystery once again just sits there and watches.

(Also, sidenote – he knows Lewis has been chasing them. Even if he didn’t actually see him take Arthur into the truck, it would take about two seconds of thought to piece it together. Lance figured it out and he didn’t even know Lewis was there! But Mystery doesn’t do anything about that, either, even though Arthur might be dying.)

At every turn, he continues putting Vivi in danger. He throws her onto her back so she can keep fighting Shiromori with him. Her expressions throughout all of this are alternately determined or confused. She has no idea what’s going on – she just wants to protect her pup!

Not once does he actually attack Shiromori directly – not until after Vivi’s stabbed (and he’s half possessed – if you watch, you can see green around his eyes and in his gums – so is he even fully in control?)

TL;DR: Mystery routinely either actively puts his humans in danger, or fails to protect them when they are. It makes you wonder if he actually cares about them as much as he’s supposed to.

[ultravioletqueen]

Nombre completo:rubiely Josefina Álvarez(ya no me gusta el apellido laurens así que lo cambie)

Alias:rubi

Edad:23(al morir)

Fecha de nacimiento:20 de agosto(leo)

Tipo de sangre:antes AB, ahora ninguna

Ocupación:fantasma en entrenamiento

Shows/juegos favoritos:accion, ciencia ficción(he-man, dragon ball, tetris)

Comida favorita:tarta de durazno

Instrumento:vocales

Animal favorito:cerdos

Altura:1,68cm(5,6)

Familia:hernan Álvarez(padre/fallecido) teresa García(madre/fallecida)

Arma:ninguna

Habilidades:creación de construcciones, levitación, forma inactiva, posesión de objetos, creación de ilusiones, casi invulnerabilidad, forma humana.

Personalidad:rubi es una mujer de carácter muy fuerte y dominante, es más que nada por un mecanismo de defensa para no dejarse rebajar por nadie,siempre actúa muy a la defensiva y está alerta, esto debido a cómo fue su muerte. Rubi tiene severos problemas de confianza, en especial con los hombres ya que le recuerdan a su muerte,sin embargo es capaz de llegar a entablar amistad con otros hombres, pero sigue prefiriendo la compañía de otras mujeres.

Rubi es muy competitiva,ambiciosa y valiente, siendo básicamente lo contrario en personalidad con juliete y jackson, siendo que desprende confianza y seguridad en sí misma, sin olvidar de un gran orgullo por sus logros de cuando estuvo viva, sin embargo cuando está vulnerable ella admite que no está muy cómoda con su apariencia estando muerta,siendo que siente que en vida ningún hombre la pudo tomar en serio(solo su padre) y que sólo querían acostarse con ella, mostrando también una gran inseguridad en su apariencia.

Rubi detesta con todas sus fuerzas que hagan de menos a las mujeres o a los femicidios, siendo parte del grupo feminista tiene la ideología de que las mujeres son tan capaces como cualquier hombre, además de no soportar de ninguna forma el acoso y viéndolo como algo asqueroso,esto es muy personal para rubi ya que fue parte de esas víctimas que fueron olvidadas por el paso de los años. Rubi es ferozmente protectora con mujeres y niños, ya que se ve a sí misma y siente que puede hacer algo para ayudar, mostrando ser capaz de meterse en los zapatos de otros y entender sus situaciones.

Apariencia:rubi es una adulta joven de figura curvilinea y de reloj de arena, posee el pelo naranja y ojos del mismo color, viste un leotardo negro de ballet con legins blancos con una chaqueta naranja claro con pulseras y calentadores de piernas del mismo color además de llevar zapatillas lisas de color negro,En vida tenía el pelo recogido en un moño y muerta varios mechones se salen de este, además de que un gran mechón de cabello cubre parte derecha de su rostro, posee un agujero en su frente(la herida que ocasiono su muerte) junto con un ojo morado y un moreton en su mejilla,al igual que jackson y lewis su esclerotica es de color negro actualmente.

Historia:rubi nació en España y su familia se tuvo que mudar a texas debido a problemas de trabajo, rubi desde muy joven estuvo interesada en la danza y la interpretación, siendo una gran bailarina desde los 13 años de edad,gracias a esto participo regularmente a varias competencias de danza de todo tipo, por lo que rubi tenía cierto grado de fama en los 80s.

Rubi era muy popular entre los hombres, pero siempre rubi terminaba la relación ya que varios de ellos la querían por su cuerpo, esto le pasó varias veces, al punto que ya no quiso buscar una relación, pero un día conoció a un hombre llamado Francis que quiera ser su amigo, al principio fue muy escéptica, pero con el tiempo se hicieron muy buenos amigos,siendo que ambos tenían un gran interés en la danza y la interpretación, varias veces se les podía ver hablando durante horas y bailando por un largo rato, era lo que quería, el amigo que necesitaba, solo amigos ¡nada más! Se entiendan mutuamente y se preocupaba por su bienestar, al menos eso es lo que ella creía....

Un día después de un ensayo Francis se ofreció a acompañarla hasta su casa, ella accedió, cuando doblaron la esquina de la nada aparecieron unos hombres amigos de Francis que la subieron a su van y la empezaron a golpear para dejarla sin resistencia, cuando le preguntó a Francis que demonios estaba pasando solo la miró con desdén, cuando llegaron a un callejón la empezaron a violar por turnos al mismo tiempo que la golpeaban, cuando terminaron Francis sacó una pistola y antes de disparar le dijo "solo eres una puta más, ahora lo sabes mejor que nunca" y le disparó en la frente causando su muerte,tiempo después ella volvería como un fantasma vengativo y se vengo de Francis, pero aún sigue aquí debido a que el resto de sus asesinos siguen sueltos, en una de sus búsquedas se encontró con la casa de lewis y ahora se hospeda ahí.

Trivia

Rubi es de España

Su canción tema seria all you wanna do(six the musical) y why don't you do right (quien engaño a roger rabbit)

Su voz headcanon sería karla falcón en español y erica lindbeck en inglés

Rubi murió en los 1980

Se mudo a texas cuando tenía 10 años

Ella habla principalmente español, pero entiende el inglés, además de tener acento español

Ella sabe bailar ballet,danza en tela,hip hop,reggae,salsa,tango y bachata,pero su favorito es el ballet

Tiene miedo a los ruidos similares a disparos, le recuerda a su muerte

Full name:rubiely Josefina Álvarez (I no longer like the last name laurens so I changed it)

Alias:rubi

Age:23(deceased)

D.O.B:August 20 (Leo)

Blood type:formerly AB, now none

Occupation: ghost in training

Favorite shows / games: action, science fiction (he-man, dragon ball, tetris)

Favorite food:peach cake

Instrument:vocals

Favorite animal:pigs

Height: 1.68cm (5.6)

Family:hernan Álvarez(father/deceased) teresa García(mother/deceased)

Weapon:none

Skills: Building Construction, Levitation, Idle Form, Item Possession, Illusion Creation, Near Invulnerability, Human Form.

Personality: rubi is a woman with a very strong and dominant character, it is mainly due to a defense mechanism so as not to let herself be put down by anyone, she always acts very defensive and is alert, this due to how her death was. Rubi has severe trust problems, especially with men as they remind her of his death, however she is able to become friends with other men, but continues to prefer the company of other women.

Rubi is very competitive, ambitious and brave, being basically the opposite in personality with Juliete and Jackson, being that she gives off confidence and security in herself, without forgetting a great pride in her achievements from when she was alive, however when she is vulnerable. She admits that she is not very comfortable with her appearance when she is dead, being that she feels that in life no man could take her seriously (only her father) and that they only wanted to sleep with her, also showing great insecurity in her appearance.

Rubi hates with all her might that women or femicides are belittled, being part of the feminist group she has the ideology that women are as capable as any man, in addition to not supporting harassment in any way and seeing it as something disgusting This is very personal for rubi since she was part of those victims who were forgotten over the years. Rubi is fiercely protective of women and children, as she sees herself and feels that she can do something to help, showing that she is capable of stepping into the shoes of others and understanding their situations.

Appearance: rubi is a young adult with a curvy and hourglass figure, has orange hair and eyes of the same color, wears a black ballet leotard with white legins with a light orange jacket with bracelets and leg warmers of the same color in addition Wearing smooth black sneakers, In life she had her hair tied in a bun and in death several strands come out of it, in addition to a large lock of hair covering the right part of her face, she has a hole in her forehead (the wound which caused his death) along with a black eye and a bruise on his cheek, like Jackson and Lewis his sclera is currently black.

History: rubi was born in Spain and her family had to move to Texas due to work problems, rubi from a very young age was interested in dance and interpretation, being a great dancer since she was 13 years old, thanks to this she participated regularly to various dance competitions of all kinds, for which rubi had a certain degree of fame in the 80s.

Rubi was very popular among men, but Rubi always ended the relationship since several of them loved her for her body, this happened several times, to the point that she no longer wanted to seek a relationship, but one day she met a man named Francis who wants to be his friend, at first she was very skeptical, but over time they became very good friends, being that both had a great interest in dance and interpretation, several times they could be seen talking for hours and dancing for a long time for a while, it was what I wanted, the friend I needed, just friends, nothing more! They understood each other and cared for their welfare, at least that's what she believed ...

One day after a rehearsal, Francis offered to accompany her to her house, she agreed, when they turned the corner out of nowhere, some men who were friends of Francis appeared who put her in their van and began to beat her to leave her without resistance, when she asked Francis what the hell was happening he just looked at her with disdain, when they got to an alley they started raping her in turns at the same time they beat her, when they finished Francis pulled out a gun and before shooting he said "you're just one more whore, now you know better than ever "and he shot her in the forehead causing her death, some time later she would return as a vengeful ghost and take revenge on Francis, but she is still here because the rest of her murderers are still loose, in one of her searches He came across Lewis's house and is now staying there.

Trivia

Rubi is from Spain

His theme song would be all you wanna do (six the musical) and why don't you do right (who framed on roger rabbit)

Her headcanon voice would be Karla Falcón in Spanish and Erica Lindbeck in English.

Rubi died in the 1980s

Moved to Texas when he was 10

She mainly speaks Spanish, but understands English, as well as having a Spanish accent

She knows how to dance ballet, cloth dance, hip hop, reggae, salsa, tango and bachata, but her favorite is ballet.

He is afraid of gunfire-like noises, reminds him of his death

[andie-cake]

A brief rundown of each of my OCS so that y'all have context for my occasional OC posts

Francesca "Frankie" Falkenrath

The drama coach at Everett High (and freelance piano teacher) who survived an attempt on her life by her ex-boyfriend Jason, but only because a wandering spirit entered her body as her own soul tried to leave, putting her in an odd half-dead state where her soul is "off-center" and other ghosts can enter her body as they so please. Her own soul is now locked in a battle for control of it's own body with several other ghosts. Despite her unfortunate situation, she remains hard-working and optimistic.

Damien Hall

A cheerful local veterinarian, and Frankie's boyfriend of nearly seven years. Humble, sweet, and funny, if a bit of a doormat thanks to his constant willingness to put the needs of others before his own.

Det. Shiloh Hawthorne

A detective of the dead (or "dead-tective", if you will) and former Reaper assigned to investigate Frankie after her status in the Afterlife is listed as "Uncertain", as opposed to "Dead" or "Alive". Despite his frightening appearance and initially stoic demeanor, he's really a total softie once you get to know him. A lover of animals, music, and human culture in general who DESPERATELY craves a genuine friendship.

Det. Chester "Chess" Murdoch

A local private detective who solves minor cases with his twin sister Abigail as a part of the "Murdoch & Murdoch" detective duo, who gets roped into assisting Shiloh with Frankie's case. Fast-talking and eccentric, with a rather flowery vocabulary to boot. Despite his quirks, he's still a VERY competent detective, and would gladly take a bullet for his sister.

Det. Abigail "Abby" Murdoch

The older and more straight-laced of Dagwood Hill's "Murdoch & Murdoch" detective duo. Despite her more serious personality, she's not above her brother's certain brand of quirkiness, and has her own moments of eccentricity. Just as strong a detective as Chess, and is fiercely protective of her "baby brother".

Jason Fitzpatrick

The P.E. teacher at Everett High, who briefly dated Frankie after ending his marriage with his high school sweetheart Christina. A crass and abrasive man who only ever softens around his preteen son (from his marriage with Christina) Skylar, or his dog Rusty. Attempted to murder Frankie when she wouldn't get back with him several years later, but ended up with a gnarly facial scar and a 30-to-life prison sentence.

Skylar Fitzpatrick

The 11 year old son of Jason and Christina. Emotional, empathetic, artistic, and supernaturally inclined. In that, he can see and communicate with ghosts, even when they're NOT possessing someone, or (in Frankie's unusual case) currently in control of their host body. A sweet, yet very lonely boy who struggles to comes to terms with the fact that his family is broken.

Victoria Waterford

A successful local hairdresser (well, I say "local", but she's from Pittsburgh), and Frankie's best friend and former roommate. A smart and charismatic woman, with a strong passion for her work. She has a girlfriend, but I'm still trying to figure out her name and her role in the story, so please bear with me.

Christina Baxter

A kind yet tough local librarian, Jason's ex-wife, and Skylar's mother. Her son's high empathy was pretty much inherited from her, shown best by the fact that she went out of her way to befriend Frankie after the (at the time) naive young drama coach assistant ended her toxic relationship with Jason. Despite how rough her life has been, she remains strong for her friends and family, and will NOT let anyone pity her.

Xavier Lewis-Hall

Damien's ambitious, outgoing, and musically-talented preteen cousin. He used to get piano lessons from Frankie, which is how Frankie ended up meeting Damien in the first place. So you have him to thank for that. Dreams of becoming a famous musical theatre composer, and will not hesitate to tell you about his MANY ideas if you ask him. An amicable kid who manages to become Skylar's first non-ghost friend in YEARS, and forms a surprising bond with Shiloh over their shared love of music.

Robin Barrows

A teenage non-binary (she/her and they/them) piano student of Frankie's with a bit of a reputation around Dagwood Hill for being a troublemaker who likes to stir shit with local law enforcement. A good kid once you get to know them, but struggles in school thanks to her undiagnosed dyslexia, and has some anger issues. Frankie's just about the only teacher at Everett High who doesn't see her as a lazy problem child, and thus, she's the only teacher that Robin actually LIKES.

Hunter V. Luzzatto

The cynical and sarcastic ghost of a street guitarist who froze to death on the streets of Dagwood Hill during a particularly harsh Winter, and one of the ghosts attempting to take control of Frankie's body. He says his reasoning for doing so is so he can "experience the three biggest pleasures of life again". Meaning, eating food, having sex, and playing his guitar. You'll know he's in control when the room turns inexplicably cold. Despite his cynical outlook, dark sense of humor, and his beef with Shiloh, he has a soft spot for Skylar.

Mary Ann Fleisher

The ghost of a little girl from the 1930's who unfortunately passed after getting lost in the woods outside Dagwood Hill. After wandering the woods as a lost spirit for decades, she entered Frankie's body by complete accident, and wants nothing more than to get out and see her parents in the Afterlife. Timid and prone to tears, she's not in control of Frankie's body often, but it's always obvious when she is. If Frankie's shying away from everyone and speaking in a VERY small and scared voice, Mary Ann is in control.

Lucille Dagwood

The ghost of the long-deceased founder of Dagwood Hill, and one of the ghosts attempting to take control of Frankie's body. She believes that her beloved town has gone to shit, and wants to regain control of it. She's very stern and cold, able to shut anyone up with nothing more than a good old-fashioned death glare. It's never readily apparent when she's in control of Frankie's body, but once she speaks, you'll know.

[distractedhistotech]

Lewis Joins the Gang (Again)

As usual, Arthur was the first to wake up.  He felt like he’d taken too much pain medication before going to bed and…there was something on top of him that was not Vivi or Mystery.  It felt smooth and warm.  He sat up.  “What.” He stared at the pile of purple ghosts covering him, Vivi, and Mystery.  On a purple bed.  In…a large room.  It looked like the entrance room of a mansion.

Wait, wait, wait…He was starting to remember.  “Uh, ghost guy, you there?”  Arthur started shaking Vivi.  “Hey, hey, Vivi.  Wake up. Something crazy.  And ghosty.  And maybe cursy.  And I think you’ll need to drive today.”  He picked up one of the Deadbeats.  “Why are you not scaring me?”

Vivi groaned.  “Five more minutes.”

“You are literally covered in ghosts,” Arthur said as he attached his prosthetic.

Vivi almost immediately shot up.  “Oh my gosh! They’re so cute!”  She started scratching one on the top of its head.  “Yes, you are, yes you are.”  She paused.  “Hey, where are we?”

“Haunted house,” replied Arthur.

Vivi blinked.  “Huh.  Why don’t I remember that?”

“Ghost guy said…” Arthur paused and looked around.  “Actually, where is he?”  One of the ghosts popped up holding a pretty blue heart with orange filigree all over it.  “Huh. Why does that seem familiar?”

“Hm…”  Vivi picked up the heart.  “Why is the color-”

Vivi was interrupted when purple fire shot out of the heart and formed a familiar ghost.  Well, familiar to Arthur anyway.  “Hey, ghost guy.”

Lewis blinked.  “Uh, hey.”

“Whoa!  You look so cool!” crowed Vivi.

Lewis blushed a little.  “R-really?”

“Yeah, the suit, and the skull, and the fire, it’s awesome!” said Vivi.  She frowned.  “Uh, did you do something to our memories?”

Lewis quickly held his hands up.  “Not on purpose!  I tried to introduce myself, but whenever I said my name, you passed out and forgot stuff!”

Vivi frowned.  “Maybe it’s a safeguard?  Knowing someone’s true name can give you power over them…”

“But I really wanted to tell you my name!” protested Lewis.

“And we appreciate that, but given the side effects, you probably shouldn’t,” mused Vivi.

“And-and there was that other thing,” said Lewis.  “See?” Lewis put his glamour back on.  “This is supposed to be what I looked like when I was alive, and that’s what I see when I look in the mirror, but Artie said that’s not what I look like!”

Both humans winced. “Oof, yeah, that’s not a human face,” agreed Vivi.  “Could you…” Lewis dropped the glamour.  “Thanks.  Okay, that makes less sense.  Glamours are specifically for blending in.”  Vivi hummed in thought for several moments.  “This could take a while to figure out…But we need to get to Techno Con.”

Lewis blinked.  “Techno Con?”

“I’ve got a booth there to show off my prosthetics,” explained Arthur.  “And I’m hoping to pick up a few new things myself.”

“Oh, congratulations,” said Lewis as an idea started to occur to him.  “But…Maybe…If it’s a not a problem, I could go with you.  Then you’d have plenty of time to figure out what’s wrong.”

Arthur’s mouth fell open in shock and nervousness.  Vivi thought a moment.  “That’s a tempting offer, but I have some concerns.”  She pointed at Arthur.  “Firstly, Arthur has to agree.”

Lewis nodded.  “Of course.”

“Secondly, how do we know you won’t try to kill us or drain our energy?” pointed out Vivi.

“I could’ve done that while you were sleeping,” pointed out Lewis.  He paused.  “Not that I would!”

“Hm…”  Vivi nodded.  “Good point.  Secondly, why would you want to come with us?  Most ghosts are tethered to a place.”

Lewis winced.  “I didn’t want to stay there.��

Vivi winced.  “Ah.  Sorry.”

“And…I was lonely,” admitted Lewis.  “I don’t want to be alone.”

“What about these guys?” asked Arthur, holding up a chirping Deadbeat.

“The Deadbeats are more like cats.  I can talk to them, but they don’t give me a response,” explained Lewis.  “They are my friends, and they helped me stay sane, but I missed being able to talk to people.”  Especially these people.

“Bit of an unusual motive, but I can believe it,” commented Vivi.  “But why us, haven’t you run into other people before?”

“I’ve only been dead for a few months.”  At least Lewis thought it was months.  He hadn’t been able to keep track of time during his trek to civilization.  “And I kind of died in the middle of nowhere, and it turns out it can take a while to find a road if you don’t have a map or compass.”

“I think I saw an episode of Mythbusters about that,” commented Arthur.

Vivi nodded.  “Okay, you want friends, but if you haven’t been dead that long, wouldn’t it make more sense to return home where your friends and family are?  Or are you worried about how they’ll react?” she asked.

“Oh, I actually was on my way home,” said Lewis.  “I just ran into you first, and I figured I could hitch a ride with you since I’m from Tempo too.”

“How do you know we’re from Tempo?” asked Arthur.

“You guys are kind of infamous.  I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone in town knew who you were,” explained Lewis.

“True, random strangers will walk up to me and ask me tips about ghosts and stuff,” agreed Vivi. “What about you?  Any chance we’ve ever met before.”

Lewis perked up. “Yeah!  I was a chef at Pepper Paradiso!”

Arthur frowned. “Pepper Paradiso’s a restaurant?” he asked in confusion.

“Yeah, it serves pretty spicy food so you wouldn’t like it,” said Vivi.  It was why she’d never taken him there for a date.

“Huh?  You’ve both been there plenty of times though,” said Lewis.

“Nah, I can’t stand spicy food,” said Arthur.  “If it’s mostly spicy stuff I’d avoid it.”

Oh, this was so much worse than Lewis had thought.  “A-And we went to the same high school!”

“Were we in the same grade?” asked Arthur.

“Uh, I was in the grade below you,” said Lewis.

“Then you might be in some of our yearbooks,” reasoned Arthur.  “Of course we don’t exactly carry those around.”

“Ugh, yeah, and it’s probably been long enough that you can’t look at it online,” muttered Lewis. “I went to Tome Tomb all the time…Why don’t either of you remember me…” Lewis finished sadly.

“Well, in one’s day-to-day life you don’t remember every single person you run into,” pointed out Arthur.

“I’m seven feet tall though!” shouted Lewis, getting frustrated.  “I stood out like a sore thumb!”

“Okay, yeah, that’d be pretty memorable,” agreed Arthur.  “You’d think we’d remember someone like that.”

“Hm…You know, I don’t remember anyone talking about a chef at Pepper Paradiso going missing,” mused Vivi.  “I wonder if any memories were erased from everyone’s minds.”

The thought was so horrifying that Lewis could just stare at them in horror.

“Whoa, that’s a bit of a big leap!” pointed out Arthur.  “I mean it’s weird neither of us have heard about a local giant, but we might just be clueless. Heck, maybe we could call home and ask while we’re traveling.”

“True,” agreed Vivi. “Although even if that’s wrong, I’d like to help this guy.  Something really odd is going on with him.”

Arthur bit his lip and studied the nervous looking Lewis.  He weighed the pros and cons.  He sighed.  “If you can’t disguise yourself, you can’t really go out in public.  You okay with that?”

“Well, I could turn invisible,” pointed out Lewis, doing so for a moment to prove that was a thing he could do.  “If I didn’t let other people know I was around, would that be all right?”

Arthur thought for a moment before sighing.  “As long as you let us know where you are, yeah.”

Vivi gave Arthur a startled look, not expecting him to support this.  Still, if he was okay with it, she wasn’t gonna give up this opportunity to get a ghost teammate who would maybe help them out on investigations and let her study him a bit.  “Okay, so if you and your Deadbeats (Heh, funny name.) agree to behave and stay out of sight, you can travel with us until we got back to Tempo.  Deal?”

“When will you be going back to Tempo?” asked Lewis.

“Well, we have like 8 days funds, but depending on if we earn anything we might travel around a bit longer,” explained Arthur.

Lewis was familiar with this traveling plan, so he nodded.  “It’s a deal.”

“Great!  Now we should probably head out,” said Vivi.  “We don’t want to fall too far behind in our plans.”

Lewis nodded.  “Sure thing.”  He then proceeded to collapse the entire house into fire and absorb it into his anchor.  He paused as he saw the other three staring at him in shock.  “Uh, did I forget to mention I could do that?”

“Yes,” squeaked Arthur.

“Oops.”  Lewis chuckled nervously.  “Well, yeah, I can make houses.  And other stuff.”  He coughed nervously somehow.  “So, that’s your van, right?  I’ll just go settle into the back.”  He zoomed off.

Arthur turned to Vivi. “I feel like we might’ve bitten off more than we can chew.”

Vivi shrugged.  “Well, nothing we can do now.  Wanna go grab some waffles?”

“Hm…I’d rather just have some yogurt and fruit.  Not that hungry,” said Arthur as they walked back to the van.

[mysteriouslyhopefulstranger]

The Final Test

((My Secret Santa FanFic gift for @solitaria-fantasma. You asked for Lewis to undergo a sacrifice test in a forest, so I placed the crew into the universe of the horror indie game, “The Cursed Forest.”))   @msa-secretsanta-2020

“How are you holding up, Lew?” Arthur asked.

“Much better now that the deadbeats offered a few hands.” Lewis straightened his posture as he carried as much as the sacred stones he could. Not that they were heavy for him; it was just that his arms could only wrap around so much.

“I just hope that this stone doesn’t grate my prosthetic too much.” Arthur looked down at the stone he was holding and huffed. “But better the stone than the skeleton.” He cringed as he looked over at the deadbeats carrying parts of the child’s skeleton. “Son of a bitch. It was supposed to be a simple investigation! An exorcism is one thing, but a fetch quest?! And while avoiding her ‘impulses!’“

“Again, it’s not her fault.” Mystery reminded him. “Corrupted souls barely have control over themselves.”

“Anyway, we’re almost done, right?” Vivi piped up, also holding a stone.

“Yep.” Mystery nodded. “Now we just wait-”

The ground rumbled as the trees cracked and groaned. Vivi and Arthur nearly lost their balances as roots and vines burst from the ground to block the path in front of them. The trees around them shifted and moved to form a new path.

“Ah, there we go.” Vivi smiled. “Onward!”

With Mystery leading the way to keep an eye out for traps, the team headed down the newly formed path.

It only took them about five minutes to find the stone altar. It seemed as though it was made rather shoddily. Normally, altars were hand made; this one was just a giant flat boulder with imprints, possibly for the sacred stones. Vivi came closer to get a good look. “Oh! They have numbers etched into the slots! This should be easy!” She carefully placed her stone down to check the bottom. “Ok, mine’s #3, sooo...” She searched the slots for her assigned number.

Arthur checked his. “Seven.” He scanned the altar and saw that his stone was to be placed at the top center. He set it down. “Phew! OK, LeWAAUUGH!!!” He screamed as he fell back. Arthur had looked up to see a black cloud of a skirt and feet, leading up to more black and a pair of glowing white eyes. The little girl showed up again; the very child whose soul was corrupted by a ritual gone wrong; the very child who called them over by crashing the van; the very child who trapped them; the very child who ordered them to perform this exorcism;

The very child who had also tried to kill them while they searched for the pieces they needed to do so.

Vivi and Mystery backed away from the altar and got close to Arthur, ready to defend each other. Lewis looked stern.   

“You’ve got everything?” A white streak appeared below the eyes of the cloud, and moved about as the girl’s voice echoed out of it.

“Yes.” Vivi said. “Now we just read what’s written in the paper, right?” 

“Yeeesssss,” The ghost girl lilted with a smile. “but there’s one more thing that needs to be done.”

“Oh God!” Arthur groaned, looking like he was going to cry. “ Don’t tell me we missed something!”

“Nope!” The corrupted ghost’s smile got bigger. “This is just a liiiittle test!”

Mystery sighed, “Let me guess: we have to figure out which object is truly needed, or something like that. And if we pick wrong, we die. Yeah, already did this shit.”

“Nnnnnope! ~ Nothing like that!”

Arthur opens his mouth to ask, only to feel his next words being choked in his throat. Along with any air that was trapped along with it. In fact, when did the skin on his neck feel this...constricted?! He put his real hand up to his neck; there was a vine wrapped around it.

Mystery heard his restricted protest and turned to look at him. “Arthur, what-?”

CRMBLE CRMBLE SHK SHKKKKKKKK!!!  

It happened so fast. Vines shot out of the ground, hoisting Vivi, Arthur, and Mystery off of the ground. They grabbed at their limbs, pulling them away from their bodies as if to rip them off of their sockets. Vines wrapped around their torsos, right where the ribs were. Mystery didn’t even have time to react and snap at the vines, for one had wrapped his muzzle tightly shut.

“NO!!” Lewis screamed, dropping the stones he was holding. In a flash of anger, his hands burst into flames. The deadbeats dropped their loads and prepared to attack. The corrupted ghost teleported in front of him, her finger wagging in front of his nose. “Ah, ah, ahhh! ~ You try anything, and I’ll kill them instantly.” She giggled and looked up at Mystery. “And if YOU try anything, I’ll rip your tails off!” Cue more vines shooting up from the ground and snagging each white tail. Mystery whined in pain.

Lewis shot his hand at the girl. She teleported out of range and cackled, “You must really want them to die! Well then, here goes!~”

Arthur let out a strangled cry as the vine around his neck tightened. Vivi screamed out as she felt the vine constrict her ribs and limbs, threatening to break bones. Mystery still could only whine as every limb he had was slowly being pulled apart.

“Stop, STOP!!! PLEASE!!!” Lewis begged. Their cries subsided as the vines slackened.

“Good boy!” The girl chirped. “Now, for the final test...you must choose which member of the team shall die!”

“Are you serious?!” Lewis roared, his hair glowing and whisping.

“Since when was this part of the ritual?!” Vivi grunted.

“Shut it, you!!” The ghost snarled, tightening the roots. Vivi squealed in pain.

“VIVI!!!” Lewis cried.

“Now pick!! Or I’ll kill them all! Ten, nine....” The roots slowly tightened again. Lewis panicked. Even the deadbeats were just flying around, screaming.

“...eight, seven, SIX....”

He can’t burn the roots without risking burning his loved ones, or without the risk of the spirit killing them by other means....

“...five, four, three....” Arthur’s face was turning purple, and Vivi and Mystery were tearing up as they continued to cry out.

....Wait. “a member of the team.” huh?

“TWO....”

“Myself!!” Lewis yelled.

The ghost stopped counting, looking surprised. “....What?”

“I choose myself!”

“Nnngggh, Lew...” Arthur gargled.

“Hey! I said..” The ghost started.

“That I should pick which member of the team should die. I’m a member! And in case you haven’t figured it out...” In a flash of fire, Lewis dropped his human façade, revealing his skeletal form, suit and all. “I’d like to see you try kill me, since I’m already dead!”

The ghost paused before smiling again. “I can just destroy your anchor!” She grew more roots, aiming at him.

Lewis flinched for a moment. But only for moment. “That would just make me disappear. You said that one of us had to die, not disappear.” 

“B-but you...That doesn’t...!” The girl sputtered. 

Lewis laughed, “Aren’t loopholes just fun?” 

The corrupted ghost looked like she was about to explode. With an angry grunt, she slammed the rest of the team down onto the ground, releasing them from the roots. “Alright, alright! I’ll call it a pass!” She faded away. “You’re no fun!” Her voice echoed as she pouted.

Lewis and the deadbeats rushed over to the team. “Are you all ok?! Anything broken?!”

Arthur was too busy coughing and gasping to answer. Vivi on the other hand, “Owwww.” She moaned, rubbing her ribs and limbs. “I’m gonna have bruises for months!”

Mystery curled up and rubbed his muzzle with his paw. “This was humiliating.” He growled. “This exorcism better be super painful. Let’s get this over with before something else happens.”

Arthur finally caught his breath. “God dammit! If I get bruises too, Uncle’s gonna have a stroke and a hernia before I do!”

Lewis lit a flame near Arthur to investigate his throat. “Yeeeah, a bruise it already forming. But other than that, nothing broken?” He put his free hand on Arthur’s shoulder. Arthur slowly stood up and moved his limbs around. Vivi and Mystery did the same.

“We can still move,” Vivi responded. “but it hurts a little.”

Lewis sighed, “Either way, the deadbeats and I will do the arrangement. You guys rest.”

“Fine, but I’m still reciting the words.” Vivi crossed her arms...and then winced since her arms rested on her ribcage.

“By the way,” Mystery laid back down, “that was some incredible quick thinking back there for someone of your attention span.”

“Ha.” Lewis rolled his eye sockets as he picked up the ritual stones one by one. “If there’s anything that I picked up from every horror movie I watched with Vivi involving deals with the devil, is that there is always a loophole in the contract based on certain word choices or in the fine print.”

“See?” Vivi turned to Mystery, smugly. “There ARE some accuracies in these stories!”

“But, what if she didn’t mix up the words or didn’t care about word choice. Would you have stood by your decision?” Arthur asked.

Lewis put down a stone in the assigned imprint. “...Yes.”

“But why would you-?!” Arthur started. Lewis turned around and glared at him. “Let me guess, you would’ve wanted me to pick you, right? Because you ‘deserve it.’ I’ve accepted that it wasn’t you back at the cave! Why can’t you?!”

Arthur lowered his head. “It...preyed on weakened feelings, right? So...if I had said something...”

“This was completely out of your control.” Mystery interrupted, sternly. “Hell, it took over me, remember? And I’m equivalent to that of a god!”

“And why should I pick someone that I love?” Lewis picked up another stone and put it down. “Why should I choose any of the ones that I love? Isn’t that obvious?”

Vivi smiled. “And you know that I would never, ever forgive if you did choose him.”

“That too.” Lewis chuckled. Arthur smiled as tears threatened to trickle down his face.

“If anything,” Mystery mumbled, “I should’ve-”

“Aaaaahhhhh!” Vivi pointed a finger at the kitsune. “Noooo! Don’t you dare go there, too! You’re my precious guardian pooch, and I’ll be damned if I lose you!” She scratched his ears. Mystery opened his mouth to protest her remarks, but succumbed to the blissful ear scritches and let it be.

“Aaaand done.” Lewis and his deadbeats floated back to examine their work. The little girl’s small skeleton laid in the center, surrounded by the ritual stones. Seeing her small frame made the team somber.

“God, looking at this now made me realize that I forgot this was just a kid who was dealt with the worst hand.” Arthur said.

“Yeah, poor thing.” Vivi sighed. “Lewis, you still got those instructions?”

Lewis fished out a piece of paper from his pocket and gave it to Vivi. Vivi scanned through it until she found the proper incantation. She recited the words as carefully as possible, making sure she doesn’t mispronounce anything.

There was a crash of thunder and an ear-piercing shriek, as a black mist hovered over the skeleton. The team stumbled back and ducked. Winds howled as the clouds above them formed a vortex high above the altar. It sucked up the black mist, leaving a small, glowing white orb. The orb began to rise up into the sky, and the cloud vortex dissipated. 

Silence. 

Then rumbling from the ground and the cracking and creaking of the trees; they were moving again, clearing away the dead ends and opening a path to the way out. 

Silence once more. The atmosphere felt lighter. Lighter enough to take a deep breath and savor it.

The curse has been lifted. The gang was free.

“....We did it. We did it!!!” Vivi laughed and hugged her boys.

“Oh thank God!” Arthur rolled his head back in relief.

“Now let’s scram. I’ve had enough of forests.” Mystery said.

The gang ran up the nearest path, with the living members fighting back the lingering pain in their legs, and they didn’t stop until they saw their bright orange van. They piled into it, collapsing into the back or onto the seats.

“Oh, vehicular transportation I’ve missed you!” Arthur almost cried, burying his face into the upholstery fabric.

“Another successful mission!” Vivi giggled.

“Alright, everyone settle, because I’m driving. You all still need to rest.” Lewis said.

“Ok daaaad.” Vivi teased before she leaned over from the back to give Lewis a kiss on the cheekbone. Arthur followed through after Vivi as he gave his keys to Lewis. Lewis blushed as he turned the ignition on. 

As they started to drive away, a young voice echoed into their heads:

“Thank you.” 

[phantomphangphucker]

Legless On Maim Chap. 9: Gifts Of Time, Science, And Space

ClockWork is surprisingly helpful. Danny’s surprisingly not. Jack and Maddie are surprisingly good at ethical(ish) human(ish) medicine(ish). Lewis is surprisingly not and accidentally makes a ghost. And the duo that is Venom are surprisingly... surprising.

ClockWork smiles fondly, leans over, and pats Danny’s head, “I’m perfectly sound of mind and Core, child”. Danny only groans loudly in response.

But this is enough to get Maddie and Jack to their feet and drawing weapons, though not pointing them because something’s going on here. Jazz practically bolting into the kitchen and looking like she’s ten seconds away from blocking their line of fire and screaming ‘NO!’, only encourages them to hold off more. They knew Danny was close to her, trusted her, maybe told her things they didn’t know?

The ghost turns to the pair of hunters, them floating over the table, and actually bows exaggeratedly with a cheeky smirk, “greetings, Madeline and Jackson”. Jack blinks, having not been called that since he was basically born and they had to tell the nurse what to put on his birth certificate. While the ghost looks to Lewis, “as for the who, Lewis-”, making Lewis quirk an eyebrow over them following Danny in using his last name, “-you’d be right in assuming I’m ClockWork”, looking back to the hunters, “the ghost of time, or spirit, as you’ve chosen to dub the created dead”, grinning, “we prefer neverborn ghost of course. Born ghosts prefer unlived ghost”.

Danny lifts his head off the table to the sight of his parents' open mouth gaping at ClockWork, groans and bangs his head on the table again. ClockWork patting his head with their tail before Danny lifts his head up, returns his chin to his palm and sighs, “ClockWork, there are days I really wonder if you just like making me suffer”, sighing again while his parents give him really weird looks. Danny glances from his folks worriedly to ClockWork, looking mildly unimpressed and exasperated, “you’re gonna make me explain all this, aren’t you?”.

Jack raises an eyebrow at Danny, “Danny-boy? Do you... know them?”.

Danny slips his head off his palm and lets his face bang into the table yet again, “ugh. Yes”, lifting a hand limply and gesturing at ClockWork, his face still on the table, “Clocky. Timepants. Pocket-watch. Timedaddy. Kronos, when they’re being a real old-timer stickler”, sighing, “they’re kinda my-”, he’s probably going to regret deciding that lying wasn’t worth the effort here, “-ghost parent?”.

ClockWork shifts to their elderly form, “you say that as if it is a question”.

Danny lifts up his head purely to scowl at them, “oh my Ancients”.

“Yes?”.

Danny’s scowl deepens but he doesn’t get to say anything as Maddie cuts in, managing to sound only slightly accusing, “what does he mean, ghost”, glancing at Danny and softening her expression a little, clearly silently asking him the same question but nicer.

Jack nodding stiffly, “uh, yeah”.

ClockWork says precisely nothing, instead shifting to a child and sitting on Danny’s shoulder. Danny turns his head to gape at them, “seriously?”.

Lewis chuckles, “well I certainly see where Danny gets his mischievous side now”. ClockWork was absolutely a trouble maker and prankster. And fine, if prankster god wasn’t slightly horrifying.

Resulting in Danny screwing up his face and giving Lewis the most overacted ‘you did not just say that’ face ever, that effectively conveyed ‘what the fuck is wrong with you’ in about sixty-nine different languages. ClockWork just pats Danny’s head.

Danny looks back to his folks at his mom clearing her throat. Him chuckling awkwardly, “uh”, deciding screw it, it’s way too bloody late for this to not be awkwarder than a snow bunny trying to relax in someone's venti cup filled with espresso shots. Gesturing with both hands from ClockWork to his parents, “ClockWork, my parents; not that you didn’t already know that”, gesturing from his parents back to ClockWork, “mom and dad, ClockWork; my ghostly guardian because I am a child and ghostly enough to qualify for this shit and my life is bullshit and the universe has a horrible sense of humour and yeah okay I’m exactly the kind of mess to have a technical god watching over me more literally and this probably makes, like, zero sense and I’d rather you not shoot them and I have no idea why they’re here now and I'm just going to shut up now”, clacking his teeth shut and leaning back against his chair with his arms crossed. ClockWork, now an adult, repositioning to appear to be sitting on the top of the chair back (obviously they are actually floating though).

Jack and Maddie blink, exchange a Look, and go back to eyeing ClockWork -who’s suddenly a child again- warily; though they look less like they’re trying to restrain hostility and more simply cautious. Maddie sitting down slowly and stiffly, effectively pulling Jack to sit down as well, “explain”, her then glaring/squinting at the ghost, “why are you here”. Both of those were technically supposed to be questions but that didn’t sound even slightly like questions.

Danny seriously resists saying ‘I kinda just did’ both because that wouldn’t do him any good here and because she’s asking to explain the explanation. Jazz gives him an encouraging nudge as she relaxes and sits down herself; now sure her parents aren’t going to attempt to attack.

Danny swallows, “um, like I said. Ghostly parent. Guardian. Mentor. Teacher. Guide”, oh he is so never going to hear the end of this. Of him having a Guardian and being taught ghost things, and not telling his ghost crazed ectologist/hunter parents. Never. But his parents, or his mom at least, seemed to understand him not being super open with his ghostly shit. With him hiding it. So maybe. Just maybe. They’ll get him hiding this too. Maybe. Hopefully. Probably not. Big difference between ‘my body does weird ghost shit’ and ‘I hang out with literal ghosts’. Massive fucking difference. Huge. And ClockWork’s over here being their typical calm collected self. Jerk. Though that was probably a way of saying ‘this is fine and will be fine’; not gonna stop Danny from being a paranoid little bitch. Danny breaks the silence by reopening his mouth, looking to his mom, “um. They’re who I meant by that wise ‘friend’ I mentioned”.

Maddie squints at him a little before nodding and glancing back to the ghost. So this ghost -spirit or ‘neverborn’?- loved the living? That was... arguably good... okay. But she’s still not sure what’s even going on here. How can he ‘have a ghost parent’? That makes no sense. And pointing that out just effectively made Danny repeat himself, so obviously this didn’t cross his mind as ‘not normal’. She’s pretty damn certain a ghost wasn’t present when she gave birth to him, and carried him, and literally everything else. And he wasn’t born like this, born with a Core and ectoplasm. She would have noticed something like that. So what really is this ClockWork to him? Or how do they have the familial relationship Danny’s saying they do. Again Danny didn’t find this odd, so do ghosts just... get assigned a mentor ghost? That makes zero sense. Ghosts knew how to be ghosts from the get-go... right? But also, what the heck was some ghost -maybe ‘needed’ or not- teaching her son?

Jack tilts his head, watching the currently child-like ghost give Danny a little head pat. His son glancing up with the typical scowl he gave to the two of them for doing that or ruffling his hair, even looking a bit fond? And that wasn’t something that could really be faked. So close for sure. His boy was close with a ghost! What does he even do with this? Is it good? Bad? Kinda cool? If ghostie really was friendly -huh, friendly ghost, who would have thought? Danny apparently- then it was cool. The things he could learn! But how? “How are you related?”, Jack shakes his head, “wait no, they said created so no relatives at all”. Then squinting and becoming just a little giddy. Wait! They confirmed a theory! Or more so Dan’s theory. Blurting out, “you’re needed!”, pausing, right no assumptions anymore, “or are you?”.

ClockWork grins, “ghost of time. The time stream would quite effectively collapse without me”. A truly unfortunate truth. ClockWork lets them sit on that for a beat before adding, “of course I am an unfade so that hardly matters”.

Jack and Maddie blink, “an ’unfade’”, attempting to take this in stride.

“Indestructible. Immortal. I am an endless thing. I have always been and will always be”.

Jazz decides now would be a good point to interject, before her parents start building a questionnaire, “alright, I’m sure you didn’t show up to answer questions. So why are you here and could it have waited till after everyone had slept?”, Danny especially needed all the sleep he could muster.

ClockWork grins, “they asked to meet a good ghost, so I decided to let them. Though I can be more of a neutral when it comes to the universe or existence itself”. Ultimately, seeking to extend the existence of the universe and maintain the stability of time, were ‘good’ goals and jobs.

Lewis can’t help but chuckle, that was so painfully mundane but with complete chaos as a result. Which gets Maddie’s attention on him, “you are... very calm”. Maddie officially feels like Dan might have a better disposition for her job than she does.

Danny grumbles, “tell me about it”, because seriously, come on! Looking to ClockWork, “for the love of everything, tell me you had more reason than that?”.

Jazz butting in again, “no. No more questions. You all need to go to bed. And I need to go back to it”. Earning some neck rubbing from Danny. Maddie and Jack just gesture -with both hands- at ClockWork like that is reason enough for them not to. Jazz stands up, hands on her hips, “no. Bed. Now”.

ClockWork smirks and closes their eyes slightly, “I’ll make sure to tuck Daniel in then”. Making both parents immediately exclaim, “no! You’re a stranger to us! And a ghost!”. Which Danny glares at them over a little.

Jazz throws up her hands, “why do I try”, and attempts to smack ClockWork over the head, “you’re as bad as Danny”, blinking at her hand, which of course had just phased through ClockWork.

Danny snorts, “why did you think that would work? They see the future”.

Jazz points at him, “proof we need sleep”.

Jack lifts up a finger and opens his mouth, though closing his mouth at getting a harsh glare from his daughter. ClockWork answer his question anyway, no clue how the ghost knew what it was though, “the time stream flows trough my Core, to be without me would be rather similar to brewing coffee without the filter and picking your beans blindly”.

Lewis mutters, “the horror”, sarcastically. While ClockWork continues, “the universe would get nothing short of a mess and would likely throw out the end result with haste. And Madeline? I have in fact been watching over him since before you had been born yourself”, looking with an almost mean smirk to Jazz, “preventing your parents from speaking will not alter the fact that they did speak in another time”.

Jack is almost smiling over the new info and Maddie just looks incredibly confused. While Jazz sighs and rubs her temples, “at the very least Danny should sleep. If you’re a ‘parent’ then shouldn’t you be focused on his heath?”.

ClockWork smirks more, “and I am. After all, there are some timely issues. What better to empower timing mechanisms than-”, shifting to an elder, “-old man time, the being that empowers time itself”. Danny puts a hand over his mouth and chuckles; not even attempting to figure out what ClockWork means.

Lewis quirks an eyebrow, “you’re referring to the timer I’m guessing? I find it interesting that a ghost would be offering to help ghost hunters with their tech. Which is usually used for ghost hunting”. This gets literally everyone else to raise their eyebrows.

ClockWork shrugs very subtly, “they could hardly do me harm, and ghost hunting is far from the purpose here”, grinning and side-eyeing Danny, “put that tail to good use, people do tend to keep around that which is useful”.

Danny’s pretty sure he’s the only one who got that. ClockWork absolutely was enjoying his effectively full-time tail. Cheeky bastard. Rolling his eyes a little bit with a small smile at ClockWork poking his tail with theirs; letting his tail uncoil from the chair and effectively wind around and fiddle with ClockWork’s a little. Then scowling at Jazz for giggling at him.

Jack is struggling not to grin, only even trying not to due to this being a ghosts that deserves suspicion. Maddie furrows her eyebrows, “‘help with the timer’?”, then sounding very suspicious, “how?”, then glancing at Danny’s tail basically wrapped around the base of ClockWork’s, whose tail tip is patting his. The ghost seemed to imply It-they wanted him to keep the tail; not that there was another option. But why? Though come to think of it, she hadn’t seen them with legs at all, “is your tail constant?”.

Danny honestly feels quite pleased with himself and proud of his mom over her being kinda freindlyish. Danny deciding to be forthcoming to at least attempt to make up for never telling his folks about his Guardian; leaning forward, “yup”. ClockWork adding, “it is a common theme for Neverborn’s, yes”. Which Danny nods over. Nocturne, UnderGrowth, Vortex, the Observants, Remi, Silver; none of them had legs. Pandora and FrightKnight were two exceptions he knew of though.

ClockWork nods to themselves when Maddie hums acceptingly and thoughtfully, rightfully coming to the conclusion that they liked Daniel being similar to them; though she blames at least some of Daniel’s tolerance of his tail on them, which wasn't wholly wrong. “And Lewis’s guess is once again, correct. As is your guess that creating a stronger timer is simply beyond your capabilities”.

Maddie can’t help scowling at that while Jack pipes up, “I’m sure we could with enough resources”, managing to keep his tone down.

Jazz leans her head on the table and sighs. She’s staying awake at this point to keep an eye on her parents.

ClockWork chuckles faintly, “for what you seek to achieve, you would need-”, digging in their pocket, “-one of these”, and holds up the time medallion. ClockWork wastes no time in explaining away the twos confusion, “this is a time medallion. Only I can create them. They can allow the wearer exclusion from time or the manipulation of it. To travel to points in time or alter the flow of time, if settings are right. Only I can alter their settings. Though I can also grant another the ability to. If fused to a being they could even give a slight awareness of the future”, grinning almost meanly, “something that can entirely stop the flow of time around a being can certainly keep up with your creation”. ClockWork pockets the medallion while the three adults all gape slightly, ClockWork pulling out their own little timer device -that effectively looked like a silver time medallion with clock hands for adjustment nobs in the centre, all inside a dark gray circle- and holds it out to Jack; the more likely one take it. Unsurprised at Maddie instantly snatching it right out of Jack's hands, curious and mistrustful.

Maddie flips it over, noting that it was already completely compatible and based on the alignments was designed for waist placement; slightly to the right though. Glancing back at the ghost and noting their cloak clasp was a fair bit on the right, they were setting up the CyberSteps to copy them; and she’s gonna bet her and Jack can’t modify this. But no way in Hell were they sticking something that was a near unknown on their boy, especially if it was designed by a ghost; trying out Danny’s ghost-friendly approach or not. But if this was genuine and this ghost right, then they effectively gave Danny back functioning ‘legs’. She should probably thank them, giving a very very very awkward, “thank...you?”.

Danny blinks, goes slack-jawed, and leans back against his chair, mumbling, “my folks just thanked a ghost". Sure it was ClockWork but still. He’s made way more headway than he thought or his folks were trying really hard to chill the ghost hate. Sharing a surprised look with Jazz, also gives him a little wide-eyed encouraging smile.

ClockWork smirks and leans towards Danny’s ear, “I also have something of a job for you”.

Danny muttering while side-eyeing them, “uh, does it involve shooting you”, because seriously ClockWork. Thanks but, fuck.

“You’re welcome to try, Daniel”. Making Danny rolls his eyes, while ClockWork gives him another head pat before simply disappearing; leaving slightly awkward silence in their wake.

Jazz, surprisingly, is the one to break it. Pushing herself to stand up and asking in a way that sounds more like a command, “so can we go to bed now?”.

Lewis chuckles into his hand, “do you really think they will with that”, and points at the CW timer. The parents looking to it, Maddie biting her lip while Jack just looks excited; clearly tired though.

Jazz puts her hands on her hips and levels them with a glare, “that is a complete unknown to you. Do you seriously think you should be messing with that without sleeping?”, them inventing/working on sleep deprivation lead to either really weird inventions or a lot of destruction. And that was a gift (technically) from ClockWork, in two years she only knows of one thing ClockWork’s gifted Danny; a necklace with a stylised ‘CW’ in silver. Danny absolutely will be possessive and territorial -he’d honestly probably try snatching it from them if he wasn’t sleep-deprived himself- of it. So no way he’d sleep if they stayed up tinkering with it.

Jazz decides to take the initiative when her parents nod. Her pulling Lewis to stand up and pointing at his face, “you, make sure Danny sleeps. Then sleep yourself”. Danny throws a pouty look at her so she glares are him before making shooing motions at Lewis.

Lewis shakes his head with a chuckle and waves for Danny to follow, “I guess the sister hath spoken”, earning a round of weak laughs. Danny does actually float after him though, glancing over his shoulder at his folks and eyeballing the CW timer.

Lewis speaking up again at Danny’s door, “working legs, no revealing your legs, ghost bonding; guess your life’s glass is looking pretty half full”.

Danny pauses and blinks at him, before smirking weakly, “I’m pretty sure the entire bloody glass got ground into my fucking eyeballs when I fucking died”. Lewis doesn’t really have a response for that other than a chuckle, because yeah Danny’s luck was pretty bad.

Jazz nods curtly at the stairs before rounding on her parents, pointing at the CW timer, “no taking that apart, I don’t even want to know what might happen”, sighing, “and that’s a gift from ClockWork. I think it’s obvious Danny’s close with them, so think how hurt he would probably be if you wrecked it”. She decides she made the right call at both grimacing a little.

Maddie gets up, cradling the contraption cautiously, and nods, “right, thanks Jazz honey. I’m... going to put it in containment though”. Jack scurrying after her as she heads down to the lab. Jazz standing in the lab doorway, arms crossed, and making it very clear she will try to physically drag them to bed.

Maddie, unsurprisingly, doesn’t sleep very long; waking around nine. She spends about half an hour making coffee and sipping it at the table, getting a little surprised when Lewis comes down the stairs and pours himself a cup.

Lewis answers her question before she even asks it, “I’m used to working late shifts and morning shifts back to back. The occasional emergency call”. One needed to be bendable with their sleep schedule to be in the medical field. Another reason Danny was well suited. Sitting, “I take it you don’t sleep well on an active mind?”.

Maddie sighs and shakes her head, “no. Especially with a ghost being able to get into the house without any warnings or defences going off. Things put in place purely to prevent that”.

Lewis chuckles, yeah he could understand why she might have a few issues with that. “That ghost seemed more akin to a god. So I doubt defences really matter”.

Maddie sighs again, that in itself was an issue. She had managed to scan the ecto-signature ClockWork left behind, twenty-eight. Twenty-eight. Pariah had been a twenty-five. This ghost was the strongest they’d ever encountered, almost the strongest possible. And had some kind of positive relation with her son. “ClockWork scans at twenty-eight, so you’re not wrong”.

Lewis quirks an inquisitive eyebrow, “Danny might have mentioned the ecto-scale but I can’t say I know what each level means”. Twenty-eight was obviously incredibly strong though.

Maddie nods, “it doesn't mean much, but it tells us how a ghost compares to others. It goes up in increments. Basically, a two is as strong as a one and a half. A three is as strong as two twos. A four is as strong as two threes and a half. And so on. So the higher the numbers the bigger the gap. So a twenty-eight would be fourteen and a half times as strong as a twenty-seven”, sighing, “a thirty though doesn’t follow the algorithm, a thirty is twenty times as strong as a twenty-nine. I’m not sure why Danny changed it for that level, but he’s got a good sense about more tech or biological ghost things”. Which just makes her wonder why the Hell they never listened to him before on the things that didn’t line up with their theories. But then again, Danny’s theory on power levels had been proven in the field. They hadn’t believed him at first because the algorithm he made was frankly terrifying. Sure the fact that Danny’s scale accounted for things like general ectoplasm (one), ghost plants (two), and whisps (three); helped but still. Technus was a seven and he could be tricky to beat when he didn’t sabotage himself. (Trying to use ‘proper pronouns’ for ghosts, which Danny always seemed to preach, was... strange). And this ClockWork was effectively six-hundred-and-twenty-two-thousand times stronger. Course ectoplasmic power only meant so much, Technus was generally easy to defeat; very easy.

Maddie speaks back up at Lewis’s impressed whistle, “what really matters is the class of a ghost. Class takes into account powers, enhancements, and restrictions. One through six. A six could effectively end the world easily”, furrowing her eyebrows, “ClockWork’s a five, which seems strange”, that kind of power, time control and omniscience, seemed practically like ultimate power. What was holding them back? Or maybe they lacked powers other ghosts had?

Lewis chuckles, nods, and sips at his cup. That kind of power was pretty nuts, and man was he glad Eddie just dealt with regular ol’ humans. No gods, no alternate dimensions, no royalty, no symbiote hunters. Danny was in a whole nother league. But at least Danny’s enemies kinda respected him or straight up seemingly liked him. And he had powerful allies. Anne was right though, Eddie will be so severely out of his depth, Danny very much being a teen will help with that though.

Maddie speaks up again, breaking the slightly comfortable silence, “I wonder if Danny knows any other ghosts personally”, it would seem logical that he did. Wouldn’t make sense to just be friends, family?, with one powerful one. People don’t start out befriending the top dogs, they start at the bottom. And she’ll admit to being suspicious that Danny might have befriended some of the local ghosts. Had worried his ‘too friendly’ attitude about ghosts had extended to actually being friendly. That worry was apparently founded, but... it really was seeming like Danny was right which meant that this wasn’t exactly bad. Just... concerning. And Danny hiding his friend(s), family?, from her, from Jack, was honestly more upsetting at this point. Even if she understands his reasoning. She had hid her relationship with Jack from her parents for somewhat similar reasons after all.

Lewis pointedly looks around and covers his mouth with the cup, he’s not saying shit. Though there’s really no point in saying ‘no’.

Maddie glances at him a couple of times and squints, catching him clearly trying to restrain a small smile, “he does, doesn’t he”, that was definitely not a question.

Lewis makes eye contact and smirks in genuine, “well, at least one other has checked up on him to my knowledge. And that Skulker one has approached me about his legs; Danny did say he makes good pie too”. Sure, it was for ‘his pelt’ but he’d bet money that ghost was really fond of Danny.

The first thing that goes through Maddie’s head is that one is a known threat, a ‘villain’ ghost, why and how had Danny made ‘friends’ with It- him? The second thing is... wait he bakes? And it’s edible? But ghosts don’t eat, right?

Lewis keeps going, “Skulker also seems to like the idea of Danny having my job, though that might have encouraged him to teach Danny knife skills or something. And the other ghost, Johnny I’m pretty sure, threatened me because he thought I might be hurting him”, might as well hammer home that ghosts at least kinda cared about Danny. Would help with the whole ‘getting them to not hate ghosts or think they’re evil post-human manifestations’ thing.

Maddie blinks and stares at Lewis a bit, what? “That... doesn’t make sense”. The biker was another ‘villain’ ghost. Less ‘villain’ more ‘delinquent’, but tried to use her little girl so he was pure evil to Maddie. And didn’t Danny punch It-him? They’re not friends, that wouldn’t make sense. So why would he be attempting to protect Danny? And she still couldn’t picture that metal ghost baking anything. Unless... going a little wide-eyed, “teaching. Feeding. Protecting”, shaking her head a little and sounding almost awed, “they view him as one of them... but weak... and small”, blinking and muttering down at the table, “like a cat taking in a baby squirrel”. Or like Tarzan or a human raised by wolves. Her awe getting an edge of horror because just what were these ghosts teaching her baby boy?

Lewis decides against saying anything, because Danny got the shit kicked out of him by these ghosts. He can’t point that out without being seriously suspicious. And it would be pretty pointless.

Danny sticks his head in the kitchen at that very moment, likely having heard Maddie’s entire comment. Okay, Lewis is sure he did based off of looking like he’s trying to force his smile to not look completely and utterly nervous; the little ‘shut the fuck up, what were you thinking’ look he throws Lewis’s way really emphasises that. Maddie looking to him still wide-eyed probably doesn’t help the kids nerves.

Danny gives a little stiff wave, which he’s hoping is blamed on the restrictive braces, as he goes to start up (much stronger)coffee for himself. Part of him is glad she gets up to try and help after a beat -trying to pick up cups with finger braces was not easy okay?- but also, he can do it himself thank you very much. “I’m fine”.

Maddie pulls her hands back, holding them to her chest, “right right”, that ghostly pride thing. Instead awkwardly watching him fiddle with the machine. Danny almost wants to beg her to stop hovering.

Danny clutches his cup like it’ll give him life as he sits down, tail curling up and tip flicking in the air, “so... dad still sleeping?”.

Maddie nodding and giving an awkward, “yup”. As silence descends, only broken up by the occasional sipping sound from Danny.

Danny practically launches himself out of his seat when Tucker effectively kicks in the door, “dude, weekend time so you know I ain’t leaving your as... butt alone”, and waves innocently at Maddie; while Danny reacquaints himself with his chair.

Danny chuckles faintly, “no Sam?”, he knew Valerie was working this weekend.

Tucker quirks an eyebrow at him as he plants himself at the table, totally obvious to Mrs. Fenton’s tension, “I’m surprised you don’t know? Her mom dragged her off to a gala”. Danny pulls out his phone and cringes at the wall of ranting all caps in the chat.

Maddie sighs and shakes her head, using this a conversational life raft, “I’ll make her cookies”, why baking never came to life but cooking usually did, she’s not sure she’ll ever know. Well there was that one time with muffins, but that was intentional.

Danny goes wide-eyed and pokes Lewis with his tail, “you. You owe Tuck food. Bake shit”. Lewis raises disbelieving eyebrows at him so Danny explains, “well technically I owe him your baking. Tomato potato”.

Lewis chuckles with a head shake and gets up, “I guess I’ll see what there is to work with here”. Maddie getting up to show him were everything was; still feeling stiff and a little freaked.

Tucker grins, free food! “Sweet!”, turning to Danny, “so hurry up and get leggy again. Vampire Dad two is coming out, like, now”.

Danny rolls his eyes and rubs at his neck, “eh, that might happen sooner rather than later”, glancing at his moms back as she stiffens a little and pulls out a square pan rather jerkily, “CW showed up and lent a hand”.

Tucker’s eyebrows shoot up, he glances at Maddie quickly, “shit seriously?”. Danny nods and nods again when Tucker side-eyes his mom, clearly asking if she saw them. Tucker shakes his head, “they’re as nuts and reckless as you. If that even applies to them”. Danny can’t help chuckling at that ’cause it wasn't really either when you knew the outcome beforehand.

Lewis mutters, “yeah sure fine, I got this”, as he looks over ingredients while Maddie turns to face the boys.

“About that... how do you know them? And the... family thing?”.

Just as Danny’s opening his mouth to answer Jack barges in, looking drastically more awake than everyone else, “without me, Mads?”. Making her blush.

Tucker pats Danny on the shoulder supportively, that just gets Mrs. Fenton’s attention on him though, “you know don’t you?”.

Tucker shrugs with very intentional nonchalance, “I doubt there’s anything me and Sam don’t know about Danny-dude”.

Maddie nods, resisting sighing. She’s not exactly surprised. A little bothered? Yes. But not surprised. Those three were close, closer than she thought friends could be. She hadn’t noticed until Danny seemingly knew Sam’s bra size like it wasn’t odd for him to know that. And she’s sure she’s overheard that Sam pays for Tucker’s replacement glances; she’s not sure how they get broken so much. Shaking her head, not important right now, “well I guess I’m glad you’re close then”, looking to Danny, “so?”. While Jack sits down looking a little over-eager.

Danny gives Tucker a nearly pleading ‘help?’ look, so he gives him another pat, “all you man, your parents”, shrugging, “and it’s not like anyone other than you knows much about them. In fact-”, getting up, “-I think I’ll go help Lewis”. Danny whips Tucker’s ankle with his tail for that, nearly making the boy face-plant. Tucker mumbling sarcastically, “you'll regret that one day when I’m mayor”.

Danny whispers in ghosts with a smirk, “p͘͡ri͝n̡̛c̢͘e͜͝”, knowing Tucker knows exactly what he said; regardless of not knowing the language. Then clearing his throat and looking to his folks, “heh”, shaking his head, “uh, anyways. I, uh, meet them when they kinda savedallourlives”, chuckling awkwardly and shaking off the unpleasant memories, he is not getting into that with his folks, “But they, well, broke the law? in the way they helped, so that pretty much made me their responsibility. And they’re, uh, how I knew the impurity in Vlad’s ecto-acne. So kinda saved him too”.

Maddie cuts in before he can continue, “so this ‘ghost parent’ thing wasn’t really intentional or... willing?”. Making Jack frown.

Danny grimaces, “not really? ClockWork knew what would happen, explicitly. So willing and wanted there. They could have helped in a different way. So, uh, also technically intentional. And for me?”, shrugging, “I didn’t know Guardians were a thing so really couldn’t be intentional. I guess technically not willing either but-”, smiling sheepishly, “-who the Hell gets to pick their family?”, shrugging, “and I like them”.

Jack can’t help but chuckle at that. Danny-boy did have a point there. He’s fairly sure almost no one would willingly chose them as parents. And wow, he effectively had ghost family! How weird was that?! ‘Cause Danny’s family meant Jack’s family. Period. And any ghost who saved his boy -and apparently his entire family and Vladdie!- certainly couldn’t be evil and deserved some trust. Though he can’t help worrying that this ghost wanted to be Danny’s ‘guardian’ intentionally for bad reasons. He’s sure Mads is worried about that too. “But son, there’s something I don’t get? Why? Why would they want this? Want you? Heck! Why and how is ghost adoption even a thing?”.

Maddie nods at Jack before looking to Danny and frowning a little, “you’re human; even if slightly ghostly. The child of ghost hunters; even if you’re probably not going to be one yourself. And they’re, well, ridiculously strong; wouldn’t it make more sense to want a, how do I put this? strong kid?”, furrowing her brows and knowing Danny’s probably not going to take this well, “it’s not because of us being hunters is it? Because sweetie, I very well could see a ghost trying to get to us through you and Jazz”.

Tucker, next to Lewis, having just nodded that ‘yes, adding fudge is a good idea’, very heavily cringes. Even him and Sam knew better than to question ClockWork’s motives especially regarding their fondness for Danny. That was a good way to get a pissed off Danny. Or in Tucker’s case, shot in the face -or the crotch, that one notable time- with an ecto-beam. He does not recommend.

Danny, surprising no one, scowls and actually snaps with a bit of a snarl and power behind it, “no”, making everyone jerk a little. Maddie and Jack going a little wide-eyed, and Tucker cringing more. While Danny continues, tail actively lashing at the air aggressively and occasionally constricting around the chair legs hard enough to make creaking sounds, “you have nothing to do with it. Nothing. So don’t go there”, sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose and grumbling angrily in ghost, “sh̶͡ơ̶u̸̢͡l̴d̡͝ h҉͞av͢͠e ̷f̨įgu̢r̷͜͝ęd.̴͜ ̴̶O͠f̶͢ ̸͢fuc͘k̨̧i͞n̷̛͢g̸̕͠ c͏o̸u͢r҉se͞.̧̡ ̨G̶̢hos̷t̨s̸͞ ͟͡s̕t͢ill ̢̢c͘͟͝a̢͘n’̷͡t ͘͟b͡e ̛tru̷̧̧st̴ed̶̕ ̢͝hų̧h̴.̨ ̴F̕͜u͜҉c͝ķ͟i͡n̷̕g̴ ͘͞͞A͟͠n͝c̕͝i̸̵e҉͞n̨͜҉t͘s̕”.

ClockWork picks that very moment to appear out of thin air, smacking Danny (somewhat gently)on the head with their staff, “they mean nothing by it. One can hardly expect the uninformed to understand. So explain”, and promptly disappears... again; leaving everyone (but Danny) gaping.

Danny makes some kind of whiney noise, puts both his hands over his head, and turns to exaggeratedly pout at the air where ClockWork had been.

Tucker wheezes and slowly crumples to the floor, “you’ve been told! Ha!”.

Danny turns to scowl at him, hands still on his head, “shut it, Tuck”. Dropping his hands and looking to his still gaping parents, “so... that just happened”.

Lewis chuckles faintly at that, “kid, that was worse than the time a friend of mine literally got shot, just took a sip of some fruity drink and asked the guy how the weather was”.

“Well if there was a tornado, that would be logical”.

Lewis actually turns around and points the batter spoon at him, “no. No it was not. Now stop being a little shit and talk to your parents before they blow a gasket”.

Danny rubs his neck awkwardly and looks to his folks, “um... sorry for going a bit... ballistic there. But, uh, I don’t take well to that. So just don't, okay? Their intentions are good, let’s just leave it at that”.

Jack and Maddie make a few unusual faces before nodding a bit. Jack clearing his throat, “alright, son. Does... that happen a lot?”, and nocks on his head for emphasis.

Tucker lays on the ground laughing, making Danny roll his eyes but losing a fair bit of tension. Danny grumbling petulantly, “only when I’m being stupid...”, smirking slightly, “or trying to use them for a prank”.

Lewis smirks himself and speaks while spreading batter, “so all the time?”. Danny turns his head and gives the back of Lewis’s head an overacted scowl. Lewis only smirks more over that.

Maddie clears her throat, recapturing Danny’s attention. Danny chuckles awkwardly, “right, explaining”, furrowing his eyebrows and sounding sheepish, “what were the questions again?”.

Jack chuckles a little at that while Maddie smiles and answers, “just why would a ghost adopt, adopt you specifically. Would want to”.

Danny nods, “right. I guess that might be confusing”, seeing as they didn’t know he was a ghost. And huh, the whole concept of Guardians was probably foreign to them. Probably should have realised that sooner.

Lewis snorts, “‘might’?”.

Danny turns to him, “you’re Mr. Snark today, huh?”.

Lewis shrugs, “eh, friends didn’t react to the fact that I’m making brownies”, turning and pointing at Danny, “that’s concerning”, before turning back around to slide the pan into the oven.

Danny blinks, right Vee was chocolate crazy. Really chocolate crazy. “Fair”, Far be it for him to harp on someone for being paranoid and worried over someone’s safety. Then smirking a little, “though if they’re hungry they can just get a bowl of Symbi-oats”, he can read a tired sigh/groan in Lewis’s body language.

“They’re not huge fans of cereal. They eat a lot of Chinese though”.

Danny snorts, “everyone already knows they love rawmen, Lewis”, successfully getting the guy to choke.

Danny promptly looks back to his folks and rubs his neck, “it would be easier to just, well, explain Guardianship in general?”, continuing when they both nod acceptingly, “cool, um okay. Well, so like, when ghosts form they form all their ectoplasm and Core yeah? But, like, there are adult ghosts and child ghosts. Dead ghosts always start out as child ghosts whether they died a child or not. Ditto for born ghosts”, shrugging awkwardly, “created’s are a toss-up”, shaking his head, “anyway. Child ghosts have... immature I guess? Cores. They’re weaker, less powers, less stable, more unruly and reckless; lots of things. Usually kinda sucky at being a ghost and look more like when they were alive. Adult ghosts are just instinctively or naturally a bit protective or teachery towards child ghosts”, shrugging, “kinda like humans and babies really“.

Jack and Maddie blink, Maddie opens and closes her mouth a few times so Danny pauses to let her think. Her eventually speaking up, “so ghosts.... collectively care for younger ones”, and blinks in shock a bit more because that is so far out of alignment with what they thought of ghosts.

Danny wiggles his hand in the air, “ehhhhhh, I wouldn’t go that far. Child ghosts are the most likely to get, well, murdered”.

“Oh”.

Danny nods, “yeah”, clearing his throat, “most child ghosts will get taken in or under the wing of or whatever; by an adult they impress or that likes them or is just similar to them or maybe related in life”, shrugging, “eh, it varies”.

Jack butts in at that, “what one’s ClockWork?”.

Danny shrugs and rubs his neck, “the, uh, situation with us is a little, different”, straightening up, “they literally broke time and temporal laws for me. That’s kinda super serious. Though they did that because they like me and I impressed them. Some other things”.

Maddie and Jack decide against pressing him, since he didn’t exactly react well to Maddie questioning ClockWork’s motives before. Instead Maddie asks, “okay, but generally, why would a ghost do this? It just- I guess it just doesn’t make sense to us, sweetie”.

Danny bites back muttering about how that’s because of their bigoted opinions on ghosts, thinking they’re unfeeling uncaring evil chaos-loving monsters. Though the chaos-loving part was true. Monster was debatable. “Because they want an apprentice, or heir, or are lonely, or just genuinely care. Though I guess it does benefit the adult ghost some”, shrugging, “makes both adult and child stronger. If the child accomplishes lots, it makes them look good, y’ know like it does with human parents”.

Maddie nods, “for power I can understand”, making Danny roll his eyes a little. Which really just confirms that he still thought they were overly anti-ghost.

“Yeah well, it’s not much so it would be stupid to become someone’s Guardian purely for power. Stupid”.

Jack scratches his head, ignoring the banging of Lewis and Tucker cleaning up, “couldn't they just drop the... child ghost?”.

Maddie nods at him before looking back to Danny, “like with human adoption?”.

Danny shakes his head immediately, “nope. A bond thing kinda forms that lasts as long as they both exist; whether the child ‘grows up’ or not”.

Both parents blink, Jack mouthing ‘wow’. Maddie bites her lip, “so you are... bound to ClockWork?”, she’s not sure what to do with this information.

Danny gives an awkward nod, he gets that there’s really no way for that not to bother them, “yeah”, tapping his chest brace over his Core, “my Core recognises them as Guardian and reacts, um, accordingly”.

Jack and Maddie share a Look, and Lewis glances over pointedly curious. Maddie’s the one to speak though, “and what’s ‘accordingly’?”.

Tucker snickers and speaks almost meanly, leaning over at Danny, “like a little kid”, snickering more, “Sam has a few embarrassing photos”.

Lewis looks to him, “I’m curious”.

Danny turns to point at him, “no, bad doctor”, and subtly flicks snow from his tail at the guy’s legs.

Lewis rolls his eyes, “can’t be any worse than Vee covered in marshmallows eating chicken with a coffee mug on their head. Or literally any photo of a heavily drunk Eddie; the most recent featuring him trying to eat a tv and covered in party hats”. Tucker wheezes, Danny and Jack joining in after a beat.

Jack glances at the oven and back to Maddie, “cookies?”. Making her sigh and nod. Lewis shrugging and literally undoes all his cleaning to get ingredients and supplies.

Jack grins at the cookie sheets before looking back to Danny, “so you act like a child around ClockWork, eh?”. Danny just blushes and looks around anywhere but his dad at that; which just makes him laugh heartily.

Jack grins widely to himself, he’d kinda like to see that. Danny-boy had been a darn cute, goofy, and dramatic kid. That did explain all the banging his head on the table dramatics yesterday, or this morning technically. And the tail coiling was kinda like a kid grabbing at their parents' hands. Well shit, that’s adorable and makes him grin like an idiot a little. Little Danny did used to get mesmerised by Jack’s hands, mostly ‘cause of size difference though! And there was that pouting act he did! Maybe more genuine childish pout? Less mischievous drama? Jack’s attention getting grabbed by Lewis pulling out the brownies, “wait, is there fudge in those!”, and practically going to pounce on them.

Maddie shoos Jack off, “wait a little, dear. How about you and Danny wait in the living room till the cookies are at least in the oven?”. Jack groans but nods. Maddie speaking to Danny before Jack has a chance to drag him off, “one thing I still don’t get though? Core and everything else or not, you’re still human”.

Danny shrugs, “it’s like you said before I came in -yes I heard that- I’m ghost enough to ghosts. ‘One of them’”. Maddie nods acceptingly, though she doubts someone who would defy time would care about something like species.

Jack immediately drags Danny off to the living room as soon as his wife looks satisfied, because he knows she won’t put in the cookies until he leaves. Gotta love a tricky lady. Though a third the joy in baked cookies was how damn good she looked in her frilly apron.

Danny elects to just float around lazily a bit, it was still kinda surreal floating around his parents. His dad chuckling, “it’s like you were born with It”.

Danny stilling and shrugging, “well, uh, thinking of it, ClockWork might have something to do with that. All they’ve got is tail”.

Jack chuckles and nods a little, made sense. What with the bond influence thing. Which, yeah, still not that cool with but Danny seem cool with it; so he’s kinda cool with it too. ClockWork did seem nice! For a ghost at least. Mads would take a bit more, but Danny-boy’s not a little kid so surely he understands! Though thinking of her and that, this whole ClockWork situation wasn’t all she was fretting over... “so Danny?”.

Danny pauses in the air, “why do I feel like this is more heavy stuff?”.

Jack gives an apologetic shrug, “sorry?”, Danny just waves him off so he asks away, “so Maddie had been wondering to me about more than ClockWork”.

Danny makes a point to not seem nervous, “oh?”.

Jack nods, “yeah. She was thinking that maybe you had an Obsession. You know, like a ghostly one. She wasn't sure ‘bout asking, if you’d be cool with that. Since we’ve always talked about those being unpleasant”, chuckling and rubbing his neck, “not that there’s anything wrong with that!”, moving to sit down on the couch, “though they don’t exactly seem positive. But! I’m sure you could make things work for you! Right?”, rubbing his neck again, “Dan thinks they’re like a hobby! So maybe you like it- or would like it! If you had or have one that is”, giving another weak chuckle, “though we’ve always thought of them as controlling and inclined towards bad behaviours. Violent”, waving his hands pacifyingly, “not that you’re ever violent or bad!”, muttering to the side, “other than ditching class and shirking chores anyway”, looking back to Danny, “so if you do or did, then it totally can’t be violent, so we must be at least somewhat wrong about that! We’re definitely learning a lot from you”, waving his hands again, “not that that’s why we ask or want to know!”.

Danny interrupts, floating to sit down himself. It was weird when his dad was the one needing comforting, he didn’t like it, “dad, you’re rambling, I know”, shrugging, “sure you’re curious for curiosities sake, and it being ghost-related of course. But I know it’s more because you want to know me, that I'm your son. Family”. Jack just nods and rubs his neck awkwardly, so Danny continues after adjusting a little; trying to not be weird about this, and running his hands over part of his tail, “as for the, er, Obsession, thing-”.

Jack pats him on the back gently and cuts in, “you don’t have to tell me, tell us, if you’d rather not”. He hopes his boy doesn’t take the out though, he’s curious! And they didn’t fully understand Obsessions beyond them being called ‘Obsession’ for a reason, was related to their death, and largely what kept them around; blocked them from moving on. What ghosts Obsessed about was important them, so if Danny had one then it’s got to be important to him! And he definitely wants to know the things important to his boy! But Danny was clearly a bit defensive of all these things he’s been hiding, the ghostly things and definitely ClockWork; boy could be scary if he wanted to be! And also the Core, he has a feeling Danny didn’t just recently find out about that. And Obsessions could, and have been, used to a hunters' advantage. To trap or discourage or harm. he’s never even heard of a ghost being open about their Obsession! Even if it was obvious! Like with that Box Ghost. And ClockWork’s was probably time-related; or just was time as a whole! So it would totally make sense for him to what to hide his, if he has one.

Danny blinks, well honesty has worked for him with all this so far. But he never would have willing outed his Core to them. Parents or not, they were still ghost hunters. And even if they weren't, well Lewis only knew because he saw It. And Lewis had caught him off guard when he told him about his Obsession and was being kinda like him. Asking what he had to for someone else’s health and safety. Oh, and the drugs; that was definitely a factor. Now his folks? The only reason they had was curiosity and maybe some misplaced worry/fear over the idea of him having one. And his Obsession was absolutely one that could be taken advantage of. Lewis and his ‘it would be helpful’ shit made that painfully obvious. And him giving him an Obsessive Crisis, while an accident, had still been partly caused by Lewis knowing. So no, not happening. And his dad would just ask questions on top of questions, likely becoming completely oblivious to sensitivity. That was kinda his dad’s thing. And his mom, well she would wonder how he satisfied it; and that would lead to the big Phantom secret.

Danny rubs his neck, glancing at his tail swishing around and vibrating a bit, “I mean? Don’t worry about it?”.

Jack nods a little, that was as good as a ‘yes’. To both an Obsession and to not wanting to talk about it. He has no idea if this is cool or not. He should probably confirm though? No assuming. “So... yes?”, and making a point to give him a sheepish look over the tail giving a little snapping thrash; he had noticed Danny’s tail seemed to give away his emotions a little. Which actually did support the possibility that ghosts were actually more emotionally sensitive.

Danny looks around awkwardly and nods a little, “um, yeah. Do you, like, need to know the, er, ‘what’ though?”, and staring at his dad a bit challengingly. As if daring him to make up some bullshit reason. If his dad, the much more curious and knowledge-hungry one, can let this go then he guesses he can trust them a bit more. Can much more genuinely believe they care more about family, about him, than ghost hunting. He already knew they loved him more than they hated ghosts, them accepting his ghostly crap was proof enough of that. And they hadn’t, like, banned him from seeing ClockWork. Not that that would be possible.

Jack’s pretty sure some might find his sons staring a bit ‘creepy’ but he’s seen it a few times, usually aimed at his friends though... and Vladdie. Who, come to think of it, was pretty good at the unnerving stare himself! As for his boy's question? He definitely wants to know! but no way he needed to. Mads would probably worry it would make him misbehave or something, but Danny-boy said not to worry and he’s gonna trust his boy! “Naw. If you don’t want to then you don’t want to. I’m sure there’s nothing wrong with that!”, chuckling and smiling, Danny exhaling and smiling back after a bit. While Jack continues, “so long as it’s not making you sick or unhappy, anyway. And I’d be totally down with helping you with it! or maybe you need help figuring something out with it! Or even just wanna talk about it! I’m sure your mom would be cool with that too!”.

Danny cringes a little, “uh, sorry but no. I’d really rather not. It’s, uh, personal. Private I guess”, shrugging a little stiffly, “kinda like how I, uh, don’t want my Core being poked at”, clearing his throat, “but it’s fine. I’m fine. I keep it satisfied and in check. And it’s not something bad or anything”, shrugging and tacking on, “most generally aren’t”, partly to get away from his Obsession specifically.

Jack blinks and mutters to himself, “so Dan was right...”, making Danny cringe again as Jack shakes his head and speaks up again but at Danny, “good then. Well my offer still stands, always will!”.

Danny nods, “um, thanks”, and gives his tail a little, hopefully subtle, pat to encourage It to chill out. He’s gonna have to ask ClockWork for tail tips.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Tucker nudges Maddie, “when it comes to CW, take Danny’s warning and just don’t question their motives towards him. You know better now so he’ll be less... nice next time”.

Maddie blinks, stilling her mixing, “should I be worried?”.

(Lewis is firmly staying out of this)

Tucker chuckles and rolls his eyes, “nope, it’s a bond thing”, shaking his head, “and ClockWork saved all of us, so questioning their motive is like questioning whether all of us deserve to live to him”.

Maddie whispers, “oh”, okay that was pretty serious. She knows how protective Danny can be, especially of friends and family, so Danny’s extreme reaction made much more sense now.

Tucker nods, washing out a bowl while Lewis spoons the cookies. Maddie sits against the table as Tucker continues, “yup. And ClockWork is just as defensive of Danny”, snickering, “did you know the government of the Zone put out a hit on him once”.

Maddie chokes, whisper yelling, “what???”. Lewis just steps to the side slightly, Danny’s friends are as addicted to chaos as Danny is; he’d like to not be in the splash zone currently, the peanut gallery’s pretty appealing though.

Tucker nods, “yup. ClockWork pretty much told them to get lost. And nobody says no to ClockWork”, tilting his head, “except Danny”.

Maddie shakes her head in utter disbelief, “they're that respected or powerful?”.

Tucker shakes his head and purses his lips a little, nodding at Lewis, “it’s not just simple little humans that look at them and think ‘god’, ClockWork’s the stuff of myths and legends to the spookies”, adding purely to cover his own ass, “according to Danny anyway”.

Maddie nods, that was a bit out there. Ghosts had their own myths? That also meant culture. Were ghosts actually... highly complex and sophisticated? shaking her head a little, she would have brushed this off days ago, and puts the cookies in the oven. Frowning slightly at overhearing Jack, was he asking Danny about Obsessions? She advised him against that! Apparently, Tucker thought the same. Him sounding slightly worried, “oh, uh, wonder if I should jump in? Obsession’s kinda touchy”.

Maddie blinks, looking to Tucker, wait what? “So he... he has that”.

Tucker makes a cringe showing all his teeth and even scrunching up his neck, “I’m guessing you didn’t know that”. Making Maddie sigh.

Lewis shakes his head and chuckles, again amazed Danny has held on to any of his secrets when none of them could even keep track of what they were lying about and what they weren’t; combined with talking about shit out loud.

Maddie checks the cookies, “well I’m glad you’re close and protective of each other. Though I wish we had been told about all of this”. Tucker elects not to respond to that.

A bit later Jack and Danny turn their heads at Maddie calling that the cookies are ready. Jack promptly jumping up and dashing to the doorway; eager for brownie and cookie alike. Looking back to Danny from the entryway, “you coming?”.

Danny smiles, “yeah. Yeah I am dad”, and flicking his tail before floating over.

Tucker effectively shovels food in his mouth, looks excited and excitedly smacks Lewis arms, “fugh mun”. Then finger-gunning at Danny, “weh, I shoe gwe giong”. Making Danny laugh and finger-gun back, “you just wanted me for my food. What? Do I only have half enough physical appeal for you?”.

“Yo oh ur zezz”. Danny just wheezes at Tucker’s wink.

Lewis walks up behind him, another coffee in hand, “did he just call you sexy?”.

Danny rolls his eyes and takes the second cup from him, “Lewis, doc man, Tucker thinks everyone’s sexy. All the time. Dead. Alive. Furry. Don't matter. Everybody’s sexy af”.

Lewis quirks an eyebrow, “furry?”.

“His sona’s an otter”.

“Well alright then, all the power to him”, and lifts his cup in a little salute.

Danny scowls slightly and points at him, “no matter how chill you are, I will always remember breaking your mind via duplication”. Lewis shakes his head with a little smile.

Jack walks up and ruffles his hair, “so Danny-boy? What should we call the ClockWork fellow? ‘Cause no offence, but ‘parent’ is taken”.

Danny chuckles slightly, “uh, dad? Guardian is the actual proper term”.

Lewis points up at him, seeing as he was floating slightly above their heads, “but ‘guardian’ is synonymous with ‘parent’ for us human beings”.

Jack chuckles, “so something else for the ghost guardian of our kid's ghostliness”. Making Danny tilt his head, “uh, I’m not even sure there is a word for that. But maybe... godparent? Sure you didn’t choose them, but?”.

Lewis snorts, “of course that’s the term you’d go with for a technical god who’s also technically a parent”.

Jack laughs, “true!”, patting Danny, “and they -like Vladdie!- aren’t actually related to you! so it would make sense!”.

Danny rubs his neck and floats slightly lower down, “uh”, and looking around awkwardly.

Lewis raises his eyebrows, a bit genuinely surprised because how???? “Oh really?”.

This gets Maddie over, “did I hear that right? Are you saying you are related? To a ghost that was never alive?”.

Danny gives an awkward shrug, “bond thing. I’ve got a little bit of them. They've got a little bit of me”.

Maddie and Jack exchange a major Look over that before looking back at him. Jack grins wide and smacking a fist into his hand, “well that settles it, that ghosts a Fenton”, tilting his head, “which is not something I thought I’d ever say”.

Danny’s grin is practically beaming, “well I’m happy to hear it”.

Maddie just grins and passes around the cookies.

It doesn’t take long before the parents' minds are firmly back on the ‘make Danny legs goddamnit’ train. Maddie eyeballs his swishing tail as Lewis has him doing (unnecessary)laps and what can really only be described as tricks. Maddie walks over, following her son with he eyes; it was almost weird how normal him floating around felt now, “so, up for installing the clock timer?”.

Danny pauses and shrugs, still a little too awkward about this to just float upside down and chat or something, “I mean? Sure?”. All three of them watching Jack practically launch himself at the lab door.

Maddie and Lewis watching Danny’s eyes widen a little, before he zips towards the door; absolutely beating Jack down.

The three adults getting down to the sight of Danny flipping over and inspecting the little device; Maddie’s not even going to bother wondering how he got that out of containment.

Danny absolutely knows there were little sparkles of green flecks in his eyes as he checks the trinket over, running over the curves and edges. Eventually lifting up his head and pursing his entire face as he hits a tiny trigger and the devices shoots out confetti everywhere.

Jack almost immediately begins laughing, “oh wow! They’re a jokester!”. Like Danny!

Maddie walks up and shakes her head at the mess, “well that was rather funny though messy”.

Danny chuckles, “well if you had tried to install this before I accidentally set off the little prank then the confetti would have probably fried things. So joke, but also test slash failsafe”.

Jack tilts his head, “but they see the future right? They already know our actions before we take them”.

Danny shakes his head, “no. They just see all the possible futures. Sure they can tell what’s most likely but that doesn’t mean much”, smirking, “and even they say I’m notorious for taking the less likely paths. They, uh, actually make bets on that”.

Lewis blinks, “you mean people bet against the guy that sees all the future?”, shaking his head, “how stupid do you have to be”.

Danny shrugs, “more like egotistical, they usually bet against other future seers, ClockWork’s got a better view than them though. So...”. Lewis shakes his head more.

Jack runs over snatching up the fully repaired CyberSteps, while Maddie holds her hand out to Danny. Danny glances from the (apparently dubbed)clock timer to Maddie, “okay. Just... careful”.

Maddie nods and takes it from him gingerly, “we will be, don’t worry”. Lewis walks over to look over her shoulder at the device before she takes it over to one of the tables to examine; leaving Lewis standing next to Danny.

Lewis watches the parents for a bit before looking to Danny, who of course is practically staring at them. Lewis knows they’re far enough away from the hunter couple to go unheard; even with sound travelling a lot down here. “So obviously I know ClockWork is immortal, but I remember you implying you were practically immortal yourself. Neigh indestructible, I believe”.

Danny glances to the guy, giving him ‘seriously?’ eyebrows, before looking back to his parents. Speaking quietly, “geez doc”, shaking his head a little, “ghosts are super hard to destroy in general. Halfas are just even harder”.

Lewis nods, “so Vlad too then".

Danny snorts, "he's weaker than me”.

“Yeah I think that’s obvious”, Danny was obviously stupid strong. This gets Danny to curl up a bit and laugh. While Lewis continues, “speaking of that one, just how dangerous is he?”, considering he might just have pissed him off. Lewis could do without more ghostly drop-ins.

Danny digs out his phone from his brace and flips through his photos while speaking, “he’s a nine. Lots of reasons for the lower level. Made by weaker and less ecto; contaminated ecto too. My age is a factor too and being exposed to ecto for, like, my whole life”. Glancing at him, “his real danger is he’s stupid smart and has enough cash to go nuts with”, chuckling, “like the cloning thing. That’s one way to get a kid at fourteen though”.

Lewis raises his eyebrows at that, again this kid’s life was ridiculous, “not sure that counts as ‘kid’”.

Danny smirks, “Vlad fucked up. We’re not identical, just closely genetically related”, chuckling, “she’s a little three-foot-tall twelve-year-old travelling nomad. In London right now I think”, tilts his head and shrugs.

Lewis shakes his head with a sigh, “congrats, just like Eddie you have a kid without getting anyone pregnant”., shrugging, “though Eddie’s is technically in the works”.

Danny laughs, “least Elle’s not natural”, holding his phone out to the guy, “here’s a pic of her kicking Vlad in the face”.

Lewis leans over, huh, someone would have to be blind to not notice the family resemblance. White hair, green eyes, black and white jumpsuit, DP symbol, stupid cheeky grin; a Phantom through and through. The other guy though, looks like a knockoff bramstrocker; the vampire jokes officially make sense. “Well alright, cute kid; I can practically smell trouble maker on her”, tapping his nail on the screen, “why’s Vlad look so different though?”.

Danny shrugs, “adult thing or something. Spookies change their appearance sometimes”.

Jack actually comments on that, “we’re honestly not sure at this point if they do that for aesthetic or it just happens because they got stronger!”. Maddie coming over as well, clock timer in hand. Danny’s more than a little pleased that it doesn’t look like they took it apart at all. Good.

Maddie holds it up, “I think I’m willing to trust this and it’s definitely compatible”, looking to Danny, “it’ll only work around the waist though and won’t function as a conductor”.

Jack nods and gestures with his hands a little wildly, “so we’ll just rip out the timer stuff from our conductor! And leave the conductor where it is!”, nodding curtly with a grin before pausing, “if that’s cool with you, of course”.

Danny smiles, “that’s fine, apparently I’m flexible enough to reach”, stretching to make a point, “even with the braces”.

Lewis grumbles, “just don’t break them”. Danny has cost the hospital a lot of money at this point. Sure medicine wise and room wise he saved them money, but all the braces, having to recast his arm, the extremely expensive wheelchair that he can’t believe Mrs. Levi actually signed off on (sure all he had to do was show the insanely high and unusual injures Amity Parker’s tended to get -especially minors- and she gave her approval immediately), the patient file bug Tucker made that the tech guy said he’d have nightmares over, and the fact that they got investigated by a very shady section of the government (that not-rain stuff almost forced the entire hospital into quarantine).

Jack beams and rushes off to the CyberSteps, dragging Maddie along with. Danny’s pretty sure the legs look more defined, more finished, than when he last saw them; or this was just a finished version since basically everything but the timer conductor was likely as perfect as it could be.

Danny makes damn sure his folks are preoccupied with the legs before looking back to Lewis, snatching his phone away since the guy started flipping through his photos, “seriously doc? Rude”.

Lewis just shrugs, “you’re the one who gave me your phone. Besides, you’re interesting and I’m curious. Nice castle. Doesn’t seem your style though”.

Danny huffs and rolls his eyes, “excuse me for thinking you, a doctor married to a lawyer, had some manners”, crossing his arms and muttering down at them, “sure I would’ve done the same but still”, looking back to Lewis, “and I didn't design that, Pariah did. I’ll change it when I take the throne”, shrugging, “it’s an automatic thing. Lairs are weird like that. Ecto-construct and all that”.

Lewis nods, yeah lairs bent to the need, personality, and somewhat the will of its ghost; if he’s remembering that correctly. Smirking a little, “let me guess, it’ll reholposter itself black n’ white?”.

Danny smirks right back, “what can I say? I know my colours and I wear them proud. The white of life and the black of death”.

Lewis shakes his head and leans against the wall, “speaking of castles and thrones, still can’t say I understand how a crown and ring could make someone able to absorb and feed an entire dimension. And if you’re the sorta will of Zone then could you modify it like a lair? And what about the Zone needing a king eventually? Is that a sooner or later kind of thing?”, tilting his head, “and with that, if you got destroyed would the universe eventually just die?”.

Danny gives him a truly pained look, “you wrote this shit down, didn't you”, scowling at the doctor's small nod. Danny side-eyes his parents to make sure they’re still absorbed in their work, before answering, “alright, it works like this: the ring has a negative glow so it can pass as a regular ring, because it -unlike other ecto things- strictly absorbs ectoplasm instead of shedding ectoplasm. While the crown is the opposite, it only sheds and doesn’t absorb; hence why it practically blazes off ectoplasm. The ring absorbs the Zone’s ectoplasm, the Crown sheds off the wears ectoplasm plus whatever they absorbed in from the Zone. Kinda like the wearers a heart and the ring and crown are valves”.

Lewis smirks approvingly, “that’s a very doctorly comparison of you”.

Danny snorts, “it works and you’re a doctor. Anyway. Yeah having that much energy following through a little tiny body’s a lot but-”, shrugging, “-like I’ve said, I’m used to dealing with things that are a lot. And my consciousness, sorta, would be carried though all that ecto. So I’d pretty much have an awareness of the whole Zone and every ghost. Which yes, means I could modify it like a lair. Not quite the same though. The Zone would be part of me yeah, part of my ectoplasm and what my folks seemed to have called my ecto-circulatory system; but the Zone wouldn’t be my lair, just an extension of my being. And I can’t just modify my body willy nilly”, tilting his head, “well it’s base state anyway”. Danny forms an eye on his hair to wink at the guy just for emphasis.

Lewis quirks an eyebrow, at least he was pretty immune to body horror shit, “so you’re effectively a battery, heart, and food for the Zone, but also are -will be- literally the Zone. You’re gonna be a dimension”.

Danny actually laughs a little into his hand at that, giving Lewis a little shoulder pat with his tail, “that’s a great way to put it!”, shaking his head with a smile, “yeah I’ve got a crazy future existence. And for that one question, it’s a long time in the future. The Zone’s probably good to run off the stockpile of Pariah for a few hundred more years. Well, unless something happens anyway”. Which, with his luck, was probable. Heck, he’s pretty sure Sam and Tucker have a bet going on whether or not it’ll happen before or after they graduate, before or after his parents eventually... pass away, or before or after they do. Shaking his head and firmly pushing away thoughts of anyone dying, “and no man, currently my destruction won’t end the universe. The Zone will latch on to someone else... eventually. Now if I was king, that would be an issue since the Zone would decay right”, chuckling, “though in that case the throne would just be passed down to Elle”.

Lewis blinks, “oh, so it’s tied to your lineage? Instead of exclusive to you”.

“Yup, the typical royalty shtick”, tapping his chin, “though I think Sam and Tuck are classed as my brethren so they might kinda have a level of claim too. Dora, FrostBite, and Pandora are sorta family too. But they’re all complicated. And course, if I married then whoever would have their own claim”, and shrugs, “I wouldn’t put it past Vlad to try and wiggle his way in too”.

Lewis sighs, “nothing is ever simple with you is it? And you have more ghost family? Really?”.

Danny shrugs awkwardly at that, “kinda? It’s weird man and not to the level of Clocky. Not even close”, grinning a little, “Dora sees me as the good protective older brother she never got to have. Pandora sees me as like a nephew or sorta godchild, ever since I got her box back. FrostBite’s kinda a mentor in all things icy, kinda worships me as some kind of chosen one, and they’re my doctor too sometimes”.

Lewis blinks at that, “wait, you have a specialised doctor? Then why the Hell don’t you use them”.

Danny rolls his eyes, “of course that’s the part you care about mr. Doctor man. I can handle my own shit and I do go to him for serious shit I can’t just handle myself”. Making Lewis sigh and shake his head, completely unimpressed. The boy had access to medical care and just... didn’t use it. Thinking of the whole setting Danny’s arm after he literally crashed though the car. Or at least he didn’t take advantage of medical care unless it was literally within arms reach.

Maddie picks that moment to bolt over with a grin on her face, grabbing at Danny’s hand; Jack in the background looks to be throwing his fist up in a cheer.

Danny rolls his eyes with a smile and lets her drag him off; Lewis studiously following after. Lewis seriously hoping this time doesn’t result in yet another negative reaction.

Danny looks over the CyberSteps, floating around them quickly. Putting his hands on the waist and peering down, tapping the off-centre clock timer with his tail tip, “looks good”. The very tip coiling around one of the clock hands a little, he likes it; it kinda felt like ClockWork. Pointedly ignoring Lewis’s slight chuckle. Jerk.

Maddie and Jack both watch tensely but ridiculously excited all the while, as Danny grips the waist and slips his tail in, hopefully having to test out the ‘legs’ for the last time.

Danny glances over his shoulder brace as he activates the neuroreceptor strip, watching it all snap on over the back brace; which Lewis is probably still unimpressed about. Then tilting his head, the draining felt practically the same as before; and it didn’t seem to be making his ecto freak. So that’s a check on the conductor. Looking down at the legs and quirking an eyebrow at the little clock timers clock hands spinning around. His mom obviously noticing, “I’m pretty sure that’s what it does when it’s calibrating, sweetie”. Which Danny nods at and decides to wait, going to try moving the legs once the clock hands chill out. And the toes/boot tips successfully bend upwards.

And with that, one Danny Fenton was no longer legless on main

FIN.

JK JK JK

Lewis watches as Danny wiggles the toes and bounces up on said toes some, before actually taking a few steps around. The movements were definitely a little jerky and he wasn’t moving them quite right, it was very much like he was trying out limbs he hadn’t had before. If Lewis were to guess, he’d say that’s likely because these robotic leg prosthetics didn’t work exactly the same as natural legs; so logically he’d have to learn how to pilot them properly. Watching Jack and Maddie stand in-front of him and all three pretty well beaming at each other; Jack even doing a little jig or something (whatever it is, Danny clearly finds it embarrassing). It was obvious Danny was proud of what his folks made, even if he didn’t honestly need it. Frankly he’s pretty sure Danny’s proud of the things his parents make in general, he just hadn’t liked the anti-ghost foundation they were built upon. Sure seemed they had gotten better about that though. Which is good, since the universe -somewhat technically- depended on that.

Lewis nods once and walks closer -having given the family their little moment- and pats Danny’s arm brace, “well looks like you can walk upon this earth again. Though maybe practice”, pausing for a beat before adding, “no kicking people”.

Danny blinks at Lewis, “no kidding doc. Literal steel toes here”.

Lewis chuckles and gives his two (adult)friends pats, “congrats, you just made a breakthrough in probably a lot of fields, but most relevant to me, medical science. You’re officially scary smart. But-”, turning to Danny because the kid’s supposed to be injured and recovering. Gesturing at the neuroreceptor strip, “you. While this is great and all, you had back surgery. So I’m restricting use till your braces are good to come off and I check your spine out”. Honestly, he should outright ban it.

Danny sticks his hands to the side and pouts a little, “oh come on doc”.

Lewis crosses his arms, “most doctors wouldn’t have even let you test them or wear them at all”. Danny rubs his neck at that.

Maddie gives Lewis a sweet smile, “well thanks for letting us do this and I think we all understand”, looking to Danny, “right Danny?”. Danny grumbles incoherently but nods.

Jack taps at his chin, watching Danny walk around a bit more, “what I don’t get, is how you moved the ones that didn’t work at all smoothly but these ones are being a bit jerky or over-exaggerated? Even if you originally weren’t working them even close to smooth with the tail”.

Danny shrugs, “uh, well I’ve never had brain to mechanics connections like this before. My brain and ecto might just, like I don’t know, learn how these interpret stuff?”.

Lewis nods immediately because that was actually true really for learning how to work any prosthetic, “there’s a learning curve with any prosthetic, they never move the exact same as the originals”, tilting his head, “and if what you’re thinking of Danny’s ghost being somewhat active is right, then the tail wouldn’t be truly new; simply normally inaccessible. Which you’ve effectively already implied to be the case to explain his ease of adapting. So his fine motor skills with his tail should be quite good, which would allow for it to take very little time for him to figure out how to grasp or say, move things, with said tail”, and nods curtly to himself. Pretty content with his explanation.

Danny decidedly says nothing though Lewis just gave him a pretty damn good out. His parents' nods and smiles make that obvious.

Jack goes wide-eyed, coming upon an idea and blurting out, “ClockWork!”, then looking at his slightly confused looking son, “you said that ClockWork only has a tail! And that you’re basically related! Ghostly related!”. Everyone gives him slightly confused eyebrow quirks, so he explains himself, “so maybe your ghost took after them and just has a tail too!”.

Maddie blinks and grins, “that does make sense”, ruffling Danny’s hair, “so that explains that“. Danny just shrugs, ‘cause in their mind, there’s no way he should know what his ghost looks like. But also, yeah, him being so comfortable and good with this was totally ClockWork’s fault. And he totally loves them for it. Intentionally swishing his tail around in the legs, kinda weird that he could move his tail without moving his legs. How in the heck is his brain -or ectoplasm maybe, Core?- differentiating between tail and legs? He’s totally going to fidget with his tail during class. No one will ever know! “Well still too bad my walking skills have gotten a bit rusty”.

Lewis glances at his watch, pretty late; it would probably be the ‘responsible’ thing to encourage a normal -or as normal as possible for a teenage superhero whose enemies seem to prefer the night- sleep schedule.  “Alright, I know you probably want to celebrate all this but at the very least Danny should reestablish a proper sleep schedule. Sleep is vital for healing and health after all”.

Danny rolls his eyes, “all doctor, all the time, huh?”.

“Says mr. Helpful”. Danny scowls at that, because not the same. Not the fucking same. Though if the doc became a ghost his Obsession would probably be the same but maybe more curious ‘I wonder what will happen if’.

Danny looks around, “well first, can’t we at least have supper?”. Jack’s stomach growls as if being summoned, making everyone laugh.

While Maddie gets to work making food, Jack and Lewis basically talk each other’s ears off with how the legs even worked at all; ‘cause Lewis is just stunned but intrigued and Jack is utterly excited. Danny sneaks up the stairs, totally unused to how damn loud these feet were; he’s gonna have to work on that because he loves how easily he can even accidentally sneak up silently on people.

Danny stops in front of Jazz’s door and promptly kicks it in; the door simply opening loudly instead of being blown off its hinges purely because all the doors in the house were built to handle getting rammed and blasted.

“Zone! Danny! Why in the Zone are you kicking in doors!”. Jazz pauses, “wait, you kicked it in”, looking to his legs and leaping up, “holy shit Danny! You’ve got legs!”, rushing over and pinching the CyberSteps, “can you actually feel this?!?!”.

Danny grins stupidly, puts his hands on his hips, and poses ridiculously, “yup, totally can”, tilting his head, “not quite the same though”.

Jazz practically jumps on him and hugs him around the neck, “oh who cares! This is great Danny!”, letting go and brushing off his braces, “I bet mom and dad were just stoked”.

Danny nods almost sheepishly, “oh definitely”, cringing a little, “dad did a jig”, making her cringe as he continues, “Lewis also crushed their spirits a little by limiting my leg time. Though we are still baking eggies to celebrate my leggies”, and grins.

Jazz sighs with a head shake, “I was wondering if they forgot about supper again”.

“Oh they did”.

Jazz blinks, “of course they did”.

Lewis walks in, arms crossed and judgmental eyebrow raised, “there you are. You do realise I’m supposed to be keeping an eye on the kid who broke basically everything, should have died, is in braces and bandages, and is now trying out brand new experimental prosthetics that interact with his brain and the spine he broke”.

Danny rolls his eyes, “geez tell me what you really mean”.

Jazz pokes Danny, “he does have a point you know. You are supposed to be injured”. Danny scowls at her but rounds on Lewis, sticking his arms out to the side, “so when can I obliterate these things”.

“Never. They’re hospital property. Casts can’t be reused, braces can”.

Jazz immediately cringes at that, Danny’s the one to speak though, “you don’t want to do that. I bet you ten bucks these are all ecto-contaminated. And I doubt you want them coming to life, or death really, and trying to eat someone’s arm or something”.

Lewis blinks, “alright, you can destroy them”, that would be a lawsuit waiting to happen. A very strange lawsuit. ‘My arm brace came to life and ate my firstborn’, would certainly be a new one.

Danny grins wickedly and promptly bursts into blue flames, actually managing to make Lewis jump back and Jazz yelp.

Lewis watches the ashes of the braces flutter to the ground, before giving (the no longer on fire)Danny an exasperated look, “I didn’t mean now”, squinting, “and how did you not burn the CyberSteps?”.

Danny creates a flame over his fingers, “ecto-fire”, pointing the other hand at the CyberSteps, “anti-ecto”, then adding, “only a little though, otherwise it would be anti-me”.

Lewis shakes his head, “can’t have that now can we?”. Danny grins and points out the door, promptly walking off at Lewis saying, “so long as an adult who knows your ecto or tech is around you”.

Lewis looks to Jazz, “he certainly seems better for his ghostliness, doesn’t he”.

Jazz smiles soft and sweet, “I used to worry about him, even got the vice principal to force him to see a therapist. But once I found out, it made sense and I knew he was okay. That not only was he good mentally, or as good as he could be, but also just good as a person”, giggling a little, “now of course I still worry, that’s what sisters do after all. But he’s a day at a time mentally, there isn’t exactly a standard for a halfa, for being mentally two species that are really opposites; and Vlad’s not exactly a good example. He needs a therapist more than Danny does”.

Lewis chuckles at that and nods, “can’t say I disagree. Though I wouldn't say Danny particularly comes off as someone who needs therapy, he hides his traumas well. Which, well, hiding things from a therapist equals not getting effective therapy”.

Jazz gives him a smile that practically reads ‘you misunderstand’, “that’s because he’s at the stage of acceptance now”, Lewis quirks an eyebrow so she explains, “people grieve when someone dies, and I believe the dead grieve their death just as much if not more”, nodding a little to herself, “at first he tried to convince himself nothing had changed, the abilities would just wear off; he even went through an ‘I’m not dead!’ phase, that came later though”.

Lewis tips his head, “well to be fair, most people don’t expect to be dead but still walking around, and half-dead just sounds impossible. So thinking he’s not dead seems more like being logical than being in denial”.

Jass gives him an almost pitying look, “yeah but he was apparently pretty desperate and freaked about it. Less simple logic and having an issue with the impossible, more desperation to deny what they know is true”.

Lewis nods, ah okay Danny definitely had a harder time than he had thought. He’s kinda glad he didn’t meet Danny back then because again, he’s not good at dealing with freaking out breaking down emotional types.

Jazz nods and keeps going, “Sam and Tucker said they effectively had to convince him not to just tell his parents and beg them to fix him once he realised things weren’t going away. He hated the powers, the changes; that’s the point when I noticed something was up, that he seemed depressed. I pushed for the therapy when he started being just angry, all the time”.

Lewis nods, “ah, I guess that does sound like grieving. In that case, I’m glad he’s in the acceptance stage”.

Jazz grins, she certainly was, “same. His Obsession, his friends -especially the ghost ones-, the weird love/hate thing the town has for him; I think all that helped. Which is how I imagine it is typically for most ghosts; minus the last one”, pointing at him, “though I think you've helped with acceptance, he seems less affected by your name, and those blue flames he used there?”, grinning wider, “many times he’s refused to ever use that, so somethings happened there”.

Lewis blinks, ah the pyrokinesis was probably a power ‘Dan’ had and used liberally. “I may have effectively reasoned with his Obsession why he shouldn’t fear certain futures and that it would make him a shittier king. Used ClockWork too, or more so a quote Danny made of them”.

Jazz raises her eyebrows, “you must think pretty differently for that to have worked out”, frowning slightly, “I’d watch it, taking advantage of his Obsession too often will start coming off as malicious to the Obsession”.

Lewis shrugs, yeah he kinda figured that one. Like tempting Vee with chocolate. Eventually you’ll lose a few fingers. Literally. “I’m not one for social queues, living or dead ones. And he’d make a good surgeon, very helpful. And telling me things is helpful. And sure, I may have given him an Obsessive Crisis but my reasoning was sound”.

Jazz blinks, walks over, and smacks him over the head, “how has Danny not assaulted you yet?!?”.

Lewis takes it in stride, he had been smacked a great many times for insensitivity, and smirks, “might be that my whole career is helpful, I’m a helper all the same. Protecting people from the outcomes of their stupidity like shoving a cheese grater up their ass or eating nails”.

Jazz goes a little wide-eyed, “that actually makes sense. Obsession similarity is a major comradery thing for ghosts”, pausing, “also, is that really a common thing people do? Though the nails probably had something to do with pica”.

“We keep a white board of all the things people have shoved up their asses, one guy’s made it on the board multiple times; I admire the tenacity”, Lewis smirks as she gives him a strange look and just moves to head downstairs.

They come down to a slightly concerned-looking Danny sitting backwards on the couch but resting his chin over the back of the couch, watching his parents. Looking to Lewis when he notices them and making ‘psst’ noises at him; which makes Lewis wonder if he’s being hissed at for a bit, which considering the upstairs conversation would make some sense.

Jazz heads into the kitchen while Lewis walks over to Danny.

Danny scuttles over and hiss whispers, “so I wasn’t sure if me actually being braceless was, like, a good thing? ‘Cause, like, maybe you know otherwise and I, like an idiot, didn’t confirm things-”.

Lewis chooses to cut off what’s definitely going to be a ramble, “it’s fine, Danny. Honesty, I was considering removing them entirely pretty soon here. You’re fine”.

Danny grins and gives a little relieved sigh, before looking slightly freaked again and gesturing to his chest, his bare heavily scared toned chest, “also totally forgot about the bandaging. I mean what am I, a wire stripper?”.

Lewis is pretty sure most people would find how he goes from flesh straight to metal more eye-catching than the scarring; even if it was pretty major. Danny’s likely more worried about Jack and Maddie seeing though. And well, Danny being completely healed was very obvious this way. Which might be pushing it, “yeah, you look too healthy like this”.

Danny blinks, “I wasn’t actually thinking of that but point”. Lewis gestures up the stairs, so they head up to Danny’s (still uncleaned)room to redo bandaging.

Lewis shakes his head while unrolling bandaging, “you’d think you’d be encouraged to clean after your encounter”. Danny rolls his eyes and holds out his arms after disconnecting the CyberSteps. Lewis pauses and taps his chin, thinking of it, “actually, let’s just bandage where you had the most serious damage”.

So Lewis gets to work on the waist wrapping, again noting how strange Danny coming to a totally smooth flat end is. He’s going to have to pin the blame on Danny’s tail if his friends ask, because this is not only not medical standard but medically impossible. Not to mention physically impossible, so many half cut off organs and where the heck are his intestines? His poor digestive system; and that’s ignoring his lower excretory system being basically non-existent. He’d lose his license if he took credit here. Muttering mostly to himself, “how the Hell do you shit”.

Danny blinks before bursting out laughing, “did you seriously just ask that?!?!?”, shaking his head, “doc? Anyone ever tell you you’re weird?”.

Lewis smirks, “all the time”.

Danny smirks himself, “ghosts ‘excrete’ everything via shedding off ectoplasm, so what do you think”, and points at his tail, which is currently waving intangibly through Lewis. Danny, for kicks, makes It shed more noticeably; just to fuck with the guy a little.

Lewis pauses and side-eyes the tail, “is that... sanitary?”. Making Danny fall backwards on the bed cackling. Lewis has so many questions. Does his ectoplasm just burn it up? and it comes off kinda like smoke? Or does his ectoplasm digest it for fuel? Danny did imply he could get by on just ectoplasm (which a human can’t do) or just food (which a ghost can’t do).

Danny puts an arm over his eyes and wheezes, “nothing can survive the ecto, oh man. Haha. Does a better job than bleach”, and wheezes some more.

Lewis nods, moving to Danny’s chest -because honestly, what in there hadn’t been obliterated. Other than the Core and even that was hurt- and unrolling more, “well that’s good then”. Making quick work of the chest and grabbing Danny’s left hand up.

Danny chuckles, “yeah, I crushed, like, everything in that one”.

Lewis starts wrapping very quickly at the sound of an explosion outside and icy mist leaving Danny’s mouth. Ghosts and their timing. Managing to finish before Danny transforms and zips off through his window; leaving Lewis to stand up, put his hands on his hips, and shake his head.

Danny glances around, pretty sure he can smell something really strange that he’s never smelled before but ignores that at promptly spotting Red shooting at Boxy, Danny floats over, “I’m guessing you don’t really need or want my help here?”.

Red opens her visor purely to scowl at him and shoots the Box Ghost without even looking, “fuck off, Phantom”.

“YOUR DISTRACTION WILL BE YOUR DOOM!!!! AND MY BOXY REVENG-”. Getting cut off via a rocket to the mouth and both teens telling him to shut up. Red promptly capturing him and rounding on Danny.

Danny quirks an eyebrow because her just cutting off a Boxy beat down was weird. Red snaps at him, “obviously you've noticed shit’s up with the Fenton’s, so you better be leaving them alone, spook”.

Danny nods a little, “kinda easy to notice when those two are or aren’t out hunting”, continuing at it feeling like she’s squinting at him, “I ain’t pestering them, Red”. It’s true. Phantom wasn’t technically pestering his parents. Fenton was.

Red studies him for a bit before nodding and appears to sigh, “well the sons got a ghost tail now, like you guys”, Danny changes his legs to a tail for example, which she points at, “yeah, that. And you’re not too terribly evil and he slammed his face into a wall trying to use the thing”.

Danny gives a mock very offended, “hey”. Before blinking and going slightly wide-eyed at a realisation, “wait, are you asking me to teach him?”, how does he get himself into this kind of shit?

Red huffs, “you're supposed to be this town’s ‘protector’ and dealer with ghost shit, it’s supposedly your job”, then adding with bite and meaning, “unless you don’t actually care about people and just like fighting”, shrugging, “and even you wouldn’t be stupid or reckless enough to mess with the youngest child of ghost hunters”. Any ghost that did mess with Jazz or Danny probably saw Hell from the Fenton’s. And Phantom might be literally the only ghost Danny wouldn’t run away from. Maybe. And wasn’t there that time the house came to life or something and Danny and Phantom both helped with that?

Danny blinks, “yeah, I’m not stupid. Still remember Jack punching -yeah, punching, not shooting- Plasmius to a pulp for screwing with the Fenton family”. That was one of Danny’s favourite memories.

Red blinks, opening her visor again and just leaving it that way, “that really happened? Damn”, she’s never felt genuinely impressed by Jack before.

Danny nods, “yup, and Red? Our bodies, the floating, that shit comes naturally. It’s not taught”.

Red snaps, “but he’s not a ghost, Phantom”.

Danny rolls his eyes, “ghost body part. Same thing. And our bodies ain’t all the same you know”.

Red points at his tail, “well his and yours move similar, so there”.

Danny pointedly doesn’t look sheepish or anything at that, he should just agree -fuck his luck- before she starts pointing out other similarities, “geez fine”, pausing and floating a bit closer, “wait, you haven’t been just asking every ghost you see to play teacher, have you?”, for the love of the Ancients say no.

Red scowls at him and refuses to back up, “I’m not a moron either, Phantom. Just you”, squinting, “why?”.

Danny backs off a little and shrugs, “ghost social thing. It’s a few phrases shy of asking a ghost to adopt someone. Which would be kinda mean”, tilting his head, “if you asked Skulker that, you probably would never see Danny again”, if Danny Fenton was a regular human (with a ghost tail somehow) and couldn’t beat Skulker’s face in, anyways.

Red blinks, “what? You’re not ‘adopting’ him“.

Danny rolls his eyes, “well obviously. What you asked could just be taken that way. But I’m still a child so it don’t matter”.

Red shakes her head, “you ghosts are strange. Don’t adopt Danny, just give him tail tips or something”.

Danny snorts and chuckles, “just the tip?”, and pokes her board with his tail tip quickly before zipping away cackling. Red growls and shoots at him while shouting, “you disgust me!”.

Lewis had eventually wandered down into the kitchen, everyone raising the eyebrows at him, probably over Danny’s absence, “decided to take the chance to check up on Danny’s healing and wrapping. He’s stretching out his new bandaging and taking a break from the prosthetics”, nodding curtly, “the braces aren’t really needed anymore”. Jazz giggles quietly.

Maddie and Jack beam, Jack practically cheering, “awesome!”. Both of them super glad to hear that he genuinely as okay as he keeps insisting he is. His ecto likely being to blame, which is okay.

Just then Danny comes back, sticking his head through the kitchen doorway before pausing, “shit! Forgot my shirt”, and ducks his head before zipping back upstairs. Shouting down at everyone laughing or giggling or snorting, “its been a while since I’ve worn clothes alright! I’ve got hardware and software, but no underwear!”.

Lewis actually laughs at that, “pretty sure that’s one thing you don’t need!”, and speaks up again as Danny renters, “you know, a stripper that crushed both her knees said that to me once”. Making pretty much everyone choke.

Maddie steamrolls right over the adult implications of that and plates the eggs. Lewis raising an eyebrow, “eggs for supper? That’s weird”.

Danny coughs and gives Lewis an ‘I can’t believe you just said that’ look and promptly takes the opening, “that's not weird, your pants are weird”.

Lewis looks down, “they’re just sweat pants”, then pauses, wait that sounded familiar. Looking back up and shaking his head, “you really just quoted a commercial for eggs at me”.

Danny grins like he’s the cat that caught the canary, “you started it, doc”.

Maddie grins, digging into her food. Danny seemed more confident. She’s not sure if Lewis just had that effect on him or if it was because of him not utterly hiding his ghostliness around them anymore and them giving the good ghosts thing a real chance. Which made her think it’s all worth it. Trusting a ghost or too, being more neutral about ghosts, rethinking the science; and getting her son back more genuinely, knowing him better, was a great deal. Even if that meant her and Jack had practically been villains to Phantom and other maybe good ghosts; which was an uncomfortable thought. Because really? if ghosts could be good then Phantom being a hero was practically undeniable. And who shoots at a hero? Villains.

Seeing Danny in a loose long sleeve makes her unable to really feel bad though, he looked genuinely like himself again. His hand being bandaged up was a reminder of his injuries however; and she can see a bit peaking out of his collar. Glancing at his other hand, when had he gotten scars there? Though more importantly, how had she never noticed??? Or did his recent injuries scar over that fast. Both were a little concerning. Though she knows he’ll have scarring, Dan said as much.

Lewis’s phones goes off with a big fat ‘fuck you’ from Eddie for not saving any brownies and a pic of stew which was probably meant to be some kind of ‘well look what I made and you can’t have’. Lewis just sends back ‘who did the cooking? ‘Cause if it’s you Eddie, I think I’m good’ predictably getting swears in return. Lewis decides to take a photo of what he’s eating, answering Danny’s raised eyebrow, “Eddie made stew and is attempting to brag about that”.

“I hope there wasn’t any potatoes or baked beings”.

Jazz smacks him over the head while Lewis scrunches up his eyebrows, because that... that was actually something they would do. Getting a response from Vee reading ‘FRIED BABY BIRD NICE' didn’t help. Lewis shakes his head at Danny, muttering, “don’t give them ideas”.

Danny rolls his eyes, “well then I hope you don’t let Vee near your feet”, Lewis gives him some confused eyebrows so Danny smirks and continues very smugly, “they might want some men toes for their breath afterwards”. Lewis sighs. Jack and Maddie just look confused though.

While Danny finally wakes up the next morning, Maddie watches Lewis start breakfast. Jack is attempting to wake up himself with a cold shower. And Jazz has been up for a while sipping tea and reading in her room.

Danny stretches out a little, telekinetically dragging over the CyberSteps and slipping in; this was basically what he was going to be doing for however long in place of underwear. And fuck it, he’s not gonna bother with pants. Kinda pointless and he’s owning his metal. Might as well. Nabbing up his comfortable sweater, the one that never catches on bandaging. Twisting his upper body back and forth, didn’t seem like it would catch on the neuroreceptors either. Nice.

It was honestly still kinda strange walking again, using metal to do that was just a little bit weirder. Cool as shit too though.

Danny turns to the door at hearing a shout of: “IT’S NOT JUST US! YES!”. So he heads downstairs and thus walks into the sight of Lewis staring in confused curiosity at a pan he’s holding with three screaming grill-cheese sandwiches in it. One sprouts a little hand and tries to grab a fork, Lewis just bats it away like a misbehaving cat’s paw; a dirty look on his face all the while.

Danny walks in and looks down, “uh, congrats doc it’s a girl... I think”.

Lewis quirks an eyebrow, “you can tell?”.

Danny scowls, "no, I was making a fucking joke, doc".

Maddie puts her hands on her hips, "language Danny”. Catching Danny slightly off guard and making him blush, “oh um uh, sorry?”. Maddie just shakes her head.

Sam and Tucker barge in while Lewis lifts up the pan, “obviously this is inedible for us, but you?”. Danny gives him a serious ‘are you fucking me’ look.

Maddie immediately butts in, “why would-”, and cuts herself off, going wide-eyed. Looking to Danny, “actually, could you? Do you... want to try?”.

Jack practically bolts over, having just caught that, “oh that would be so cool! We wouldn’t have to scrap food so often!”.

Sam and Tucker come over grinning meanly at him. Tucker speaking up, “do it coward. Be a man”, Sam kicks him. Sam looks over the pan, unphased by the screaming and weird bubbling, but scowls at the cheese; or what once was cheese, “you already stole the poor cows milk, don’t insults them more by trashing it”.

Danny mutters at the floor, “I feel like I’m being ganged up on here”, though obviously not actually bothered. His mom makes him laugh though when she hands him a glass of ‘help you swallow it down’ milk. Danny takes it and looks to Sam with a smirk, “now I know you reject milk, but hopefully you’re not lack-toes-intolerant”.

The two teens look down at his feet, about to comment that he had those again, Tucker giving a little nod, “huh, no toes”.

Danny just chuckles, wiggles his ‘toes’, “hope you like roboots”, everyone sighs and the grill-cheeses scream a little more, which absolutely grabs Danny’s attention. Turning to the pan, “okay, now you are getting eaten. Feed my cyborgans”.

Sam mutters, “Ancients damnit, Danny”. While Danny grabs one of the sandwiches, smacks one of the other ones that tried to bite him, and cuts off the one he grabbed’s screaming by biting It with fake aggression.

Sam and Tucker both start laughing, while the adults all just kinda watch with bated breaths. Maddie’s pretty sure she can actually see him absorbing ectoplasm through his skin off the -what should they call It?- ecto-sandwich. Was certainly interesting that this was even technically safe for him. His Core would just eat all the ectoplasm before it could even possibly cause issues. And that ecto-immunity Jack considered him to have should mean all his human stuff can handle the ectoplasm; possibly even good for him. Feed his ghostly stuff, which probably only got anything from how contaminated the town and house were. Or maybe his Core could convert human food to ectoplasm, just like how food in general here could become ectoplasmic.

Jack sounds more than a little excited, “so! How’s it taste!?!”.

Danny rolls his eyes, slightly embarrassed, “spicy cream cheese”. Jack looking excitedly giddy just makes Danny genuinely blush, though a bit happy that he made him happy. And he was actually hungry so fuck it, he’s eating his sandwich; that much ecto making his eyes green be damned.

Maddie makes a point to not react to his eyes going green -like they had when his ectoplasm was overcharged she notes- as Danny finishes off the ecto-wich. Lewis laughs and just shoves the pan at him.

Danny grumbles, “anyone else would get burned you know”. Lewis just shrugs with a grin as he moves to make something else, but vegan suitable; which hopefully won’t come to life. Everyone else -except Sam who chooses to lean against the wall- sit around the table. Jack and Maddie making a point to ignore the oddness of Danny woofing down the other two plasumwiches -much better name- straight out of the pan; the cold of his skin contacting the pan making a little bit of steam. Lewis attempts to take a subtle photo but of course Danny notices, giving the most suspicious sounding, “what's up doc?”, Lewis thinks is even possible.

“Eddie will get a kick out of this. Thing’s cropped, curb your paranoia”. Danny’s only response is a huff. The response Lewis gets back from Eddie nearly makes him choke though: Vee’s face sandwiched between bread and Eddie biting it/them; Lewis isn’t going to ask why he’s not wearing a shirt, but is wearing a tacky necklace (and of course his brackets, but he never takes those off). Lewis decides screw it, Danny’s friends knew, were just as weird, and that chat thing Tucker set up was almost disturbingly secure -yet they still used codes like paranoid little fuckers, and they were at least kinda cool with aliens; so he tosses the photo into the group chat, with a password to view though ‘cause why not be paranoid too; though it’s an obvious one.

Tucker, not surprising the doctor in the least, is the first to check and chokes on his food.

PDAXpda: @everyone

PDAxpda: what

PDAxpda: pray tell

PDAxpda: the fuck is that

Tiethief: space monster

Tiethief: and reporter mouth

NightShade: you suck at names

NightShade: @DPain do yer job

Just a little later Danny checks his phone and wigs out. His hair fluffing up a little like some anime bullshit, the legs swinging around probably ‘cause his tail is wiggling or something a bunch, the ecto in his eyes making tiny little sparks; Jack and Maddie watching the reaction more so with awe and curiosity than unnerved worry.

DPain: hdieksnhrjsHHUDJjhhudikwdhjHhdnsjdkoajbdhuejzk

DPain: zhHhudjnshakbusfjkabjhUSJJNhdkakbsjbuijdh

DPain: TINY MURDER COBOOB IS BLOB

DPain: TINY MURDERY ALIEN BLOB

DPain: FUCK ME DADSY

DPain: anyway

DPain: cjsinsbdhaihujsmkfhdkajhdnfcjai

DPain: space mon fine

DPain: othera meat puppet

DPain: djiafdwih

DPain: best blob be nommed

PDAxpda: first look at murder goo

Lewis looks up at the ceiling as he pockets his phone before spooning out the stir fry. Less breakfasty, but more edible. Giving Sam Tucker’s veggies and throwing some real bacon bits into Tucker’s. Danny takes a small plate even though he ate three bloody sandwiches -maybe the ectoplasm went somewhere else and thus didn’t fill him up?- and munches still looking overly excited.

Sam points her fork at Danny’s feet kinda bouncing around. He shrugs and snickers, “looks like I've got a few new roboticks”.

Which makes Jazz groan as she comes in, “ignoring that, what smells so good?”, looking Danny over slightly and quirking any eyebrow over his green sparky eyes.

Sam rolls her eyes, biting a pepper, “your parents’ made ghost food again”.

Maddie immediately sits up straight, “Dan did actually”. Jack practically cheering, “so it’s not just us!”.

Jazz mutters, “that’s not actually comforting”, because that means it’s either the house's fault or the utensils/cookware.

Sam huffs, “more reason not to have animal products”.

Tucker laughs, “more like reason to!”, and jabs a thumb at Danny. Who throws a quiet, “prick”, Tucker’s way.  

Maddie shakes her head a little as the teens poke fun at each other. Yeah they knew and were used to it. Which was... probably good for Danny. Hurt a little to confirm though. She understands though; her and Jack will just have to continue to be better then.

Not too long later, Lewis is putting away leftovers, Jazz and Maddie are on clean-up duty, Danny’s eyes are back to fucking normal, and Jack’s giving the CyberSteps steps a once over.

Tucker nudges Danny, ignoring Jack doing the typical ‘can you feel this?’ thing, “so theatre’s open. Feel like taking your limbs for a test drive?”.

Maddie immediately pauses with her washcloth, making a point to sound stern, “only if Dan okay’s it, sweetie”.

All the teens look to Lewis, who smirks and fakes being unsure, “oh I don’t know”, relenting at the scowls, “so long as he’s not left alone I don’t see a problem with it”. Tucker immediately high fives Danny, before Jack steps back with a smile; letting Danny run only kinda coordinatedly up the stairs to grab pants.

Danny decides fuck it and opts out of shoes; the CyberSteps toes/boots look like, well, boots. Heading back down and the three friends walk to the door. Jack and Maddie smiling to themselves over the fact that Danny can actually walk around town with his friends.

Just as Danny’s reaching for the handle there’s a knock and Danny’s pretty sure he smells smoke... and that weird new smell from yesterday? Shrugging and opening the door to the sight of a guy who looked like hot garbage yet healthyish. His hair looked like a comb would get stuck in it yet smooth. One bloodshot eye, yet they were also totally clear. Clearly unbrushed teeth, though white. In a leather jacket with burn marks, off-white t-shirt, and torn-up jeans. And a cigarette in one had, dirt under literally every fingernail and in the nail-beds.

“Wow someone’s speed lightning”, the dude looks around, “your yard’s kinda not shit so I’mma just put this out in my pocket”, and shoves the cigarette into his pants. Danny watches the pocket smoke and slowly gain a new hole as the guy speaks, “so if it ain’t obvious, name’s Eddie. Eddie Brock”.

Danny blinks, gapes a little -which the guy smirks over, and laughs. Because yeah, this is exactly his luck.

[solitaria-fantasma]

 Sad Deadbeat Arthur AU thoughts time because I’ve read a few others now and it’s made my brain gears turn even if the rest of me is still kinda burnt out on heavy angst, GO!:

Arthur died from blood loss after Mystery ripped off his arm, despite being rushed to the hospital as fast as Vivi could drive.

His spirit was first found by Ji-a Ogawa after his body went into emergency surgery.

Nurse Ogawa used her own energy to keep him semi-coherent in ghost form, hoping against hope that she might be able to just put him back if his body survived.

It didn’t.

Because Gawain had hitched a desperate ride with Lance upon hearing that his brother had been hospitalized, he was the most powerful spirit around the hospital at the time.

Nurse Ogawa passed Arthur into his brother’s care once it became clear that his body was gone (as she had her own duties to attend to, and couldn’t look after Arthur in the long-term).

Though utterly heartbroken over his brother’s death, Gawain took the tragedy as the kick in the pants he needed, and finally revealed himself to Lance, if only to show him that his nephews weren’t as gone as he thought.

Gawain was less enthused with the idea of showing himself to Vivi, but Mystery convinced him on the grounds that Vivi had already lost every memory of Lewis, and he feared her mysterious curse may also affect her memories of Arthur, if he were not a part of her life.

Vivi did retain her memories of Arthur, but Arthur seems to only have vague memories of Vivi.

He adores her the most, and listens to her almost more than he does to Gawain, but due to his inability to speak more than just a few words, the others are unsure just how much he actually remembers from his life.

Mystery suspects that this is just because his energy level is so low; given enough time and energy, he theorizes, Arthur should regain clarity to his memories, as well as his more human form.

Because Arthur doesn’t have a human appearance anymore, Vivi has taped up all the pictures of him she can find - there’s one on the van’s dashboard, three in her room, a whole collage on the back of the van’s seats, etc. - in places she can see, out of fear that she’ll start to forget what he looks like, the same way she has with Lewis.

Arthur takes on the same lizard-esque form as the other Reptilitones because, like Bran, he wants to fit in.

Unlike Bran, Arthur is not strong, and is the smallest of the spirits (though not by too much).

Chopper is incredibly protective of Arthur, and has taken bites out of a number of poltergeists, wisps, and shadow figures who got too curious or too hungry around him.

Gawain essentially takes Arthur’s place in the videos in this AU.

He’s a decent mechanic, but he’s no genius like Arthur, so he can keep the van running but he can’t fix major problems on the fly.

He never speeds so he’s never been pulled over before, but he’s been practicing how to conjure a convincing fake driver’s license, just in case.

Vivi suggested the name “Merlin Knight” for the fake license, and it made Arthur laugh.

Gawain isn’t a combat-oriented ghost, so he flees when he first encounters Lewis in the mansion’s basement.

It takes Lewis until the clifftop scene in Hellbent to break through his rage-y haze enough to realize that Gawain isn’t Arthur.

Gawain didn’t know that Lewis didn’t know that Arthur was dead, and thought that Lewis meant to take his revenge by destroying Arthur’s soul.

This leads to him actually trying to fight Lewis - and nearly winning, if only because his energy level is so much higher after twenty years.

Arthur actually bites Lewis once, in defense of his brother. He doesn’t even leave teeth marks.

The tiny bite does give Lewis enough of a shock to recognize the spirit biting him, however, and the fight grinds to a halt.

The realization that Arthur really is dead - and has been since the cave - causes Lewis a tsunami of confusing emotions, which causes his heart to shatter.

There is no Murder Mystery in this AU (yet), so Vivi and an injured-but-alive-Mystery catch up to Lance and the two ghosts after whipping Shiromori’s ass in the parking lot.

Much talking is done, a few dust devils are made, and Lewis does a grief-laden 180.

Chopper is still incredibly distrustful of Lewis, and won’t let him anywhere near Arthur while she’s around.

[eagesoldartblog]

@nemesis-is-my-middle-name

Congrats you set me off time to RAMBLE about this fucking au Bc I adore it

So small Cw: this is heavily based /inspired by madoka Magica, also demons! Idk, just felt like y’all should know that real quick- also, this has.. a sadder end :,)

So let’s start off!

Lewis pepper died in the cave, but rose soon after. Not because of him wanting to stay, nor wanting revenge. Infact, if he was left alone, he would have maybe returned as a ghost or simply passed on. But no, he’s awoken a few days later by a red spirit that resembles a cat, with hearts and a blank smile. Their name is Dellila! It explains that as Lewis died, he made a wish- to live again, to survive. So they granted it!

But, everything is at a cost, and Lewis is aware of this, he’s terrified at the thought because he can’t remember his wish. But Dellila reassures him, and explains the process of wish making.

Because of his wish, he was granted magical powers, and he now has one task to fulfill in order to have his wish fully granted. In order for his life to be returned to him, and be allowed to walk to earth as a human again, he must make use of his new power...

And get revenge.

Lewis is horrified by this, because they explain clearly. He has to confront his killer, take his life in order to regain his. And immediately, Lewis makes a plan that he keeps to himself. He doesn’t want revenge, if he can, he wants to find Arthur and learn why. Surely there’s a reason..! It must have been an accident! ... Arthur wasnt lying this whole time... was he?

Dellila doesn’t give him time to think about it, instead, they make him get up and explain why they grant these wishes. While yes- it is to fulfill a certain wish- the world is full of evil spirits and malicious specters that harm humans and spread evil. Lewis’s job for now, is to deal with any spirit that comes close, and obliterate them.

They help him transform for the first time, and show him how he can utilize his abilities to their full extent. How to summon weapons, how to create a pocket dimension around him (referred to as a  labyrinth and FULL of symbolism just wait), and how to transform into his magical form. Lewis goes through with it-

And he discovers very quickly how painful it is. Having strands of gold silk wrap around his limbs and burst into roses and gold flecks. His hair begins to resemble a rose, he takes on a uniform that is beautiful and elegant. And Lewis can’t stop himself from crying while doing so. It hurts. It feels wrong. But it doesn’t stop, and he forms his first labrynth. It’s an oddly shamed dome of stained glass, filled and layered with rose bushes, piano keys, violin strings. Giant knives and spikes and pillars that you would find in a temple rather than in this surreal place. To make it all the more creepy, the dome itself seems to resemble a rib cage, with stage curtains draping from it, and in the very center? A golden chandelier that one could only assume is the heart.

Last but not least, Dellila helps him form his special anchor. Something that contains his soul, a link to keep him grounded and help him control his powers. Under no circumstances should it be destroyed, nor should any spirit touch it- lest the damage it takes on will be inflicted on him.

He gets used to it though, and he sets off on dealing with any spirit he comes across- fighting against the empathy he feels because he doesn’t believe that the spirits are truly evil. Most of them run from him, and the few who do fight only do so when he provoked them. But time and time again, Lewis attacks, he fights, he wins...

And Dellila eats the remnants of those spirits. Encouraging him to keep going. He’s cleansing the world with every fight.

They wouldn’t lie to you, Lewis, remember that.

But on the other hand, some others are noticing what’s happening. Mystery and Vivi - Vivi who is herself a powerful yokai, made of ice- recognize the labrynth, they see the magical spirit fighting, and they know what’s happened. The demon of the cave captured another.

Because you see- there wasn’t just one demon in the cave they explored, the two knew this, and the wanted Arthur and Lewis to stay away and let them handle it. But they were foolish and tagged along anyway.

Now Arthur has no arm, and Lewis is dead. The green demon, who takes the form of fog and crawls onto the recesses of your mind to torment and torture you until you give in. And the red demon, who claims lives by feeding hope to their collective victim.

This isn’t the first time that the two yokai dealt with them, no... Vivi’s old friend was named Dellila, and she knows just how twisted it is for the bastard to take her friends name.

Lewis is in danger, and they have to save him, but they have to do it alone. Arthur can’t come. They tell him. Vivi makes sure he knows.

But Arthur doesn’t want them going on their own, he wants to save Lewis too! :)

Meanwhile, Vivi and Mystery are hunting the labrynth down. It isn’t hard, since Lewis’s attacks are near brutal and dramtic, and it’s easy to infiltrate. Instead of facing Lewis head on though? They try to sneak past him, to find his anchor. To find whats linking him to Dellila.

And Arthur is following behind, getting lost in the labrynth, but pushing through the curtains and bushes and searching for his friends-

And Arthur, the unluckiest man in the world, finds Lewis. At first Lewis doesn’t even notice him, exhausted after battling a wraith, but when Arthur calls out, Lewis is shocked, relieved! And for a moment, Lewis smiles and tries to leap down from the heart of the labrynth to hug his friend-

But before he could even mutter Arthurs name. Something changes. The gold and purples suddenly shift. The rose bushes become thorns, the giant knives sticking high above the ground become spikes- stalagmites! Fire begins to grow, and he’s trapped in the arena. Lewis’s smile is gone. His eyes, a deep, unforgiving red.

Dellila never told him, but Lewis never had a choice in how he would confront his killer.

Arthur gets to watch as the labrynth shifts and turns all on him, as weapons appear in Lewis’s hand, drawn and aimed directly at him-

But before Lewis could try to strike- he’s stopped by the love of his life, and her dog. And a battle breaks out. Lewis exploding with fire and sending out deadbeat minions to wound and harm them, only for Vivi and mystery to deflect the attacks expertly.

Of course, Lewis is still powerful, and he can’t control the anger he feels as he tries to slash into Vivi- who is betraying him-!

Only for a sharp set of teeth to snap down on his anchor- and forcing Lewis to the ground. Mystery didn’t want to, but he has Lewis’s anchor tightly clenched in his jaw, and the resulting wounds cover Lewis entirely until he’s screaming and crying. It’s unbearable.

Meanwhile, Arthur can only watch. Watch as his friends tear themselves apart... watches as frost bites at the golden anchor and Lewis’s body freezes from shock- before his body seems to disintergrate into rose petals, and mystery lets him go. Sorrowful. Vivi and him have yet to noticed Arthur, but they know he’s there. That’s not what’s important right now-! They have to get the anchor with the dormant Lewis and leave-!

But sooner or later, Dellila has to come out. With smiles and hearts and a cheery, happy grin.

And their expression doesn’t change as they snatch the anchor before Vivi or msytery could stop them,

And they smash it. Swallowing the soul that seeps out. Thanking and condemning Arthur aloud for his contributions- his friend is now really gone! And it’s all his fault~

Now the question is, what happens from here?

Because when mystery and Vivi turn to grab Arthur and get out, Arthur has vanished. They don’t know where he is.

They can only fear the worst. And hope that those horrible demons don’t take on a new face

[wthelvetica21]

Linked Souls / Timeline Splitting Delirium : Part 2

Lewis: Do I really have to carry him in this position

-Lewis was trying to get DrunkGuy’s back side out his peripheral vision 

zero_one: huh? Why is that?

Lewis: I’ve... heard things from the bartender that even as a dead man haunts me. 

zero_one: What? (he tilts his head in confusion)

Lewis: *sigh* Trust me, you DON’T want to know.

zero_one: Oh kay… point taken. We’re here at least.

Lewis: sigh… Thank God… I didn’t know that this city had so many damn stairs and walk ways.

-Both sit on the front side of a two sided bench while laying DrunkGuy on the other side

-Lewis turns from his human form back to his default ghost form since zero_one is familiar with it

zero_one: That kind of looks exhausting to do on and off. Is there something bothering you Lewis?

Lewis: We still haven’t found Arthur’s possessed arm. We got a lead from that bar saying someone saw a green arm with a single black eye. But it didn’t turn up.

zero_one: Huh… Maybe it’ll turn up soon. You’re a ghost though; could you detect it right?

Lewis: Well no. The only two I know of who could do somethin’ like that are Mystery and that psycho bonsai tree lady. Maybe should’ve taken him with us but I’m not sure the bartender would allow dogs in the bar you know what I’m sayin’.

zero_one: Right… It’s kind of strange thing to ask people about that. I wonder how Arthur feels about this thing? It did possess him after all and made home in that arm right?

Lewis: Yeah.. he kinda doesn’t wanna talk about it though . But that thing is… the reason for what I am now.

-Lewis is showing a surprising amount of restraint to keep his boiling anger in check

-zero_one through some strange impulse felt a small pang of something he couldn’t describe

zero_one: umm Lewis, there is something I wanted to ask you since we first met.

Lewis: What’s that Z?

zero_one: I want to know is what you saw once you crossed over to this universe? I could tell that you recognized me even though we never met before. I also have a vague recollection of a silhouette of a man with a gold locket similar to yours in a misty cave with a pit of pale green stalagmites.

Lewis: Huh!? You… you saw what?

-That was a day that Lewis wished he could forget but the very thing that caused so much strife and turned him into a vengeful ghost is still at large in this universe somewhere doing God knows what

zero_one: The rest is a blur though but I felt… something just pierced my chest like a bullet. And I’m not sure it was me or someone else singing something along the lines of…

“This time I might just disappear”

Lewis: Uh ha… Now that you mention it. I felt that bullet though the heart sensation too and not because of how I died.

zero_one: You what!?

*jumps slightly in shock*

Lewis: It’s… another story for another time. Trust me on this one Z.

zero_one: Okay. You where saying though?…

-zero_one is simultaneously curious and… for the first time slightly unsettled

Lewis: I think I had the opposite problem, I vividly remember some guy in a dark hospital room who looked comatose. Slowly he started writhing and convulsing like a reanimated corpse. Then the lights short out and the only thing I could see in-front of me was someone with a pulsing orange-yellow skull mask that looks like yours staring at me. And then for no damn reason at all I hear myself sing or someone else sing something like…

“It’s like a creature from a nightmare”

zero_one: A “Creature from a Nightmare”?… Why does that...

-a sharp pained gasp leaves zero_one as he holds his head and starts shaking as if he’s having a panic attack

zero_one: (speaking in a less modulated and panicked voice) 

No… Please let it stop, I wanted a purpose in my sucky boring life not this. What is happening to me?! Why do I feel like an…

DrunkGuy: ugh... can’t you keep it down... I’m trying to sleep...

Lewis: Zero-o… oh shit…

-groans in pain and feeling like his body is going to fall apart

Lewis: (in his more human voice) 

I don’t get it… How could he just push me off like that? I’m not getting my life back am I?... Have I become a…

DrunkGuy: Wait, what’s going….? Uhh... both of you don’t look so hot so I think I might just… (in a nervous tone)

-Suddenly both Lewis and zero_one feel a sharp stabbing sensation in their very cores and began to have those aforementioned visions but clearer and fuller they both scream one agonized word...

Lewis : GHOST!

zero_one : ANIMAL!

-They both release magenta and yellow orange energy that a still a sobering drunk has enough of the self preservation instinct to retreat from

DrunkGuy: OH GOD!!! Screw it I’M OUTTA HERE! (running in the distance) DID SOMEONE SLIP ME SOMETHING!?

-As soon as DrunkGuy leaves far enough away to be in another neighborhood entirely. Lewis came too and noticed zero_one is no longer glowing and is facing away from him, his head was obscured by shadows.

Lewis: Hey, Z.? Are you all… *gasp*... Holy shit.. Why didn’t I notice earlier?… But… how the fu_k is that even possible?

-Lewis was at a loss for words; he couldn’t believe it. zero_one was a dead ringer to that drunk skull faced guy (DrunkGuy) they picked up from the bar.

to be continued (2/3)

zero_one: (I hardly can remember anything. But that’s my prime self, i just know it. Is this part of that butterfly effect Helvetica mentioned? Uhh shit, the talk with Lewis about this is going to be a painful endeavor.)

[the-headbop-wraith]

1_16 Sometimes There

Their task complete with the reclusive Silver Ghost, the Mystery Skulls move onward in search of a new mystery to solve.  The group glides through the motions of normality, but how far from normality have they strayed?  How far can a wire be pulled tight before the tension causes it to snap?

There was no way to return the mangled cigarette tin, but Vivi had made Arthur take them back to the Owen’s residence to give them a brief report of their encounter with the spirit of their relative.  None of the events of that night were mentioned, and Viv had only made the family aware that Fritz had been remorseful about taking his life and was now in a better place.  There was one decent picture of the few taken, and Vivi was not about to share the one of the noose hanging from the ceiling.  The family seemed accepting of the stories about the Mystery Skulls encounter with Fritz, but it was tricky to tell with most people and their outlook on paranormal research.

It was unfairly early in the morning to be on the road, though in all honesty Lewis didn’t care.  Throughout the night Arthur had been driving nonstop, and had only survived on a steady supply of energy drinks and pop rocks carefully rationed by Vivi.  Vivi was convinced Arthur would suffer a heart attack if he didn’t slow down, and Lewis had considered the mien as an entertaining subject piece to dwell over along the hours of road time.  As of the beginning of the trip Lewis had yet to volunteer to drive, but he was giving the matter some heavy consideration.

Lewis could perceive that the air was cool, maybe too cold for bare arms.  The sunlight in the cloudless sky made a difference if it was possible to stay out of the shadows, and the unwelcome breeze.  Lewis had opened the back doors of the van and lay in the sun absorbing the warmth through the incorporeal swarm that consisted of his shape.  Arthur had parked away from the more populated side of the busy convenience shop, and truthfully Lewis didn’t give a damn at this time if someone became curious to his appearance.  Most of him looked human, that was enough.  What business did anyone have to bother him during his siesta?  Lewis relocated his thoughts away from the persistent noise of traffic, engines constantly in motion of come and gone.  Some of his solidity, his consciousness and his memories, prickled through his foremost awareness.  He held no accurate relation to the description, but only knew the sensation gave him a swell of invigoration that would be essential later.  Solid, present, existing.  That’s what was important to him.  Lewis needed that.

“Don’t catch the van to fire,” a sweet voice chimed.

Lewis slammed back into his current space of occupation and tilts himself up, nearly gliding through the floor of the van as a figure of blue came into his vision.  He looked at his shoulders where the pink ember flames had suspended and bobbed under the guidance of his swaying form.  Lewis waved the small orb away, before pressing his palms into the floor of the van and pulled himself up into a sitting position on the  bumper.

“No harm done,” Lewis said.  He looked at the large item of black leather Vivi carried over her arm.  As if anticipating her future dialogue the heart on Lewis’ chest fluttered, as he inclined his brow behind the sunglasses.  “Is that a leather jacket?”

Vivi nods, as she takes the coat by the shoulders and looks it over.  “You’re gonna look like a dead greaser for a while, but that’s all they had in your size.  And I thought it’d match your hands, that way you won’t look too odd.  Maybe.”  She flopped the jacket into Lewis’ arms, while he was distracted with the current state of his free floating palms and bleached bone knuckles.  Lewis stood up and tussled the jacket over in his hands.  “Try not to roast this off, K?  You can go through walls, I think it’s safe to assume you can slip out of a coat like anyone else?”

Lewis noted that the coat was still much larger than he needed it, but even without it zipped up the tight leather hugged close to his sides and there was nothing that could be done about the ribs.  “It’s fashionable,” Lewis says.  “I love it.”  Vivi straightened up the collars and patted the pockets over before zipping it up.

“Arthur’s not back yet?” she asked, as she turns to check around the open parking lot.  A few travelers were out fueling their cars, and a group of kids followed a taller man into the front of the store.  Of a blonde haired young man and a white and black dog, no sign thereof.

Lewis shuffled aside over the asphalt as Vivi pushed by to crawl into the vans back.  As she rummaged around, Lewis fiddled with the locket beneath the thick black pocket of his jacket. The jacket looked awful zipped up as it was to his crisp white collar, but it looked twice as awkward if his suit was showing underneath.  He made mental note to not let this go and maybe remedy it later, as if he had a choice.

“When did Arthur and Mystery become so close?” Lewis asked, in way to distract himself.  He gave up on the locket for now, and peered into the vans interior as Vivi slid the ice chest out.  The ice box was heavy with water so Lewis hefted it out and carried it to the side of the parking lot where the grass tore through the eroded concrete in desperate yellow clumps.  “You were the one that found him.”

Vivi nodded, and bounced up to sit on one of the cement poles that bordered the road around the convenience mart.  “I sometimes wonder myself,” she said, with a sigh.  When was it exactly, she tried to recall but those memories were dim and painful.  A crashing, whirling blur when the world was engulfed in dry brittle scabs, and so many tears dried into shoulders and bed sheets.  She remember the smell of the hospital clearly, anesthetic and the tinge of rot.  For a long time Vivi had accepted that the smell was saturated into Arthur’s soul, and no amount of washing would cleanse it off.  Some days it was hard to get off to see him, and she made excuses not to visit.  It was horrible of her.  But she defended by convincing herself she didn’t know what to do, her presence was damaging to Arthur in some way.  She thought Arthur had hated her for making him go into the cave.

Vivi coughed as she swallowed.  “For a long time he was really low,” she said, her voice rasped.  “I thought it was his arm, at least, that’s what the doctors always said.  I believed them.”  Vivi shrugged.  She moved off the cement pole, as Lewis lifted the drained ice chest and shook the container to remove excess water as he began walking with her across the parking lot.  “It’s was awful.  For a while Mystery was gone, just disappeared.”  Vivi wrapped her arms across her chest and shivered, her voice lowered.  “I thought that’s what he meant.  He would mumble in his sleep.”  Lewis stood with Vivi beside the van, ice chest slumped in his arms.  “He would say, ‘He’s gone Vi.  He’s gone.  I’m sorry, god I’m sorry.’  And I knew it was the delirium, he was upset I’d lost my dog.  We left Mystery in the cave and he was dead, and Arthur was apologizing for killing my dog while he lay in a bed half dead, arm ripped off, brain drowned in cocktail of morphine and antidepressants.  I was so fucking stupid.”  Vivi lowered her head down into her sweater and knit her fingers deep into the fiber of her sweater.

Lewis set the ice box down on the asphalt and grabbed Vivi by her shoulders when she began to sway.  “Easy, mi arandano,” Lewis hummed, and pulled her around to sit on the ice box.  He knelt in front of her and kept his hands clasped to her shoulders.  “Don’t tell me about it.  I don’t need to know anymore if this is going to hurt you.”

“I wanna tell you,” Vivi murmured.  She shut her eyes tightly and fought back the tears, but a few managed their freedom.  “You and Arthur never want to talk about it, but I do.  I need to.  You weren’t there!  So you never saw him go through that.  I wasn’t even hardly there for him.”  She sniffled and wiped at her eyes with the blue sleeve of her sweater.  “I gave up on Mystery,” she said, voice cracking in her throat.  “And I was giving up on Arthur. Each time I saw him, it seemed like I was losing more of him.  I thought the less I visited him, the less he’d waste away.  It’s stupid to think that, I know.”

“It’s not stupid,” Lewis said.  His sunglasses slipped too low on his face but he didn’t bother to fix them.  He instead rubbed her shoulders, edging small coils of warmth into her trembling arms.

“One day I was visiting Art,” Vivi said.  She reached out and fumbled with the collar of Lewis’ new jacket, and snapped off one of the tags still dangling there.  The jacket itself looked fine on him, but his collar….  “That’s after when they let him out of the hospital, he wasn’t on suicide watch anymore.”  Vivi swallowed when the words leapt from her.  “I was ready to start shoving food down his throat – he lost so much weight.  Everyday.  Everyday he,” Vivi paused as she dried more of her tears and wrestled her emotions under some semblance of control.  “Then out of nowhere, it’s Mystery.  I couldn’t believe it.  Arthur too, he had this haunted weird twisted look in his eyes, but he didn’t move.  I think if he had jumped out of bed at that point it would’ve killed him.  But there’s Mystery, somehow, I don’t care.  I don’t remember how to move and I don’t recognize him, and I can’t believe it’s him.  And Mystery hardly gives us a look, he just goes over to Arthur’s bed and set this little damp fluffy thing on his lap.”

As Lewis ponders a moment, Vivi takes another breath and exhales a hot moist breath laced with sorrow and memories she didn’t need.  She rubs at her eyes and set her arms over Lewis’ shoulders and leans on him.  “A hamster,” Lewis says.  He peers at Vivi, who is now very close to his face.  “Galaham?”

Vivi nods and manages a faint smile.  “We were horrified at first,” she admits.  “I thought Mystery had mangled the poor thing, but Arthur gave the hamster a quick look over and concluded he must’ve been born that way.  It was the most he’d spoken in weeks.”

Lewis tugs his lips into a tight smirk.  “A bittersweet ending,” he muttered.  “No wonder I couldn’t get him to bring Galahad with us.”

Vivi sniffles as she stands up from the ice box, and Lewis stands along with her.  “I think too Lance needs the company.  Helps him feel close to Art, in a way,” she said.  “But it would be hard keeping track of two pets.”  Vivi taps the ice chest with her foot, and Lewis moves to pick it up and resumes following her to the stores front.  Vivi does her best to scrub away the shreds of her sorrow but the effort is futile, only time would aid in that matter.  It amazed her how invaluable time was to them all now.

The store is divided into three sections, with the gift shop and convenient store at the forefront, a buffet to the right, and the bathrooms along with arcade section opposite to the side of the buffet.  Vivi led the way to the cold drinks and began selecting the purchases – a bag of ice, chilled drinks, and some packaged sandwiches – all went into the ice box.  While Lewis carried the ice box to the front, Vivi selected additional none chilled goods along the way.

“Are we still headed towards that cursed interstate in the mountains?” Lewis asked, as they moved along in line.  Lewis hefted the ice box onto his shoulder and balanced it there.  He noted the older woman in front of them gave him an incredulous glare before she moved forward, out of his way.  “Not that I’m scared or anything, but it could be a huge waste of time.”

“You saw the open tab labeling out the weather report,” Vivi accused, glaring up at him.  “Didn’t you?”

“I am sorry, I am done with ice for a while,” Lewis muttered.  He was going to say more but stopped prolonging the conversations and thought a moment.  It was more than just being bothered by the cold, he just didn’t want to be reminded.  He couldn’t offer Vivi his concerns, but an icy road and the rumor of numerous accident did not appeal to him either.

“You don’t like to drive on the ice,” a voice said behind them.  It was soft, but had sternness to it.  Lewis and Vivi turned to a wide man in a plaid red shirt and frayed jeans.  “That road has a bad reputation.  A lot of accidents.  People use it anyway, and don’t care.  It cuts the distance between Knoxx and Ruben by half, but the out of Towner’s don’t know how to drive on those kinda roads.”

Vivi straightened up to the man’s tall stature and his verbal cautions.  “We know,” she said.  She moved forward with Lewis as the line shuffled along.  “That’s the reason we’re headed over there.  My group’s gonna explore around, see if there’s an unnatural reason why all those wrecks are caused.”

“Aw really?” asked the man, squinting.

“Yeah,” Lewis said.  He turned away to set the ice chest on the counter and opened it up for the cashier, while Vivi dumped her foods and bags onto the glass counter top.  “Not just faulty road construction.  Paranormal means.  Weird energy, optical illusion roads.”  He shrugged, and tilts around to address the friendly face of the man.  “Who knows, maybe there’s a vengeful ghost hanging around?”  The larger man slapped a hand onto Lewis’ back, and Lewis nearly lost his sunglasses when he jerked under the playful pat.

“You’re ghost hunters then?” the man said, chuckling in his throat.  “How’s that working for you?”

“We’ve had worse,” Lewis says.  When Vivi collected the change, Lewis hurriedly packed up the ice box and moves aside to allow the friendly man on by.

“Hold up a second,” the man said.  He set a bag of jerky and a water bottle on the counter, and asked for a tin of tobacco.  “I know a place ‘round nearby you might want to look at.  Unless you’re in a hurry.”

Vivi shared a look with Lewis as they pause by the newspaper rack beside the glass doors of the stores entrance.  “Well,” Vivi said, doubtfully, “we don’t just check out random places because of local rumors.  There kind of has to be a lot of attention….”  She trailed off, as the man in plaid pockets his purchases stepped closer to her and Lewis.  He ripped open the bag of jerky and offers Vivi a piece, which she takes because they haven’t stopped for lunch yet and this run saw that they picked up snacks to remedy this.  Lewis waves off the food offer, and the man dumps out a piece of jerky into his large, rough palm.

“Well, I am sorry to hear that,” the man grumbled.  “The people that own the place didn’t want a lot of publicity.  They have their own reasons.”  He nods.  Lewis and Vivi move aside as people stroll by and out the sliding doors, a gust of cool air sweeps in at their backs.  “But trust me, this place is haunted.  Or something’s there, something evil.”

“Evil?” Vivi questions, frowning.  “That’s a heavy claim.  And they don’t want publication, help?  Do the owners even believe their home could be haunted, or is it just a local rumor?”

The man nods, and chews a bit on his jerky piece.  “They believe,” he says.  “They just don’t want word to get out, because then they’d have ghost hunters like you people by the place, but I think they could use some help.  See, I told them I’d never post about the incident, but I never said nothin’ about sending people their way.  Just don’t tell them I sent you.”  He takes a bite of the jerky and chews.

“We won’t,” Lewis confides.  Meanwhile, Vivi stuffs the whole jerky piece in her mouth and struggles to chew it.  “So, what’s this problem they have?” he asked, as Vivi nearly chokes.

__

The location given by the overly friendly man from the convenience mart left Lewis more than dubious, but Vivi had already made up her mind once they stepped out of the stores front.  They alternated giving Arthur the acquired information as he drove the long road up among the thin growth of trees and sparse clumps of brush, the road among the foliage was not old or forgotten, but pristine and new.  A few vehicles did pass the van as it chugged on its way up, winding around narrow roads among the mountains, and slipping into the low bobbing hills that ruled the terra firma.

“Are you sure this is the right way?” Arthur asked, every few minutes as he peered through the amber windshield of the van.  In the middle seat beside Arthur sat Vivi, laptop on her lap and a few tabs still open since the time they had departed the convenience mart.  She held a sheet of paper with horrible handwriting on its white page, with lines and tiny writing to identify specific landmarks.

“Yep,” Vivi says, as she compares the ‘map’ to the bird eye views she had uploaded.  “We should be reaching a… ah.”  She set the laptop aside, by Mystery curled up in the passenger seat.  “You put in a code to open the gate.”

“I know,” Arthur muttered, as he guides the vans window up beside the small keypad beside the road.  A wall extended across the road, a short distance before them to either side of the thin tree growth, its décor sandy red brick.  There was no way to drive around.  “Did he give us a code?”

“One-three-nine-three-six-five-three,” Vivi answered.  She heard the distinct chime of the code buttons as Arthur punched away, then a low buzz as the black steel gate between the red brick ahead of them swung open.  “You doing okay back there, Lew?”  Viv leaned up over her seat to check the darkened interior of the vans back.  She swayed, gripping the seat at her side as Arthur applied gas and guides their transportation through the open gate.

“Fine,” the voice echoed, cutting over the interior of the metal walls.  “Just peachy.”  Vivi undid her seatbelt in order to turn around more comfortably and check on Lewis, who had lain down along the side of the vans wall facing the inner edge, his arms were wrapped tight over his jacket.  His skull lay just in the inner side of his white collar and appeared positively inert from the angle Vivi was watching him from.

“We’re almost there,” Vivi said, as she slipped back into her seat.  “If you plan to go in with us.”

There came a short beat.  The van rolled along the smooth road between large homes built up and on miniature plateaus, with wild landscape and sparse cultivated foliage among the esteem neighborhood design.  Each home was unique and bore similarities to rustic wood cabins with dark timber outer walls and spaces of grainy stone work.

Arthur winced when he picked up the soft movement in the back.  “What was that address, again?” he asked, quick to cover up the sudden drop in his voice.

“Looks like it’s on the furthest side,” Vivi responds, again with the little ratty piece of paper in her hand.  She looked up as Lewis peered over the bench seat.  “Take this road here, and keep driving.”  Vivi looked up at Lewis.  “We’re you asleep?”

“Nope,” Lewis hummed.  He slipped the sunglasses on and focused, assuring his nonphysical sense that he was maintaining his visible appearance under the jacket.  Lewis leaned up over Arthur’s head to catch the sight of himself in the mirror before he settled back behind the seat and watched as they rolled through a bend in the road.  “S’that the place?”

Vivi and Arthur muttered to each other, Vivi turned the paper around and pointed to the marks.  “I think so,” she said, and looked up to the large home now rising into view.  “Big house, huh?”

It wasn’t a house.  It was a regal estate.  A tall wall of red brick guarded the grounds, with a large black gate embedded in one side of the rocky wall.  Down a ways from the larger gate, sat a smaller gate facing a semicircular sandstone driveway, situated off the main road that encircled the rest of the neighborhood; the guest entrance, most likely.  Saplings dominated the yard, and a few of the larger trees had been left intact just beyond the main grounds of the modified landscape.

“Feels kind of like deja’vu,” Arthur said, as he leaned over the steering wheel.  “Where should I park?”  Vivi indicated to the side parking, beside the sandstone gate.  Arthur kills the engine and leans back in his seat, as Vivi rummages around on the floorboard and collects her provision bag.  “Maybe I should stick out here for once.  In case the police show up.”  He winced when Lewis flicked a finger at his good shoulder.

“C’mon,” Lewis encouraged.  “If anything, they might tell us an interesting story.”  Lewis ducked out of sight, and the harsh screech of the backdoors ignited as Lewis forced one door open.  Arthur sighed, reminding himself to oil the gear if they ever got back.  But he went along, and slipped out from the driver side door.

Once Vivi had roused Mystery and the van doors were locked, the group entered through the guest entrance in the smaller steel gate and moved up the long path to the front doors of the estate.  The path was designed with large sections of rough dark stone, with gravel among the gaps.  Vivi focused a bit on the sounds of their feet scraping over the gritty surface and Mystery claws tapping, the shuffle-scraping only ending when they reached the large entrance doors.  To either side of the front patio, large pillars of wood rose up to the high ceiling of the underside of the patio.  It took a few seconds for Vivi to find the doorbell hidden beside the doorframe, where Arthur indicated it.

“Have we thought about what we’re going to say?” Lewis asked.

Vivi shrugged, her rapid movement caused the items within her bag to crinkle.  “We’ll just wing it.  That’s a plan,” she said.

“A plan designed to fail,” Arthur muttered.  He kept behind Lewis, before drifting to stand near Vivi and Mystery.  He straightened up at Vivi’s motion, when the large front doors opened and a man revealed himself there in the threshold.  An older man, with a red tinged hair and a mustache.  He appeared in good health, lean but strong, a man of discipline or too much time on his hands.  He peered at the group quizzically, before he spoke:

“If you’re here to sell something—”

“Oh no!” Vivi gasped, amused but not offended.  “Ah… we heard you were having some… problems with an entity.  A hostile spirit, or something unwanted in your home.  If this is all false, let us know now and we’ll leave.”  Vivi waved her hands with exaggeration, fearing the sudden denial that was working in the man’s visage.  “But we’re a group dedicated to the paranormal, and we have methods for helping people deal with unwanted supernatural entities.”  Her speech slowed down as she continued, gaping at the taller man as he stared her down.  “We’re here to help and learn, we won’t bring unwanted attention to your home, and our services are free of charge.  I assure you.”

Vivi stepped back into Arthur as the man pushed the door open all the way and leaned onto the rich wood frame.  The interior of the home was large and reflected much of the pseudo natural details of the homes exterior.  Soft beige tile floors, a long rug in the main hall, walls splotched with ‘artistic’ paint texture, and deep gray light fixtures adhered to the walls between doorways and along the upper walls.

“Who sent you?” the man asked.  Somewhere beyond the hall a female voice called, but the words were cut off by the walls.  “Just a moment Harriet,” the man called back.

“No one sent us,” Lewis said.  “A guy from the city got wind we were ghost investigators, so he told us about your place if we were interested.  He made it clear you didn’t want any attention brought your way, but he managed to catch us while we were leaving.”  Lewis looked to Vivi, and Vivi pulled the corner of her mouth back into a sort of humorless smirk.  The man looked down at the dog, as Vivi went on:

“We also do debunking,” she said.  “Trying to understand if the activity in a home is paranormal, or can be explained by everyday occurrences.  We don’t actually know yet if your home is haunted, but we’d like to find out if it’s true and maybe help?  We also have contact information of the college we work and researching with, if you want to verify us.”

The man looks back to her, biting his upper lip as he ponders.  Finally, he pushed away from the door and extends his hand.  “Come in then.  I’m Sanders by the way.  Sanders McHiggin.”  Sanders shakes hands with each member of the group as they give their names.  He stops when Mystery steps up, reared on his back legs with a paw outstretched up to Sanders.

“That’s Mystery,” Vivi says, pointing to the dog.  “He helps with our investigations.”

After shaking Mystery’s paw, Sanders shuts the doors and leads the group the main hall and into the foyer.  Steps lead up to a balcony and to the higher floors, a chandelier dangles above the first landing of the stairs, and above sun windows allow the bright light of late noon to fall over the carpet of the floor stretched across the room.  “I didn’t want any of this story to get out,” Sanders said, as he leads the group into another doorway off from the foyer.  It was a living area with armchairs, a large table with a cloth over it mid center of the room and a chandelier hanging down.  “It’s bad for business.  Bad for publicity.  You can assure me none of this is going to go public?  I warn you now I’ll press charges, kids or not.”

“It’s part of our strict policy.  It assures the protection of the rights of those involved with our investigations, whether it be you or your ‘guests,’” Vivi did air quotes, and folds her hands over in front of her waist.  “What about some pictures?  Can I take pictures, I use them to identify a presence that doesn’t want to be seen.”  She was already grabbing for her bag, when she spied Sanders shaking his head.

“The architect of my home is revolutionary style,” said Sanders, still shaking his head with his mustache pulled into a grimace.  “Please be respectful of my wishes.”

“I will,” Vivi sighed.  Sanders gestured them to sit in the armchairs set around the table, and the group does.  Mystery leaps up and squeezes in beside Vivi and she scoots over as he settles to lay down over her thighs.  Mystery looks to Lewis, and Lewis tenses before he folds and moves to the chair beside Arthur.  The short exchange is missed by Vivi as she rubbed Mystery’s head, before addressing Sanders seated across from her.  “Can you describe the activity that’s been bothering you?  Your family?”

Sanders slouched back in his chair, and gestured his open palm to Vivi.  “Where do I start?  I’m not exactly sure what warrants your interest?” he trailed off, and set his hand back upon the arm of his chair and rubbed his fingers on the velvety fabric.  “I think it started with the noises.”

The recount took a little more than an hour.  For the first thirty minutes a member of the family would come into the social room and check out the visitors of their father/husband.  It was a wife and two teens, and a teen in progress.  After Vivi had written down some of the preliminary activity (in one of her trusty beaten up notebooks), and requested if it was all right by Mr. McHiggin if he could show them around, describe the activity in detail in what areas where it occurred.  Sander’s agreed and led the Mystery Skulls around his luxurious home.  Most the sounds Sanders noted came from the walls or the floors above, where no one would be normally if the family was out.

“It gets creepy when you’re home alone,” Sander’s noted to Arthur, as they stood side by side as Lewis and Vivi inspected a ‘small’ closet.  “The kids will be off doing their thing, and my wife has clubs and I’ll be home trying to read and those noises start up.”

The noises were scratching and a lot of banging, sometimes loud thudding.

“I used to call out people all the time,” Sanders went on.  The group had located to one of the upper rooms, a family bar with popcorn machine on the counter behind the granite countertop and various sweet drinks and colorful bottles for punch martinis.  The story with the room went that the McHiggin would be enjoying some together time, sometimes a few friends of the kids were brought over, and midway during activities an awful smell would fill the room.  Horrible odors had become a theme after the sounds, and though the sounds were frightening and obnoxious on their own, the grotesque odor was more so.  “They’d give me an entire list of possible causes, practically tear the house apart looking for the origins, and find nothing.”

A sink was behind the main bar, and Lewis had opened up the pantry beneath it to check the pipes.  Everything was practically brand new but Sanders had made constant remark of how recent his home was and it shouldn’t be having these kind of problems.  Sanders was stuck on traditional hauntings, Lewis noted.  But that didn’t mean a newer home couldn’t be haunted.

“I know what sulfide smells like,” Sanders said.  He watched as Arthur and Mystery poke around the side of the bar.  “The house smelled like it for a while when the plumbing was first installed.  Some homes are like that, and you just have to let it run out of the pipes.  Eventually, it does.”

“Where does the smell usually come from?” Arthur inquires, as he peers down at a vent beside the bar.  Mystery had leaned in low to sniff at the grate, but inside it Arthur shined his penlight he could see nothing, nothing save for the pristine silver metal.

“The bar,” Sanders answered.  “That vent there.  Once, a cat did get stuck in a vent during construction.  And this happened in the winter time so we didn’t know about it until summer when it began to warm up.  Yeah.  It smelt worse than that.”

Mystery whined.  That was really a terrible story.  He nuzzled Arthur’s fingers as his companion gave his face a consoling stroke.

While Mr. McHiggin moved to address Vivi and more of her questions, Arthur stood up from behind the bar and called Lewis over.  “The sediments in this area could make variations of odors in the pipes,” Arthur began, as Lewis stood behind the other side of the bar.  “Even if they do have filters on water, the smell can still come up from the drains.  It could be coming from the drains.”

“But it’s never come from the bathrooms,” Lewis reasoned.  “And that should be where this smell comes from, right?  It’d be kind of tricky if a selective cloud of smell just sort of wanders through the rooms.”

Arthur nodded.  “You can get pockets of smell,” he said, insisting.  “It depends on air currents and where the odor comes from.”  He stumbled back when Mystery squeezed between his legs, to get around Arthur to Vivi and Mr. McHiggin.  Arthur barked after the dog, cautioning Mystery to be more careful.

“We’ll wait and see,” Lewis said.  “We can’t really judge this occurrence until we experience it, so it just remains an unconfirmed rumor.”  Lewis turned back to the sink and turned the tap on, he peered down into the drain as the water swirled down into the little grate.

Next was a hall, where the family members had seen the creature.  The apparition was described as a large wolf, as big as a bear at least, and the hall they currently stood within was not small but it had no trouble filling the sides with its shoulders.  Sanders admitted he hadn’t seen it, so when his youngest son had emerged from his room, Sanders called him over to recount the incident.

“I don’t like to talk about it,” the youth, Alex admitted.  He was a miniature version of his father, scrawnier with longer red hair settled over his ears and forehead.  “It scared the piss out of me, and now at night I sleep with my brother.  My dad doesn’t believe me.”  He looked to McHiggin senior, and the older man laugher with an awkward cough.

“I never said that,” defends Sanders.  “But your story was sensational, and you were hysterical that night.”

Vivi gave Arthur a side glance, then turned to Sanders.  “Can we speak to your son a bit, alone?” Vivi asks.  “If you’re comfortable with that?”  She indicated senior and junior McHiggin with her fists, one hand held the notebook while the other clasped a pen.

With some reluctance, Mr. McHiggin left his son to recount the story.  “I’ll be in the entertainment room,” Sanders said.  He pat his son on the shoulder as he strolled to the end of the hall and vanished around the corner.

The incident occurred three weeks ago, give or take.  It was a week night and Alex admitted he hadn’t been able to sleep, but Lewis suspected he may have been entertained by personal activities while the household was quiet.  The hall was the youth’s wing of the estate and Alex did confirm that one room was for video games and movies, while another was for exercising.  Each of his siblings had personal computers in their rooms.

Alex left his room that night to investigate some obnoxious sound.  It was well past midnight, and Alex suspected his brother or sister was creating the ruckus and would alert their parents.  For some reason the light in the hall didn’t work, which annoyed Alex more than alarmed, he wasn’t afraid of the dark but they had reoccurring problems with the electricity lately and every time they called a repairman out, the problem had resolved itself.  In the meantime, the electrician would cut power to certain areas of the home, and that interfered with the internet.

“I came out of my room and turned to go down the hall,” Alex said, as he indicated the area of the hall he’d been facing.  He shuddered and stuffed his hands into his jean pockets.  Lewis stepped by, Mystery followed his footsteps as Lewis glanced over the walls and doors that had been fitted into the hall.  “Light comes from the end of the hall, from the windows above the staircase.  I couldn’t make it out, but I could see it was huge.”  Alex’s eyes got big as he opened up his arms, pantomiming the size of the monster.  “And its eyes glowed, and I could hear it breathing.  I’m not making this up.”

Vivi quickly scratched down her notes and turned her attention back to the taller, young man.  “We know you’re not,” she assured.  “Did it rush at you, make any violent movements?  Or did it just manifest and stand there.”

Arthur looked up from her notebook and swallowed.  Huge fucking bear/wolf.  He could hardly wait.

Alex concluded his account, explaining the thing was only scary but it felt malevolent and it had begun to move in his direction.  Slowly.  Alex had locked his door and shoved his bed up against the door and slept in his closet that night.  Afterwards, Alex persisted to share the room with his older brother, Peter.

Peter didn’t believe the account, but sympathized with his brother’s fear and never turned him away when Alex came to his room early in the night.  But Peter had nothing else to say to the Mystery skulls group and kept scarce from their investigations.  Vivi suggested they find Mr. McHiggin and see what else he had for them.

Quite possibly the most intriguing bit of information regarding the whole haunting, was the pool that had been left in the beginning stages of construction.  Mr. McHiggin explained that the pool was to be indoor and connected to the sun room of the estate and went into elaborate detail about the design of the pools large room and the shutters, and on and on.  Lewis found the construction difficult to imagine in its current stage, as it was only a large hole in the soil with the excavated dirt piled back from the sight to allow further freedom for the workers to maneuver around.  From the appearance of the large sand mounds and dried out roots that had been shoveled aside by the bulldozers, Lewis could estimate that it had been more than a month since progress of the pool had ceased.

Poor Vivi was left on the top soil with Mr. McHiggin, while Lewis, Arthur, and Mystery dropped down into the soft sandy bottom of the pit to look around.  Walls built of two by fours and plywood had been nailed up to prevent the sides of the loose soil from caving in, and dried river trails decorated what sandy walls were exposed, etched down into sloping pit. Tarps had been hung up and some sandbags left around to protect what progress was made before the pool was abandoned altogether.  Lewis thumbed the ratty pieces of a canvas wall as he checked the sediment behind walls for evidence of soil distortions, or missed artifacts that may had been overlooked during the excavation.

“Remember that one movie you and Vi made me watch?” Arthur asked.  He kicked at the base of the earthy wall and watched the dirt sift down over the toe of his shoe.  “The one where they lived in that house and started digging a pool, and it turns out—”

“What is with you and recounting all the horror movies you willingly watched with us?” Lewis muttered.  He turned to Arthur and crossed his arms over the black jacket stretched over his chest.  Arthur looked afflicted by the comment or the tone Lewis used, and turns away.  Mystery scampered over to Arthur’s feet and paced around his knees, staring up at the blonde as Arthur adjusted his amber vest.  “I was thinking the same thing,” Lewis said.  He averted his gaze from Arthur and looked back to the tarp and the side of the pool behind it carved with the thin river lines.  “About the pool.  It falls in with renovations on a home?  Or digging in sacred ground and disturbing the spirits resting there.  The story that movie was based on was inspired by true events.”  Lewis checked the tone of his voice, trying to keep its echo warm.

“Oh, yeah,” Arthur said.  He moved to walk away, but Mystery had sprung up into his shins then darted away.  Mystery did this odd lunge and retreat, panting and returning to Arthur and trotting around his companion with his doggy smile stretched wide over his snout.  Arthur made no comment to the dog, and Lewis only glanced between the two as Mystery continued his playful antics.  “The soil smells weird,” Arthur said.  “I don’t know if you can pick it up, y’know…. Anyway, it does, if you didn’t notice.  Like metal.  The geography for the region didn’t mention anything about ore sediments.”  Arthur’s voice shrank as he moved away, Mystery keeping pace with him as Arthur hiked past Lewis and up the slope of the pool, to the shallower section.  Mr. McHiggin was still talking, but the conversation sounded nearer to their current subject of interest.

“Do you believe you’re group can remove this… thing?” Sanders asked.  He stood a few feet from the edge of the pool, hand over his brow to shield from the strong rays of the sun falling over them.

“We’ll see what we can do,” Vivi said.  She began flipping through the pages of the notebook, checking earlier notes she had taken of more specific paranormal activity.  “If it turns out we lack the tools, then we can give you the number of our college and they can find someone to help.  A priest or some demon hunter.”

“Demon hunter?” Sanders exclaimed.

Vivi nodded as she propped the notebook on her palm and wrote into one of the pages.  “Mostly they go around blessing places, expunging hostile energy in homes – not as action packed as it sounds.”

“The name certainly sounds exciting,” said Sanders, with a smirk spreading under his mustache.  “I hope you can do the job though, since you made the trip here.  And….”

Vivi smirked and finished for him, “—And you can stay under the radar.  Anonymity is taken very seriously.”  Before Vivi could speak further, loud snarling and barks came from the pools pit.  She and Sanders whirled to where Arthur stood, now atop the pools side where they stood.  Arthur gave them a wide eyed look, he was taken by as much surprise as they were, and glimpsed over the side of the pool where Lewis and Mystery were.  “What happened?” Vivi nearly screamed.

Lewis had his hands out and was standing back from Mystery, where the dog had planted his feet in the soil and turned his teeth to Lewis.  Mystery was firmly set glaring at his companion, teeth bared and deep growls rolling in his chest.  Sanders muttered something neither of the group managed to perceive, while Mystery snarled and glanced from Lewis to the edge of the pool where Arthur stood.  When it was apparent Lewis had backed off, Mystery returned to the side of the pool, the lowest edge of the entire perimeter, and tried to leap up.  Mystery’s claws caught the loose soil and the dog could haul his body up, but his weight coupled with the loose soil sent him tumbling back down.

“I don’t know,” Lewis said, his dark eyes wide behind the sunglasses.  “I was trying to help him out.  He’s never acted this way before, he—” Lewis’ sputtering dimmed as he recalled, a time when Mystery had behaved like this toward him.  And the dog had turned and ran away.

Once again Mystery threw his body up as high as he could muster and clawed at the sandy edge and nearly fell backwards, had Arthur not lashed forward and taken Mystery by his chocolate paws.  Mystery scrambled up to join his companions, and Arthur hauled Mystery the rest of the way, his metal hand gripping the red collar in the process of dragging the dog up.

The vacant expression that crossed Lewis’ face was not missed by Vivi.  When Lewis met her eyes she had that same resolute determination locked on her face, the same glower she had that night when she placed herself between Lewis and Arthur.  “Lew, dear.  We’ll talk later.”  Vivi cleared her throat and turned to the befuddled Mr. McHiggin and forced a grim smile.  “I’m sorry about that.  For some reason Mystery doesn’t like his new jacket.  Real leather, very expensive.  Dogs are weird like that.”

Mystery padded between Vivi and Arthur, he turned his snout up and gave a low groan in the back of his throat.  I am Not shallow, don’t make me look bad in front of the client!  He snuffed at the air and gave his hide a shake, before he plodded off to check some of the foundation work left half-finished around the pools edge.

Arthur remained squatted beside the pool watching the direction Mystery wandered off into, and waited as Vivi and Sanders began to step away back towards the plastic coated and partially demolished side of the estate.  As Lewis glides up to stand beside Arthur, Arthur rose to his feet and leaned towards Lewis.  “What’d you do?”

A low rasping shrill came from Lewis, deep in his chest if Arthur was to judge.  Arthur took a wide step away as Lewis whirled his face to him, his skin dimming over the bleached skull beneath but the face maintained its solidity.  Arthur would have been impressed, if Lewis eyes’ didn’t look so piercing through the shades.  “I didn’t do anything.”  It came as more of a hiss and whistle than a voice, and it took Arthur a moment to decode the sound as Lewis stormed off in Vivi’s direction, pink flames flickering at his heels.

Arthur let out a lungful of stale air he had been holding, and reached his flesh hand up to rub at his aching shoulder.

There were a few final bases to cover, before the group took leave of the McHiggin household for the remainder of the evening.  They had ample time to go over supplies and discuss probable remedies and logical explanations for the activity in the house.  Aside from third party accounts recounted by Sanders McHiggin, only Alex and his older sister Rachel McHiggin had seen the creature.  Paranoia was a factor to consider, and any sum of oozing shadows mingled with the rancid odor, whatever its origins, could account for witnessing a ‘monster’ in a dark hall.  During the time spent in the van preparing for the night, none of the Mystery Skulls members spoke much to each other, that didn’t reflect the current case of interest.  Arthur provided logical insight, Lewis gave his opinions, and Vivi used the laptop to make notes and assemble a strategy based on their findings and reported experiences.  Mystery had stayed outside the van and as far as Vivi knew, he had taken a walk around the estates grounds.

“Don’t go too far off,” Vivi had called after the dog, when he had padded off past the open driver side door in silence.  Vivi stayed slumped in the front seat, her legs slung up over the backseat, which allowed the sun to hit the screen of the laptop on her chest at full force.  Vivi couldn’t understand how Arthur managed to sleep in the front seat, but she knew it was the most soothing method he had come by to sleep soundly whenever they stopped to rest.  “We’ll try some holy water,” she said, fingers tapping swiftly over the keys of the computer with rapid ticks.  “And the iron letter openers.  If it is some sort of fairy entity, iron should dissuade it if one of us gets in a bind.  But Mr. McHiggin did say it was none violent.  I dunno if he knew what he was talking about.”

“How about some salt?” Lewis asked.  He took the two letter openers from a side cuvee in the wall of the van and looked at them in his hands.  They didn’t bother him, which was a ligament concern he had had.  “Just in case?”

Vivi nodded, though Lewis couldn’t see it.  “Better safe than sorry,” she said.  “Little salt never hurt no one.  “Until we see this thing, I think that’ll be our best course.  It doesn’t sound too complex though.”

Lewis moved to the back of the van where Arthur sat, jolted, when Lewis moved up behind him.  Lewis handed over the makeshift knives, and Arthur stuffed one into the waist ban of his jeans and tucked the second one into a backpack.  “Vi,” Lewis said, as he turned from Arthur.  Lewis didn’t want to see Arthur’s pitying gaze, as he spun around to face the front of the van.  Lewis pulled his sunglasses off and gazed at the top of Vivi’s blue head through the shaded interior of the van.  “About earlier.  I… uh, about Mystery.”  Lewis stumbled over his words, and struggled to keep his gaze from slipping behind him, back to Arthur.  The locket on Lewis chest quivered, and Lewis was unsure if he could say anything to bring to light of what had happened and maybe why.  He looked up to where Vivi’s legs hung over the bench seat, one of her pale blue stockings had a thin rip along the side and some blackened smudges.  “Try and hear me—”

“Lew.”  Lewis sputtered, his face dimming and briefly the skull was fully visible for a moment – skin gone, neck vacant, before Lewis recovered.  Vivi pulled herself up to sit backwards in the seat on her knees and faced him, the laptop was set aside.  “I don’t want to talk about it right now.  And I don’t want to hear what you have to say,” she said, raising her hand when Lewis was about to huff out more words.  Vivi lowered her head behind the seat and rested her ear against the covering.  She could picture that hurt look on Lewis face, his dark eye sockets and the pink glow of those ember eyes within.  Vivi spoke into the seats back, “I just want you to know I trust you.  So… take some time and think about what you need to tell me.  I’ll listen.  Whatever it is, I’ll listen to you first.”  Her fingers gripped her skirt tightly, and she didn’t want to think of the worst.  She didn’t want to think that Mystery hated Lewis, and she may never know why.

There was a small space of quiet.  A soft clicking sound, some noise made by the metal of Arthur’s arm as he fumbled with the zipper of the backpack.  Then a scuffling and the faint scrap of ‘feet’ pacing away.  Viv sunk down on the driver seat a little more and debated on moving back or staying where she was.  Where had Lewis gone to?

“Oh hey, how’s it going?”  To the new voice, chipper and male, Vivi snapped her head up.  She whipped her gaze to Arthur, still seated in the back of the van and staring at her with that same wide eyed gape.

“Hey,” Lewis said.  He raised his head as he fixed his glasses.  No sooner were his shades in place, did Arthur and Vivi come pouring out of the vans open doors.  He looked from Vivi then turned Arthur’s way with no vocal response, just turned the edges of his mouth down.  He introduced Vivi and Arthur with as little to no emotion as he could muster, then faced the man before him.  “We have a gig here.  You are?”  He shook hands with the stranger.

“Trevor,” said the man.  “Trevon, but I like Trevor better.”  Trevor was casually dressed in white khakis, a white shirt, and his hair was platinum champagne or some wild bleached color of canary yellow.  The long sleeves of his shirt came down his arms and the buttons of his long sleeves wrists were undone.  “These guys lasso you into some bogus job?  I’d get going while you’re ahead.”  Trevor thumbed over his shoulder, back to his van on the opposite side of the large parking road.  “Let’s say it isn’t safe here.”

“We know,” Vivi announced.  She stepped towards Trevor and folded her arms behind her back as she peered up at him.  “That’s why we’re here.  I take it you heard the rumors too?”

Trevor laughs, he laughs like he was told this awful joke that he came up with and still hated it when people repeated it.  “Unfortunately,” he wheezed, before he gained some control over his breathing.  “My group was the first to experience the weirdness.  In fact,” he gestured to the front of the home, beyond the Mystery Skulls van behind the group.  “I was collaborating with the landscape group digging out for the pool.  Sanders tell you all the spiffy additions he wanted?  That guy, he knows what he wants.”

Vivi blinked.  “You mean to tell me, when the pool was first being dug out?” she asked, nearly incredulous.  Vivi stepped back as Lewis walked by, toward the open driver side door.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” answered Trevor.  “Everything was fine when we started.  The landscapers, when they first began to dig – I was just around to rework the electrics of the house, since my company was the one that wired the place.  Nice house, but these big places don’t pay right enough, they only look good in a resume.”  Trevor chuckled and rubbed his hands together as if to warm them.  “Sorry.  What was I saying?”

“The pool?” Arthur prompted.  He leaned back against the van, behind Vivi’s shoulder.  “We kind of got that the pool was sorta the source of the problems.”  Arthur gestured with his metal arm, and he noted with some irritation that Trevor had noticed his prosthetic.

 Trevor nodded and shifted his footing on the pavement.  “Yes, we must’ve stirred something up.  Or they did, I was just rewiring that one side of the house – did he show you that mess?  Never mind.”  Trevor shook his head.  “Yeah.  Took’em about a day and a half to get started, then everything went bad.  While we were on that side we’d get this stink, like something old and dead- but he’s probably told you?  Right.  In the house too?  Thought so.”  Trevor mirrors the nods that Vivi and Arthur give.  “Then we start seeing shadows.  A big animal, furry and sort of scabbed.  We never actually see it, but we catch a glimpse of it moving around, and always when we get a face full of that reek.  Ughh… I’ve had my share of bad rot, but that is something else.”

“In broad daylight?” Vivi asked, surprised.  Mr. McHiggin stated that workers that came by to check the homes reoccurring problems had seen it inside, during the work hours of the day, but she hadn’t thought people had seen it outside the walls of the home during the day.  Probably this activity was caused by intruders interfering with its territory.

“I don’t know,” Trevor said, and shrugged.  “The other guys, working on the pool, they left.  Took off.  Then it was my crew, and whatever gullible spleen McHiggin could drag out to his place to keep working on that damn pool.  Pardon my French.  Anyway, none of them last long.  They get wind of that hell beast, see it, and take off.  Even my guys refused to come out here, so I would just come out solo to do the work and finish up what I can until McHiggin can find someone else to make progress on the pool.”  He took a step back, as if the mansion had given him a stern look for spewing such slander.  “Now I don’t hardly come out.  Not after what happened.”  He jammed his hands into his pants pockets and maneuvered around, walking away from Vivi and Arthur.  “If you’re wise, you won’t stick around either.”

“What happened to you?” Vivi asked, twisting around to follow Trevor’s stroll.  “Can you… talk about it?”

Trevor paused in front of the van, a few yards from the entrance of the gate to the McHiggin estate.  He glanced towards the path to the large front doors, then back to Vivi and Arthur now waiting and watching curiously beside the grill of the van.  He sighed, and took a half step to them.  “I was working late one day, my last day,” he whispered, and moved in closer as Vivi tilts her head towards him.

__

Twilight, early fall when the days were still long enough but growing shorter by the weeks that ran by on the many busy, blurred days.  Trevor stood in the quiet of the orange sun as he twisted wires and capped the raw ends with the bright bobs, then tucked the tidy ends back into the open breaker box in the wall.  He had to put in long hours alone at the McHiggin estate, if he wanted to keep his workers and the other jobs around the city.  It was too much work for one person but he had no choice, he could only curse under his breath and maintain his minimal focus on rewiring the outlets along the wall and avoid burning his palms too badly.

The plastic pinned over the ruined walls, torn out to make ready for the extension of the home and the one day completed indoor pool, crinkle in the soft breeze.  It was spooky, with the location being as isolated in the way these big houses were up in the exclusive neighbors away from the ruffians and common folk.  Trevor was a city boy and he didn’t like visiting the woods, but he supposed people liked this sort of thing if they could afford it.  The novelty of independence.

He began coughing when he got a nose full of that stink.  A thick salty fog that hovered around his head, and swelled down into the back of his throat.  “Oh god,” Trevor gagged, as he released the wall panel and let it fall.  He shoved his gritty palms over his nose and turned around, his eyes searched around as he tried to constrict his breathing.  Where was it coming from?  The air was so still, it couldn’t be a carcass.  It had to be the plumbing.

At his back, towards the side of the pools many shoveled hills, he heard a low scratching.  Not a scratching he realized as he listened, but a throaty snarl.  Trevor turns, expecting some stray dog or a wolf, he does not expect the monster that is poised between the mounds of earth.  He tried to make a sound, he chokes out a soft moan, but he could not raise his voice to save his life.  The big thing, the hell beast, began towards the petrified mortal.

__

Arthur stared at the bandage wrapped around Trevor’s lower arm.  It was fresh gauze wrapped tightly with metal pins in place to secure the cover, the faint tinge of red had seeped along the side.

“I didn’t think I was going to live,” Trevor says, as he pulls his sleeve back over the medical wrapping.  “I blacked out by the door I think.  Hadn’t made it inside.  Dunno what made it release me, I must’ve had an angel watching over me that day.”  Trevor gave a lop sided grin.  “One of their kids found me later, near nightfall.  My clothing was torn up but only my arm was maimed.  Big paws prints, like some sort of bear.  They called animal control, and the whole circus came out but nothing was ever found.”  He turned away from the silent stares of Arthur and Vivi, and he moved past the front of the van and towards the large gate.  “I wouldn’t stay here,” he says, over his shoulder.  “As soon as my business is done, I am gone.”  Trevor entered the gate onto the sandstone walkway and exited their sight.

Once Vivi was certain Trevor was beyond earshot, Vivi says to Arthur, “So, it is hostile.”  Arthur moved away, returning to the back of the van.  Vivi followed.  “Wish Mr. McHiggin had warned us.”

Arthur shrugged as he moved beside the open doors.  In the driver seat sat Lewis and when Arthur raised his gaze he caught the eyes peering over the sunglasses staring into the rearview mirror.  Arthur stalled and gave a weak little wave.  Lewis was silent.  “You know how he is,” Arthur said.  Vivi climbed up into the vans back and went for her bag, where Arthur had previously been sitting and stocking supplies.  “‘I want no negative publicity, this’ll ruin me,’” Arthur grumbled, imitating a voice too deep for his meekness.  “He has a hard time finding lunatics to finish his pool.”  He nearly chortled.  He rapped the metal digits of his hand on the vans bumper, and peered up at Vivi as he tapped out a shallow tune.  “Who can blame him?  The rumors are bad.”

“Still, for our safety,” Vivi said.  She snagged her backpack and shoved it down over Arthur’s hand, to silence his sounds.  Arthur gave her a mischievous grin as he snatched his arm away and hid it behind his back.  Vivi turns from him as she pulls the straps of the backpack over her shoulders, and crouched on the short plush of the vans carpeted back.  “I can’t believe he’s still living here if the things dangerous.”

Lewis leans around in the driver’s seat, and braces his arm over the chairs back.  “It’s not like he could just uproot his family,” Lewis reasons.  “The guy might be loaded, but he’s sort of tied to the house.  Besides, he didn’t even believe that kid, Alex.”

“It still seems like—” Vivi cut off there, and smiled thinly Lewis’ way.  “Are we ready then?”

Lewis tilts his head down and makes a motion with his hand, dubious.  “Sólo dar la orden, arándano,” he rumbled.  “We’re at your beck and call.”

Vivi shuffles closer to Lewis on her knees and sets her hand upon his bleached knuckles splayed loosely on the backside of the bench seat.  “You are such a charmer, Lew.”  When Lewis’ expression fluttered, eyes dimming behind the dark purple shades, Vivi tore away and bounced out the back of the van.  “I’m STILL pissed at you, though!”

Arthur staggered back as Vivi flew by, and was nearly smacked in the chest by a rogue knee.  Arthur twisted his eyes back to Lewis, who had taken on a bright sheen of fuchsia as spirits flames sprout around the black collar of his jacket.  A crackling mist and embers flicker from Lewis neck, and the space behind the sunglasses blaze against the dusk sun still gleaming through the windows.  Arthur sprang up in place and backpedaled from the doors, before a flash of flames swiped at the ceiling of the van.  Arthur swore Lewis was breathing fire.  There was fire at his lips and in his throat when he shrieked something unintelligible, by Arthur’s impression the sound hadn’t even come out of Lewis, it leapt from the scratchy static of the radio as the van lurched into temporary life.

Vivi waited on the other side of the van casually, as Lewis had his moment.  She let her hand rest on Arthur’s bad shoulder when he joined her, and they waited in silence that followed; for the last of the sun to shrink out of sight and replace the cinnamon coated sky with violets and blues, as a multitude of glittering stars began to prick into existence above them in the dark blanket cast by the sky.

It wasn’t long after that Lewis found the nerve (or strength) to lock up the van and offer an apology to Vivi.  The apology had no definition, no origin, it was just an apology Lewis felt Vivi had warranted, and for the time she accepted it.  It was a temporary fix, but it was a start.