#stressed college student danny

[chaoswarfare]

dp x dc prompt #23

Danny gets summoned by the justice league, but he’s tired, just finished a ghost fight, missed his morning coffee, is running late on several college assignments, and has been summoned multiple times this week.

Or- Danny screams at the justice league for summoning him until someone offers to help with his rogues and homework, not that they really know what they’re offering to do. The summoning is wrapped up, the big bad is defeated, and Danny gets to go home. Too bad that one of the heroes is absolutely infatuated.

[providencehq]

Powehouse AU: aka Danny Fenton tries to be a normal college student in the midwest yet is forced to continue to be a hero in secret as ghosts won't leave him alone and soon, neither will the Justice League when he pops up as a new hero.

Additional info and art under readmore:

ANYWAYS, here is some powerhouse au information.

Danny as he grows up manages to keep the ghost situation under control to a point he isn't overly active as Phantom. He finishes highschool no problem and goes to uni over in Central City for Maths and Engineering (not an overtly big fan of the space motif and instead, I'm shoving my boy into something cooler: PLANES! He's studying specifically mechanical engineering and has plans to go to a trade school after his B.S. for A&P mechanics.)

Sam goes to Gotham State University for Ethnobotany and works in one of the unis library part time. Tucker is going to Star City College for Computer Science and a minor in archeology, he tutors part time.

Danny's main design is inspired by a combo of military and blue collar uniforms (you can also see exactly what I reference). I also couldn't decide a face mask so you get all three options.

So as Danny moves to Central City and attends uni, his rouges do sadly follow him and wreck havoc. Danny is stressed from school so he doesn't do quips as much, in fact, he's trying to get this under control as fast as possible so he can go back and study. Here's the thing, no one outside of Amityville has seen Phantom so all of the sudden what seems to be a meta? an alien? something not human? coming out and taking down rouges that, due to being ghosts, other heros struggle to contain and handle.

Speculation rises about Phantom and who he is. Danny is smart and thought this through, kinda. His costume is a modified look what he wore as a kid but he pulls in more military/uniform aspects to make it seem like he belongs to someone or some organization. That maybe somewhere in the US, an organization managed to make a hero of sorts that mimics Green Lanterns. It's just a big red herring, Danny wants them to look for someone older, probably more experienced, and a different background. Not some tired college student struggling with his studies.

Things do start to get dicey when heroes actively try to interact with him, mostly the Flash (because Central City), Superman, and the Green Lantern. Most interactions end up with Phantom not wanting to fight and fleeing or when cornered to fight, he's messy and inexperienced compared to the other heroes. He doesn't stay around and rarely even talks. It's concerning more so because the heroes aren't sure with who they're dealing with and after a few interactions, they aren't sure Phantom is on their side. Just too many questions around him.

This leads to heroes actively trying to capture and bring in Phantom. The more failed attempts that happen, the more flightly Phantom acts when they end up interrupting him capturing his rouges. They do eventually capture Phantom (thank you Superman) and that's kinda where I end on information on this AU. It's just me having fun with interactions and also designing costumes :)

ALSO DANNY IS ROMA/DIDICOY I NEED TO MENTION THAT!!! (Dick Grayson 🤝 Danny Fenton being didicoy)

[deadsetobsessions]

Sea Cryptic! Danny AU- Pt.6

[Pt.1] [Pt.2] [Pt.3] [Pt.4] [Pt.5] [Pt.7]

Danny slumped over the table at the library. He’d feel embarrassed about it if it weren’t for the rest of the floor’s occupants. Around him, students were speed running through the five stages of grief like it was going out of style.

“Fuuuuuuuuuuck.”

“Same.” Danny replied, rolling his head to look at Tim. “I’m feeling like an academic victim instead of an academic weapon right now.”

“I should have stayed dropped out of school,” Tim grumbled.

Danny gasped theatrically. “And deprive the world of your awe-inspiring genius on…” Danny peered at Tim’s books and grinned. “On… the Krebs cycle? Seriously? They’re teaching that again?”

“I know! This is like, the third time.” Tim whined.

“At least you’ll be good at it, right?”

Tim scoffed. “I’m gonna drop out of college and become a stripper.”

“They do make bank,” Danny nodded. “But aren’t you like a millionaire or something?”

Tim brightened. “Oh, you’re right. I don’t need education! I’m filthy rich!”

Danny whacked Tim on the back of the head, laughing quietly.

“Whatever. Let’s go take a break. Snacks?”

“I literally don’t know how you eat so much.”

“Snacks have a separate stomach pouch. Normal food goes one place, junk food and desserts in another.” Danny retorted, quickly packing up his stuff. In reality, he didn’t need that much food. He’s half dead, after all. But food also converts to ectoplasm in his body, and ancients knows Danny needs all the energy he could get.

They made their way out of the campus library, passing stressed out looking students on their way to a taco truck.

“Does this even count as a snack?” Tim asked, amused. He tugged on his book bag, readjusting the vigilante pins on them.

“Is the sky even blue?” Danny snarked back, forking over the cash needed for the best fucking tacos on this side of Gotham. They sat on the benches, asking for an obscene amount of extra lime and cilantro before going to town.

“Holy shit, how many of those can you eat?”

“Dunno,” Danny mumbled though a mouthful or carne asada and pico de gallo. “Hungry.”

Tim snorted, pulling out his phone to scroll as he ate. A moment later, Tim showed Danny his screen.

“Hey, you live near here, right?”

Danny, cheeks bulging with food, peered at Tim’s phone and nodded.

“Oh, cool! Have you seen the green guy around?”

Danny squinted at Tim, tilting his head as he chewed.

“You know, the glowing green guy that’s been blowing up the Gotham Bay tag.”

Oh. Tim was talking about him, Danny!

Danny nodded. He quickly ate his food and wiped his mouth before replying. “Yeah, why?”

“Does he seriously just clean up the bay? Nothing else?”

Mildly offended for some reason, Danny shrugged. “I mean yeah? He doesn’t seem to pop up near any of the shady spots- oh, I saw him save someone from a mugging in front of my apartment once! But like, I think all he does is clean the bay. Which is good, because holy heck, that place is nastyyy.”

“Seriously?” Tim leaned in, looking super interested. “So he’s friendly?”

Danny raised a brow. “Yeah, he seemed pretty nice, I guess. Though, that’s not saying much considering your Rogues tend to be pretty chill when they’re not in the middle of a scheme.”

Tim snorted. “True that. You talked to him? When? Outside of his bay cleanings, right? I’ve noticed that he only talks to the Bats during those.”

Danny stared at Tim. “Tim… are you… stalking the guy?”

What Danny really wanted to say was: “Tim, are you stalking me?”

“I’m not stalking him!” At Danny’s suspicious glare, belied by his sauce stained mouth, Tim sighed. “Okay, maybe I am. But only some minor stalking!”

“Uh-huh.”

“But if you have, you think you could introduce us? Maybe he’d want to be friends?”

Was Tim asking Danny to introduce him to… Danny himself?

“Uh. Why do you even want to meet him?”

“Danny, he’s a glowing green guy that does community service for funsies. And he knows the Bats. That’s cool.”

“And here I thought you wouldn’t know cool if it smacked you in the face.” Danny teased. Well, whatever. He might as well do something nice for Tim. “Sure. I’ll text you when he pops up and see if he’s okay with meeting you.”

Tim grinned at him, a piece of cilantro stuck in his teeth. “Thanks!”

——

Danny made a duplicate of himself and went ghost. Danny and his duplicate looked at each other and sighed.

“We’ve done stupider things.”

“But we’re still not telling Jazz.”

“Agreed.”

Danny paused. Did he just make a deal with himself? No, he’s busy.

Doppelgänger Danny went invisible and left the apartment by going through a wall. Danny followed in a sedate pace, the normal way.

Outside, he pretended to catch sight of a suddenly visible Phantom. He’d heard the heartbeats outside his apartment ever since he got home all those days ago, and he’s pretty sure the vigilantes were watching his place ever since. Luckily, he made sure there weren’t any bugs or hidden cameras- Sam beat cautiousness into his head a while ago- before starting the plan.

One of those heartbeats sounded like Tim’s which left some… interesting connotations.

Danny sighed. Who was he kidding? Of course he’d be friends with a vigilante.

“Hey, Phantom!” Danny shouted, waving. Phantom floated over.

“Danny. Hi. Did you need something?”

“Oh, not really. My friend wanted to meet you, he’s a huuuuge fan. Think you’ve got time today?” Danny held up his phone.

Phantom hummed. “I can stay for a bit. Thirty minutes.”

“Okay, I’ll call him. His name is Tim, by the way. Thanks for taking the time to meet him!”

“No problem.”

Danny texted Tim, and minutely frowned as he picked up the sound of Tim’s ringtone. Shit, that pretty much confirmed his suspicions. He got a text back from Tim.

Timsy

[5 nin]

Nin

Nin

Nin

Min

Danny huffed an amused breath. “He’ll be here in five minutes.”

“Alright.”

Danny texted back an okay.

Five minutes later, a flushed and disheveled Tim peeled onto the street and right to the curb.

“Here!” He said as he tumbled out of the car.

“Damn, bro. You good?”

“Fine- oh my god, you’re the green guy!” Danny had to hand it to Tim. If he didn’t already figure out he was Red Robin, Danny would’ve believed the act. Holy shit, wait, he called his friend broke. Hah!

“It’s Phantom. Nice to meet you, Tom.”

A quick sliver of sullenness flashed over Tim’s face. “It- it’s Tim.”

“Oh, right. Sorry, human names sound so similar.” Danny leaned back and hid a grin as his doppelgänger messed with his friend.

“Oh, wow, you’re not human? What are you then?”

“Oh my god, Tim, you can’t just ask him what he is!” Danny scolded. These vigilantes were really similar.

“Sorry…” Tim apologized.

“It’s fine. To answer your question, I’m dead. Ghost.”

“Do you really pay taxes?”

Phantom tilted his head. “Yes, of course.” By the, Danny meant that he paid both human taxes and oversaw the Zone’s taxes. “You know that saying, something about never escaping from two things and that’s taxes and death? You can escape death- might come back a little wrong- but taxes are in the afterlife too.”

“Come back a little wrong?” Tim asked, eyes suddenly sharp.

“Come back a little,” Phantom gestured to himself. “Green. More emotive and prone to irritation.”

Tim stared.

——

“Jason, are you a ghost?” Dick, crouched on the top of Danny’s apartment building whispered.

Red Hood, crouched in the same area, stayed silent.

——

“How did you die?”

Phantom snarled and disappeared.

Tim whirled around, looking bewildered. Behind him, Danny struggled to stay calm.

“Where’d he go?”

“He probably didn’t want to hurt you.” Danny sighed.

“What? What did I do?”

“You asked him how he died. That’s like, the ultimate social taboo.”

“I didn’t know that!”

“It’s common sense, dude. Trauma like that has to be shared instead of asked about. Generally.” Danny sighed. “Come on, let’s get off the street and I’ll give you a crash course in manners.”

——

Bruce, upon hearing about the conversation, dove headfirst into researching the after life.

“No, go suck a goat’s genitals, Batsy, I am not helping you adopt a being of the infinite realms!” Constantine hung up on him.

“Hn.” Bruce will adopt the child and give him a home. It’s only a matter of when… and what inter-dimensional loopholes he could find and use in the relevant laws.

Jason was right behind him, because he was going to get answers, dammit.

[dcxdpdabbles]

Hey, I dont know if you are currently acepting asks but... Please can you write something with Clockwork/Alfred? I'll give you a cookie?

I really love how you write and i cant find fics with this ship

Danny gets a cryptic message from Clockwork the night that he, Sam, Tucker, and Jazz are supposed to go on a three-week College tour road trip.

A trip that they were going to use to decide where the three graduating students planned on going to college. Jazz was coming along to ease their parents' worry, mainly as a voice of reason. She had taken time off of work and classes just to make this happen.

It had taken months to plan.

So cryptic messages put a damper on the mood. Granted, all notifications from Clockwork were cryptic, but that didn't make this any less stressful.

He had just sat by his bed, leaning his back onto his lower bed frame and mattress, when he noticed the glowing sticker note on the carpeted floor.

"What does it say?" Sam sighs, closing her suitcase. She was kneeling a few feet away from him, double-checking their luggage. "A warning about the trip? Insight of an upcoming trial? Oh, let me guess, one of us is pregnant?."

"It's me, isn't it?" Tuck asks from where he's lying on Danny's bed. He places a hand under his chin with a sigh. "I've noticed a glow in my reflection lately. Danny, you're the Father."

"Shut it, Tuck." Danny laughs, turning the glowing sticky note over. "It just has an address, a date, and a time. Nothing else. I think he wants us to go there when the day comes."

Jazz walks in carrying a tray. She insisted they all take some bedtime tea to help them get enough rest for the drive. She recently started making her own blends after much research and experimenting. Danny loves it and always begs for a jar of her tea whenever he visits her. "What's going on?"

"We have to add a stop to the road plan," Sam sighs. She takes the black mug covered in white laughing sculls, nodding in gratitude to the redhead. "In one week, we have to go to Gotham."

"That's doable. We'll be going through Bludhaven by then. We would use the following two days to go sightseeing a few cities over, but we can sacrifice one of them to head to Gotham instead." Jazz hums, mentally going over their planned-out map that she likely memorized.

Danny groans, carefully resting the black mug with white constellations on the floor beside him. "I really wanted to see the hot springs resort, though."

"Member next time, Danny." Tuck pats his head while his own black mug- this one with little game controllers- is held carefully in his other hand. "After the baby is born, we'll go again."

"Why are you stuck on the whole baby thing?"

"Danny, that's no way to speak to the father of your children, especially while he's carrying," Sam chided from her corner. "The stress is bad for the baby."

"Please stop."

"But Danny," Jazz cuts in, sitting across from him. She crosses her legs underneath her, and her black mug with white books completes the set. "You should be supportive of Tucker in this very delicate time."

"I'm going to Go Ghost and never come back."

"I knew you be a deadbeat dad," Tucker tsks.

The four burst into impish laughter; the ease of the teasing joke and the calming tea rekindled the mood of excitement, even with Clockwork's glowing sticky note being shoved into their luggage to be revisited in a week.

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

"Are you sure this is the place?" Danny asks again, leaning forward to where Tucker is driving.

Jaz looks around in fascination at the large houses and spacious yards they pass while Sam sleeps beside Danny in the backseat. She just finished her turn driving for seven hours and wanted to catch up on sleep.

Personally, Danny thinks she shouldn't volunteer for the first shift- they set out at four in the morning to keep to their road plan- but he knows no one else would do it if Sam didn't.

Neither Fenton works well before nine a.m., while Tucker needs help seeing in the dark, so he always gets the day shift.

Tucker's grip on the steering wheel tightens as he grits through his teeth. "For the sixth time, Danny, this is where the GPS said to go. I am literally staring at the icon move on the map as I drive."

"It's just....look at this place! It's rich people. I think they call the cops on us for driving through here." Danny defends, knowing his consent doubts driving his bed friend up a wall but unable to stop fretting.

"I don't think they call the cops....but I think we should move as quickly as possible." Jazz advised as the houses started to grow in both size and property amount. "We're almost there."

"Why would Clockwork want us to come here?" Tucker hissed as their old beat-up fan made a turn into a road that had the trees cut into arches above their heads. It was so obviously fancy that the three got highly uncomfortable. Even Sam's house wasn't so drenched in wealth, and this was just the front entrance.

"Maybe he wants us to investigate a haunted mansion." Danny offers, "Since we're in the area and all."

Danny leans back in his seat. He glances over at Sam; upon noticing the blanket she was using had slid down, he reaches over to tuck her in.

It's just as he sits back that his enhanced sight catches the faintest outline of a man in the trees, crouched down on a branch and watching them. Danny's heart spams, but he has no time to react further as the van moves on and the man's figure disappears in the floral.

"Holy shit!" Danny swears loudly, causing Tucker to jump and tilt the van.

"Dude!" Tucker hisses, "Don't do that! You scared the shit out of me."

"Sorry, sorry." Danny places a hand over his heart, trying to calm the rapid beating. "I think I just saw a demon. Pretty sure that's what Clockwork wanted us to investigate."

"A demon?" Jazz whimpers, eyes flickering all over the trees with unease. "Are you sure it was a demon?"

"It looked liked like a one," Danny responds. "I highly doubt some guy will just go around dressed like a bat for fun."

" Great. Just great. A demon, that's going to be so much fun to deal with," Tucker complains, pressing on the gas more. They don't call him out as the feeling of being watched becomes suffocating.

The sooner they're out of the open, the better.

The end of the driveway opens up to a grand manor that would have made any noble Lord green with envy. Tucker drives around the giant fountain, pulling up to the park in front of the stairway of the main entry.

He squints out the front window as he loops before gasping. "Is that Clockwork?"

The Fenton Siblings each press their noses to the glass of their windows when they come to a complete stop. Both gasped at the exact same time and in the same volume at the man who was casually waiting for them at the door.

It's obviously Clockwork, but he's not in the form they are used to. Not the flouting child, not the sticking middle-aged man, or the aged old entity. No, the form Clockwork uses is a man in his early fifties, with the grace of a sliver fox and, oh, not a ghost.

"Hello, children," Clockwork says, walking down the stairs to meet them. The three are staring at him with slack jaws, half out of their vehicle but lingering in their doors just in case.

Sam snores.

"I'm ever so glad you have come." Clockwork continues, his green eyes flickering with mirth. A smile pulls at his lips, causing laughing lines to appear around his eyes, and it complements his warm bridge skin. He is not blue. "Not a moment too late. Punctual as ever, Jasmine."

"I- ugh, thank you, sir." Jazz shutters before getting her wits about her. "Why did you call us?"

"I will be delaying your trip for the next week." Clockwork lifts up a hand as if to stop any complaints this announcement may cause, which isn't really necessary, seeing as none of them can find the strength to speak. "I will, of course, make it possible to make up the time lost. I just need you four to act as my children for the next week."

"Why?" Tucker's voice is barely above a whisper.

"I can only keep this form for seven days, as I am not a halfa, but in that time, I hope to woo a man. He is a family man through and through, so if I can show him that I am more than capable of caring for a large family, it will help me in the long run." Clockwork then shrugs. "Plus, I need an anchor, and what better than four virgins?"

"Hey!" Danny shouts offended.

Clockwork raises a brow. "Am I wrong, Daniel?"

"No, but you didn't have to expose me like that," Danny grumbles.

"Who are you trying to woo?" Jazz asks, trying to steer the conversation back on track.

Clockwork's cheeks gain a reddish hue, and the three eyes practically pop out of their socket. They never knew the time god could be so...human. It's jarring. "Alfred Pennyworth. The butler of Wayne Manor, four houses down from our manor."

"A butler?" Tucker repeats slowly, "You, the god of time and overseer of all that is, has been, and will be, want to seduce a butler?"

"Yes. He is the love of my core," Clockwork nods determinedly.

Well, who can argue with that?

"Alright." Danny agrees. "So what's our cover story?"

"Yes, my four children- all adopted- and I have recently decided to go learn about our family roots and visit our ancestral home. Only to remodel and check out the family records, we will be out by the end of the week to our next grand adventure. We are old money but one that faded from importance due to lack of contact with the rest of high society. To remedy this, I will be taking you to high-class events." Clockwork sighs dreamily. "We were invited by the Waynes to a gala tomorrow night as a welcome-back party. There, I will see Alfred."

"Alright. And the demon?"

"Demon?"

"A man in the driveway that looked like a bat." Danny helpfully says, even though his voice wavers slightly.

"Oh, you mean Bruce. Yes, that's Alfred's son. Don't worry; he can not cross our driveway. I put a spell that causes humans to forget why they were coming here if not invited by us. Also, he is not a demon. He is a human who dresses like a bat to fight crime. Bruce's children dress like birds to help him."

There is silence that sounds louder than it should as they all take in this information. Clockwork smiles at him, mischievous and graceful in equal parts as they try to make sense of the weird kid Alfred the Butler has.

"I'm going to need a lot of stress-reducing teas for this week." Jazz sighs.

"We can go buy some for you tonight," Clockwork promises, pulling out a black card and grinning with all his teeth. "We're old money now, darling."

"oh my god."

Master Post Link

[voidlesscreator]

AU where Danny is a stressed college student student aerospace engineering and is caught up in a fear gas attack, but since he's half ghost his biology is slightly fucked up when it comes to drugs and chemicals so it does the exact opposite and he's now as high as a kite while everyone is screaming in fear.

Meanwhile Scarecrow is curious about the young man who started giggling when he inhaled the fear gas and slips a little note into the man's pocket before dipping and the bats show up.

Cue Danny ending as the- actually paid- tester for Dr. Crane's new and other improved gasses which are actually good for him and awful for others. Like one guy is sent into hysterics as everything just hits him all at once, the air being audible, that one flickering light being ear shattering. Meanwhile Danny has just pulled out his notebook for his aerospace engineering class and started writing down new ideas with this sudden hyperfocus that seems chill to him.

This eventually leads to the bats finding out while Danny's just being given vapes filled with that overwhelming gas so that he can actually focus on his exam studying without getting distracted.

(Scarecrow is probably in the giddy stage of a new test subject that has positive feedback for his work. Mans had a contract written up and prescriptions made for Danny to use the gasses legally for himself.)

[luxaofhesperides]

Ghostlights as college roommates and maybe some identity shenanigans thrown in would be so fun! Maybe dannys doing a little vigilante work on the side as well to up the secret identity mayhem

Danny would like to say his college career is going well. Gotham isn’t where he was expecting to pursue higher education, but the engineering scholarship he got through the Wayne Educational Foundation was just too good to turn down. It even covered the cost of an apartment! Although, the apartment is shared with another student who got a Wayne scholarship. 

Even with that, Danny lucked out and got a great roommate. Duke Thomas is chill, kind, respects Danny’s space and doesn’t throw wild parties or invite random people in at all hours of the day. He even joins Danny twice a week for study sessions!

Really, it would be the perfect college experience except for one thing: the ghosts.

Danny thought they’d stay in Amity Park. They had no reason to stray from the city where the portal was, and his parents are more than enough to keep most ghosts away. It took his friends, Jazz, and even Vlad to convince Danny that he wasn’t abandoning Amity Park and that the city wouldn’t fall while he took a few years to focus on himself. 

He worried right up until he got to GCU and walked the campus for the first time. Then he decided to enjoy the four years he had on the scholarship to get his degree and live his own life like a normal person.

To say he’s pissed about the ghosts is an understatement. 

The one thing he was looking forward to most is not being Phantom. Gotham is home to the Bats and they’re more than capable of handling everything in the city. It means there’s no need for him here and he can focus on school and enjoy going on invisible flights without worrying about being hunted down or having to fight a ghost. 

“Are you fucking kidding me,” he mutters under his breath as he feels the familiar chill race up his throat, A cold mist wafts out of his mouth, curling around his words, and Danny quickly ducks his head and hides it from sight. 

“Did you say something?” Duke asks, looking up from where he leans against the kitchen counter, squinting at a recipe on his phone. 

“Nah,” Danny lies. “Just stressing.” He gestures to the papers he has spread out on the dining table, then stands up. “I’m gonna take a walk. Maybe that’ll get my brain to work correctly tonight.”

“Got your phone on you?”

Danny reflexively drops a hand to his pocket, checking that his phone is where it’s supposed to be. It’s what Duke asks every single time Danny mentions going out, worried about Danny being unprepared for Gotham. It’s nice of him, though Danny does wish he can say that he’s survived a lot worse than a few muggers. 

“Got it.”

“Alright. I’ll try to work on dinner while you’re out.”

Danny nods and offers Duke a small wave before pulling his shoes on at the door. He grabs his keys and heads out, double checking that the door is locked behind him. 

Then he glances around the hallway, checking that the coast is clear, and pulls up the chill of awareness in his chest. Slowly, he breathes out, watching the blue mist waft out and lead towards the stairwell. 

“Wonder who it is this time,” he mutters to himself, going into the cold, concrete stairwell. It always feels a little off in there, as if he’s been removed from the rest of the world when the door closes behind him. His footsteps echo oddly in the space, so Danny chooses to fly instead, keeping his feet off the floor. 

A few flights down is when he sees her: pale and translucent, a faint blue glow around her. She’s a familiar face. Emilia is one of the first of Gotham’s ghosts he’s met, leading to the rather unpleasant realization that ghosts don’t only come from the Infinite Realms. There’s a strange sort of magic in the very foundations of Gotham that makes it the way it is, creating ghosts that are different enough from what he’s used to that it leaves him off balance. 

Gotham keeps her dead. Few get to pass on peacefully, and most have to wait until they grow weak and wither away, a second death, before they can be released from the living realm. The ghosts of Gotham are pale and weak, for the most part, and try to cling to him so grow stronger from his ectoplasm. 

Most want him to help them pass on, or give them a way into the Infinite Realms. Some want him to bring justice to their killers. Others want to kill him and take his ectoplasm for their own so they can continue their reign of terror in Gotham, unable to be stopped even in death. 

Emilia gives him warnings. It’s not always her, but she tends to be the one to draw him out of his apartment, pulling him into a vigilante lifestyle because he can’t bring himself to refuse anyone who asks for his help, and the dead in Gotham have no one else to ask.

“Danny,” she greets. “Nueve is out again. He’s going after the ghosts near Chantilly Street.”

“The sun isn’t even down yet,” Danny grumbles. Nueve, an old gang enforcer who died a few decades ago, cannibalizes other ghosts. It doesn’t destroy the other ghosts, not really, but it makes them feel pain when they shouldn’t be able to feel much at all. Taking their limited reserves of ectoplasm makes him momentarily stronger, and he uses that stolen strength to try to harm the living.

He’s been successful a few times. Danny makes sure to rip him apart as much as possible these days; he won’t be here forever, but he’s hoping that within his four years at GCU, he’ll be able to permanently stop Nueve.

Times like these, he misses having a Fenton Thermos with him. Though he’s not entirely sure it would work on Gotham’s ghosts with how different they are. 

Emilia follows him down the stairwell to the ground floor. Once there, Danny shoves his hand into the floor, taking out the backpack he’s hidden in it. He’s done this change of clothes so often he can do it in just a minute now, hiding his face and pulling on gloves beneath a large hoodie with old ectoplasm stains along the sleeves and hem. A gas mask is pulled on as well, covering the bottom half of his face, a necessary addition to his Ghost Work Outfit™ after he almost got caught in some Fear Gas during Scarecrow’s last attack. 

“Alright,” he says, “Lead the way.”

Emilia takes off through the wall and Danny hurries to follow, going invisible as he hits the streets. 

It’s still early evening, the sun not yet fully set. Plenty of people walk along the sidewalks and cars pass by endlessly, honking at each other as they try to go twenty above the speed limit. Danny does his best to avoid running into everyone, deftly dodging the reaching hands of a few ghosts who spot him as he sprints by. 

They only go a few blocks away from his apartment building, turning into a dead end alley where a group of teens (living, for once) are stuck with their backs to the wall, clinging to each other as they warily watch the man in front of them carelessly twirl a gun around his finger. 

The man makes a strange clicking noise in the back of his throat, and it takes Danny a moment to realize that he’s trying to talk. 

Still invisible, Danny sneaks around to stand in front of the teens, ready to bodily protect them. The man looks alive, and Danny see any ghosts around save for Emilia, standing at the mouth of the alley. There’s something strange about him; his movements seem just a little off, not quite as fluid as they should be. It’s not the movement of someone on drugs. It’s something that screams uncanny valley.

The gun’s handle drops solidly into the man’s palm. He makes another few clicks, then raising the gun to point at the teens.

“Bad idea, pal,” Danny says dropping his invisibility. The teens behind him startle, gasping and trying to press themselves further into the wall. 

The man’s eyes flash weakly and the pieces click into place in Danny’s mind. Nueve must have gotten strong enough to possess someone. That is… alarming, to say the least.

He rips the gun out of the man’s hand and tosses it aside. Then he pushes away the man’s arm when Nueve makes a clumsy attempt to punch him. With his chest left wide open and undefended, Danny takes the chance to shove his hand into the man’s chest, feeling for the familiar chill of a ghost. 

And then he wraps his fingers tight around it and pulls out Nueve, leaving the man to collapse. 

The teens behind him scream and Danny winces. 

Pulling out a faintly glowing human figure from someone’s physical body does not look good. It’s the best way to end a possession, but it does look alarmingly like he’s just ripped someone’s soul out of their body.

Keeping hold of Nueve’s ghost, Danny steps to the side. “You guys should go now. Take care.”

The teens don’t need any more prompting. They take off in a run, tripping over each other in their haste to get away.

Danny spares a glance to the man unconscious on the ground, but there’s nothing he can do with an angry ghost in his hands, so he has no choice but to leave him there as he flies up to a rooftop farther down the street. 

“How many times do we need to do this, Nueve?” he asks tiredly, shaking the ghost.

“These streets should be mine!” Nueve howls, trying to break free of Danny’s grasp. But he’s quickly growing weak, his energy fading, and Danny’s holding back his own ectoplasm as tightly as he can. “They may have killed me, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still take what I’m owed!”

“Dude, you’re dead. There’s nothing here for you. Move on.”

“You don’t get to speak on this, outsider. You think a freak like you has an say over us? You can’t stop us. You don’t even know what’s coming.”

Danny squints at him. “What, are you planning a heist or something? With your gang of dead people too weak to lift a piece of paper?”

“We’re not all dead. We’ve got living folk helping us and we’ll be taking you out first when we hit the streets.”

“Good luck with that,” Danny says flatly, “Begone with you.” 

Without giving Nueve a chance to say another word, he rips Nueve’s head off his body. His ghost wavers, then dissipates like smoke, fading away. 

Another side effect of whatever it is Gotham does to her dead: their ghost forms are remarkably fragile and it takes only a bit of strength to tear them to shreds, giving him some peace before they reform again. It won’t stop Nueve from striking out again, gathering enough strength until he’s able to possess some other unfortunate soul, but Danny’s bought himself some time to figure out what the hell was he talking about?

There are living folk involved with whatever he’s planning. It’s probably another gang, maybe someone with magic who is able to see ghosts? Which is not great. Danny doesn’t know much about magic; even when facing ghosts who used magic or magical artifacts, his go to method of dealing with them is to start throwing hands like there’s no tomorrow.

Well.

It’s a problem for later.

For now, Danny needs to get back to his apartment and work on his calculus homework. Hopefully he can finish it before he gets frustrated enough that he gives up and lies face down on the floor until Duke manhandles him onto the couch, where he’s less of a tripping hazard.

He’s just about to get back to street level when his Fenton Luck strikes again and he hears someone land on the roof, just a few feet behind him.

“Hey there, stranger,” the Signal says. “You know, we run into each other so often it feels rude not to introduce ourselves. Why don’t you go first?”

Danny turns to face the daylight vigilante, standing with his arms crossed as if that would make him look any more approachable. He’s been popping up wherever Danny’s out dealing with ghosts, which is very not great for Danny’s plans to have a peaceful, normal college life. 

Biting his tongue, Danny gives the Signal a quick two fingered salute, then goes intangible and drops down through the building. His invisibility sweeps over him and then he’s running through the streets, hoping it’s enough to keep the Signal from following him to his apartment.

He skids to a stop in the stairwell, dropping his intangibility just in time to crash into the wall. Panting, Danny waits for a tense minute to see if he’s been followed. 

When the door to the stairwell remains closed, he lets out a slow breath, then pulls off all the pieces of his Ghost Work Outfit, shoving it back into his bag. He takes a moment to fix his hair, messy from the hood, then shoves the bag back into the floor, safely hidden from curious eyes. 

Then he very casually walks up the stairs to the fifth floor and walks down the hallway to his apartment. His keys clang together when he opens the door, and Duke usually hears it when it does, but just in case, Danny calls out, “I’m back!”

He’s learned to announce himself after a few late night walks almost ended with him tackled to the floor when Duke thought someone was breaking in.

Duke doesn’t respond as he toes off his shoes. The stillness in the apartment feels off, as if the world is holding its breath. Cautiously, Danny walks in, trying to find his roommate.

He’s not in the kitchen. The living room is empty. Duke’s bedroom door is open and he’s not in there either. 

Something cold lodges itself in his chest. 

“Duke?” he tries again, looking over their apartment again for any sign of struggle, or something terrible happening, or even a mess that Duke needed more supplies to clean up. 

There’s nothing. The apartment is as it’s always been, just with an empty space where Duke should be.

Worried, Danny stands in the middle of the hallway, trying to figure out what he should do next. It’s because he’s standing so still, surrounded by silence, that he hears it: a light thud outside the window. 

Danny turns and he can swear he sees something large moving outside the window, disappearing from sight just as Danny takes a step into Duke’s room to check on it. He rushes to the window and pushes it open, looking down at the street, then side to side, and finally up to the last three floors of the building.

Nothing’s there.

Slowly, Danny pulls his head back inside, closing and locking the window. “Must be my imagination,” he says, trying to convince himself it’s not a big deal. 

He leaves Duke’s room and begins pacing down the hall, anxiety building steadily in him. 

His phones in his hand before he can think his actions through, Duke’s contact pulled up on the screen. He should call. He should make sure Duke is okay, but Danny hesitates. Is this something to be freaked out over? Would Duke thing he’s clingy and nervous and a bothersome roommate? He doesn’t want to risk Duke asking for a new roommate next year when the lease renews.

But he’s worried. It’s Gotham and Danny just dealt with a violent, murderous ghost threatening him. Duke can deal with a stressed out, worried Danny if it means he’s alive.

He hits the call button before he can talk himself out of it. It rings on and on and on until Danny starts to panic about having to find Duke’s ghost to avenge his murder. 

The front door is thrown open so suddenly and so loudly, Danny jumps and his phone clatters to the floor. 

“Danny! Hey!” Duke says with a bright smile, trying to catch his breath. He’s still holding onto the doorknob, slightly hunched over as he pants for breath. “I didn’t expect you back so soon.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah! Yeah, I’m totally fine.”

“Where were you?”

Duke straightens up and closes the door, kicking off his shoes. “Oh, just… out. Shopping. For dinner.”

Danny looks over his empty hands doubtfully. “No luck finding what you needed?”

“Nope!”

“What did you need? Maybe I can go to a different store and get it for you.”

“You don’t need to!” Duke says. “I just needed… tomatoes?”

Danny blinks at him. “We have tomatoes. Did you not know we had tomatoes in the fridge?”

“Oh, do we? Good to know.”

There’s something very weird about this conversation, but Danny doesn’t pry. Duke is weird sometimes, but it’s fine because he kindly ignores some of Danny’s oddities that come from being a halfa and a semi-retired hero. 

“Do you… maybe wanna sit down? Catch your breath? I can make dinner tonight if you want.”

Duke waves a hand in the air. “No, no, it’s fine. I got this. Anyways, how was your walk?”

He definitely shouldn’t talk about the cannibal ghost and his threats to take out Danny with his gang. “It was nice. Very quiet. You know, for Gotham.” He punctuates this with an awkward thumbs up and immediately regrets it, but it’s already done so he commits to it.

“Cool! Great. Just wondering, did you see anything weird?”

“Depends on what you’re asking about?”

“Just some guy wearing black with a hood covering his face. He’s been active in this neighborhood and I saw some people talk about him online. Apparently he just appears out of thin air.”

Danny tries not to wince. That’s him, alright. Gotham’s newest neighborhood menace. “I don’t think so, but there’s a lot of people in Gotham that were all black and walk around with their hood up.”

“True,” Duke concedes. “Well, just be careful when you go out, alright?”

“I always am.” He gives Duke the same two fingered salute he gave the Signal. Duke stares at him for a moment, eyes dark and almost dangerous, then he smiles and walks into the kitchen. 

“Wanna make dinner with me? I think we can figure out this recipe together. Unless you need to do your homework.”

“It can wait!” Danny hurries to join Duke, grateful for an excuse to push off calculus a little longer. He understands what he’s doing in the class, there’s just… so much work. He doesn’t even want to think about the tests. The tests make everyone cry.

“Alright, let’s get to it, then!”

“You’re in charge, chef,” Danny says, laughingly, and bumps against Duke’s side. He expects a light shove in return, something Sam and Tucker always did, but Duke goes tense instead, letting out a sharp breath that Danny is all too familiar with. “Wait, why are you hurt? What happened?!”

He goes to lift up Duke’s shirt to inspect his shirt, see the damage for himself, but Duke smoothly moves out of the way, grabbing Danny’s wrists and stopping him in his tracks. “I’m fine, Danny. I just got hit. Lightly. Minor bruising, really.”

Danny looks at him doubtfully, then wrenches a wrist free to lift up his shirt before he can move again.

Minor bruising is not how Danny would describe the blues and purples that decorate Duke’s entire side. He can see the outline of Duke’s ribs through the bruising. “How is this being lightly bruised? What hit you?”

“A car?”

“A car?!”

Duke winces, then pulls his shirt down. “I’m fine, Danny, really. It was just from a car that didn’t want to stop at a red light. I stopped another person from being hit, but the car got me pretty solidly. You know how bad Gotham drivers are.”

“Sit down!” Danny says, pulling Duke out of the kitchen. “I don’t understand how you’re still standing. I’ll get some ice, and I’ll handle dinner. You just stay there and stop pushing yourself for no reason.”

“Playing nurse for me now?”

“If I have to.”

“Would you wear a nurse costume for me, too?” Duke jokes.

Danny looks him dead in the eye and says, “If I have to. Would that make you follow my instructions? A tight little nurse dress?”

Duke sputters, cheeks darkening, and looks away. Danny grins, victorious, and darts back to the kitchen to grab an ice pack from the fridge. 

“Maybe I’ll wear one for you anyways, once you’re all healed up. Only if you’re good, though.”

“Danny, you’re killing me here.”

“Better me than a car.”

Duke laughs and takes the ice pack, pressing it against his side carefully. “Oh, for sure. Thanks, Danny.”

“Hey, what are roommates for?” Danny shares a warm smile with Duke, then pats his shoulder and heads back to the kitchen to start making a simple pasta dinner. 

Life in Gotham is weird and stressful and full of ghosts and heroes who won’t leave him alone. But it’s not all that bad, really. He’s happy with how he’s doing in college, and he’s beyond lucky to have Duke as a roommate. So long as Duke never finds out about his halfa status, then he’s sure they’ll be able to last all four years rooming together.

He just needs to keep a secret. 

Shouldn’t be too hard, right?

[lavendarlily]

3 pitch pearl

cw: panic attack

3. cold hands in warm hands | pitch pearl

The Honors English 3 class shuffled into their first period, the students bundled up from the chilled December air. Wet shoes squeaked against the linoleum after braving snow and ice outside. The air was thick with tension and exhaustion as the junior class was just barely surviving their final exams before their holiday break. 

Danny found his way to his seat, hoping, praying for the best. This was an important semester after all - college applications were just around the corner. He had to do well or risk his chances at getting into a decent university. Sure, he’d gotten by decently with his higher-than-average intelligence (it was a Fenton thing), but this year’s courses had been rough. If he didn’t pull out of this class with at least a B…

He took a deep breath, and tried to calm the butterflies in his stomach, ignore the ache in his head, and steady his shaking hands. The first part of the English exam was multiple choice - he was confident enough in that. The second part scared him slightly - writing essays wasn’t his strong suit, but he’d seared the entirety of Catcher in the Rye into his mind. He could do this. He had to. 

“Alright students, phones off, clear your desks,” Mr. Lancer announced with a stack of papers in hand. “I want to get these passed out to you as soon as possible so you have the full amount of time to complete it. A reminder that there are two parts - don’t forget to do both of them.” 

The teacher looked around the room. “Best of luck to all of you, and enjoy your break.” His smile did little to ease Danny’s nerves. He grabbed his lucky pencil (it was hardly more than a nub at this point) and placed it on his desk, then dragged his sweaty palms against his thighs. 

Mr. Lancer reached his desk, gently setting down the exam, and gave Danny an encouraging smile, which he tried his darndest to return, but probably gave more of a grimace. 

Danny took a final breath, then dove in. 

The first section did some good for Danny’s confidence - he only had trouble with a small handful of the questions, but at least he could take an educated guess. Now onto the essay section.

Three prompts were provided. He only had to answer one.

As he scanned through the list, his heart gave a drop. No, he shook his head. Just gotta read them again. Carefully. I can do at least one of these.

Yet as he read through them again, then again, and a third time, Danny couldn’t help but feel absolutely screwed.

His breathing picked up, hands shaking once more. His thoughts began spiraling until he couldn’t finish one before picking up the next. Danny was panicking.

He nearly jumped out of his seat when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Mr. Lancer looked down at him with a concerned expression. His teacher made a nod to the door, and guided Danny out into the hallway.

“Take a minute, Daniel. Come back inside when you’re ready,” he said with a smile. 

Danny leaned against the hallway and slunk down against the wall. How humiliating. He crossed his arms and leaned his head forward. Now I’m gonna fail the test and everyone saw me freaking out about it. Fuck fuck fuck.

He wasn’t sure how long he sat there before a soft “Danny?” interrupted his mental spiral. He didn’t move though. He couldn’t.

“Danny, what’s wrong? Are you hurt?” the familiar voice said.

Danny still didn’t answer. 

The air around him became colder as the presence approached him. Icy hands grasped his arms and unfolded Danny from his cocoon. Now he was looking into the burning green eyes of Amity Park’s own ghostly hero.

Phantom kneeled in front of him, grabbing Danny’s hands in his. 

“I don’t know what happened. But I know you’re upset. I know you’ve been stressed, and working so hard the last few weeks.” As he spoke, Phantom gave Danny’s hands a comforting squeeze.

“I’m gonna fail,” Danny croaked.

Phantom’s face hardened. “Don’t say that. You don’t know that. As long as you get back in there and finish what you started, you cannot fail. 

“You’re the smartest person I know, Danny. I’m so proud of you. And whatever happens, you should be proud too. Now can you just take some deep breaths for me?”

The two sat in silence, hands still intertwined, as Phantom watched Danny steady himself. It wasn’t a cure-all, but Phantom’s presence was doing something to bring Danny back to earth. 

“Okay,” he said, a little shakily. “I’m gonna go finish my exam.”

Phantom leaned his forehead forward so that it was touching Danny’s. “You got this babe,” he whispered, then planted a kiss on Danny’s cheek before swiftly disappearing.

Danny swallowed, stood up, and went back inside.

[thebubblesareevil]

Ghost kings make bad Baristas..Coffee shop au

Should I be working on Superman adopting Danny yes am I doing that no I hit a road bump so u get this for now

Kaldur is Stressed as leader of the YJ and Dick tells him he needs a break and recommends this really great coffee shop he found in the harbor. Dick takes over training the kiddos for the day and Kaldur spends the day wandering around happy harbor trying to destress but the man is addicted to stress and we all know it.

Danny is a local college student studying astronomy and got a job at the local coffee shop. When Kaldur comes in he is greeted by a barista and he stands to the side while he browses the menu

Danny on the other hand cannot stop staring at the customer that just walked in to the point where he ended up being sprayed by steamed milk. It’s not his fault though the guy is doing it on purpose he swears. Standing near the window starring at the menu board with his chin tilted up and the light hitting him juuuussst right. It s just not fair, the dude it so far out of his league that Danny can’t help it.

Kaldur decides on a spiced tea and approaches the counter to be greeted by a rather flustered barista. He smiles and gives his order, when the barista asks for a name for the order and Kaldur decided to have a little fun and gave him his full name Kaldur’ahm to see what he would end up writing on the cup.

Danny is dead, fully dead, he has been killed, his gorgeous customer has finished what was started 6 years ago. His voice is just…mmmmmmm. Danny is trying really hard not to let his internal scream turn external that he isn’t paying full attention when he writes the name, Kaldur’ahm it suits him, on the cup. He makes the spiced tea calls his name and tries his best not to make a perfect imitation of a tomato.

Kaldur thanks the barista and turns but as he goes to drink his tea he catches sight of the name written on the cup. It was in fact his name, with not a letter out of place, written in perfect Atlantean. Kaldur freezes and checks the collar on his sweater, making sure his gils are not showing before he scopes out the cafe to make sure he’s not being watched. He turns back around to the counter to confront the barista.

Danny is FREAKING OUT he’s turning around, he only had one sip how bad could he have possibly messed up that tea oh god just end it. Kaldur’ahm calmly shows him the writing on the cup and asks him what it said. Danny looked at the cup and went pale. Apparently his autopilot recognized his name as being Atlantean and ghost speak took over. Oh my god that Atlantean he’s Atlantean wtf wtfnwtf!!! Danny tries to calmly respond that it’s his name and he hopes he spelled it right.

Kaldur is immediately suspicious, he looks at the name tag, this Danny can barely look him in the eye and he says no it’s spelled perfectly, but where did he learn Atlantean? Danny panics and says internet. Kaldur doesn’t believe him but nods and leaves. He informs nightwing of the incident and they both head back to the coffee shop together the next day to scope out the barista.

Danny looks very excited when Kaldur walks in and when he ordertheir drinks he and Kaldur end up talking for a bit as he made the drink, once again in Atlantean, to which Kaldur comments about how fluent he is. Nightwing is dying in the corner waiting for his friend when Kaldur comes back and they leave he can’t stop laughing because this “Danny” wasn’t plotting, he thought you were hot, he was nervous.

Kaldur is surprised but still brings up the fact that he spoke FLUENT Atlantean. Nightwing suggests he ask the barista out and see if he can figure it out and to keep him updated. The next time Kaldur went to the cafe Danny wasn’t there so Kaldur got his tea and left, oddly enough his tea tasted quite different from what Danny made him.

It was as he was leaving that Kaldur ran into Danny again, literally. Danny was walking out of the office and they crashed into each other, Danny immediately started to apologize. They started to talk and Kaldur asked if he was about to clock in. Danny laughed sadly and said no I actually just got fired, apparently I’m REALLY bad at making coffee, hopefully my tea making skills weren’t too bad though? Kaldur gave a slight chuckle and said not bad no.

Kaldur asks if he’s not busy would he like to get some lunch. Danny blushed and said yes they talk all afternoon (in Atlantean) and Kaldur ends up asking him on another date then another and another, you see where this is going… or do you? At one point Danny address someone who says something homophobic in another language and Kaldur starts to wonder how many languages Danny knows. The whole team gets in on it. They are absolutely certain they got him when M’gann starts speaking Martian and they are all blown away when he starts speaking fluent Martian. They are determined to figure it out. Danny eventually tells Kaldur about ghost speak. Neither tell the team. Tim has been looking for the most obscure language he can find and Danny wants to see what he comes up with.

[sacredjake]

Teach Me- Part Three

pairing: Professor!Sam x 21+ College Student Reader

word count: 7.8K

warnings: 18+MDNI! cussing, fluff, small angst, drug use (weed), oral sex (f. receiving), unprotected sex, penetrative sex, nicknames, soft sammy. let me know if i missed anything!

part 3 is finally here! i apologize for the long wait, i hope this made up for it. huge thank you as always to @malany-gvf for letting me talk through my ideas with her. and a thank you to @gold-mines-melting & @ageofhearingloss for helping as well <3 love y’all! linked below is a song that inspired bits of this, and a visual of sammy :) enjoy and thank you so much for reading and waiting!!

Stars On The Ceiling

sammy visual

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

The leaves outside had turned from lively green to vibrant shades of reds, oranges and yellows signifying that fall was here, and a month had passed since that day in Professor Buckley’s office with Sam. Since then things had only progressed. The… relationship between the two of you developed more into just that. A relationship. 

Nothing was made official per se, but the foundation of your connection wasn’t based on just sex. Sure the sex was good. Like really, really good, but that wasn’t what kept the you tethered to one another. 

Everything about the two of you just made sense. You shared almost all the same interests which lead into constant conversations about practically anything. With Sam it was just so easy. The flow was natural as if you were meant to be with one another in some way. 

Sam was kind, funny, extremely smart, spontaneous and incredibly sweet. He was also just an overall goofball and sometimes a smartass, but you admired every part of him you’d come to know on a personal level. He never failed to make you feel anything less than special, and made sure to constantly tell you in case his gestures didn’t already show it. 

While you avoided going out together in public, he would still take you on dates to a neighboring town. Neither of you were willing to risk getting caught by anyone who didn’t already know, which was a short list of just Macie, and Sam’s best friend Danny. You had met Danny several times as he and Sam are roommates, and you got along great with him. He was kind and funny, and practically perfect for Macie, who was dying to meet him. 

Which is where you were headed right now. 

When you had told Sam that Macie wanted to meet Danny he came up with the idea for the four of you to head over to an arcade in the next town over as a group. Sure it was more of a set up for your two best friends, but they didn’t really need to know that. You each had just told them that since they were the only two people who knew, that it would be nice to hang out with friends together. Both of them agreed to go almost immediately. 

“Will you please stop that, you’re stressing me out.” Your eyes were trained on the road as you drove, but you could see Macie squirming in her seat every few seconds. It was driving you up a wall. 

“I can’t help it, y/n! I’m nervous!” Macie exclaimed with a huff, wringing her hands in her lap. You let out a breathy laugh and set your hand on top of hers to stop the movement. 

“It’s just Sam, Mace.” 

You knew that Sam was not, in fact, why she was so nervous, but you were hoping maybe it would make her laugh. And it did, kinda. It was more of an annoyed laugh than a genuine one. 

“He is not who I am nervous about! I’m nervous about meeting Danny!” With the movement of her hands ceased, her leg began bouncing up and down violently against her seat. 

“Danny is not in any way intimidating, okay? Just calm down, you will get along just fine.” You tried to give her your best reassuring smile, but the jerky action of her leg made you falter. “And for the love of god stop bouncing your leg!” 

Her knee froze and settled down on the seat with a muttered “Sorry”, unaware of the subconscious action. 

When you pulled into the parking lot of the arcade you were able to spot Danny’s car quickly along with a spot in front of him. This was definitely an intentional move on your part. You knew the guys would be waiting in the car for you and Macie to arrive, so by parking in front of Danny you were able to get Macie’s immediate reaction. 

“Oh. My. God…” She did fairly well at making herself look busy so that she wouldn’t be caught gawking at Danny through the windshield. 

“You didn’t tell me he was a fucking greek god!” Macie exasperated in a hushed tone like she was afraid they would hear. 

“Are you going to keep pretending to look for something in your purse, or are you going to get out of the car?” 

You didn’t leave her the option to reply as you opened your door and stepped out of the car to greet Sam and Danny. Danny looked like the usual Danny you saw at their apartment. He was wearing a backwards cap over his gorgeous curls, a loose t-shirt, black skinny jeans and white vans. Very Danny, which was cute. Sam’s outfit was also very Sam, and was easily one of your favorites. He was wearing an oversized white button-up with pops of color on the shoulders, and a pair of fitted gray trousers. His hair was down and wavy, looking absolutely flawless as always. 

“Hey toots! About time you two showed up.” Sam beamed at you, grasping your hand pulling you in for a quick kiss. When you pulled away you pushed his shoulder lightly and laughed before greeting Danny and introducing Macie. 

“While you two have technically already met,” You gestured between Macie and Sam, “You’ve never met in person, so… Sam, Danny, this is Macie. Macie, this is Sam and Danny.” 

“Nice to know you’re more than just a floating head!” Sam smiled brightly as he shook Macie’s hand, his comment earning a laugh from your best friend. Danny just shook his head at Sam, way too accustomed to his antics. 

“Ignore Sam, he’s an idiot.” Danny muttered to Macie, his voice still loud enough for you and Sam to hear. They shook hands as she laughed, smiles stretching both of their faces. 

“Hey, I happen to be working on my Master's degree right now!” Sam scoff feigning offense, a hand over his chest. 

“Come on you two,” You rolled your eyes playfully and started pulling Sam towards the entrance of the building, “We have games to play and I can’t kick all of your asses if we stand out here and listen to y’all argue over whether or not Sam is an idiot.” 

“Whether or not I’m not an id- Wait, did you just say you were gonna kick our asses?” You looked back at Sam briefly, shooting him a cheeky smile and humming an ‘mhm’. 

“Oh, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, honey, but I am quite the champ at laser tag. No way you’re kicking my ass.” 

There was an unintelligible whisper from Danny behind you followed by Macie’s giggles that led you to believe he had made fun of Sam in some way. You both chose to ignore whatever he had said and continued to walk into the building. 

The first thing everyone decided to do as a group was play a game of bowling. It was a nice way to talk and still play some sort of game, the conversations between Macie and Danny flowing easily as you suspected. You got to learn more about what Sam was like growing up, and they were told all about your college escapades. 

Not shocking to you, but shocking to the guys, Macie beat everyone at bowling. It was a little secret you kept to yourself that she was oddly good at the game. Danny seemed quite impressed whereas Sam vowed to take her down in laser tag later in true Sam fashion. 

“I’m pretty hungry, is anyone else ready to eat?” Macie dropped her ball off at the return rack, the rest of your group in tow. 

“I could go for some food right now.” Danny agreed. 

“I’m okay right now, might check out some of the arcade games.” You lied as you placed your ball on the rack. While you were definitely hungry, this was a great opportunity for Macie and Danny to get to know each other. 

Sam opened his mouth to respond and you shot him a warning look, trying to telepathically tell him about your plan. You knew he was probably going to say that he could eat. When he caught your eyes he stopped talking and gave you a weird look before realizing what you were doing. 

“Yeah I’m with y/n, I can wait a bit. You two go ahead and we’ll meet up later for laser tag?” 

The four of you went your separate ways. Danny and Macie to the bar for some lunch, and You and Sam to the arcade portion to play a few games. Together you picked a few two-player games, each of you winning one here and there. Even when you played a game meant for only one person, the other would play after keeping up the friendly competition. Eventually you both decided you’d play a round of skee-ball and then grab a bite to eat. 

“You’re pretty sneaky.” Sam nodded his head over to the bar area before throwing his ball up the ramp. Following his gesture your eyes landed on both of your best friends chatting away as if they had always known each other. 

“I just knew they would hit it off,” You admired them a few seconds longer before returning your attention to your own game, “They look cute together anyways. I hope it works out.” 

Sam hummed in approval, taking his last shot and landing the ball in one of the one hundred slots. The machine lit up wildly with lights, and bells rang making it known to everyone that he had scored a hundred points. He grabbed the tickets that spewed out of the game and walked over to watch your last throw. 

“Think they know this was kind of a set up?” 

“Maybe, but I don’t really think they care all that much. They seem to be enjoying each other’s company.” You threw the last ball and watched as it sank into the fifty point slot. Sam snagged the tickets that had dispensed and handed them to you. 

“Should we go pick out a prize, babe?” He waved the absurd amount of tickets in his fist around, wiggling his eyebrows. You nodded your head with a smile and grabbed his hand, lacing your fingers with his as you walked towards the prize room. 

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

“What is that?” Danny eyed the box tucked underneath Sam’s arm as the two of you approached the laser tag area. 

When you finally made your way over to the bar for a bite, Danny and Macie had already left so they didn’t get to see the prizes you had picked out. Macie had texted you letting you know that she and Danny were going to do a quick ax throwing session while you ate and they’d meet up with you at laser tag after. 

“It’s my prize!” He held the rectangular box out so they could get a better view of it, excitement written all over his face. 

“A lava lamp? That’s pretty sick.” 

“Hell yeah it is! Cost me all my tickets.” He beamed, looking over the box again like a child on Christmas morning. His reaction when he first saw the item was absolutely adorable and you urged him to get it. It was a pretty cool lamp too. The base of it was black with silver stars littered about, the ‘lava’ inside was a neon, lime green color and the light inside was blue. 

“What did you get y/n?” 

“I didn’t really see anything I liked, so I helped Sam get the lamp.” 

It was partially a lie. You had seen something small that you wanted, but Sam’s reaction to the lava lamp convinced you to do whatever it took to get it for him. Even if that meant you spent your tickets on him. Seeing his joy was worth more to you than the silly item you saw. 

The four of you continued to talk until the game before yours ended. Macie and Danny recounted their ax throwing experience, noting that Danny was a natural while Mace struggled a bit. To which of course Macie said that she was just going easy on him because she had already beat him at bowling and felt bad. 

Finally your group was called to start your game. You entered a prep room, vests and laser guns lining the walls. The room was mostly dark, the only light illuminating it coming from black lights that reflected neon paintings on walls. Each of you stood by a vest and listened as the worker went over the rules and basis of the game. Once he was done explaining everything, he instructed everyone to put on a vest before opening the door to let you inside. 

The goal was simple, you were split into two teams. You and Sam against Macie and Danny. The objective was to hit the opposite players as many times as possible with the laser from your gun. Hits to the shoulder sensors were worth ten points, the back and chest were worth twenty-five. 

Each team would also have a base in which they should be guarding. Hitting the base from far away was worth fifty points and hitting the base from underneath was worth a hundred. While this particular set up was meant for larger parties, the four of you decided it would still be fun. 

As soon as you entered the main room Sam pulled you through the maze of walls and objects towards your base. The clock had already started and there was no time to waste. 

“Alright so here’s what I think our plan should be. I know Daniel is gonna stay and guard the base, so I think you should stay here while I go down.” From the top of the base you could see the entire playing floor, including the other team’s base. The black lights illuminated neon barriers and walls throughout the course along with more artwork. 

“Are you sure? You’re wearing a bright white shirt and I’m wearing black. You’ll be an easy target for either one of them. They won’t see me coming.” 

The sides of his mouth twitched up as he thought about it, amusement spread across his face. He grabbed your face in his hands and pressed a quick kiss to your lips. 

“You’re so smart, did you know that?” He dropped his hands from your face and turned you around to the stairs leading into the main floor. “Now go get us that win, I’ll cover you from up here as best as I can.” His hand connected with your ass cheek, sending you on your way, but not before you threw a playful glare over your shoulder at him. 

You jogged down the stairs making sure your steps were soft in case Mace or Danny were nearby. Staying close to walls and under the bases, you made your way over to the other base. You figured if you couldn’t see the other base, they couldn’t see you from the aerial view. 

Out of the corner of your eye there was a flashing light that streaked by, signaling that someone was close. You pressed yourself into the corner of the wall and waited to see if whoever it was would come closer. Within a few seconds, Macie walked by. She was walking away from you, her back exposed and not noticing you were there. You took the opportunity to shoot her back plate several times before running to safety in another tucked away spot. 

From this spot you had a clear shot of their base. While it wouldn’t earn you the maximum amount of points, the shots would earn fifty each time. Until you were found or could get closer, this was a great option. You were also hoping that maybe it would draw Danny out since you were so close. 

You started firing round after round after round at the giant sensor on the roof of the base. Each round made the object light up with red alarm lights and an automated voice signaling that the base was under attack. You kept shooting at the base until you felt your vest vibrate repeatedly. Danny had finally left his spot and found you, shooting at your chest as quickly as possible. 

Not wanting to risk him racking up more points, you ran by him and back towards your base,  a new plan formed in your head. 

“Alright so when you see Danny leave the base, you need to run over and shoot it from underneath. I’ll take the hits from him, but if we both shoot the base then we'd be able to outweigh whatever he scores off me.” You were out of breath from running back to your base, chest heaving and slightly bent over. 

“That sounds like a great plan. We only have like ten minutes left of game time, I think we should wait a little while.” 

“Agreed. Once Macie sees you’ve left the base she’ll come running over here. We can’t give her a lot of time.” 

“Start with five minutes left?” You nodded in agreement and straightened back up placing your hands on the back of your head. 

“Are you gonna come stay at my place tonight? We could put on a movie, order some pizza and relax? Maybe smoke a little if you wanted?” Sam asked as you caught your breath. 

“Yeah, that sounds nice. We can use your new lava lamp too.” His face lit up at your response, smiling fondly at you. 

“I got something else the other day that I think you might enjoy, but you’ll have to wait to see what it is until later.” 

“Ooo so mysterious.” You grinned back at him, wondering what he could’ve possibly bought. 

The next few minutes passed with the two of you trying to decide on a movie to watch for tonight while keeping an eye on Danny and Macie. With five minutes left in the game it was time to move. 

You followed the same path as before, tucking yourself back into the previous corner. And as before you started shooting their base as quickly as the trigger would allow. It didn’t take very much time at all for Danny to find you, however, by the time he had reached you, Sam had made it underneath their base. The look on Danny’s face was absolutely priceless, realization and shock setting in. 

“Son of a bitch!” He shouted quickly, turning back where he came from to attack Sam. You followed behind him, laser aimed at his back the entire way and lighting him up with each hit. 

By the time he got back to the base and Sam, it was too late. Twenty seconds remained on the clock and Sam had already scored well over a thousand points. There was no catching up. 

“Oh c’mon Daniel, you have to hand it to us, it was pretty clever. Don’t be such a sore loser.” 

“I am not a sore loser.” Danny rolled his eyes at his best friend with a grumble, arms crossed over his chest. You were all standing out by your cars just talking shortly before heading your separate ways. 

“Whatever you say, Danny,” You teased, “To be fair, I did warn everyone that I was gonna kick their asses.” 

“Yeah, yeah.” Both Danny and Macie waved you off as you walked by them to open your car. Sam was following behind you to say goodbye, and give Danny a moment with Mace. 

“Alright so I’ll see you around 6?” Sam was leaned in close to you, arms resting on the top of the open car door between you.

“Yeah, I think that’ll work.” 

“Perfect. Let me know when you make it home and are on your way over? I’ll order the pizza when you’re headed my way.” 

“I will, and you do the same please.” He simply nodded in response before leaning in to kiss you and say goodbye. 

You got in your car and shut the door with Macie following not too far behind. There was nothing but silence while you navigated the beginning of your journey home. Although you definitely noticed the small grin plastered on your best friend’s face. 

“Did you have fun? You and Danny hit it off pretty well?”

“Uh… Yeah,” Her cheeks pinked more and more by the second, “I had a good time. He, uh, asked for my phone number so we could hang out just the two of us.” 

“Oh hell yeah! See I knew you two would get along so well!” 

“Yeah, Yeah.” She rolled her eyes playfully at you, still smiling. “Thank you, though for introducing us. He’s really sweet and funny, and definitely super hot… I just hope he’ll actually text me.” 

“Mace, he’ll text you. Danny isn’t the type of guy to lead someone on.” 

“I didn’t get that vibe either, which is nice, but we’ll just have to see.” You nodded your head showing that you understood what she was saying while keeping your eyes on the road. 

The rest of the car ride home was filled with talk about upcoming school assignments and plans the two of you had together with your other roommates. The four of you hadn’t hung out in a few weeks partially due to school work, but also because you were spending a lot of time at Sam’s. Macie had been covering for you and keeping Sam’s identity a secret for now. 

Chloe and Sadie knew that you were seeing someone, but you wouldn’t tell them who. Not that you didn’t trust them of course, but the less people who knew, the better. It kind of sucked because you wanted to do nothing but gush about Sam to your friends constantly, but you weren’t willing to risk anything. 

Eventually you made it home, running inside long enough to change, pack a small overnight bag, grab your backpack and freshen up before you walked back out the door. While you had spent the whole day with Sam, you were eager to see him again so soon. You were especially ready to relax and hang out with just him.

The air was chilly, wind sweeping through your hair and cutting through the thin material of your cardigan that you wrapped tightly at your sides. You walked quickly through the small parking lot to his apartment, trying to lessen your time outside. Sam met you at the door, already having it open since you texted him that you were there. 

“You look a little chilly there, Bug.” Sam called out leaning up against his doorframe. He was wearing a red crewneck and a pair of black sweats with a blanket draped over his shoulders, and no shoes but fun tie-dye socks adorning his feet. 

“Me? Chilly?” You chirped between chattering teeth, “Never. Not at all.” You laughed slightly, your body shaking even more due to the shivering. 

“C’mon let’s get you inside. I have pizza waiting anyways.” As you walked through the threshold he pulled the blanket from his body and wrapped it around yours instead. With the door shut behind you, his hands returned to the tops of your arms rubbing up and down and placed a light kiss on your cheek. 

“Go ahead and get comfy, I'll bring in the pizza and drinks.” He said, ushering you towards his bedroom. You followed his instructions and made your way to his room through the decently sized apartment.

Kicking your shoes off next to his door and dropping your bags next to them, you climbed into his bed noticing the lava lamp from earlier now sitting on his nightstand. It must’ve been on for hours already, probably since he got home, the ‘lava’ flowing to the top and floating back down steadily. The small lamp fit in nicely with his room.

While you waited for Sam to join you, you pulled out your phone to busy yourself for the time being. A text had popped up onto the screen from Sebastian, and you opened the messages app to see the preview of the text first. The text that had come through from your older brother made your heart drop to your stomach, and your stomach drop to your ass, panic flooding your entire body. 

Are you at Oakridge? Thought I saw you walk into Sam Kiszka’s place as I was leaving Brandon’s.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

You sat there completely frozen staring at the text, wondering what the fuck you were going to say. When Sam walked in with the pizza and drinks your eyes shifted from the screen to his face. Immediately he could tell something was wrong, stopping just at the foot of the bed with the pizza still in hand. 

“Everything okay?” He sat the pizza box on the bed before moving to the side and setting down the waters on the nightstand. Your eyes followed his movement, never once leaving him.

“My brother just texted me… He asked if I was here because he thought he saw me walking into your apartment.” 

“Oh fuck…” Sam ran a worried hand through his hair before it settled on the back of his neck. 

“I don’t know what to say.” 

Sam rubbed the back of his neck while he thought up a lie as to why you would be here. Sure you were in his class so maybe you needed help with something outside of class, but that’s still unprofessional. With each passing moment the expression you wore grew more worrisome, your face becoming more pale. He sat on the bed across from you with criss-cross legs and gently took your hands in his. 

“Hey it’s gonna be okay, I can tell you’re freaking out, but it’s gonna be okay.” Sam tried to reassure you, his soft brown eyes locked on yours looking more downturned than usual. You looked like you were going to cry, eyes becoming red and shiny nearly breaking his heart.

“Daniel is a tutor. Just tell him that he’s tutoring you in one of your classes because midterms are coming up. He knows that Daniel is my roommate and does tutoring on the side for extra cash. He’ll believe it.” He handed your phone to you before placing his right hand on your cheek. “It’s going to be okay, no need to worry right now.”

You nodded your head silently and unlocked your phone again, the screen still on the messages app. Sam’s hand on your cheek found new purchase on your knee resting lightly and giving it an encouraging squeeze. 

Yeah I am. I needed some extra tutoring for one of my classes since midterms are around the corner, and Danny Wagner is my tutor. I had no idea he was Sam’s roommate.

Both of you waited for a moment, watching as Sebastian read the text. The text bubbles at the bottom of the screen danced while he typed his reply.

Oh okay. Should’ve just asked me, I could’ve helped.

A sign of relief exhaled from your lips, your shoulders dropping from the release of tension. His response was normal, something he says every time you tell him about tutoring. You typed a quick reply explaining that he had enough on his plate and you didn’t want to overload him before looking back to Sam.

“He bought it, thank god. I was really freaking out,” A meek smile spread across your lips, “Thank you.”

“For what?” 

“For being calm and calming me down. For not getting angry. You have a lot more on the line than I do…” Your voice drifted off into a whisper. The Ex’s in your past would have never handled a situation where they could face serious reprimands so calmly, and certainly would have blamed you. Tears pricked your eyes distorting the vision of Sam gazing down at you softly. 

“Oh, sweetheart… C’mere.” He moved to sit up against his headboard, pulling you to sit between his legs once he settled. You leaned into his chest, your back laying flush against him with your head resting in the center of his chest. He pressed play on the TV, the movie both of you had picked earlier coming to life. Sam wrapped his arms around yours and weaved his fingers overtop of your own before crossing both your arms around your waist. 

You sat in comfortable silence just watching the silly romcom and let the rise and fall of his chest ease your breathing. His chin sat on top of your head, the scent from your shampoo drifting lazily in the air. Half-way through the movie and between bites of pizza, Sam spoke.

“Any interest in smoking tonight?” He looked at you with raised eyebrows and a light smile on his lips making his eyes crinkle at the corners ever so slightly. 

“Yeah, just a little bit though.” Sam smiled wider and sat his pizza in the box so he could move off the bed. He moved around his room towards his closet, turning on the light and walking in. When he re-emerged he was holding a small light green hand-blown glass bong with dark green ivy leaves that ran up the sides of it, his red grinder, and a lighter. 

You didn’t indulge in smoking often, but you figured why the hell not, right? Sam also had really good weed. You never had to smoke a lot just to feel the effects, and the strain he smoked never made you feel anxious like others had in the past.

He set the items down on the nightstand and began to prep the bowl, packing the finely ground weed into the bowl using the butt of his lighter. Once the bowl was packed Sam returned the grinder to its spot in the closet. He started the bowl taking a rather large hit before handing it off to you. You sealed your lips on the mouthpiece and held the lighter to the weed for a few seconds. Once satisfied with the amount of smoke you had produced, you pulled the bowl out of the downstem and pulled the air up into your lungs, clearing the chamber. Sam watched as he always did, mesmerized at your ability to inhale all the smoke no matter how much was in it. 

“Perfect,” You handed the piece back to him and met his eyes staring at you with adoration, “You are literally perfect.” The smoke from your exhale drifted into the open air through the smile Sam had caused. You could feel heat crawl its way up your neck and onto your cheeks from his praise, no doubt looking rosier than usual. 

Sam repeated the steps you had just taken, yet again taking a larger hit. He cleared the chamber and set the bong back on the nightstand before turning back to you, the corner of his lips lightly pulled up. The smoke never left his lungs as he beckoned you towards him with a wave of your hand. You obliged knowing what he wanted you to do. 

With your face centimeters from his, Sam’s hand gently held the side of your neck, his long fingers reaching the base of your skull. His thumb stroked your jaw softly as your lips parted slightly. Smoke began to flow smoothly from Sam’s mouth into your own, sucking in the air he released. You held his eye contact for a few moments feeling the soft intimacy of the moment wash over you. Breaking away from his gaze, your eyes fell to his lips that turned up into more of a smirk the longer you looked at them. When you drew your eyes back up to him he was already staring back, the outer corner of his eyes drooping with relaxation the high brought. His top lip curled, turning his smirk into a toothy grin filled with nothing but pure affection. 

The hand resting on your neck pulled you closer to him to close the gap, your lips meeting delicately. His mouth moved against yours slowly like he was savoring the feel and taste of your lips. His tongue dragged across your bottom lip with a languid stripe inviting you to open your mouth fully to him.

 Needing to be closer to him you climbed into his lap hooking your legs around his waist and looping your arms around his neck, never breaking the kiss. Sam’s arms snaked around your back, his right hand tangling in the hair at the back of your head.

Like smooth velvet, his tongue danced against yours, exploring the space like he had never done so before. Each pass of tongue on yours made you melt further into him. You felt that soon enough you would surely just become a part of him. But maybe that was the weed. The tip of his tongue grazed the roof of your mouth before he pulled away, leaving slow, open mouthed kisses along your jaw. 

When he finally came to the corner of your jaw finally dipping down towards your neck, his tongue swept over the skin knowing this was one of your sweet spots. His hand at the back of your head held your exposed neck to him, your head lulling backwards with an airy gasp. Traveling down the column of your neck he continued to leave sweet kisses in his wake. You needed more of him, your hands finding the hem of his crewneck at either side of his hips and pushing the fabric upwards. 

Sam only disconnected his lips from your skin briefly to pull the sweatshirt over his head and toss it to the floor. While he rid himself of his shirt, you pulled your cardigan off and threw it off the bed onto the floor. His fingers lifted the bottom of your shirt and you raised your arms to aid him as he pulled it over your head before it too was flung to the ground. 

Instead of returning his lips to your throat he kissed your lips, following the same pace as before. Sam pulled you closer, both of your bare chests pressed flush against one another. With his arms around your back he began to lean forward, sending you backwards slowly until your back met the mattress. Your legs were still wrapped loosely around his waist connecting his hardening bulge to your core. The thin material of your leggings allowed every bit of him to feel the growing heat between your legs as he kissed you. 

His hips pressed further into yours, driving his erection slowly against your clothed heat drawing soft, low moans from your lips. Your hands threaded into his long chestnut tresses, nails lightly scraping his scalp. His hand ghosted the skin of your side, passing over your ribs like a feather as he made his way up to your breast. With another roll of his hips he took your hardened nipple between his fingers, rolling it with gentle pressure. 

You could feel the high of the weed begin to wash over you, and you weren’t entirely sure that you weren’t floating above the bed right now. Every inch of your skin burned and tingled. It was one of the best feelings you had ever experienced. 

Sam trailed hot kisses down your body, taking his time along the way. Once low enough, the tips of his fingers slipped under the waistband of your leggings and underwear, dragging them down. He continued to leave kisses on your body, and never stopped to tease, going straight to your dripping core. 

With a flat tongue he licked a stripe up your pussy, changing to a point as he passed over your clit. His tongue passed slowly through your folds again repeating the motions from before except when he reached your clit this time he pulled it between his lips, sucking lightly. Your hips bucked upwards involuntarily, hands pressed against his head holding him closer to you. His eyes met yours, his pupils so blown that they overtook the iris making his eyes almost completely black. With his lips still wrapped around your clit, his tongue began massaging the sensitive bundle with his tongue. 

“Oh Sam, fuck.” Your chest rose and fell rapidly, the words full of air. 

“You taste so sweet, baby,” Sam murmured between smooth laps of his tongue, “Like fresh honey.” He returned his attention back to your clit for a moment, babying it as he did before. “Could stay here with my tongue in this sweet pussy all day.” 

Instead of drawing up your core as he had been, he slipped his tongue inside you and let his thumb rub slow, tender circles over your hardened bud. His thumb moved in sync with his tongue, dragging in and out against your walls. Each motion of both pushed you closer and closer to the edge, moans and praises drifting from your parted lips. 

“That’s it, sweet girl,” He coaxed you closer to your release with just his thumb and words, “Almost there.” He watched your orgasm begin to take with soft, loving eyes. Every noise he drew from you was like music to his ears, the most beautiful symphony leading to his favorite crescendo. 

Your orgasm washed over you slowly with Sam talking you through it, praising you over and over again. He watched in awe simply admiring how beautiful you looked, your skin flushed and glistening, back arched, and head thrown back against the blankets with your mouth hung slightly open. 

“God you look so pretty when you cum,” He stopped mid-sentence, his tongue sweeping through your wetness once more to collect the fresh nectar that dripped from your cunt, “Can’t wait to watch you cum again.” 

He moved back up your body, slotting his lips into your own. He was careful to keep distance between your sensitive core and his clothed length to avoid overstimulation. You could taste your release on his tongue as it slid over your own, humming and pulling him closer to you. 

“Sam please.” You begged, pushing the waistband of his sweats down his hips. His hand cupped the side of your face and lifted it to urge you to look at him. 

“Easy now sweetness. I wanna take my time with you tonight,” He placed a kiss to your cheek, “Adore you,” Another one to your other cheek, “Savor you,” The tip of your nose, “Worship you.” Finally placing the last one to your lips. 

“C’mon, let’s move you up to the pillows.” 

You nodded lazily, completely in a daze at how lucky you had gotten with Sam. He was the first partner you’ve had that did exactly as he said he wanted to do. Praise and worship you in every way you deserve. 

He moved off of you allowing you to move up the bed towards the headboard. While you laid against his pillows, he shed himself of his sweats and boxers freeing his hard erection. Your mouth watered as you took in his beauty. Every single part of him was like perfection, handcrafted by Aphrodite herself. God’s greatest creation, you were sure of it. 

Sam made his way back over to you, but stopped on his knees at your propped up legs. He placed his hands on either side of your knees and delicately pushed them apart. You watched him take his pointer and middle fingers into his mouth and wet them, eyes glued to his lips as the digits slipped past them. His wet fingers began to draw circles on your clit, the small bundle growing harder with each swipe. 

Never stopping the motion of his fingers Sam drew closer to lean over you, the tops of his thighs meeting the backs of yours. With his other hand he guided his length along your slit covering himself with your slick. When he reached the base, he drew back and pushed through your wetness again. 

“Already so wet.” He pumped his hand along his pulsating member, spreading your arousal to coat each inch of his velvety skin. 

Sam pulled his hand away from your clit and rested it on your cheek peeling your eyes away from his hand pumping up his shaft to look him in the eyes. 

“Ready for me?” You nodded in favor of a verbal reply, your brain foggy from your previous orgasm and the weed. 

The hand he had pressed to your cheek moved next to your head pressing into the pillow as he braced himself. You wrapped your legs around his lower back bringing you closer to one another as He lined his swollen head up with your entrance and pushed in slowly. His other hand found purchase on your waist while he sheathed himself inch by inch, the slow stretch a delicious burn. As he disappeared inside you he watched loving the way your walls sucked him in. 

When he was fully seated inside his head dropped back, a shaky, “Oh fuck,” escaping his lips. He didn’t move for a few moments as both of you got accustomed to the way the other felt. 

“You feel so fucking good, sweetheart, can I move?” He whispered, eyes meeting yours, pleading and longing.

“Please, oh my god, Sam please.” 

He began to withdraw from you immediately, slowing himself to feel every inch of you against him. He pulled out almost completely, leaving just the tip in before he pushed back in with a steady roll of his hips. Each thrust in and out was slow, calculated and deep. Oh, so deep. With every push inside you took all of him down to the base, his tip grazing that sweet spot causing the imaginary coil in the pit of your belly to tighten.

Just when you thought he couldn’t get any deeper than he already was, Sam pushed his torso away from you, his hands reaching up to grip the headboard above you tightly. The leverage he gained from the bed frame allowed him to drive further into your core, pressing directly into your most sensitive area. He kept up the same slow, yet strong and deep pace continuing to build your orgasm steadily.

“Oh god, Sam- fuck, that feels so good.” The praise bubbled from your chest, fucked out and pitchy, your hands gripping his hips firmly. “Plea- Please don’t stop.” You whined, earning a groan from the depths of Sam's chest.

“Not gonna stop, baby. Won’t stop till you’re cumming around my cock. I can tell you’re almost there.”

He moved one of his hands on the headboard to your clit, toying with it and setting your core on fire. You could feel your walls clenching around him the closer you got to your climax. Neither of you would last much longer, both of you peering over the cliff edge. 

“I’m about to cum, baby. Look at me.” You met Sam’s eyes as he asked, enamored with the sight of him above you. Wavy chestnut hair fell around his face, eyebrows pinched lightly, and his plump pink lips parted. Breathtakingly beautiful.  

“Oh fuck” He moaned as your eyes gazed back into his, “You are so beautiful,” He punctuated the praise with a deep roll of his hips, “Angelic perfection.”

“Sammy.” His name drifted off your lips in a gasp, dissipating in the air. 

“Let go, cum for me. Wanna see that pretty face.” 

If your first orgasm washed over you, the second crashed into you. You felt it all over your body in an instant, every muscle contracting. Sam came shortly after, slowing his thrusts to work you both through the high until he became too sensitive. He collapsed on top of you pressing kisses to the inside of your neck and on your cheek while you both caught your breath. 

Sam pushed up on his arms bringing his face to yours. He brushed the hair out of your eyes with his hand, a fond smile etched onto his face and eyes trailing after his hands. 

“I meant it, you know.” He said softly, taking in every detail of your face like he was committing it to memory. 

“Angelic perfection.” 

Heat flamed your cheeks along with a goofy smile stretching across your lips. Your hands covered your face trying to hide the silly blush that inked your skin, but Sam was quick to pull your hands away. 

“Hey, hey,” He giggled, matching your smile, “You’re not allowed to cover that pretty face.” He kissed your lips sweetly, humming and smiling into the kiss. 

It was short lived though as he pulled away abruptly, nearly jumping off the bed. 

“I almost forgot!” You sat up in his bed pulling the covers over your naked body, watching him walk around his room searching for something. 

“Oh here it is!” 

He came back to the bed, setting an oddly shaped light on the nightstand. It was a dodecahedron with a black stand and hundreds of different sized dots on each face. He plugged the object in and quickly turned off the salt lamp that had been illuminating the room along with the lava lamp. When he turned the new lamp on, your breath was taken away.  

Hundreds of stars along with a few constellations were displayed around his room in a beautiful blue light. 

“It’s so beautiful, Sammy.” You stared in awe at all the different little stars, your head whipping around. Sam climbed back into bed with you and pulled you to lay on top of him, your cheek pressed to his chest. The sound of his heart thumped in your ear, steady like his breathing. 

“I thought you might like it. Pretty neat, huh?” He studied your face as you gaped at the fake stars, the smile from earlier gracing his features again. 

“It’s stunning. I love it.” You drifted back to Sam’s face taking in how pretty he looked in the blue light with stars speckled on his skin. 

“You’re stunning.” He cupped your face with both of his large hands, unable to tear his eyes from you. The bright smile on his face faded into something softer, his eyes following suit as you looked at one another. 

 “I think I’m falling for you, y/n, and I know it might be cheesy, but I wanted to ask if you’d be my girlfriend?” 

Cheesy or not, your heart melted at his confession, warmth encasing your whole body.

He was falling for you. 

You didn’t need to think about your answer. You knew the moment he asked. 

“Yes, of course, Sam.” You beamed, threading your fingers through his that laid on your cheeks.

 “I would love to be your girlfriend.”

His smile widened to match yours, and you could feel the way he felt about you just from his soft eyes locked on yours. Pulling you closer, he kissed you with happy excitement, both of you smiling into the kiss. 

You fell asleep that night with Sam’s bare body pressed into your own thinking for a second time how lucky you were to have stumbled upon Sam. He was everything you had ever wanted and so much more. In such a short amount of time he had become your everything, and you were quickly falling in love with him.

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[scarletsaphire]

This is the second fic I did for @ecto-implosion. This one was for @skarlettskwrl's art, which can be found here. Very cool art with a very interesting concept, lots of fun to write!

Summary:

Jazz moved away for college to start her own life, far away from ghosts. She didn't expect for her parents to finally capture the ghost boy and bring him to their lab. She didn't prepare to race back to Amity Park in an effort to save her brother from whatever grizzly fate awaited him. No matter how fast she went, she wasn't fast enough, or strong enough. She would never make that mistake again.

Trigger warnings for: Gore, violence, permanent disfigurement, dissection, unwilling transformation, patricide/matricide, bad parents jack and maddie, and wolves

Jazz's heavy breathing kept time with the pounding of her footsteps on the pavement, which in turn matched the pain in her head. She was tired. She was so, so tired, but that didn't matter. She couldn't stop. She was too late as it was.

Danny had assured her that he would be just fine. "You don't need to put your whole life on hold just to look after me," he'd said with a roll of his eyes. "I took care of myself just fine before you figured everything out."

Jazz had mirrored his eye roll. "Yes, because getting beaten up twice a day, failing your classes, and trying to give yourself stitches at one in the morning is taking care of yourself."

"I survived, didn't I?" He'd said.

"No, I'm pretty sure you didn't," Jazz had said. "But you are right. You've gotten better at taking care of yourself. And Sam and Tucker will still be here to clean up whatever messes you make." She ruffled Danny's hair. "I'll accept the offer."

The next few months had passed in a whirl of ghost fights and preparation until the day was finally here. Jazz had packed up her car with her belongings and had driven twelve hours to her new college campus. She'd declined her parents offer to help her move in; she appreciated it, of course, but she wanted to commit to the move - jumpsuits and the GAV weren't the greatest way to make a first impression.

Jazz wasn't able to disconnect from Amity entirely. She watched the news every day, normally as background noise while she studied. It was nice to see what her family was getting up to, even if it was normally accompanied by some kind of massive fight.

It was, of course, stressful. The first few days had her regretting her choice to move away at all, with every live report sending her down another spiral of what ifs. But she had been working on managing her anxiety, and she'd been a part of those fights enough to know how they would go; ghost shows up, Danny kicks butt, their parents show up, Danny runs away. She didn't need to worry.

And then Danny had gone down to a surprise Fenton Bazooka, gotten sucked into the thermos, and been carted away in the GAV, and Jazz knew she had messed up.

She'd already been awake for nine hours before she'd seen the news.

She hadn't grabbed anything besides her keys, hadn't even bothered to check traffic or the weather or anything. She just ran down to her car, skipping as many stairs as she could, and peeled out of the student parking lot. She'd driven as fast as she could, but the drive was still twelve hours, and she had to stop for gas, and she was still human and needed to eat and it didn't matter what she did she wouldn't be there fast enough.

Jazz was beyond tired by the time she entered Amity Park. If she hadn't pulled so many all-nighters in high school and then so many more as a part of Team Phantom, she would've been a mess. But she was fine. She was fine. She had to be fine because Danny-

She hoped that her hunch was wrong.

She hoped that she'd get home, and find her whole family, safe and sound sitting around the kitchen table, fighting off a hoard of ectodogs before deciding that they should just settle for takeout again. She hoped that Danny would be playing Doomed in his room and her parents would be down in the lab, trying to figure out how to remake their technology to not hurt Danny.

She hoped that Danny had gotten a chance to tell them and their love for their son was stronger than their hatred for ghosts or their need for knowledge.

Jazz hoped. But she knew her parents, and she knew, with a sick kind of certainty, what she would find when she finally reached Fentonworks.

Amity Park was nothing short of a disaster. Some time during her drive, another ghost had attacked. Neither Danny or her parents had answered the call, which left Valerie to try and take the threat down by herself. The roads were torn up from the fight, and traffic was at a complete standstill no matter what way Jazz tried to take.

It had only taken a few minutes stuck in traffic for Jazz to ditch her car entirely and start sprinting across town. She ignored the exhaustion clouding her brain, weighing down her arms and legs. She ignored the pain in her chest and her head.

She needed to keep going. She needed to be faster.

It took far too long for Fentonworks to come into view, another small eternity on top of the long one she'd already put up with in the car. She barreled up the front stairs, tugging on the door knob. It was locked. The door was never locked; locked doors didn't do anything to stop ghosts, and that was the only concern that warranted concern in the Fenton household. Jazz fumbled her keys out of her pocket. She squinted down at them, trying to figure out which one of them opened the door.

It took too long for her to figure out which one it was. It took too long for her tired, clumsy fingers to open the door. It took too long for her to get into the house. She shouldn't have left in the first place. What had she been thinking, abandoning Danny like that? Her own brother, who had been working so, so hard to keep everyone safe, and she'd just up and left.

She was a horrible, horrible sister.

She pushed her way into the house. It was dark, and quiet, and mostly clean. That was terrible. The only time Fentonworks was anything comparable to clean or quiet was when her parents were busy. And they were only ever busy when they were in the lab.

Jazz started the walk into the basement on shaking legs. She should be running. Maybe if she ran she would be able to stop them. She would run down the stairs to find her parents standing over an unconscious Danny. They'd be shocked to see her, and listen to what she had to say, and they'd apologize and hug her and Danny would wake up with no memories and a family that loved him.

Maybe, if she had stayed. Maybe if she had been faster. Maybe if she'd been a good sister. Maybe if she'd kept her promise and been the only other Fenton that put family first, that didn't get swept away in their own desires. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

Maybes didn't matter right now.

Right now, Jazz was descending the stairs, and she could taste the sour tinge of ectoplasm mixed with a too-strong metallic flavor, and she could hear the sound of her parents talking, even if she couldn't make out the words. And then she turned the corner, and she could see.

The portal at the back of the room was the same bright green it almost always was, rendering most of the room as green tinged silhouettes. Everything except for the table in the center of the room, the blinding fluorescents all resting on three people and lighting the scene with blinding clarity. Jazz's family.

Jack had his back to her, humming a familiar tune to himself. His normal orange suit had an additional mask.

Jazz recognized it from a half dozen science experiments the two of them had worked on when she was younger. He'd worn it while they worked on her first baking soda volcano, Jazz wearing a much smaller, teal one. They'd added too much, and had gotten the mixture all over their suits. She remembered laughing about it as they wiped their hands across their faces, trying to clean off their eye protection.

Now, Jack's suit was covered in a bright green liquid, specks of red just barely visible in every splatter. His hands weren't busy wiping off a harmless foam, but carefully depositing something into a jar. It might've been a liver, but Jazz tore her gaze away before she could properly identify it. She didn't want to know what it was.

Unfortunately, her eyes found something so much worse. Maddie was dressed nearly identically to Jack. She was faced towards Jazz, just enough for her to make out Maddie's expression. Her face was steady, frozen in a look of concentration, but Jazz could recognize the glimmer of fascination in her eyes. A fascination that was directed at Danny, lying unconscious on the table.

At least, Jazz hoped he was unconscious. If he wasn't, then he'd be aware of Maddie's hands wrist deep in his chest cavity. He'd be aware of his skin peeled back and pinned to the sides of the table to keep it out of the way, as if it was nothing more than a nuisance for Maddie and Jack to deal with. He'd be aware of the fact that his organs were being carefully packaged into labeled jars, that he was being taken apart piece by piece as if he was some fucked up puzzle that they were going to rebuild later. If Jazz didn't do something, then maybe they would.

But Jazz was going to do something. She didn't know what, exactly, it would be, but it certainly wouldn't be pretty. She wanted to make them hurt, just like they'd made her baby brother hurt. But how could she? Jazz may be strong, but her parents were stronger.

And wasn't that just the theme of the day?

Jazz just wasn't enough. She wasn't fast enough, wasn't strong enough, wasn't dedicated to protecting her family enough to keep them safe and sane. And now she'd lost all of them.

It didn't matter.

She wasn't going to just stand there and watch. Even if she couldn't actually do anything, even if the only result was that she'd end up on the table next to Danny, then she'd do it. Jazz lunged down the next step, charging towards Maddie as fast as she could. She was the one who was hurting Danny. She was the one that needed to be stopped as soon as possible.

Somewhere in her leap, something shifted in Jazz.

Originally, her jump had been clumsy. She hadn't put any real thought into what she would do when she landed, pushed forward entirely by her frustration at herself, at her parents- at everything that had happened.

She definitely didn't put enough power and care to soar through the air, and yet that's what she was doing; her feet were stretched behind her, yet never so much as brushed the ground, even as she traveled further than she had intended to.

That was fine. It just meant she was closer to her goal.

Jazz landed crouched on the ground just ahead of where Jack was standing. She was moving again before his shocked yelp even reached her, continuing towards Maddie. Jazz tackled her, knocking Maddie away from Danny.

Good. That was the goal.

Jazz tore at Maddie with her hands, sharp claws tearing through both protective clothing and skin. Maddie shrieked, the sound shrill and loud. Maybe it was from how long Jazz had been awake, but the sound made her head spin.

She blocked it out. She couldn't afford to get distracted.

Her hand was sticky with blood when she felt the burning pain of an ectoplasm blast, she whirled around, snarling towards Jack. His eyes were wide with terror, a Fenton Blaster pointed directly at Jazz, the muzzle dripping the small bit of ectoplasm that had liquefied during the blast onto the floor.

Jazz almost laughed; was he really so far gone that he couldn't recognize either of his children? He should know that that wouldn't work on her.

Oh well. It worked in her favor.

She left Maddie bleeding on the floor, pushing off of the ground with her hands and feet. She stayed low; the Fenton Blaster might not be able to hurt her as badly as it might hurt a ghost might hurt Danny but it was still unpleasant. As long as he had the blaster in his hands, Jazz needed to stay small and fast. Another blast went over her shoulder, leaving a sizzling puddle on the ground where it hit.

That was her opening.

In just a few bounds, she was next to Jack. She wasn't sure what came over her, but before she could think, her mouth had closed around his leg, teeth digging into soft flesh. She could taste the latex of the jumpsuit he always wore, but the flavor was quickly washed away by the salty, metallic taste of blood.

Jack howled and tried to tear his leg away, but Jazz only bit down harder and harder. Distantly, Jazz could hear the sound of the Fenton Blaster being fired again and again, but Jack's aim was just as terrible as ever. Still, Jazz bit down harder.

The snap of bones between her jaw was not surprising.

Jack was strong, and his continued struggles only put more and more pressure on the bone. Honestly, the fact that Jazz had managed to keep the leg clenched between her teeth in the first place was impressive. With the breaking of his bone, Jack crumpled to the floor, the blaster flying from his hand and skidding across the metal floor with a horrible screeching noise that caused Jazz's ears to ring.

She let go of his leg and made her way so she was positioned just above Jack. His eyes were filled with tears, and broken pleas to not hurt him, to let him and his family go, that they didn't do anything wrong tumbled from his lips.

This time, Jazz did laugh at the irony of the situation, but all that came out was a low growl.

She could spare him; he'd learned his lesson about messing with her pack- he wouldn't be making that mistake any time soon. And he was still her father. Her eyes met his gloves, stained a sickening mixture of red and green.

No.

He hadn't had any mercy on her baby brother, on his own son.

She wasn't going to have any mercy on him.

Once again guided by instinct, she snapped down on his neck. Jack's strangled cry of pain was quickly stifled as he choked on his own blood.

Jazz stood up from the fresh corpse. She should wipe the blood from her mouth, but her job wasn't finished yet. Maddie was still whimpering and moaning from her side of the room, unable to move from the damage to her abdomen.

Jazz could finish her off now. It would be easy.

But Maddie wasn't her priority. She never had been.

Jazz padded up to the table to start assessing Danny's injuries. She could just barely see him, the edge of the table blocking most of her view. She must still have been crouched, even though she felt like she was standing.

She tried to straighten to her full height, only to find that she couldn't. Maybe she'd hurt something without realizing it, but she didn't feel hurt. The only pain was a slight sting from where Jack had hit her with the blaster.

If she wasn't able to stand, Jazz would just have to pull herself up. She reached both of her arms to the table, trying to grab the edge and was met with the sight of clawed paws drenched in blood. She flinched backwards, and the paws flinched with her.

Oh. That was her.

Jazz felt the familiar feeling of panic surge in her chest yet again, carrying with it the taste of bile. She forced it back down and returned to her quest of getting to Danny. She couldn't afford to panic right now, not while Danny was on the table bleeding out. Everything else was a secondary concern.

This time, when she lifted her paws, she did not flinch away. Moving felt weird, now that she was aware of the changes, but she managed to lift her head up to get her first clear look at Danny.

She wished she hadn't. Just as she had seen before, his abdomen had been cut in a neat Y shape, the skin peeled back and held down by evenly spaced clamps. His rib cage was exposed to air, and the left rib bones had been severed, letting her see straight to the thin layer of flesh on the other side, no organs or muscle to block her view. His stomach cavity was exactly that; a cavity. Everything had been removed until all that was left were some twitching muscles.

His face had not been spared from the mutilation. His mouth had been pried open with a metal gag, the device still stuck between his lips. Teeth had been forcibly extracted, the front part of his tongue had been cut off, and dried blood and ectoplasm pooled in his open mouth. His eyelids were pulled back, similarly to his torso, and his eyes had been completely removed. The cavities left behind had been filled with some kind of brownish silicone mixture. They had been trying to make a mold. Jazz didn't know what to do. If she'd had hands, then she'd be able to gather the organs, stitch Danny's torso back together, and inject him with the emergency ecto dejecto. If they were lucky, then he might be ok, at least physically. Eventually. But now she didn't even have that small hope.

She couldn't stifle the whimper that came out of her throat. She couldn't recognize it as her own, far more animalistic than any sound she should be able to make. By all accounts, nobody should be able to recognize it as her, and yet the moment the sound passed her lips, Danny's mouth opened.

His voice was broken, garbled and strained, but his words were still understandable. "Jazz?" he whispered. He seemed to be trying to lift his head to turn and look at her. He couldn't, obviously. Jazz couldn't actually reply, couldn't offer the comforting words she wanted to, no matter how empty they may have been. She couldn't offer the apologies she'd been reciting in her head for hours now. All she could do was whimper again.

"I..." Danny said. He gave up trying to move, letting his head and neck go limp. "I knew you'd come."

If Jazz hadn't forced Danny to drive her to the Far Frozen to learn ghost medicine, she would have panicked as Danny's body started to glow a soft blue, and then started to collapse in on itself until all that was left was a glowing orb in the same color Danny had glowed. But she had, so instead she saw it as a symbol of hope.

It was very, very hard to permanently end a ghost. Most of their physical forms were built on ectoplasm, so they could sustain a lot of damage. Even the worst injuries could be healed in time. However, in the case that they were seriously injured, they could retreat. Reduce themselves to just their core, focusing all of their energy into fixing their form.

Doing this meant that ghosts could heal nearly everything in a matter of weeks, sometimes sooner. It wasn't something that could just happen at any time; the ghost needed to feel truly, completely safe, and even then, it took energy to condense like that, so if a ghost was too far gone by the time they got somewhere safe, they wouldn't be able to do it.

Danny had enough energy to retreat into his core, and had trusted Jazz enough to do it. As long as Jazz kept him safe, then he would heal. He would be ok. Jazz nudged Danny's core gently off the table and into her mouth. She'd seen videos of dogs carrying eggs in their mouths before, and figured that was the best way for her to get Danny out of the lab. She was surprised to find how natural it was, even with how incredibly cold Danny's core was.

Jazz made her way out of the lab, not sparing so much as a glance at the carnage she left behind.

She had already failed Danny once. She wouldn't be letting him down again.

[ibelieveinahappilyeverafter]

Human - Danny Phantom

A/N: The no dialogue commission that is over 5,000 words and that I wrote back in 2019 and never uploaded! My bad.

Fandom: Danny Phantom

Characters: Danny Fenton, Ghost Writer

Rating: Teen Audiences

Summary: Danny Fenton had dealt with a lot of ghosts in his time as Phantom, but none of them had ever quite been so human as the Ghostwriter; none of them had ever been as annoying, either.

AO3 Link: Human Website Link: Human

—

If you enjoy this story then check out my Writing Commissions.

…or, if you prefer, you can just buy me a ko-fi! ☕ …or, if you have a nice allowance, support me on Patreon! 🪶

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Human

This was not how Danny had planned on spending the last day of his winter break; his homework-free winter break that was now, due in large part to actual pity, also ghost-free. It was a ghost-free, paper-free, stress-free last day of winter break and Danny had been planning to use it to sleep, play games, sleep, eat, sleep, and sleep in that order. That was how he had planned the day. Sleeping, eating, or even playing video games, however, was not what he was doing. 

Instead of his soft, well-worn bed, Danny was uncomfortably slouched over in a wooden chair that looked to have been donated to three different elementary schools before ending up in the ‘bookstore cafe’ that he and his friends were trapped in; or at least, Danny and Tucker were trapped. Sam, the vicious vulture with perfect winged eyeliner that she was, looked to honestly be enjoying the cringe-filled ‘poetry’ that other goth teenagers were reading up on the small stage. 

The words were as out-of-focus as his gaze and Danny’s thoughts had turned towards wondering if he could fall asleep sitting up with his eyes open before a wisp of cool air slipped through his parted lips, a sensation like being zapped sparking down his spine until it was perfectly straight, his chair scooting back from the sudden movement. 

Opening his mouth to explain, Danny was instead met with a sharp shushing sound, Sam giving him one of her looks that could essentially be translated into a rough: take care of this quietly and quickly because if you ruin this for me then I’ll make sure you’re the next one up on that stage. 

Tucker, at least, looked mildly sympathetic as Danny took the soundless warning to heart and slipped out of his seat before silently making his way towards the men’s bathroom to change and find out which ghost wanted to ruin the last of his break. 

That had been the plan, at least, until he looked up and caught sight of the ghost himself and saw just which one it was. 

Danny could honestly say that he hadn’t expected the Ghostwriter to be the one that had set off his ghost sense, but, well. It made sense. Christmas was over and if it was one thing a ghost loved, it was revenge; especially when it was revenge against Danny Phantom.

The interesting thing, though, the thing that made Danny stop and instead change direction towards the ‘bar’ that only sold overpriced and watered down coffee where it was quiet and dim and easy to hide, was that Ghostwriter wasn’t looking all that, well… ghostly. 

Ghostwriter was still wearing that stupid trench coat that was purple along with his depressing grey clothing, but he wasn’t glowing or flying or declaring his revenge in a theatrical tone like Technus or Skulker or even the Box Ghost might. There was no I will destroy you, ghost child! or This time, it’s going to be you who rots behind bars! or even Hey, you fuck! 

No, it was just… Ghostwriter. His skin was still a washed out grey sort of color, but without the ghostly glow that lit it all up, he just looked like a tired college student who might have been coming down with the flu and had trudged in out of the cold to look for a book to finish off a last-minute paper. He just looked so human, which, Danny mused, might have been all the more reason to worry. A ghost didn’t go to those lengths to disguise himself unless there was something to hide. 

Stepping out of the shadows, and fully prepared to make a scene no matter how much Sam hated him after it was over, Danny watched as Ghostwriter walked around the edges of the tables and chairs that were pointed towards the stage, looked around the building slowly and carefully, and then… 

He was reading. The ghost who had almost ruined his life and destroyed his Christmas had walked up to a bookshelf, poked around for a few seconds, and then started to read one of the books like it was something he did all the time. 

Danny almost thought that the gods might have finally smiled upon him and blessed him just enough to where he wouldn’t have to deal with a ghost fight on his last day of winter break, but then he remembered just what kind of bookstore he was in. 

If Sam had managed to find a book on the Fright Knight in a place like this, he dreaded to think what a ghost who could change reality and knew what he was looking for could find. 

Saying a silent goodbye to his peace and quiet, and almost managing to dredge up just a speck of regret for the poetry ‘jam’ that was about to get broken up, Danny took a step forward and immediately froze when he met bright green eyes. 

The two were utterly quiet, but Danny fancied that he could hear what would no doubt be a smug I see you, ghost boy. 

Danny made sure to give his best glare back, channeling the rage he usually only felt when dealing with Vlad. The rage that screamed, loud and clear, If you even think of hurting anyone here it’ll be the last thing you do. 

Instead of showing the appropriate amount of fear and shuffling out of the store in a burst of sensibility, Danny watched as the Ghostwriter laughed, putting the book he had been reading back onto the shelf and then disappearing around the corner to the next one. 

Danny wasted no time, half-running over to the shelf and grabbing up the book that the ghost had just been looking at to see what unnatural disaster he was about to deal with next. It was like ice sliding down his spine as he saw that it was just… a book. There was nothing special about it beyond the fact it was a lame book about some old poetry. It was normal with a normal twisted plastic cover and normal bent pages that had been rifled through a time too many. Which meant Ghostwriter was fucking with him. 

Rounding the shelf, Danny kept his energy close to the surface, ready to snap into his changed form at a moment’s notice as he watched Ghostwriter set down another book he had picked up, glancing back to Danny. This time the smirk screamed, Nothing you could do would stop me.

It was enough to have Danny clenching his fists hard enough to make his palms bleed, wisps of green energy starting to curl through his fingers as he bared his teeth in a very clear, Try me. 

Ghostwriter vanished around another corner and Danny rushed to inspect the book he had been looking through, pissed to see that it was just another lame paperback book about poetry a decade too old that made it obvious that the ghost really was just screwing with him.

And that’s how it kept going. Danny followed Ghostwriter around the store, flipping through the books the ghost had been reading and trying to piece together what he could be up to. 

Instead of some grand scheme of revenge, though, Danny was looking through beaten up books of poetry, old nonfiction books about trains and air transportation that weren’t about airplanes, and a bright yellow and white How To book about how to play piano. It was that one that almost had Danny throwing the book at Ghostwriter himself to see if it would start a fight just to get the tension over with. 

Danny glared at nothing as he slammed the most recent book back onto one of the countless shelves, not caring if it was the proper spot or not as he turned around to keep following after Ghostwriter before feeling his heart stop at seeing the ghost directly in front of him and a few inches away. 

It took an eternity to make sure Danny hadn’t somehow been scared straight into his ghost form before he realized there was a ghost only a few inches away from him. He didn’t even manage to call up his energy, though, before what was clearly a book was tossed at him. 

Years of living with Jazz and her psychopathic librarian tendencies had Danny catching the book before any damage could come to it, a quick look up to Ghostwriter showing the ghost was smirking, as if to say, Your move, ghost boy. What now?

Danny opened his mouth to tell the Ghostwriter just where he could shove his pretentious attitude before the sound of snapping fingers distracted him just enough to glance over at the crowd of goths that were taking up the space. A look back to the ghost had Danny losing what was at least seven years of his life because the fucker was gone. 

Gripping the book he had caught tightly, Danny slammed it down against a half-working radiator that looked older than the store, freezing when he saw a piece of torn notebook paper slip out of the pages and flutter down towards the ground. Danny managed to snatch it up before it hit, looking at it suspiciously before turning it around and blinking at seeing the writing that was there. He half-thought it might have been a note some former nerd left behind as a placeholder, but that thought was quickly broken when he saw just what the words spelled out. 

There, in a neat, curling script that could only mean the writer was a pretentious control freak, were the words, Until next we meet, Phantom. 

It was a declaration of war and Danny was all too happy to meet it, vowing that he would destroy Ghostwriter molecule by molecule as he stomped back to his seat (after moving the book off the radiator), another goth nerd already up on stage and reciting what sounded like a sea shanty turned into a spoken word that was then read as a eulogy. 

Danny felt some of his rage drain out of him by the sheer confusion he felt at hearing what he was absolutely sure was not English, but the last of it was wiped away clear when he felt his phone buzz with a message from Tucker, who was looking at him with a worried expression. 

A quick glance to the message showed just what Danny had expected, a simple, ‘if we talk sam will kill us. you alright?’ 

Reading the message over another time or two, Danny gave a quick nod before backtracking and shaking his head at Tucker’s unimpressed look. Opening his mouth, and seeing Sam shoot him a look as if she had eyes in the back of her horns, Danny instead turned towards his phone, typing out a quick, ‘Not bad but it pisses me off when a ghost comes in here obviously picking a fight and then leaves without actually fighting I mean what the hell is that about?’ 

‘sounds like the dude was scoping out the enemy you know? did he do or say anything or something like that? cause you know i’ll leave and back you up no matter how much it would break my heart to not hear the rest of this beautiful poetry on stage.’ 

Danny had to smother a laugh into his fist and turn it into a weak cough that hopefully didn’t sound too fake, Tucker beaming proudly and sticking out like a sore thumb among all the dour goths crammed together. Danny let him have the moment before kicking his chair - just to keep him humble. ‘Nah I think he already left can’t sense him anymore at least but he didn’t even say anything he just left a note that was basically calling me out for a fight next time we meet.’ 

‘yikes. sounds like the dude still isn’t over the whole xmas thing. need me to do any research and see if i can’t try to find something out about the dude?’ 

‘Nah I already know how his powers work and his keyboard thing was busted so it’s not like he can stick me in a poem again I’ll just wait and deal with him when he comes looking for a fight he won’t win.’ 

Danny tucked his phone away as Tucker snickered behind his own, turning his attention back to whatever car crash was happening on stage, mind already focused on his plans for the war that Ghostwriter had declared. 

War had been the plan, at least, until a week passed with no fight with the Ghostwriter and Danny started asking for advice over the problem that was starting to make him twitchy with nerves over nothing happening. Ghosts, in his experience, usually didn’t wait long before getting revenge.

Long talks with Sam, Tucker, Jazz, and even his Mom, who had been the most judgmental out of all of them, had ended up with Danny calling in a favor to a way too amused Clockwork before toting a glowing book that hurt his eyes to look at to a library that he still half wanted to freeze into a giant ice block before shattering it and hiding the remains in the Far Frozen. 

It wasn’t like he had started the Christmas fight that had almost ended up destroying all of his relationships in his everyday life, and, really, when one thought about it, Ghostwriter was as big a dick as Danny was. Honestly, ‘until next we meet?’ It wasn’t like that could be anything but a declaration of war! 

It was still a challenge Danny was all for if the nerd ever followed through on it, but now if he actually returned the book he had accidentally (which was very important to point out since he hadn’t started the fight) destroyed, then that meant he had the moral high ground and he was right; or something to that effect, at least. 

Overall, it was why Danny took great satisfaction in throwing the book in the nerd’s face as soon as the library doors opened way too dramatically, taking a moment to gleefully enjoy the annoyed rage that faded into shocked awe and oh, yeah. Danny was just that good. 

While the ghost looked down at the book with wide eyes, Danny took a quick moment to really notice how, even in the Ghost Zone, the dude still looked human. His skin looked way more pale and grey, of course, what with all the crazy lighting and green, but he still could have passed as a human with just a few changes. It was… weird. 

The only other ‘human’ ghosts he had really been around was Ember, Johnny, and Kitty. While Kitty’s skin tone could have been sick human, her hair was way too ghostly to ever pass, and Ember was the same with her hair, and Johnny- Well, no, he pretty much had been human as long as he suppressed that glowing thing that all ghosts did. Jazz had almost ended up dating him he looked human enough. Maybe it had something to do with age. Ghostwriter didn’t- 

Focus. Danny was here for a reason and that reason was to prove that, obviously, he was the better ghost. 

It took hours before Ghostwriter finally looked up at him, opening his mouth to no doubt annoy Danny into his full death. He made sure to cut it off by pointing to the piece of paper that was sticking out of the book. It was a simple note that read: 

Nerd.

You can thank Clockwork for this since he owed me a favor or I owe him one. Not sure. It’s Clockwork. Enjoy and stay the fuck out of my town and my life. 

Fuck you.

Danny made sure that by the time Ghostwriter finished the note he was well on his way back to the Amity Park portal, confident with his carefully calculated risk that his hands were washed of the mess that was the Ghostwriter. 

⁂

Danny had honestly expected to be done dealing with ghostly business for at least a few weeks after his Christmas. He should have been done with the Ghostwriter, all debts should have been repaired, and there should have been absolutely no reason for that ghost, or any other ghost, to be anywhere near him or his town. 

Honestly, when thinking about just the Ghostwriter business, Danny was the one who had suffered the most. He couldn’t just get rid of the trauma he had gone through that Christmas, but Ghostwriter had gotten his book back? 

No matter how it played out, Danny was the one who suffered the most in the whole scenario, which was why he couldn’t figure out why, a week or something like it later, he was staring groggily at a glowing book that was on his desk on a morning he had to be up early for school. 

The winter sun was too dim to light up his room like it might have if it was summer and all of Danny’s lamps were either turned off or burned out from where he had been sleeping, so there really was nothing to cause the glow around the book except the book itself - which meant it was a ghost book. That meant it was a trap. A trap in the morning. Danny really had thought that ghosts had better manners than that. 

Scrubbing at his eyes and suppressing the urge to mutter words that he had no doubt his mother would hear even with doors and possibly two floors between them, Danny dragged himself to his feet and stumbled over to the glowing book with a title that looked like it had first been written in crayon before being properly typed or drawn. 

Except the longer he stared at the title the more it seemed to make sense, Danny squinting before finally managing to at least make out the word history, which, ugh, did some ghost prank him with a ghostly history textbook? This had Poindexter written all over it.

Snatching the book with a solid plan of hiding it in his backpack until he could throw it back into the Ghost Zone, Danny paused at the fluttering piece of paper that slipped free of the pages and tumbled towards the floor. 

Danny made sure to wait at least seven seconds to make sure it wasn’t another form of trap, lightly nudging the piece of paper with his foot before nodding and picking it up, mentally ruling out Poindexter as a suspect and adding in Plasmius. It would be just like that Fruitloop to give him some kind of test or riddle or… familiar looping scrawl that Danny had last seen in a bookshop. For a moment, he could only think that he forgot, in his calculated risk, that he was bad at math.

Phantom, 

Thank you for the miraculous recovery and return of my written works that came to a gruesome end this past Yule. While your own correspondence left much to be desired, the return is appreciated. 

I’m writing to you now due to the discovery of this book during one of my searches. While I’m certain that you already have a thorough understanding of the Spirit World and its inhabitants, it occurred to me that you might not yet be aware of certain specifics. 

Please feel free to peruse this book at your leisure before returning it to my library at your discretion. I would prefer to have it returned within a fortnight but will be most understanding if it happens to take longer. 

Regards, 

Ghostwriter 

Danny had to read through the note four times before he finally crumpled it into a ball and threw it on his desk because no matter how many times he read the words his early morning brain was simply not going to be able to process that. God, the Ghostwriter was like if his sister was a boy and had become a ghost while studying for her finals or something. 

The moment it took to process the thought had a shiver running up Danny’s spine, resolve hardened as he dug around through his desk until he found a cheap pen and a crumpled piece of paper that he quickly smoothed out before using it to articulate his thoughts and feelings perfectly. 

Ghostwriter

I said stay out of my town and my life and this is doing none of those things. Look it’s plain to see that this book is some kind of trap I mean let me guess you stole it from Plasmius and now you’re gonna pin it on me? As if I don’t have enough problems with the Fruitloop fucking thanks. 

Here’s what’s gonna happen. I’m going to give you this book back. You’re going to take it. You’re going to keep out of Amity Park. The next time I see you or any other books in this town I will BURN THEM ON PURPOSE. The last thing I need to deal with in life is another ghost out to kill me for something that’s no longer my fault. 

REGARDS 

Fuck you 

Biting the blunt end of his pen, Danny read over the letter a time or two to make sure it had everything he wanted to say before nodding and slipping the piece of paper between the cover and the first page of the still glowing book. God, the sooner he got the thing out of his room the better. It had probably already tripped at least three ghost sensors in his house. 

A quick check of the time until he was meant to be at school, and a weighing of his options, had Danny swearing (very quietly) to himself and triggering his change into his ghost form. An hour wasn’t much time to get things done, but it would be enough to get rid of a book.

Besides, Danny hadn’t really thought of the Plasmius thing until he wrote his letter, but the more he thought about it the more it made sense. A ghost was too weak to take him on? Send Plasmius. It was the perfect plan and, actually, one Danny could maybe use against some of the more annoying ghosts. Plus, it’d just be hilarious to see Plasmius go up against Technus. The two would probably monologue at each other for hours- Focus. 

Danny had a book to get rid of, a day to get ready for, and at least three classes to sleep in. He couldn’t do that until Ghostwriter was dealt with. 

Dropping down through the second and first floor and into the basement with the book still in hand, Danny shot towards the portal with a burst of speed, shivering at the feeling that washed over him as he did so. It always felt like a wave of static that rolled over his skin only without any of the pain. He had explained it to Sam and Tucker once as the feeling just before getting shocked, but both of them had looked at him like he was crazy, so maybe it was a half-ghost thing. 

Making a mental note to try and taunt the answer out of Vlad later, Danny focused on getting to the stupid library Ghostwriter lived in, which, really. Who lived in a library? It was so stupid. 

It was close enough, though, and Danny was sure it hadn’t even taken ten minutes before he was moving to bang on the doors. He didn’t even get a single knock in before the doors were opening smoothly, no one on the other side to annoy him. 

A glance at the book, the empty doorway, and back towards the direction he had come from had Danny cycling through excuses even as he stepped inside, nodding to himself when the doors closed behind him with a very obvious locking noise because of course they did. That was just his life, wasn’t it? 

Biting the inside of his cheek until the urge to either scream or swear passed, Danny managed a slow breath, half-remembering something Jazz had told him about counting his breathing or whatever, and then continued on into the library, book clutched tightly in his hand as he contemplated just leaving it on the floor to be found later. 

Annoyed as he was, it took him way too long before he realized that the library he was in wasn’t silent. Instead of the silence he had expected, there was a soft, gentle chiming noise. 

It wasn’t overpowering like what he would hear from some of Jazz’s guided meditation tapes that she played way too loudly when stressed over testing, but it was something that reminded him of the windchimes in Sam’s greenhouse when they tucked themselves away in there in the winter, humid air warming them up and taking away the sting of the cold winters that Amity Park was known for. 

The soft chimes reminded him of his friend’s laughter at all of his bad jokes and the peaceful silence that came from being around people who didn’t expect anything out of him. It was a sound that had something in him relaxing. 

The more he relaxed, the more he realized that the library he was in was actually kind of cool. At first it had looked like some official capital library kind of thing with too tall bookshelves and carpet that was enough to make him think it was ugly, but the further he walked into the library the more different it looked. 

He wasn’t sure if it was a ghost thing or just the library he was in, but a glance down showed the carpet slowly and smoothly changed from the burnt looking red it had been into a cool purple that felt soft when Danny chanced landing and walking instead of flying. It wasn’t exactly like he was sinking into it, but he could see himself spread out on the floor during a study session and being comfortable enough. 

The shelves, if possible, were more surprising in their changes than the carpet. Instead of towering, structured shelves like something out of Jazz’s dream, the bookshelves became lopsided and mismatched like each one had been found in a thrift shop or an antique store or something. 

Some of them looked nice enough, but others had obviously crooked shelves and slanted tops and there were even more that had dark spots in the wood that showed some form of weather damage. It was straight out of Jazz’s nightmare, but something about all the clunky, mismatched shelves filled with books both glowing and not made it all look… human. 

There were low tables and chairs of different sizes spread around, couches and armchairs decades old that looked like they had been dragged to a certain corner and left forgotten, and lamps of all different shapes and sizes spread out in a way that made no sense. 

It was something out of a fever dream and Danny couldn’t help but appreciate the fact that, if nothing else, he had finally found a library he liked - a library that belonged to a ghost that did not act like he would be able to handle living in such a messy, crazy place. No matter how he looked at it, the place he was in just didn’t look like somewhere Ghostwriter could live. 

Danny probably would have poked around even more if he hadn’t noticed that the soft chiming noises had stopped and instead been replaced with soft muttering that almost sounded like swearing. The voice was just familiar enough that Danny was pushing forward, drawing to a stop as he saw Ghostwriter was… not looking like Ghostwriter. 

The ghost was curled up into an overstuffed armchair that, like everything else, looked like it had come from a completely different decade. That part alone was strange enough, but the truly strange part was the fact Ghostwriter was sitting half propped up against one side with his legs thrown over the other side, a laptop resting in his lap as he glared at a screen that looked bright enough he could already hear his mom telling him that he was going to ruin his eyes. 

That wasn’t even the worst of it. Instead of mania and cackling and making Danny’s life a living hell, the ghost looked tired as if he hadn’t slept- Danny hadn’t thought ghosts slept, but the proof was in front of him considering he saw bags under the other’s eyes. There was also the fact Ghostwriter’s hair was an utter wreck, as if he had run a hand through it like Danny did to his own hair and, just a few feet away, the man’s stupid coat was thrown over the back of a couch and, to top it all off, he was wearing no shoes and instead just socks. 

He looked human. 

The thought had passed through his head again and again over the days he had been dealing with Ghostwriter, but the other was just so human. 

There was no grandstanding or monologuing or crazy plan or revenge scheme, but instead somebody curled up and working on their laptop and relaxing in what was obviously their home. 

What couldn’t have been more than a couple of seconds and Ghostwriter was freezing and snapping his head up to look at him, something in his eyes going from hard and sharp to confused and surprised as he seemed to realize that, yes, Danny Phantom was standing in front of him. 

Later Danny would explain, if only to himself, that it was the scrunched up expression the ghost made that decided it; the crinkles at the corner of his eyes, the twisted little expression of his mouth that looked stupid enough to laugh at, and the crazy hair that was near standing on end with how much it had obviously been abused. 

In that moment, though, Danny could only hold the book he had brought behind his back, slipping out the note he had written and crumpling it up before letting it turn to ash in his hand. 

Once that was done, he opened his mouth to speak. 

[mahimahi713]

You know what? Screw Sam, Tucker, and Jazz just STANDING BY! WHEN DANNY STARTS TO GET BAD GRADES BECAUSE HE IS FIGHTING GHOSTS!

I have made a post about this before, I know. But being part of the DP phantom means we do a Better job with it and with the characters than Butch ever did.

So after freshman year, Sam and Danny saw how Danny barely passed. He passed every class, but barely. So, they decide this is unacceptable. The boy earned As and Bs before. They’re not taking his change in grades lying down. Also, did the school not take not of this? Because any decent school is gonna take a student who suddenly starts getting worse grades than normal, pull them aside and see if anything is wrong. Anyway, beside the point.

Sam and Tucker start training so they can take on a bigger role with ghost hunting. They also get Danny to take online summer courses which they help him with and show the grades he earns to the school. It impresses them. Sam manages to make a deal with them and because of the grades he earned in those summer courses, they raise his grades from freshman year. Sam pulled many strings but also made it so any student can do it. So he goes from Cs and Ds freshman year, to Cs and Bs.

Sophomore year, they make sure Atleast one of them is in class with him. Sam tends to doodle to remember in class, but starts to take really organized and neat notes for Danny. Tucker makes digital versions of everything and makes PowerPoints and all that for him to learn from. They work on HW together. They study together. Danny never cheats, obviously. But they work hard together and sophomore year, Danny is back to his As and Bs. Also, Sam and Tucker are more skilled as ghost fighters. They take on bigger roles while fighting with Danny and can even hold their own with some ghosts. Things go well. Obviously, it’s hard. Like there’s still his parents thinking he’s evil and half the town hating him. He has to work 10x harder than anyone else and he’s more stressed than most teens. But he’s passing and he’s got his friends to rely on. Jazz also becomes part of helping him when she learns his secret.

Listen I am. All for angst. But. For Sam. And I get the appeal of angst for Danny but I think the above would have been a better route for the show to go down. And sometimes I just want nice and happy things where things go well. Is that so much to ask? No

Editing this to add: while all of this is going on, Danny is also practicing and learning techniques to study and have balance while also being a ghost fighter. Obviously part of it is being able to rely on Tucker and Sam more, but that won’t work so well in college.

And yes. They go to colleges close together.

Danny’s able to go to college away from home. Because his parents learn his secret and become better ghost fighters.

Y’all. I will make this boys dreams come true. He deserves it.

[impyssadobsessions]

Danny + The Avengers AU [DP × MCU]; An AU where Danny was a near broke university student in New York when the Chitauri invaded and wound up fighting alongside them, in doing so he put himself on the map of all parties looking on.

SHIELD and the Avengers saw a new potential member to their ranks, Hydra saw what could be a new threat or possibly a new recruit, the magical side saw an anomaly, and the Fenton's saw Phantom terrorizing the Avengers. All Danny wanted was to do his courses, go to his part-time job, and not deal with this shit.

Aw yes!! That sounds like fun! Danny just questioning why his life gotta be so crazy. He only helped because hey its his world too >:T What he going to do? NOT help? Pretend to be helpless? All his favorite stuff ishere! And least favorite. He does not deserve all this stress, but the minute someone gives him an easier way through college he might consider it. Might heavy word. Because loans are no joke.

[respitelocklyre]

My first two days of school have been soooo wild like i almost died twice and three of my classmates DID die (one of them twice!!!) (they came back dw) but, like, is college supposed to be like this???

Anyways i got this cool work-study at the school cafe (i look supes cute in the little barista aprons! plus i got to take home some of the sweets after my shift!!), but on our very first day some janitor kept saying he was our boss?? idk tbh 😒 The cafe was a mess so we had to, like, clean the whole place and some coffee ghosts attacked us. My hair was a NIGHTMARE before the place even opened, but you know ya girl had extra hair ties and can work hair magic in a pinch, so it was totally fine.

Some of my coworkers r definitely cooler than others, but whatevs. It was nice to finally meet new people (well...mostly new) after going to school with the same, like, 100 people for the past 18 years of my life uuggghhhh This school is pretty cool overall- they even got THE Danny Breeze (and the boys!) to come play on campus and had a new student raffle for 6 VIP tickets!! Which i won ofc bc i'm the obvious choice 🎉

I ended up inviting my new coworkers bc it felt like a good way to bond with them, and also i haven't even had my first day of classes yet so idk who else i wouldve gone with. DEF not my roommate. There were like some ppl I probs wouldn't have invited but like idk it just felt rude to invite everyone BUT them so 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

But like the concert ended up being way crazier than i couldve imagined! The manager came to us practically begging on her knees for my help because she lost track of THE ENTIRE BAND. idk if i'm allowed to go suuuper into detail about it, but basically the band got kidnapped by some nasty industry folks who were trying to CLONE them! It felt like one of those scifi movies that Vol always makes me watch. We had to FIGHT the evil clones too! I almost died again! On my S E C O N D day at Strixhaven!! That's me at 2 near-deaths, Lulu and Muk at 1 full KO each, and Mettie at TWO. I cannot stress enough that orientation isn't even until TOMORROW.

I got like rlly angry at one of the clones, too. It ruined my vintage shirt from depop so i yelled at it, and then when it died i kinda like? Absorbed some of its life energy? I don't know, maybe i was just really relieved we weren't in danger any more, but i swear some of the nerve damage from the electrocution healed up. idk what that was all about.

Doesnt matter tho cuz we ended up being able to party on stage with the band once we saved them all (yeah, if you see videos of the concert from last night, you can totally see me on stage!! 🎤🌸) AND we got to go to the exclusive after-party. I can't talk about everything that happened, but let's just say i ended up with Coale's shirt to take home 😘 I have a TON of pics to share later!! You guys should seriously follow my insta or dinkdonk, i had soooo many lives and videos to post!! I'll keep posting life updates here but fr im wayyy more active over there. ttyl bestiesss

[ao3feed-timkon]

In the Shadow of Speculation

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/HdZ0lGX

by nerdpoe

Daniel Nightingale, ex Fenton, moves to Gotham for a fresh start. It's next to his friends, it's so very different from Amity Park, and Lady Gotham has promised her Knights will protect him.

The world as he knew it has changed, and no longer has a place as a combat hero. Not when he's more likely to flinch than to dodge, not when the sight of a knife is enough to force him back to a time and a place he never wanted to see again. In an attempt to adapt, Danny turns to being a specialized hero-medic; his sole focus is helping and evacuating, not fighting.

Except that no one told him Death Energy had the same reading to Geiger counters as gamma radiation. It isn't, but apparently Geiger counters can't tell the difference.

Words: 6125, Chapters: 2/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Danny Phantom, Batman - All Media Types, DCU

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Characters: Danny Fenton, Jazz Fenton, Vlad Masters, Frostbite (Danny Phantom), Danielle "Dani" Phantom, Danielle "Ellie" Phantom, Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Damian Wayne, Duke Thomas, Cassandra Cain, Dick Grayson, Barbara Gordon, Jon Lane Kent, Kon-El | Conner Kent, Stephanie Brown, Roy Harper, Lian Harper, Bart Allen, Cassie Sandsmark, Garfield Logan, Jack Fenton, Maddie Fenton, Dan Phantom, Sam Manson, Tucker Foley, Lois Lane, Alfred Pennyworth

Relationships: Danielle "Ellie" Phantom & Jon Lane Kent & Damian Wayne, Tim Drake & Jason Todd, Danny Fenton & Tucker Foley & Sam Manson, Cassandra Cain & Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Duke Thomas & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne, Tim Drake/Kon-El | Conner Kent, Danny Fenton & Jazz Fenton & Danielle "Ellie" Phantom & Dan Phantom

Additional Tags: Prompt Fill, multiple prompt fills, Medic!Danny, Criminally insane!Jack and Maddie, Misunderstandings, Past Torture, Past Abuse, Healing, Healing through helping others, Threat of Nuclear Annihilation, but not really, Rehabilitated Dan Phantom, Training Villain!Dan, League Therapist!Jazz, College student!Ellie, Overcoming Trauma, People Think they Know what Danny's power is, they don't, Danny plays along and lets them think they do, Ghost King!Danny, The power of friendship, Not Phantom Planet Compliant (Danny Phantom), Ecto-Contamination | Liminality (Danny Phantom), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Flashbacks, Healing is not linear

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/HdZ0lGX

[muskokafarm]

Learn to Ride a Thoroughbred in Australia

The racing industry is booming in Australia, and there are many opportunities for people interested in the industry to pursue a career. Yearling sales are huge affairs and attract big money to Australia. The average yearling sells for tens of thousands of dollars. Many owners and trainers hope to find 'the next champion' and recoup their outlay in the process. Around fifteen thousand thoroughbred foals are bred each year in Australia. To know more, search Race Horse Training Australia and learn about the training sevices in Muskoka Farm.

The country is also home to some of the world's most famous thoroughbred races, including the Melbourne Cup. With more than a dozen racecourses and a large number of betting enthusiasts, the Thoroughbred racing industry in Australia is flourishing. Each year, Australians wager an estimated A$12.5 billion on the sport, and each race draws huge crowds. To compete in Australia's racing industry, you need to learn to ride a thoroughbred.

If you are a talented jockey or rider, you can pursue a degree at the Australian College of Sport. Their program, which begins in 2025, includes practical and theoretical study in the business of horseracing. The course is led by professionals in the field, including elite mind specialists and sport science. The curriculum is inspiring and focuses on developing a student's potential to ride successfully.

While there are a few Melbourne Cup winners, the vast majority of former racehorses are not as fortunate. Most fail to perform well enough, get injured and are discarded by the racing industry. The most successful racehorses have been trained by experts and have received top-tier care from professionals. The daily routine in a racing yard is regimented and disciplined.

Training for a racehorse starts with the basic foundation of fitness. During the training, the horse is gradually increased in workload and intensity. In addition, it is trained to canter in groups of other horses. This helps distinguish between the characteristics of each horse. It also helps the horse develop its 'jump and run' movement.

There are a number of rules and regulations in the race course. Trainers are required to post their location on the Stable Return to be monitored by PRA stewards. This ensures the highest welfare standards. The use of whips and tongue ties has also been strictly regulated by the racing industry. To ensure the safety of both the rider and the horse, Racing Australia has adopted strict guidelines on its use.

In Australia, there are approximately 31,000 thoroughbreds and Standardbreds in training. While the training process is important, it is not without its risks. It is not natural for horses to run for long periods of time, and the stress is hard on their immature skeletal structures. Consequently, there is a risk of injuries to the horses' bones, ligaments and joints.

Australian racing courses feature a variety of different types of races. Weight is another area where racing rules differ. For instance, in a handicap race, a horse will be required to carry a weight based on previous performances. In a maiden race, a horse who has never previously competed in an event is not allowed to carry the weight of a handicapped horse. There are also set weights for age races.

The Runhappy team used the E-Trakka daily to fine-tune their training. They eventually broke the Breeders' Cup Sprint record and won the USA's Eclipse Award for Sprinter of the Year. Another trainer, Danny Morton, has developed Scenic Blast, who won the King Stand stakes in the UK. Hundreds of other horses do not compete because their trainers felt they weren't ready.

Racing was first held in Tasmania in 1814. The first official race meeting was held at Newtown near Hobart. The Tasmanian Turf Club was founded in 1874. By 1821, horseracing had reached Sydney. It was also the birthplace of Australia's sport. Today, the sport is regulated by the Australian Jockey Club, which is the leading body of the sport.

Each year Muskoka Farm takes in horses and train them to make them ready for the race. They are experts in horse breaking, horse training and horse spelling throughout Australia.