A Small Voice in a Big Room

  Mechanical Engineer and Occasional Writer.  Stories available on ff and on AO3 

[weirdness-is-good]

[revizyonist]

med people are so annoying "This family's 8 year old child who was about to go through a major surgery and kept crying that she was hungry so they pitied her and gave her food, she then had a heart attack in the surgery. They're so stupid 😒" girl they didn't know that could happen or why it happens. it takes so little time to explain to them that will happen instead of telling them "no food" with no explanation 10 times

[revizyonist]

"Before surgery, your body’s reflexes that protect your airway are relaxed by anesthesia. If there’s food or liquid in your stomach, it will near certainly come back up and go into your lungs, which can cause choking, a severe lung / heart infection or even a heart attack. That’s called aspiration, and it is life-threatening. It's hard, but it's only a single day to prevent near certain death. Not eating or drinking beforehand massively lowers the risk and helps prevent these life threatening situations under anesthesia." <- TIP: patients have brains which allows them to receive information just like you

[ancelineonline]

I have four kids. I’ve had one or another of them need some kind of surgical procedure that requires anesthesia four or five times over the past 15 years.

This Tumblr post is the first time someone has explained to me *why* I couldn’t feed them before those instances.

I’m not stupid. I understood that just fine. Hell, my kids would have understood that just fine. But no one bothered to tell us.

[bowditch]

i did know this before having kids (i have six). we have a kid that's needed multiple procedures requiring anesthesia. and every single time, i am asked multiple times if i'm sure he was not given any food or water after a certain point.

every single time i have had to say, "i understand that if he had food or water, he could aspirate it into his lungs under anesthesia. i am not lying to you." THEN someone would make a little note and i would stop being repeatedly asked.

not a single time was that risk explained to me. the only reason it came up was because i already knew. i still don't understand why it isn't standard pre-op counseling or pre-op check information, when me as a parent acknowledging the actual risk also put THE MEDICAL STAFF at ease because i conveyed that i had informed understanding as reason to not lie about giving my kid food.

"maybe some people will get nervous and refuse surgery" okay so they need more counseling about risks and anxiety, not less information in a way that actually does endanger their child or themselves!

[arctic-turtle-cassiopeia]

Reblogging to save a life and teach medical professionals basic communication skills

[stillnotsquashed]

Stephanie: Do you ever think about why Bruce managed to go ten years without taking in another kid when he had Dick and now he adopts a kid every over Tuesday?

Jason: Its because Dick was the golden boy and now Bruce is vainly searching for someone he loves as much as him.

Tim: Maybe he was just using that decade as a trial run to see how a side kick adjusted to becoming a fully fledged vigilante? And once Dick proved the concept he went all in?

Barbara: I think you'll find that Dick’s foster file essentially had 'Does not play well with others' stamped on the front. Bruce once brought Clark back to Gotham after he was turned into a kid and Dick caught sight of a black haired blue eyed kid on his turf and tried to squash him with the giant penny.

[papayafromtv]

i really like the concept of damian not being handed over to bruce, and rather being dropped off near him and then told to go make his introductions alone, because fuck it opens up the possibility for the funniest misunderstanding ever.

au where Jason was supposed to make sure Damian gets to Bruce safely but gets sidetracked by his crime lord/Joker revenge arc, and so on the night he was supposed to take Damian over to the manor he gets called away and tells Damian to just go over there alone, except Damian happens to spot Batman and Robin on patrol anyway and figures he just go and meet them there instead. which he does, and he goes home with them, and he settles in as a Wayne boy, eventually inheriting the Robin mantle from Tim, and it’s all normal and fine except for one thing.

Bruce has no idea Damian is his biological son.

Like, from Bruce’s perspective he just happened upon a small child with dark hair and an odd desensitisation to crime/violence with no other place to go and an interest in becoming Robin. that is literally how he acquired every other child he has adopted, this was Not unordinary behaviour from him. on Damian’s part, he had presumed that Talia would have alerted Bruce that he existed before sending him to Gotham, so he was under the impression that Bruce already knew Damian was his kid and this didn’t feel the need to overtly mention it. he just kinda showed up in the middle of Batman fighting a group of muggers, helped take them down, said he no longer had another home (he forgot the code to Jason’s apartment building and is too stubborn to ask for it again), and followed when Bruce told him to get in the batmobile.

i think Tim, Dick and Bruce would just assume that Damian is the product of some kind of trafficking ring/other horrible background that led to him being homeless on the streets with a decent hand to hand skillset, so they probably just. assume that Damian doesn’t want to talk about it. thinking that Damian will come to them when he’s ready to talk about where he came from, they just ask that he’s safe and nobody from his past is going to come for him. but the thing is, Damian knows from Jason that Batman and the League of Assassins don’t see eye to eye, so he presumes these questions are just about the probability of Damian meaning more league members are going to pop up in the Batman’s territory. so Damian, being honest, just goes ‘no- well unless you count Red Hood, but he defected so i’m not sure that counts’

so now Bruce not only has no idea he’s accidentally adopted his own fucking son, but he is under the impression that Damian is on the run from the Red Hood. and Damian is just increasingly confused by his family’s reactions to -in his mind- normal scenarios.

-

Bruce: and do you have a surname that you can remember?

Damian:

Damian, squinting: isn’t it… Wayne?

Bruce:

Bruce, tearing up as he prepares to contact his lawyers about adopting a child with no legal identity: i’m so glad you feel the same way.

Damian: ?

-

Bruce, the night they met Damian: and here is a guest room you can stay in for now,

Damian: thank you, Father.

Bruce:

Tim: that was quick. not even Dick’s at that stage yet.

Bruce: i know.

Tim: don’t expect that from me, buddy. i’m still kinda mad the fake uncle trick didn’t work.

Bruce: i know.

Tim: and i mean Dick left for Bludhaven, Jason ran for Ethiopia, i didn’t originally want to be adopted; it’s about time you found a kid who actually likes you-

Bruce: Tim shut up and go to bed.

-

Jason, interrupting them all on patrol: oh hey, you let the kid be Robin, cool.

Tim and Dick: *instantly jumping in front of Damian to shield him*

Dick: you aren’t taking him, Hood!

Tim: he’s free from you now and we won’t let him go, understand?

Jason:

Damian:

Jason:

Jason, side-eyeing them suspiciously: …aight. anyway, kid, you left your hoodie at my place. here.

Damian, catching the hoodie and sending Tim and Dick weird looks: thanks…?

-

i want this to go on for so long. like, i want Jason to be back in the family and him and Damian still not realising none of the bats know Damian is Bruce’s actual kid. i want there to be a really bad incident involving the JLA where Bruce gets poisoned/magicked in some way where the only cure that will save his life is blood/DNA from a blood-related donor, and everybody is freaking the fuck out because Bruce has no siblings and his parents are dead, so they have no options.

meanwhile Damian and Jason are like ??? fucking baffled at the panic, and Damian just starts rolling up his sleeve and turning to the JL like ‘ok, well, i dunno what they’re crying about, but do you wanna take my blood then?’ and the Justice League genuinely have no idea what the fuck is going on because Bruce said this kid was adopted.

[bearcosmic]

Tim, walking into the Batcave and noticing everyone’s distraught appearance: What’s wrong?? Who died??

Stephanie: We have bad news Tim. You should sit down.

Tim: Oh shit did someone actually die?? Who was it this time?

Dick: Remember that civilian that we catch trailing after us every so often? The one who was involved in the Penguin incident awhile ago?

Tim: Oh. Clarissa O’Neal? What about her?

Damian: She was taken hostage by one of Black Masks henchmen. We didn’t make it in time to save her.

Tim: ? And that’s why you guys are so upset? C’mon guys lighten up, it’s movie night

Jason, getting visibly pissed: What the Fuck dude. A civilian we were close to fucking died because we didn’t make it in time

Dick: I know you didn’t like her much but show a bit of empathy Timmy. You usually take these situations seriously

Tim: I’ve been trying to kill her off for ages. Why would I be upset??

Steph: Tim you have 10 seconds to fix your attitude before i fix it for you

Jason: Since when do you take people’s lives so lightly? Dude you need to leave before I do something i regret.

Tim: I didn’t know you guys were so attached to her. I could revive her if you want, but honestly it’s more effort than it’s worth. And she was getting unwanted attention from the rogues so she had to go.

Damian: Revive?? Timothy what are you on about? And why are you saying that like you personally set up her demise?

Tim: Because I did? The planning for it took forever but I have to admit everything went a lot better than I was expecting.

Dick: TIM WHAT—

Jason: WHAT THE HELL—

Damian: MURDER? You?!

Steph, screaming over everyone else: WAIT SHUT UP

Steph: TIM NO YOU DID NOT

Steph: TIM DON’T TELL ME YOU DID IT AGAIN

Dick: Again?!? What are you talking about?!

Steph, laughing: Guys calm down. HE was Clarissa

Tim: You guys didn’t know??

Jason: HOW WERE WE SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT THE HISPANIC LOOKING WOMEN IN HER MID TWENTIES AND A CRIME ALLEY ACCENT WAS YOU

Dick: Tim i am THIS CLOSE to burning down your disguise room.

Damian: Timothy explain yourself

Tim: I had an undercover op that I needed a female field agent for a couple years ago to infiltrate penguins operations. Over time She became a bit too important and Black mask was threatening her. So I decided to kill her off. I got the info I needed already and it was becoming a bit of a drag keeping up appearances

Steph: You need to stop getting us emotionally invested in your aliases and then killing them off. This is the fourth time you did this to me. I’ll never forgive you for Alvin Draper, I still grieve him even though i know you’re alive!

Tim: YOU guys need to start recognizing me in disguise. Worlds greatest detectives MY ASS

Jason: DUDE YOU GAVE YOURSELF DOUBLE D’s WHY WOULD WE ASSUME THAT WAS YOU

Damian: My training in this area has been neglected. Timothy show me your disguise lair

Tim: Sure, after movie night. Let’s go

Dick: This is gonna bite us in the ass. Damian is already so good at impressions. We will never know if someone we are talking to is him or not

Tim: LMAO When i’m done with him? Yea everyone’s fucked

Steph: It’s gonna give Roger from American dad

Bruce from the corner: *Breathes a sigh of relief*

Bruce at the Batcomputer: *Sighs and moves Clarissa O’Neal from ‘Real Civilian Death’ folder to ‘Tim’s Fake Identities’ folder. Creates new folder labeled ‘Damian’s Fake Identities’

[aurumacadicus]

I don't have the words for this but. Art and science are always hand in hand.

The perfectionism of artists has them researching stuff in a way that only scientists can compare. Some artists become experts in biology or anatomy. Other special interests have them going down rabbit holes to make them better at their art.

Disney animators said "we are perfecting the code for this snow if it kills us" and researched and invented code until it acted like real snow in Frozen and snow scientists were like hey. Did we just fucking solve the Dyatlov Pass mystery. And the animators answered no. We made snow. YOU applied the knowledge and did the experiments to solve what could have happened at Dyatlov Pass.

And it was a team effort because of course it was. You can't have art without science. And you can't have science without art.

[bsmallvoice]

Doubling down with engineering. I do so much art work at my design job. I’m an engineer but there is definitely sketching, drawing, etc.

[hollowboobtheory]

"What if we find a way to keep fetuses alive outside the womb" that already exists, it's called the NICU and it took decades of advancements in medical science and technology. it takes an entire team equipped with state of the art technology to keep a fetus alive outside the womb. because it cannot perform basic life-supporting functions like breathing on its own. this isn't an anti-NICU post tbc. I'm actually considering the nicu as an option after going back to school because I really like fetuses and babies, I think they're neat. but the fact remains that it takes an entire team of doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, and more to keep a micropreemie alive. and most abortions occur even before the point that it becomes possible at all. "viable" doesn't mean ready to be born. it means it is possible to keep it alive thanks to medical science developed by the same "abortionists" whose executions you're always calling for.

[hollowboobtheory]

also, it's not an "after birth abortion" when they "let" micropreemies die, it's fucking hospice care.

[borntomeowworldisafuck]

absolutely. and to add onto this, i was a nicu baby, and i was a late term abortion. when i was still in the womb i was dying inside my mother, so they had to induce her extremely prematurely to save our lives. there was a very high chance of me dying because they took me outside of the womb before they knew if i could survive on my own, but the chances of me and my mother dying if i stayed inside her were 100%.

the procedure to remove me is medically and legally a late term abortion. i was aborted, and it saved my life. if they hadn’t aborted me, my mother and i would both be dead, my siblings would have been left with a dead mother, and i would have never even gotten a chance to live a single day. and now, people are being denied this procedure and dying because it’s literally an abortion!! mothers and their babies are being killed because their doctors are not allowed to perform life-saving abortions.

on the same note, my sister was recently denied an abortion. which is to say, cleaning out the already dead fetus after she had a miscarriage from a wanted pregnancy. they refused treatment unless the DEAD fetus was actively killing her, because the procedure to remove it is medically and legally an abortion. they basically said to her “come back when you’re dying of an infection or sepsis or something, until then you just have to bleed out.” my sister could have died from this, people HAVE died from being denied abortions after having a miscarriage. if she was one of these people, my sister would have been dead, my mother would have to live the rest of her life without her daughter, and my nephew would have had to live the rest of his life without a mother.

sick and tired of people saying to me “yeah, but that’s different. you can’t really call those procedures an abortion, they’re not really an abortion.” yes it is. it’s an abortion. any procedure that entails unnaturally removing a fetus and/or baby from the womb before they’re sure it can survive outside of it is an abortion. if it wasn’t, people wouldn’t be being told that, sorry! we can’t do that! you’ll have to come back when you’re already dead. i was aborted, my mother had an abortion when she was pregnant with me, my sister needed an abortion after she had a miscarriage. all of these things are ABORTIONS! and now mothers and babies are being killed, murdered by these anti-abortionist fuckers and the laws they put in place to “save and protect poor, innocent lives!”

[gigglepuffpixie-pol]

the procedure to remove me is medically and legally a late term abortion

read it, now read it again.

this procedure is an abortion from a legal and medical standpoint. laws that target "abortion" include this and more.

miscarriages are abortions ffs

and Shirley Exemptions are no way to protect anything

abortion is healthcare

[hollowboobtheory]

thank you for bringing up the Shirley exceptions because i think people don't realize when they say "surely that would be an exception" what they're really saying is "surely the doctor would put their ass on the line and risk life in prison for me" which is a pretty bold thing to just assume

if there are going to be exceptions, the legislation needs to clearly lay them out, say which specific procedures are permissible in which specific circumstance. but that would require actually understanding the medical science related to pregnancy so we all know that's not happening

[kawaii-pigeon]

My cousin had a miscarriage and had sepsis. They wouldn't do shit for her in Texas, so she had to cross the board to get it done in Mexico so she yknow, wouldn't die.

They straight up do not care that people have, will, and continue to die. Especially the 'wrong' kinds of people.

And keep in mind the people signing these bills, rich mfs that they are? They'll always ALWAYS have access to getting their mistresses, daughters, anybody THEY want, to get an abortion.

Sickening.

[scififantasystuff]

One of my best friends works in an ER in a state where there hasn't been a ruling on abortion in almost 100 years, but because that law is anti-abortion unless the life of the mother is under *eminent threat* they cannot perform ANY abortion procedures until you are actively going under.

They had a woman come in maybe 2 months after Roe v Wade was overturned. She was a day or so post-miscarriage. It was her 2nd miscarriage. She and her husband had been trying for YEARS. They were paying THOUSANDS for fertility treatments and thought it would work this time. She was sobbing. Her husband was sobbing.

But more importantly... they came in because she had just collapsed and was having bouts of dizziness.

An ultrasound my friend performed confirmed 2 things:

She had had an incomplete natural evacuation. There was still a fair amount of tissue in her uterus, which would definitely be decomposing by that point (the uterus is not a sterile environment).

There was no heartbeat. None. Not a single contracting cell.

They called Legal, because they knew exactly what was going to happen. This woman, unless given an artificial evacuation (aka... an abortion), would become septic. Legal said, "You can't until her vitals drop. In the eyes of the law, if she could technically pass the tissue naturally until the moment before you intervene, you have performed a medically unnecessary abortion. Anyone who assists will be stripped of their medical credentials and put on trial for murder, and the hospital cannot defend you and will not be held responsible."

There was nothing the woman or the family could sign. There was no loophole. My friend went over the vitals collected by her nurse all night, but she hadn't crashed yet. Just slowly became more and more delirious from the infection spreading from the dead tissue. The only medications they could even give to ease her suffering were meds/doses approved for actively pregnant women.

Her husband could only sit there and watch.

When the woman's blood pressure suddenly dropped, they rushed her into the OR for the evacuation/abortion, which they'd had prepped for her. At that point, my friend's line of care was over. The doctors who took over the case said she was being recommended to internal surgery because her uterine tissue has started going necrotic as well, and would need to be removed.

This meant her chance to have her own baby would drop to almost nothing.

Before Roe v Wade was overturned, this would have been an upsetting in-and-out trip to the ER after a terrible, terrible day. My friend barely would have batted an eye after the 5 minutes of sympathy she could have afforded before moving to the next patient.

But because it happened after, this woman lost her baby, nearly lost her life, and permanently lost any ability to carry a child to term in one long, shitty, horrific weekend. Infections like that are extremely damaging to the body as well; she may have permanent side effects.

FOR DEAD TISSUE. Dead. The baby was dead already. It was already gone. It was so dead and gone that it was ROTTING inside her.

While much less damaging, my friend and her team were permanently scarred by this event. She'd been in this small town ER for almost a decade by that point, she went through the COVID shutdown in that hospital, she's seen UGLY, haunting things and told me the HIPPA versions with a completely straight face.

She could barely get the words out on this story. She choked on the guilt. She cried, and she'd never cried over a medical story to me before.

I told a Pro-Life woman this story once. I told her, "If your daughter has complications with her pregnancy, you have to get her to [state where abortion is legal] immediately, no matter what it costs. This is what is happening here."

She cried. She cried just hearing about it, third-hand. Because of course she did. It's horrifying. It's undeniably WRONG.

And when she claimed that this must have been some cruel twist of a law taken too far, some unfortunate, unforeseen side effect... I reminded her that this is what was happening before Roe v. Wade, and in living memory of the Supreme Court and sitting members of congress. Because Roe v Wade was ruled on in 1973. And those old fucks all remember 1972.

They just don't care about making exceptions, because exceptions mean loopholes to them, and what's the trauma of a few unknown nobodies to politicians when they have their pearls to clutch and votes to secure?

I think I changed her mind that day, but it's difficult to care when people are still dying for and/or having their lives turned upside-down over dead tissue.

[anarchistmemedistro]

[whumplovers-collaborate]

Now returning….

WhumpFight!

Note: unrelated to Art Fight

Signups Are Open 🎉

Two Teams…

Two phases…

A multitude of Gifts!

Fandom or OC: Writing, Art, and more ✨

Who will be victorious?

Join Us ❤️

Details explained below:

Required Objectives 

1. Ensure every member of the opposing team receives at least 1 gift.

2. Total points score is higher than the other team.

Phases

1. Battle: participants will earn points by gifting to members of the opposing team.

2. Diplomacy: participants will earn points by commenting on the gifts their team has received. 

Timeline

Fight Begins: June 20th

Battle Phase ends: August 10th

Diplomacy Phase begins: August 11th

Fight Ends: August 31st

Setup

—Each participant receives a list of people they might like to create for based on their preferences

—There’s also a filtering system to help you find participants to create for

—Works will be posted to ao3 collection

—Each team has own private channel for strategizing 

—Updating scoreboards to show progress

—Pay attention to Battle periods!

Attacking

The first time you “attack” (post a gift), you will earn 1 point for your team. Every time you attack after that, you will earn +0.2 points more than the last time you attacked. You can attack up to 20 times.

Battle

Throughout this phase of the Fight, there will be 36-84 hour time slots during which your Gift can earn bonus points (+0.5, etc.), but only if you post it during that period of time. These are called Battle Periods. The times of the next Battle Period will be announced as the last one ends. NOTE: the bonus amount will not be revealed until after the Battle Period is over.

BP Server Vote 

After each Battle Period, every gift sent during that Battle Period will be presented for the server to vote on. 

Diplomacy 

All comments made before the end of the Fight will count for points; this includes comments made before the Diplomacy phase started. Only comments made on gifts created by the opposing team can count for points, and you can only submit 1 comment per gift. You will receive 0.3 points per comment.

Final Bonuses

—Your team will receive a 15% bonus if the team creates 2 gifts for every member of the opposing team. That is 15% of your final score.

—Your team will receive a 5% bonus if every member of your team comments on each gift they have received. That is 5% of your final score.

Further minor details can be found in the announcements channel!

[papayafromtv]

fics where Steph isn’t legally adopted but is still Part Of The Family are so fucking funny to me. like why is this teenager at all these fancy galas? nobody knows who she is. Bruce Wayne just keeps showing up with a gaggle of children and half of them aren’t even his. people keep stopping him at the door and trying to tell him that ‘these are prestigious events, Mr Wayne, you have to be invited or related to an important invitee in order to come inside.’ and Bruce just keeps going ‘prove to me she isn’t my daughter and i’ll kick her out.’ and then the doormen have to start frantically googling to see if there’s any articles online about Bruce’s 6th legal adoption. there isn’t. he’s bluffing to buy time. by the time the staff realise Steph is indeed just a random unrelated child Bruce let tag along, she’s already missing in the crowd and they can’t fucking get her out.

i would like to see more fics centred on Steph sneaking into Gotham high society by using Bruce as a shield. she walks in half under Bruce’s coat or blocked from security’s sight by a line of Legal Wayne Children and then has to spend her evenings as an outlaw/gala-stowaway because if she gets caught by the guards she will get her ass thrown out for not being invited. i want to make it very clear that Bruce reminds her on a weekly basis she Does Not Need To Do This. not only is Bruce fully willing to adopt her on the spot but she also just doesn’t have to attend all the events if she doesn’t want to. Steph’s doing this for the love of the fucking game.

there has to be an occasion at a gala where Bruce does his usual bluff of ‘she might be my kid you don’t fucking know’ to get Steph in, except the head of security for this event is so sick of Bruce’s shit that he’s prepared for this exact scenario ahead of time and brought a lawyer with proof of Steph’s legal status. three minutes in when Steph hasn’t even had an opportunity to slip into the crowds she’s being held back and told she isn’t allowed to attend. the security team are really smug up until they have to watch the entire league of Wayne kids spending the entire event all crowded around one slightly open window so they can talk to and pass food/drink to Steph, who has decided to attend the event from outside.

there also has to be an occasion after people start catching on to Steph’s game where the kids are trying to come up with ways around this without giving in and letting Bruce adopt Steph, and there’s a point where Jason just pauses and then goes ‘what about if you’re a legal child, of a legal child….?’

cut to the head of security at the next gala genuinely considering quitting his job and going back to retail as he stands in front of the Wayne family which includes Stephanie with Jason’s arm wrapped around her as she holds out an adoption certificate.

“This is my daughter.” Jason says calmly. “Let her in.”

“She’s four years younger than you.”

“Don’t harass my son for having my granddaughter young, you don’t know his story.” Bruce calls out from the back of the crowd.

“I’m seventeen,” Steph tells the doorman seriously. “I’m just a child. You can’t separate me from my mom and dad.”

“Whose your mom?”

and Dick lays a comforting hand on Jason’s shoulder, “We co-parent.”

the entire wayne family is slammed online for bullying event staff.

[demonius-darkblade]

hate how they forced bugs bunny into anti-weed propaganda in the 90s, as if bugs bunny wouldn’t love smoking weed 

[clayboy2000-deactivated20210427]

To be perfectly fair, bugs bunny would also love taking money for starring in anti-weed propaganda and then using said money to buy weed

[violencevoyager-deactivated2022]

bugs bunny is not real 

[zvaigzdelasas]

[xylophonicsynapse]

[battletoads]

[captaincrusher]

Me filtering out kinks I don’t like on AO3. 

[microsff]

The parking attendant paused by the double-length bay. Intended for mobile homes and cars with trailers, it was currently occupied by a sleeping dragon.

No parts of it extended beyond the lines, and the paper ticket was clearly displayed, impaled on a horn.

The parking attendant moved on.

[lionessfeather]

I was going to just queue it for later but then it stuck in my brain, and I decided to make it everyone's problem

[if-i-am-not-for-me]

Lawful neutral.

[badwolf-timeandspace]

[dafuq-is-sleep]

Steph and Cass had just heard about Phantom, Wonder Woman’s ghost son, and decided to go up to the Watchtower to meet him. They get there and figure out he’s in a viewing room all by himself, looking at the stars. Feeling mischievous Steph asks Cass to spook him, claiming that spooking the ghost would be hilarious.

Cass decides to go with the plan and sneaks through the vents. She plans to drop down behind him and poke him or something. What she wasn’t expecting was for him to suddenly perk up and turn in his seat to look right at her in the vent. How had he noticed her? Not even Superman could notice her if she knew she was sneaking up on him!

Already knowing the plan is a bust she drops down with the intention of introducing and explaining herself when something weird happens. Cass had been trained since birth to read people’s bodies. To her it was her first language. So it surprised her when Phantom seemed to be doing the same to her. Reacting to her in the same way she was reacting to him.

Danny, for his part, is also confused that this bat person seems to be communicating in what he can best describe as a mute form of ghostspeak. She only has a proto-core so she can only project the most basic of intentions to color her emotions but combined with her body movements it’s almost as easy for him to understand as ghostspeak!

It was a silent conversation but the two young heroes quickly struck up a friendship. Cass is happy that she’s met someone she can converse with without any words or sign and Danny’s happy to meet someone who’s capable of understanding and somewhat replying in ghost. The only words shared between them being those that they can’t get through a combination of body language and a weak form of ghostspeak, but they’re mostly entirely quiet.

Cut to half an hour later, Steph is starting to get worried. She hasn’t heard a single sound from inside the room and she’s just about to break in herself when Cass steps out, holding the hand of Phantom who’s for some reason blushing a bright pit green. She says one word that leaves Steph blue screening, “Boyfriend.”

[evilminji]

You know how... world leaders can't just? SAY stuff? Because when they DO it's the Offical Stance(tm) of their Country?

That makes their Fuck Ups(tm) all the more serious. It's WHY they have press teams.

But!!!

WHAT IF?

They said something, PUBLICLY, on LIVE TELEVISION, that? Can not be taken back? Full on "masks off, behold the horrors you have payed for" moment?

Sure, they could SAY "that wasn't me" and "I was brainwashed" etc etc. But? If it's BIG enough? UGLY enough? TRUE??? People WILL find it. Dig and dig and dig like termites in the walls. Hunt like bloodhounds.

Riot in the streets.

Because? All it would TAKE? Is ONE half ghost, a few too many long nights trying to balance college classes and his internship, a bigotry filled call from back home, and staring down that empty fridge with just one box of moldering take out, because he's been too busy and stressed to remember to get GROCERIES AND-

Ah.

So this is what "so stressed you feel calm, I have run out of Fucks too give" feels like. Neat. *picks up phone* Hey, Sam? You still at that protest? Outside the presidential speech? Neat. Don't move.

One Phone Line Express later. SAM is telling him to breathe. Maybe... maybe calm down. Think about this. Others around her can see the same "spark of madness" glint in his almost zen like smile.

It Fiiiiine, Sam.

He's just here to Talk.

He disappears. Sam's freaking out. President stumbles but catches himself on the way to the mike. Up in the watch tower, various Magic users choke on their lunches, because a ghost just possessed the United States President.

ON LIVE TELEVISION.

He taps the Mike, smile, leans in real close like he's gonna Tell You Folks A Secret.... Aaaaand~

"The second you Die, you no longer have human rights. Doesn't matter how brief. Heart stops? You're sub-human scum! Non-sentient by American law. We here in the United Stares PROUDLY desecrate the bodies and graves of the dead. Tear apart the immortal souls of the innocent. And condemn you to oblivion crying, begging, and screaming for mercy! Why, obviously, is an act. Because souls don't have the RIGHT to feel fear or pain!

And YES. We do mean EVERYONE'S. Atlantian, Kryptonian, Martian. Canadian, Mexican, Russian, AND Chinese! I could keep going! Once you die? You belong to the United States to experiment on as we see fit! You're PROPERT now! So turn your nonrights having, nonsentient self in to the nearest GIW! For the good of AMERICA. Ectoplasmic Scum!"

*drops mic*

Jaws are on the floor. This was VETERANS DAY. Dead military Heros and smile for the cameras. A cake walk. Do a patriotism, rah rah. There.... there are DIPLOMATS in the crowd. Sure as SHIT, were more then a few foreign nationals WATCHING. Religious leaders looking on in fury, grief, and horror.

Reporters. Oh sweet Jesus the reporters.

The press secretary faints.

PANDEMONIUM. The president, still dazed and confused from being possessed, gets PUNCHED on live television be his VP, a deeply religious if moderately shady man. Take bribes? VP is cool with that. Bootstraps, peasants, and all that. But how DARE you fuck with the Souls of the dead. How DARE you!

Phones are blowing up, questions are being shouted, the JLA Dark FEEL like they should tell somebody about the ghost kid... but also this feels VERY "Call for help-y" so they might throw their weight around instead and pretend they know nothing. World leader are meaningfully staring at their Dear Beloved Dead Grandmother's photos as they send LIVID assistants to hound the American into answering the DAMN PHONE-!

And Danny?

Danny feels calmer now. He has stolen like....700 bucks from secret security's various wallets. He's going to buy himself BOUGIE groceries. Some...some NICE take out. Maybe a little cake. Yeah~ Cake for Danny~

If anyone needs him? No you don't. He needs to go do some shopping, eat, lie on the floor of his shower and just... vibe for a bit under the spray. In the dark maybe. Sleep for a week. Have his food. Yummy little treats.

Or he's gonna fuckin LOSE IT, man.

(Tucker is actively hacking his college schedule as they speak. He KNEW it. Called it! Too many classes! But does Mr "I can handle it" listen? Noooooooo! Now look what happened! Holy SHIT, Danny!)

@hypewinter @hdgnj @ailithnight @nerdpoe @the-witchhunter

[hdgnj]

John Constantine? Watched the ghost kid and laughed. The sheer brazen fucking cheek! He already likes this kid! Hates what he's learned cause of him. But that? Was the best move the kid could have made. What a fucking mad lad!

Obviously many of the JL are currently busy searching for these acts. And the people enacting them. And are going to break as many laws as needed to stop them. They'll call in the UN if necessary! Don't think they wont! JLD explained why this was such bad news!

Danny? Is having a nice, relaxing week. The world is in chaos. Protests everywhere. Amity Park is suddenly on international news. Phantom keeps getting (refused) summoning requests. Danny has enough money to get himself the nice treats. All is good! Also! Dani rang, and she's proud of him! So there!

Sam, after the shock wore off, loves it. It was a perfect move! It's worked so well! This is the best thing he could have done! Does she wish it was made in his right mind? Yes, of course! Tucker is just worried about how stressed his bud is. Danny clearly needs more sleep. Let's just let him rest.

[evilminji]

Just? Dani, laughing hysterically, like she has been for the last 15 minutes on his speaker phone: *wheeze noises of joy*

All while Danny Very Deliberately ignores the world basicly on fire out side his apartment. He has his cup cake. His fluffy pj's. Cujo. He's gonna hang out on the nap sack of Blob ghosts and watch a space documentary. It's like a living, purring, stress eating sack of goo that loves you. Beanbags WISH they could be even half as good.

Just? I could see basicly every hero slowly losing their shit, the deeper and uglier it goes, the longer Danny isn't their to be a buffer to protect the living from the cost of what they've done. And just?

Occult DETECTIVE. Key word here being DETECTIVE. Constantine starts at Amity (horrifying place, rest of you guys deal with...*hand waves to the whole town* THAT) and works from there. Meanders his way following Danny's energy to his apartment building. Hums thoughtfully to himself.

Goes and gets some upscale pastries.

THEN he knocks.

Hey, you can't curse him! He brought pastries! Which... is a damningly good point. Well played, Mr. Constantine. But Danny REFUSES to host.

They end up hanging out. Watch his documentary together. Danny waiting for John to start in on his whole "blah blah, I'm an adult, I'm here to make demands and pressure you to do things" shtick that they always seem to do... but it just? Never comes.

John's just hanging out?

Doesn't he want answers? To demand Danny do something about the mess he made? And... nah, Danny seems stressed, according to John. He doesn't see any concerning relics or gateways to Hell, no plans for world domination stashed under the couch cushions, nothin. Just a stressed Supernatural teen who chose to go BIG to make sure everyone he cared about could actually go home.

Eat another pastry, kid.

John wants to see the one with Superman in it next. Let's roast him.

And just? That smash cut back and forth between over here is "tender and unexpected mentorly advice/grief counseling from a trash racoon in a trenchcoat" to "everything is on fire, the world is on the brink of WW3, Tense Political Dramas as alliances form and dissolve, the fate of humanity...rests on the SOULS of humanity *dramatic musical sting*"

And Jazz? Probably out of cell service. Girls camping weekend with her college buddies, to unwind and help maintain their mental health. All the psychology students in her classes do stuff like that! Helps to get away from Heroic Battles and city noise. You know.

It's not like she's gonna MISS anything.

Right Danny?

.....Danny why are you avoiding eye contact. Funny stor-? DANNY WHAT DID YOU DO!?

[yourlocalcorviddad]

"You're not gonna try'n get me to, I dunno, apologize or anything? Ask a million and one questions? Arrest me?" The tone matched the weary look on the 19 year old's face.

"Nah. We wouldn't have known about the laws, or the security breach and spy, if you hadn't. Way I see it? You did us a favour in the least lethal way possible." The pointed sip of his tea-he was a bastard but he wasn't going to blatantly drink around the kid, so he'd made a cuppa-and raised an eyebrow.

That was met with a shrug and a head wiggle that was half nod half head tilt. "Alright. 'Spose so. Muffin?"

The baked-by the bakery down the road-treat was accepted as the next episode of the space documentary series loaded up.

[hdgnj]

Jazz storming into Danny's flat while him and John are chatting. Points at him, one hand on her hip. Scowl firmly in place.

Jazz: I was out of contact for ONE week! One! Week!

Danny: *shrug*. You left me unsupervised.

Jazz: One! Week! How did you manage this?!?

John is smirking on the background. Waiting for the sister to notice him. Ah, this reminds him of Zatanna finding out what he's been up to. Poor kid. He slid over another pastry. Kid needs one.

Danny: So! Anyway! Jazz, meet John. How was your trip!?

John lifted his tea to salute the frazzled looking woman.

John: Nice ta meet ya. Ya should be proud. He managed ta get this under fire without 'aving ta threaten war.

[regonold]

Loving that this means that just one week without jazz is all it took for danny to go oh ok possessing the president is definitely easier than putting up with mom and dad

Also what do you think is happening to jack and maddie here like they are unethical scientists theres gonna for sure be protests out side the fentonworks building and a lare part of them are gonna be the teens of amity or those who have been saved by phantom and realise oh oh he's not evil

Now they've all heard phantom that fucker puns as much as if not more than nightwingand you know whay they say puns are either the lowest or highest form of whit

He's gotta be sentient also the more they look into ghosts and the attacks and motivations they have something driving them they're not just rah destroy everything

[hdgnj]

Jazz isn't even mad. Not really. A little worried, and a little disappointed sure. But, it was effective. It worked. And Danny it! Her little brother will finally be safe! She was mostly frazzled because his phone was off! She couldn't check in with him! She's glad he's safe.

[thatrandomsarahchick]

I wholeheartedly believe jazz would be at least a little upset that he didn't let her hello him plan the speech and he just winged it instead. She would have wanted to add in facts and statistics, for sure.

[twilightangel83]

Very good point.

Jazz: I had research and statistics gathered up already that you could have used!

Danny: I didn’t know that!

Jazz: Did you ask?

Danny: ….

Jazz: Exactly!

[hdgnj]

Danny: Why did you never bring up the idea?? I only did it from having a breakdown!! Why was this never brought up in a strategy meeting???

Jazz: Well, I needed to know you were feeling more ok with overshadowing before obviously!

Danny: Then you don't get to blame me! You always go on about open communication!! You weren't openly communicating! Hypocrite!

Jazz:... Dammit. Fine.

Danny: Plus, you can email the stuff you have to Lois Lane. She works with the Justice League for press releases a lot. Tucker's already sent over his stuff.

[listen------sleep]

Now all I can see is Lois salivating over all this information she's getting that she didn't need to hunt down.

Of course she'll verify it, she's not a award winning reporter for nothing, but like the first few steps are done

[hdgnj]

Oh yes, verifying information is much quicker than having to hunt for it. And of course, anything she can't verify? She can still use. So long as she mentions it can't be verified because of the blocks.

Something, something, person from inside the block sent me this. CAn't be verified. But even if is only so accurate, it paints a worrying picture, something, something.

[ailithnight]

The Fentons will have absolutely been arrested by the Justice League. Or at least "brought in to protective custody" while the League works on securing the legal grounds to arrest them. Either way, they have to be in JL custody because anywhere else would probably end up with them murdered.

The GIW are on their own warpath trying to find the ecto-scum that possessed the president. They are also trying to use this whole thing as proof that ecto-entities only want to cause destruction and mayhem. And there will inevitably be people who buy into that lie.

If people found the Fentons, it's only half a step further to find their children. Children who were raised mired in the Drs. Fenton bigotry. And with a mass of people whipped into this much fervor, people are going to make assumptions. Dangerous assumptions. And many are not likely to listen to reason, to pause and ask if these kids are actually guilty of the same hatred their parents spew.

John wouldn't have known walking into Danny's apartment that the very ghost who did this is also one of the Fenton kids. But as soon as he figures that out, he knows he's stuck there. With 2 frenzied groups out for both of the kid's heads, John needs to hang around in case the kid needs sudden extraction. At least the sister showed up before anyone else found them. Now both of them are safely in actual protective custody.

[hdgnj]

Tucker does a video compilation of all the Times Jazz and Danny tried to talk to their parents about ghosts. From their home security videos. After seeing the public opinions turn on them? Yeah he's not letting his bud get hurt. Videos of Danny sneaking into the lab to free captured ghosts. Jazz helping distract their parents. The public are horrified. Those poor poor teens. They tried so hard! Against their parents! Who appear to have been a clear and present danger to both their kids!

Danny as Jazz get a text saying to avoid the news at all costs. Both of them are that and grimace. What had Tucker done now?!? They are going to follow the advice mind. But what did he do? John watches it on his phone and is like... Hmm... Gonna recruit the lot of them for JLD. Clearly Danny and his friends have useful skills. Even if it's only for background work would be handy.

Sam is quietly talking to her parents. Getting them to reach out o their contacts. Would be good PR to work against those acts now right? Just Dan the flames. Be seen to care™ All the stuff she needs to say to pod the to get way of thinking. The Mansons approve. Look at her go! She's learned to use the skills we need for business!

Ellie calls and uses the phone trick. Since Danny clearly deserves his best clone by his side right now! Also! Since he has a Justice League Dark guy there? They can explain the clone issue! Get her area ID! She can liv with her template! Maybe go to school!!

John meets Ellie and is just so confused. Ghosts can be cloned now? How the fuck?!? You want an ID? To live with your template? Yeah he can call Batman. He's good for that shit. Might try to adopt you guys though. Even if your sister is 21, and big bro 19. Yeah he's a sap for this shit.

Lois? Is tearing through the data and videos. Oh if only she could get an interview with the Fenton kids! These videos are amazing! See if them and their friends do so much to save others! They deserve the recognition! A medal! some sort of reward! They have clearly been doing a lot to stop vile acts from happening.The video where Danny got shot rescuing a dog ghost? Phenomenal press. She can milk his for all its worth. He's definitely getting all the good PR!!

[seraphichana]

Okay so easy assumption is the ghost dog is Cujo, and the dcxdp choice is usually Ace, but like what if it was Hachiko or Laika or Balto or another famous dog?

Those puppers still have post mortem fans worldwide and it would make the acts so much worse since its also animal abuse as well as human*(oid) rights issues.

[krepess]

Ryland Grace’s last time ever touching a human was during Yao and Ilyukhina’s space burial. btw.

[bsmallvoice]

Just because you’re right doesn’t mean you should say it!

Also, the last time he touched anyone was at Adrian when he and Rocky saved each other. So his last being on being touch hurt him both physically and metaphorically.