oh trans twins you scientific GOLDMINE... absolute blessing to the world of medical research on a level that is barely comprehendible... the same age and same genes and can be tested in the same experiment conditions simultaneously? one independent hormonal variable? absolutely magical oh my goodness gracious
me at 10: well really what I want to do with my life is cure cancer, and be an extremely famous scientist, and discover things that change the world, and win a Nobel Prize, and be a novelist, and
me at 20: so what I think I want is to have a successful career, and work hard for promotions, and establish myself in my industry, and make a good life for myself, and sure it's not curing cancer but it's more realistic
me at 30: I want to pet my kitty cat. I want to go on long bike rides when the weather is nice. I want to roll around on the grass. I want to cook good food. I want to clean my house. I want to get a good vacuum. I want to sleep when I'm tired. I want to never open Microsoft Teams again.
just watched an interview with james ortiz (rocky’s puppeteer) where he’s like “they were torturing ryan gosling for this movie. it was killing him. he was developing isolation sickness in real life from being the only actor on set for 6 months. i needed to be there for him even when rocky wasn’t in frame to serve as his guiding light and the sole thread tethering him to the concept of love. i was kneeling at the altar” and what
I keep remembering a run of Hamlet I saw a few years ago, where the Ghost was costumed in full plate armour which was very noisy, and instead of muffling it, they had him crash across the stage, stomping so the whole set rattled, and he said all of his lines in a bellow, like he was furious with Hamlet.
And the thing that made it absolutely terrifying was that Hamlet was the only one who reacted. He was cowering, and covering his ears with both hands, and yelling to be heard over the noise.
And no one else seemed to know why he was doing that. The other actors didn't even raise their voices.
That's scary, something so loud and painful, and REAL, and the people around you don't even notice it, and think that you're the crazy one.
already feel like deleting this LMAOOO ive never posted anything like this and it feels so weird and new but flambert took over me 💔 hoping to whoevers up there that ppl i know irl wont find this hsgsheb
AU where Danny doesn't know what his ghost form means, and is terrified of it.
When Danny had his accident, he managed to keep the full extent of his powers a secret from everyone. He knew it was irrational, but what if Sam and Tucker agreed with his mom and dad about ghosts after seeing his ghost form?
More importantly; how could he ever let Sam and Tucker know that when they'd egged him on, at least a part of him had died? Neither of them would ever forgive themselves for it.
However, suppressing such a huge part of himself resulted in more accidents, and he had to at least concede that he was a meta. A strong one.
The powers that got leaked were; intangibility, flight, ecto-blasts, frost breath, invisibility, and tactile telekinesis disguised as enhanced strength.
That was, naturally, huge. Those were some dangerous powers, and his mom and dad wanted to make sure he got all the help he could.
They signed him up for a Big Brother program run by the Justice League, to put him into contact with another super-powered hero to provide guidance. To help him get used to his powers.
Maybe take him on a few training runs.
Danny let it happen, and kept his ghost form a secret from his mentor as well. He knew that if he went full ghost, the powers he was already displaying would be magnified, and that terrified him.
Danny didn't use his ghost form at all if he could help it. He didn't like the concept of what it was, didn't like that it stripped him of his humanity, didn't like how it felt just as natural to him as his human form. What if he got stuck one day?
What if he used his powers so much, that he died for real?
The potential strength of his own powers scared him so much that his mentor spotted it, and Danny told a very abridged version of why he was so delicate with his own powers; that he'd gotten them from dying. That all of them were a form of death magic. That if he leaned too far into them, would he lose himself?
He didn't know.
He didn't want to find out.
He couldn't bring himself to tell his mentor about his ghost form, not wanting them to grieve a person still very much there.
His mentor, while not agreeing with fearing what was a part of him, did agree to take it slow with their trainings, so as not to overwhelm the fourteen year old.
But superheroes lead turbulent lives.
Danny and his mentor are on a training trip, and one of the mentors villains shows up. But the villain has a new tactic; they have a way to deflect all of Danny and his mentor's abilities.
Or at least the villain thinks they do.
Danny realizes that if he wants to get out of this alive, then ironically, he's going to have to die.
"...I have to win, right? No matter the cost." Danny mutters, dragging himself up.
"No. No, whatever you're about to do, don't!"
Danny ignores his mentor and, with a bright flash of light, lets the cool calm of death wash over him.
Danny goes ghost, in front of his mentor.
Danny's mentor just watched the kid under their watch get consumed by the powers he'd so feared.
Danny who thinks the bats know and are just really good at the whole secret idenities thing.
Batman who has no idea becausd they all think danny is undead like redhood is undead, like everyone whos died and came back undead: we think it would be good if you were there when we meet the high king of the infinite realms
Danny who can duplicate himself: ...okay?
Batman introducing the king to the members of the leauge and politicians and also we hope you dont mind danny is here as a consultant
Danny who has to shake his own hand:... how could I possibly mind? (they think hes offended because hes bad at lying)
Danny who makes death jokes at himself and the leauge are so worried hes offended the king but then the king joins in
Danny knew batman was a planner, he'd seen the shark repelent spray in the helicopter that has definitely been used. He's seen the thousands of terabytes the main computer uses to store every possible contingency plan. He'd read the planners the man sends out for harder missions to make sure everyone is on the same page, literally.
So when Batman asks Danny, during an expanded league meeting, to introduce them to the ruler of his realm, he's not surprised when no one bats an eye at King Phantom and Phantom sharing a name. For all they know, it could be a common name, like Daniel or Maria.
Phantom readily agrees to call for him. Batman, the planning genius, even asks him if he needs some time with the King before the summoning. Giving Danny the perfect excuse to avoid a summoning.
He was proud to say he could hold a duplication through the realms after practicing for months, showing off infront of the Batclan was definitely something hed be trying.
"Hey, man." Constantine stared at him straight on like he was crazy. "You can come through now."
Three days later Phantom presented the league with an alternative, he'd just call the King using the flip phone Tucker had fiddled with.
It took him 5 minutes to open a portal, hed never thought about how the ring made it so much easier.
Once finally finished he pulled out the phone and hit the 5 for speed dial.
Having a duplicate in another realm was different than a usual duplicate, he couldn't see through the eyes, or control it persay. It was just as much Danny as he was, but a simple change in perspective and treatment could change his response. In this case the lack of sincronicity would actually be helpful.
It also meant "his King" was honestly shocked when Phantom blurted out: "Nice outfit, d'you get the cape from party city?"
He didnt exactly want ti call himself regal looking, but the whole get up and his existence as the balance inbetween shone through a lot more with the crown and ring than his ice core normally did. "Hello, Phantom. An introduction, of any kind, would be helpful."
"Right yeah, the guy who looks like he just materialized from a ren faire is King Phantom, Bringer of Balance, the Chosen One, yadda yadda."
King Phantom's eye twitched, right on cue Batman interjected.
"I am Batman, Lady Gotham's Knight. It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness." Danny had told Batman to say that!
"Ah, you are Lady Gotham's. I should have known, your birds are all she talks about these days."
Batman looked over to Wonder Woman. "I am Diana, of Themyscira."
The King procured a tiny vase with a bow keeping the lid in place, "Pandora sends her wishes."
As they went through introductions painfully slowly Danny stopped paying attention.
By the time they got to actual negotiations Danny had been staring out into literal space for so long he wasn't sure what they were even talking about.
Which obviously meant that's when he'd be called for.
"BECAUSE YOU-" The King took a deep breath in and looked at Danny with dead eyes. "I know for a fact you love the ren faire, as does your beautiful girlfriend, Samantha."
"Phantom, I am painfully aware you dislike politics, but you are currently acting as an embassador for your realm." Danny stood tall as he watched his kingly self copy a pose Lancer had done done so many times while tired of Danny's shit.
"You could have gotten someone else."
He could feel Constantine step closer to him.
"Okay well,, hey."
Before Danny could insult himself back the magician told him to shut it.
"Hell blazer." He said it not like a question, more like a king calling for attention. "I appreciate the nagging, however i am fully aware of what Phantom is capable of. He is the second strongest in the realms, after all."
He's not totally sure the league knew that, but they did now. The whole 'existing as balance itself' meant he ended up with every power available to a realm's being... even if it could permanently damage his core. A thing he found out only after trying to use an electric blast that made him throw up.
"We're tied for first and you know it!" Constantine stared at him like he wanted to exorcize Phantom, since Danny wasn't sure if he could he added, "Your Majesty."
"Oh," it was weird seeing his face twist into that creepy, too wide grin, Sam thought it was wicked at least, "you're scared of someone here."
He heard someone behind him humm questioningly.
Danny muttered to himself some nonsense words with ghost speech thrown in, his duplicate took it and ran.
"Phantom." Oooo he sounded angry. "You cannot leave when YOU started this. I will finish negotiations, and then I am taking you back with me." His physical form shifted ever so slightly and the crowns spikes grew taller, casting dark shadows as it grew brighter.
The room dropped 20 degrees as Danny fought back. "That's not fair!"
Before things could get more heated, or well colder, Constantine cut off their line of sight to eachother, Batman pulled Danny to the back of the room and simply sat with him.
They waited THREE HOURS before everything was over.
True to his word, the King beckoned Phantom over and opened a portal without any movement betraying how he did it.
He shoved Danny through and followed after letting it close slowly to hear some ghost speak leak through.
Saying he was going to keep him in his keep for five years, just in case Dead Man could hear.
Once closed he laughed and pulled himself back together.