Have three looks: Homeless man, Dark Romance CEO, and Terror. That's it.
Mrs. Martinez spots a suspicious-looking person near the chemistry lab, bright and early, on Friday morning. She had come into work a half hour early to set up the planned science lab for her. It was a hassle, but her prep period wasn't until after lunch, and there was no way she could get all the stations ready within the five minutes before the first bell.
So here she was, beary-eyed, clutching a large traveling mug of coffee and pulling a cart full of various supplies needed for her biology freshman and sophomore classes. She has never been a morning person and can say, much to her mother's annoyance, that she has never been fully awake before twelve pm.
Maybe that's why she nearly missed the crouching person, picking at the lock at the far end of the hallway. Mrs. Martinez froze, hand raised to turn her doorknob, and stomach dropping somewhere near her ankles.
The stranger was dressed in baggy sweats, mismatched with the three-layered shirts, the edge of the shirts peaking out from one to another. They were fingerless gloves that moved in smooth, fast motions as they worked the lock. The stranger's hair was a mess, sticking up like the leaves of a pine tree, but at least clean. Their backs were facing her, and from a distance, they hadn't heard her approach, but that could change at any minute.
They reach behind them, pulling out a large knife from their back pocket.
Carefully, she let her wagon handle go, placing it slowly on the floor, and took steps back. Thankfully, she hadn't bothered with her usual heels, choosing flats to match her dress. Today was Gotham Academy's no-uniform day, and she had wanted to show off her summer dress, choosing something casual but feminine.
The edge of her dress swings around her knees as she scrambles back out into the stairway, hands trembling as she quickly pulls up the campus security. The dial rings four times, her heart in her throat. Mrs. Martinez has lived in Gotham all her life, but that didn't change the fear of when its more dangerous aspects popped up in her everyday life.
She speedwalks back to the front, enters the main office, and waves frantically at the secretary, who looks up at her. She must have realized something was wrong from her expression because she sprang to her feet. Her wheelchair slides back as she asks, "What's going on?"
"Gotham Academy security," Head of Security, Mr. Davis says smoothly in her ear at the same time.
Mrs. Martinez shakes her head, pressing her phone to her ear and gesturing to the lockdown procedure poster with her other hand. The secretary's eyes widen in alarm as she replies to Mr. Davis. "There's a homeless man on campus trying to break into the chemistry room. He has a knife."
Mr. Davis swears, then tells her to get out of the building if possible. He would issue a lockdown warning, and his team would contact law enforcement. It was times like these that Mrs. Martinez was beyond grateful that Gotham Academy had enough money to hire an entire private security team to work for them, and that the people on Mr. Davis's team were trained professionals.
Since it was so early, there weren't too many on campus, which made this a little easier. Mrs. Martinez turns to the secretary, taking in her pale face and look of frozen fear. She makes a wild gesture towards her that thankfully snaps her out of her frozen state.
The secretary, a sweet young thing named Roseie, who had just started a month earlier, scrambles through the main office, knocking on doors and warning everyone who got in early. They all wander out of their rooms looking confused, frighten and waiting for instructions.
Mrs. Martinez cracks the main door open, looks around, then, when she sees no one, throws it open and runs towards the exit. Behind her, multiple footsteps echo as everyone quickly gets outside. All their phones start to buzz as they race through the parking lot, the warning message system having been activated.
Lockdown protocol calls for them to get across the street behind the large business office, but no one listens. They all scatter into their cars, with the intention of getting far away. She just knows that when this is over, they'll get a strong talking to about following procedure.
"I don't have my keys," Roseie gasps. "I left them on my desk!"
"Get in my car," Mrs. Martinez commands, clicking her car open and on. She piles in with Roseie, Ms. Jackson, Mr. Roberts, and Senora Sanchez. It seemed that Roseie wasn't the only one who forgot their keys when trying to get out of the building. The cars peel out of the parking lot, thankfully empty enough that no one has a danger of hitting each other as they get away.
The group eventually stops at a fast-food restaurant three streets away, just so they can contact their families and wait for instructions. An hour later, they all get called back in and are told, by a shamed-looking Mrs. Seo, the chemistry teacher, that she had accidentally broken her key inside the keyhole that morning, and a student had offered to remove it while she walked to facilities for help.
The person that Mrs. Martinez saw had not been trying to pick the lock. He had been trying to remove the broken key piece, and he was a student at Gotham Academy.
That student?
Daniel Fenton-Wayne.
No one blamed Mrs. Martinez for making the error, not after seeing what Fenton-Wayne was wearing. The staff was all stunned to see the abnormally attractive boy, dressed like he hadn't had a roof over his head in decades, and who chose to wear that for his no-uniform day willingly.
"I apologize, Mr. Wayne," Mrs. Martinez muttered, looking everywhere but the boy's eyes. She twisted her fingers into her dress, as if she were trying to turn the fabric into gloves. "I overreacted...."
"Better to overreact than to underreact," Fenton-Wayne drawls, sounding bothered to even have to hear the explanation. "Is that all?"
He levels an even stare that feels heavy on the shoulders of everyone they land on, which happens to be everyone in the room, before he twists on his heel and walks out without a backward glance. As soon as the door closes behind him, everyone lets out a sigh of relief.
She's so glad she isn't the only one terrified of the boy.
Ian glances up from his monitor, taking note of who looks the most nervous and who looks the most smug, as if they have already won. When Danny informed him that he was putting out an amateur promotion video competition for their latest project, he wasn't so sure they would get as many applications as they did.
Ian screened each participant, confirmed they were small-time amateurs, and got them through the first round of the competition. Danny hadn't given a lot of requirements for the competition, but Ian found it entertaining and that their promotional videos didn't show any people, just the product. He didn't say it outright, but Ian understood he was supposed to pass almost everyone.
Danny believed in giving everyone a chance. It took years of working for him, but Ian learned that beneath all of Danny's everything, there was a man who was the most caring and the biggest empathetic person to ever exist. He was a little grumpy and sort of hated being around people, but Danny did want the betterment of everyone.
Ian adored working for him. Not only did Danny give the best benifits but he practically let Ian manage himself. After his internship, Danny pulled him into his office and told him. "You're coming back on Monday. Stop at HR to sign your contract."
And that had been that. It's been five years since then, and in that time, Danny has given him a $5 yearly raise. Danny told him to work hourly so he could give him overtime pay if Ian ever had to work beyond 80 hours in his biweekly payroll. Ian had started off with thirty dollars an hour, and now he was making fifty-five.
During his year as an intern, Ian was paid $20 an hour, and his boss covered all his bills. Danny even had Ian request reimbursement for any groceries and gas expenses he needed each month as long as he saved the receipts. Not only did that solve all their financial issues, but Ian also helped his mother pay off the mortgage and took her on a very much deserved cruise.
It was during his second year at Wayne that Ian discovered Danny had personally covered his monthly expenses, not the company. His mother teased him consistently, but Ian knew that it was all good fun. His feelings for Danny were on the line of platonic and romantic, like he only needed a little to tilt into love.
There were days when he considered his boss his best friend, someone to look up to and admire because Daniel Fenton-Wayne was insanely good at his job.
He practically ran the whole show and didn't shy away from helping his workers. He also scared the daylights out of everyone, so everyone worked hard not to have Danny spot them at their desk.
Ian always found it hilarious that Danny only had time to get away from his desk towards the end of the day and had the habit of showing up when most people were going home, thus the person he was on his way to scold, ending up facing the Co-CEO alone with nearly all the lights off.
Ian wasn't sure why, but Danny always flickered off the lights when entering a room. He suspected it was a medical condition or something since he always ducked away from bright lights. He was never brave enough to ask for details, so he made it a habit to enter a room before Danny and turn off the lights. It earned him a few rumors, claiming that if anyone saw Ian, darkness was quick to follow, and within that darkness, Daniel Fenton-Wayne was not far behind.
Ian often felt like one of the four horsemen, gliding through the halls of Wayne Enterprise, causing many heart attacks.
Other days, however, he felt like a fanboy squealing at the sight of a famous celebrity walking by him, and those days Ian was nearly over the line of platonic.
A beep goes off on his intercome and Danny's bored voice floats through like a whisper in a church. "I'm ready for the first applicant."
At once, the hallway's low mutters dull out, everyone turning to him. Ian smiles at them, trying his best to imitate Danny's grins, the kind that were sharp and cutting but tempting enough that people scrambled for them. He thinks he's getting better since a few blush and a few others flinch in their seats, as he deliberately slowly taps on the button to answer.
"Alright. I'll bring number 1 now." He drawled, standing up and fixing his suit jacket. Danny hadn't given him a uniform beyond the Wayne Enterprise dress code, but Ian took to the color wine only after seeing Danny wear it so often; it was his signature color, and it made it easier to identify Ian as Danny's employee, the only other person who worked in close quarters with Danny.
Ian felt that it didn't look as good as it did on Danny- then again, everything looked good on Danny- so he made sure that his black suits had wine accents only. Today's suit was all black except for the tie and the collar folds.
"Number 1," Ian called out, acting like he didn't know who that was, even as a young woman nervously jumped to her feet, clutching her portfolio. "Please follow me."
Ian waits until she scrambles to his side, knocking on the door for show and opening it only after Danny's soft "Come in" is heard.
He swings open the door, used to the near pitch-black darkness on the other side. The woman makes a small, nervous whimper in her throat as they walk in, but Ian can't really blame her.
For leaning on his office desk with one hip, arms crossed, and looking like sin on legs is Danny, dressed in his signature color vest but with a style and cut that would belong to the 1920s, with its mix of sharp tailoring and working-class aesthetic, allowing the grey to stand out in the darkness.
Ian damn near swallowed his own tongue. And that was after working for the man for five years. How would someone not mentally prepare fare against this Adonis?
Number 1 dropped all her portfolio, her papers scattering against the ground. Well, turned out they would not fare well. He almost chuckles, leaning down to help her gather her things, as Danny merely watches on. It's a bit hard to see his expression with only his candles alit in the room, but he seems bored already.
Which means he liked her application video. Good for her.
"Hello," Danny uttered in his smooth, mellifluous voice that sent shivers down Ian's back. Another late night? Danny normally didn't sound like that unless he was sleep-deprived. "We have so much to discuss."
Ian took that as his cue to leave, placing the papers in her arms, skillfully ignoring her hushed plea, "Please don't leave me...."
He closed the door behind him, acting like he didn't see the way everyone in the hallway was straining to have a glance. He knows from experience that from their point of view, it would appear that Ian and Number 1 just melted into the darkness, only for him to walk out again without her.
Ian sat back at his desk, pulling open the purchasing spreadsheet and ignoring the blush that was still on his cheeks. Honestly, if Ian hadn't known that Danny was Batman's biological son, he would have fallen in love with him from day one. He had to sometimes take a minute to mentally shake himself and remember that Danny was part vampire- or maybe Batman was an incubus?- and that his alluring presence was just his biology.
Ian felt that it was wrong to fall in love with someone for something like that. It's not real love if it's due to an enchantment, and it's not like Danny was casting the enchantment on purpose. He was just like that, from the day he was born, due to his father's DNA.
As far as Ian knew, Danny had a strained relationship with his father, likely because Batman had left him with his human Dad and only showed up to fight crime. How in the world Mr. Wayne won custody was beyond Ian's guess.
The door opens half an hour later, and the woman scrambles out, pale-faced but grinning. Like she was scared out of her mind, but she thanked Danny for frightening her at the same time. Ian nods, understanding the sentiment.
He rises, ready to call number 2, but everyone gasps as Danny melts out of his office shadows, standing in the light, and Ian is knocked back into his seat. If Danny looked good in the poor lighting, then here, where he is fully visible, is like seeing a man step out of every wet dream Ian has ever had and ever will have.
"Number 2," Danny calls, tilting his head with a passive expression that one uses when judging which chore to start first. "Come here"
A man jumps to his feet, nearly tripping over himself to obey the command, even though Danny had already turned back and disappeared into his room. Once number 2 is inside, the door closes with a soft click- despite no one being there to close it.
"Holy shit," Someone mutters, and Ian clears his throat. Yeah, that was a apporiate reaction to his boss. He shakes his head, mentally throws water onto his face, and tells himself to get back to work.
Ethan waits until the people enter the building before peeling away from his hiding spot and sliding under their car. He makes quick work of the bolts, fingers moving in a familiar rhythm. This will be his fifth catalytic converter today, and the funds would last him a few days if he plays his cards right.
Something he needed now that he was homeless again.
He would have pawned his sister's jewelry for some cash, but her asshole of a husband had kicked him out before he was able to find her hiding spot. Normally, Lisa would have forgiven him, would have lowered her head like their mother used to, but now she was feeling unnecessarily important because some man bothered to make her a wife.
Ethan wanted to beat a reminder into her that, like their mother, Lisa was nothing but; unfortunately, Zack could beat Ethan in a fight. The man was ex-military and had already sent Ethan to the hospital after coming home from work and finding him in the middle of disciplining his sister.
Lisa had dropped the charges, but Zack was not as forgiving. He had thrown him out and had chased him away with a rifle when Ethan tried to come back.
His sister had done nothing, merely watching them from the front window as her only brother was left on the streets.
Worthless bitch.
Ethan slides out of the car, putting the car piece into his backpack in one motion. Angry at his sister once more, he misses the dark figure watching him from the hood of the car until he catches the reflection on the door of the car parked by his target.
It's like a figure made entirely out of shadows, blue eyes standing out, and limbs disoriented in a way that no human should ever make. Twisting around, Ethan nearly shits himself when he finds a man, in a pitch-black running suit, hat, and mask, staring back at him.
Despite it looking human-shaped, unlike the reflection, something about those blue, unblinking eyes activates a deep, primal instinct in Ethan's head that yells. "Not human. Not Human. RUN!"
He screams as the man moves, slamming his hand against his mouth and glaring into his eyes. The person's movement is like seeing a mannequin come to life, but it can't move correctly, and when it reaches for its mask, Ethan is ninety percent sure he's about to be eaten.
He wants to scream, but it's like fear has choked him silent. He trembles as the thing peels off its mask and reveals a surprisingly attractive face. If it wasn't for the dark shadows, shaped lips, and sharp teeth that looked like they were ripped out of a shark ''You ever think of Lisa Anderson with violence again, and I will end you."
Ethan has no idea how it knows what he was thinking, but he isn't going to ask, as it tilts its head, large blue eyes unblinking, losing the white in them as darkness slowly spreads across, until only its iris is the only color. He whimpers.
"You will stay away from your sister. You will never see her. talk to her, or even think of her. Do you understand? Nod if you understand."
Ethan sobs, nodding his head as fast as possible. Fear was running amok in his brain, scattering his thoughts, and his legs gave out from under him. The creature lets him fall, watching him as if it has never seen human fear before, and is curious about his reaction.
Oh fuck, Ethan thinks hysterically. Is it going to kill me just to see what humans dying look like?
He trembles all over as it slowly reaches up and fixes its hair, as half of it fell into his face when it slammed its hand against his mouth, and only when it's perfectly parted does Ethan realize it has turned into a human.
A human he knows.
Daniel Fenton-Wayne.
"Remember," Fenton-Wayne growls lowly, "I will know if you bother your sister. Run along before I let the spirits claim you."
Ethan doesn't need to be told twice. He scrambles away, leaving his bag behind, and runs until his lungs can't handle the full force sprint.
He tells everyone about it for days on end, but no one believes him. No one has seen Fenton-Wayne for the demon he was.
No wonder that thing crawled out of Batman. It made sense that one horrific demon came from another.
(Danny was on a jog when he noticed the thief. He recognized him from the photo that Zack Anderson submitted as someone not allowed in Wayne Enterprise. His wife, an employee in Danny's company, was utterly terrified of her brother, and Danny wasn't about to let Lisa live in fear. He confirms with Babs later that the man had run to the other side of the country. Good. He felt slightly bad about letting the idiot breathe in some Fear Toxin, but only a little.)
Yuu figures out that singing Disney songs gives them Disney-like power-ups, everyone concludes that the magicless student is a god, and there's a cult running about worshipping the supposed immortal.
Call it a desperate act to protect a place they call home. Call it an act born of panic as the fires danced frighteningly closer and closer. Call it carelessness, with their sight set only to protect. Against the briars and flames, a shield is what they need, thus a shield is what they’ll get.
Second Star functions as a pocket room that shields both sides from the other. Nothing outside it can harm anything inside it. Nothing inside it can harm whatever is outside it.
Normally, Second Star’s size engulfs a measly small room.
Tonight, Gemini did the unthinkable and unattainable—
— Second Star swallowed the entirety of Diasomnia grounds.
That night, Gemini shone their brightest yet.
I managed to just stitch together the two animatics I did for Gemini's Book 7 lore lmao . Linear storytelling? I don't know her.
Gemini's UM was always a selfish magic. It's born out of their own desire to be free and "escape" their overbearing upbringing, no matter the cost. It's main work around is to lock them and others in Second Star to do whatever they please, without consequences.
The fact that now, Gemini casts it in Book 7 to protect others (not even minding that their UM = possibility to overblot which they are actively avoiding and preventing btw!) rather than "escape" is a growth in their character. Something about Gemini originally casting magic selfishly now turned selflessly is dear to me
I aim to make something for their Book 7 dream next!
Gemini also survives this, don't worry <33 I meant it when I say Gemini (and FloGemi) get their happy ending, married, and living the rest of their lives together. I've yet to still structure what Book 8 holds for them, but they'll be healing (and temporarily magicless to make up for their intense blot build up + physical damage) for the meantime
Because I realized I need some organization on my blog, lol.
First, my actual fanfiction is mostly on AO3; these will be just Tumblr stuff. Feel free to send an ask about any of these!
AU's are listed in alphabetical order, and the bullet points for each AU are in the order I think would be most coherent for anyone unfamiliar with the AU. I had to limit the amount of posts I included as bullet points, because this post really tested the hyperlink limit at first, lol. This meants the only way to be sure you're seeing all the posts for an AU is to click the "full tag" link; the bullet points don't cover everything, just the major ones.
Also, check out my Danganronpa analysis tag for posts I've made or reblogged that I just think are interesting from a meta perspective.
If you enjoy something I've posted, please leave a reply/comment. It encourages me to write more.
Crossover AU's (DR Characters placed in Other Fictional Universe)- has its own masterlist
Plot/Premise AU's
Aikido Makoto AU (someone teaches Makoto aikido)- full tag
Amnesia Barista Makoto AU- full tag
Big Bro Rantaro AU (Rantaro manipulatively big brothers his whole class)
First post
Bowtie Polycule AU (Naegamigiri/Kamukomaegi)- full tag
Living arrangements
Assassination attempts
Food shenanigans
Knock knock
Sleepytime (or else)
Changeling AU (Human Nagito, Faerie Kokichi)- full tag
Premise
Part 1
Part 2
Chaperone AUs (characters from one killing game "chaperoning" another killing game)- has its own masterlist
Child AUs (canon characters raising literal children, canon or OC)- has its own masterlist
(For non-literal children, see "Big Bro Rantaro AU" above or "Gentle Parenting AU" below.)
(For characters being physically shrunken but not de-aged, see "Mini Classmates AUs" below.)
Class 79 AU (where V3 cast is class 79)- full tag
Celeste and Angie
Junko and Angie
Makoto and Shuichi (+Naehara book club- full tag)
Upperclassman Taka
(see: "Despair V3 AU", in Despair AUs below)
Despair AUs (different characters converted to despair)- has its own masterlist
Gentle Parenting AU (Makoto gentle parenting Remnants)- full tag
Hinaegi/Komahinaegi School AU- has its own masterlist
Hope's Peak Debate Club AU- full tag
Premise/Polyamory web
Kyoko and Makoto
Hope's Peak Deradicalization Class AU- full tag
Premise (Nagito and Angie)
Immortals AU- full tag
Kokichi and Angie as primordial entities
Izuru as a god who fell for Human Makoto
Makoto as a god of diseases kinda (part 1, part 2)
Kamuegi Hope Tutor AU
Premise
Kamukuras AU (other characters undergo Kamukura Project)- has its own masterlist
Komaeda Intern AU- full tag
Premise
Sick Day (+bonus)
Komaegi UDG AU- full tag
Premise
Nagito, Makoto, and Yuta adventure
Makoto in Other Killing Games AU's- has its own masterlist
Makoto with Snakes AU- full tag
Memory Kidnapping AU (Yandere Kamukura)- full tag
Premise
Beginning
Realization
Kyoko finding out about Makoto
Classmates remembering Makoto
Izuru and Kyoko confrontation
Mini Classmate AUs (doll-sized DR characters cared for by normal-sized DR characters)- has its own masterlist
Naejunko Breakup Komaegi AU- full tag
Non-Makoto Characters in Other Killing Games AUs- has its own masterlist
NPC Makoto AU- full tag
Free Time conversations
Murder?
Ultimate Hope execution
Free Time gifts
Fanservice
Patron Celeste AU (Celeste/Angie)- full tag
Premise
Celeste pining part 1, part 2
Satyr Makoto AU (Greek mythology wilderness setting)
Premise
Separate Izuru AU
Premise
Soniakanedam Apartment AU- full tag
Premise
Soulmate AU- full tag
Variety list
Makoto and Junko (+bonus)
Makoto and the whole class
Survivors Killing Game AU
Premise
Naehinahara
Hajime prioritizing lives
All THH Survivors die (except Makoto)? (+bonus)
Aftermath
THH Survivors Pantheon AU (THH survivors worshiped)- full tag
Ultimate Makoto AU (where Makoto is Ultimate something)- full tag
Brainstorm
Multiship brainstorm
Undead AU (lucksters care for infected class)- has its own masterlist
Vampire AU (despair makes you vampire)- has its own masterlist
Werewolf Makoto AU- full tag
Werewolf Pandemic AU- full tag
Wings AU- full tag
Crossover AU's (Characters from Other Fictional Universe placed in Danganronpa)- has its own masterlist
-----------------------
I hope you enjoy, and I hope this masterlist is useful! (At the very least, it's useful to me, lol.)
SUMMARY: you were just trying to get some food when you are suddenly faced with a child who is freezing the cafeteria. but the most surprising thing was that he called you mother and has an undeniable resemblance to both yourself and malleus.
PAIRING: malleus draconia x reader
WARNINGS: biological children are implied and the usage of mother
It was time you put your foot down and stop your food from being stolen. Well, you didn't really put your foot down. You just told your friends that you would eat later in the cafeteria when they all went. It was a drastic measure, but you couldn't continue living like that.
Every time you, Deuce, Ace, and Grim ate together, you never got nearly enough food in your stomach, because Ace and Grim seemed to believe that your food was also their food.
So now you were on your way to have lunch on your own. Hopefully, someone you knew is also still there. Otherwise, it will be super awkward to sit at a table with a bunch of strangers. It will make you self-conscious of how you eat...
But it seems you didn't need to worry about eating right now.
A group of students came frantically running from the cafeteria, nearly knocking you over in the process. You barely got out of the way in time by stepping between two statues in the hallway.
One of your fellow students seemed to have the same idea, because he squeezed himself beside you, so he could catch his breath for a moment.
"What is going on? Why is everyone running?" you asked him, seizing the opportunity to get answers without needing to possibly get involved in the chaos.
The unknown student took a few heavy breaths before answering. "An attack! Someone is freezing the cafeteria. I think some students even got frozen."
"What?" You were in disbelief that it was really that bad. "Are you sure it's not just a prank from a few mischievous students or ghosts?"
"I know what I saw. That definitely wasn't a prank!" the student said, clearly offended you’d even suggest it.
You turned to the entrance of the cafeteria when you felt the temperature in the hallway drop. You couldn't see anything from your place. But you could feel the pressure of magic in the air. It felt powerful. So it must be true what the student said. But there were only a handful of things that could charge the air with this amount of magic.
"Was it an Overblot?" you asked the student, now sharing his panic.
"I don't know. Do you think I stayed long enough to check?" he snapped at you, before his voice returned to a more civilized tone. "I don't think I saw blot ink or a phantom anywhere... But does it even matter? We should get outta here and let someone else deal with whatever is in the cafeteria."
The student didn't wait for you and instead sprinted off. You wanted to follow, but stopped when you suddenly heard what sounded like the hysterical cry of a child.
Your breath hitched as the temperature dipped again, cold nipping at your cheeks and frosting the edges of the hallway tiles. The crack of ice spreading echoed faintly from the cafeteria doors. And then that cry came again.
Who would bring a child to Night Raven College? And why would they be alone?
The impulse to run warred with your instincts. But something about the sound rooted you in place. A chill that had nothing to do with ice crept up your spine.
So once again, throwing any sense of self-preservation out the window, you decided to investigate the cafeteria.
As you approached the entrance, a thin layer of ice curled and crept across the floor beneath your feet. The temperature was dropping as if the air itself recoiled with sadness.
And then you saw it.
The cafeteria doors were open, hanging slightly ajar, frost spiderwebbing from their hinges. The cafeteria was a frozen winter scene. Tables were rimmed with rime. Plates of forgotten lunches sat frozen mid-bite. Students who hadn’t escaped in time were partially encased in thick magical ice. Thankfully, it didn't seem like they were injured. They are just trapped.
And in the center of it all, curled up and trembling within a growing circle of frost, was a boy.
He couldn’t have been older than five or six. His hands covered his face as sobs wracked his tiny frame. You were struck by the sight of such a young child in this place. A child who seemed so out of place amidst the suffering he unintentionally caused.
The ice creeped outward with each of his hiccupping sobs, the magic surging with raw, unchecked emotion. His hair shared the same color as yours. Small horns peeked out from beneath the tousled locks. They were curved, and unmistakably draconic.
Your breath hitched.
Horns.
The resemblance to Malleus was impossible to ignore. Not just the horns, but also the gentle curve of the boy’s brow, and the elegant bone structure of his tear-stained face. But there was something in his eyes, when he finally looked up at you. They were wide, watery, and impossibly green. But lacking the sharp edge Malleus would have had. The boy's eyes were softer and his nose cute. That hit deeper.
Not like Malleus. Like... you.
You looked at the boy in silence for a few moments, not sure what to say. "Eh... Are you hurt?" you asked eventually your tone of voice awkward, as you tried to smile reassuringly at him.
The boy's big, round eyes were staring at you. He blinked a few times. "M-mother...?"
Huh?
Before you could ask or clarify anything, the boy ran toward you and launched himself into your arms. His tiny frame seemed to hide an impossible strength, because you felt like he would actually snap your spine if he hugged you any tighter. "Mother!!"
You were as frozen in place as the unfortunate students, who didn't get away in time. You didn't know how to handle this situation. You were pretty sure you didn't spawn a child in your time in Twisted Wonderland. The only thing coming close to a child you took care of was your ever-hungry cat-weasel companion. Certainly not a real breathing kid.
Despite your inexperience with children, you could tell that explaining to this traumatized, and very much powerful little boy, that you can't be his mother, wasn't a smart idea. So you just told yourself that he just called every woman 'mother'. That's something children do, right?
You patted the boys back in hopes his crushing grip on you would loosen at least a little. "There, there. Everything is fine."
Well, actually, nothing was fine, but you also needed the reassurance of your own words.
You gently pried his arms away enough to kneel down in front of him. "Can you tell me what happened here?"
"Everything was different and strange. Not like home. I was here, and there were so many people and-" His words were interrupted by a wrenching sob. "I was scared, and I didn’t mean to! I just wanted you, but-b-but you weren’t there, and then everyone started running and they yelled at me, and, and-"
As the coldness in the air heightens again, you rub the boy's shoulders gently, despite feeling slightly panicked that he might freeze the entire school. "It's fine. It's fine. You were just scared. No one will get angry with you," you smiled at him. "Do you maybe know a way to fix this?"
He shook his head. "No. Father always does."
"Well, it's not that important anyway. The Headmage will figure something out... Probably," you say when you saw his face twisting with guilt. Although you could feel the stare of a frozen student nearby, who definitely does not agree with you.
The boy nodded at your words.
You paused. You didn’t even know his name. Just calling him 'boy' is certainly weird. "Say, do you remember your name?"
He looked at you in silence before suddenly beginning to cry again, leaving you very confused. "Why are you acting like you don’t know me? I don’t like this game!"
Someone seemed to be sensitive. While you had no experiments with children, Grim certainly taught you how to deal with sudden mood swings and tantrums. Although using tuna as a distraction probably won't work.
"But how can I be sure you are the real you and not a spy, if you won't tell me the right answer?" you replied playfully, poking his stomach. "So? What's your name?"
He giggled when you poked him and stopped crying. "You are being silly, Mother," he said. "My name is Maledor, of course!"
You nodded, as if you knew that as well. Hoping that he didn't turn the tables on you to test you, and said the wrong name. But certainly a child wouldn't do that, right?
"Aha! Maledor. That’s a perfectly real name. You’re clear. No spy here."
You think about what you should do next. Seeing that no help or rescue had come in all this time, you could assume that none of the students who got away actually told the staff. You shouldn’t be surprised by that. After all, this was a school full of self-centered and mischievous students.
You couldn’t leave Maledor alone. And you had little faith that going to Crowley for help would do anything. He would end up dumping the work on you anyway, so you might as well search for a solution on your own, before Ramshackle gets a new member.
By Maledor's pointy ears and little horns, it wasn’t hard to tell that he must be a fae. So, going to Diasomnia is probably the best course of action. Maybe someone there knew who this little boy belonged to. And maybe Malleus or Lilia can defreeze the cafeteria.
You took Maledor by the hand as you led him to the Diasomnia Dorm. Every so often, his grip would tighten, like he was making sure you wouldn’t suddenly disappear. As soon as you went through the mirror and arrived on the bridge that led to the castle, which was the dorm, you could feel Maledor visibly relaxing.
"This is better! I like it here. It looks like home," he said with a cheerful voice. Seemed like you did good by bringing him here.
Right when you were about to enter the dorm, Sebek suddenly crossed your path. His sharp eyes fell upon Maledor. "Human! Why do you have a fae child with you?!" he demanded. Then somehow jumped to: "Have you kidnapped him?! Hand over the child at once!"
"When do you think I kidnapped a magical fae child, from its magical parents?" you shot back. "Do you think I walked to Briar Valley and back in an afternoon?"
Sebek didn’t listen to your words to hung up on the idea that you kidnapped a child. Like that wasn’t something faes usually did to humans, right?
"I said hand over the child!" he shouted, before trying to grab Maledor.
You didn’t know why, but a sudden protective streak came over you, and you stepped in front of Maledor, blocking Sebeks' hand. "Don’t just grab a child!"
Sebek recoiled, shock flickering across his face at your boldness. "Are you impeding one of Lord Malleus' loyal knights, human?"
Sebek tried to grab Maledor again, not listening to you. Maledor, on the other hand, obviously did not want to be grabbed by Sebek and was hiding further behind you, grabbing your jacket. "Mother, I don’t want to go…!"
When Maledor said that, Sebek paused. "M-Mother..?" he repeated, shocked. For a second, you think Sebek might actually let you explain the situation, but he immediately began shouting again. "How dare you steal away a fae child and then confuse it so much?! What wicked human trickery have you used?!"
You grit your teeth, trying hard not to let Sebek's ear-splitting accusations break your patience or your eardrums. "I didn’t do anything to him! And can you not yell? You’re scaring him." You glance at Maledor, who is now peeking nervously from behind your leg, clutching your jacket tightly.
Sebek falters only a split-second before putting himself between you and the entryway. This standoff would be comical if it weren’t so tense. "I will not allow a potential kidnapper entrance to Prince Malleus’s domain!"
"Look, I didn’t kidnap anyone," you said. "He appeared in the cafeteria, scared, and accidentally froze half the room. I thought someone in Diasomnia might recognize him or help fix the mess."
Sebek’s eyes darted from you to Maledor and back. "You expect me to take the word of a human? Of Night Raven’s resident troublemaker?"
Sebek's next rant was kept short when suddenly Lilia appeared swinging between the two of you. You screamed. Then Sebek screamed. And Maledor giggled.
Lilia landed lightly between you and Sebek, his eyes glinting mischievously as always, although there was a subtle alertness there. "My, my. Such excitement at the gates! Am I crashing a secret meeting?" he laughed.
You tried to catch your breath. How did Lilia always manage to appear exactly when you least expected it? "Lilia! Don’t sneak up like that," you gasped, half-laughing but mostly frazzled.
Sebek, who was embarrassed for also screaming, now tried to act as if he didn’t. "L-Lilia! The Prefect has procured a fae child and refuses to answer for it!"
"Oh? My, what an adorable little visitor we have…" Lilia said, studying Maledor’s face with recognition. He seemed to be delighted by Maledor.
"Uncle Lilia!" Maledor said, before coming out from behind you.
"Uncle?" you repeated, flabbergasted as you watched Maledor and Lilia interact as if they were long-lost family. "Do you know Maledor, Lilia?"
Lilia’s smile widened, a spark of mischief glittering in his eyes as he knelt down to Maledor’s level. "Of course I know this one," he said. "It’s been some time since we’ve had such a precious visitor from, shall we say, afar."
Maledor’s worry seemed to melt under Lilia’s reassurance. "Uncle Lilia, where’s Father?" he sniffled, rubbing at his eyes. "Everything’s scary and cold."
You blinked, looking between the two of them, feeling very much like you’d accidentally walked into someone else’s family reunion in the middle of things. "Wait, you really do know him?" you asked Lilia, carefully keeping your voice level.
Meanwhile, Sebek had gone uncharacteristically quiet, torn between his usual outrage and a suspicion that something much bigger than an abduction was happening.
Lilia stood up. His gaze softened as he addressed Maledor. "Don’t worry, Maledor. Your father is very busy today, as are all great kings-in-training. Why don’t you stay with your-" Lilia’s eyes danced over to you, and the corners of his mouth twitched as if privately amused by some secret. "beloved caretaker for now? I’m sure they’ll keep you safe."
Sebek straightened, suspicion not quite dispelled. "Are you certain, Sir, that the Prefect has not enchanted this child into believing-"
"Sebek," Lilia interjected. "Surely you would not accuse our dear Prefect of such underhanded magic?"
Sebek’s mouth opened and closed, before he replied. "I…I would never dare suggest you are incapable of seeing through such tricks, Sir! But this situation is most unusual. We must consider the safety of Prince Malleus. And yet the Prefect is still refusing to offer a proper explanation!"
Sebek puffed out his chest but glanced uneasily at Maledor, who peeked from behind you, still clutching your jacket. Despite his horns and emerald eyes, Maledor looked anything but menacing. Nevertheless, Sebek clung to the role of vigilant sentinel.
You took a deep breath, trying not to get annoyed. "I already told you that I found Maledor in the cafeteria, scared and alone. I don’t know anything else. And anyway, if he were out to get Malleus, freezing the cafeteria wouldn’t exactly be subtle, right? And who would send a child in the first place?"
Sebek seemed ready to continue his barrage of suspicions, but Lilia only chuckled. He bent down, gently patting Maledor’s shoulder while casting a reassuring glance your way. "I think what we all need right now is some warmth and a calm mind. The hallway is no place for important discussions or guests. Why not bring our little visitor and the prefect inside? Come, let’s have tea. We can sort out facts and fancies over something sweet, hm?"
Maledor’s eyes brightened at the mention of sweets. He nodded, tugging lightly at your sleeve as if afraid you’d vanish again.
All of you headed inside. When Lilia offered to brew the tea and bring some sweets, you immediately volunteered to do it instead. After all, the first rule to surviving a visit to Diasomnia was: Never eat or drink something Lilia made.
"I’ll handle the tea," you say quickly before Lilia’s hand can get anywhere near the kettle. Your voice is a bit brighter than usual, and you offer a smile to Lilia that’s ninety percent nerves and ten percent sincere gratitude.
"Oh, are you sure? I was hoping to try a new blend…" Lilia said.
"I insist," you reply, perhaps more quickly than you mean to. "It’s the least I can do after all the chaos."
After returning to the lounge room with the tea and sweets, you all sit down. Maledor is quick to take a seat beside you, while Lilia has to urge Sebek to sit down as well instead of standing guard by the windows.
Steam rose from the cups you carefully poured. Maledor watched you, swinging his little feet under the chair, his misery momentarily forgotten in anticipation of sweets.
As you sit down as well, Maledor asked. "Can I take a cookie, Mother?"
The repeated use of the title 'mother' still caught you off guard every time, as did Maledor asking you if he was allowed to eat a cookie. You nodded eventually. "Yeah, sure."
Maledor’s face lit up as you granted him permission. He snatched a cookie with both hands and promptly stuffed half of it into his mouth, crumbs dotting his cheeks as he beamed triumphantly.
"Say, Maledor," Lilia began, tone filled with curiosity. "it must have been quite an adventure to find yourself here, hm? Do you remember anything? Anything at all about how you arrived at the cafeteria, or where you were before?"
Maledor looked down, chewing his cookie with squirrel-like intensity. Then, after a moment's hesitation, he swung his legs and frowned in concentration. "I… I was in the castle. Not this one… my home. Father was teaching me magic because I wanted to be big! Like him. And then…There was this bright green light, all swirly. It was so pretty, but it got really loud and windy. I called for you." he looked up at you. "But I couldn’t find you or Father, and then I was here. It was scary. I didn’t like it. I just wanted to go home."
You picked up a napkin when you saw that Maledor had finished eating. You cleaned his chocolate-covered fingers and mouth. To which Maledor reacted with a 'Thank you, mother,' after you were done.
Sebek, in the meantime, asked. "Who is your father? Can you say his name?"
Maledor brightened, as if relieved to be asked something simple. "My Father is Malleus! Malleus Draconia."
You barely had time to process Maledor’s answer before the tea caught in your throat, a cough sputtering out of you in disbelief. You blinked hard, as if somehow the world would flicker and correct itself. Instead, the bright-eyed boy just looked up at you, awaiting your response with absolute trust.
Lilia’s eyes sparkled with a private, knowing delight, a sly grin playing at the corners of his mouth as he watched the chaos unfold with all the satisfaction of someone who had seen the punchline coming a mile away.
Sebek, on the other hand, was completely stunned. The rigid guard posture dissolved into total shock. His mouth dropped open, then snapped shut in a series of fishlike gasps. He gripped his teacup so tightly it threatened to snap in half. He blinked, then searched Maledor’s face. His gaze darted between the delicate, unmistakable horns and those deep, green eyes. For a second, you wondered if Sebek was about to faint. "Malleus… Draconia?" he finally choked out. "Impossible! The Young Master has no offspring! There must be a mistake. Some… imposter trickery!"
"Wait, wait," you managed, gesturing rapidly between Maledor and Sebek. "Hold on, Maledor. You said your father is Malleus Draconia. You mean, the Malleus? Diasomnia’s Malleus? Tall, horns, kind of brooding, makes storms when he’s in a mood: Malleus?"
Maledor blinked up at you. His head cocked with innocent confusion, as if he couldn’t comprehend why you were asking something so obvious. "Of course, Father is Malleus Draconia!" he said, the words sounding so simple, so certain, as if you’d just asked him whether he liked cookies. "You know that, Mother… Why are you pretending?"
You sat, frozen in your seat, Maledor’s certainty striking through you more powerfully than any ice he could have summoned. Your brain scrambled wildly for any logical explanation. Was this a trick? A dream? Did the world flip upside down when you weren’t looking?
"IMPOSSIBLE!" Sebek barked, jumping up so quickly his chair almost fell. "You must be mistaken! The Young Master does not have, could not have, a child without telling his loyal knights!" He pointed a finger at you. "And you, Prefect! What have you done to this child?!"
"I swear, I’m not lying!" you answered, finally finding your voice. "I didn’t do anything to Maledor. He called me mother from the start. Before I even knew his name!"
Sebek, torn between devotion and confusion, snapped. "This cannot be! The Young Master would never keep such secrets. And…" His mind worked frantically. "The time makes no sense! My Liege and the Prefect… you… are not even married!"
You flushed, mortified and indignant. "Excuse you! We’re not anything." You glanced at Maledor, lowering your voice. "Not like that. Just friends, really."
Lilia clapped his hands softly, his voice clear and sure in the commotion. "No need for dramatics. You know, Sebek, sometimes the wind brings secrets from times yet to come. Briar Valley holds many old mysteries, does it not?"
Sebek bristled, trying to regain composure. "Sir Lilia, with all respect, how can we trust-"
Lilia cut him off with a gentle but authoritative voice. "Sebek, look at the child." Lilia turned to Maledor. "You were frightened, weren’t you? Do you remember any enchantments or trickery? Did anyone put strange ideas in your head?"
Maledor shook his head. "No. I just wanted Mother. And Father." He glanced sidewise at you, hope flickering in his green eyes. "I’m not lying. I promise."
Lilia patted his shoulder. "Of course you’re not. Sometimes things happen that even us grown-ups do not immediately understand. Time, magic, fate. I think our little prince here is simply… lost between stories."
"But what does that mean, Lilia?" you asked for clarification, not being able to wrap your head around this situation. "Is Maledor truly Malleus... And my…" You didn't finish your sentence with 'child'. It just sounded too weird.
"Sometimes, the river of time chooses curious eddies," Lilia mused with a gentle smile. "A leaf from tomorrow might find itself drifting among the branches of today. If it’s not a trick, not a spell, and not a child’s tale, perhaps we must accept that sometimes, the world permits a riddle to live before its answer."
You stared, mouth poised between laughter and a plea for sanity. "Are you saying… he’s from the future?" The words felt ridiculous as they left your lips.
Lilia shrugged lightly. "Magic has never cared much for clocks or calendars. Wouldn’t be the first time something important arrived a little ahead of schedule."
While you were still trying to wrap your head around this, Sebek seemed to accept Lilias' words in a split second. "My Lieges…" Sebek’s voice faltered, then swelled with fervor. "My Liege's heir! Of course! There can be no other explanation befitting Prince Malleus’s unparalleled greatness! Only Prince Malleus, scion of the glorious Draconia line, could sire such a prodigy! Such strength, such majesty, even at such a young age. Freezing the entire cafeteria! Behold, the testament of our great lord’s power!"
"You are the proof of Prince Malleus’s supremacy. Even time itself cannot contain his legacy!" he gushed. "A scion born of unmatched power and noble heritage! To think, I am in the presence of my Liege's heir -his magnificent progeny!"
"Forgive me, young prince!" He dropped to one knee before Maledor, completely ignoring you now, and offered a bow so deep it was a miracle he didn’t hit his head on the floor. "Forgive me for doubting your identity for even a second. I, Sebek Zigvolt, am at your service, just like I am at your glorious father's service!"
Sebek’s 180-degree turn gave you mental whiplash. Two minutes ago, he was about to lock you up for kidnapping a child. And now he was praising Maledor as if he was the second coming of Jesus. And anyway, where was your praise? After all, if Maledor was yours and Malleus's child, you had also contributed half to this cute little boy.
No, on a second thought, you'd rather not be the subject of Sebek’s loud and lavish praise. You were still in denial about all of this. Honestly, you were just surprised by Sebek’s sudden turn. Like, wasn’t he super concerned that Malleus and you weren’t even married a second ago? As if Sebek thinks children could only be conceived if their parents really love each other and wish for one. He was so innocent.
"This must be announced at once! The other knights deserve to weep at this glory. Everyone in Diasomnia needs to know. No, the entire College must know. Briar Valley must be informed. And the Young Master!"
Sebek’s words left you even more mortified than the entire situation already did. You are vaguely wishing the frosted cafeteria had swallowed you whole. You couldn’t face Malleus right now. What were you supposed to say? You rather die than face that embarrassment.
"No! We can’t tell anyone! Especially not Malleus," you interrupted in a voice that could rival Sebeks, before clearing your throat and continuing in a normal voice. "What I mean is, how are we going to explain this? Like, no one is going to believe that a child just showed up from the future, right? They will think Malleus had a secret love child or something."
"I can’t keep the Young Master in the dark about his own flesh and blood. It is my knightly duty to inform him about everything that is happening in his absence!"
Sebek, as always, did not listen, and Lilia was just enjoying the drama for now. In a burst of desperation, you grabbed a cupcake and threw it across the table at Sebek. He stood there, utterly stunned. A thick glob of icing clung to his cheek and crumbs slided down his jacket. He blinked, still processing your audacious cupcake attack. Meanwhile, Maledor, not understanding anything, laughed at that.
"Seems like you can’t go to Malleus now. You wouldn’t stand before your Liege covered in icing, right?" you said, trying to buy time.
"H-How dare you assault one of Prince Malleus’s loyal knights with pastries, human!" he barked.
The feeling that you brought the situation under control immediately vanished when the door opened. There, calmly and tall, stood the regal figure of Malleus, as if the universe liked seeing your misery. Those sharp green eyes found you immediately and lingered for a breath before shifting to Maledor.
"Father!" Maledor’s cry rang bright and clear. His little legs scrambed down from the chair. He rushed to Malleus with unerring speed, arms stretched wide open.
Malleus knelt smoothly. His regal composure melting enough to open his arms and receive the child -his child- into a gentle embrace. "So it was you I sensed. A presence so like my own, yet unlike any I have felt before."
Heat flooded your face as the initial shock passed. Your first instinct was to bolt from sheer embarrassment. Somehow, you managed to find your voice. "You’re not surprised, Malleus?"
"Surprised?" he repeated "No, not at all. I recognized the resonance of my own magic the moment Maledor appeared." He regarded you calmly. "You seem greatly unsettled. Is it so shocking to you?"
"I mean, yeah! Everyone would be shocked," you replied honestly.
"You truly cannot feel it?" Malleus asekd. "Even now, the air shimmers with our blood intertwined. A melody only you and I could create."
You thought about his words for a moment. Putting it like that, you suppose you did feel something. Although definitely not as clear as Malleus did. "Still, shouldn’t we be more concerned?"
"Concern is natural. But you underestimate the strength of the Draconia blood. And your own as well. Our child would never be so easily lost to time without reason. He will return," Malleus said, voice absolute. "The magic that called him here is already unraveling."
"So the problem will fix itself?" you question. That sounded like better circumstances than most problems you have run into in Twisted Wonderland. "Everything will go back to normal soon?"
Malleus nodded. "Yes. This visit, while precious, is unintended. The magic that summoned him here is unstable and will not last much longer. The world has its ways of correcting itself."
Some of the tension in your chest loosened at his certainty.
Lilia, barely restraining a wide grin, chimed in. "It seems time itself favors your union, hmm?"
Your face went hot again, just as your flustered heart was about to calm down a little. "Y-You can’t just say something like that out of nowhere…!" you stuttered. Your voice sounded more like a nervous squeak.
"But it's a wonderful thing, isn't it?" Lilia replied. Beneath his light tone, you could sense the sincerity in his eyes. Like a guardian who is relieved to see his forsterling in good hands.
Malleus regarded Lilia for a moment, then turned back to you, his emerald gaze gentle but searching. "Does it trouble you?" he asked. "If such a future would come to pass would it be so unwelcome?"
Despite your flustered state it didn’t take long for you to shook your head. "No… It wouldn't be unwelcome."
Maledor, oblivious to the tension and simply happy to be near both his parents, studied your face. He shuffled over from Malleus’s embrace and returned to your side, hugging you tightly enough to drive the air from your lungs. "Your face is all red, Mother! When Sebek gets red he gets loud. When Mother gets red she gets quiet," he commented, which made you only more flustered. "I think ice cream makes everything better. Can we eat ice cream?"
You softly pinch Maledor's cheek. "I think someone already had enough sugar for a day with all the cookies and cupcakes."
Maledor’s smile faltered for half a second, his wide eyes shimmering with a betrayed kind of innocence that only a child could muster. Then, with all the cunning of someone who’d clearly inherited far too much of Malleus’s intelligence and dramatic tendencies, he turned slowly toward his father.
Malleus tilted his head. His expression was calm and unreadable. Maledor’s lip trembled just enough to be convincing. "Father..." he began, voice so heart-wrenchingly sweet it could’ve earned him ten free sundaes anywhere in Twisted Wonderland. "Mother said no to ice cream."
The underlying message was clear: Mother rejected me. Only you can right this cruel injustice, Father.
"A most tragic betrayal," Malleus said solemnly. "To be denied joy by one’s own mother. This is indeed a grievous matter."
"Are you siding with him?" you asked, eyes darting from dragon fae to dragon fae. "He’s a little sugar gremlin who just weaponized his cuteness!"
"I am merely acknowledging his diplomatic tact," Malleus replied with a perfectly neutral expression, though the slight twitch of his lips betrayed his amusement. He patted Maledor’s hair, then gently guided him back to your side. "A future prince must know how to plead his case with grace and strategic flair."
"Don’t encourage him," you grumbled, though your lips tugged up in spite of yourself. This entire situation defied logic and physics, maybe even sanity, but somehow... it wasn't as terrifying as it first seemed, not with the way Malleus stood beside you like an unwavering anchor in a storm, and how Maledor leaned against you like he had always belonged there.
"He encourages me," Maledor beamed up at his father.
"I do," Malleus agreed without hesitation.
"I manipulate Mother."
"You do," Malleus affirmed with serene approval.
"You are literally both saying the scheme out loud while I’m right here!" you pointed out. "You’re not supposed to straight-up say it’s manipulation!"
"Don’t worry, Father. Mother always forgives you when you hug her from behind. You do that a lot in the future," Maledor said to comfort Malleus after seeing your grumpy reaction.
Your soul nearly left your body.
Malleus blinked. Then turned to look at you intensely.
You snapped your head toward the child in horror. "Maledor!"
"What?" he asked, blinking up at you with wide, guileless eyes. "It’s true. When you get all ‘grumpy-grumbly’ and tell Father to leave you alone, Father just hugs you from behind, really slow and gentle, and you get all red and mutter something like, 'You know I can’t stay mad at you.'"
"Slow and gentle, you say," Malleus repeated. His expression was thoughtful, as if he was memorizing every word Maledor said. "Hmm. So gentle physical affection dissolves your irritation. I will need to remember that approach."
"That is not the takeaway here!" you interrupted.
"I am merely collecting useful knowledge of what pleases my future consort," Malleus responded smoothly. With almost academic intrigue. "Maledor’s insights are quite enlightening."
Sebek’s complexion was caught somewhere between ghostly pale and tomato red. "Y-Young Prince! This is hardly appropriate information to share in a public setting!"
Maledor blinked at Sebek, completely unbothered. "But Sebek, you said it’s a knight’s duty to speak the truth and uphold honor. I’m just being helpful."
"Yes, but there are degrees of helpfulness...! Some truths are best kept private, especially when discussing the... the subtle... the-" Sebek finally broke eye contact and wheezed, "hugging techniques."
"I agree! We should just stop talking about this," you agreed, hoping the embarrassment would be over now, but then something came to your mind. "No, wait. It is only fair if you also share embarrassing things about Malle- Eh, your Father, Maledor."
Sebek, still recovering from the previous exchange, audibly gasped. "Y-young prince! The Young Master is above embarrassment!"
"No, he’s not," you said flatly.
"Well, Mother says it’s fair," Maledor chirped. "So. When you’re not around, Father gets really weird."
"Weird?" Malleus repeated. His tone remained level, but one graceful brow arched inquisitively.
"Mhmm. Sometimes he just stands in the hallway. Just... standing. Staring out a window. All dramatic and sad," Maledor said before adding brightly. "Oh, and when you come back, even if it’s just from the bathroom, he teleports to your side and says 'Ah, as I suspected, the world only feels whole in your presence again.'"
Malleus remained unshaken, which somehow made it worse. "There is no shame in expressing adoration," he said. "Is it so strange, to long for the presence of the one who stirs your soul?"
Somehow, your idea backfired on you. Not only was Malleus not the least bothered by Maledor's revelations, you are even more flustered now. You didn’t even know what to say, but thankfully Maledor filled the silence again.
"And one time. Mother kissed Father’s cheek right before a council meeting, and he smiled the whole time. The old scary ministers freaked out and thought Father was about to declare war because he never smiles like that during council."
"Alright, that's enough glimpses into the future!" you interrupted hastily, cutting off any further soul-exposing anecdotes. "Didn’t you say you wanted ice cream, Maledor?"
"Yes, ice cream!" Maledor shouted excitedly.
"If it pleases the young prince, I shall fetch the finest ice cream the college kitchens offer," Sebek declared utterly serious, though his face was still visibly red from the "inappropriate" things Maledor revealed.
Lilia, who looked like he was thriving in this chaos, leaned back in his chair, arms crossed behind his head. "This might be the most entertaining thing I’ve seen in a hundred years. And I fought a manticore while wearing a tutu once."
"...Why?" you couldn’t help asking.
"There was a wager. Long story." He winked.
You just accepted what Lilia said without further questions. In a room together with your future child, that just appeared out of thin air, Lilia might still be the biggest enigma.
You all find your seats at the table again. It didn’t take long for Sebek to arrive with the ice cream. Maledor’s eyes sparkled as he eyed the huge bowl full of brightly-colored ice cream that you placed in front of him. Despite his eagerness, he still waited quietly until you gave him permission to begin eating. Seated beside him, Malleus also seemed to enjoy his bowl of ice cream with quiet contentment. You had the suspicion that he also wanted one from the beginning.
As you also began eating your ice cream, you began to really process what was happening. Does this encounter mean that your future was now predestined? Does this mean you will stay in Twisted Wonderland and never find a way back home to your world? Will you become the consort of one of the most powerful mages in the whole world, reigning beside him? They were all worthy, existential questions, but one in particular rose above the rest in your mind.
"Wait. Isn’t it a thing that dragon faes hatch from eggs? So… does that mean I'm going to lay an egg someday? Or is this a seahorse type of situation, and Malleus will lay the egg?"
The room was silent for a moment, but before anyone could answer that very crucial question, Sebek raised his voice. "Seahorse? How dare you compare the Great Malleus Draconia with an unremarkable creature such as a seahorse?!"
While a new round of chaos broke out on the table, Silver probably just woke up wondering why Sebek never came to wake him up for his guard duty. And the frozen students are till waiting for help.
I really liked your Neville!reader for Twisted Wonderland and I was wondering if you were okay with writing romantic head cannons for the TWST boys but platonic for Ortho with a Luna Lovegood reader? I think if Luna was actually in Twisted Wonderland, she’d definitely become like a big sister to Ortho.
Leona Kingscholar
At first? He calls you "spacey herbivore" with an eye roll. But you keep placing wildflowers in his hair and humming lullabies that remind him of the Sunset Savanna.
When you fall asleep beside him in the Botanical Garden, he doesn’t move, even if bugs crawl on him.
You never push his ambitions, but your calm belief that "you’re meant for something incredible" stays with him.
His tail wraps around your ankle unconsciously when you’re near—you're his grounding star.
Ruggie Bucchi
Thinks you’re “kinda loopy,” but adorable. You trade him shiny buttons and trinkets like they’re gold.
Lowkey protective when people try to bully you. “Oi! Only I get to call ‘em odd, got it?”
You give him free snacks because “your aura looks hungry today.”
He keeps every drawing you gift him tucked into his scavenged hoodie pockets.
Jack Howl
Was baffled at first—how are you so unbothered by anything?
But your sincerity and whimsy earn his deep respect.
You compliment his tail and say it’s “a symbol of loyalty” and now he blushes every time it wags near you.
You ground his rigidity with gentle curiosity, and he becomes fiercely loyal to your quiet soul.
Azul Ashengrotto
Initially thought you were a threat—how do you know things no one told you?
But instead of exploiting his insecurities, you tell him the ocean sings when he's proud of himself.
You whisper affirmations to his octopus form, which he absolutely pretends not to love.
You’re the only one he doesn’t feel he has to make a deal with—he wants to be kind to you, freely.
Jade Leech
Fascinated. You remind him of deep-sea fauna: ethereal, misunderstood, hypnotic.
He engages with your whimsical views and even joins in your rituals (like talking to plants).
He offers you preserved mushrooms, and you give him homemade flower teas. It’s weirdly romantic.
Floyd Leech
You’re his “Squishy.” He loves how you always surprise him.
When he’s in a mood, you offer him dreamcatchers or read him calming stories. It actually works.
You once looked him in the eyes during a tantrum and said, “You’re not scary. You’re just sad.” He’s never forgotten it.
Riddle Rosehearts
At first, you drove him mad. You didn’t follow rules, wore mismatched socks, and once hosted a tea party for ghosts.
But your grace, your unwavering kindness—it makes him question everything he thought was “proper.”
He softens around you. You show him the beauty of chaos in a world of rules.
He catches himself smiling when you speak nonsense. Maybe it isn’t nonsense at all.
Trey Clover
Finds you endearing and soothing. You compliment his pies like they’re rare relics.
You help him relax. He doesn’t have to be the responsible one around you—because your presence carries peace.
When you say, “I like your soul, it’s warm like cinnamon,” he nearly drops his tray.
Cater Diamond
Thinks you’re the most aesthetic person alive. You're his muse.
He doesn’t always “get” you, but he adores you.
You once told him his magicam selfies carry pieces of his heart, and he cried a little (secretly).
He starts valuing sincerity more because of you.
Malleus Draconia
You treat him like no one else does. You once asked if the thorns around his heart bloomed in spring.
He’s utterly captivated by you—your gentleness, your strangeness, your unshakable belief in things unseen.
He listens to your stories like sacred songs.
You’re the first person he feels sees the “prince” and the boy.
Lilia Vanrouge
Teases you lovingly, but genuinely admires your wisdom. You remind him of ancient stories.
You teach him lullabies from your world; he teaches you war ballads.
He's protective like a bat dad, but he lets you do your thing—your magic is unlike any he’s ever known.
Silver
Loves how you always greet him when he wakes up, like it’s a miracle.
You dream together—napping side by side in flower fields.
He thinks you’re a fairy spirit sent to keep him company.
Sebek Zigvolt
Was horrified by your strange behavior at first—how dare you offer Malleus mismatched tea cups?!
But slowly, he’s moved by your sincere loyalty and bravery.
He’ll never admit it, but he likes when you braid charms into his hair.
Vil Schoenheit
Initially called you “peculiar,” but now says “You are art in motion.”
You don’t care about appearances, yet you shine with something even he can’t bottle—truth.
He respects how you never seek validation, and it humbles him.
You taught him that beauty is about resonance, not perfection.
Rook Hunt
Instantly enchanted. You are his “Lune Enchantée,” his Moon Enigma.
He’s constantly writing poems about you.
He tries to follow you, but you always seem one step ahead—ethereal and unknowable.
You once said, “You don’t need to chase beauty. You already hold it.” He fell in love.
Epel Felmier
You call him “Wild Apple” and admire his raw energy.
You don’t mind when he swears or acts rowdy—you celebrate it.
You help him feel seen without having to pretend. He loves you for that.
Idia Shroud
You terrify him. Not because you’re scary—but because you treat him like someone important.
You once told him, “You’re a constellation waiting to be named.” He logged off for three days.
But when you brought Ortho flowers and told him he had a soul, Idia realized…you’re the only person who sees him and his brother as whole.
You’re his beacon. A quiet light that doesn’t blind him.
Ortho Shroud (Platonic)
You’re like the big sibling that completes his family.
He teaches you tech stuff; you gift him hand-sewn plushies you say “ward off sadness gremlins.”
He follows you like a happy puppy. You radiate safety to him.
Kalim Al-Asim
Immediately adores you. Thinks you're "like a dream made of light."
You bring him handmade jewelry made of seashells and say they’re “wish-holders.”
He’s endlessly curious about your rituals and beliefs.
Your calming presence balances his energy.
Jamil Viper
Suspicious at first—what’s your angle?
But when you helped him during one of his worst days by simply sitting beside him and whispering, “You don’t have to be okay right now,” something shifted.
You see the chains he wears and never judge him for them.
Neige LeBlanche
You’re his lullaby in a loud world.
He writes songs about your whimsical wisdom.
You dance under snowfall and he believes you’re magic made real.
Rollo Flamme
Conflicted. You're a walking contradiction—chaotic yet serene, magical yet grounded.
He wants to hate you…but your honesty and kindness gnaw at his walls.
You once said, “You carry fire in your heart. But even fire deserves gentleness.” He’s never forgotten.
🐾 Grim (Platonic)
You’re his best friend. Period.
He pretends to grumble when you tie ribbons on his tail, but he struts around showing them off.
You feed him treats shaped like stars and say they’ll give him “courage magic.”
A/n: There's a bunch of batfam adoptions, let's switch it up a bit.
Summary Background info: Danny died fully to the GIW. His class noticed when Danny disappeared and think his parents killed him. The city now believes he lives among the stars. On the same day Danny died, however, the moon was smashed to bits and rained down asteroids into the ocean and land of Earth. The Lanterns replace it with a new moon. The ocean life believes that the moon's spirit will not like being replaced.
Tw: Bad parents, depression, dissociation, vivisection scars, past death, discrimination, angst, hurt/comfort
Danny is a full ghost and looks like a child because that's all his core can expend; Danny becomes a moon spirit. Aquaman/Arthur is the movie version, the fun upbeat guy, not the serious one.
The Moon Child
Part 1 - Strong Beliefs Come to Life
When the moon was destroyed, the Lanterns had agreed to send over a new one to make sure the Earth didn't destroy itself without the Moon to guide the oceans. It wasn't difficult to get one, though it was a lot of paperwork.
But when it was done, the Justice League thought that was it. Batman, being the paranoid man he was, demanded those with cities near a beach and Aquaman to report regularly about any changes in the ocean with the new moon while he checks other things that would be affected by it. They didn't bother to argue, as their luck always had it that peace was never a lasting thing. So the extra precaution was fine, but they didn't think anything of it after a few weeks of nothing happening.
The ocean life thought otherwise. Unlike the beings on land, who worship the sun, the beings in the ocean believed in the moon. Legends, myths, and many beliefs surrounding the moon's corpse that had mostly fell in their waters had risen.
The Moon is not meant to be replaced
The Moon is not like the others
The Moon will believe we did not care
The Moon will return and haunt these waters
-
Cries echoed in the dark of night. Moonstones guided the way to the origin of said sobs that were as powerful as the sirens' voice. Yet what the sirens attracted was lust, not melancholy.
Those who followed them would begin to see a dim light grow brighter and brighter, but never irritate. Instead, it would bring a wave of sorrowful tranquility.
When they reached the origin, they would see a small child holding their tail that faded in solidity. Their hair as white as how the moon used to be. Their skin as pale as a human who had died in freezing temperatures. And their eyes a beautiful silver that matched the stones that trailed away from them.
They wore loose and poofy at the bottom pants that matched a dark night sky and a translucent veil that had constellations move around the dark blue fabric. His upper body was bare, and he covered it with the veil, which darkened when wrapped to shield his body from being seen. (think Egyptian dancer)
And that's when the creatures of the ocean had a realization. Their deity was too kind to exact revenge for the blasphemy. Their pain was not one to simply end in an instant.
The Moon has returned, and they are not angered.
They thought they were replaceable, disposable. As if they never mattered.
The Moon has returned to world that acted ungrateful for what they had done to protect it. To a world who simply replaced them for another.
They felt like all they did was for nothing. Like nothing they had done ever mattered in the end.
The Moon did not have a welcomed return. And they decided to express it alone, as if nobody would care to comfort them.
-
Arthur never believed in ghosts. Not until now as he gazed upon the spirit of the moon who had taken the form of a small child with a wisp for a tail and was crying moonstones.
The seafolk had all voiced their guilt on how they cursed at the humans and aliens, speaking how the spirit of the moon would enact their revenge. They felt guilty that they had ever thought their deity would ever stoop as low as those disgraceful humans. For their deity was kind. They were perfect. And they always looked after them when they could, even appearing in the day no matter how much strength it took.
The Ocean was meant to be the Moon's temple.
And as the King of the Ocean, it was his duty to take in the Moon and shelter them in their time of need.
"Child."
The child jumped, turning with wide, teary eyes at him. Arthur smiled gently.
"Greetings. I've heard that you've been here for a while now. It... it must've hurt badly."
The child seemed to have a flash of pain from the memory alone, tightening their arms around their wispy tail.
"What they did to you was unacceptable and inhumane. You were alive and looking after so many who could not save themselves."
More stones splashed into the water.
"You saved them, save everyone and they repaid that by hurting you. Killing you. Attempting to end you. It was a crime and yet... yet they got off light. It was a crime and they thought nothing of it."
The spirit relaxed, eyes gazing at him in disbelief and awe.
"I'm sorry we weren't able to save you. I'm sorry I couldn't prevent such a blasphemous act."
They smiled softly at him and let go of their tail, flying over to him.
"I'm still here." Their voice echoed. "I can still protect everyone."
Arthur took a breath and reached his hand out, placing it on the child's head.
"Please, let me do the protecting this time."
The child of the moon teared up once more, smile now shaky.
"Okay." They whispered. "I'll trust you."
And with that, the child shined just a bit more brightly before their form retreated into a spherical oval with the New Moon glyph floating inside. He cupped his hands together, letting the moonstone with the height of 2 quarters and the width and depth of 1 descend into them. Upon observation, he noticed the moon glyph shift to always present itself in the direction of those who gazed upon them.
"I have to report this to the league." Arthur thought, worried about what they'd do if they discover the spirit on their own.
-
Pain, that was all he felt. Even after his core had been carved and crushed, he still felt the excruciating agony of it. And now he revived again, feeling the aftershocks, the phantom pains.
His core was straining itself to even let him stay out of it, willing him to retreat. But he couldn't risk being found. He couldn't risk a curious person deciding to carve him again.
That was... until this man came. A hero, one that ruled over the oceans and seas, came to him and apologized for not saving him. someone who wasn't even close to him, who shouldn't have even known about him, had felt guilty about his death. And he stayed and he begged for him to come with him. He bled out the promise of safety. Of recognition. He... wanted to protect Danny.
A hero who protected the beings of his waters wanted to protect him, a ghost.
Danny was starting to think humans really were inferior to other beings. Be it aliens... or seafolk. Atlanteans. Ha! To think an Atlantean cared more about him, who was a half human and human ghost, than a human ever could.
It hurt.
It hurt to think about.
But it hurt more to try to reject it. So, he accepted that this stranger, this hero who probably didn't even believe he could exist, was willing to protect him like nobody ever had. Like nobody ever could. Like nobody ever would.
His core will be safe with him. He will be safe with him.
---------------
A/n: Well... that was a thing. Poor Danny.... He was never actually acknowledged. But oh well. The next one's about him meeting the family and getting coddled.
Also, if you're thinking about the movie's Aquaman having a baby... well he's dead. Black Manta killed him through suffocation or whatever like the wiki says. So that's why he wasn't mentioned.
I finished it! Fluffy lil TFC fic for you guys. ^^ Hope you enjoy! :D
Pls lmk if you see grammar mistakes this is not fully beta read
Idk wtf I’m doing but I’m doing it the best I can-
The cast all stared curiously as they watched you gather everything even remotely soft within the tent that you could get your little hands on.
“Are they…?” Ticket Taker began, not daring to finish.
“They can’t be.” Jester rationalized, but he doubted his words.
“It really looks like…” Harlequin tilted his head as you jumped in order to make the last couple inches to reach a blanket on another bed due to the shackle’s limited range.
“But humans don’t…” The Doctor trailed off.
It was Pierrot who finally said it, fawning over how cute and homely you looked as you flitted about. “They’re nesting~!”
Jester scoffed. “Humans don’t have a nesting instinct except during late pregnancy. And it certainly doesn’t look like this.” He didn’t want to add the last thought, but he didn’t have to. Everyone knew it was there. They were all having it. Despite being a mere human, what you were doing… it resembled monster nesting.
“You must remember that at their base biology, humans are animals. It is possible that some of them may have a nesting instinct like ours that can be unlocked or is perhaps attached to a specific gene?” The Doctor mused, stepping forward to better observe your fascinating behavior.
Pierrot quickly stopped him with his arm, eyes narrowed. “Nesting cannot be interrupted. You know that.”
“They’re not nesting, Pierrot!” Harlequin growled, face riddled with denial. “This is probably just some human ritual we’ve never heard of!”
Ticket Taker hummed in thought as he watched you feel the material of each and every item you’d gathered before organizing them as you saw appropriate. “It certainly looks like they’re nesting.”
“Because they areeeee~!” Pierrot cooed, hands on his cheeks as he swooned.
By now, you had begun to meticulously start piling what you’d collected, carefully layering your chosen materials, which mostly consisted of blankets, sheets, and pillows. To keep everything fitted to the bed, you tucked in the sides that stuck out. When only a single blanket was left, you rimmed the nest with the pillows, using the grooves you’d made to keep them in place. Finally, when it seemed you were finished, you crawled within and settled down, resting your head upon one of the pillows as you covered yourself with the single remaining blanket. Your breathing promptly began to slow, the security of your creation soothing your nerves, body softly vibrating with something that vaguely resembled a faint, contented purr.
The monsters were completely silent. There was no more debate. That was a nest, and a damn cozy looking one at that. Impressive, given your lack of proper materials.
Pierrot stepped forth into the tent while the others continued to quietly observe in astonishment. “My dearest, what is this?” He asked. He knew, they all did, but he still needed confirmation from you.
“Nest…” You mumbled back, sinking further into the pile as your body curled more tightly in on itself. “Need comf… feels safe…”
That settled it.
He couldn’t help his next question. “Where did you learn to do that?” Perhaps you had a monster ancestor and the instinct was passed down to you? Maybe you knew one when you were younger? Or what if…
“Nowhere…” You murmured, voice getting quieter as you began to drift to sleep. “Just makes me feel safe…”
He wanted to ask more but he could tell with the way the rise and fall of your chest had slowed that you had officially slipped into slumber, and he didn’t wish to disturb you.
“Fascinating…” Doctor whispered and Pierrot let out a low hiss, not having realized the other cast members had approached. “They implied this was instinctive for them, but I have never heard of humans nesting in the way monsters might. I’m eager to learn more.” But as he reached for you, his hand was swatted away by Pierrot.
“Come now, Pierrot~ Let us see~” Harlequin coaxed, but his larger cast member stood his ground, eyes wide and wild. He resembled a protective mate, dutifully guarding his partner, even if he currently only qualified as a suitor. The green monster snickered as he taunted the golden eyed beast, whose snarls were growing louder and more ferocious by the second, muscles flexing beneath his costume.
“Let us compromise, Pierrot.” Jester intervened before the inevitable scuffle could take place. Pierrot turned to the purple clown, anger quieting out of respect for the ringmaster, though his teeth remained almost imperceptibly bared. “You know we’re all curious about this nest, though it is clear you value this… human’s safety. If you allow us to investigate while they are away from the nest, I will allow you to show them around the circus tomorrow.”
Pierrot growled low in thought, the sound a deep rumble from within his chest, mulling over the Jester’s offer. On the one hand, he did want to show you around, to acquaint you with his life. He knew so much about yours, but you knew so little about his. On the other hand, he knew that the sanctity of a nest was almost sacred to its builder. You had said you made it to feel safe, and he didn’t want to disturb that for you. But there was also the point of Jester’s great dislike of humans venturing too deep into their circus. For him to offer something like this… it meant his curiosity was intense, and it was not an opportunity to so quickly toss away.
The red clown instantly quieted as he heard you shift within the nest. As he stiffly turned to look at you and gazed upon your sleeping face, he felt his entire body relax. It was cruel of you to be so adorable in your sleep, teasing his desires when he couldn’t act upon them… He looked back at Jester. “Fine.” He said, accepting the leader’s terms. This arrangement would hopefully segway into allowing you permanent residence within the circus.
Jester nodded. “When they wake up then.”
—————————————
Pierrot took you out the next morning to show you around the circus, carefully unlocking your shackle and guiding you away. Once the cast saw you disappear among the tents, they made their way inside the tent Pierrot had stashed you in when he’d taken you and towards your bed. Towards your nest. They paused, examining it, but unsure of where to go next.
Jester made the first move, gently reaching out a hand and pressing it into the nest. He was surprised to find how soft and well put together it was. To see it was one thing. To feel it was another. The others decided to follow his lead.
“Incredible…” Doctor muttered.
“I’ve never felt a nest so comfortable,” Ticket Taker commented absentmindedly.
Harlequin didn’t bother saying anything. He just flopped down and made himself at home in the sanctuary.
“Harlequin!” The Jester hissed, only to be cut off by a sigh of utter bliss from the normally snarky menace.
All the muscles in the green monster’s body had gone completely lax as he stretched out amongst the softness before snuggling into it. “It’s so cozy…” The nest reminded him of a time long gone, when he was young and still had parents. When he didn’t quite know the cruelty of the world just yet. Something nostalgic. Something heavenly. Something… comforting.
The others were taken aback. To see Harlequin so… well… vulnerable? To say it was rare was an understatement. They couldn’t even remember the last time there had been such an occurrence.
Doctor joined him in the nest, Harlequin growling as he was pushed over to make room, seeing as he’d plopped himself down right in the middle. Almost the exact effect came over him. Same with Ticket Taker, the next to join, leaving only Jester remaining on the outside, watching as more than half the cast comfortably curled up in a nest made by a human. The purple clown sighed before relenting, the last thought he had before laying down being ‘It can’t be that amazing, can it?’
—————————————
By the time Pierrot brought you back to the tent you had woken up in, the entirety of the cast was asleep in your nest, nuzzling into the comfort you had so expertly crafted. Jester cracked open an eye when he sensed the presence of the naive monster and his human obsession. He groaned. “Fine… They can stay for now…” His voice came out in the form of a reluctant grumble, conveniently leaving out that he also meant you could stay alive for the time being. “But they need to make something like this for each of our tents for our own personal use…”
As Pierrot found himself overcome with joy, you couldn’t help whining at the sight. “My nest…”
Danny has found out that he tends to stay awake for weeks, if not months, at a time.
However, when he does sleep, he needs to sleep for a way longer time than people sleep.
Usually about one or three thousand years.
I DO NOT OWN THESE CHARACTERS OR THEIR WORLDS. I DO NOT INTEND TO MAKE MONEY WITH THIS POST. IF THIS POST IS ON TIKTOK I DID NOT CONSENT TO THAT. IF THIS DISCLAIMER IS MISSING THEN THE POST WAS EDITED TO NEGATE IT.
Clockwork and he figure it has to do with his body starting to absorb the Time Amulet that he shoved into his chest; his core, still growing, started to think that this foreign power source was supposed to be taken in, and has started to do so.
Danny's core is still ice, but it's also adapting the power of the Time Amulet to that; basically, Danny is mostly immune to time shenanigans naturally, and the other side effect is a huge influx of power to his core.
Problem; that is a lot of power, and Danny's body needs a lot of time to rest in ghost form to handle it without destabilizing.
So because he doesn't want to miss living his life with his family, he and Clockwork figure something out.
When he gets sleepy, and it's time for him to Sleep frfr instead of just an 8 hour catnap, Clockwork sends him to a different dimension that works on a different timeframe.
He gets a room especially made, hidden from the denizens of that world, full of never-rotting timeless comforts like pillows and blankets, and he gets to sleep.
They repurpose some of the Skeleton Army he won from Pariah Dark to serve him while he rests; they make sure he's clean, that the sheets and pillows are clean, and that snacks and drinks are available for his brief moments of wakefulness.
In this particular world, however, his sleeping chambers have been found, and he's being worshipped as the god of a cult.
They've carved a hole above his chambers, and for the most part haven't been too obtrusive, so the Skeleton Army lets them keep that hole. The cult has been sending food and treasure down, and since the Skeleton Army's primary purpose is to ensure Danny is well-fed whenever he wakes up and comfortable, they allow this.
Then the cult drops Bart Allen in the sleeping chambers, deliberately angling him so that he lands on Danny's pillow-bed, fully intending to use him to both wake up their sleeping god and be a sacrifice.
By the time Wally gets down there, ready to save Bart and defend him, the Skeleton Army is gently trying to pry the sleeping gods arms off of Bart, who has apparently become a living teddy bear for this thing.
"Uh..."
"I think they're trying to save me? This god likes to cuddle, I guess."
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I think he's just super tired. He might let go if you find a good enough replacement."
"Why can't you just phase out?"
"What if I wake him up and he starts searching for me? We gotta find something else he can cuddle with."
So Wally leaves on a quest, darting all over the world and bringing back huge stuffed animals in an attempt to find one that the god will accept as a substitute for Bart.
Bart, meanwhile, is living it up.
The Skeleton Army makes sure he's fed, there's like, a lot of video games that the cult threw down here, and while he is antsy cuz he can't move, at least this is actually the most comfortable bed he's ever been on.
But he is getting kinda bored, and none of the stuffed animals Wally is bringing in are working.
Spirit healer hero: recovery boy ❤️🩹/Healer Danny
Since arriving in a new world of heroes Danny chooses to hide most of his powers and settles as a healer in training at UA with his newly acquired ghostly healing powers. (ultimate enemy AU)
-Nezu and Recovery Girl are the only ones who know Danny’s full background (other students and teachers could learn about it later)
-Nezu fully accepts Danny’s chosen path as a healer hero, but Nezu still gives Danny occasional little nudges in other hero courses/training.
-Ex. Nezu offering Danny a space to train in private in his ghost form under the guise of keeping his skills sharp for “emergencies”
-Nezu sees potential in him and he doesn’t want it to go to waste due to Danny’s fear of the past and future. He wants Danny to overcome this, and carve out the best possible future for himself whether it be as a world-renowned hero or a healing hero.
-Danny's housing arrangements are within U.A. grounds with Recovery Girls as his guardian (students *cough* shoto *cough*theorize that Danny is Recovery Girl’s grandson)
Danny ghostly healing/spirit heal
-Danny's healing power is a newer ability he gained after the nasty burger incident and after his ice powers came in
-His healing tends to feel uncomfortable when used on humans, compared to when he uses it on ghosts; it feels cold and unnerving when applied to human patients. Most students didn’t like getting healed by Danny because he gave them the heebie-jeebies. (At the start)
-It also drains Danny a lot (at the start)
This is due to Danny’s output being very strong when healing powers are in use
-Later when Danny got better control of it the process is less strenuous for both the user and patient. In patience, only feel a light chill when they’re being healed whether it’s a minor or severe injury.
-When Danny is in a deep state of focus when he’s healing a patient (or when he’s happier, comfortable, or regenerating) sometimes his ghost core purrs hums. When students and teachers become aware of this, they find it adorable (others find it hilarious).
-Danny’s healing abilities are the strongest this world has seen. Earning him a lot of unwanted attention (public, hero safety commission, villains).
-He can heal very severe wounds, regrow someone's limb, and he can even revive someone if they haven’t been dead too long
-A possible drawback is that if he isn’t controlling his output properly when he’s healing a very severe injury, it can cause the patient to go into shock or even die.
-Later, when he has full control of his new healing ability, he can still make the healing process unpleasant if he wants to (he doesn’t do this for severe injuries for obvious reasons)
-Now when he heals human patients, they only feel a light coolness on whatever part that’s being healed
-Due to the leak in UA, the villains are aware of Danny’s powerful healing ability, which makes him a target (good luck to them, trying to kidnap a half-ghost kid without ghost-hunting weapons or restraints)
-Danny is the absolute little shit whenever a random henchman tries to kidnap him. Danny mostly uses his wits and ghost powers to escape under his captors’ noses, (can’t let the villains know that he is more than just a healer)
-Danny being Danny, doesn’t inform any adults or classmates of the attempted kidnapping, out of habit (he used to keep things from his parents and even his friends to not worry them, if he doesn’t see something as a problem or threat).
-When teachers and students do eventually find out they are concerned and furious that Danny didn’t notice. Then even more concerned due to Danny acting like it’s just another Tuesday. This spawns a rumor within staff and students that Danny has been dealing with kidnapping attempts since he got his “quirk” due to healing quirks being somewhat rare and very valued (not to mention how powerful Danny’s “quirk” is). From that day fourth the recovery boy protection quad has been formed much to Danny’s annoyance, and embarrassment.
-Villains might have to get more creative with how they try to kidnap him if it’s even possible (a specific quirk or blood blossoms if they exist in this dimension. Maybe the traitor, leaks that Danny is “allergic” to blood blossoms)
-Danny has mostly been training under Recovery Girl and interning with other doctors or pro healing heroes
-He has some prior knowledge/experience from Sam, his parents (yes they have some first aid knowledge at least in my headcanon), and the frostbite clan (after the incident he stayed with them for a bit)
-Danny also trained in private with Nezu’s supervision (they use leftover bots from the entry exam)
-Maybe one of the students managed to catch the tail end of the training session…. Bakugo/the bakuquad maybe. But they weren’t able to get a good look at the student. All they saw was some green blasts, a blur of black and white, a blight flash of light and Danny (after he changed back to his human form) at the end of the wreckage, breathing heavily from a distance (so they didn’t see Danny’s ghost from just the tail end of the flash and the dissipating glowing rings around his waist)
-Danny does some tinkering (under Power Loader’s supervision ) in the support course but he isn’t as much of an inventor as his parents (he’s working on it though)
-Izuku and Danny probably be best buds since he gets injured the most which Danny is slightly concerned about he knows it comes with the job but dang man stop breaking your bones you need those😭
-Danny managed to come up with a compromise to get Izuku to stop breaking his bones from being reckless by agreeing to heal him. By doing this it would be a bit of a punishment since at the time Danny’s healing power was very unpleasant no matter the pain tolerance, and he would technically be guilt-tripping Izuku since it drained Danny. And Izuku wouldn’t want to exhaust and worry his new friend. (yeah I don’t think Danny would like the idea of Recovery Girl just cutting Izuku off from healing him from reckless injuries, but he does agree that he needs to find another way to use his power without hurting himself or being reckless about it.)
-I also think it would be funny if after Danny got past his first initial impression with the students of UA some students develop crushes on the new healer hero in training
Other Random highlights
-USJ arc: Danny wasn’t allowed to heal anyone injured during the USJ incident due to him not being able to control his new healing ability at the time. Danny understands why, but he still feels guilty that he couldn’t do anything that day because he was somewhere else while everyone was fighting for their lives.
-I’m not sure if Danny would be able to heal all might stomach injury since it’s so old. so it’s optional if Danny can heal it completely or if it can only be treated through multiple sessions (or maybe not at all)
-Ova2 training of the dead: Danny heals Izuku just enough so Izuku can eat his cake and leave to hunt down a certain angry Pomeranian to … talk🙂
-Hero killer/Stain arc: Danny heals tensei enough that he won’t have to retire but he’ll be out of commission for a bit. Though doing this overexerts Danny. Tenya is forever grateful but he’s also guilty that he intentionally or unintentionally pushed him this far. Recovery girl is especially mad when she gets word of it.
-Shie Hassaikai arc: Danny heals/revives Sir Night Eye. He would have to change into his ghost form to do it though. Since starting at U.A. he hasn’t gone ghost for anything besides training with Nezu and emergencies. (he has mostly been training in this human form with his healing powers). This would be the first time someone other than Nezu or recovery girl has seen him in that form (at least in clear view compared to someone else). Danny passes out for 1-3 days (it would be his first time reviving someone with his healing powers so he would be spent ghost form or not)
-Whether Danny decides to choose to be a healer indefinitely or return to being a hero, or a little bit of both by the end of his journey I think his suit would get at least a couple upgrades.
-His suit would be a mix of his classic hazmat suit and a male version of recovery girl suit. Base suit being white with black boots, gloves, collar, and belt while in his human form and inverted in his ghost form
(I put way too much effort into this AU. This is just a color test I drew while watching a movie with my sis. I’m still not planning on drawing any art for these AUs….. for now).
-Maybe he’ll add some upgrades like a health scan gauntlet that looks like a mash of Tucker’s PDA and Fenton tech (a nice call back to his friends and family)
-when I first wrote this I wasn’t really thinking about any possible ships for this story? prompt? AU? ….
It could probably focus on some of the main canon ships or fanon ones. As for Danny I will either say one-sided ships(maybe potentially reciprocated) with mostly students having a crush on him while Danny is just clueless for the lols. But now I think it’ll be funnier/cuter if Bakugo just unintentionally became a part of that crowd. Like him slowly developing a crush on Danny with every other healing session he has with him, you know the enemies-to-lovers trope. (Danny definitely wouldn’t get along with Bakugo at first since Danny hit it off with Izuku so he’s a bit protective of Izuku and his initial impression of Bakugo’s attitude. On Bakugo’s he would not like Danny at first cause he’s you know Bakugo… he’s just some extra in Bakugo's eyes until things change… and he is pissed about it.)
Okay so, the dessert and drink was v1. Then I added the rest of the stuff, but I think I made it worse.
It’s suppose to be a title page for my drawings b/c I use the same note book for my psychology notes, syllabus analysis, and random math equations.
Also the girl in the blue gown was a drawing a made months ago, but was too lazy to post. She is also who I imagined Ophilea to look like from Hamlet. Yes those things in her hands were supposed to be the flowers she carried when she went mad from grief.
Patchie is more recent, so I don’t know their favorite toon. I just did the toon of the first video I watched.
I watched Sloth’s ‘distracting as a non-distracter’ series, and I’m continuing to watch him now.
Sidenote: First creator fanart I’ve done!
Side-side note: Oh my goodness, their designs had so much detail. I love it, but at the same time I had to do so much erasing. Especially for sloth’s portrait.
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blakekathryn
dailybridgerton
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