I Dont Know What It Is About The Phandom And Also The Dpxdc Fandom That Has So Quickly Caught Be My Throat

I don´t know what it is about the Phandom and also the dpxdc fandom that has so quickly caught be my throat and demanded all of my waking moment be spent reading. But god damn, I´m not unhappy about that - not by any definition of the word :3 After not watching or thinking about the show for over a decade i suddenly know more about it than i did when it still ran on TV. It´s gotten so far that i made a tumblr account just to simply interact more with the phandom and to read all the prompts and comics and look at all the fanart. so first of all: how did i even get here?

second of all: does anyone have any recommendations?

Okay, so I´ve had a bit more time to think about this. The deep sea is full of strange creatures. And also full of HUGE creatures. Deep sea gigantism is a full on phenomenon and it´s quite interesting on how it came to be. For this prupose the reasons are unimportant though. Well. Except for one. That is: Food scarcity as well as cold lead to gigantic sea creatures (the poles have a few interesting specimen).

What is important to understand is how deep sea creatures often have relatives in the shallower waters. As in: Crabs? HUGE down there. Sea spiders? a few millimetres on the surface, on the bottom of the ocean? Try a metre or two. Isopods? Cute, many-leggend smol friends? Well, try football size.

So. You see a pattern? Now. Blob ghosts. Tiny little, harmless blob ghosts. I headcanon that they feed on excess ectoplasm and maybe also the few ghosts that are Ended. Like Isopods - they are the ground feeders. But what if the Realms had pockets of differing ectoplasm levels?

If the part of the realms that Danny knows are the 'shallow' water equivalent with many resources available, then how the 'deep' water or ectoplasm zones look? Would they be harder to move in? Harder to breathe? Would the blob ghosts there go after prey like a ghost that has wandered in? Do the ancients maybe 'rule' some of these zones? Is that the reason they´re so huge?

Or do the more eldritch creatures dwell int hose parts. Because they need less ectoplasm? But if so would they try to prey on the weaker, smaller ghosts if they hadn´t had enough ectoplasm for a while or are they able to overcome their need for ectoplasm after they reach a certain size / age? Would THEY try to prey on the ancients? And what does that do to the different ghost species? Because, sure, there are 'human' ghosts. But not all human ghosts are the same and I think there´s probably a classification apart from strenghth. i mean, would a halfa be a species or would be like .... a trait that can be found between species? Like albinism or melanism?

And the neverborn? Are they just like the dolphins or the realms? As in: they share the same living space as ghosts (fish in this metaphor), but are of an entirely different genus (mammalia)?

Deep Sea Camouflage for ghosts?

So we all know that animals use differing kinds of camouflage to hide from predators - sometimes they even use parts of this camouflage for communication or courting behaviour.

Interestingly enough: deep sea creatures have mainly three such camouflaging patterns - transparency, silvering (which has the same effect as transparency) as well as counter illumination. All of that in an effort to better hide in the dark waters, when there´s still some kind of light to be seen coming from above. And then there´s the bioluminescense. Which is sometimes used for camouflage, but most often than not for communication or hunting purposes. And do you know what some of these remind me of? You got it - ghosts.

Now the big question is: do the infinite realms have predators? Do ghosts predate each other, do neverborn predate on ghosts? How does it all work? And if there are predators. What kind of additional camouflaging or hunting adaptions do ghosts have?

Does the eldritch form we often headcanon for them have any such purpose or is it just there as a sort of ... secondary form? Do they communicate differently when they look like this? Are there different base instincts? Like - junveniles of any species often times have different instincts or reactions to certain instincts than the adult members and just. I have sooo many questions.

And if we go by this comparison. What does that mean for a halfa like Danny? Because let´s face it. All ghosts are at least kind of bioluminescent. But in the IR? That bioluminescense is hardly seen, as such it seems more like counter illumination. And even though the realms ghosts have seldomly been transparent (except when they want to - i.e. invisibility), it still an ability they possess. Now I don´t have an example for silvering, but since it basically does the same as the invisibility it´s not really important. So.

Why.

I mean there´s many, MANY more abilities all of them possess, though they are very often abilities that are individual. ARE there any predators in the realms? And what does it mean for the ghosts? Because, yes, dangerous animals and also other more humanoid as well as the ancients exist. But I´d hardly call them actual predators. So. Am I just overthinking this?

Phandom really let Danny say: "If you´re happy and you know it clap your hands" *cue silence* And I think that´s beautiful

Deep Sea Camouflage for ghosts?

So we all know that animals use differing kinds of camouflage to hide from predators - sometimes they even use parts of this camouflage for communication or courting behaviour.

Interestingly enough: deep sea creatures have mainly three such camouflaging patterns - transparency, silvering (which has the same effect as transparency) as well as counter illumination. All of that in an effort to better hide in the dark waters, when there´s still some kind of light to be seen coming from above. And then there´s the bioluminescense. Which is sometimes used for camouflage, but most often than not for communication or hunting purposes. And do you know what some of these remind me of? You got it - ghosts.

Now the big question is: do the infinite realms have predators? Do ghosts predate each other, do neverborn predate on ghosts? How does it all work? And if there are predators. What kind of additional camouflaging or hunting adaptions do ghosts have?

Does the eldritch form we often headcanon for them have any such purpose or is it just there as a sort of ... secondary form? Do they communicate differently when they look like this? Are there different base instincts? Like - junveniles of any species often times have different instincts or reactions to certain instincts than the adult members and just. I have sooo many questions.

And if we go by this comparison. What does that mean for a halfa like Danny? Because let´s face it. All ghosts are at least kind of bioluminescent. But in the IR? That bioluminescense is hardly seen, as such it seems more like counter illumination. And even though the realms ghosts have seldomly been transparent (except when they want to - i.e. invisibility), it still an ability they possess. Now I don´t have an example for silvering, but since it basically does the same as the invisibility it´s not really important. So.

Why.

I mean there´s many, MANY more abilities all of them possess, though they are very often abilities that are individual. ARE there any predators in the realms? And what does it mean for the ghosts? Because, yes, dangerous animals and also other more humanoid as well as the ancients exist. But I´d hardly call them actual predators. So. Am I just overthinking this?

Fanfiction commentary and recommendations: Lex Luthor´s ascend from supervillainy to fatherhood Part II (chapters 6 to 10)

For the (probably nonexistent) person who wants to know where to find the other parts:

Part I

Part III

Part IV

Part V

Part VI

Part VII

What follows is the commentary for the next few chapters. For the simple reason that i have not yet named it as part of why this fanfiction is so good: It has a pretty decent (read: for a normal person a quite long) chapter lenghth - perfect for just cuddling up somewhere with a mug of tea or any other hot beverage of choice and keep on reading. As the full lenghth of this fic has as of this day reached around 500k words and there are still 59 to go you, there is still quite a bit to discuss!

I do hope I don´t just regurgitate the story itself, but we´ll see how it goes.

I want to try to include some things that may count as spoilers. I´ll put the spoilers in using this:

So if you see this - there may or may not be a spoiler here but at least you can ignore the text if it important to you?

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Okay so there´s been a time jump between the fifth and sixth chapters. And what do we see? Danny as well as Lex struggling with a few important revelations.

The first one being Danny even realizing that: yes, he actually IS smart. Who would ever question that with the number of languagges Danny even speaks? And with all the knowledge he has about astrophysics? Or even how he is able to tinker with his parent´s weapons and actually understanding them? But no.

Our boy has been told he was the dumb one in the family for long enough, that is was an actual surprise for him to realize how well he has placed in his placement tests. And it does break my heart a little to know what must have gone down to behave like that …

But that´s only just really scratching the surface, isn´t it? Because what follows is Lex being a worried parent and realizing that his son has been left reeling with a realization.

Because Danny, now that school is about to start again, knows that he can´t just leave soon anymore. He has built somewhat of a life in this dimension. He as people he cares about. He´s about to continue his schooling here. And our boy? Has not wanted to think about the repercussions.

So here he sits. In his room. Devastated after months in this dimension because … he´s happy here. He´s happy and he doesn´t want to be happy. Doesn´t want to be safe because this? This isn´t home. And how my heart hurts when I read this.

A child should feel save at home. They shouldn´t be forced to literally fight for this sense of safety. But he was. And now all of this tension is just gone and it feels good and in a way he feels as if he´s betraying his family and friends. Which I completely understand. But - he should get to feel save too.

What I do find a funny kind of satisfaction in is just how Lex continues to bash Danny´s parents. Because as bad as it sounds: it´s all the truth. And that it is probably just makes it a much harder pill to swallow. Poor boy, but he´ll understand. Someday. Probably?

All in all: this chapter is just such a wholehearted conversation that I´m a bit sad to see it go. But it just gets better from there because it continues with a mind controlled superman and Danny deciding he´s got to do something about it. Which he does. By absolutely beating the living daylights out of him. Lex gets a very satisfying video out of it and by god, is the fight scene nicely written. Another wonderful little thing to point out is how lex explains to Danny how 'Superman´s been mind controlled again' and then just does not stop bashing him xD Wonderful scene tbh, i need more of snarky Lex!

After the fight? The Justice League gets CURIOUS. And a curious justice league? I don´t know if that would do Danny all too much good, not that they care at this point. He could be a danger after all.

And to be honest? I fear for the day they may try and interrogate Danny as Phantom. Though I have not yet decided if I fear more for Danny or the League. He´s slightly (very) unhinged after all.

Also: Danny lands on the news! And on Twitter! And oh my god, does Twitter have THINGS to say about the whole thing.

And boy oh boy - Twitter loves Danny! From his looks to his smarts and his relationship with Lex or his sassiness: everything gets discussed and it´s just so funny to see this happening from an outside point of view xD

What also follows is the funniest Twitter discourse i have seen in a while. It does include Danny non-stop snarking at Lex so it is an absolute win for me xD

Also: people find out about his and Cass´relationship and they are very enthusiastic about it. Or at least, that´s one way to put it xD

Even though it´s only friendship. For now. I swear to god they´re not gonna stay friends for long before they´re in a committed relationship with each other.

Which Bruce apparently also knows. He´s already plotting the shovel talk. Is it bad that i want to see that discussion go down?

Alfred just being the absolute sweetheart that he is being like 'Cassandra can can take care of herself silly son'. It´s just so wholesome?

And with that Arc I ENDS. And it was such a sweet arc :3 Full of heart for sure and the fun also did not get the short end of stick - superman got it instead xD

It´s not the end however as we get to the first interlude, which shows us how Jazz is dealing with the whole situation. 'Not good' may be an understatement to be honest.

She has to accomodate so many things: what her parents did to Danny, what they did (and also did not) do while they were 'raising' them, how to deal with the negelct and sometimes borderline abuse, how to deal with college and how to search for her brother without losing either herself or her connection to her friends and family…

What probably does not help is that his disappearance has created a rift between Tucker and Sam that seems to get worse as time goes on.

And Jazz? She seems lost. A classic case of older sibling syndrome, not furthered by her study into psychology. She´s spreading herself thin trying to help. Has been doing so for years at this point and to be honest? It feels as if she´s about to snap.

What she does feel for sure is lost. And i can relate. I really, really do. I mean i may not have been in such a dire situation yet (knock on wood), but … i can kind of feel her despair and sadness over these circumstances: She wanted to do more. To help more, but also to finally be free of this burden. She feels as if it´s her fault Danny died. That it´s her fault she couldn´t bring him back. And doesn´t that just mirror Danny´s whole 'I must save the town because i turned on the portal' sacrificial mindset?

The surely are much more similar to each other than they probably think. And if they are gonna see each other again? There are many tears and conversations to be had…

For those of you reading my commentaries: Next part will probably come out tomorrow. Never start two long-term projects on the same weekend istg :')