Welcome one, welcome all to a month-long extravaganza of Danny Phantom Prompts. Starts October 1st, 2025! 🎸 2025's theme is Fire and Frost! 🗺️ Links for Mobile
And now the moment you've all been waiting for!
Warm up those vocals- tune those strings, stretch out your map-holding arm! And drum roll, please!
This year's theme is Fire & Frost, with character focus on Ember and Frostbite!
As always, our last prompt day is the 24th where we hand off to @ectoberweekofficial for their event.
Posting for this event begins Wednesday, October1st!
Please tag all prompt fills as "ectoberhaunt25" so we can find your posts
Posting guidelines -> here
Down below are our written out calendar prompts (for accessibility) and the credits for the graphics! We also have a link to a tracking sheet if needed.
Check it out!
The Prompts
Below are the listed prompts in date order, if it's blank it's a catch up day.
First prompt is Flame and second is Frost.
Fire & Frost
Summon & Banish
Fifteen Minutes of Fame
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Ash & Bone
Hide & Seek
Ember & Icicle
Fever & Frostbite
Out of the Frying Pan
Isekai: Another World
Isekai: Another Time (Here)
Live Wire & Dead Silence
Burst & Hollow
Needle & Scalpel
Siren & Selkie
Off the Rails
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Fame & Glory
Bard & Barbarian
Mob & Village
Lyre & Pyre
Here There Be Dragons
Ectober Week: 25-31
Here's a handy dandy google sheet to keep track of your own progress, simply make your own copy and mess with it -> LINK
Banner graphic by @kawaiijohn
Calendar Graphics by @ajitated (template) and @five-rivers (composition)
Summary: Zach Varmitech at it again with another scheme using animals and making them tools or servants for himself. Too bad for him he is unaware of a certain ghost haunting the Wild Kratt Crew and the Tortuga.
(featuring a new creature I just find so cool and pretty sure there's not a canon episode with it) (main sources: source 1 source 2)
Ao3 link
Living on the Tortuga was something else! Danny can't stop being amazed no matter how much time spent on and in it. It has already been over a week and he is still amazed. Such a high tech piece of equipment and these people just live in it, traveling around the world to learn about and even protect animals and their environments.
Sam would love this place, her and Tucker both.
Sometimes when he's bored, like today, he haunted the halls of the turtle ship home. Exploring every room, the nooks and crannies and whatever happened to catch his eye. Tight spaces are nothing when you can turn intangible, after all. Well, that and his still growth-spurtless body that's still small enough to be shoved into lockers.
Unfortunately, someone entered the room after hearing some noise and saw their resident ghost kid's head halfway in one of the Buzz Bikes. In walks Jimmy, from chilling to thinking it could be another theft attempt from Zach Varmitech and completely unprepared for that sight. To be fair, it usually is him who tries to steal their inventions and claim them as his own.
"Gho-aaaahh!" The usually chill man flailed backwards, not expecting Danny to just be floating there, head in one of the vehicles, until he heard someone else in the room.
Too bad for Jimmy, the man gets easily startled and Danny forgets that he isn't used to a ghost kid being on board.
"Sorry, Jimmy," Danny apologized to the startled crew member, "I was just checking out how the Buzz Bikes hover like they do. My parents use ectoplasm for the Specter Speeder but you guys don't use that as a fuel source. Actually, I dunno if that would be a viable fuel source at all in this dimension."
"S'cool, dude. I can tell that you didn't mean to. Do you want to talk to the girls about the bikes? They know more about how it works. I'm really only the pilot and teleporter guy. Sometimes also the test dummy guy. Especially while Aviva is in 'creature-power-suit-creation' mode. Not always fun, but it is cool to see how she works and gets the features figured out." Jimmy, chill as ever, rolled with it. A child with powers sticking his head in something is far from the freakiest thing he's seen over the years with this crew. It is a bit close, though.
"Nah, maybe later. I'm just poking around while there's downtime. Something crazy will happen eventually, whether its the brothers or one of your, frankly, unhinged threats I can't believe haven't all been arrested villains." Danny dismissed the guy's suggestion, still floating and starting to rotate upsidedown. "Besides, being a pilot is nothing to sneeze at either. Sure, it's not as flashy or as exciting as what the others do but it's difficult to get and maintain a license on a regularly shaped aircraft, let alone one shaped like this one that you all work and live on for months at a time."
Jimmy was touched by the kid's kind words. Danny, still rotating and starting to giggle with himself, looked like the kid he really is. No threats to worry about for now and using his powers openly for his curiosity and entertainment. At least his curiosity has more to do with how machines work with what he can do, he's so smart in ways that they hope they can break him out of denying he is.
"Hey, Danny," Jimmy broke their peaceful silence, " wanna try some of my nana's brownie recipe? We can make it while the bros are out. Might encourage them to get back sooner."
"For real?! It would be nice to learn to make food without the threat of ecto-reanimation!" That excited the ghost boy. "The bros would probably fight each other for first bite! Wouldn't take long unless they found a new friend to explore with, no doubt."
The two share a laugh as they exit the room, Danny lets gravity take hold once again and walking out with him. Jimmy is reminded of the time they found Bite Sized the bat in the brownies as they left and plans to share that story with him.
Jimmy was tempted to let him know they aren't cops and that it wouldn't be easy capturing environmental villains who have access to air and water travel, and that most of them are very rich, but decided against it for now. Now is a time for baking and lightheartedness.
Meanwhile, the Kratt brothers were exploring the dense forests of Southeast Asia, adventuring high in the tree tops.
It's nearing dusk and the brothers knew they should be heading back to the Tortuga.
... Or at least check in with the others.
They don't exactly remember the last time they did so, after all.
Just then, they smelled something unusual.
"Hey, Chris, what's that smell?" Martin asked out of the blue, stopping in a cartoonish fashion, balancing on the branch he stopped in very precariously.
"You aren't going to win any mind games, brother, let me tell you that," the climbing brother is fully in his element before smelling it, too, and proceeded to run into his stopped brother and having them both land in a tangled mess.
"Oof! Man, you really gotta pay more attention there, little bro." Martin was slightly teasing as they both recovered from their crash, still in a daze.
"Haha, very funny," the sarcasm is strong with the green brother, "Huh? That is a peculiar smell."
"Can it be?"
"Oh I hope it is."
Getting back up in the trees, shining their flashlights around, they managed to spot it. A medium-ish sized creature with dark fur and a long tail wrapped around the tree. Its body shaped similarly to a bear's but with a face that was more cat-like.
"Woah!"
"A binturong!"
They overlapped each other in awed excitement as they found a new creature to explore with.
The binturong in question moseyed along, doing its creature thing of looking for food now that it woke up. Although, it seems some smaller creatures looking a lot like it are fallowing along.
"Look at what's following it!" Chris whisper-shouted to his brother.
"Oh man, we have to show Aviva!"
A call comes through the Tortuga computer and is answered on Koki's large screen.
"Hey, guys. What's up? JZ and Danny are making brownies" Aviva casually greets the bros upon answering their call.
"That sounds awesome!" Brownies sound really good right about now and Aviva is glad they agree..
"Yeah, so come wrap up and have some, you goofs." Koki chimed in, very indulgent but would prefer if everyone was home soon this late in the day.
"Ok, we will. But first, we need to show you this incredible creature we found." Martin took the lead with this one, getting to say it first.
A screen on her end pans to a medium-sih sized creature with a long tail, very cat-like but not a cat at the same time.
"That little guy does look cool. But, what is it? Some kind of feline?"
"This, my friend, is called a binturong." Chris made sure he could say it before his brother could.
"Well, that sure is an interesting name." Aviva liked what she was seeing. The others do, too, when the three others look over her shoulder.
"Sure is! You're not wrong about it being cat-like. It is also called a bearcat even though it's not a bear or a cat!"
"The binturong was given that title based on its bear-like body and cat-like face. No one is actually sure what the name 'binturong' means, as it is believed it originated from a now dead language. These creatures use their claws and lone, prehensile tail to transverse the tree tops for their favorite foods. These omnivores belong to the civet family, searching for figs, eggs, and small animals." Martin chimed in, eager to infodump about such a cool creature.
"What's even cooler is their prehensile tail." Chris practically shoved his brother out of the way to give some information of his own. "See, it's pretty thick and muscular at the base but all the way at the tip its thin and leathery for better grip allowing it to act like an extra arm. "
"Amazing!" Aviva, already on board with this new creature, sees three little somethings nearby... or, little someones. "Wait, what are those? Are they baby binturongs?!"
"Oh wow! They sure are. They are also called bintlets!"
"Awww, que lindo!" Aiviva gushed in awe. "Do these little cuties have names yet?"
"Oh, yeah! There's Tailor, Tailia, and Swinger. He likes to swing with his tail. Young bintlets can swing like this with just their tail while they need to use their paws for assistance as adults due to their larger size."
"That's my brother, for you. Only Martin can come up with nicknames like that." Chris rolled his eyes in amusement.
"Yeah, well here's a WOW fact for you." Martin carries on, ignoring his brother's teasing. "Mama-rong over here can experience delayed implantation, which allows her to time the birth of her young with favorable environmental conditions. This means that mating can take place anytime of the year, because females can control when their babies are born. Female binturongs are also about 20 percent larger and heavier than males and are the dominant sex."
"Sure is a WOW fact. Now that's what I call girl power." Koki comments on that fun fact, or several facts as one, with a level of smug surprise.
"What's with all the sounds they're making?" The bintlets and their mom have been snorting and clucking, or sounds that are similar, as they play and eat. This question was from Danny piping in, the boy enraptured by a creature he's never heard of before. That and the adults he's with have nothing but love for their passions and the creatures they study. It really was a nice change of pace.
"Binturong have a variety of noises they can make, actually. The snorts and chuckles like the ones they're making right now mean those little bintlets are pretty happy, while a high-pitched wail that sounds like a cat screaming would be a sound they'd make if bothered. They also make loud howls, low grunts, and hisses."
"Pretty neat, right?" Martin added after his brother finished dropping that tidbit. Danny can't help but stare in awe and wonder. Wonder at this creature and also wondering if this would be way better if his friends were here to discover this. He feels a bit selfish, though, as he does like that it's just him in a way.
They all chatted about their new animal friends as the brothers scanned their new friends, especially the mom, and shared what they found with Aviva. A group of six, all excited about this find. Well, at least until the timer went off. Danny and Jimmy rushing off to take care of their brownies with the sound causing everyone to jump somewhat and get them all into action with renewed vigor.
"Watch and learn, Danny. You are about to see biomimicry in action!"
Just like that, she is now going full force on making creature power suits for them of this animal.
Unbeknownst to them, someone else is watching them and their video calls.
Someone who laughs to himself at how much better than them he is. In the dark. Surrounded by machine servants he built by himself.
A pale, skinny man watches the video transmission from his spy equipment. Ire growing as he focuses on the people he doesn't like having a good time, acting as if he really doesn't have anything better to do.
Zach Varmitech lauded himself as a genius who's smarter and better than Aviva Corcovado of the Wild Kratts crew. A, mostly one-sided, rivalry where his main method of 'proving' he is better is to steal her inventions to claim them as his own and kidnap wild animals to use as a base for his inventions.
"Arrrgh! Those Wild Rats! They think they are so good and smart and love those baby animals!" He whines and gripes about people not even giving him a second thought before he got a devious idea. "I could just take those weird cat-thingies they love so much. Yeah, that would show them! They'll be too distracted by their precious babies to notice me being a better inventor than Aviva! Doesn't matter if they picked up a kid from somewhere, he's not worth my time to care about. Yeah, that would show them. Now, what would I even make with them?" Zach contemplates for a moment before shrugging. "Bah! Who cares! I'll figure it out later! Zachbots," two large and angular robots show up through his door, "Roll out!"
The Zachbots start literally rolling on their sides, following his command.
"I didn't mean literally! I mean it's time to move out! Grrrrr!" His robots that he could update at any time to not do this get on his last nerve but all he does is change his wording like usual. Stomping his feet, he gave his reworded order. "Now! Get me those cat-thingies! Hahaha!" He always had time to laugh manically at the thought of ruining Tortuga Crew's day.
The brothers are studying their new friend in awe. Every new creature brings them that feeling when they learn about them and this time they have their new, sixth member, to learn along with them.
"You have to admire their scent."
"Guys, c'mon," Aviva did not believe them, "what kind of scent would they even have? I mean, there are a lot of interesting creature scents we've explored but..."
"But this scent is a bit more unique than the others." Chris timed his interruption well.
"The scent they leave behind to mark territories smells just like buttered popcorn!" Martin was giddy with how unbelievable such a fact they smelled is. "That scent is how we realized one was nearby in the first place."
"What?!" Every voice in the Tortuga, since they were all in the room, overlapped with each other.
Well, that got everyone's attention.
And for good reason, too.
No one would guess that, especially not on their first try.
Such a reaction was a bit comedic that the bros couldn't help but laugh a little.
"No, really. It's a scent they make and spread it from the base of their tail, letting other binturongs know that this is their territory."
"Interesting, can you get me a sample? For my habitat scent collection and for a potential creature power suit."
That got the brothers' attention.
"Awesome, Aviva!"
"Just get me more info and you'll get that suit soon enough."
Little did they know, a very angular shadow hovered in the background. The forest itself hiding what will soon be a bigger issue.
Excited chatter and cooing over their new friends distracted them from noticing the bintlets vanishing one by one, only really seeing the lack of them when bintu-mom became agitated with her babies missing. More and more agitated as the bintlets became quieter, and vanishing, as if the forest itself acts as if it was on mute.
From the shadows, a certain self-proclaimed evil genius sitting atop a Zachbot as if he were carried on a throne emerged. Smug as ever with seemingly unearned confidence.
"Aww, are you missing something?" Zach said in the most condescending tone. "All crowded around and missing the widdle babies. HA HA HA!"
Of course, when he could have gotten away unimpeded, Zach had to show his hand to gloat.
"Zach!"
"Give back the bintlets! They need to be with their mom!"
"Nuh uh! Finders keeps Wild Rats!"
"That's Wild Kratts!"
They corrected him as he did not care and just left on his Zachbot, leaving the others scrambling.
They have a creature rescue to carry out.
Back in the Tortuga, the other members of the crew burst into action. Koki by trying to pin his location down and Aviva locking in on those suits. Jimmy made sure to be on standby to teleport but was willing to do whatever else it took.
All had a usual thing to do for a villain based creature rescue.
All except a certain ghost boy who saw an opportunity to help in his own way.
Eyes flashing green, he left invisibly to see if he could save the babies while the frootloop was distracted.
He phases out of the Tortuga, forgetting to tell everyone who is already locked in on their creature rescue mission, and aims to save the bintlets the Danny way.
He transformed to get there in a timely fashion without being seen, a battle passed him by as he rushed against the clock.
A scream followed him out of the plane when he got his chance, back towards the Tortuga. Flying carefully with a smug smirk on his lips and a chuckle or two escaping now that he was free to make noise.
The brothers rush to catch up to the Zachbots and just barely miss them before following them inside.
They found his ship and burst aboard in dramatic poses, now armed with binturong powers and ready for a creature rescue!
That got the attention of Zach and his robot minions. Chaos ensued as a fight commenced.
No one notices a certain ghost boy also sneaking in. His powers make it possible to bypass the usual security guarding the bintlets and allowing him to get close without triggering an alarm.
Only once Danny saw and was in range of the bintlets did he change back but stayed invisible, not wanting to risk how they'd react to a ghost when he wanted to get them somewhere safe. His ghostliness was more easily detectable to animals, but even they seem chill around him for the most part when he is around as Fenton.
They were guarded by that frootloop's weird triangle robots and in a cage that was soundproofed. The poor things were making the most awful cat-like wails and howls, which his unfortunate ears had to find out the hard way when he deactivated the shield.
Good thing he took out the robots with his intangibility as soon as he got close before he deactivated the shields, it made it harder to realize someone got to them. With them out of the way, he was finally able to drop his invisibility.
"Hey, it's ok. It's gonna be ok. I'm here to help." The poor babies are so scared and confused. Danny had to get them to calm down so they don't alert the frootloop in grays and blacks.
Soon enough he had bintlets climbing all over him, he'd later recall how cute this was when the rescue was done but for now they are just wiggly. He was glad he only used his powers in human form, Danny wasn't sure how the bintlets would react to his more overt ghostly nature.
He thought he could drop his invisibility and get away. He could, at least, at first. That had to go back up right as he managed to get the bintlets to climb him for an escape when it seemed like the bros and the rest of the crew were struggling and that Zach might turn back around into the ship and see him. He barely breathed the whole time he was in enemy territory.
He was able to leave a scream following him in the distance, left behind in that plane and loud enough to echo.
He phased out of Zach's plane carrying the bintlets, disappearing from the visible spectrum before he re-entered the Tortuga and unintentionally giving Koki, Jimmy, and Aviva a little ghostly surprise. They were in the middle of a call with the brothers on their next stage of action when he materialized in like the ghost he was.
They thought Zach got away with the babies when he managed to knock the bros out of his plane and it took off.
The ghost boy, covered in bintlets and a little out of breath, popped back in as if he teleported, asking them where to put them as they crawled over his arms and head. Startling but a very cute picture that he was sure he heard a shutter or two go off, much to his embarrassment.
Face red from only being out of breath, he swears, he blurts out a plea for help so face that he only gets confused looks until he calms down enough to repeat it. Increasing the definitely not embarrassing coo-ing.
"Guys! Please! I snuck in while that Frootloop was distracted and got them to come with me! Help me put them down, I think I'm getting scented all over." His eyes are screaming 'help me' as he tries not to move.
"So wait, you got the bintlets with you and before you left you decided to haunt the guy?" Jimmy broke the silence with a bit of a laugh after Danny's reveal of having the bintlets with him. Danny didn't care who asked but is glad someone did.
They finally took pity on him after what felt like forever and they are now relaxing in the Tortuga after reuniting the bintlets with their mom.
"Yup." He had a very self satisfied smile on his face, showing no regrets. "I'll tell you more if we can have those brownies Jimmy and I made."
He got a 'nice' and prepared to tell them all about his very daring rescue, ghost style.
They all got comfy as he recalled what he did as they did their usual thing.
"So, there I was. Covered in bintlets and a whiny man baby cursing your guys' names, ripe for the haunting.
Zach was being all smug and very punchable. So, you know, how he normally is.
"Ha ha. See you, Wild Rats! I win! And there's nothing you can do about it!" His voice was grating but I held strong. There were some babies that needed to be reunited with their mom, after all.
After I managed to get them to climb me, we all went invisible while in there. Y'know, me an' the little buddies. To avoid detection and all.
Anyway, I felt the plane start to take off and was making my way off before I would have to transform and all and the bintlets started making all these noises.
They are so small and the noises so varied that the guy was getting spooked. The little guys must have been getting scared again after I managed to calm them down.
Well, with the noise and my being invisible-ness, he couldn't pin point us as I kept moving. All he knew was that there was some unholy screeching echoing in his plane where the loudest part kept moving, cold spot and no footsteps. Can't help it if I'm naturally light-footed.
After all that, honestly accidental, atmosphere buildup it really only took a tap to make him jump out of his skin. HA! You should have seen him.
Still said 'Boo' because I've never really gotten to do that before. Whenever I try to be scary at home, it just flops hard. Maybe because my friends know me and Zach was just too easy of a scare.
So, yeah, I left shortly after I got to do a classic ghostly scare and flashed my, as my more powerful frootloop would say, 'scary eyes' at him.
Left him calling for his mommy.
Literally, that was the word out of his mouth.
Best prank I ever pulled and this wasn't just getting revenge on a school bully!"
Danny finished his story with a flourish and a bow. He didn't even notice when he stood up. They all clapped for him, or at least that's how it felt. Either way they congratulated Danny for his quick thinking but asked to let them know he was going to try that next time. They did get worried when they realized he vanished like that.
Warmth and laughter and celebration with their creature friends and the story of Zach's scare surrounded them like a blanket as the sky went from dusk to full on night.
I was way too crazy busy during October but I did manage to do work on some ectobrhaunt prompts! Apologies for the late post but I'm at a work thing and doing this on my phone and ugh. Here's my doodle page featuring
Day 1: Fire vs. Ice, cause why not both.
Day 2: Summoning
Day 8: Icicle
Day 14: Hollow
A twofer for Day 6: Bone and Day 15: Needle
And finally a snippet of fic for Day 9: Fever below the cut. Feature graphic depictions of not being able to breathe
"So hot," he whispers, mindless with fever. He's on the ground, sinking half into the earth only for his intangibility to glitch and heave him back into the air.
And that air. Filled with a pungent scent that he can barely smell under the sting it brings to his nose. That same sting scorches his throat, broiling every inch of him from the inside out. Ectoplasm, after all, is far less dense than living flesh and so much more vulnerable to the corrosive effects of blood blossoms.
"Huh," Phantom pants painfully as his fever spikes once more. That wave of burning agony is followed by a brilliant flash and a choked off yelp as his ghost form falls away and humanity fills its place.
As if the fire filling Danny's body wasn't enough, a new agony makes itself known. While his human form is less vulnerable to blood blossoms, it also has the very human need to breathe.
His poor human throat can only swell so much before his breath is swollen shut and his panicked cries locked in his throat.
Unvoiced screams of "I can't breathe!" war with absurd thoughts of being shut in an oven and baked.
Summary: Out of the frying pan and into the lava? Is that the right way to say it? Oh well. Who really cares when Dani is more concerned about some very persistent pests on her heels somehow cutting her off at every turn.
Ao3 link
How does that saying go?
Out of the frying pan and into the... something?
And into the... lava?
Got it wrong, no doubt, but this should be an exception.
Dani was just minding her own business when, surprise, Vlad's cronies come out of nowhere.
How rude!
And then, right as she managed to lose them, the Grunts in White swarmed the area. Must have noticed her flighty fight pattern and two ghosts moving around like that was bound to draw their attention, no matter how much damage or screams or anything happened or didn't happen.
They keep popping up in every turn she takes, making it hard to find a place to transform. She doesn't even technically exist so just a human form when them so close wouldn't help her.
The joys of being me.
One of the things she does yearn for besides a stable roof over her head where she didn't have to worry about too many questions and hide herself.
What's worse is that she has to keep stopping, too scared to push herself to melting again but she might have to and she knows it. The ecto-dejecto did its job but shes too scared to test it.
It feels like the more she managed the loose they double next time she sees them.
With all their tracking devices and fast cars and weapons made from 'well spent' government funds when going straight through buildings or in the ground but they are surprisingly persistent this time.
Just when she thought she found a place to rest and maybe change back to get off their scanners, she heard shouting.
"It's over here!"
"Don't let its youthful disguise stop you!"
"Don't let it get away!"
Always with the dehumanizing threats and orders with them, sheesh.
Thinking fast, she found her way down the dark alley they wanted to cut her out on, transforming and human. She hid between the trashcans when she saw it.
There, glinting somewhat in a dingy corner.
Someone threw out a still intact wok.
What luck!
So, there she was.
A homeless, half-ghost, clone girl in a dingy alleyway in some nameless, to her at least, city against foot-soldier cronies in white armed with only a wok and a whole lotta guts.
Playing gorilla warfare in this dark and dingy alleyway like a one-woman army, whacking these goons with her wok. It is now her new best friend.
She went in and out, darting back and forth from alleyway trash and other obstacles her small body can hide behind.
When suddenly-
"Wait, wait, wait! Dani, that did not happen." Her retelling of events from her travels was so rudely interrupted by her very rude cousin-brother-template. She came all this way to visit and he must interrupt her like this? Calling her a liar?! She is totally a truth-er!
"How dare! Wok-y is right here as proof!" Indignant, Dani pulls out her faithful wok as if it was right from her story and caresses it.
"How would I know you didn't just pick that thing up to tell that story on the way here?" Danny shot back, tone more teasing than anything with a smile in his eyes.
"As if you have any place to say that from all your adventures that no one would believe. I wouldn't believe you myself if I wasn't one of your wacky adventures." Dani retorted, an impish grin on her face.
They started wrestling and tickling each other on the floor, at times going into the floor, screeching and laughing and wide smiles the whole time and it went on for what felt like hours.
This is no longer about the story that she knows is true. This has become a need to get in the last word, the last 'gotcha', in a way only close family really can do.
Their bond, unable to truly define it with one word, feeling fuller than ever before.
Dani is glad she has this, even if it's only during visits. Maybe one day, it can be more permanent.
Not in any house, doesn't have to be a house. They were at Danny's favorite observatory in town. Well, more like the only one in town. But, it was still his favorite. This right here, with just the two of them, has felt more like 'home' than her time with Vlad has ever been before she knew he found her disposable.
And this time she has her good ol' wok to thank for getting her out of such a nerve wracking and tiresome predicament, allowing her to even tell this story and bicker and banter and play fight to their hearts content.
Prompt:
"I'm not a ghost."
"No, you are something far more interesting, aren't you?"
CW: Dehumanization, Acid Burn, Pre-Dissecc
Word Count: 1274
ao3 | ffn
"I'm not a ghost." Danny struggles against the restraints, the cold, harsh metal of the lab table making his far too human body shiver.
The woman in the white lab suit circles back around him to the head of the table, her eyes hidden behind goggles as she appraises him. He can see his own desperate face reflected in their glassy lenses, red as the blood that pounds in his ears.
She runs her gloved hand through his hair, and he cringes at the contact. "I never said you were."
Her voice is the same as the one that had greeted him after school yesterday with freshly-baked cookies. The hand that sits on his head feels the same as the one that had ruffled his hair before he'd left to go visit Tucker.
But this isn't mom. It can't be.
Her voice is too cold. Her face too clinical and aloof. It holds neither the love his mom carries for her human son, nor the fury she burns with for her ghostly quarry.
Danny flinches at a pinprick of pain in his scalp, then watches as the woman who isn't his mom studies the hair she just plucked from his head. She hums and mutters to herself—the same sort of scientific gobbledygook his mom mumbles when she gets really into an experiment (and that makes Danny her experiment, and—no, he's not going down that line of thought, he needs to find a way out, and panicking won't help).
"You have a heartbeat."
He starts as she turns to face him, her expression unreadable.
"It's statistically significantly slower than the average for a human, but this is still a human capability."
A quiet rumble of small wheels on concrete floor breaks the quiet of the room. Danny strains to look and catches a glimpse of the metal cart the woman pushes towards him. Plastic rustles and metal and glass clink against each other in rhythm with the roll of the wheels.
He needs to get out.
"You clearly need to breathe, and indeed do so on instinct. And your currently elevated breathing rate is indicative of an awareness of and reaction to the situation you are in."
Danny feels himself flush, and he tries to control his breathing. "Then maybe you should let me go!"
She ignores him and wheels the cart next to his head. He gasps and his blood runs cold as he sees the metal instruments carefully organized on its surface—instruments meant to poke, and prod, and cut, and slice, and forcibly take from him everything he is.
"Your blood runs red as that of any human, and your physiological reaction highly resembles that of increased distress, as would be typical of any human in your situation."
"Why are you doing this, then?!" The words burst out of his mouth, voice cracking in his desperation.
She seems to glance at him—it's hard to tell behind the goggles. From a lower level of the cart, she pulls out a small beaker full of clear liquid. "This is a water-based solution of 2-hydroectolase, 5% by mass. Highly nonreactive to most matter in the known universe. Certainly nonreactive to carbon-based molecules, and indeed all known molecules native to the human body. I could drink this, if I wanted to, and be perfectly fine."
She places the beaker on top of the cart, much too close to Danny's head, and he eyes it warily. He doesn't like where this is going.
From below, she pulls out two petri dishes and places them next to the beaker: one with a strand of brown hair, and one with the hair she'd taken from Danny. He watches as she fills a pipette with the solution, expertly avoiding air bubbles with the technique his mom had shown him time and time again since he was little.
"With my own hair, the solution does nothing." The woman pipettes the solution into the first petri dish; it looks like a hair in a bit of water. "I am human. My molecules are by and large carbon-based."
Danny doesn't like where this is going at all.
"You, however, seem to be partially composed of ectoplasm. And ectoplasm is not of the known universe."
Danny feels his eyes widen as he looks up at her—but she doesn't seem to care about his shock, about the way his breath hitches in his chest, about how casually she admitted to knowing his biggest secret, like she's just sharing some scientific fact. She just draws more of that damn solution into the pipette, as meticulous as she is cold and matter of fact.
"Ectoplasm is reactive in the presence of even small amounts of 2-hydroectolase. The electrochemical bonds that hold it together under most circumstances break quite readily. And that process is volatile."
Then she pipettes the solution into the petri dish with Danny's hair.
The reaction is instantaneous: where once there was hair, there is now green fire that stinks of burnt limes and copper, the solution itself hissing and spitting right in front of his face. Danny flinches away, feeling the restraint on his neck push harshly into his throat. Some of the droplets hit him anyways—on his cheek, on his neck, on his forehead—and he can't help but scream as it burns coldly into his flesh, squirm as pinpricks of fire eat into him. He feels his scream build to a wail in the back of his throat, the screams of the damned burgeoning forth to be set free—
He chokes as something wet and cold is wrapped over his entire face. The relief is immediate, even if just as cold. The burning drops to a tolerable level, and he lets himself go limp, lets his awareness swim as he gives in to apnea enforced by the wet and cold covering his mouth and nose.
Then the cold, wet relief is removed, and his face burns hot as it stretches through his gasping, coughing breaths. His eyes water from the bright white of his surroundings, and the spots on his face sting wetly and deeply, but the hurt is bearable, and it isn't getting worse.
"Fascinating."
Danny squints up at the woman in white who isn't his mom; she stares back, gloved hand to her chin, head cocked quizzically like when his mom stares at his dad's work at the kitchen table.
"The entity's blood sample did not consist of enough ectoplasm to warrant such a strong reaction to the 2-hydroectolase. Perhaps the ectoplasm concentrates itself onto the surface of the entity? Or perhaps interactions between the ectoplasm and the hydrocarbons created structure that the catalyst could exploit. Multiple samples must be taken throughout the procedure..."
"I have a name, you know," Danny rasps. He doesn't want to hear what "the procedure" is. And he doesn't like being talked about like he isn't there.
The woman stops her muttering and looks directly at him, rather than at his injuries. "Names are for humans. Pets. Places. Things of import in the known universe."
She leans in close, as if stating the obvious to a five-year-old. "This reaction is not a human capability. Indeed, it is not a capability of anything in the known universe."
Danny shivers, ignoring his pain and staring up at her as she stands up straight, looming over him.
"So I do agree with you. You're not a ghost."
For the first time, she grins, and Danny can't help but tense at the cold cruelty in her expression—nothing like his mother's warmth in her smiles.
"No, you are something far more interesting, aren't you?"
Summary: A ghost cold and a human cold mean Danny doesn't have many options to go to for help. Good thing his frosty warm mentor is ever willing to try.
Ao3 link
Danny didn't mean to get sick, promise.
He didn't even notice it started to come on.
Practically the whole student body had to miss at least some school from it. Even Dash was out sick at some point. Mr. Lancer has been at school with a mask the whole time, he cant afford to take time off for this and no one would be able to cover for him anyway. He must have caught something at school with the newest public school plague going around.
Then.
And then, while he was visiting the Far Frozen, it hit.
He was feeling fine, if a bit more tired than usual, as he had a snowball fight with the other yetis when a sudden bout of dizziness hit him and his legs gave out on him and he fell face first into the snow.
Last thing he heard were the yeti's cries of concern.
How embarrassing.
Danny was out before his face hit the ground.
What happened after that was lost to him.
The Great One collapsed in the center of their village and stirred up quite a tizzy of worry from the whole tribe. He's so small but it's easy to forget most of the time when he's constantly moving and taking up space, so loud and full of bravado and always joking. It hits him just how small and fragile the Great One really is in a moment like this.
To his relief, the young boy was still in his ghost form at the very least. He knows humans wouldn't last very long in the cold his people call home.
He did a cursory check of the Great One and he could tell right away that he was burning up. A worrying sign for any ghost, let alone with their shared core type, but dimming as much or melting in a literal sense.
On top of that, the Great One is half human and seems to be having symptoms he isn't familiar with. He was wracked with chills while feeling so hot to the touch that Frostbite thought his arm would melt, has raspy coughs, and even perspiring to such a degree.
He may be a bit lost with the human side of things, but it won't stop him from helping him the best he can.
Frostbite set up the Great One in a bed of their warmest furs, tucking him in tight enough that no one could escape. The poor boy might not even be strong enough to leave even if he didn't tuck him in.
The Great One was restless when he should be sleeping and seemed to settle when he set his ice arm on his forehead, so he made him a compress out of ice to rest there so he could have use of both of his arms.
The young one seemed to get better, or at least settle, until the nightmares came.
The Great One had such great nightmares that his made him ache to his core. He thrashed enough that the furs were barely staying over him until he used up all his energy.
The young savior weakly called for his sister in the few times he woke, unable to remember where he was. It felt like all he could do was gently stroke his head as the boy subconsciously searched for his hand if he stopped. So young as a human and a ghost, a mere infant who has done so much for them all.
His sister would know what to do in the places he feels lost in, so Frostbite found a fellow doctor who has also treated the boy to momentarily watch the Great One while he used his tribe's precious relic to ask the sister of the Great One for assistance. He could fly all the way to the portal connected to the Great One's residence, but time is of the essence.
Danny came to in snippets.
It was so warm.
His throat burned.
He cant remember where he is.
He thinks he was playing in the snow and having fun, so maybe Tucker brought him inside?
Mom and dad are probably in the lab and he doesn't want to be alone.
Jazz usually doesn't leave him alone when he feels this bad.
Where is she?
He's so warm and it's scary.
His head is pounding and everything is so fuzzy.
And he wants.
He wants Jazz.
He wants his big sister who got him canned soup and made sure he ate and drank and petted his hair. She always did it when she thought he was out but he always knew it was her.
The cold hand on his head was such a relief, especially when he felt a hand carding through his hair. Was that Jazz?
She must be here!
The hand is a bit cold but with how hot he feels anyone else's hand would freeze in comparison, but the gentle carding and soft singing meant it had to be her!
No one else had done that for him, after all.
Sometimes his parents would be distracted in the lab while he was sick. It's not usually this bad and they know he would be resting, but sometimes he just wanted someone nearby.
They try but it never felt right. His mom's method was too scratchy and his dad was never good at controlling his strength, but Jazz seemed to just know the right way to do it.
He knows their parents love them, but they are so busy all the time that they had to rely on each other instead. Sometimes he wondered if they love their work more than them, but he knows that they do. They just have a strange way of showing it.
Danny remembered when Jazz came in to check on him each time. Whether it was before and after school or throughout the day, she still came and sat by him. Sometimes, she even did her homework or ate with him.
He always wondered if she had to teach herself or if someone ever did this for her, she's so strong. She claims to be a grown adult, more than their parents, but she is still only a couple years older than him.
Danny felt a safe kind of warmth as he imagined his sister before sinking into deeper sleep for the moment.
Jazz sat alone in her room feeling at peace for once, a break from all the craziness.
A nice, quiet day for once. Danny was visiting his friend and mentor in the Far Frozen, her parents were in the lab, and she has time to study and maybe even read. This new study came out and shes been looking forward to what it reveals.
On days like this kids like her, should be prepping for college several years early. It's never too early to rush ahead and chase dreams, after all!
And then.
The temperature in the room dropped like it usually does when a ghost is nearby.
Oh boy, here we go again. Goodbye peaceful afternoon study time.
Rolling her eyes and reaching for the Fenton Anti-Creep Stick Danny's friends coated in an anti-ectoplasmic layer, she waits and pounces the second a ghost dares to enter her room.
The audacity.
The air itself warped and shifted. Long enough to notice, at least for her, yet short enough that it was over before she could truly react.
Within a blink of an eye, a large ghost with large icy horns and arm with the bones showing straight through as if it was clear ice, whose teeth were long and sharp enough to rip her in two without trying. Who... greeted her with a smile and a look of relief.
Dammit Jazz, You can't just assume a ghost's intentions based on looks! You are better than that!
"Sister of the Great One, I come to you for aid." The ghost rumbled in a deep and warm tone.
'Great One'? Hasn't Danny complained about a group of ghosts that worship him for taking down the ghost king all that time ago?
"Uh, yes?" Jazz took a second to reboot her brain and not seem rude while a whirlwind of questions tried to form in her head, "So, um, may I ask why you are barging into my room like this? What kind of aid could I even provide?"
"It is about the Great One." Oh boy, with that kind of seriousness Jazz could only wonder what Danny got himself into now.
"What's wrong with my brother? Did he do something? Or is something wrong with him? He's mentioned before that there are some ghosts who helped him out but I'm afraid he's not very descriptive even when he thinks he is." Jazz shot off question after question about what crazy thing her brother could have gotten into that beings who praise him are coming to her for help, barely pausing to breathe before taking a deep breath. "On that note, I don't think we met. Hi, I'm Jazz Fenton, Danny's big sister. Nice to meet you. And you are?"
After that deep breath, she put on an air of being put together. Formalities are important for a good first impression, after all!
With a big smile, if a bit strained, she held out her hand to her uninvited guest whose hands just so happen to be as big as her head.
"My apologies for not introducing myself," his rumbling voice began, "that was quite rude of me. My name is Frostbite, chief of the Far Frozen and the primary doctor for the Great One's ghostly needs." He stuck his hand out to shake hers, understanding that this is a human custom even if he seems to not fully get it. Seems they both understand respecting each other's customs in a way!
"Well, it's good to finally put a face to a name. My brother has mentioned you before but trying to get more info from him is like pulling teeth." At his confused and off-put expression, Jazz clarified herself. "Oh! I mean that it's very difficult to get him to open up even a little so prodding for details before he's ready is a lot of effort and usually a lot more trouble than it's worth when he can get there at his own pace! Sorry, it's a common turn of phrase in this part of the human realm."
"Thank you for explaining, the one called 'Jazz', sister of the Great One. I'm afraid the problem the Great One is having is a bit too human for me or my people know how to truly help and we have determined it is not safe to move him. The young one is hot to the touch yet seems so cold at the same time and is raspy like he is dry on the inside. These symptoms are not common among ghosts and we know you would have a better idea what to do for him."
That is concerning. But...
"What gave you the idea to come to me about it? Not to say I would prefer to be in the dark when my brother's health is not so great but..." Jazz trailed off, recounting how Danny had been for the past few days. Heck, how the whole school has been for the past week or so!
"He was calling for you," his answer brought her back out of her own mind. Her head turning to face him so face she thought she would get whiplash. She almost fell down a rabbit hole of 'what-else-did-I-miss' again, when she is needed in the now, "the Great One isn't really awake but when he manages to speak he calls for you. He has mistaken our care for yours, actually."
That brought a tear to her eye.
And a stabbing kind of pain feeling she has learned to shove down.
Danny...
Wiping her eyes, Jazz got to parentified big sister mode. Focus on feelings later, Danny now.
"Alright, let me get some things first. Then, you take me to him." Her eyes were hard and full of stubbornness, letting Frostbite know that he can't come in here and tell her Danny needs her and expect her not to come. Some part of her recognized that he probably wouldn't have asked her to stay even if she didn't do this.
Still out of it, but feeling well enough to sit up, Danny looks around in a daze.
Warm soup nearby feels so comforting even if he can't really do much besides put his hands on the bowl. He doesn't trust his shaky hands just yet with holding hot liquids, not when he feels like he's going to fall back asleep any second now.
He tried to move before his eyes closed on him.
Damn. Thought I could stay awake longer than this.
"Here, have some soup before you pass out again."
Hmm? Sounds like Jazz. Must be hearing things again.
"Ngh, too tired," he pathetically whined as someone else holding the spoon brought it to his lips. A hand held his head, letting it rest while keeping him sitting up as he was fed. The flavor was familiar in a way that surprised him.
It tasted like the cheap canned soup Jazz bought for them for when they get sick or ran out of food they could make for themselves before they were big enough to get more themselves when mom and dad were too busy or distracted to remember to buy food or not put samples in the fridge.
It tasted like home.
Jazz must be here after all.
Danny faded back into sleep full of warm soup and nostalgic memories, only the sound of two soft voices in the distance acting as his lullaby.
ectoberhauntw5
day 24- here there be dragons
tw- character death, but does it really count?
summary- once there was a brother and a sister who could turn into dragons
ao3
ectoberhaunt25 masterlist
Long ago in a land far away, there lived a brother and a sister whose family had been blessed long ago by the gods. Their ancestors had been gifted two golden amulets with the ability to allow the wearers to take on a dragon form.
The family had long been known to be great defenders of their town and the surrounding area from the supernatural creatures that plagued the kingdom’s borders. But when a foreign kingdom invaded theirs, killing the king and queen and oppressing the people, young Dorathea and her twin Aragon chose to journey toward the heart of the kingdom. They had never journeyed so far, but they believed that together they’d be able to free the people from the cruel tyrant that had taken control.
And they did. Together they organized a rebellion, working to weaken the enemy forces who used monsters to keep the people afraid. And when the final battle came, together they fought bravely, fending off enemy soldiers and the monsters they controlled.
But it was Dorothea who fought the enemy leader who also had the ability to shift. Later, Aragon claimed that he had been chasing down enemy forces.
And when finally the battle was won the people wished to honor crown Dorathea queen for killing the rebel leader. But she demurred, claiming that both her and her brother were to thank, and that really they had only been defending their home. She said they did not need a reward, but then Aragon stepped forward proclaiming that they would be happy to rule the people, to continue to protect them. And so the people crowned Dorathea and Aragon as their monarchs.
There was peace in the kingdom then, but it was not to last.
Aragron grew arrogant and cruel. He forced the people to pay him large fees for protecting them, causing many to live in poverty. He would not listen to Dorathea who pleaded mercy on their behalf.
Whenever she could, she would bring the people food from the castle even though it made her brother very angry.
But the people loved her, and they praised her kindness. They began to speak against Aragon and wish that Dorathea would take over as the sole monarch.
Aragon heard and grew jealous. The advisors he had gathered around himself whispered in his ear that Dorathea was plotting against him, that he should not let such treachery stand. They told him that a true leader would not let someone try to take power from him.
The placed a vial of poison in his hand and told him that only one sip would be enough to kill her.
So he invited his sister to tea. She was delighted, believing that finally he would listen to her pleas to lighten the people’s burden.
He smiled as he poured the tea and handed her a cup. And when she began to choke and claw at her throat, he remained seated. When she had stopped moving he rose from his chair and entered the room where his advisors were waiting.
“It is done.” he said, and the cheered for him, saying that now he would truly be in control, and that he would rule for many years.
An advisor brought out a bottle of fine wine and they raised their glasses to him. He smiled as he took a sip, but then he began to choke.
From across the table his advisors merely grinned at him.
ectoberhaunt25
day 23- lyre and pyre
tw- character death, fire
summary- everyone was going to know her name
ao3
ectoberhant25 masterlist
She takes a deep breath as she waits in the green room.
She’s finally made it. She’s so excited, but also wracked with nerves. She bounces up on her toes a few times.
“You’ve got this.” she whispers to herself. “You’ve been working for this for so long. You deserve this. You’re going to do amazing. They’re going to love you. Everyone is going to hear your voice.” she continues to whisper reassurances to herself.
She turns to the rest of her team. “We’re gonna rock this!” she tells them, both to encourage them and herself. They grin back at her. This will be their first big performance.
Finally, one of the stage hands comes up to her. “You’re up next. Go wait in the left wing.”
She nods and grabs her instrument. She breathes in deeply one more time, before making her way to the left wing. She watches as the previous group bow to the cheering crowd before they exit stage right.
She breathes in deeply again as the event manager announces her name. She wrinkles her nose slightly, something smells off. But there’s no time to think about it. She runs onto the stage, grinning as the crowd cheers. Most of them have never heard about her, but they’ll remember her name after this. The rest of the band files in behind her, taking up their own positions.
“Hello Atlanta City!” she calls, strumming her guitar, and the crowd cheers.
She feels her nerves fade away as she starts her team backing her up. She plays three song, the crowd cheering even more wildly after each. They’ve started to shout her name, and it feels wonderful. They’ve made it. She’s made it.
She grins wide and is about to start the next song when there’s a loud boom from her left. She turns to look.
There is fire crawling up the curtains. The crowd is screaming. She turns to run toward the right, but there is another explosion, bigger this time, and she is flung off her feet. She crashes back down onto the stage, hitting her head. Her ears are ringing and her vision is blurry. There is smoke and screaming everywhere.
She tries to get to her feet but starts coughing. There is so much smoke she doesn't know which direction is which anymore.
She crawls around until she finds the edge of the stage. She lowers herself down, staying close to the floor. The sound of flames is like a beast roaring, almost covering the sound of screams as people try to find the exits.
There is another explosion and the sound of a crash. She stares at where a part of the ceiling just collapsed, timbers engulfed in flames.
She starts crawling faster in the direction of where she hopes is the exit. She runs into people who’ve collapsed and aren’t moving. She tries not to look at them. She thinks she sees the edge of door, a bit of flashing red light above it. The exit.
But there is another booming crash, the air fills with dust, and she starts violently coughing. She is so hot, her skin feels like it’s burning, her eyes are streaming from the smoke. She looks ahead, but she can’t see the exit anymore.
She feels hopelessness wanting to take hold, but she won’t give up. She’ll make it out of here. She’ll survive. The world will hear her sing. The world will know her name.
But there is another crash and this time debris falls on her. She cries out as something knocks her onto her back. She can’t tell what it is, only that it is too heavy to move on her own.
She tries to call out, but only smoke enters her lungs. There are flames all around her now. She doesn’t want to die, but the fire is licking closer. Out of the corner of her eye she sees her hair catch fire.
No, she thinks horrified. No. No. Nonononononononononononono!
She can’t die! Not now! Not when she was so close to fulfilling her dreams.
She cries out, desperate, but knowing no one is coming. Tears stream down her face from fear, from pain, from knowing she was so close.
Mercifully, she blacks out before the flames reach her face.
When she opens her eyes again, there is green everywhere.
She doesn’t know where she is, she doesn't know how she got here. All she knows is one thing.
Soon the world will hear her play. Soon they’ll all know her name.
ectoberhaunt25
day 22- mob and village
tw- hurt no comfort
summary- The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down just to feel its warmth
ao3
ectoberhaunt25 masterlist
Danny desperately wishes that the townsfolk would understand. He fights to protect them. He saves them from ghosts who attack. No one has died under his watch.
But still they shout at him, they curse him, they throw things at him, they call the Fentons when they see him.
And maybe it isn’t all their fault. Danny knows that his Phantom form is monstrous. When he is Phantom his form is serpentine with his edges blurring. He has claws and a blank void for a face except for two green pools of swirling ectoplasm. His body is pitch black but with strange swirling colors that Danny knows hurt human eyes to look at. When he opens his mouth, he knows it is lined with hundreds of needle sharp teeth like an angler fish. He avoids speaking because he knows his voice only heightens the fear response his ghostly body naturally exudes.
So it’s not really their fault. If merely looking at him causes them to go into their flight response, can he really blame them for hating him?
He knows he shouldn’t, but he’s been protecting them for nearly a year now. Shouldn’t they have realized by now that he won’t hurt them?
It doesn’t help that his parents hunt him down, that Sam and Tucker have stopped reaching out to him. Part of that is his fault he knows. He kept missing out on their plans to be Phantom, not that they knew that. No one had been there when he’d had his accident and he hadn’t told anyone.
But he also knows, that even in human form, looking into his eyes can cause people to feel unusually afraid.
But it’s okay. He’s dealing with it. He hopes and prays that one day the people of Amity will accept him.
At least the ghosts don’t fear him. They’re like him after all. Even if some of them are frustrating to deal with and don’t understand that he doesn’t want them in his haunt. He has ghostly friends which is nice. It helps soothe the ache of being rejected by humans.
But he doesn’t give up hope.
At least until it’s already too late.
It happens after he’s fought of a large cat-like Realms beast that left him injured and exhausted. Danny is tired and isn’t able to react fast enough to avoid the blast his mother sends his way. He crashes down to the pavement, feeling like his skin is burning, like electricity is pulsing through his veins
He feels the transformation washing over him even though he desperately tries to fight it.
He is in the middle of town and people have already gathered to watch and cheer for the Fentons to finally get rid of that ‘monster.’
When the rings fade and leave Danny in their wake there is silence. He dares to hope that they will understand now. They’ll realize that he’s just trying to protect them.
But that’s not what happens. His parents growl in anger, raising their guns again. And the townspeople shout even louder about his supposed monstrosity.
‘How dare such a monster live among them?’
‘How dare he still pretend to be human?’
‘How dare he attract all the ghosts to their town?’
As their shouts rise, and his parents' weapons buzz, he feels himself break.
He’s given up so much for these people. He died and still decided to fight for them. He ignored their words, he ignored his parents' desire to hunt down Phantom. He’d hoped that one day they’d accept him, or that at least they’d see him as Danny and not just a ghost.
But they’ll never accept him will they?
So why keep trying to be their savior?
Danny lets his Phantom envelope him. He can feel that it is different. But he doesn’t care. He doesn’t care that people stumble back in fear, that even his parents hands shake where they hold their weapons.
He bares his teeth, somehow knowing that his teeth are bigger and more numerous than before, that his claws are sharper, that his hair that used to flow as if he were in space now flickers with flames. The colors that have always swirled in his form, that he’s suppressed so as not to cause more fear, move wildly and brightly. He can see people clutching their heads, their brains not made to perceive such colors.
He doesn't care about any of it.
If they want him to be a monster, then why not give them what they want?
ectoberhaunt25
day 21- barbarian
summary- the ghosts whispered amongst themselves
ao3
ectoberhaunt materlist
When Phantom is crowned king, the ghosts whisper amongst themselves. They know he is a halfa. The whole Realms felt it when he was created. But they don’t know much else about him except for rumors that he might be some sort of protector spirit. They know he is young, only a few years dead, though they can all sense a power growing deep within him. They know he will be more than a mere spirit of the deceased when he comes into his true power. He has mostly kept to his own end of the Realms.
And that is what they whisper about. Because while it is not uncommon for those newly born into the Realms, whether Spirits or Other, to stay near where they first gained consciousness within the Realms, most soon wander, exploring the Realms and finding a place where they feel they belong. Though perhaps, his staying in one section has to do with him being a halfa. He does, afterall, according to the rumors, spend a large amount of time in his Living Realm.
But what they whisper about the most, is where he comes from.
For the newly crowned king, the young spirit, comes from the Cursed Wastes.
The Cursed Wastes is an area of the Realms most stay away from. It has few civilizations and is mostly ruled by an assortment of beings staking claim on their own little area. These beings tend to be stronger than usual and are said to fight for fun.
This area of the Realms is also where ectoplasm tends to be at its most wild, forming blob-like creatures and animal-like ghosts. It is an area where a ghost could grow strong if they could survive the pressure of the ectoplasm in that area.
But most denizens of the Realms stay away from the Wastes since the inhabitants can be quite territorial and tend to have strange abilities.
That the young king comes from this area is certainly intriguing. It explains his strength which allowed him to defeat Pariah Dark, but it also causes many to wonder how strong he must be to survive the Wastes as a newly dead. By all accounts, he is a baby by ghost standards.
But the Realms denizens have heard how in the Wastes even the young are taught to fight, that it is a form of play.
And while some fear that the new king hails from the lands many consider home to barbarians, or at least ghosts who are a little on the crazy side, others remember the stories of him defending his home and his fraid.
From the Yetis of the Far Frozen, who make their home in the Wastes but who are regarded as healers by all, they hear stories of his kindness.
Even the Watcher of Time himself vouches for the youngling. And what an honor that is, to have the Watcher of your Path look so fondly on you.
The Observants do not like him, but that just affirms for everyone that the young king is good. The Observants would never like anyone they can not control.
They wonder what kind of king, this child, will be. They pray he is a good king and that he rules for millennia. They believe he will be, for why else would the Watcher vouch for him? And secretly they are glad that he hails from the Wastes, for being raised in a land renowned for its fighters, who will be able to dethrone him?
ectoberhaunt25
day 17- off the rails
fandom- dp x dc
summary- the Justice League board a mysterious train
ao3
ectoberhaunt25 masterlist
Batman stands before the main members of the Justice League, glaring at John Constantine.
“You said you had a way to go after Anti-Monitor?” he growled. They had been trying to figure out how to go after the universe destroying villain, and Constantine only spoke up now..
Constantine sighed, twirling an unlit cigarette. “Yes, in case you’re deaf, I do have a way to get to whatever dimension he’s currently holed up in.”
“And why didn’t you say something sooner?” Batman responded, gritting his teeth.
He gave Batman a look. “I’ts not exactly a normal way to travel, but the bloke owes me a favor.”
Batman resisted the urge to smack Constantine. “Well, how do we use this method of travel?”
Constantine stood, “Well if all of you blokes are ready, I can open up a portal. But,” he glared at them all, “we will be using a method of interdimensional travel. You’ll probably see some strange looking beings.” he narrowed his eyes even more at them. “Don’t talk to them, don’t look at them, don’t interact with them if at all possible. Got it.”
“Hn.” Batman grunted and the rest of the League nodded.
“Great.” Constantine said, a sarcastic smile pulling at his lips, as he turned away from them. He walked up to the wall of the meeting room, pulling out a piece of what looked like green chalk. When he pressed his hand to it, it glowed bright neon green. He then pulled out a sleek black card the size of a credit card. Bruce could make out what might be words in another language. Constantine pressed it to the glowing symbols. The symbols flashed red, and Constantine cursed. He glanced at the before grumbling under his breath. He pressed his hand to the symbol again, muttering what was probably another spell. The symbol flashed blue condensing into a small dot that then grew into a line, stretching from floor to ceiling.
Batman stiffened as the mechanical voice rang out, echoing and full of static.
Then the line separated in two that moved in opposite directions, leaving a glowing green doorway between them.
Constantine gave them another look. “Don’t interact with anything.” He said with a glare, then stepped through the glowing green door. The rest of the League members glanced at each other before following.
Batman blinked as he adjusted to the sudden change in location. He glanced around what looked suspiciously like a train car. Bright lights streaked by the windows and strange creatures sat on the seats. He could see the other JL members glancing around nervously.
Some of the other passengers looked like slightly transparent humans or animals. There were also more alien looking creatures and blobs and creatures that hurt his eyes to look at. He tore his eyes away from the other passengers to look at Constantine. Constantine who was looking rather nervous. Batman narrowed his eyes at him.
As he was about to question the most frustrating man he had ever met, a being popped into existence next to them. He looked like a slightly see-through version of an old-timey train conductor, if one ignored the three eyes, the horns growing from their head, and the extra pair of arms.
“T̷i̵c̵k̴e̸t̷s̸?̷” the being said, the language understandable, but somehow grating on Bruce’s ears. He was just glad that at least they could understand what the being was saying.
“Ewadoreal!” Constantine said, his best innocent smile fixed firmly on his face. Unfortunately, it just made him look a bit crazy. “You see, we were in a bit of a rush.”
Ewadoreal’s glow started to turn slightly red.
“But we’ll purchase them now!” Constantine added on quickly. He pulled out what looked like a coin purse from one of his pockets. “How much?”
Ewadoreal narrowed their eyes at Constantine. “P̷͙̉a̵͉͛s̴̺͘ś̷͕s̶͖͛?̶̠͛”
“Ah, come on, you don’t need to see my pass. I can pay. Just tell me how much.”
Ewadoreal’s form flickered. A monstrous winged, dragon-like creature being superimposed over the train conductor for a second.
“Okay, okay,” Constantine said, raising his hands. “I’ll get my pass out.” he grimaced as he pulled out the black card he’d originally held to the symbol in the Watchtower.
Ewadoreal took it, examining it before hissing
Constantine winced.
“C̷̗̘͚͍̓̎͋ô̶̖̹͕͜n̶̢͈̣̣̾̈́̊̾ŝ̴̭̠̭͆ͅẗ̴̝͎̇̏̊ä̷̛̞͍́̒̕n̸͈͌t̴͉̟͖̟͐̐͌̀í̸̖̲͚͇̈́̈́n̸̺͛͊̈́̅e̷̮̤̓̿́̆!” they growled, their voice becoming more staticky.
“Heeeyyyy…. Long time no see.” Constantine drawled nervously, and the rest of the JL tensed. Clark took a step forward, and Barry opened his mouth. Thankfully, Diana jabbed Barry in the side before he could say anything, and Bruce sent a glare at Hal before he could open his mouth. Thankfully, Martian Manhunter and Aquaman had more tact.
“Though I’m not sure whether to be surprised or offended that you don't already have my pretty face memorized.” Constantine continued brazenly, and Bruce fought the urge to smack the magician upside the head.
Ewadoreal sneered. “Y̶o̵u̷ ̷m̴o̶r̷t̶a̷l̸s̵ ̷c̵h̵a̶n̸g̸e̴ ̴t̴o̴ ̵o̴f̵t̷e̸n̷,̷ ̴a̷n̵d̷ ̴y̸o̸u̸ ̸m̷a̵s̷k̵ ̴y̶o̴u̶r̴ ̸s̶o̶u̴l̵.̷” His sneer turned into a smirk. “P̶h̸a̸n̸t̴o̸m̶ ̴w̴i̵l̷l̶ ̵b̷e̸ ̶s̸o̵ ̶h̴a̶p̴p̸y̵ ̸t̴o̵ ̵s̵e̵e̷ ̷y̷o̷u̵ ̵b̵a̵c̶k̵ ̴o̴n̸ ̵h̵i̷s̴ ̸t̵r̵a̷i̴n̴.̷”
“Now, Ewadoreal, you don’t have to tell Phantom we’re here. I can pay you a a little extra. I’ve even got a few artifacts—”
“Ë̶̞́̚ṋ̵̹̲͛̾ò̸̞́u̶͇̟̟͗̿g̵̨͔͍̓̐h̷͙͒͝!̶̬̃̚͜” Ewadoreal cut Constantine off. “Y̷o̸u̶ ̴w̸i̸l̷l̸ ̴c̶o̵m̵e̸ ̴w̸i̶t̴h̸ ̸m̴e̵ ̷t̵o̶ ̵s̸e̸e̴ ̸t̴h̸e̴ ̸b̸o̵s̶s̵,̷ ̴o̷r̸ ̶y̴o̴u̸ ̴w̸i̸l̸l̵ ̵b̵e̸ ̴t̷h̴r̸o̸w̶n̶ ̸o̷f̷f̶ ̵t̶h̴e̶ ̴t̴r̸a̶i̷n̴.̸” His smile conveyed just how happy he’d be to carry out his threat.
Constantine winced. “No need for that.” He shrugged, trying to come across as casual. “We’ll go see the boss man. It’s been a while since we’ve chatted.”
Ewadoreal just smirked before heading off toward the end of the train car.
Constantine glared at them all. “We’re about to meet an extremely powerful being who could squash you all with just his pinky. So for the love of all things holy and unholy, don’t say a word. Don’t even look at him if you can avoid it.” Then he turned and followed Ewadoreal down the hall, the rest of the League following behind.
Batman was already planning the lecture he’d give Constantine about properly explaining what he was planning on getting them into. It would include powerpoints!
The followed Ewadoreal until they came to a door much fancier than its surroundings. Ewadoreal stood to the side of the door and motioned them forward.
Constantine took a breath before opening the door and calling out. “Phantom! Long time now see! How’ve you been?”
Bruce followed behind him into an office-like space with someone seated behind a desk.
“That’s a kid.” Flash said from the doorway.
The being’s, Phantom’s, eyes narrowed and he flaked his hand causing the door to slam in the face of the other Leaguers.
“Forgive him, Phantom, he’s an idiot. He was just trying to compliment you on your young appearance. Afterall—”
“Constantine.” Phantom cut Constantine off. “What are you doing on my train?”
“We’re just trying to get to Dimension 39X, not causing any trouble. Promise. Besides,” Constantine continued, and Bruce wished he’d shut up. “You owe me.”
“I owe you?” Phantom said with a raised eyebrow.
“For taking care of that demon from the Sacarda Dimension.” Constantine said, shoving his hands in his trenchcoat pockets though his expression betrayed his nerves.
“The demon you brought on board?” Phantom asked, crossing his arms. “The demon that damaged two of my train cars?”
“I can pay you.” Constantine continued, ignoring Phantom’s last statement.
“With what? Last time you were here you offered me a piece of your dirty, ragged, torn apart excuse for a soul.”
Constantine winced. “Come on, man. No need to insult me like that.”
“And you brought guests.” the being continued. “Including that insolent speedster who disrupts the order of my train every time he enters the Speedforce. He’s racked up quite the fines. The only reason I haven’t hunted him down myself is because there’s a certain being out there who rather likes your speedsters. Though now that he knows about the train, I can charge him every time he boards.”
Constantine cleared his throat. “Well, we do need to be on our way. So, if you don’t mind…” he said, gesturing toward the door.
“Not so fast, Constantine. We still haven’t decided on payment for you and your bodies. Not to mention what you already owe me, and the fine for boarding my train despite knowing for a fact that I’ve banned you.”
“Ah, well…” he glanced at Bruce. “We have plenty of money.”
“And what would I even do with money that only works in your dimension?” Phantom raised an eyebrow.
“I have some… artifacts?” Constantine continued, obviously not pleased with the thought of handing any over.
“Hmmm.” the being titled their head looking toward the door. “How about… a favor.”
“A favor from me?” Constantine clarified.
“No. A favor from each of you.”
Bruce was about to protest, not wanting to decide something like that without discussing with everyone it would affect, but Constantine stepped up quickly, extending his hand.
“Deal,” he said, shaking the being hand.
“Constantine!” Bruce said, stepping forward. But before he could say anything else, Phantom waved his hand and he found himself with the rest of the Leaguers and Constantine outside the room.
He turned to glare at the magician, but again before he could say anything there was a long mechanical yet staticky beep followed by a voice saying, “J̶e̷n̷ ̵S̴t̷a̴c̶i̶o̶ ̵X̴3̸4̷Z̴1̵*̴3̸–̷H̸W̸.̸ ̸B̶o̷n̷v̸o̶l̷u̸ ̷a̴t̷e̶n̵t̴i̵ ̵l̶a̷ ̵s̶p̵a̸c̸o̴n̶ ̷i̵n̴t̵e̶r̴ ̷l̶a̸ ̶t̸r̶a̷j̸n̸o̸ ̷k̵a̵j̵ ̷l̸a̸ ̶k̶a̸j̷o̷.̶”
A glowing doorway appeared on the side of the train.
“Oh, look. Our stop.” Constantine said, stepping through quickly.
Batman growled as he followed, the rest of the JL behind him.
As soon as this was over, Bruce was going to force Constantine to watch so many presentations and do so much busy work the magician wouldn’t have any free time for months!
zalgo text
1- ‘atentu la breĉon’ which is Esperanto for ‘mind the gap’
2- tickets
3- pass
4- Constantine
5- You mortals change to often, and you mask your soul
6- Phantom will be so happy to see you back on his train.
7- Enough
8- You will come with me to see the boss, or you will be thrown off the train.
9- ‘Jen Stacio X34Z1*3–HW. Bonvolu atenti la spacon inter la trajno kaj la kajo.’ which is Esperanto for ‘This is Station X34Z1*3–HW. Please mind the gap between the train and the platform’
ectoberhaunt25
day 16- siren
summary- Danny never believed in mermaids
ao3
ectoberhaunt masterlist
Danny stares over the boat’s railing. The water’s too murky to actually see anything, and he doesn’t know how he let his parents convince him to join them on their latest voyage. He stares at the device that was set up prominently on a table at the center of the deck.
It’s supposed to attract merpeople. It’s what they’ve been focused on developing these last several months. He rolls his eyes. He’s known his parents are crazy for a while now. There’s no evidence that mermaids existed beyond the typical folklore. But they remain convinced that merpeople were real. They claim that when people drowned at sea their spirits became corrupted and they turned into monstrous creatures of the sea, hell bent on making more people like them.
His parents are convinced that if they could just capture a merperson then they’ll be able to figure out what caused the change and maybe even how to prevent it. But from all the weapons they built, Danny knows his parents are more focused on hunting down the imaginary creatures.
He sighs, turning away from the water. His parents are busy on the other side of the boat. They’re staring into the water, waving other devices around. They’ve got a net gun and a harpoon gun close at hand. They always do when they’re out on the water.
Danny really, really wished they hadn’t convinced him to come out here. They’d promised to take him to the planetarium if he came along to help. He doubts they’ll remember.
But then the boat rocks and Danny stumbles, holding on to the railing to keep from falling. On the other side of the boat his parents are shouting excitedly, grabbing for their weapons.
Danny grimaces. It’s probably just a whale that bumped into the ship or something. It’s happened before. He staggers over hoping to defend whatever poor creature they’ve mistaken for a merperson this time.
“Danny!” his mom calls out. “Come help us! Quickly! We’ve got something!”
Danny hurries over, seeing them struggling to pull up the net they’d shot out. He helps them pull, thinking that he’ll probably have to free whatever poor creature they’ve accidentally caught.
They drag the creature onto the deck, and at first it’s hard to make out what it is. Danny’s no expert on sea creatures, but as his parents exclaim in excitement and run off to get who knows what, Danny gets a better look at the creature.
He inhales sharply when he makes out the creature’s features. Its head looks like a cross between a cow and an elephant with a long nose and tusks. It has two front legs and a long serpentine fish tail. But it’s the creature's eyes that snag Danny’s attention. They’re staring at him, strangely intelligent for what looks like an animal, even if it’s one Danny’s never seen before, even if it’s one he didn’t think could possibly exist. The creature is staring at him, and Danny doesn't think he’s imagining the fear or the desperate plea for help.
He turns to look over his shoulder. His parents still haven’t emerged from below deck. He takes out his pocket knife, and the creature tenses for a second before Danny starts sawing away at the ropes. He works quickly until he can free the creature from the net. It pushes itself up on its front legs, and Danny can only stare as it reaches out with its trunk and gently lays it on his head for a moment before it launches itself back into the sea.
Danny stares after it before he quickly shoves the net into the water. He hates the idea of polluting the ocean, but he doesn’t know how he’ll explain the cut net to his parents. It will be easier to lie and say that the creature started thrashing and fell back into the water.
Then his eyes snap to the device his parents made. Is it actually what attracted the creature? He goes to the device, looking it over. His parents will surely notice if he does something to try and disable it. Could he toss it and the small table overboard and claim the creature knocked them off when it was trying to get free? It doesn't sound very plausible, but Danny’s parents have always been distracted.
He doesn't want his parents to trap any other creatures. He has no idea what that thing was, but he knows his parents would have probably hurt or killed it. Danny doesn’t want that, not for something that looked so intelligent.
He makes his way over to the device, hefting it up in his arms. It’s surprisingly heavy. He looks again toward the door that leads below decks, wondering what’s taking his parents so long. He hopes whatever it is keeps them distracted for a few more minutes.
He carries the machine toward the back of the boat where there’s no railing so he won’t have to lift it as high to toss overboard. He hears a door slam open and jerks around his foot slipping on a puddle of engine oil his parents didn’t bother to clean up. He tries to steady himself, but with the heavy machine in his hands he tips over the edge and into the water.
The water crashes over his head and the machine sparks. Danny has a brief moment to think about how he’s always heard not to let a plugged in hair dryer fall into your filled bathtub because it could shock you.
Then there’s pain, and he tries to scream, but his lungs fill with water, and his vision is going dark. He tries to thrash to the surface, but his body is tingling and won’t respond. His lungs force him to take a breath, but only water rushes into his lungs. His head slams against something, the boat, he thinks but then the black spots take over his vision and consciousness fades.
When he opens his eyes again, he is cold, it is dark, and he can tell that something is very, very different.
ectoberhaunt25
day 15- needle
fandom- dp x dc
tw- injuries and minor suicidal thoughts
summary- Danny is injured and doesn't know where he is
ao3
ectoberhaunt25 masterlist
part 6 of br
When Danny next becomes fully aware he finds himself on a rooftop of a tall building. Dark clouds swirl overhead, and the sound of traffic and sirens comes from below.
Then he becomes aware of his various injuries. He knows he needs to get some of them sewn shut. With how injured he is he’s afraid that his ectoplasm won’t be able to heal him in time if he keeps bleeding. But would that be so bad? His sister… his friends…
He’s all alone, and it’s probably only a matter of time before the GIW find him again. He has no way to get back to the Realms unless he goes to Vlad which he swore he’d never do, not after he saw the man cause the destruction of everything Danny cares about in that alternate timeline.
So, he’s stuck here in the Living Realm.
He needs to treat his injuries. He needs to find out where he is, and he needs to decide what to do next. He pulls himself up, looking around the rooftop where he finds himself. He staggers along the edge of the building, looking for a fire escape. He doesn’t want to use his powers if he can avoid it. He’s too afraid the GIW might be able to track him. Who knows where the GIW are, or how sensitive their scanning equipment is.
He doesn’t want to go back.
He resolves to use his powers as little as possible, and to definitely avoid transforming into Phantom.
He also can’t shake the fear that he’s already inching towards that terrible future. His fraid is gone, and his parents Jack and Maddie are dead. Vlad might decide to take revenge by siding with the League and the GIW again. The JL might listen to them.
All of a sudden the future he’s fought so hard to prevent, seems on the verge of happening. Maybe he should do the world a favor and let himself bleed out. But something keeps pushing him forward. Who knows, maybe Vlad thinks he died too.
He finds a rickety fire escape and slowly makes his way down, wincing as every step jostles his injuries. When he reaches the ground, he finds himself in a dirty alleyway full of overflowing trash bins. He wrinkles his nose at the stench. Though, he supposes, it’s not as bad as the stench of his own burning flesh.
His eyes land on a small shop on the other side of the street. It looks like a general store so they’ll hopefully have a few first aid supplies, or at least a needle and some string. Danny’s not picky. That is, if they even let him into the shop.
He looks down at himself, grimacing at the dirty and torn blood stained clothes he’d found himself in when he’d transformed into his human half.
Oh, well, nothing for it, but to try. He crosses the street and steps into the shop, the little bell above the door jingling. The cashier doesn’t even look up from his phone. Thank goodness for minimum wage workers.
He browses the aisles until he finds a tiny medical section. He’s honestly surprised at the variety. It’s a small section but it carries gauze, needles and thread, various types of bandages, rubbing alcohol, and several other medical supplies Danny doesn’t know the name for. He grabs a package that contains a needle, thread, gauze and some alcohol wipes and heads to the counter.
He sets the items on the counter and the cashier only gives him a brief once over before turning away and scanning the items. Danny bites his lip as he searches his back pocket for the cash he knew he’d shoved in there before this whole ordeal had started. Surprisingly, he finds more money than he remembers putting in there. Definitely more than enough for the burger and fries Danny had been planning on buying from Nasty Burger.
He grabs a granola bar as well.
When he leaves the store he makes his way back to the rooftop where he’d found himself on originally. There isn’t much light, but at least there shouldn’t be any people.
He peels his shirt off and winces at the sight of his torso. He’s lucky his major…injury… was stitched up haphazardly by the GIW after their latest “investigation” before his friends showed up to free him. He doesn't think he would have survived that kind of open wound. Instead he focuses on sewing up the smaller gashes the GIW hadn’t bothered with. He wishes he could take a shower to get rid of all the grime and blood, but that’s not even remotely possible right now.
Maybe later, when he’s feeling a bit better he can briefly use his abilities to sneak into an unoccupied hotel room and shower. For now, he uses the alcohol wipes to get as much as the blood and grime cleaned away from his injuries. It doesn’t do much, but hopefully it will be enough to stave off any infection while his body works on sealing the wounds.
He can sense ectoplasm in the air which should help, though it probably won’t help very much with how polluted it is. The city must not have a very good connection to the Realms so any ectoplasm that gathers from deaths stays stuck here, festering and congealing in dark corners seeping into the buildings, and leaving dirty smears on people.
He sighs, looking around. He could probably spend the night here then look for a better place in the morning when there’s more light. He’s just about to lay back when he hears something from the roof of the building next door.
He peaks around the roof’s AC unit to see two people fighting on the opposite roof. It’s a blur of movement for a few minutes, but then one of the figures comes out victorious. The figure stands, pointed bat ears on display, and Danny swears under his breath.
