I remember one person pointed out that the speed and accuracy with which Danny sketched Dash getting strangled by a skeleton pointed to him being a pretty good illustrator, and it got me thinking. What if instead of a spirit’s Sanctuary being already there Encanto style, they make the place themselves?
Imagine Danny drawing up plans for his very own space station he can observe the heavens from, and then after Frostbite or Johnny or Sidney tells him about making a sanctuary, he does some practice with like. Molding clay and stuff for a good Earthly analogue.
And then he builds it! A space station of his very own that most ghosts have the manners not to go into! It grows and evolves with his thoughts, an extension of his mind the way a spider’s web is, but he built it first.
You know what that means. DANNY PHANTOM WORD BLAST TIME!
tl;dr GHOST LAIRS ARE SENTIENT?? (danny phantom lore questions)
So on the one hand we have ghost cores, which are really fun and have so much lore potential, and we definitely need more on those.
On the other hand.....we have GHOSTLY LAIRS.
An entire realm, varying in size and shape but having one purpose, and that is providing a haven for its ghost in the most reflective way possible?? A weird kind of mirror image of a ghost’s core traits (not “ghostcore traits, just the main principles of a ghost’s personality and values.....and also some actual ghostcore traits xD) manifesting in a physical manner?? like DUDE. COME ON. I would love to have a lair!
Does every single creature turned ghost develop a lair? Is there something comparable to a “pre-made ghostcore” theory that could exist for ghostly lairs? Is there a chance that lairs have some sort of sentience to them, in order to better adapt and mold to the ghost that it’s protecting?? Or is it more that a ghost’s subconscious is constantly managing and informing the lair and its adaptation and development? Like their subconscious self manifests almost separately from the ghost, and is active at all times to maintain a lair even when the ghost isn’t inside it?
And what do ghostly lairs actually mean for the concept of community and communal engagement in the Infinite Realms?? From what we see and what we understand, there tends to be a common thread of the zone housing a number of common spaces for ghosts to work in and out of, in order to establish a more relatable sense of socialization and community - Walker’s Prison, Pariah Dark’s Keep, wherever Pandora operates out of, the Far Frozen etc.... I totally understand the sentiment of relatability, thought I can’t help but ask: if there exists a space that is made perfectly representative of you, that provides for your every need and comforts you and keeps you safe, and is constantly ADAPTING to how your needs change, then would you really need spaces in which to conduct socialization? Would you invite other ghosts to your lair? Or would remain comfortably private, conducting your ghostly life in a manner that best suites you inside your lair?
Although the obvious answers to the above questions would probably involve discussions of loneliness, social isolation, and a need/desire for interpersonal relationships, and maybe even thoughts of needed neutral ground....why build physical representations of real world locations to observe these needs, when your personal sanctum, as a reflection of your desires and of you yourself, would be just as lovely a place to host friends and just as hostile a place to host enemies? And if every ghost maintained a lair....there’s an infinite number of possibilities hidden behind an infinite number of doors, and an ever expanding space for even more lairs and doors.
Perhaps I’m thinking of a ghost’s lair in the wrong way - perhaps, rather than a home for the ghost, they’re more like....the physical manifestation of the safest, most comforting part of their own mind. An inner sanctum, as opposed to a daily abode.
In that case, what determines how a lair manifests and operates? Where a ghost’s core may possibly be said to develop based on a number of factors -- personal values, circumstances of core development, life choices and life course, possible beings of core pre-determination -- a ghost’s lair, while partially determined by personality, life course, and values, may develop its base structure and operations based entirely on a ghost’s Obsession.
I feel that Obsessions can be directly linked to the idea of the “safest part of the mind” - a ghost’s Obsession is so inherent to their being that partaking in and fulfilling said Obsession seems to be an integral part of ghost feeling safe and comfortable and relieved. It almost doesn’t make sense to separate an Obsession from something like an inner sanctum!
.....this is a long post ya’ll PLEASE STOP ME AHHHH
Some questions for you to ponder:
What determines how a Ghost Lair manifests and operates?
Are Ghost Lairs more like a ghost’s home, or a ghost’s sanctuary?
What maintains a Lair? Is there a chance that the Lair itself develops sentience in order to provide for their ghost? Or is it possible that a ghost’s subconscious manifests permanently to inform the Lair’s development and ability to adapt?
If there as many Lairs as there are ghosts and ghostly creatures, why does the Ghost Zone need permanent, community spaces for socialization?
Is a Lair structurally based on a Ghost’s Obsession, and if so, will the physical environment of a Lair ever change? The ghost may be able to manipulate myriad aspects of the Lair, but would they ever be able to overhaul the environment of the Lair itself, the very landscape it exists in, or no?
What would your Lair look like? Or if you have a Danny Phantom OC, what would their Lair look like?
Wow I am super long-winded. I just think that Danny having a Lair is pretty neat!! A cozy space that’s mostly cool in temperature to provide for his cold core, that’s probably filled with the most amazing star gazing locations, and an absolute kaleidoscope of galaxies and nebulas that he can fly in and be himself! ^.^
Proper care for children ghosts is something that ghosts take very seriously.
A lair that is child safe, and has a room for the child.
A substantial amount of food for the child.
A proper education provided by licensed sources.
Danny went to Dora for help bringing Ellie with him. Dora instructed him to make a lair that would follow the rules set up for ghost children. And even offered to teach the child when she hatched.
Danny agreed and made plans for Ellie to go to school in Dora's kingdom, after she was born.
Deciding to move close by to where Ellie would be going to school, Danny put the house on the edge of the Dragon kingdom. Facing the direction of the Fenton Portal.
It took some time but a beautiful one story house was soon built, with three bedrooms, two baths, a study/library and an open area for the kitchen, dining room, and living room. With an attic observatory, and a greenhouse backyard Danny's home is complete.
I’ve been reading A LOT of DP fanfics lately, so I’ve had plenty of time to gather headcanons and think of a few of my own (as far I know anyway…) So, just cuz I have lots of feelings about these, I’ve made a list :D! As per the usual with me, these are all Danny-centric.
If it’s starred*, I’ve seen it in a fic/tumblr post and loved it (credit where it’s due, folks!). Unstarred ones are the ones I came up with after way too much thinking and feelings on my part, meaning this is gonna be a bit long-winded, so bear with me and enjoy the ride!
Body Temperature: Because he has a cold core, his body is naturally colder than the average human’s. That means he’s immune to the cold, and can withstand the summer heat.
People always have him be super sensitive to the heat, and that makes no sense to me. He has an ICE core, which means his internal body temperature is colder than normal. To me, that means his body is cool even during the summer.
I’d imagine Danny wears light jackets during the winter to keep an image of normalcy, but not out of necessity. It’s canon too; In Infinite Realms, Danny is the only one not wearing a jacket in the FarFrozen, and that’s BEFORE his core acts up.
Cujo*: Even after Shades of Grey, Cujo keeps coming back to Danny. At some point, Danny gives up and stops denying the accusations that Cujo is his dog.
Listen, the cuteness of this concept has been KILLING me. Imagine Danny going to bed and just, waking up to Cujo casually sleeping on his bed like he belongs there. Bonus points if the Fentons let him keep Cujo cuz “he might be a ghost, but he’s still just a dog”.
Green Blush: Ectoplasm is green, ergo Danny PHANTOM blushes green. ‘nuff said.
There’s not much to this one, I just think it’s cute af.
Ghost Prince: The Ghost Zone, whether Danny knows it or not, sees him as their prince after he defeated Pariah Dark. By the Ancient Laws, Danny has technically earned his title without even realizing it. He starts noticing that lesser ghosts were terrified of him, and even recurring ghosts like Skulkur are approaching him with more caution than usual. “King” to the Ghost Zone is different, of course. Historically, Kings were only symbols of power rather than the source (the source is almost always a council of sorts), so my take on Danny being “king” would be the same. He’d go by PRINCE because A) He doesn’t want all that power, and B) He’d have a council to back him up, like the FarFrozen, Pandora, Dora... So Danny wouldn’t be the core of the authority, but he would certainly be the most powerful ghost. But unlike Pariah, Danny would still have a huge influence in what happens because his council would consist of allies and friends, he just doesn’t realize it cuz he’s a self-conscious dork.
The idea of the headcanon isn’t mine, but my take on it and my explanation is all me. The way I see it, the Crown of Fire and Ring of Rage are artifacts that ADAPT to their user’s power. So, Pariah’s would be fire and anger, but Danny’s would Ice and, idk, faith? I’m not as sure on the second one, but it definitely wouldn’t be anger.
Secret Genius: Danny is actually pretty smart, but because he no longer has the time to study, his grades are suffering. If he puts his mind to it, he CAN get A’s, he just never finds the time to actually do so.
LISTEN. THIS. THIS HEADCANON GIVES ME LOTS OF FEELINGS. We’ve always assumed Danny was always a C-average kid, but I disagree. There’s enough subtle evidence to show that Danny is actually pretty smart. I mean, Danny strikes me as more of a practical genius than a book genius, but still. If he can come up with plans while fighting ghosts, then that’s pretty damn impressive.
The episode I like to reference for this is Teacher of the Year. Danny didn’t have time to study and failed a major test, but as soon as Lancer forced him to study, Danny got a solid A-. An “idiot” wouldn’t manage to achieve that, they’d get a B at BEST. But Danny got an A-! I would also like to reference One of a Kind, where Danny gets a D on his biology report because he couldn’t study in time. His reaction to the D was not that of someone who’s used to failing, and I speak from relating to him. If he was so used to getting C’s, why was he so bummed out even after Lancer raised his grade to a C? I’m willing to bet that before the Accident, Danny’s grades were actually pretty high.
Astronomy Nerd: This IS canon, but there’s so little content on it, it’s almost nonexistent. Give me Danny naming all the constellations. Give me Danny fanboying about space. GIVE ME SPACE JUNKIE DANNY.
There are so many opportunities for this to shine through. Why are there so many moments about Tucker and his technology, about Sam and her “individuality”, but so LITTLE on Danny’s love for space? I’m especially mad about Memory Blank; there was a METEOR SHOWER happening, and Danny didn’t bat a single eye at this??? Couldn’t they at least throw in one single line? Or at least a HINT? This episode was such a wasted opportunity.
Void!Danny*: Nocturne notices that a lot of Danny’s dreams revolve around space and decides to take advantage of that. He’s so passionate about them, Nocturne converts that passion into raw energy and “controls” Danny, not unlike the way Undergrowth controlled Sam.
I know, logically, this can only happen in a Reverse Trio AU, but I much prefer the canon. My take on this would still happen in canonverse because I goddamn love this concept and I need more of it.
Electricity Trauma*: Danny technically half-died in the Accident, so his body is already weird. Danny’s supposed to be DEAD, but he isn’t, so his body continues to remember the pain of death because he’s only halfway there. Electricity shocks his body into remembering his “death”, so even a small shock feels like he’s reliving the Accident all over again.
I read about this concept in a fic and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I’ve never thought of the PTSD that might accompany Danny DYING, but now that it’s in my head I can’t unthink it.
Ghost Lair*: After the Accident, Danny wakes up in a strange room with walls and a ceiling that are literally made of stars and galaxies. This is his “lair”. All ghosts canonically have one in the Ghost Zone, and Danny is a ghost, halfa status aside, so that means he has one too.
I read a fic where Danny woke up in the Ghost Zone instead, and it snowballed from there. Seriously, imagine Danny thinking he’s dead after waking up in his lair. The ANGST this could create. Anyway, if all ghosts have a “door” in the Ghost Zone, Danny should have one too, technically.
Ecto-Exposure*: Amity Park is a small town, so everyone hears about Danny’s accident. The Fentons just say Danny got exposed to ectoplasm while he was unprotected, so when the students at Casper High notice Danny displaying strange ghost-like qualities, they reason it’s because of the accident and don’t ask him about it because he’s been traumatized enough, right? (Danny is oblivious to all this and panics every time).
I saw a tumblr post on this and I loved it. The original idea was that the whole town already knows the Fentons have been exposed to ectoplasm a lot, so when Danny gets his ghost powers no one questions it because Jazz and Danny have been acting like this for years without realizing it. I tweaked the concept a little, but the idea isn’t mine. Credit where it’s due.
Human Haunt: As a halfa, Danny still gets regular ghostly instincts, and that includes having a lair and a haunt. He has a lair in the Ghost Zone, but because he’s half-human, he also needs a place to ground him to the Real World, so he starts “haunting” an old abandoned observatory (cuz he’s a space nerd). He goes there every time he wants to be alone and just look at the stars.
I consider this idea my own because I thought of it right after I read the Ghost Lair headcanon on AO3. When he’s human, he has access to his ghost qualities, but it’s never the other way around, so logically his ghost instincts should leak into his human half too, right? And he would totally do it without noticing. He’d be blowing off some steam when he notices an old observatory. He gets curious and checks it out, and after realizing the telescope still works, he spends hours just looking through it. He feels happy and at peace, and those emotions create an instinct in him to return here every time he feels down.
Deathdays*: On any ghost’s deathday, there’s an unspoken rule not to bother on that day. Danny starts noticing that every year, the day of accident, no ghosts show up to bother him. Some even leave him gifts, which he’s paranoid of at first, but after finding out what deathdays mean to ghosts, he starts appreciating them. On this day, he feels much more connected to his ghost half and finds himself going to his lair (which is different from his haunt) every time. Bonus points if he spends the day with one of his ghost friends.
This idea isn’t mine, but I read about it somewhere and I’ve been in love with it ever since. I also saw this really cute comic on pinterest where Danny is crying and the Box Ghost tries to comfort him by giving him this beautiful glowing box thing. It was really cute and my heart melted into a puddle. Anyway, yes, deathdays. ‘nuff said.
Obsessions*: A ghost’s reason for living is their obsession. Danny’s is often portrayed as protection or heroics, but I think it’s more specific than that. Danny’s obsession isn’t just protection, it’s protecting people from knowing the pain of death, whether emotionally or physically. That would be because he “died” painfully via electrocution, and because his friends had to watch as it happened (Danny feels that specific urge after he realizes that Sam feels guilty about the Accident).
Danny’s obsession is always protection, and that’s accurate to him, sure, but I feel like it would be a little more specific. After all, most of the obsessions we’ve seen in canon aren’t as simple as a single-word concept.
Skulkur doesn’t just want to hunt creatures, he wants to hunt rare creatures and be the best at it. Ember doesn’t just want popularity, she wants to be remembered by people. Lunch Lady doesn’t just love meat, she thinks lunchtime is sacred.
My point is, all the ghost obsessions we’ve seen thus far aren’t as simple as we think they are, at least I don’t think they are.
Clockdad™: Canonically, Danny is Clockwork’s “responsibility” after the events of TUE. Clockwork starts feeling protective of Danny after he keeps watch of him and realizes how tough his life is, especially at school. He can’t mess with time just for one kid, so instead he opts to do little things, like leaving him a note to remind him that he has a test to study for, or giving him vague pieces of advice when he feels Danny needs them. On Danny’s second deathday, Clockwork gives him a digital clock that reminds him of important events whenever he forgets them (don’t ask how, it just knows). He also gives Danny free rein to visit him whenever he wants to “because I’m technically your mentor now”.
This headcanon I came up with on my own after watching TUE. It was such a cute concept, and the most realistic take I could think of. Danny would teasingly call Clockwork “an overprotective dad”, and even if he denies it, Danny knows the truth and just smiles that cute little smile he gets when he knows he’s right (think of his smile in Fanning the Flames when Sam tries to deny her feelings by blaming Ember’s spell).
Those were all my headcanons, original and second-hand. Do you have any you want to add? I’m curious to know!
He’s been told, by Clockwork and Frostbite, that he does, in fact, have a lair in the Ghost Zone. (because all ghosts have a lair, from the moment they are created, a new door bursts into appearance in the Ghost Zone, as a place for them to recharge) But he can never really find himself drawn to any of floating doors he passes when he’s in the Ghost Zone.
So, he just never checks up on it.... most ghosts HAVE to return to their lairs, either because their obsession demands it, or they need to “recharge” and regain ectoplasmic energy, or both. But Danny just, never does. He never gets that pulling feeling, a deep tugging in your core, or the inherent euphoria that comes with being in your space in such a harsh and uncaring environment like the Ghost Zone.
and Jazz, Sam, and Tucker have theorized about this. That Danny’s lair isn’t in the Ghost Zone, but in the human world. Maybe, they consider, that Fentonworks is his lair, or the lab, or maybe even all of Amity Park, since he seems so keen on protecting it (Danny doubts that, but it’s his town, he can’t just let ghosts wreck it, c’mon Sam.)
Bringing up the door conundrum, all three of them unanimously agreed that Danny’s door had to be the Portal in his parents’ lab, because it turning on was literally the creation of Danny’s half-life state. They just aren’t sure what side opens into his actual lair. They go around and around like that, and Danny doesn’t ever have the heart to tell them that neither, nowhere feels like any of that to him. That Danny, himself curious, asked around the moment he found out, to the ghosts he was friendly with, “what do lairs feel like, what did it feel like to leave and come back, what is he missing??”
The ghosts couldn’t give him the answers he wanted.
“It feels like home.” One said.
“It’s like no home ever.” Another said.
“It’s everything and nothing. It’s life itself.” Said the final.
Obviously, Danny was out of the loop. In more than one way. Something about his humanity, was keeping him from finding his own space, the one area where he could relax and have peace, and not have to deal with death and fear, and fighting and misery, and stress. So Danny let it go, and didn’t think about it more. After all, he was Phantom! He had a job to do.
But imagine, Danny, may not have a connection to his actual lair, but he does have connections to places he frequents.
In his bedroom, the walls are permanently frosted. A layer of ice settles over everything there, as a side-effect from how often he’s in it (after a while, his ghostly core, just resonates with the room and he inadvertently lets excess ecto-energy out when he’s there.) Because, when he’s not at school, fighting ghost crime, or hanging out with Sam and Tuck, Danny’s in his room. And he might never admit it, even if Skulker was pointing a Fenton Bazooka at him, but the glow-in-the-dark stars on the door jamb and ceiling (he put them there when he was 10), and the NASA posters, the rickety old (faithful) desk in the corner, all of it felt like peace to Danny.
Nasty Burger, with how much he and his friends go, starts to feel like home, but in a different way. It’s exciting and lively, always full of teens looking to hang out with friends or escape responsibilities for a while. And, outside of that time with the Lunch Lady and Evil Dan from the alternate timeline, it remained relatively untouched from Amity’s constant ghost epidemic. Nasty Burger, to him felt like normal, something Danny sorely missed since he started going ghost. (Although, he does have to pay more attention to his runoff ghostly energy there. Sure, a little frost was okay for his personal bedroom, but this was a public place, that regularly got cleaned multiple times a day. He’d always make sure to have an extra tight lid on his powers while there, because he wanted to keep it as is, thank you.)
Other miniscule places he often used to transform had this energy too. The old broom closet, on the back ninth of Amity High’s winding hallways; he’d transformed in it so many times, the light would perpetually hum and flicker with the leftover energy from the transformation (which, convienently for him, made even the janitor stay away.) That close-knit grove of trees off the path of Amity Park’s park, the spot of wall behind the dumpster in that alley halfway between Fentonworks and Amity High, and, despite all the ghost killing equipment and massive ghost portal that occasional enemies flew out of, the lab; all of them gave Danny a strange sense of safety, that he couldn’t quite pinpoint why.
Journey Through The Mists - PhannieMay - Day 9 World Building
Summary: The Fenton parents decide its high time to actually check out the GZ, especially after this new land mass appeared right near their portal.
Jack and Maddie are giving themselves a good pat down, making sure they’ve got everything they need and that their suits are covering them head to toe. With a strong nod, Maddie turns to Jack, “I’d say we’re good to go, Jack dear”.
Jack grins goofily as he opens the portal and joins his wife in the Spectre Speeder, “I still can’t believe all our Spectral readers came back showing that going in is actually safe!”
Maddie nods as they fly slowly in, “still not worth the risk of skin exposure of course”. Jack slaps the torso of his suit humorously, “and that’s the wonders of jumpsuits!... To bad Danny-boy’s so opposed to wearing one”.
Looking around the Fenton’s elect for silence, no way to know just what might be around. But, unsurprisingly, Jack doesn’t last long, “would you look at that! There are plants! They glow!”. Maddie is tempted to shush him but she’s almost as excited as him, muttering to herself, “well, I don’t see any ghosts so I think we might be fine here”. However, the heavy mist covering the small island in front of them is putting her a bit on edge. She prefers to actually be able to see easily, but this will also help hide them and the Speeder; should anything come looking.
Landing the Speeder down, the pair triple check their jumpsuits before nabbing sample kits and heading out onto the island. Jack mutters as he runs a gloved hand over some of the fern brush, “why is it white though? Shouldn’t this all be green?”. Maddie nods as she’s attempting to collect clippings from the, also white, grass; which keeps dissolving near instantly, before reforming as it was prior to being clipped. Smirking as she manages to finally catch some of the ectoplasm before it fully dissipates, “it doesn’t even dissolve into the proper green either. I don’t think I’ve ever even seen white ectoplasm before”. As Maddie stands and looks around, “not only that but, according to our sensors, this island didn’t even use to be here. It formed practically overnight, two days ago”.
Jack is far more excited and unrestrained than his wife, “I know! It’s like a brand new discovery! No clue yet what’s caused it though...” Jack trails off as he tries to get ectoplasmic energy and density readings off of the thick mist.
Maddie watches amused as Jack faces different directions and gets a large grin on his face, “looks like it’s actually thicker in this direction!”. Knowing full well Jack’s just going to run off, she picks up their cases and heads off in the direction Jack’s facing before he even starts off.
Maddie, confused, pokes at and eventually traps a jar around what looks like a white glowing fairy light, with specks of blues and greens dancing inside. Putting a blanket over it and glancing underneath, “Jack! These orbs are actually lights! Somehow”. Shaking her head a bit as she looks up at Jack, as he runs over to check it out. Maddie can’t help but take a picture of Jack kneeling over and shoving his head under the blanket, before pondering out loud, “it’s not even like it’s just natural ghostly glow. It’s literally lighting up the entire space, like some sort of self-sustaining ecto-light. I’ve seen ghosts create them in their hands before but there are no ghosts around”. Jack bolts up excitedly flinging the blanket away, “maybe they’re tied to a ghost with Photokinesis!”.
Maddie quickly shakes her head, “but they’re just floating around? Even if this could be a ghosts lair, there’d be no reason to have these just floating around”. Though Maddie can’t help but admit that they do make it easier to see in the mist, even if that would be completely pointless to a ghost. Especially if this was a lair, since the ghost could just will away the mist. Shaking her head as she shoves the jar into her bag and continues on.
“I never imaged a place in the ghost zone could be arguably beautiful”, Maddie can’t help but mutter as she traces her finger over the petal of a moonflower. While Jack examines some black and pale blue morning glories peppering black vines, wrapping around the trunk of a tree. Brushing red leaves from a weeping willow out of her face, Maddie walks around the flower promptly realising its moving with her. Slightly creeped out, “now see that’s what I’d expect from something ghostly”.
Jack yelps a bit startled as the results for the ectoplasmic energy level test finally come back. Tapping at the screen a bit to make sure the results are right before speaking up, “Mads! There’s no way this isn’t a lair! These readings are way too high to just be created by the GZ itself. Heck! This ghostie has to be a strong fellow for these kinds of readings!”. Maddie shakes her head, surprised at the ectoplasmic level of three, which would only be a zero if this was Zone made, “wow, this mist or even the entire environment must have some level of consciousness. Or maybe it’s linked to the ghost?”. Maddie pales a bit as she clues in that that would mean that whoever this lair belongs to, probably knows they’re here. Even Jack frowns, checking that the Speeder tracker is still working, as both of them keep their weapons within easier reach.
As they’re walking past some trees, Maddie stops, “honey? I think there’s a pond over there, with actual water or something in it? And it’s, growing?”. Jack tilts his head over and sure enough there’s a light blue pond, upon closer inspection the pair can see what looks like neon green carbonation bubbles fizzing off the surface. Shrugging, Jack dips his fingers in and swirls them around, “it acts just like regular water?!”. Cupping some up and letting it pour out of his hands slowly, staring in amazement; while Maddie scoops up a sample. Shaking the container around, it’s clear the water is not actually carbonated. But she’s till confused by the fact that only the neon fizzing seems to glow, “it’s really is almost as if it’s regular water. If you exclude the green fizz”.
Jack grabs the container as soon as Maddie puts it down, opening it up and dropping none of the mini weights they brought with them inside. Tapping his chin, “well it looks like it’s actually less dense than regular water. So it’s definitely not the same”. The pair back off as Jack nearly slips into the “water”, confirming that the pond is indeed getting bigger. Shaking his foot off, “I wonder if lairs can change of their own accord! Or is the ghost doing this?”. Neither is really sure so they simply write that down as another mystery, before they decide to move on. Both would rather not find out what happens if they actually fall into the expanding body of “water”.
Their bags are decently full of samples but Jack shakes his head at his wife, “I would really like to find the epicentre of this fog, Mads”. Maddie sighs fondly, “well then let’s just hope that it’s not the ghost”. Maddie can’t help but glare down at the ghost sensor on her wrist, which still is showing “no ghosts”. Which at this point is starting to worry her, there really should at least be the occasional fly-by ghost.
Checking her wrist again after about half an hour, “Jack, somethings off. Either the sensor isn’t working, there’s interference, or something is actively keeping the ghosts away from here. And I don’t like any of those possibilities”. Maddie growing paranoia is only heightened by the grass suddenly going from a few inches tall to a solid foot tall. Both of them glare incredulously at the tall grass, which could now be easily hiding something without them even being able to tell. “Mads, there’s wind”, Maddie glances at her husband before bending down to stare at the grass, which does appear to be being blown by wind. Looking back up she spots red and white petals blowing out of the trees, akin to cherry blossoms, while Jack spins around slowly in a circle. Both watching as the leaves move about in the air lightly and swirling, but dissipating just before touching the grass. Maddie can’t help but admit that’s is extremely pretty and serene, whispering, “what even is this place? Why would a ghost want a place like this? It’s so...”.
“Human?”, Maddie nods up at Jack, gulping a little. Standing up, she pulls one of the petals out of the air. She can’t help but wonder if it carries a scent, so she bags it. Pulling her hands to her chest and looking to Jack, “ghosts are supposed to be monsters, evil, uncaring and unfeeling. But this...this is like a place of comfort, still unnerving and ghostly, like a beach at night. Why?”.
“I don’t know Mads. Somehow that makes this more daunting than if it was some forest of dead trees. At least I’d know what to do with that”, Jack shakes his head but is still far too eager to see the source of the mist to turn back yet.
“Uh Mads?”, Maddie only has to take a few steps to catch up enough with her husband to see through the mist enough to spot what he’s gapping at. In the distance, there is a very apparent large wall. Jet black bricks with white mortar, the fogs too thick to make out just how tall it is and they’re still too far away to make out any major details. “You think ghosts have houses?”, Jack talks quietly for a change, slightly out of awe and slightly out of concern there’s a likely powerful ghost around. Maddie writes in her notebook furiously as she responds, “maybe. I imagine not all of them have the same style of lairs. That would be very boring and there’s nothing boring about ghosts. But I could see no other reason for a wall like this”.
Nodding his head towards the building while looking at Maddie. Both them adjust their weapons to be a bit easier to access, as they approach the wall.
Tapping on the wall, Jack’s surprised at just how much it’s like regular brick, “for everything being so hard to see here, with all this mist, it’s all so detailed”. Maddie nods as she can feel the different textures between the bricks and mortar, as she runs her hand along the wall while they walk.
Touching her hand to the indented corner between the wall they’ve been following and a clearly curved bit of wall, “Jack, I think this might just be a castle”. Jack traps on her shoulder, as he’s much more interested in the tangles of rose bushes. Dangerous looking leafless black thorns, off-put but large soft looking white roses; the threat of thorns is even further offset by the intertwined purple asters. Jack’s noticed that the bushes have been slowly growing more numerous as they’ve walked. Some cluster around the bases of trees, others climbing up the trunks, others yet spider-webbing across open ground. Maddie, after also examining how the mist is thicker, “I think the deeper we go, the more unusual this all is”. Maddie tilts her head a bit, having never really expecting her gardeners' knowledge to be useful, “purple asters...those are a symbol of royalty. Combine that with what’s likely a castle...”.
Jack barely manages to keep his voice a whisper, “royalty! Ghost royalty!”. Furrowing his brows, “but so new? So close to our portal?”. Jack goes wide-eyed as he remembers the recent defeat of the Pariah guy, “Mads! You don’t think that maybe? Maybe this is the new ghost kings castle!?”. Jack’s torn between finding this awesome, being concerned that it’s so close to home, or fearful for his and his wife’s safety. While Maddie is more focused on just how this place is decorated, “Jack, maybe this is a good thing. This place, it’s not threatening or even all that unpleasant. Creepy in a ghost kind of way but still”. Patting at her bag, “fairy lights are guides, white roses mean purity, thorns are a form of protection, crystal clear water is a sign it’s safe. Even this mist, it’s like a protective blanket of white and it sparkles faintly”. Eyeing her clearly confused husband, “the previous king was downright evil. With extra evil. Maybe...maybe that’s why ghost have always been evil and violent. Because their king was”.
Jack blinks a bit, turning back to the wall and patting it tentatively, “then maybe this one, isn’t? Isn’t evil?”. Both them can’t help but gape at the wall as if it holds all the answers. “Jack...Jack, this could change everything. We can’t, we can’t mess this up”, locking her eyes with him through their goggles, “if we see this ghost, we leave. If it shows up on the sensors, we leave. We can’t risk even the possibility of ghosts no longer being pure evil, for a conversation or to capture this ghost”. Maddie’s both less and more tense, as her husband nods curtly at her.
The mist is so thick by the time they find the door that they really can’t tell if there are any symbols on the, black with green graining, oak door. Maddie mutters quietly as she traces her hand over the grain, “oak for strength”. Turning to her husband who nods, so the pair push the door open slowly. Sticking her head in the first thing she notices is the massive Yew trees with glowing green leaves and black trunks lining the walls. Also spotting the blue daffodils peppering around the trunk bases, “death, rebirth, eternal life. I’m starting to think there’s nothing here without deeper meaning”. Jack mutters as he sticks his head in as well, “Death and life? I think you might be reading into it too m-”. Jack cuts himself off as he spots the throne. The sharp angular white and black frame is peppered with green and red stones, white flames appear to come off the back of it and blaze skyward. But that’s not what captures Jack’s attention and Maddie’s as well, as she picks up on his sudden silence. Sitting on the throne is Phantom, eyes closed and head resting on a closed fist. A black velvet cape, that looks to have a white lining, with white flames around the collar; adorns his shoulders. While a blazing green crown floats above his head. Both of them can tell that the mist is clearly wafting off of him as they gape.
Both of them slowly close the door and take a few slightly shaky steps back, looking back to each other before Jack promptly gets out the Speeder tracker and points the way back; through a couple wisteria trees.
The pair are silent for a while, Jack’s the one the break it as he laughs faintly, staring at some flowers that even he recognises. Maddie turns her head to him, slightly confused just before he speaks, “look, ghost orchids”. Maddie can’t help but laugh a little too as she crouches down and cups the flower, “definitely Phantom alright”. Deciding to take a picture of the rare flower, answering her husbands' quizzical stance, “it’s unlikely we’ll ever see another growing wild like this, even if it’s just a bunch of ectoplasm”. Shaking her head as they head off again, “Phantom just keeps getting stranger and stranger”.
Arriving at the Speeder, Maddie looks back at the mist covered lair, muttering, “maybe, we really were wrong about you. I kind of hope so”.
Bonus scene
Jack and Maddie sit at the kitchen table, Maddie mutters as she fiddles with her teacup, “I guess, we really shouldn’t be surprised. He defeated him after all, didn’t he”. Jack nods and leans forward on the table, “I think we should keep this to ourselves. Don’t want to scare the kiddies, specially since they all seem to love him so much”. Maddie simply nods as Danny finally gets up.
Both them can’t help but smile as they watch their son stretch and yawn, scratching at his messy hair, “it’s like eleven a.m.? What no ghost hunting or inventing?”.
“Naw Sweetie, today felt like a rest day. Sometimes even we need a break from all the craziness”
Danny smirks mischievously as he fetches himself some cereal, “yeah the world of ghost stuff sure seems like a wild ride. That’s Amity for you though, wouldn’t be surprised if the town was one big government secret. Or if half the residents or even ghosts here have crazy secrets and stories”. Jack can’t help but chuckle, Amity was weird but it was perfect for them.
Danny points his spoon humorously at them between bites, “and some secrets need to be kept and some stories should never be told, I’m sure”.
