AN: This is the sequel to She Called Herself Acrylic but it isn't necessary to read that first. Acrylic is my OC and I hope you enjoy this little story.
Late Night Artist
Danny sighed contently as he flew through the air, the cool night wind gently brushing his face and blowing his snow white hair back. It was a pretty light night on the ghost front for Danny as he patrolled Amity Park. Only the Box Ghost and some random ghost animals, all of which were safely captured in the thermos strapped to his back. Danny appreciated this time to relax and with luck, he would be able to get home before his curfew and possibly even catch up on his mountain of homework. Or sleep, a full night's sleep would be nice.
"You still with us Danny?" Tucker's voice came over his Fenton Phone.
"Yeah," Danny replied, refocusing on his task and searching the town below him. "Just got caught up in the moment."
"Just a little longer Danny," Sam assured. "We're almost done, then you can spend a little extra time flying."
"I know S-" Danny cut off with a gasp, the blue mist of his Ghost sense floating out in front of him.
"Was that your Ghost sense?" Sam asked, sounding more alert and serious.
"Yes," Danny confirmed as he came to a stop midair, looking around for any sign of the ghost. "But I'm not seeing anything obvious or familiar. It could be a new ghost."
"What about Skulker?" Tucker suggested. "It's been awhile since he's showed up and it's about time for him to make an appearance. He isn't always obvious when he's hunting you."
"But I've been floating still since my Ghost sense went off," Danny countered. "If it was Skulker he would have tried to shoot me out of the sky by now. No, it has to be a new ghost. And if they haven't confronted me right away, they're either scared or plotting an ambush."
"Do you want us to come meet you?" Sam asked.
"No. you two finish your patrols and then meet me. If this new ghost does pose a problem, the last thing I want is to be surprised by mother ghost running around while I'm dealing with it."
"Whatever you say, dude," Tucker replied. "We'll see you soon."
"Be careful Danny," Sam added.
"I will," Danny assured before turning off the Fenton Phone. He didn't want to be distracted in the most likely upcoming fight. Cautiously, Danny flew forward, looking around him when he finally spotted a ghostly glow to his right. Danny flew towards it, building an ectoblast in his hand in preparation. When he rounded the corner, he came to a sudden halt, his eyes widening, his jaw dropping, and the ectoblast dying off.
"Whoa," Danny breathed in amazement as he took in what he was seeing. The entire wall in front of him was painted, depicting a beautifully detailed view of Amity Park at sunset. The angle was one Danny was very familiar with, for it was one that could only be seen by flying in the air. Danny had often tried to describe the view to Sam and Tucker, as the air was too cold and thin at that height for them to be able to sit and appreciate it like he could, but he could never do it justice. "It's beautiful."
"Thanks," came the reply, drawing Danny's attention to the other figure for the first time. It was obviously a ghost, with light green skin, purple hair and glowing. It looked like a girl, only a few years older than Jazz. She was obviously the artist of the painting as her clothes were covered in paint and she was still working on it with her back towards Danny.
"I'm... almost... Done," the ghost declared happily, tucking her paintbrush behind her ear and floating back from her painting to admire it. "It was harder to do than I thought it would be, but I think it turned out great."
"Yeah," Danny couldn't help but agree. The ghost turned to Danny for the first time and let out a startled gasp. Danny tensed, watching the ghost for any signs of aggression or sudden moves now that she recognized him.
"You're the Halfa... Phantom," she said slowly, gazing at him with wide eyes. Danny nodded but didn't drop his guard. "That's so cool!"
Her enthusiastic response surprised Danny and he could only stare at her as she broke into a wide grin and floated closer, staring intensely at his face.
"You're younger than I'd thought you'd be, but I can work with it," she murmured, as she grabbed Danny's chin and tilted his head back and forth to examine his face from all angles. "Tan skin, brilliant green eyes, pure white hair. Boyish looking face but has the eyes of a seasoned warrior. I can defiantly work with that if I can capture it just right."
"What? What are you talking about?" Danny asked as he pulled his chin from her grasped and floated backward in an attempt to put distance between them. Though the ghost confused him and made him a little uncomfortable, Danny could sense no ill intent coming from the ghost and he couldn't bring himself to attack her at the moment. The ghost didn't seem to notice Danny's discomfort and began circling with occasionally holding one of his limbs to examine it more closely.
"Thin... but sturdy," the ghost said to herself as she went about her examination. "Not your expected superhero build, but I like it. I love the logo but am not thrilled by the black and white theme as I usually like more colors. But it's okay, maybe I can think of it a symbol for how a hero views the world or something."
"Excuse me," Danny said in frustration, finally having enough. He pushed the ghost away and floated farther back. "Look, I'm flattered you find me interesting, but I'm not comfortable with some strange ghost treating me like a living mannequin!"
"Oh-h r-right, sorry," the ghost stuttered slightly, blushing from embarrassment. "I just get so caught up in my ideas sometimes... Anyway, I'm Acrylic. I'm an artist and I was wondering if you would be willing to pose for a few paintings."
"Um..."
"Nothing extreme I assure you! I just think it would be really cool to paint a real superhero and I just want to make sure I paint you accurately. You wouldn't' have to do a whole lot and you could quit if you feel uncomfortable and..."
"I'll... I'll think about it," Danny replied, cutting of Acrylic's nervous babble. Danny was baffled by this whole situation. Not only was Acrylic not here to fight him or cause trouble, but was asking him nicely for a favor. He ideally thought his life must be really screwed up if he's so confused by someone not trying to kill him.
"Thanks," Acrylic sighed relief, holding her pallet close. "You don't have to answer right away, but I'd really appreciate it if you did. Anyway, I should get going..."
"Back to the Ghost Zone?" Danny questioned. While Acrylic didn't seem dangerous, he didn't want her floating around town freely yet. Not only could she possibly harm humans, she would be in danger of all the ghost hunters around if she wasn't careful.
"Not yet," Acrylic replied with a slight shake of her head. "I want to see if I can find an art gallery or a museum around here and see if I can work out some kind of deal to have them display my paintings."
"Wait," Danny called, stopping Acrylic from flying off. "They're probably closed by this time of night. And even if they weren't, a lot of people around her are terrified of ghosts."
"Oh," Acrylic said quietly, her glow dimming in sadness. "But I only want people to be able to enjoy my paintings. If I can't even talk to anyone...What am going to do?"
"Well..." Danny began, rubbing the back of his neck as he thought of what he could do. "I have a human friend with a lot of connections. Maybe I could ask her to help you out."
"Really?" Acrylic asked, looking at Danny hopefully.
"Yeah," Danny replied with a small smile, silently praying that Sam wouldn't kill him for this. "If you give me your paintings, I could get them to her and she could arrange to have them viewed."
"Oh Thank you!" Acrylic cried, embracing Danny in a tight hug much to his surprise. "Thank you! Thank you so much! I'll never be able to thank you enough for this."
"Don't thank me yet," Danny said, prying Acrylic off of him. "I still need to talk to her and set everything up, but it shouldn't be a problem."
"How should I get my paintings to you? Do you want to set up a time for me to bring you some here in the human world? Or do you want to come pick them up from my lair in the Ghost Zone?"
"Um... it'd probably be better if we come to the Ghost Zone. How do we get to your lair?"
"Hm..." Acrylic looked around briefly before picking up a small rock. Taking her paintbrush out of her hair, she painted the rock white and it began to glow. "Here, I infused the rock with my energy. It should be able to guide you to my lair."
"Thanks," Danny said as he took the rock.
"No, thank you," Acrylic beamed, floating up. "I better get home. It was great to meet you, Danny. Hope I see you soon!"
"Bye Acrylic," Danny called as she flew off into the night. Danny spoke his head in amusement and wonder as he too took off into the night to meet up with his friends. Sam and Tucker would never believe him.