Anniversary
"Isn't 'anniversary' just a mix between 'annoying' and 'adversary'?"
The break of silence wasn't enough to avert Clockwork's full attention from his usual job of watching over the timeline. "I think you mean to ask whether it is the portmanteau of those words?"
Danny hummed. "If that means mix, then yeah."
"Simplified, yes. But no, it's not. The word 'anniversary' derived from the Latin term 'annus', meaning year, and 'versus', 'a turning' - therefore used to describe something that returns yearly, such as a birthday."
"Or a deathday?"
This time, Clockwork paused. If he had been human, Danny imagined he would have inhaled sharply before holding his breath for a moment. "I assume you haven't forgotten about it, have you?" Clockwork sighed, regrettably, setting his staff to the side and letting the image on the glass in front of him fade away. "As the day and the manner one has died was often a very traumatic experience, ghosts do not celebrate their... 'death day'."
"I don't want to celebrate it," Danny quickly rushed, but Clockwork held up a hand and he went quiet.
"However, it is important to acknowledge and respect this day. It is a part of you, just like the day you came into existence was for the human you."
Danny frowned, crossing his arms. "But the human me is still me. I'm still the same me, just not- not..."
Clockwork must have understood his struggle and gently picked up where he'd trailed off. "Not biologically, correct. Your soul is still the same, it's content hasn't changed - it's form, however, has."
"I don't like this subject, can we talk about something else, please?"
The smile he received was enough to wash away the uncomfortable thoughts for the moment and by tomorrow, he would be ready to fight the annoying adversary that was his death day.