𝕰𝖈𝖙𝖔𝖇𝖊𝖗𝖍𝖆𝖚𝖓𝖙 2021_Day 31 [Treat]
~"Danny's favorite constellation" Headcanon from floralflowerpower's post & "Pendragon"~
Category: Heavy Astronomy, Fluff, Friendship.
Trigger Warning: Sharks.
𝕯𝖆𝖞 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖗𝖙𝖞 𝖔𝖓𝖊: 𝕴𝖓𝖘𝖔𝖒𝖓𝖎𝖆
Adhara had been eager to be transferred to the Amity Park Observatory for her internship, because from the town's latitude, her favorite constellation could be visible all year long and she could study all the objects inside of it, in hope to discover anything new or exciting.
What she hadn't expected were the night visitors, though.
Sure, at least once a month the Observatory hosted some events to promote its activities and get some donations, but in between the parties not many casual people or amateur astronomers visited the building…
Or, at least, not in the traditional way.
It took two months for Adhara to notice that something was amiss on the observatory's dome at least two times a week. When she asked her supervisor about that light interference, the man laughed and commented how it was "about time" for her to become aware of their resident friendly poltergeist.
At her bewildered and uncomprehending thousand light-years stare, the supervisor chuckled harder, then he checked the clock and made her accompany him to the roof of the observatory, to the ledge that leaded to the dome.
Lo and behold, on the white half-sphere, Phantom, the hero of Amity, was laying with his arms crossed behind his head, one leg propped on the knee of the other, and staring at the deep black expanse of the sky.
His green eyes seemed to scan the darkness, as if he was searching for something in an unhurried way, his posture relaxed, so it was evident that there weren't any immediate dangers.
The supervisor explained that not long after his first appearance in the public eye, Phantom had shown up one night and had politely asked if he could "hang out" near the telescope, since it was the best observation point.
The man had looked at this dead kid (with lightly glowing green freckles that seemed constellations), who seemed to implore him with the most genuine "Puppy Eyes of Doom™" the man had ever seen, and he had caved.
On one condition: no ghost fight allowed around and inside the building.
Phantom had promised that no harm would befell on this place and its workers with a so solemn tone that the supervisor had only heard in official ceremonies.
(That had made the spectral kid get brownie points with every Observatory workers, when the man told them of the encounter… Probably they even became Phantom's first adult fans before "it was cool".)
Since up until now he had kept his promise, Phantom was always welcome to haunt the building.
However, when he showed up four nights in a row, Adhara knew that something was wrong and that she needed to stage an intervention.
How couldn't she? Every time she had checked on him (since he had become the Observatory mascot) the bags under his eyes had deepened and the fights during the following day had been sloppy. She wasn't an expert in Ecto-biology like many claimed to be, but Adhara knew sleep deprivation when she saw it, so here she was, "coffee" thermos in her hoodie front pouch and two plastic mugs in her lab coat pockets, descending the ladder that led to the observatory dome to reach the ghost boy. She then carefully climbed up after touching down and plopped herself down beside him, getting barely a glance from his apathetic and otherwise motionless face.
Adhara stared at him, contemplating what to do, then she pocked his cheek with an index, squishing his glowing (soft) flesh in a funny expression.
That seemed to partially shake the boy from whatever trance he had descended, because he frowned at her. ‒ What are you doing? ‒ He murmured, but didn't try to move away from the offending finger.
‒ See if there are still signs of intelligent life on this planet. ‒ She answered without missing a beat. ‒ I think I'll call it Phantom Planet since it appears in sporadic patterns… Well, now it's more regular, so maybe there's a scientific explanation. I wanted to research first hand. ‒ She squished again his cheek, but this time an eyebrow rose.
‒ You are aware that I'm dead, right? ‒ The teenage spirit emphasized, but still didn't move a muscle.
‒ Alive, dead, whatever. Here in Amity Park there's a thin divide between them. ‒ Adhara waved him off. ‒ In my observations you exist, I just have to determinate your class and magnitude. To see if you're really a planet, or in fact a star, asteroid or a comet. So, do you wanna help or do you want to remain a UAO¹*? ‒ She teased him, sparking a flame in those aurora borealis-green eyes.
‒ Oh, I'm definitely a quasar. ‒ He puffed out, trying to strut a bit.
Adhara just hummed contemplatively. ‒ You, an extremely luminous galactic nucleus? With a massive Black Hole at the center? Please Phantom, if you are an Astronomical Object, you'd be a YSO²*, either a Nebula or a Proto-star. ‒ She pocked him again, but this time he reacted, letting her finger phase through his cheek. She startled at the tingling sensation, eep-ing, but then she grinned in challenge.
‒ A Nebula?! ‒ He spluttered, sitting up. Now, that was the reaction Adhara had been looking for. ‒ I'm at least a whole yellow dwarf³*, thank you very much. ‒ He protested.
‒ Oh, really? Then where do you get the fuel to burn like the Sun? From those deep bags under your eyes? ‒ The young woman fished the thermos and the cups from her pockets and thrust one of the latter between the hands of the teenager. Before he could protest, she poured the contents of the thermos in his mug and did the same with hers. Adhara didn't say a thing as she relished the taste of honeyed chamomile, while observing their mascot eye confusedly the pale blond liquid. As his hesitance went on, she metaphorically prodded him. ‒ Com'on Phantom, I saw you down an entire hotdog when the chief offered it to you few weeks ago, I know that you are able to eat. ‒ She paused as a realization came to her. ‒ Or are you allergic to chamomile?
‒ Oh. Oh! Not at all, just… I wasn't expecting it, that's all. ‒ He took a sip, then a whole gulp, seemingly relax a bit. ‒ …Thank you.
‒ Anytime. ‒ Adhara smiled at the partial accomplishment of her mission. ‒ So, what were you searching for under this Moon-less sky? Since you started to come here as soon as the New Moon began, I presume you haven't found your target yet.
Phantom sighed and the exhaustion he had been keeping at bay up until now peeked through his wary motions. A shudder shook his frame, like a tremble from a not-existing cold breeze (they were in early Fall), but he made no action to acknowledge it, just looked around as if avoiding her gaze.
‒ The only target I need is sleep, unfortunately. I haven't been able to settle down and rest lately. ‒ He admitted after a beat.
‒ Well, what do you know: even stars have insomnia after all. ‒ The astronomer slowly and carefully (to let Phantom decide if it was okay) reached out and gently ruffled the other's hair, making his eyelids blink slowly in response. ‒ You come to the Observatory to pass the nighttime by doing something that may relax you, don't you?
‒ …Yeah, I always loved the stars since I could remember. Wanted to be an astronaut, even. The Observatory is the only place beside my Lair that I feel safe in. ‒ Phantom whispered, eyes closed, as two teal see-through shapes as big as cats emerged from the concrete of the dome and swam around the two of them placidly.
‒ Uhhgh, Phantom? Are these two ghost sharks friends of yours? ‒ Adhara eyed them nervously. The boy lazily lifted his eyelids at half-mast and hummed, parting one of his hands from the mug to caress the flank of the nearest spectral shark. The dead animal didn't seem to mind, in fact it even circled back to be stroked on the other side as well.
‒ Yeah, sharks are just big sea-puppies when they don't feel threatened. I think that these came to say hi. ‒ Phantom's smile was slow but genuine and heartfelt, as if the chamomile and the hair ruffling was taking effect. Well, if he didn't feel in danger, why would she?
Experimentally, Adhara left her empty mug on the dome and gradually extended a hand to the second baby shark, which swam to curiously approach her. Imitating the spectral teen, she stayed away from the gills and caressed its upper fin and back, evidently doing it right, because the fish came back for more.
The young woman giggled at the sight and kept on, but decided to try and continue the conversation. If she managed to distract Phantom from whatever was keeping him up at night long enough to make him fall asleep, she would have counted it as a huge success. ‒ So, any favorite objects up there in the sky?
‒ I made my parents read me the myths behind constellations as bedtime stories when I was a kid. Well, more my sister, since they were always so busy. ‒ Phantom revealed absent-mindedly. ‒ However when I started reading and buying astronomic journals, my favorite became the Leo Minor. It doesn't have a story, you know? Too small and recent to create one. But the deep-sky objects inside it are so interesting…! ‒ He exhaled and beamed in a tired excitement, looking up at the astronomer. ‒ What's yours?
‒ Draco, but you'll think it's lame why. ‒ Adhara muttered sheepishly. The boy nudged her playfully to encourage her, while rubbing the nose of "his" shark. ‒ Okay, I was already passionate about astronomy and I read all the myths on the constellations as well, but the one about the dragon wasn't "that exciting" in comparison to others. ‒ Phantom nodded along, following the tale. ‒ But like… ten years ago this movie came out and gave it another meaning, so now it's my favorite.
‒ …Movie? ‒ The teen frowned sleepily, as if trying to connect the dots.
‒ …Yeeeah, it was called "DragonHeart". ‒ Adhara admitted reluctantly. ‒ The constellation is supposed to be the dragons' heaven.
‒ …Oh! That's nice. ‒ The freckles brightened along with his smile, making her heart melt at how adorable the hero of the town was behaving. She felt ready to slay (metaphorically) whoever would have tried to diss him in the future.
‒ Yeah… Hey, Phantom, do you want to listen to me blather about my research? I'm studying the objects inside that constellation, so maybe you're interested. ‒ Adhara proposed. Perhaps with the white noise of her ramble, he would nod off more easily.
The boy hummed in assent, trying to perk up because he was interested, but as soon as the researcher was deep in explaining the readings on the Cat's Eye Nebula⁴*, he mercifully surrendered himself to sleep.
Adhara noticed that the goal had been reached, but she softly kept on, both for practicing her speeches and to maintain the white noise. (Plus she would never shirk shark petting when they behaved like affection-starved sea-puppies.)
Amity Park Observatory's little quasar deserved some help to fight off the raging insomnia and it was the staff's sworn duty to aid him in his quest.
¹* Unknown Astronomical Object.
²* Young Stellar Object.
³* Official category of the Sun.
⁴* Nebula shaped like a cat eye and that belongs to the Draco constellation.
A/N. I couldn't fit in reasonably within the story, so Background Time about the OC: Adhara is the daughter of Brazilian immigrates that came to US and her name was chosen to homage the Tocatins state (part of the Brazilian confederation), whose symbol star is indeed "Adhara" and is represented in the country's flag.
So, yeah, one of the reasons that she and Danny get along like a house on fire is because they get to nerd out on astronomy, since her fate was sealed due to her starry name.
("Let Danny have Astronomy Nerd Friends"-2021.)
About the "Leo Minor as Favorite Constellation Headcanon": when Floral came up with it and explained her reasoning in this post, I realized that it was so perfect that it would be a criminal offense to change it, so I borrowed it and this is my disclaimer.
As for the Draco… That was me projecting. Hard. Like Adhara explained, the Greek Myth isn't very enthusiastic, but the "DragonHeart" saga was one of my favorites of my childhood… And the Cat's Eye Nebula is so gorgeous, you should check that out!
("Sharks are sea-puppies"-Change my Mind.)
And with this "Domestic Phantoms" is concluded.
Thank you all for following me in this adventure and thanks to the Mods of Ectoberhaunt for conjuring the Banishment Rites for us to play with.
I definitely had fun, despaired and struggled, but it was SO worth it! (ﾉΦωΦ)ﾉ
So Thank you Floralflowerpower, Kawaiijohn and Summerssixecho!
Hope you got to enjoy the event, even if you were overworked by our submission. (シ_ _)シ
Will I participate to "Día de (Medio) Muertos" on November 2nd?
Who knows, maybe with a repost on Ao3 (if that counts), sooooo… (｡•̀ᴗ-) Type ya soon!