TUESDAY 6 AM
Danny was startled awake by a loud thumping. Suddenly he found himself in a tangle of limbs that weren't his own. He went intangible, pulling himself up and out of the mess. Sam and Tucker were becoming awake just like he had, startled looks on their faces. Yet another knock drew Danny's gaze to the door. He blinked at it for a moment, and glanced around at his surroundings. The pieces fell into place probably a bit later than they should have, but he was tired, ok?
Danny floated over to the door and opened it. A rather annoyed-looking Briar floated outside.
"Truly, you are not even dressed?" If they had a nose, their nostrils would be flaring. They turned and averted their gaze.
Danny looked down at his clothes. An oversized t-shirt and gym shorts. So what? It was just his PJs.
Briar pushed past Danny and strode off into the room.
"Do all humans sleep this late?! You must get absolutely nothing done." Their voices turned muffled as they disappeared into the closet. Well then.
"Whaz'zat?" Tucker slurred. He wiped at a bit of dried drool in the corner of his mouth.
"My alarm clock, apparently." Danny yawned and stretched. His joints snap-crackle-popped.
Sam poked her head up out of the pile of pillows she'd surrounded herself with. Her hair was a wild mess. "What time even is it?" She rubbed at her eyes. Tucker grabbed his watch from the nightstand.
"Back home it's only seven thirty. We didn't get to bed until two." Tucker looked disgusted as he read the numbers aloud.
"Sorry dude, but I'm going back to bed." He pulled the blanket back up to his shoulders and turned the other way.
Briar returned a moment later.
"I selected an outfit that should be acceptable." They said and left as quickly as they'd come. If there was one word to describe them, it'd be efficient. Which was kinda their thing, so, fair.
Danny floated sleepily into the closet, closing the door behind them. The outfit Briar had selected floated slightly in the middle of the room, glowing under a slight pink hue that must be Briar's. It was an odd sight to see, but Danny had seen much stranger. As long as it didn't come to life, all would be good. The glow dissipated after Danny grabbed the clothes.
The outfit was on a different level to what Sam and Tucker had tried on yesterday. There were so many frills and buckles that Danny felt like he was drowning. Was this gonna be expected of him each day?
Danny had just shrugged on the overcoat when someone cleared their throat behind him.
He jolted into action, palms pooling readily with ectoplasm. A snarl formed in his throat as he whipped around. Danny was ready to throw hands.
"I wasn't aware you hated me to that extent." Clockwork floated there, smugly. He was in teenager form.
Danny sighed harshly. The blasts in his hands dissolved, most of the energy returning to his core.
"I don't like you." He replied. Danny crossed his arms.
"What are you even doing here? I was getting changed, y'know!" He shouted indignantly.
"I see all," Clockwork shrugged.
"And I mean all."
They were rewarded with a (rather overcomplicated) boot to the face. Or would have been, if it didn't simply pass through them and land uselessly on the floor with a thump. It didn't even wipe the look off their face. A true crime.
"I do not wanna think about that right now, no thanks." Danny shuddered.
"Why are you really here, aside from being kind of a creep?"
"You seemed to be having some troubles." They gestured to Danny's outfit.
"I don't need any help, and certainly not from you." Huffed Danny. He didn't want to deal with Clockwork any more than he already had to.
"If that's what you want. I'll be waiting outside your door, I'm guiding you to your first lesson." With that he went poof. There one instant, gone the next. It was jarring. But Danny was beginning to grow accustomed.
Danny struggled for a moment more, trying to decide what was layered where. He got everything where he thought it should be, and glanced in the mirror.
'I look like a doofus.' He thought immediately. But Briar wouldn't lead him wrong, right? Ugh, he hoped so. Just to make himself better, and because he wanted to, Danny stole one of Sam's capes. A bit better.
Sam whistled when Danny came back into the main room.
"You'd be the star of any high school play with that outfit," She remarked.
"You started this." Danny pointed at her and narrowed his eyes. She just smiled and rolled over, burying herself back into the pillows.
Danny grabbed his phone from the nightstand and, despite his loathing, finally left the room. Sam and Tucker shouted their sleepy goodbyes as he ran out the door. It left a pep in Danny's step, despite his soured mood.
Clockwork floated ominously outside.
TUESDAY 7 AM
"You have to do this alone." Clockwork said suddenly.
"What?" Danny was confused.
"This is your responsibility. Not theirs." He said. Clockwork shifted into child form. The world around them faded out of focus. Time was stopped in its tracks. Danny's heart pounded in his chest.
"They won't always be there for you. You need to learn to rely on yourself." Clockwork reached out a hand and titled Danny's chin up. Their eyes met. Danny pulled back.
"You must stand alone." Was the last thing they said.
Time snapped back into motion, and Danny finally felt like he could breathe. His heart still pounded- or was that his core? Whatever. It took a minute for Clockwork's words to sink in. Why would he say Danny had to do this alone? What was so bad about a support structure?
Clockwork was gone, and now Danny stood before a set of doors. He looked around for Clockwork but didn't see the Time Spirit anywhere. Instead, the only person in sight was Briar. They didn't seem to be aware he was there.
Briar didn't even look up from their tapping foot until Danny began to fidget with his hands. Their expression was painted with surprise for just a moment, before it was quickly wiped away.
"You're here faster than expected. Which is to be expected." They nodded to themself. They looked Danny over. He shifted from foot to foot, conscious of their investigation.
Briar nodded in approval. Danny didn't expect anything more.
"Thank-you for guiding his majesty," The title gave Danny goosebumps, but Briar wasn't addressing him, so- Danny whipped around to see that Clockwork was back. 'Ugh!' Danny wanted to punch him!
"It was my pleasure." Clockwork said politely. He reached for his staff and then poofed. Right as Danny had been debating the 'legality' of trying to sock the Ancient of Time in their already-crooked nose.
Briar didn't waste any more time for pleasantries, and opened the door in front of them.
It wasn't the same as the library Danny had visited with Sam and Tucker on the first tour. This one was smaller, and half the room was populated by desks and tables. At one of these was Ghostwriter, who was surrounded by books and typing away on a laptop.
Danny and Briar went unnoticed. He seemed to be very focused. Danny stayed awkwardly by the doorway but Briar went right up to the table Ghostwriter was working at. They effortlessly picked up a stack of books in one hand then abruptly turned their hand intangible, making the books slam against the tabletop.
Ghostwriter jumped, glasses sent askew and mug of coffee spilling a few drops onto the floor. He just barely saved himself from falling off of his chair. It took him a moment to realize who exactly had intruded on his space, and his eyes met Danny's for a moment. Ghostwriter looked dead tired, no joke. There were deep bags under his bruised eyes.
"F- it's time already?" Ghostwriter started. He looked up at Briar, who nodded curtly.
"I'll return to retrieve you at noon." Briar said before phasing through the floor.
Danny didn't move. But neither did 'writer. They were at an impasse. Danny had counted on Briar's presence being what would break the ice. But he probably should've expected they wouldn't stick around. They didn't tend to indulge in pleasantries or small talk very often. But their all-business attitude was likely why they were chosen for this role.
"How'd Dora get you into doing this?" Danny asked, tone sarcastic.
"Unlike some, I appreciate the majesty of books and storytelling. And it just so happens the libraries here hold a large number of them that haven't been read in centuries." Ghostwriter stood up and brushed off his coat.
He was rather dressed up, compared to the outfit Danny had seen him in last. His purple trench coat was replaced with a waistcoat in the same color, with some black embroidery on the front. He still wore a scarf but it was now draped over his shoulders, probably because of the poofy white thing around his neck. It was tucked into the black vest under his coat. His black hair even looked kind of styled compared to last time, and was in a small ponytail much like Danny's. He still looked like he'd been dragged through the mud, though.
"You look like shit." Danny said honestly. Hey, maybe Briar's bluntness was wearing off on him. The tortured sigh that dragged out of 'writer was music to his ears. The bubble of nervousness popped, for the most part. There might not be any fists flying but Danny still enjoyed banter.
"For both of our sake's, I'm just gonna ignore that." Ghostwriter reclined in his chair, sparing a glance back to the laptop. Huh.
Danny walked up to the other side of the table. Cheekily he pushed the laptop further open so he could see the screen. All he got was that it was open to a word processor before Ghostwriter slammed it shut.
"After what happened last time you aren't even getting a peek at my writing." He said bitterly. Danny figured that was about the reaction he'd get.
"How'd you get a laptop? How's it charged?" Danny questioned. He leaned forward to see stickers plastered across the top of the computer. There were various band logos, a rainbow flag, some basic transparent flowers, and one of a white wolf howling at the moon, and another of a trashcan on fire. Hm.
"I paid for it, for your information. And I bought the charger from Technus."
"Technus sells stuff?"
"Yes. Are you just gonna keep asking inane questions?"
"Not entirely sure what that word means, but using context clues I'm guessing my answer should be yes. Aren't you supposed to be my teacher, anyways?"
"Sadly." Ghostwriter deadpanned. He picked up the computer and stuck it in a bag that was sitting on the floor next to him. Danny collapsed in a chair opposite 'writer.
"What should I call you? Ghostwriter is a mouthful. I'll use it if you want, it's just an awful lot to say."
"You can call me… Andrew. If you must. It's one of the pseudonyms I write under."
"You're not getting my life name, if that's what you were asking for." He -Andrew- pushed a stack of books off to the side. He lined up a set of ball-point pens and popped open the lid of an ink bottle, paired with a quill fountain pen. It was like mixing centuries, all of the items looked funny together like that.
It was like how Danny felt in these clothes, like he'd traveled back in time but he was still distinctly aware that it wasn't his era.
'The curtains were blue' be like. Maybe Danny should be the writer.
"Life name?" Danny asked with less attitude this time. Ghostwri- Andrew raised a brow.
"The name a ghost had when they were alive." At Danny's confused look, he continued.
"Haven't you ever wondered why people call you Phantom, even when your name is public knowledge?"
Danny shrugged.
"I thought it was just out of respect for the whole secret identity thing, and then it stuck."
"Life names are almost the same kind of taboo as obsessions, but not as serious as asking how someone died."
"Life names carry a lot of power. Nowadays anyone with a computer can use it to find your body. That's one of the worst things you can do, mess with another ghost's body. Some also think it has some spiritual connotations, but I'm not sure how much I buy into that." Andrew talked animatedly, waving his hands in the air.
"Some have a human name, like Andrew, but others just have the wacky ones that you've probably heard. It's all personal preference."
"That makes sense." Said Danny.
"Are there any other taboos like that?" He questioned. They continued talking like that, Andrew explaining many other things Danny either hadn't noticed or just never thought to question.
Danny called their meeting an overall win, considering the circumstances that surrounded them. Andrew was actually pretty fun to talk to. He was a know-it-all, but the good kind. The ones that were willing to teach you all the stuff that was crammed into their skull, instead of lording it over you that they knew everything. Danny counted Andrew as a good ally.
He would make a really good teacher.