Ah, the end of the school year... No more students... At least until I teach summer school in July XD. I'm going to try posting earlier in the day in the next few weeks. Fingers crossed.
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Chapter 242: Jazz Has Swords Now
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"You want me on the official delegation to the president?" asked Jazz.
"Why do you sound so surprised about that?" asked Danny.
"I just thought you'd be, uh. More overprotective."
"More overprotective?" asked Danny, archly.
"Exactly," said Jazz. "It seems impossible, and yet."
"Well," said Danny, rolling his eyes. "To be honest, I was still debating asking you, until yesterday. Because, I mean, if the government, the US government, is still working with the GIW, it'll be really, really dangerous. Or if they're just being, you know, jerks. As per usual. Still dangerous. Then Themis showed me something that I think could help. Or at least helped with my decision. Might not help with yours, of course."
"I decided as soon as you asked me," said Jazz. "It's kind of a dream, to go to the White House as someone important. At the time I was thinking I'd go there as something more like the first woman president, or as a senator or something like that. I did replace that dream with being a neurosurgeon, and then with being a psychologist. Kind of… more realistic dreams."
"Much more realistic than being a diplomat for ghosts."
"For the ghost king," corrected Jazz, elbowing Danny. "Prestigious."
Danny giggled and lightly shoved her back. Was it weird that, under these circumstances, they were acting more their age than they had for months? Definitely. Did he care? Nope. He needed the relief, however momentary.
"Did you ask Ellie, too?"
"Yes, but she wants to stay to work on our siblings."
Jazz nodded and sighed as they started down the stairs. "Who else is coming? Do you know yet?"
"Other than Sojourn? I don't know yet. I'm actually hoping to get Wes and at least one other person from Amity to join, too. Possibly someone with a minimal record of terrorizing the city… I was thinking about asking Dora, but she has her kingdom to run. Possibly Johnny and Kitty, too, since they know more about humans."
"But less about diplomacy."
"That's true," admitted Danny. "Thinking about maybe tapping one of the advocates, too." He shrugged. "I don't know enough about who's good at diplomacy in the Ghost Zone. I only know the fight-y people."
"Oh my gosh, Danny. Please, use a real word. I'm begging you."
"I will not."
Jazz huffed. "Where are we going, anyway?"
"Evidence storage," said Danny, cheerfully. He jumped off the last step.
"Why?" asked Jazz.
"Do you remember the sword Issitoq had? Hi, Orthosie, how are you?"
"Yes," said Jazz. "Vaguely."
"I'm doing well, thank you, my lord. Lady Themis told me you would be coming. Shall I show you in?"
"Yes, please," said Danny.
The door to the evidence room looked, like most of Libra, like a strange cross between modern law enforcement and ancient Greek aesthetics. That is to say, the room was a sort of cage, easy for the person watching it to look in and make sure no one was going in or out who shouldn't have been, and the lock was formidable, but it was also a very nicely decorated cage. There were murals on the walls. The floor was marble. The bars were carved.
The bars were also glowing, but that was typical for the Ghost Zone. Hardly worthy of mention.
"Danny."
"Mhm?"
"What happened to Issitoq, anyway?"
"I think Themis, um, ended him."
"What? Just like that?"
"Yeah. I mean, this is her lair, and he was trespassing and trying to kill her guests, so…"
"But no trial?"
Danny shrugged. "I know it isn't how humans do things, at least not now, but back in Greece, I mean, attacking guests of your host was not a good thing. Breaking hospitality. Serious business."
"I know. I'm just a bit surprised at the lack of due process."
"Here we are," said Orthosie, gesturing at a sword resting on top of a counter. It wasn't lying flat on the counter, but was raised up by little stands, so that the blade was at an angle.
"So," said Jazz.
"It's sentient," said Danny.
"Oh. Yeah. That makes much more sense. Hello, there," said Jazz, obviously already planning on interviewing the sword and using it for a case study. "My name is Jazz. What's yours?"
The sword didn't respond. Jazz looked at Danny.
"Yeah, sentient doesn't mean 'speaks English.'"
"That's fair," said Jazz.
"Go ahead and pick them up."
"Um?"
"They want to go with you, to apologize for letting Issitoq use them. Although apparently, that was because Issitoq was threatening their friend. Wielder? It was a weird conversation. Can I even call it a conversation? There weren't really a lot of words."
"More feelings? Impressions? Images?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
"Okay," said Jazz. "If you think this isn't going to wind up with my brain getting eaten…" She rolled up one of her sleeves and picked up the sword.
After about a minute, Jazz carefully put the sword back down.
"Danny?"
"Yes?"
"What did you say this sword was called."
"Calesvol."
"Cales – Danny, that's the name Excalibur is derived from!"
"Yes, so?"
"You can't just introduce someone to Excalibur with no lead up."
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Jazz had a sword now.
Or the sword had her. Honestly, she wasn't certain of the phraseology in this particular situation. Still. Sword. Magic, sentient, sword. Very cool.
Not that she actually knew how to use a sword. Not really. Not beyond play fighting (and, no, her skill with the Fenton Bat and the Fenton Bo Staff didn't count; they didn't have blades). Except that wasn't a problem, apparently, when this sword was involved.
She still wanted to get in a few lessons in before she left. Her understanding was that Danny was pretty good with a sword, but he was also obscenely busy, so… She was searching for the other sword-wielding people she knew.
Damien popped out from around the corner. "Found her!"
"Hello," said Jazz, waving slightly. "You were looking for me?"
"Yes, Dad was looking for you."
"W – Dad?"
Fright Knight came around the corner.
Jazz blinked. "That was fast," she said. "So, the adoption is official, now?"
Fright Knight tilted his head back and gave off the best impression of beaming, despite his face being completely obscured.
"It doesn't need to be official, silly," said Damien tilting his head. "Do humans really have paperwork for everything? Is it as terrifying as I've heard? What is the best way to give someone a heart attack with paperwork?"
"Have lots of money ride on it," responded Jazz. "What's up, guys? Why were you looking for me?"
"Yep!" said Damien. "We heard about the sword."
Jazz smiled. "You heard that I was looking for sword fighting lessons?"
"No!" exclaimed Damien, grinning hugely.
"No," said Fright Knight, more calmly. "But I cannot let you go armed with only one, ahem, British sword." He drew his sword. "Take my Soulshredder with you as well," he continued, holding it out to Jazz hilt first.
Jazz took it, gingerly. When Fright Knight let go, she dropped the point about of foot. "So," she said. "Now I have two swords. And I don't know how to use either. Um. I don't suppose you give lessons."
"He's been giving me lessons!" said Damien.
Fright Knight seemed to be thinking. Hard. "Anything for my king!" he decided, finally.
"He's still going by prince," Jazz felt compelled to say.
"We'll cure him of that yet!"
"Yeah!" said Damien, brandishing a fist.
"Oh, good, you've picked up proper younger sibling behavior," said Jazz. "Remember, only use your newfound sibling powers on Danny."
Damien saluted. "I will use them on whoever I want, big sis!"
"You're definitely picking up younger sibling behavior. Good job, little brother. You're a fast learner."
"Thanks, that means a lot from you!"
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"What about," suggested Danny as he leaned forward and balanced his chin on his pressed together fingers, "Ember. I mean, I can't help but feel like it's a terrible idea, but at least she's someone I know, and someone who won't be completely lost when interacting with human."
Clockwork leaned forward, one hand out and reaching towards Danny in something like appeasement or comfort. "It is a terrible idea. Not as bad as Kitty and Johnny, but still bad."
"Great," said Danny. "That's why I'm not making decisions."
"It's alright," said Pandora. "You're still learning, don't feel bad."
"You just need to meet more people," said Frostbite. "More… responsible people. Who aren't teenagers."
"I thought Ember was in, like, her early twenties. Except I guess that there was that whole, you know, 'I hate adults' thing she had going on with Youngblood." Did that make the fact she was dating Skulker weird? Skulker had never been human…
Wait. Skulker was a six-inch-tall blob. That made it weird enough without looking too deeply into other things.
"Hm, she is popular with the teens," said Mr. Lancer.
"She looks eighteen to me," said Moneta.
"Do you even know who we're talking about?" asked Pandora.
"No. I'm not sure why we're still talking about it."
"I think," said Mr. Foley, hesitantly, "some of that may extend to Wesley Weston, as well."
"Oh," said Danny, "yeah, I guess he's pretty young."
"Not that he shouldn't be included at all," clarified Mr. Foley, hurriedly.
"Actually," said Mrs. Foley, nudging her husband, slightly. "We think we should talk more about Amity Park in general. I think we were both rather taken aback to even, hm, be here at the last meeting, and didn't really… contribute, very much."
"You mean, like, the food issue?" asked Danny, tipping his head. "Or the shield? Or, just, including people from there, more?" Amity Park, having been the major focus of his Obsession for years, was rarely far from Danny's mind. "I can't really do anything about the shield. Not if there are still GIW out there, waiting to drop bombs." He made a face. "Or if the US government is feeling antsy about us and decides better safe than sorry. Or however politicians think."
"Everyone here is technically a politician," said Moneta. "This is boring, can we talk about our finances, yet?"
There were various noises of distaste.
"It isn't about the shield," said Mrs. Foley, finally. "It's about, well. What exactly is Amity Park's political position going to be after this? Are you going to try to annex us? Make us legally part of the Ghost Zone? What if people don't want to be part of this, er, country? Kingdom? How is this going to work?"
Danny blinked, slowly. Amity Park was his, there shouldn't be any question about that, and it didn't matter if it was American or not.
But it did matter. Other people would care.
He'd slipped too far into a ghostly perspective. He hadn't even considered some of the things Mrs. Foley had just brought up.
"I suppose I shouldn't count Amity Park among our resources, then," drawled Moneta, who, honestly, was far too comfortable with everything right now.
"It's alright, Danny," said Mr. Lancer, "it's like Mr. Clockwork said, you're new to this."
"So are we," mumbled Mr. Foley, before receiving an elbow to his ribs, courtesy of his wife.
"You know, you could literally make Amity Park part of the Infinite Realms," said Clockwork.
"What, like what Pariah Dark did?"
"It will be within your power, although I would not recommend making a place you care about keeping intact your test run."
"That's ominous," said Danny, trying not to feel too tempted. "But, no. I think we have to ask everyone who lives in Amity Park what they want to do, first. Take a vote, or something. Um." He massaged his temples with his hands. "This is going to take time to set up and implement. At least if we're going to do it right. Oh, ghost, the logistics."
There was a faint sound of disappointment from Nephthys.
"What?" asked Danny.
"You aren't swearing by us anymore. I miss it."
"Technically, he is. We are ghosts," said Pandora.
"It isn't the same," complained Nephthys.
Danny let his head drop to the table.
