ghostlygremlin

[ghostlygremlin]

@ectoplasmic-entity you did great writing this! Thank you!

Hey, if it’s possible, can we have a hc for Dan with a human female so who’s an underground fighter? He’d fret over his partner much to their annoyance, guarding them like a protective cat hissing and growling at any threat to them.

Hehe it's funny thinking about Dan fretting over his partner a bit when she could probably bench press him (>ᴗ•)

Dan with a Partner Who's an Underground Fighter Headcanons

• One might find it concerning to have their partner in a violent, albeit controlled, situation on a near daily basis. Dan's not too bothered by it, he actually finds it impressive his s/o has the capacity to do it nearly daily.

• S/o is pretty bulky for a gal, she finds normal, every day jobs unfulfilling. She prefers to exert her physical size and stamina to their limits, and feels like she achieves something when she does.

• Dan does technically have a free pass to watch the underground matches but he doesn't always attend them. Mainly to keep his s/o's competitor safe. Should he attend and actually restrain himself, the most he'll do is glare and snarl at the competitors.

• He'll probably still try to fight them after the match is over and he gets the chance to corner them. S/o usually finds out about it later and is mixed between annoyed and amused he'd do that for her.

• One thing Dan does fret over is if his s/o comes back with significant injuries. He'll hover a lot more than usual and becomes a bit snappy with anyone around them. S/o tells him she's fine, it's to be expected in this kind of profession.

• Even though she melts into his arms after an exhausting day, too tired to be annoyed with Dan for long. He tenderly treats her injuries while listening to her grumblings, smugly victorious that he gets one over her every day.

[ghostlygremlin]

So heartwarming 🥰

How about a platonic Dark Danny and a sweet, naïve ghost child Reader who is fascinated with Dan, grows attached to him and is affectionate towards him and over time Dan finds himself starting to care about the child and becomes like a big brother or father figure to them.

This was a bit of an interesting request anon, considering that I had to write from the perspective of a child. I generally don't write child characters.

I'd put the child reader in the 6, maybe 7 to 8 range. Kids are smart, but they're not the best decision makers and as you said it, naive.

So, this was good practice .3.

Genre: Gen

Rating: K

Content Warnings: N/A

Words: 3.1k+

Dan didn’t notice you the first time.

He’s quite distracted, all in his lonesome, with just the eeriness of the Ghost Zone for company. He hunches over on a huge chunk of rock, balancing perfectly on the edge. Dan’s cape drapes down behind him. Teetering back and forth with abandon, and the cape wavers ever so elegantly with his motions.

It cascades down his body, shrouding him in shadow. Hiding Dan from the rest of the world. The haunting essence of the Ghost Zone doesn’t help matters much. Infinitely spiralling as far as the eye can see. Few ghosts rarely stray off the beaten path.

No one else is here besides Dan. Isolating as it may be, it lets him unwind and be alone with just his thoughts.

He hears it first. A loud shuffling of fabric twisting around. Loud and clear, right behind him.  It startles him, but he doesn’t react… yet. Slowly, Dan turns his head around. His ears twitch, searching for any sounds to alert him to unwanted visitors. His hair flows calmly with the occasional crackle. Posture tense and guarded.

There’s nothing there. An innocuous emptiness taunts him.

Dan grumbles softly, annoyance flashes across his face. Everything seems so distracting when it usually isn’t.

Carefully reassuming his original position, Dan bows his head down and slowly closes his eyes. His body slants down as he relaxes, the faint rumble of his breaths expel from his mouth. Calm and steady as can be, which are infrequent moments for Dan.

Several minutes of quietude pass. Eventually, Dan begins to relax, his limbs going slack and his muscles easing the tension. He tunes out his surroundings, nothing more than a white noise in the background. The thrum of his ghost core nearly brings him to a lull, pulsing a soothing rhythm through his body.

Then, again, another loud shuffling ensues. Ruffling and rumpling without a care. Dan twitches, his facial muscles pull slightly. Who could possibly be making such a noise?

He turns his head again. Red eyes narrow and wandering. Little by little, his lips slowly curl back to bare his fangs in warning.

A flicker of movement catches his eye. Something very small scuttling around, right below where he’s perching. It leads his eyes to a curious shape that forms under his cape. It’s long enough to drag on the ground, naturally something may have gotten trapped under it. Dan blinks, he thinks he sees what looks like a pair of spectral eyes glowing under the fabric.

Frowning in suspicion, Dan reaches down with his fingers splaying out. Grabbing a fistful of fabric, he swiftly strips it away without a thought. His eyes widen in surprise, the fabric slips from his hand and flutters to the craggy surface of the rock. Dan’s breath shakes lightly as he stares down at you, too surprised to speak.

You stare right back with wide eyes and a tiny grin that forms on your face. You then turn your attention to the cape and, taking a handful of fabric, you pull on it.

Dan hardly acknowledges it, only flicking his gaze to the side for a moment. Instead, he reaches down for you, imposing himself to be huger than you think. You squeal in excitement when he picks you up, your hands cling tightly to his cape and your body dangles in the air. Dan holds you close to his face.

“Where’d you come from?” Dan asks, one brow rises.

You only smile up at him, your body swings back and forth with increasing momentum. He’s certainly sturdy enough to be used as a swing.

“Not much of a talker, are you?” Dan says, tilting his head.

You look up at him again, your eyes lock into a stare with his. You’re both silent, waiting for the other to break contact. At one point, you hold your breath under Dan’s intense gaze. You can’t help but grin widely at him.

Only one thought ran its course through Dan’s mind. Why, of all things, is a ghost child doing here? He never picked up on your presence the first time. Though, the longer he observes you, the more he thinks you’re at the age where you aren’t fully capable of using your powers yet. Your ecto signature isn’t strong enough for him to sense it.

You stop propelling your body, slowing down to a gentle rocking. Dan’s flowing hair mesmerizes you, bright and calm to your eyes. It seems magical to you. Curious, you try to reach out to him. Just to brush your hand through his hair. You keep your eyes on Dan as you do so, silently taunting him.

Dan inhales deeply and sets his jaw. He stares back, his eyes glowing a bit brighter. He holds his arm out, creating a distance between the two of you, and prevents you from reaching towards him. Your jaw hangs open in surprise, you were expecting a far more vibrant reaction. Dan grins down at you, a shadow casts over a portion of his face. You hang there with a pout appearing on your face, your cheeks puffy and lips turn down slightly.

Bending over, Dan lowers you back down to the rocky surface and, with some light shaking, makes you let go. You land with a soft thud, forcing a small grunt out of you. You look up at him defiantly, huffing and puffing.

Dan’s face twitches. He’s a little put out by the entire interaction, his lips move, but no sound comes out of him.

How is this kid not scared of him?

Finally, “Go away, kid,” he says, standing up straight with a stretch. “Who knows what’ll… happen if you stick around.”

Without as much as a glance back, Dan seamlessly takes off in a flight. His dark form blurs as he blends into the chaos of the Ghost Zone. Twisting, grotesque amalgamations amass around him. Hopefully this will be more than enough to discourage you from following him into the depths. 

No ghost child would be so daring.

Time is of little matter to him. With how this realm operates, it’s as useful as trying to make out what colours the ‘sky’ is to determine what day it is. It’s easy to get lost, which more than suits Dan to be alone with his thoughts. It’s eerily quiet as well, something that reaches far too deep into his ears for his liking. He doesn’t mind the quiet for the most part, he does get a bit fidgety at times.

Oddly enough, his thoughts keep wandering back to you. You aren’t the first, but one of the very few who didn’t actively show fear of him. Dan snorts softly in amusement, a small child has bigger guts than even the hardiest soldier. He supposes that does say something about you.

Dan does wonder if your parents are looking for you. Or, if you even have parents at all. 

His chest aches dully with the sudden change of thought. He slows down to a stop, floating aimlessly in the vast darkness. Controlled breaths slowly blow through his mouth, Dan’s hands turn into fists like he’s trying to crush such emotions from within. His head falls back a bit in contention, he blinks several times. That you even approached him in the first place persistently nags at him, and now he can’t shake it.

Looking back, Dan is clearly no longer in the same proximity where you first came upon him. No ghost ever did, not with the Zone constantly shifting around. You might still be there, without a way to get around.

Dan hardly moves a muscle before he hears a small sound behind him. That same shuffling of fabric twisting about. He freezes on the spot, and waits. His body unusually tense.

Could it be?

No. You couldn’t have.

Although… you probably did.

With a turn of his head, Dan spots you almost instantly. Most of your body is hidden behind his cape, you pull it up to your face, hiding half of it. You avert your eyes, pretending you don’t see him. You smile to yourself now that he’s seen you again.

“Were you following me the entire time?” It isn’t a statement.

You move the cape from your face, tucking it under your chin, and beam a huge smile at him. He’s honestly quite funny with all these small reactions, even if they aren’t as enthusiastic as you want them to be.

Dan sighs heavily and folds his arms, eyes not quite hard, but not entirely friendly either. He doesn’t necessarily hate kids, they’re just small and get in his way. You following him is especially bothersome. Credit is given where credit is due, Dan has to admit.

You must be pretty resilient to stand being in his presence without being overwhelmed. And to physically keep up with him for such a long time.

“Better you with me than anywhere else, I guess,” Dan says to himself in resignation.

Still, he doesn’t want to drag you around with him forever. The notion has Dan rolling his eyes, at the very least, he can keep you in one piece long enough to find someone to hand you off to. If… he can, that is, ghost children are incredibly vulnerable without their parents.

That’s probably why you’re so insistent on following him. You feel safe in Dan’s powerful ghostly aura. You’re less likely to be noticed by unsavoury individuals that way, too.

Dan perks up at yet another small, but softer sound this time around. A quick glance reveals you yawning widely, the tips of your tiny fangs barely visible. A soft groan emits from your throat. You hastily wipe your eyes to keep the sleepiness away. It’s in vain, as you yawn again, and your eyes droop a little. Your hand relaxes its grip on Dan’s cape, and you stumble forward, your body heavy with exhaustion.

Dan tenses slightly, wondering if you’re merely just seconds from collapse. He didn’t consider that you’d expend all your energy keeping up with him. The sight of your tiny form teetering tugs at… something in Dan’s chest. A deep inhale, he lets it sit for a moment, he knows what that feeling is. He’d rather ignore it for now and focus on the situation at hand.

He turns around just as you start to sway, no longer having the energy to keep yourself upright. You’re too out of it to register your surroundings, except for what’s in front of you. Namely, a vast sea of darkness. You hardly notice a large dark shape approaching you, nor do you notice you curl up comfortably in a pair of arms, close to someone’s chest. You yawn once more and mumble incoherently, a protective aura washes over you.

For a moment, the Ghost Zone seems to sit still. It amazes Dan with how small you actually are, easily fit right in the crook of his arm. You curl up more, huddling into his chest, where the aura of his ghost core gently pulses.

“Okay… that was easy,” Dan mutters to himself.

Carefully adjusting the position of his arm, Dan makes sure you’re secure before he goes on the move again. Dan looks around, eyes shifting suspiciously. Somewhere discreet enough to hide the two of you to allow you a chance to rest. 

A big rock or…

A cave. A huge rock-like structure sits nearby, a singular gaping entrance inviting. The inside is pitch black, no problem for Dan as he can light it up with ecto fire. He inhales deeply to steel himself for whatever may come, despite that his ghost sense hasn’t gone off at all. Dan slowly glides towards the structure; the eeriness encroaches in on him. Touchesdown his spine in a cold shiver and shadows whisper in his ears.

He doesn’t realize it yet, but he holds you more closely to his chest. Your presence seems… to ground him, keep focus.

Blissful relief floods him as soon as he’s within the confines of the cavern. It’s a strange feeling. Hiding himself, it’s a bit lonely. With you, it’s out of harm’s way. All there is with the two of you is the occasional drip, echoing out in a tune.

Dan leans against the wall and slides down to the ground, cradling you in his arms. He peers from the corner of his eye; the faint glow of the Ghost Zone scarcely lights up the entrance of the cavern. An uncomfortably bright green glow. Either way, he’d still see who’s coming before they ever realize Dan is even there.

Sitting back to relax, Dan lets his head fall back to ease the tension. Your weight on his chest continuously brings him back to why he’s doing this in the first place. He… sees a bit of himself in you if he’s being honest with himself. A lost, scared child.

Dan breathes softly, his chest rises up and down evenly. His ghost core thrums in parallel with yours, your own core pulses against his chest. He watches your expression as you slumber away. Your brows quirk now and then, your breaths soft and wispy. The ideal visage of a relaxed, content ghost.

With a sudden breath, Dan fights back a yawn that nearly escapes his mouth. Grumbling under his breath, Dan concentrates on his hand. For a few seconds, there was nothing. Then, with a quiet crack, a small ball of green fire sparks to life. It hovers dangerously above his hand. In a brief motion, Dan pushes the fireball out to the open. Its spectral green glow lights up the surrounding area.

Huffing in satisfaction, Dan sits back, and after he makes himself comfortable. Or, well, as comfortable as he can be with all these rocks. Casting one final gaze at you, Dan’s mouth twitches as his eyes slowly close. Allowing the darkness to lull him into a deep sleep.

You awaken with a full body shudder. 

First, bleary looks have you jolt fearfully. Your core hammers as you attempt to regain control of yourself. Breathing deeply, you blink several times until your vision clears the sleep away. You find yourself staring at Dan’s calm visage, his throat rumbling quietly with small sounds.

You smile widely in anticipation and happiness. Likewise, you remember now – Dan sure helped you out yesterday. Was it yesterday? The time is pretty weird here. Sure, a lot of ghosts say Dan’s pretty scary. Maybe he is. But he’s scary enough to keep the other ghosts away from you.

You sit up straight, staring at him curiously. Unlike his grumpiness from before, Dan seems quite calm here. It’s like a whole new person.

Shifting your eyes around in thought, you hold a hand to your chin to focus. Since Dan technically doesn’t see anything right now, perhaps you can surprise him. Nothing too surprising. Maybe just show him you’re glad to have him around.

You shake with excitement, before you stop and hold your breath. You carefully watch Dan as he mumbles quietly and shifts around. He doesn’t show signs of awaking from beyond the morning stir. You breathe a breath of relief. Getting up on your knees, mindful of where you place them, you get up close to Dan’s face.

With a shaky breath, your eyes hyper vigilant, you slowly lean forward with both of your arms spread out. You slowly ease them around his neck, in awe of just how big he is. Your hands link together behind him with little effort. Your mouth twitches into a small, victorious smile.

A spike of bravery hits you, and you lay your head down in the crook of Dan’s neck. Again, you hear the quiet rumble emitting from his throat. It reverberates throughout his body. Your smile widens, you close your eyes in content.

Before you know it, your eyes snap open as Dan sits upright. You hear a loud yawn right in your ear, making you freeze up.

The first thing Dan notices is something clasping around his neck. In a sleepy confusion, he stretches his body out before he massages the space between his eyes with his knuckles. Dan then blinks a few times, his eyes still heavy with sleep. He turns his head, and is met with the sight of you clinging around his neck.

Dan blinks again to be sure he isn’t seeing things.

“Woken up by a hug of all things,” Dan says out loud, “that’s a new one.”

Without another word, he moves to stand up. You’re forced to let go of his neck lest you end up awkwardly dangling from it.

The mystical glow of the green fireball casts a beautiful glow over Dan. You stare up at him in an admiring awe. You’re sure you can see his ghostly aura glowing.

Furthermore, you grab his hand and tug on it, making him turn his attention to you.

“Hm… what should we do with you kid?” Dan says, cocking his head.

You continue tugging at his arm.

“Still not speaking, huh?” Dan grumbles in annoyance. “Do you… want something?”

Upon hearing the magic words, you stop pulling and hug his leg. Dan steps back in wariness when you do so. You breathe shakily, focusing on the protective aura that wraps around you. Your hold on him tightens.

“You want to… stay with me?” Dan asks, surprise flickers across his face. His hair flows in intensity with the brief spike of emotions.

You haphazardly nod. The corners of your mouth turn downward in a pleading pout.

Dan stops to consider the possibility. His mind works around in a whirlwind.

On one hand, you don’t seem that bad. Endearing, even. But you’d definitely slow him down, and judging by how you already seem attached to him, Dan would have to keep an eye on you in some capacity.

On the other hand, however, you show no fear of him. That already says a lot about you. Besides, ghosts might leave him alone if they see a ghost child with him. And well… there’s already one of Dan in this world. There doesn’t need to be another.

“How about this?” Dan kneels down when you let go of his leg. “You can come with, I keep you in one piece, and you can tell the other ghosts to… uh, leave us alone?”

He feels a bit silly for phrasing it that way. But you’d understand what he means.

You do a little jig on the spot and bob your head so violently it's surprising it doesn’t make you dizzy. You raise up your arms at him. Dan seems to get what you mean and picking you up, he settles you on his shoulders. His hands on your feet to keep you steady. You look around in exhilaration, you feel like you’re at the top of the world.

Dan turns to the ghostly fireball he made the night before. He stares into its flickering green void for a few seconds. He blinks and with the flick of his hand, the flame goes out.

[ghostlygremlin]

I agree with these head canons

Can I request of Dark Danny with a s/o that likes to play with his flowing-like hair. It can be a fix or headcanons. whichever you see fit.

Ooh this is interesting, Dan's hair is a topic that doesn't really come up much lol. When it does, it's always something about emotions and/or intimacy .3.

Headcanons for S/O Playing with Dan’s Hair

Dan seems to be that kind of guy who doesn’t really let anyone touch his hair. Not because he’s touch starved (that’s a different story), but he’s actually kind of prideful about his hair.

It takes a lot for Dan to trust someone. One of the few he would trust wholly is his significant other.

Contrary to popular belief, Dan’s hair is not actual fire. As his s/o finds out while cuddling in bed, sleepily looping one of their arms around his neck, unknowingly tangling their fingers in his ponytail.

S/o freaks out a bit at first, not having actually touched Dan’s hair before. Dan calms them saying his hair is indeed safe (and rather soft!) to touch. He says that while he trusts s/o, he asks that they refrain from touching his hair all the time.

S/o is agreeable of course. The only times they play with his hair is during the times of intimacy they have to themselves. For whatever reason, Dan preferred to turn away with his back to his s/o, but it doesn’t bother them as they’d spoon him. They nuzzle into the lush strands, it tickles their face since it’s in constant motion.

Gentle fingers brush and stroke through the hair. Over and over in a soothing rhythm, marvelling at its softness. Dan always relaxes under the touch, soothing him in a way he hasn’t quite felt before. He leans heavily into it, getting lost in the moment every time.

S/o likens it to petting a cat or a dog.

It’s easy to get lost in playing with Dan’s hair, there’s something very stimulating about running their hands through it. Every so often, s/o will ask Dan if he wants them to stop. He may not show it much, but he appreciates the gesture.

This isn’t Dan’s preferred way of intimacy, but all the more reason to keep s/o close to him. Physical touch in most contexts, is a love language among ghosts.

Dan’s hair is surprisingly low maintenance, only needing to be brushed and washed every so often. He has a difficult time getting the back, so he gets s/o to do it for him sometimes. He’d do it himself, but he doesn’t want pass up the chance of his s/o oh so lovingly running their hands through his hair, melting into their touch and easing whatever’s bothering him.

[ghostlygremlin]

This Dan x reader story is heartwarming:3 good job, @ectoplasmic-entity!

Can I request a platonic Dark Danny with a sibling!GN reader. After Danny became dark Danny and left, (y/n) was devastated of the disappearance of her last family member. Years later when (y/n) finally reunites with Dan again, Dan expects them to be scared of him and hate him but instead he’s taken aback when they hug him and tell him how much they missed him.

Back from the dead yall! Blame the somewhat perfectionist writer in me (¬_¬")

At the very least, I wanted to post by / before the new year. This is my longest one yet, anon, I do hope you like it.

Genre: Gen + Emotional Hurt/Comfort

Rating: K+

Content Warnings: Implied/referenced character death

Words: 5.1k+

Gone.

Just like that.

It hits you harder than you expect. You may not have been blood siblings, the bond you share is just as intimate and powerful. For all intents and purposes, you’re as much of a sibling to Danny as Jazz was an older sister to him.

The events that transpired are still muddy in your mind. In one moment, it seems like you have your life together. In the next, it’s all gone in one fell swoop in a bright orange haze.

Unbearable heat forms in your body. Your breath shudders in terror as it violently shoots through you. You stiffen, awaiting a fiery death that never comes.

Your tired eyes crack open to survey the dark room. Still and quiet with the cool night soothing it. It stands exactly as you left it, and expect it will be for the rest of your life. You squeeze your eyes shut in disgust.

How dare such thoughts worm into your mind.

You hardly notice that you don’t fight the notion. Your gut clenches painfully. You cast your gaze downwards, avoiding the facts standing there, staring at you right in the face.

A thin layer of dust settles in the empty room. Still and undisturbed. As if a lifetime has passed in the blink of an eye, even though Danny left about a month ago. His presence has already begun to wane in his own home.

Quiet whimpers shake your body, you wrap your arms around you tightly. Clinging onto the remnants of your makeshift family. Your body rocks back and forth as you hug yourself tighter, like sand through fingers, they fade from your memory. A fog fills your head, it’s only the reminder that you’re standing in Danny’s room that you cling onto your family.

A single teardrop jolts you out of your exhausted mind. You blankly stare as more and more tears drop, rhythmically splattering on your skin. You weren’t sure you could cry anymore. You couldn’t even bring yourself to cry when Danny left.

A quiet, eerie creak pulls you out your stupor once more. A darkness enshrouds you, your eyes throb in dull pain, forcing you to keep them closed shut.

Another creak.

You survey the room again through bleary eyes. You slowly, mechanically move in one direction, your soles plant firmly on the floor. Rigid muscles that refuse to loosen keep your limbs locked in place. Your shoes shuffle loudly on the wooden floorboards. The darkness follows you wherever you go, just on the edge of your vision.

You aren’t sure why you’re doing this. You find yourself facing the empty doorway, directly across from the bed frame behind you. You breathe deeply, the fresh air clears your throat, and it floods with emotion.

Half shuttered eyes linger on the door, as if you expect Danny to walk through any moment.

Your hand becomes a fist, it quivers with suppressed emotion. You take a few steps back, as far from the door as possible. You continue to stare at it in spite of the reality.

The back of your legs meets the angled, metal edges of the bed frame. Pain tingles up your legs. It's only then you realize the strength fades from your body. You remain upright because you know you'll have an uncomfortable landing on the metal frame behind you if you give in.

Tense quiet looms over you. Your body tilts as you choke down more whimpers, a grin split across your face. Your eyes sting with fresh tears, your breath quickens. Melancholic nostalgia tugs at you, a heaviness presses down on your chest.

A bang startles you, it echoes through the empty house. You remain silent. Your eyes go from the door and peer around in search of the source. Your heart hammers in your chest, yet you remain as still as possible. You don’t want to move; your body weighs down heavily with emotion and exhaustion.

The footsteps sound throughout the home. Fast and light. You shakily breathe in a mix of relief and indignation.

A vaguely familiar voice calls out your name. You perk up with mild interest. It’s so far away and, at the same time, reaches your ears in no time at all. You wonder if whoever it is knows where you are. Not surprising considering how you’ve been behaving in the last month.

You hear your name again, louder and clearer than you can recall.

You hear the footsteps right outside the door, quick but heavy. As if whoever it was had run a marathon. You scrunch up your nose in irritation, you aren’t a small child anymore.

Goosebumps tingle down your body as the presence of another individual enters the empty bedroom, though the space seems to stretch itself out. You barely acknowledge your visitor, your mind still in another plane of consciousness. Unwilling to pull yourself back to reality and face it again.

Down below, on the dusty, creaky floorboards, a pair of white sneakers cross into the threshold of your vision. You jolt back in surprise when a pair of hands grab your shoulders, you instinctively back away. Cutting pain shoots up your legs when they thump against the wiry bed frame that rattles eerily. You shiver in discomfort as you slowly tilt your head up.

Hazel eyes, dark and smooth skin, and thick, curly brown hair that seamlessly blend with orange and yellow. Valerie Gray stares down at you, brows crinkle and lips tight with worry. She breathes heavily, clearly, she was seeking you out. 

The two of you stare at each other for several seconds, her hands never loosen their grip. Like you’ll disappear again if she does.

Then, finally, Valerie breaks the silence first. “I knew I’d find you here.”

Spoken all in one breath. You wonder if she ran across town looking for you.

“Yeah, well…” you mumble out, sounding not all that caring.

Valerie lightens her grip, but not so much so that you can slip away. She takes a step back with her arms straight and firm.

“You know coming here isn’t gonna bring him back, right?” She asks lightly.

You shrug your shoulders. They’re heavy, even with or without Valerie’s hands there. Your muscles must be sore, or perhaps a phantom weight of other things that can’t quite physically touch you. You inhale shakily, a familiar motion wells up inside you, uncomfortably twisting and pulling at you. You involuntarily inhale again, this time through your nose. It’s loud and rough, like a sniffle.

“Come on, moping around’s not gonna help you.” Valerie says with one of her brows rising.

You stay silent, your head dips back down to avoid eye contact. Too emotionally worn to argue with her, to expend your energy on anything else other than grief. Your body sways forwards as Valerie tugs on your shoulders, pulling you towards her. Your feet automatically shuffle along the floorboards.

You slowly trudge out of the bedroom, head hardly tilting to look around one last time. Empty, an odd sense of serenity that settles where memories used to be. A shadow seeps on to the edge of your vision, as if blotting out any remnant of this house. You try not to think about it, but you fear forgetting them if you leave. That’s why you keep coming back here, no matter how much it hurts.

Fresh, cool evening air blows across your skin and through your hair as you finally step outside. You violently shiver, even though it isn’t that cold, as it’s only mid-spring. Your eyes squeeze themselves shut again, your face tight with emotion. You and Valerie go down the stone steps, onto the street. You wobble slightly, you might as well be stepping into the void and falling.

Falling and falling.

---

You blearily open your eyes. Dull light streaks through the makeshift shutters, cutting through the darkness. Same as always. You have limited time until it fades again, in spite of what time of day it may be. Not that you can tell anymore, it’s been so long. It was necessary in order to survive a somewhat barren world.

You heft yourself up to your feet. Your body is inexplicably heavy, even with how thin you are. Your chest itches with curiosity at why that could be. In a moment of clarity, you get the sense that someone is missing. Like they should be here, right next to you.

You don’t have anyone. Haven’t for many years at this point. Your family all but gone, and friends who come and go faster than the supplies you have on hand. Yet, there is still that inkling of someone missing.

Breath shuddering dryly, you shake the thoughts away. The focus needs to be here and now. Namely, scrounging for supplies. You are only a single person and somehow the supplies get used up quickly. You sigh heavily, peering at the outside world in between the shutters, you’d honestly prefer not go back out there. The world out there is not the same world in your head.

Still… you’d rather feel comfortable when the end does inevitably come, as selfish as it sounds.

You make your way towards the only entrance of your shelter, retreading the same path you always walk. A neat, narrow path with surrounding junk that stack up against the walls in an orderly fashion. A path so dusty and beaten down you can see the indents of your shoes permanently etching into the floor.

After carefully weaving your way through the mess, ever so mindful to not disturb the dangerously wobbling piles, you reach the door. You don’t bother with your hands, instead using your shoulder to push it open. Better hurting your shoulder than losing a hand. With some effort, the door slowly and loudly squeaks open. The dull light glares directly at you, right into your shelter, brightly lighting it up.

You stumble forward when the door swings open, tripping over your own feet. Your hands splay out to keep yourself from falling, they plant themselves firmly on the ground. They make an indent into the dirt underneath, soft and dry. Your arms quiver from the force of the impact, but you’re proud that you didn’t accidentally hurt yourself.

Inhaling deeply, you scrunch up your nose at the dryness. It’s thick and suffocating, it makes your throat scratchy and taste like chalk. Forcefully coughing to ease the disgusting sensation, you cover your face and slowly stand upright.

You start walking, your legs carry you in spite of the harsh landscape. Everything may have been reduced to rubble, you still mostly remember where everything once was.

Your wandering takes you to a wide, deserted road. Crumbling remains of buildings lie on all sides. Few cars lay in abandon, twisting heaps of metal. They are few and far in between, cars became a rare commodity at this point in time.

You head to the side of the street. Amongst the ruins, few buildings remain upright. They’re technically classed ‘unsafe’ since they’re in danger of collapsing. It’s not like the fallen debris was any better either, environmental hazards and whatnot. A cracking, grimy sign hangs above a storefront that was only in partial collapse. A hardware store, you smile slightly at the sense of irony.

Broken windows in the front with cracking foundations, the fractures streak around the stone like a spider’s web. Twisting and spiralling to consume the space it claims.

Approaching the doors, you hesitate before you enter. Past the doors, back into the darkness again.

The hardware store is in an even worse state than your little shelter ever could be. Shattered glass crunches under your shoes, bits and pieces of tools and equipment rattle about as you try to navigate your way through the mess. It’s tightly cluttered and, dare you think it, claustrophobia inducing. The further you move into the shop, the more faint the outside lights become, the massive wave of junk swallowing it up.

Nothing of note gets your attention. Far too messy, you doubt you’ll find anything of use before the daylight fades. Anything that would’ve been useful is in discernible pieces scattered throughout the shop. You kick your feet at the piles of scrap, dust flies up into the air in a grey cloud. Metal clatters loudly, clashing with each other and onto the floor.

The shop is a complete dud. Looting and ransacking beyond your comprehension. You should’ve expected it; desperate times call for desperate measures.

At first, you turn towards the front with a falter in your step. You don’t want this to be all for nothing, have that crushing feeling weigh down on you. Your jaw becomes stiff and you set your shoulders. You lean backward with a look-up at the cracked ceiling, the ground level is only the hardware shop itself, the upper levels are either living quarters or offices. Chances are that the looters didn’t bother wasting time and energy exploring the upside.

You trudge through the remains, the silence disrupted by the occasional clinking of broken bits and pieces. It doesn’t matter how careful you are, there’s always something crunching underfoot. It doesn’t help that you’re farther away from the entrance, it’s much darker in the back, to the point of obscurity. The most you can see are silhouettes.

In the back of the store, there isn’t much to look at. Twisting spires and mangled heaps that were once the shelves are thrown about, spiny pieces of metal glitter dangerously in the faint light. One wrong move and you’re done for. The walls are oddly clean and intact. The looters must’ve really thought there was nothing of value beyond this point.

What really gets your attention is the singular door all in its lonesome in the corner. Dark grey and made of steel, it’s windowless with the only indicator is the sign above it. A long dead battery powered sign with the symbol of a staircase plastered on it. There is nothing else of note to it, you find it odd.

You approach it anyway. Who knows? You might find something after all.

The door handle isn’t particularly complex. Just twist and turn, it pops open. Your hands sting with effort from the metallic rim of the awkwardly placed handle. You hear something creak and crank loudly from the other side, the steel door shivers in its place. You are forced to step back as the extremity of the door flings itself open. 

A rush of cool but musty air blows through you. The other side reveals… a staircase. A metallic pretzel winding in one direction. All the way up to the roof, encasing itself in complete pitch black with walls that close in a narrow path.

Once you step past the steel door, a groaning clang makes you jump with a foreboding sensation that you are stuck. Your heart accelerates and you hold your breath. The door’s only handle is on the outside, the inside is nothing but gears and cables that operate it. 

The only way out is up, it’s not like you have a choice.

Even with the mounting tension that you could very well be stuck in here forever, you attempt to keep yourself steady that you might find something at the top. It’s… getting there that’s the hard part.

You let yourself fall back against the door. You breathe heavily, as if you’re fuelling the mental energy to do it. Your heart thumps against your chest, pulsing blood through you. Numbing goosebumps crawl down your body. 

With trepidation, you place one foot on the first step. A ringing rattle echoes through the darkness. The structure shivers ominously, but remains firm. Exhaling softly with cautious relief, you bring your other foot forward. Both of your hands clutch the railing to keep yourself upright. The metal vibrates intensely under you, your legs bend in response. You crumple slightly, weak all of a sudden.

Shakily breathing, you hang off of one of the railings, your body slumps against the high-rise guardrails. Your hand stubbornly curls around the cylindrical girth of the railing. Straining the muscles in your arms with effort, you slowly pull yourself up. You grip the rails more tightly to stay standing. Beneath you, your knees quiver and nearly buckle with the phantom sensation of the floor becoming soft.

One step at a time. That’s all it takes, one after the other. The staircase still rattles dangerously, however, you keep your cool. The ground below slowly vanishes the higher you go up. You never did take into account how tall the building actually is.

You know for sure the stairs will take you straight to the roof. You don’t know when you’ll get there, it’s perpetually pitch-black no matter how high up you are. Step after step, you try not to think about it, otherwise you’ll lose your focus. You waver slightly, the black swallows up everything around it, you have just the railing to guide you.

Every step prompts you to take a breath. Breathe. In and out.

---

You reach the very top with little fanfare. It may be dark, you have that inkling deep in your gut, you just know. Your legs are tense with anticipation and numb from the impromptu exercise session the stairs give you. Your chest moves in rapid succession with how fast you’re panting.

Reaching out in front of you, a smooth, steel surface greets the palm of your hand. Your hand trails along the surface, tiny grains of dry paint painlessly scrape your skin. It’s soothing in a way.

Your hand finds the doorknob, grasping around it like it’s a lifeline. You flex your fingers to be certain it’s actually there. The knob twists around, you hear a squeak. 

You exhale in relief with a small, wry smile. Your chest becomes taut with apprehension. You feel silly for accomplishing something incredibly basic. You sigh and push the door open, it groans loudly from years of disuse. The familiar gust of a chalky tasting dryness blows directly into your face.

After a bout of harsh coughing, you focus on the view before you. Flat and open, still empty as ever. The receding rays of light indicate to you, it’s not going to last for much longer. It’s haunting, a dead and grey city with its last remnants of life sucking from it. The rays reflecting off of the windows are little sparks of life left, they too fade, the strings too weak to hold it.

Then, in the corner of your eye, you swear you see something move. Just a shadow, maybe, but in this world, nothing is what it seems. Your breath hitches in your throat. Your heart accelerates, you move not even an inch.

Several minutes pass without incident. You peer from the corner of your eye again; a shadowy blur is still on the edge of your vision. It hasn’t moved at all.

You glance around, shadows cast by the walls and the tall ventilation shafts do provide cover. There are wide stretches of complete exposure, however. You’d have to quickly dart between them. It’s not much, but as long as you lie low, you won’t be seen.

In fleeting, a thought passes through your mind. You stiffen with realization. Shuffling to the nearest wall, you press yourself against it. Your body still turns in the direction where you saw the shadowy blur moving. You don’t know if it’s human or a ghost. The thought has your hands turn into fists and press into the brick wall.

No use running away now. You might as well find out. Edging as close as you can to the corner of the wall, you lean just far enough to get a quick glimpse. Right there, on the very edge, you spot a humanoid silhouette. You sense a faint energy around it.

An ice-cold blanket covers your body. An overwhelming sensation weighs down on you, your head inexplicably aches with emotion. You breathe deeply to steady yourself, careful to do so quietly so that the ghost doesn’t hear you. For now, it seems like the ghost isn’t even aware you’re nearby.

A few minutes and nothing. Instead, you think you hear soft sounds. A sob-like sound that chokes back, as though they’re holding back tears. You bite your lip with a flicker of uncertainty. It’s not every day you come across a ghost in such an emotional state.

Curiosity blooms in your chest, nagging at you the longer you stand there. It… couldn’t hurt to check out this ghost. They might not even be hostile.

You edge your way towards the corner of the wall. Your body slides along the rugged brick surface, the lumps and sharp edges dig into you. The discomfort travels up to your throat, sickly fulfilling, and you feel you can’t breathe. The wariness crawls down your body like a cobweb being spun around you, a disgusting, sticky sensation settles onto your exposed skin. A sense of coldness makes itself known, your skin clammy. You anxiously flex your fingers and rub your hands together. 

Why do you feel so… afraid? Afraid of what you might find?

First, you inch yourself around the corner, if only to get a visual. The silhouette is still there, still as a statue. Viciously quashing down any doubts that attempt to halt you in your tracks, you hold your breath as you slowly put one-foot forwards. Your other foot follows, step after step, in a monotonous rhythm.

Stepping out of the shadow of the wall, you feel very naked. You can’t stop yourself now, your legs move on auto. Quiet footsteps fill the stillness. The silhouette grows in size the closer you get. You get the impression they’re actually taller than you initially think. The oddly familiar black and white form crouches over, a long, shrouding cape wraps around the figure.

Their face is hidden by their hands. Snowy white hair flows like a flame from their head, snapping and crackling loudly with whatever this ghost was feeling. Oddly specific, but you do know this particular shade of white.

A thought worms into your mind. It’s a slim possibility, though you can’t help it. That same feeling of someone missing in your life. 

Rattling metal shatters the silence. A pile of scrap scatters around the cement, you never even saw it was there. You jump back; a gasp catches in your throat. Your body tenses and vibrating courses through you, an unpleasant metallic taste floods your throat. Your limbs violently quiver, some part of you screams at you to turn and run. Your heart vigorously pounds your chest, sickly hot rushes through you as an overload of blood pumps through your body.

Just a few feet away, the figure finally perks up for the first time. Slowly standing up while the hands remove themselves, you find yourself staring at a pair of piercing red eyes. Eerily glowing in the grey haze. You still hardly make out the face.

The figure slowly walks towards you, you hear the soft thuds of deliberately heavy footsteps. You feel you’re glued to the spot, trembling with adrenaline, and yet you can’t make yourself move. Little by little, the figure’s face unveils in the barely perceptible light. For a second, you think you recognize the angular facial shape and sturdy jaw.

Your legs weaken in apprehension, your throat swells and fills with emotion, yet you’re firmly stuck to the spot. You watch in silent agitation as the figure comes closer. The details grow more and apparent to you. Your throat burns with words you want to ask, you stay quiet.

The heavy aura that presses down on you greets you with the visual of a painfully recognizable emblem. Your eyes wander up further to a face you’d recognize anywhere. Your heart skips a beat, or two, while shock rushes down your body like cold water. A name catches on your tongue, you don’t have the energy to say it.

The red eyes that stare you down slowly widen in surprise, a flash of familiarity flickers through them. His mouth moves without sound before he tenses his jaw. Sharp fangs glint faintly in the pale light.

Restless silence seemingly stretches on for hours, not a word from either of you. In actuality, it’s only been a few minutes. Then, a deep, not quite familiar voice speaks.

“Why are you still here?” He looks down at you, brows lightly creasing.

The phrase rings in your head. You heard it many a time before. It plays like a song, you never tire of it. Your breath hitches, your heart jumps to your throat.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” You challenge quietly.

Your limbs jitter with emotion, numbing and fulfilling at the same time. You’re sure of it now. The anticipation you feel coursing through you is unlike anything you felt beforehand. A cluster of warmth forms in your body, blooming with emotions you hide deep down. It surges to the forefront in full force.

Without thinking, you leap forward with your arms stretching out. They latch around his body; your fingers instinctively intertwine. You tighten your hold, this is him for certain.

You feel him grow still, then stiffen. Like he didn’t expect you to hug him. He says your name, low and rough.

You slightly tilt your head. You’d rather keep your face hidden, your eyes sting with fresh tears.

“You’re not scared of me?” He asks incredulously.

“Of you?” You repeat with a loud sniffle. “Don’t be silly, I could never be scared of my own brother.”

A pair of hands hold your shoulders. You then realize just how cold they are, how cold he actually is. The hands squeeze, as if he’s uncertain whether to push you away or not.

“Da-” you start, for him to sharply cut you off.

“I’m not him anymore,” he says, fangs baring. “I’m not who you once knew.”

Before you can reply, he firmly pushes you to the side and walks away. You stand by in complete shock as his form begins to fade back into the darkness. Your head snaps in his direction, your heart hammers in terror. 

You can’t-

You can’t lose him again.

“Just like when you thought we’d leave you because you weren’t human anymore?” You state boldly.

He abruptly stops, his form stiller than a statue. Just like before. His shoulders strain with the amount of force he applies to his hands. They ball up into tight fists, shivering. His head bends back a little, his face crunches in frustration and a sliver of amusement.

You stare at him, eyes wide and tingling with unshed tears. You hold your breath, unwilling to break your focus. That he’ll be gone in a blink if it does.

He turns back around on his heel, eyes hard, and stare right into your soul. You exhale shakily and hastily blink your eyes. Wetness pools in the corner of your eyes, disrupting the view of a dark shape coming towards you. You pay little mind; your breath quickens and grows shakier with each intake.

Hands hold your shoulders and direct you somewhere, your sense of direction is dull. Your legs move without protest. There is still a lot you still need to take in and process.

Your body settles down to something sturdy, relaxing with your legs swaying about from a ledge. You sit back with your arms behind you, you still breathe shakily. Every breath seems to draw out the tears. They slowly drip down your face, the streaks drying as soon as they form. You’re faintly aware of someone sitting next to you, silent and comforting.

The persistently unfamiliar voice breaks the silence again.

“I’m surprised you don’t hate me,” he says bluntly.

You shutter your eyes to get your bearings again. They flick to the side for a quick glimpse of his visage.

“Da…” you stop yourself. If he doesn’t want you to call him ‘Danny’, then you honestly aren’t sure what to call him otherwise.

He picks up on your hesitation. “Dan.”

That doesn’t even sound like him.

“What happened to you?”

You avoid meeting his gaze, looking down at yourself. At the moment, you’re nearly glad that the grey haze obscures him from you.

“I don’t think you’d understand,” Dan says with a deep, drawn out sigh.

It strikes a chord in you. He’s still there, even if it’s just a tiny fragment. You squint your eyes for a second, hardly caring that tears continue to flow.

“You disappeared,” you say quietly.

Dan looks down at you, his eyes narrow and his body still with apprehension. The ledge you both sit on seemingly tilts. Unease makes your stomach drop. Slow, steady breaths that display immense control emit from Dan.

“After…” Dan’s voice fades. He shakes his head, eyes shut tight.

The memory of losing his family still hurts him. You lean to the side, your hand inches towards him. You want to hold him and comfort him. Dan starts again, you hastily draw your hand away from his.

“I was lost. You know, in my head. It messes with you and after a while, you… start to forget some stuff,” Dan says slowly, clearly uncertain if he wants to delve into it more. “It… numbed some pain.”

You nod along quietly, letting Dan have his moment first. You feel it’s appropriate, since this isn’t necessarily about you.

“You sure you don’t hate me?” Dan asks, ripping you from your mental musing.

“How could I?” You say, breath hitching with held back sniffles.

Your hands clench the metallic ledge tightly, it digs into your hands. You can’t let go, otherwise you may as well as be in a free fall. Your body aches with years of emotions of all kinds. Some of it is unpleasant, a hot acidic spray that burns the back of your throat. Others are deeper, reaching deep into your mind and pushes the tears to your eyes. You shrink into yourself.

Fat, slick tears stream down your face. Your body twitches in discomfort, you inhale deeply to swallow down the emotions. They drop into your stomach like lead. Your breath stutters as the uncomfortable sensation of what feels like bloating fills your stomach.

“You lost your family,” you say hoarsely. “I lost you, I lost my brother.”

Your facial muscles pull and burn as more and more tears streak down your cheeks with the intensity of a waterfall. You raise a hand to your chest, you stare blearily at it through the teardrops. Without a second thought, you throw your full weight to the side.

“I missed you, you jerk…” you croak, words and throat thick with emotion.

Dan grunts loudly in surprise when you latch onto him with a hug, he leans back to absorb the impact. Your arms are firm and secure around his neck, you exhale weakly in relief. Dan’s arms slowly wrap around your shoulders, occasionally twitchy but gentle.

He’s been silent the entire time. Words aren’t necessary.

They will be at some point.

But it’s better than nothing at all.

[ghostlygremlin]

This story is awesome and captures Dan’s personality if he were to make a friend :3

Good job @ectoplasmic-entity! Keep up the good work :)

Hello, I was wondering if you could do a Dan x female!reader prompt: The reader first meets him after he first came to be and helps him get stronger. Reader is known for helping other ghosts control their powers by training them. She'd help him get in control of his powers enough that he can take care of himself and a friendship is formed. Reader is 5'4'', she and Dan are adults. She's the only ghost Dan is friends with and teases her about being a shortie, while she calls him string-bean often.

Ooh this is the first I've received a request for a platonic reader! Coming right up!

If this is a bit shorter than my other ones, that's because I challenged myself to keep it under 2000 words (๑•̀ㅂ•́)ง✧

Genre: Gen

Rating: Teen

Content Warnings: N/A

Words: 1.7k+

Crunch.

A bloody fist cracks against the solid surface. It violently jolts his arm, he pretends not to notice. He pulls back and slams his fist again.

Crunch.

White-hot agony screams up his arm. His hand stings in irritation and a numbness settles. Dark green liquid gushes from the open wounds, having split all his knuckles open. It seeps into his white glove, a disgustingly humid and sticky mess on the inside. The growing green stains are a reminder that he’s doing this to himself.

Crunch.

He stops, his hand numb and stiff. Sparks of pain flare up, but not enough to jolt his nerves. His fist remains planted on the surface, unwilling to move. A buzz fills his head, spots of discoloration dance across his vision.

Slowly, he leans forward until his forehead presses against the hard surface. He hardly cares that it’s rough and rugged. Better than feeling nothing at all. Beads of sweat incessantly drip down the sides of his face, they’re slick enough that he’s aware of them. Every drop takes the warmth with it, leaving his face clammy. He pays little mind to his surroundings, to him, all there is just him and this pathetic little rock.

He shakily inhales. His chest expands with a surge of emotions, an amalgamation of headache inducing thoughts and sensations that are too much for him. He heavily heaves his body to ease the intensity. Violent quivers reverberate up his muscles.

Readjusting his posture, he pulls away once more, his bloody fist furls up tightly. The cracked, bloody crater mocks him, streaks of green slickly drip down. Despite all he did to it, it never broke. He takes aim and forces his arm forward-

“Whatever did that rock do to you?”

He abruptly stops, the tips of his knuckles only inches from impact. He cranes his head just enough to see who dare interrupt him.

The sight of you greets him. Another ghost.

Your feminine shape and admittedly short height cues him in that you don’t appear to be that much older than he is. You also appear to be the only one who so brazenly approaches him.

“None of your business,” he says snidely.

You huff in contention and readjust your posture, one hand on your hip and your other arm hangs about loosely. You tilt your head to peer closer at his injured hand. You twitch in discomfort at the sight of torn, raw skin that veils itself in the glove. Likewise, you neither move closer nor further away.

“It’s my business when someone’s hurting themselves on purpose,” you say defiantly.

There is an inkling of doubt that pokes your chest. You obviously don’t know who this ghost is and whether he’s dangerous. You hear him chuckle in a low tone, your ghost core accelerates.

“Who cares?” He turns his attention back to the rock, intent on going back to punching it again.

You dart forward just as he rolls his shoulder. Then you stop in hesitation, one hand reaches out to him but never touches him. You worry about him, despite that you don’t know him. Your body jitters between worry and trepidation. The surface under you seems to soften and shrink down in size, your breath grows shaky.

“Wait!” You call out to him.

He stops again, fist in a tight ball, and twitches. In an instant, he glares back at you with eerie, glowing red eyes and an ominous sensation comes over you. You stand strong against whatever it was, your eyes refuse to leave his.

“I can help you,” you say evenly. You keep your eyes on him, your chest tightens. “I can help you like I’ve helped others.”

This time, he turns around in full. It surprises you how…young he seems. While his appearance in general gives a frightening visage, you see vulnerability in his eyes. His facial expression shifts ever so slightly. It softens a bit as his brows slowly part, intrigue rather than hostility.

“What makes you think that?” He asks mockingly, “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave now, and we won’t have to find out what happens.”

He narrows his eyes and bares a set of fangs. You see his ears tilt down slightly. You inhale softly to calm yourself.

“You won’t ever find anything out if you can’t control your powers.” You point directly at him. “I can feel your power, it’s…wild.”

His face is impassive at first, only his jaw shifting. His body shudders as he gives a dry chuckle, a mean grin takes over his expression.

“No one has ever helped me,” he says with a shake of his head. “What makes you think you can help?”

He looks right at you with an intense gaze. Your skin tingles with goosebumps.

“It’d be fun to see you try…name’s Dan.”

—

A dark blur charges at you, you have little time to think before you hastily duck it. As a dark, muscular form passes you, you see that the back end has been left open. You swing a slender leg with the force of swinging a baseball bat.

A dull thud goes through your ears, you see your opponent lean over in pain. Before you know it, a huge fist comes at you.

You sweep your arms in front of your face to block the blow. Nerve busting pain jolts through you as you take a heavy hit. Your forearms ache in discomfort and your body skids back a bit as your opponent pushes against you.

“C’mon now, how many punches are you going to take?” A deep, mocking voice has you glance up.

“As many as I need to.” You push Dan’s large form away with all your might, your muscles scream in protest and a sheen of sweat spreads across your face.

Before Dan can recover, you’re immediately on top of him with a flying kick. You bear down on him with the bottom of your heel aiming for his head.

The world around you turns into a whirlwind, your body slams against the ground. You automatically arch up your bodyto soften the impact, even though your limbs and muscles throb in retaliation. You slump back down, head pounding and ectoblood roars in your ears. You pant heavily, your chest bounces with every intake.

The spinning comes to a halt. You’re unsure of it once the dark, swirling visage of the Ghost Zone fills your view. The ominous swaths of black and green twist and curl around each other. The more you stare at the chaos, your mind loses focus again. Then the spinning starts up again, the roar in your ears is louder than ever.

Look away. 

Look away.

Your head pounds more and more painfully. You can’t even close your eyes all the way because the dull thud jolts them back open.

Look away.

Dan’s silhouette stands over you, blocking the chaotic environment from your line of sight. Your mind remains out of focus, you hardly acknowledge him. Your attention is drawn more towards the headache.

A dark shape slowly descends to your level, it startles you, and it forces your eyes to focus on it. You steady your breath, staring at it with goosebumps crawling up your body.

You blink.

Dan’s open hand stretches down to you. His features are mostly impassive, though the quirk of his eyebrows say otherwise.

“I…might have thrown you too hard,” Dan says ruefully, a neutral expression carefully settles on his face.

You give him a deadpan stare as you reach out to take his hand. He grips you far more tightly than you would like. He pulls you up to your feet, you wobble around as you have yet to regain your balance. Dan still doesn’t let you go, he cautiously places a hand on your side. Warmth and familiarity blooms in your body.

Shaky breaths escape your mouth as you recompose yourself. Your limbs are quivery, and you’re silently glad Dan’s holding you upright. A dull ache still settles in your body, though it’s not so bad if you ignore it.

“‘Too hard’.” You repeat, staring at him in exasperation. “I’ve seen you sweep over humans and ghosts like they were made of toothpicks, and you’re telling me you threw me too hard?”

“Maybe I underestimated my own strength,” Dan retorts while he lets you go, confident that you can stand on your own now.

You waver slightly, a deep breath centres you once more.

And the smug grin is back on his face. You roll your eyes playfully, always skirting around and teasing.

“I can’t believe you’re supposed to be that same string-bean kid I met years ago,” you say without a care in the world.

You smile to yourself, it always gets under Dan’s skin when the subject of his younger self is brought up. He bristles at your words and his fiery white hair flickers with a bout of intense emotion, fangs bare in warning. Dan’s chest expands with the irritation he swallows down. He may appear calm, it was so plainly easy to annoy him. Sometimes it’s fun, other times…it isn’t.

“I take back what I said,” Dan says as he closes his eyes.

He seems to stop for a moment to think, though the dramatic posturing of his arms and a still expression has you disbelieving. You shift your weight from one foot to the other as you wait for Dan to continue.

“You’re too much of a shorty to be considered toothpick material.”

Your mouth hinges open to fire back with another insult. Nothing comes up. You study Dan’s face, his eyes glint sharply, and his mouth is a cross between a grin and a smirk. It’s impossible to tell if he’s teasing, or he’s actually serious.

Were it any other person, they’d probably be insulted by his words. For you, it makes you stop and think. Perhaps you can test it out. You did see Dan lean over in pain when you kicked him earlier. The sparring session wasn’t over yet, he doesn’t need to know that.

“Want to bet?” You turn away from him.

You sharply round on Dan, your foot turns into a blurry projectile. It makes contact with a soft target and your leg muscles tremor in alarm.

Dan’s deep laugh floods adrenaline into your system.

[ghostlygremlin]

@ectoplasmic-entity Do you see Kai and Dan with this dynamic? XD

Dan & Jazz / Dani, ladies and gents

[ghostlygremlin]

@ectoplasmic-entity this is so wholesome!! I think Dani and Dan could have a sibling relationship :3

Dani here is so adorable!

the possibilities ARE THERE

[ghostlygremlin]

To be honest, I think Dan and Fright Knight would have something behind the scenes but decided to keep it behind closed doors due to not wanting their reputation as strong powerful ghosts to be challenged.

I might be wrong, but who knows?

me: thinking about dan

my brain that apparently has the impulse of a baby monkey: what if we. what if we shipped dan and fright knight together???

me: one, i haven’t heard of that ship before, and two, why? and three, why not? ;P

[ghostlygremlin]

If only Danny Phantom didn’t end after season three…oh well. The fan art and fanfiction make up for it :)

Congrats to all the phans who survived the 17 years hiatus! 🥳

[ghostlygremlin]

Spooky Glitch Dan is spooky

time out.

[ghostlygremlin]

I can’t stop imagining Dan with kitty cat ears and a tail for some reason, and cat claws, too.

Hello naughty children, it's murder time

[ghostlygremlin]

Ring Leader Dan? Nice! ^^

Codename: Ringleader — "Just because I'm MAD doesn't mean I'm not RIGHT!"

[ghostlygremlin]

This is some pretty good fanart

phantoms

[ghostlygremlin]

Human Dan looks good here :3 hehehe~

okay but can you imagine—

[ghostlygremlin]

Aww, he has tiny baby fangs :3 so cute

@ectoplasmic-entity he looks so cute here

Dan's little fangies...he's so precious

[ghostlygremlin]

This is something I can picture Dan doing. :3 nice work!

Yooooo, I just wanna ask if I can get a Dan x Reader! But add some smut on the side 😎 (it can be any scenario lmao)

Here ya go, anon! I decided to try out a scenario involving quick sex.

I hope you don't mind that I decided to write a male reader, I haven't written that yet .3.

Genre: Smut

Rating: Explicit (MINORS DNI)

Content Warnings: Short but heavy kissing sequence, a bit of foreplay, semi-public sex, semi-clothed sex, quick sex

Words: 3k+

Time moves too slowly for you. Stiff, wooden chairs, you decide, aren’t good for you. To the point you’d rather sit on someone’s lap than feel your butt go numb. You shift around anxiously in your seat. It’s not that you have any physical or medical ailments. Frustration boils in your gut and impatience sways your mindset.

The meeting was supposed to have begun by now. It seems, though, that the other members are taking their sweet time to arrive.

Genuinely, you wish you aren’t here right now. You’d rather be back home with your partner and get up in whatever shenanigans he causes. Or just have some time to yourselves without interruption.

Your arms fold down on the table, you lean forward. The empty, dim lit room looms over you. A sense of isolation washes over you. Antique furniture sits all around you, their creeping silence deafens you. The longer you stare at them, the more you almost expect the furniture to spring to life just to take away the emptiness.

Your insides twist with the discomfort of longing. Your heart drums in your chest, and you feel goosebumps tingle on your skin. You press your legs together, and your skin continues to tingle with phantom touches that you are familiar with, yet it seems so far away.

A sharp inhale and a slow exhalation. You shiver with a much deeper sense of longing.

You rest your head on your arms, try to relax. Likewise, you close your eyes to stave off the crushing isolation. Focus on calming yourself on the inside. Another deep inhale.

The empty conference room’s bare, dull colours seem persistent on making sure you know you’re alone. The walls stand above you, it stretches up and up. The ceiling at one point seems far away, and you get dizzy looking at it. Then it suddenly appears closer, and you can’t help feel the nauseating claustrophobia it brings.

Without realizing it, you stand straight up, the chair clatters behind you. Your mind wanders far away, the thrum of your heart leads you to what you desire the most. Right into the arms of your partner, whose presence is as ominous as it is powerful.

Your skin tingles.

His name on the tip of your tongue. “Dan…”

You look right up ahead, your eyes glance around in suspicion. You’re almost certain you can feel the walls watching.

If no one’s coming, not even a single one of them…then you don’t need to be here. You’re just wasting your time.

A grin appears on your face, it tightly pulls your facial muscles with internal excitement. You scoot past the elongated table and make a brisk walk for the doors. There is a small skip in your step as you get closer.

Footsteps echo off, getting quieter and quieter. As though it affirms that you’re free to go. Hand around the brass knob, an antiquated squeak emits as you turn it.

You jolt in shock when a pair of arms wrap around your waist. A deep, low voice speaks in your ear.

“What’s my favourite human doing?”

Your heart races. You involuntarily shiver and exhale slowly.

Tentatively, you guide your hand behind you. It feels something of a curve and how it feels particularly muscular. The drum of your heart gradually thunders in anticipation. A warmth swells in your chest.

The name balances on your tongue, though you don’t say it because you already know who it is.

“What are you doing here?” You ask in exasperation.

There is a deep sigh of contention. The arms unwrap and pull away from you, allowing you to turn on the spot. You press yourself against the doors once you're face to face with him.

Muscular arms in a fold and a neutral expression on Dan’s face. You suck in your cheeks on the inside of your mouth. You honestly do consider yourself a lucky man to have someone like Dan, it’s not often a guy has a handsome ghost standing over him.

“Dan, how did you get in?” You ask again, with not as much exasperation.

“Isn’t it obvious? The door was open,” Dan says, he points past you.

Your mouth hangs open for a moment before you close it. A huff of amusement and resignation emits from your throat. You shake your head playfully.

A mischievous grin spread across Dan’s face. Dan leans in close to you, your faces only inches apart. There is a quiet thump as one of his hands presses against the door to hold it shut. Your body jitters and a tingle touches down your spine that causes you to arch your back a bit.

“What are you thinking about?” You ask quietly.

“You,” Dan responds.

His other hand comes up to your face and gently takes hold of it. Your lips twitch, but you don’t say anything, your focus fixates on the sudden surge of emotions bursting from your nerves. Your heart accelerates in return.

Two sturdy fingers strokes and caress your cheekbone and jawline. Dan watches with a certain kind of affection as your expression relaxes and close your eyes at the gentle touches.

Seeing your vulnerability has exhilaration course through Dan. Like fire in his ectoblood. He leans in closer and before either of you know it, your lips meet. It’s an intoxicating mix of passion and frustration.

“Mm…” you twist your body and warmth rushes up your face. You lean deeper into the kiss.

Dan breathes heavily, tasting every bit of you he can get. His ghost core picks up the pace, a surge of energy shoots through him. A lustful haze fills his mind, your soft and warm skin feels like an acid that slowly eats away at him. 

How Dan wishes he could sweep you right off your feet and ravish you.

You pant softly and your body quivers. Adrenaline fills you with every kiss from Dan. It’s like a lightning rod that touches every part of you, your heart works harder and harder. The blood pounds in your ears and waves of heat wash over you.

You tense up. A hand slowly slides down between your legs, making you quiver violently. Your heart races and your mind is suddenly crystal clear.

“Dan,” you say softly between the kisses. “Dan, please, not here.”

The kiss breaks when Dan pulls away with a confused expression. He takes his hand away as well, fingers flexing.

“I thought you missed me?” He retorts with a smug smile.

“This isn’t the place,” you say a little snappily. “Let’s go-”

“Why not?” Dan stops you, his face softens a bit. “It’s just the two of us.”

Your cheeks burn with embarrassment at the thought.

“Someone could walk in on us!”

“Then it’ll be a quick one, alright?” Dan leans toward you again. Both of his hands are flat on the doors. “When we get home, I’ll ravish you all you like.”

While your mind protests against the notion, the overwhelming desire and emotion in your heart overrides the rationale. You steady your breathing. To be frank, Dan has been on your mind all day. Your heart thumps loudly, as though it agrees.

You look up at Dan and wrap your arms around his neck. “It’d better be quick.”

“If you grabbing my ass is anything to go by, I’d say you were waiting to fuck me.” Dan wraps one arm around you and pulls you close to his body.

You feel the stinging prick of his nails digging into you.

Your breath shudders, you lower one of your hands and place it on Dan’s chest. Elation churns inside you, a hot urging sensation floods every inch of your body.

“M-maybe…” You utter out, your eyes cast downward. A single finger traces the outline of the DP emblem. Dan’s tone chest rises up and down with your motions.

“Just focus on me, love,” Dan says in a low voice. “I’ll make you feel good in no time.”

Your hands reflexively tighten, and you press closer to Dan. His ghostly aura flares with emotion and his body radiates warmth which you bask in as much as possible. You push yourself against him some more.

You jump a little when you feel pressure on your groin. One glance down, a gentle squeeze from Dan forces a small gasp out of you. Your heart beats violently in your chest and your legs quiver.

Another, tighter squeeze.

Blood rushing through you brings forth yet another wave of warmth. Your face blazes with desire, and it works its way down. Your muscles twitch in anticipation, and you press your legs together shyly, a tight and warm sensation swells up.

“Mmm…” Dan hums softly. “Aren’t you excited.”

He loosens his grip and presses his palm against your groin. You tense and squirm around under his touch. Grinning, Dan slowly moves his hand up and down. Almost immediately, a lurch of pleasure from you greets him.

You press your back against Dan’s arm and the door, your body twists with the tingles of pleasure. Your limbs twitch as if a switch inside you turns on. A tight, warm, and straining sensation forms in your pants. You thrust your pelvis forward with shaky gasps.

Dan continues to rub you, relishing in the soft, moaning sounds you make. Every so often, Dan digs his fingers in deeper between your legs. He feels you gradually harden in stimulus, to a point there is a visible bulge.

Smiling slyly, Dan rubs faster. The fabric of his glove creates friction with the fabric of your pants.

You arch your body; a sweltering buzz numbs your lower body. You shove yourself into Dan’s hand, your knees buckle with an intense feeling that goes through them. 

You cling onto his muscular body with the silent plea to keep going.

Dan’s hand rubs and presses harder and harder on your crotch. His fingers methodically stroke the curve of your member, oh so lovingly hitting all the right spots. Zaps of pleasure causes you to heave your body, you feel your throat is full of emotion and yet you can’t expel it all at once.

The tightness in your pants goes from a mild discomfort to your member wanting to escape the confines. The bulge is more visible than ever, hard and erect. Dan lets you go and presses his lower body against yours.

You whimper quietly and shiver. “P-please…hurry…”

“What was that? I can’t hear you.” Dan lightly teases.

He places his hands on your sides – you quiver in response – and slowly slides them down. They touch down the curves of your body, feeling you up through your clothes. Sharp nails lightly trail along, leaving a stinging, nerve busting sensation in their wake.

The hands stop at your pants. You shift around in uncertainty.

You become still as the tightness in your pants loosens, a blush makes its way across your face as your member twitches up. You feel the sharp nails trailing on your sensitive skin. Cool air hits you as the fabric falls down to your feet.

You shiver violently, one because of relief that your length is free, and throbs for the attention you desire so. The second is that you’re now half naked in front of Dan, in a semi-public space no less. Your body seems to go weak with ecstasy, your muscles rapidly clench and unclench, and you expel quick, shaky breaths.

You jerk back in surprise when Dan pushes his groin against your bare half. You can’t help shudder in delight with Dan’s bulge rubbing the underside of your shaft. All your ‘pressure’ points are tense and tingle intensely.

“Was there something you wanted to say?” Dan asks, his hand holds your chin and firmly tilts your head up.

He slowly presses himself harder against you, your blood pounds through your veins.

“…me,” you mumble out unintelligibly and shyly.

“I can’t hear you.” Dan leans in close to your ear.

“Fuck me.” you breathe out heavily, beads of sweat begin to form on your face. “Please…fuck me.”

A pair of strong hands grip your bare butt, squeezing it. You press your legs together in embarrassment.

“I’m so glad you asked,” Dan says with a wide, fanged grin.

He takes one hand to his belt and quickly undoes it, it falls away with a quiet click. There is a quiet grunt from Dan as he works to undo his pants. He unknowingly thrusts himself outwards, and you get a glimpse of a very visible bulge. You swallow thickly.

The gulp turns into a deep, biting inhale to hold back a small sound that attempts to escape your throat. Dan’s thick, throbbing member emerges from his pants. You stare silently as he stands up straight and looms over you. Dan has a lustful gaze in his deep red eyes as he looks over you.

“I hope you’re ready to take me in,” Dan says in a low, husky voice.

It reaches deep into your mind, your heart thumps loudly. You wordlessly nod as he picks you up.

Before you know it, the two of you are on one of the chairs around the table. Dan is on the chair itself while you settle on his lap. He has you turn around and face away from him, he nuzzles into the crook of your neck.

Dan immediately grabs your thighs in a firm grip, he positions his member directly under you so that it seems like you’re sitting on top of it. It rubs up with yours, your insides clench in delight at the contact.

Then you find yourself unable to move around. You feel a tug on your thighs, a glance down, and you squirm in embarrassment. Dan pulls your thighs wide apart so that you’re completely exposed.

You breathe heavily, your chest expands and deflates.

You freeze up as you feel Dan position himself under you, his member slowly slips in but stops just before your hole. The tip barely touches the tender flesh.

“Relax,” Dan says soothingly, enunciating with a deeper tone. “Ready?”

You breathe shakily and nod. A wave of emotions swirls up in you, from your gut all the way up to your throat.

You tense up, legs stiff and quivery as a thick and warm mass slides inside you. Then you jerk in response, discomfort lightly tingles through you.

Dan groans softly as he eases himself into you. Your warmth clenching around him becomes a point of fixation. He inhales deeply, the intoxicating taste of euphoria floods him. Every breath seems like Dan is slipping deeper and deeper into you, earnestly taking you all at once.

In and out.

Your nerves explode with sensations and emotions that you can’t describe. There is no way to do so, all you know is that they seep deep within you. Something that unlocks your innate wants and desires and makes your heart dance.

You lightly bounce up and down with every thrust, twisting your body to feel the thrusts hit home deeper and deeper. You fall back against Dan’s body, you heave a breath of euphoria. Your legs jitter uncontrollably and a rush of blood pounds your throat.

Dan pulls you closer and tightly to him, he lifts your legs up high and at an angle. You have little choice but to awkwardly dangle there, though you barely notice since a hot, lustful haze fills your head.

Jutting into your body, Dan feels you tense around him. He grits his teeth with a soft groan. Every little sound he makes seems to expand more and more energy. Shivers tease his muscles into clenching and twitching.

Thrusting faster and harder, the hot, tight sensation around him, and the sound of your whimpers dissolving into quiet cries of pleasure.

All of it feels so good. So right. A dizzying sensation hits the both of you.

Heat blazes on Dan’s face, he bares his fangs as he forcefully thrusts upwards. Lightning shoots through his body in a numbing buzz. Dan’s member throbs and twitches deep inside you.

You grunt at the sudden force of Dan’s thrusts, a fireball that explodes inside of you. You suck in your gut. You bite back a cry, it jolts you. An overwhelming sense of numb and heat washes over you.

You stiffen, pants huff out of you. You arch your body, quivering. One of your arms wraps over Dan’s arm to hang on to him for support. A wet warmth pools under you, you twist away from it, but it sticks to you.

Dan slows the thrusting, you hear him mumble something and then grunt a bit loudly.

A pleasurable sting explodes in your lower body.

Panting hotly, Dan shifts around and repositions himself on the spot. His length twitches and throbs to the point of discomfort. Dan groans and jerks forward to ease the feeling.

He twitches violently.

Warmth erupts inside you. You sit up straight with a loud moan as you feel a sticky liquid fill you up on the inside. You try to close your legs, Dan prevents you from doing so.

Dan grunts in relief. He focuses on the wetness dripping from him, leaking from you as you sit stiffly on top of him. Dan’s ghost core thuds and a tingle crawls up his spine. He leans forward, easing himself deeper into the sticky mess.

You sit there in silence; your brain numbs and your face flushes all over. A liquid warmth settles deep within you. You swallow thickly and deeply, your insides and muscles churn and twitch in zeal.

“That…” Dan starts out slowly to break the silence. “Could’ve been better.”

You barely turn to pin him with a look.

Before Dan can respond, a faint bang interrupts him. The two of you perk up, wondering what it could be. Voices are heard chattering away loudly, it carries imminent alert.

You squirm around in panic. “What if someone sees us!?”

“Let them come,” Dan states with a sly smile, the blush on his face didn’t exactly fade away.

You levy panicking looks between Dan and the doors that were sure to burst open any moment. You don’t like how calm he is.

Then, just as the double doors burst open, Dan grabs you closer. Even before the first footsteps into the conference room, the two of you vanish into thin air. As if you were never there at all.

[ghostlygremlin]

Poor Jazz lol

Dan is happy though, at least

When you know your older sibling has all the chaotic energy, but you also know that if you join their "fun", it would mean the world to them.