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Over the few short years Danny had grown some, matured some, and became a bit ethereal and wiser in that time. Sam and Tuck liked to say ClockWork was rubbing off on him. He’d just smirk and laugh lightly, saying that was a good thing. He’s not entirely sure they agreed.
Far more notable were the physical changes really, his body stabilising and his two halfs coming to something of an equilibrium. For the most part, his ghostliness stayed with his ghost form and humanness with his mortal form. The fangs and pointed ears being the exception, but he didn’t really mind them; especially when he could retract the fangs and pin his ears back into his hair. Even if it was slightly uncomfortable.
Stretching and getting off his bed, he was good enough now that he didn’t even need a mirror to check that his ears were hidden well and as comfortably as they could be. Slipping on a white poets blouse and dark gray harem pants, snatching up a bandana to tie around his neck -he had scars to cover after all- as he walks out of his bedroom and bounces down the stairs lightly.
“Morning”, easily manoeuvring around his mom to snatch up the cereal and milk. Though raising an eyebrow at her gaping at him slightly, pouring the cereal and milk without looking as he asks, “what is it? There isn’t anything on my face, is there?”.
Maddie shakes her head but blinks at him a few times before squinting, “no, it’s just... you look almost like you’re glowing?”, making a face, “but nothing like a ghost does”.
Danny blinks, glancing to his hands as he puts everything away. Huh, there was a sort of soft luminous look to them. Like bright moonlight reflecting off white flowers or really pale skin. Strange and definitely odd. But she is right, it’s nothing like the intense slightly staticky glow of his ghost form. The kind that made ghosts practically impossible to photograph and could be near blinding if the ghost really flared their ecto-field. Though the glow to his hands did seem to blur the hairs and few scars there, making his skin appear slightly smoother. That was arguably quite useful.
“Well, I’ll be damned”, looking to his mom and smiling slightly, “Thanks for pointing it out. Maybe I reacted to something yesterday or maybe it just might be part of my general weird. If it’s anything, I feel quite fine; so I doubt it’s anything to worry over”, and moves to sit at the table to eat. Noting his nails seem to glow just slightly brighter, in the process. With that being the case it was quite likely his teeth and bones glowed as well. Best not to check that out with his unawares parents around.
Maddie nods, he’d grown up a lot and surely he knew his body well enough to notice if something was truly wrong. “Well you let me know if you feel anything out of the norm. If you feel heavier or lighter. Weaker or more energetic. Anything”.
Danny smiles and nods a little, “of course mom. Just please don’t spend the day fretting over this, whatever it may be”.
Maddie sighs, “I’ll try sweetie”.
“Good, that’s all anyone can ask”.
Maddie just nods as he heads out the door. Turning to look at Jack who’s standing a bit slack-jawed on the stairs. Maddie asking, “you noticed it too?”.
Jack looks to her and nods, chuckling a little as he finishes making his way into the kitchen, “Danny-boy sure is a strange one, isn’t he! Though for once, I don’t think this is ghosts”, nodding his head firmly, “that glow is totally wrong for ghost anything”, chuckling again, “it does seem like it suits him though!”.
Maddie nods a little, “agreed. Funny thing, he didn’t even notice till I pointed it out”.
Jack smiles as he scarfs down some food, “en he rally mush be fin!”. Earning a giggle out of his wife and beaming to himself. He loved making her laugh, anyone really, but her especially.
Danny walks across the street, Sam and Tucker falling in step on either side of him once he gets all the way across.
Sam humming, “huh, when you texted saying you had a ‘glowing disposition’ this wasn’t quite what I expected. Weird that it’s just your skin. Normally it’s just your eyes that can get glowy”.
Danny nods with a faint chuckle, “though I’ve got much better control over my ‘scary eyes’ now. Even if I enjoy starling the occasional person by flashing them briefly”. Both of them snicker a little, him doing that was the entire reason the local bullies largely left him alone now. None of them ever really able to be sure if the flash of green was a trick of the light or not, and not really being willing to risk it. Especially with Danny’s now much taller height and lean muscle.
Tucker nods and pokes his cheek, “back onto this ‘glow’, really gotta squint in the sunlight to notice at all dude, so I doubt many people will notice”.
Sam sighs and rolls her eyes, “until it falls into the damn gossip mill anyways”.
Danny sticks up a finger and smirks, “or till the lights go out”, shrugging, “if the glow continues even in darkness”.
Sam tosses her shawl over his head and sticks hers under it purely to check, him grinning toothily at her all the while. Sam hums, “yup, you’re officially a glow stick regardless of form”. Glancing to the bandana and plucking it, “also, it’s showing through the bandana a little and your teeth are practically bleeding light”.
Danny shakes his head and ruffles his hair back to its normal artfully tousled state as Sam pulls her shawl off his head. “So clothing won’t cover it. Well, guess I ought to just outright own it then”, smirking, “see if anyone notices at all. I rather imagine they will. That would be more fun”.
Tucker snorts, “I’m starting to think your self-preservation is completely out to lunch at this point”.
Danny shrugs, “most likely, yes. A downfall of immortality I dare say”. Taking the compact mirror Sam hands him and checking out his teeth, shaking his head with a chuckle, “well, certainly looks like I ate a handful of fireflies”. Both laugh at that. While Danny hums a little and sticks a finger up in the air, “also, my makers noticed before I did and they’ve disregarded it being a ghostly thing, so best not blame this on ecto-contamination”. Both nod curtly as they climb the steps to the school doors.
Star blinks and straightens herself out, pulling her head off its spot resting in her palm. Placing her hand down on her desk and following Danny with her eyes as he enters, walking across the classroom. It was like he was radiating pure sunlight. No, more like moonlight. It was so soft and almost dainty. Combined with the graceful movements that were so common for the boy now and how his feet made practically not a sound on the ground. It made her think of a skilled ballerina dancing across water in the middle of a still night. It was a rare day she didn’t stare at him a little, but he was quite literally radiant today.
Turning her head away purely to look around the class, it was clear a few other girls had noticed, Brittney having dropped her pencil and mouth ajar slightly. It was mostly just the girls who were skilled at makeup, familiar with how skin looked, that seemed to notice. And it didn’t even seem like a single boy did at all.
Looking back to the strange boy as he sits down soundlessly, like he was barely part of their world at all. It was no surprise half the school had something of a crush on him now, not that anyone showed it. Danny was still definitely a freaky weirdo. The lowest of the low on the social ladder. That was more than enough to turn off pretty well everyone. And the fact that his friends stayed simply that, friends; felt like a warning. A warning that there was a good reason not to chase after him. And they blocked anyone from really getting close to or asking too much about him. This... radiance only made him seem even more untouchable.
Shaking her head and joining quite a few other girls in peeling her eyes away from him as Ms. Remi enters, everyone was at least slightly inclined to actually try in their senior year.
Danny chuckles a bit to himself as the teacher starts rattling off about mathematics and largely useless, especially for him, equations. It was more than a little easy to feel all the eyes on him this morning. So it was rather clear people were noticing fairly easily. Well, at least the more detail-oriented ones were noticing anyway.
Chuckling slightly more at feeling Star’s and Britney’s eyes on him again. It was no surprise those two noticed. Being Paulina’s little pets, beauty queens in their own right. Honestly, nowadays he found Star to be fairly more attractive than the school’s queen bee. Not that he had any interest of course, she was much too breakable. Too mortal. Don’t get him wrong, Sam and Tuck were mortal all the same; yet not. They were much less breakable. And Val, she could hardly be labelled a simple ‘mortal’ with that suit of hers; ghostly machinery fused to her and flowing alongside her mortal blood. Much like his own ectoplasm did.
Shaking his head and turning to look out the window, glancing his eyes over what of the town he could easily see; which was far more than the typical human eye could. Before closing his eyes and humming slightly, the sun felt nice today; even if it couldn’t warm his cold skin, and he’d rather it didn’t. The cold was a comforting thing to him, a home really. He knows that’s his Core’s fault but he’s honestly grateful for it. It was nice after all. Cooled any days too hot to typically bare and made the frigid winters very pleasing. Plus, smirking a little, it was quite fun horrifying the teachers by wearing as little as he could get away with on the coldest of days. Toying with people was incredibly amusing, though he made sure to be nice about it. Better than most ghosts, he’ll say.
Humming again and resting his head in his palm, this was a good a spot as any to take a light nap. Subtly telekinetically cracking the window open to let in any scents as he closes his eyes, late spring was always nice; fresh light rain and earthy scents.
Star glances at and eyes Danny again, how he manages to sleep like that she’s got no clue. She’s also got no clue why he’s always so tired. No one did. It was one of the mysteries of the boy. Even if that tiredness looked more ‘artful’ and less ‘pathetic’ than it used to. He looked more like someone gifted with knowledge and tired from studying ancient crafts or something, rather than some kid who just lived off Red Bull and apathy.
Looking back to her work and shaking her head, it was impossible not to be distracted by the boy and the teachers all knew that. Hence why they all always stuck him in the back corner, not that he seemed to give a damn. He’d inevitably disappear anyway, usually without anyone noticing now. The teachers appreciated him not disturbing the class with that frequent ‘bathroom’ excuse anymore. Everyone else just found it a bit freaky and unsettling that he could simply disappear like that. Only adding to the whole ‘school freak’ label.
Eventually leaning back at the end of class and jerking slightly from a small gasp from Britney, looking to the girl and following her gaze. Not even kinda surprised her eyes settle on Danny, though nearly gasping herself. His head was practically covered in a glow, his cheeks even shimmering with it. Following his line of sight to the doorway; him moving to meet up with those friends of his, all three of them, and leaving.
Turning her head to the teacher as said teacher mutters, “what in the world...?”. Then looking around, class was over but near everyone was pretty well still sitting and gapping or blinking after Danny. Okay, so something was absolutely up with Danny. The heck?
Danny smiles at his friends, even with Val giving him a very strange look. Tuck snorting, “dude, oh my Zone”.
Danny blinks, “what?”, genuinely confused.
Valerie plucks the skin on his hand, “your folks invent some weird new moisturiser or something? Also how the fuck did your head or hair light up like that?”.
Danny scrunches up his face faintly, making Sam sigh exasperatedly, “you’re impossible. You quite literally just lit up like a light bulb at seeing us”. Tucker just starts snickering hard enough to mess up his face a little.
Danny rubs his neck and shrugs, “I can’t say I possess the ability to see my own face at every given moment. So I have no clue what you’re talking about”, moving his hand and flipping it over a little, “as for my skin”, he shrugs, “who knows. Certainly not me”.
Valerie groans and rolls her eyes, speaking a bit sarcastically, “of course you don’t”. She’s well aware Danny has his secrets, not that she can really complain about it. Though it is also quite possible he genuinely has no clue what’s going on. Huffing, “well you don’t seem bothered, or weirder than normal. So I guess you’re fine”, pointing at him, “maybe use different body wash or whatever though”.
Danny chuckles faintly, “maybe I will, maybe I won’t”, looking back to his hand, “it is rather nice looking”. His friends shrug though nod a little.
Mr. Lancer raises both of his eyebrows slightly when Daniel enters class only marginally late, though that’s hardly why his eyebrows raise. It was faint but Lancer certainly wasn’t an unobservant man. He usually elected to leave things be, particularly when said things didn’t pertain to school, work, or life lessons. But Daniel’s... unusual characteristics, were rather hard to simply ignore. The abnormally quick muscle growth? Samantha could have put him on a rigorous training regime. The glimpses of scarring? simply from that dangerous house he lived in or even ghost attacks. The personality changes? Growing up, he was nearly an adult after all; even if sometimes Daniel felt a little too wise. The gracefulness? That could be growing up as well, if it wasn’t quite so extreme. That boy rarely made a sound at all!
But the occasional glimpses he catches of a green glow to his eyes or how he could hold his hands like claws and bear his teeth like they were weapons? That wasn’t truly explainable. And now this. This literal glow. It almost seemed like someone had filled his veins and muscles, everything really, with light.
Lancer calls on him immediately to read purely to have an excuse to watch him slightly more closely. Because in the end, Lancer was something of a worrier. Someone who concerned themselves with the well being and future of others. And Daniel was the most concerning individual he’s ever met.
Daniel covers his mouth lazily and gives an easy air of not caring in the slightest. But watching Lancer can see what he’s really doing. He’s hiding his mouth. The boy really was lit up from the inside out! If he squints he can actually see the light from his mouth or possibly teeth? reflect off his hand slightly. It’s barely noticeable, but it’s there all the same.
So when class ends -with Daniel impressively not running off at any point- Lancer motions Daniel over. “Are you well?”. No point accusing anyone of being unusual right off the bat. Especially a Fenton.
Daniel gives a clearly genuine and warm yet subtle smile, “quite well. And you?”.
Lancer folds his hands, “I didn’t ask that pointlessly, Daniel”, maybe he was looking to know if Lancer had noticed? “Your body appears to be a bit more unusual than normal”.
Daniel hums, “it would seem that way, yes. It’s nothing of concern, don’t worry yourself”.
Lancer sighs and frowns slightly, “I’m your teacher, that’s part of the job and passion”.
“Then why not focus it where it’ll be of more use and necessity?”.
That was the other thing that nagged at Lancer, Daniel had little regard for his own well being or schooling. It was disheartening but it seemed little could be done about it. “You always claim to not need it, but looking at you, I can’t help but think you need it more than most”.
Daniel shrugs, “appearances are deceiving and our eyes lie to us”. Lancer can recognise a ‘let this conversation just be done and over with’ when he sees one. “While I enjoy your vocabulary improvements, I’d rather have honesty”.
Daniel just shrugs again, “what can I say? That’s just not in my nature”. Now wasn’t that the truth. Lancer’s fairly sure it’s been a while since he’s gotten much in the way of genuine honestly from the boy. Sad, but true.
Lancer sighs and shoos the boy off. Quirking an eyebrow when Daniel pauses in the doorway and looks back to him, “swear to the Ancients I’m fine. I’m me, as weird and aloof as I may be”, and turns away to leave.
That was the other thing that really nagged at Lancer, Daniel’s strange terms and phrases. He’s tried looking them up, without any results. As an English teacher, he really can’t help being curious over that. And it certainly was preferable to swearing, though Daniel did that too.
Sighing, he didn’t actually get anything out of his talk with Daniel. The boy literally told him nothing beyond assuring him that ‘he was fine’. But with Daniel, he couldn’t really believe that.
Danny grabs his lunch tray and walks over to their table, “you know, I believe people are much more observant than they once were”.
Valerie rolls her eyes while he sits down, she had decided Danny absolutely was generating his own light; though it oddly seemed to actually be more like he was glowing through his skin not that something on his skin was glowing. “I should hope. Everyone would be goddamn dead here if they didn’t learn to be at least a little aware”.
Danny chuckles a little, “quite true. I guess it is a fair trade. It would be a real shame if someone were to get hurt or -Ancients forbid- die”.
Sam snickers, “yeah, can’t have any death in the town of the dead”. Earning laughs all around.
Tucker jabs his ‘food’ with the plastic fork, “does it say something that we talk about death like some inconvenience? We’d fucking terrify any foreigners”.
Sam smirks, “good”. Which really? Danny wholeheartedly agreed with. The town being off-putting or creepy only serves to discourage newcomers or deter anyone unawares. The less mortals around to be put in danger and potentially broken, the better.
The four turn their heads at Todd putting a hand down on their table, the other sitting cockily on his waist while he sneers, “ha, no kidding huh? So what’s up with you, angel boy”.
Danny raises an eyebrow, “well that’s a new one. Can’t say it’s all that fitting”, smirking, “though a few have said my eyes are rather angelic”.
Todd scoffs and rolls his eyes, speaking sarcastically, “right. What? Did you not know your light was showing? Everyone knows you’re lazy but Christ, you can’t even bother with glamour or whatever”, tilting his head and laughing, “oh, would that be offensive? ‘Christ’?”.
Danny just blinks at the ninth-grader, this guy had a bit of a tendency to be something of a try-hard. Always eager to prove he was ‘the baddest thing around’, which fine, was slightly amusing given how easily breakable the boy technically was. It wouldn’t take much on Danny’s part but he’s fine to let the boy have his time in the spotlight. But right now, Danny feels rather lost and that was usually a pretty uncommon thing for him nowadays, “can’t say I’m following”.
Todd blinks and looks at him funny before straightening himself out, looking to his friends/‘gang’ and shrugging very exaggeratedly with a shake of his head, “hear that? He’s not following. Now what the heck kind of angel doesn't follow god?”, looking back to and sneering at Danny, “probably a fallen one”, and walks off laughing.
Danny blinks and looks to his friends, “what just happened?”.
All three responding with, “we have no clue”.
Tucker eats a bit before mumbling, “I think the dude called you an angel, like, literally”.
Danny makes a point to comically look over his shoulders at each of his shoulder blades before responding, “I’m fairly certain I’m a bit lacking in the ‘big feathery wings’ department to be an angel”.
Sam points at him, “if you were fallen you might not have them and that was the last thing Todd sorta called you”.
All of them exchange glances before Valerie groans and slams her head into the table, “sometimes, I really hate this town”.
Danny snickers, “it does really kill me inside. Makes me really dead on my feet”. Earning a round of groans.
Paulina thins her lips slightly, watching Danny walk past. Star and Britney hadn’t been lying, the boy was glowing. And watching his hair wave through the air as if there was a slight breeze or like it weighed less than the air itself and moved only according to its own whims, there was little sparkles of light coming off the ends slightly. Like falling stardust.
Looking around the hall with only a slight turn of her head, can’t let these lowlifes let them think she’s actually looking at or paying attention to them. Listening to the hallway chatter and gossip.
“Wow, he really is radiant, but holy?”.
“You're kidding me? That child’s a devil in human skin”.
“Is it just me or is Fenton on a totally different level today?”.
Snorting, “heaven’s a pretty high level”.
“I bet Danny’s totally blessed”.
“Think we could try collecting that light off him or something? Lily said his hair and cheeks literally shimmered light into the air”.
Paulina nods curtly just a little, she had decided a while ago he likely wasn’t really human. He barely resembled his family, certainly didn’t act like them. He didn’t act similar to anyone really. And he was good, good at seeming human. But she was better, better at noticing even the tiniest of details and pouncing on them. That’s how she got and kept herself at the top of the school’s hierarchy. Never missed perfecting even a single spot on her skin or missed pointing out a blemish on someone else’s. Danny’s teeth were wrong and his ears were angled in such a way that it seemed like the tips were pinned into his hair. The angles of the curves to his muscles and face were just a little too sharp to be normal. And he somehow managed to be more graceful than even she could muster and he made it look entirely natural. And getting into his face to stare at said face, let her spot the speckles in his blue eyes, like little bits of ice or sparkling snow.
She honestly had been leaning towards fae but with the glow, angelic did make a level of sense. And if that’s what the school was going with she wasn’t about to make herself a fool by supplying something else. Nodding to herself and grinning as she sits down in class. Leaning over to Kwan, “Danny sure seems different today. His skins got quite the glow”, giggling meanly, “I’d say someone forgot their glamour today”, and smirking.
Kwan tilts his head, “you think? I didn’t notice anything”.
Paulina waves him off, “of course, you’re a boy. If you did that would be weird”. Kwan laughs and nods with a goofy grin.
Paulina makes a point not to jump when she catches Danny outside the slightly cracked open classroom door and seemingly looking right at her, his sharp eyes nearly crescent-shaped and clearly a bit amused. She just stares at him when he smiles toothily before walking off, utterly silent as always and leaving behind the feeling like he was never there to begin with. His teeth or mouth absolutely was covered in light.
It was almost like his body couldn’t contain the light inside him anymore. Which absolutely was a score towards angel. Like the human body he had taken wasn’t able to handle him anymore or had been nearly used up and needed to be replaced.
Watching the teacher enter though pointedly making it look like she wasn’t. “That Fenton kid is being a distraction again, god I can’t wait for that boy to graduate and get out of here”. Much of the school must have noticed then, whatever. The gossip of those below her is hardly worth her attention, once she gets in her two cents and a jab or two anyway. Especially after that staring and grinning at her stunt. He was starting to mess with people, as per usual. She wasn’t about to let him bring her down that way. So she’ll ignore him like she always does; regardless of how difficult that can be.
Danny smirks to himself as he walks down the hall and makes it to class just a hair before the teacher. Messing with Paulina was a fair bit more amusing than most. She so rarely lost her composure or even acknowledged his messing around. Everyone else would react to him except her. But he’d gotten her to jerk slightly and freeze, failed to scare her though. Even if that was honestly preferable. He didn’t desire to scare people, even if that did make a part of him feel pleased and his Core hum a bit.
Sitting down and firmly ignoring the heightened level of staring. It’s not as if that truly bothered him, the implications were slightly more troublesome though. Being more noticed was never truly a preferable outcome for him, regardless of form. It only served to inhibit him. Tilting his head slightly and humming at the girl seated next to him. Jesse was a quiet girl, yet both smart and fairly pretty. She leans towards him a bit and of course happens to be clutching at a cross. This might be going a little too far.
“So it’s true, oh how blessed to be in this time and space”. Rubbing at the bit of metal, “a guardian surely”.
Alright, Danny is ever so slightly put off by the twinkling to her eyes. Though chuckling slightly, he was something of a guardian. Guarding his lair and his mortals. Protecting them and keeping them safe. Breakable as they are and as damageable as the weak brick and concrete of his lair was. “I could do without the reverence”.
She just smiles, “yes. I guess all this attention might just interfere with your job”. Danny resists making a few choice jokes about that or acknowledging how true that was. Sam and Tucker both snicker, While Jesse looks out the window, “guess it makes sense one of you would come here. Our town is pretty plagued”, shaking her head, “by the dead no less. Though sending an archangel seems almost too much, but who am I to judge”.
Tucker wheezes and whispers sounding both amazed and confused, “‘archangel’? Seriously?”.
She looks back to Danny and squints her eyes slightly, “why though? Why grace us with your light in ways we can actually see? It’s only inconveniencing you?”, shaking her head and smiling, “no, as a faithful it must be obvious to me. To make us feel comfortable. To let us know we’re safe”.
Danny blinks and puts a hand over his mouth to hide the slight smile. He did indeed want to make people feel safer and if this glow and this misconception helped, then it wasn’t such an awful unfortunate thing. Useful beyond merely concealing his scars. Danny just smiles a bit more when Sam smacks him over the back of the head.
Sam looks to their classmate, “ignore him, he’s an idiot”.
Jesse looks to Sam and tilts her head, “are you- no I shouldn’t ask. Not my place”. Making Sam choke and sputter some. Hitting Danny again knowing damn well he was smiling wider now.
Danny turns his head to look back at her slightly and smirks before looking back to Jesse, “don’t fret about things. Change happens as it does and we simply move along with it. Though this has been somewhat amusing”.
She doesn’t get a chance to respond as the teacher very loudly clears his throat and starts back up going over health education. Which was rather inapplicable to him, considering his highly unusual physiology. Danny doesn't bother with playing attention while Tucker leans across Sam’s desk, pretty well laying on it, and sticks his arm over Danny’s shoulder; shoving his phone in Danny’s face. “Dude”.
Danny blinks and smirks faintly at the screen.
‘Daniel is the ‘Angel of Marriage’, the ‘Angel of Universal Love’ and the ‘Principle Guardian Angel’. Archangel Daniel is a Principle Healer, Mentor and Guardian Angel and he resonates with love, strength and peace. Archangel Daniel is said to be one of the highest ranked angels in the Universe’ - angels archangels and ascended masters
Danny mutters, “well I’ll be damned. Guess I’m an angel now”. Clicking the link and scrolling a little ‘colour: Emerald’. Danny can't help but snicker at that before handing Tuck’s phone back.
Danny sighs slightly and watches the faint icy mist leave his mouth. Though making a point to flash his ghostly eyes at Jesse, just barely in her line of sight and with a smirk while leaving class smoothly.
Chuckling faintly as he fades from the visible spectrum and floats up to phase through the ceiling, hearing Jesse gasp a little and Sam groan, “he’s really asking for it”.
Danny thinks he’s okay with this. It’s hardly a matter and the chatter of it would die down in time. Like most things do and should. Except him of course.
End.