#therealghostrider

therealghostrider: "Dani? You ok, kiddo?"

ghostgirldani: "…um…I…well…no. N-not really."

therealghostrider:"You wanna talk about it. Maybe? You know I’m always here for you."

ghostgirldani: "R-really? C-cause… I mean, I’m j-just… it’s n-not that important, really… A-and you’ve pro’bly g-got other stuff to do…"

therealghostrider: "If I had other and better stuff to do I’d be doing it. Besides, it’s important to me…"

ghostgirldani: "Oh. Um…well, cause… it’s just… I dunno. I…I miss… some people…I guess…"

therealghostrider: "People that you met during your travels? Cause you know, I travel a good amount and have met people. There’s always ways of talking to them again if you try…"

ghostgirldani: She shook her head. “N-no… I do o-ok at staying in touch with them. I… I m-miss… my b-brothers…but… they’re dead and it’s my fault so I’ll never ever see them again."

therealghostrider:"…….all I got out of that was brothers. You had brothers?"

ghostgirldani: "I…um… yeah…b-but they’re g-gone…"

therealghostrider:"oh…uuuuuhhh…" He didn’t really know what to say after that, so he got on his knees to be more at height level with her and just hugged her.

ghostgirldani: Dani smiled a little and hugged him back, burying her face in his shoulder. “I-I’m sorry. I’m j-just being dumb. I-it’s not like th-this is anything new…"

therealghostrider:"Aw, Dani…it’s ok…do you want to talk about it?"

ghostgirldani: "Um… m-maybe…" She shrugged, biting her lip. “I d-dunno. I’ve never… I mean… Danny doesn’t really even kn-know…I don’t think…"

therealghostrider: "So? It’s not like I’d tell him…you can trust me. It’s not good to hold everything in…"

ghostgirldani: She took a deep breath, then sighed. “I-it’s not that. I just… I d-dunno. I don’t th-think he ever realizes th-that I think of the others as m-my brothers. He said they were mindless… But… it’s just… I w-wasn’t a freak, around them. We w-were all screwed up, b-but we were the same, s-so it d-didn’t matter. And i-it’s my fault that they’re d-dead now…"

therealghostrider: What was she even talking about? Clearly he was missing something important here, but maybe it was better in the long run to not understand. He tried though. “Hey, listen. I’m sure it’s not your fault.Things happen that you can’t control. Sometimes they are bad things…but for every bad thing that happens…something good happens. Except if Shadow caused it. Then you’re screwed."

ghostgirldani: She grinned a little at the joke, before her face fell again. “Except… I could’ve controlled it. I… I mean… I sort of…" She paused, swallowing hard. “I h-helped kill one of t-them. And I l-let the other two d-die. Cause he promised h-he’d fix me. Us. But h-he lied, and n-now they’re g-gone…" She trailed off, chewing her lip again.

therealghostrider: He still had no idea what she was talking about. “Fix you? What do you mean? There’s nothing wrong with you…and…you let your brothers die because of it? I don’t really understand…but, if its anything like what I did, you did it because you trusted someone, loved someone even, and you thought what you were doing was right. Don’t blame yourself…how could you have known?"

ghostgirldani: "I mean, I g-guess…" The last part of his statement sounded right, somehow, but what did he mean by the first thing? She looked at him in confusion, cocking her head to the side. “B-but…. J-johnny, I’m not s-supposed to exist. I’m… a…a…a mistake. If my ‘father’ had h-his way, if D-danny hadn’t saved me, I’d… I’d be a p-puddle of ectoplasmic goo, j-just like the others…"

therealghostrider: "…..what do you mean? Your father turned your brothers into goo? Whatever…I don’t want to hear that you think you’re a mistake. You’re not. You’re here, you exist, and you aren’t going to be turned into goo."

ghostgirldani: "But, I am a m-mistake! I’m not supposed to exist! I w-was supposed to be a boy! He didn’t want a m-messed up daughter, he wanted a perfect little half-ghost son. And th-the only reason I didn’t melt too was cause Danny found some st-stuff that helped stabilize me!"

therealghostrider: "…….You’re not really his cousin, are you?"

ghostgirldani: "…um… w-wait. Y-you didn’t…. know? I th-thought… you were just… I dunno. Being n-nice about it…"

therealghostrider: "Well, you said he was your cousin, so what else am I supposed to believe? What are you then?"

ghostgirldani: "I…um… oh. I guess… b-but you never thought it was weird? Th-that he just happens to h-have a cousin who l-looks exactly like him, who’s a-also a half g-ghost, and who h-has the same name?"

therealghostrider: "Well…uh…I guess it was kind of strange but I never really thought about it."

ghostgirldani: "Oh. I…I mean, I guess… it’s cause Ember and the b-blockhead are r-right about me… I’m j-just… a mini Danny. A c-copy. Except I’m n-not even a good copy…. c-cause I g-got screwed up…"

therealghostrider: "…who’s the blockhead?" He was a bit confused on that part, but everything else was starting to sink in. A copy? So Dani was some kind of clone or something? “Dani…you are not screwed up. Don’t say that. You are a great kid. Who cares what other people think about you? Even if you are a copy of Danny you are still your own person. If you were exactly like Danny then you wouldn’t be you…you wouldn’t be what makes you special…"

ghostgirldani: "Blockhead’s just some kid at Danny’s school. Dash, I think. He calls me ‘mini Fenturd’. But whatever." She shrugged, frowning down at her shoes, her hair covering her face. “I d-dunno, Johnny. I… I mean, I like all the same stuff he d-does. I even want to be an astronaut, j-just like him. And, I mean, I t-try not to care, s-sometimes, but… it d-doesn’t change the f-fact that… I’m s-still a…a….a m-mistake…"

therealghostrider: "Want me to break his nose for you?”

“Dani, will stop saying you’re a mistake? So what if you both want to be an astronaut? Lots of people want to be astronauts. Look, if you are a mistake, then why do people care about you? People don’t care about mistakes. And people do care about you. Danny cares about you, I care about you. That means you are not a mistake."

ghostgirldani: She smiled a little. “Nah, I can do that myself. But thanks." 

"I… I guess, m-maybe… but he didn’t c-care. He thought I was a m-mistake, an imperfection. And h-he was supposed to be my daddy… So….if h-he didn’t c-care, I don’t know w-why anyone else d-does…"

therealghostrider: He sighed. “I hate to say it, but whoever this guy is is not your family. He might have created you, but that doesn’t automatically give him the title of being a dad…" He paused, hoping that didn’t sound too harsh. “What I mean is, family is the people who care about you. Family is the people who will do anything for you and love you for who you are, not hate you for what you are not."

ghostgirldani: She looked up at him, her brow furrowed. “I… I mean… I know he’s a c-crazed up fruitloop. I kn-know I shouldn’t think of him a-as my father; he c-certainly don’t think of m-me as anything more than a… a slave, or s-something. I-it’s just… h-him and Danny were the only people I knew at all, f-for a long time. N-now, it’s better, c-cause I’ve got other friends and I’ve t-traveled a lot and stuff, but… I still don’t… I don’t g-get it, I guess."

therealghostrider: The poor kid probably wasn’t going to understand no matter how hard he could try to explain things. He sat down then pulled Dani down so that she was sitting next to him. “Maybe you are too young to understand…I don’t know…but…" He hesitated, trying to think of how to word what he wanted to say.

"Dani, I love you like a sister. And as far as I’m concerned, you ARE my sister. Even if we aren’t related. And Danny loves you too. He’s you’re real brother…sure, those other copies might be your brothers too, but…well, even though they are gone, they are still alive in Danny…since they are Danny…" That last sentence came out a bit awkwardly, as if he realized it sounded absurd.

ghostgirldani: She drew her knees up to her chest, propping her head up on them as she looked over at Johnny, a confused expression on her face. He thought of her as a… a sister? She smirked in amusement as the last part of his statement trailed off. And this time, the smile stayed. 

"I… I guess. And… I mean… maybe the others wouldn’t h-have lasted long anyway… they were more messed up than me. And I know Danny cares… it’s just… h-he’s got his life and h-his family and friends and… I kn-know he says they’ll accept me t-too, but…. What if they don’t? I mean, I think it’s weird that I’m his… his clone. It’s g-gotta be even weirder, for everyone else. Th-that’s why I just say I’m his cousin." She looked down, tugging idly at a few blades of grass beside her. After a moment, she continued quietly. “Y-you really… think of me as, like… a sister?"

therealghostrider: "You might be a clone, but you are still a completely different person. You have a different personality than him, that’s for sure. But also I think Danny might need someone too. You’re the only other person who totally understands what its like to be half ghost. I’m sure all that ghost fighting is stressful for him. I just don’t think he wants to admit his feelings sometimes. I don’t see any reason why they wouldn’t like you…hey, by your logic if they like Danny and you’re his clone then they SHOULD like you if you are exactly like him."

He suddenly put his arm around her shoulders. “Dani, you’re the closest thing I have to any real family. I love you like that annoying little sister who likes to torture her older brother but he still puts up with it because he loves her and cares for her and would knock the lights out of any blockhead that bothers her."

ghostgirldani: She flinched slightly when he put his arms around her shoulders, looking up in surprise. A slow grin spread across her face at his words. “I guess… you’d be pretty cool as a big brother. But that doesn’t mean I’m gonna stop messing with you." She bit her lip, still smiling as she turned her attention back to the patch of grass she’d been tearing up. 

"And… I guess… maybe you’re right. About Danny. I mean… there is one other half ghost, but…. he doesn’t count…" She scowled at the ground again, not really wanting to bring the subject of Plasmius back up. “Anyway. But I dunno; I mean, his family is all ghost hunters. I’m half a ghost. And a weird half a ghost at that. And, yeah, they accepted him, but… he’s actually their kid. I’m… not…"

therealghostrider: "But that’s what siblings do. Mess with each other. Also, I’m pretty sure the grass hasn’t done anything to you that it deserves to be ripped up like that." He said jokingly.

"His parents may be ghost hunters, and I definitely know how scary his mother can be, but I’m sure they will love you just as much as Danny. Danny wouldn’t let anything happen to you. If he says his parents wouldn’t care, then why are you so worried about it? The street really isn’t the place for someone your age, ghost powers or not."

ghostgirldani: She blinked, then blushed faintly, noticing the shreds of plant in her hands. “Oh. Oops."

She shrugged, resisting the urge to then continue tearing up more grass. “I… I dunno. I guess… like, I want… it’d be really nice, t-to be part of his family. For real, not just the cousins thing. B-but… I dunno. They’ve… already got a life and way of doing things and stuff. I don’t… I don’t wanna screw it up. And anyway, h-how would I even introduce myself? ‘Hi, I’m your son’s secret cousin who you didn’t know existed! Name’s Danielle. You got any food?’" She paused, realizing that was almost precisely how she’d introduced herself to Danny in the first place. “Um…and anyway, I can take care of myself. I’ve been doing it pretty much my whole life. I wouldn’t know what to do with family or school or any of that anyway."

therealghostrider: "Dani…his parents are scientists. I’m pretty sure they have seen stranger. Just trust Danny, ok? He wouldn’t offer for you to live with him if he thought his parents would hate you. I think his parents are pretty understanding. His mom is extremely overprotective and you better bet she’s going to hurt anyone who tries to hurt her family. And that family includes you. Seriously, living on the streets isn’t fun. It may seem like a better option, but its not. Believe me…You know, if I had a home myself, I’d offer for you to come live with me…but…I don’t. I don’t have anyone. You at least do. "

ghostgirldani: "I… I guess. Probably. But… I dunno." She chewed her lip, thinking about how she wanted to explain it. “I… I only know how to travel and… and run away. I’m used to the streets. Yeah, i-it’s not great, but… I’ve lived this long just fine. And I like the traveling. I like meeting new people and seeing new places. I like being the boss of myself. And… I guess… I’m just…. I’m scared, Johnny. I reallywant them to like me. But what if I don’t do things right? What if… if I really am just a bad daughter?" She wrapped her arms around her knees, curling up a little smaller. Then her brow furrowed in concern, and she poked him. “And that’s not true. You’ve got me."

therealghostrider:"They will like you. Stop being silly. And you know what I mean. You have real family. I don’t." Without warning he took off his coat and threw it on top of Dani, completely covering her. “I can’t stand seeing you curled in a ball like that. Don’t come out until you can sit like a normal person." He said it in a stern, but obviously joking manner.

ghostgirldani: Dani burst into giggles from under the jacket, remaining curled in a ball. “Can’t sit like a normal person. I dunno what one of those is." She flailed around a bit until she poked her head back out, still grinning at him. “And I’ve only got a cousin. That’s not much family, either. And he’s a dork anyway."

therealghostrider: "A dork is better than nothing." He looked at her still pretty wrapped up in his jacket. “You know, I think my jacket is a bit too big for you." He smirked.

ghostgirldani: Dani giggled again, looking down at the folds of the coat. “Maybe a little. I think you could fit like three of me in here!" She considered testing the idea, but decided against it. Too much work. With a shrug, she smiled back up at him. “Hey, Johnny? Thanks."

therealghostrider: "No problem, kiddo." He just smirked at her for a moment before tackle hugging her.

ghostgirldani: Dani burst out laughing, returning the hug. “I guess you’re not mad at me, huh?"

therealghostrider: "No. Why would I be mad at you?" He nudged her shoulder with his fist. “I can’t be mad at my little sis, right?"

ghostgirldani: "I dunno. I just… cause I kinda lied to you for a long time… " She bit her lip, smiling a little sheepishly. “I’m being silly again, aren’t I?"

therealghostrider: "Yes, now stop being silly and give me my coat back."

ghostgirldani: "Um…" She pretended to think about that for a second, then smirked, wrapping herself in it tighter. “Nope."

therealghostrider: "Well fine…I’ll just take your hat!" he grabbed her hat attempted to put it on, even though obviously it was way too small. “I’m Dani now!"

ghostgirldani: "Hey!" Dani attempted to snatch it from him again, suddenly looking a lot more serious. “Johnny, give it back!"

therealghostrider: "….fine. here. Sheesh…" He gave it back and poked her, smirking. “Now can I have my coat back?"

ghostgirldani: She slipped the hat back onto her head, glaring at him a little as she adjusted it. “Nope. You’re the one who threw it over me in the first place."

therealghostrider: "Well then what can I do to get it back?"

ghostgirldani: "Um…." She made a face as she thought about that. “I dunno. I’ll have to think about it."

therealghostrider: "Hm…hey, Shadow!" Shadow comes out of the ground. “Wanna see what happens when you fly through a person?"

ghostgirldani: Dani frowned in confusion. What was Johnny up to now? “Um…Isn’t that a bad idea?"

therealghostrider: "Yes it is." he smirked. “So, we can either see what happens or you can give me my coat back."

ghostgirldani: She looked back and forth between the Shadow and Johnny a few times, perplexed, then clutched the coat tighter, shaking her head. No way the ghost was really going to have his shadow attack her. Right?

therealghostrider: He looked at Shadow, then motioned over to Dani. Shadow disappeared into the ground. Shadow emerged behind Dani and turned intangible, grabbing the coat and  turning it intangible as well, and pulled it off Dani. Shadow flew back and gave Johnny the coat. “Dani, I wouldn’t do anything to you. But let’s call this payback for the bike incident." he put his coat back on then hugged her.

ghostgirldani: She pouted, mostly to hide the fact that she’d been actually nervous for a moment. "…Fine. I was gonna give it back anyway." Eventually. She made a face at him as he hugged her, trying to keep up the act of sulking.

therealghostrider: "Aw, don’t be that way…"

ghostgirldani: "I’ll be however I want. You’re not the boss of me." She said, sticking out her tongue.

therealghostrider:"No, but I’m now your self proclaimed big bro. You sure you don’t want me to deck the blockhead who’s bothering you?"

ghostgirldani: "Nah. Like I said. I can handle him, easy. Sides, I think it’s more me bothering him, than the other way around."

therealghostrider: "If you say so…now go talk to Danny! And I don’t want to hear you backed out at the last minute. Kay?"

"Good for you. Now come here and give me a hug."

"Johnny! Hiya!"

"Uh... um..."

*dies of cuteness*

((...I did warn everyone. That wasn't just a random PSA. :P

"You could fit like three of me in here!"

Yes, yes it is. This wasn't precisely what happened, but close enough. I probably still didn't manage to draw enough coat, but how do you draw fabric?

The particular portion of that thread being referenced