[Dictated]

[schrodingersghost]

[It had been a rough month for Danny. Actually make that a rough couple of years. A rough life.

Just... the last month had reached new depths of misery for him. It wasn't enough that the castle had made keeping his secret identity nearly impossible by taking away his ability to lie. It wasn't enough that he'd been trapped here for months going stir crazy with no ghosts to fight.

No, on top of all that he just had to gain all these new nightmares courtesy of the Event Horizon. He had to deal with memories of actually being tortured. Not just the nightmares he'd always had of being dissected.  This was worse, because it had come so close to happening for real.  And some part of his mind had thought his parents would approve of it.

How did you deal with something like that?

Danny had tried. Oh, he had tried. He'd stopped sleeping. He'd picked fights and blasted trees with ice and ecto energy until he couldn't stand up any more. But nothing helped.

And after a few weeks of this?  Danny just couldn't bring himself to care any more. He was exhausted, and he was so tired of being angry all the time.  He was tired of being scared. He was tired of people telling him that he had nothing to worry about.

He just wanted all of it to be over.

And so he finally grabs his journal and dictates a rambling and only slightly coherent challenge, the sort of announcement that could only be made while under the influence of sleep deprivation and complete emotional exhaustion.]

You know what? I don't care any more. All the people going on about how nice and understanding everyone in this castle is about people with freakish powers? Fine. You win. The castle and its stupid no lies curse and its thing against secret identities wins.

And when someone shows up to drag me off for lots and lots and painful experiments, maybe I won't even say I told you so.

I'll just say it right now.  I'm a ghost!  Happy?  I'll say it again. Ghost, ghost, ghost, ghost, GHOST! And I'm human. And no I don't know how it works, so don't even ask.

[And with that he trails off into mutterings too soft for the journal to pick up.]

Comments

[hard_talker]

No, but seriously, dude, I saw you try to walk through a wall, and Nora told me what you did to help save her bacon back in the earthquake. It's not exactly news... and it's also not really a huge fuckin' deal. I mean - we've got demons and Santa Claus under the same roof.

[schrodingersghost]

...I am never going to get this place.

[hard_talker]

I don't think any of us ever are. Dude, you're in good company. Isn't that a good thing? Lighten up...!

[schrodingersghost]

Its a little hard to do that. You know considering I just told the entire castle I'm a half-human freak accident.

[hard_talker]

And don't think I'm trying to tell you no one gives a shit. What I mean is --

[he sighs]

I know you were afraid, and it took a lot of guts to say it. Trust me, I - I know how it is to keep a secret. Point I'm tryin' to make is ... a lotta people hold stuff like that in, but here, it doesn't matter as much if you're different. People kind of expect everyone to have somethin' weird goin' on in their own way. It's why we're here. So it matters, but - it matters in a good way.

[schrodingersghost]

Can you let me get past my 'I've just possibly destroyed my life' panic attack before you use logic on me?

[hard_talker]

Sure thing. You need a paper bag? Just remember: put your head between your knees and try not to puke.

[schrodingersghost]

Oi, I'm not that bad off.

[he just felt sick, and more than a little queasy.]

[hard_talker]

[pretty certain he's made his point, he backs off]. Seriously, though. I'm not just being an ass. You're cool here. It'll be okay.

[schrodingersghost]

Yeah? Ask me again next month.

[hard_talker]

Jesus H. Christ on a trike. See if I help give you a little perspective again. Fine, have fun bein' a misery biscuit.

[schrodingersghost]

I'm sixteen. I don't want perspective, I want to revel in my teenage drama and existential angst.

[hard_talker]

[was he this bad two years ago? had the castle changed him that much? holy shit. well, if Danny didn't want to be consoled about his massive angst, there wasn't much he could do.]. Knock yourself out.