#dannymay 2021 day 14: neon

[ajitated]

(Originally posted: 15 May 2021)

Summary: Sometimes, a blank slate isn't the start of something new: it's just blank... but even then, those that care about you can help make it a little less empty.

Written for DannyMay Day 14, Neon!

[five-rivers]

Cold Case 3

For Dannymay 2021 Day 14: Neon

.

“Get up, losers! We’re going to the Neon District!” shouted Patterson, slamming the door to the tiny office open.

McGee looked up, dreading whatever new torture was planned for him. He had, at this point, spent weeks in Amity Park. He’d seen no hard evidence of corruption beyond whatever game they were playing with the maybe-maybe-not-a-government-agency. However, that might have been because he and his ‘partners’ had been shut in this literally-a-former-broom-closet for most of that time.

It wasn’t, quite, the worst hazing he’d ever experienced. It was, on the other hand, the most confusing. If only because it was far, far too elaborate.

“Did the captain approve?”

“Yep,” said Patterson. “And you know we’ve had activity there since Epiphany.”

“Wait,” said McGee, “why does Epiphany matter?”

“End of the Truce,” said Patterson.

“Truce?” he asked. “What truce?”

“You’ll see,” said Collins unfolding himself from his small chair. “Make sure you gear up properly. You’re about to get the full Amity Park experience.”

“Not quite full,” corrected Patterson. “Activity still isn’t up to normal levels. We don’t want to overwhelm our little spy here.”

Ah, yes. There was that, too. His superiors didn’t seem terribly alarmed by the way everyone here knew what he was there for. He was beginning to despair of ever being recalled.

The situation as a whole was very stressful for McGee.

“Gang activity?” asked McGee.

“Sometimes,” said Collins, laconically.

.

The drive took them to a part of town McGee had visited several times. His visits were not because of any virtue or establishment of the area, mainly because it was largely abandoned, but due to the fact he had discovered it was one of the areas most frequently listed as needing road repairs.

He could concur. The area most definitely needed road repairs. Along with everything else repairs.

The area did not contain a significant amount of neon.

“This is called the Neon District?” he asked as Collins backed the car up into an alley.

“Yeah, you’ll see why in a bit. Just wait until the sun goes down.”

It would be a wait, then. Patterson fiddled with the radio. Collins pulled a book from the glove compartment after he put the car into park. It would have been nice if they had said something to McGee about how long they’d be there.

On the other hand, he might as well use the time to dig for information. It wasn’t as if they didn’t know he was a spy.

“Have you spoken to Danny Fenton recently?” he asked. Considering how weird the kid was, the number of things his family was involved in, his (admittedly caustic) relationship with the already-suspicious mayor, and how often he showed up at various minor crime scenes, McGee was certain he was somehow involved in organized crime.

Perhaps even the gangs they were currently waiting for.

Oh. McGee hoped he wasn’t about to be offered up to the gangs. He’d become used to Patterson and Collins making light of how he was here to spy on them. Had they lured him into a false sense of security?

The two of them stilling at his question did not make him feel better.

“Look,” said Collins, turning to lean over the back of his seat. “McGee. Believe it or not, I like you.”

“As much as he likes anybody.”

“Stop trying to paint me as a misanthrope. Anyway. Are you investigating Danny?”

“Should I be?” asked McGee.

“No,” said Collins. “Look. He’s a kid. Unusual, sure, but still just a kid. Don’t drag him into whatever drama the county or state or whatever is dreaming up.”

McGee narrowed his eyes. If they were going to kill him anyway, he might as well ask. “Even if the Fentons are involved in a gang?”

Patterson and Collins stared at him.

“Is… that a joke?” asked Patterson. “I can’t tell. Is he joking?”

“The Fentons are not part of a gang,” said Collins. “The only thing criminal about them are their driving skills. They’re scientists.”

“Scientists don’t believe in ghosts,” said McGee, crossing his arms. “They’re rational people.”

“You haven’t met many scientists, have you?”

Collins rolled his eyes and then glanced out the window. “It’s dark enough to start to see,” he said. “Come one.”

McGee looked out the window and frowned. “Is that glow in the dark paint? Glowstick juice?”

He didn’t see anything like paint on the walls earlier. Was it clear?

“Sort of,” said Patterson. She did not elaborate.

As the night grew darker, the few intact streetlights on the sidewalks came on. There were not many lit windows. In the dark, the bright splotches and lines were easier to see, bright and vibrant against the shattered concrete, asphalt, and brick.

The graffiti seemed to come in two types: deliberate, geometrical lines and shapes, and random splotches and drips. The two often overlaid one another, the paint on the bottom dimmer than the paint on the top. It was entirely unlike any graffiti McGee had seen in the past. He hadn’t even known you could get glow in the dark paint to look so neon-bright after what must have been at least a day.

“Are we… looking for graffiti artists?”

“No,” said Collins, who had settled back in his seat. “Just wait for it, okay? It isn’t anything you can guess at.”

“Please tell me you aren’t pranking those people in white again.”

“We aren’t,” said Patterson. “It isn’t December anymore.”

“It isn’t a roleplay thing, is it?” asked McGee, throwing out one of his other theories.

“Huh?”

“Roleplay. You and them. Like, a game—”

“Hey, hey, hey,” said Collins. “We’ve got one.”

“Where?” asked Patterson, leaning towards Collins.

“Right there, see?” said Collins, pointing.

“Oh, yeah, yeah. Not too bad.”

McGee leaned forward to try and see what they were looking at. A particularly bright green splotch of paint on the side of a building? Wait, was it movi—

The ‘paint splotch’ suddenly stretched to at least six feet in diameter and disgorged an—

“Alien!” screeched McGee, pointing.

“It really isn’t,” said Patterson. “It’s pretty large for something that blobby, though. Should we call Fentonworks?”

“Eh, let’s see if it goes back in. It is a school night.”

“Oh, true, true,” said Patterson. “Anyway—” She turned to face McGee and hooked a thumb over her shoulder. “—that’s a ghost.”

[coffeecakecafe]

dannymay 2021: day 14 - NEON

[this-is-z-art-blog]

When the mirrors and the lights and the smoke clear I'd never guess how we ever could have got here You can say what you say When the lights go down So shake shake shake and shut your mouth 

DannyMay 2021, Day 14

↳ Neon

[ajitated]

DannyMay 2021 Compilation

All the fic I wrote for DannyMay '21! ✨ (link to entire ao3 series)

Linked in order, with the day, most relevant tags, and a brief summary of each.

(Originally spread across 5 posts, posted from: 9-13 June 2021)

Day 1: Memory — Blank Spaces — Dark Ages, Memory Loss, Angst

He doesn't remember who he used to be, but he has snippets of who he'll become and that will have to be enough. Surely the future has to be better then whatever past led him to here: injured and chained and with a man he's quite certain contributed to his injuries as his only companion. The only thing he knows for sure, is that he won't cooperate -- he'll ensure all his captor's efforts are wasted, they won't control him even if he doesn't know why he initially refused.

Day 2: Home — Where the Heart Is — Dark Ages, Domestic Fluff, Sleep

Sometimes, home is your stubborn lover that never goes to sleep on time.

Day 3: Portal — Masters Portal — Lost Time, excerpt from my Invisobang fic (Danny grows up in GZ au)

There's a blocked off portal in the Zone, and Danny finally decides to visit it.

Day 4: Stars — The Brightest Burns — Dark Ages, Human au, Rockstar au, Angst

Pariah has been Cassius's manager since before they became Clockwork and has been in love with them just as long, but nothing will ever come of it. They burn too brightly to stick with something long enough to make it last.

Day 5: Doorway — More Than Bargained For — Outside Perspective, Corpse au

Officer Roald is not having a good day. Instead of chilling and writing traffic tickets like usual, he's out searching for the town's ghostly vigilante. At least he has Kite, the force's dog, to keep him company.

Day 6: Core — Second Chances — Dark Ages, Royal Family, Obsessions

Pariah doesn't know what his purpose is meant to be, now that he's gotten a second chance — but he knows what he'll make it.

Day 7: Illusion — Never to Be — Dark Ages, Time, Angst

The worst illusions are the ones you know to be real.

Day 8: Gravity — Stargazing — Royal Family, Constellations, Light Angst, Moving On

Sometimes, the most important part of something isn't the view itself, but the ones you're seeing it with -- and the night sky is even more special, when Danny knows he won't see it again for some time.

Day 9: — Candlelight — Dark Ages, Royal Family, Danny meddling, Romcom themes

Clockwork is avoiding Pariah. Danny decides to do something about it.

Day 10: Shadow — One Another — Lost Time, Slight Horror, Eldritch, Ghosts aren't ghosts

The Zone holds more than just ghosts, and Clockwork can't wait to see what Danny will become.

Day 11: Midnight — Past, Present, Future — Lost Time, Midnight, Time

Humans cannot affect time in the ways they hope to, and even if someone was to succeed one day… they would no longer be human by the end of it.

Day 12: Scars — You, Yours — Dark Ages, Scars, Possessive Behavior

Pariah has many scars, while Clockwork has just one. It takes a lot to scar a ghost.

Day 13: Daydream — Of You — Dark Ages, Daydreaming, Kissing

Some dreams are better than reality.

Day 14: Neon — Ceiling Stars — Royal Family, Post-Identity Reveal, Jack and Maddie Suck, Hurt/Comfort

Sometimes, a blank slate isn't the start of something new: it's just blank... but even then, those that care about you can help make it a little less empty.

Day 15: Nature — Of Trees and Teas — Kitsune Danny au, Yokai au

Adjusting to life as a fox spirit isn't easy, but Danny's getting the hang of it. Now if only the closest thing he has to a mentor would actually answer his questions, instead of sending him out to do tasks with no explanation.

Day 16: Glow — Next To You — Dark Ages, Human au, Rockstar au, Angst

If you love someone, let them go.

Day 17: Freedom — Caged — Dark Ages, Kissing, Implied Sexual Content

Pariah stares at Clockwork's blush and knows exactly what it means.

Day 18: Frozen — On Ice — Royal Family, Fluff, Pariah's a dumbass rip

Famous last words: “Boy, I’m a fire-core. There is very little chance of you freezing me.”

Day 19: Wings — Feathers and Freedoms — Dark Ages, implied Royal Family, Wing au, Hurt/Comfort

Everyone has wings, ghosts included. A ghost's wings are connected directly to their core, and can tell you a lot about the ghost. Pariah isn't very happy with how Clockwork has been treating their own wings.

Day 26: Luck — Luck, or the Lack Thereof — Dark!Danny, Captivity, Hurt no Comfort, Arena/Coliseum au

When they first caught him, he tried keeping track of time. When that failed, he kept track of fights. After the hundredth fight, he stopped caring. Phantom doesn't know how long he's been held here and forced to fight, but he knows exactly what he's going to do when he gets out. If they're lucky, they won't even have time to regret catching him.

Day 27: Rain — Rainy Days — Veggie Burger, Past Everlasting Trio, Heartbreak, Angst

Danny is happy for them — really, he is — he just... would have liked to be part of it, too. Would have liked for it to still be an "us" instead of a "them". 'Till death do us part' doesn't really work for him though, so he probably should've been prepared for this.