Probably homeless forever, but voicetesting anyway

[provident_ghost_hunter]

Mundane,

I hope you understand that my ghost hunting days are officially over. After what just happened - and thank you for such a lovely canon point, by the way - I have no intention of any continued study in the field of paranormal science. As you so arrogantly put it in my profile, I changed how the world looked at that field already. I've done everything I can. My research and my work can be the basis of other people's works, and Godspeed to anyone who takes up the helm, but it's over. I'm done. I'm just quite simply done.

Maddie needs a father. I need to try and recover from that whole incident in Quttinirpaaq. With any luck the Canadian government will recognize my proposal to declare it a protected area and everything that actually goes on there can be swept under the rug. It's for the best. App me where you will, but the past is firmly that now. I'm retired.

Signed,

Vincent Vankirk

Comments

And despite the icon, Danny's in ghost form. And hovering.

[halfa_hero]

....wait, grandpa?

Understood.

[provident_ghost_hunter]

[Vincent turns, and examines Danny's face closely for a moment. Maddie's facial features were very much her mother's, so it's hard to tell if this ghost is legitimately related to him, although his studies showed that ghosts were usually non-hostile to family members. After a moment, he frowns but nods uncertainly, eyebrows arching.]

Er... possibly. If Maddie is your mother and you've died, which is extremely disheartening given how young you are, it's possible. But in my world it's 1973, so all of that would be the future for me. I assume you know who are, but can I get your name?

Re: Understood.

[halfa_hero]

I'm not actually dead. Just have ghost powers. Long story.

And it's Danny. Danny Fenton.

[provident_ghost_hunter]

...Maddie named you after my father. Well, that's oddly sweet. But I've never encountered anyone with ghost powers who wasn't a ghost - and I did research in four countries, Danny. So you'll excuse me if I want a very good, very thorough explanation.

Right after you tell me who my daughter married and exactly what he was like. In detail. [Protective dad instincts are stirring. Whoever this Fenton guy way, he had better be perfect. Nothing less was fit for his precious little girl.]

[halfa_hero]

Mom and dad built a portal to the ghost zone. Didn't work when they plugged it in, and my best friend dared me go look inside t.

Of course, my dad, being my dad, put the power switch on the inside of the portal, and I accidentally turned it on while n there. Got irradiated with humongous dose of ectoplasmic energy courtesy of the portal opening while I was still inside it, and here we are.

And Dad's great. I mean, he love smom more than anything else on earth, is actually pretty intelligent when it comes to science stuff. He just has very little common sense.

[provident_ghost_hunter]

...excuse me. Did you just say that after knowing fully well how dangerous ghosts are, after knowing what ghosts did to my friends, to my colleagues, Maddie then goes on to not only go into the one field I have been desperately trying to get her not to, she builds a portal into the Ghost Zone?

[He has to take a deep breath before continuing.] Ghosts are monsters. Insane post death manifestations of the darkness within the human condition. So you'll forgive me when I say we need to work on a way to cure you of this as soon as possible before you begin to lose touch with your humanity.

[At the news of his daughter's future husband, he nods, shoulders a bit less tense.] Well. So long as they love each other and he treats her right, they have my blessing. But right now we need to focus on your condition and curing it.

[halfa_hero]

Actually, that's pretty much entirely wrong.. Yeah, sure, the ones you've seen are horrible people who thrive on fear and destruction, but, most've them are actually pretty peaceful. It's just that the few of the friendly ones that stay on Earth keep out of sight, and the rest stick to the Zone.

[provident_ghost_hunter]

Danny. I've seen them do things I can't even begin to explain to you. I've seen how vicious they could be first hand. But we'll ignore that for a second in favor of science: how do you plan to live life half and half? What will happen if you die? The ectoplasm in your DNA could cause mutations and birth defects in your children - is it worth it? It's a disturbing and unnatural path, and one you might not want to go down.

[halfa_hero]

Whatever you've seen, I can guarantee I've seen worse.

And who's going to protect people from the ghosts that actually are bad? Mom and Dad are good, but they can only do so much, and the Guys in White couldn't hunt their way out of a paper bag.

Look, I get that you're concerned, but I've been cured. More than once. And I've gone and gotten them back knowing all the risks. If something happens, I have the greatest ectobiologist in the world for a mom. But right now, me not being a half's is worse than the alternative.

[provident_ghost_hunter]

...did your mother ever tell you about something called the Quttinirpaaq Incident? I think it's highly important you understand what I've been through to understand my concerns. I have a lot of reasons to be worried about you. And besides, you're family. I can't just ignore this.

[halfa_hero]

No, but on the flipside? You've never had to fight Pariah Dark, or Undergrowth. And you've never seen the Christmas Truce, been to the Far Frozen, Princess Dorathea's Kingdom, or met Clockwork. Not all ghosts are as inhuman as you think they are. Even the ones that were never actually human to begin with.

Grandpa, I'm not asking you to ignore it, I'm asking you to trust that I have things covered.

[provident_ghost_hunter]

They killed fifty nine people, Danny. Slowly. Miserably. They made us regret ever studying them, left us alive to torment slowly, wore at us like the weather, until nearly everyone was dead. Your grandmother and I were barely able to survive. We saw people ripped apart, possessed and made to do unspeakable things. It was our own frozen hell atop the world.

You do not have things covered. You can't possibly have it covered on your own. And as my grandson, you're important to me. I have a right to care, Danny. I want you to stay safe and that means staying away from ghosts. I learned that the hard way.

[halfa_hero]

I convinced about a bazillion ghosts to follow me out of the Zone so we could turn the Earth intangible to keep an ectoranium asteroid from destroying the planet, and then got them to leave peacefully afterwards. And a good chunk of them were ghosts who routinely try to take my head off, so don't start telling me what I can and can't do.

[provident_ghost_hunter]

Did you not hear a word I said? There is real evil out there and there is evil that cannot be reasoned with. Your arrogance will leave many dead, Danny.

[halfa_hero]

Yeah, I know. Okay? I've fought that too. Pariah Dark, a guy so evil that every other ghost in the Zone wets their pants at the mention of his name, beat me half to death and I still stopped him.

So who do you want me to leave problems like that to? Who do you think is even remotely capable of fighting something like a being that once ruled the entire Ghost Zone with an iron fist?

[provident_ghost_hunter]

I want to shut out ghosts from the mortal plane entirely. Let ghost problems be ghost problems, and ours will be ours.

[halfa_hero]

I don't think that'll actually work.