Ectoberhaunt 2023 Day 5: Hunt
Ghost King Phantom the Great, High King of the Infinite Realms by Right of Conquest, Saviour Sovereign of the Infinite Realms, Master of Space, Minister of Time, Deliverer of the Unquiet Dead, Restless Spirits, and Lost Souls, Lord of Harmony, Champion of Amity, Protector of the Balance, etc. long be his Reign.
Cordially Invites you to the First-Ever Wild Hunt Since Long Ago. This Wild Hunt will be Led by The Great One Himself. We greatly anticipate your presence.
For such auspicious occasion and the commencement of a renewed tradition, to the victor go the spoils: Bragging Rights, the possession and ownership of the soul in its entirety belonging to one John Constantine the Hellblazer, the Laughing Magician, the Master of Bad Luck Magic, upon his Death, and the Friends, Foes, and Fellows In-between you’ll make along the way!
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“There hasn’t been a Wild Hunt in centuries” Clockwork muses.
Danny looked up from his paperwork. Accidentally befriending the latest generations of Observants had the best of unintended consequences. Instead of a bunch of naggy, bureaucratic, homicidal alarmists, always ready to bring about Danny’s immediate End. He now had a cohort that scouted the infinite dimensions and then told him the interesting things they’d observed. They were interdimensional news reporters, always ready to bring back the latest from all over the realms. His reports now read like gossip tabloids or snarky info-dumping blog posts. People got up to the wildest shit in all the dimensions, and Observants were spilling all the tea. His next objective was seeing if they would be willing to give reports in comic book form.
Upon hearing Clockwork, Danny squinted.
“Ok, what’s that got to do with me?” Clockwork doesn’t make random announcements. Danny could feel this in his core, this was gonna lead to shenanigans.
“You are the newly crowned High King of the Infinite Realms are you not? You of all spirits have enough power and authority to lead a Wild Hunt”.
“But why can’t you do it? You’ve got power and authority. You’re literally the God of Time!” Danny protests. Clockwork shifts into his decrepit Father Time shape.
“But it wouldn’t be fitting for an old creaking ghost like me to be leading the Wild Hunt. The Wild Hunt is an event better suited for youngins”
Danny stares at Clockwork utterly unimpressed. “Clockwork you were literally a baby just seconds ago”
Clockwork scoffs, “To you maybe. My seconds last longer than yours, however. I experience Eternity in a Hour,”
“That’s not, no they don’t. I know that’s not how that works. Why are you even? Wait, hang on, was that last bit a quote from somewhere? You know what fine, fine,” Danny sighs in resignation, “What even is the Wild Hunt?”
“A H̛̤̰̲͙͈̘̺́u҉̯n̂̑͗̆҉̪̪̲͇̙͔t̬͊͌” ::chase-thrill-pursuit-procession:: (nostalgia-of- fierce-fury-and-rampant-joy)
“A H̛̤̰̲͙͈̘̺́u҉̯n̂̑͗̆҉̪̪̲͇̙͔t̬͊͌. ::chase-thrill-pursuit-procession:: (unimpressed-incomprehension) Danny repeated in a different tone.
"Wow, supremely helpful CW. Anything more you want to add to that?”
Clockwork shrunk down to his baby form.
“No”
Then shifted through his adult form and back up into his old man Father Time form.
Danny face-palms. “You know for a ghost who wants me to lead the Wild Hunt, you’re not being very persuasive in getting me to lead the Wild Hunt.”
“That’s fine I don’t need to persuade you”.
“What?”
Suddenly the stack of paper that Danny had been reading from glowed green. A new report had come in. Eyeing Clockwork suspiciously, who smiled benignly back in his adult form, he picked up the report and gave it a glance over.
Then he read it again to make sure he was understanding this right.
“Clockwork, this guy has bargained his soul like five times over and now a bunch of Demonic Sovereigns want me to mediate because I am quote-unquote "a neutral party”.”
“Ahh yes, the quadruply damned soul belonging to the Hellblazer, one John Constantine.”
“This petition was submitted by… The Third of the Fallen? Well that name's pretentious.”
“They are all Fallen, arrogance and pretentiousness is a tiresome given” Clockwork sighed. “Also the Heavenly Host has reportedly made endeavours to ensure that John’s soul doesn’t end up into the hands of Hell. Specifically that the Presence, their God figure, is incentivised to prevent John’s transformation into a powerful demonic threat. So Heaven technically wants John’s soul too even if it’s just to keep it out of Hell’s grasp.”
“This guy has Heaven and Hell fighting over his soul when he dies. John’s soul better be the prettiest in all the realms because even Helen of Troy didn’t kick off this much warfare.” Danny stared hard at the report. “What do they even want me to do about this?”
“No parties want to relinquish their claim on Constantine’s soul, or to be more precise, no party wants any of the other parties to claim it.”
“If I can’t have it, then no will,” Danny said wryly.
“That is the current status quo," Clockwork affirmed. "But Constantine is mortal, that man will die one day sooner or later. But no party wants to have a full on war over Constantine’s soul either.”
“Which is why they come to me, an outside party, to arbitrate the matter”
“They hope that you will judge the matter and decide who gets his soul upon his mortal demise”
“That sounds like a whole lot of bother, absolutely no fun, and like I’ll get a bunch of powerful demons, angels, and whatever else pissed off at me.”
“If a Trial and Judgement is not to your liking you could just provide an alternative to War”
“What like a,” the dots start to connect in Danny’s head, “Like a Wild Hunt, to the victor go the spoils i.e. John Constantine’s soul”.
Clockwork smirks.
@ectoberhaunt
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Ectoberhaunt 2023. Day 5. Hunt and Haunt.
~Well, here we go again, good old Ghost Hunger AU~
Description: The Ghost Zone is inherently a violent place. You can hunt or be hunted, there is no other options. However, for some reason the Halfa does not understand what is happening. And no one rushes to explain it. NB! ghost cannibalism is mentioned.
Prompt after memes
Suppose there’s a conventional division among ghosts. Some of them are potential predators capable of hunting their own kind, while others are only able to absorb the surrounding energy and therefore build up power more slowly than hunters.
So, predation is used as a method of survival in poor ectoplasm areas of the Ghost Zone, less often as a means of gaining power. Even less often hunters are created.
It is obvious that the appearance of a hunter who is the son of human ghost hunters in a haunting place without stable sources of ectolasm has caused panic in the society of the dead ones. For the newly formed ghost to have ectoblasts, fangs or ghost sense is a rarity and great luck. So the newcomer had everything and more to be a serious threat. An awful danger for the surrounding spirits…Right?
But Danny doesn’t know the specifics of his new biology ectology!
Even though he’s a hunter, he’s never had a ghost hunger. Probably because thanks to his parents he has an amazing ectoplasm concentrator in the basement.
Soon everyone understands that the boy does not attack first. Those who return through the portal never report any losses at all. He does not bite or attempt to capture cores of other spirits. At first, the ghosts think it's a trap. Smart enough for a beginner. Not everyone has the tenacity to pretend to be an idiot to get close to them. But the Phantom never feeds on them. He’s…safe?
What’s more, Danny seems to think they’re a threat to the city. Which is fun and weird. Normally, there is no competition for feeding using human emotion. But the owner of the lair did not like the smell of fear in the air. Is this ghost broken?
When the ghosts who visit Amity realize that the halfa does not know that he can hunt them, rather than just guard his territory...Well, it explains a lot. Everyone agrees not to explain the situation to the boy so that the city behind the portal remains a relatively safe haven during the during a "hunting season" and other troubles in the Infinite Realms.
~~~~~
The problem arises when Phantom begins exploring the Ghost Zone. What if the other hunters make the boy stop being a freak?
In addition, more experienced ghosts may well attack the careless halfa. And Amity Park under the control of a more predatory spirit would be a terrible outcome. Most dead ones near the portal are used to the fact that the area before Wisconsin is open to travel and migration without the threat of being eaten.
All rational ghosts try to avoid the territory of hunters. If you can’t defend yourself, there’s too much risk of being a free meal. It’s much safer to settle down with spirits with similar energy levels at door clusters. If the hunter does not purposefully show up at your lair, you will have a much better chance of keeping the afterlife.
Those of the Ancients who have won their position and those of them who were created for it have become accustomed to isolation. Although all the Ancients have lost the need to eat 'cause they have absorbed enough energy, legends about their past are still be nightmares for all spirits. Just because they don’t need to eat other ones doesn’t mean they won’t. It is clear that a weaker hunter can also be hunted. No reason to risk.
Therefore, how freely and fearlessly Phantom communicates with Frostbite, Clockwork or Pandora is puzzling. Does he feel threatened at all?
The Ancients find this experience refreshing. Lil communication without fear makes them feel sympathy for this youngling. Danny is always glad of their company. And the boy is not afraid to express his opinion. It is strange but...pleasant?
Their minions from time to time complain that they teach a potential enemy but it is very difficult to see a possible rival in Phantom. Danny is always in trouble. The youngster is silly and careless. Like a wet kitten that can’t even make a threatening hiss. So Ancients, to their own surprise, don't mind helping him. Why isn’t his naivety annoying?
For example, Frostbite’s trying to teach Danny hunting and tracking techniques because he thinks the little cub doesn’t know how to be what he supposed to be. Meanwhile Danny sees his attempts as a course of self-defense that he can use against ghosts who try to infiltrate his city.
~~~~~Bonus~~~~~
Some insufficiently powerful ghosts mimic predators to scare away dangerous spirits and protect themselves.
Skulker is quite pleased that he managed to deceive halfa:
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Ectoberhaunt Day 5: Haunt/Hunt
Word Box 1: The moment will forever HAUNT the trio. Unable to run or hide from it, waking or dreaming.
...
Word Box 2: Sowing fear for those who'd HUNT with extreme bias [or without] remorse.
Sam and Tucker: ... Danny?
The accident just happened giving three freshly traumatized teens must now cope with its consiquences. A very rough journey ahead for all of them.
was like 3am when i wrote the words so forgive my bad wording or possible anatomy and angle errors on the pic but it was fun to make
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Hunt - Tecnomancy - Day 5
I used a reference for the pose!!! It looks good! Ahh! I’m so proud of the lighting on this one, it’s the best I’ve done so far I think. The gripped fabric and mouth looks off tho for I need to practice that a bit more. Overall, I like this piece :)
There’s some writing about the aftermath of this scene under the cut because I thought it would be cool. A certain someone finds a very vulnerable Danny, who has just escaped from a dangerous confrontation from his parents.
A child appears, far away from the alleyway, scarred from the inside out. He knows he’ll be found soon if he doesn’t transform back, but his mind is as messy as his room that he long for.
A breath. His thoughts pause as he looks at vampiric ghost before him.
The MONSTER smiles at him. The MONSTER speaks to the FOOL.
“They’re hunting the MONSTER that YOU know YOU aren’t.
“The MONSTER was never there, but THEY needed SOMEONE to take IT’S place.”
“Oh, time and time again, a HUNTER stalks IT’S PREY.”
“I...I have no idea what you’re talking about VLAD!”
“Join ME, DANIEL! Join ME, so YOU no longer have to look at those HUNTERS with SHAME.”
”...”
“That GREEN GLOW shines brightest when it’s shot at YOU, doesn’t it?”
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