#conversation with a ghost

[sohannabarberaesque]

It's not that easy trying to interview ghosts

The gist of a lunch conversation between Daphne Blake and Velma Dinkley of Scooby-Doo's crew and Tina from Ghost Chasers magazine (as in Goober and the Ghost Chasers) some while back:

DAPHNE BLAKE, somewhat flustered: As I understand it, every time you go out on a ghost-seeking assignment, your biggest aim is to actually interview an actual ghost as part of the story ... and I wonder how such would be possible when most of the "conversation" with ghosts supposedly involves low moaning sounds? TINA: You have a good question to ask there, Daphne. As a matter of fact, what you easily say about how ghosts and poltergeists engage in spoken conversation is probably groundless, to begin with. I happen to have come across folk literature about people engaging in spirit communication, and some of that mentions that the kind of tone and pitch supposedly used by ghosts in conversation is slightly low, though you have great pains taken to try not and get too obvious. VELMA DINKLEY, ever the fascinated kid of Scooby's crew: Now what sort of audio equipment do you have in mind to record such conversation, if I may ask? TINA: Of late, the publishers of Ghost Chasers magazine has started adopting voice-activated MP3 recorders with microphones as the recording technology of choice for reporters like myself on assignment. They're not all that bulky or clumsy, you don't need to carry extra tapes, it's easier not to be all that obvious, and the MP3 recorders we use incorporate SIM card technology to make it easier to minimise storage space on the player. VELMA DINKLEY: Just out of curiosity, how much storage do your MP3 recorders have? TINA: With the SIM card technology we have, one such can store about 350 to 500 megabytes of audio recording capability. DAPHNE BLAKE: In terms of recording and playback time, such would be-- TINA: About two, two and a half hours. But still, it can be pretty tricky to try and distinguish between cheap jokesters and actual ghosts voice-wise for the sake of the interview attempt. Not to mention Gilly, our photographic expert, having to be quick with the camera without overdoing it on the flash so as to confuse and disorient the subject. VELMA DINKLEY: Let alone the fact of a dog supposedly disappearing on the presence of ghostly objects-- TINA, interjecting: And I've heard much about your own Scooby-Doo bound to expose numerous "ghosts" himself as outright frauds. Yet, as for our dog, name Goober, not even Ripley could discern how he could disappear in ghost-like manner when actual ghosts and spirits are imminent, never mind Ted and Gilly still thinking Goober's disappearance is more of a stunt to get out of legwork. DAPHNE BLAKE: Just how sure are these actual "interviews" you do with ghosts just that? TINA: Our case assignments are handled in close cooperation with experts in the paranormal sciences, in particular such specialist in ghosts, poltergeists and spirits. Who will sometimes talk with folklorists, what with traditional folklore sometimes elaborating on stories of ghosts and ghostly apparitions ... especially in country areas where you have much talk about the spirit world. Not just ghosts and that, but also strange lighting such as the Hornet Spook Lights just inside Oklahoma near Joplin, Missouri and Michigan's Pawling Lights; I suppose you're aware of them. VELMA DINKLEY: Somewhat. I think we saw the Hornet Lights at least two or three times. TINA: Which likely has me thinking as to how you'd try to record the sound of mysterious lights out in the backcountry whizzing close to your body....

[ceilingfan25]

A silly grayghost identity reveal for dannymay day 13 truth!

[stars-obsession-pit]

“Mom, why do you think ghosts are intrinsically evil?”

“It’s what the science says, of course!”

“No, I mean like, what were the studies? What did they actually observe”

“Ohh, I get what you mean, Danny! Well across all reputable reports of encounters with the ghosts strong enough to matter, they’ve always attacked first and never responded to attempts at communication! There’s no reason for them to do that if they’re not evil!”

“Huh…”

…

Danny, learning about Ghost Speak and how humans can’t understand it: hmm.

Danny, learning that ghosts greet each other and bond by fighting: hmmm.

[starsofang]

you love simon. truly. playing games with him in your free time was your favorite pastime, especially when you knew he was getting deployed and wouldn’t have the chance to join you for an extended leave. there was only one tiny issue.

the man is competitive. no matter the game, no matter if you were a team or against one another, he’s slipping you teasing comments that you’re 90% aren’t fully teasing and actually hold a bit of honesty.

some of the games he plays with you weren’t supposed to be competitive. some are even simple customization games that you had to beg him to play with you so you could create each other’s characters. now that he is playing them, you have moments of restraint to not shove his head into the screen.

“your colors don’t match the theme, lovie.”

“shut up, simon.”

“yes ma’am.”

“i think you need to spend more time in an aim training.”

“are you saying my aim is bad, simon?”

“no, ma’am.”

“how many times are you going to miss the damn jump?”

“i’ll do it again if you don’t shut up, simon.”

“you’re doing amazing, lovie, keep it up.”

it was utterly infuriating. but when the times came for his long deployments and the house was quiet, no snarky quips being thrown from beside you on the couch, you longed for it.

to hear him trash your aim, or tease you for not being as good as him — it may seem like he’s mean to you from an outsider’s perspective, but to you, it’s his love language, and you desperately miss it.

so, you’ll take whatever tease he throws. you know it’s his way of saying ‘i love you’, even if you want to rage quit every time.

[captainadwen]

Damian Wayne vs the World

Sixteen year old Damian Wayne is on the hunt for a younger sibling. Being more discerning than Bruce 'child collector' Wayne, Damian's firm criteria for Batman's latest adoption problem includes but is not limited to: black haired, blue-eyed, tolerable humor, not evil, and most importantly - younger than Damian.

Lucky for him, fourteen year old newbie vigilante Danny Fenton is the perfect fit. Now, to fulfill his end of their deal, Damian must defeat the evil government organization hunting Danny in order to gain a baby brother.

Or, @livinghalfway your post made my brain go !! but in such a different way I figured it was better to make a separate post, hope you don't mind/enjoy still

~~

Damian Wayne re-entered Tim Drake's life like a gnat revealing itself in a closed bedroom space. Tim was in t-shirt and a boxers, maneuvering ramen into his mouth with one hand and scribbling out an epiphany on a murder case with another, when Damian's demonic dulcet voice echoed down from the ceiling. "Drake," said Damian, judgemental, "You live like this?"

Tim nearly choked on his ramen, because the day Damian doesn't attempt to murder him - however doubtfully accidental this incident might be - is the day Darkseid decides to be friends with the Justice League. "Fucking knock," Tim coughed out. "And get out. No one invited you in."

"Put better traps if you don't want me here," said Damian, dropping from the ceiling where he'd crawled in on wall-clamps.

"This is my apartment," said Tim. "It's called courtesy."

Damian sniffed. He padded around to Tim's desk and frowns at his cases, then said, with no further lead up, "I need your assistance."

"No," said Tim.

"You did not even listen to my request."

"Don't need to," said Tim. "Answer's still no. Door is that way. Bye."

"Father says mutually assisting each other is beneficial," said Damian.

"Father," said Tim sarcastically, "blamed me for you exploding a glitter bomb in the batcave two weeks ago."

"That is your fault for not being able to provide evidence to the contrary in an appropriately efficient manner," said Damian. He squinted down at Tim. "And he apologized. Eventually."

"I would not have glittered the batcomputer," said Tim. "Do you know how much of a pain in the ass it is to backup those servers? No, because you don't like tech work, you just profit off it."

"Blaming me for Father's mistake," said Damian, "Most mature of you. But we must put our differences aside. I have selected a new family member and I need you to dismantle a government organization."

That drew Tim up short. He blinked down at his ramen as though it might explain Damian's words to him, but the ramen remained disappointingly uninformative. "Repeat that," said Tim, gesturing with his chopsticks. "Slower, and with more detail."

Damian pulled out his phone and sent him an email. Silence surrounded them in the brief moment it took Tim to set aside his chopsticks and open the email. The subject line was titled 'New Baby Brother', which birthed all sorts of horrifying nightmares of Damian Part 2: Demon Child Boogaloo. The teen in the inserted picture, however, was reassuringly not in possession of Damian's bone structure.

He did have black hair and blue eyes. "Who am I looking at?" asked Tim.

"Daniel Fenton," said Damian. "He is fourteen years old, enjoys puns, and has recently awakened 'ghost powers' that allow him to transform into the vigilante Phantom to fight other ghosts."

"Is he also an orphan with a tragic backstory?"

"No," said Damian, and Tim relaxed. "But that will not be an issue. We can share custody if they cannot be removed from the picture."

"Jesus H, kid."

"I am joking, of course," said Damian blandly. "Murder is wrong."

"Ha ha," said Tim. "If he has parents already he's not joining our menagerie."

"He will," said Damian, with a smug upwards tilt of his lips. "He and I have a deal."

"So you're coercing him in addition to stalking him. Anything else you want to share with the class?"

Damian considered this query with a serious frown, which was how Tim knew this was not a flight of fancy or a very early midlife crisis (although with their lifestyle and Damian already having died before...).

"He has," said Damian after a moment, "a rogue that calls himself 'The Master of all Technology' and is a technopath." This was clearly meant to be of interest to Tim, and not to be a stereotype, but it kind of was.

"Great." Tim turned his attention back to the email the demon child sent him. He scanned through it quickly. There was apparently a secret and evil government organization dedicated to the investigation and extermination of 'ghosts' and other paranormal creatures in the world. Their latest efforts were focused on the town of Amity Park, Illinois, which was 'infested with ectoplasmic pests'. Their words, not Damian's. (It was specified in the email.)

"Okay," Tim drummed his fingers against his desk. "Before I help you defeat this secret evil government organization so that," he opened the email attachment with a contract on it and squinted at the legalese, "this poor newbie teen you've harassed into signing this joins the family in exchange."

"I did not harass him," Damian huffed. "It was a gentleman's agreement."

"Does he know that?"

"I am not a politician, Drake. I thoroughly explained the terms and legalities before presenting any contract. Now ask your question."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because," said Damian, tone implying 'you are stupid and haven't noticed something obvious, idiot'. "Father has begun saying he misses the noise around the manor and looking wistfully at old pictures."

"We still live there though?" said Tim. Damian looked flatly at him. "Sometimes."

"If you lived there frequently enough," said Damian, "you would already know Father is having...empty nest syndrome." Damian sounded disgusted. "I refuse to tolerate whatever inadequate and incompetent child he will find."

"So instead you found an incompetent and inadequate child for him?"

"Don't be stupid, Drake," said Damian. "I would not have chosen someone inadequate. Daniel is merely lacking formal training. Father can rectify this. It will keep him occupied for at least the next two to four years, which gives me enough time to find another black-haired, blue-eyed, tolerable child I approve of to be his successor and my second younger sibling." Damian paused. "Or until one of you procreates and gives him a grandchild."

"You're really serious about this," Tim whispered in horrified awe.

"I am serious about everything I do," said Damian. "Now, you will help me defeat this evil government organization so that our new sibling joins us."

"Okay," said Tim, but his mind snagged on a minor, throwaway detail, so utterly in odds with Damian 'Demonic Jealous Child' Al Ghul it surely came from another person - "Did you just call this kid your successor?"

[breesperez139]

Dc x Dp Prompt #6

“I’m a twin”, Damian said one night. He could feel the narrowed eyes of his family drilling holes on his back in disbelief. Not that he could blame them. Damian had never so much as implied being raised with a companion, much less a sibling.

“I had a brother”. Damian paused to recollect himself. He had not said his brother’s name out loud in over 8 years.

“His name was… Danyal”. Damian hated the way his voice wavered, but he could not help it. Danyal was everything to him, his other half. Their heart beat as one and when one heart stopped beating, the other one died with it. At least until his family put his heart on metaphorical life support without ever realizing.

“Where is he now?” His father asked, voice filled with knowing grief and a hint of betrayal. It had in fact been 6 years since Damian first showed up on his doorstep.

“Up there”. All eyes shifted towards the specific star he was pointing to. “Right before he died, he promised me he’d guide me from the stars. Unfortunately, the stars are not visible in Gotham, so my brother is unable to be of much help unless I leave the city.”

“Your brother is Polaris, the North Star?” Tim questioned warily, most likely in attempts to not offend him. Damian was aware of how stupid it sounded, but Danyal had promised, and his brother never broke his promises.

“Yes. Danyal is with the stars now, just as he always wanted”

[1001aus]

Phantom is a member of JLA when everyone finds out that the Bats have contingency plans against everyone else.

While everyone else is shouting about trust and betrayal, Danny can't help but be relieved. He's seen his bad future, after all. Dan is reformed now, but that doesn't retroactively save the timeline he wiped out.

Danny only has one issue with the contingencies for him: Batman mistakenly believes that his intangibility works the same as Martian density shifting.

It doesn't. In fact, they're very different powers. Intangibility is more of a phase shift where he turns his physical form into energy.

This means that none of the contingencies in his file will work because they don't accurately account for one of his basic powers.

(The shouting actually gets derailed for a bit when he brings it up. All the scientists are a bit horrified about the implied energy conversions happening whenever he uses this "basic" power. As a halfa with an actual physical form, Danny should be giving off enough energy to blow up the planet whenever he transforms.)

[chloesimaginationthings]

FNAF Cassidy knows how to “help” Michael Afton

[auspicioustidings]

It would be so jarring dating Soap because he will so casually say shit like "spit in my mouth would ye bonnie?" with full sincerity at the pub. "The new nails are well braw... naw had a finger up my arse in a while hen so time tae break them in" when you are at a bloody wedding. "Dinnae take it personal LT, she's on the rag and I havnae given her head in over an hour so that's why she's bitchin'. Open up bonnie, let me make it better" as he is bullying his head between your thighs when you're supposed to be having a nice dinner at his Lieutenants house and you snap at Ghost.

Johnny just does not have an off switch nor do you think he understands the concept of public decency. But fuck he's so damn good to you and is so incredibly obsessed with making you cum that you just learn to live with the embarassment he puts you through.

[zhelin-thames]

imagin Danny and Damian as twins

[Text conversation between Danny and Damian]

Danny: Hey, bro, do you ever just, like... walk through walls and feel like you’re breaking the laws of physics for fun? Damian: No. I break the laws of man to bring criminals to justice.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Danny: Mom says it’s my turn to haunt the Batcave. Damian: No one “haunts” the Batcave. It is a place of focus and discipline. Danny: Then why did Alfred let me set up a ghost zone portal next to the Batcomputer? 😏 Damian: …I’m calling Father.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Damian: You’re late for patrol. Danny: Sorry, got distracted fighting a giant ghost dragon. Damian: Excuses. Danny: Says the guy who got stuck in a Lazarus Pit for three hours last week.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Danny: Bro, do you ever smile? Damian: No. Smiling is a weakness. Danny: Bet I can make you smile. Damian: Doubtful. Danny: [Sends photo of Alfred dressed as the ghost of Christmas Past] Damian: …That’s mildly amusing.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Group Chat: “BatFam + GhostBoy”] Tim: Wait, you’re telling me Danny can turn invisible and fly? Dick: This is so unfair. I worked years for that level of stealth! Danny: Yeah, but can you do this? [Sends selfie mid-transformation with glowing green eyes] Damian: He’s showing off again.

[gothghostiie]

telling john price jokingly his house is haunted because you hear steps when no one's there and he's just like. yea. I know.

[moldycigarette]

cod x p!links 😋

SIMON ‘GHOST’ RILEY

if you act like a brat, he’ll treat you like one

your reward for being such a good girl while he was deployed

his own version of roulette

simon is loving the new lingerie you bought

JOHNNY ‘SOAP’ MACTAVISH

catholic johnny using a different method to get off

his way of thanking you for a getting him new watch during secret santa

you’ll help you with his morning wood, won’t you?

johnny is tired of your whining, so he fixes it

JOHN PRICE

even though it takes him hours to prep you, it’s worth it when john finally shoves his big dick in you

no man will ever satisfy you as much as john

john obsessing over your tits for hours on end

you’re hot and bothered? he’s busy right now, love, but he’ll do whatever he can

KYLE ‘GAZ’ GARRICK

taking videos of your cute belly bulge for… research purposes

once kyle knows you have a rope bunny kink, he’s taking full advantage of it

kyle doesn’t get mad often, but when you let him take it out on you, he doesn’t hold back

if you wanna act like a whiny city girl, kyle will show you work

hope you enjoyed 😁

[temeyes]

LT's quite the romantic, isn't he?

[stars-obsession-pit]

Not Quite his Twin

Danny Fenton is not Danyal al Ghul. They’d wanted him to be, but he wasn’t.

He still remembers when he first woke up, his whole body feeling raw and ill-fitted. Even his mind felt wrong, his memories not quite his own.

Which, he supposes, they weren’t.

Because Danyal is still dead. Executed on the orders of the Demon’s Head for failing to live up to his twin.

But the spurned heir would make a perfect figurehead to build legitimacy for a coup, so a splinter sect of the League stole away some of his remains before they could be disposed of. They may not have had permission to access the Lazarus Pits, but they could still turn to some more unorthodox methods of attempting resurrection. A combination of cloning, a few stolen and processed samples of Lazarus Water, and pieces of necromantic rituals.

And it almost worked.

Almost.

The body they constructed did indeed come to life, and clearly possessed at least some of Danyal’s memories, but it wasn’t him. The memories were locked behind a barrier, present in abstract but not felt. This thing they created could never pass for the deceased heir, and thus could never be the figurehead they wanted. So they decided to dispose of him.

But the clone’s memories had shown him this sort of betrayal before, and he did still have some of the original’s skills. He struck first, killing several of their agents and managing to escape the lab.

He had no idea what to do next, but at least he was free. Free to form his own life, to become someone unique rather than just not-quite-Danyal.

[not-the-living-ghost]

One thing that I think oftentimes goes unspoken in the Dead Boy Detectives fandom is the sheer societal difference between modern day and the society that Edwin grew up in. And yes, we talk about Edwin’s repression and his aversion to touch, but I mean this more so in the context of race, class, and gender.

Gay or not, Edwin is ultimately a white upper class cisgender man growing up in the Edwardian Era; there are clearly bound to be aspects of society that he’s not terribly educated on.

We see this implicitly shown at times in the show (for instance, 9 times out of 10, when a woman in the show acts in any way that he perceives to be out of the ordinary, Edwin jumps straight to hysteria, when the very concept of hysteria in and of itself is made up and deeply rooted in misogyny), but I am also curious to see how this would have impacted Edwin’s integration into modern society in the early days, when he first escaped Hell.

I am also curious to see how, over time, Charles’ views might have altered Edwin’s perspective on things. Here we have Charles, who is notably punk, definitely anti monarchist, and anti-capitalist meeting Edwin, who back in 1916, I highly doubt ticked any of those boxes. I’m curious to see how any sort of political conversation between the two ghosts would go

[mimeepossum]

you and I are different, no?