Shades Weren't Actually Consider Inferior Or "not Real Ghosts" They Were Partial Citizens Of The Infinite

Shades weren't actually consider inferior or "not real ghosts" they were partial citizens of the infinite realms, just like zombies, revenants, city spirits and many others mortal realm based ecto-beings, or at least, they're supposed to be.

Pariah Dark had a purist mindset, any being that wasn't completely connected to the infinite realms, wasn't a citizen for him. During Pariah Darks reign of terror, the infinite realms were almost completely closed of from the mortal realms, unless Pariah was planning to conquer it.

With no contact to any other ghosts, the mortal realms base acto-beings were left with just Pariah Darks discourse of how they all weren't real ghosts, how they weren't real ecto-beings, and weren't accepted in the infinite realms.

Pariah Dark destroyed the system that was put in place by previous monarchs. Mortal realms based ecto-beings now didn't have access to the realms during Samhain. The permanent emergency portals on places where the veil is thin where closed. Guidance and aid from the realms was cut.

It all sucked. Mortal realm based ecto-beings (Let's call them the stranded, because that name is becoming to long) lost their access to health care, lost access to their species history, lost access to ectoplasm, they lost everything.

The stranded also lost any means to know what was going on in the realms. They didn't know the tyrannical terror that was unraveling there. All they knew was that the king cut them off, and that the infinite realms ghosts weren't showing up any more. After thousands of years, the stranded just accepted that they weren't consider ghost enough for the infinite realms and it's citizens as a fact.

Meanwhile, in the infinite realms. It took a couple millennia for the Ancients to finally figure they're differences and unite to trap Pariah Dark in the coffin of ever sleep. The infinite realms where a mess, everyone concentrated on trying to bring things back up, and no one thought about the stranded, who probably where doing better than them. Even after things got kinda sorted out, must ghosts had no idea how to reconnect with the mortal realms.

Fast forward to Danny turning on the portal, Feeding that mortal realm with the ectoplasm that it hadn't gotten in ages. Small natural portals where forming here and there, but with no system for the stranded to know about it, or anyone to seek them out.

Now, Phantom two years king, still dealing with Pariahs delayed paperwork, has just been informed about the existence of the stranded. No one bother to tell him that a huge amount of his subjects were cut from the infinite realms during Pariahs reign. Amity Park had one of the thinnest veils, so any ecto-beings there where infinite realms based, so he didn't even know they existed.

He's struggling with plans to speed run all the stranded process for citizenship and accomodations. He knows how it is to deal with suddenly being a different species while still being part of a mortal realm, but he had guidance from lots of ghost of the infinite realms. He feels terrible for all the stranded that had to deal with that on their own. Even more since most of them wouldn't be able to mask as a human and go back to their own life like he could being a Halfa.

He's reading through the incomplete records of the infinite realms support networks for the stranded that used to exist. Figuring how viable it would be to create them again, while opening well made permanent portals in hundreds of different mortal realms.

This, is what have the Justice League summoning the Hight King of the infinite realms. Out of nowhere, there are natural portals to the infinite realms popping up in random places.

"Not random, they're opening where the veil is already thin." - Constantine reminds them.

The portals doesn't seem to be hurting anyone, mortals can't even touch them, only those who have died before can see them, but they're portals to the land of dead opening out of nowhere! Some of JLD is even worried that they're mortal realm is collapsing.

So here they are, starting a summoning ritual, while Deadman is wondering if it is possible to die a second time from nerves.

DPxDC Prompt

It is common knowledge in the realms that a ghost that forms outside of the realms is a shade, an incorporeal being that rarely gains enough ectoplasm to interact with their environment, let alone hold a solid form.

Ghosts within the realms do not consider shades to be fully ghosts, they don't have the ectoplasm and they have never set foot within the realms in which all ghosts form.

But in the living realms, shades are the only form of ghosts humans ever heard of, let alone interacted with.

So when the Justice League makes plans to summon the king of ghosts, Deadman is understandably nervous being the only representing ghost, being held together by magic instead of ectoplasm at that. He isn't ashamed to say he was hiding behind Constantine, who knew if the king would be offended by his presence.

It probably would have been a good idea to inform everyone about different types of ghost before hand to avoid the absolute diplomatic nightmare that proceeded the Ghost King's arrival.

"Bruce, please. I know parents loose perspective when it comes to their own children, but most of these are adults!"

"The only one that's still a minor is Damian." - Added a man with pale skin who probably just reach his 20's.

"I'm leaving." - Danny said, turning to leave the Manor.

"Common Danny, I can't possibly leave them unsupervised." - All the "kids" glared at Bruce, not that Danny could blame them for it. - "And Alfred is on vacation, your my only option."

Danny pinched his nose and then turned to look at the youngest - "How old are you?"

"14. I am completely capable of taking care of myself. This whole ordeal is unnecessary. You can leave." - Said the kid crossing his arms.

Danny gave Bruce an unimpressed look but Bruce just said - "Danny, someone has to look out for them while I'm gone, please. You owe me one."

"And I can't believe your using it for this." - Danny said exasperated. - "Okay, sure, whatever, I'll babysit your teen and adult children. If this is what you want to spent your favor on, then go ahead."

"Thank you Danny. Kids, behave yourself with Danny." Said Bruce as he left the room with his luggage.

Danny could see how all the "kids" in the room rolled their eyes, and he was sure a girl whispered "we're not even his kids, what are we doing here?" to another girl in a wheelchair. Danny limited himself to a long sight.

"Okay." Danny turned to look at the young adults and the teen in the room. "I guess presentation are in order. My name is Danny Nightingale, and I'm a distant relative of your... Father, parental figure and/or adult that looks out for you(?). As it seems, I was left in charge of keeping you from bringing the city down in flames."

"It's always good to meet new family! I'm Richard Grayson, but, you can call me Dick. I will be staying at the manor for a couple of days, but, I actually live at Bludhaven right now so..." - A man that seemed to be in his mid twenties said. He most be the optimistic of the family, Danny thought as he nodded to him.

"My name is Damian Wayne and as I said before, your assistance is not required here Nightingale, it would be better if you leave." - The kid said taking his attention from Dick.

"Pleasure Damian, unfortunately, I do owe your father a favor, so I will be staying."

"Tt"

The kid may be the one that give him the must trouble, which is annoying since he's one of the few he does need to keep a close eye to. Danny already wants to go back to his lair.

"Well, I'm Stephanie, this one here is Barbara. We both are not Bruce's kids, so you can forget about us after we leave."

"You both spent enough time here to be consider his kids. If we can not scape the babysitter, you can't do it either." - The one who had pointed out that Damian was the only minor before said.

"Common Tim, my own father living with me at the moment. I already have a more adult adult looking out for me, so this babysitting can't possibly apply for me by definition."

The three of them started bantering and Danny turned his look to the girl standing beside them. She nodded and pointing at herself said - "Cassandra. Cass."

Danny nodded back, then turned to look to the only 2 that still hadn't presented themselves.

"Um, I'm Duke, and no offense dude, but, I'm pretty sure I'm to old for a babysitter."

"I know, I know, I also think you're to old for this." - Danny said while rubbing the back of his neck - "and you?"

"Jason. I have my own apartment, so don't bother "looking out" for me. I can't believe the old man called me for this shit."

The summary of the introductions: We don't want you here. Danny's starting to wonder if the favor he owns Bruce really is worth this. He was expecting to be call for some kind of magical/ghost problem, or maybe some world ending catastrophe. Isn't that what you call your cousin who also happens to be the king ghost for?

Danny took one more long breath.

"Okay, so, let's just talk ground rules and contact info." - Everyone is looking at him like they can't believe he actually said that, but well, he was left in charge after all. - "I'll be managing the kitchen since I've been told more than half of you are banned from it. Don't get yourself killed, don't get other people killed, don't make anything that would get the police, the firefighters, or an ambulance involved. You know, the basics."

More than a couple of the "kids" snorted, and Stephanie got close to Tim and whispered in his ear - "Great, we have to play normal civilians in front of our babysitter."

And really, Danny which they would. He would prefer don't getting involve in their vigilante life of Gotham. He already solved all his vigilante business long ago, and the king business is enough on his plate, but then again, that's the real reason why he's babysitting adults.

"For your night life," - Everyone freeze at the mention. - "I won't be joining you on patrol, but I'll be on the cave and manage any medical emergency. Y'all need to get a general check up after your patrol, it's not optional, but I'm sure Alfred has already told ya that. Dick, do you debrief on your apartment on Bludhaven?"

"... Um, yeah... Who-"

"Great, I'll be there for your own checkups when you go back." Danny snapped his fingers and pisces of paper appeared in front of everyone. "There's my phone number and my summon sigil. For the summon sigil you just need to hold it and call for Phantom, and I'll be there. Well, that's about it, you can go do whatever you want."

Danny was ready to disappear in the hallway and go for his bedroom in the Manor, which he hadn't seen in a decade or so, but he's sure it's still the same. Unfortunately, the kids suddenly seen really interested in keeping him in the same room as them.

Bruce has to go off-world for something since he does not trust his children to not destroy Gotham while he is gone, he calls up his cousin to watch the kids. (Grown up) Danny shows up and has to wrangle his cousin’s children. Danny is full-on expected to be babysitting a bunch of little kids, he is surprised when most of them are adults.

Bruce's kids didn't expect to have a babysitter---they are not pleased. So they decide to make Danny's job 10x worse.

Danny wasn't originally going to butt into their patrols, but they're being annoying. So Danny messes with them on patrol.

(Alfred is on vacation and the thing Bruce has to deal with is short notice. Bruce did not want to cut Alfred’s vacation short)

Especially if Danny is looking to the Shade while doing it. From Nightwing perspective,

The teen that just witnessed a murder is looking at nothing in front of him, describing the scene with such a plain and calm voice, he's clearly not doing okay.

Once the kids finish his retelling of the murder he says - I'm sorry you had to die this way. - while still looking at nothing.

Then, turning to Nightwing, says casually. - Hope you're able to find the killer, so that they can rest in peace. - and starts walking away.

- W-wait!

The teen turns around to look once more at the vigilante. - Yeah?

- I'll take you home.

- Um, thanks, but, shouldn't you be looking for the killer? - He turns his head a bit to the side.

And Nightwing should, but he doesn't want to leave this teen alone after what happened. If possible, he wants to be there when the shock passes and the kid finally processes what he's seen.

- I already have someone working on it. I'll come back and help with the search once you're home, what do you think?

It's not a complete lie. He's comm had been open all this time. Oracle has the description the kid gave him, and the call for a hand is implicit in his speech, he can trust that someone will start searching on the perimeter while he accompanies this kid home.

The kid looks at him seemingly confused for a minute, then finally shrugs, and keeps walking, Nightwing follows.

DPxDC What's the Big Deal with the Dead

TW, I guess: corpses and mild gore(?)

Due to his life circumstances, Danny is absolutely unfazed by the dead things. Be it a still barely warm body in the alleyway or a half-decomposed rat in the dumpster. He is just okay with them.

That is not to say he doesn't respect the dead, he does, but he respects the contents, not the package. He is polite and gentle with the shades of those recently passed away, he understands their burial preferences, and sometimes he helps the souls to either find their way to the afterlife or bring justice to the ones who murdered them, or anything else if they need it and he is able to do it.

Granted, he lives in Gotham, no one here is really that fazed by dead things, but what I'm trying to say is Danny lacks that first reaction kind of instinct, the disgust and repulsion and the horror that people feel when they see a dead body.

So, one night on patrol, one of the Bats, let's say Nightwing, finds him crouching beside a body. He can see the blood on the pavement and the bullet wound on the chest of said body, and this is yet another innocent life that has been taken, and he couldn't stop it, he was too late.

Meanwhile, Danny just turns his head towards him, waves, and goes, "s'up".

So, is it a clean cut that was cauterized the moment it was cut? Or is it magically keeping all fluids inside? Because otherwise, Danny is suddenly bleeding like crazy, and ghost shenanigans may safe him, but if he's in public… Imagine Danny growing a new arm in public, or in front of his parents. It would be one hell of a reveal.

Or, Assuming we don't have to deal with Danny's ghost side showing in Danny's blood, and healing isn't that good. Everyone is suddenly scared that Danny may die of blood loss, quickly being rushed to the ER. Since this is Amity, people would assume the lost arm was caused by ghosts, and that would be a whole other problem.

On the bats side, I think the arm doesn't bleed as much as the open wound, but still, that's dripping blood. The bat's would need to put that arm in ice if they wan't any chance of reattaching it to Jason's soulmate, that's if Jason soulmate isn't dying from blood loss right now. Now they're rushing to find Jason's soulmate because an arm would be viable to reattachment for only like 6 hours. Jason thinks he just ruined his soulmates life, and he hasn't even met the guy.

This was possibly the worst way he could have met his soulmate.

IdeaDpxDc—There are better ways to meet someone.

Note: Sorry, I don't know English, so please use a translator. I apologize if you don't get the idea.

Dead On Main. Soul mates.

---

"Exactly... what does this ring do?" The shining ring was still attached to his finger. This wouldn't worry him if it weren't for the fact that, with each passing minute, the ring emitted more light, and that can't be good.

The cult leader refused to speak. He wouldn't even look at him, seeming particularly attentive to the material the floor was made of. Very funny that now he was scared of him when, an hour ago, he was giving a very cliché speech about how humanity was doomed because it would summon the evil of evils.

It wasn't very smart of him to perform his summoning precisely in Gotham City, home of the Dark Knight.

Red Hood was getting impatient. He placed the hand without the ring on his weapon; if words didn't work, a real threat to his life would. And this didn't really break Bruce's 'no killing' rule because the gun was only loaded with rubber bullets. However, just as he was about to advance and shoot the guy, he saw Batman grab the leader's tunic collar and lift him up.

The man, of course, screamed in fear. "Speak, what does that ring do?" No jokes. Batman's voice was deeper than usual, showing that he was upset, no, rather angry.

Or worried, but Jason could never consider that possibility. For the moment, he was only surprised, although it didn't show through his helmet.

"I-I don't know," the leader replied. Poor guy, he seemed about to cry. Batman, not content, tightened his grip even more; he wasn't willing to tolerate a lie this time.

Red Robin raised an eyebrow. "You managed to gather a bunch of magical artifacts for your summoning and you don't know what they do?"

The man looked away. "No..." The rest of the cult members also looked away. Very brave and stupid of them to all agree to lie to the bats. Jason himself wanted to mock them, but the ring kept shining. He couldn't mock when the ring kept shining and he didn't know what it meant.

From the communications, Robin could be heard. "Tt, this wouldn't be happening if Hood hadn't put on the ring." Jason suppressed a growl.

"Kid, I didn't put on the ring. This thing stuck to me the moment I touched it." It was true. In the middle of the operation to stop the ritual, Jason had pulled the ring, which at that moment was a kind of necklace by the chain that ran through it, from a member who was wearing it. The ring in his hand began to glow and suddenly teleported to his ring finger, then stopped shining. It was when everything calmed down that the ring began to release a different, but constant light.

Approximately ten minutes have passed since then, he thought as he looked at the ring, ignoring all the magical stuff; it was actually a very simple ring. Suddenly, the ring began to blink.

Oh, no. That couldn't be good.

Batman, fed up with the leader's silence and his followers, threw the man meters ahead. "Oracle, call Zatanna now, we need more information about the ring," he ordered as he approached the man who was in pain from the fall. The guy, terrified by the violent aura of the Dark Knight, tried to retreat.

Finally, Nightwing stepped between the man and the brutal beating he would receive if he didn't speak.

"It's okay, B, calm down." With his hand on his father's shoulder, Dick tried to ease the atmosphere. "I understand your concern. We are all worried about what the ring might do to Hood. But we can't let fear and anger control us. Hood is important to all of us. He is our brother, your son. We can't lose our cool now. Let's call Wonder Woman. If no one wants to talk, she can help us with the lasso of truth."

Total silence. Jason didn't know what to say; he didn't think his family would react like this over a blinking ring. That is... he doesn't know. Suddenly, the ring's light began to blink faster.

Batman, after Nightwing's words and seeing the change in the ring, understood that he couldn't waste time with someone who wouldn't talk. "You're right, thank you Nightwing." Looking at the others, he said: "We need to act quickly, we don't know the effects the ring might have on Hood. We need to take him to the cave for a thorough analysis, no discussions." The last part he said looking at Jason. "Until then, don't try to take it off or use it."

Jason scoffed, as if he would.

"Oracle, you heard, call Diana. Red Robin and I will take care of the rest of the cult. Nightwing, take Red Hood to the cave." Batman began giving orders as he reached the leader and began dragging him towards the rest of his cult. The leader, in a failed attempt, tried to resist. "Agent A, please prepare a stretcher. Understood?"

Everyone nodded.

On the other hand, the touching speech and the strange family moment of the bats seemed to soften the heart of a girl from the cult, who in a whisper said: "The ring, nothing will happen to him." Although she spoke quietly, everyone present heard her.

The leader, panicking that the information would be revealed, exclaimed: "Catrina, shut up!" However, he was struck by Batman, who was already fed up with the guy.

"What do you have to say about the ring?" he asked.

The woman hesitated to speak. "We thought of using the ring to subdue the king of the dead and make him listen to our orders..." She paused, not knowing how to continue. "There is a real legend about the ring. A long time ago, a witch wanted to know who her soulmate was, so she created the ring. This allows one to be guided to their soulmate through the red thread. I think everyone already knows what the red thread is." Nervous, she looked around. Only Nightwing nodded, and that was enough for her to continue telling. "Well, the witch's red thread connected with a prince. Unfortunately for everyone, the prince was not happy that his soulmate was a witch. So he had her killed." The girl looked at her hands; that part of the story was sad. "The witch was angry, but still wanted her soulmate to accept her, so she rewrote the ring's original purpose. It was no longer something that united you with your soulmate, but now it was something that allowed you to subdue your soulmate... uh, this." She pointed to a book that was lying in a corner. "With another spell, in fact, it can be used to subdue anyone, even a king of the dead."

With the whole story already told, Red Robin asked: "So, what is the ring doing to Red Hood?"

"It's tracking his soulmate. I... didn't get to put the other spell on it. I could only activate the ring's primary function. Your brother will be fine."

That definitely changes things. Jason swore he could hear his heart beating. A soulmate, wow. He admits he's read many romance novels and maybe once dreamed of it, but for it to actually happen, wow.

Suddenly, the ring stopped blinking. Five seconds later, everyone saw a red thread shoot out from the ring's gem. It quickly moved in one direction, went through the wall, and kept going. The process was like a fishing rod when it catches a fish.

"Does this mean it already found its soulmate?" Red Robin asked. Astonished by the red thread, he tried to touch it but his hand went through it; apparently, the thread was intangible to anyone else.

"Yes," the cultist also seemed astonished.

Jason felt a look on him, turned, it was his brother. Oh no, not that look, he knew that smile; Dick would tease him so much in the coming days. For his part, Batman sighed in relief. Well, it wasn't such an extreme danger, but it was still dangerous. "Agent A, cancel the stretcher." He never imagined this would mean a soulmate case. "Oracle, don't cancel the call to Zatanna or Wonder Woman, we need to verify the information. We'll stay here until the police arrive."

How nice it would be if everything ended like that, right? With Dick joking with Jason, Tim analyzing the thread, Barbara laughing at the turn of events, Bruce relieved and Damian surprised. However, one must remember the story.

The witch changed the ring's original purpose. Unexpectedly, the thread began to retract, as if it had caught something. It did so so quickly that Jason grabbed his hand in pain. It was then that everyone had a bad feeling. The wall the thread had previously passed through suddenly exploded, the noise and dust alerting everyone, especially when once the chaos disappeared, something horrific could be seen.

An arm. A fucking arm. Apparently freshly torn from its owner. Oh, no. What did it do to his soulmate?

...

Somewhere else in the world, somewhere in the United States, Danny gasped in pain. What the hell? What was that? Ancients! Where is his arm?

---

Note: Sorry, I don't know English, so please use a translator. I apologize if you don't get the idea.

Meanwhile, Danny is regretting ever taking that cooking class. He should have waited until after he moved out, or maybe ask Tuck if he could use he's kitchen. But no, he went ahead and fought reanimated food with the microphone open!

What does the other ones in the call even think that happened? It's not like "oh, he's fighting reanimated food" is the logical conclusion. He hopes they're deciding to ignore it, like must Amity people have done with every red flag he's shown.

He's never taking online classes again, he's never cooking again, takeout food is good enough.

I am trying to find a writing prompt from last year.

Basically Jason Todd teaching an online cooking class, that Danny Fenton is trying to learn from but keeps accidentally reanimating the ingredients and one day he forgets to turn off the microphone as he has to kill the reanimate fish. And Jason is then going to investigate what the heck fighting he just heard.

If anyone knows and has the link to it . Please repost it here. If not feel free to make up what you would think happens next here.

I think one of you guys reposted it. @arzuera @azulhood @bianca-hooks123 @dragonsrequiem @dcxdpdabbles @evilminji @fightmebissh @flamingpudding @hdgnj @hypewinter @im-totally-not-an-alien-2 @ourrechte-blog @starlightcat04 @stormikitty @zylev-blog

Danny's parents had asked to talk to him with a serious tone one afternoon. It was weird. They barely interacted because they spend so much time ghost hunting or in their lab. The few times they did interact, they were happily ranting about ghosts or complaining about Phantom.

There was also the passing comment about his grades, but he had already accepted that his notes where never going to go back to the A's and B's he used to get. It was already an accomplishment that he had managed to balance things so that he was passing everything.

The point was, Danny and his parents didn't interact much. So asking for a conversation in such serious tone had him dying (again) from anxiety. He was getting ready for the worst, thinking they may have found out about Phantom. He had his friends waiting just outside the door, and a Phantom comm in his ear, in case things went south. He could have never expected they would throw an arranged marriage on to him.

He could hear Tucker and Sam laughing both through the door and the comms. It took him a minute to reboot his brain and ask for clarifications. Apparently, he was meant to be wed to one of the Wayne wards. Those rich people from Gotham he had heard Sam parents talk about in the past.

How did that even happen? How does small town Fenton middle class family end up engaged to the Wayne's? Apparently mom comes from a rich family, to which she and aunt Alicia had cut contact with, but her arranged marriage never really got resolved. She had been contacted about it just the day before and they had decided Danny was the one to be wed.

Why was he the one that was getting push into a marriage? Jazz was the older sibling, shouldn't she be getting married? Danny tried not to get offended when his parents implied that it was because she actually had a future. She was still the straight A student in college, and he would barely graduate school. They had told him it was the best for him to be wed into a rich family, and for a second he wandered if he had traveled back in time to the 1600.

He didn't even know his family had in any way a status that allowed for arranged marriages, even less for an arranged marriage that hold the richest person's assets hostages. And now he was meant to go with an arranged marriage her mom had scaped from!

At this point he didn't think his life could get any more weird. Except, when he received the letter from the Wayne family, Sam had informed him that his to be husband was dead. Was that a joke? There were even news about he's death throughout the internet. How does an arranged marriage get resolved with one of the people being legally death? Because, yes, Danny was death, but legally he was alive!

But that didn't even matter, because Clockwork had appeared to tell him that this would solve the issue with the observants pushing for him to get a ghost marriage. So, his to be husband was a ghost, or at the very least a denizen. With both his life and his after-life pushing for the marriage, Danny just resign himself to his future. He hopes he at least get along with his husband.

Alfred: I am afraid I have some bad news. Earlier today, I received a notice that the arranged marriage between Master Bruce and Lady Madeline had not been voided like Master Thomas had once hoped. Bruce: Wait I was in a arriage marriage? Alfred ignored Bruce: There was an error in the process, and his engagement was passed to the next generation. Now that Mrs.Fenton's children are of age, one must wed into the Waynes, or the Waynes' assets are turned over to the Fentons. Bruce: WHAT?! Alfred: I understand that none of you would commit so I took the liberity of rolling a muilti-faced dice. Congratulations Master Jason, your fience, Mister Fetnon will arrive tomarrow. Jason :HUH!? BUT I'M LEGALLY DEAD! Alfred: Yes, which is why Mister Fenton accepted, believing he wouldn't have to commit. What a surprise this will be for him. Tim: Thanks for taking one for the team, Jay. Dick: Yeah, the rest of us nepo-babbies appreciate it. Damian: We shall forever remember this bravery and sacrifice.