Vulture Culture

DPxDC drabble

- Dead rat -

Danny wasn't sure he remembered what warmth felt like anymore.

Ice settled into his bones, his very core.

He relished when he could feel the faint impressions of warmth from outside, from the sun, a hug, a hot plate of non lethal food.

There wasn't any warmth here.

The buzzing florescent lights were no replacement for sunshine, no one was able to touch him through the glass, the food they gave him were cold mounds of grey... something.

Danny curled in on himself in the corner of the room as he glared at the scientists watching him through the glass.

He was nothing but an animal to them.

A project.

He wanted to escape, to be free, but he had lost a lot of ectoplasm before he ended up with them. He was drained and they were keeping him even more drained.

He was running.

He wasn't sure where he was going.

He just needed to get away.

And they found him.

God he is such a fuck up.

If he hadn't let it slip to his parents who he is- what he is, he wouldn't be here. He would be at home. With Tucker and Sam. With Jazz.

Not... wherever here is without any ectoplasm to heal his wounds.

His head snapped up from his knees when the door to his pristine white cell opened.

A man in a suit walked in, immediately flanked by what appeared to be body guards who eyed Danny with caution.

"I do apologize for the treatment of you so far, but I do believe we can make sure you have better... arrangements in the future. As long as the two of us are at an... understanding."

Danny stared at him in silence for a moment, h opened his mouth to speak, his brows furrowing when it took a moment to get his vocal chords to work, and when they did, they were scratchy from disuse. "Understanding?"

"yes, as I see it I can help you, and you can help me. In exchange I can get you out of this dingy little room and into a much better one, a proper bed and everything."

Danny's eyes narrowed "who are you?"

The man grinned, offering a hand to help the thin and fragile looking boy up, thinking that he had agreed. In his mind, who wouldn't? "Lex Luther."

Danny, using what little strength he had left, smacked his hand away, "not the first billionaire to offer that fruitloop." He hissed.

Danny didn't watch him as he stormed out, but he heard each and every footstep banging against his skull. Danny stared at his hand, wishing the warmth from the hardly a second of contact lingered a little bit longer.

The Vampire Aesthetic

Ok so Danny knows two billionaires personally and they really couldn’t be more different. Yet they had one thing in common. A vampire aesthetic. Sam is fully into goth. Spiderwebs, bats, the color black. She enjoys fangs and fake blood and the darkness of her soul. Meanwhile, Vlad is Vlad. If his name wasn’t enough, the dark clothing, pale skin, and flying around with a cape and fangs with coffins in his mansion really sells it.

Danny doesn’t know many rich people so he thinks this might be some kind of trend. (If Paulina is rich, her family likes the chupacabra) So he just thinks that all rich people have some kind of vampire thing going on.

Cue Danny somehow ending in the Wayne household. Maybe he was brought over as a friend of one of the bats, maybe rescued from a field trip/vacation gone wrong, maybe some other situation. But he is there in civilian form with civilian Waynes and Danny just takes a good long look around the inside of the mansion.

“So where’s the vampire aesthetic?

Everyone freezes.

Danny just starts looking around, checking behind paintings and feeling the walls for secret levers. Used to secret passages with Vlad and possibly Sam. The Fentons definitely had them when they were temporarily rich.

“Come on, I know you guys are hiding it.”

Cue the entire batfamily thinking that this is another Tim and that he is fully aware that these people are the batfamily. Danny hangs around the mansion more and the bats just start dropping their disguises and not even bothering to hide stuff around Danny because they assume he already knows. (Possibly even trying to recruit him to be a new bat) Meanwhile, Danny, who does not know these people are batman and his birds, just does not pick up on any of it.

He grew up in a health violation with a giant ballon observatory lab above his head and a portal to the afterlife in his basement. He is a half dead teenager who has tea with the god of time and his godfather is the other parent to his clone child. He’s used to death lazers being scattered across his home and mysterious stains on clothing.

People are weird! He doesn’t judge!

A large, black flower bud rose from the ground, slowly opening up to reveal a young woman who slowly stepped down. The edges of her long, black gown seeming to slither across the grass as she moved forward and placed a hand upon a sleeping dragon's snout, rousing it from its slumber.

Toxic green eyes opened slowly, staring at the woman before its pupils slowly dilated. Letting out a slight purr it rubbed against the woman's hand, who only let out a smile as she loving rubbed the dragon's snout.

"There're intruders within our forest." She whispered, pressing her forehead against the dragon's face, eyes downcast. "They have someone with them, who can control plants as well. At my level or, perhaps, even higher."

The woman sighed and the dragon rubbed its snout against her, causing her to let out a small chuckle. "I know, I know. Not my fault." She murmured, staring at its glowing white scales that emitted a soft light even in the sunlight. "Just, please. Do not try to take them on yourself."

A soft growl interrupted her, and the woman huffed. "Yes, yes. I know you're strong. But we can't risk losing you." She paused for a moment, staring into the dragon's eyes with a half-lidded gaze before adding on quietly. "You already know what happened to Vlad."

The dragon grew quiet, contemplating.

Not for the first time, Sam noted how lucky Vlad was, to have gained the revival ability of the Pheonix after becoming.

Otherwise...

"We don't need you grabbing their attention again." Her gaze grew steely, staring down and holding the gaze of the mighty beast before her. "It was only a stroke of luck, even with his brilliance, that Vlad managed to come back. You can't revive yourself, so don't take risks you can avoid."

This time it was the dragon's turn to huff, gaze trailing off to stare at a certain scar on its body before turning away. Sam caught his stare, but chose not to say anything as she stepped away.

"Stay here. I'll deal with them." She turned away, sprouting an open flower bud that she soon stepped onto. She turned slightly, staring at the dragon as its eyes slipped shut and quickly slipping back into slumber.

She looked away with a determined expression, petals closing around her as the flower sank into the ground.

They already lost Danny once, they couldn't lose him again.

“Girls gays and theys” <- uninclusive while trying to be inclusive. Bad. Makes me uncomfortable.

“Ladies, gentlemen, and other distinguished guests” <- inclusive but far, far too formal

“Alrighty gamers” <- Incisive of everyone, informal, and fun to say.

DcxDp prompt

1/4

No one knew much about the Mechanic. All anyone knew was that he worked for red hood and stayed in the alley, never leaving it. He would do odd jobs and didn’t even request money, only ever wanting food or trinkets. He was known for making things for the street, kids, and you never saw him without a screwdriver in his hand, and a thermos stashed somewhere on him.

Some people speculated that he was red hoods lover, other speculated that he was a former bat, others still speculated that he was a rogue in the making that red hood had picked up. However, no matter who you were, you agreed on one thing when it came to the mechanic

He was absolutely feral.

Unfortunately(or fortunately for those who got it on video) Batman didn’t get the memo.

The Tranquilizer

In this AU the justice league and Danny have a sort of 'truce' where danny is part of the justice league but he's a heavy hitter so he only really comes out when it's a dire situation. (He was hit with the full jack fenton growth spirt in this)

Danny is also ruling the entire infinite realms as his main occupation, and is studying as a (whatever) major.

So combined with the recent attack on earth which he was called to, his finals and the new influx of ghosts and their paperwork Danny has been running off of a few hours of sleep and a weird concoction of caffeine and redbull. This admittedly was not good for his health and it was seriously starting to worry his significant other, a ferocious goth, Sam.

______

Sam has had enough of Danny's nonsense he had not come to bed for the last 4 days and has been working himself to death no pun intented. So she packed up her things and made her way to the place she knew Danny would be.

______

Danny knew this was coming, it had not happened in years bit Danny knew Sam never left home without it. He was just hoping that she would have atleast waited till he was done with he's meeting! What would Martian manhunt think of him after seeing his pregnant wife tranquilize him? Oh and how the hell was she able to carry his 6'3 figure while pregnant?!

I Ponder The Humble Blob Ghost!

You think they are what happens when you ALMOST but not quite A Ghost(tm)? Like, you have the ectoplasm and the will to continue... but you didn't really have A Thing in life? No Final Crystalizing Thought that brings focus? Just "ow! Ah! I'm scared. Don't wanna die!" And theeeeen.... *poof!*

Why am I Orb? Am squish? No bones.

Like? Remove any one piece of the Critical Formula and you get Blob instead of Ghost? Different KINDS, mind you, but blobs none the less.

Like Skulker! Not enough Ectoplasm. Ended up Blob. He CLEARLY had the Will, the Obsession, the gory end and unfinished business... buuuut? No green goo to power the creation of a full body. He clearly knows what he's supposed to LOOK like? But it's not something FIXABLE? Even with his now unlimited access to Ectoplasm.

Like in utero damage that permanently stunted his growth. HE is fine. All his facilities are on-line and checking in as they should, for the level of sentience expected of a ghost of his people. He just... smol. Same strength, intelligence, and power as he would have always HAD...

He just got handed a really, REALLY crap "customize your eternal meatsuit" option screen. Like for real guys. Basicly NO options. His salt is eternal and entirely justified. He could have had his tattoos. He paid a LOT of credits for those! Sat for DAYS! Had to track down this One(1) artist on this SHITTY little trading hub, that BARELY QUALIFIED as one, to sit in on uncomfortable overturned crate... IN A GAS MASK because the AIR SUPPORT KEPT KICKING IT... for hoooours!

It was a WORK OF ART. You would have CRIED.

This is BULLSHIT.

But wait, I hear you say, staring at the Blob ghost chewing on a lamp post. The one that has wii music playing behind the eyes. No thoughts, head jello, one might say. What about THEM?

Good point! Remember that formula?

LOT of Ecto! But THAT... might be either an animal or a fungus. We'd have to check. ANYTHING can and DOES die. If it's alive? It can die and potentially leave a ghost. But! Consider the noble Ghost Rabbit! *holds up squirming rabbit that is ABSOLUTELY trying to both bite me and kick me in the face* A noble and friendly creature!

THIS is what happens when an animal: has sufficient Ectoplasm at the death site, a reason to continue living (fairly common. It's usually their offspring, escape, the instinctual drive to survive itself or other understandable base drives. Like love, loyalty, or hunger.), and that all important High Emotions End.

Miss any of these? You get Blobbertson over there! He's clearly a hungry boy! But! Not very DRIVEN is he? Just floating along, chewing on whatever seems interesting, looking for a snack. He's food motivated. But not MOTIVATED motivated.

Blobbertson over there? A peaceful death. Too much Ectoplasm too leave, too food motivated in life NOT to carry over, but? No DRIVE. To DEFINE and DEMAND the Ectoplasm in his little body become sharp and active. No highly emotional state to stir it into action.

Is Blobbertson INCAPABLE of higher emotions? No. He is every bit as capable as the Ghost Rabbit that has savaged my hands and escaped while you were reading. It was, in fact, NOT as friendly as originally assumed. I may be bleeding. Unimportant. Blobbertson is PERFECTLY capable of getting attached. Being trained.

Whatever level of intelligence Blobbertson had in life, still remains. And WITH that? Comes the ability to improve and grow in death! IF (and this is the big one) he ever finds MOTIVATION to do so.

Because you see, Blobbertson is quite happy. No thoughts, brain jello. Drifting along in a happy green ocean like a jellyfish. Only concerned about his next snack. It's comforting. His food obsession filled, his tiny motivation barely enough to move him place to place.

He would GLADLY sit in one place and eat for the rest of eternity. Head blissfully silent.

And that's OKAY! It truly, honestly, is. Not everyone has to be conquers and kings, crafters and cosmonauts. Sometimes you just want to spend the rest of time playing in the sand. Resting on a sunshine-y hill. Not EVERY soul is a loud one.

This is the INFINITE Realms.

And there are places like Amity Park out there. THICK as cold honey with Ectoplasm in the air, gently infusing all the life that grows there with greater and greater chance of Ghost-hood. Even the peaceful blinking awake after that final rest to look down and... little nubby green paws.

Congratulations on becoming a Blob, grandma! Yes, I imagine you ARE furious it is inordinately difficult to knit like this. No, I don't think complaining to the king will help, MeMa.

That said? I can not tell you if Blob Ghost all belong to the same Family or the same Order, but they are NOT the same species! The WAY in which you fuck up that ever vital Fomula results in WILDLY different Blobs! Was it an animal? A sentient species? A sentient PLANET? A complexe interlocking colony of fungi? What was the EXACT Ectoplasm concentration at the death site? Was that the historical levels or the At Death levels? Was the individual under sedation?

Yes! All of this IS in fact, VERY relevant!

And you think it ends THERE? HA! The SKIES are FILLED with Fighty Mother Fuckers! Ghosts LOVE to fight! It's built into their social dynamics and hierarchy! Good ol brawls to get the Ecto pumping!

......Local Blob Farmer would like to take this moment to say "GET OF HIS GHOST PEONIES, YOU HEATHENS."

No they would NOT like to join your 24/7 thunder dome in the sky, THANKS! Martha here is trying to compose some Atlantian Shell Poetry. Blobby Jr of Blobbington and Blobbington Incorporated is TRYING to study! You've DESTROYED THE COMMUNAL ZEN GARDEN!!

Get! GET!!! *swings broom*

And THEN you look not even a mile east? And it's the floating island of Blobs. They LIKE that rock. It's just an ever shifting, accidentally rolling off the edge, falling slightly, making an offended squeek, and floating back to the top of the pile to repeate the process, MOOSH of thousands of blobs. No one's certain if they used to be seals or some sort of cat.

Apparently THAT island is Warm(tm).

So there they sit. Making contented noises, chirping and shoving for the best spots. They never leave. You can literally just... float up and sit on them. It's amazing. You gotta be careful not to get buried, but it's So Soft and bouncy? And they are ALL making that soft happy Blob vibrate noise. It's like a giant, island sized, warm and almost fuzzy but not, water bed that massages you.

Just DON'T start anything there! Holy SHIT are they territorial. You Will Die. They SWARM.

And THATS not even getting into the Blobs that are? Literally brainless. Some people eat those. Which? I guess? They ARE basicly Ectoplasm jello. But SOME of them are NOT? Like... it's a debate. Hot button issue, ya know?

Some fungus turns into Ecto Jello with negative IQ and delicious insides. Is this food? But OTHER fungus was SENTIENT in life and become a whole RANGE of Fungus ghosts, from Blob right on up to complexe dryad like ghosts! Clearly NOT food unless you are a MONSTER. But THEY argue the FIRST group are ALSO not food?

Plant Ghosts have strong opinions and are willing to Gruesome Violence about it.

Which brings us back to the Humble Blob Ghost! Check before you pet! That might be grandma! Or planning to eat your hand! Just as Mammal tells you little to nothing about what animal you are looking at, so too does Blob and Ghost! Stay safe out there! And if anyone sees a glowing green rabbit? I want my blood back! That's supposed to be in MY body! Rude!

This has been, the daily ghost!

@hdgnj @stealingyourbones

John Constantine stays on top of things in the Paranormal world. He's still not sure how this led to being a secret parent, but at this point why not have this happen in his life.

Point being, he knew when Pariah Dark got taken down by a kid.

He also knew that, whether or not that kid became the next High King, there would be a lot of attempts to summon him.

Further investigation revealed the flimsiest secret identity he'd ever seen, and also that the kid was like fourteen. Fifteen, max.

So he started his own personal campaign; he spread false rumors about the One Who Defeated Pariah Dark.

Gave the wrong summoning sigil out like candy, lied and said that the kid was strong enough to ignore his own summoning and send innocents in his stead because it was funny, interrupted as many potential summonings as he could, and overall kept an ear out for the kid.

He slipped Batman the information on the GIW, and to the surprise of no one it was dismantled in three months flat.

He made offerings to the kid, but charmed them so that they were bathed in the strongest protection wards he knew, just in case the kid had to go against his own parents. He made sure they were things a teenager would like; hoodies with NASA branding or space themes, backpacks from the DOOMED franchise, school supplies that were not themed because there was a limit to how much someone could do that before the other kids made fun of them, etc.

The kid has no idea he exists, which is great considering his uh. Luck. Better the kid doesn't know. Better he never starts thinking about the kid by his name.

Except at some point, he started doing that.

At some point, he started caring.

And worse, after that point, some of his enemies started to notice and hone in on Danny.

The Young Justice League: About to lose an actually very important fucking fight.

Danny: Don't worry guys, I got this.

Danny: [Tilts back, head facing the sky as he sucks in a huge breath of air.]

YJ + Big Bad: What the fuck is he doing-

Danny, unleashing a wail: PAPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Pariah Dark: I feel a disturbance.

Also Pariah Dark: [Punches hole through dimensions and starts immediately brawling with and beating up Big Bad for the sheer disrespect of picking a fight with his son.]

Clockwork: Yep, that's my man.

Danny: When the hell did you get here-

Clockwork: Shhh, worry not my son. I am always watching over you.

Danny:

Danny: Do you mean in the metaphorical or literal sense.

Clockwork: :)

YJ: What the absolute fuck is going on.

Imagine going to a city to investigate their vigilante only to be stopped on the street by a nice old lady

"We are okay with bruce Wayne, but if we see you doing any Batman activity" and then waves her walking stick threatningly

And then you, of course, do the Batman only to be shot down by a teen who complains to her friend that her gun doesn't match her nails

And her friend? Pulls out a grenade that turns into a goddamn cage around you and says something about how to get a better one

And then they ship you back to gotham in the pink cage

Because quite frankly it just happened to bruce and he needs a week at least to recover