Dead/Alive

///So im putting this under a readmore for the new DP novel spoilers. feel free to click if you don't care abt being spoiled for that.

Phantom wasn’t so sure he’d be okay with calling the nice lady, ‘Mama’. Even if she did remind him of his mother in some ways. Thinking about it too much though, wasn’t good for him. Phantom missed his family, even if they were embarrassing to be around. It might feel too much like replacing them to use words meant for any of them, for other people.

However, he gave some thought to her question. Nobody here really knew him and again, he had nothing here. It probably would be okay to use his actual name. It wouldn’t be strange for a ghost to have a real name anyway.

“Most people call me ‘Phantom’. But my name’s 'Danny’, if you want to use that instead.”

Without hesitation, he popped some of the food into his mouth and began to eat, appreciating a real meal for once in a long while. He made sure not to talk with his mouth full when speaking to Rokshana even if he was eager to keep eating.

“I try to, where I can. There’s a lot of monsters in this city that are struggling. Humans too. Gotham can be a painful place if you;re on your own.”

Rokshana began picking at the bar mix, nibbling on a pretzel between speaking. Her talons sifted through the bowl, picking raisins and chocolate chips up as if her claws were tweezers. “I’ve been here for a few decades now. You see a lot of things in a city like Gotham.”

She watched with a soft smile as Danny sated his hunger, and a warmth pulled at the pit of her chest. He seemed like a sweet young man, just in a bit of a bind.

He was starting to realize something as she spoke to him, something that he felt a little silly about not picking up sooner. Phantom even felt a little embarrassed. A slight tint of glowing green color stained his face. She wasn't a human, was she? It would explain some things, like her comment about her age. She didn't really look old or anything. But he wasn't entirely certain. He knew ghosts better than other monsters after all.

Danny's attention shifted to her question before he could voice his own. "Oh... Well..." His gaze fell on the food in front of him, clearly not too happy about the answer he was about to give Rokshana.