#braindead

So what if ghosts have their own scale for beauty?

Waxy pale skin, half-lidded eyes, empty eyes, colorless lips, ashen complexion, and sunken cheeks.

These are considered the most attractive features of a ghost without the extra bells and whistles.

Tim did not know this when he sat at his desk after pulling a week straight of sleepless case-solving and his desk neighbor was staring at him.

Danny had never seen anyone more beautiful until he noticed Tim. He looked like he could drop dead at any moment. Did he even drink water? Eating?

Those beautiful glassy vacant eyes made Danny blush. He couldn't take his eyes off him.

When class ended Tim sat up Danny heard his back crack from his still position. Thoughts of rigor mortis filled his head and the sound of popping bones was almost a turn-on. Danny didn't even know what that said about him.

The last phrase is whispered with a depth of terror the heroes assembled had never heard before from the man who fucked demons.

Batman: the ghost king?

Constantine, gravely: yes. I don't know much about the new one- just that ue managed to defeat the fearsome Pariah Dark- the king feared by all the biggest bads in all the Realms of heaven, hell, and everything in between, before and beyond. In single combat.

Wonder woman frowned, : so.... can you summon him?

Constantine shifts uneasily: summoning the ghost king- particularly one as fearsome as Phantom- is quite the risk, it could get us all killed in a moment- or worse. He is the ghost king, after all.

Impulse frowns. The name 'Phantom'and 'Ghost King' was familiar... but why... he turned to the side, to spot Rook (Tim) napping quietly in his seat, a can of zesti by his info pack- and that was when it clicked.

He nudged Tim. "Hey. Hey Tim?" He whispered.

"Mm?"

"Isn't that the guy you were fucking?"

Rook raised his head to stare blankly into Impulse's eyes. "What?"

"You know, the person you and uhhh- code name... fuck it. You and Bernard fucked?"

At this point, Clark raised an eyebrow at the whispered conversation, whilst Kon was hiding his grin.

Rook continued to stare blankly. "You're going to need to be more specific. "

Impulse sighs, irritated, "Phantom. The fearsome and deadly, possibly evil ghost king?" He gestures to where Constantine was drawing up a variety of different reasons why he shouldn't be forced to make a summoning circle to call Phantom.

Tim frowned at the board. "Oh. Hmm. Well he wasn't the evil ghost king when i was dating him that was his evil alternate future self."

This statement caused more than a few heroes to turn his way, eyebrows raised.

Nightwing: ....anything you wanna say there, Rook?

Rook glared at Impulse before rolling his eyes before the domino, "nah just talking about how I ficked the guy Constantine is stressing over."

The statement silenced the entire table. Constantine glanced between Rook, the board, and back again.

Constantine: you....fucked... the ghost king???

Tim: well I mean it was out of office hours so was it really fucking a king, or-

Constantine: EVEN I WOULDNT DO THAT

Tim: well I certainly hope you wouldn't. He's a bit young for you.

Various different heroes snort or stiffle laughter at the statement.

Nightwing, frowning: R, I thought you were dating B?

Tim turns horrified eyes to Nightwing, "YOU THOUGHT I WAS DATING OUR FATHER????? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU-"

Nightwing: oh, no, I meant your boyfriend!

Tim: BATMAN IS NOT MY BOYFRIEND WHAT IN THE EVER LIVING ACTUAL FUCKING HELL-

Nightwing: no no no B as in the conspiracy theorist boyfriend.

Tim: oh. Yeah I am.

Nightwing: but you fucked-

Tim: dated, actually. Dating, technically.

Nightwing: you know I never thought I'd have to have this conversation with you, Rook , but cheating is bad.

Nightwing turns to Batman helplessly, "help me out here B...atman."

Bruce raises an eyebrow in response. "Rook your brother is right."

Tim raises an eyebrow. "I'm not cheating. Anyway, why do we want to call Danny?"

Constantine gestures vaguely at the monitors and they flare to life with a live video feed of Undergrowth ripping a city to the ground.

Tim: huh. Just a sec.

He turns to his phone and taps for a moment

Tim: he'll be here in a moment,

Danny, in full king regalia, behind Constantine: hey R. What's up? OH are you the guy whose soul is owned by like a gazillion other people?

Constantine gulps.

Danny grins: can I have your soul?? Only I kinda want to fight in the bidding fight-

Constantine: the what fight?

Danny: you know, for your soul? May the best and most dangerous individual win?

"I mean, you're definitely cute. But I don't feel comfortable with strangers? And I don't want there to be any misunderstandings."

Danny Nightingale looked flustered, nervous, and far too pretty with his cheeks flushing red under the glow of the nearby lamp fixtures. Tim wondered when his brain would finally come back online. Right now it was far too interested in putting everything else on the backburner.

On one hand, he had been trying to get information out of Danny on his connection to Vlad Masters- a connection that had seemed more tenuous with each passing minute of the evening. On the other, Tim could admit it had sounded a bit like he was inviting Danny for something more.

And if he was honest with himself, it was only mostly unintentional.

"It's not even you, I just get attached really easily and don't want something casual. Sorry."

Tim hadn't even realized boundary setting could be so attractive.

Tim: Is it weird if I want to date the ghost who raised me when I was a toddler?

Dick: Tim, what—

Tim: Because technically, he was seventeen when he babysat me, and he hasn’t aged since dying. So really, it’s like I’m dating a preserved vintage babysitter.

Dick: That’s... somehow worse.

Tim: I’m just saying, it worked in Twilight.

Dick: What part of this is like Twilight?!

Tim: Edward was 100-something and still dated a high schooler.

Dick: Edward was also a stalker with boundary issues!

Tim: And a vegetarian! So where’s the justice for my hot ghost man?

Dick: This feels less like a romantic dilemma and more like a supernatural HR violation.

Tim: Why is it fine for vampires but ghosts cross a line? Sounds a little speciest.

Dick: Sounds like you need therapy.

Tim: Already in it. Dr. Quinzel says I repress emotions. So I’m trying something new: unfiltered ghost thirst.

Dick: You’re unhinged.

Tim: I’m in love. And possibly haunted. But mostly in love.

Dick: Do not put that in your vows.

(Preferably fantasy setting, with tribes and pagan lifestyles, like in the og game. But I wouldn't mind a different setting, like modern or medieval or even post-apocalyptic)

There was a prophecy that a member of the Drake clan will release "The One Who Waits" and bring an end to the Old Faith. To prevent this, the Bishops of the Old Faith hunted down the Drake clan till the very last one.

Tim is that last Drake. And he was executed.

But this was exactly what "The One Who Waits" was expecting. When it seemed like Tim died, he was brought to stand before "The One Who Waits", also known as "Phantom". Phantom explained to Tim, that he will bring him back to life and share his power with him so that he could avenge his clan. But in exchange, Tim must work tirelessly to set him free from his prison. To do so, Tim must start a cult in Phantom's name, gain followers and influence over the land of the Old Faith, and slay the Bishops that imprisoned him.

With not much of a choice in the matter, Tim accepts the terms of his new divine benefactor, and sets out on a quest to become a cult-leader.

Along the way he learns why Phantom was imprisoned, who imprisoned him... as well as about who Phantom was before he became "The One Who Waits".

He has good reviews— covers all sorts of problems from comedic to serious to everyday stuff.

Tim should pay him to solve like a small problem first— maybe any interpersonal relationship problem? Something at work or school?