Dreamer (character)

Dave, better known by his gaming handle Dreamer, is a poltergeist, the spirit of a dead young man who must possess the bodies of living people. He is part of a group of gamer poltergeists, including his brother Phi, that play games like "capture the flag" and "cops and robbers," using living bodies like "lives" in a video game.
== Appearance and Personality ==
In his unembodied form, Dreamer is completely invisible to the living. To other poltergeists he appears as a glowing field seeping over surfaces. When in possession of a living body, he looks and sounds like the person he is possessing, including their accent and some of their mannerisms. In this state he can be recognized by other poltergeists as one of their kind due to a bright yellow-colored glow visible around his form. It is unknown what he looked like before his death and subsequent transformation into a poltergeist, aside from the fact that he was a young man who likely was white and spoke with an American accent.
Dreamer enjoyed playing video games during his lifetime and often played them with his brother Phi. His love of games has carried over into the afterlife, where he spends much of his time playing real-life games with a group of other gamer poltergeists. He tends to be and less stubborn and intense than Phi, and gets frustrated at these traits in his brother. Often Phi's attitude upsets Dreamer, who will respond by acting more competitive and determined to make Phi lose.
=== Bodies Possessed by Dreamer ===
*A businessman in his late thirties who was lean and trim and evidently went to the gym. Killed by Phi.
*An old lady who carried a purse, spoke a language Dreamer didn't understand, and spoke English with an accent. Described as "hobbling" and weak.
*Lorenzo, a lieutenant in the police force. A muscular man with dark skin who wore a white shirt as part of his uniform. Killed with Marks when Dreamer used him to tackle Phi off a building.
*A construction worker, a man who is not described.
== Attributes and Abilities ==
As a poltergeist, Dreamer must possess the body of a living person in order to maintain consciousness. When possessing a body, he gains full control over the person and can even access certain skills for a limited time. If the body he is possessing is killed, he is forcefully ejected and becomes a mindless, primal unembodied spirit, desperate for warmth until he finds and takes over a new body. He can also Bolt from one body to another if he makes physical contact with the new body.
== History ==
At some point in the early 21st century, Dreamer was a living young man named Dave who enjoyed playing video games. He died at an unknown point and under unknown circumstances and became a poltergeist.
Dreamer and Phi met fellow poltergeists Longshot, Icer, Rabies, and TheGannon, who also love to play games. As a group, they got together often to play games by possessing the living and using their bodies disposably, as if they were players inhabiting the persona of a video game character. During one such game, Dreamer was playing cops and robbers in Manhattan against Phi, on a team with the other four poltergeists in their group. As he was pursuing Phi, his brother killed the body Dreamer was using in order to evade him. Dreamer then possessed an old woman and used the time to get the mortal police involved in chasing down Phi. Once Phi had been found again by Icer, Dreamer Bolted into the body of one of the responding police officers and went after him.
After telling another police officer to engage with Phi, Dreamer caught up with him just as he killed Icer's body. Dreamer attempted to stop Phi by firing his gun at him, heedless of the casualties inflicted among the mortal onlookers. He was surprised as the other police officer then killed the body being used by Phi and approached (ignoring Dreamer's warnings), allowing Phi to possess him and run away. Dreamer continued his pursuit to the top of a building where Phi's target, Longshot, was waiting. In order to stop Phi, he tackled him off the building, causing the death of both bodies in the fall.
At this point Dreamer was out of bodies to use in the game, but Phi had one remaining. Dreamer was determined not to let his brother win yet again. He controlled the unthinking panic that poltergeists experience outside of a body in order to hold Phi back from possessing another person. This bought the rest of the team time to take Phi into custody and win the game. In the aftermath of the carnage, Phi accused Dreamer of cheating by firing his weapon into the crowd. Dreamer is adamant that this time, he beat Phi, though Phi won't admit it. After some discussion with the rest of the poltergeists, Phi challenges Dreamer to a body-jumping footrace to New Jersey. The two brothers head off, with Dreamer determined to win again.
== Relationships ==
=== Phi ===
Dreamer is Phi's younger brother. While he plays games and continues to interact with Phi, Dreamer considers him to be self-satisfied and stubborn. 
== Notes ==
category: viewpoint characters