#demon hunting jims

[sigurdjarlson]

Remember when they had demon Medivh stand like practically pressed up against Khadgar’s back saying shit like “embrace your desires” that sure was something.

[samofmine]

guys hear me out because this won't leave my mind.

imagine john going to pastor jim and telling him about sammy right after mary dies. imagine pastor jim telling him he would raise sam in the church so he'd be safe.

pastor jim raising sammy as a religious, catholic boy who sometimes helps with exorcisms. when he turns sixteen he begins to study to become a priest himself.

now imagine john, hunting the yellow eyed demon, ends up dying.

dean reads john's journal and tracks sam down (he has a distant memory of having a little brother but john convinced him it was an imaginary friend). when he finds him, sam is already a priest.

pastor jim recognizes dean and tries to talk him out of it, but dean is pissed, he wants to know this boy and understand why the hell john spared him of the same life he had and how is he connected to the thing that killed his father (and his mother, as he read on the journal).

when the two of them meet, sam feels a sickening connection. the more dean gets to know him, the more he thinks sam is the most pure and holy being in existence and understands why john has been protecting him all these years.

meanwhile sam, who has been struggling with how different he's felt all his life and how he never seems to get himself completely clean of whatever this is no matter how much he prays, senses that this feeling is slowly tipping over the edge ever since he met dean.

the closer he gets to this dean guy, his brother, the more it feels like his body is made of mistakes and sin and he needs to ask for forgiveness but he doesn't know how because he can't even name what this is, he just knows it's not okay, it's not how he's supposed to feel, not about anyone and specially not about his damn brother, so he just prays to be forgiven for everything, his life and mind and body are nothing but guilt and he prays for this hunger to leave his body before it takes over him.

(dean struggles with his own feelings because he's obviously supposed to hate this guy because mom and dad died because of him and what if john knew the very person he tried to protect all his life is the same person dean is growing more and more hungry for and how he wishes to have his hands all over his brother's, the priest's body and to corrupt him until he's the only god he knows)

[book--brackets]

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater (2012-2016)

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue never sees them--until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks to her.

His name is Gansey, a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul whose emotions range from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She doesn't believe in true love, and never thought this would be a problem. But as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

Shades of Magic by V. E. Schwab (2015-2017)

Kell is one of the last Antari--magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black.Kell was raised in Arnes--Red London--and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see.

Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.

After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.

Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive.

The Witcher by Andrzej Sapkowski (1992-2013)

For over a century, humans, dwarves, gnomes, and elves have lived together in relative peace. But times have changed, the uneasy peace is over, and now the races are fighting once again. The only good elf, it seems, is a dead elf. 

Geralt of Rivia, the cunning assassin known as the Witcher, has been waiting for the birth of a prophesied child. This child has the power to change the world -- for good, or for evil. 

As the threat of war hangs over the land and the child is hunted for her extraordinary powers, it will become Geralt's responsibility to protect them all. And the Witcher never accepts defeat. 

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (1986-2008)

Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl's castle.

To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the way, she discovers that there's far more to Howl--and herself--than first meets the eye.

In this giant jigsaw puzzle of a fantasy, people and things are never quite what they seem. Destinies are intertwined, identities exchanged, lovers confused. The Witch has placed a spell on Howl. Does the clue to breaking it lie in a famous poem? And what will happen to Sophie Hatter when she enters Howl's castle?

The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher (2000-2020)

As a professional wizard, Harry Dresden knows firsthand that the “everyday” world is actually full of strange and magical things—and most of them don’t play well with humans. And those that do enjoy playing with humans far too much. He also knows he’s the best at what he does. Technically, he’s the only at what he does. But even though Harry is the only game in town, business—to put it mildly—stinks.

So when the Chicago P.D. bring him in to consult on a double homicide committed with black magic, Harry’s seeing dollar signs. But where there’s black magic, there’s a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry’s name…

Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie (1911)

Peter Pan, the book based on J. M. Barrie's famous play, is filled with unforgettable characters: Peter Pan, the boy who would not grow up; the fairy, Tinker Bell; the evil pirate, Captain Hook; and the three children-Wendy, John, and Michael-who fly off with Peter Pan to Neverland, where they meet Indians and pirates and a crocodile that ticks.

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov (1966)

One hot spring, the devil arrives in Moscow, accompanied by a retinue that includes a beautiful naked witch and an immense talking black cat with a fondness for chess and vodka. The visitors quickly wreak havoc in a city that refuses to believe in either God or Satan. But they also bring peace to two unhappy Muscovites: one is the Master, a writer pilloried for daring to write a novel about Christ and Pontius Pilate; the other is Margarita, who loves the Master so deeply that she is willing literally to go to hell for him. What ensues is a novel of in exhaustible energy, humor, and philosophical depth.

Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (2012-present)

When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old universe. Saga is the sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find their place in the worlds. Fantasy and science fiction are wed like never before in this sexy, subversive drama for adults.

The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb (1995-1997)

Young Fitz is the bastard son of the noble Prince Chivalry, raised in the shadow of the royal court by his father's gruff stableman. He is treated as an outcast by all the royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has him secretly tutored in the arts of the assassin. For in Fitz's blood runs the magic Skill--and the darker knowledge of a child raised with the stable hounds and rejected by his family. 

 As barbarous raiders ravage the coasts, Fitz is growing to manhood. Soon he will face his first dangerous, soul-shattering mission. And though some regard him as a threat to the throne, he may just be the key to the survival of the kingdom.

Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K. Le Guin (1968-2001)

Ged was the greatest sorcerer in Earthsea, but in his youth he was the reckless Sparrowhawk. In his hunger for power and knowledge, he tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world.

This is the tumultuous tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death's threshold to restore the balance.

[preseriesdean]

preseries dean-centric/pov fic recs

for @spnficrecfest day one: specific era 🧡

Odysseus, American by coyotesuspect sam/dean, 10.1k words, rated M, published 2010 Dean finds Peter O'Toole's recording of the Odyssey in a bin marked “Audio" in Casa Grande's only used bookstore. The place smells like cigarette smoke and old books, and it reminds him of Sam.

Multitude of Sins by Linden sam/dean, 4.4k words, rated T, outsider POV, published 2015 Every now and again, Jim Murphy would look up from his altar and find the Winchester boys at the back of his church.

We Drank a Thousand Times by glorious_spoon dean/omc, 43.2k words, rated M, published 2010 They meet in a bar fight in North Carolina when Dean is nineteen, broke, and desperate, then again when a hunt brings the Winchesters into town a few years later. Neither one of them ever puts a name to it but every once in a while, through the years, Dean finds his way back.

pack up the moon by deathdreamt sam&dean, 5.9k words, rated T, published 2021 Sam storms back out from their room, his backpack on and his duffel hanging off his shoulder and isn’t it kind of tragic that his whole life fits in two bags. He looks suddenly much younger than he is, eyes shining. John is back at his guns, whiskey at his elbow, and Dean can hardly believe how rapidly his life is cracking down the centre.

lost in yesterday by margaryes aka @christsam sam/dean, 1k words, not rated, john POV, published 2023 John hasn’t seen his youngest son in 18 months.

Inseparable by astolat sam/dean, 6.7k words, rated M, published 2008 It was just plain sense, so Dean didn't understand why something about the way Dad said quietly, "It's time you had your own bed," made him feel guilty and confused.

The Palm Oasis by @fictionallemons sam/dean, 12.3k words, rated E, published 2022, sex work John strands Dean and Sam at a middle-of-nowhere motel while he investigates possible demon omens in Arizona. The place is nothing to write home about, but at least it has a pool. Dean resolves to think of this as a vacation for him and his studious little brother, but when their money runs out sooner than expected, he considers turning tricks at a nearby truck stop so he can feed Sam. Then a creepy guy from the pool makes an offer Dean doesn’t want to take but Sam won’t allow him to refuse—and the brothers edge over a line they’ve both been wanting to cross for a long time.

Summer Blackout by nutkin sam/dean, 11.6k words, rated E, published 2012 When Dean is seventeen, they spend five months being normal.

Poughkeepsie by aeli_kindera sam&dean, 9.7k words, rated T, published 2021 “Sammy,” says Dean again, urgency cracking his voice. “We gotta — we really gotta go. I need you to — just — remember Poughkeepsie? Drop everything, no questions asked, and run? This is a — a Poughkeepsie situation. Please, man, I need you.” Sam remembers Poughkeepsie.

To Repair Broken Men by procrastin8or951 sam/dean, 3.1k words, rated T, published 2015 Dad and Sam keep fighting. Dean can't fix his family, so he fixes things around the crappy apartment they are staying in.

[art]

Creator Spotlight: @scottlava

Scott Campbell has illustrated numerous children’s books, including SKULLS!, Sleepy the Goodnight Buddy, and Zombie In Love. He was author/illustrator of the much-loved HUG MACHINE. He enjoyed a long career in video games, where he art directed the critically acclaimed game Psychonauts and Brutal Legend for Double Fine Productions. Great Showdowns is his ongoing online series. Scott’s work has appeared in galleries and publications around the world. You can see more of his work at ScottC.com.

Check out our interview with Scott below!

How did you get your start in art, and more specifically, with Great Showdowns?

I went to art school in San Francisco and have been painting, making comics, and designing video games ever since with Double Fine Productions. The Great Showdowns began at the first Crazy 4 Cult exhibition at Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles back in 2007, an exhibition of artwork inspired by the cult classics of cinema. The first 10 little paintings were intended to be snack-sized pieces for people to easily collect. They began with perhaps the most iconic of wild west showdowns from A Fistful of Dollars with Clint Eastwood. I pulled some of my favorite moments from films like Ghostbusters, Predator, Exorcist, and Planet of the Apes and placed them all in simple little dust-colored squares as if they were in the dirt streets of a wild west town. They began as good versus evil but grew to all kinds of showdowns between people and objects and often moments of great love between people. I started a tumblr for them a few years later, and I have been posting them ever since. We have published three Great Showdown books and have had 3 solo exhibitions along with worldwide scavenger hunts. There are over a thousand of them up on the site by now, and i do not plan on stopping any time soon.

Which 3 famous artists (dead or alive) would you invite to your dinner party?

I would like to gather Jim Henson, Walt Disney, and Richard Scarry together for dinner and chats. They have all created my favorite and most joyful worlds. I think we would have some of the most delightful chats.

What is a medium that you have always been intrigued by but would never use yourself?

I love collage, but every time I try it, I get frustrated and just quit. Someday I will get into it when my kids are old enough to really mess around with various mediums. I plan to have boxes of textiles and magazines for them to just annihilate.

What does your work set up look like?

Oh, it’s just a table with an old mug for water and an old plate for my watercolors and not much else. I share a studio with a bunch of very inspiring people who make wonderful things, from fabricated creatures to VR experiences and films. I have probably the simplest little area in the space. I do have an old oak flat file that I love to look at.

Advice you would give to an aspiring creator?

The biggest thing I would push upon everyone would be to not fret about one’s visual style. The style will grow and present itself as you experiment with mediums and expose yourself to various cultural delights. Just have fun and try all kinds of things.

What is one interaction you had from a fan of yours that has stuck with you over the years?

I gave a game design presentation many years back on a game I had art directed at the time called Brutal Legend at a game conference in Leeds. The game followed a roadie to the age of metal in the land of metal, with demons and chrome volcanoes and hot rods growing from the ground, and rivers of happy and cheering fans. After the talk, I spoke with someone whose work I had seen in earlier portfolio reviews at the conference. She was very shy but incredibly talented. She came up to me after the talk feeling pretty emotional and inspired to the point of tears and sobbing. It was probably the most extreme reaction I have ever gotten from someone, and it touched me deep down in my guts. That’s why we make things! To bring on the tears!

From video games, to illustrations, and children's books, you've worked on many projects. What was the most challenging, yet rewarding one?

Video games take an enormous amount of work over a long period of time and rely on the skills and talent of many like-minded people. It is sometimes difficult to corral such an effort, but it is incredibly rewarding to see it all come together to create such epic worlds. That said, though, children’s books are very enjoyable in a cozy way. It’s just me right there working on a world and all the pressure is on me. I cannot rely on all the talented people around me to make it look great.

Who on Tumblr inspires you and why?

I love perusing old fashion and film blogs and artists like Bob Jinx and Neil Sanders and collections like Its Colossal.

Thanks for stopping by, Scott! Be sure to check out the Great Showdowns over at @scottlava!

[a-waiting-starman]

Bill Cipher - Eighth Wonder by Lemon Demon

Bill Cipher. The Euclydian, the monster as he calls himself, that destroyed his own dimension.

Extra clever Earth-bound spirit Ghost in the form Of a mongoose

He was always smarter than them, as he says. Bound to the third dimension, his strange eye seeing the stars while other people of Euclydia didn't know what "up" was. He was alone, his mother doing her best to protect him from the harsh judgment of others, of his father.

And I have hands And I have feet I'll never die I am a freak

His puffy velcro shoes barely supported the knowledge that little Bill knew. "WHY DID YOU DO IT?" the question that will run through his mind for eternity. He can con and manipulate everyone, even himself, into forgetting the "incident" but he's in denial. "My world was destroyed by a monster" he says. He considers himself a freak, hiding behind chaos and cruelty, he feels guilt. And he hates it.

Hello, I'm here I'm living in the wall I know I might be small, but I, I, I am a freak

He tried to show them, he wanted to show them what they were missing, but it backfired. His mother reached out for his small, bloodied, pointed figure, but she was gone already.

Thou wilt never Know what I am I am the fifth dimension And I'll split the atom

They were all gone. The elementary kids who taunted him, the judgmental relatives, and his mom. They would die not even knowing the truth. He was free, free but tormented. He was detached from reality. But at that point, what was reality?

And I shall haunt Like the Buggane With such weird noise And clanking chains

He left, he found the henchmaniacs, and he went on a spree. From earth to the umpteenth dimension, he caused chaos. Running from his past and creating a new name for himself. A dream demon.

I say "vanished" To underground Jim, let me go I watch like Hell

But finally, after Sixer, after the twins, after the hunt. He was trapped. The Axolotl, ruler of all, (second to Dennis) knew what he needed. The Theraprism, he needed to heal, if he could, and he needed to be contained. He was just a triangle stuck in an intergalactic asylum.

Eighth wonder of the world You'll never get to see What in the name of God can I be?

So there he was and is, waiting for a poor soul to shake his mossy hand. He writes a book of lies, a final plea for salvation, and waits. Waits for someone to understand him, waits for someone to be fooled. And he'll wait for as long as he needs, but how much longer does he really have left? Before he snaps.

Thank you for your request!! This is my first time posting so please be nice and I hope you enjoy! I hsve loved this little triangle since I was seven and The Book of Bill was just so good! 💕💕💕 Love ya'll!!

[scoobydoodean]

Do you think John ever used to hit Sam and Dean? If so do you think he hit one of specifically or do you think he hit the both of them?

I don't think there's any solid evidence that John hit Sam and Dean. Some people do believe he did at least a few times (maybe when he was drinking—see: 7.03). I can't think of anything that I believe would 100% confirm John hit either of them.

I can think of three episodes that might imply Dean was occasionally physically abused by John:

1.14 "Nightmare": Dean's "All things considered". Haunting little set of screencaps.

5.16 "Dark Side of the Moon": This one is mainly down to jacting joices. When the brothers enter Sam's memory of running away to Flagstaff, Dean gets upset as Sam's lack of memory of the ramifications. Dean says "Well, you don’t remember, do you? You ran away on my watch. I looked everywhere for you. I thought you were dead. And when Dad came home…" The look Dean gives on that last line tends to stick with people.

9.07 "Bad Boys": In the scene where Dean and Sonny first meet, Dean has finger-shaped bruises all over his wrists. Sonny first asks if the deputy harmed Dean, then asks if it was John. Dean says it was a werewolf, but that story doesn't necessarily make sense either.

Another suggestive hint comes from young Sam in 7.03 "Girl Next Door":

YOUNG AMY Yeah, well, she [my mom] has a temper. Sometimes. It's... no big deal. YOUNG SAM My dad does, too. You don't want to see him when he's drinking.

Sam doesn't necessarily understand the implication of physical abuse in this scene, but he later finds out that Amy's mother is physically abusive toward Amy. We also knew that John had a drinking problem long prior to 7.03. Sam in particular resents this to the point of making several references to John's excessive drinking in 1.01 inside his apartment building. He says John's probably just "Working overtime on a Miller Time shift", then tells Jess that John's probably somewhere with "Jim, Jack, and Jose” (these are all brands of alcohol for anyone unfamiliar).

While 7.03 seems potentially damning, Sam explicitly denies that John physically abused him in 1.14 "Nightmare". When confronted with Max's extensive physical abuse, he ends the episode being thankful that they had John instead of some other dad who might not have coped as well:

Well, it coulda gone a whole other way after Mom. A little more tequila and a little less demon hunting and we woulda had Max's childhood. All things considered, we turned out ok. Thanks to him.

One might also consider how Sam responds to hearing about abusive relationships in 1.14 and 2.17 with Max and Madison respectively. He asks Max why he didn't just leave when the abuse continued into his adulthood, and suggests that he doesn't see Madison as the type to be caught up in an abusive relationship (questions that do make one wince, yeah...)

My own thinking is the following: I don't think there's anything wrong with exploring the idea that physical abuse did occur. I think John's well-documented neglect is enough child abuse for me personally. I think 1.14 probably rules out John hitting Sam (but one could argue otherwise). I think some incidents can be used to suit the narrative that John hit Dean, but I don't find any of the hints we're given are concrete proof of physical abuse.

1.14's "All things considered" line might be interpreted as a convincing suggestion that Dean suffered physical abuse, but it also might just represent Dean slowly trading places with Sam over the season as the John Defender, as he becomes more and more angry with their father (especially considering 1.14 comes after both of Dean's pleas for help went unanswered in 1.09 and 1.12, and 1.11 where he says he wishes he could stand up to John).

5.16 comes down to a look that, at the end of the day, could be interpreted a multitude of ways (and if I think about it... it seems to me that words would haunt Dean more at that point in his life than fists).

It seems to me that 9.07 might actually rule out John being responsible for Dean's injuries. John had been gone on a hunt when Dean got caught for stealing, leaving Sam and Dean behind at a motel. John had been gone long enough for Dean to risk gambling to try and get more cash. This suggests John had been gone for a while, meaning Dean and John probably hadn't been in the same room for a while. This also means I'm not sure if I buy Dean's story about a werewolf though (John was on a Rugaru hunt. Dean wasn't with him).

[ladykailitha]

Well Met By Moonlight Part 5

Hi guys, I want to thank everyone who commented on the most recent Royal Pain and all the people that commented on the Midsummer's AU. I saw some that I hadn't seen comment in awhile and it made me so happy to see them back. I missed you all.

Here we have more of Wayne being badass. I know it feels like he's the main character right now, but trust me it will shift to the younger members soon enough.

And I got the chapter two to work finally, so I will be linking to the original from now on.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

***

Sun down on the following Saturday saw Wayne Munson in front of the whole town. Businesses closed. Only the hospital, fire and police station remained opened and they only had the most basic of crews.

Behind him on his left were Steve and Nancy and on his right were Billy and his bride, Heather. In front of him were the five boys that had attacked Steve.

Mayor Roberts stood between the two sets holding a microphone, he too was flanked. Sheriff Danny Powell stood on his right and Jim Hopper stood on his left.

“Welcome everyone. It is a sad day in Hawkins when we have to meet like this. I know it is hard on the lives and livelihoods of the people of this fair town. But a sickness has come to this town. The mindset of those not like being othered, seen as monsters and demons.”

The crowd murmured and hummed.

“But this town was not founded on those ideals. It was founded on peace and brotherhood between all its people. The humans, the vampires, and the werewolves. For nearly one hundred and fifty years this town has stood as testament to kinship that it has fostered. Which is why it is with much trepidation I have made the decision to let Sheriff Daniel Powell go as police chief of our fair town.”

The murmurs became more angry and sharp.

“He was told by several members of this community that these five boys before me were up to no good. That they would cause harm. Vampires and werewolves alike came to your sheriff with concerns and he waved them away. Regular people such as yourselves came to him that these boys meant serious harm to the supernatural members–nay to your neighbors and still he waved them away. Is that the type of man you want to protect and defend your town?”

Sheriff Powell looked down in shame as the crowd let out small cries of distress. Because no, that wasn’t what the town wanted. Most of them had thought him a good man. But this cast doubt on that very image. If he would turn a blind eye to a threat to a supernatural person, would he do the same to a black man or woman of ill repute, just because he didn’t care for their kind?

“Jim Hopper has graciously offered his assistance in stepping back into his old position of police chief. He will hold it until it is time to elect a new sheriff and with hope he will run then, as well.”

Hopper smiled and shook his head. “We’ll see,” he growled.

Mayor Roberts smiled back. “I will now turn the time over to Wayne Munson.”

Powell moved off to the one side and Mayor Roberts and Chief Hopper moved to the other. Wayne stepped up and an eerie silence descended on the crowd.

“It appears I’ve been too soft on this town,” Wayne growled, his voice reaching every corner of the town hall without the aid of the microphone. “Hunters think they can just come into my town, my territory and hunt people like a pack of feral dogs.”

The boys were forced to kneel in front of the crowd. Their hands were tied behind their backs and they bowed their heads.

“These are the children you raised,” Wayne told the crowd. He picked up something from the table next to him and held it up. “A foot trap made of silver. Considered inhumane to animals used to trap a nineteen year old boy, not much older than themselves. Yes, Steven Harrington is no average boy, but he is young nonetheless.”

He threw a few feet in front of the crowd, it clanging noisily to ground, the people in the front leaping back. He picked up the shattered pieces of the cross they had nailed Steve to.

“They bound him in silver to a wooden cross!” Wayne snarled. He threw the pieces after the trap.

The whole crowd gasped in horror as the pieces clattered to the floor. He picked up the final object off the table and held it above his head.

It was a metal bat. Not silver, but deadly all the same. The tip was rust red. Wayne threw to the ground as he had done the others. “They were beating him with this.”

“These are your children!” he growled. “Have I not been good to you? Have I not been kind?”

There were murmurs among the crowd.

“You have forgotten you are are under my protection!” Wayne roared. “Without me the pack and coven would have free rein of the town, like the roving gangs of old. You are fortunate that the current alpha and Dominus are generous. Do you not recall the terror that ruled under alpha Jack Sullivan before I tore his pack to pieces? Do you not remember the children that were be experimented on under the Dominus Dr Martin Brenner? Before Billy Hargrove came and cleaned out the lab and the coven that reeked of death?”

The crowd was stock still. Pin dropping would sound like thunder in that hall.

“Five years for Brenner,” he continued. “Ten years for Sullivan. Mere drops in the bucket of time for someone as old as myself, but to you? Far too long. That they were able to hide from me their ills for as long as they did, was an abomination. But they were summarily dispatched when I did find out.”

The crowd became restless.

“So I have passed judgment upon these youths,” Wayne said. “The two younger boys, Joshua Bentley and Chance Nelson will learn the ways of the pack and of the coven. Spending six weeks with each sect to unlearn the hate you taught them.”

The crowd let out a sigh of relief. That was good punishment for the two boys.

“Andy Duncan will be tried as a child,” he continued. “For criminal mischief and conspiracy to commit assault. It is likely that he will be forced to spend his time at a youth facility where he will remain until he turns eighteen. Then it will be up to the courts to move him to an adult facility or release him.”

The crowd took up the murmuring again as this was a little more harsh then the other boys, but still lenient.

Wayne grabbed Jason and Patrick by their collars and hauled them bodily to their feet.

“As for these two boys,” he snarled, “the mayor wants to try them as adults for use of an illegal trap,” the boys rolled their eyes, “assault with a deadly weapon,” Patrick gulped, but Jason was still smug, “conspiracy to commit murder,” Jason was mentally counting the number of years he would get and tilted his head like it was acceptable while Patrick turned white, “and for attempted murder.”

Jason looked shocked for the first time, he didn’t think they would go for the attempted murder charge, he had been told by his lawyer that it was unlikely because of how young they were. “And because of the laws of this town are unique, they will also be tried for supernatural hunting. A crime punishable by death.”

Patrick fainted and Jason threw up. Josh who had been sitting nearby, leapt out of the way of the vomit.

“But I am merciful,” Wayne continued, slowly lowering the unconscious Patrick to the ground. “They will spend time with me for six months and then I will make my own recommendations to the judge on the charges to proceed with.”

That was when Jason fainted, right into the pile of his own sick.

The crowd’s relief was palpable. Everyone was murmuring with agreement and elation.

“Let this be a lesson to you all,” Wayne concluded. “I am merciful, but test me one more time and you too will face my wrath.”

“Go!” he barked and everyone in the hall turned and fled.

All that was remaining was the mayor, Sheriff Powell and the six supernatural beings.

“Will you being staying in our town?” Wayne asked Powell.

Powell shook his head. “No. I got a job lined up in Chicago. I wasn’t meant for small town politics. I put my own prejudices ahead of the lives of the citizens of this town.”

“You still gonna be a copper?” Hopper asked.

Again he shook his head. “No, I can’t risk making the same mistake in a bigger town. I’m going to teach self-defense.”

They all nodded.

Mayor Roberts patted Powell’s arm. “You’re a good man who made a bad decision, don’t let this moment define the rest of your life.”

Powell nodded. He gave the mayor’s shoulder a squeeze and walked away.

“There goes a deeply troubled man,” Nancy said. “Do you think he’ll be all right?” She hugged her sides.

“Chicago is the best place for him to find that out,” Billy said. “It will either consume you or learn enough about yourself to survive.”

Steve put his arm around her and she leaned into his comfort.

“I hope the town can heal from this,” Mayor Roberts said. “There has been so much pain and hurt in this town in the last decade. I’m not sure how much more it can take.”

Wayne shook his head. “This town survived two world wars and a Great Depression, it will survive this.”

Mayor Roberts smiled sadly. “It is good to have such a long perspective, my friend.” He squeezed Wayne’s shoulder and slipped away, leaving behind the three vampires and three werewolves.

Hopper scratched the back of his head, sheepishly. It was strange look on the werewolf. “I’ve never been police chief and not the alpha before.”

“I prefer it,” Billy said with a low growl. “It means the werewolves are a little more even in terms of power in this town.”

Steve nodded. “I agree. It’s better this way. The sheriff needs to be supernatural in the way that the mayor must be human. A vampire sheriff would be weak during the day and even having a thrall as deputy would divide the power in a way that would make them weak. But a werewolf being sheriff ensures that everyone has a say.”

Wayne nodded back.

“Thank you for coming out, Steve,” he said, “I know this wasn’t easy for you, reliving your trauma.”

Steve scoffed. “If I didn’t, I would look weak and open myself and the pack to further attacks. Not just from the anti-supernatural quarter either. Other packs would think us easy prey. Vampires would attack us to feed on.” He glanced over at Billy and Heather and sneered. “I don’t have the favor of the current Dominus, not like our previous one did.”

Hopper looked down at his feet.

Billy smirked. “Come on, Heather,” he drawled. “Let’s go, babe.”

Heather simpered. “Anything you want.”

Billy licked his lips slowly. “Promise?”

She giggled and they walked out, with his arm around her waist as he whispered dirty things to each other.

Wayne watched them with a shake of his head. There were some disadvantages to having such a young Dominus. With a sigh he turned back to the werewolves.

“Thanks for doing this, Jim,” Wayne said, patting his back. “I know it’s not easy to come back this job, especially since you were hoping to spend more time with Jane.”

Hopper sighed. “I just hate that I have to step up in this way.”

Steve kissed the top of Nancy’s head. “Let Hop take you home, I still have some things to go over with Wayne.”

Nancy nodded and slipped out from under his arm.

Steve and Wayne watched them go.

“I was always surprised you made her alpha female,” Wayne said thoughtfully. “Not after what happened between you.”

Steve hummed. “I didn’t have a lot of options. It was either Joyce or her and I didn’t trust Joyce.”

Wayne nodded. “Who would have you picked if you had your choice?”

Steve smiled fondly. “Robin hands down, but right now she more valuable to me as a keeper then alpha female.”

“You really do have a good head on your shoulders, Steve,” he said, his smile crinkling his eyes. “Now, go reassure my boy that kiss on Nancy’s head was friendly, eh?”

Steve frowned. Wayne pointed to the back of the hall where a solitary figure waited.

Steve shook his head. “Has he always been the jealous type?”

Wayne laughed. “No, just when it comes to you.”

Steve hopped down from the stage and strolled over to Eddie. He wrapped his arms around the other boy and kissed him deeply.

“Oh,” Eddie said with a blush.

“Yeah,” Steve murmured. “Only you, okay?”

Eddie nodded.

“Come on, sunshine,” Steve said, his voice low and gravely, “I’m going to spend all night showing you how much I’m only yours.”

“Point me in the right direction, big boy.”

The two went off, not as giggly and overt as Billy and Heather, but just as heated, and definitely more in love.

Wayne looked up at the ceiling. “If there is a god, watch over those two, please. They are going to need it.”

***

Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19

Tag List: @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @artiststarme @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 @pyrohonk ​ @renaissan-vvitch @goodolefashionedloverboi @chaoticlovingdreamer @maya-custodios-dionach @messrs-weasley @val-from-lawrence @a-little-unsteddie @i-must-potato @danili666 @carlyv @rozzieroos @wonderland-girl143-blog @itsall-taken @justforthedead89 @emly03 @bookworm0690 @bookbinderbitch @littlewildflowerkitten @vecnuthy @redfreckledwolf @scheodingers-muppet @mira-jadeamethyst @just-a-tiny-void @potato-of-the-lord @goosesister

[tastefulstars]

-----MASTERLIST-----

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT 18+ ONLY

updated July 2023 // primarily writing for stranger things

Please heed all content warnings on each individual story before reading. I do not give my consent for my works to be used, copied, published, or posted anywhere.

writing tag

blog nav

dividers by @firefly-graphics

The Boys Next Door - 1 / 2 / 3 / boys pov

Eddie Munson x F!Reader x Steve Harrington | Your cat decides to adopt the boys that live next door, which would be fine if they weren’t so damn pretty.

Of Wolf and Man - 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 /

Eddie Munson x F!Reader x Steve Harrington | You have a secret, one that’s a little more wolfish in nature.

Get In Line - 1 / 2 /

Billy Hargrove x Eddie Munson x F!Reader x Steve Harrington | Your words come back to haunt you and now Billy, Eddie and Steve are making it their personal mission in life to ruin you.

All That And More - 1 / 2 /

M!Werewolf x GN!Human!Reader | Everything changed with a buzz of your intercom, a lawyer and a dead relative.

Sea of Flames - 1 / 2 /

Demon x F!Human!Reader | “if anyone here knows a group of evil insane cultists looking for a cute girl to give as a slave to a huge scary insatiable sexual demon in sacrifice during their ritual in exchange for riches and eternal life please let me know, you can give them my number"

Higher and Higher

Billy Hargrove x Eddie Munson x F!Reader x Steve Harrington | Steve and Eddie want Billy’s girl, it’s a good thing Billy knows how to share.

It's Better with Three

Eddie Munson x F!Reader x Steve Harrington | You get high with Eddie and Steve, only, your plan for a relaxing night doesn’t quiet go to plan.

Love Me Deep

Eddie Munson x F!Reader x Steve Harrington | smut

Steve has a Bad Day

Eddie Munson x GN!Reader x Steve Harrington | Steve has had the worst day, you and Eddie help him relax.

Fever

Eddie Munson x F!Reader x Steve Harrington | Eddie and Steve are out late, you decide to entertain yourself while you wait for them to come home.

Wanted U

Eddie Munson x F!Reader x Steve Harrington | A night out on the town ended in the arms of two handsome strangers.

Pretty Girl

Eddie Munson x F!Reader | An encounter at a bar leads to a one night stand, that leads to a spending the weekend, which just may lead to more.

Kiss the Stars/Kiss my Scars

Eddie Munson x F!Reader | angst

And I fell, I fell

Eddie Munson x F!Reader | You interview Eddie and fall in love.

First Class

Steve Harrington x F!Reader | Steve fucks you in his car.

He's with the Band

Steve Harrington x F!Reader | You intimidate Steve a little but that doesn’t stop him from wanting you.

Keep me Close

Billy Hargrove x F!Reader | You get to see a side of Billy that no one else has.

You and Me

Billy Hargrove x F!Reader | request fill soft!billy following around r wherever she goes.

(If this ain't love) Why Does it Feel so Good?

Billy Hargrove x F!Reader | You get fed up and put Billy in his place.

Gimme Love

Jim Hopper x F!Reader | You’re fed up with being ignored so you decide to make Hopper notice you.

The Hunt

M!Werewolf x F!Reader | Running barefoot through the forest was probably a bad idea, but the adrenaline coursing through your body didn’t give you time to regret your choice. 

The Summoning

M!Demon x M!Reader | A scholar attempts to change history by summoning a demon, only it doesn’t go as planned. 

Bite

F!Vampire x F!Reader | A moment between a Vampire and her human lover.

Captured

Hellhound + Captured

Billy Hargrove

sub!billy being loved on

Eddie Munson | gen

playing with Eddie's hair Eddie's habit of poking his tongue out defending Eddie against bullies playing d&d with Eddie rockstar with fanboy Eddie Eddie falling in love with a badass waking up with Eddie eddie taking care of you massaging eddie nervous eddie talking about your plans

Steve Harrington | gen

waking up with Steve Steve not wanting you to get involved

Billy + Eddie + Steve | gen

confessing to wanting all of them your asshole parents confront you

Eddie + Steve | gen

being sandwiched between them they take care of you when sick doing Eddie's makeup Eddie and Reader choosing chaos realizing they all love each other reader decking someone in front of them labyrinth au

[steddiebang2024]

You Left Me on the Line (Last Night) | E | 55k

Author: @salamandergoo

Artist: riddletalks

Beta Reader: @sevenmerrymagpies

[Link to fic] | [Link to art]

Pairings: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington, Steve Harrington & Mike Wheeler, Robin Buckley/Vickie- background, Joyce Byers/Jim "Chief" Hopper- background, Argyle/Jonathan Byers/Nancy Wheeler- background

Characters: Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley, Mike Wheeler, WillByers, Eleven | Jane Hopper, Lucas Sinclair, Dustin Henderson, Erica Sinclair, Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Jim "Chief" Hopper, Joyce Byers, Jonathan Byers, Nancy Wheeler, Argyle (Stranger Things)

Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Injury, Post-Season/Series 04, Eddie Munson Lives, Platonic Soulmates Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington Are Roommates, Hurt Steve Harrington, Repressed Steve Harrington, Steve is Going Through It.

Trigger Warnings: No Warnings Apply

↳ Keep reading below for a sneak peek!

Hawkins is under 24/7 surveillance and all citizens have been relocated under orders of the military. Living out of Toad Hop, a small town just a half hour away from their former home, Steve isn’t going to let a little thing like that stop him from protecting Hawkins. He’ll stop at nothing to keep his friends, kids, and the world safe from Vecna, even if he has to hunt the bastard down himself. The world keeps turning, though, and supernatural threats aren’t the only ones that lurk. He’ll have to confront living with a roommate, a new video rental job, and his own inner demons among other things. He likes to think he’s dealt with his own bullshit well enough, but is it all enough to finally make him fall apart at the seams?

[dearorpheus]

What are your favourite vampire stories in all medias — books, movies, anime, non fiction? Love your blog!

literature: la morte amoreuse, théophile gautier the lady of the house of love, angela carter bewitched, edith wharton "the vampire", conrad aiken

non fiction: as always, joyce carol oates' "aesthetics of fear" our vampires, ourselves, nina auerbach vampires, burial and death, paul barber from demons to dracula, matthew beresford "making the implict, explicit: vampire erotica and pornography" by bernadette lynn bosky in the blood is life (i can email this to you if you'd like, i took a scan from my uni's copy)

film, tv, anime: thirst (2009) dir. park chan-wook only lovers left alive (2013) dir. jim jarmusch vampire hunter d: bloodlust (2000) dir. yoshiaki kawajiri fright night (1985) dir. tim holland let the right one in (2008) dir. tomas alfredson ganja & hess (1973) dir. bill gunn the hunger (1983) dir. tony scott a girl walks home alone at night (2014) dir. ana lily amirpour bram stoker's dracula (2000) dir. francis ford coppola the lost boys (1987) dir. joel schumacher penny dreadful (2014-2016) "the wurdulak" from mario bava's black sabbath (1963) la morte vivante (1982) dir. jean rollin nosferatu the vampyre (1979) dir. werner herzog midnight mass (2021) dir. mike flanagan

misc: phillip glass' 1999 ost for dracula witcher 3: the wild hunt's blood&wine dlc: the atmosphere in the night of long fangs quest; the lore of tesham mutna; the bruxae<3; the vocals in the beast of beauclair; regis, dettlaff, orianna...

adjacent/periphery: bataille's blue of noon, kristeva's powers of horror, sade's justine

[musickool]

Headcanon: Holiday Gifts for Keanu's characters.

𝐻𝐸𝐴𝐷𝐶𝐴𝑁𝑂𝑁 ス ˚ ₊ ‧꒰ ꒱ ‧ ₊˚

ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑔𝑖𝑓𝑡𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑘𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑢 𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠:

𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑎𝑛

the *stoner accent* murst happy cheery boy on xmas!

he loves, LOVES gifts

christmas is one of his most favourite holidays, or in fact, IS his favourite holiday; halloween just being a close second

not just cause of the food

or the snow

the bodacious music or jolly vibes

or the free school holidays so he won't need to do stupid bogus history homework

but because of the presents!

ted would absolutely love if you gifted him something for christmas

it doesn't have to be elaborate or big, but something that a neurodivergent (/j) rock-enthusiast weird kid like him would like

custom guitar picks, comic books, a bucket of tutti-fruity bubblegum & cheese puffs, cute little stickers, fruit-flavoured candy (not too much though as they hurt his teefies), a nintendo gameboy, drawing books....

he'd also like makeup, like black eyeliner & eyeshadow and a couple of nail polish so him and bill can use for their wyld stallyns performances

gift him some eddie van halen posters, cds, keyrings, trinkets, or any of that paranphelia and he'll worship you for life

oh yeah, he don't play around with his eddie van halen

less you forget that

he'll also love tapes and cds and merch of other rock bands he adores

RUBIX CUBE! he'll love a mean rubix cube as his personal fidget toy 🥺

ted's very easy to please, just don't buy him an air supply or beatles vinyl album

𝑗𝑜ℎ𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑒

antithesis of ted

this man is the grunge adaptation of scrooge, but with less hate and more indifference

doesn't really care about xmas

mostly thinks it's for kids

giving gifts to this guy will be a little bit hard because this man is such a depressed little nihilist sometimes

he'll scoff and bluff, but deep down his emotions speaks otherwise

he never really states what he like or anything personal about him - he's a very private man with only one thing on his mind (lyke idk saving the world from satan and the apocalypse ???)

but what you do know about him is that this man is a chronic smoker

john would definitely fw a silver plated lighter

like the vivienne westwood ones

or a custom black one with his initials on it

he also drinks a lot of whiskey

jack daniel's? jim beam bourbon? jameson?

pair that up with a leather hip flask and he's good to go

silver jewellery type of guy? mhm!

he'd love a cross chain necklace

like deep-silver cross/crucifix pendant ones

would look so fucking cool on him

silver accessories always look so hot on daddy constantine

other than that, nothing much

he's not invested in xmas but he doesn't hate it

his mind will be more occupied on demon hunting and existential brainrots than that

yet he still has a soft spot (secretly) so xmas with him won't be so bleeping bad

𝑗𝑜ℎ𝑛 𝑤𝑖𝑐𝑘

pretty normal about xmas

celebrating with him would be so freaking wholesome though

you're so used to seeing john as his stoic dilf self that him being all lovely with you during this jolly season would be a fever dream

giving him gifts would be, again, pretty normal

he's a simple guy, and already rich enough to buy himself whatever, after all, so your xmas shopping spend will be looking pretty alright

john is a traditional manly man so his gifts would be of that orient

he's also a bit old so keep that in mind...

brown leather-strapped watch, woody oak cologne, men's grooming set, a brand new dog that won't randomly disappear after a few months

john is a bookworm, he'd love some good ol' classic fiction novels and philosophical/critical/mindfuck books to open up and out his mind

he's a handy man so a brand-new toolbox would be nice

he's also a lover of whiskey and wine, so again, some jack daniel's or bourbon and malboc or pinot noir

this would be the funniest shit ever but please gift this man a pencil as a joke

i swear he'll be so oblivious at first but when he clocks, this mf will death stare you like hell whilst you try so hard to not burst into laughter

but on a wholesome note, a ring will put a smile right back onto that man's face

like cute couple rings you and him can wear, like he'll smile so hard

a heart locket necklace with a picture of you and him inside

oh he'll absolutely die inside

john's such a sucker for classic romance, you don't understand

he'll love vinyl records of 70s and 80s vintage classics, taking him back to his younger days

john will cherish these well... 💌

𝑗𝑜ℎ𝑛𝑛𝑦 𝑠𝑖𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑟ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑

the very antithesis of ted

this man is scrooge

does not not care about xmas and probably never will

"mindless fucking consumerism"

he definitely thinks that shit is for kids

gifts for this guy will be as hard as an harvard acceptance letter

90% of the time this man is never really happy

he's either miserable or annoying or insulting or all at the same time

he would, however, accept it, if it's from you

but johnny never tells personal information

he's a very egotistical individual so the most personal you'll get from him is the edge of how big his c*ck is (*facepalms.png*)

𝑟𝑢𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑡 𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑎

another happy cheery boy on xmas

and another favourite himbo of mine 💘

he obviously loves xmas

it's the only time he won't have to be digging under trash heaps for diamonds

he's a very weird and random kid so you know he'll like anything

finding a xmas present for him would be easy cause as long as the shit's entertaining, he's pretty much on board

and it's the 80s, so what really can a broke teenage runaway enjoy back then?

but anyways, that's whatever

rupert would definitely like these as gifts: comic books, candy, shakespeare novels, an eight ball, rubix cube, wristbands, money, a crown (???)-

SLIME! give the boy some green slime to play with! (helps with his stims)

*murmuring* why can i imagine him in a skir- yeah give this boy a skirt

and a skateboard

gnarly combination

𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑒 𝑓𝑎𝑙𝑐𝑜/𝑗𝑢𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑛 𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑟

basic as fuck

these dudes are like the hallmarks of xmas

both are different genres of white men in hallmark-esque movies

standard white guy, 30-something year old millennial who's into sports and having a beer with the boys vs twink stock image standard white man who's a doctor and every old karen white woman's dream come true

one, however, is more generic and conventionally attractive hallmark white male than the other (julian)

shane's a manly man so he'd probably like some fishing equipment or men's grooming kit or some kind of sports team merch

he'd also like those beer keg stands or mini fridges where he can put his infinite supply of heineken or guiness inside

a handy man also so a nice new toolbox too

julian...... yeah julian i don't actually know about

he's probably just bisexual or something, idk-

that's about it.

[lgbtqreads]

Most Anticipated Queer Middle Grade: January-June 2024

The Curse of Eelgrass Bog by Mary Averling (January 2nd) Nothing about Kess Pedrock’s life is normal. Not her home (she lives in her family’s Unnatural History Museum), not her interests (hunting for megafauna fossils and skeletons), and not her best friend (a talking demon’s head in a jar named Shrunken Jim).But things get even stranger than usual when Kess meets Lilou Starling, the new girl in…

[blackbutlerfandomnerddomain]

New Black Butler AU!

Baron Kelvin finds the Phantomhive twins before Sebastian made a contract with O!Ciel (i.e. R!Ciel doesn't die from his injuries since he was saved, but the seal was halfway added into O!Ciel), and kept them close. Due to the trauma they endured, they clung to the Baron and his "children", joined the Noah's Ark Circus when it picked up as magicians with the stage name of "Princes of the Stars", and go under the names of "Sirius" and "Orion". They pick up Jim Macken while visiting Earl Trancy and the twins wanted to save the boy, he works in the circus as an acrobat who specializes in aerial silk dances named "Alois" since he overheard it once while at the Trancy manor and liked it but his stage named is "The Spider Prince".

Meanwhile as the setting takes place, the twins get hunted down and stalked by a mysterious man in black who seems to be ungodly perfect at everything, the very demon who tries to make a contract with O!Ciel and have been stalking the aura of his soul to get what he felt he deserved

The twins' need some work but you get the picture-

[scribbling-dragon]

I dunno, if you're still accepting prompts/ideas...

But... maybe little tango/jimmy beauty and thebeast? Mr. Canary going to his demon coalminer while his village is actively hunting demons because of past conflicts-

this was actually so so much fun to write, so i hope you enjoy it!

the canary and his flame

summary:

“And I keep telling you, Lizzie, there’s nothing to worry about, really.” He smiles at his friend, ignoring the frown she gives him, crossing her arms. “I mean it.”

“Uh-huh, and the stories about the monster in the woods aren't true? You and I both know that it killed-” she cuts herself off with a sigh. “I get that you like going out there, that you two did that a lot, but you don't have to keep doing that. All you're doing is putting yourself in danger, that’s no benefit to anyone.”

(ao3 link)

(3,123 words)

He pats his bag once more, resting firmly against his hip, checking that all of the contents within are safely secured. The latch of the bag holds firm, buckle glinting in the light as he steps through his front doorway, out into the midday sun. He squints a little as he emerges, shielding his eyes to peer up at the sky, checking the weather.

The skies are clear and blue, not a single cloud in sight, only a few wisps of white interrupting the great blue expanse currently hanging above them. He eyes it once more, just to be sure, aware of how quickly the weather can turn when he becomes involved in, well…anything.

“Jimmy!” He turns as someone calls his name, hand dropping to the bag at his side, holding it closer. He releases his grip on it a moment later, but the two sudden movements draw attention to the bag slung over his shoulders, and the newcomer narrows her eyes at it, before glancing back up at him. “Jim, c’mon, we've spoken about this before.”

“And I keep telling you, Lizzie, there’s nothing to worry about, really.” He smiles at his friend, ignoring the frown she gives him, crossing her arms. “I mean it.”

“Uh-huh, and the stories about the monster in the woods aren't true? You and I both know that it killed-” she cuts herself off with a sigh. “I get that you like going out there, that you two did that a lot, but you don't have to keep doing that. All you're doing is putting yourself in danger, that’s no benefit to anyone.”

Lizzie’s eyebrows press together, crinkling her brow. All it does is make her look decades older than she actually is, shoulders sagging with a weight she cannot bring herself to name. He’s almost tempted to tell her the truth behind his visits, to promise her that there is truly no harm that can come to him.

“You say that as though I'm not constantly in danger,” he scoffs. “I'm more likely to die to a falling tree branch than any monster in the woods.” His wings flutter behind him, as though to emphasise his words a little further. Lizzie frowns a little deeper at the reminder, eyes flicking to the bright yellow feathers, as though she’d forgotten they existed. “See,” he reaches out a hand to nudge at her shoulder, “I can already see the gears turning in your head, whatever you're thinking, knock it off.”

Lizzie cracks a grin at that, ducking her head and looking away. He notices the small bucket resting in the crook of her arm just then, watches as some water sloshes around inside of it, a quick flash of pink brushing past the surface, before disappearing again. He smiles a little, both at his obvious victory within their small argument (he wouldn't even call it an argument really, but it’s not a discussion either- he’s not sure what it would be, really) and also at the fact that Lizzie is still taking her axolotls on walks. Despite the fact that they, themselves, do not do any of the walking.

One of them, another pink one, pokes its head over the side of the bucket, peering at him, before twisting to look up at Lizzie, staring at her until she notices it too. “Oh,” the bucket jostles as she moves, and the axolotl slips out of sight once more, a small splash of water spilling over the side of the bucket and darkening the ground between them. “I'm so sorry, I forgot you were even there.” She glances back up at him, eyes narrowing once more in a threat that is more light-hearted than anything. “I better see you tomorrow morning as well, mister. I swear to the gods, if I have to come looking for you, I’ll kill you.”

“Surely that would be counterproductive?” He asks, calling after her.

“Not the point!” She calls back.

He smiles at her retreating back, watching her go for a moment longer. Watching her means he’s able to see the moment when she leans in, towards the bucket, lips moving as she speaks to the axolotls within. He begins walking in the other direction a few moments later, bag swinging back and forth, bumping against his hip as he walks.

The streets are still rather empty, despite the late hour, but he supposes that many of the residents prefer to finish their business in the morning before retiring for the afternoon, retreating to their homes for lunch. He certainly doesn't mind the emptiness of the streets, as it means he comes across only one other person on his trip out of the gates, and they're rather quick to hurry on past him, clutching something to their chest as they all but run down the street.

Jimmy pays it little mind, stepping out beyond the wall and into the lush greenery surrounding their small village.

There’s just something incredibly relaxing about walking through the trees, even though the tree trunks slowly inch closer and closer together, the canopy above him growing so thick that only a little light filters through to where he walks, and even that light is tinted green and dim, leaving him squinting into the darkness and he walks down the well-trodden path.

It’s not actually all that well-trodden, in actuality. In fact, the only indicator that he walks this path regularly is the occasional scraped off bark on a few of the trees along the path. It had been the best way he had thought of that wouldn't reveal the path to someone looking for it.

The birds continue to sing as Jimmy walks, high and chirping. It’s occasionally accompanied by the sound of beating wings, and one sparrow even shoots past his face, swerving around a tree trunk before it shoots back above the canopy again, disappearing from sight. There’s the slight rustling of small creatures skittering along tree branches and rummaging around in the foliage collecting around his feet, too.

He gives a squirrel a wider than necessary berth as he walks past it, wary of disturbing it and causing it to forget where it buried its acorns. It hardly even notices him, ear twitching only once before it resumes its scraping amongst the leaves, pushing an acorn into one of the small holes it makes. He almost trips over a tree root from staring at the squirrel for too long, stumbling and struggling to regain his balance as his foot throbs from the sudden impact.

The tree above him shudders as well, and he ducks backwards, out of the way of any stray falling branches that might choose to crash down on his head. Just on time, a branch, one which had previously been securely attached to the trunk of the tree, wiggles loose and crashes down to the ground.

It stirs up the browning leaves as it lands, sending them fluttering about before they settle again. He steps over it carefully, murmuring an apology to the numerous woodland critters he sent scattering with the loud crash of the branch to the forest floor.

His walk is altogether uneventful after that, only a few branches creaking above him in a breeze, as though warning him of how easily they could come crashing down on him if they so wished. None of them make the sound of a branch that is actually going to break, though, just a gentle creaking rather than the sound of splitting wood and bark that comes moments before it actually falls.

Something cracks, and he hops back, staring up at the canopy above, waiting from a branch to come plummeting from the darkness lurking there, shooting towards the ground, landing perfectly where he was just standing, mere moments before.

He waits, the sound of his own breathing heavy in his ears, head craned back to stare up at the darkness swathing the upper branches of the trees. No branch falls. There’s not even another creaking sound, nothing to indicate that the falling branch is caught amongst several other branches, twisted into a tangled snarl of leaves and wood, waiting to fall on him the next time he passes beneath it.

Something else cracks, to his left this time. He whirls to face in that direction, wings flaring out behind him. It’s an instinctual act, something done to make him appear bigger than he truly is. The undergrown wings that are for little more than show do very little to make him appear larger and more intimidating, but he can't help the reaction.

There’s a slow, sliding sound in the direction he’s looking. It sounds like something heavy being dragged over the ground, rustling amongst the leaves, only slightly disturbing them. Moving slowly, then. He watches, the sound of his breaths even louder in his ears, the blood in his ears thrums in time with his heart. He can feel it pumping in his chest, can feel the blood rushing through his veins as he attempts to see between the tightly clustered trees.

There’s another sound behind him, but he’s too slow this time. He’s halfway to turning around when something heavy presses into his shoulders, sending him crashing to the floor, scrambling to grab onto his bag and protect the contents of it. He hits the ground with a thud and a small oof, feeling the air rush out of him in one large exhale.

A growl rumbles through the air around him, and he relaxes, if just slightly, into the ground beneath his back. His wings are still awkwardly twisted beneath him, feathers caught and no doubt collecting all sorts of debris.

A grinning face looms over him, lips pulled back to show off teeth that are easily as large as his fingers. He doesn't hesitate to shove said grinning face away from his own, smacking at one of the hands holding him down until it releases him, allowing him to sit up.

“You need to stop doing that,” he chastises, opening the bag and peering inside, making sure none of the items within have been squished too much. He frowns, spotting a mushed up banana that’s going to make his bag stink for weeks. “Seriously.” He frowns a little more when his assailant doesn't stop laughing, a low, rasping sound.

“Aw, don't be so sour, love.” A furred hand pulls his own hand away from where it clutches at the bag still, claws carefully kept away from the skin. “You know I can't help it.”

“Yes, you can.” Jimmy says. “There’s no reason for you to do this every time, as much as it must be fun for you to watch me try and find you. It just leaves me in a mess, look at what you've done to my wings!”

“I’ll help you clean them up later,” those furred hands, far larger than his own, pull him to his feet easily. “Besides, surely you've missed me?”

He huffs a sigh, turning his head away to hide his smile. “You know I always miss you, Tango. It’s hard not to, the village is so boring without you there. No one even speaks to me anymore,” he frowns. “Only Lizzie and Joel speak to me, and Grian only pops into check on us every few months- and he brings his annoying boyfriend with him every time. Seriously, if I never saw the Scar again, it would be too soon.”

“I like Scar.”

“Of course you do.” He can feel a tail curling around his back as he walks, the pressure and weight of it just barely there. He doubts Tango even realises he’s doing it, though he’s not about to begin pointing it out, in the fear that Tango might stop doing it. He can see the tip of it flicking back and forth, the flaming fur at the edge dancing as they make their way down the last stretch of the path together. “You only like him because he comes to visit you.”

“I like seeing your brother as well,” Tango frowns, eyes flicking over to see him. “And seeing you is the highlight of my weeks, nothing could be better than that. But Scar brings fun things.”

“And the things I bring you aren't fun? This bag isn't light, you know.”

“You bring the essential things,” the small clearing they've  entered is quickly cut off by a rock face, the sheer wall stretching far above both of their heads. “Those are useful, certainly, and seeing you is always a delight. But Scar brought me these wonderful quills last time he visited, the ink has glitter in it, isn't that amazing?”

“The ink is quite nice.” He agrees. His feet carry him on this path easily now, years of practice making him familiar with the route they take. He ducks beneath Tango’s arm as he pushes the curtain of moss backwards, revealing the cave entrance behind it. “It looks like he’s somehow managed to catch the stars and shove them into the ink.”

“I know right!”

Jimmy cannot help it, even after the years of visiting Tango here, years of stepping foot into this very cave, of following Tango down the short path, he still can't help it; he hesitates. The yawning cave mouth in front of him makes something deep and primal within him recoil at the very thought of willingly stepping foot into it. The thought of stepping into that darkness and not emerging from it claws at the edges of his mind, threatening to overwhelm him entirely.

Tango waits just beyond the threshold. He doesn't do anything, simply standing there and waiting. Sometimes, he doesn't even have to pause for a minute, simply stepping into the cave in time with Tango’s step, following Tango through the darkness, watching the flame on his tail dance back and forth, not stuttering for lack of oxygen. On other days, he might stand here for upwards of an hour, unable to overcome the fear that grips him as he stares into the cave’s maw.

Today, it takes him just short of ten minutes to make that first step into the cave, a rock shifting beneath his foot and threatening to trip him and make him roll his ankle not even a step into the darkness. Tango grabs his arm as he begins to slip, pulling him back upright and preventing the waiting disaster.

He breathes out slowly, taking a moment to regain his balance, before taking another step forward. He easily falls into the rhythm after that, ignoring the lingering anxiety that threatens to seize his lungs again. Instead, he focuses on the warm presence of Tango at his side, listening as he tells Jimmy of the story he’s been trying to write recently.

He doesn't direct Jimmy over to his desk, like he sometimes does, asking for a second pair of eyes on his work. Instead, he nudges them both over to the pile of blankets and pillows tucked away in the corner, functioning as both a seating area and Tango’s bed. He follows along with Tango willingly, wings already beginning to itch from the twigs wedged beneath his feathers, and the feathers that have been twisted out of place from their small tumble in the forest.

“Tell me,” Tango says, breaking the silence as Jimmy pulls his boots off. “How’s Lizzie? You said she’s still talking to you.”

“She’s doing fine,” he tosses the second boot aside, taloned feet clicking against the floor as he shuffles over to Tango, flopping down into the blankets beside him. “Saw her walking her axolotls this morning, told me not to go into the woods, etcetera, etcetera, you know the rest.”

Tango hums, a clawed hand running over his wing, pausing to fix a misaligned feather, correcting its position. “She still think I'm dead?”

“Yeah,” he laughs, though it’s muffled slightly as he presses his face into the pillow he’s resting on. “She still can't bring herself to say your name…but. I don't know. I can't really tell her, can I? That’s for you to do, and she won't exactly see you unless she stumbles across you and Joel having your moonlit meetings.”

“Joel doesn't exactly remember those meetings either.” Tango reminds him, teasing a small twig from his wing, pulling it free carefully. The simple action is enough to make him sink into the pillows a little more, going boneless beneath Tango’s hands as he continues cleaning his wings. “Though he’s certainly fun to run around with.”

“I doubt Lizzie would be pleased to know that all of her friends are supernatural beings and none of them have told her.”

“She’s seen your wings.”

“And she thinks I was cursed,” he sighs, “not…whatever this is. I don't know. Can't tell her, because she’d probably kill me, and then she’d be sad, because I'm dead.” He frowns. “Anyway, she has Scar. Her and Scar are buddies.”

“Scar’s not human.”

“Huh?” He twists to look at Tango, wrenching his wings out of reach as he turns to look at him. Tango blinks back at him, red eyes almost comically wide, ears perked forward.

“You…didn’t know? Isn't your whole, like, shtick being able to sense all of that around us?” Tango wiggles his fingers as though that at all helps to demonstrate his whole shtick (it does, rather effectively too, but Jimmy isn't about to tell him that). “That guy is super not human, the charisma he lays on is imbued with far too much power for that, at least.”

“Him and Grian are rarely apart, how am I meant to tell whether there’s some other, mysterious source of power if Grian’s there?”

“I’ll give you that one,” Tango concedes, pushing at his shoulder until he lies back down again. “Grian’s freakishly powerful, everyone should just be grateful he hasn't gone on a murder rampage yet.”

“I have just as much power as him.”

“I know, dear,” he can feel Tango nodding, even though he can't see him. “But you're too nice to go on a murder rampage.”

“You're lucky that I am,” he grumbles, listening as Tango’s following laugh reverberates through the room.

“Certainly.” Tango presses a kiss to the back of his head- while he’s unable to even reciprocate it, the cheat! “Now, did you want to hear about the story I'm drafting at the moment?”

“Always.”

“Alright, so, the main plot of it is a main character and their partner, both of them leaving their home to travel the world beyond their small city, seeing the sights and setting up several businesses at a time. I even began considering the thought of there being a corrupt monarchy in there at some point…”

[ladylilithprime]

Day 27: Prayer

(Set in the werewolf!Sam'verse. Immediate follow-up to Day 13, before Day 23.)

FINDING OUT THAT the bunch of demons who kept hunting for Sammy weren't just trying to make him their unholy Messiah but were actually trying to kick off the literal Biblical Apocalypse, and that certain factions of Heaven were perfectly happy to let them despite the supposed Time being several hundred millennia too early because Heaven had been manipulating bloodlines to intentionally get two sons born of the union between the Winchester and Campbell families to serve as Vessels for Michael and Lucifer to have their bug Battle Royale and lay waste to the Earth with humanity as unlamented collateral damage... yeah, even without having had any faith in God or Heaven or any of that preachy bullshit Pastor Jim used to talk about, that was a harsh blow. Sam had ended up knocking back half his tequila straight from the bottle, and Jimmy had looked very much like he had wanted to ask for some to top off his Bloody Mary. Castiel had obviously known at least some of it already, but even he had looked devastated by the (heh) revelations.

Dean kept that joke confined to the inside of his head, too, since he kinda figured Sam wouldn't be in the mood to hear it.

The arrival of Dean's ordered bacon cheese fries had given them a bit of a reprieve from the heavy talk. Loki - or Gabriel, Dean was still on the fence about what to call their "divine patron" now - needed no further encouragement beyond Dean's general "dig in" to help himself to some of the cheesy bacony thick-cut potatoes. Sam had shot him a bitchface that was three parts annoyance and one part grudging agreement before tugging on the edge of one of the plates to put it between the two of them, leaving the second plate for Jimmy and the angels. Dean got a brief snicker out of watching Castiel try eating at both Loki and Jimmy's encouragement, but most of his attention was focused on Sam.

"Some day, huh, Sammy?" he murmured, hesitantly pressing his leg up against Sam's and relaxing when his brother pressed back.

"We're taking a vacation after this," Sam murmured back, snagging one of the cheese-coated fries and jabbing it in Dean's direction. "A real vacation, where we just kick back and relax for, like, a week at the least. Preferably with a beach."

"I can be down with that," Dean agreed. Frankly, he was willing to give Sammy anything he wanted at this point, and a week on a beach actually sounded kinda awesome. "So long as you'll rub sunscreen on my back and aloe on the sunburns I'll end up with anyway."

"If you don't end up ditching me for a girl or three in string bikinis, I'll rub whatever you want," Sam said with the fervency of a vow, too serious to be passed off as a joke. Dean felt himself twitch and had to force himself not to squirm at the mental images that promise evoked in him. When he didn't move his leg away, Sam's expression softened slightly. "I mean it, Dean. I'm on board with this if you are, but you gotta be the one saying go. You decide you'd rather bag a few beach bunnies, I'll be your wingman for a week and then head back to Stanford until you're ready to come find me."

"Maybe we should find a really private beach," Dean mumbled, gripping his whiskey glass. "Y'know, so it won't matter which skin you feel like running around in, and I don't have to put up with wearing shorts."

"I can accommodate you gentlemen on that one, if you don't mind 'too remote for roads' as a condition," Loki piped up, saluting them with his Shirley Temple. "Just putting that out there for you, sorry to interrupt the private pow-wow."

"We'll think about it," Dean said after sharing a look with Sam. If Loki was willing to bring the Impala along, too, despite the lack of roads to drive her on, it was definitely tempting. "For now... how's this prayer phone thing supposed to work when it ain't to you?"

"Standard invocation starter, just the name of the angel or archangel you're trying to reach, then say whatever you need to," Loki answered. "A'course, given it's you, you could probably just say something like 'I pray to the Big Sky Daddy' and it would get through to Mikey along with whatever angels are on the team assigned to hear general prayers."

"And it has to be me?" Dean asked, grimacing when Loki nodded.

"Gotta be a human, and of the two we have at this table you're the one Mikey will listen to more," he said.

"Not sure I could muster up enough mind to pray more than 'fuck you', anyway," Jimmy muttered, his words a little slurred. He eyed the remains of his Bloody Mary, then pulled out the celery stick and took a bite. "Pro'ly get smited for it."

Well, that was discouraging, since "fuck you" was about what Dean really wanted to say. He sighed and propped his elbows on the table, then folded his hands like he'd seen some people do on TV.

I pray to Archangel Michael, Prince of Heaven... he started, then huffed. That should be good enough to get the bastard's attention. Alright, listen up, you great feathered dick. I've never had any faith in God or angels, and even knowing y'all exist that ain't changed any.

Sammy, though... my little brother did believe in you, in the lore that calls you a celestial cosmic force for good, a balance to the evil demons throw around. He prayed, every damn day, so quietly and privately I didn't even know that until he told me! He only stopped when a credible source told us that, because of who and what he is, no one up there's been listening. And buddy, if you asshats are the kind of judgemental morons to completely write off a good kid and a fucking saint of a man like Sam because some dickhead demon bled in his mouth without his consent when he was a baby? I don't want anything to do with you, either.

In the meantime, since Sammy is a werewolf and according to your bro Gabriel wouldn't be getting into Heaven anyway, he and I are dedicating ourselves to Loki. Gabe says fuck you for trying to start the Apocalypse waaaaay too early, by the way, and I'll let Sammy turn me, too, before I ever agree to let you use me to destroy humanity and the earth. And since the angel you sent to investigate why I never made a deal went and asked Gabe to take him into his service, you can consider this notice of Castiel's resignation, too.

Dean paused, waiting to see if anything was going to happen, then unfolded his hands and picked up his glass to slam back the last of his whiskey.

"Ah-fucking-men."