#i think this can count as watcher lore? the vibes are right

[looks-at-you]

erm. anyways

[zenithofstories]

so i've just finished watching all the first episodes, so i wanted to give my thoughts on the first Wild Life session:

-so much fun i love it so much. i'm so glad they're all still having fun and continuing the series, and that Mumbo and Lizzie came back, despite dying early in Secret Life (i was a tiny bit worried they might get a bit dejected and pass on this one). also thrilled Ren is able to play this time; he's a blast

-there is a lot of mistrust going around which is very curious to me. most of it stems from previous seasons and has no bearing on what was happening at the time. Pearl straight up telling Cleo she expected her to betray her; Mumbo and Skizz not trusting Martyn, and then Grian; and then not trusting that Martyn just wanted to use their enchanter; the huge immediate aggression towards Scar when he came out of the mountain into Grian, Skizz and Mumbo's base; Mumbo not trusting Skizz (his teammate!) when he asked for someone to pass him a diamond; Scott, Cleo, Pearl and Impulse assuming Joel stole their cows, probably more i'm forgetting. it's definitely obvious to me that these people have learnt how the games work and learnt from the pain (as we do). i'm very curious to see if the general server mistrust grows, and the impact it has on everyone and the people

-i love JImmy, Big B, Lizzie and Ren forming a dnd party and Ren (in true bardic fashion) has a guitar within reach and is willing to break into song at the first campsite (this honestly might be my favourite moment from all the life series at the moment. the guitar within reach, Ren's beautiful voice, how much the others thought it was great. fantastic vibes all around)

-i really want Scar and Martyn to team up. they are both instantly mistrusted, to the point that both of them (in their first episodes, no less) expressed that if people are going to treat them like a villain, then they may as well act like it. if the two of them team up to take revenge on everyone being mean to them in a new series i think they would be a force to be reckoned with

-Skizz and Mumbo is a fantastic team-up. both very genuine people who are so funny together

-i hope they get the lag fixed, or that it was just from the size-changing mod and they don't have to deal with it for the rest of the series

-Gem and Joel's partnership - in the early days Gem is going to be a fantastic counterbalance for Joel; help keep him calmer and curb his wild ideas. But once Gem gives in to her own urges... oh boy

-does Big B know that he can go caving with people? cause he seemed to be under the impression that he had to get geared out before he could make friends and it would suck if he ended up alone all the time because it hasn't occurred to him that he can go caving with people right at the start

-double life thought: i know most people count Pearl as the winner, but did Scott technically win as well? cause they were the last pair alive, and died in the same tick. it probably doesn't matter at all, but i wonder about it sometimes (especially in how it would affect Martyn's lore but that's not canon)

-i don't think Jimmy has broken the canary curse. i subscribe to the theory that cause Lizzie died in the End, the Watchers weren't able to perceive it and then he was the first to die in the Overworld (i'm not counting Real Life as canon; it happened and i enjoyed it but it wasn't a full series and they were deliberately playing it silly as an april fool's joke. very glad that Cleo won though. hope they get a full series win as well)

-i'm glad that Tango and Skizz (deliberately) didn't team together, but i kinda wish Tango had ended up in a different group. him, Etho and Bdubs are fun, don't get me wrong, but a whole lot of the fun of the series is seeing people interact and work with people they don't usually. Tango and Jimmy was a top tier pairing in Double Life, and Tango is hilarious. i would love to see him branch out more and work with some more people

-there is more than just the wild card. Grian said he wasn't going to explain it, and i didn't notice anything else happening (but i'm also not expecting it to be much until they get to the late game). i think that there will be a wild card that affects the players, and then also something that affects the world? we'll see, i guess

-now that everyone who has played is playing (i'm pretty sure? if i've forgotten someone i'm gonna be sad) who is gonna sub in if needed?

-i love Mumbo's "that was sub-one intelligence mate" when they all fell 🤣

-i'm not sure what the purpose of including the creakings or whatever they're called? nevermind i just looked it up and they're going to be in the game at some point. weird. i'm not sure how i feel about creakings coming to minecraft though

-very glad they've got six lives this time. it will both allow them to not worry so much about mistakes and accidents (as evidenced by Pearl) and encourage them to take risks, which will be fantastic

[katyspersonal]

8, 9, 12, 13!!! World peace wooo yeahhh!

ALSO SILENCE MORTAL YOU ARE STILL THE ROM PERSON IDC LIKE SHE MATTERS TO ME THANKS TO YOU 🕸️🕷️

Ah, really though?? I am so flattered to hear this! There is just... so much lore about her that is told visually and via use of other gameplay elements rather than verbally, and THIS type of lore is easier for me to decipher! Well, Bloody Crow matters for me thanks to YOU, so we are even! xD

(Asks from this ( x ) meme)

8) common fandom opinion that everyone is right about and should say it

Hmmm, well! Opinion that Gehrman is, in fact, not a "misogynist creep" or whatever but rather a complicated, nuanced character with multilayered vibe of grieving, who is not necessarily a good person but made a Doll in such image somewhere on the range from 'Maria herself HAD a gentle, even feminine side that was ruined and he blames himself' to 'He trapped her image in that femininity as last ditch mental effort to pretend she is "safe"'. That's right - in recent couple of years, this opinion on Gehrman became common! I remember how it started in Summer 2021 with my post ( x ) shedding light on some mistranslated lines and missed possibilities, that changed opinion of a few or his haters and shaped opinion of some that never cared for him, but now? Now every popular blog has a nuanced take on Mister Doomer that goes viral in less than a week every time! Moreover, the MOST viral of these takes basically make a peace between "she is legit masculine" and "Gehrman is certainly not a misogynist" takes; basically no one is left unsatisfied and everything is compromised on. I am glad to announce that takes like this count as COMMON! We did it, fandom!

9) best part of canon

Damn, you guys really think there is such thing as "canon" in From's games? xD Okay, okay, I will be serious. My favourite part is how there is a complex affiliation with the Eldrich Truth! There are 'Stars', and the 'Paleblood Moon' boldly hinted to be behind it, and the latter also can be associated with Bloodmoon, that is itself is more the state of being 'nourished' and descending to "bless" the humans, but also Flora does seem to be in charge, and there is the 'Sea' from which Kos presumably came, but 'Sea' seems to lead to the 'Stars', and there are some weird and cursed Kin like Amygdala and maybe Wet Nurse. There are Kin that are each of these and Kin that are both, and Rom is all three affiliations- meanwhile some beasts show signs of Kin, and some Kin show signs of beasts! I dissected the complexity in my Kin headcanons post ( x ) to my best ability, but the variety of the material to work with is pretty much canon, even if the way to go about it is up for the lorediggers. But this is ENJOYABLE. I LOVED connecting these dots!

12) the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them

I'll say Forgotten Madman! Honestly, find a character that lives up to their name more... He is implied to have been a member of the Choir - dude uses A Call Beyond, that is a secret weapon of the Choir! Also, the only NPC to use Empty Phantasm Shell. Also, the fact that obtaining Cosmic Watcher badge lets you buy poisonous knives, and he happens to be fought in the Hintertomb, a location notorious for being very venomous- Like, what if he came up with those knives? What if he sets his Ludwig's Holy Blade in arcane mist in attempt to recreate the conditions which made Ludwig have his revelation? After all, the 'Madmen' prospectors were ones who went insane trying to gain more Insight in the dungeons, and wrapped husks of phantasms around themselves like lucky charms. He also has very unusual face, and pink skin. Also, whereas all the remaining prospectors seem to be solitary, he has an escort! You know, unusually so, like... a noble man having a butler? Or he needed assistance for other reason? But there is an implication of a tie between Hemwick and Hintertomb (more on the topic in this ( x ) post), and Hemwick is an underling of Cainhurst, and Cainhurst IS nobles, and-

Okay, you see what I am saying. This wholeass character, and his escort by effect, are like a Lego set from which you can craft really interesting stuff! Most of Soulsborne characters will have little to no lore, just 'material to work with', so I don't really see why not craft something with him too! ...or at least include him in the Choir gang. Yeah I know everyone hates his hairstyle, but that IS why they agreed to not take hats off ever again, come on dsnfgsdfd xD

13) best blorboficiation

Hmmmm... Tricky question, because the concept itself has negative implication *thinking emoji* I think maybe Djura? Blorbofication I've seen used in a synonymous concept as idealisation or something. Like, striping character off the flaws, complexity and wrongdoings, and making it all about their good side (sometimes exagerrating it either). Djura must have taken part in burning of the Old Yharnam, seems to have hunted a lot and viciously from how worn his clothes are and how two of Powder Keg weapons straight up celebrate EXCEPTIONAL hatred for the beasts, and there is still some layer of hypocrisy to him (source: analyze all his interaction/questline with the player very hard) and dark implication about defending the beasts like he does... I can go on. But like... I am yet to see the "harm" (if you could call it that?) of blorbifying him to being the cool beasts' dad and liking his redemption arc to the point of forgetting what he redeemed himself FROM...? He is just such a good character that I've grown to like it when people are blinded by his good traits xd There are also some characters with whom 'blind love' opens the gate for controversy and even attacking other characters and/or fans, but 'blind love' towards Djura doesn't... really cause anything bad? There is nothing but wholesome stuff, like... no one gets hurt? besides the Paleblood Hunter lolololol

Thank you for the ask!

[thesnailkiwi]

Jtsnyeyru6wjtjts6ieu6ri6ejtyrqdgahtstruri6eheg24tgjjg

Augh the way you guys can tell how my brain works and what gets it buzzing is terrifying

Alright alright so so I'd cast:

Solidaritygaming as Jeremy. He's a pathetic wet paper bag and honestly? Same vibes.

Grian as Michael. Now, this doesn't make much sense, right? But a) goes with the red and blue and b) grian lore is fuckin crazy bro. He's a silly guy, a funky fella, tricky prankster, but also the whole watcher thing and his character 100% has some kind of mental health issues but covers it up with silliness.

Smallishbeans is Rich frfr. A stripe in his hair? Check. Short? Check. Absolute carnage? Check. Innuendo? Check. Stupid references and jokes to the dumbest jokes, like Shrek? Check.

ImpulseSV gives off heavy Jake vibes. I dunno, man, but he's a silly guy who can be the mother friend or absolute batshit crazy.

Katherine Elizabeth or ShubbleYT as Christine. My bad, I meant "Christiiiiine!" But they're both really nice, talk fast when excited, and probably theatre nerds.

Pearlescentmoon as Jenna. With the whole "Nosy Neighbors" bit in Limited Life, how she was always spying on everybody and knew all of the gossip going on the server. Need I say more?

ZombieCleo or Smajor as Chloe. They're both gossip girls/mean girls and it's wonderful.

Stressmonster as Brooke. Explanation? Who's that?

I have an alternate version for the other side of MCYT such as Slimecicle, Sneegsnag, and those guys, but this is the main version. Doth thou agree with this list?

And then, misc questions:

I do have pets! A lot of cats, actually. Well, I have one actual cat who lives inside the house, and then the others are outside neighborhood cats who technically everyone takes care of, but I still count them considering they try and run into the house and cuddle. There's five of the little assholes and I love them. I'll provide pictured tomorrow when it's not 4 in the morning lmao

Alright, so there's levels to this question. Insane? Too long to recount. *browsing* tumblr? Two years? Maybe? I dunno. And I've actually only had a real account for about 6 months. Crazy.

HmMmM... perhaps I shouldn't give away spoilers for the A&D au, but screw it! There's a part where one of the characters is drowning/burning (demon + water = not in this au lolz) and the other jumps in to save them. It's morbid, but writing intense pain is fascinating and I enjoy it. And since it's enemies to lovers, the demon character (scott) still hasn't gotten to know Jimmy, who's the angel character. So the immense fear and anger he feels after waking up from being saved followed by panic is just so ough, yknow? The change in emotions is just so blissful to write.

And then - this isn't a specific chapter - but the way Scott keep trying to push down and deny his feelings. He won't let himself admit love. It was pounded into him since the beginning that it was wrong since he's a demon. That, combined that he doesn't know what the feeling is because he doesn't know what love feels like. The struggle to accept that he loves the other is another thing that I loved to write for it.

And then for my superpower/soulmate au, the panic that sends Scott spiraling when he realizes that jimmy knows his identity and that he is soulmates with his arch enemy and rival.

If you can't tell, I love writing intense emotions

I've been thinking about starting up a bmc au - or at least having it but not writing it yet since I already have like, 3 ongoing aus I'm writing. But I dunno man, a sailor/siren au sounds great :eyes: might develop that. Yes, it's so basic but it fits so well. Also all the ones on ao3 are unfinished, so, gotta make it if I can't find it.

Thank you for attending this speel disguised as a TEDtalk and asking questions it took up 30 minutes of my day that I had nothing to do

This is why I love you guys (my mutuals) you're great <3

Pspspspsps guys I'm bored.

You should send me stuff. Like, ask random shit, or about my aus, or an art request (only gonna do a certain amount)

But you should totally ask me about my hyperfixations or random bullcrap

[shadeswift99]

Hello! It’s me, your local “person who doesn’t really care about Watchers” here to absolutely McFreaking LOSE IT over all the parts of Martyn’s episode that I haven’t seen anyone talk about yet because we’re all so focused on the Sees Stuff Gang

Yeah. This is getting long enough to need a cut. That was one hell of an episode I am so hyped right now

Ok so first of all, before any of the lore stuff even STARTED:

- THIS MAN IS A MASTER OF EDITING. LOOK. The difference between the first and second half of that video? STUNNING. The tone shift is so complete, and yet it doesn’t feel jarring at all, just the exact right amount of sinking terror as things start to pick up for real. You can feel it starting as soon as he and Pearl get split up from the group and chased. He doesn’t use any background music (iirc) until That Exact Moment, and when Pearl dies the shift is so terrifyingly tangible. And the music continues, as the panic continues, until my absolute favourite part: his last stand on Scar Mountain. Guys. GUYS. He synced the music so the heaviest beat fell when the first arrow hit him. That is a move I love so much in editing, that combined with the knockback made me almost physically feel that hit, it was so good major props to Martyn on the editing oh my goodness

- Meanwhile, in-setting: that was such a stressful final few minutes. The slow decay into terror and paranoia, the almost constant shifting just to avoid being spotted, the way that every time he turned a corner he saw another red...the vibes of that entire sequence were pure gold, absolutely on the edge of my seat

- He was planning on blowing himself up with that trap in the Southlands. He was still setting it when Joel arrived so he didn’t get the chance to finish it, but from the sounds of it he wasn’t planning on being clear of the blast when it went off...he chose the Southlands for his final stand...and if he had finished it a split second later, the person he would have taken out with that massive TnT trap would have been Joel...the poetry in that I am losing my mind

- His entire last stand on Scar Mountain. That’s it that’s all I am going to need to rewatch that, the way he just drew his line in the sand and flagged down the reds with all the lava, the combined panic and grim determination of not going down without a fight...

- HIS DEATH. Can you have a more dramatic death. He fell SO FAR, even in just Minecraft I could feel the cinematic glory of it all, he fell so far and into the lava he placed and I can’t even begin to imagine how cool that would look in art that is a death fitting of the final yellow name for SURE

AND THEN THE LORE STARTS.

- His ACTING. This man can act fear. It stood out to me in his session 8 intro too, with the panicky run through the forest, and now again in the black void after he died - his breathing - he sounded like he was on the verge of tears, he sounded so worn out - I will be thinking about this for the rest of the day, he just had so much to deal with for so long there at the end...

- And him begging for just a moment to collect himself...he’s been harried by these voices since day 1, even longer if you count 3rd Life, he’s been fighting on fronts that the others don’t even know about for longer than they could ever realize, that must have worn on him so much...

- You know, I always sort of got the feeling that Martyn only stuck around with the Southlands for the laughs or for safety in numbers, but...it was them he wanted a safe place for in the afterlife. It was them he was angry for when that turned out to be a trick. Not the shadow alliance, not even Ren, just the Southlanders...whether he was always that attached or he didn’t plan on bonding so much with them, his fall into delusion after session 7 and this ending just...it just makes my heart hurt for their friendship and what it turned into in the best way...

- “Then explain it to me! Just explain it to me...” “No.” I am breaking. This. This did me in. Martyn has been asked to blindly obey from day one, with the end point and the means and the motivations all hidden from him, given only an instruction and punishment for questioning or failure...and he did the best he could, he did everything within his power, the entire time, and he still ended up gasping in some forsaken void at the end of time and space with the only thing left to just beg for an answer, anything, any reason at all for why this or why him or why any of that pain was necessary... and he is given NOTHING. The powers that be DON’T. CARE. He is only a tool. That’s all he ever was. He must have felt lucky, to be let in on the master operation, to have access to this little secret voice that told him things that nobody else knew, but in the end he never had a single bit of power or autonomy and now they bar him from even knowing why.... I am in shambles there are so many great themes here Martyn Inthelittlewood Lastlife who gave you permission to be this dramatic this effectively -

In conclusion: I think I’m going to go watch it again

[itmighthavebeenintentional]

Walk Me Home - Ch 3

Summary: Twenty-four years ago, Kimberly Harper met a boy who changed the course of her entire life before up and leaving one night. She spent years moving past the memories, building a stable, satisfying career as professor of folklore and mythology at the local university. Then the accidents start, and she’s forced to seek help among her hunter contacts. All it takes is a knock on her office door to send Kimber’s carefully built emotional walls crumbling to the ground.

Featuring: Teen Winchesters, high school romance, reunions, misunderstandings, high intensity emotional turmoil, Dean’s love of pie, Dean being adorable, Sam being adorable and maybe a bit nosy eventually, much group adorkable-ness, show-style investigation, mention of our favorite werewolf, gratuitous and obvious love of fall, DID I MENTION ROMANCE, fluff, smut, tension. 

Warnings: Show level violence, show level parental neglect (let’s not John bash, I’m just saying), show-style witchcraft, show-level mental manipulation, stalking, bit of angst, sexual content (higher than show level),swearing, general yearning

Word Count: 3422

Author’s Note: Mega thanks to @mskathywriteswords​ , @fangirlxwritesx67​, and @cracksinthewalls​ for editing, revision, flailing, and generally knocking sense into me when I’m being stubborn. You all made this story way better than it started it, and I love you. Thanks to everyone who read/reblogged/liked the first chapter. I hope you enjoy the story as much as I do. 

@thoughtslikeaminefield​ , babe, I love you, and I love this story so much.

Keep in Mind: There are a lot of flashbacks. I tried to write current events in present tense and flashbacks in past tense. Here’s hoping I got everything right!

Please read/heed the warnings. 18+ ONLY. 

In Case You Missed It: Ch 1 | Ch 2 ItMightHaveBeenIntentional’s Masterlist

Chapter 3

“Breathe, sweetheart, take a deep breath and hold it. Watch me, follow my breathing.” Dean’s hands, warm and solid against her clammy skin, hold her face so she has no choice but to look right at him. 

His eyes pierce the haze of fear that locks her lungs, and she pulls in her first shaking breath since she spotted the doll. She must have screamed, because one moment she was alone with the damned thing, and the next he was by her side, pulling her out of the room.

“Come with me, we’re getting out of here. Right now.” In a habit that miraculously stayed with her since she first knew him, Kimber stumbles after Dean, her fingers clutching his with a level of desperation that would leave her shamed if she had the thought capacity to care right now.

They’re out the front door, in his car, and speeding away before she even realizes he’s on the phone. 

“Yeah, Sam, I saw the doll on her bed. Front door was definitely locked when we got there, but I didn’t get a chance to check the windows or back door. She’s talked to the cops before this, they didn’t do shit then, but maybe now that the bastard actually went in her house. I’m taking her back to the motel.” 

He’s silent for a long moment, listening intently, his lips pressed thin and tense. Her face is wet, and she realizes she’s crying. She takes a moment to wipe away the tears streaming from her eyes, discreetly clearing her throat. She has a strange, disconnected moment of panic when she realizes she left her purse in the house and the door unlocked, but she shoves the words back down her throat so fast she nearly chokes.

That horrible...thing...on her bed, and she’s worried about her purse?!

Priorities, Kimber, she scolds herself. Dean is talking when she comes back to the moment, and she catches him mid-sentence.

“-agree with Kimber, I think it’s probably a witch. Gonna check for hex bags, ask her about anybody that might have a motive. We’ll go over her house when you get here, but I’m gonna try to keep her out of sight in the meantime. Don’t have a tail, but I’ll keep an eye on the way to the motel. See ya in the morning.”

He hangs up, eyes flicking over to Kimber then back to the road.

“How you holdin’ up?” The genuine concern in his voice breaks through the worst of her panic, giving her something other than her growing dread to focus on.

“I...I’ve been better. I mean, I know that nothing actually happened, but...Dean, I-”

“Oh, no, I totally get it,” he says, his eyebrows rising high on his forehead. “Fucking dolls, I hate ‘em. That creepy shit absolutely ain’t right. Anyway, we had no idea if someone was still at your place. Better to high-tail it, regroup, and plan than get stuck in a shootout with somethin’ that might not even go down with a bullet or five in it. You heard me talkin’ to Sam?”

She nods, doing her best to hide her sniffling. Without a word, he opens the glove box, pulls out a napkin, and hands it to her. She takes it gratefully, failing in her attempt to discreetly blow her nose while boxed into a moving vehicle.

“Thanks. The thing is, though, as far as I know, nobody has a motive to want to hurt me.”

This time he only lifts one eyebrow. “You, a college professor in a highly specialized academic area that’s typically full of eccentrics at best and nutbags at worst, have no students with chips on their shoulders? No jealous colleagues? Never forgot to tip the barista or leave a Christmas bonus for the janitors? Really?”

Her face heats up. She’s thinking like a scared kid, and she should know better. She may not be a hunter, but she knows the lore, knows the signs, and she really should know better.

“Okay, you’re right, you’re right. I’m not thinking clearly. Just...gimme a sec to get my head on straight.” 

She sucks in a sharp, deep breath through her nose, focusing on a droplet of water that’s sliding down her window. She presses air slowly from her lungs, watching the drop gain speed as it joins with more water dotting the outside of the glass, repeating the process until the raindrop slips off the window and her thoughts are focused again.

“I haven’t actually had to fail anyone in my classes lately, but I suppose someone could have held a grudge from previous semesters or just not been satisfied with a lower passing grade. As far as I know, no one in the department is jealous of my position. I’m not really anything special, literally just a glorified storyteller. I’m not on any boards or committees, I haven’t received any awards in a few semesters. No particular nutbags lately, but…”

She frowns as he pulls the car into a motel parking lot. Something is tugging at the back of her mind, an almost non-incident from a few Thursdays ago. She’d dismissed the conversation as random but harmless, but even the smallest details could be life or death. She’s been shown this over and over in her dealings with hunters. It’s about time she learned from other people’s mistakes.

“There was something, a few weeks ago, but I can’t quite remember,” she says, frustrated at how inadequate her memory is proving at the moment. The vestiges of panic still cling to the edges of her mind, leaving her thoughts scrambled and disjointed. 

“Think on it. Let’s get checked in, get somethin’ to eat, and you can tell me then,” Dean offers. 

She smiles her appreciation at the reprieve and climbs out of the car to follow Dean into the motel office. She uses the time Dean spends, first talking and then arguing with the clerk, to jog her memory, trying to recall everything she can about her encounter at the end of a self-defense class the previous month. 

It had seemed so harmless at the time, and nothing odd happened afterwards. At least, not that night. But as she stands next to Dean, straining her memory, she realizes Helen’s accident was just two days later. Her unseen watcher trailed her for the first time a week after Helen’s fall. Then Professor Lawrence a few days after that, and just last week Allen and the stapler.

She feels the heat of shame flooding her face. She’s a researcher by profession. How did she never put the pattern together? People have been hurt, nearly died, because she was too stupid to connect some dots? 

“I connect dots for a goddamn living,” she mutters to herself, earning her an odd glance from Dean. He turns back to the clerk, who shrugs.

“Take it or leave, sir.”

“Fine,” Dean growls, shoving a credit card at the man. Five minutes later, Dean unlocks the door to a room with two queen-size beds whose decor calls strongly back to a decade long past and best forgotten.

“I think they decorated this place before we were born,” she murmurs, earning her a tired smile from Dean. “At least it’s clean?”

He nods, tossing his bag on the bed nearest the window. “Sorry we have to share, they’re full up. Some sort of convention in town?” 

She hesitates, her stomach fluttering uneasily at the thought of a wall between her and Dean. “I don’t mind. I think...maybe it’s safer this way, in one room. I would offer to get dinner, since you paid for the room, but…” She trails off, empty hands spread at her sides. 

“Not a problem,” he says, dropping down on the bed and reaching for the phone. “Know anywhere good that delivers?”

 Forty minutes and two cheeseburger combos later, Dean lifts her reprieve and presses her for information again. The food helped ground Kimber’s jittery brain, and she’s thinking clearly for the first time since she spotted the doll.

“A few weeks ago, after self-defense class concluded, a guy came up to me. I’d never noticed him before, I thought he was new, but he said he’d seen me a few times and wanted to know if i would go get coffee with him. I wouldn’t have said yes, regardless, because...I mean, picking up dates at a self-defense class? Feels kinda predatory.”

Dean nods, lips pursed as he listens. He’s stretched out on his bed while she’s opted to sit in one of the two chairs by the table a few feet away. Kimber scrubs her face with her hands before running them back through her hair. 

“I just...I got this weird vibe off him, though, Dean. He may have found me attractive, I don’t know, but I seriously doubt it. He didn’t really want to ask me out. I have no clue why he asked; I could tell he wasn’t into me. He wouldn’t meet my eyes, his face was kind of stoney the whole time? Almost like someone put him up to it even though he really didn’t want to?”

Dean frowns, just as perplexed as she is.

She sighs, resting her chin in her palms and elbows on her knees. “I know. He was acting just a little too off. On top of that, I didn’t know him at all, so I turned him down. I wasn’t rude, at least I don’t think I was. He just accepted it, though; he didn’t push or even look upset. He didn’t really look anything at all. He just left. I didn’t see him in class again after that, and, honestly, I’m certain I had never seen him before.”

Dean rubbed the stubble on his chin thoughtfully, eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t...I mean, yeah, maybe. A strong maybe,” he conceded. “But we need more information. Even if that guy is our perp, we need to find out more about what’s actually going on. Sam can help me look over your place tomorrow; you and I can search your office. We should check out the other accident scenes. Did anyone else in your class see the guy or talk to him?”

“Maybe the teacher?” Kimber offers, stifling a yawn. She’s weary to the bone and suspects she may still be feeling the after-effects of shock. She stands, intending to hit the shower in the bathroom, when she remembers just how quickly they had to leave her house.

“Um...Dean, I didn’t get to...we left my place so quickly. Do you have anything to wear that I could...borrow?” She doesn’t mean to sound so hesitant and vulnerable, but her emotional filter is fading with her energy, and she doesn’t have it in her to put up a tough front.

His eyes widen, and he jumps up from the bed to rifle through his sports bag. He reaches out, holding what looks like a white t-shirt and pajama pants. She takes a step towards him to accept them just as he moves over to meet her, and they both stop just shy of a full-body collision.

His fingers brush her skin as she accepts the clothes, and she’s annoyed at how her hands tremble from the brief touch. Her eyes flick up to find him watching her, his color high and lips parted. His hands close more solidly around hers, fingers rough and welcome against her wrists. Her pulse quickens, and that cold spot near her heart ratchets up a couple more degrees. 

His pupils dilate in response, black circles swallowing the mossy irises. Dean’s tongue flashes over his lower lip as he swallows convulsively, and her eyes track the movement. She wonders for the span of a single breath if he still tastes the way she remembers. It would be so easy to find out; just step in, drop the clothes.

All she has to do, really, is reach out.

…

Her fingers paused halfway between them, hesitating. He glanced up from his plate of pie, eyeing her curiously. Feeling suddenly, deliciously brave, she brushed her thumb over his lower lip, swiping a bit of whipped cream he’d unknowingly smeared there. She sucked her thumb for just a moment, self-consciously looking away as her cheeks blazed red. 

She’d never been so forward before, brazen even, and while she was proud of her courage, she was still shocked she’d had such nerve. She risked a peek at him across the table just in time to see him flick his own tongue over the exact spot her thumb had just been. He caught his lower lip under his teeth, grinning at her, somehow looking just as flushed and off-balance as she felt.

“You, uh...taste good,” he murmured, eyes shining. She couldn’t help the giggle that bubbled up at his sweet, simple sincerity. 

“You do, too.”

They had finished tutoring early, and it was only their second week. Dean was keeping up just fine in class, so she was more than happy to accept his invitation for a snack at the nearby diner. The day was pretty warm for mid-September, and they were technically still supposed to be at the library, so she asked if he’d like to maybe take a walk and talk some more.

“You’re just using me for my stories,” he said with a mock pout as they strolled down the sidewalk. “Is that all I am to you? A source of entertainment?”

“Dean, you’re the best show on. I wouldn’t even skip the reruns.” She felt so light around him, so comfortable and giddy all at once, like he was sucking the oxygen from her atmosphere while giving it right back to her all at once.

Just when she felt like her chest might burst holding all this inside, she reached out and linked her fingers through his. She felt a slight falter in his stride (or maybe she imagined it), and they walked on. She asked him about his family. He told her less about his Dad, more about his little brother, and nothing about his mom, but mostly he asked questions.

What did she like to read? Where was the best pie in town, because that place was not it. Where did she have her favorite birthday party growing up? What did she want to do when she graduated? Favorite family vacation? Favorite holiday? Was it as awesome being an only child as it seemed, or were there actually drawbacks he didn’t know about? What did she really think of his jacket, be honest?

Eventually, they found themselves back at her house, not quite time for her to be home yet. She was reluctant to say good-bye, and if his grip on her hand was any indication, so was he.

“I know!” she said suddenly. She tugged his arm, leading the way around her house and into the backyard. Neither of her parents were home from work, so she didn’t have to worry about their well-meaning interrogation as to why she was dragging the new boy around by the arm.

“Ta-da!” She spread her arms wide, grinning as she indicated the treehouse she and her dad had built together only a few years earlier. “Best craftsmanship, all the comforts of home, minus electricity, heat, air conditioning, and plumbing!”

“You mean it’ll hold us both, and there's some pillows and blankets up there?” He laughed, his grin growing as she glowed back at him. 

“You get me so well!” she squealed, grabbing his hand and tugging him forward again. “Come on!”

Though the structure swayed ever so slightly, it didn’t embarrass her by creaking, and there was plenty of room for the two of them to prop up against one of the walls, stretching their legs out on the nest of cushions and blankets she kept up there during good weather.

Rather than settling down, her heart began to beat against her ribs so loudly she was certain Dean could hear it. Her shoulder brushed his, and she could feel every minute shift of his body. Her nostrils flared a little as she steeled herself and turned to meet his intent gaze.

“I would really love to kiss you right now,” he said, his voice low and velvet soft. 

“Does that usually work on girls?” she asked breathlessly, her eyes glued to his impossibly lush mouth.

“Why, is it working on you?” The raw want in his voice was unmistakable, even to her inexperienced ears. No boy had ever looked at her the way Dean was right now, as if he’d never seen anyone else he’d rather kiss. He reached up, slid his fingers into her hair, thumb brushing her cheekbone.

“Yeah, it, um...it really is.”

He tasted of cherry pie and coffee. Years later, she would recognize that kiss as the moment her dependency on the caffeinated beverage began, but at the time, she wouldn’t have recognized her own mother. His lips moved gently, so tenderly it stole her breath and made some random spot in her chest clench painfully. 

She turned, leaning across him, almost on her knees. Her fingers slid over the impossibly silky bristles on the back of his neck. He shivered under her touch, lips parting from hers as he sucked in a sharp pull of air. 

“Kimber,” he murmured, eyes closed. She nudged the tip of his nose with her own, her eyes fluttering shut as she pressed the smallest of kisses to the corner of his lips. Dean’s breath caught, and then he pulled her up into his lap suddenly, tilting her head just so before claiming her mouth again.

She didn’t know how long they sat in the treehouse exactly like that, learning each other’s contours and tastes, trading kisses and caresses but nothing more, until she heard the front door of the house close. 

Kimber jerked upright, shocked as if she’d been dashed with a bucket of ice water. She’d honestly forgotten there was a whole world that existed outside the two of them in the treehouse. The sun was much lower in the sky, almost gone in fact.

“It’s almost dark, Dean, I have to go inside.” She spoke reluctantly, the words pulled out against her will. She didn’t ever want to be responsible, even indirectly, for telling Dean he had to leave.

Dean’s chest rose and fell rapidly, one hand holding tight to her waist as the other began to reluctantly untangle from her hair. He leaned forward, brushed her lips with his one last time before wordlessly encouraging her to put herself to rights.

Kimber checked the backyard to make sure the coast was clear before leading Dean down the ladder to the ground. 

“If you go that way,” she said, pointing out a thin spot in the hedge at the far side of her yard, “it’ll take you right out to Evergreen Drive. One more block over, and you’ll be on the same street as the school.” He nodded, glancing in the direction before turning back to her. 

God, his eyes. 

She was frozen to the spot and on fire all at once. In all her seventeen years, she’d never felt anything as intense as Dean just looking at her. How did he do that?

“I think I’m going to, uh...need a few more study sessions,” he said softly. “We might need to really get...in depth with the material.” This time his smile was a little shy, a lot less cocky than the first time she worked with him. And yet there was a mischievous glint in his eyes that let her know Dean Winchester would absolutely be worth every bit of trouble he got her into.

“I’ll see you at school tomorrow,” she said, intentionally not addressing his statement. For one thing, she didn’t think she could match his level of casual innuendo without sounding like a complete idiot. For another, she didn’t trust herself to respond without turning bright red. 

She turned towards her house when Dean seized her hand, yanked her carefully back, and caught her face between both of his palms. This time the kiss was blazing, not a trace of the gentleness from the last hour, and when he finally released her, she stood dazed and shaken, staring at him completely unfocused.

“See ya,” he said. He grinned as he released her and turned, loping across her yard with an easy grace before disappearing into the hedge. ...

Chapter 4