#rock lake motel

[deadmotelsusa]

Rock Lake Resort Motel opened in the 1940s and closed in 2022 after being damaged by Hurricane Ian. It was set to be demolished in September 2022 but the Google Street View shows it was still there two months later. Located in Fort Myers, Florida.

[valandrawrites]

2024 Recommended Fics - Incomplete List

Here's my start at an end of year round up. If you're looking for a specific kind of fic or trope, let me know, and I'll try to find something for you! I have many, many more I could add, and what I've included is in no particular order.

I didn't list the rating or warnings with this because it just got too long, and honestly, I'm lazy. Read at your own risk.

A. fragilis by eachainn @eachainn

This is quite simply the best fic I've ever read. Do not continue until you read this one!

150 million years ago, an Allosaurus finds a stranger had wandered into his territory and he wants the intruder out.

1878, the middle of what will become known as the Bone Wars between O.C. Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope. Castiel Novak is transporting fossils from the latest dig in South Dakota back to Yale. He has to be careful, because there are people who work for Professor Cope who would gladly take the fossils off of his hands.

Those Who Get in the Way of Peace by ladyofthelake17 @ladyofthe-lake

“Don’t make me an optimist. You will ruin my life.”

Dean Winchester finally has his shit together: business is booming at his auto repair shop, he's eating healthy (okay, he's eating salad with bacon bits), he's exercising (in a cemetery). He's single, but he's claiming it as a good thing. And so what if Sam's not talking to him? So what if his dad is marrying an insane artist? And so what if the priest marrying them is hot as hell with a name that sounds like a sin just to say it — Castiel?

AKA: another Fleabag fic, but maybe it'll have a happy ending. Maybe.

Illicit Ink by allmystars @allmystars-i

Dean Winchester has a secret. He does this thing maybe two or three times a week, and he loves it, don’t get him wrong, but… He’s a camboy, and that’s not exactly something he wants shared around the breakfast table. When Dean decides he needs a change, it’s nothing too drastic, just a tattoo. But the hot-as-sin tattoo artist he gets to do the job might just change everything.

Ground Control to Major Tom by MrsShinigamiDaiko @mrs-shinigami-daiko

Dean Winchester dreamed of being a mechanic all his life, but he never thought he would end up working as a mechanic for NASA and going into space. He is thrust into his first ever space mission after a strange lunar body, dubbed Luna-b I, mysteriously appears in Earth’s sky. Teams of astronauts scramble up to the permanent lunar base and begin analysis to determine if the blue orb is any threat to mankind. Most of the first team is sent home after a few months, nearly all of them having fallen ill with devastating cases of space sickness. As time goes on, it becomes clear that something altogether unnatural is going on here. Dean feels like he’s losing his mind as he and his crewmates also begin to succumb to sickness. He races to figure out what could possibly be the root cause. Is Luna-b I really just some weird, deep space rock that got caught in the Moon’s orbit by chance? Or is it something much more sinister, watching and waiting for the opportune moment?

Pinfall by crowleyo @crowleyo

Cas runs the family diner with his adopted son, Jack. His old high school flame rolls into town and he thinks he can just step back into Castiel's life. Well... He's kind of right.

This Impossible Happiness by FriendofCarlotta @friendofcarlotta

In one universe, Dean Winchester is pushing thirty. He’s just danced at his little brother’s wedding, he likes his job at the garage, and he goes on the occasional hunt with friends and family. He’s also desperately lonely for someone to share his life with. One day, he finds a mysterious package outside his door. It contains a news clipping about an urban legend that just might be real, and a book by Professor Castiel Novak, who happens to specialize in that same urban legend.

In another universe, Castiel Novak’s roadside motel is slowly dying, its business hollowed out by the interstate system. Dean Winchester, the man who asked him to run away together years ago, is only a painful regret these days. Until the day a mysterious letter Castiel doesn’t remember writing brings Dean back to his doorstep.

Out there in the multiverse, a man and an angel look for each other in all the wrong places. In the meantime, they might as well help a few other versions of themselves figure things out.

Then Comes the Rain by someonetoanyone @someonetoanyone-blog - a three part series

“I’m not looking forward to it,” Rowena tells him, as though that will absolve her of anything, “he may have a better solution for this, but the spell requires a smidge of spilled Grace. He’ll need to be hurt for this to work, and — Dean, all joking aside, you may be the only person fit to do this.”

“Oh, this’ll be great — go ahead, tell me why I’m the only one that can get butt-fucked to save the world.”

Mind Your Own Business by BunnyHunter

While the ability to overhear the secret thoughts of the people around him was distracting at best and anxiety-inducing at worst, Castiel had found ways to cope that included a pair of noise-canceling headphones and burying himself in his PhD research. After hearing inner thoughts for his entire life, there were very few things he overheard that surprised him anymore. So imagine his shock when his roommate Sam's brother, Dean, came to stay with them. While Dean may have been able to keep a straight face on the outside, his inner thoughts told a much different story.

Survivalism by bleuzombie @bleuzombie

Genetic engineers Castiel Novak and Dean Winchester are on the verge of a breakthrough in cancer treatment and possibly even a cure, using genetic manipulation and incredibly, shark DNA.

Following a devastating diagnosis of brain cancer, and amid growing pressure from his boss, Dick Roman, for results, Castiel is pushed to an act of desperation. He tests the cure on himself with disastrous and violent results.

He has never been so hungry.

Dean Winchester’s half-way house for orphaned half-monsters (and humans) by foolondahill17 @foolondahill17

What if Dean just kept every kid he’s ever interacted with?

A re-write of season 6 onwards in which Dean slowly collects every conceivable stray that crosses his path.

The eyes of a lamb by naughtystiel @naughtystiel for Shedar

The year is '98 and Spring is approaching fast. For most, the season is a symbol of new beginnings with Mother Nature’s chaste kiss that breathes life into everything once more. It's inspiring, peaceful and beautiful. So, the fact that this is exactly when a certain serial killer loves to strike makes Detective Winchester's blood boil. Two years in a row now, the guy has slipped through his fingers, not leaving a single trace behind. No clues, no leads, just murdered women in the most picturesque places imaginable. And the worst thing of all? Sometimes Dean catches himself admiring the killer's work.

where there is darkness by quiettewandering @quiettewandering @wanderingcas 

When Castiel Milton takes a job to be the new assistant keeper at Whaleback Lighthouse in Kittery, Maine, he expects to live out his new life in quiet isolation. What he gets instead is Dean Winchester: bitter, brash, and, like Castiel, harboring a dark secret. As the spark of attraction between them grows into a flame, the lighthouse walls start closing in—as do the ghosts of Dean and Castiel's checkered pasts.

[horrorshow]

a season 4(ish) fic rec list focusing on the emotional aftermath of dean going to hell and coming back, and what could have been, for @spnficrecfest

WALLS COME TUMBLING by destina sam/dean, 3.2k, rated E Sam was stupid last time, when Uriel snatched Dean away without warning. Stupid, and unprepared. He won't make that mistake again.

NO ONE IS ASKING (SO LEAVE IT ALONE) by xzombiexkittenx sam/dean, 9.4k, rated E Everyone has their coping mechanisms. Sam’s getting everything under control, one step at a time.

THE EVERLASTING GAZE by fleshflutter cas & dean, 1k It's a strange thing to hate your saviour. Dean doesn't remember Hell, not really. He doesn't remember Castiel putting his hand on him, drawing him up through the fire and blood. But there's a huge, frozen horror hidden in the back of his head. It creeps into his other thoughts.

SLEEPING BEAUTY by deadlybride sam/dean, rated M, 1.3k March 12, 2009. Sam rescues Dean from Alastair.

MORALITY ENDS WHERE A GUN BEGINS by lazy_daze sam/dean, 3.1k, rated E Sam hates the handprint and stares at it when Dean comes out of the shower in just a towel. It hardly even makes him feel better to see the stark lines of Dean's tattoo still on his skin, the same mark over Sam's own heart.

HIT THE GROUND CRAWLING by jonny_vrm sam/dean, 28k, rated E After Sam pulls Dean out of Hell, Dean stops talking. It takes a week for Sam to convince Dean to open his mouth so Sam can check that his tongue hasn't been cut out. It takes two weeks for Sam to accept that Dean really isn't talking. Then it takes a week of silence, the two of them sitting in the Impala like ventriloquist dummies, sitting in motel rooms like human taxidermy, before Sam decides to start talking for the both of them.

DEVIL'S TRAP by ratherastory alastair/dean, 3.8k There is water dripping slowly onto the Devil's Trap, and Dean doesn't care. AU where Sam is unable to kill Alastair in 4x16, exploring Alastair's relationship with Dean further.

PASSION by deadlybride sam/dean, 2.5k, rated M Hell reflects its ruler. Hell is, always, essentially Hell.

YOU TAKE IT WITH YOU by lazy_daze sam/dean, 30k, rated E Sam saves the world, and he brings Dean back from a month in Hell, but that's when things start to get complicated. Dean's cheated death before, but this time, it's different – Dean's spirit is unable to re-enter his body. Can Sam and Bobby work out how to reunite Dean's body and spirit? And how will Dean cope if they can't? From hunts in the Chicago lakes to visits to the Grand Canyon, with dreams, handjobs and hookers along the way, Sam and Dean ride it out and learn all over again how to live this life and live it together.

EMPTY SPACES by mariahlee dean, dean & sam, gen, 4.3k Hell? Consistent. He knew what to expect. Now, topside, everything is different. The world he used to know forty years ago is almost completely unfamiliar.

HANGMAN IS COMING DOWN FROM THE GALLOWS by withdiamonds sam/dean, 28k, rated E Today is the last day of Dean Winchester's life. Today is the last day of Dean Winchester's life. Today is the last day…

I ONLY DREAM OF YOU, MY BEAUTIFUL by sophie_448 sam/dean, 1.2k, rated M The last hours of the year are ticking by, and Sam realizes that there's no way to save Dean.

THE FIRESTARTER by jaimeykay dean & alastair, gen, 13k Set during On the Head of a Pin. While he waits for Dean, Alastair reminisces on what brought them together. Those forty years? Were delicious.

LIKE ROCK SALT WITHOUT A SHOTGUN by lazy_daze sam/dean, 2.8k, rated M Sam thought maybe, when it was all over, when he'd used his powers to their limit and stuffed all the demons back into hell and vaporized Lilith and nearly killed himself in the process -- he'd thought maybe they'd go.

THE DEVIL'S WATER IT AIN'T SO SWEET by xxamlaxx alastair/dean + cas/dean, nc-17 Dean comes back from hell with something extra.

HUNGRY AND HALLOW by hathfrozen sam/dean, 14k, rated E "Sorry," Dean gasps, going to tug the gun away, throw it to the floor, probably. It’s different—it was never okay, and this is—it’s different, what the fuck is he doing. Sam says, “Don’t," as he stretches his neck out and to the side slightly, opening it up to the cool press of the metal barrel.

HOWL VERSE by paxlux sam/dean, 85k, rated E In Hell, people change. Or they stay the same.

I FEEL FLAMES AGAIN by fleshflutter sam/dean, 12k, rated R Following a failed apocalypse, Dean nurses Sam through his addiction to demon's blood, which has driven Sam to horrific things.

FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD by deadlybride sam/dean, 2.4k, rated E Sam does what he has to do.

SO FAR FROM YOUR WEAPON/DIG, LAZARUS, DIG by maypoles sam & dean, gen S4, Dean has an especially effed up relationship with pain now, Sam finds out/realises / After "On The Head Of A Pin," Dean has a bit of a breakdown.

[bugsbenefit]

closest to canon Hawkins we can get

this is the map used in s2 and shows up in the canon show as well as in World's Turned Upside Down (also used as the base for most official artwork of Hawkins). as of now it's the most accurate map we have

there have been a few other maps on the show but those deviate a lot from what's seen in canon (like Bob's map showing a river near the town center that isn't really there). the only inconsistency with This map is that the County Coroner is a bit further south than in canon and that some locations that are referred to as "streets" in the show are marked as "roads" or "avenues" here. those are all minor changes though so as far as canon goes. this is the best map we've got

blue - bodies of water, white - buildings, green - residences, gray - streets, yellowish - speculative/not listed on the map but implied through the actual show

also, to explain further, i didn't make these locations up. all buildings in white and streets are already marked on the map, most of them are extremely hard to read and i just put more legible text on top. the Wheelers, Sinclairs, and Mayfields houses aren't listed but are easy to locate since their street names are on the map. only the yellow squares aren't explicitly confirmed on the map and are technically speculative since i added them based on canon information

(explanation of the reasoning for those placements under the cut for anyone that's interested. bc, personally, i hate seeing maps online that make plainly wrong claims without even trying to explain how they got there)

just starting off, almost every version of this map places the Wheeler and Sinclair home further north than me which is canonically false. those maps use a wrong scale. Lucas and Mike are almost next door neighbors (there is only One house number between theirs, but that house could also be located across the road from them, making them actual next door neighbors). also, Maple Street starts further south than a lot of people using this map seem to acknowledge. the actual order of the two houses is up for debate and could easily be switched though

Melvad's is technically also speculative since it isn't listed on the map (only the cinema and police station are). but looking at the town square in the show and the irl location of the stores you can pinpoint it's position

"Weathertop", the highest area in Hawkins, which is where Cerebro is located in s3. since the town is shown to be behind Starcourt when positioned on Wheatertop, the hill has to be located behind the mall

Hopper's trailer is shown to be next to a lake and only features in s1, the shape of the lake matches Lake Tippecanoe the closest but i'm not dead set on this

Benny's Burgers is canonically on Randolph Lane, the map doesn't feature this road but has a Randolph Way instead. it might be an entirely different road, or Randolph lane could be an unmarked offshoot of the marked Randolph Way. however, since Randolph Way leads out of Hawkins into a forested area near HNL and the forest the party looked for Will in, the general location of the road is probably a good guess for it's location

Mrs Driscoll's home is somewhere on Cornwallis Street. we don't know where on the street, but it's there somewhere. (the same also goes for the motel Billy and Karen wanted to meet up at, but since we never even saw the location i didn't mark it on the map)

the Brimborn Steelworks are on Cherry Oak Drive, accessible when driving down Cornwallis. the street Cherry Oak Drive also doesn't exist on the map. however, a street called Cherry Avenue conveniently directly connects to Cornwallis so i'm inclined to believe that's where the Steelwork is located (Cherry Oak Drive could also be an offshoot of Cherry Avenue or it could just be an inconsistency sploof)

the Byers home is marked twice on the map since it could be located on either road leading away from Mirkwood (Kerley or Cornwallis)

Skull rock and Reefer Rick's Cabin are both located at Lovers Lake but since we don't know their exact locations they're technically speculative

Garrot Street is only implied by canon and it's probably the loosest connection on here. Skull Rock is noted to be near "Cornwallis and Garrot". there is only two major/big roads noted near lovers lake, one of them is Cornwallis, the other one would then most likely be Garrot (also made likelier by the fact that the actual name of the road is completely illegible on the map and could be anything)

also note. the Eno River is also on this map, but i had to crop it a bit to fit a reasonable scale. it would be in the far northwest of the map (the south-most tip of it is still visible)

locations that become relevant later on and aren't marked on the map, that also aren't locatable through additional canon information would be things like Max's old home, the Roane Hill Cemetery, the Creel House on Morehead, and Pennhurst (even though we don't know if Pennhurst is actually in the Hawkins map are). also things like the community pool in s3 or town hall in s4 don't show up either

[haunted-plush]

Cars + Pokémon au

Doesn't change anything about the canon for the most part, the characters are humanized and just happen to have Pokémon partners that follow them around... I just decided to make this au because I like Cars and I like Pokémon, so why not mash the two together lmao

Lightning: Jolteon that he's had since he was an Eevee named Rush. Very exitable, kind of a prankster and a troublemaker, and likes to give everyone [Lightning included] a hard time, but he can be a sweet little guy for sure [when he wants to be]

Sally: a male and female Meowstic that she evolved from two Espurr. Female is named Silk and the male is named Satin, and she's had them both since she was a lawyer in Los Angeles. They help around the motel

Mater: huge Mudsdale named Carrots that is very stoic and rigid, and intimidating without even trying to be. She does have emotions on the inside, she just doesn't display them much, a big contrast to her trainer, who under exactly what she's feeling without having to try. Her favorite treat is carrots

Doc: Audino named Bee that helps out in his medical office as well as helps him out using her telekinesis to move heavier or large objects since he's disabled

Sheriff: Arcanine named Deputy, he's a very loyal partner and loves making him proud

Luigi and Guido: Sneaky mischievous little Meowth named Bambino who always tries to steal coins whenever possible, or even just trinkets left out. He gets gently smacked with a broom for stealing pretty often, but he still gets gifts of shiny objects to keep him happy. Plus he's very good at looking cute and innocent, even when he often isn't. His bed is made out of an old repurposed tire Mater built for him

Flo: Whimsicott named Pancakes that helps her out in the kitchen and will also go out and serve food, she's very well liked by everyone who comes in. There's also a Vanillite, Vanillish, and Vanilluxe that float around for atmosphere and such. They live in the freezer

Ramone: Grafaiai named Inks, very playful, extroverted and loves to cause a bit of trouble, but still takes their art very seriously. They're very proud of the designs that get made into tattoos

Red: Samurott named Admiral that's a lot more outgoing than he is, standing guard with Deputy a lot of the time and doing his best to look intimidating. He's still playful though, and does his best to help push Red along, although he loses his patience with him a bit sometimes. He's also got some spots along his body as a unique pattern detail

Lizzy: Mandi the Mandibuzz that sits on her shoulder and glares at people. Red is scared of it.

Chick: Haxorus named Tusker, he likes parading him around and using him to intimate people in public. He also has the Pix the Sylveon who he evolved from an Eevee, and he doesn't really show off as much. He secretly loves them both a lot

The King: Arorus named Blue, also has an Archeops named Screech because dinosaur and also Archeops is cool

Other Pokémon: There's a Klefki that lives in the motel, Sally takes care of it being the one who runs it but it was there before she moved in

Lots of ground types living in and around Radiator Springs, plus some rock, steel, and fire types. Lots of Silicobra, Diglett, some Sandshew and Sandslash

Over by the lake there's more grass and water types, with mostly rock types over by Wheel Well before they cleaned it up

Lightning got his lunch stolen that he was eating outside by a Talonflame once

Mater also claims to have fought against the elite four and was even offered to replace the regional champion but he declined [he also claims Lightning was there as well]

If anyone has any ideas or anything they'd like to add feel free to share them in the tags, I'd love to hear anything anyone has to contribute!!

[wandering-winchesters]

A Million Times More

Pairing: Dean x Female Reader Word Count: 1,689 Trigger Warnings: None, straight fluff. Summary: The reader and Dean make a pit stop on the way back from a hunt, will their true feelings finally be revealed? A/N: I needed some happy Dean. Requests are open!

Masterlist

The atmosphere inside the impala is relaxed and happy, uncommon after returning from a hunt. It had gone incredibly well, the closest to perfect that a hunt could really go. The radio is on full blast, Dean is singing his heart out to whatever classic rock song comes on next, his fingers drumming along on the steering wheel. It had been our first hunt just the two of us, Sam was sick and we had ganged up on him, making him hang back and rest. 

“C’mon Y/N, sing with me!” Dean says, reaching over and pushing my knee playfully, the happiest I have seen him in a long while. I shake my head at him, a small laugh escaping my lips. But I join in, singing the words to the song on the radio. I roll down my window, and Dean follows my lead. The fresh warm air flowing over both of us. The smell of rain in the distance, but the air is crisp and clear all at the same time. Mingled with the smell of grass, dirt and a faint hint of smoke. Summer. My favorite. If someone could perfectly bottle this smell, I would buy all of it myself. I haven’t felt this relaxed and happy, since before I found out that demons, ghost and werewolves are real, many many years ago. 

“Dean, pull into that park! I want to go walk around the lake!” I say, turning to look at him, the chance to get out and explore together an opportunity that rarely comes along. He chuckles, but obliges and slows the Impala to make the turn. 

“Your wish is my command, sweetheart.” He says, winking at me. I roll my eyes, but smile internally, his words spreading warmth through my body. 

“Always the flirt, Deano.” I say back, a smile plastered across my face. 

He parks in the loose gravel parking lot, I lean down to put my shoes back on and he walk around to my side of the car and opens my door. I look up at him, surprised at his action. 

“Oh, a perfect gentleman now, are you?” I ask, accepting the hand he offers me and slide out of the Impala, he closes the door behind me. 

“On occasion.” He replies, and Instead of releasing my hand, he keeps it held tightly in his own. A strange action coming from the green eyed hunter, but I don’t mind. Affection is far and few between when you live a hunter's life. I am not much of a one night stand person and I don’t dare drag someone else into this life for a relationship. So the only time I get physical touch is when I hug one of the boys. Or when Dean and I have to share a motel bed, or the back seat of the Impala. Not that I complain about those occurrences either. 

The sun is bright, reflecting off the top of the calm lake surface. I squint, looking out into the body of water, pointing out a flock of ducks floating across the surface. 

“Thank you for stopping,” I say, squeezing his hand lightly, “I needed an adventure, that didn’t include an exorcism.” He chuckles lightly, his steps matching mine as we follow the path along the lake. 

“Of course, once you mentioned it I couldn’t think of anything I would rather do tonight.” He stops suddenly, bending down to grab something he had seen in the dirt. He releases my hand, an action that I try not to be too sad about. He shows me what he grabbed, a smooth, flat rock. I am confused at first, which must be evident in my facial expression because he is quick to show me his plan. 

“Just watch.” He teased, his eyes sparkling with joy. “I haven’t done this since I was 10 or so.” He turns to face the lake, tossing the stone from his left hand to his right. He leans back slightly to the side and sends the rock flying towards the water. I expect it to sink, but he had the perfect angle and it skipped, five times across the surface of the water before sinking beneath the surface. He turns back to me, a cheeky smile turning up the corners of his mouth, reaching all the way to the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. 

“And that sweetheart, is how you skip a rock.” I applaud his actions, a bit over the top but he enjoys it. He walks back to my side and is quick to hold my hand again. His fingers interlocking with my own, his grip firm but comfortable. I am distracted from the view of the lake by the feeling of his thumb, gently stroking the length of my index finger. 

We walk in comfortable silence for awhile, the need for conversation nonexistent, simply enjoying the others company. The sun is setting slowly, nearing the surface of the lake. If I didn’t understand basic science it would be easy to believe that the lake was swallowing and extinguishing the sun. The sky is changing from blue to orange, pink streaked through as if a giant paint brush was dragging it across the sky. Before I know it, we had done the full loop of the car and wound up back at the impala. Dean begins to walk back towards the car but I hesitate, stopping suddenly. He stops and glances back at me, our hands still clasped together. 

“Wait, not yet. Just a few more minutes?” I ask, raising my eyebrows and putting on my best puppy dog eyes. He chuckles softly, his lips raised at the corners and he rolls his eyes ever so slightly. He nods, and leans against the trunk of the Impala, pulling me into his embrace. My back against his chest, his hands locked around my waist and my hands resting on top of his own. I rest my head on his collarbone, angling my face toward the sinking sun. His chin is pressed gently against the side of my face, his five o clock shadow tickling my skin, but I don’t mind. I inhale deeply, taking in my surroundings and pleasantly overwhelmed by the scent of his cologne mixed with the night air. I shiver slightly from the gust of wind that comes out of nowhere, Dean notices and pulls me closer his breath hot against my skin. 

“Do you ever wish for a normal life Dean? A life filled with sunsets, family and peaceful adventure?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper not wanting to break the tranquility of the moment. He hums, his chest vibrating against my back. 

“Somedays, I do. It would be nice, not worrying about the end of humanity constantly.” He hesitates, his next words on the tip of his tongue, but he’s uncertain, I can hear it in his tone. 

“What’re you thinking?” I ask, prompting him to continue, bringing my hands up to his own, clasped around my waist. 

“I’m glad that I don’t have that normal life you mentioned, because If I did, I never would’ve met you when I saved your ass from that witch. Never would’ve gotten to see you laugh at Sam’s stupid dad jokes, or watch you gain confidence in your abilities. I never would’ve learned any of the pointless facts that you like to drop into every conversation possible.” I elbow him gently and he laughs as I turn around to face him, his face glowing in the light from the setting sun. 

“I thought you loved those facts! I only look them up so I have something to tell you when you’re angry or upset.” I say, slightly concerned that I had been annoying him all along. He looks down at me, his green eyes locking with my own. He considers his next words carefully, taking the time to brush a strand of my hair out of my face.

“I do love those facts Y/N. I love everything about you.” He murmurs, one of his hands coming to rest on the small of my back, the other settling in the curve of my neck. 

My heart is racing, surely beating out of my chest if it wasn’t for my ribcage keeping it firmly in place. I have dreamed of being this close to Dean, a fact that I would never admit out loud. The feelings that I have had for him all these years, never leaving my innermost thoughts. “There’s one reason, above all of those that I am glad that I have the life that I do. If I had never met you sweetheart, I wouldn’t be able to do this.” He says, his voice dropping to a whisper as he uses the hand cupping my neck to pull me closer to him. He leans down and presses his lips to my own, in the most meaningful kiss I have ever had. His presence consumes me, all of my senses occupied by him. He’s all I can see, hear, taste, smell and feel. I never want this moment to end, I could spend eternity in this mans arms. His lips on my own, all consumed. He strokes the small of my back with his fingertips, pulling me closer than I ever imagined possible. Our bodies fit together like a puzzle, shaped and molded for the other. He pulls away, resting his forehead on my own. Our breathing matches, rushed and heavy. 

“Dean, I-“ He stops me with his lips once more, the gentlest kiss known to mankind and it melts me further. “I love you, Y/N. I would live this life a million times more if it meant I got to kiss you again.” He says, his lips brushing against mine as he speaks. 

“I love you, too, Dean.” It was in this moment I realized something. It was all worth it, the pain and sorrow, the anguish of losing those you loved, all of it. Every hunt, every late night drive. I never want it to end, as long as I have him by my side. 

[accirax]

Disventure Camp All Stars Power Ranking (Round 19)

The finale begins!

In case you haven't seen my previous power rankings, the Power Ranking Format is essentially a way of ranking how well each player is doing in the game. So, in essence, this is a long form way of predicting who I think will be eliminated from the competition in the next episode. There will be spoilers for last week's episode (obviously) and its power ranking, so make sure to read that first if you don't want to be spoiled on how I ranked our last boot. If you want more clarification on the rules, that first post will help you out as well. Furthermore, I'm going to be spoiling the preview for next episode, so if you want to go in TOTALLY blind, save this for later. Let's go!

Recap - The Motel Episode

Current Score: 76 acquired/113 total

(Points versus @venus-is-thinking: 27 acquired/38 total)

Bench Points: 8/10 (so far)

(Note: Scoring for Fiore, James, and Yul was taken from the Motel episode. Scoring for Tom, Aiden, Lake, Connor, and Miriam are taken from the preview.)

Well, that was... not what I expected! I mean, all of the character dynamics and fun banter I mostly expected-- other than that one last shot at some Yul depth-- but the setup for the three finale helpers being chosen by a first-dibs challenge was not. And, even if I knew that that was going to happen, I probably wouldn't have guessed that Fiore, James, and Yul would be chosen as the helpers to Ally, Jake, and Riya. I look forward to seeing those unexpected pairings gain more focus in the finale.

Yeah, I think that pretty much everything else I had to say, I covered in my initial thoughts. There's less to talk about here when no one was actually eliminated. So, let's look at the trailer!

Trailer Analysis

Looks like Emily will literally have to drag Trevor into being complicit kicking and screaming. Surely Derek and Trevor won't have a misunderstanding this episode that is resolved romantically in the last episode, right?

I'm guessing that Ally and Jake are practicing here? Notably, it appears that Jake wins the practice race. I'm sure that won't get in Ally's head.

Ooh, are they doing the Survivor-style finalists' breakfast this season?

Is this one of their letters from home? Why is Jake smiling while reading it? Out of the two of them, I would guess it's probably Riya's letter, but it could also be a surprise Connor's letter or something.

We're back in the mines from Season 1! Some bonus trauma for Jake, as that challenge occurred in the episode where Ellie berated him before he got eliminated.

I guess maybe they have to mine/dig for clues?

Despite the two seemingly getting along while eating breakfast, Ally will still sabotage Jake's team via giving James a rock to the face. Maybe that'll make James think twice about emotionally supporting Ally. (/j)

So, Emily's act of sabotage (for this episode at least) is releasing the scorpions onto the campers in the midst of an otherwise peaceful challenge. Hooray for murdering people...?

First of all, Jake needs to stop engaging in long jumps where he barely makes it to the other side. Secondly, this is probably the same gap that we see Riya putting a bridge over multiple times in the trailer, which may imply that Jake and James reach this area before Riya and Yul.

Of course, everyone is going to wind up in the same tunnel at the same point in time anyways.

This is interesting because, in the last shot, Riya was in the front of the pack. But now, she's throwing a rock at Ally, who's ahead of her. I wonder which scene happens first.

"C'mon, everyone! Let's do the Jake cheer we've been practicing!" "One, two, three, four! Gooooooo--" "And, that's enough of that! Here come our finalists!"

James looking so dead inside while doing the cheer has me dead. Based on this, I'm guessing that Ally will have Hunter, Tess, Grett, Gabby, and Ellie, as well as picking up Alec, who's there to support Fiore. That would leave Jake and Ally with even benches, and Riya with no one other than a mandatory Yul. I feel really bad for Ally, though, given that Jake picked up both Ashley and Connor. It makes sense why both of them would pick Jake (they befriended him first), but I hope she doesn't take it too hard.

Power Ranking

I don't even think anyone is getting voted out this episode, so I'll keep this formality relatively quick.

#1: Jake

Jake is still my winner pick, as he has been for a while, and nothing other than his elimination is going to change that. Going up against Ally + Fiore and Riya + Yul is a stellar combo for Jake, because no way ONC wants Fiore or Yul to actually get their hands on any money. The only mildly confusing thing is that James would wind up winning money from the show again (despite being the first boot, even), but I have half a mind to believe that he'll just donate that money to Ally anyways.

I think that James is here to be an audience insert. Having barely participated in the game at all, James is still of the belief that Jake is exactly the same as he was at the end of Season 1, no matter what Aiden tries to tell him. By being someone who had no faith in Jake who learns over the course of the finale that Jake truly did become a more thoughtful and responsible guy, ONC will use a character that the audience loves to prove why they too should root for Jake's victory. They want to prove to the nonbelievers that Jake has improved, through him mending his relationship with his first DCAS burn. Or at least, that's how I see it, as a Jake winner truther since the beginning of the merge.

#2: Ally

While an Ally/Riya finale feels basically impossible to me, a Jake/Riya finale is plausible. Offputting, but plausible.

Ally has been in the strange position of being rootable but unlikeable for most of the game. I believe that she could turn it around and win, if ONC is going for a plot twist ending, or that she could be taken out now as the lesser of two evils to let the real baddie shine in the finale. Most likely, though, I believe she'll take second, learning some important life lessons and maybe getting some money from James.

Fiore is probably here to be the devil on Ally's shoulder. She'll suggest something cruel and unusual, and it'll be up to Ally to decide whether she can resist those urges, or whether her fate will fall to villainy. Fiore also may be here as someone who can comment on her relationship with Hunter. She saw the beginning where they were fighting, but she's also been at the Loser's Motel for long enough that she probably knows how Hunter feels about her now. If she's feeling nice, she could use that as motivation.

Let's go team Fiore!!!

#3: Riya

If someone is eliminated in this episode, it'll be confusing in and out of universe if it isn't Riya. She has Yul as a partner and a second disadvantage, and no one should want to work with or root for her. She's also obviously not going to win the season, so if the writers want to keep up suspense for who does, they should eliminate her and leave the finale to Jake and Ally. Really, the only reasons why I don't think she would be eliminated this time are because 1) it's so obvious and 2) I don't think anyone will actually be eliminated this episode.

I think that Yul is mostly here for the comedy of it all, and so that the writers didn't have to choose who he would genuinely choose to root for otherwise. There is also some juicy potential for something I've mentioned before-- for both of them to reflect on their shared tendency to sabotage themselves by always choosing material success over building relationships or choosing to be kind. If we're lucky, we'll get some reflection on that, but I'll be happy with just a Riya/Yul cringe comp.

Alright, I've probably hit my government-mandated word count now that I've yapped about the helper choices a bit. Excited for the finale! Let's end this season on a high note!

[agentshades]

Ok ok, but something's up with Bob Baldur

**spoilers for Alan Wake 1 and 2***

So, Bob Baldur - the mysterious 3rd member of the Old Gods of Asgard. I actually thought he was a new character for Alan Wake 2 when I first played it, a sudden new person in what had always been an iconic rock duo. Suddenly there and mentioned in a newspaper article as having died sometime in the past.

But! Then now I'm replaying Alan Wake 1 and Alan Wake's American Nightmare. In the scene where Alan encounters the Anderson brothers at Cauldron Lake Lodge, if you hang around long enough, Tor will tell Alan that he should have been at the parties they threw at the farm. He then specifically mentions "Fat Bob Baldur" throwing an Amp out the window and hitting a "hippie chick." He then mentions that Bob died, and Odin quickly cuts in to yell "leukemia!" With a speed that makes me wonder if he was trying to interrupt something else Tor might have been about to say.

Then, in Alan Wake's American Nightmare, there's a radio in the motel courtyard that plays an interview with the Old Gods and again, Fat Bob Baldur is mentioned and again it comes up that he died, and again Odin hastily shouts "leukemia" before redirecting the conversation.

That's all got me properly suspicious as to what actually happened to Bob Baldur. But then we see him for the first time in Alan Wake 2, oin photos of the band from back in the day, in the projection during Dark Ocean Summoning, and in the musical sequence with young Tor and Odin. But he's not fat. He's possibly the skinniest member of the band. Now, this could be explained either by Remedy changing their opinions on depicting fat people in a joking manner with changing cultural attitudes on fatphobia or just a desire to have Baldur also played by a member of Poets like Young Tor and Odin are (and none of the Poets being particularly weighty guys). But it could also have some unknown significance.

What I find more interesting is that Bob appears with Tor and Odin in the musical. Neither Tor nor Odin are dead, they have simply entered the Dark Place via the Lake. Time being meaningless there, they can look young if they want to I guess. *But* Bob is supposedly dead. Dead people don't go to the Dark Place, it isn't hell or something. So how is Bob there unless the reports of his death are fabricated and he somehow ended up in Cauldron Lake or some as yet unknown other entrance to The Dark Place?

What's more, what little we know of the Old Gods' backstory parallels a lot of things about Scandinavian mythology: Odin loses an eye to Door, Tor calls lightning to banish Door presumably into the Dark Place, and Baldur dies.

But Baldur's death in mythology means something very important.

Baldur's death is the beginning of Ragnarok, the end of the world.

Just what really happened to Bob Baldur, and what might it have set in motion?

[sl-walker]

Preview...

...from the next chapter of Stardust, which will go out at some point after I finish it. Until then, please enjoy this opener to an already wildly self-indulgent chapter.

--

“I maintain that this would be easier in a pool,” Ted said, though given his tone, he was kvetching to kvetch -- his term -- and was perfectly content with where they were.

Booster had never been in any body of water larger than a hot tub or a cold water post-game bath before, so obviously he’d wanted to jump into Lake Michigan.  It was upwards of 90 out and it wasn’t the dry heat of El Paso; this heat clung to the body, making clothes stick in wildly uncomfortable ways and in insanely uncomfortable places, and so naturally he wanted to wear as little as possible and the best place to get away with wearing very little was the beach.  The incredible amount of blue and water was just a bonus.

And that wasn’t even taking into account a Ted wearing nothing but swim goggles and trunks.  Which meant this could well be either Booster’s very personal heaven or his very personal hell.  Unless there was a weird personal purgatory where you were being tortured with the appealing sight of the unaware object of your affections?

Hell if he knew.  There was a reason he body-swerved religion like it was a wharf rat hissing from the storm drain.

He'd thought about going out to some of the Long Island beaches before, maybe as an afternoon trip, but the ocean intimidated him every bit as much as he was fascinated by it.  By his time, the oceans were very barren; mostly, they existed as giant vats to grow specialized algae, which in turn became the building blocks of most food sources.  Storms could rage, but the vast bumpers and floats and dividers kept the surface anywhere near shore fairly smooth; to let it get wild would be to risk starving some large portion of the roughly two billion people inhabiting Earth at any given time.

In this time, waves roared ashore and smashed against rocks and the first time he’d stood on an unsheltered walk next to an unfettered ocean had left him so awed that he didn’t even remember the walk back to the motel.  His face was windburned and he was cold enough that he took the warmest shower he could coax out of the motel’s hot-water heaters, and then sat shivering wrapped in the cheap blankets after.

But even as he did, he was still reliving the reverberation of water pounding the shore, a low and bone-shaking boom that felt like it changed the very rhythm of his heart right through the soles of his shoes.  He was still tasting salt, flecks of seawater spray flung by the wind, long after it had to have been impossible to.

Lake Michigan was cheerful by comparison to that; the waves were nonexistent today, and given the rental Ted had chosen, the largely private beach was likewise quiet.  Down the way, one of the various public beaches that lined the North Shore was busier -- Jaime, Brenda and Paco had abandoned them to go investigate the more social scene, in fact -- but there had been no talk of Booster and Ted going with.

If one was going to half-ass some swimming lessons, then it couldn’t be a better day for it, or a better location.  And, ulterior motives about getting to see the man in trunks aside, Booster wouldn’t have wanted them from anyone but Ted anyway.

Booster shrugged, drawing his hands through the water in a wide arc around himself, feeling the resistance against his palms. “Easier, sure, but way less pretty,” he said, as he pretended with award-winning composure that he was referring to the lake and not his oblivious instructor.  Though the lake was also pretty.

“Yeah, but with a pool you can practice kicking by holding onto the side.  For an example.”  Ted looked around; he had so much sunscreen on his face and shoulders that there was a glaze of it left on his skin.  Not enough to hide the birthmark on the back of one shoulder.  He smelled like artificial coconut, which was definitely not Booster’s favorite scent, and Booster still would have happily buried his face in Ted’s neck for a snootful.  “I mean, out here all you have to hold onto is me,” Ted added.

Booster stared at him for a second or two, then swallowed down a groan and just let himself slide below the surface because it was that or die right there.

He was laying sort-of on the floor of Lake Michigan in a speedo and goggles and the guy he was absolutely head over heels for was mostly naked and this was the single worst idea he’d ever had in his life.

But, he had to allow as he stared up through the water at the distorted image of his best friend looking down at him in what was undoubtedly a bemused fashion, there were definitely worse ways to go.

[talltalesandbedtimestories]

“Hard Boot” - Dean x Reader

Part of the “Control Panel” Series

Rating Mature

Dean x Reader (Newly Established Intimate Relationship)

Tags: Dean Angst and Self-Loathing, Inability to Word, Adult Language, Dean POV

Word Count: 2500

After one night of sexual exploration, a case lured you both back into hunting mode. There was hardly time to breathe, let alone figure out how you were collectively supposed to handle this new aspect of your relationship. Is it any wonder Dean had to go and mess it up? That’s his expertise.

Note: You don’t have to read the first part, Factory Reset, to get the gist of this “What the heck are we supposed to do now? Friends to lovers” trope. But if you’re intrigued by these two, please try it.

I'm participating in @jacklesversebingo and this part will fill my "Admit it." square.

Image created in Canva (credit for photo used:  Supernatural/Warner Bros.)

The shot glass tinks atop the counter. It’s barely audible. Dean glances up and the bartender appears, summoned by the tell tale call of a drunk.

Not just any drunk. The Fuck It Up Seven Ways To Sunday kind of drunk. Also known as Dean Winchester.

The bar is deserted. It’s 1:00 pm on a Wednesday outside the touristy parts of New Orleans.

The bartender tips the whiskey bottle in her hand. Dean nods. She pours.

“So, what exactly are you tryna drown, cher? Cause it might be easier to head a little north and walk into Lake Pontchartrain.”

Dean snorts. “Trust me, that’s crossed my mind.”

All the wrinkles in the older woman’s face droop along with her frown. “It can’t be that bad. Unless you’re broke… or your heart is.” 

Dean shifts atop the stool. “My wallet’s full, thanks. Leave the bottle.”

Dean grunts at his inability to put one foot in front of the other trekking down the hallway to the hotel room. The air is spinning around him in a vortex, forcing his body to lean to the right even though his brain tries to rationally push forward. He’s in an anti-funhouse of his own creation. 

He doesn’t remember how he finally gets into the room. Just that he is. He flops on the bed. Breathes in deep and holds it. Staving off the nausea that he deserves.

You should be here. Beside him. Celebrating a win.

He closes his eyes and lets the pain and loss keep him company instead in the late afternoon.

Sleep eludes him. He tosses. Turns. Spends time with his head hanging over the toilet bowl.

He stares at the alarm clock on the nightstand as it ticks over into 10 PM territory. When his eyes peel open again, it’s sometime after 1 AM.

He sniffs the air.

He smells you.

Before he can realize it’s a mistake, he springs to sitting. The hammer nailing together a house in his head takes a back seat to the elation seeing you sat at the foot of the bed.

You look demure in your side saddle position. The patient stare has Dean wondering how long you’ve been watching him sleep.

He wants to ask. But he’s afraid anything he says is going to be wrong. So he just stares back.

Your face is void of any discernible emotion.

And that freaks Dean out more than anything. Because even when he couldn’t read you like a book, he could at least hazard a guess. Even if it was wrong, it was something.

But all he sees now is a shield. A wall that he’s caused.

“I’m gonna head out.” You state in a curt tone that leaves no room for debate.

“You already were out.” The head pounding irritation preoccupies him enough that the sass spills out, uncontrolled. Your lids slit for a second. Well, he got some reaction.

“I-” You straighten up. A sorry attempt at a laugh huffs out. “Forget it.” You’re up off the bed and snagging items dropped around the room. Things are stuffed into your bag with haste.

Dean wants the elation to return to the room. Twenty-four hours prior, you were smiling. Eager to track down the Djinn. It had been a day’s drive from Lebanon to New Orleans, with a 6-hour stop in between at the Cradle Rock Motel.

Dean would have done whatever you wanted in that motel room. All that possibility and you had him flying high on adrenaline. You’d handled him with kid gloves and given him an experience he’d cherish, even if he was still sore. He would have let you strap on Marvin again and fold him like Origami. He wanted that again. He wanted it all with you.

But all you had wanted in the end as you laid in bed was to curl up and sleep in his arms. You wanted to rest before getting back on the road in your separate rides. 

And the simple act of being with you. Static. Stationary. Silent. That was wonderful, too.

There was the promise of staying in bed for days after you took care of the monster together. Lingering lips. Suggestive smirks. Greedy gropes.

All of that was a distant memory now.

You throw the duffle over your shoulder. “Bye, Dean.”

He bungees off the bed. Rushes to the door to wedge between you and the exit. “That’s it?” His stomach roils at the exertion but he pushes it down.

Your voice doesn’t waver. “For now. Yeah.”

Dean holds his ground for another second. Two. Three. Four.

“Don’t make it worse.” You plead.

That reminds him the ownness of this whole mess is in fact on him. And he relinquishes.

And watches you walk out the door.

 

Dean clinks down the iron bunker stairs. Three weeks of hunting non-stop has joints creaking, muscles aching. He plans to beeline it to the showers and let the glorious water pressure ease some of the pain. There’s also an 80-year old bottle of Macallan in his bedroom that will ease everything else.

Sam’s out at Eileen’s. The texts back and forth earlier were short and mainly for informational purposes. Sam gave up trying to find out what was going on with Dean two weeks back. As long as he checked in and provided proof of life, Sam didn’t pester for details.

Dean marches through the war room, into the library, weaves the labyrinth of halls to get to his room.

He keeps his head down when he rounds the final corner. He doesn’t want to glimpse the door marked number 16 at the end of the hallway. It’s your bedroom. Well, whenever you crash at the bunker it’s yours.

There’s a twist in his gut when he realizes you might never sleep in that bed or cross the threshold into the Men of Letters homebase again.

He’s been avoiding returning because of all the reminders of you. The wound is as fresh and festering as it was when you left him in New Orleans. He can distract from the pain during moments occupied with cases and bad guys. This, not so much.

He opens his door, good ole number 11. 

When he left this room last, you were here with him. 

And goddammit. You’re all he can see no matter where his gaze lands.

The duffle drops onto the mattress. Another musty bed in another room in another hallway might be a better alternative tonight.

He considers it. He’ll decide for sure after his shower.

Dean grumbles when he gets back to the room.

It shouldn’t be possible and his mind must be playing tricks on him, but he thinks he catches the scent of you. 

Yeah, he can’t sleep in here tonight.

He runs a hand through his towel dried hair and peels off Tad’s robe. He toes out of the slippers and tugs on a pair of sweats and a well-worn henley. The realization he’s donned the shirt inside out takes a backseat to the more important matter of grabbing the bottle of Macallan.

He shuffles over in bare feet and squats by the cabinet under his desk. His mouth is watering in anticipation of that smooth amber-colored nectar coating his throat.

“What the fuck?” he mumbles in confusion.

The bottle is gone.

“Looking for this?”

Dean stills at the question floating over his shoulder.

The voice isn’t something he expected to hear back at the bunker anytime soon. Maybe ever.

He rises, inhales through his nose. Mentally prepares for when he turns and faces you.

When he does rotate on his heels, he purses his lips into a tight line. He can’t let the impulse to smile win out.

You're wearing one of his flannels. It’s the black, white and gray one he hasn’t worn in ages. And the way the sweatpants hang loose and baggy and obscure your feet; well, he’s pretty sure those are his, too. Leaning against the doorsill, you look as if you’re trying way too hard to appear casual about any of this. The bottle of Macallan in your grip is displayed as a peace offering.

There’s the tiniest grin quirking up your lips. You look at the bottle, then to Dean. “I was keeping an eye on it.”

Dean inspects the liquid level of the scotch as a distraction. If he stares at that mouth of yours a second longer, he’ll forgive you for anything.  “That’s about four fingers lighter than when I left.”

Your brows raise. Mouth opens. Dean knows you're ready to dispute his measurements. But something else clicks in Dean’s head and he doesn’t give you a chance.

“How long have you been staying here?”

You sigh and enter the bedroom. The bottle rests on the tiny corner table. You collapse into the chair beside it. “This’ll be my third night.”

Dean stands there. Blinks. You settling in is hopefully a good sign.

“Sam gave me a heads up that you were coming back some time tonight.”

“Why didn’t you high tail it out of here when you got wind of me?” Dean asks.

Your mouth tilts into a frown. “I came here to wait for your slow ass to return, Winchester.” You thumb at the bottle. “I may have needed some liquid courage during my stay to, you know, stick around.”

Dean crosses his arms, determined not to give an inch. Doesn’t matter how goddamn sexy you look. How your hair’s mussed from laying in bed. How his oversized shirt is unbuttoned enough at the collar to display the lovely expanse of skin from the column of your neck to the round of your shoulder. He prepares for the flailing you must have been wanting to give him so badly that you camped here for days. He tries not to think about how much he’d love to bend over so you can give him a spanking.

You stare up at him from the chair. “Oookaayyy.” Palms run over cloth-covered thighs. “I wanted to explain myself. Back in New Orleans.”

Dean shrugs, his crossed arms lifting up with the movement.

“We were a mess on that hunt.” You start. “All sorts of wrong. Second guessing. Getting in each other’s way. That Djinn got the upperhand on us because we were sloppy.”

Dean scoffs. “It wasn’t that bad.”

“You tackled it while I was about to kill the fucking thing.” You counter.

“You were getting choked out WHILE it was lighting up like an electric smurf.” Dean’s voice rises.

“I had the silver knife to its throat UNTIL you hip checked and then rolled around with Mr. Sandman doing the horizontal mambo.”

“Who was trying to pull it off me only to get a nasty throat punch?”

You raise both hands. “Look, my point is we were off our game. And I’ve never, ever had to worry about you having my back. Until that hunt.”

Dean rolls his shoulders like he’s ready to take flight. “What the hell does that mean?”

“Do you think I’m a good hunter?” you ask.

“What the hell kind of question is that?”

“A simple one.” A tap on the table precedes your rise. You stroll with purpose towards him. “Do you think I’m a good hunter?” you repeat.

“Of course I do. You might even be the third best hunter on the planet.”

You smile and, dammit, Dean melts a little. You clear your throat and the smile fades. “Then why didn’t you let me do my job?”

Dean stills. He watches your frame relax. The bravado seeps from your posture.

“Things are different between us now.” You sigh. “I hoped that what we did would bring us closer. More in sync on a hunt. But it did the exact opposite.” Another step brings you right up into Dean’s space. You latch onto a forearm. “Your head wasn’t in that hunt with me.”

“It was.”

You shake your head. “No. Your heart was. And so was mine.” Your voice breaks a little. “All I could think about was how I needed to protect you.”

“When do we not think about protecting a hunting partner?”

“That’s gotta go hand in hand with the mission, though; not take over.” The warm fingers drop from Dean’s arm. “I told Sam what happened.”

Dean rolls his eyes. “And what did Mr. Know It All have to say?”

Your shoulder lifts and almost touches your ear. “He said ‘welcome to the club.’”

“Huh?”

“Sam said you must care about me an awful lot if you were constantly undermining my ability to actually get the fucking job done. That sacrificing yourself is part of your DNA.” A full-watt smile - the one that makes Dean’s insides warm up - graces your face. “That you’ll die a hundred times over to prevent the recipient of all that care and concern from even getting a splinter in their thumb.” The snark in your tone is sharp and cutting. “Admit it.”

“Well, that’s just a flat out exaggeration.”

Suddenly, all of the playfulness in your expression is gone. You frown. “You don’t care about me like that?”

“What? No. I mean, yes, of course I care about you like that.”

“Good.” The smile returns. “Because I know for a fact that none of that is an exaggeration where Sam is concerned. You’ve figured out how to make it work with Sam. You and I are going to have to make that happen, too.”

Dean’s grinning back. “Any suggestions?”

“You could follow my lead and do what I say at all times.” You offer.

“I’m all about that in almost every scenario. Except when we’re hunting.”

You nod. “We’re not hunting now.” Dainty fingers clasp over his hand. “I’m sorry I ran away.” You whisper, staring into his eyes.

Your small frame belies your strength and formidable capability when it comes to a hunt. And though Dean’s only had one taste of your dominance in bed, you handled him with care and exerted contained control. But now Dean needs you to know how much he intends on proving his worth to you. He’s more than a deft hand wielding a machete. More than reliable backup. More than a decades long friend who can keep up with the tequila shots. He wants to be more than all of that for you. 

He wriggles from under the grip to clutch your face with both hands. “I wanna tough it out with you.”

Your head tilts up and down in his hold. “Me too.”

You raise on tiptoes as he dips his head. Your lips meet in a gentle brush of skin. Dean’s skin tingles all over.

It’s only a peck. Dean pulls back so he can witness the bliss on your face. Eyes closed, mouth parted. You release a sigh. “Can we…” you start to ask.

“Anything,” Dean murmurs.

“Can we go to sleep? Start fresh in the morning? I missed you.”

Dean thinks his face will crack at the force of his smile. “Absolutely.”

[boookends]

and I miss the prairie and the dry heat and the snow in the mountains and the elk and the static of the waterfalls at night and the campfire smoke stuck to my clothes and the dirt on my hands and the hiss of the windblown grass and the phone calls to my grandma to tell her where I was and the stars above the lake and the fear of bears and the early mornings I spent alone and the distant barns and the ravens and hanging out the car window and the scrambled eggs with arugula and the jingle of boot spurs and the giggles in tents and the jazz singer in Wyoming and the big rock to read on and being barefoot and the snowball fight on mt Shasta and the postcards home and the hammocks and the aloe on my sunburn and the creativity hanging in the air like mist and the cheap motels and the ocean and the rock collecting and the birds on fences and the happy tears and giving peace signs to strangers and the never-ending bob Dylan in the car and getting delirious in the Mojave and having genuine hope for everything and finding a piece of home in every place and feeling like the love and the fun will never end and

[deadmotelsusa]

Trinity Rock Motel, Lake George, New York, 1960 and 2021

[spicysix]

「eddie munson X gn!reader • roadtrip!AU」

3.5k words | prev | next | masterlist | ao3

warnings: whoops, i blacked out for a couple of hours and ended up writing smut! LMAO. gender unspecified reader, i tried my best not to describe any body parts with details and keep it as neutral as i could! oral sex, penetrative sex. +18 content, minors are not welcome

songs of the chapter: the delerict - fleetwood mac • polar nights - scorpions

Thursday, July 31

Eddie headed northwest again the next day.

After kissing a lot to the rest of Janis Joplin’s “Pearl” the day before, you and he went to a drive-through of a random fast food chain and ate your meals at the back of the van, parked where you could see the river that crossed Missoula. After that you headed back to the motel, took your showers and went to sleep to the sound of Golden Girls once more. It felt like your bodies were crashing after a week on the run, per se, and you were catching up on missed sleep. You figured it made sense, since none of the travels between the stops you’d made so far were shorter than five hours. Eddie was probably even more tired than you since he was the main driver, but sitting down for six, sometimes seven hours — plus all the hiking and trailing you did in Yellowstone — wasn’t easy on your bones and muscles.

You woke up early again the next day, yet Eddie wasn’t even driving for three hours when he looked at you from his seat, ready for another break.

“Beach day?” He nodded at the view from his window, and you could see the lake not too far under. You looked around and saw a sign saying there was a city not too far away, and then turned to look at Eddie once again.

“Hit the exit, babe,” you answered and his smile was wider than you’ve ever seen. You wondered if it was from your positive response to his question, or from the pet name you called him without even thinking.

He took the exit and after a few more turns he was parking on the side of the road. You took turns changing into appropriate swimming clothes in the back of the van before heading down the small drop to the shore through the vegetation, and you and Eddie almost slipped a few times, but you made it alive.

There was no one else around, and the strip of land was small and covered in little rocks that hurt your feet, but the sun made your skin glow and Eddie’s eyes on you made your skin warm.

You carefully stepped into the water and didn’t walk long before it was past your waist and you knew you wouldn’t be able to touch the ground with a few more steps. You looked back and Eddie had ditched his shirt, only his feet inside the water as he looked at it with doubt in his eyes. You didn’t pressure him, just looked until he felt brave enough to walk the steps to reach you, and then he held your hand and you walked the final steps together until you were submerged from shoulders-down, feet not touching the ground anymore as you predicted.

“Scary,” you said, not willing to let go of his hand just yet.

“The daylight and the clear water make it easier,” he answered and you nodded.

You could still see the rocks at the bottom of the lake, which eased your nerves. You knew neither you nor Eddie would be willing to go further and dive as you could see other people doing on the deeper parts of the lake. But it was okay, you were proud that not even a week ago neither of you could go past the water reaching your knees but now you could feel it soaking the hair at the nape of your neck. Eddie’s hand on yours was comforting enough, and he made you feel safe and brave, and you hoped he felt the same with you by his side.

It wasn’t too long before you went back to the shore as Eddie followed you, and you ate snacks that you had bought sometime between the record store and the way back to the motel the day before, sitting on your clothes so the rocks wouldn’t hurt your asses, watching the people swimming and diving and kayaking and fishing.

You left and went back to the van mid-afternoon, headed to the city (Coeur d'Alene) and found your way to another beach, a bigger one this time with actual sand on the shore and a lot more people. You sat on the margins and played like little kids, enjoying the heat of the sun and the cold of the water, the noise of the conversations around you making you feel agitated in that good way, surrounded by people again and feeling alive.

Eddie talked to other tourists and some locals and found an RV Park that you could use for the night, said he was tired of motels. The place had cabins and a shower facility, so you both cleaned up before leaving the van there and exploring the city on foot as the moon was already shining bright above you.

You decided to eat at a twenty four hour diner not too far from the Park, Eddie was craving pancakes. He sat in front of you in the booth and it felt like a date with all the crossed looks over the table, playing footsie under it, the coin he gave you so you could choose a song from the jukebox and the milkshake you shared, two straws on a single cup.

There’s been something growing, maybe ever since you threw your bag in the back of his van and crashed his runaway plan, and the way his eyes were piercing through your soul all night long told you that whatever has been building up was about to explode.

The area the van was at was a fairly secluded one, a random last minute spot the owners placed you at, probably happy at the prospect of making more money and not caring enough about being overbooked and not properly prepared for it. Eddie’s shoulders brushed yours with every step you took, and he was humming all the way to the van and you were thrown back to the nights before you kissed at Yellowstone. The familiarity of it and the expectations you were creating with the routine were making your stomach swirl happily.

Eddie opened the back doors for you in a chivalrous gesture, and let you inside so you could change first. You let him go next and once he knocked at the door to let you know you could go inside, he was already without his shirt on, draped over the sheets on the mattress and not even trying to disguise his intentions. His portable tape player was set at a low volume with one of your tapes as the soundtrack. You chuckled at the smirk on his face, but you closed the doors and crawled to lay down on top of him anyway.

“Night, my liege,” he said, cupping your cheek and bringing you forward. His breath tickled your mouth and even though it was a hot evening, you could still feel the chills running down your back.

You wasted no time before surging forward, closing the small distance between the two of you and finally feeling his lips on yours. You’ve been craving that the whole day. The warmth of his mouth, the wetness of his tongue, the way kissing him felt like puzzle pieces fitting together perfectly. You ran your hands over his chest, feeling the bumps and textures of his scars, the way your caress made his breath hitch, the way he gripped your waist tight to pull you impossibly closer. You were in his lap as he was sitting up, your roles reversed from the last time your kisses were as heated. He ran his hands over your skin, grinning against your lips when he felt your goosebumps.

“Can I take this off?” he asked, tugging at your shirt. “Can we complicate this?”

You nodded enthusiastically and he threw your shirt over his head to the front benches and leaned forward to kiss from your stomach up to your collarbone. Your hands went to his hair and you couldn’t help but tug at it.

“Not complicated at all,” you whispered, eyes closed, mind foggy, and he chuckled.

His lips found one of your nipples and you couldn’t help but moan and grind down on him, feeling every inch of the bulge restrained in his pants dragging against you. He spent a good amount of time with his mouth on your chest, sucking, licking, gently biting, as his thumb worked the other nipple. He groaned around you every time you pulled his hair and it made you grind down on him even harder.

Your next pull was more firm and he let go of your nipple and kissed his way up your neck to reach your lips again. He kissed you slowly, leisurely, as if you had all the time in the world, and maybe you did, but you were so worked up that you felt like you were about to burst already, and you wanted more of him — so you took it.

You angled yourself to the side and let gravity do its work as you fell sideways, hands still holding Eddie tight so he would fall with you and over you when you landed on your back. You giggled at the feel of the fall and he smiled against your lips again. His hands were already trailing down to your pants and you sighed into his mouth as he started taking them off.

“Can I?” he asked again and you nodded enthusiastically again.

“Complicate it further,” you begged and he laughed with you.

He dragged both your pants and your underwear down in one single motion and immediately started kissing his way up your left leg. He took his time placing delicate pecks on your burning skin, his fingers following the trail his mouth was leaving with tender touches that could almost tickle you if the meaning behind them wasn’t so heavy with lust.

Eddie reached the middle of your thighs and went down again, going through the same routine on your right leg. It made you writhe under him and he chuckled against the side of your knee, refusing to pick up his pace. And even though you wanted him to go faster, you also wanted him to keep the exact tempo he was at, because you knew that the build up would take you higher when it finally exploded.

When he was centered again, he took one look at you and swooned.

“So beautiful,” he whispered to himself and you squirmed again.

“Eddie, please,” you begged and his smile was equally sweet and perverse as his face came closer to where you were needing him the most.

“I’ll give you what you want, don’t worry,” he said and you whimpered. “Can’t come back from this, though.”

You didn’t think you could come back ever since he first kissed you in that tent under the stars of Wyoming, but you didn’t want to. You just wanted to go further. He was giving you an out because he was a good person, because you rambled about simplistics and complications and maybe it made him worry, but you had never been more sure of something before in your life.

“Wreck me,” you said, and the look he gave you could’ve frozen you in place.

He wasted no time before diving in, tongue out, a long stripe through your arousal and you threw your head back into the pillow under you and let out a loud moan. One of his hands stayed in your tight, keeping your legs spread for him, while the other reached up to play with your nipple again. You held his wrist tightly, arching your back as he kept sucking and licking and doing holy work with his mouth.

“Tell me what to do,” he asked, and you could feel yourself pulsing from his words.

You pulled the wrist you were gripping and sucked his fingers into your mouth, licked between them before pulling them out with a ‘pop’ and shoving them to the heat between your legs again.

“Need your fingers inside me.”

“Jesus H. Christ, you’re a menace,” he mumbled against the skin of your lower belly, but followed your request.

The wetness of your saliva helped him push the tip of his finger inside you, but you could feel how tight you still were around him.

“Think I’ll need… I’ll need more,” you whined and he went up to his knees without taking the tip of his finger from inside you, understanding what you were talking about.

“More, more… I think-” he cut himself off and started going through his bags with only one hand, and it looked funny so you giggled. He sent you a weird look, slightly annoyed and embarrassed but it only made you laugh harder. “AHA!” He found a bottle of lube and a condom in a random pocket and exhibited them like they were a trophy.

“Were you planning for this?” you asked, still smiling so he’d know it was light-hearted, as he went back to settle between your thighs, dropping the condom beside your hip.

“Couldn’t come up with this scenario even in my best dreams, baby,” the pet name made you throb and he smirked knowingly. He squeezed some lube to his finger and pushed, sliding easily inside you now, and you panted in relief. “Hm, need you real wet for me.”

“More,” you asked, and he kept thrusting his finger in and out of you, the dirty wet sound of it making your face heat up, until he felt you were ready for another one.

You reached for his hair again, pulled him closer so he’d put his mouth back on you at the same time he worked you open with his fingers, and he went willingly, moaning against you, the mix of saliva and lube was running down his chin and you were breathing faster, the van felt like a sauna and you were just getting started. You wanted more, you kept wanting more of him, and he kept giving you, you kept guiding him and he followed your directions, doing exactly what you asked of him and making your muscles tighten, your hips jerking against his face. He kept smiling through it, enjoying it just as much as you did.

“Eddie, let me,” you asked, pulling his face away from where you were dripping and pulsating, but you wanted him in your mouth too.

“Not gonna say no to that.” He gave the inside of your left thigh a final kiss before retreating carefully, and you were feeling empty without his fingers already.

You switched your positions, and he was laying down as you took off his pants and underwear and settled between his legs. His tip was leaking and glistening, and your mouth watered immediately at the sight, he was so hard and it was because of you.

“So beautiful,” you said his words back at him and he smiled, his face permanently red from arousal, all the way from the top of his ears to his collarbones, and it made you feel dizzy.

You grabbed his base with one hand and used the other to stroke him a couple of times before kissing his tip. He hissed and you giggled, and his hands tightened around the sheets immediately.

“Sensitive?” you teased, licking your lips.

“You little-,” he tried to curse you but you giggled again before licking around his head, interrupting him. “Jesus!”

“Nope, still me,” you said, and he snorted.

You could see he was coming up with an answer, but you didn’t give him the chance to externalize it before you took his head inside your mouth and he moaned. It was a beautiful sound, and you wanted more of it so you gently sucked before sliding down and getting the rest of him inside your mouth. He was cursing and babbling nonsense as you worked him up, licking and sucking and getting him wet all over. He tasted deliciously salty, and you dipped your tongue into his slit searching for more, your hand still firmly holding his base as the other played with his balls. You looked up through your eyelashes and he had his head thrown back, his neck exposed with a throbbing vain, flushed crimson, and you wanted to get your hands on it.

He whined when you pull off, but his hands found your face and pulled up up so you could straddle him again, and the lube was still making you slick so when you sat on him you ground easily against him and his entire body trembled. He kissed you and didn’t stop to look for the condom, patting the mattress beside him until he found the package, tearing it blindly before sliding it down his cock.

You helped him cover his length with more lube before you positioned yourself and sank into him slowly. His mouth was wide open and his eyes were glued to the vision of you gradually swallowing him, making you feel so fucking full.

“So good,” you murmured as he bottomed out, his hands on your hips holding you in place.

“Wait a second or I’ll cum too fast,” he said, and you leaned forward to kiss him again while you waited.

You were still getting used to the girth of him, but his kisses were once again languid and passionate as he traced your back with the tip of his fingers. Your chest was pressed against his, you could feel him everywhere, it was overwhelming and it wasn’t enough, and sooner rather than later you were ready to move again, wanting more.

You started riding him as slowly as he kissed you and it was comforting and it was sensual and if you really had all the time in the world you wished you could do this forever. It was more than just about the sex though, it was about the trust it takes, it was about the connection and the fact that you barely knew him before this week and now you knew so much about him and you knew there was more and you wanted more. You wanted everything he was willing to give you.

There was a fire in your abdomen, your skin was prickling and he was covered in a thin sheen of sweat, and you licked it from the left side of his neck while your hand cupped the right side. You pulled him against you, and he went willingly, and suddenly you were both sitting up, his chest still pressed against yours and you kept rolling your hips against him and he kept thrusting up to you in the same rhythm.

“Baby, baby, baby-” he cried and you could feel yourself fluttering around him and he almost shouted from the feeling. “C’mon, slow it down,” he asked.

“Don’t want to,” you answered, actually picking up the pace and grinding against him with more drive and he laughed around a moan, or moaned around a laugh.

“M’not gonna last.”

“Don’t want you to,” you answered finally before kissing him again.

It was more of a mutual panting into each other’s mouths, and you kept grinding and rolling your hips as you both reached for your highs. He cupped your ass and helped you move, his lips were swollen and his tip was hitting the most sensitive place inside you and you couldn’t help but be loud, fuck if anyone was listening, you couldn’t care. Not when that knot inside your stomach was finally snapping and you saw stars, and you hugged Eddie’s shoulders and pulled him impossibly closer. The way you trembled around him sent him over the edge with you, and he bit the space between your neck and your shoulder, muffling his strangling noises.

He rested his forehead against your collarbone, and you rested your chin on the top of his head as you both caught your breaths after your orgasms. You were overwhelmed with feelings all of a sudden, and you almost wanted to cry but you just kept stroking his back as his fingers traced your hips delicately, and it was pure bliss. It was always pure bliss with him around.

“I can hear your heartbeat,” he whispered before kissing your chest, the skin right above where your heart was, and it might’ve sped up with the gesture.

Eddie helped you up off of him and laid you down gently before disposing of the condom on a little trash bag at the front of the van, and everything smelled of skin and sweat and sex, but you were tired and still slightly quivering so, again, you couldn’t care.

He lied down beside you and his fingers found your cheek as they always did, and you smiled up at him and he mirrored it back down at you. Your chest was tight, and you want to say something but you weren’t sure what it was, so you just pull him in so he could encase you with his limbs, and you had the vague awareness that your breaths slowed down to the same rhythm at some point, and you fell asleep together once more.

end notes: was that good? 👀 first time writing smut in english so please let me know if anything's weird, or if there's anything that gendercodes the reader ♡ just one more chapter to go :(

taglist (is open!): @amira0303 @rupsmorge @wyverntatty

[visualnovelzombie]

Furry Visual Novel Book Club: Echo Week 18

Hi everyone, here is the SPOILER FREE discussion post for “Echo - TJ’s Saturday��

Links: Previous - Next - Original - Spoiler Version

Feel free to respond in reblogs/replies/or asks :D

The day opens with the group arriving at Lake Emma. Chase is having some serious self-reflective thoughts about Carl, about how suddenly, he’s upset with how Carl treats himself and acts, saying Carl causes everything himself. Carl and Jenna ride in the truckbed, Chase darkly thinking what might happen to them if there was an accident… Chase is also sure to sit between Julian and Tj on the way over. Chase’s thoughts are distorted and dark the whole time…

The group walk towards the boulder, Tj taking Chase’s paw on the way.

 Chase feeds into the negative world view with his thoughts, knowing things will ‘never be the same.’ Julian continues to annoy Chase with is very presence… but the otter’s grip on Tj calms him down. Chase continues to neg Carl while they look for the last spot. Chase points out the sand he unearthed the night before, calling into question the ‘legitimacy’ of the final part he changed. The group find the lunchbox and begin to open it.

The group read the altered note

Chase changed the note to implicate Flynn had set up the scavenger hunt. In the fallout, he comforts Tj, pulling him into an… embrace. Julian asks what’s wrong, Chase putting more blame on Flynn, until he’s interrupted by Tj.

Jenna and Carl defend Flynn, saying while he’s a jerk this is too convoluted for him to try and pull. Chase turns, blaming Carl for working with the gila. Jenna tries weakly to defend Carl, but Chase continues. Carl starts to hyperventilate from the attack, Chase bemoaning the ram’s anxiety… with a little comment from our recurring entity.

Tj rushes past Chase and Jenna, physically attacking Carl with swipes of his claws. Carl dodges backwards into the rocks, tripping and breaking his ankle from his hoof being lodged at a weird angle. Chase holds Tj back as the lynx continues his swipes… going limp in Chase’s arms. Chase takes Tj away from the scene as Jenna and Julian call an ambulance.

The two walk back to the motel, Tj crying to himself along the way. Tj blames himself for Carl breaking his leg, but Chase assures him it’s only fair after what Carl ‘pulled’. The two talk about what happened as Chase drapes himself over the lynx.

The entity insinuates what’s happening to Tj… is happening to Chase… 

Chase continues to blame Flynn and Carl, saying that Tj did nothing wrong despite how bad it got. The two arrive at the motel and rest. Jenna texts Chase, telling him that Carl is saying it was only an accident, and that she’s staying with some friends in Payton, suggesting Chase and Tj leave early. Chase is happy she’s leaving early. Tj want’s to see Carl, not wanting to leave things like they are.

Chase says he wants to spend the rest of the weekend with Tj, ignoring everyone and everything else. Tj brings up Chase’s project, the otter saying he doesn’t mind if he fails.

Chase reflects about his plan going so well, even if he didn’t want to go THAT far, but is happy with the result anyways. Chase still isn’t sure who planted the notes, and still assumes that it’s Flynn and Carl… Just then, Flynn arrives to the motel room, and the otter goes to intercept him while Tj stays inside the room. The two talk, Flynn upset the group were down to the lake. Chase thinks to himself, wanting to egg him on, push it further than it should…

Chase tries to get Flynn to admit to planting the notes, but Flynn doesn’t seem to know anything about it. Flynn tries to get to the door to talk to Tj more, but Chase grabs him, slamming him back towards the truck. Flynn tries it again, Chase grappling him. They start to fight, the gila sending a punch at Chase who tackles him to the ground. Chase ends up on top of him, the entity saying ‘weak’, Chase repeats it aloud to Flynn. 

Flynn is afraid and hurt, lying there as Chase gets up. The gila gets in his truck and leaves, Chase returning to the motel. Tj said he got a text from Julian, and wants to talk to the deer before leaving. Chase begrudgingly agrees, while Tj is grateful for Chase being there for him.

Time passes, and Julian picks the two up, heading towards Payton. On the way the group decide what to do. Julian discuss going to the movies, and Chase suggests the family plex

Despite not going to Payton in this route, Chase knows it’s open, and insists on going. Chase continues to become more and more angry at completely innocuous things Julian does, annoyed the deer is even spending time with Tj and him, despite driving to the place with them. Chase wastes his money, trying to get the group to leave the arcade as Julian helps Tj play…

Chase says he has a headache, and the group return to the motel instead of watching a movie. Tj is tired on the way over, and Chase offers him his shoulder to rest on.

Chase falls asleep too, only waking when Julian pulls off the road to help Janice, whose gotten a flat tire. Julian helps her change the tire while Tj and Chase wait nearby. Janice brings up how Flynn had told her about Chase’s project, and offers to tell Chase ghost stories she has about the town. Chase is indignant, wanting to do a more fact-based story on the town. He relents after Tj’s encouragement.

Janice recalls a story her grandfather, Andy Adler, had told her about an event that happened in the 1940s. He was accosted with his wife in the forest by an entity jumping from tree to tree, chasing them with a mechanical voice… Janice then recalls Brian’s story about a UFO, Chase ignoring it completely. She goes on another story, from a podcast.

Chase asks Janice if anything has happened to her, and she goes quiet… Chase wants to get footage of the forest as Julian finishes up, and asks Tj to go along with him. As the two enter, Chase lightly teases him, the lynx blushing. Chase offers him his paw, and after a bit of coercing, Tj takes it. The two walk paw-in-paw through the forest together. Chase tells Tj about the fox he saw hanging, and how the things people see in town aren’t real. The lynx is scared but Chase reassures him, saying he’s there for him.

Tj asks Chase what’s been going on, saying he himself hasn’t been feeling well… In complete silence .

"It lasts a moment."

"Our lips meet, mine on his for the first time."

"It's a moment of pure bliss, and I close my eyes to show the lynx just how passionate I am about it."

"I feel his lips freeze up against mine, then suddenly they're gone."

"I open my eyes in time to see TJ stumbling backwards."

"One paw flies up to his mouth as the other stretches out behind himself, as if worried he's going to run into the trees."

"I guess I surprised him."

"I smile and follow the cat, reaching out my paws."

Tj is apprehensive and confused, Chase not understanding why. Tj backs away. Chase grips his arm, explaining to him the visual novel romance the two have been on for the past week. Chase continues on, unsure what’s going on…

Chase asks if Tj’s been leading him on the whole weak, and pulls himself closer. Tj strikes Chase and runs away. Chase waits in the forest for anything to happen… Time passes and the sun has set. Chase begins to pack the camera, and notices a shape near him. Something in the outline of a person, breathing. Chase follows it, the ‘painting’ like thing blending through objects. The entity attached to Chase tells him not to pursue it, that it’s distorted and false, ‘just like I was’.  It tells him it’s evil, and Chase runs out of the forest in fear. The sound of static loops in the background as the new entity runs after Chase.

The static breaks as Chase breaks from the forest, now back on the road. The cars are gone and Chase walks back to the motel by himself. Chase arrives back at the room, hoping to see Tj… only for the room to be dark and vacant. He realizes he left the camera in the forest… but doesn’t care. Nothing matters to Chase because Tj’s left him too. Chase falls asleep crying on the bed.

Chase has a night terror, but chooses to open his eyes, no longer caring what befalls him. An ambient track plays called ‘Static Statues’, a foreboding and ominous loop. Chase hears footsteps at the foot of his bed. It’s a a fox. He hangs himself in the motel room closet, Chase unable to look away. Chase ‘wakes up’, sitting up in bed, able to move. The fox doesn’t disappear, Chase not in an actual night terror. The body fades as his eyes stare into Chase’s. Chase begins to freak out, but the entity on him tells the otter that it simply ‘was’.

A banging sounds clangs from the bathroom and Chase rushes to see what it is. 

Chase opens the door, and despite hearing breathing, there’s nothing visible to the eye. Drag beings to play as the unknown entity tells Chase to close the door. Chase knows it’s not the usual one, that ‘he’s hiding’ and ‘afraid’ of the new thing talking to him.

Chase doesn’t close the door all the way, wanting to look at the entity through the mirror. He sees the same version of him from the diner, distorted and wrong.  He stares at it for a long time before asking what’s happening. 

The entity tells Chase that him returning with his secret almost ‘started it’, that the town might survive if everyone finds out, and that everyone is about to find out. Chase asks the thing if it’s Sydney. It responds by shaking violently.. Chase feels like the thing he’s talking to is ‘old, monolithic, and ancient.’ The thing, Mirror-Man as dubbed by the fan community, tells Chase that Flynn is going to tell everyone now after Chase attacked him. It tells Chase to keep his secret he needs to…

It says the whole Moore family is made up of liars. Chase is apprehensive, unsure if he can do it. He asks the entity who he is, saying that while it IS Sydney, it is MORE than Sydney… Chase asks it why it’s helping him, and the thing tells him the town needs secrets. Chase touches his face, feeling scars instead of his fur and freaks out, turning on the light and leaving the bathroom. It’s light outside, signaling he’s been in there for hours. Chase falls asleep…

Leo knocks on the door, waking him up after sometime. Leo apologies, saying he was feeling down after Chase didn’t talk to him, and ignored the otter. Leo asks Chase to come back just him during the summer… and Chase agrees. When Leo leaves, Chase remarks how hard it was to keep that conversation going the way it was, only playing into what Leo wanted to hear.

Chase goes back inside and sleeps, hearing whispers from the bathroom again as a dream sequence plays.

It’s the day at the lake Sydney died. Chase was bored hanging out with Leo and Jenna, and decided to swim back towards Tj and Sydney, wanting to surprise them. Chase finds Sydney sitting on top of Tj’s back, the lynx face down in the water. Sydney’s face is emotionless. 

Chase swims through the water and tackles Sydney off of Tj. Chase thinks that Sydney is upset ONLY because of getting caught, and asks him why he did it. Chase punches Sydney and hits his throat. Chase tackles Sydney into the water, holding his head underneath. Chase lets him up after a few seconds, Sydney responding by saying he’s going to tell Leo that Chase tried to kill him. Chase snaps, thinking that Sydney was going to try and kill Tj, and now afraid he’ll be branded the murderer instead. Chase remarks that Sydney is weak now, especially in the water. Time passes with a set of ellipses, and Chase is back at the river with Leo… trembling alone below the waves.

Time passes again, a phone call from Julian wakes up Chase. Julian says something strange happened after Tj spent the night at Julian’s palace, due to what Chase did. He had bought Tj a ticket back to his college and while they were waiting for the bus, Flynn arrived and Tj went with him somewhere. Julian is afraid because Tj isn’t answering texts, and that he missed his bus. Julian doesn’t want to involve Chase, but doesn’t have anyone else's number to contact.

Chase hops in his car, Mirror-Man sitting in the back seat, visible through the rear-view mirror.

Chase drives to the lake, knowing exactly where Flynn and Tj are. Chase considers leaving, but knows his life will be over if he doesn’t stop what’s happening… like he’s a set of train tracks that can’t stop. That he’s been on this path since he decided he wanted to protect Tj.

He find Flynn and Tj near the shallows, Tj looking disheveled. It’s then Chase decides this is what he WANTS to do. Flynn and Chase argue, Chase bringing up the scavenger hunt at the behest of Mirror Man. Chase pulls ‘Flynn’s Note’ from his pocket, the one he forged himself… Instead showing him the real the note that was in the lunchbox. 

Mirror-Man has left Chase, no longer driving his emotions or strength. The group stand there, aghast at the reveal. Flynn tackles Chase to the ground, the otter unable to fight back without his supernatural strength or confidence. Mirror-Man watches as Flynn hits Chase over and over again. The familiar entity says that they’re all puppets. Right before Chase passes out, Tj speaks up

Tj lies, saying he’s the one who killed Sydney. Saying he pushed him and that it was an accident. Mirror-Man is back now, telling Chase that Flynn is going to kill ‘Toby’. Chase crushes the back of Flynn’s skull with a rock. Flynn tries to tackle Chase, but he stays standing… and the otter brings the two of them to the water. Flynn scratches at Chase, but he doesn’t let go.

Chase pushes the two of them further into the depths of the lake. 

The song, ‘Sunrise Without You’, begins to play. Flynn is desperate, pleading with is eyes and doing everything he can to get free. Chase holds him, closing his eyes and himself off to continue drowning Flynn. Flynn finally learns the truth, paying with is life in the process.

Chase surfaces and sees the distorted visage of Mirror-Man in his reflection on the water. 

Chase comforts Tj, saying that Flynn won’t hurt him anymore. Tj sobs, asking Chase why he did it. The sounds of waves stops.

Chase says that they can lie, that they can say Flynn tried to kill them… that the presence that left when Flynn found out is back now. The original entity says that they’re manipulated… that we keep moving in circles. The two drive to the police station… Tj asking Chase to take him back to college, already ‘forgetting’

Chase hopes he can forgot too as the they drive off into the sunset…

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So that was Tj’s route. We learned that Chase WAS the one to kill Sydney, and in an attempt to keep his secret, killed Flynn in desperation, egged on by a new malicious entity. There’s a LOT going on, with Chase thinking he’s ‘earned’ Tj’s love (the meta commentary of the game being a VN coming around), the depths of Chase’s psychosis and fear as something that IMO, can be described as some sort of Eldritch Entity erodes his mind and actions. How Leo is more docile and less abrasive. How Chase breaks Tj again, the lynx resigning himself to stay with Chase...

I do want to cover one ‘plot’ setup that I think I finally understand after this re-read, and that is, what physically happened on this route, and it’s mechanics.

I think it is safe to say, that Tj has an entity attached to him, that’s very similar to the one attached to Chase. I think it’s even likely the entity is Sydney ‘himself’... or something in the guise of Sydney. The entity set up the Scavenger Hunt. They set up the notes and kept them secure or hidden, which is why they are all old and worn. However, taking Tj’s body in a way similar to how Chase is controlled at times, this entity piloted Tj to plant the scavenger hunt pieces upon returning to town. That’s why Tj knows WHERE they are, but not what’s in them.It’s why Tj acts so out of character this route, being consumed or overshadowed by it at times.

Based on the description we get from Janice, and how Mirror-Man is described, combined with the meta-type commentary, I also think it’s fair to speculate that the horror of the game is Cosmic In Nature (ie Cthulu/Edlritch genres.) Something old, ancient, and powerful sleeps underneath, that seems to influence the towns people, causing memory gaps, psychosis, and infecting people with entities that push and pull characters in different directions for some goal... because this town ‘needs’ secrets.

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Epilogue:

Five years have gone by as an unknown narrator showcases a scene between a bear named Devon, and a coyote named Cameron driving through Echo. The two arrive at the lake, Devon taking out a few camera bags. The two embrace in a kiss and walk paw-in-paw to the shoreline. Cameron asks why they’re at the lake, Devon responding that someone died in 2015. Cameron asks if it was during the hysteria, but Devon says that happened in 2017…

Devon gets some shots of the lake before heading back, Cameron turning around to head back as well, before seeing Flynn splayed out on the lake in the shallows, starring upwards… with chunks of his face missing. 

The two look back and there’s nothing there. They head back to the car as credits play, images showcasing a background from Arches being shown the whole time.

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The epilogue teases Arches, a visual novel set in Echo during 2020. It’s complete now, and you can see all of Dev and Cam’s story here.

For the purpose of this discussion, I’ll talk about what we learn. Flynn did in fact die at the lake, and that the Hysteria we saw in Leo and Carl’s route, was delayed till 2017... all of it contained within Chase. His secret was learned by Flynn afterall...even though he has a new one with Tj now.

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So that was our third route. I’ll be taking next week off, but be on the lookout for a poll coming today, and it’s results next Sunday, that will determine our next route. Thanks everyone for coming along on this journey through Echo with me ~

[rainbowbarnacle]

We took a trip to the North Shore!

On Monday Luka and I went to Duluth to go look for agates and visit the rock shop and eat mindblowingly good pie. The drive up was really nice--very long, but we listened to Stephen King's Fairy Tale on the way and it is very good so far--a kid named Charlie is isekai'd to another world where he plans to take this absolute SWEETHEART of an elderly dog to this magic sundial so she can be young and not arthritic anymore. That's all I know so far but it's been really good so far.

The only hitch in the whole trip was when we were looking for a place to look for rocks, and this crazy dog with no leash and no collar goes zooming into the road, and Luka slammed on the brakes, and the person behind us just barely slammed their breaks, and we ended up accidentally clipping the poor dog--there was a big wet splat of water and a bit of hair on the front, but no damage, and the dog just kept running without a thought in its dear little head and disappeared into some forestry that happened before the beach

So we went looking for the poor dog so we could tell its owners that we bumped it, and we never found the dog or its owner, but we thiiiink the dog is probably hopefully okay x_x

And while we were looking for dogs and people, we found out the area we were in was a perfect swimming spot, so we went down to the beach and luka got out his snorkeler and a really nice drunk lady gave us a heart shaped rock Luka found a bunch of really cool stuff! Sea glass and some kind of really lovely piece of terra cotta with a honeycomb pattern on it, and a big laker agate and a bunch of really interesting hunks of things with fascinating crystals and pretty streaks of things running through it--he can tell you much more. I found one that looks like a kitty!

And the lake was just lovely. There was a cute family of loons and people kayaking (including one woman who had her golden retriever sitting on the boat while she rowed) and one guy flew by on a motorized parachute and threw us the horns. 8)

Then we went home and wolfed down food and fell the heck over at the Motel 6, where in the morning we discovered Ellie had tried to make a nest on the floor:

We went to the culinary miracle that is Betty's Pies, where I had pancakes and luka had biscuits and gravy and we had phenomenal pie.

Then we got to go to the ROCK SHOP. :D

The folks running the store were INCREDIBLY nice and helped identify some of what Luka found in the lake the day before. I was fortunate enough to be able to nab some pretties at very reasonable prices (seriously these were like a few bucks each)

If I am remembering the labels correctly, I nabbed: a tiny slab of coral, then a lake superior agate, carnelian, citrine, green jasper, malachite, labradorite, dumortierite, sodalite, petrified wood, crazy lace agate, and amethyst. The neat little platform it's on came from a nearby goodwill and has a bunch of fossilized snails in it? IT WAS A BUCK FIFTY, HOW

But yes it feels nice to have pretties finally. <3 I also nabbed a fossilized clam and an opalized ammonite.

Aaand after that we were gonna visit the Temperance River, but then the sky opened up and munched on roadtrip snacks and listened to more audiobook while the rain pounded down, and when it cleared up we took pictures of the forest.

And Ellie had an awesome time:

The highlight of our trip back was finding this billboard. Luka got off the southbound freeway, back on the northbound freeway, and back onto the southbound freeway, over a span of several miles, just to get this picture:

WORTH IT. 8D

and now I'm hoooome and I've cuddled my kitty and I'm going to be a zombie for a little while

What an awesome time, though. I hadn't been on a roadtrip since we went with @kurloz38 and @misa-chu in June of 2018. @_@ (we gotta get you guys back up here!!) It was indescribably nice to get to swim and splurge on pretty things and enjoy a really good book.

[finishinglinepress]

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