#the shenanigans are beginning

[laurel-finch]

'I Don't Bite' S1.Ch08: Stay

Summary: The Winchesters move on to their next hunt while the reader takes some time to herself... Referenced Episodes: mentioned S1 E15 "The Benders" CW: None. Word Count: 4349 Recommended Song: I Want To Break Free -- Queen Previous Chapter -- Masterlist -- Next Chapter

It had been three days already, but it felt like minutes. To their surprise, I had refused to allow the boys to take me home. I had barely shared my logic, saying I didn't want to endanger them. That was the most I had said in days.

To say I was shocked by my actions was an understatement. Never had I experienced such brutality, not even with Chikaltio. But it wasn't just the shock that was getting to me, it was the horror as I recalled what I had done. It was so much worse than last time because this time I was truly angry. The lack of control was what frightened me, not the action itself.

We had driven as far west as we could the day after and settled in a motel. It was in a rather small farming community in North Dakota. I was thankful the boys were willing to stay with me, although they both seemed rather wary. They understood my situation though, and how much it was weighing on me.

I had been wrapped up in the same thick comforter for two days as if that could stop me from lashing out if I snapped again. I hadn't left the motel room and the most I moved was walking to the bathroom to take a long shower. At least one of the brothers was always with me, though I wasn't sure if it was for my safety or theirs. My hands shook and my lip quivered every time I slowly lifted my gaze to look over at whichever brother was busy babysitting me. It’s not like they wanted to be stuck with a hopeless monster.

The trip back to the motel the night of the incident was quiet. We had parted ways with Deputy Hudak on relatively good terms – she had agreed not to report the boys, regardless of her knowing Dean's real identity. Her warm eyes kept meeting my ragged form, covered in ragged, ripped clothes and a large coat thrown haphazardly around my shoulders. My jaws were clamped firmly shut as I swallowed the taste of blood down, using my tongue to scrape away the last of the flavor on my teeth. It was numbing and claustrophobic all at once.

For once, I tolerated the discomfort of the backseat of the Impala. I didn't have the energy to complain. I knew I should have been excited that Sam was back in his rightful seat, but I just couldn't. The scent of vomit hung in the air, and I believe it belonged to Sam. I couldn't blame him. I had half a mind to empty the contents of my stomach.

The near full moon was above the horizon, a sight that normally brought instinctive excitement. However, I wanted nothing more than to skin myself and hang my pelt as a flag of surrender. The thought of using my furred form made me sick.

I thought I had better control over myself now. I thought I wouldn't let it happen again.

I barely remember entering the motel room. I know I shrugged off any offer of assistance thrown my way nervously, fearing that I may hurt them too. I know now that I never willingly would. They're family. 

I say that as though those two words summarize every emotion I felt regarding the Winchesters.

I threw myself face-first onto the couch and curled into a ball before the boys had even set their stuff down. The room was silent for some time. I jumped, feeling a pair of arms lift me, and hissed at my gentle assailant. The rustling of fabric could be heard and I cracked one bloodshot eye to see Dean pulling back the covers on his bed. Sam carefully deposited me and the brothers worked together to smooth out the blankets. I didn't have the heart to argue.

I fell asleep to the sound of the brothers bickering over who would take the couch, my heart heavy and still covered in dried blood. The next morning I woke in the back seat of the Impala. I didn't remember being carried to the car, or even the start of our drive. I was still in the oversized old clothes that I had been loaned. We barely spoke.

Dean finally spotted a motel to his liking as the sun was setting. Sam paid for the room and the brothers brought in our minimal luggage while I took a shower. I was in the bathroom for a long time, scrubbing my skin raw and fighting with my now matted hair, twisted into bloody curls. To say it was an unpleasant experience was an understatement.

This trend continued for two more days, with utter silence from me unless asked a question and concern from the brothers. My presence felt bothersome and my skin itched with an anxious heat. Now I was seated on one of the motel beds, still wrapped in my comforter and willing to talk for the first time in days.

The boys sat at a small table under a window. I sat on the edge of the bed, my feet poking out from underneath the blanket wrapped tightly around me. I stared at my feet, not sure what to say. None of us were sure how to begin.

Sam sighed and ran a hand down his face before facing me with a stern look. "I'm going to go out on a limb and say this isn't the first time you've lost your cool like that." I flinched at the harshness of his words. Dean sputtered in his seat across from his brother. "Most people when they lose their shit look shocked. You looked terrified."

"Of course, I was terrified," I snapped back, voice no longer a whisper for the first time in days. "I didn't mean to. I just... was angry."

The room was silent once more until Dean finally spoke up. "What about the first time this happened? Did you...?"

The implication hung in the air. The brothers were always quick to put two-and-two together – my steadfast aversion to human dinners had to come from somewhere. The boys looked stressed but made no move to confirm or deny. I dropped my gaze once more. "Yeah," I whispered.

"Were you angry then, too?" Sam asked quietly.

"No. Far from it. It's... a bit of an embarrassing story." I lifted my head, locking eyes with them as they motioned for me to continue. "It was about a year before my mom died. I was fifteen, and my... boyfriend at the time had come to visit me at my home. My parents weren't in the house at the time," I exhaled shakily. "You can probably guess where this is going."

My eyes settled on Dean's as the realization hit him. "Oh shit. Were you..? Wait, you guys were-?"

"Kissing,” I said with a pointed look. "I accidentally bit him. Broke the skin. Even if I hadn't killed him, he still would have turned." Fuck, this was hard to talk about it. Even with my parents, we just… ignored it and moved on. At least they did around me. I heard their fights when they thought I was asleep. "I tasted his blood and... kept biting. Next thing I know, my parents are storming in and I'm covered in blood.

"We had to leave after that. Moved to a new state. A year later, my parents got into a fight – nothing unusual there, they had a lot of fights, but this one was really bad.” I swallowed dryly and kept my gaze firmly rooted on the floor. My cheeks were red and my head hurt, disgusted with myself after silently vowing to keep this quiet for so long. “She was pissed. Went on a rampage for the first time since she had been bit. She… begged my uncle to put her out of her misery. Dad left after that and my uncle took me in. It was never supposed to happen again."

I felt sick just thinking about it. The taste of copper flooded my tongue and I swallowed, taking the flavor into the back of my throat. My tongue burned and I scraped the fresh wound across the back of my teeth. The pain was a good distraction. Horror, shock, pity. I hated the piteous looks.

"When that guy hit Sam... I don't want either of you to get hurt ever. It's... been a long time since I've had human blood, torn human flesh. It’s just… instinct, you know? You can fight it, but sometimes it just…” I huffed out a tired breath and pulled the blanket tighter around my shoulders, hiding in its thick folds. Maybe if I buried myself far enough down, no one would see me, want me, fear me, touch me. Maybe I was better off not being seen.

"I’m gonna leave for a while, I think. Clear my head. It's hard enough for me to think about it, let alone for you to have watched. I need some time to… sort myself out."

My voice was becoming raspy over unshed tears. I had exhausted my ability to cry already. I played with the hem of my shirt beneath the heavy blanket and waited for their response.

"You don't have to leave," said Sam quietly. I raised my head in surprise, eyes wide. "We trust you."

My brows furrowed and my eyes narrowed. Two monster hunters who had known me for, what, a few months were saying they trusted me? “Why-?”

"You've never given us a reason not to, aside from trying to beat the crap out of us when we first met," Dean responded with a small, reassuring smile. "What you did, yeah, it was awful, but you had a reason. Everyone loses it from time to time – you losing it is just a bit bloodier than us losing it."

"Thank you," I sniffed, surprised to find tears welling up again. "And I won't let it happen again." I flashed them a weak smile.

—

"You don't have to go if you don't want to," Sam offered, helping me pack my bag. He took a wad of cash and shoved it into one of the small, hidden pockets of my backpack.

"But I do want to. I've distracted you guys long enough. You need to go find your dad and get back to hunting things. That's what you do best, not moping alongside a traumatized girl," I joked back, smiling reassuringly. He chuckled softly.

"Dean's not going to like it.."

"Dean can pack sand. I'm not just doing this to protect you idiots – I'm doing it for myself, too. Think of it as... my spiritual journey, or whatever." Sam cracked up at this, a wide grin spreading across his features.

He handed me a few more of my clothes and an old but warm jacket that I recognized as Dean's. I quirked an eyebrow, too which Sam shrugged. "Dean doesn't wear it anymore, and I don't think he'd mind you taking it. You need something to keep you warm."

Right. No fur.

Sam called my name quietly, and I hummed in response. He brushed a brown lock out of his face, a worried expression settling upon it. "Are you sure you want to leave? You could at least wait for Dean to get back so he can give you a ride."

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life," I attempted to reassure. My movements were hesitant as I reached a hand out to touch his shoulder. I swallowed dryly and attempted to ignore the sound of his pulse in his throat and the feeling of warm flesh beneath my palm. "I'll catch you later, Sam. Take care of your brother for me, make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble."

"Will do," he said, throwing up a mock salute.

With that, I was off and out the door of the motel room. The early morning sunlight nearly blinded me, but I didn't care.

I was momentarily free, and that's all that mattered.

—

Despite it not quite being spring yet, the North Dakota weather was quite warm. With not a tree in sight, it was just me and the bright sun, its rays beating down on me until I was dripping sweat. It didn't take long for me to remove my leather jacket and wrap it around my waist, the hot sun warming my now exposed shoulders.

I wasn't far from the eastern Montana border. I was in the badlands at this point, enjoying the scenery and the steep, jagged cliffs. Nothing like back home. The view rivaled that of the vast flax fields I had passed some hours ago, their stems and shoots a vibrant green. In just a few short months those fields would turn a pale purple from the sheer number of tiny purple flowers blossoming from the browning stalks. I wished I could be here to see that.

After hours of walking my limbs had found an odd rhythm with my feet thumping haphazardly against the paved highway. Sometime later I would take notice of my throbbing feet and aching knees, and tread a little more gently. Eventually, I would lose interest and continue with my thundering.

I was sure that by now Dean had been alerted to my absence. I knew he would be furious, but I hoped that he would eventually understand – after all, it wasn't a true goodbye. I knew that, had either of the boys asked me to, I would have stayed. Sam trusted me and my judgment, although he may not have agreed with it, and knew that my mind was set. He wouldn't try to change it. Dean, however, always believed there was a better way. He was pushy that way, always getting so fixated on the task at hand and finding the best solution. He wasn’t methodical about it like Sam was. No, he was all heart. That seemed to be a trend with my family – my mother and my uncle, despite being adopted siblings, shared the intensely passionate feelings of loyalty and pride that most hunters felt.

I remember the day I learned about his death. I had received a call from an officer in Georgia; they had found a body they wanted me to identify. I hardly believed it until I saw it with my own eyes.

It hit me like a semi when I saw him. I had expected him to look nightmarish, but the only flaw in his appearance was his ruptured skull, his missing brain, and his hair shredded. It was obvious that he had been attacked by the very wraith he had been hunting.

His face was immaculately clean, having been washed by the coroner before his autopsy. His eyes were closed and what I determined to be a faint smile was etched onto his lips. The skin around his eyes was wrinkled with age, and laugh lines were visible.

He had been a better picturesque father to me than my real father. My father had loved me, that was obvious, but he had never wanted children. The arguments between my parents had always been over what to do with me, and how to raise me.

My father showed his love through harsh tutelage. There was hardly a lesson he taught that didn't have me on my ass in the dirt. He taught me to fight, saying one day I would need to know how. I wanted to resent him, but I just couldn't. I loved him. After all, he was my father. The only thing I did resent about him was the fact that he left when I needed him. For all I knew, he could be dead.

I stretched, tossing my arms high in the air. I felt joints pop and muscles release their tension, brought in by my rather morbid thoughts. It was a good feeling. Despite my stature, I felt like I could nearly touch the sun. I was on top of the world, alone and free for the first time in months.

Alone.

The sun was sweltering now, and I was almost sure I would receive a burn from hours under its strong rays. In maybe two more hours the sun would set behind the tall plateaus, leaving me in darkness. I quickened my pace, still not sure where I was headed. Perhaps I could make it out of the badlands before the sunset.

—

I found a rest stop on the edge of the badlands where I happily spent the night. Sure, sleeping on the hard tile floor wasn't my favorite, but at least I was warm and had a roof over my head. I woke with the sun the next morning, feeling surprisingly refreshed and ready to face the day.

I knew I was deep in Montana, but I wasn't sure where. I was somewhere towards the western Montana border. I could see the Rockies towering above me, clawing at the sky.

I sighed and gently rubbed my tired eyes. There was a McDonald’s and a gas station built into the restaurant that my stomach demanded my perusal, despite my groan of protest. McDonald's was not food and no amount of pestering would ever make me think so. Give me a salad and an elk heart any day over fake, processed chicken nuggets, likely not even made with real meat. That was just the monster in me, craving fresh food. Preferably raw.

I scowled up at the taunting golden arches – I felt like they were laughing at me. With a loud, disgruntled huff I marched towards the glass doors of the small fast-food restaurant.

"The ice cream machine had better be working," I snarled quietly to myself.

I threw open the door a bit more roughly than I was anticipating - the entirety of the small restaurant glanced up at me in surprise and bewilderment. I smiled shyly and shut the door quietly behind me. With a rather fast gait, I made my way to the counter and hurriedly placed my order. I didn't want to be around humans more than I needed to.

Slinging my heavy backpack over my shoulder once more I made my way toward the restroom. It was hidden around a corner, not easy to spot at first. With a grumble I shoved the heavy swinging door open to the bathroom and tossed my bag on the floor, immediately rummaging through it.

I looked up, hearing the sound of a toilet flushing from one of the stalls, and caught the eye of a woman exiting.

The scent of a forest hit my nose, but it wasn’t the typical scent of pine trees. No, her scent made me picture towering forests and a thick layer of fresh, powdery snow lying on the ground. The tree limbs were bending under the weight of the snow, and eventually, they would tip just enough to deposit their powder onto the ground. I pictured mountains soaring above the tops of the trees, snow sprinkled on the sides of the towering giants, reminding me of powdered sugar.

My eyes widened and latched onto the girl's once more, finally refocusing. Her lips split into a shocked expression, her icy eyes wide. I had only met one other person with such an intense scent, and even then Dean spurred the image of cherries, not an entire wintry scene.

“I’m sorry, I- this isn’t? Is this your territory? I’m sorry I didn’t- uh… I'm Calliope," she said with a vague gesture to herself.

I uttered my name in return, returning her wide-eyed expression. I shook my head, scaring away the daze.

She looked to be about my age. She was more rugged than me and was rather muscular. She was tall and lean, but she didn't look like a fighter, more like someone who spent a lot of time running.

Her eyes were glacial, an odd color given her dark hair and tanned skin. Her hair was not quite brown, but not quite black. It was more gray, like dark charcoal, and was pulled into a tight ponytail. I imagined that if she had it down it would easily lay between her shoulder blades. Her skin was ashy but warm in color and dotted with the rare freckle.

I turned and fled.

My food still wasn't ready, causing me to growl out of frustration. Rather than asking them to hurry up, I grumbled lowly and marched out the door. I stopped and sighed, my breath fogging in the cool night air. The moon was waning again and in a few weeks, it would be gone.

"Remind me where you're headed again?" Calliope chirped behind me. I jumped, forgetting that she was there. I had half expected her to stay in the restaurant.

I sputtered, trying to gather my answer. "I-I'm just kind of wandering, really. I don't have a destination."

She grinned heartily, her eyes wild with enthusiasm. "Me too! Maybe we could travel together?" she offered. I scowled at this, and I could almost picture her ears drooping.

"I'm traveling alone for a reason," I stated, harsher than I had intended. The dejected look on her face made me want to take it all back. I shook my head and averted my eyes before taking a few steps toward the road.

"At least let me travel with you for the night," she offered. I glanced back over my shoulder at her. "It's not safe to be out here alone at night."

I huffed and flashed her a small smile. "I think I can handle it." Once more I turned away from her, her eyes glaring daggers into my back. 

She turned to me with a soft pout and began talking. "You know, you could get to wherever you're going a lot faster if you just changed shape."

I tensed and shrugged it off, doing my best to hide my discomfort. "I'm enjoying taking it slow."

She quirked an eyebrow and faced forward again, her eyes scanning the empty road in front of her. "That's a lame excuse." I tensed once more and tossed a frigid glare at her, my grip on my backpack straps tightening. I was capable of shifting, it wasn't like I was physically incapable, but each time I grasped for that familiar feeling of my body blanketed in warm fur, it just… slipped between my fingers like grains of sand. Hard to cling onto and force to the surface. A mental barrier. Fear.

I had tried to shift shortly after the incident, one of the first few nights with the boys. I tried, and I came close. My fur had grown out and I could feel my bones trying to rearrange, but I hadn't been able to go all the way. Since then, anytime I tried I just regressed further. Now I could hardly make the molten color surpass the regular color of my eyes.

"You are a skinwalker, right? Don't tell me I-"

"I'm a skinwalker," I interjected, my eyebrows furrowed and anger rising on my features. "And I can shift. I'm not... defective or anything."

She shrugged in response and faced forward once again. "I suppose that explains why you smell weird, though." At this, I quirked a brow.

"What do you mean?"

She chuckled and clasped her hands behind her back. "You smell... almost scared? And human. Like... really human. Were you turned recently or something?"

I barked out a laugh and she jumped, thoroughly not expecting that reaction. "No, I wasn't turned recently.”

“Neither was I.”

I quirked a brow and stared from the corner of my eye. She matched me step for step, her eyes locked forward and brows furrowed.

“When?” I asked.

She hummed thoughtfully for a movement, contemplating where to begin. “Long time ago. I was young, it was targeted.” She scowled at that last word and turned away for just a moment before continuing her story. “My parents didn't know what to do when I started turning into a puppy all of a sudden.

"They put me in foster care when no one believed them," she said the last part with a chuckle. "I ran away from the group home I was in a couple of times – finally got away with it when I was about thirteen. I've been on my own ever since, save for the occasional other monster I've met and hung out with for a while." She grinned at me and turned around, walking backward again. "What about you? What's your story?"

I chuckled softly, not wanting to share now. My story felt… like nothing compared to my staggering tale. "Not too much to tell. I wasn't turned. I was born like this."

She stopped in her tracks, her blue eyes widening. "That’s new.”

“It's not common, but it's not impossible."

"So then why aren't you shifting?" I stiffened again. I glared suspiciously at her and her eyes were wide with curiosity. "Is that another reason why you smell weird? Cause you’re... what, purebred?" I huffed and grabbed onto the straps of my backpack again.

"I don't know what I smell like, so I don't know."

"Earthy," she said softly. "And strong... but also afraid..? But not afraid like an animal is when it's being hunted. More like... insecure, if that's possibly a smell?"

"So I smell like dirt, power, and insecurity?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

I chuckled, a light blush blossoming on my features. "Well I don't know about the power or insecurity, but the dirt is probably from the fact that I haven't been able to shower in the last three days."

She wrinkled her nose. "Yeah, that's probably it. I bet the power is from your pedigree. And I think you know more about your insecurity scent than you're letting on." She wiggled her eyebrows playfully.

I smiled slightly, flashing white teeth at her. "Probably. Maybe if you stick around long enough, you'll find out."

She smirked widely, looking ecstatic. "Does that make us traveling buddies?"

I chuckled. "For now."

[cochineal-leviat]

"Our dear party celebrate after acquiring the third orb to unlock the House of Dormont. Their location? A tavern. It is a night to drink your worries and sorrows away. Hopefully, they will be able to relax before continuing their formidable journey.

Unfortunately, the booze has more unintended consequences than the group had considered. Especially on their new roguish member."

This is my first ISAT fic (that I have finished), and I am so stoked to share it with everyone! I also drew a comic with it because I was so excited about the story. This is definitely one of my best comics yet. I have been experimenting with panelling, and I am getting the formula down now after much trial and error.

I had a lot of fun designing Siffrin's clothes under the cloak (I even drew a reference for it in my sketchbook). I love designing clothes <3. Especially tunics. It seems a little too fancy for Sif's tastes, but I am chalking it up it being a gift from someone from a long time ago rather than something Siffrin would buy or get on his own)

Please enjoy~!

*Edit*

I decided to continue the comic because of the overwhelming support I received (o゜▽゜)o☆. The link is under this paragraph.

Part 2

(Also, there are no spoilers for the game itself! Except for the ending notes of the fic, but I will place a warning there)

Different coloured pages without text under keep reading

Initially, I worked with different shades of grey for anyone: Siffrin has violet grayscale, Isabeua red, Mirabelle yellow, and Odile Green. But I ended up putting a black-and-white filter on it for unification. Please let me know if you guys prefer the 'coloured' versions more or not, and I will change the comic pages into the OG colouring. The purple for Siff is giving, but I am unsure if it is too noisy.

[dduane]

Please read this. It is deeply, DEEPLY freakish.

[Robin, a librarian] received a message from a patron of her library system that there was something wrong with an audiobook they had borrowed. The patron reported that during a quiet part of the audio, there seemed to be a tiny portion of another recording inserted into the silence. It happened more than a few times and the patron also provided a timestamp, because this patron is very awesome. Robin says that this isn’t unusual, and the process is pretty routine:  “It’s usually just a corrupted file transfer or something. And we contact the publisher and let them know, or let OverDrive know, and it gets re-uploaded.” So then what happened?  Robin: “So I went to look up the specific book to see who the publisher was. Mostly because I wanted to know. We would contact OverDrive about the error, and they would fix, or talk to the publisher directly.” Digital files get corrupted often enough, so this isn’t alarming. But then, Robin and her coworkers noticed the name of the narrator: “Scarlett Synthesized Voice.”

And that's just the beginning of it. Who is "author" Blake Pierce, and how do they have more than seven hundred books??

[ruporas]

captain's warm hugs! (id in alt)

[muzsmocsing]

Xie Lian can roast him to the moon and back about his unforgivable crime of not being pop idol level blindingly handsome but there is not a mf in this series as classy, mature, and level-headed as Yin Yu.

[tubbytarchia]

I don't know what this is all I know is that LimL Joel makes me really emotional

[help-itrappedmyself]

Dead on Main Part 5

Masterpost

“We have to stop for snacks!” 

“We are not stopping for snacks.”

They started this conversation two whole minutes ago.

“We have to stop for snacks! It is a quintessential part of the road trip experience. This is our first road trip. Do you really want to deprive your family of the full experience?”

Apparently, the Waynes have never been on a full road trip, usually flying places instead, so Dick is insisting we make this a whole experience. Danny is willing to bet car games will be played at some point.

“It’s a long drive, we’re not stopping unless necessary.”

Danny wonders how long the discussion can last as it reaches the four minute mark. 

“ But-”

Tim taps Dick on the shoulder to shut him up. “I have to go to the bathroom.” He deadpans at Bruce. 

Bruce looks at him in the rearview mirror, looks back at the road, looks back at Tim. Bruce sighs.

“Everybody is going to the bathroom. We can get some snacks, and then we are not stopping for at least four hours.” 

Dick cheers, and Danny chuckles at Tim’s smirk. They’ve only been on the road for forty-five minutes, by all rights no one should have to go to the bathroom yet, but Danny was enjoying the family banter in the car.

The first forty-two minutes of the drive was mostly just everyone settling in, Dick in the front as navigator, though it didn’t seem like Bruce needed directions. Danny had asked and he’d never been to Illinois before, but they’re probably still in familiar territory, he might need a map later. Danny is in the back seat, sitting behind Bruce, Tim is sitting behind Dick. Dick and Tim both brought backpacks with them for the drive, Tim has at least two tablets in his. Danny knows they put a bunch of stuff in the trunk as well,  overnight bags and other assorted items, he thinks he saw a pillow. Danny knows somebody went to pack something for him/Jason when they get there, but doesn’t know who. He doesn’t have any entertainment, because he doesn’t have anything except Jason’s phone on him. 

They pull into a gas station, Bruce is determined to get the most out of this stop. Bruce pumps the gas as Danny, Dick, and Tim head inside. They do all go to the bathroom, and Bruce comes in to use the restroom as they raid the snack aisles. Tim has three canned coffees in his hands.

“You know if you drink all of those we’ll have to stop again.” Danny points out. “ Plus it’s late, can you not sleep in cars?”

“Can’t sleep at all usually. We’ll see, but I have some stuff to work on anyway.” Tim points to the drink displays. “Anything you’d like?” 

Danny knows that they don’t mind paying for him, at this point it has been debated multiple times, and he knows he won’t make the whole trip without any snacks. He grabs a Monster and a Gatorade for the road. They meet Dick in the chip aisle. It looks like he’s already grabbed one of every candy, and he’s well on the way to one of every chip.

“Hey, what do you like Danny?” Danny stares at all the food precariously balanced in his arms.

“If you’re sharing, I think we’re good.” 

Dick and Tim laugh.

“We will be sharing most of this. I got all of our favorites, but everyone has something that they’re not willing to share as well. Why don’t you pick out something that’s just for you.”

Tim has grabbed sour gummy worms and is making his way to the checkout counter where Bruce is waiting with a very resigned look on his face. Danny grabs a bag of beef jerky and walks with Dick to the checkout. The look on Bruce’s face when Dick walks up with his arms full is hilarious and Danny actually snorts at Bruce’s ‘I can’t control these children’ apologetic look he gives the cashier as Dick dumps his haul onto the counter.

They pile back into their seats, the seat between Tim and Danny now stuffed with all the snacks. There is not one empty cup holder left in the car. They spend the next short stretch getting resettled, opening up their first snacks and drinks. Tim Pulls out a tablet, but doesn’t start working on anything, too busy texting someone. Danny considers pulling out his phone, remembers it’s not his, and then decides not to. He wouldn’t know the password anyway, maybe he can ask if his brother’s know what it would be.

They’d just about hit the first hour mark on their 12-hour trip when Dick turns around in his chair to face the backseat. Danny sees him slip his phone away.

“Hey, Danny, why don’t you tell us about yourself?” Tim has put his phone down.

“Well, I’m still in highschool. Should graduate soon, hopefully.” Danny starts tapping his fingers on his thighs. He hopes he can graduate. “You know I have a sister in college. I have another sister, she’s a traveler, she doesn’t do school.” 

“Do you like school?” Dick prompts.

“It’s okay.” He shrugs. “I’m not great at it. I like learning, but it’s not a great school and there’s only so much learning you can do from inside a locker.” 

“You fit in a locker?” Tim asks.

Danny looks at himself, quickly realizing that they have no idea what he looks like as he sees Jason’s bulky frame. He chuckles, rubbing the back of his head with a hand.

“Ha, yeah. I’m more…. Tim to Damian size? I think I’m around your height.” He said in Tims direction. “Maybe an inch or two shorter, but I have no muscle mass, so It’s a bit of a squeeze but I fit well enough. Never get stuck. Tucker got stuck once.” 

Dick frowns. “Do a lot of people end up in lockers at your school?” 

“Sure. Me, Tucker, Mikey… Maybe Wes if he ever really pisses someone off. But he’s more likely to annoy me than Dash, and I’m not going to shove him in a locker.”

Tim nods sagely, like he understands high school. Dick is frowning like he doesn’t. 

“Dash a sports guy?” Tim asks.

Danny nods. “Football quarterback and basketball.”

“Geek or nerd?” 

“Personally, nerd probably.” Danny thinks about it. “But there’s not much opportunity to explore engineering and space in high school, so I’m mostly average. Tucker is a big geek, he’s great with computers. Does most of the coding for my more technological fixes when I’m working on my parent’s stuff.”

“You work with your parents a lot?” Dick’s phone chimes, but he ignores it.

“Not with them so much as on their stuff. They create it, they come up with a lot of cool stuff. I reverse-engineered a lot of it once it’s done.” 

“You said a lot of it was weapons?” Tim’s phone dings. “Damian says not to ignore his text.” 

“Oh!” Dick grabs for his phone.

“Some. They built other stuff as well, but they specialize in weapons and defenses against ghosts.” 

Dick immediately turns back to look at him. “Ghosts?” 

Danny could hear the doubt in his voice. He sighs. “Yeah, they’re ecto-biologists. Amity has a big ghost problem, that’s why we live there, they wanted to study them.” Danny has a slight shiver, but suppresses it. “They develop a lot of technology using ectoplasm-” Danny shudders for real this time. His squeezes his eyes closed, feeling a deep roiling in his gut that is vaguely nauseating, and a fire in his brain that is making his blood feel like it's burning. This is strange. His brain goes on overdrive, thinking about his parents, the blob ghosts he has had to free from their basement, the threats they make, them shooting at him. Danny recognises the churning in his body as ectoplasm riling up a core. His core.

But he’s not in his body, he shouldn’t have… Jason has died too. Danny opens his eyes and they’re glowing.

[becausebuckley]

don't mind me i'm just thinking about the potential of episodes we could have in 8b. a ravi begins episode that has a split focus on him becoming a firefighter and returning to the 118, partially because he needs to fill in for eddie but ultimately leading to him becoming a permanent a-shift member. then the week after is el paso, focused entirely on eddie and christopher and the diaz family, ending with eddie and chris coming home to los angeles AND eddie realising his feelings for buck. leading right into an episode about eddie's first shift back, which gives us some form of buddie nde, a feelings confession, and their first kiss <3

[lattien]

the silly mascot phone comic i got to make for @tgaaizine !! ✨️ thank you so much for having me 💖

[thatkoiboi]

Sleepovers with April are the best! ...and normally accidental-

omg also i binge read dandy's "i may be invisible, but i still look good" and the reference is random but i needed it cause it was funny in the fic and references are my data collection-

[casdeans-pie]

There's something weird about the alley behind Dean's favourite bar.

Dean will hang out there for a smoke just before he heads home, and he swears that sometimes there's a door, right across from him on the opposite wall, and sometimes there isn't. He even mentioned it to Ellen once, but she just laughed while handing over his beer and told him he'd been drinking too much.

But that's not it.

When Dean tries to think about it too hard it slips through his mind like shifting sand. But he's sure the door comes and goes.

The bitter scent of coffee drifts through the cigarette smoke whenever the door is there, and one time Dean even thought that he caught quiet murmers of conversation. Is it the door to a cafe? Seems like it would be a weird place for one - in an alleyway at the back of a dingy bar...

After a while Dean is sure that there are some strange symbols carved into the old wooden door, but as soon as he sits down with a pen and paper to draw them, he can't seem to remember what they looked like.

After a few months of this he doesn't want to admit that he might be losing his mind, but the thought does cross him once or twice. Dean decides the only way he can get over it is if he goes inside. And yet, every time he gets more than a few paces away, he finds that he's turned around and is heading back into the bar, no longer interested in the door at all.

Now Dean stands, blows out cigarette smoke, and glares at the door that he knows he sees, and the desire to go inside sits heavily in his gut again. Something that he has noticed is that the more he focuses on it - the more he's thought about it (obsessed over it) all this time - the closer he can get before he's turned around.

And that the door only appears on Thursdays.

Dean crushes his cigarette under his boot and starts walking.

It feels like he's wading through syrup as he crosses the distance of one side of the alley to the other, but he finally (finally) feels the cool smoothness of a handle under his hand - and he knows that he's reached the door. His hand is tingling violently and the strange sensation quickly spreads through the rest of his body, skittering under his skin. Dean shivers.

But he made it. There is a door. He made it!

"Fuckin' knew it," Dean says, with a fierce rush of triumph. He glances up at the door, but he's surprised to see that where the symbols had been before, it now clearly says, 'Cafe Castiel. Angels Only'.

Angels only?

Dean shrugs and leans his weight down onto the handle... but it won't budge. He distantly feels himself letting go and wanting to head back to the bar but he grits his teeth and grabs the handle with both hands.

"Oh no you don't," Dean says to the door, not caring if he's finally lost it. "You're letting me in!"

The handle gives. Dean's whole body weight leans down onto it and he yelps as the door swings inwards, and he stumbles inside.

[rcmclachlan]

okay, so if you’re not writing the aquarium scene in the 118/217 scheming fix-it (god i love this) can you at least share what mishap and or shenanigan gets them banned from the aquarium?? (since you mentioned it in the tags i assume you picked one!)

The aquarium is Christopher's idea, because getting Buck and Tommy back together is the one thing he and Eddie can talk about without it devolving into shouting or week-long silences that make Eddie want to put his fist through his living room wall.

So if plotting to interfere in the open bear trap that is his idiot friends' breakup gets him an hour of uninterrupted screen time with Chris three times a week? He'll meddle in a way that would make even his abuela say, "cariño, that's a little much." He'll change his legal middle name to el metiche.

"Buck used to take me to see the otters when I was younger; they're his favorite. But the exhibit has been closed for a year because they've been redoing it," Chris says, then texts him a link to the aquarium website. "The big reopening is next week. If someone asked Buck to take Jee-Yun, he wouldn't be suspicious."

"Chris, you're a genius," Eddie says, a little awed. His entire body aches to reach through the laptop screen and across state lines to pull his kid into a hug, but all he can do is sit on his hands and hope his face shows all the love he feels.

A small, but genuine grin unfurls on Chris's face. "That's not news, dad."

Eddie decides to take the aquarium idea to what Chimney keeps calling the weekly 118-217 Shadow Summit to see if the rest of the group thinks it holds water—no pun intended—and is extremely offended when Dana gives him a slow blink and says, "That's actually not bad. Who came up with it?"

"Is it that hard to believe it was my idea?"

"Very."

Dana presses the rim of her wine glass to the sly, crimson curve of her mouth. With her victory rolls, winged eyeliner, and tattoos, she looks like the winner of a car show pinup contest. She also looks like an evil queen out of an old school Disney movie. At least five people in their general vicinity look like they'd thank her if she force-fed them a poisoned apple or turned into a giant dragon.

Eddie reaches into the bowl of popcorn by his elbow and throws a handful of it at her. She just takes a sip of her wine and serenely lets the kernels bounce off her.

"Knock it off before I put you both in a time out." Lucy drains the dregs of her beer and says to Chimney, "Having Buckley take your kid is the perfect excuse—she's, what, two? Three?"

"Five," Chim says with the heartache of a man whose baby is almost old enough to rent a car. "As long as we don't tell my wife that Jee's playing the part of the cutest MacGuffin ever in this little plot, we should be good. But how do we get Tommy there?"

"Short of planting a bomb in the penguin tank, I can't think of a reason Mr. Nature Boy himself would ever voluntarily go." Hen roots around in the popcorn bowl for the kernels with the most butter. "Actually, he might be thrilled if we did that. I don't think he likes birds very much."

Dana lifts a brow. "I smell a story."

"Does it smell like KFC?" Chim pops a pretzel in his mouth and chews loudly, grinning. "Once we've adjourned the cabal for the evening, remind me to tell you about Maurice."

Eddie doesn't know Nico very well—he can't get a read on the guy to save his life—but the smug smirk he's sporting looks entirely out of place. Nico takes the last mozzarella stick off the platter they'd ordered to share and puts it between his teeth like a cigar. He looks like the world's lamest oil baron.

Eddie looks at Dana in askance. Wordlessly, she plucks a piece of popcorn out of her hair and throws it at him. It nails him right between the eyes.

"Let me handle Kinard," Nico says. "I'll get him there, no problem."

To his credit, Nico does get Tommy to the aquarium the day of the sea otter exhibit grand reopening. And thanks to Chimney planting Chris's idea in Buck's head at the start of their next shift, Buck does take Jee-Yun.

Unfortunately, their paths never cross, because while the penguin habitat doesn't explode, the sea jelly gallery does, completely flooding the first floor. When the aquarium is forced to evacuate everyone, Buck and Jee-Yun end up at the Chili's down the street, while Tommy ends up riding in an ambulance with an old woman who gets stung by a box jellyfish.

"I don't understand how this happened!" Lucy shouts, keeping her fingers on the ankle pulse of a man in the middle of an allergic reaction to a lilliputian jelly sting as Hen and Chim pump him full of epinephrine and then start administering compressions.

Eddie would help, but he's carrying three kids—two in his arms, one on his back—through shin-deep water to safety while attempting to dodge all the bluebottles floating on the surface. Dana glides past him to get the next group of kids waiting to be rescued, not a hair out of place. She looks like a fucking mermaid. He's gonna trip her the next time they pass each other.

Annoyed, Lucy casts around and then asks, "Has anyone seen Nico?"

Just in time for the man himself to sedately walk through the pandemonium, two bewildered penguins tucked under his arms like purses. He smiles brightly. "Hey, did Kinard pass through here, by any chance? Phase two of my plan is ready to go."

Eddie stares at him. "What was phase one?"

He never does find out what exactly phase one entailed, but it's enough to get them permanently banned from the aquarium for life.

"If you ask me, the punishment so does not fit the crime," Nico says, digging an elbow into Eddie's side as he jostles for room in the back of Athena's squad car.

Eddie says nothing. He's too busy mentally composing the short-answer portion of his application for the El Paso Fire Department, although, in the end, it doesn't matter. He completely forgets everything he plans on writing when Athena slides in, glances in the rearview mirror, and shouts, "Those better not be penguins in my back seat, Edmundo Diaz!"

He and Chris spend two hours talking about it during their next call, so Eddie calls it a win.

[cads-the-cat]

Ah yes, my favourite season is about to begin: Sleep Token Tour

Where I will wake up in the morning to find the fandom in a frenzy and while I sleep drunkenly try to scour the Internet to find out what the hell happened, I only find single words, incomprehensible screaming and maybe a very blurry pic or, if I'm lucky, video. It will take me ages to get some sensible information that they did something insane or weird or unexpected and after the initial thought of what the actual fuck, I will nod because it's Sleep Token and why did I ever question it.

[d8tl55c]

[fynori]

i need a skk-centered spinoff thats just their dumb mafia hijinks so bad you guys dont get it. like imagine them figuring out the gun trick for the first time in the middle of a mission where dazai just hands chuuya a gun like "you know what to do." and chuuya just??? no?? the fuck i dont?????? and so, best guess he's got, he shoots dazai. there arrival back at hq goes something like this:

dazai: why the FUCK DID YOU SHOOT ME??

chuuya: YOU TOLD ME TO??

dazai: NO?? I DID NOT??? I TOLD YOU TO USE YOUR ABILITY TO SLOW DOWN THE BULLET JUST ENOUGH IT PIERCES MY SKIN WITHOUT REACHING MY SKULL OR BRAIN AND THEREFORE FAKE MY DEATH WITHOUT CAUSING ANY REAL HARM. AND THEN I WOULDNT BE AT ALL INCAPACITATED AND COULD JUMP THE GUARDS WHEN THEY GO TO CONFIRM MY BODY. OBVIOUSLY

chuuya:

[stars-obsession-pit]

Ghost boy, lost in luggage

Danny wants to go on vacation with his friends, and they have the brilliant idea of souping him so he can nap and take a ride in their luggage without paying for an additional plane seat!

Which would have gone perfectly, if not for one sliiight issue…

Danny was loaded onto the wrong plane.

Oops.