BACKDATED: An Aftermath of Ghosts [locked to New Hires, including Kokichi]

[credit_not_blame]

[The morning after three ghosts visit the Rig in the night, Stacia appears on the comms.]

All right, I've had my coffee now. Anyone else have weird dreams last night? Because I sure did. If I appeared in yours and you have questions or concerns, I'd prefer to talk about it in person or otherwise privately. I imagine everyone else would too, given the themes.

Also, sorry about all the blood and/or violence.



((OOC: feel free to have locked threads between non-Stacia characters in this post as well!))

Comments

[fromfryingpantofire]

Adults or kids?

[private to Sam]

[hallelujahjunction]

Adults. [Dan's not going to add in 'your brother's super hot'.] Just you guys exchanging some gifts, drinking eggnog and watching some sports.

The Ghost did tell me that things went downhill for y'all after that, but I didn't press for answers. Seemed kind of too personal for me to go digging, you know?

[Private]

[fromfryingpantofire]

Ah. Yeah.

We. Umm. Don't really do that sort of thing very often. So I can tell you right now that I know when that happened. And...it wasn't a bad Christmas, really. Just not exactly a great one, given everything.

I. Uh. Should also tell you that I saw one of yours, too. Early to mid teens.

[Private]

[hallelujahjunction]

That's what the Ghost implied. I'm glad you got to have at least that nice one, at least. There was...it did feel a little somber, but warm.

I'm just glad you got to have it. Seems rare in your world.

[Dan pauses, looking a little obviously crestfallen, like he never actually wanted to talk about this with anyone.]

Ah. Bunker or van? [There's a very clear delineating line.]

[Private]

[fromfryingpantofire]

Yeah. Things kinda went to shit after that. It's been going downhill for a while. Starting to look up a little bit where I'm from, but...it's still pretty shit.

[Sam looks a bit uncomfortable, but it's not fair for Dan not to know.]

Bunker. The Ghost said it was your last one together. And...uh. May have gone a bit further to you overhearing your parents talking.

Re: [Private]

[hallelujahjunction]

Well, look on the bright side. You're on the Rig. [Dan says that with false, cheery sarcasm, and then he gets quite blank, like if it doesn't show on his face, it isn't real.]

They were good people who made a mistake. Someone died each year - horrible-like - and now I'm the only one left. That's the long and short of it.

[Private]

[fromfryingpantofire]

Yeah, I got that much. Or deduced it. Ghost may have mentioned a few things and I could figure out the rest from there.

[He goes quiet a moment, considering. Is this something that should be talked about in person? Maybe. But sometimes the distance that the comms allows helps. Physically and mentally.]

The Christmas of mine that you saw. I shouldn't have been there. I died earlier in the year. Like, there's a scar on my back from where the asshole stabbed me. It was kind of a battle royale that I need to be pretty drunk to actually talk about because there's a lot of underlying shit to it.

Suffice it to say, though, that it didn't take. Because Dean made Deal with a Crossroads demon for my life. Because our dad made the same deal for HIS life a year earlier. Only Dad got maybe half an hour to say good-bye. The Crossroad demon gave Dean a year. And I spent as much of that year trying to find a way to stop him dying.

[hallelujahjunction]

I'd prefer if you not mention it to anyone. Bunny knows, from the last time our memories got all... [Dan makes a gesture with his hands.] I just don't need a lot of people knowing.

[Not because of pity, but because if people know, sometimes they want to talk about it, and there are only a few people he would even care to talk about it with.

But as Sam talks, he realizes Sam knows it the same. Has suffered it the same.

There are questions he could ask. Did you save him? Did he regret it? Did you even get to say goodbye to Dean? How do you live with the grief?]

I'm sorry.

[A moment, and then Dan speaks with more bitterness than Sam has ever heard from him, might not have even thought possible.]

████ing Deals, man. Ours weren't even for a person, it was for our ████ing farm. That shouldn't have been your last Christmas. That shouldn't have been our last Christmas. None of it's fair. My brothers and sisters should have had a chance to grow up, and instead- brothers shouldn't have to die for brothers-

[He takes a breath, returning to that relatively calm demeanor Sam knows from him, but sad.]

I appreciate the solidarity. And I'm so sorry for it.

[Private]

[fromfryingpantofire]

Yeah, it ████ing sucks.

[One day, when they have the actual GOOD alcohol, it'll probably all come pouring out. All the shit that the Winchesters have gone through over the past several years. Hell, their entire lives, maybe.]

[But he is going to have to be VERY drunk to deal with it.]

Just...you know. So you know that you aren't alone.

[hallelujahjunction]

[And one day, if that ever happens around Dan, he'll listen to every word. Commiserate with half of them. Allow the ones Sam doesn't want to elaborate on to go by.]

Yeah. [It's the saddest sentiment in the world, to be comforted by someone else's suffering.] Thank you.