August 1st
Sam woke up saying he found a news article from Anaheim, California. I knew what that meant the moment he said it.
TROUBLE. IN DISNEYLAND.
WE DEAL WITH TROUBLE.
WE HAVE TO RESPOND TO THESE CRIES FOR HELP.
WE HAVE TO GO TO DISNEYLAND.
TO BE HEROES.
TO WORK.
TO HUNT.
N
August 2nd
I can't believe how anxious I've been all day. On the one hand, WE ARE GOING TO DISNEYLAND. On the other, THERE ARE SHAPESHIFTERS IN DISNEYLAND.
HOW.
HOW DOES ANYONE COUNTER THAT?
THE CROWDS ARE HUGE!
The only upside is that because it's Disneyland, no one is going to wonder why we're sticking cameras in their faces. If they get angry, they are probably a shifter.
Dean says that if I have any spells that could help us see them without cameras I should be working on it.
I told him right back that magic can't solve everything. Technically I don't believe that that's true but I hate when it's assumed that magic is an end-all force. I'm probably going to get laughed at for referencing National Treasure, but when Riley gets angry that they tell him to do things, instead of asking if he could/would be willing to, I understand entirely.
"Hey, Dae, take down the ward." Do you have any idea how many different wards there are that could possibly be created? What if this one is super powerful and will take days? What if it's dangerous to tear it down? Don't just assume that I can-
Sam here. Dae is in a time-out.
In National Treasure, Riley forgets that the Nicholas Cage character, and the token blonde love interest, are essentially geniuses. They know Riley, and they know his set of skills. For all we know, he's previously done the exact same thing that Cage tells him to do. Which, by the way, was something incredibly illegal that had to be done. There was no room for niceties. Either Riley could do it, or they were royally screwed for multiple reasons.
Speaking of which, why were they pardoned for anything that they did? Especially in the second one, when they literally went out of the country specifically to do illegal things in order to do more illegal things-
I PULLED OVER FOR THIS CRAP.
Do you see what I'm dealing with here? Now they won't shut up about National Treasure. We are on our way to Disneyland to hunt shifters and the only thing these two idiots care about is Nic Cage. They are children.
And they are also forgetting that we do the exact same thing that Riley did on multiple occasions without any of us having to order each other around- Crap, now they've got me doing it.
Point is: we ask Dae to do things because she is indebted to us. She says so herself that all we have to do is ask. There is a huge difference between "Dae, can you do this?" and "Dae, do this."
The difference is time and urgency. She needs to understand that.
I'm about to drown myself in the damn lake if these two don't stop talking about National Treasure. They don't even remember that Nic Cage repeatedly gets them into legal trouble in London for the sake of some shitty clues that, really, should not have been so hard to find. Me and Sam could have done it better. Dae? She could have done way better.
August 3rd
DISNEYLAND TOMORROW!
We've been taking our time getting to Anaheim, but now we're almost there. It's so close I can taste it. It doesn't taste very appetizing, but that's not the point. I've never been to Disneyland and I hear it's even better for adults than it is for children.
I also hear that if I don't ride Space Mountain I'm never allowed to return. I think Dean is just trying to scare me, though. He told me that because Walt Disney's ashes were scattered over the grounds, that his ghost haunts the rides and causes random crashes when other supernaturals visit.
Actually, the way he said it... He has succeeded in scaring me more than the fact that a pack of shifters are running loose in the park. We still don't know if they are the kind to kill their prey, eat them, or just keep them trapped for the rest of their lives.
Shifters have always terrified me. Magic may help find them without their eyes glowing, but I don't use my camera phone often, even when I think a moment needs to be immortalized. I know a ritual that can put me directly into a memory to relive again and again as often as I want. Photos just don't have the same effect.
Oh! If you're confused, shapeshifters are literally that. They shed their skin to mimic another person, living or dead, real or not real. If the person is real and living, the shifter can access their memories and knowledge to be an even better version of their victim.
The only way to spot a shifter before they attack is to see their eyes in a camera—or spot them while they're shifting, but that's not something you want to do either. The process is painful and ugly. Absolutely hideous. And terrifying if it's slow enough. Every aching moment of their skin tearing away from their bodies and regrowing as new pigment-
Fuck, okay. I'm starting to freak out.
Basically, I have to advise you not to fuck with shapeshifters. You can probably handle a ghost on your own, as long as it's not particularly malicious. Other creatures may even be simple for you. Shapeshifters are never easy.
If I saw a shifter change into Dean... I mean, I would do what I had to do. But it would still mean killing Dean Winchester. It would tear my heart out.
And I've seen children shifters. I've seen elderly shifters. I've seen shifters just trying to get by. They are such sad, angry, ferocious beings. Practically cannibalistic. Thankfully I've never seen it in practice (at least not by a shifter).
If you're ever in a pinch and can't contact a hunter fast enough, then you'll need to decapitate the shifter or just stab it a bunch of times with something silver. Oh, and keep a dog nearby. They hate shifters more than anyone possibly could. Your adorable little pomsky that wouldn't hurt a fly? Vicious beast around a shifter.
Still, that's a last resort option.
Do. Not. Fuck. With. Shifters.
Got it?
Good.
August 4th, Morning
We made it! I can see the castle! I can see the hoards of humans scrambling for tickets and souvenirs! Food! Party hats! Mickey ears! Mascots!
I'm drooling. I am literally drooling.
All the rides! Space! Indiana Jones! Princesses! PRINCES!
And California adventure land!
This is the best day ever! I hope we can stay for an entire week! Sammy is smiling, which I think means he agrees. Dean is all business right now, but I see his lips quirking up. He wants to have fun, too. And I'll get to have fun with him!
Is there a Tunnel of Love in Disneyland?
I intend to find out.
More later.
I have to get in line!
August 4th, Noon
Sam: Dae can't write right now. She's distraught. We came to Anaheim for a hunt, and we were too late to help. A group of hunters has apparently made their home in the area and the moment the news had printed word about the shifters was the exact moment the problem was dealt with.
We travelled all this way for nothing. Aside from the fact that we got to see Dae get very excited about spending all of our money, we have gained nothing.
It's really sad to see her curled up in the Impala. She was ready to fight, and to enjoy herself. I guess we'll have to save up for a trip some other time.
August 4th, Evening
Dean here.
Sammy is an idiot. So is Dae for getting so excited.
We're here already. We got a hotel for the night and stuffed our faces until we couldn't move right. That's part of the fun of being on a vacation, isn't it?
So tomorrow I'm going to wake up early and buy us passes for all of the rides at both Disneyland and California Adventure. We will ride as many rides as we can before we puke, and then we'll rest and do it all again.
We deserve it. Dae deserves it. Sammy deserves it. Hell, I would invite Cas if he didn't have angel stuff going on.
This is going to give us all a big load off. Whatever those two want I'll make sure they get. Those hunters that dealt with the shifters said they have an in at the park. A little after hours tour to get the latest from some hunters? Sounds like the kind of thing we'd be interested in.
The only downside is that we couldn't hid the fact that Dae is a witch from them. I know she doesn't like to hide that about herself, no matter what she says about safety, but it would have been a hell of a lot easier to communicate with them if they didn't know.
I'll keep an eye on her. I'll stick close to her to make sure they don't do anything. Sammy will too.
Disneyland tomorrow. I'm going to make these kids' dreams come true if it bankrupts the whole nation.
August 7th
I'm so tired. We're finally on our way home, although very slowly.
Dean surprised us with passes into Disneyland. We got fast pass and everything we needed to ride everything as quickly as possible.
I think I threw up twice, maybe three times. It was worth it.
Space Mountain was one of two rides we liked so much we had to visit twice. The swirling lights at the beginning is disorienting and then there's just darkness with only enough light that your eyes know you're moving instead of just the harsh sway of your body...
Ugh, I'm going to be sick again. I can still feel all of the rides deep in my bones.
Tower of Terror was the other one. Up, up, up. Some ghosts. And then—DOWN DOWN, UP, DOWN-
Oh, damn. I need to stop thinking about those rides.
It was the best two days of my entire life-
Sam: Dae is having herself a little personal time.
We had a great time at Disneyland and California Adventure. Dean bought us souvenirs and brightly colored clothes and more food than we should ever have eaten.
Thankfully, Dean and I took turns riding with Dae. Neither of us are as sick as she is, but Dean had it worse than I did anyway. As it turns out, I'm the strongest when it comes to enduring amusement parks. Thankfully there were no actual clowns to bother us. Mascots of Mickey, the Princesses, and other characters signed an autograph book for Dae.
Dean even sent her to have a meal with Ariel (The Little Mermaid).
He really went out of his way to treat us. I'm glad he did. As a hunter I didn't think I would ever get the chance to have a vacation like that. Even when we were on our way here, I thought we would take care of the shapeshifters and then head back to the bunker.
It's a good thing I was wrong.
Dean drew the line at Seaworld.
August 8th
Remember that ritual I mentioned? The one that lets me relive all of my memories?
I think I'll be using that one quite a bit for the next few days.
I'll avoid the spinning rides, but I want to remember spending all of that time with Sam and Dean.
I swear, there was this moment when me and Dean were so close I could have kissed him. He probably would have let me! Oh, just thinking about it gives me butterflies...
But then I heaved over a trash can and the moment was over.
One day, maybe.
Still. Forgetting about the few times I almost got romantic with Dean, it was so kind of him to let us play. He gave me everything I asked for. I tried not to ask for much, but it's Disneyland for Chuck's sake! The place was made to spend every cent a person could have.
And the fireworks were incredible. I was sandwiched between Sam and Dean, licking an icecream, staring up at the sky as it burst into flames over and over. There were characters flying over the castle, and music from all the favourite Disney shows.
I looked down at some point and saw a kids face just glowing with excitement. It was twelve-thousand-times better than Christmas for him.
I'll never forget what Dean did for us. I'll never forget his expression while we rode the teacups, or the way he laughed as Sam tried to talk his way to the front of a line.
It was... I can't even explain it. It was magical.
I would know.
Dean:
Before Dae posts this I want to tell everyone that while Dae was watching that kid during the fireworks I was watching her. Her face lit up just as much as his did. She made the entire thing worthwhile.
And, she's right, Sammy trying to flirt his way ahead in line is always hilarious.