Tag: glider

The Lounge || As Light as an Oscar (4 of 4)

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Teenager Dean dove out of the way when the leafy glider buzzed past him, and the other Dean followed suit as Sam caught the air again, flying so close to him they brushed against the spike of hair on his head. By the time they leveled out, a few feet lower in the air than when they’d started, both Deans were sitting up on the floor, looking dazed.

“Gotcha!” younger Sam called to his older brother from where he was strapped in.

Bowman had to pull to a stop to hover while he and Oscar both let out surprised laughs. Even Jacob had flinched back, though he had been spared from the Sam attack. There might be nothing more satisfying than the sight of actual giants flinching away from a divebomb.

If Oscar wasn’t already so nervous, Bowman would probably make an attempt at a second round for them. They had their eyes on the glider and would never see it coming.

As it was, he dove at a much friendlier pace. Even then, Oscar tensed up.

Bowman banked in a wide circle around the fallen Deans and smirked. “Look at that, Oscar,” he pointed out. “That’s why Sam’s a knight back home. He can take down even the biggest giants!”

Oscar was breathless from all the excitement, but there was still a sheepish grin on his face. He eyed up his own Dean to make sure he hadn’t gotten hurt when he fell over, and then chanced a short wave at him. “Sam’s s-so fast! I thought he was gonna fall!”

Bowman smirked at Dean, flitting away before the human could get any ideas, and caught up with the glider. “Sam uses dives like that all the time in the forest, too. Keeps the glider moving fast, since he can’t flap his wings like me.”

“And I gotta be fast to keep up with the fastest wings in Wellwood!” Sam called over to the others. He circled the table, giving both Deans a wide berth as he sought a landing spot.

“Do we have to land?” Sam asked from behind him, sounding disappointed.

Sam grinned. “Don’t worry, we’ll be sure to fly around again,” he reassured him. “I think Dean’s heart needs a few minutes to calm down after that last attack, though.”

The teenager Dean gave them a flat look as he picked himself off the ground, but he couldn’t hide a smile at how excited Sam was for the flight. “What’d ya think?” he asked as Sam dipped the glider’s wings right as they passed him.

“This is great! ” Sam laughed, loosening his grip around Sam’s neck. “I want to go again!”

“Maybe later,” the older Dean grumbled from the floor. His younger counterpart offered him a hand.

While the Deans collected themselves, Bowman snickered and flitted alongside the glider. This might not be the forest, but he still had to help Sam find a safe landing in case the wind changed. “What’d you think, Oscar?” he asked as they slowly angled around to pull in for a landing.

Oscar was shivering, but more from sheer adrenaline than terror. “I-I didn’t fall,” he announced happily. “It’s kinda fun but maybe I’ll watch next time…”

Bowman ruffled the kid’s hair as they swooped in to land. “You did good helping me keep an eye on them,” he pointed out. Then, his boots hit the table and he stumbled forward with the extra weight before coming to a stop.

Jacob, still sitting at the table thanks to Sam not diving at him, leaned down to offer a smile. “Have fun?” Bowman certainly seemed proud.

Oscar fidgeted as the sprite untied him. “Yeah,” he admitted. As soon as his feet hit solid ground, though, he wobbled and stumbled away from Bowman. The dizziness from swooping and flitting to and fro with Bowman hit him all at once, and Oscar finally plopped down to sit right where he was.

Sam’s landing was smooth, and he quickly unbelted himself. His younger self waited with eager impatience, unable to keep still after all the excitement of flying.

When he was free at last, he ran over to Dean. “Didja see us?” he asked, bouncing on his heels. “We went allll the way around the room!”

“You bet I did,” Dean said, unable to resist Sam’s excitement. He reached around, lightly wrapping a finger around Oscar to keep him on his feet.

Spritely Sam watched them fondly, a bit of sadness in his eyes to see a version of his older brother acting so supportive of him.

“You’ll find him,” came a voice from behind.

Sam looked to see his other self, dressed in the drab colors that would blend into the room, standing there and smiling. “Dean’s out there, I know it,” the original Sam reassured him. “He always finds his way home.”

“You’re acting like I’m some lost puppy,” Dean griped to the side, also keeping an eye on the kids to make sure they were fine after their flight.

Spritely Sam had to smile. “Ain’t you?”

On the screen above the bar, the words The Study of the Four rippled into existence.

The Lounge || As Light as an Oscar (3 of 4)

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“Make–what?!” Oscar’s voice pitched upwards into a yelp as Bowman leapt into the air in one spring, his wings powering downward to propel him away. It took some extra flaps from his wings to really get going with the small extra weight, but just like they’d said, Oscar was light. Barely a hindrance at all to a skilled set of wings like Bowman’s.

He climbed in height to meet the others as the glider dipped down, and soon was focused on the goal. Bowman darted past the teenaged Dean to meet the glider in midair and grab the bar across the top. Any boost he could give it could mean the difference between Sam staying airborne and being forced to glide back to the ground.

As the glider and sprite rose up into the air, the door of the Lounge opened, admitting Dean and his tiny brothers back into the room. They didn’t make it out of the threshold before spotting the strange sight, all three sets of eyes drawn up into the air.

Oscar clung as tightly as he could and shuddered. A part of him marveled that, on the other side of the leaves just below him, Sam was suspended in the air.

Having fun. He’d even wanted Oscar to join him on this daring stunt.

“M-maybe a little fun,” he admitted. Even so, his voice was louder and higher pitched than he’d meant, and it turned into a squeak even as Bowman let go of the glider and swooped to the side to fly alongside the others.

“What do you think?” Bowman asked, directing the question to both Oscar and the younger Sam.

The former hid his face behind his hands, but answered anyway. “Real high up! Feels weird!”

“It’s awesome! ” Sam yelled, trying to be heard over the wind. His arms were tight around spritely Sam’s neck, at this point the older man’s hand on his arm merely preventing him from tightening his grip too far and keeping him from breathing.

“The air in here is pretty good!” Sam called over to Bowman, using his one remaining hand to bank the glider around. “I thought it would be as flat as at night, but this is like being in the village on a good day!”

The one creating the small updrafts that kept the little glider in the air and helped the sprite show off his prowess watched, forgotten in his corner at the bar as he slowly wiped a glass clean. He watched the out-of-place pair with some amusement, finding them very entertaining.

Bowman agreed, and didn’t dare question it. There was a lot about the place that he’d call strange (the closed in walls and corners near the top of that list). He welcomed a bit of familiar as well.

“Oscar, let’s see if we can find an updraft for them,” Bowman encouraged, curling an arm around the young boy tied to him. He got the kid’s attention and saw a question in those wide eyes. A question, and a little fear, but no outright refusal. “I feel out the air to find Sam the best path so his glider doesn’t lose too much air,” he explained. “Come on!”

With that, he pulled ahead of the glider in a familiar motion, one that he and Sam had practiced time and time again. Bowman couldn’t meander as much as he usually did without risking Oscar, but his wings felt out the air nonetheless.

He grinned when he felt it up ahead, and was pleased to notice that they’d caught some attention since their flight began. While everyone watched, Bowman banked slightly to the side, and then soared upwards in an updraft, guiding the other two behind him right into it. He kept his arm curled around his passenger for extra safety, especially when Oscar was brave enough to try to see behind them to watch the others.

Both Sams were grinning madly, matching expressions on their faces as the glider soared around the room, banking gently to overlook the tables. On one, Sam could swear that there was a smaller version of Dean standing and watching them. At another, a different Dean was curiously rifling through a deck of cards to see if they were marked in any way while a third Dean continued to watch from the doorway, not to mention the fourth and fifth close by to their starting point.

“Let’s have some fun!” Sam called over his shoulder to the kid.

The arms around him tightened, and he heard Sam’s voice in his ear. “Whatcha gonna do?” the kid asked, but there was no nerves in his voice, just excitement.

“Watch,” Sam said, letting the glider take itself back to where they’d started. Bowman followed without being prompted, but held back to see what Sam had planned.

He knew it was something.

Both Deans, young and old, were watching the flight of the Wellwood pair and the children. Though there was slight concern in the older Dean’s face, he didn’t seem overly worried they’d get in any trouble.

“Now!” Sam said when they were overhead, dipping the glider forward.

The Lounge || As Light as an Oscar (1 of 4)

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Welcome to the AU lounge! A place of relaxation conceived and helped designed by all the readers and visitors to the world of Brothers Apart! Stay awhile, kick up your boots, and have some pie!

Current AUs in the Lounge:

Brothers Together (Teenager big Dean; tiny kiddo Sam; tiny kiddo Oscar)
Brothers Apart (The original Dean and Sam)
Brothers Lost (Big Jacob with the tiny bros)
Brothers Found (Big Dean and Jacob, tiny Sam)
Brothers Adopted (Big Dean, tiny Sam and tiny Jacob) ****** Returning
Brothers Asunder (Big Jacob, spritely Sam and Bowman)

Read the full series here!

Sam busied himself checking the last of the belts, giving the last one a sharp yank to confirm it was tightly sealed.

The kid hanging from the makeshift harness laughed as he swayed in place, kicking out a leg to see how solid the belts hold on him was.

More than one person was watching Sam in concern as he went about rigging up his glider so it would soar with a second passenger. Both Dean and his younger, teenager self hovered close by, peering under the glider’s wings to see ten-year-old Sam.

“You sure this’ll work?” the teenager asked, nudging his little brother with a finger and sending him swaying all over again.

Sam grinned confidently, pushing his rapier to the side as he fixed his own belts. “Of course! Normally sprites carry the kids themselves with their belts if there’s an emergency. I always keep extra supplies on hand in case we find someone that needs a lift.” He batted at Sam’s leg and set him swinging a third time, only getting giggles from the excited kid, eagerly awaiting their flight. “The glider will handle his weight no problem.”

“Then we get to fly!” Sam declared from where he was harnessed.

Jacob watched with fascination as the littlest Sam was fastened in. It might never get old to see such tiny harnesses and belts put to actual use. The few times he’d held the glider, it had felt delicate enough to break in a harsh breeze.

But he’d seen it in action. A breeze was just what that glider used to soar like the sprites that took Sam in.

“You’ll fly alright,” he commented. He was as endeared as anyone by the sight of little Sam rigged up in the glider. It was oversized for him by far. “That thing gets some air.”

Oscar, who had held back until then, curiously approached the glider and eyed the belts holding Sam in place. He had to double check. “Might even get too high for a pin and string,” he realized, “so you better hold on tight, Sam!”

“You bet Oz!” Sam giggled, forgetting himself and using Dean’s nickname for the kid. He gave his older counterpart his biggest puppy eyes. “Think Oscar can try after I’m done? Please?”

“Hmm,” Sam pretended to think it over as he gave the glider a few last minute checks. To all eyes, it was in perfect condition. None of the wear from the last few flights out in Wellwood were showing, leaving him to wonder if this strange place they were on had anything to do with it.

“I think we can do you one better,” Sam decided. “We can take both of you up together. Oscar’s small enough for Bowman to carry, no problem.”

Oscar, who hadn’t planned on flying, straightened and stared up at the spritely Sam with wide eyes. “I-I, um,” he stammered, all while his cheeks turned pink. He looked over to where Bowman stood with an eyebrow raised for Sam. “Can you?”

Bowman broke out of his flat look at Sam and offered Oscar a smirk. Volunteered or not, he wouldn’t deny anyone a chance to try flight. “Sure I can,” he said, sizing the kid up. “I used to take Rischa flying all the time.”

“Oh,” Oscar muttered, vaguely remembering who Rischa was. Then he eyed the belts securing Sam in. “Do ya have, um, any extra belts? I don’t wanna fall…”

“Don’t even need one,” Sam breezed past Oscar’s concerns, reaching over and giving a sharp yank on Bowman’s yellow scarf. Bowman didn’t have a chance to grab it back before Sam had claimed it.

The fabric was bright yellow to contrast the greens of the Wellwood outfits, and made to withstand flight. It was exactly like what they used to use for Rischa when she came flying with Bowman, back before her wings grew in.

In a smooth motion once he had the belt in his hands, Sam hoisted Oscar up and held him out to Bowman in spite of his surprised squirms. Bowman rolled his eyes at Sam’s antics, but held out his arms to carefully accept. The moment the sprite was holding the kid, Sam looped the fabric around them both, tugging it until Oscar was firmly held to Bowman’s lean torso. Quick loops around the kid’s arms and then another around them both, and Sam tied off an expert knot he’d learned in Wellwood, sure to pull it tight.

“There we go!” he said cheerily. “Light as a feather.”

The Lounge || Sams of a Feather (3 of 4)

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Bowman scoffed and his wings twitched. He turned away from Jacob in time to see another Sam approaching. Even with the Lounge working its strange effects on his mind to make everything seem okay, Bowman was stubborn. “This is really weird,” he commented, looking between the two Sams. “Do you know how to swordfight? What if a possum pokes around?”

The Sam that had just arrived arched an eyebrow, exchanging a look with his doppelgänger. “Most humans don’t swordfight,” Sam explained, putting his hand in his jacket. He withdrew his knife.

Spritely Sam looked it over approvingly, then pulled out his own. “The knights all use swords,” he told Sam. “Scar trained me himself when I was just a kid.” His cheeks turned red. “He caught me playing around with the weapons, trying them out.”

Dean chuckled. “No matter where you are, it’s hard to keep you out of trouble,” he said fondly.

“Look who’s talking,” his Sam countered.

Bowman smirked, but couldn’t tease his own Sam about it without inviting it back on himself. They both had a knack for finding trouble right at its source. They’d found their Jacob in the most touch-and-go first meeting they could have managed. “Well, he’s way stronger than anyone else in Wellwood, so I think Scar would have taken him on even without catching him messing with swords,” he pointed out. “Blasted strength can even keep me from flying off.”  To punctuate the complaint, he nudged at Sam with the edge of his wing.

While the banter moved back and forth up on the table, a small figure made his way towards them down on the ground. The Lounge’s smallest occupant, Oscar had a lot of ground to cover if he wanted to go meet the newcomers.

Luckily, the bartender always seemed to make sure no one was in danger. Oscar could walk right up to Dean’s boot without worry. “Um. Dean?” he called up, as loudly as he could. He even tugged lightly at a shoelace. “Can I come up and see?”

It wasn’t the voice, but the tugs that let Dean know Oscar was there. He glanced down, feeling a slight bit of vertigo when he saw Oscar standing all the way down by his boot. Even more than when Sam was on the ground, Oscar gave Dean the feeling that he was a building.

Shifting his boot away from Oscar, careful not to tug the kid off his feet, Dean knelt down and gently scooped him into a hand with a light finger. “Wait until you see these two,” he chuckled, ruffling Oscar’s hair. “I might even have to pry the other kids off the arcade machines.”

Lowering his hand right next to Sam, Dean let Oscar slide right off, barely waist-high next to his little brother. “I’m gonna go grab some drinks for everyone, any requests?” he said, pushing himself up and looking at Bowman. Everyone else, he had memorized. Spritely Sam was still Sam at his core.

Bowman was almost distracted by the young nestling-sized kid staring at him with wide eyes. He did a double take, and then decided he would challenge the skills of whoever was making the drinks. This was no Wellwood, after all. “Pine tea, if they have it,” he replied with a smirk. “If not, water would do.”

The next time he glanced down, Oscar had wandered closer to him and Sam. The vibrant greens of their clothes was a stark contrast to his own drab greys.

Oscar straightened when he saw Bowman looking at him just as curiously. “Um. I’m Oscar, and I live in a motel. When I’m not here, I mean. This place is better.”

Dean left with the attention on Oscar, leaving the others and the newest Jacob alone.

The Lounge || Sams of a Feather (1 of 4)

On By nightmares06In UncategorizedLeave a comment

Welcome to the AU lounge! A place of relaxation conceived and helped designed by all the readers and visitors to the world of Brothers Apart! Stay awhile, kick up your boots, and have some pie!

Current AUs in the Lounge:

Brothers Together (Teenager big Dean; tiny kiddo Sam; tiny kiddo Oscar)
Brothers Apart (The original Dean and Sam)
Brothers Lost (Big Jacob with the tiny bros)
Brothers Found (Big Dean and Jacob, tiny Sam)
Brothers Adopted (Big Dean, tiny Sam and tiny Jacob)

****** Departing
Brothers Asunder (Big Jacob, spritely Sam and Bowman)

****** New Arrivals

The door to the Lounge opened, and two green blurs swooped in, one spiraling around the other, who kept up a steady pace as he always did.

Sam Winchester, a knight of Wellwood, was surprised to find himself in a darker area, one that had no resemblance to his home in the forest. There, sunlight trickled in through the vibrant green leaves, giving life and warmth to the sprites who called it home.

Here, there were no trees rising up into the air. Instead, walls hemmed them in, containing a large space that was full of massive tables and chairs, laughing voices–

Sam pulled up on his glider, nearly halting in midair as he saw who was in the room.

“D-Dean?” he said in disbelief, spotting a man leaning over a pool table aiming up a shot to sink the eight ball.

Then, he nearly twisted in place, seeing another man dressed just like Dean at the bar, joking around with a slice of pie.

“W-what is this place?” Sam asked, his voice shaking.

“How about you land before asking questions!” Bowman answered, even as he banked around to take hold of the handle bars atop Sam’s glider. With his extra momentum, he dragged the glider forward through the air so Sam didn’t plummet, and aimed them for one of the many tables.

As much as Bowman wanted to meet Dean Winchester himself, he wasn’t about to shirk his duties. When Sam flew with him, they had to look out for each other.

“There’s two blasted Jacobs, too,” he groused as he lead the slow dive to their landing. A glance behind showed that the Jacob they knew was still waiting in the (annoyingly square) doorway.

“Dude, what the hell…” the newest Jacob muttered, staring around the room. Hesitantly, he stepped across the threshold so the door could close behind him, and followed the descent of the two green shapes he already knew among a room full of people he only thought he knew.

The new entrants to the room had not gone unnoticed by anyone. With their green clothing and vibrant wings, they stood out among the drab colors of a dive bar, nearly glowing in the luminescent light.

And, naturally, were recognized.

“Bowman!” one of the Deans called, the one loitering around the pool tables. A broad grin split his face as he saw the sprite landing on the table with a second winged ally.

He didn’t get the sense from Bowman that he was the same sprite they’d met a few cases back, but that didn’t much matter in a place like this.

“Who’s that with him?” Sam asked, motioning for Dean to give him a lift.

Dean scooped him up and dropped him on his shoulder with a bit more casual of a motion than normal. “Dunno,” he said, wandering towards the new trio. His eyes widened as the other person came into focus, removing belts that held him to a pair of wings designed much like Bowman’s.

“Sam? ”

The spritely Winchester looked up, briefly filled with hope as he saw there was a Dean standing there. A mountain of disappointment hit him as he saw a second figure sitting on his shoulder, his face falling. He glanced around, looking for a Dean without a Sam.

But there was none.

“What is this place?” he asked again, looking back at the original Dean and Sam.