Okay so this post from @dissociativehyperfixating got deep into my brain and I actually started writing my version a lil bit.
To summarize: Tim and Danny are soulmates, which in this universe means they share food cravings. Danny gets captured by the GIW and is unable to access any ectoplasm, and so Tim starts DESPERATELY craving something that he has no way to identify. Duke, with his powers, is able to see more of what's going on and helps Tim figure it out.
Tim isn't technically one of the family members who's allowed to cook, but it's not exactly unusual to find him in the kitchen at odd hours, grabbing a quick snack or looking for something caffeinated.
No, it's not Tim himself that makes Duke stop in his tracks.
There's an eclectic collection of items on the counter. A 2-liter bottle of sprite and an open can of Mountain Dew. A juicer, next to which sit the empty husks of a lime and a grapefruit. A big plastic tub of something called Guarana Powder. And a bottle of ranch dressing.
There's more, but those are the ones that are closest, that seem to have been used most recently.
Tim's posture is casual, hip pressed against the counter edge where he leans, but his gaze is focused. He is vigorously whisking the contents of a glass with a fork. Duke can see little white bits swirl in the mixture.
There has to be an explanation for this.
Duke valiantly pretends he wasn't staring and makes his way towards the fridge, like he'd meant to when he walked in. “Hey Tim, whatcha up to?” he asks, as if he couldn't care less, and grabs a post-patrol Gatorade.
Tim answers, tone flat, “Inventing Ranch 2.”
Duke cracks his drink and sips it, trying to process, but he can't think of anything better to say than, “Why?”
Edit: now with pt 2 and pt 3!
