beaconhillsmercenary

[beaconhillsmercenary]

bcnes​:

( DO YOU HAVE ANTS IN YOUR PANTS? ) a cheesy stupid question to ask a vampire of his age and energy. he had eaten before he came but he could smell human blood all around him. what was worse was the sound of excited heartbeats. they felt like drums in his ears. “distract me.” a question? no, more of a plea. “i’m hungry and my date is gone.”

Braeden was standing to the side, watching the movie - her bike wasn’t exactly drive-in friendly, so she’d had to park up and figure out a place to sit, and she hadn’t decided yet. Hearing the person next to her, she frowned. “Maybe you should go and find your date then? Doesn’t a date suggest you should probably be on the date with her?”

( DO YOU HAVE ANTS IN YOUR PANTS? ) a cheesy stupid question to ask a vampire of his age and energy. he had eaten before he came but he could smell human blood all around him. what was worse was the sound of excited heartbeats. they felt like drums in his ears. "distract me." a question? no, more of a plea. "i'm hungry and my date is gone."

[beaconhillsmercenary]

The Drive-In - Braeden Cooper

[beaconhillsmercenary]

cfanotherlife​:

“It was the first time I’ve heard them…they’re definitely something.” The radio was scary, the things it new, the power it had. “I’m Penny, by the way.” She threw the towel she’d been wiping the bar with over her shoulder.

.

"Well, hopefully we don’t hear them again.” She frowned, knowing wishful thinking was a bad thing to have in Beacon Hills. “Nice to meet you Penny, I’m Braeden. Have you been in town long? I didn’t see you working last time I came by, but it was a couple of years ago now. Just catching up with some friends.”

[beaconhillsmercenary]

alphakage​

Scott smiled sadly when Braeden mentioned being taken for a hunter. “It’s ok, I think you look pretty badass,” he said with a smile and evident admiration. Although her words did gain her a genuine laugh. “Please, he’s adorable in wolf form, he would never bite.” Scott couldn’t wait till he could master himself to the point into which he’d be able to fully shift. “Really though, thank you,” he added sincerely. 

At Braeden’s answer, Scott furrowed his eyebrows. “I mean… sweet you and Derek both have jumped on that same hating on Deaton.” Not that he could blame them after Derek had explained it to him by comparing the Druid to Inuyasha’s flea friend. He also appreciated it, but the werewolf also felt guilty. The clinic was his safe haven, he owed Deaton that much. “He’s been ignoring my calls,” he added though, truly frustrated by the fact. 

“Aw, it could really help out,” Scott teased her now. “And you could make extra cash marrying people off,” he noted, pointing an index finger at her as if he had just opened a whole new world for her. “I’ll appreciate that. If you could bring us some all the same? I have a feeling that if we buy quicker than they can produce, there might be an issue,” he pointed out. “If it really works as self-defense, and we have to speak to a priest to do an emergency blessing…” There were so many negative outcomes for that situation, Scott felt slightly overwhelmed. 

The mercenary’s words, however, pulled him back to their conversation. He smiled, allowing the exhaustion he felt to actually show. “It’s too late for that. Even Alice? It’s who we are. These are our people, for better or for worst.” He was tired, but his determination was unmovable. “I have plans, Braeden,” he confessed. “I have goals and dreams…. as a werewolf. I have aspirations as an Alpha… This life won’t swallow me, because it’s part of who I am and I accept it… We both have.” His smile brightened. “Thank you though, for caring.” It didn’t cost must, but her concern was energizing. Scott was ok, things just sucked. 

.

“Seeing people in happily married bliss? I can think of better things to do with my time.” She chuckled, the Alpha one of the few people who could drag a smile out of her. Her face fell as the business at hand was mentioned, and she nodded. “Yeah, I’ll get as much as I can, no problem. I’ll swing by here as the drop-off point. I don’t know anything about any other protections you can get in place, but I’ll look into it. Not promising anything though, like I said my contacts are limited.” 

“I know, Scott. Sure you have goals and dreams as a werewolf, an Alpha, all that stuff... Just don’t follow it at the expense of the human side, alright kid? Take it from someone who knows about getting swallowed up by work.” She smiled. She’d been a workaholic for longer than she could remember. Before she’d even realised how consumed she’d become, she already lost plenty of herself. 

“You should probably go check on Alice... Make sure she’s okay.” She nodded, stepping back away from the table. “I’ll see what I can do about getting that water. Maybe getting someone could help. Thought about getting the water supply blessed?”

[beaconhillsmercenary]

bcnnctt-witch​:

open starter @trappedreblogs​

Bonnie needed to not focus on trying to solve her problems. She didn’t want to be herself for one night. To be someone else. To not worry about her friends… wherever they were. She felt the music pumping through her as she danced at the Crystal Cove. A body in a sea of others, getting lost. She moved to the rhythm, feeling like a girl in her twenties for once. She didn’t even mind the bodies dancing against her or the feeling of someone’s eyes on her.

Braeden needed a night to just herself. No worrying about the goings on in the town, and no being on the clock, watching her phone for new jobs. Slipping into something a little more comfortable, she headed down to Crystal Cove, ordering a drink and people watching. When someone caught her eye, clearly letting herself go, she finished her drink, heading over. “Need a dance partner?” She smiled.

[beaconhillsmercenary]

alphakage​:

alicezhou​:

Alice could feel Scott tensing up, and it just made her more overwhelmed. Through the last year, she had never brought over that part of her past to the Alpha - it just never came up in conversation, and she never had the guts to share it. Now, with Braeden right in front of them and Scott clearly noticing the shift in Alice’s behavior, this was no longer just omission. If she didn’t tell Scott everything soon, she would be straight up lying, and that wouldn’t be fair to him - or to Braeden.

A sudden pain took over Alice as she realized, as a matter of fact, that she would lose him, too. There was no way Scott would forgive the vampire for what she did to Braeden, and he really shouldn’t. As Alice had told herself several times over the decades, it was better if she didn’t get involved with anybody, because they always ended up hurt by her. 

With Scott and Braeden’s words, Alice realized they thought she was afraid of Braeden. As if she was not the biggest danger in the room. The one thing that scared Alice to the point she could barely keep standing was herself, her own memories, her own guilt. “Oh, I can handle guns.” She tried to joke. “It’s nice to properly meet you, Braeden.” The words were bitter in her mouth, but she managed to keep a weak smile on her face.

The idea of Braeden going around doing runs for the Pack made Alice terrified. Of course the girl could handle herself, but they were dealing with actual demons and freaking Lilith. Humans should just stay away from Beacon Hills at all costs. Still, Alice had no business with how Braeden chose to spend her time. She just couldn’t be around her right now without breaking down, and she couldn’t break down now. 

Alice needed to get out of the clinic, to lock herself at home and just come apart, before she could face whatever she’d have to do next, perfectly aware they were all direct consequences of her own bad choices. She looked at Scott, then at Braeden, then back at Scott. “Don’t mind me, I just think being back at the clinic is bringing me some memories of that night. I think I’ll just go home and chill for a bit, let you guys talk.” It was her first time back there, but that had nothing to do with why she was actually getting some memories. She gave Scott a kiss on the cheek. “Meet me there later?” 

She walked to the door, trying not to be too fast but feeling desperate to get away from there. Before leaving, she looked back and nodded at Braeden. “It’s kind of redundant to say it, but take care out there. Literal gates of hell are open.” She sighed, closing the door and leaving before she could get an answer. 

( @alphakage​ )

Alice was lying, Scott turning to face her with a questioning look. He could smell it on, the guilt of it. Even as she kissed his cheek, Scott tried to catch her gaze. Confusion and worry assaulted the werewolf, watching how awkwardly Alice reacted towards Braeden and as she hurried off after lying, Scott couldn’t help frowning. 

“Sorry… I don’t what came over her,” he said softly as he walked up to the window, although he knew she was no longer there. Vampires made a specific noise when they used their true speed, and Scott had picked it up the moment the door closed behind Alice. He was sure the mercenary wouldn’t be too weirded out, she’d always been understanding… But the fact that Alice had lied concerned the werewolf.

“Thank you, Braeden,” Scott told her as he faced the mercenary again. “For everything.” Although he couldn’t really think of anything he exactly needed. Thankfully, things hadn’t gotten so bad that Beacon Hills was under siege. Trucks from all over the country still made pit stops to deliver goods–necessary and luxury–, young adults still went to college and whoever worked in the towns nearby, still went to work and return home to restart the cycle. “See if you could get in contact with anyone with knowledge of this?” He asked the prettiest way that he could, but the guilt the question had caused him was evident on his features. Hunters. It was everything Scott stood against, but he needed to keep his Pack safe… his very town. “I’m going on a holy water run tomorrow,” he shared. “If it isn’t any at the local chapel, I might need to catch in this favor… Unless you’re cool with being ordained?” he jested, although it seemed smart. 

@beaconhillsmercenary​

Braeden felt a strange disappointment as Alice left, and as she watched her, she frowned, trying to understand why. She definitely wasn’t the sentimental type, so why should she care if Alice was leaving? Especially considering everything she’d been through, she freaking deserved to take a long vacation if she’d been able to. Still, she brushed it off, shaking her head at herself. She was spending too much time with the pack. She had to help them deal with this bullshit then head back out again.

“She’s fine, I have that effect on people. They see me and the guns, they think hunter, and they bolt. Natural survival instinct.” She shrugged, brushing off the confusion. Hearing Scott thanking her though made her roll her eyes. “Scott, I haven’t done anything, I gave you a ride, and I’m pretty sure Derek would’ve bitten me if I’d refused.” She chuckled. She shrugged her shoulders, thinking over his request.

“Only contacts I still have the numbers for are Arya and Marin. One’s help would involve too many hunters, and the other is about as useful as speaking to Deaton.” She sighed. “But I’ll see what I can do, but I draw the line at being ordained.” She chuckled. “But if you can’t get any, I can head around the chapels outside of town, see what I can get from them.” She looked him up and down, sighing, seeing how young he was for the first time. Sure he wasn’t a teenager like when she’d first met him, but he shouldn’t be dealing with all this shit.

“Just make sure you’re treating your girl as often as possible, alright? Don’t have any regrets. You focus too much on this shit and it’ll swallow you up.”

[beaconhillsmercenary]

icy: what’s your favorite flavor of ice cream? & sadness: have you ever experienced heartbreak? what was it like?

icy: what’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?

"There was a little diner in Utah that served this amazing Rocky Road ice cream - chocolate and almond flavoured with marshmallow pieces and chocolate chips. I had it pretty much daily for the few weeks I was there.”

.

sadness: have you ever experienced heartbreak? what was it like?

Here

[beaconhillsmercenary]

bottle: what’s your favorite drink?

“I’m a straight up bourbon girl myself. Though I’m just as happy with a cheap beer from whatever bar I’ve rolled into for the night. Just a little something to quench the thirst and help me relax.”

[beaconhillsmercenary]

earrings: what jewelry do you use the most?

“I picked up a vervain-infused ring in New York, back when I was hunting a vampire there, just to stop me from getting compelled. I haven’t taken it off since that day. I’m not really a jewellery girl, but for my own safety, I’ll make sure it stays where it is. You can never be too careful.”

[beaconhillsmercenary]

sadness: have you ever experienced heartbreak? what was it like?

“I guess? I kinda set myself up for it. I start being flirty with someone, we start hooking up, and then there’s feelings involved before I realise it. And when that happens, I bolt. I realise that we’re heading for disaster because one day, the other person’ll want to settle down in one place, and I just don’t see it happening for me. It happened before Derek, then it happened with him as well. We’re friends now, but realising we wanted two completely different things, and that we always would... well yeah, that sucked. I won’t let it happen a third time.”

@ofevolution / @alicezhou

[beaconhillsmercenary]

soft 💘 asks

guilty conscious: write an unsent apology to someone.

wine glass: have you ever had alcohol?

beaches: what is your ideal sunny day like?

social media: what is your most used app?

nail polish: what makeup do you use the most?

cuddles: do you have any stuffed animals? if so, how many?

rose: are you in a relationship?

bottle: what’s your favorite drink?

icy: what’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?

earphones: what song have you been listening to on loop recently?

loving: are you an affectionate partner?

coat: what do you keep in your pockets?

love letters: have you ever written a love note or poem for your crush / lover?

sadness: have you ever experienced heartbreak? what was it like?

earrings: what jewelry do you use the most?

kisses: do you have a crush?

venus: talk about someone you love romantically and platonically

blankets: are you naturally cold or naturally warm?

[beaconhillsmercenary]

@boomeranghale

[beaconhillsmercenary]

alphakage​:

alicezhou​:

Alice hadn’t heard of this Jackson guy yet, but if Scott trusted him, he was probably a good guy. That’s all she needed to know. Then, Scott casually mentioned his friend Braeden and Alice froze in place. Putamerda. Of course she knew Braeden and Scott knew eachother - Brae had been the one to tell her of the McCall Pack and their work with supernaturals needing more self control. “If you trust them this much, maybe someday I’ll give it a try”, Alice had once told Braeden, in some lazy afternoon at her apartment in New York, before Alice made the dick move to end all dick moves.

Still, Braeden shouldn’t be here. If Beacon Hills wasn’t safe for vampires and werewolves, it sure wasn’t safe for humans, not even for the most badass human Alice had ever met. But she couldn’t stay away from the action, could she? “She’s the one who took care of you”, Scott said, and Alice wanted to break down, to shrink herself and disappear. She had seen Braeden that night, but not for a second did she consider that her vision was real. She wasn’t worthy of it. Alice thought it was just a dream, a product of her own guilt.

But it made sense, didn’t it? Braeden didn’t recognize her, of course. Alice’s own voice was playing back in her head - “Now, walk out of the door and forget me.” - the very last thing Alice told her an order Brae couldn’t escape, not when a vampire was compelling her to do it. Still, she gave Alice animal blood, as if she knew. Before Alice could show any reaction to Scott’s words, she felt her scent. No no no no no. Not now, not here, not with him, not her. Putamerda, no. There was no doubt, though. As long as she was properly conscious, Alice would recogize that scent anywhere, and soon she entered the room. 

Just the sight of her was enough to Alice to start shaking, her words disappearing from her mouth. The vampire held onto Scott’s arm for support, staring at Braeden in shock. Even if the other didn’t know, Alice couldn’t run from the flashbacks, from her own voice, again, repeating in her head the words that haunted for the last two years. “I’m so fucking sorry but it’s the only way I can keep you safe. From me. You have to forget me and go away.” It sounded like a like, even to herself, but she had just fucking attacked someone on the street because of some stupid accident. In freaking NYC, where that sort of shit happened all the time. It wasn’t safe for Braeden to be with her, to know of her. “All you need to know is you came to New York for a job, to slay a ripper vampire, and you came through. You’re no idea what’s her name, you don’t remember her face, you don’t know anything of her mind, of her dreams and fears or of the recipes she made you, or of the songs she sings while she cooks… You sure don’t remember her voice, and you never knew how she tastes. She’s nobody, just a job, one less vampire on earth, you sent proof of death and got your money, and you went on.” At that time, Alice held Braeden’s hand to put the vervain ring back, trying to speak through the tears. “Keep wearing it, please. It will keep you safe. Now, walk out of the door and forget me.”

She realized she was still standing there, in Beacon Hills, in the present, her hand on Scott’s arm keeping her from falling. He didn’t know, and neither did Braeden. She had to say something. “I… I do remember you.” She whispered. It’s you who forgot me, but that’s all on me, isn’t it? “I’m, I’m fine, I just… I’m too weak, I guess.” Ha. Understatement of the century. “I’m Alice Zhou, by the way.” And you’d know that if I wasn’t a coward and an asshole, and now I’m gonna lose everything again because I’m not worthy of all this, of either of you, even if I tried to fool myself here for a bit. Could a vampire pass out from sheer anxiety?

( @alphakage​ )

@beaconhillsmercenary​

“— I think she just got here,” Scott said mid-sentence, catching his friend’s scent. A smile grew on his lips as his gaze settled on the young woman, her teasing words and smile of her gaining her a chuckle from the werewolf. “I’m here, as always,” he joked, although Derek never missed a chance to point out Deaton sudden absences when shit hit the fan, Scott preferred to believe the Druid was just pitching in with the research. “I wish, we were actually talking about the night of the full moon.”

Scott couldn’t help but noticing the shift in Alice’s mood, and the grip with which she held his arm. Was she afraid of Braeden? Why would she? “Hey, it’s ok. She’s my friend.” He dedicated the mercenary an apologetic smile. Braeden didn’t seem to have met Alice before the night in which she did Scott the favor of looking after the vampire. Yet, he presumed it was the same nervousness that filled him when hunters were mentioned. And he knew Braeden herself, depending on the context, could be pretty menacing herself. But just then? That was just his friend Braeden.

It wasn’t until Scott caught the lie that he’s gaze searched for Alice’s. She wasn’t weak… She hadn’t been the days nor nights before… Scott tried his best not to tense up. “What’s up though?” he asked the mercenary. “You need anesthetics?” he teased the mercenary, doing his best to ignore the off feeling growing in his stomach that Alice’s emotions were causing him.

.

Braeden frowned, seeing the hesitation and nervousness in the vampire, and she held her hands up in innocence. “Hey, it’s cool, I don’t bite. Or shoot. The guns are just a force of habit.” She shrugged, patting the concealed weapon at her side. She didn’t trust Beacon Hills at the best of times, so she wasn’t going to wander around unarmed. Still, she wasn’t about to shoot at Scott’s girlfriend.

“Hope you start to feel better soon?” She added, hoping to give the girl some reassurance. Hearing Scott’s voice she looked up, shaking her head. “Nah, I’m good, actually I came seeing if I could help you out. I know you guys can’t leave town, but I can still come and go. If you need any supplies, I can do a run. I might not even charge you for my time, I just closed on a pretty nice job.” She smirked.

@alicezhou​

[beaconhillsmercenary]

cfanotherlife​:

“I mean there are definitely worse things to walk back into.” She chuckled, pretending like there wasn’t the scariest shit going on just down the street. The hardest part of being ‘in the know’ of the supernatural was trying to be normal with people who seemed like humans.

.

“Still, think it was a pretty wild night all round.” She frowned, leaning her elbows on the bar. “Depending on where in town you were looking, I guess. Weird radio broadcasts being one of them.”

[beaconhillsmercenary]

ofevolution​:

Braeden’s words earned a smirk from the wolf. “You keep an eye out for me?” he asked, a teasing tone to his voice. “I’m flattered.” Their break-up hadn’t been necessarily pretty, or as amicable as Derek tried to pretend it’d been. But time and distance had healed the wounds their separation left, the wolf having no issues then interacting with the mercenary in the same manner they had since they met. There were sensitive topics sure, she’d meant a lot to him after all. But neither one of them had ever been particularly good at expressing their emotions, so it was always easier to simply suppress and move on.

Derek’s brow furrowed. “How reassuring.” The sarcasm was obvious, but he trusted Braeden. If she didn’t feel the job needed his involvement, the wolf would stay out of it. He had worked alongside her for long enough to know Braeden wouldn’t put him or the Pack in danger, and she wouldn’t allow any threats to use her to get to Scott or the others. All Derek hoped was that if something did happen, Braeden would trust him enough to reach out.

He chuckled. “I know.” His expression became a little more serious, eyebrows knitting together slightly. “Just be careful, alright?” Yes, Derek would have preferred it if Braeden didn’t stay. There was no reason for her to be in danger, not when she had the freedom to get out of Beacon Hills. The brunette was stubborn though, and one hell of a shot. Now more than ever, they needed the firepower.

Derek closed the door of the loft, walking over to the table in front of the large window, turning to face Braeden. “There’s always been something, I guess,” he admitted. “But not sure if it’s ever been this bad.” Vengeful individuals, malevolent spirits, immortal beings, mythological ghosts–at the time, they had all felt like the worst the town could have faced. Now, they barely seemed like training.

.

It wasn’t that Braeden didn’t trust Derek with her job, but she maintained a high level of confidentiality, generally for the sake of her clients. Still, these days she weighed up the pros and cons of jobs a little more, erring away from anything that involved werewolf packs, unless it was benefiting them - there was even one time she was offered money to bring one to them, and she rejected the job and managed to get word to the pack involved. There hadn’t been a hit out on her so far, so she had to assume they hadn’t found out.

“You know I’m always careful, Hale.” She said, rolling her eyes. She appreciated the sentiment, but they both knew she didn’t need to hear it. “I promise though, if the heat gets too much, I’ll back down. But I’ve dealt with dangerous stuff before. Made a killing in New York taking down a ripper, and clearly lived to tell the tale.” 

She headed over to the table, leaning on it opposite Derek. “Then what’s the plan? Running out of town with your tails between your legs?” She joked, though part of her wished the pack would do just that. 

[beaconhillsmercenary]

alphakage:

alicezhou:

closed starter. @alphakage @beaconhillsmercenary (Scott McCall, Braeden Cooper)

After Alice was rescued during the Strawberry Moon, everything was a blur. She was too weak from the ritual and the vervain, and passed out most of the time. She remembered flashes and visions - some faces she didn’t even know, and some she knew were only in her head. As a result, she didn’t actually meet some of the people who helped her. She was at the clinic hanging out with Scott - the bakery still closed for the day because of the fridge problem - when that came to her mind, because of the memories of the last time she’d been there. “You know, as much as we talked about that night, there’s a lot of it I don’t actually remember. I honestly don’t even know how I arrived here.” She told Scott, with half of her attention turned to her phone, where she was checking some obscure sources about exorcisms. When did that become a freaking past time?

( @alphakage )

@beaconhillsmercenary

Jasper the French Bulldog’s bandages had already been changed, Mota the gecko had just been fed and Derek’s cat had been allowed into the clinic for grooming and feeding. Scott stood from beside the bowl he had just filled and listened to Alice’s words. “Jackson Whittemore brought you here for me with Liam, Lori and Theo.” The werewolf moved to wash his hands as Derek’s stray began to feast on the food Scott had just poured him.

 Scott had stayed to make sure Stiles, Allison and Lydia made it out safe. That the witch who had appeared to put out the fire went safely on her mysterious way that had brought her over in the first place. Scott, with Derek by his side, stayed make sure Malia and Peter were uninjured as they took their own leave, to make sure Erika and her mate were undisturbed as she rescued him…. “My friend Braeden picked me up,” he informed her, remembering when she pulled up and he hopped in the back of her motorcycle… He had to fill in Brae so that they could part ways. His heart had ached and Scott had almost gone to Alice… But the thought of Lydia’s pale face kept coming to his mind. Alice wouldn’t leave him, she had promised to carry him on even after he was gone. She was meant to tell his story, even if she could only tell it to herself… He would not outlive her. “She’s the one who took care of you while Deaton cared for Lori,” he informed the vampire.

.

Braeden was in the middle of running errands in town when she realised she was close to the animal clinic, and thought checking in with the Alpha would be a good idea. She tried not to get attached to the pack, to just see them as another job, that Morrell had sent her to them, then Arya, then she had to help Malia with the Desert Wolf. But it wasn’t so easy to keep things professional when they kept having things happen around them, and regardless of what she tried to tell herself, she found them.... endearing. They persevered, despite everything. And with demons in town, they could definitely do with the help.

“Hey Scott, you in?” She called through as she stepped inside, her bike parked outside by Scott’s. Finding it quiet, she stepped through to the back, figuring that if he’d headed out for a few minutes, she could speak with Deaton at least. However, entering the room she found Scott standing with his girlfriend.

“Ah, didn’t mean to interrupt you flirting over a cat.” She snorted, noting the animal eating in the room. “Just came by to check out if you needed anything.” She looked over at Alice, chuckling a little. “Hey, I’m Braeden. Not sure if you remember me, you were pretty out of it when we last met. You doing okay now?”

@alicezhou​

[beaconhillsmercenary]

cfanotherlife​:

“You can say that again,” Penny chuckled, sliding the bottle across the table. Her head was still spinning from what she’d discovered in Alek’s shop, and she was still trying to find a way to confront him about him. “If you need to talk, I’m a licensed therapist as well as a bartender.”

She just chuckled, catching the bottle as it was slid across the table, taking a long gulp and instantly relaxing. She could never be a werewolf, but especially where it came to not feeling the effects of alcohol. “Nah, I’m not good with the whole feelings stuff. Just got back into the country, headed here, and walked right into the middle of a party on the full moon.”