#like teen wolf aired over the summer

[jonathanbyersphd]

They used to end in June and be back by Labor Day. And they had 26 episodes! We used to be a proper country!

[campoverlook-if]

Welcome to Camp Overlook, Where We're Stronger Together!

DEMO LINK ll Updated: 4/26/24 ll Wordcount: 96k [W/O Code], 23k [Average]

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Secrets are all around you in the small town of Crescent Cove, and its local summer camp, Camp Overlook. A place where childhood memories mix with the unsettling realities of the unknown.

A place once known for freedom and friendship, is now shrouded in flickering lights crawling around the woods and campers vanishing into thin air. Far hidden in Hudson Forest is the truth of any person's most horrid nightmares.

As a counselor, you are entrusted with guiding a group of youngsters through their formative days of self-discovery as you grapple with the disturbing circumstances around you.

Whether you are a newbie or a returning former camper yourself, the secrets of the woods are still ominous and crippling. Among the cheer of camp, eerie events unfold before you.

Is Mr. Adams, the cheerful camp director, still a jolly man, or is there something now hidden beneath the surface? Is Crescent Cove, the quiet little mountain town, hiding a secret so great that it will do anything to keep it covered? Are the campers, lovable and rebellious, exhibiting behavior that goes against their nature?

Camp is supposed to fun, so why are you running for your life?

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Setting: Crescent Cove, USA (Fictional Small Town)

Genre(s): Horror, Mystery, Drama, Romance

Warning(s): This is an 18+ story for depictions of violence, death, sexual themes, and child endangerment.

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Customizable MC - Name, gender, appearance, sexuality, and personality are all choosable aspects to make your counselor.

Get To Know Your Little Campers - The kids look up to you at the end of the day and their relationships with you reflects on the story.

Discover The Mystery of Crescent Cove - Learn the truth on what exactly happened thirty years ago that changed a small town forever.

Find A Summer Lover - Choose from thirteen ROs all looking for someone to love. Maybe you’ll find more than just one...

Meet Your New Best Friends - Create lasting friendships that survive the test of time. Or lifetime rivals that are ready to hurt you at any chance.

The Camp Needs You - Save your friends and protect the camp, or watch it all disappear before your eyes.

Lucas [M] - The King of the Woods

Stuck up, arrogant, and just one half of an irritating duo. Lucas always has to have the last word and the last thing anyone needs is to hear him whine about not getting it. It doesn’t help that the staff like him, the liar. Just be sure to stay out of his way or else.

Asher [NB] - The Sleeping Angel

Completely checked out of life, or at least, that’s what Asher wants everyone to think. There’s just a little something more hiding under that quiet exterior but Asher isn’t the type of person to open up to just anyone. They’ve got demons in their closet, and they’ve come along to camp for the ride.

Jack/Jasmine [M/F] - The Wise Old Tree

If anybody can round up a group of rowdy kids and teens together its this counselor. Calm and collected, they're there when the situation loses control and everyone needs to be working together on the same page. But this personality wasn’t perfected over night and even the calmest of seas can swallow those around them below.

Ethan/Ella [M/F] - The Friend of None

What some may call everyone’s best friend, they're at this camp for one thing and one thing only. To make a summer that’ll last forever. Leader of the pack, they know how to get the populous together and have a good time. But even the party animal has to get tired at some point and it's those moments when the real them emerges.

Ruby [F] - The Little Red Hen

Soft-spoken, polite, and kind to a fault. Ruby is the person you want when you need a comforting hand. A true healer and guiding life even if she is a little shy around others. But all healers have a story, Ruby just doesn’t have the cure to make it all go away.

William/Willow [M/F] - The Undisguised Wolf

They say if you gaze into the abyss, it tends to gaze back and tells you what you’re made of. That’s how it feels when this quiet storm enters a room, the room grows cold and the fun dies out. No one knows what lurks behind those eyes, and no one knows for sure if they’re the eyes of a monster.

Oliver/Olivia [M/F] - The Two-Faced Lover

Excitable, sweet, just the happiest bubble around. Around most people at least. But really, they're just an actor who knows how to play their part. No one knows the real them and maybe that's starting to have a toll on them. But it’s not like they can suddenly do a 180 and show the world who they really are. At least that’s what they like to think.

.....and seven others to discover! (Character Bios Here)

[p1utofairy]

PAC: “i get so weak in the knees, i can hardly speak. i lose all control and something takes over me…” 💌⏳🦢🍸

• how does your crush currently feel about you?

disclaimer ✩: 18+ mature themes. here's something to kick off fall 🍂 take what resonates, leave what doesn’t. enjoy!

pile 1 📩 —

heyyy pile 1! let's jump right into your reading 🤗 i'm already hearing that you think about your crush A LOT like you can't get them off your mind even if you tried and they feel the exact same way. you two mirror each other so if you feel intensely about them, they're also feeling intensely about you even if they don't convey that outwardly (i.e. their facial expressions/body language) i feel like they’re not used to having a huge crush on someone, it usually just kinda…happens for them??? like they don't usually have to put a lot of work in to make someone fall for them (bc i'm visually seeing that they're pretty damn attractive) but that's not gonna cut it with you — they just can't get by on their looks. you're big on taking your time to get to know someone and building up that level of trust and respect. you carry yourself very well pile 1 and that's really what made them do a double take when they first saw you. you're 1 of 1 — they've never seen anyone like you before. i'm hearing that some of you may look exotic or people tell you that you resemble a specific celebrity a lot? idk but just know you get the blood rushing through their veins lol they can't help but feel excited when they're around you, yet they barely know you which is the crazy part. they feel like they know you but they don't…and that's what so intriguing to them. stranger by jhené aiko is coming to mind, “i know ya face, i know ya name but i don't know you? isn't that crazy? isn't that crazy?” you may judge them at first and already think the worst like “oh i bet they’re a player!” but don’t jump to conclusions! give it a chance. they may actually surprise you and treat you like royalty, cause i feel a lot of adoration coming from their end…even though they know little to nothing about you. i want you around by snoh aalegra is playing in my head, “it's somethin' 'bout the way you stare into my eyes. i know that i don't make things clear. i fall for you every time i try to resist you.” they’re gonna fall hard for you pile 1. they’re definitely going to want to get serious and make this official which will shock you both, because of how fast things will just come together naturally. AHHH I LOVE IT.

other channeled messages:

whoa by snoh aalegra, kiss me thru the phone by soulja boy ft. sammie, tattoos, glasses, scorpio placements/scorpio moon, wifey, bright smile, almond shaped eyes, petite figure, girl of my dreams, kissin’ on my tattoos by august alsina, u are my high by dj snake & future, prominent air sign placements

pile 2 ⚖️ —

hiiiii pile 2 💓 right away i’m hearing that your crush feels like you’re unattainable? you might be really popular or a naturally social person that everyone clings to, and they find this a bit intimidating. they don’t know how to approach you – they've been trying to figure out how to get your attention but little do they know that they already have it. y'all might have a dynamic like summer and seth from ‘the O.C.’ and/or stiles and lydia from ‘teen wolf’ aw when they find out you like them back it'll most likely catch them off guard like “who?! ME?!” lol they’re so cute. you’re very dreamy to them, they'll damn near start drooling when you’re in close proximity to them…i’m also hearing that they love the way you dress. you show just enough to let their imagination wander lol idk if they wanted me to say that cause i can see their cheeks getting red and them getting all flustered 🤣 let me just say that they respect you so much! they’ll feel so lucky to finally get to know you on a personal level because they’ve been inquiring about you for awhile now. you’ll be everything that they dreamed of plus more & vice versa. there’s definitely a best friend dynamic at the root of this connection, you both will be able to be yourselves unapologetically when you're together. i feel sooo much warmth and comfort. idk why belly and jeremiah from ‘the summer i turned pretty’ just popped up in my head lol but yeah they will love holding you gently and staring into your eyes longingly 😩 SO ADORBS.

other channeled messages:

the cool girl & the gamer boy, no idea by don toliver, just talk to her dude, victor from corpse bride, timothée chalamet, bilingual, hit different by sza ft. ty dolla $ign, my forever boy, good days by sza, skateboarding

pile 3 ⚓️ —

pile 333 💫 what's up!!! i channeled a song for y'all already, come over by aaliyah is coming in strongly. “i know you're asleep but you're on my mind and i'm wide awake and i wanna stop by.” ooo there’s a very sensual vibe between you and your crush, a lot of sexual attraction and tension i'm picking up. you two would make a great looking couple — a lot of people will be looking at you two when you're interacting with each other. it's like “can those two get a room already and just fuck” LMAOOO some will be hating but others will just be admiring like damn i wish i had that. i feel like your crush makes you act really shy lol you try to muster up the courage to look them in the eye and be bold but you fold every time lol i’m hearing them say “don’t be shy baby” 😩 your crush knows what they're doingggggg omg they just love to tease you. a couple that's coming to mind is joey and pacey from ‘dawson's creek’ you may not have paid them much mind initially but one day something clicked and you were like damn…i really like them. it might take a little minute for y'all to officially get together but once you two do…WHEW. i told y'all the sexual tension is through the roof — i’m hearing this is that 90’s r&b type of love. a lot of slow burn and building up to the real thing. they think so much about what it'll be like to finally be able to hold you, kiss you and treat you properly. you evoke a lot of inspiration, motivation and passion in them pile 3 <3

other channeled messages:

halfcrazy by musiq soulchild, take a picture it'll last longer, lavender haze by taylor swift, muse by partynexydoor, capricorn placements/capricorn venus, you're like my own personal brand of heroin - edward cullen (lol)

[fortunapre]

𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐫𝐞𝐜 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 last updated: 10/30

Formula One

➤ 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐝

“the grid’s romantic tropes” @s-awturn

texts! “when you provoke your f1 bsf” @maxtermind

texts! “accidentally confessing your feelings” @verstappensrealwife

texts! “fake break-up text” @csainzoperator

➤ 𝐎𝐏𝟖𝟏

fic! “winter affairs” @fortunapre (mine)

nsfw! “hip thrusts” @pucksandpower

fic! “my sweet summer romance” @aceyalonso

smau! “secret sister” @theonottsbxtch

smau! “on air- interviewer!reader” @diqldrunks

smau! “a storm is brewing” @embrosegraves

“soulmate-oscar version“ @imaginaryf1shots

“act up“ @arieslost

“i was all over her” @iimplicitt

AU! “Skyfall - spy!Oscar“ @theonottsbxtch

“fake dating“ @icriedlastnight

“rainy confessions“ ^^^^

“teach me kisses?“ @snailpebbles

“bite the dust“ @spiderbeam

➤ 𝐋𝐍𝟒

nsfw! “more than friends” @f1goat

“slim pickins” @ln4swiftie

nsfw! “was it casual- lnorris“ @no-144444

“english love affair- imagine“ @jpnriikicore

➤ 𝐂𝐋𝟏𝟔

➤ 𝐌𝐕𝟏

“fixer upper” @pucksandpower

nsfw! “max verstappen x reader, enemies 2 lvrs” @justaninchident-f1xreader

smau! “please date my sister-in-law” @thewispsings

“sweet like honey” @be4chywritez

Teen wolf

𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐤𝐢

Criminal Minds

𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐢𝐞𝐝

Harry Potter

𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐣 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫

𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫

𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐨 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐨𝐲

➤ 𝐎𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐨𝐨d

“the hate game“ @heartthrobin

➤ 𝐓𝐨𝐦 𝐑𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞

“soulmates dont exist“ @lizzieolseniskinda

nsfw! “i despise you“ @megwritesriddles

AO3! “Blood and Gold“

“mimicry“ @sunder-soul

“ink from the well“ ^^^^

nsfw! “secrets safe“ @megwritesriddles

➤ 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐮𝐬 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫

“pay no attention to the magizoologist” @captainsophiestark

Others

𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐭

➤ 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐁𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝

“evening kisses“ @asunsetgrace16

𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐬𝐨𝐧

𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐤𝐲𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐞𝐫

𝐤𝐚𝐳 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐤𝐤𝐞r

➤ 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧 (𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬)

texts! “texts with you & percy” @riordanness

“i can see you” @xoxochb

[selmasemlan]

Epic encounters - A Marcel Gerard FanFic

Series master list

This is a story about a girl, who finds herself in a world filled with all sorts of powerful creatures. And while she's at it, she meets a prince trying to become a king. And their love would be known by all.

Pairing: Marcel Gerard x Luna Salvatore (OFC)

Univers: Crossover of The Vampire Diaries + Teen Wolf (+ very lightly Supernatural)

Author note: I'll try to put everything in chronological order of the story. This will include random moments in the lives of Luna and Marcel. It's a story about two individuals in love who grow together and separately as people. With some changes, the plot will follow the shows Teen Wolf and The Originals. There will be a lot of original (my own) plot.

If you guys have any requests for this series, let me know. I'm open to everything.

Warning: Elena bashing (never liked her, so won't even pretend here), angst, light Scott bashing (have a hate-love to him), softness of soft, series situations and conversations, PTSD, mental health, betrayal, mention of abuse and harassment.

Info about the universe

Info we have right now

Couples in Marcel x Luna Universe

The Story

Before season 3 of Teen Wolf and season 3 of The Vampire Diaries

Crash into something epic - The First Meeting

Summary: Stefan, facing his mortality, implores Damon to promise to spend the summer with Luna for her happiness. Reluctantly agreeing, Damon and Luna's journey to New Orleans unfolds, leading to an unexpected encounter with Marcel Gerard, marking the beginning of a potentially life-changing adventure.

Serendipity in the Crescent City

Summary: Marcel knows there is something between him and Luna, he just needs a chance.

Echoes of Love

Summary: Marcel asks Luna about her past before the Salvatores

Be mine

Summary: In the enchanting summer air of New Orleans, Marcel and Luna's deepening friendship blossoms into a romantic relationship when Marcel asks Luna to be his girlfriend

Summer Rain and Promises

Summary: Luna is leaving for Beacon Hills

During Season 3 of Teen Wolf and Season 3 of The Vampire Diaries

The Bond That Isn't Broken

Summary: How is it that Klaus knows and respects Luna. You're about to find out.

Winterbreak Breakfast Bickering

Summary: It´s winterbreak, and the Salvatore siblings are having breakfast.

Too Soon, But So Right

Summary: A night that almost leads to more, but those that wait, never wait too long

One call away

Summary: A video call between Luna and Marcel brings comfort and love, bridging the distance between them on a challenging day.

Revelation in the Woods

Summary: Deucalion lets Luna know what she is

Confrontation Under the Moonlight

Summary: Luna shows Deucalion who she is and who she will always be

Introducing the partner to the brothers

Summary: Luna introduces Stiles and Isaac to Marcel

Shadows of Betrayal

Summary: Possessed by the Nogitsune, Luna unleashes a wave of dark energy against her friends, her vision blurred and actions twisted by a sinister force. In a moment of lucidity, she pleads for a way to stop the destruction, but Scott's harsh decision to knock her out leaves Isaac determined to save her, his heart heavy with sorrow and resolve.

Luna's Triumph Over Shadows

Summary: In a harrowing mental battle against the Nogitsune, Luna Salvatore confronts her deepest fears and emerges victorious, fortified by her inner strength and the unwavering support of her loved ones. Her resolve to face the future is strengthened, knowing she is no longer alone in her fight against the darkness.

During season 1 of The Originals, season 4 of Teen Wolf and a little of season 4 of The Vampire Diaries

In the Arms of New Orleans Part 2

Summary: Stefan and Rebekah rush Luna to Marcel's arms in New Orleans after a near-fatal attack, finding solace and protection in his embrace.

The Queen of New Orleans

Summary: As Elijah tries to make peace across the supernatural community of New Orleans, an important factor joins the game

Exes

Summary: In a cozy evening setting, Luna playfully prompts Marcel to share about his past relationships, leading to a heartfelt conversation where they both open up about their exes and reflect on the importance of trust and respect in their budding romance. Amidst candlelight and shared vulnerabilities, they deepen their bond and solidify their commitment to each other, finding solace and strength in their mutual honesty and connection.

During season 2 of The Originals

Moonlight in New Orleans

Summary: Marcel and Luna share a tender, moonlit dance in his New Orleans loft, finding solace and reaffirming their love amidst the city's vibrant energy and their own recent turmoil.

A trip to France

Summary: A trip to Paris with the troublesome trio, leaders to, you guessed it, trouble.

Playing Cupid - Damon x Bonnie

Summary: When your siblings decide to play cupid, but it doesn't go as planned

Playing Cupid 2

Summary: Over winter break, Luna, Stiles, and Isaac visit Mystic Falls and, while staying with Damon and Stefan Salvatore, they concoct humorous and heartfelt plans to bring Stefan and Rebekah together.

4 moments Luna flinched

Summary: 4 moments where Luna shows how her trauma effects her in her everyday life

Dreams coming true

Summary: The cure discussion continues, and it turns out Luna knows more than she thinks

Moonlight and Warrior

Summary: When did Luna go from Sunshine to Moonlight, a nickname conversation.

Moonlight Conversations

Summary: A conversation about the future shows us how much Marcel and Luna love each other.

The Brothers Meet Marcel: Salvatore Style

Summary: Luna's big brothers are visiting and finally getting an introduction to the guy they´ve heard so much about.

During season 3 of The Originals

Reunited at Marcel's Loft

Summary: Luna and Marcel, reunited in the warmth of his loft after time apart, share a deeply emotional and intimate night, reaffirming their unbreakable bond through tender embraces, passionate kisses, and whispered declarations of love.

​​The Calm Before the Full Moon

Summary: Klaus has a ranting session with Luna

Art Exhibit

Summary: We meet a familiar face, someone Luna thought she would never have to see again.

Dance of Shadows

Summary: The Strix has arrived, and Marcel and Luna face them together.

A Parents approval 

Summary: In the depths of the Mikaelson mansion, Luna's earnest defense of Marcel's loyalty leads to a rare moment of understanding and approval between Klaus and Marcel, ultimately strengthening their bond and affirming Luna's place in the family.

Babysitting Hope

Summary: Luna and Marcel get to babysit and Klaus gets to see a side of Marcel that he has never seen before.

Not like this

Summary: Luna is worried that it´s too dangerous

Sacrifice

Summary: Luna and Marcel are trying to save Davina, Freya and Elijah only care for their own, so our super couple step up

Promises Made

Summary: A tense evening unfolds as Luna's deep anxiety leads her to urge Marcel to take extreme precautions before a dangerous meeting, fearing for his safety and their future together.

Near death's door (Part 2 of Promises Made)

Summary: Luna's worst fears almost come true as she and Klaus face a terrifying moment of grief, but luck is still on their side

More coming soon.......

[takaraphoenix]

Hmmm August 8 maybe with dawn? For something Sterek in the pool related. That scene leaves in my head rent free.

Tags: m/m, episode tag: s02e04 Abomination, Pack Feels, hurt/comfort, mild Bad Friend Scott McCall

Main Pairing: Derek/Stiles

Teen Wolf Characters: Mieczysław 'Stiles' Stilinski, Derek Hale

@WritersMonth Prompts: dawn + castle

Summary: After Stiles had kept Derek afloat in the pool for two hours, Stiles comes home to find Derek waiting for him.

This Fic on FFNet | This Fic on AO3

Castle of Glass

Stiles Summer Stories 2024

On his drive back home, Stiles' thoughts kept swirling around the day's events.

The plan of stealing the bestiary from Gerard Argent had been a good one, if only they'd put one and one together sooner. How had Stiles not figured out that they'd keep it on a thumb drive? The concept of a bestiary seemed so linked to old tomes and physical books, he hadn't even considered that the hunters would be more up to date. Glaring, Stiles hit the steering wheel hard, just to wince and apologize to Roscoe. It wasn't her fault that he hadn't figured it out.

Being confronted by Erica and Derek at the pool and the three of them being attacked by the kanima. Erica, knocked out on the floor, and Derek… Derek, trying to protect him. Even though moments before, he'd still been threatening Stiles himself. But as soon as the kanima went after them, Derek pushed Stiles out of the way, tried to protect him. Not that it helped, they still both got attacked, Derek paralyzed by the kanima's venom and both thrown into the pool.

Two hours. Stiles had threaded water for two hours, keeping not just himself but also Derek – big, hunky, pure-mass-of-werewolf-muscles Derek - afloat. Stiles still wasn't sure how he'd managed to do that. He was just… Stiles. Flailing limbs, not very athletic, not supernaturally strong Stiles.

His fingers tightened around the steering wheel as a sneer formed on his face. He loved Scott to death, that was his brother by anything but blood, but damn it all to hell he could strangle the guy for hanging up on him. Stiles had dropped Derek, let Derek sink down onto the bottom of the pool, so he could get to his phone and call for help. He'd needed Scott. And when he needed Scott, Scott just… hung up on him without letting him say anything. Oh, sure, in the very end, Scott had come running, he always did that, he always came in the nick of time to save their asses, but… Stiles was slowly growing tired of it. He didn't like being saved at the very last second, he preferred being saved before that point. Stiles swallowed the bitterness that rose up in his throat.

He parked the Jeep and noted the lack of police car. So dad was at work. Still? Already? Honestly, Stiles couldn't tell. With a tired sigh did he head into the empty, dark house, shivering slightly. He was still soaked with pool water. Shower. Hot shower sounded good.

After the shower, he felt a little better. Warm from the core, clean. With that relaxed feeling, all the adrenaline of the night ebbed fully away and he felt his knees buckle. His muscles burned from the excessive and unusual use. With wobbly legs did he make his way to his room. The window was open, cold air drafted in. Furrowing his brows, Stiles turned toward the moving shape on his bed.

"At least scoot over, that's my bed," Stiles grunted unimpressed.

He did not have the energy to scold Derek about breaking and entering, or about being in Stiles' bed. Today had been weird and exhausting enough. Derek grunted back and complied, making enough room for Stiles to collapse on the bed too. He was also too tired to care about the fact that he was half laying on top of Derek right now. This wasn't even the closest they'd been today.

"Why are you here," Stiles asked, his voice muffled by Derek's unfairly comfortable chest.

"You saved my life today," Derek whispered, slowly wrapping one arm around Stiles' waist to pull him closer. "You didn't have to, but you saved my life today. Why did you save my life today. You hate me. You have, repeatedly, suggested to let me die in the past."

"Yeah, and you have, repeatedly, threatened to tear out my throat and kill me yourself, but still you came running the second you knew I was alone with Peter in the hospital," Stiles argued with a half-shrug, nose buried in Derek's collarbone. "Maybe saving each other and threatening each other is just our thing, Derek. I know I can count on you when it matters."

He swallowed hard at that. Scott should be the one he could count on when it mattered, but he'd, by now, repeatedly not been reachable because he was with Allison. While, for some reason, Derek always picked up and always came running right away when Stiles needed him. So, it only seemed fair to return the favor. To be the one Derek could count on. Maybe that really was their thing.

"Join my pack," Derek growled, arm tightening around Stiles. "You know I'm right about the kanima. You know you're not safe on your own. I know you're… an asset to my pack."

Stiles froze in Derek's arms, startled. Derek had just asked him to join the pack. Not Scott. Him.

"But… Scott," Stiles argued softly, half-hearted at best.

Because he didn't have personal arguments against it. He'd liked Erica and Boyd, before they became werewolves, and maybe the whole threatening-the-Stiles would stop if he was pack. And Derek, well, Derek was Derek. Half the time, Stiles hated the guy, the other half, it felt dangerously close like he was falling in love with the guy. Every time Derek saved him, every time he saved Derek, every time they worked together so well. He was fully aware that laying snuggled up to a guy in his bed like that was not normal. Was something… He didn't know what, but something.

"Convince him to join my pack too," Derek shrugged, uncaring. "Or he can become an omega, if he keeps insisting on being alone. That's his choice. I'm not asking him, I'm asking you."

Stiles' heart hammered in his chest and he didn't look up at Derek. Two hours. He'd kept Derek and himself afloat for two hours. He couldn't let go of Derek. Wouldn't let go of Derek. Didn't want to let go of Derek. His fingers curled into Derek's shirt.

"It's ass o'clock, after like the most physically exhausting day in my life, and you're asking me to make life-altering decisions while we're cuddling in my bed. I don't even know where to start."

"It's not cuddling," Derek huffed, sounding nearly offended. "I'm scent-marking you. Making you smell like me. Like pack. And I'm in your bed to… make sure you're safe. Because after what you just did, you are… in no physical condition to fight off an attacker."

Huh. Stiles tilted his head a little to look up at Derek's face. Dawn was slowly creeping in, a soft orange glow painting Derek's face in warm colors. He was beautiful like that. And he was here to protect Stiles and to make sure Stiles was okay. Blinking, Stiles licked his lips slowly. He startled when he noticed the way Derek's eyes followed his tongue's movement with an overwhelming intensity. A blush crept up his neck. Okay. So maybe he wasn't the only one who was feeling this weird something between them. His heartbeat picked up some more as both of them leaned in at the same time, without conscious decision, until their lips met in a brief kiss. Nothing big or passionate, but rather short and gentle, reassuring. Like a promise to be there for each other.

With a heavy sigh did Stiles lay back down on Derek's chest and close his eyes. His mom used to talk about building something, in a relationship. That her and his dad had built a home together and that he would find someone he could build with too. They were both cracked and broken and damaged, in their own ways, but he thought maybe they could build something fragile and breakable and beautiful. Build their own castle of glass.

"Good night, Alpha," Stiles whispered, feeling Derek tense. "Sleep now. Pack-stuff tomorrow."

~*~ The End ~*~

[aloysiavirgata]

Okay okay now me! How about the old three words prompt format? Potato salad, birthday, camel. Love having you back!

They’re eating potato salad and pulled pork at a picnic table outside of Savannah. The picnic table is behind a garden shed that has been converted to a barbecue shack. Mulder read about it on a message board, said it was worth the forty-five minute detour.

It is. She will never admit this without sodium pentothal.

“Wanna go to the fair later?” Mulder asks around a bite of sandwich. “Saw a sign outside the fire station.”

Scully frowns, poking at her potato salad with a spork. “Mulder. Those rides are set up by meth-addled degenerates with all the engineering expertise of an 8 year old with a Lego set.”

“Ahhhh, come on. We can make out on the Ferris wheel, it’ll be fun.”

She blushes and hates them both for it. “Mulder.”

He pouts. “It’s my birthday.”

“It’s August 3rd.”

“Well,” he concedes, “it’s my birthday next.”

She’s had vague ideas about his birthday, a new lingerie set maybe? But it embarrasses her to consider in any real way. They’ve slept together four times but she’s mortified at the thought of chatting with the leggy sylphs at Victoria’s Secret.

Mulder leans across the table on his elbows to kiss her, outside in the daylight in front of the ghosts of General Sherman and Flannery O’Connor and everybody.

There’s a whoop from a few stoned teenagers across the gravel, eating Kool-Aid pickles.

She tries to look prim and scandalized when he sits back, feels herself fail miserably.

“Fine,” she says. “Let’s ride the Ferris wheel.” She loves the idea of sitting at the top with him, the little frisson that will come as the seat stops and swings. She knows he’ll try to win her a prize at some rigged game.

He looks intolerably smug and she almost reconsiders on principle. He washes down another mouthful of pork with sweet tea.

“And the making out part?” He bats his lashes at her to disarming effect.

She sips her own tea. “Not a Ferris wheel exactly, but my first kiss was on the um…the what do you call it? The sky tram thing at the San Diego Zoo.”

A wolf whistle from Mulder, echoed by the teens. “Minx,” he says.

Scully grins. “We were visiting some friends over summer break and they had a son my age on whom I had a life-threatening crush. His name was Frankie. We somehow ended up alone in the air tram gondola car together after the camel rides and, well…”

“You send him letters on scented stationery all summer?”

She had indeed.

“No.”

“Liar,” he says, chewing on his straw and leering. “So how was it?”

“We both smelled of camel and we both had braces. It was very romantic.” She’d ended up with a cut on her lip that Melissa blackmailed her with.

He laughs. “Ahab ever find out?”

She grimaces. “Thankfully not. We didn’t see each other after that, actually.”

“Poor Frankie.”

They finish their food, return to their hot, stuffy car for the drive back to the motel. They do not touch.

(Later, on the Ferris wheel, they kiss like they invented it. He makes obnoxious remarks while she eats a vanilla soft serve custard; she indulges him shamelessly and holds his eyes while she licks it.

He wins her a monstrous pink bear that she gifts to a small, sticky girl.

They fall into bed for the fifth time and his mouth tastes of lemonade and sex. Above them is the Dog Star. Vega, Arcturus. Scully, who wrote her thesis on Einstein’s twin paradox, knows time travel is impossible. But she is thirteen again, her lips swollen with kisses and the sweet impossibility of being young and stunningly in love in summertime.)

[namtanlovesfilm]

a ranking & summary of my thoughts on gmmtv 2024 part 1

pluto: this is my everything already. A GL??? with two of my fave actresses film & namtan??? AND a complex, interesting plot??? I'm obsessed already!!! this looks so good I'm so happy it's happening & it will become my whole personality once it airs!!!

the trainee: I genuinely believed, even with the rumors that off, gun, view, kapook & sea would be in a show together, that we wouldn't get an offgun show this year. AND I WAS WRONG!!! is this what it's like to always fucking win??? like genuinely, my ship is THAT ship, I'm so lucky & happy and I love them so much <3

peaceful property on sale: duuuude, this looks so fun??? I was already hooked when I saw new's over the top character, but a ghost haunting show with taynew, jan & mook??? absolutely incredible! this looks ridiculous & I know I'm gonna love every second of it!

my golden blood: bruh, thank goodness I was warned about jossgawin in advance or I might have had a heart attack, but honestly????? THEY ATE THAT! and mond playing the villain????? babe, that casting is incredible & perfect, I'm obsessed!!! I usually don't like supernatural stuff but I was also a teen wolf fan bruh so atp I'm gonna EAT that shit UP!!!

wandee goodday: you might not know it, but I have a super power. every time I start being a fan of someone who hasn't done bl, they do bl the following year. this year it was nonkul, and next year it's gonna be great sapol. AND I LOVE THAT FOR ME!!! this looks really good & fun, the characters are interesting and the story not too crazy or too basic. I can feel that it's gonna be good!

ploy's yearbook: a female-led show & the return of mond as a main??? BLESS!!! I love most of this cast, this looks fun as hell, I adore my gmmtv girlies... gotta watch this for sure! love seeing earth in more roles outside of his ship too!

enigma 2: I still haven't watched season one, am planning on watching it very soon, but I've heard great things so I'll be sure to catch season two as well! especially since I really liked toey jarinporn in the recent lakorn to the moon and back so I'm excited to see how she does!

my precious the series: as you know I've watched the movie in theaters, but I'm excited for it to be out as a series too, especially since there's extra scenes! seems like it might be even more lovable, and also if it's on gmmtv's youtube channel I'll finally be able to gif the iconic scenes :')

high school frenemy: this looks interesting & I like sky, but I feel like the plot doesn't make sense if it's not a love story... idk I feel like since this is adapted from a kdrama it's just gonna be a frustrating story that should be a romance but is reduced to bromance instead... I might still watch though :')

only boo: this looks kinda cute though basic. I don't know both main leads but might watch it.

we are: this has all ships I like, especially marcpawin & aouboom who deserve more spotlight, so I will be watching, but the plot seems really basic so I'm not expecting anything out of this world...

kidnap: this plot seems interesting but the cast isn't so... yeah.

summer night: I was so confused by who is supposed to be with who in the show lol, honestly I was down for dunkphuwin lmao, but this looks too messy for me :')

my love mix-up: I absolutely despise remakes even though I enjoyed kieta hatsukoi & like geminifourth, and although I'm certain this version will fix the chemistry issues of the original, I'm not gonna be watching it.

ossan's love thailand: same thing as for the previous show but even more so bc ossan's love is such a product of its time & shouldn't be remade in 2024 imo...

[mmm-crackling]

The Green Creek pack meets New York’s Elite Pack

I just finished The Alpha’s Son by Penny Jessup and I had Thoughts. It hasn’t had great reviews, but I thought it was fun. Warning: possible spoilers?

Alpha Jericho of the Elite pack from New York sends his son and heir Jasper with a small delegation to Green Creek to meet with Ox and Joe, ostensibly on wolf business. To Jasper’s dismay, Alpha Jericho insisted that Max joins him as part of the Elite pack’s entourage.

When they arrive, Max is awed when he meets Ox. He’s heard so much about the Werewolf Jesus™ and he’s been nervous for the whole journey to Oregon knowing that he might get to meet him.

Max is super awkward when they arrive. He momentarily forgets how to address alphas so Max calls Ox “my lord” and “your majesty”, and curtsies to him awkwardly like Theresa May does.

Embarrassed and exasperated Jasper holds his face in his hands. The Bennett pack finds Max adorable but have to choke back their laughter.

Max loves all the Green Creek wolves and humans but immediately takes a shine to Robbie. Cubs and young wolves seem to have an affinity with Robbie, and Robbie always jumps at the opportunity to befriend a wolf from Back East. (I could never pin down the accent of audiobook Robbie - was that a Long Island accent?)

Gordo warns Robbie that Max isn’t a stray cub needing adoption—Max has his own alpha and pack, that Gordo is well past taking care of adolescent wolves, and doesn’t want to go through that again

Max and Jasper try to keep their being mated a secret (Jasper is still trying to push Max away—because he thinks Max will be safer if they’re not together) but of course the Green Creek wolves suss it out pretty quick. They notice the dreamy look Max always has on his face when he looks at Jasper or smells him in the room. Jasper tries to put on a steely calm and professional face because he’s on Official Wolf Business, but he can’t control his scent, and they can all smell it on him. They all simultaneously sniff their air, but the Bennett pack politely say nothing at first. Max goes beet red when realises what has just happened.

Robbie asks Max how Max and Jasper met and on hearing that the Blue Moon Festival had a big part in it, Joe snorts and calls it the ‘weird horny meat market thing’ the New York pack does. Everyone is like what? and then Joe tells them what he’s heard about it, about how its just a summer camp for unmated wolves and hooking up isn’t just encouraged but is the whole point of it. Joe: “have I got that right?” Max: “yeah pretty much”.  Kelly is horrified, “gross imagine how ripe that place would smell” Rico says he wishes he had been a New York wolf in his teens

Later, Carter pulls Max aside and says “I get it, right? I didn’t know I was into guys until a dude wolf happened to me too” Gavin: “Not dude. Stop calling me that” Carter: “Sorry dude” Gavin: “Stupid Carter”

Gavin cannot believe that Max never shuts up “Cub always talking. Never stops. Mouth moving but says nothing. All teenagers like this?” No, just twinks with two brain cells like Max.

But Gavin can’t help but ask Max what Jasper smells like to him: “mint and citrus and cherry blossom”

Ox puts on his Zen Alpha Bullshit™ and counsels Jasper about what it means to be alpha and that he doesn’t have to be like his father Alpha Jericho, he just needs to be true to himself, and Ox is all “my daddy said I’d get shit all my life” but the Bennett pack all roll their eyes

It turns out that the Official Wolf Business that Alpha Jericho has sent Jasper and Max on was pretty much a lie. The actual business was trivial and it could all have been done over Zoom. Jericho just wanted Jasper to meet and learn from Ox, and to see that an alpha and his male mate could work (Jericho thought that giving his blessing to Jasper and Max would fix everything but Jasper decided to be a martyr and push Max away—whats with these self-denying, self-sacrificing princeling wolves?). When Jasper realises this, he growls, mad. Ox says he didn’t know, but he can’t help his heart hitching.

They only stay a few days. Max begs Jasper to let them stay a little longer, but time’s up and they have to return to New York. Ox tells Jasper to give him a call if he ever needs anything.

Before they leave, the two packs run together in the forest, and Jasper brings Max the carcass of a recently hunted deer...

[whitedahlia13]

First Sentence Game

Rules: Share the first lines of ten of your most recent fanfics and tag ten people. If you have written less than ten, don’t be shy and share anyway.

1. Three days ago, Stiles saved Lydia’s life. With the help of their friends, he coordinated a rather masterful plan, risked everything to free her from Eichen House.

That's Where You'll Find Me (Teen Wolf, Stydia, WIP)

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2. Lydia thinks maybe five minutes have passed. Ten at most. Ten minutes standing in the doorway of Derek Hale’s loft, him kneeling with his head in his hands while his sister’s sobs echoed in the cavernous space, the two inches of water flooding the floor not just amplifying the sound but making it a tangible thing—intermittent ripples spreading outward in every direction.

Now, there’s a hand at her back and a soft voice against her ear. “I’ll take you home.”

Some things you just can't speak about (Teen Wolf, Stydia, 6K, complete)

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3. Every night, for the past three weeks, Stiles has been with her. She already has a permanent place in his mind, his heart, his soul. She visits him in his dreams now too. Lydia. Admittedly, this is not entirely uncharted territory. He’s had the occasional dream about her as far back as he can remember. But it’s not like before. He’s not just the boy with hyperactive tendencies who sits behind her in biology class. She’s not just the girl he’s had a crush on since the third freaking grade.

I thought that I was dreaming (when you said you loved me) (Teen Wolf, Stydia, 3K, complete)

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4. Life is good. Lydia is happy. Truly happy. What started as an ordinary summer day is turning out to be quite extraordinary. Stiles is beside her, and they are immersed in color, shades of blue from sky to sapphire that refract rippling patterns of light like a mirrorball. She observes his image in the concave panel of glass that separates them from another world. His expression is relaxed and wonderstruck, lips slightly agape, eyes following the path of a bottlenose dolphin as it circles a pastel-hued reef. He is clearly captivated by what he sees, but his attention never fully leaves her, pinky frequently grazing hers in the most delicate, butterfly-inducing way.

She blindly locates his palm, wrapping her fingers around its warmth and giving it an affectionate squeeze.

He squeezes back, thumb stroking her knuckles, smile blossoming when he says, “I’ve wanted to come here with you for the longest time.” 

This Love (Teen Wolf, Stydia, 1K, complete)

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5. Lydia presses her palms against the cold metal of the door handle. She uses her forward momentum to push down as she steps out of the fluorescence of the school hallway and into the vibrant golden sunlight of mid-afternoon. It’s a clear day towards the end of May, not a single cloud in the sky. A transient breeze gusts through towering oak trees that are bursting with new leaves, casually swishing the hem of Lydia’s floral mini skirt against her thighs as it passes. The air, warm and fragrant, offers the promise that summer is just around the corner. Summer. There is an entire summer with Stiles to look forward to – Lydia can picture it. 

Falling Slowly (Teen Wolf, Stydia, 290K, complete)

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6. My brother, Dean, died on a Thursday night in November. Strange as it sounds, it wasn’t the first time. I’ve helplessly watched him die every day of the week, in every month of the year, dozens of times, in dozens of ways – heroically, senselessly, accidentally, horrifically, suddenly, slowly, bloody, shredded, and broken. But never peacefully, like he deserved.

Lies My Brother Told Me (Supernatural, Sam/Dean, 672 words, complete)

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7. It’s early morning, and the sun is leisurely rising over Beacon Hills. A dome of sky-blue anchors blush pink and pale lavender tones to a subdued earth that is canopied with streaks of silver-coated clouds. Lydia wakes next to Stiles. They are safely nestled in his bed, and he is lying on his stomach; left side of his face planted into the pillow, lips parted and curled up on the right as he mutters something indiscernible about lightsabers while he dreams. His expression is peaceful and content. One of his arms is tucked below his pillow and the other is draped over Lydia’s waist. She is wearing his lacrosse jersey.

Written in the Stars (Teen Wolf, Stydia, 4K, complete)

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8. March 24. Lydia stands at her bedroom window. It’s late morning, but the sky is dark – cloaked by a mass of grey clouds that appropriately hide the sun from curious onlookers. The maple tree that camps outside her window is bare of any buds, bark tinted to black from the ever-present moisture in the air. The surrounding grounds are absent from movement; not a single person, nor a car, not even a bird or squirrel are anywhere in sight. This has been her view for seven days. It’s as if the world is waiting for the end.

A Breath Between Us (Teen Wolf, Stydia, 125K, complete)

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9. There are things you wish for in life, impossible things. Even though you are sometimes painfully aware that they are unattainable, you still work out a ten-year plan in which to attain them. My impossible thing was getting Lydia Martin, the girl I have loved since the third grade, to fall in love with me.

Impossibly Shown (Teen Wolf, Stydia, 10K, complete)

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10. My name is Lydia Martin, and I am hopelessly and irrevocably in love. It’s the kind of love you know you are in when you see him standing down the hall, and you cannot breathe until you’re with him. Those are the words of my best friend, Allison Argent, who helped me see that opening my heart to such a love would make all the best things in life possible.

Impossibly Unspoken (Teen Wolf, Stydia, 10K, complete)

Thank you for tagging me @yourenotdonefighting🫶 Passing the torch to @kylermalloy and anyone else who would like to share their words.

[maria021015]

SPOILERS FOR CHAPTER 41 AHEAD!

On a dark desert highway - cool wind in my hair, warm smell of colitas rising up through the air. Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light. My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim. I had to stop for the night.

There she stood in the doorway. I heard the mission bell, and I was thinkin' to myself, ‘This could be heaven or this could be hell’. Then she lit up a candle, and she showed me the way. There were voices down the corridor. I thought I heard them say…

‘Welcome to the Hotel California! Such a lovely place - such a lovely face. Plenty of room at the Hotel California! Any time of year, you can find it here’

Her mind is Tiffany-twisted. She got the Mercedes-Benz. She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys that she calls friends. How they dance in the courtyard - sweet summer sweat. Some dance to remember, some dance to forget. So I called up the Captain, ‘Please bring me my wine. He said, ‘We haven't had that spirit here since 1969. And still, those voices are calling from far away. Wake you up in the middle of the night just to hear them say…

‘Welcome to the Hotel California! Such a lovely place - such a lovely face. They're livin' it up at the Hotel California! What a nice surprise - bring your alibis.’

Mirrors on the ceiling, the pink champagne on ice, and she said, ‘We are all just prisoners here of our own device’. And in the master's chambers, they gathered for the feast. They stab it with their steely knives, but they just can't kill the beast. Last thing I remember, I was running for the door. I had to find the passage back to the place I was before.

‘Relax’, said the night man, ‘We are programmed to receive. You can check out any time you like but you can never leave!’

The breaks squealed eerily as the bus pulled into the front lot of an old motel. A brightly-lit, flickering neon sign notified them that this particular establishment was called ‘Motel Glen Capri’. Unfortunately, it seemed as though a more fitting name would have been ‘Motel California’, after the similarly-named song ‘Hotel California’. ‘Intertextuality’ - Zaida mused internally, remembering another one of her flashcards. As the brunette peered out the window to the almost completely empty parking lot, she felt ghostly fingers trail a path down her spine, sending goosebumps rippling over her skin. Out of all of the motels Finstock could have chosen to stay for the night, it had to be here. At least their luck of late had been consistent. Consistently awful , that was. She didn’t know why she had expected anything more when hearing that the meet was pushed back due to the extreme weather warning.

“There’s only one other car parked - and it’s probably the person who works here.” She mumbled to the werewolf beside her. There were multiple echoes of slightly-differing but equally strong emotions that knocked against those tightly shut doors in her mind. Something bad had happened here. She could feel the imprint of it, left behind like fossilised tracks. "Maybe there’s a reason."

“It’s not like we have a choice,” Isaac shrugged and rose from his seat to follow the stream of students fast-emptying the bus. “Come on princess, you can put up with it for one night.”

She rolled her eyes at his teasing but followed him regardless, slinging her duffel bag up and over her shoulder. The moment her sneaker-enclosed feet landed on the solid ground, that knocking grew louder.

“...I've seen worse.” Scott tried to be positive as he stood on the asphalt overlooking the dungy building.

“Where have you seen worse?” Stiles scoffed in exasperation, hating the look of the place almost as much as Zaida.

“Listen up! The meet's been pushed 'til tomorrow. This is the closest motel with the most vacancies and the least amount of good judgment when it comes to accepting a bunch of degenerates like yourselves!” Finstock announced in his booming voice as he addressed them all. Ah, so that was why they were here instead of the forest down the road - which would have been a better place to stay in comparison. Maybe the forest animals decided they didn’t have enough room. “You'll be pairing up - girls with girls and boys with boys - so choose wisely. And I'll have no sexual perversions perpetrated by you little deviants! Got that? Keep your dirty little hands to your dirty little selves!”

“Coach, there are an odd number of girls!” Zaida pointed out. The man narrowed his eyes, scanning over the group as if he was counting to make sure she was telling the truth.

“Right,” He nodded when he had finished. “You can pair up with Danny then, thanks for volunteering.”

“Making Danny pair up with a girl just because he’s gay is clear discrimination.” She pointed out mischievously for the sake of arguing with the man. Truth be told, she was grateful it was at least Danny and not Ethan.

“Don’t you start with me, missy.” He pointed a finger at her. “The last time somebody suggested such a thing - thanks McCall - I proved everybody wrong! I love the gays! The man I slept with to prove I wasn’t homophobic was gay - and he was a great guy, bought me dinner and everything.”

“Coach-” Stiles began with a snicker but Finatock blew his shrill whistle to shut him up once more.

“That’s enough!” The man glared at them all and held out the keys he had collected from the front desk for them to take. “Everybody take your keys and leave me alone! If somebody wakes me up from my court-mandated eight hours of NyQuil-induced sleep, there better be a fire. Except for you, Greenberg! Even if the sky was raining down army tanks filled with the living dead, I wouldn’t want you to wake me.”

The group quickly dispersed, undoubtedly discussing amongst themselves how they were going to sneak into each others’ rooms and whatnot. It left Zaida and Lydia standing beside each other, both girls unsure about approaching any closer.

“Lydia...?” Allison turned back to frown at them in questioning. “Zaida?”

“I don't like this place.” The redhead pursed her lips into a thin line with wary green eyes.

“I don't think the people who own this place like this place.” Allison chuckled, brushing off the girl’s concerns for a superficial dislike of a hotel that was anything less than five stars. Normally Zaida would make the same joke, but Lydia was right. The thick and palpable negative energy that shrouded the motel only seemed to grow stronger the closer she got. Maybe it was best if she didn’t admit to that aloud though, considering Lydia was already concerned and they’d have to stay here through the night either way. “It's just for a night.”

“A lot can happen in one night…” Lydia murmured and Zaida drew the girl’s hand into hers, giving her a reassuring squeeze before tugging her forward. Inwardly, she reinforced those doors in her head until the knocking quietened and faded.

“Come on, Lyds. I want to get to my room and freshen up before Danny claims the shower. I have a feeling he has a rigorous pampering routine.” Zaida grinned, attempting to make light of the situation for her friend’s sake.

“With skin as clear and hydrated as his?” She arched a delicate brow. “Definitely.”

As it turned out, Zaida should have been more worried about Ethan and Danny claiming the room to ‘catch-up’. She had walked in, screamed an uncomfortable apology, and walked straight back out with her cheeks burning. Well, so much for claiming the bathroom. After what she witnessed she was sure she didn’t want to touch anything in that room.

Allison and Lydia had both expressed their desires to shower (though the latter may have changed her mind when she saw the state of the facilities), leaving Zaida with two options. She could seek out Isaac’s room and undoubtedly face many teasing jokes and be subjected to Boyd’s deadly mood, or she could swallow her pride and hope that Scott and Stiles would allow her to use their shower. She went with the latter. Her stomach twisted with dread as she knocked on their door and waited for one of them to answer. The blood in her ears beat to the thundering of her pulse, quickening as her thoughts ran rampant uncontrollably. She couldn’t shake the image of Stiles and Lydia sat beside each other with Scott and Allison behind them.

Zaida had never seen the sense in Lydia and Stiles as a match, but now that she knew her own feelings for the boy, perhaps it was always just a subconscious hope that they would never eventuate. One thing was for certain, she held a biased opinion. Coming from an outsider's perspective, she supposed it made sense. The boy had been pining over Lydia for years, and the girl was finally shedding her shallow and vapid self in favour of a new and improved version. In the movies, that kind of a redemption arc would guarantee the boy finally getting the girl. Hearing them work things out together on the bus made Zaida realise that maybe one of the best things about herself and Stiles - their investigative bond - wasn’t only unique to them. The feelings of betrayal, inadequacy and jealousy only rose to the surface once more. Looking on at all four of her friends together and knowing Lydia could easily replace her role in the quartet planted the worry that things wouldn’t have been all that different had Zaida never moved to Beacon Hills. Maybe one day they would realise that too. That they didn’t need her. That she didn’t matter anymore…and maybe she never had.

Her spiralling thoughts and churning guts were silenced by Stiles opening the door to the motel room. The sight of Stiles with wet hair and only a towel wrapped around him, hanging low on his hips, stirred a swarm of butterflies in her stomach. Her lips parted in surprise and she couldn’t stop her eyes from roving the planes of defined muscle of his torso.

“Zaida? Hey, what are you doing here?” The boy's brows furrowed slightly in questioning and her heart only thumped louder in her chest when he leaned against the door frame with his forearm, displaying the veins that webbed prominently beneath the skin.

“Oh, uh…I was just going to ask if you guys were using your shower - which, clearly you were, and are not currently.” She stumbled over her words at a far faster pace than usual in her flustered state.

“Scott already had one and I just finished. Why, did Danny hog all the hot water?” He jested, unaware of her current predicament.

“He never made it to the bathroom, actually. But from the looks of what he and Ethan were getting up to, he will definitely be needing one later.” She raised her brows and swallowed her rising disgust at the memory of what she’d walked in on.

“Oh God, my condolences.” Stiles wrinkled his nose in an expression mirroring how she felt. “You can use ours.”

He finally stepped aside, moving those distracting muscles away from her line of sight and allowing her to function normally again - or semi-normally, at least. When she stepped further into the room Scott shot her a knowing look and she glared at him. Damn those werewolf senses. Dragging her duffel bag with her into the bathroom, Zaida peeled off her musty bus clothes and stepped beneath the hot shower spray. The water pressure wasn’t great, and most of the tiles were edged in pink mold that climbed from the grouting, but at least she felt a bit cleaner when she stepped out. She hadn’t packed any pyjamas - having not planned on staying the night - but she had packed an extra outfit for after the cross country, anticipating how awful it would feel to endure the five hour bus ride back in her sweaty clothes.

When she exited the bathroom Stiles and Scott were lying down on their twin single beds, staring up at the peeled and cracked ceiling. Stiles was fully dressed this time in dark-wash jeans, a grey T-shirt and a maroon jacket that clung to his biceps in a way that made Zaida flush.

“Hey, come here,” Stiles beckoned her over, patting on the thin mattress beneath him. She tentatively took a seat at the end of his bed. “We need your brain.”

“To hell with the rest of me, right?” She snorted sarcastically, though it was only partially a joke. A headache was beginning to play behind her eyes like a drumming in her brain.

“All right, so I have four.” Stiles returned to the conversation he had been previously having with Scott, leaving Zaida to guess at the subject matter. “Lydia and I think that the Darach and the alpha pack are preparing for war against each other. The alphas are expanding their pack, and the Darach is committing human sacrifices for power - however that works.”

“Four? You have four suspects?” Scott raised a brow towards his hairline. So that’s what they were talking about. Scott finally allowed his best friend to discuss the identity of the Darach.

“Yeah, it was originally ten. Well, nine, technically, I guess - I had Derek on there twice.” Stiles lifted his shoulders into a half-shrug.

“Well, I guess we can cross him off, now that he’s… you know.” Zaida muttered. She was still bitter about Stiles and Lydia working together without her.

“So, who's number one? Harris?” Scott brushed off her comment.

“Just because he's missing, doesn't mean he's dead.” Stiles nodded in confirmation.

“So, if he's not dead, our chemistry teacher is out secretly committing human sacrifices...?” Scott added skeptically.

“Yeah, I guess that just sounded way better in my head.” Stiles winced when he realised how far-fetched his theory sounded aloud.

“Harrris is definitely sketchy, but why would he write ‘Darach’ on his graded papers and leave them on his desk if it was him? That’s self-incrimination at the most , and giving us crucial information the Darach wouldn’t want people knowing at the least.” Zaida pointed out.

“Maybe he was trying to throw suspicion off, or maybe the alphas got to him before he could clean it up?” The Sheriff’s son suggested.

“I don’t think so. He was leaving a message - like he knew he was going to be taken. Maybe he knew who the Darach was.” Zaida offered.

“Well, what if it's someone else from school? Like, you remember Matt? We didn't know that he was killing people…” Scott interjected, trying to be helpful.

“Excuse me? I'm sorry, what? I-“ Stiles craned his neck, leaning up to look at his friend with an appalled expression. “Yes, we did! I called that from day one , actually.”

“Yeah, but we never really thought that it was Matt…” Scott chuckled lightly.

“I was serious! I was quite serious, actually! Deadly serious! No one listened to me!” Stiles scoffed and got to his feet in his outrage.

“I listened to you,” Zaida mumbled under her breath. Between his comment just then and how he had only validated her earlier theory of Scott’s injury-origins when Lydia had said it, she felt entirely overlooked.

“Who were the other three?” The werewolf pulled them back on track.

“Derek's sister, Cora - no one knows anything about her, and she's Derek's sister.” Stiles tucked down another finger as he demonstrated the list on his hand. “Next, your boss.”

“My boss?” Scott repeated in surprise, sitting up.

“Yeah, your boss. I don't really like the whole Obi-Wan thing he's got going on, you know? It freaks me out.” Stiles explained and at Scott’s confounded look his jaw dropped. “...Oh, my God! Have you still not seen Star Wars?!”

“I swear, if we make it back alive, I will watch the movie.” Scott sighed in defeat.

“That’s ‘movies’ plural, Scotty boy.” Zaida corrected.

“How many are there?” He questioned with a clueless frown.

“Three in the original trilogy, three in the prequels, three in the sequels, three non-canon Ewok spin offs, two standalone spin offs, then the Clone Wars film and tv show, and most recently, the Kenobi and Ashoka spin-off shows. Plus the holiday special, Star Wars Rebels, The Mandelorian, Andor, The Book of Boba Fett, Lego Star Wars, the upcoming Droid Story film...” Zaida listed them as Scott’s eyes only grew wider and wider along with Stiles’ broad smile. “Do you want me to keep going?”

“No!” Scott shook his head definitively and changed the subject. “Stiles, you said you had four. Who was the last suspect?”

“...Lydia. She was totally controlled by Peter, and she had no idea, so…” The boy admitted with a grim expression.

“What? My best friend is not going around committing human sacrifices!” Zaida blurted in defence of the girl, in disbelief that he had even suggested such a thing.

“I’m not saying she’s doing it on purpose. When Peter controlled her, she had no clue what she was doing. He could be doing it again. Think about it, Lydia found one of the bodies and has no idea how she ended up there.” Stiles elaborated on his theory, and when he put it that way Zaida supposed it was an undeniable possibility. “Maybe she didn’t just find the body.”

“I need some food.” She rubbed at her temples, easing the tension there as she got to her feet.

“I’ll come with you. I saw a vending machine on our way in.” Stiles offered, though it was more of a demand than a question. He was up and leading the way out of the door in only a few moments.

“You coming, Scotty boy?” Zaida looked to the werewolf hopefully, not quite wanting to be alone with Stiles right now.

“No, you guys go.” Scott was too zoned-out to pick up on her silent plea for his company, leaving a disappointed Zaida to trail after Stiles.

“Maybe this isn’t the best idea - you and vending machines don’t exactly have a long-standing history of a good relationship.” The brunette pointed out in a sarcastic drawl as she followed after the boy outside, walking along the balcony that was lined with other room numbers.

“That was ages ago. I’m a changed man, Zaida.” He winked at her. Certainly he was a changed man. Compared to that hyperactive little boy and self-assured, strong-willed girl they were back then, both of them had changed. He was a bit calmer now - though still chaotic - and more confident. As for herself? Well she wasn’t so sure anymore. She’d thought that she’d found her place in Beacon Hills - that she meant something, and that she made a difference. She’d thought that now that she was in more control of her abilities, she was powerful. Last night at the mall only proved to her how wrong she had been. She was completely worthless, her ice shards discarded in a split second by a blind man. If it weren’t for Allison and her flash arrows, them being there would have been a disaster. There was nothing Zaida could do to help her friends, or her brother for that matter. In fact, all she had done was force Xander to paint a target on his back to protect her. The only difference she had made was that she’d somehow managed to make the situation entirely worse.

“You’re uncharacteristically quiet. What’s going on in that brilliant mind of yours?” Stiles wondered, his analytical amber eyes arrowing on her - able to see right through her to the turmoil within. ‘Brilliant’ - she snorted audibly. Not so brilliant that she could figure out the Darach and alphas were opposing sides in an upcoming battle. Not so brilliant that she could find a way to save her brother from the fate she bestowed upon him. Not so brilliant that Stiles would believe her theories before Lydia confirmed them.

“I’m fine, Stiles.” She spat back with more venom in her tone than she intended.

“Okay, now I definitely know something is wrong. When you say you’re fine, you’re not fine. Ever .” He shook his head. “Is it about Deucalion? About what happened last night? Everyone’s been fussing over if Scott’s okay because his mental anguish manifested in a physical injury, but no one’s asked if you’re okay, have they?”

“You did,” She answered in quiet realisation. He’d cared enough to question if she was up to this trip even before getting on the bus. That small gesture kept that tiny flame of hope burning in her chest, and it was enough to light up the consuming darkness.

“How are you holding up with it all?” He asked with sympathy softening his molten-honey eyes.

“Well, the werewolf who murdered my parents is just waltzing around Beacon Hills, and Xander is next on his hit-list because of me. Yet I’m here on a Cross Country meet while he’s probably running - or fighting - for his life. If he even still has it. So I’d say I’m doing fabulously.” Her lips pulled into a tight and sarcastic smile.

“You know it’s not your fault, right? There was no way for you to have known any of that was going to happen.” Stiles attempted to reason with her, but guilt was far stronger than logic. It clawed at her insides, raking deep scrapes into her very bones.

“But it is my fault, whether I meant for it to happen or not. I’m the reason my brother might be dead right now.” She swallowed hard, her self-disgust and inadequacy rising thickly in her throat. It was sickening.

“You…you don’t know that. Xander could be safe.” The boy tried - the way she was speaking was entirely foreign. He’d never heard her talk like that before. Zaida always had a plan B, and then a plan C, or D, all the way through to Z. She always seemed to know what to do. Always appeared two steps ahead of the rest of them. Zaida Callis never gave up. But right now, she sounded entirely hopeless, and it struck fear into his gut. “Your brother knows what he’s doing - he’s police trained and he’s a Hunter trained by the Argents - the oldest Hunter family ever! He’ll be okay.”

“I hope so,” She muttered, not wanting to talk about this anymore. Not even with him. Talking about it only meant she had to think about it, and she was already thinking about it enough. Zaida was thankful when the two of them descended the noisy metal staircase and reached the vending machine beneath it, effectively cutting off their conversation. Boyd was standing and staring at the glass with another one of his famous deadpan expressions as he punched in the buttons on the keypad to select Peanut Butter Crackers.

“Hey! That was the same thing I was gonna get.” Stiles grinned in a friendly fashion as he peered nosily from next to the beta. The metal swirl holding the snacks rotated, but not enough to release the packet into the drop-chute. “Oh, hang on...You know what? I got a patented method for this, don't worry-”

“Stiles,” Zaida let out an exhausted sigh as the boy gripped the machine from its top, preparing to shake it. Boyd interrupted them both, punching straight through the glass with a closed fist, the rest of him not moving so much as an inch. He snatched his snack from the machine and turned on his heel, leaving without so much as a word. “Oh my God…” She frowned as her eyes followed the werewolf. What was it with people in Beacon Hills breaking vending machines?

Stiles, on the other hand, took the opportunity to grab as many items as he could hold, cautious eyes darting about for anyone who might see him committing vending machine theft. “How are you the son of the Sheriff?” Zaida tutted at his law-breaking tendencies.

“It’s because I'm the son of the Sheriff,” He assured her and ushered her away from the scene of the crime, back up the stairs and towards him and Scott’s room.

“Oh no, I’m not going to get caught for you pillaging the motel vending machine. You’re on your own, buddy.” She held up her hands and shook her head, splitting off in the opposite direction with a lazy salute.

“I thought you were hungry?” Stiles called out as she turned back.

“Not anymore. Crime makes me lose my appetite,” She jested dryly. In truth, she really couldn’t bear being around him right now - not when every time she looked at him, she only saw him sitting beside Lydia in that bus.

Unfortunately Danny and Ethan were not yet ‘finished’ in her own room. Zaida discovered that the hard way, and was left with yet another dilemma - she could retreat to Stiles and Scott’s room with her proverbial tail between her legs, or she could seek out Lydia and Allison. She went with the lesser of the two evils and ventured a bit further down the upstairs walkway to where she knew the redhead and huntress were situated. When Lydia opened the door for her and ushered her inside, Zaida wasn’t expecting the vile and acrid taste of jealousy to bubble over and leave a bitter taste in her mouth - but it did. How did the girl still look so beautiful after five hours in a car - over two of those hours spent in a crowded bus? She hadn’t even had a shower or changed her clothes. She looked exactly as perfect as she had looked when she was seated next to Stiles, having him gaze at her with his amber-eyes.

“Come on in, you can sit anywhere you like, although I wouldn’t recommend it,” The redhead wrinkled her nose in disgust at the state of the accommodation they were put up in.

Even that somehow looked adorable on her small button nose. When Zaida did that, she always thought her straight-bridged European nose simply looked like a wrinkled beak. That feeling of inadequacy boiled once again within Zaida. In all of their friendship, she’d tried hard to not compare herself with Lydia, knowing it would never end well. But now she couldn’t help it. Zaida was suddenly very aware of the differences between her and her best friend. The redhead had captured Stiles Stilinski’s heart, for starters, without even trying to do so. She was much prettier as well. In fact, in more ways than not Zaida paled in comparison to the redhead’s beauty and other talents. She wasn’t musical enough, wasn’t artistic enough, wasn’t as intelligent. It was as if all of the things Zaida had prided herself for, Lydia could do better.

“Oh, hey Zaida,” Allison flashed her a bright smile from where she was kicked back on her bed, typing away at her phone.

With a jolt Zaida realised it was not just Lydia, but Allison as well who was better than her. Zaida had been utterly powerless the night before, but Allison had held her own, likely saving Scott and Isaac along with the other members of Derek’s pack with her flash-bomb arrows. Zaida wasn’t that skilful, or that calm in the face of danger. She wasn’t calculated enough, wasn’t knowledgeable enough. Zaida simply wasn’t enough. Not enough of anything.

“What are you guys up to?” Zaida took a seat on the end of Lydia’s untouched bed in what she hoped was a casual manner.

“Lydia was just filling me in.” Allison nodded towards the still-standing redhead.

“Stiles and I think that the Darach and the alpha pack are related, just not in the way we first believed. In ancient cultures, ritualistic sacrifices in preparation for battle were quite common. The Darach could be committing these sacrifices for the same reason the alphas are recruiting - they’re preparing for battle. Likely against each other.” Lydia’s lips drew into a tight line as revealed what she thought was new information. Little did she know that Zaida had heard it twice before - once on the bus and once from Stiles’ own mouth.

“Yeah, I heard,” She nodded, trying and failing to keep the bitterness from her tone. Thankfully, neither of the girls picked up on its true origins, attributing it to the stress of the challenges before them.

“Now that you mention it, I was going to ask about that,” Allison put her phone away and leaned forwards against her propped up knees.

“About what?” Lydia arched a perfectly shaped brow. Zaida could already tell she wouldn’t like where this was going at all. She’d pretty much reached boiling point already and was not prepared to hold herself back from the edge much longer.

“About you and Stiles,” The huntress prodded purposefully, waiting for a reaction to confirm her suspicions, yet not the ones Zaida immediately assumed they were. The huntress had noticed a change in the way Stiles interacted with Lydia - a change that she thought might mean the boy had moved on. “You two seemed like you were getting along pretty well on the bus. I think that’s the first time I’ve seen you guys have a one-on-one conversation without him bumbling over his words or making a pass at you.”

“Yeah, well hopefully that means his pathetic little crush on me is a thing of the past,” The redhead rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. “Seriously, what did he think was going to happen? A girl says ‘no’ enough times and you’d think he’d catch the hint.”

“It isn’t some ‘pathetic little crush’,” Zaida snapped and Allison’s eyes shot towards her, widening slightly. Her friend’s dismissive attitude towards Stiles’ feelings only made Zaida’s growing frustration and agitation spike, tipping her over the edge.

“Following me around like a stray puppy-dog begging for scraps is pretty pathetic, if you ask me.” The redhead joked with an amused hum, so used to haughtily brushing off his affections that she did so mindlessly. It only propelled Zaida further down the emotional spiral she’d been descending all afternoon.

“Don’t you realise just how incredibly lucky you are?!” Zaida’s face flushed with anger and it was only then that Lydia recognised something was wrong. “That boy would do anything for you. He cares about you so much and you don’t even have to look twice at him. He’s never pushed you, he’s never asked for anything more than what you were willing to give him. He is so unbelievably loyal and devoted that he knew you were never interested and he still hasn’t moved on for the slim chance that one day you might want him back.”

“Zay, I didn’t mean-” The redhead swiftly tried to backtrack when she opened her eyes to how she’d offended the girl. “He’s just not my type…”

“He is hilarious, and selfless, and thoughtful, and a complete genius! I don’t know what else you could want from him. He’s perfect, Lydia, and I’m hopelessly falling for him when all he can see is you!” Zaida was yelling now, her chest heaving when she realised the reality of what she had just blurted. Her hands flew to cup her mouth and she let out a strangled sob of surprise, tears welling. For a brief period of silence everyone was frozen, not knowing what to do or say in reaction to her outburst.

“...I’m sorry. I…I don’t know where that came from.” Zaida cleared her throat with a quiet voice. Lydia took a step towards her, green eyes wide in shock and sympathy, but Zaida held an arm out to stop the girl in her tracks. She just needed some space for a moment to deal with the overwhelming wave of anxiety that washed over her. “Don’t…just…don’t.”

“Zaida…I had no idea.” Lydia slowly and tentatively took a seat on the bed beside the brunette. She inwardly scolded herself. Of course she’d had no idea - she was so self-absorbed that she’d neglected to notice how her best friend was feeling when now that she thought about it, it had been so obvious. Those lingering looks during training before summer break, and the way her eyes would light up when talking about something stupid he’d said or done. It had been in the way she’d gone silent when the three of them would hang out together and Stiles would make a flirty joke that Lydia would ignore. “How…how long?”

Zaida didn’t answer. Her head hung low, heavy from the weight of her shame. This was not how she’d intended to inform her friends of her feelings. In fact, she hadn't wanted to tell them at all, afraid of how things might change between her and Lydia. She’d never wanted the redhead to feel guilty - after all, it wasn’t her fault that Stiles had chosen her. It wasn’t her fault that Zaida wasn’t enough. She could see from the girl’s wide green eyes that it was too late to prevent that now. “I don’t know…” She finally ground out in a hoarse voice. “A while?”

Allison scooted over her bed to sit on the edge, coming closer to offer her support. “How long have you known ?” She reframed Lydia’s question, remembering how Zaida had brushed it off when she’d last suggested such a thing - the night that they’d hunted Cora and Boyd. The warmth and compassion behind her dark brown doe eyes softened the pounding in Zaida’s temples, like the steady rhythm of a song beating against the walls of her mind.

“The beginning of summer, when we went to the beach house.” She admitted, releasing some of the built-up tension within her with her confession.

“But that was months ago?” Lydia exclaimed. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“There was no point - Stiles has made his feelings for you pretty damn clear. There’s nothing you could have done. There’s still nothing that you can do.” The brunette shook her head. “Stiles likes you, Lydia. He knows that you might not ever like him back, but he can’t help how he feels - the same way that I can’t help how I feel. And I can’t blame him for not liking me, just like I can’t blame you for his feelings.” Now that everything was out in the open, that knocking in her mind had quietened, allowing her to calm her raging storm of emotions. Five things. “I’m honestly surprised that you didn’t notice - everyone else did.”

Lydia turned to Allison for confirmation and the huntress answered with a sad smile. “Even you?” The redhead raised her brows in surprise.

“I suspected it for a while, but when I teased Zaida about it she immediately turned the subject around onto me…” Allison trailed off as she recalled the moment she had known it to be true.

“Who else knew?” Lydia questioned. The fact that she was the last one to figure it out when Zaida was her best friend only added to her growing sense of guilt.

“I thought Scott was the first - he could smell it in my chemo-signals. But now that I think about it, Danny and Isaac were making comments from months before that…” Zaida thought back to all of Danny’s jokes that she’d brushed off, and that one time Isaac had pointed out to her that all of the qualities that had attracted her to him , Stiles also possessed. Four things.

“Oh my God, I’m the worst friend ever,” Lydia shook her head in disbelief. How could she have been so blind - so self-absorbed - that she hadn’t seen it?

“You are not the worst friend ever - in fact you’re far from it.” Zaida rushed to defend Lydia from her self-criticism, reaching to squeeze her hand supportively. Three things. “You were going through everything with Jackson, and on top of that you were helping me with training, and my parents’ murder, and finding out what I am. It’s not your fault that I didn’t tell you.”

“I just wish that you would have said something,” Lydia mumbled, tilting her head in an empathetic expression and gripping Zaida’s hand tightly.

“I knew that telling you about it would have only made you feel bad for something you couldn’t control.” Zaida sighed deeply. “I didn’t want you to feel like that, and I didn’t want to let it come between us.”

“It doesn’t have to,” Lydia promised determinedly. “We’re not going to let it.”

Zaida responded with the warmest smile she could muster despite the cold creeping further into her bones.

After a while of hanging out in the girls’ motel room, thoroughly avoiding the subject of Stiles Stilinski and talking about anything and everything else, Allison decided to have a shower. The huntress looked up from where she was rifling through the bathroom cupboards, pulling out a stack of towels, carrying them over to where the other girls were laying side by side on Lydia’s bed.

“I don’t think these towels are clean…” The taller girl trailed off, looking at the items with an unsure expression while Zaida and Lydia drew their attention away from taking selfies on the redhead’s phone.

“No kidding,” Lydia took a short sniff and pulled back quickly. “That smells like a chronic smoker hid their cancerous lungs in it.”

“Maybe they forgot to change them,” Allison attempted to brush it off kindly, whereas Lydia looked pissed off.

“Or maybe, they just never change them. Maybe these bed sheets are years old. Maybe, they never clean anything.” The redhead prattled on with her hands crossed over her chest in a sassy pose.

“Ugh, I really need a shower though,” Allison pulled at her slightly-oily brown hair with an apprehensive expression.

“Don’t you even think about it,” Lydia snatched the towels from her so the brunette couldn’t use them and bounced to her feet. “I’m going to go down to the office and give these people a piece of my mind. This place is in violation of like a hundred health safety laws.”

“I’ll go with her to make sure she doesn’t cuss anyone out.” Zaida rolled her eyes fondly at the redhead and followed her out of the room.

There was no stopping Lydia when she was on a mission. The girl’s heeled boots clacked against the metal staircase as she strutted her way to the management office window, dropping the towels down on the bench and addressing the older lady there, who had her back to them. “Be nice,” Zaida whispered a reminder to the girl.

“Excuse me? The card on the dresser says we have a non-smoking room, but somehow…all our towels reek of nicotine.” The redhead muttered and the woman turned only for them to see a transparent rubber tube embedded in her throat. A tracheotomy tube, Zaida recognised with a shiver.

“Sorry about that, sweetheart.” The woman rasped in a hoarse voice, clearly damaged from years of heavy smoking. Zaida shot Lydia a stern look and the girl’s lips thinned guiltily for her attitude. As they waited for the lady to return with fresh towels, Lydia’s eyes were drawn to a number framed on the office’s wall.

“What's that? That number?” The redhead questioned, unable to help satiating her curiosity once the lady returned with clean towels.

“It's kind of an inside thing for the motel. My husband insists on keeping it up.” The woman chuckled darkly and the sound sent goosebumps rippling down Zaida’s spine.

“What do you mean?” Lydia prodded further.

“It's a little bit morbid, to be honest…” The owner admitted. “You sure you want to know?”

“Well, with a preface like that,” Zaida raised a brow.

“Tell me.” Lydia nodded impatiently.

“We're not gonna make the top of anyone's list when it comes to customer satisfaction…” The lady began.

“Obviously.” The redhead interjected with a rude scoff and Zaida sent her a reprimanding expression.

“But we are number one in California when it comes to one disturbing little detail. Since opening - more than any other motel in California - we have the most guest suicides.” The woman’s face twisted into a slight smile, a glint in her eyes that was almost disturbing.

“One hundred and ninety-eight?” Lydia confirmed with wide green eyes, double-checking the number as if she didn’t believe she’d seen it correctly now that she knew what it represented.

“And counting!” The woman cackled. If Zaida wasn’t creeped out before, she sure as hell was now.

[clumsyclifford]

hell yeah @allsassnoclass tagged me to post snippets from WIPs with the words "warm," "heavy," "almost," and "talk" !! let's fucking go. fair warning: these WIPs are for the assorted fandoms of 5sos, percy jackson, teen wolf, supernatural, and hawkeye/mcu. okay lessgo.

warm

supernatural:

Dean feels warm as he tightens the knot on Cas’s tie and leans away. “Is there something I'm missing?” Sam interjects. “No.” Dean and Cas, simultaneously.

5sos:

"Michael, this water is perfectly warm," Luke calls over. "You've probably been using the wrong handle." Michael turns on his heel and scurries over to the sink. He sticks a finger in the stream; it's comfortably lukewarm, despite the fact that only one faucet handle has been twisted. The one for cold water, Michael is sure. Pretty sure. "The hell?"

heavy (none of my open WIPs had this word damn dude i had to break out the summer camp fic for this one!!)

“Yeah, it looks like a lot of heavy lifting,” Michael says distastefully. “That’s why I’d never do it. I’m not so bad with A/V stuff but between an air-conditioned office with constant access to the internet and having to be out in the sun all day doing physical labor, it’s a no-brainer.” “Yeah,” Calum says. He laughs. “Well, that’s how we’re different. I like the time in the sun. And the physical labor really isn’t so bad. We’ve got golf carts, which makes it easier.”

almost (i use this word a lot so i pulled a few snippets)

spn:

“Please,” the woman whimpers, throwing her head back to look Dean in the eye. Dean jolts. Almost falls on his ass. “Uh-oh,” comes the grating taunt of Alistair. “You didn't know who you were slicing and dicing?” Dean blinks and stares. His voice shoves one word from the traffic jam in his throat. “Mom?” 

teen wolf:

“Eh,” Malia says, back to human and brushing dirt from her clothes. “It’s fine.” “It’s not fine! I just almost killed you!” “I almost killed you too,” Malia says, as if she wants it known that she was just as capable of killing Kira as vice versa. “But I think the bigger question is, why did we almost kill each other?”

pjo:

“It's fine,” he says quickly. “I'm trying to learn Ancient Greek, I just didn't see the sign.” “You almost got eaten.” Percy sets his shoulders. “This is a problem.” “It's not a problem.” “Too late, it's a problem. Don't worry, I'm on the case.”

5sos:

The young man sits up, then freezes and grips both edges of the sofa, instantly several shades paler. “Fuck. I don’t feel good.” “Did you even hear me say you were almost killed?” Michael, hesitant to touch his apparently amnesiac patient, tries to pin him with a glare instead. “Lie down. It’s only been a day and a half. You need rest, you’re probably just disoriented and concussed.”

i am really entertained by the fact that every one of these snippets discusses a character who is in some way suffering or almost died. that says something probably but i don't know what!

talk (once again...multiple snippets)

spn:

“What were you dreaming about?” “Kristen Stewart,” Dean says icily. “Drop it, okay?” Cas says, “You can talk to me, you know,” and puts a hand on Dean’s shoulder. Dean flinches.

my self indulgent pjo x tw crossover:

“Which god?” Lydia asks. “And how do we kill her?” Liam adds. Jason frowns. “We're not trying to kill her. You can't kill a god, and anyway, we just want to talk.”

my self indulgent hawkeye x spiderman mcu pseudo crossover:

Spiderman does a double-take. “Kate?” he says, and then, stumblingly, “Uh, Bishop? From, uh, I— I recognize you from the— the…news.” “The news?” Kate’s brow furrows. “What are you talking about?” “Yeah, you’re the new Hawkeye,” Spiderman says. “Right?”

more than anything this game made me realize that maybe i don't use some words nearly as often as i think i do. self-five for vocabulary variation! anyway imma tag @ijustdontlikepeople @igarbagecannoteven @kaleidoscopeminds for the words "clean," "house," "anyway," and "class" :) have fun

[dreamlandforever]

@writersmonth Prompt: Day 7 - Vacation

First week done! This has been a lot harder than anticipated but we are still on track!

Fandom: Teen Wolf | Sterek WC: 2.2K

AO3 Part 1

VII. Vacation | Wrong Kind of Surfing Pt. II

In the end, it takes Stiles less than a week to find a way to get rid of the harpies. It all fell into place once he realized they were affected by mountain ash as well. Once Isaac and Boyd managed to pluck a feather from each of the three harpies and they are ground bound, Stiles was able to draw a mountain ash circle around them, trapping them there. All they needed was another harpy’s talon to kill them, but it took a while to figure that out. Derek and Scott had to find the nest where they slept, but found no other harpy or talon laying around. Lydia had said it was a waste of time, but they were desperate. 

After two days stuck with the harpies being held hostage in a way, it didn’t take much on the Pack’s side. They had been stuck in a rather small circle of mountain ash and no food. The smallest one of them had tried to escape the circle with no luck, but ended harming on of the others. Stiles remembered reading somewhere that another’s harpy talon’s were deadly and, although he didn’t really have anything to back that up, he broke the circle and made two of them, leaving the smaller one on its own and the two bigger ones in another one. The one that had been harmed wasn’t healing. 

Stiles immediately called Lydia, who helped him come up with a plan. He neglected telling Derek or Scott, but he was doing it for the greater good. Vacations. He was going to get the whole Pack a beach vacation, where they were all going to surf. Or sunbath. Or whatever they wanted. Stiles wanted to surf. Derek had promised he’d surf with him. And he knew for the fact that the whole Pack was overdue for a true vacation. And what better time for that than actual summer?

So, Stiles and Lydia got the harpies inside a cave and closed off the entrance with mountain ash. Before they really had any time to adapt to their new surroundings, Stiles jumped inside and started running. The harpies were tired already, and weak from their two days unable to really move, but they were angry. And Stiles knew better than most the kind of edge anger can give you in a fight of life or dead. So he got angrier. Three men in Beacon Hills were now dead. His father had spent the last week unable to sleep a wink, not knowing what was attacking his town before Stiles and Derek had been able to narrow it down to harpies. He thought of Isaac and the long gash on his side that took over a day to heal after a harpy’s talon got him while trying to keep a fourth man alive. He thought of Erica’s arm broken in two places. He thought of his own summer break being followed in a small cave by harpies instead of enjoying his vacations and learning how to surf. 

The plan had been traced, but most of the timeline was up in the air, depending on Stiles’ ability to get one of the harpies to harm another, or for him to get ahold of one of the harpy’s talon to use as a weapon. As always, Stiles’ plan was completely disregarded by fate when he heard Derek’s roar right outside the cave. His time was up. He ran the opposite way and tried to confuse the harpies as best he could. But he wasn’t quite fast enough.

“Stiles!” Derek roared from the entrance to the cave, where the mountain ash kept him from stepping inside. “Come out here.” His words were slightly muddled by his fangs, but Stiles had spent enough time with the wolves to still understand what he said. 

“Just give me a minute, I have a plan!” Stiles called back, running to another side of the cave. Derek said nothing for a few minutes, but when Stiles gave himself a 30 second break to look at him, he saw Derek’s eyes following him around. He was still shifted to his beta form, but he was breathing more normally now. Stiles went back to his plan. It might look to someone else like he was  just running around, but he was following a very specific path, letting a little bit of mountain ash out of his pocket each time, but Derek seemed to catch up to exactly what he was doing because after a few more minutes Derek’s brows were back. He felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders by the amount of trust Derek had on him. Another five minutes, and the figure he had been drawing on the floor was done, and he was able to use his Spark, combined with the mountain ash, to trap each harpy in a smaller circle again, but this time binding them in a way that was almost impossible for them to move. He would have been unable to do so before, since he needed to activate some symbols in order to achieve the binding, and if he had broken the mountain ash circle outside they more than likely would have been able to escape. Now, it had just costed him his flannel shirt and a few cuts, but he would make it. 

“Want to help, Sour wolf?” He asked, breathing hard after spending that much time running around while trying to draw the figures the way he was supposed to do it.

He heard Derek’s claws emerge and took that as a yes, walking backwards without losing the harpies from his line of sight, and broke the line of mountain ash at the mouth of the cave with his foot.

“Their talons can kill them.” Was all Stiles offered, still too focused on holding the bindings in place. He had started training his Spark not that long ago, and he still struggled to keep control over it, even if he was getting better at it. 

Derek nodded, and walked towards the smallest of the harpies, as if he knew the plan. He didn’t, but he knew Stiles.

Stiles focused intently on what he had to do, and was able to break the circle of mountain ash surrounding that harpy and almost lost control of the harpy itself, but managed to get a hold of the binding at the last second. It was enough for Derek to get a hold of the harpy, though, tired as she was already, and turn around to launch her at one of the others. The fight was over much faster than Stiles would have expected, but the harpies were tired and he was able to hold up the bindings most of the time. Sometime during the fight, thought, he had closed his eyes to focus on the bindings, instead of being distracted by Derek’s everything while he fought and used each harpy as a weapon, trusting Stiles to watch his back from the third harpy he was unable to even look at while fighting two at a time. 

“Are we done?” Stiles asked, looking at the mess in front of him. He wasn’t sure if the harpies were dead, but they looked like they were. 

Derek grunted an affirmative, trying to clean some of the blood on his arms before joining Stiles by the mouth of the cave.

“I hate cleanup duty.” Stiles mumbled, looking at the blood and feathers and bodies all around the cave.

“Get Jackson to do it. He’s the least injured one.” Derek commented, making his way to his car. Stiles followed him silently, trying to decide if he wanted to yell at Derek for leaving him to tell Jackson he was in cleaning duty instead of telling him himself, but Stiles had come to terms with this role in the Pack, even if he wasn’t exactly sure where he stood with Derek, so he called Jackson to rely the information while making his way down the mountain back to the forest, being careful not to fall on his ass.

“So, which one of us is driving?” Stiles asked happily, once he was able to hung up on Jackson’s million of complains. 

Derek raised both eyebrows at Stiles, and looked significantly at the Camaro a few more meters away.

“Not right now, man! You can drive with your bloody hands, I don’t care. I meant to the beach!” He said excitedly, almost jogging to the Camaro with an energy he wasn’t sure where it had come from.

“The beach?” 

“Yes! We won!” Stiles celebrated, waiting for Derek at the Camaro, while Derek stared at him from his position when Stiles had first asked him who was driving.

“What?” Derek asked, confused.

“Vacations, Derek!” Stiles said, doing his victory dance.

Derek sighed. “You can drive if you want. He can decide how many cars we will need and who’s going where once we all shower and make sure everyone has stopped bleeding.”

“Vacations!” Stiles yelled again excitedly, getting in the car. “I need a surf board.”

“You were going on and on about surfing?” Derek asked incredulously, now sitting at the driver’s seat. 

“I told you I had to learn.”

“Stiles, you were literally wearing water shoes the other day.”

“Yeah, I bought those in preparation. And googles. I haven’t gotten a surf board.” Stiles said simply.

Derek sighed. “I will drive you to get one after I shower. We can divide the Pack in cars after that.”

“Yes, we can, big guy.” Stiles said happily, watching the road as Derek drove them back to his loft.  He was so ready to go on vacation, and no bird was going to get in the way of that anymore. 

[dreamqueenkala]

WHERE SUMMER ENDS, THE HUNT BEGINS

Previous Chapter

Laura Kearney is my best friend and is currently missing.

Max Brinly is my best friend and is currently missing.

Ryan Erzahler is friendly towards me.

Jacob Custos is easily flustered around me.

Abigail Blyg is distasteful of me.

Dylan Lenivy finds me adorable.

Emma Mountebank greatly enjoys my company.

Kaitlyn Ka is entertained by me.

Nicholas Furcillo is protective of me.

Travis Hackett has no relation to me.

Chris Hackett finds me reliable.

I am alive, sane and unharmed.

I have yet to have a clairvoyant vision.

No paths have branched.

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Viewing Tape #7

Hackett's Quarry Summer Camp Entrance

17:07 August 22–Carter Rhodes

Emma stood in the middle of the dirt road, waving off the bus at it retreated down the trail back towards the interstate. "Bye!" She called, lifting on her toes for a moment with a smile.

Nick, standing on the balcony beside Dylan, smiled slightly with a soft tone to his voice. "Laters!"

Dylan grinned that familiar dopey grin of his, sending the kids off with a salute. "Peace and love!"

Snickering softly, I tossed a peace sign up in the air, wolf whistling playfully. "Adios, little dudes!"

Kaitlyn, perched on the steps with Jacob, folded her arms over her chest. "See ya later, kids!"

"Yeah! Hackett's Quarry forever!" Jacob cheered, arm draped over the shorter girls shoulders. I shook my head, standing beside Emma as she blew a few air kisses after the bus, one final wave on her mind. The blonde, despite being taller than me, had quickly become one of my best friends here at the quarry. She was incredibly outgoing which more than made up for my typically shy nature, and I found myself confiding in her more often than I did the camp owner.

After spending two months here, taking care of much younger kiddos surrounded by nature and rambunctious teens fresh out of high school, I'd grown to miss my home slightly less. It was far more peaceful here than back home, at least, it was for me. I didn't have the best family life, living with a single mother that couldn't stand half of the stuff I was into—supposedly because I was either too much like my dead father or not enough like him. Coming here was my safe haven, rescuing me from a summer that would've been shrouded in storm clouds—ironic because I love thunderstorms.

It would've been better if my two best friends had actually made it, though. We'd planned to work here together this summer, but Max and Laura decided it would be best to head in a day early. I'd told them I'd had a bad feeling about the idea, what with my strong sixth sense and all, but Laura was quick to shoot down my concerns. She claimed it was my social anxiety, and Max and I had no other reason not to believe her. I showed up the day after and unfortunately discovered they hadn't arrived.

According to Chris Hackett, the camp owner, they'd called in and claimed they weren't going to make it. My gut feeling didn't agree with the excuse he gave us, but I didn't pry. It wasn't my place to. Despite the lack of Max and Laura's presence beside me this past summer, I still enjoyed my time here. I was honestly a bit down to be leaving this place.

Branch Selected

Skeptic BFF: Having been best friends with Max and Laura, I knew they weren't okay. With their absence, I grew skeptical of Chris Hackett and his promises.

"Dude, this summer was frickin' epic." I hummed thoughtfully, hands buried in my ripped jean pockets. Emma slung an arm over my shoulder, leaning into my side with a small chuckle, her cocoa eyes wrinkled slightly with her pearly smile.

"Um, duh, because you spent it with me!" I snorted, ruffling my short blonde curls gently as I let my eyes rest for a moment. Deciding to stay kind rather than flirty or cynical, I smiled at her from the corner of my eye.

"Hey, you're pretty damn quick-witted and smart, Emma. Makes being around snot-nosed little brats a helluva lot more tolerable when you're keeping me entertained." I replied, feeling her rest her chin on my shoulder.

Emma is flattered by my response.

"Hm, yeah, I am pretty awesome." Rolling my eyes, I nudged her side gently, coaxing her towards the minivan. "Right, well, why don't you go see if you can find Ryan or something? I'm going to go toy with Jacob before I look for Abi."

"You're tearing his poor heart strings, drama queen." I cooed playfully, grinning as she walked away.

"Yeah yeah. It's just a summer fling." She shrugged, skipping her way towards Jacob and Kaitlyn. Turning on my heel, I proceeded towards the cellar, pleasantly satisfied to find a familiar face leaning against a post with his earbuds in. His eyes were closed as he bobbed his head slightly every so often, most likely listening to his podcast. I made my way to his side and nudged his shoe, causing the guy to tilt his head up to look at me.

I smiled down at him as he removed one earbud, returning the gesture. "Hey, Ryan. Mind if I sit down?" He shook his head and I took my place beside him, legs curled to my chest and head resting on my knees. "So? The podcast?"

His dark eyes lit up almost immediately, lips pulling tight in a genuine, relaxed smile. "Yeah. New episode came out today." I grinned lightly, always warmed when I saw his or the others eyes light up about something they were into. I don't know why, but I'd always found myself with a knack for making others smile.

"That's cool. Been a week, right?" He nodded, and I found myself easily slipping into conversation with him about it. It wasn't hard, actually. I'd always been a pretty charismatic person, finding it incredibly natural for me to come up with things to talk about. To be honest, if I really wanted to I could manipulate people, make them feel or think a certain way. But I wouldn't do that. I wasn't that type of person.

"Yeah. It's a bit of a long one, though, so hopefully it's a really good story." I nodded, closing my eyes. I suppose he took that to mean he could continue listening because after a moment of shuffling, I could barely make out muffled audio from his earbuds. I kept my head buried in my knees for awhile, enjoying the peace and quiet, 'til heavy footsteps made their way over.

Peeking up, I waved at Jacob, whom waved at both myself and Ryan. Ryan, of course, noticed and waved in reply, but didn't do much else. Jacobs eyes flitted between the two of us awkwardly as he shifted his weight before he turned on his heel. I glanced at Ryan and shrugged my shoulders, standing up and dusting my pants off.

Urging myself to follow after Jacob, I trekked up the lodge steps to the front door just as it slammed shut in Jacob's face. "C'mon man!" Jacob huffed, the sound of soft chuckling muffled by the closed wood. Now realizing his predicament, I debated assisting him for a moment. I tapped his shoulder, startling the teddy bear of a guy as he spun on his heel.

"Try the window around the side. Library window is always unlocked." He grinned, ruffling my hair with his large hand, cheeks the slightest tint of pink.

"Thank you, little dude!" I pouted at the nickname he'd never dropped, puffing out my cheeks as he made his way around the side.

"I'm, like, a foot shorter than you, Jacob!"

Jacob is amused by my response.

With a huff, I face the door again, knocking gently. It swung open in seconds, the same dopey grin I'd come to adore greeting me, doe eyes searching my face with glee. "Well, hey there, tiger stripes! Looking to join the cool kids?" I snorted slightly at Dylan's word choice, unable to resist the grin tugging at my lips.

"Oh yeah. Heard the coolest of the cool were here." I decided to play along, hands once again buried in my pockets. "You wouldn't happen to know where I could find them, would ya, kind sir?"

Dylan hummed thoughtfully, placing a hand on his chin dramatically. "Hmm, I dunno. Where could those two super cool dudes be?"

Taking the sight of his much taller frame in, I decided to take a leap of faith. "I've also heard they're the most attractive, if that helps?" His cheeks flushed and his brown eyes flicked back to my grey ones, his smile softer.

Dylan is flustered but pleasantly surprised by my flirtatious reply.

"U-Uh, yeah! Yeah, they're right here, come in, come in!" He stepped to the side, finally allowing me entry. As the door clicked shut behind me, I spotted Nick sitting by the stairs and waved. He smiled back slightly, curling his fingers in a lazy wave just as Jacob entered his line of view. Turning to face Dylan, I found he was already staring at me, my eyes widening for a second at the realization.

"Dyl? Is there something on my face...?" He blinked and flushed again, shaking his head. One of his pale hands scratched the back of his neck whilst the other slipped into his back pocket, chocolate doe eyes flickering away from me awkwardly.

"N-No, sorry. Just got...lost in thought."

"Right..."

"I-I'm gonna go get our phones, so...." Dylan quickly jogged towards Chris' office to gather our phones, disappearing from my sight.

Blinking away the awkward moment, I turned and moved further into the lodge, eying the walls and tables for any random items lying about. It seemed Dylan and Nick did a great job cleaning, though, because I couldn't even find dust under the tables. With a satisfied smile, I perched myself on one of the many benches, fiddling with my long black sleeves as I waited for Dylan to return, suddenly feeling a bit isolated and shy.

Granted, that was my own doing coming in here while the others were busy, but it still agitated me slightly all the same. Lost in my thoughts, I barely noticed the small rectangular paper piece stuck between the floorboards below me. Furrowing my brows in curiosity, I leaned down and plucked the object up, gazing over it with narrowed grey eyes and parted lips.

It was a tarot card, specifically the Temperance card. What appeared to be an Angel in white with red wings rested on its center, a chalice and wine in her hands. It was old, the corners slightly tattered, and appeared to have been lit aflame recently as it's edges were still a faint orange glow.

My head began to hurt and I winced, placing my free palm against my forehead. My vision swam and my ears pulsed with a sound like rapid water, pressure building in my temples. I groaned, head swaying before I abruptly blacked out.

It was dark, the fire lit before me, my friends surrounding me. Jacob tossed a beer can my way, a pocket knife in his outstretched hand. I debated it for a moment as I caught the beverage, then stood and accepted the blade so I could shotgun the beer, pocketing it afterwards.

I gasped as I came to, forcing myself to open my eyes as my hands shook. I'd somehow fallen from the bench, and just now realized that Nick was leaning over me, his hand hovering over my side. His dark eyes were full of concern, searching my pale face for any signs of discomfort or pain.

"Hey? You okay, Carter?" I blinked a few times and nodded, swallowing thickly as he helped me sit upright, his palm warm and firm on my lower back. I grunted and rubbed my temples, the buzzing of the vision I'd seen leaving my mind scrambled. Glancing down at my left hand, brows furrowing again as nothing but a trace of ash left in my palm. "Carter?"

"Y-Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Just a dizzy spell." Though he seemed reluctant to accept my response, Nick nodded, gently helping me to stand. I grunted and popped my neck, wiping the ash inconspicuously against my white-washed jeans. My skin was paler than normal and coated in a thin sheen of sweat, my pupils dilated.

Nick is concerned for my health.

Nick, noticing how pale I seemed, opened his mouth to speak, his hand gripping my arm slightly to steady me. Before he could, a familiar head of soft brown locks popped into view.

"Yo! Got the phones!" Dylan greeted, grinning as he waved the case with our phones around. I shot the boy a grateful smile, avoiding Nick's gaze as Dylan gently handed me my phone, the familiar black and blue glittery case comfortable in my hands.

"Thanks DJ." I smiled slightly and pressed the power button, watching the apple logo come to life on my screen.

"No prob, Tiger."

"Thanks man."

Unlocking my phone, I huffed, pouting my lip. "Dammit, no bars. 73% though."

Nick messed his for a moment before nodding along. "No bars, 42%."

"Ah, shit, I'm at 6%."

"Should've turned your phone off, dude."

Dylan scoffed at my words, reaching over to ruffle my blonde locks as he stuffed his phone in his pocket. "Zip it, pipsqueak."

"I'm not that short, dammit!"

Nick and Dylan laughed as I whined and complained, fixing my hair as we made our way outside onto the balcony porch. Dylan leaned against the rail on my right, Nick on my left, and I hoisted myself onto the banister, legs over the edge and my arm resting on Dylan's shoulder. Jacob and Kaitlyn stood below us around the minivan, the former having just recently tossed the last bags inside the crammed trunk.

Dylan, having tossed the box, now held an array of phones—most likely belonging to the others—in his pockets. Nick, however, held a familiar black rectangle in his own hands, a mischievous grin growing on his tanned face. He shared a subtle glance with me, reassuring my disapproving look with a shrug as Dylan spoke to the duo.

"Hey Jacob!"

The tall athlete turned to face us, the relaxed expression on his face quickly falling as his gaze caught sight of the object in Nick's grasp. "Dude, no! N-No, c'mon, please! Don't!"

With a chuckle, the lithe Aussie tossed the object into the air, crying, "Go long!" Jacob scrambled to catch it, fumbling it slightly before his fingers managed to find purchase around the slim frame of his phone. He cheered, holding it up with glee before breaking into a very sexual and lewdly inappropriate dance.

"Boo yah! There it is!"

I groaned and scrambled down from the banister, Dylan's palm quickly covering my eyes which elicited a soft giggle from me. Dylan guided me down the stairs as we joined the duo, his hand still covering my sight.

"Good save, man!" Nick's voice cheered, and Jacob's erotic grunting got louder.

"Oh my god, this sounds so much worse when I can't see." Dylan snorted behind me, removing his palm as Jacob finally settled his behavior.

"Ooh, I wish I had some singles." Dylan yelped as my hand met his shoulder harshly, a blush and a glare on my face.

"Freaks. I'm surrounded by freaks." Kaitlyn exclaimed, completely disgusted by Jacob's behavior.

"No, you're just friends with a bunch of horndogs." Kaitlyn scoffed at my reply, but her unamused expression quickly altered to one of delight as Dylan passed her phone over.

"Oh thank God. I get the whole 'no technology' thing, but take me back world!" Her expression fell as she checked her notifications to find nothing, a groan of distaste leaving her lips. "Oh come on! Not one cell tower!?"

As the two conversed I felt something under my shoe and peeked down. Moving my left foot to the side, I found another card buried in the dirt. Picking it up, I gazed over the tattered surface, examining the image framed across the Strength card. A boy in a hood was hobbled over a wolf, his hands drawing its jaws apart.

The buzzing returned and I faltered, staggering slightly. My vision blurred and my ears popped, my head swaying again. The sound was louder than before, louder than buzzing but quieter than a ringing. It made my ears hurt and I covered them, clenching my teeth.

I held my breathe, back pressed to a boulder with Abigail beside me, hands over each other's mouths. A silhouette clambered above the boulder beside us, it's glowing red eyes searching the earth, snarling as it's saliva dripped against my shoulder and made me shudder.

"Woah, woah! Easy there, Tiger." I yelped, stumbling as Dylan steadied me, his hands on my shoulders to hold me upright as my knees buckled. His eyes and Kaitlyn's searched mine carefully, both sharing a worried glance. "You okay?"

"Y-Yeah, dehydrated, maybe. I'll be fine."

Dylan and Kaitlyn were weary but accepting of my reply.

Jacob's voice drew my attention, along with Kaitlyn and Dylan, whom turned to face him in unison. "Man, you would've thought Mr. H could've charged our phones just a little bit."

"Nothing's ever your fault, is it?" Kaitlyn raised a brow, crossing her arms over her chest.

Dylan, deciding to be his usually quippy self, smirked playfully as he spoke. "You know, you should probably just save it for emergencies only. Unless, of course, is being dumped an emergency?"

I winced at the mention, the memory of that encounter still fresh in mind. Emma and Jacob had been in some form of a friends-with-benefits relationship this past summer. I'd caught them going at it on multiple occasions in the bathhouse, and that's probably why Jacob was always so flustered around me. Though, last night Emma broke it off with him, claiming it was just a summer fling and the long distance wouldn't work. I'd come with her to dump him on account of her complaining how 'she needed moral support', but I rather ended up comforting the big teddy bear afterwards.

I'd honestly felt pretty terrible just witnessing the breakup. Especially since, in my blatant opinion, Jacob was one of the sweetest guys I'd ever met. Personally, I'd have taken the chance and tried Long distance just for him. He deserved that kind of happiness.

Nick chuckled, a taunting grin on his lips, one hand set on his hip. "Burn!"

Though his expression fell momentarily at the mention of Emma, he was just as quick to snap back as usual. "Ah, well, at least I had a relationship this summer."

"Damn, now we burned!"

"Shut up, Nick." I snickered, shaking my head. Dylan glanced at me and flushed slightly, bottom lip extended in a partial pout.

"Yeah, well, maybe not everyone is looking for a hookup, okay? So—"

"Okay, okay! Can you guys put your little dicks away and let's get this show on the road, huh?" Kaitlyn intervened quickly, her sensible and reliable self able to just about smell the testosterone boiling between the two tallest people in our group.

Under my breathe, I mumbled. "I know at least one of their dicks ain't little." Nick, having heard me, whipped his head in my direction with wide eyes and I flushed, waving him off shyly. His expression spoke louder words than I did—'We're discussing this later' he mouthed.

"Where's everybody else?" Nick inquired, changing the subject quickly as he surveyed the lodge interest curiously. His gaze settled on Jacob as he spoke, quirking a brow.

"Wha-Why would I know that?" The tall ravenette inquired.

Nick shrugged, hands in his pockets. "I dunno. Sometimes you know stuff I don't."

Jacob blinked incredulously. "I-I...I don't even know how to respond to that."

Nick's quick wit stayed just as strong as both Jacob's and Dylan's. "You say, 'Nick you're way smarter than me and you're a super hot guy who gets all the chicks he wants.'"

"You may be the most attractive in Emma's cabin, but mine would not have agreed with that statement." I quipped, tossing a playful grin his way. The Aussie stuck his tongue out at me in reply, though he no longer had a comeback in mind.

"Keep dreaming, Junior." Jacob huffed, his tone slightly aggressive. I gave him a shy but awkward smile, but for once, he failed to return it, instead redirecting his gaze to his feet. My heart dropped, turning my head to face the area under the lodge.

"Aaaaanyway..." Kaitlyn once again directed our attention elsewhere after a long silence.

"Do we just, like...wait? Or...?" Dylan spoke, tilting his head.

"Yeah."

"Boringggg." I rolled my eyes at the quirky brunettes complaint, stepping closer to him and leaning my head against his left bicep—goddamn, the guy didn't look it but he was toned.

"Yeah, I need to charge my phone. You think Mr. H would let me pop in and give it some juice before we leave?"

Kaitlyn gave him a baffled look, shifting her weight on her feet. "Why didn't you charge it before we got to camp?"

"I dunno. I figured we'd still have them at camp."

"Why would you assume that at a summer camp?"

"Nobody said they would take them!"

"Even I figured that one out, dude." Jacob added, shrugging his shoulders. The two broke into a small argument and I sighed, moving away from Dylan. Making my way to the trunk of the minivan, I dug through my bag—which was thankfully on top of the discombobulated pile—and retrieved my inhaler, along with its backup. Pocketing them, I made my way to Jacob's side as Emma and Abigail came into view.

"Heyyyyy!" Emma called, sidling up to the group with a dejected-looking Abigail behind her.

"Where are your bags?" Nick asked, just as confused as the rest of us over their unsuccessful mission.

"Mr. H locked them in the cabin already."

Jacob scoffed, eying the blonde with the smallest hint of adoration in his eyes. "Why? To keep out bears?"

"...Apparently." She sighed, shaking her head.

Dylan leaned forward a bit, shifting his weight with a curious glint to his eyes. "Well, why didn't you just...break in?"

Abigail scoffed, gesturing between him and Emma as she spoke. "Okay, because Dylan thinks that would've been a good idea, that confirms we did the right thing." Emma waved her off, obviously displeased with the girl.

"Oof, ow. I like my ideas." Dylan took it in stride despite how underhanded the comment was, shrugging slightly. I hummed and pursed my lips, glaring sickeningly sweet towards the artist.

"Sorry not everyone's a picture perfect goody-two-shoes like you, Blyg." I cooed, grinning sarcastically. Abigail grit her teeth and wrinkled her nose but otherwise said nothing.

Abigail was irritated by my smart remark.

It wasn't really a secret that Abigail and I never got along. We just didn't click like the others did. On top of that, she's quite naive and too obtuse during conversation, often saying things without thinking about them first. She took the 'n' of out of fun, leaving 'f u'.

"Hey, has anyone seen Ryan?" Emma inquired, gazing about the group as she realized one of us was still missing.

"Oh yeah, he's probably off being all broody and mysterious and alluring somewhere." Dylan quipped, the faintest pink tint on his cheeks.

"Your dick runs your mouth a lot, doesn't it?" I teased, the brunette flicking me off as his cheeks darkened.

"I'm here." My grey eyes fell on the dark-skinned counselor I'd spent half my summer with when Emma wasn't around, his earbuds now dangling over the collar of his shirt.

"What're you doing under there? A little 'me' party?"

"Uh...I was listening to a podcast, actually." Ryan answers Kaitlyn's question, somewhat reluctant to express his interest with the group. I smiled reassuringly at him, watching his shoulders relax as he caught my gaze.

"Oh, podcast, that...that's cool." Dylan hummed. He wasn't even interested in the topic, his eyes gazing over Ryan's face almost love struck.

"What's it about?"

"Yeah, what's it about? Is it about me?"

Ryan flicked his eyes over to Dylan, brows furrowed as he missed the flirtatious remark. "You...think I was listening to a podcast...about you?"

"Okay, if anyone had a podcast about themselves, it'd be me." Raising her hand slightly, Kaitlyn nonchalantly expressed her affirmation of her awesome personality, earning a chuckle out of me.

"Yeah, if there was a podcast called 'How to look and smell like a butt'."

"Dylan, you're hormones are showing." He stuck his tongue out in my direction, the girls snickering lightly.

"Shut up, Carter." He groaned.

"No, it's—it's a paranormal podcast." Ryan continued, slowly drawing closer to the group, though still outside the circle we'd formed.

"The one about Hackett's Quarry?" I inquired, earning a look of surprise from Nick and Jacob.

"You listen to it, too?" The former asked.

"Nah. I love listening to Ryan talk about it though. He's a really good story teller." The guy in question smiled at my compliment, slightly flustered.

Ryan was grateful for my display of interest in his hobby.

"It's, uh, called 'The Hag of Hackett's Quarry'."

Perking up at the mere sound of it, a slight buzzing formed in my ears, something like a whisper sending a shiver up my spine. "Why does that sound familiar?"

"You've probably heard it before."

"I'm sorry. The what of whosit what now?" Kaitlyn seemed thoroughly confused, lips parted and brows raised.

"You don't know about 'The Hag of Hackett's Quarry'?" Dylan all but gasped, an expression of dramatic shock on his face.

"Would I be asking if I did, dumbass?"

"Tell her about 'The Hag of Hackett's Quarry'."

Catching on to the playfulness Dylan had acquired, the corner of Ryan's lips lifted. "I don't think she wants to know about the Hag of Hackett's Quarry."

"Can we please just stop saying 'The Hag of Hackett's Quarry'?" Kaitlyn snapped, quickly losing her patience with the two. Dylan's mouth snapped shut and Ryan began to explain.

"It's just this campfire story for the kids. It's um... There's supposedly an old woman who died in a fire a few years back. She haunts the woods looking for her lost baby boy." He started, eyes darting between each counselor to gauge their reaction. "There are like reports of whispers, or whatever, and this figure that floats around... You know, textbook ghost stuff. Some people say that if she catches you alone, she'll try to turn you into her son... or kill you or something, I dunno... It's never really been clear. Anyways. 'Hag of Hackett's Quarry'." It was silent for maybe a moment as everyone let his ghost story sink in.

"Y-You made that up." Kaitlyn looked miffed at her stutter, eying Ryan skeptically.

"It's right here in the podcast, man."

Jacob shot the guy a smile, nodding his head along. "Cool story, bro."

"Yeah, Ryan, that's actually pretty sick, man. You amaze me with those stories, dude." I chipped in, earning a delighted smile in reply.

Ryan was reassured and happy with my response.

"You guys should've seen the kids though. Scared them shitless, I swear." I snickered, sharing a grin with Dylan.

"They weren't that bad..." Ryan mumbled halfheartedly.

"Gotta be careful with that stuff, man. That shits true." Dylan's comment seemed to cause Kaitlyn and Jacob some momentary discomfort, as the former shifted her weight and the other snapped frantically.

"C'mon—dude, bullshit!"

"What's the hold up, Hacketteers?" I yelped at the voice overhead, turning my head to face our coffee-loving, shorts-wearing boss, Chris Hackett.

"Heya—ah, we, uh—w-we're almost done, Mr. H!" Jacob stammered, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well, hop to it, kiddos! You're wasting daylight."

Emma stepped forward with a scoff, hand on her hip. "Coulda-woulda if our bags weren't locked up."

Narrowing his eyes on her with distaste, he tilted his head. "What's that? Sounded like you said 'of course Mr. H, we're on it, Mr. H!'"

Abigail, sensing our boss's waning patience, stepped in. "Sorry, Mr. Hackett, but our...our bags—"

"Right. Cabin. Huh."

"We're really bustin' our butts here. Well, except Ryan who's trying to scare the pants off our butts with his weird ghost stories." Kaitlyn added, eying the teen as an after thought.

"Okay, okay, enough with all the butts..." An expression of minor disgust crossed the man's wrinkled brow as he waved his hand. "Eh—and what...what's this about ghost stories?"

"The 'H' of 'H's' 'Q'."

Ryan cleared his throat, head bowed slightly. "'The Hag of Hackett's Quarry.' I was just—"

"Oh for Pete's sake, Ryan." Chris scoffed, disappointment heavy in his tone.

"Hey, dude, lay off. He likes his ghost stories, some sissy kids gotta learn to grow up eventually." I snapped, glaring up at the man hovering on the porch. Ryan glanced at me with temporary relief, whilst Mr. Hackett narrowed his eyes down on me with a grunt.

"Hey, uh—" Kaitlyn stepped in again, sensing the growing tension once more. "You still got the van key, Mr. H?"

I rolled my eyes and turned to face the van, leaning against a tree near its hood as I closed my eyes. The buzzing hadn't gone away, and closing my eyes made my head swim. My left hand came up to rub at my temples, a sharp exhale escaping my nose as I rolled my shoulders. I'd been feeling off for the past week—lightheaded, exhausted, weak—but ever since I'd picked up that first tarot card my discomfort had multiplied tenfold.

I'd always been sensitive to the unnatural or spiritual. My dad used to tell me I was gifted with the sight, more commonly known as being a medium or clairvoyant. I had a knack for sensing danger and sometimes seeing things in my dreams that had yet to occur—the same thing that elicited moments of Deja Vu later on. It usually was pretty relaxed, occurring fairy rarely and otherwise leaving my life as normal as it could get. However, since arriving here my clairvoyance had been going off the rails—whether it be that sixth sense kicking in when a tree was going to fall or a kid was going to get themselves hurt half way across camp, or it was a dream three nights early warning me of a bear in the woods or a coyote sneaking into one of the cabins. I hadn't had a full nights sleep since early July.

Grumbling slightly, I straightened up as Mr. H made his way to the minivan with Ryan and Jacob in tow, surprised I'd been out of it for so long. The man tossed the keys to Jacob, an anxious smile spreading across his face.

Dylan, most likely replying to whatever Chris had just said, huffed out desperately. "I try not to dwell on the past, man."

"Good, cause it's time to dwell on the minivan and get on with our respective lives! Move it, let's go!" Chris urged, waving Jacob into the car.

Baffled by Chris' urgency in trying to make us leave, Emma stepped forward. "Hey, what about our bags?!"

"Oh, Emma. I'm gonna have to ship 'em to you tomorrow first thin—" His indifference to her question irritated the blonde, a scowl on her face.

"Hell no! No. I am not leaving without my—"

"Hey! It's the way it's gotta be." Chris snapped, efficiently convincing Emma to shut her mouth.

"Ugh."

"Come on, Jacob! Start 'er up!"

Jacob turned the key in the ignition, though the only response the minivan gave was a sharp squeal and loud sputtering. Confused, I furrowed my brows, leaning closer to the hood to try and make out where the sound was coming from.

"What's the problem?" Chris' voice had grown more urgent, impatiently moving near the hood, as well.

"Ugh... Dude. I don't know. I-I think there's something wrong with the engine, Mr. H." Jacob hummed. His voice took on a lilt that screamed guilty to me, though Chris seemed too anxious to notice.

"Yeah, I can see that."

"Yeah dude, it's just like... kaput!"

"Alright lemme try." Ryan stepped towards the drivers side, peering at Jacob through the open window.

"What? Dude, I'm telling you, alright, it's busted!"

"Well maybe you're doing it wrong—"

"Duh- 'Well maybe you're doing it wrong!'" Jacob's tone baffled me, my eyes shooting up to glare at him through the front windshield.

"The fuck, dude?"

"Enough! Enough, both of you! Shit." He stepped up to the car, opening the drivers door and tugging at Jacob's sleeve. "Come on, come on let's go."

Stumbling, Jacob stepped out of the vehicle, brushing himself off. "Alright dude, chill! Chill dude." As Chris attempted to start the car, smoke began to seep from the lip of the hood, startling me.

"Uh, Mr. H? Pretty sure it's not supposed to do that..." His eyes widened at my words and he jumped out of the car, dragging me away from the tree I was leaning against.

"Holy smokes! Everybody back, now! No, now, now!" He exclaimed, urging the rest of the group backwards. Jacob, however, disregarded Mr. Hackett's warning and moved to the front of the vehicle, popping it open to view the engine. A blaze had formed near the fuel tank, our eyes widening at the sight.

"Jesus Christ!" Jacob exclaimed, skirting the edge of the car.

"J-Jacob, c'mon, get away from it!" I exclaimed, my heart racing in my chest. I hated fire, loathed it, memories I didn't want to recall lingering at the forefront of my brain.

"I-I got this!" He reached into the drivers side, grasping at water bottle. He ran back to the front of the vehicle and I yelped, darting past both Ryan and Chris.

"Jacob, don't—!" The water splashed over the engine just as I curled my fingers around Jacob's wrist. The flames rose and my back and arm, which were facing the hood, were splashed with oil. A scream left me as my skin burned through the fabric, recoiling closer to Jacob and cradling my burnt arm to my chest. "Fuck!"

"Shit, shit! Are you okay? Fuck!" Jacob cradled my arm in his large hands, blowing cool air on the red skin peeking through the freshly singed hole in my sleeve and shoulder, electing a whimper from me. Chris appeared beside us with a fire bucket in hand, dumping the sand in it over the engine and successfully smothering the flames.

With a heavy sigh, he dropped the bucket to the ground, brows furrowed with distress. "This things toast."

"Well, uh- Look it's not that big of a deal, okay, we'll just spend one more night out here." Jacob quipped after a moment, patting my back lightly as I babied my injured arm with a hiss, resting my head against his shoulder.

"No—NO. Just stop. Let me think." Chris snapped, hands running I've this face as he paced for a moment. Chris slammed the hood with an angry yell, startling me and Jacob. "Arrrrghhh! Okay. Dammit. You're right. You're right, yeah. Yeah, you're right."

"What?" Ryan seemed utterly bewildered with Chris' behavior, brows furrowed as he glanced at us. Chris tossed him the keys to the lodge as he walked past, Ryan successfully grasping them midair.

"Hey Ryan. Come here for a sec." Chris waved the boy over as he clambered into his own car, rolling the window down. Jacob guided me away from the cars towards the others, hand on my back.

"Shit, dude, I'm really fucking sorry, I didn't—"

"It's fine. You didn't know. It's cool. It's cool." I huffed, cutting off his apology. I knew he didn't mean to get me hurt, and it was only a second degree burn. With proper treatment I'd be okay. I was more concerned for Jacob's current emotional status—the guy didn't handle pain and sorrow very well.

I smiled up at Jacob to reassure him when words didn't work, nudging his side with my good arm. "Really, bear, I mean it. I'll be okay." He glanced between both of my grey eyes for a moment before relaxing, his lips forming the tiniest smile.

"Okay."

Jacob is reassured by my kindness and empathy.

"So, what was all of that about?" Dylan's voice drew my attention behind me as Ryan rejoined us, Chris and his car out of sight.

"He uh... said to stay inside. That we're not leaving until the morning." Ryan answered in a slow, uncertain tone, eyes lingering on my burn.

"Are... you kidding me?" Emma scoffed, tossing her hands up with irritation.

"Em..."

"Are you kidding me!? What are we supposed to do?"

"Well, we should go inside. Like he said."

Dylan tilted his head side to side, an inquisitive expression crossing his soft features. "We could go inside. Until morning..."

"Yeah—"

Quickly cutting Ryan off, Dylan smiled mischievously. "Or... Or we could do something else."

"What... are you talking about?"

"No Mr. Hackett. No screaming kids. Just a bunch of grown-ass adults ready to cut loose and get down with their animal side." I deadpanned at this, blinking slowly as I attempted to register what the hell he was going on about. Jacob, however, seemed to both understand and become eager for the idea.

"Ohh, hell yeah."

"P. A. R. T... Why the fuck not!? Alright, it seems like the stars have aligned for us. No?" I sighed through my nose, gnawing at my lower lip anxiously, which did not go unnoticed.

"Okay, okay, okay..." Kaitlyn began to nod thoughtfully, contemplating the tall brunettes offer.

"One last epic bonfire blowout for all time."

"Oh, dude. Fuck yes!" Jacob pumped the air, gesturing to the only Aussie in the group. "I'm in. Nick, you're in."

"Yeah I'm in."

"Dylan's in. Obviously. My man. Kaitlyn?"

After some momentary hesitation and a quick glance around the group, the short Asian woman conceded. "I go where my people need me."

"Yeah! Okay... Em, what do you say?"

"Yeah, I'm in." She grinned, hands on her hips.

"Mr. Hackett seemed pretty insistent we stay in the lodge." Abigail suddenly cut in, dampening my mood further with her voice.

"He was just trying to freak us out. You know, like um... Like one of Ryan's stupid ghost stories."

"Why would he want to scare us?"

Probably because he doesn't fucking like you, Abigail. I hissed in my head, scowling at her from under my long black lashes.

Ryan, looking miffed and uncertain, sighed through his nose apprehensively. "I don't think he was trying to freak us out, Jacob. I think he was really freaked out by something."

"Jesus Christ."

"Chris seemed real serious about this, guys."

Dylan slumped slightly, off put by Ryan's mood dampening behavior. "Just say you're in, man. Come on. One last night. Dude. He won't even know."

"Yeah but I promised, I—"

I had to grab Jacob's arm to stop him from stepping forward with his irritation, encouraging him to just speak calmly. "No no nah, dude, dude. It's all good. Alright, we get it, you know. You, uh... You don't wanna disappoint 'daddy'."

Ryan's eyes narrowed on Jacob and his nose wrinkled at the underhanded remark. "Whatever, man."

Dylan stepped in quickly, attempting to keep the conversation calm. "It's gonna be fine, man. Trust me. It's gonna be chill."

"I'm sure he's just looking out for us. No big deal." Ryan muttered this, mostly to reassure himself.

"Alright. Yeah! Party!" Dylan cheered, grins spreading on the rest of their faces.

"No, I didn't mean—"

Dylan put his hand up for a high five, grinning at the deep-toned male with excitement. "High five—Touch my hand, Ryan."

Ryan hesitated, eying the brunette before glancing at me. I nodded hesitantly, worry still on my mind. With a sigh, he lifted his hand and pressed it against Dylan's. "Alright, fine..."

"But I just want to go on record and say that this is a bad idea."

Jacob deadpanned and shook his head. "Oh my God, dude."

"Ugh. It's gonna be fine, man. Trust me. It's gonna be chill." Dylan did his best to reassure the guy he'd been pinning after half the summer.

Excited once again for tonight's plan, Jacob rubbed his hands together. "Alright, alright, alright, Hacketteers! Party planning committee. Let's do this!"

He gestured to Nick and Abigail, tilting his head side to side. "Um, okay. First things first, Nick and Abi... you go get some firewood. Uh... Emma and I will go to the store for some supplies. And, uh, Dylan, you just... I don't know, figure out how to charge the phones or something..." Dylan and Nick shared a thumbs up with the jock before he clapped his hands. "Alright let's do this!"

Hesitating, I glanced among the group and hit my lip, the buzzing behind my ears urging me to speak up. I could tell them what I'd 'seen' so far—knowing they were likely to listen to it as my clairvoyance was well known—but risk dampening the mood. Or I could keep it to myself and hope that everything would be okay. Besides that, who would I join? Abi and Nick? Dylan, Ryan and Kaitlyn? Emma and Jacob? Or should I find something to do alone?

Wha t would you do?

|•|•|•|•|•|•|•|

Laura Kearney is my best friend and is currently missing.

Max Brinly is my best friend and is currently missing.

Ryan Erzahler is appreciative towards me.

Jacob Custos is concerned for my health and attached to me.

Abigail Blyg is distasteful of me.

Dylan Lenivy finds me adorable.

Emma Mountebank greatly enjoys my company.

Kaitlyn Ka is entertained by me.

Nicholas Furcillo is protective of me and concerned for my mental health.

Travis Hackett has no relation to me.

Chris Hackett finds me reliable but aggressive.

I am alive, sane and burned but otherwise healthy.

Tarot Visions:

Temperance

It was dark, the fire lit before me, my friends surrounding me. Jacob tossed a beer can my way, a pocket knife in his outstretched hand. I debated it for a moment as I caught the beverage, then stood and accepted the blade so I could shotgun the beer, pocketing it afterwards.

Strength

I held my breathe, back pressed to a boulder with Abigail beside me, hands over each other's mouths. A silhouette clambered above the boulder beside us, it's glowing red eyes searching the earth, snarling as it's saliva dripped against my shoulder and made me shudder.

Branches:

•Skeptic BFF: Having been best friends with Max and Laura, I knew they weren't okay. With their absence, I grew skeptical of Chris Hackett and his promises.

[takaraphoenix]

August 23: lost & basement - Derek and Stiles kidnapped together 😈

(you are a horrible person and I love you. here, have our boys kidnapped and tormented, with some extra flashbacks for Stiles)

Tags: m/m, kidnapping, hurt/comfort, Spark Stiles, Erica Lives, Boyd Lives, Jackson Doesn't Leave

Main Pairing: Derek/Stiles

Teen Wolf Characters: Mieczysław 'Stiles' Stilinski, Derek Hale, Erica Reyes, Vernon Boyd III, Isaac Lahey, Jackson Whittemore, Lydia Martin, Scott McCall, Allison Argent

@writersmonth Prompts: lost + basement

Summary: Stiles and Derek get kidnapped by hunters. When Stiles wakes up in a basement, it brings back memories of a different basement and different hunters.

This Story on FFNet | This Story on AO3

What Happens in the Basement

Stiles Summer Stories 2024

Stiles blinked blearily. His head ached, there was a pounding coming from the back of his head. Where he had been hit. Knocked out. Which was why he felt like shit right now. Something was dripping nearby. He didn't like that sound. Groaning, labored breath. Someone else was here.

He turned his head very slowly. Careful. Bracing himself for what he would find. It wasn't what he expected. Shirtless Derek, strung up on the ceiling.

Stiles' breath hitched as he saw the electricity attached to him. Sending regular shocks through the Alpha, keeping him from breaking loose. He jolted at every shock. Stiles' breath picked up, panic rising in his chest as that stuffy, kind of wet air of the basement and the sound of electricity, the pained grunts of a wolf getting tortured by electricity, sent him back to a different basement.

He could still see Gerard's sneer, feel his boots kicking Stiles' ribs until they cracked, until he couldn't breath anymore and he couldn't breath, he couldn't breath, because he couldn't get Boyd and Erica down, he couldn't free them, he'd tried but the electricity shocked him, nearly knocked him out and then Gerard had come and beat on him and-

"Stiles, Stiles," Derek roared, weaker than usual, but loud enough to startled Stiles back in the now. "Wherever your mind went, don't follow it. I need you in the here, Stiles."

"Basement," Stiles croaked out.

It took Derek only a moment – only, because, they were in a basement so why would Derek understand what he meant – but then understanding lit up those hazel eyes. He growled.

"Stiles, you're okay," Derek spoke softly. "Boyd and Erica are okay. They're probably right now cursing both of us for getting abducted. They're safe. You all got out of that basement. Argent is dead and you're all alive and you're safe. Well… We will be safe, once we get out of here. But for that, I need you in the present day, not in the past. Can you do that for me, Stiles?"

The past. Right. He wasn't that terrified sixteen year old kid anymore who had no experience. He knew how to fight. Him and his pack had been defending this damn town for two years now. He wasn't taking a beating laying down anymore. He was never going to let anyone have that much power and control over him anymore. Taking a shaky breath, Stiles nodded.

"What do we do, Alpha?" Stiles asked, voice sharper.

Compartmentalize. He could have his flashbacks later, throw up and cry all he wanted about the memories and the feeling of being helpless and useless. He could focus on the pain he was in later on too, curl together on his bed, nurse his injuries and bemoan that wolves healed faster. Right now, there were more important things to focus on, like getting himself and his Alpha out.

"How's your flame?" Derek asked in a very low voice.

In case someone was listening in. Flame. It felt weird, that Derek called it that. One would think that Derek had very, very bad associations with fire. But he said that the flame his Spark lit was different. Was good. A flame that kept their pack warm and safe, that burned down their enemies.

Closing his eyes, Stiles concentrated on his magic, visualizing the spark of it. It was dim. Physical injuries tended to drain his magic as it compensated into trying to heal him.

"Running low on fuel," Stiles muttered frustrated. "I'll need… an hour."

Derek grunted his confirmation, nodding his head. "Maybe the pack will find us before that."

"Maybe," Stiles swallowed hard, still tugging on his magic, trying to hurry it.

"And if not, I trust my Emissary," Derek's eyes were too honest, too warm, too much.

Stiles choked on his words. How had he earned that level of trust? How could he love this man so much? All he could give Derek in return was a jerky nod. The Alpha knew how much his trust meant to Stiles. Even though that trust was mutual. They'd saved each other's lives too often over the past two years now. They knew they could always rely on each other, even if there was nobody else. Sure, their pack was strong and loyal, but even without any of the betas, Alpha and Emissary would always be able to back each other up. Even before they were Alpha or Emissary, when they were just Derek and Stiles, a lone beta on the verge of omega and a flailing teen with no magic.

/break\

A couple minutes later, three men walked into the basement. Stiles steeled himself, Derek could tell by the tenseness on the boy. He knew what came next. He locked eyes with Stiles, trying to convey that he was here, that they would get out of this together. He really hoped Stiles didn't remember how they'd gotten here. Because the hunters had shot Isaac, wolfsbane spreading through the blonde, the pup going down, distracting Stiles long enough to drop his magic. The hunters shot Derek next, as he tried to protect his pup and his mate – Emissary – and then they'd been taken.

If Stiles remembered that Isaac was hurt, poisoned, possibly alone, possibly worse, then that would only send Stiles into another panic like earlier. They couldn't afford that. Not right now.

"Last of the Hales," one of the hunters laughed. "You should fetch a good price."

"What do we do with that one though. He's not a wolf."

One of the hunters approached Derek, but the other went for Stiles. And no. No, that wasn't good. That wouldn't do. Stiles needed to focus on his magic and Stiles needed to be safe. Last time he'd been captured by hunters and tortured in a basement had really messed Stiles up. He'd had nightmares for months, Boyd and Erica sneaking into his room to comfort each other.

"I'm the one you want," Derek growled, baring his fangs and flashing his red eyes.

A fist connected with his jaw. Good. Meant they didn't pay attention to Stiles. The third hunter sat on the table, in front of Stiles and Derek. Adjusting the tools that laid out next to him. A silent threat for what came next. Derek ground his teeth together.

"I think," the second hunter spoke, looking at Stiles. "We could have some fun with this one."

"Oh, I'm not fun," Stiles quipped. "Ask anyone. I'm so annoying, I talk too much and you will just have a migraine at the end of it, honestly I think you would do yourself a favor just letting me go."

Why could that boy not shut up once in his life? Did Stiles really not have any self-preservation instincts at all? Derek growled annoyed, glaring at his Emissary. The glare hardened when a fist collided with Stiles' face. Derek was going to tear that hunter apart himself. Nobody laid a hand on his Stiles. A snarl tore from his throat, feral and vicious.

/break\

Scott was fully panicking and he was so glad to have Allison and Lydia right now, because Allison calmed him down and Lydia was the brain. Their Alpha was gone and so was their Stiles and Scott just so did not function well without Stiles, Stiles was his best friend, his brother, what if something serious was happening to him? Plus, Isaac was shot. They'd found him, barely breathing – the hunters must have left him behind, left him for death. Only taking Alpha and Emissary.

"Boyd, Jackson, you go through the back," Lydia instructed. "Scott and Erica, through the front. Allison is in place to keep an eye on everything from above, I'm waiting in the car, keeping it running so we can move fast, in case they're not in good shape. Everyone got it?"

Sharp nods, serious looks from all betas. An attack on their pack, they took those seriously. They made their way into the house, taking the two hunters in front of the television out, meeting up in the living room. Following their noses, they went downstairs to the basement. Scott's heart sank into his stomach as he saw Stiles, battered and bruised and strung up. Erica next to him gasped out a sob, shaking a little. Within seconds, Scott was next to them, freeing Stiles.

"Stiles," Scott whined. "Are you alright? Are you in a lot of pain?"

Even while he said it, he drained Stiles' pain. A pleased smile spread over Stiles' face as he collapsed into Scott's arms fully boneless. Scott looked over at Derek, watching Jackson and Boyd take their Alpha down after turning of the electricity. Right now, Derek looked even worse. Once the electricity stopped, Derek would heal faster.

"Hey, Batman," Erica's voice was shaky. "H… How are you feeling? Are you okay?"

"Der took the brunt force," Stiles muttered, glaring at the Alpha. "Kept mouthing off. Worse than me, I swear. I have never heard him talk that much. Idiot."

Scott heaved a sigh. Why was Stiles like this. He was going to bring Scott into an early grave. Wrapping an arm securely around Stiles' waist, with Erica on Stiles' other side, he helped Stiles out and toward the car where Lydia and Allison were waiting for them.

"Time to get home," Lydia chimed, eyes on Stiles and Derek in the back. "You'll be fine."

And somehow, she made that sound like an order. Nobody argued with Lydia Martin.

/break\

Isaac had gotten hurt. Stiles' face fell when he saw the bandaged beta. Hobbling over to him, Stiles curled around the blonde and buried his face in Isaac's neck. The blow to his head had distracted him from how exactly he had received that blow. Isaac whined and snuggled up to him.

"You're alright," Isaac sighed relieved, nuzzling him. "Derek?"

The Alpha grunted and came to lay on Isaac's other side. "I'm alright. You're alright too, pup."

Erica, Boyd and Scott practically brawled over getting to lay closest to Stiles, while Allison, Lydia and Jackson accepted to lay on Derek's side. Just like that, the pack was one puppy pile. Stiles loved those. He smiled contently as Erica wrapped an arm around his waist, Boyd having a hand on his arm from where he had Erica sandwiched between himself and Stiles. Scott was half laying on Erica so he could also wrap himself around Stiles. They were fine. His pack was fine. Safe.

He started shaking as the tears he'd locked away earlier broke free. Nobody commented on it, they just held him, quietly, knowing he needed to process what had happened today, what had happened a year ago. Derek on Isaac's other side scooted higher, high enough so he could lean over and nuzzle Stiles' face. His lips brushed against Stiles' cheek in a gentle kiss and it gave Stiles pause. He turned his head ever so slightly, enough to align their lips. The kiss was short and not how Stiles had ever pictured, but it was even better because it was comfort, reassurance and love.

"You're alright, Stiles. We're all going to be alright," Derek whispered and kissed him again.

~*~ The End ~*~

[francesderwent]

I posted 5,391 times in 2022

That's 542 more posts than 2021!

1,125 posts created (21%)

4,266 posts reblogged (79%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@blushingallthewayhome

@imissthembutitwasntadisaster

@starryeyesxx

@madamescarlette

@reputayswift

I tagged 5,316 of my posts in 2022

Only 1% of my posts had no tags

#taylor swift - 427 posts

#tvd - 376 posts

#text - 320 posts

#in which cate tells stories - 316 posts

#cate liveblogs! - 214 posts

#btvs - 150 posts

#batfam brainrot - 135 posts

#teen wolf - 131 posts

#stranger things - 120 posts

#this is me admitting i need a music tag - 113 posts

Longest Tag: 137 characters

#(& she’d be like ‘i don’t even remember doing this where did you find it’ or ‘i was like wow that’s so sad! then i remembered i wrote it)

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

I think it’s worth reminding ourselves that the first thing that moved Shia wasn’t studying Padre Pio himself, who probably would have been absolutely incomprehensible as an inroads to faith for someone lacking any sense of it, it wasn’t the liturgy, it wasn’t any of the books that he would eventually become so versed in. it was people letting him eat their ice cream and pet their cats, people telling him jokes, people who weren’t demanding anything of him. and then, it was the Gospels.

237 notes - Posted August 26, 2022

#4

twosday is definitely a holiday specifically from the hundred acre wood

780 notes - Posted February 22, 2022

#3

oh my gosh you guys I think “screaming, crying, throwing up” has the same usage and meaning as “wailing and gnashing of teeth”

2,743 notes - Posted October 15, 2022

#2

reblog this and tag with a food you no longer have access to (closed restaurant, state you moved away from, ex’s mom’s cooking, etc) that will haunt you until your dying day, mine are the spicy chicken sandwich on the employee menu at the fine dining restaurant I was a prep cook at, and the onion bagel from the kosher place down the street from my house when I lived in the city

50,089 notes - Posted May 26, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

wish list for people who don’t want anything

aka possessions which are just possessions, but which have noticeably improved my quality of life: for when people ask you “what do you want for your birthday/Christmas/graduation” and you instantly transform into St Francis and pledge fealty to Lady Poverty because your mind went blank

nice. new. sheets. I cannot emphasize this one enough. if you’re still using the same sheets you had in college, you should probably get new ones. get yourself some 100% bamboo rayon sheets—they're silky and perfect for summer and great for sensitive skin! or, if you’re cold all the time, flannel sheets!

kitchen knives. or even just one really good kitchen knife.

new curtains—blackout if you are a creature of the night like I am

fleece lined anything, but especially sweatpants and hoodies. wool lined socks are also good. if you don’t have the option of coming home after work and putting on an entire outfit that is loose and fuzzy, you should change that, because you deserve that option.

cookie sheets with a layer of air between the top and the bottom. the bottoms of your cookies will never burn again.

kitchen scale!!! no more leveling off flour with a knife and getting it all over the table!! now all your measuring is just shoveling stuff in and out of bowls like you’re at the beach. baking is both more accurate and also way more fun.

coffee bean grinder. if you want to upgrade your coffee experience, this is a great one-time purchase. just-ground beans have a much better flavor than pre-ground.

CDs!! ask for a gift card and expand your physical music collection! or a collection of the DVDs for your favorite show!

72,082 notes - Posted November 6, 2022

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