#oc mandy majors

[softguarnere]

I've never participated in the lovely @blind-dates-fest before, so we're actually trying two new things this weekend: a new writing challenge, and writing for The Pacific for the first time. This OC has been banging around in my head for months now, so this seemed like a good time to introduce her - especially since she'll be making a cameo or two in one of my ongoing BOB fics. Without further ado, I hope y'all will enjoy Samantha "Mandy" Majors ♥️

The Deception of Appearances

Realistically, Mandy is aware that these are the men who are fighting for their country. The heroes of Guadalcanal can do as they please. But as MacDonald pushes his way through the bar’s crowd of wild, drinking men and boisterous women, dragging her along behind him, only one thought runs through her mind: What the hell am I doing here?

She knows, of course. She’s making money. She’s carving out a little space in journalism because, as her publisher always so kindly reminds her, the market is always changing, and fantasy stories will not be in fashion forever.

With that pleasant reminder, she lifts her chin and continues her walk into the unknown.

MacDonald struts ahead of her, openly ogling the men as if they’re an attraction at the zoo. There’s something distinctly unprofessional about the wide-eyed look that he’s always giving his subjects, like he’s got them trapped under a microscope and is poking around in their thoughts. He doesn’t seem to realize that he has a habit of making other people feel utterly invaded. Which, if Mandy had to guess, is probably why the Metropolitan Express has had her acting as his assistant for so many months. Well, that and, if she’s being honest, the fact that Duncan MacDonald cannot write to save his life.

As if reading her mind, MacDonald grabs her arm and hisses loudly in her ear to be heard over the celebrations, “Look at them! We’re bound to get a good story out of them.” Then, quietly, more urgently, “And quickly, too, because I don’t like the looks of this place.”

For once, Mandy finds herself agreeing with him. But, as is the way of the world, these things are easier said than done.

They manage to find a small table that’s miraculously unoccupied to set up shop at. Despite the look that MacDonald gives her when she orders a drink, Mandy settles in. Her boss might not want to spend any longer in this place than he has to, but that’s only because he’s not a real writer, and he doesn’t understand that the best stories come to those who are patient. These things can’t be forced, no matter how intent he seems on bending them to his will.

Besides his writing – or lack thereof – there’s the small matter of MacDonald himself. He’s too forthright, strutting up to the men and asking them bold questions with no sense of boundaries. Most respond by giving him a blank stare instead of a quote, and those who are willing to share any thoughts only give them the kind that cannot be put into print.

“Well I never,” MacDonald splutters as dark haired man with a wide smile answers his question – a completely tone deaf What’s been your favorite part of the war so far? – with a curt Wouldn’t you like to know, jackass? and a wink thrown at Mandy. MacDonald uselessly swabs his face with his handkerchief before sighing, “I don’t think this place agrees with me.” He mutters, perhaps thinking Mandy can’t hear him over the noise of the bar. “I should have stuck to vaudeville.”

I’ll drink to that, she thinks to herself as she surveys the man who’s supposed to be a war correspondent.

“He seemed to like you, though,” MacDonald says. He gives Mandy a curious look that she’s all too familiar with – one that suggests that she do all the work while he rests his delicate little mind. “Maybe you should try talking to them, without me.”

He’s throwing her to the wolves – or, more accurately, the Marines. But strangely, she finds that she doesn’t mind this time. After all, she came here to write about the war. Write about it accurately, honestly. People back home need to know what’s being fought for. And if she can lend her pen, her camera, and her typewriter to the cause, then by golly, she will. 

She nods. “Not such a bad idea.” And then she leaves him there, alone at the table, before he can change his mind.

Looking for a good story is not so different from hunting, if you think about it. At the edge of the room, Mandy surveys the scene before her. The Marines may be wild, but most of them are also intoxicated, which means their lips will be loose. She can use that to her advantage. Especially now that she’s free of MacDonald.

There. From across the bar, her eyes land on the dark-haired man who winked at her earlier. He’s one of the few men not entertaining one of the bar’s local Australian girls. An easy target.

As if to prove her point about patience, someone taps her on the shoulder just as she’s about to march through the fray to reach her intended target.

A different man, this one with blond hair, blushes slightly when she turns to him. “Um, excuse me, Miss,” he says, his thick accent taking her by surprise. For just a second, she mistakes him for one of the locals before she realizes that he’s wearing an American uniform with the name Phillips on his chest.

Maybe getting a quote will be easier than she thought it would be. “Yes?” 

Phillips nods across the bar to the man that was her original target. “My friend over there said you were a reporter, looking for quotes?”

Mandy nods, smiles, trying to make herself as bright and warm and trustworthy as possible. “That I am.” She holds up her notepad and taps it with a red fingernail. “You don’t happen to have one for me, do you Phillips?”

He’s not blushing anymore. He only smiles and shakes his head. “I’m afraid not. I don’t think I’m good enough with words for that kind of thing. But my friend is,” he adds before she can lose interest.

“Oh?” Mandy raises an eyebrow. “Do you think he would give me an interview?”

“I’m sure he would,” Phillips replies. “In fact, he was writing the entire time we were on Guadalcanal. He’ll probably give you some of his original notes.”

Mandy has to take a breath, remind herself not to get her hopes up. This could all be a rouse, after all, by some stranger.

But then again, even though she doesn’t know this Phillips, he doesn’t give off the energy of someone trying to pull a fast one on her. Maybe it’s just his southern charm, but she’s tempted to trust him right away.

“That would be great. Mind taking me to him?”

“Sure thing.” Phillips starts to weave through the crowd, leading her through the bar. He looks back and extends a hand part of the way through their walk. “I’m Sid Phillips, by the way.”

She accepts his hand. He’s got a firm shake. More of that southern charm, perhaps. “Samantha Majors. But my friends call me Mandy.”

As they push deeper into the bar, several men call out greetings to Phillips, slapping him on the back and palling around as they pass. Phillips returns their handshakes and smiles, only stopping to ask if anyone has seen the Professor. Most men shrug off the question, but one man finally points toward the farthest part of the bar and announces over all the noise, “Lucky is over there! Guess he needed a place to think.”

Lucky. The Professor. She’ll have to remember to ask about these nicknames during their interview. No doubt there’s a good story behind them both.

She slips her notebook out of her pocket as they walk, readies her pen as she turns to Phillips, ideas already churning in her head. “What’s your friend’s name?”

“There he is!” Phillips nods to a table in the bar’s far corner, where a small group of men sit drinking, partly obscured by shadow. “That’s him in the middle, with the curly hair. Robert Leckie.”

At the same moment that Phillips says his name, the man in question leans forward, throwing his face into light so that Mandy catches a glimpse of him for the first time. The sight makes her heart drop, and she freezes as if she’s just been caught red-handed.

“No,” she whispers. Then, in her head. It can’t be.

For a split second, she thinks that maybe her luck will be good, that she’s changed so much since their school days that he won’t recognize her. They’re not kids anymore. Maybe he’s forgotten her.

But the second that his eyes land on her, she knows that it’s no good. His expression changes quickly as he drops the thread of conversation with his friends to stare at her in confusion, then recognition. A small smile crosses his face and he stands, not frozen the way that she is.

“Sammy Majors?!” He calls, voice slightly too loud with the excitement of someone who has been drinking.

Phillips’ brow furrows as he glances between them. “You two know each other?”

“Yes,” Mandy whispers at the same time that Leckie announces, “We grew up down the street from each other!”

“Well, that’s good, right?” Phillips turns to her when he asks. “No awkward introductions to hold back your interview.”

Mandy has to force the words out of her mouth; they feel like they’re stuck to her tongue with paste. “Yeah. I guess so.”

Leckie, as usual, seems undaunted by everything before him. He shoves the man sitting next to him over and uses a grand gesture to indicate the vacated seat to Mandy. “Come join us!”

The confident demeanor that she’s worked so hard to build up all these years is slipping. With every step she takes towards him, Mandy feels like she’s clinging to it for dear life. She has to remind herself that she’s no longer Sammy Majors, the little girl who sits by the window writing fairytales because she couldn’t go out to play. She’s no longer Sammy Majors, who entered every writing competition their school hosted in vain, always losing out to lucky Robert Leckie, whose stories and poems were always so much better than hers. Robert Leckie, who had a job at the local newspaper before they had even finished high school.

As she takes the seat he offers her, one of the other men at the table laughs when he asks, “Hey, Lucky, does Vera know about this?”

Robert Leckie, who always so obviously had a crush on Vera Keller from across the street. Robert Leckie, who never seemed to realize that she existed . . . but who recognized her at first sight after all these years, and on the other side of the world, to boot.

Leckie smiles at her, so warm and open, as if his success in writing didn’t come so easily to him that it always crushed Mandy’s heart, her hopes, and her dreams. “What are you doing here?”

In response, Mandy raises her notepad and purses her lips, resetting her usual, casual demeanor that she has spent so many years working on. “I’m with the Metro Express, and my source tells me that you might be good for a quote.”

Several of his friends ooh and aah like a Greek chorus, jostling him as they laugh.

“He’s got more than just a quote for you!” One of them hoots.

“Yeah,” another man adds. “Try a whole novel!”

Mandy raises an eyebrow. “Is that so?” When Leckie shrugs in response, she allows herself to smile, to be friendly, even though it goes against her better instincts. “Robert Leckie, ever the writer.”

“Fight by day, write by night.”

She makes a small scribble on her notepad to make sure her pen still works. “Well, Private Leckie. Do you have time for a quick interview?”

Leckie leans back in his seat and takes a drag off his cigarette. A smirk plays at the corners of his mouth as he exhales the smoke, nods. “Fire when ready, Miss Majors.”

[fridaynightaus]

Figured it'd make sense to make Pico a Weredino based on his Minus Mod counterpart.

Bio and skullette below!

Bio Parents A Weredino (Biological) John and Steve (Adoptive) Age 16 Killer Style Eh…can’t say I’m really much of a “fashion” person. Anything that looks cool on me works, I guess. Freaky Flaw Why do you need to know that? Whatever it is, I ain't saying anything. “My buddy Pico’s got some aggression issues, but otherwise he's an outspoken and loyal dude.” - Jacob Fairest Pet Don’t have one, don’t plan on getting one anytime soon. Favorite Activity

Practicing turntables with my pal Darnel! And playing some Street Frighter, Splatgoo, and Scream Fortress 2.

Pet Peeve Violence should not be a “fix-all” solution. I know I know, sounds kinda rich coming from me. But experience has taught me that way of thinking just leads to more problems than it solves. Favorite Subject Computer Lab, I’m thinking about majoring in Computer Science once I’m out of this pop stand. So I better start somewhere. Least Favorite Subject Astronomy…Personal reasons… Favorite Color(s) Green Favorite Food(s)

Pork chops. The more tender, the better!

Friends Jacob Fairest Amber Dearest Kenji Sakubara Blaze Thorburn Dusk Evans Darnell Nene Holt Hyde Mandi Core (OC)

Abilities

Enhanced Strength Pico’s strength surpasses those of the average human. For instance he is able to pick up objects that weigh more than him. Enhanced Agility Pico possesses agility that surpasses that of the average human.

Enhanced Roar Pico is able to roar at a high frequency, said roar is able to break objects and even shake the ground around him. Night Vison Like most dinosaurs, Pico has excellent eyesight. Excellent enough to see even in low-light conditions.

Bonus Notes (More to possibly be added in the future)

While Pico was born to weredinos, he is currently raised by the humans John and Steve (from Tankmen), as he lost his parents during an alien invasion in his old home of Pennsylvania led by Cassandra. After the invasion was stopped, he was adopted by John and Steve and they moved to New Salem.

Skullette

[jazzyrazzy157]

KND x OC AU Facts and Things that will happens in the AU (In no chronological order)

((Major Spoilers and it’s will get insane))

•Holly and Malice age slower than the regular human because with them being failed lab experiments

•Father and Snowflake have never have any biological child (this is before Father kidnap adopted the delightful children)

•Wink and Fibb will end up together and eventually get married but not in the finale

•Toiletnator (With his helmet off) will look like a mix of the comic “Operation: Historie” (Hair) and the ep “Operation: Movie” (Eyes)

•Nigel will still going to the GKND at the end of the AU but the outcome will be different. •Grandfather will die at the end of the AU

•Mitts (Mittens’s Host of the body she possessed), Monty (Numbuh 0), and Father (Benedict Uno) knew each other when they were young

•Kuki x Wally and Abby x Hoagie is still a thing

•Mittens (and Mitts) will both die in the end of the AU

•GKND will happen in the AU

•Yami isn’t dead

•Father will go to prison crimes like *Insert all the crimes that Father (From KND) did* •Via will slowly derail to madness and paranoia throughout the AU

•Via and Mittens (and Mitts) also knew each other in the past

•Persona will retire

•Malice x Techne will happen no matter what (in Malice’s fantasies)

•The delightful children have a happy ending

•Gomorga will have a ton of reality bombs that will be dropped on her (Girl will have her trauma phase)

•Techne is a better jokester that Hoagie

•Techne made a rainbow monkey weapon that can spread joy and explodes with rainbows with the rainbow monkey theme playing (Kuki wants one)

•The Steve will appear in the AU

•Some blood will be spilled

•Tommy is still somewhat friends will Lee and Sonya

•Lizzie will get a Character Arc

• Cree and Maurice relationship will grow stronger

•Snowflake and Father are divorced (and will never go back together (well sometimes))

•Gomorga is one of the few people who likes Nurse Jumbo

•Hollnator (Holly Jolly x Toiletnator) will happen but it will take a while

•Malice will lose her powers in the mid way point of the AU timeline

• Harvey exist

•Gomorga, Techne, Holly, Snowflake will remain in the town that KND takes place in (Some fans is Cleveland, but IDK if it’s sure or not) in the end of the AU

•Cuppa Joe will return

• Potty Mouth will appear more because of his love/hate relationship with Genny and him just being a dick to others

•The Negative Verisons of Gomorga, Techne, and Snowflake are psychopathic criminals (Negative Holly is the goodness out of all four)

•The Town (or City) that KND takes place in have some weird lore and secrets

•Snowflake’s Father will die from a big rock that splat him to death

•Evil Adults Industry get into controversies

•Malice and Cree grows a friendship

•The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy other CN shows back in the early to late 2000’s will make cameos

•Franny is Lesbian

•Henrietta is Trans (Male to Female) (same for Ellis)

•Yami is kind of the most mentally unstable out of the four (Father, Malice, and Holly) that joined Mittens

•Bradley will still get hit by a car and get his upgrades in this AU

•Mr Boss will get a divorce from Mrs. Fullbright

•Gomorga and Techne is one of those slow burn friendships

• Mushi is still a menace

•Mimi lives in the same the woods that have been shown in “Operation: Hound”

•Snowflake surprisingly doesn’t like Christmas because it’s a reminder of their state right now

•Deirdre loves Christmas and the joy it brings

•People die when Mittens takes over the world

•Techne and Via’s dad and their many siblings have died

•Techne hates the sunlight

•Chad is a closeted homosexual

•Ellis, Persona, and Rasp are a dynamic trio (Too much energy, no energy, and calm vides)

•Gomorga and her Team are considered antiheroes because their associations with KND and Evil Adults Industries (oops)

•Malice will go to the arctic prison after her powers were gone

•Knightbrace and Toiletnator will be enemies to besties

• No matter what, with all the violence and death, all the insane stuff, and all the weird headcanons, in the end of the AU timeskip (so far) everything will end surprisingly happily.

[shadowredfeline]

Four in One Post

For Buggy and Huggy in Gundam Mech attire.

Looks really cool. I bet Buggy sure is practicing his aiming skills anytime he fights the war. And for Huggy, she's holding a kickity kickball, this game will make things easier for the game, especially if someone is going to play a soccer round in a mech suit. Kinda like using a vehicle in Rocket league.

For Bryan's On this Day Post

I remember seeing one of those Video Nows when I was a kid. And I even saw one at a Goodwill store once. Normally the original Video Now does it in Black and White, but with Video Now XP, they have it in Color. But normally I do not own a Video Now like Original and XP. But I do remember as a kid using a GBA Video cartridge which lets you watch shows on your GBA. My sister and I used one like we got two Video Cartridges. We have the Strawberry Shortcake one which only has 2 episodes from the first season like Meet Strawberry Shortcake and Springtime in Strawberry Land. And we got a Cartoon Network collection Volume One which only has 4 episodes from each Cartoon, like Dexter's Lab: Dexter's Rival, Ed Edd n Eddy: Oath to an Ed, Billy and Mandy in Billy and the Bully, and a Johnny Bravo episode which I forgot the name of the episode, it's where Johnny goes to the beach and gets in love with a woman until he gets connected to a Shark and starts surfing to win the girl until the girl got back with the men he broke up with. And Johnny is now connected with the Shark which that episode is kinda silly. But Game Boy Advance Video brought me so many memories. Even though the sound quality is a little blurry but I can still listen to the sound fine.

For my P-Pal's on this Day Post

I remember her. Back when I used to watch Happy Tree Friends, I saw Lumpy looking at a poster where it shows a contest of New Characters that are gonna be in the videos. And Lammy won so they got her with Mr. Pickles. But I wasn't a fan of the Pickle because he acts out of control murdering someone for no reason. That's why they made the episode called Bit of a Pickle.

And finally a Response to my P-Pal

Yeah I thought these Pizza Parlors were really good. Especially Peter Piper's. And I like your choice that you would like Bacon as toppings because I like Bacon on my pizza as well as for Ham and Sausages and pepperoni on my Pizza. It's just that I'm a big meat person when it comes to having pizza. And I bet it would be nice if we could split the halves of the pizza. Saying I get four and you get four. Otherwise we can have our OCs learn a little bit of fractions and even if Maxwell wants Pizza as well.

[starlitfunkster]

I made a Tier List that kept nearly crashing my browser.

Yes, you too can rank these characters. Read More basically tells you who's who. https://tiermaker.com/create/lrgs-ocs-15769502?presentationMode=true

Best OC's Made - Blue Belle, Copy, Dusk, Ghost Pepper, Gigi, Lost.FLA, Maize, Mr. Wobbles, Naxan, Sonic.WAV, Sora, Sylvia

Awesome OC's - Adne, Angi, Aria Apple, Baritone, Barren-Cuda, Bat Aries Not Included, Cherisy, Calmati, Chai Honey Cookie, Chai Teacup, Cherry Soda, Chili Oil, Cilantro, Cotton Candy, ???, Dark Mochi, Dhalia, Doughnut, Eclipse, Fuchsia Robot, Gelatin, Glasseon, Golden, Hypno, Ja-Ringer, Jessica, Juno, Konpeito, Laffy Laffington, Lava Cake, Lillie, Locke, Luna, Maxwell Ink, Melon Dragon, Milk Choco, Milo, Moonshine Cookie, Myra, Nori Umi, Orange Juice, Patches, PegaSoar, Pluggy, Powder Sugar, Princess Flora, Pudding, Quartz, Robot Boy X, Ruby, Seabon, Seave, Sir Adne, Soda Toppin Monster, Strum, Sugar, Sylvia.EXE, Syrus, Tapi-Bot, Tapi, The Dragon, The Frond, Tula, Twisty Teacup, Veradae, Yureibon

Okay OC's - Acrylia, Agent Angel, Amelia, Amelio/Art Man, Archer, Ari???? Cookie, Aria the Imp, Armstrong Dasher, Citrus Bum, Cleric, Celeste, Chick, Choco Chip, Crystal, Diamond/Cranberry, Dynasparky, Erasi, Fairessa, Flying Fennec Fox, Gumdrop, Hydro Bomber, Ice, Ink!Amy (Gluttonous Ink), Ink!Amy, Jelly Imp, Juniper, King Cobra, Lantern Woman, Lectrona, Mandy and Xero, Marshmallow, Masker Ray, Max Wickerson, Mechan, Melani, Mockerae, Mystic, Parka, Piko, Pop, Prince Foof III, Princess.EXE, Prose Bomber, Reina, Ruby Pomella, Salmon, Sammy, Sandstorm, Sine, Soy Sauce, Sparky, Starla.EXE, Starla, Stitches, Ronin, Sugarsnap, Talkie-Walkie, Tangerine, Tapioca Pearl, The Static, Topia, Valiance Man

Minor Redesigns - Ann (Eddsworld), Aria (Toontown), Berry, BonBon, Brione, Cado Saus, Catrina Cat, Cherrybon, Citrus C. Acetate (already did), Curry, Ebi Ura, Gladseed, Ika Ura, Mud Pie (already did), Muggy, Nightshade, Sister Bomber, Susumu.MP3, Teriyaki

Major Redesigns - Blueberry Tart, Parakeet, Sweet Hart

[ambersky0319]

OC List & Links

Gonna be putting this on my main blog, that way if anything changes on my sideblogs this at least will always have the same link ^^

Note that the majority of these OCs are (or will be) listed on my toyhouse as well. That's where you'll be able to find any content ever created related to them if you don't wanna parse through my blog (currently just art, will eventually include stories and such) ^^

Cinomed Chronicles

Evanna | She/Her || Toyhouse

Erin | He/Him

Azzy | She/They

Dolan | He/Him

Nezu | They/Them

Briar | He/Him

Gideon | He/Him

Lyra | She/Her

Fera | She/Her

Dani | He/Him || Toyhouse

Taylor | She/Her || Toyhouse

Jeremiah | He/Him || Toyhouse

Marie | She/Her

Leona | She/Her

Max | Any prounouns

Jayden | He/They

Ollie | She/Her

Kord | He/Him

Chloe | She/Her

Neva | She/Her

Aki | He/Him

Rikki | He/Him

Serranidae | She/Her

Not of This World

Valerie | She/Her and Ze/Zir/Zirs/Zirself

Akehma | It/Its/Itself and Hey/Hem/Heir

Aryn | They/Them and Voi/Void/Voids/Voidself

Jasper | Xe/Xem/Xemself

Myrin | Nix/Nixt/Nixts/Nixtself

Jessantha | She/He/They

Gale | She/He/They

Phoenix | Any pronouns, often uses He/Him and It/Its/Itself

Opal | She/Her

Sylvia | She/Her

Asonze | He/Him

Xena | She/They

At Long Last

Liam | He/They

Marco | He/Him

Walter | Any pronouns

Vianna | She/They

Tilly | Xe/Xem

Mandi | She/Her

"Alatar" | He/Him

Alatar | No pronouns

The Prince's Guard

Arabella Ardule | She/Her

Brooke Lucan | She/Her

Magnus Clyde | He/Him

Fandom

Stardew Valley

Kali Delmuth | She/Her

Aster Oloren | They/Them

Sour Patch | Any Pronouns

The Arcana

Adahli | She/They

Wings of Fire

Ambersky | She/They

Makani | She/Her

Sunspot | He/Him

Flake | She/Her

Zinnia | She/Her

Fruity | No pronouns

Stormcloud | He/They/It

Mumbles | He/Him || Toyhouse

Chewy | She/Her

Azar | He/They

[ms-demeanor]

I switched my major from Journalism to literature in 2009 partially because even then it was very clear that this was the direction that news was heading.

The trib, the register, and the star-news have the exact same website. That's because they're owned by the same company. The register has a pretty clear right slant, the star-news and trib are somewhat more centered. The current top story on the star-news site is that Mandy Moore refurbished her midcentury home.

If you want local news, the free option is often going to be the news site of your local broadcast channel, if you're lucky enough to live in an area where you *have* a local broadcast channel. Reading the local news channel's website will often get you more information than what's on the actual television feed, but a lot of it will be view-generating dreck, because a huge amount of news these days is view-generating dreck.

I do not, personally, have trouble pirating access to the LA times, but it takes significant effort to read it if you don't want to or can't afford to pay two hundred dollars a year after your first year half off.

I have worked professionally as a (print) journalist. I have seen my friends who worked professionally as (print) journalists fall out of the industry as they were treated like content-spewing machines because the more articles got posted the more clicks could be justified. I have a very dear friend who used to work for the Register, actually, who was trying to do good reporting and what he was getting was twenty dollars per article to review OC bars (he had to buy his own drinks, so really more like $10 an article, max) until he said "fuck all that" and went into film production. Actually my beloved journalism professor (seriously that guy fucking rules) used to work for the Register when I was in his classes in the early 2000s, at which point they wanted five articles a week and two blog posts a day from their staff writers. You can't write five good articles and fourteen good blog posts a week. You're going to churn out garbage 300 words at a time.

I promise this is not a complaint that exists because I'm incapable of finding good news sources; this is a complaint that exists because all the accessible (free) news sources are kind of shit, and all the "good" (paid) news sources are also kind of shit (I know I spent a while breaking down a couple of LA Times stories with shit reporting about police shootings a couple years ago).

The diehard industry idealists all quit or got fired because you know going in that you're going to have to eat shit for a few years before you get to do good work, but at some point a lot of people realized that there wasn't going to be an end to the shit-eating.

Also, hey hey, guess what's featured in the LA times lifestyle section today:

And in addition to linking somewhat indriectly to the EWG's affiliate page, they link to someone else's affiliate page:

The article takes ten times as long to come to a worse conclusion that pushes you harder toward buying a filter:

So, as I said at the beginning: It's genuinely difficult to be a news consumer these days and I hate everything.

It's genuinely difficult to be a news consumer these days and I hate everything.

[thesefloorsaretalkative]

I've been working my way through the Yevgeny tag, soaking up every iteration of Mickey being a dad but this one absolutely knocked me out.

I'd say it's primarily a Mickey story, then it's a Mickey & Yev story, then it's a gallavich story, then it's an it takes a village story. It's 276k in 14 parts, mostly from Mickey's pov starting with him getting out of prison, moving back in with Svetlana, learning how to be a dad, and then just years of him building up a life.

I'd say general warning for all the unspeakably awful shit canon threw at these characters, discussed in sometimes painful detail and worked out through the lens of therapy.

[scrapnick]

Plants blooming are TECHNICALLY their version of a mating call so Elwood in bloom would be easily ... frustrated.

It’s because she’s in heat.

[klonoadreams]

...oh god I remember the Unovan one and the chaos that resulted from us talking about it please spread the word of the poor SIOC, the one who suffers from irrational hatred from Pokémon, except for a random Sigilyph, including their starter Sewaddle, and who has N convinced that if there is anyone that shouldn't he around Pokémon it's them for their own personal safety.

gjrjugilf

okay, so let's get this straight, because this poor, poor bitch was created due to the many nuzlockes set in the Unova region that I watched on YouTube while I was suffering from a sinus infection in May.

gist of it is

Tumblr has unleashed me from the confines of the previous image limit.

Anyways, Professor Juniper found this poor bastard in the Pinwheel Forest while doing fieldwork. Girl was going through it, suffering from a severe Venipede poisoning...which Juniper thinks induced memory loss.

That's the explanation they're going with until the "memory loss" overstays its welcome, in which everyone (including the Nurse Joy that looked over this kid) assumes they're a runaway, since she had no Pokemon on her and they can't really find anything on her. (basically, everyone just goes hush hush for her own safety - JUST IN CASE)

Goes by Sawyer, because Monster Camp's fuckubus, Sawyer, is VERY gender.

the REAL backstory is that original Sawyer (real name currently unknown) was raised within Team Plasma.

Think Whitley/Whi-two from Pokemon Adventures.

of course, SI OC Sawyer doesn't know about that, because she literally JUST woke up in a way. And to go further into it, she actually DID reincarnate, just she was dormant until the Venipede poisoning brought her back in. So for a good long while, she ALWAYS felt something was off while growing up in Team Plasma, and as a result, always ended up getting punished for it.

Eventually, she saw an opening and took it, but oop - Pinwheel Forest has Venipede AND...WELL...she was certainly there for a while before Juniper found her.

So Sawyer's starter is a Sewaddle that FUCKING hates her. The only reason Sewaddle sticks around is because it's free food and transportation (especially once she evolves). Too add to Sawyer's situation, Sewaddle often ruins her clothes AND absolutely fucking HATES going into the Poke Ball. So Sawyer has to carry her around.

I call this "sawyer and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad trainer experience"

Featuring a Sigilyph that often stares down at her but has never once harmed her, and a Golurk that is one BUENOS DIAS MANDY away from breaking Sawyer's bones.

For the time being, Sawyer has this "aura" to her that makes a good majority of Pokemon hostile towards her - even the Nurse Joy's Audino/Chansey/whatever fucking HISSES at her. It wears off with time, and it's effectively a side effect to the SI OC's awakening creating a dissonance within the body. So until that happens, IT'S ON SIGHT.

(created using this picrew)

Sawyer post Juniper encounter, after she's been cleaned up. gets hurt often and has a current boyish appearance since she effectively got clothes from Touya (I refuse to use Hilbert - he will always be Black or Touya to me).

N often runs into her and accidentally saves her from hostile Pokemon encounter. Touya is effectively the MC, but he's just doing his own thing, so Sawyer kinda shifts into MC status without meaning to.

All because N grows genuinely concerned for her wellbeing after too many hostile Pokemon encounters. And despite the fact that her Sewaddle is on sight, it EVENTUALLY does evolve into a Leavanny.

"Why do you stay, even though they hurt you?"

"Honestly? I don't know... I just...can't think of a day without them in my life."

Calling this fic, With Friends Like These. :V

[cannibalcreepers]

2022 around the corner and some old ocs need to be re-designed/furbished

Looking at you Crowley.

My evil scientist man

Crowley is a world renowned evil scientist who doesn't particularly care about anything other than his splice/frankenstein-like work where he breaks down and puts back together human, animal or fantasy creatures into one new creature.

Garbis is also an Evil Scientist with his partner in crime Jericho.

As for Milly! She is Crowley's little evil apprentice that he begrudgingly accepted 😌

Also need to re-fix Mandy, his first major splice experiment UwU

[ms-rampage]

New Dawn: New Horizons Chapter 2 - An Archangel’s Daughter

Warnings: Language

Word count: 2.6k

Summary: Gabriel confronts Lucifer to protect Daenerys from him. Cristina tells her parents about her encounter with Lucifer. 

Guest OCs: Thomas Winchester-Smith (FC: Colin Ford), Jeffrey Winchester-Smith (FC: Dylan Everett)

Guest characters: Carmina Rye, Gabriel [Supernatural], Lucifer [Supernatural]. Sam and Dean Winchester [mentioned]

Written by @athenalillystar and myself. Supernatural & Far Cry New Dawn crossover. Hope y'all enjoy! 💗💗

Taglist: @wargames94 @rabbitsoldier @mrsladydiana @vicki-the-sinner

The Winchester kids, and Carmina Rye sitting at Roughneck’s Crag. Laughing, having a great time, and enjoying the Montana night around the bonfire. 

Not far from them, Lucifer appears, tracking down Daenerys. Just to see how special this human child is to his brother. He walks through the tall grass, the lights from the hut lightning up the dark mountain, wooded area with dead trees, dirt roads and the loud rock music playing.

Lucifer sees the kids, figuring out which one of them is Daenerys. Clearly it’s not either of the two boys, it's not the tall brunette with the blue streaks because he met, and spoke to her hours earlier. 

So it’s either pink, purple hair (Daenerys), glasses (Bianca), or beanie (Carmina).

He listens in on their conversations from 25 feet away, hiding in the darkness. Underneath the water tower. So far he’s able to get their names.

Jeffrey, Thomas, Bianca, Carmina and Daenerys, but still doesn’t know who is who. The small pink, purple haired girl steps away from the others.

“Dae, where you going?!” Cristina asks.

“I’m getting a drink!!” she responds. 

“Get me one too!” the elder sibling responds. 

“So you’re the one who’s holding my brother back” Lucifer says to himself. 

He follows her, while remaining hidden. “Who would’ve known the small pink, purple haired one would be “fathered” by my brother” he tells himself, “It makes sense. She looks like a unicorn threw up on her hair, she looks like she eats a lot of candy, sugar, and yet has a petite figure”. 

He watches her go through the cupboards inside the hut. He’s about to approach her, when the sound of wings fluttering stops him.

“What are you doing here?!?” an angry whisper asks. He turns around, and sees a furious Gabriel with his arms crossed.

Lucifer smirks, “I see you’ve been working on your dad face. Keep it up, it looks good” giving him a thumbs up.

His arms still crossed, and still angry, “What are you doing here?!?” he asks again.

“I just wanted to see what was so special about “wittle” Daenerys” he says mockingly.

“Get out of here!” he demands him.

He scoffs, and crosses his arms “No, and if I don’t, what are you gonna do about it?!. With very little powers you have”.

He takes a few steps closer to him. “I’m not gonna need much to take you down Lucifer” Gabriel threatens him. He gives him a mocking look, and chuckles. 

“Really? Because I can kill you right now, and little Dany won’t know what happened to her “father”. Does she even know you’re an Archangel?!. Well half Archangel, but more on the human side”.

Not wanting to give his brother the satisfaction on telling him the truth. He continues to stare at him, not saying a word. His lack of response makes Lucifer’s mouth drop open in a dramatic fashion.

His hand covering his mouth, “Oh my dad, she doesn’t know you’re, or were, an Archangel!?!”.

Gabriel looks away for a moment, and back at Lucifer, shaking his head “No. No she doesn’t know, and I don’t want her to know. She doesn’t know I’m not her real father, and Kate wants it that way”.

Lucifer clenches his teeth, squinting his eyes and says mockingly, “It’s never a good thing to lie to your child. Well she’s not your child, so I guess it's okay to lie to her”.

He stares at him once more, telling his older brother in frustration “Lucifer, just leave. I have enough on my plate already”.

He immediately responds back, “And what is that Gabe?!. Not having your powers?. Dad not answering your calls?. Being a human?. It sucks doesn’t it?!?”.

He raises his hand, snapping his fingers, freezing time, and approaches the group of kids. Standing behind Daenerys.

“Lucifer!” Gabriel mutters angrily, marching towards him “Lucifer, get away from them!!”.

He glares at Daenerys in disgust, “What is so special about this small human?!?. I mean this color. It's so bleh” he gags in disgust.

“Lucifer, stay away from them!” he threatens him again.

“But this one!” he points to Cristina, “This one, I like. I spoke to her earlier”.

Gabriel looks at him in confusion, “You spoke to Cristina?!?”.

He nods his head, “Yep. We had a nice little chat. About how dad farted on humanity, tried to wipe them all out. How he spoke to Joseph Seed about the Collapse, and how he played him”.

“She knows you’re!?!” he asks, motioning his hand up, and down “Lucifer?!”.

“Yeah, she freaked out!. I don’t think mommy Paige told her about, our kind” he whispers the last few words.

He follows up, “Which makes sense because your pink headed daughter doesn’t know you’re an Archangel, and pretty much lied to her, her whole life. How old is she? 12? 14? 15?”. 

“She’s 16” he mutters, rolling his eyes. 

“16!” he says “ethusasically”, placing his hands on his cheeks, “Wow, she should be in high school. Talking about boys, getting her nails done, or something like that. I don’t know”.

Still fed up with his brother's antics and already annoyed that he decided to show himself to his human niece, and is threatening his daughter. 

“What are you trying to do here?!?” he asks, irritated with his brother's antics. 

“Seriously. What is so special about her?” he motions to Daenerys, “What’s so special about Kate Winchester, or the Winchesters in general?!?”, trying to somehow convince his brother.

Gabriel groans in annoyance, rolling his eyes, “Okay, fine. When I cast out of Heaven, and landed here, the only humans I knew were the Winchesters. I didn’t know Kate, and Paige were pregnant. With very little strength, and powers I had, I went to them and their family. I knew they would take me in. Yeah they didn’t really trust me at first, but then I explained to them what was happening in the world. They believed me. Now with Dany, when Kate was pregnant I took care of her, and she gave birth, I took care of the baby. I helped Kate raise her, and that's why she's so important to me. I watched her grow up, and she saw me as her father.”

Lucifer acts touched to what his little brother had said. He says, pretending to be tearful. 

“That was just so touching” he wipes a fake tear from his eye. “I can feel my heart growing with happiness”. 

Gabriel knows he’s faking it. It’s his thing.

“Yeah sure. You really think I’m gonna believe that crap” he tells him.

Gabriel looks at his temporarily frozen daughter, “Believe me or not, I don’t care. Whether she came from me or not. She’s still my daughter. I helped raise her, and if I have to protect her from you, or any other bag of dicks, I will. My lack of powers won’t stop me from protecting her”.

Lucifer shrugs, lifting his arms up, “Have it your way, but also remember I’m still not done with you”.

He snaps his fingers, disappearing, and unfreezing time. Gabriel quickly teleports back to the compound. 

Daenerys looks in the direction where her dad was standing. Thinking she saw him, just merely seconds ago.

“You okay Dae?” Bianca asks her. 

She looks around confused, “Yeah, I thought I saw my dad. That was weird” she laughs it off. 

They all stay there for another 15 minutes before getting up, heading back to their car, and going home.

***

Back at the compound Gabriel walks through the front door, and a worried Kate approaches him.

“Gabe!! Where have you been?!?” she asks, now relievedly.

He stammers a bit, “I-I uh”. He lets out a sharp exhale, and tells her the truth, “When I went out earlier to contact my dad, Lucifer”.

“Lucifer?!?!” Kate exclaims. It catches Paige, Kenneth, Adrian, Mandy, Mark and Nate's attention, making all of them turn around.

“What about Lucifer?!?” Paige asks from the kitchen.

He continues “Lucifer appeared to me, and he wanted me to go with him”.

“Go with him? Where?” Kate asks.

“He didn’t say. He saw you Kate in one of the windows, and he was like “You live with the Losechesters now?!” and I told him that I am. I told him that I couldn’t go with him because of her”.

“Daenerys?!” she whispers.

Nodding his head, “Yeah, he went to where they were at tonight, and I was able to confront him before she could see him”.

“Oh no, no, no” Kate mutters, shaking her head. 

The others, Cody, Martin, Barbara and everyone else hear the commotion and enter the living room. 

“He didn’t say anything to her, or he didn’t do anything to them?!?” she asks, about to start panicking. 

“No, no he didn’t do anything to them, or to her. But he did mention that he. Talked to Cristina earlier” he hesitates on the last part.

“What?!?!” Paige shouts, getting up from her seat “What did that asshole say to her?!?”.

“He knew she was your kid, and he also wanted to know why Daenerys is so special to me. I told him why, but he didn’t believe me. Which is typical of him".

Exhaling in frustration, “I can’t believe him. I can’t believe he would show himself to her, and all those years. I tried shielding our kids from that life and all that demon crap”.

“Well it doesn’t really help when we have an actual Archangel living with us” Mark informs Paige.

“I know, I know, but none of the kids know he’s an Archangel” she tells them, stress in hervoice.

Gabe sighs “That’s another thing Lucifer mentioned”. 

“What?!” Kate asks.

“He asked if Daenerys knew I’m an Archangel, and I told him “that I don’t want her to ever find out about it", and he tried to make me feel guilty for lying to her”.

They all stare at him, he continues “He also asked if she knows that I’m not her real dad”.

Kate looks at the floor in anger, her hands trembling, “I can’t believe him. I expected this from him, but him putting our daughter into it, that's crossing a major fucking line”.

They see headlights, a car pulling into the property, they all turn back and see the kids. 

“Okay, let's not say anything to them until we get all of this figured out” Paige tells them. 

They all agree, and go do their own thing. The kids enter the house, still talking and laughing.

Gabriel, who is still worried about his brother doing harm to Daenerys, stays quiet about the whole thing until he can figure out a way to get rid of him. Or somehow keep his ass quiet, and prevent him from showing himself to her, and the other kids.

****

Later that night, Cristina is unable to sleep, or prevent her mind from wandering because of Lucifer. She gets up out of bed, goes to her parents room. 

Paige and Kenneth look up at her.

“What’s wrong Cri?” Kenneth asks.

A look of worry and confusion on her face, “There’s something I need to tell you both” she says to them. 

“What is it?” Paige asks, already knowing what this is about. 

She sits at the edge of their bed, “Earlier today when Daenerys, Bianca and I went to scavenge for supplies. When I was alone in one of the houses looking for supplies. A man appeared, and he said his name was Lucifer”.

Paige and Kenneth look at each other, “What did he look like?!” she asks.

“He was tall, had blond hair, blue eyes. Had some facial hair. He was wearing a mustard color, beige jacket, white t-shirt, and dark blue jeans” she explains every detail of him, from what she can remember of the encounter.

Paige sighs, looks down at the floor. “That was indeed Lucifer.”

“He said he knew you, and aunt Kate” Cristina tells them. 

Paige nods her head, “Yeah, we have a long history with him. Kate killed Lilith all those years ago, and Kate happens to be Lilith’s true vessel. We thought killing her, for the 2nd time, would prevent Lucifer from rising, and getting out of his cage but it did the exact opposite. It freed Lucifer from his cage. She had me killed, and I died. I spent 20 years in Hell, which is 2 months Earth time. I was raised from perdition by the Archangel Michael. In total I’ve died 7 times”. 

Cristina looks at her mother with wide eyes and disbelief. Completely speechless. She looks over at her father Kenneth, and he nods his head. This better be all a dream. This can’t be real!.

“What? How? When? What?!!” she stammers, “Who else knows about this?!?”.

“I do, your grandmother, and your aunt” Kenneth answers, “No one else can know about this. Not your siblings, not Daenerys, not a soul can know about this sort of thing.”

Paige explains to her eldest, “I was 4 years old when my dad died. He died in a house fire that was started by a demon named Azazel. Your grandmother, aunt and I travel a lot, hunting down the demon that killed my father, and ruined our family. It’s a very long story, just to give you the short version. I never wanted you, and your siblings to live the life Kate and I lived growing up”. 

“We wanted a normal life for you guys” Kate jumps in, leaning against the doorframe, “I agree, no one else can know about this, and the man you saw today. Lucifer, the real Lucifer”.

“Okay so what about Sam and Dean Winchester?!?” she asks, "Who are they??".

Kate and Paige look at each other and nod their heads.

“They’re family. Were family. They were our 1st cousins, their dad John, and our dad Joel were cousins. Their dads Henry and Alfred were brothers” Paige tells her, holding back tears, "Your brothers are named after them. They were the best hunters we have ever known. They were very brave. They've saved the world so many times, and we've never forgotten about them. We always think about them." 

“We come from a long line of hunters. Not your typical hunters, but we hunted monsters. Ghosts, vampires, werewolves, demons, all that shit” Kate tells her. 

“I need to go lie down” Cristina says, getting up from the bed, going to her room. Feeling lightheaded.

“Don’t tell anyone. Please, we don't want anyone to freak out, or panic. So just don’t tell anyone” Paige pleads her. 

“Okay” Cristina mutters, nodding her head. Walking towards her bedroom. 

Going to her room, laying down on her bed, and trying to go to sleep. Only to wake up minutes later to the sound of rustling in the corner of her room. She sits up, turning on her light. Nothing. She lays back down, closing her eyes.

The rustling returns but she ignores it, turning on to her side, facing the wall. She hears very faint humming, thinking it's just her imagination. She ignores it. It grows slightly louder, and kind of obnoxious. 

She sits up, and turns on her light again. She sees the same man from that afternoon. Lucifer.

“Hello!” he greets with that same calm voice, and a slight smirk on his face.

She’s about to scream, but he covers her mouth immediately. Muffling her screams.

“Why do you humans always act this way to surprising visitors?!?!” he asks annoyed, shaking his head.  

[dreamy-selfships]

Hi, this is the place where I scream about my unhinged attraction to fictional characters and post art of me and them. ✌️ Stick around if you enjoy that and shenanigans.

F/O List under the cut!

💘 Romantic F/O List:

💜 = IRL boyfriend/husband (Main f/o)

Angel Dust (Hazbin Hotel) 🕸️ 💜

Stolas (Helluva Boss) 🪶 💜

Alastor (Hazbin Hotel) 🎙️💜

Adam (Hazbin Hotel) 🎸 💜

Lucifer (Hazbin Hotel) 🍎 💜

Blitzø (Helluva Boss) 💥 💜

Peter Dunbar (Your Boyfriend visual novel) 🌹💜

Cicero (TES V: Skyrim) ⚔️ 💜

Cecil (OC) 💘

Fizzarolli (Helluva Boss) 🎪

The Daycare Attendant (FNAF: Security Breach) ☀️🌙

David (Camp Camp) 🌲

Daniel (Camp Camp) 🎻

Mr. Simmons (Hey Arnold) ✏️

Sonic the Hedgehog (SEGA) 🌭

Shadow the Hedgehog (SEGA) 💎

Wally Darling (Welcome Home) 🎨

Fantoccio (Billie Bust Up) 🪄

Zuko (Avatar: TLA) 🔥

Jerry Smith (Rick and Morty) ❤️‍🩹

Dave Miller/William Afton (FNAF Graphic Novels) 🔪

Sunny Skies (My Little Pony: Rainbow Roadtrip) 🌞

Elliott (Stardew Valley) 🖋️

Shane (Stardew Valley) 🐔

Scarecrow (Oz No Mahoutsukai) 🌽

Jevil (Deltarune) 🃏

Tack the Cobbler (The Princess and the Cobbler) 📌

Candyman (Lethal League) 🍬

Jack (The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy) 🎃

Gustafa (Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life) 🌼

Arthur Fleck (Joker) 🤡

Beetlejuice (Beetlejuice movie) 🐍

Pennywise (IT) 🎈

Krusty the Clown (The Simpsons) 🚬

Judgement Boy (Gregory Horror Show) ⚖️

Major Bedhead (The Big Comfy Couch) 💌

Dimentio (Super Paper Mario) 🎭

Sans (Undertale) 💙

Loki (MCU)

Black Hat (Villainous) 🎩

The Warden (Superjail) 🌈

Dan (Dan Vs.) 📝

🩷 IRL Crushes:

Vinny (Vinesauce)

Joel (Vinesauce)

Markiplier

Brandon Rogers

Familial F/Os

Iroh (ATLA) 🐉

Toriel (Undertale) 🥧

Asgore (Undertale) 🍵

Asriel (Undertale) 🌻

Brandy Heeler (Bluey)

Bandit Heeler (Bluey)

Platonic/Sibling/Besties F/Os

Miles "Tails" Power (Sonic) 🔧

Knuckles the Echidna (Sonic) 🍇

Cosmo the Seedrian (Sonic X) 🌱

Papyrus (Undertale) 🍝

Bluey Heeler (Bluey) 🖍️

Bingo Heeler (Bluey) 🪐

[ao3feed-gallavich]

OC's

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3BRAAuy

by Handsome_Bitch

OC's for the fanfic Unconventional Soulmates.

Words: 25, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 1 of Unconventional Soulmates

Fandoms: Shameless (US)

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage

Categories: F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi

Characters: The Gallaghers (Shameless US), The Milkoviches (Shameless US), Original Male Character(s), Original Female Character(s), Jimmy Lishman, Kev Ball, Veronica Fisher, Amy & Gemma Fisher-Ball, Ethel (Shameless US), Jonah (Shameless US), Malik (Shameless US)

Relationships: Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich/Original Male Character(s), Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich, Ian Gallagher/Original Male Character(s), Mickey Milkovich/Original Male Character(s), Fiona Gallagher/Jimmy Lishman, Debbie Gallagher/Sandy Milkovich, Lip Gallagher/Mandy Milkovich, Carl Gallagher/Original Female Character(s), Frank Gallagher/Monica Gallagher, Mama Milkovich/Terry Milkovich, Kev Ball/Veronica Fisher, Ethel/Malik

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - High School, Slow Burn, Fluff, Angst, Eventual Smut, Bipolar Ian Gallagher, Depression, Insecurity, Underage Drinking, Underage Smoking

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3BRAAuy

[the-sweetest-dragon]

Things Can Only Get Better - Chapter One

Fandom: Teen Wolf

Pairing: Stiles Stilinksi x OC (Evangeline Monroe)

Word Count: 11k

Warnings: allusions to trauma, me explaining things, anxiety, an extremely slow burn

AN: Hi... I am alive, barely.  I honestly don’t know if anyone really wants this, but I’m posting it because @nerdsarebetter​ told me to <3.  This is purely self indulgent but I’m actually kinda proud of it so uh..... yeah.  Sorry this isn’t my IT fic but this has been making me really happy so you’re just gonna have to deal with it.  Oh, the dots symbolize a change in point of view, just so everyone is aware 

__________________________________________

“The wolves in the woods have sharp teeth and long claws, but it’s the wolf inside that will tear you apart.” -Jennifer Donnelly

Mom and I drove through many different states during our drive from Kansas to California.  We watched the sun set in New Mexico and the sun rise in Arizona.  None of them compared to Kansas, but we’d learn to deal. Mom and I paused to rest when we reached California, since we had been driving for what felt like forever.  

The move was necessary; we all needed a bit of a fresh start.  We were returning to Mom’s old home, Beacon Hills, where my aunt and cousin still lived.  Now, you may be wondering why we were living in Kansas when we could have been living in California the entire time.  My parents met at the University of Kansas; she was an art history major and he was a law student.  It was instant chemistry and after they were married, they just never saw a reason to leave Kansas.  Until Dad got this job offer and decided that we all needed a change of scenery. 

Was that partially my fault? Yeah, kinda.  Last winter was rough for all of us, and I knew it was one of the reasons Dad accepted this new position.  I also knew he wouldn’t ever insinuate that it was fully my fault, even though it definitely was.  Mom assured me that Dad wanted this job anyways, and I tried to believe her.  

We settled down for the night in a cheap motel just inside the California border.  I took the time to relax and update my cousin and Dad about our travels.  Dad sent me a picture of the new house, with him smiling in front of it.  I couldn’t help but smile; he looked so happy already.  Lydia, my cousin, gave me details about the high school that would be starting the day after we arrived.  She told me about her life, the classes and teachers we would have, how excited she was to see us.  

I knew having Lydia Martin as a cousin would help me find friends, but she was insistent that I would have to have a boyfriend.  Now, I wasn’t going to think too hard on that one, especially since I knew that with Lydia around, finding a boyfriend or even a guy that was interested in me would be practically impossible.  

Lydia looked a lot like me, in a lot of ways.  We shared the same red hair and our faces were very similar.  When we were little, people would confuse us for sisters when we would visit her and her parents.  The small differences between us weren’t necessarily in looks, but in our personalities.  Lydia had always been bossy and confident, and remained that way.  I have always been more of a classical bookworm; I would sit alone and read during recess, I never had many friends, and I wasn’t the prettiest.  Despite sharing similar faces, Lydia didn’t have to struggle with her weight.  I had… issues, that came to a head last winter.  

We started the drive back up again early this morning.  It was only another two hours in the car and then we were in Beacon Hills.  I watched in awe as the city sprawled out in front of us.  We drove down several streets, Mom exploring her old home that she would be able to share fully with her family.  Soon we were turning onto the street to our house.  

As we pull into the driveway for our new house, I can’t help but admire it.  Dad had found probably the prettiest house I could have ever imagined.  It’s painted a deep blue color, with ivy crawling up the sides.  The front porch held an old picnic table and a few boxes from Dad moving a few things in.  It’s pushed up against the woods, the tall trees embracing the back half of it.  

I pull myself from the leather seats and stretch before getting out of the car.  Mom smiles over at me before doing the same.  I can see her mind working on how to improve the house, where she can plant her garden and let it blossom.  Distracted by the house, I don’t hear another car pull up behind our own.

“Evie!”

At the sound of my name I quickly turn to find Lydia standing near the parked U-HAUL Dad drove up here a day before.  I let out an ungodly squeal and run towards her, catching her in a hug before she can tell me to stop.  She let out a soft sound of discomfort before I let her go.  

“Sorry,” I say with a smile.  “Wasn’t expecting you to be here already.”  I tuck a stray piece of hair behind my ear and readjust my glasses to sit more comfortably on my nose.  “Are you here to help me or…?” 

Lydia laughs softly and shakes her head, strawberry curls bouncing slightly at the movement.  The light caught her green eyes, making them sparkle like emeralds.  Not for the first time, I wish I had inherited green eyes instead of my father’s dark brown ones.  

“I’m here to tell you about my party that you’re the guest of honor this Friday.”  I let out a soft groan; parties were one of my least favorite activities.  “No, I will not hear any of that.  You are my cousin, you have to be introduced to the public in the grandest way possible.  I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning, ok?”  I nod, agreeing silently.  Arguing with Lydia was not something I wanted to do, ever.  She would win and it’s much easier to just agree with her.

Lydia left with a pat on my arm, leaving us to move in on our own.  She stopped to hug my parents before getting into her car and driving back to her own house, in a much more expensive part of town.  

Moving all my boxes into the house took longer than I originally expected.  By the time I had gotten everything into my new room it was dark outside.  Instead of unpacking, I decided to take a short walk into the woods, just to explore a little.  The air had turned chilly, so I grabbed a hoodie and changed into more comfortable shoes.  

“Don’t forget a flashlight!” Dad says before I head out into the dark.  He hands me one with a smile.  He was used to me sitting at the edge of the woods at our old house, reading a book against a tree.  

As I enter the dark of the woods, I can immediately sense something off.  The woods in Kansas never felt like this, never felt so… sinister, like something was watching me.  I shake the feeling off, knowing I only felt this way because it was new.  

I walk for maybe twenty minutes before I trip on a tree trunk.  I wince, hands and knees scraped and bloody from the fall.  I wipe the blood from my hands off on my jeans when I hear a howl in the distance.  I fix my glasses and tilt my head, making sure I heard it correctly before continuing.  The sounds of animals were familiar and not threatening, but it was still spooky.  I make it another few feet when I get the sense that something is following me.  I check over both shoulders and see nothing but the feeling doesn’t go away.  I turn back towards the house and quicken my step, refusing to run quite yet.  

The feeling continues and I’m so distracted by it that I trip again.  I land hard on my already cut knees, my flashlight disappearing into the brush.  Biting my lip so hard, I taste blood, but refusing to let out a sound of pain to alert whatever was following me that I was injured.  I fumble, trying to pick it back up when I feel something close around my ankle.  

Before I can scream, I’m being dragged backwards, farther into the woods.  I try to kick at whatever is holding me, when I feel wickedly sharp teeth latch into the fleshy part of my calf.  I scream, both in frustration and pain as I double my efforts to get free.  Nothing I do seems to make it let me go.  The pain becomes secondary to the panic that fills me.  What happens if I can’t get free?  Will anyone come to find me?  What will be left of me to find?  I feel immense anger take over me; I did not come all this way just to be taken out by some anonymous thing.  Letting the rage fuel me, I kick my attacker so hard that I hear a bark of pain and the teeth let go.  The moment I feel it release my leg I’m up and sprinting back to the house.  

I run until I can see the light of the house and I’m out of the woods.  I check over my shoulder to see if anything follows me but the only thing I see is darkness.  Collapsing on the front porch, the pain finally hits me.  The reek of my blood fills the air and the sight of my own blood leaking out of me makes me want to vomit.  I press a hand to my calf to check the damage, feeling the bite marks that it left there.  A sob escapes me and that's the moment Mom decides to open the door.

“Honey!  What’s wrong?  Where’d all this blood come from?  Are you hurt?” she questions in rapid fire succession.  Instead of answering, I break down in tears.  Mom pulls me inside where Dad is waiting with a first aid kit.  He calmly applies pressure to the bite mark, asking quiet questions about what happened.  I give a  quick version of the story, including my thought that it was a wolf that bit me.  Dad nods but Mom looks like she may argue with me.  Thankfully, she doesn’t.

Dad cleans out my various wounds with alcohol and I wince softly.  He apologizes and puts bandages on my hands and knees, then wraps my calf in gauze and tapes the edges with medical tape.  The wound still bled a little.

“Can you stand?” Dad asks gently.  I nod and he pulls me up carefully.  

“We should take her to the hospital Danny!  She could be seriously injured!” Mom exclaims, her panic evident in her voice.  Dad turns a level look at her, one hand resting on her shoulder.

“The marks aren’t deep enough for stitches, Mandy,” he says calmly.  “We cleaned them out really well, so there shouldn’t be any infection.  We’ll keep an eye on it, okay?”  Mom nods, wiping at a tear that had fallen.  Dad helps me up the stairs to my bedroom.  

After he deposits me into bed, Mom sits down beside me with a glass of water and a few painkillers.  She runs a hand over my uninjured leg and smiles at me.  

“I remember when I was little, your grandma always warned me to stay out of the woods.  She said bad things lingered there.”  She sighs, a frown forming on her face.  “I never understood the warning, but I do now.  Please, don’t go back into those woods.  I know you like to read in secluded spots but from now on, the woods are off limits, especially at night.  Do you understand Evie?”

“Yes, Mom.  I understand.”  She nods, a sigh coming from deep within her.  “I think it’s for the best anyways.  They kind of freak me out.  It’s nothing like the woods in Kansas.”  Mom laughs softly, shaking her head.

“You got that right kiddo.”  She sighs.  “Well, try to get some rest babe.  Lydia will be here bright and early I’m sure.”  

I nod and she gets up off my bed, walking to the door and leaving my room.  I drift off sometime around one in the morning, Persephone, my cat, curled up next to me.  I, surprisingly, have no dreams, not even with the horrific events of the night plaguing my waking thoughts.  

My alarm goes off at six and I groan before getting up.  My hands and knees still ache from my falls in the woods, but the bite had stopped bleeding sometime in the night.  I would have to get Dad to replace the bandages anyways, just to be safe.  I carefully remove the gauze from my calf, checking it out in the mirror before turning on the hot water.  The marks themselves weren’t big but they went deep into the muscle of my calf.  I take a quick shower and sit patiently on the toilet seat for Dad to rebandage my leg.  He does it without complaint, even giving me a smile before patting my thigh and returning to his own morning routine. 

I dress quickly, in an outfit I had planned on the drive here.  The loose fitting plain pants paired with a white button down, the shirt half tucked in and I unbutton a few buttons then roll up my sleeves past my elbows.  I put on a gold locket I got as a present from Nana before leaving Kansas and admire the way in glints in the light.  I finish the outfit off with a thick black belt before rushing to do my hair and makeup.  I keep my makeup light and pull my short hair into a half ponytail, letting my bangs fall slightly in my eyes before putting my glasses back on.  A honk from outside makes me rush to put in earrings and I grab my shoes and bag before rushing out the door to Lydia’s waiting car. I wince as I get into the car, my wounds still aching.  Lydia lets out a wolf whistle, admiring my outfit.  She’s dressed rather nicely too, though that is her default.  Dressing nicely gives her confidence, and Lydia has always had a great sense of style.  I smile, showing off my outfit for her, her expert eye noting all the little details and gives me a nod of approval.  

“Great first day outfit Evie.  It’s almost perfect.”  I laugh as I buckle my seat belt, leaning down to roll the cuffs of my pants a few times and slipping on my boots, accidentally flashing my bandage at her.  “Woah what happened to your leg?”

I retell my story to her, leaving out some of the scarier details to not freak her out as badly.  As I tell her, Lydia’s eyebrows retreat further and further into her hair, her eyes going wide at the mention of feeling like I was being stalked.  I show her the bandages on my hands as well, laughing about how clumsy I was right before I was bit.  

“That’s so weird.  We’ve never had animal attacks before,” she says.  After a pause, she continues.  “Well, just stay out of the woods, Evie, and we won’t have an issue.”  I laugh softly as she turns the ignition and we drive in comfortable silence to school.  Once there, she turns to me, her curls moving with her.  “So, I’ll introduce you to Jackson when we get inside.  I’m sure he’ll love you.”  She smiles, giving me confidence.  Having Lydia’s vote of confidence meant the world to me.  

“I’ll do my best to make a good impression.”  I shoot her a lopsided grin, my glasses perched precariously on my nose.  Lydia gently pushes them back up and boops my nose before getting out of the car, making me laugh.  I unbuckle my seat and grab my bag before doing the same.  

I follow her through the main doors of the school, ignoring two boys talking on the sidewalk.  One was taller than the other, with fluffy hair and an uneven jaw; I vaguely recognized him.  Maybe I had seen him on the street yesterday?  The other had a buzzcut and whiskey brown eyes.  They’re discussing some body the police found in the woods last night and I feel a surge of panic fill me.  My stomach turned sour and I’m suddenly glad I hadn’t eaten yet.  That body could have easily been me.  It had been found ripped in half, by an animal they thought.  Their conversation stops as we walk by.

“Hey Lydia!  You look… like you’re going to ignore me,” the buzzcut one says.  I turn and shoot him a soft smile in apology and hurry along with Lydia.  Poor boy is probably in love with her, like most boys are.  Jackson is a real lucky guy if Lydia chose him out of the millions of guys prancing around trying to impress her.  

The feeling of panic settles in my gut, and I suddenly remember that I hadn’t stopped to take my medication before leaving the house.  All eyes fall on us, making Lydia smile as she struts down the hallway to her locker, but I frown pausing slightly.  She definitely didn’t prepare me for this.  A boy quickly joins her side and I hurry to catch up, trying to forget about the panic lacing my body.  I check my bag for my antidepressants, but realize they aren’t there quickly.  I quietly curse, hoping no one heard me as I race to catch up to Lydia before the bell rings.  

I bounce on the balls on my feet, a smile flashing across my face at the boy, who I assume is Jackson.  His face is handsome but seems to be set in a permanent scowl.  He gives me a quick nod and turns back to Lydia.  They have a soft conversation right before the bell rings.  I wince, the sound too loud in my ears.  Lydia gives you a worried look before taking me to the principal's office for a tour.  

She leaves me with a smile and a promise to meet me at lunch.  I walk in and have a short conversation with the secretary, giving her the files from my old school that I had put in my bag, the one important thing I had remembered to take with me today.  The tour is short, mostly going through where my classes were going to be before she drops me off at my English class, where another new girl is being introduced.  

“Class, these are our new students Allison Argent and Evangeline Monroe. Please do your best to make them feel welcome.”  The other new girl is pretty, with dark curls and pretty dark eyes.  I shoot her a smile before heading towards one of the only open seats, coincidentally near the boys from earlier.  Allison does the same, sitting behind the one with fluffy hair.  I watch as he turns to hand her a pen, a grin plastered on his face.  The other one turns to look at me and I catch a whiff of his cologne, which is far too strong for a Wednesday morning.  

I gag slightly at the smell and he makes a face at me before turning his attention back to the teacher.  God, I had never had such a strong sense of smell before.  Maybe I’m coming down with something?  Trying to quell the panic before it sets in, I push my glasses back up onto my nose to distract me, and try to concentrate on the lesson and not the awful smell radiating from the boy next to me. 

He smelled of the woods and death on top of his strong cologne.  Now that I thought about it, so did the other boy.  He had the reek of blood lingering on him as well.  I’m so focused on the smell that I drop my pen.  As I reach for it, so does buzzcut and we hit our heads on each other.

“Ow,” he says rather loudly.  I mouth sorry and he hands me my pen, grimacing slightly.  

“Stiles, if you have something to share with the class, maybe you should stand up.”  The boy, Stiles, shakes his head and the teacher continues with his lesson.  I readjust my pony tail and continue to take notes quietly.

The next half of the day passes quickly and soon it’s lunch time.  I search for Lydia in the cafeteria and spot her sitting with Jackson, having a heated conversation about something.  I pause after getting my food and feel the ache in my leg start to lessen.  I smile to myself, happy that it’s started to hurt less.  Lydia spots me and waves me over to her table, where the other new girl, Allison, is also sitting.  I walk over quickly and sit down next to Lydia.  

“Evie, please help me convince Allison that she has to come to our party.”  I make eye contact with Allison, who shakes her head slightly, making me laugh slightly.  “She says she has a family thing but we all know that’s a load of bull.”  

“If she doesn’t want to come, that’s her business Lydia.”  I smile and extend my hand to Allison.  “I’m Evie by the way, Lydia’s cousin.  You just moved here right?”  She nods and the conversation flows easily after that.  We compare schedules and find out that we share three classes with each other in the afternoon: PE, chemistry, and math.  

Apparently, PE is used as an extra practice for the lacrosse team, which I won’t complain about.  I hate mandatory physical exertion.  However, as Lydia explains the game to Allison and I, I’m lost within five minutes and Allison seems just as confused as I am.  Lydia gives us all the details on the guys on the team, mostly in relation to which ones she thinks we should date.  She completely skips over 24 and 11, deeming them undateable by not mentioning them.  Allison and I share a look, already wondering who the two could be.  

“Who’s number eleven?” Allison asks.  I raise an eyebrow, turning to Lydia to hear her answer.  Lydia purses her lips, an unreadable expression on her face.  

“I’m not sure,” she says after a slight pause.  “A freshman maybe?”  I laugh softly, shaking my head.  It’s just like my cousin to not know the boys that don’t catch her eye.  We watch both boys take off their helmets to get a drink and their identities are revealed quickly.

“Oh, it’s those boys from English class,” I say with a flick of my hand.  Lydia laughs, Allison joining in soon after but quieter.  I lean forward, balancing my chin on my hand.  “They’re kinda cute, in a nerdy kind of way.”  Allison nods and Lydia’s face pulls into a frown.  

“Out of all the guys, you think they’re cute?  Them? Seriously?”  The confusion on her face makes me want to laugh, though I refrain from doing so.  “Evie, I can understand.  The boys at your old school were atrocious to look at, all weak jawlines and colorless eyes.  Not sure about you Allison, but you have to have better taste than that.  You’ve been all around, surely there’s better guys than those two?”  I shrug, turning my attention back to the boys running on the field.  

“It’s not just about looks Lydia, it's about personality.  I much prefer someone with a sense of humor over someone with perfect cheekbones,” Allison says with a smile.  I nod, agreeing.  I notice how she watches McCall and already I know she’s interested in him.

“Personally, I don’t really care about gender either.  If they have a good personality, what should it matter what they look like?” I say.  Lydia just shakes her head and turns her attention back to the field to watch Jackson practice.  I nudge Allison and lean in close to whisper in her ear.  “That got her to shut up, huh?”

Allison laughs and bumps me with her shoulder.  The rest of the period passes in relative silence.  At one point, I pull out a book and start reading, the pages fluttering in the slight breeze.  McCall apparently has improved immensely over the summer according to Coach.  However, every time the ball was caught a shiver ran up my spine at the sound.  It hurt my ears to hear, like nails on a chalkboard but not nearly as bad.  It got to the point that the sound was making my head throb in pain.  I rub my temple and dig through my bag until I find the bottle of ibuprofen I had stashed in there.  I take three and take a swig of water out of Lydia’s bottle.  I pat her leg before going inside at the sound of the bell.

“See you after school?”

She nods, dismissing me with a wave of her hand.  I grab my bag and hurry to my next class.  The rest of the day passes quickly and I meet Lydia back at her car.  Jackson and her are making out quite ferociously on her side of the car, making me roll my eyes.  I sigh and go to find another ride.  Maybe Allison could give me a ride.  

As I walk back towards the school, I get body slammed by some guy, sending me tumbling to the ground.  My books fly everywhere and the other person makes a loud sound of pain.  

“I am so sor- oh it’s you.”  The guy sighs, and overs a hand to help me up.  “You really need to learn to watch where you’re going.”  It’s the guy from English, Stiles I believe, that I had bonked heads with earlier.  He hauls me up to my feet and picks up my sprawled books while I dust myself off.  The cuts on my knees are screaming, but the pain is quick to fade after a few seconds.  

“Thanks,” I say with a smile, happy to reconcile.  I hold out a hand.  “I’m Evie, by the way.  Stiles, right?  I’m really sorry about earlier.”  The boy blinks in surprise, not used to female attention.  He takes my hand and shakes it.  I tuck a stray piece of hair behind my ear, taking my bag back from him.  Stiles looks over my shoulder, realizing without me saying anything why I was walking away from Lydia’s car.  “Would you mind giving me a lift home?  My ride’s kinda busy.”  He gets a funny grin on his face before nodding.

I follow him back to his car, an older Jeep that I instantly fall in love with. Jeeps have always been my favorite car, and I was saving up for one before… well, before last winter.  I can feel my face breaking trying to contain my smile.  Stiles raises an eyebrow and opens my door for me.  The inside of the Jeep is messy, as if he kind of lives in it.  

“So, Evie.  How’re you related to Lydia?” he asks as I climb into the car.  I throw my bag in the back and buckle my seat belt.  

“She’s my cousin, our mothers are sisters.  I just moved here from Kansas.”  Stiles frowns, as if Kansas is an insult to him personally.  He turns the ignition and we drive silently after I give him my address.  I wince only once, when we hit a pothole in the road that reminds me that my calf is not ok.  I lean down to check the bandage, but there’s no new blood.  Stiles looks over at me at that moment.

“What happened there?” he asks.

“Oh, I got bit by some animal last night in the woods,” I say with a wave of my hand, like it’s no big deal that I probably should have gotten a rabies shot.  He slams the brakes, shooting me forwards in my seat and hitting my head on his dash.  “Ow!”  I rub my forehead, with an indignant look on my face.  “What is your obsession with hurting me today?”  He turns towards me quickly, one arm flinging itself over the back of my seat.  

“You got bit in the woods last night?” he asks.

“Yes, what part of that did you not understand?”

“My friend Scott was bit last night too!  Why were you in the woods?  Did you hear about the body that was found?” he says in rapid fire.  “I wonder if it was the same animal… Can I see the bite?”  My eyebrows scrunch together in confusion but show him the wound only to discover that it has fully healed.  His eyes go wide and I hear him mutter, “oh fuck.”

“I - I don’t understand.  It was bloody this morning…”  Stiles looks panicked, and honestly I’m on the precipice of a panic attack myself.  “I promise!  I had to change the bandage this morning because it had bled through the first one.  I have no reason to lie to you.”

“I don’t understand then.  You don’t even have a scar.”  I sigh and lean my head onto the dash.  Could this day get any weirder?  Stiles sits up straighter in his seat, as if an idea came over him.  “Have you been having hearing and light sensitivity?  Scott said earlier that the lights were hurting his eyes and that he had heard someone’s phone call from outside.”  I nod, narrowing my eyes at him.  

“I’ve also had a sensitivity to certain smells.  Like earlier, you smelled awful.”  A hurt look crosses his face, and I try to quickly amend.  “You smell fine now, but earlier you reeked of death…” I pause.  “Maybe that was Scott.  I apologize for saying you smelled bad.”  He shakes his head, a small smile on his face.

“You’re forgiven.”  The smile falls when he realizes how close the symptoms were to each other.  To be honest, it was kind of freaking me out as well.  Before I know it, the Jeep is in motion again but the opposite way from my house.  

“Where are we going?”

“My house, we need to do some research.”  At the word research, a smile floods my face, despite the panic still racing through me.  I adore research.  Stiles turns to me, a frown on his face.  “We have to figure this out.  You and Scott could be in serious trouble if we don’t find out what the hell is going on.”

……………………………………………………………………………………..

We researched for hours, her chair pulled directly next to mine as we poured over any information on werewolves and the supernatural that we could find.  Every once in a while I would look over at her, still astounded by how much she looked like Lydia.  They could almost be twins, if you didn’t look too long at them.  Evie must have gotten her dad’s eyes because they were a deep brown, darker than even Scott’s eyes, while Lydia had green eyes that reminded me of spring grass.  

Everytime Evie scooted her chair closer to mine, I moved away slightly.  Not because I didn’t like her, but because she kind of scared me, and not in a fun way.  If she and Scott are what I think they are, they could be really dangerous.  As we collected evidence, the more worried Evie became.  I watched as her eyebrows scrunched together with every new piece of information.  

“So, if I am a werewolf, when’s the next full moon?” she asks suddenly.  I do a quick search and look back at her, finding that her eyes had gone wide, the pupil completely taking over the brown in her eyes.  The next full moon was this Friday, coincidentally the same night as Lydia’s party.  “Oh this is bad… this is very, very bad.”

“Why?  It won’t be that hard to just not go.”  She shakes her head, running her fingers through her already messed up hair.  It had come down from her small ponytail about an hour into our research.  

“The whole reason she’s even having a party is because of me.  It’s my introduction into Beacon Hills.”  Evie sighs, tugging on her hair once more, as if it was a nervous tick that she couldn’t control.  “She’ll be pissed if I don’t show up.”  She turns to me, worry shining in her eyes.  “I’m a pretty calm person.  Do you think I’d be ok?”

I pondered the question.  Evie did seem pretty laid back and generally pretty calm.  I didn’t know her that well, but if the hours we had spent pouring over information wasn’t an indicator of how calm she was, I didn’t know what would be.  But with all the information we had found, I wasn’t sure she’d be able to stay calm, especially in a party setting.  The lights, the music, the drinking.  It was a lot to handle, even for a normal person.   

“I have more confidence in you than I do Scott, but I still don’t think it would be a good idea.”  She nods, a sad look crossing her face and I instantly feel bad.  I lay a hand on her shoulder and squeeze gently.  Then, an idea pops into my head.  “What if I went with you to the party?”  She raised an eyebrow.

“As what, my date?”  I blink a few times, not having considered the possibility that people would think we could be dating.  

“I mean, it would be easier to explain than the actual reason.  And, I don’t think I’d be invited unless you personally invited me anyways,” I say.  Evie considers it for a moment, thinking through all the possible scenarios and how it could go wrong if she didn’t have someone with her to calm her down if the change was too powerful.  “Before you decide, I really should call Scott and tell him about what we’ve found.  I don’t think he’ll be as accepting of this fate as you are.”  She nods.

“Do I need to find a ride home or do I need to be a part of this?  What would you like me to do?” she asks and I balk at the question.  I had just assumed she’d stay, not really understanding that she may need to go home to her family.  It was weird how comfortable I was around her already, despite our rocky start.  I consider her question for a moment, before deciding Scott would probably be more willing to hear it from a stranger than me.  

“I think you staying would be a good idea.  Scott isn’t the most perceptive guy, usually needs a helping hand to understand things.  Maybe if you’re here to help me explain, he’ll be more apt to not do something stupid.”  She laughs, a bright happy sound.  I notice that we haven’t eaten yet, and it’s getting to be kinda late.  “Hey, I’m going to go call Scott and then order a pizza, anything in particular you want?” I ask, hoping she doesn’t say something dumb like pineapple.  She taps her chin, considering all the options.  

“Do they have meat lovers?” she asks.  I nod and go off to take care of my calls, leaving her in my room alone.  The one to Scott goes immediately to voicemail, as usual.  Placing the order to the pizza parlor was a lot easier and quicker than I thought it would be, considering the time.  I walk back into my room, only to find that Evie has made herself comfortable on my bed and is doing homework.  She looks up and says, “What?  I have math homework.”  I just shake my head, a small smile on my face.

We work on our homework in relative silence, Evie only talking when she has a question about a math problem.  The pizza arrives and I finally get a hold of Scott, who’s at my house in less than ten minutes.  The call was filled with him gushing about asking Allison to the party on Friday, though I’m not sure how he pulled that off.  He’s at my house in less than ten minutes, a knock at the door announcing his presence.  

I watch Evie shake out her shoulders, as if preparing herself for battle.  She’s not entirely wrong.  Opening the door for Scott and ushering him in takes all of five seconds and he’s heading up to my room before the door is even shut.  I hurry after him, only for me to run into his back.  Hard.  He had paused in the doorway, blocking me from entering.  

“OW! Dude you can’t just stop in the middle of a doorway!”  Scott turns to look at me, a confused look on his face.

“Sorry, wasn’t expecting you to have a girl in your room!”  I snort, a bit impressed with myself at the realization that I did have a girl in my room, and push past him into my room, where Evie is sitting cross legged on my bed.  She waves, a piece of pizza in hand.  Scott looks back at me with a gleam of mischief in his eyes.  I huff out a sigh, already knowing what he’s thinking.  

“It’s not what it looks like… I mean, it may look like what it looks like, depending on what you think it looks like but it’s not…” I drift off, earning a snort from Evie.  I glare at her, but she just shrugs and nervously starts picking at her eyebrows.  “Not helping.”

“So what’s she doing here then?  Is this a date? Am I interrupting or…?” Scott asks.  Evie just laughs, shaking her head.  I glare at her again, she’s really not helping my case at all.

“No, you’re not interrupting, but we do have some things to share with you,” she says.  She meets Scott’s eyes, not an ounce of fear in her body.  “We have the same problem.  Both of us were bit by an animal last night in the woods that half a dead body was found in.  I can’t be sure that it was the same animal, but my bite has disappeared, and I’m assuming yours has as well.”  Scott looks at me, confusion written plainly on his face. 

Evie just sighs, already distraught.  “We’re werewolves.  The light and sound sensitivity, the heightened smell, the quick healing.  All signs point to lycanthropy.”  Her eyes drop to her hands, which had moved from messing with her eyebrow to messing with the ends of her pant leg.  With a sigh, she pulls the pant leg up, showing Scott where her bite mark had been.  Evie runs a finger over it, as if checking to see if there was anything left of the wound.  “This morning I was bleeding and now there isn’t even a scar.  I know it’s a lot to take in but we have to be careful from now on.  We’re dangerous,” she says, her voice dropping to a whisper.

Scott looks at me, and I nod, confirming what she had said.  He shakes his head, either not believing it or not wanting to believe it.  I open my mouth to explain more, but he’s out the door before the time the words can form.  I exchange a look with Evie and hurry after him, hoping to catch him before he goes completely loco.  I catch up, winded and with a racing heart.

“Dude, you have to believe us.  This isn’t some prank.  You have to be careful, especially on Friday.”  Scott turns quickly to look at me, making me backpedal a few feet so I don’t get run over, again.  Confusion is written plainly on his face.  I mentally kick myself; of course Scott wouldn’t know what Friday meant in werewolf terms. 

“Why?  What happens Friday?” he asks.

“Friday’s the full moon, man.  That’s when your bloodlust will be at its strongest.  You won’t be able to control yourself, especially around Allison.”  His eyes flash yellow, something I hadn’t seen Evie’s do yet.  I don’t back down, even though I really should have.  Anger radiates from him, and I put my hands up in surrender.  “I know it’s a lot to take in, but you gotta believe me.  I’ve seen the way Allison affects you, it’ll be easy to lose control, especially at the party.  You have to cancel.”

“I can’t do that!  This may be my one shot with her!  Nothing will get in the way of that!” he yells.  I stop, not used to being yelled at by Scott.  He turns away from me, returning to his fast pace and I let him leave.  Knowing he won’t come back, I turn back towards my house

Once inside, I raced up the stairs to see that Evie was packing up her homework, her back turned towards me.  She turns when she hears me at the door, a sad smile on her face.  Evie tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear and pushes her glasses up her nose before speaking.

“So, he took that rather well huh?”  I let out a strangled laugh and collapsed on my bed. I feel, rather than see, her sit down beside me.  “Hey, if nothing else we’ll know where he’ll be Friday.  We can keep an eye on him.”  She smiles down at me and I smile back, before a thought hits me.

“We should have told Scott that we were dating.  Would have made Friday so much easier.”  She snorts, flopping back on the bed.  

“May have made it easier, but I have a feeling he’s going to ignore us like the plague.”  She sits back up with a huff.  “Well, I guess you better get me home.  I had told my parents that I was studying with a friend but after last night it wouldn’t surprise me if they gave me a tighter curfew.”  With a groan, I sit up as well.  It was well past ten, we had been here for at least seven hours.  

The drive to her house was quick and mostly silent.  I could tell that all of this weighed heavily on Evie; her shoulders had drooped and her eyes were dull.  As I pull into her driveway, she turns towards me, putting a hand on my arm and squeezing lightly.  

“My dad is standing outside.  He’s going to say some really dumb things,” she says.  I nod, not fully understanding but agreeing nonetheless.  “Pick me up tomorrow morning?  I don’t know if Lydia planned to pick me up or not and I’m not allowed to drive.”  I scrunch my eyebrows together, confused.  Evie just shrugs.  “I’m not… a safe driver.”  

I hop out to help her out, still pretending her leg hurt even though it had healed over.  I grab her bag for her, a tight smile pulling across her face.  Handing it to her, I look towards where her father lingered on the porch.  I wave and he starts coming closer to say hi, I guess.  Evie stands there nervously, unsure to how her father will react.  He meets us at the Jeep and we shake hands.  I make sure to keep a smile on my face, though his grip feels like he’s going to break my knuckles.  

“Thanks for bringin’ her home, it’s much appreciated.”  I nod, trying to seem as non threatening as possible.  He claps me on the back.  “Now then, was this a date or just studying?”

“Dad!” Evie exclaims.  Her dad just holds his hands up in surrender and smiles at his daughter.  “No, it wasn’t a date.  Stiles was helping me with math, right Stiles?”  I gulp and force a smile.  

“Yes sir, just math.”  Evie smiles at me before pushing her dads towards the house.

“See you tomorrow!” she calls over her shoulder, her dad’s laugher catching on the wind.  I smile as I get back into the Jeep.  Maybe, just maybe, this will all work out okay. 

………………………………………………………………………………………

My sleep that night was less than restful.  I had dreams where I had claws and fangs and I ran through the woods naked.  I woke up to my mom yelling my name from downstairs.  I groan, dragging myself out of bed to get dressed quickly.  I pull on a patterned green sweater with a black skirt and grab my boots from downstairs, not bothering with makeup or trying to make my hair look better.  I ran my fingers through it and called it a day.  Grabbing a granola bar and my bag, I was out the door and hurtling for my ride within ten minutes.  I skid to a stop when I see not only Lydia’s car, but also Stiles’ Jeep waiting for me.  

“Well this won’t end well,” I say under my breath.  Lydia gets out of her car and reaches me first, a confused look on her face.  I smile at her, hoping that she won’t be angry.

“What is he doing here?  I thought I was your ride to school!” she says with a stomp of her foot.  I look over her shoulder and make eye contact with Stiles, hoping he understands that he needs to get his ass out of the car now.

“He gave me a lift yesterday,,” I say as Stiles hops out of the Jeep and rushes towards us.  “Stiles offered to pick me up today, since I hadn’t heard from you.”  I smile apologetically at my cousin, watching her eyes narrow at the two of us.  Stiles throws an arm over my shoulders, giving me a small smile.  Something must click for Lydia because her face quickly changes.  

“I said to get a guy on the lacrosse team!” she exclaims, surprising me slightly.  

“You play lacrosse right?” I ask, actually unsure if I had dreamed that part of the day or not. He looks back and forth from Lydia to me before nodding.  I turn back to Lydia, a smile on my face.  “You never said that he had to play, just that he had to be on the lacrosse team.”  

“Be careful with my cousin,” she says before getting into her car and speeding off. 

“Let’s get going.”  Stiles opens my door for me, yet again.  “Thanks, but you really don’t have to do that.”  He just shrugs and I get into the car with a sigh.  The ride to school was relatively quiet, mostly filled with our combined anxious sounds.  Stiles wouldn’t stop drumming his fingers on the steering wheel and my leg wouldn’t stop bouncing.  

“So, how are we planning to make people think we’re going out?” he asks.  I sigh, a headache already forming.  

“Lydia already assumes we either hooked up or something.  She’ll spread that like wildfire.  We won’t have to do anything,” I say softly, pulling at my eyebrows in nervousness.  Stiles just nods and opens my door for me, yet again.  We walk into school together and immediately people start staring.  Stiles and I hurry towards English, with moments to spare.  

The stares don’t stop there.  I’m not sure if it’s out of confusion or jealousy, but either way I’m not a fan.  It follows me the entire day, only stopping when I get to lunch and a different scandal has happened, taking the heat from Stiles and I.  

After grabbing my tray, I search for his shaved head, already deciding that I would rather sit with him and Scott than deal with Lydia’s angry eyes that had been following me all day.  Unfortunately, that didn’t last long.  Almost instantly, Lydia is there, Jackson and Allison in tow.  Jackson plops down, a scowl on his face.  I really don’t get a good vibe from him, but that’s a conversation for another day.  

“We are going shopping after school today,” Lydia states.  I make eye contact with Allison, who was sitting very closely to Scott.  I raise an eyebrow at her, somehow already knowing that she won’t want to go.

“Is there a reason why?” I ask.  Lydia flips her hair over one shoulder, hitting Stiles in the face.  I hold in a laugh, knowing that would set her off.  Allison shakes her head at me, desperate to get out of this endeavor.  I turn towards Lydia, a frown settling on my face.

“You both need new outfits for the party,” she states matter of factly.  I sigh, already knowing we won’t win this argument.  “Evie’s closet is totally void of any party clothes and I know Allison’s is pretty much the same.”  Lydia pointedly looks at both Scott and Stiles.  “Since my friends refuse to find acceptable dates, everyone’s outfits will have to be perfect.  Especially you, Biles.”

“It’s actually…” he starts, then Lydia glares at him.  “You know what, Biles is fine.”  I laugh softly, gaining a frown from Stiles.  

“If I agree, do I get to pick out my own dress?” Allison asks.  I shake my head, already knowing the answer.  Lydia would not relinquish that particular thing.  If she couldn’t pick our dates, she sure as hell would pick what we wore.  

“Of course not, I already have them picked out.  We just have to go pick them up.”  Allison and I make eye contact, shrugging.  What could go wrong?  It was just shopping.  

The shopping actually didn’t take too long.  She really had picked the outfits out already.  Lydia refused to let us see them, but insisted they would fit perfectly.  I hated to doubt her, but I was pretty sure she didn’t quite understand I wasn’t a size four.  So, I made sure to check at least the size of the dress was correct.  Shockingly, it was and I was insanely grateful that she hadn’t tried to stuff me into something too small.  

We dropped Allison off first, her house not too far from my own but much larger.  Her family must have money out the ass to afford it.  After exchanging goodbyes (and numbers since I had basically no one's information), Allison hops out and leaves Lydia and I alone in the car.  I decide to take the plunge and apologize for this morning.

“I didn’t mean to upset you this morning.  I didn’t know you’d show up to give me a ride,” I say softly.  Lydia shakes her head, waving a hand to dispel any hard feelings.

“I was more confused than upset.  I wasn’t expecting you to get a guy so fast.”  She nudges me with her shoulder, getting me to laugh.  “While I still don’t get why him, I won’t question your choice too much, as long as he keeps you happy.  You deserve to be happy after everything.”  I smile sadly and she grabs my hand, squeezing twice.  I grab all my stuff from the backseat and head inside.

I work on homework for a few hours and take a break to answer texts and eat dinner.  Around ten, I hear my phone ring and Stiles' name pops up on my phone.  I answer, a smile on my face.

“Hey, what’s up?” I ask quietly, fully aware of my parents sleeping in the room over from my own.  I close my door, hoping that keeps the noise to a minimum. 

“I have a lot to talk about, are you home?”  I furrow my brows.  His voice is echoey and filled with anxiety, making me wonder what he’s found.  

“Yeah…” I say cautiously. 

“Okay, great!  I’ll be there in a few.”  

I wait for a few minutes and then I hear rocks hitting my window.  I open it, seeing Stiles standing not too far away with a handful of pebbles.  Racing downstairs, I let him in and hold a finger to my mouth to signal that he would have to be quiet.  We’re up the stairs in record time and I softly shut my bedroom door behind us.  I watch Stiles take in the mess that is my room, and I rush around to pick it up a little to make it look less like I just moved in, even though I had.  Stiles watches me with a grin on his face, all anxiety from the call dissipating from his face.  

“So, what happened?” I ask, keeping my voice low.  He takes a deep breath, readying himself before launching into his story.

“Me and Scott were in the woods, trying to find the other half of the body that was found because he said he saw it before he got bit.  We didn’t find the body, but we did see Derek Hale, who was being extra spooky in the woods for apparently no reason and-” I hold my hand up for him to pause and he stops mid sentence.

“Hold up.  Who’s Derek Hale?” I ask.

“Oh, I totally forgot you just moved here. Of course you don’t know. Duh Stiles.”  He hits himself on the head, making me laugh a little.  “Six years ago there was a fire at the Hale house, and lots of the family died.  Only a few survived, one of which being Derek.  Everyone thought he left after the fire, but apparently he’s come back.”  I nod, now somewhat caught up.  “Anyways, he was in the woods being creepy and threw Scott’s inhaler back to him.  We think he may be behind the murder and you guys being bitten but we aren’t sure and have no definite proof.”  At the mention of the bite, I start to pace.  Stiles sits on my bed, picking at my bed spread.  

“So, if he’s the one that bit both me and Scott, what does that mean?  Is he the alpha?” I ask.  Stiles shrugs, unsure.  He seems to be more occupied with looking around my room.  I sigh, deciding to sit down next to him, forgetting that I was already in my pajamas.  With a boy in my room.  The urge to pull the blanket over my head was getting stronger by the minute.  Lydia would skin me alive when she found out that I had Stiles in my room and didn’t make out with him.  I laugh softly and turn myself towards him.  

“What?” he asks, his whiskey brown eyes searching my face.  I just smile, knowing he may not like my answer.

“Lydia will be so disappointed in me,” I say with a sigh.  His eyebrows furrowed together, making me laugh again.  “I have a boy in my room, with no intentions to make out with him.”  He laughs, shaking his head.  I pat his knee.  “Well, anything else you need to tell me?” I ask.

“How’re you doing, with all of this?” he asks.  I sigh, running my fingers through my hair, contemplating how much to share.  This was just one more problem in my life that couldn’t be fixed, and I had a lot of practice with such things so I wasn’t nearly as freaked out as someone else would be.  I settle for a nicer version of the truth, knowing that while I felt comfortable around Stiles, he didn’t need to know all the dirty details of my life right now.  

“To be honest, not well.  Every little sound is amplified tenfold and certain smells make me want to vomit.  Heightened senses are not the superpower I wanted,” I say with a slight smile.  

“You’re handling it all really well, a lot better than Scott is.  You just seem so…” he pauses, searching for the right word.  I raise an eyebrow as he settles on the word that everyone uses to describe me.  “Calm.  If I were you, I’d be freaking out.” I shrug, stretching my legs out on my bed.

“My constant state is freaking out.  I was diagnosed with anxiety in middle school and I take antidepressants that even me out a lot.  I haven’t had an attack since last year,” I say, hoping he won’t ask me to elaborate.  Thankfully, he does not.  Stiles just nods, as if understanding without me having to say anything.  “This whole werewolf thing may be good for me, maybe the healing factor will seep into my brain and repair the pathways that make me anxious.”  He laughs.

“Well, it did fix Scott’s asthma.”  He pauses, pondering something.  “Have you tested the extent of your reflexes?  Scott got weirdly good at lacrosse right after he got bit, catching every ball that was thrown at him.  I wonder if yours have gotten better too.”  I shrug, unsure if I really wanted to know or not.  I was never good at sports before, what would be the point in trying out for them now?

“I’m not really an athletic person,” I say, gesturing towards my body.  Stiles rolls his eyes, a funny look on his face.

“Oh please.  Every time I turned around today some new guy was staring at you.  Every guy on the team thinks you’re an absolute babe,” he states.  The compliment catches me off guard, though not totally unwelcome.  It had been a long time since someone noticed the way I looked, without being creepy about it.  Stiles pats my bare thigh, not noticing the way I tense up as he does so, and stands up.  “Well, I’d better get going before your dad threatens to kill me.”  I laugh, shaking my head.  “See you bright and early tomorrow morning?”

“Sure thing,” I say with a smile.  He starts to walk out, but pauses in the doorway.  Stiles turns to look at me, a weird glint in his eyes.

“Oh, and by the way.  I meant what I said.  You’re a total knockout.”  He leaves with a smirk, my mouth hanging open like a fish.  I stay like that for a good amount of time, trying to decipher if he was flirting or just being nice.

It takes a while, but I finally settle myself down enough to sleep and for once, I don’t have any nightmares or dreams.

I woke up on time for a change and took time to look nice.  I showered, removing the bandage and deciding that I wouldn’t put another on.  The people who knew wouldn’t notice and it was a waste of gauze.  I select a cream colored button down sweater, a pair of brown trousers, and a pair of ballet flats.  I curl my hair a little and add minimal makeup along with my necklace and a few rings.  Shockingly, I even have time to eat an actual breakfast before I hear the Jeep pull into the drive.

I kiss my mom’s cheek on the way out, grabbing my bag and heading out. Stiles opens my door for me and I smile up at him.  We chat on the way to school about nothing in particular and our day goes much the same way as yesterday.  We eat lunch together, Allison and Lydia joining us once again.  Jackson is there too, but he doesn’t talk much; he mostly just glares and looks moody.  I sincerely don’t know what Lydia sees in him, I can’t detect any sort of a personality coming from him.

Lydia drives me home after school, our conversation filled with talk of the party.  She seemed confident in my abilities to get there myself, not offering me a ride or anything.  Getting ready by myself feels like a monumental task, especially since tonight was not only the party but also the full moon.  My first full moon as a werewolf, and I was going to a party.  Honestly, how dumb am I?

I pick nervously at my cuticles as I pull the outfit we decided on out of it’s bag. I let out a soft gasp; Lydia had picked out a deep green dress with a corset-esque bodice and long lace sleeves.  It was short and made of a satin material, which would hug my curves nicely without feeling clingy.  If I was being honest, the dress kind of scared me.  I’m not used to showing so much skin, especially since I would be in front of so many people.  

I slip the dress on, skipping looking in the mirror just yet and heading towards the bathroom to do a more dramatic makeup look.  My version of dramatic is just a heavier blush and a slight winged liner.  I refresh my curls from this morning, making a few frame my face.  I also make sure I put in contacts, though I have noticed my eyesight getting better.  I slap on a little lip gloss and hurry to put on the heels that Lydia had chosen.  

Remembering that tonight may not go so well, I pack a small bag with extra comfortable clothes, just in case I wolf out and end up naked somewhere.  I pat Persephone on the head as I grab a pair of sneakers to throw into my bag when I hear Stiles’ Jeep pull up to the house.  

He gets out to help me get myself out to the car, somehow knowing I’m worthless at walking in heels.  I notice that he’s gotten very dressed up for a party.  He’s paired a light pink dress shirt with a black tie and grey suit jacket with skinny jeans.  I raise an eyebrow, wondering if he got dressed in the dark but not really caring too much.  I have come to appreciate his weird sense of style, with his many layers of shirts and odd pairings of colors.

When he finally looks at me, his mouth drops, making me laugh loudly.  I can’t say I was expecting that kind of reaction but I won’t say no to it.

“You look… wow!”  I shake my head at him, a smile crossing my face.

“Yeah?”  I do a little spin for him, just to get the full effect.  Stiles laughs and helps me into the Jeep.  I watch him rush to his side and get in the car.

“So, I’ve got some things prepared in case you feel like you may lose control.”  He pulls a duffle bag out of the back seat and hands it to me gently.  “I have rope, cuffs, and if it comes to it, chains.  You said Lydia had a basement, right?”  I nod and he continues.  “If we have to, we can keep you down there away from everyone.”  Something on my face must have betrayed my thoughts of worry, because he quickly adds, “not that I think you’ll have too much of an issue with it.  You seem pretty in control right now.”

I smile, but something must have changed in my face because Stiles’ eyes lock onto my own.  Fear leaks out of him, the smell of it hitting me quickly.

“What?  What’s wrong?” I ask, immediately worried.

“Your eyes were yellow for a second.  I hadn’t seen them do that yet.”  His fingers start drumming on the wheel, an anxious tick of his that I nearly duplicated by bouncing my leg.

“Oh.  Is that bad or…?”  I gnawed on my lip, hoping that my eyes changing color wasn’t a bad omen of what was to come.  

“I don’t think so.  You weren’t doing that on purpose right?”  I shake my head.  “Maybe it was triggered by feeling anxious.  I’m sure it won’t be a problem.”  He smiles, but the reek of fear lingers.  

The party goes off without a hitch.  Lydia really does throw great parties, though I barely see her or Allison the entire time, though I try to periodically check on them, just to make sure.  Allison seems to be having a really good time with Scott, and Lydia is off with Jackson somewhere almost constantly disappearing into dark corners to make out.  

I stick with Stiles most of the time, his hand on my arm a constant comfort.  We drink a little, but I mainly try to stay away from the alcohol.  The lights outside hurt my eyes, so we stayed inside. He barely leaves my side, only leaving for a few minutes to check Lydia’s basement.  Stiles is back within moments, finding me in the same place he had left me. We dance a little, his moves goofy and catching me off guard.  I genuinely started having a good time, the worry that had consumed me for the past few days slowly leaking out of me.  

However, sometime around ten, Stiles rushes out to follow Scott out of the party and leaves me on my own, without much of an explanation.

“I’ll be right back!” he yells before disappearing.  I try to keep to myself after that, not wanting to risk anything.  Not long after he leaves,  I realize that I haven’t seen Allison in a long time and go to find her.

“Hey have you seen Allison?” I yell over the music to Lydia.  She shakes her head, and continues to dance with Jackson.  I sigh, irritation crawling its way up my spine.  It couldn’t be that hard to know where one girl went, right?  I quickly crush the irritation, knowing that won’t help me find anyone.  

I head towards the bathroom, deciding that would be the quietest place to make a call.  I call Stiles, he doesn’t pick up.  Then I try to call Allison, no answer there either.  Frustration and anger fill me, nearly overtaking the anxiety of the situation.  I grip the sink and watch my fingers lengthen and grow sharp claws.  Looking up, I watch my face transform slowly; the space between my brows becomes flatter, my eyes turn a bright shade of yellow, and two pairs of fangs rip through my gums.  I groan, realizing how painful having extra teeth in my mouth was.  

I try to take deep breaths, to find my center but nothing works. God, Lydia will kill me if I mess up this stupid bathroom.  My face stays the same and at that moment I’m glad Stiles left to trail after Scott.  I don’t think I’d want him to see me like this.  Shockingly, at the thought of Stiles my claws slowly start retreating.  I watch as my hands return to normal in a few moments and the pain in my gums recedes slowly.  

Closing my eyes, I try to think more about Stiles and the way he calms me down.  I think about how his hand on my arm kept me stable tonight and my eyes return to their usual dark color.  Focusing on the image of him dancing in my head, I can feel my face settle back into its normal position.  I sigh, letting go of the sink and stare into the mirror to make sure everything is back to normal.  

Once I’ve assured myself I’m back to being myself, I smile at my reflection.  A sense of pride overcomes me, making my smile turn into a grin.  I didn’t hurt anyone.  A weight is slowly taken off my shoulders and I feel as if I can finally breathe again.  I made it through my first full moon without doing anything stupid, I wasn’t naked in the woods, no one was dead.  I could handle this.  I could do this.

[scrapnick]

“Balthazar and I are besties, the knife is for self defence!”

Elwood, let Ghastly help you decorate.