#spooked a lot of hikers

[patrothestupid]

Amlien Spotted ! 04 February 2024 at 02:36 In the middle of the forest I FORGOT WHERE !

[bestworstcase]

Grimm behavior reassessment thought: y'know that sister training session called on account of Rather Tanky Ursa? Could Ruby & Yang have avoided that fight if they'd known to treat the big lug like careful hikers would an 'ordinary' bear encounter? There were a few 'pause & rear/roar' moments on its part which I guess *could* be read as 'hey stop that' or 'my turf, leave'.

yang’s character short has always interested me bc the ursa was there the whole time they were sparring.

like. yang throws a punch, ruby panic-flies into the bushes and then passes out:

on this screenshot i’ve marked ruby’s approximate path in red and circled the clump of bushes the ursa emerges from (using the logs laid around the perimeter as markers):

note the very dense foliage around the grimm; he’s completely hidden. yang gets concerned when ruby doesn’t respond, startles when she hears a twig snap in the area circled in yellow, this is what she sees:

and then he stands up:

which. ok. he’s a really big guy. there is no way he crept up on them and got that close before making a noticeable sound, and most grimm behave like pursuit predators besides—they wander around in the open and give chase when they come across prey. (although there are exceptions: the pack of apathy at brunswick drag the lamp around a corner and go dark to lie in wait, for example.)

the point is, he’s there, but yang can’t see him until his eyes illuminate because he’s lying down in the bushes. his markings are also ‘off’ and only begin to glow as he stands up.

we’ve seen grimm Do That a couple times:

and we’ve also seen in v8 that just because there don’t seem to be any grimm nearby doesn’t mean they aren’t there:

<- same thing happens in the mine. dozens of centinels pop out of the ground when the geist signals for them to screen his retreat deeper into the mine. which suggests that grimm may spend a lot of time… not hunting. unseen, hidden just under the surface or in the densest thickets, crevices, whatever. and no one knows because when grimm aren’t on the hunt they don’t attack unless provoked.

the big guy was just There! taking a nap! and he didn’t aggro until yang got spooked by ruby’s silence.

he also doesn’t seem to be all that interested in attacking after his initial charge and swipe; he knocks yang across the clearing and then turns away, until yang shoots him again:

i do think it’s really interesting that WOR: grimm implies that grimm are most strongly drawn by violence, not negativity per se: “what is perhaps even more unsettling is the basis of their attraction,” and the accompanying image is

a person killing another person with a rock.

i think—much more so than real animals—grimm are kind of emotional mirrors, in that they reflect the energy they’re shown. one thing that stands out to me about both salem and cinder is that while there is obviously an element of magic or kinship or both behind their influence over the grimm, from both of them we see these occasional moments of tenderness toward the grimm; cinder’s very gentle and soothing “shh, this is your home now” when she calms the wyvern, and the way salem softens when she caresses the goliath’s face in the v6 stinger:

and i wonder if there isn’t a meaningful correlation there. the two characters in the story who demonstrably have the ability to communicate and work with grimm are also the two characters who, in private moments when no one else is around to see, choose to be gentle with these creatures. is salem able to command grimm the way she does by magical compulsion or is she their leader, as raven put it, whom they follow because she’s kind to them and protects them.

[girl8890]

JM | The Cave Dweller

word count: 8.9k

Summary: It started out as a curiosity, then you met a being that took up your interest altogether. You’ve always been the type of person to comfort those who are lonely, you just didn’t expect your new found friend to be a cave monster. A monster that teaches you tricks of magic, and you eventually teach him your own dirty tricks.

Pairing: Cave Monster!Jimin x Human!Reader

Genre: supernatural!au, magic!au, curse!au, smut, some fluff

Rating: 18+

Warnings: lonely Jimin, mean Jimin (at first), curious reader, to curious for her own good, touch starved Jimin, curses, mutual growth of feelings, first kiss, past masturbation mentioned, first hand job, reader basically teaches Jimin about sex, blow jobs, monster Jimin turns into a mess, reader is such a minx!

A/N: I don’t know if it’s just because Halloween is coming, but all my fic ideas have been about monsters. I’m kinda liking it ,though, so we’re gonna stick with it LOL. ALSO! Major PSA to everyone reading… do not do this! Do not go exploring unknown caves, especially alone, and on top of that places that have “do not enter” signs on it. This is all fiction, and you will not find a sexy goblin Jimin inside.

。・°°・°°・。 。・°°・°°・。 。・°°・°°・。

“Curiosity killed the cat, you know,” Your anxious friend Hoseok says through the phone.

You roll your eyes even though he can’t see you through the cellular device that’s currently pressed against your ear by your shoulder. Shoving the rest of your hiking gear into your bag and zipping it closed.

“Yeah, but satisfaction brought it back.” You smile at your own witty come back, and you hear Hoseok chuckle through the phone, although it doesn’t sound as cheerful as he usually sounds.

“That was a good one, but seriously Y/n. There’s ‘do not enter’ signs there for a reason.” You throw your backpack over your shoulder, somehow keeping the phone near your ear as you do so. Walking out the door to set out for your hike that you and Hoseok are currently arguing about.

You’re a pretty advocate hiker, but you’ve always felt the extra thrill going through caves. Something about the dark surroundings gets your adrenaline pumping, and just as you said to your friend through the phone, any “haunted” caves or houses always ended up as empty as the rumor itself.

Those places always have the stupidest of backstories too. How someone was killed in 1802 and now haunts the grounds, or how there’s a mass grave of murder victims from the 70s.

The cave you decided to travel to this time, it’s rumors were a little different. Saying how there’s a monster cave dweller that kills and eats anyone that enters his home.

Yeah… I call bullshit!

“It’s all bullshit, Hoseok. I’ve never visited a quote on quote ‘haunted’ cave that was actually haunted,” You say to your friend through the phone, unbelieving all the stories unlike your friend.

“But what about all the sightings?”

You take the phone away from your ear, and look up to the sky to frantically mouth the words oh my god. You could tell Hoseok a witch lived underneath our old high school, and he would believe you even though he went there for four straight years. Hoseok was too easy to fool for his own good, but he was also one of your closest friends. Not many people liked you very much, and that has a lot to do with your adventures personality.

While most people your age went to malls and bars on a Friday night, you set up a whole game plan to hike up a mountain and find the cave that has so many people in the town near by spooked. All because someone allegedly “saw something move” in the cave for 30 feet away. Besides being spooked, though, you set up a whole travel schedule for the summer surrounding this one trip. 

“Dude, chill out. If you’re talking about the sighting from over a month ago, I almost promise you that guy was drunk. Even if, it was probably just a mountain lion.”

“A mountain lion! That’s even worse!”

You can’t help but laugh this time. Chuckling into the phone, but still keeping your eyes ahead of you, so you don’t accidentally trip and fall on some rock.

“I’ll be fine, Hoseok. I’ll even keep you on the phone with me the entire-“

Beep. Beep.

And… your phone lost signal. Figures. It’s then you realize you’ve traveled way farther up your path then you thought you did. Long legs and all, I guess.

You shrug to yourself, and pocket your phone. Even though you know your friend is probably freaking out right now that your phone call just dropped, you know you’ll be okay. You’ve been hiking and cave exploring many times by yourself. You tried to convince him to come with you, after all, but just like every other time you asked Hoseok to join you, he gave you the same excuse.

Girlfriend.

You’re starting to think this girlfriend is fake because you’ve never even met the girl. She also only pops up in his plans when you ask him to go exploring with you. Whatever. Not something you want to think about while you’re in this peaceful wilderness.

You brush your hand across a bush as you continue your path up the steep mountain. Taking in the beautiful surroundings, and filling your lungs with the fresh air. You’ve always love the outdoors. Ever since you were little and your parents brought you camping for the first time. It wasn’t until you turned twelve when your dad brought you on one of your hiking trails, and then you were hocked on traveling every piece of land you could.

Currently, your in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. You traveled all this way to visit the cave that caught the attention of some gullible people on Twitter - your friend included - and now you’re here to explore. Unlike most people that explore these types of things, your not here to hunt monsters or even debunk the rumor. Truthfully, you just love exploring new places. And although it’s claimed to be haunted, so much so that they plastered ‘do not enter’ signs all over the entrance, you still found the need in your heart to go and explore it.

By the time you got to the cave itself, you drank half a bottle of water and the sun was nearly set. You having to rely on your flashlight for light now.

I know what your thinking. What is a girl like me doing alone in the woods? Isn’t that the start to like every horror story ever?! Well, yes, but you’ve been to enough places in the past 8 years to survive the wilderness. Especially a wilderness that you saw a flowing stream of fresh water a mile back down the mountain.

You point the flashlight inside the cave, and the first thing you see is the ‘do not enter’ sign. You roll your eyes at it, hoist your backpack higher up your back, then enter the cave.

Even with all its rumors, no one ever said how beautiful the cave was. You actually gasped when you realized your flashlight lit up the entire cave. Blue crystals littering the caves surface, and making it look like everything around you is sparkling.

You’re in awe of it all. So in awe, that when a rock falls from behind you, it makes you jump in surprise. You turn around, seeing nothing but the curved end of the cave that’s in the direction of the entrance. You shrug your shoulders, playing it off as just a loose rock, then travel further into the cave.

Everything is still sparkling around you. Even though your above a half a mile deep into the cave now, it’s like your still outside. The flashlight helping tremendously.

Your flashlight starts to flicker, though, and you think it’s time to bring out your spare, but after hitting it a few times with your hand it flashes clearly again. When you point it back at the wall, you see something curious on it. You lean in close to the wall of the cave, seeing there’s some scratch marks there and you think at first it’s writing. You run your fingers over the sharp lines, and realize it is, in fact, scratch marks.

That knowledge makes you shiver, but you play it off as just a wild animal. It’s then, while you’re still looking at the scratches on the wall, that you hear movement from behind you. You spin your entire body around toward the direction of the sound, already pulling out your knife in your backpacks outer pocket.

When you see nothing there, you call out, “Who’s there?”

But no one answers, but the echo of your own voice. And out of all times, your flash light starts to flicker again. It flickers and flickers, and at the last flicker you see some black hair peaking out from behind one of the rocks before the flashlight completely gives out. You rush to get out your spare flashlight, your nerves taking over and making you take it out at lightening speed to the point you drop the other one somewhere on the ground.

You press the on button of your new flashlight, and point it at the rock where you swore you saw something behind it. But when you look over at the rock, nothings there. “Huh,” You say to yourself. “I must be losing my mind.”

…

“Mind?”

You scream bloody fucking murder when a thing right next to you speaks. You jump away from it, going towards the other side of the cave to get as far away from it as possible. You point the light at the thing, and you see a creature wearing all black, with black hair to match. It covers its face with its arm, not liking you pointing the light at it, then hisses in your direction. It’s then you see the being has sharp teeth too, with long pointed nails to match.

“Turn that light off!” It demands of you.

“Nah, I’m good,” You say, and then you book it. You run like hell in the direction you came. You get about ten feet away from where you just were before you fall flat on your face. This isn’t one of those horror movie moments where the girl trips on air, though. Something fucking pushes you.

You spin around on the ground, pulling out your knife from your pack and point it at the creature. It’s standing on its legs now, hunched over a bit, above you. It isn’t touching you, but it’s staring down at you like you’re the one that’s scared him half to death.

“D-don’t leave… Please.”

You falter at his words. Actually scrunching your eyebrows together in confusion when the creatures begging hits your ears. Did he just say, please?

“I-I’ve been alone for so long. Please don’t leave me alone again.” The creature then drops too it’s knees, and you blink at it in confusion. He really is begging you to stay.

You swallow past the lump in your throat, still pointing your knife and flash light in it’s direction. The creature blinks up at you from his spot on the ground about a foot away from you, and blinks at the harsh light. He hisses at you again, making you crawl backwards a step.

“N-no! That thing…” It points at your flashlight with one long nail. You look at your flashlight, then back at the cave dweller. You point it away from it’s face, but not to far enough away that you can’t see it in front of you. The sparkles are still around the cave, but that’s only helping so much especially when your currently fearing for your life.

The creature breathes a sigh of relief, and something you didn’t expect crosses it’s face…. It smiles…. Well, he smiles. Now that you have a few seconds to take in his appearance, you know, for a fact, that it is a he. A very dark, sharp toothed, crazy looking he, but still a he.

“I’m sensitive to light,” The cave dweller explains, almost embarrassed. You just nod your head, like this information and formal conversation isn’t the weirdest thing that’s ever happened to you.

“I see that,” You say because you have no idea what else to fricken say in this situation.

The cave dweller then plops on his butt, stretching his feet out in front of himself to the point your feet are almost touching, and continues to smile at you. A moment of silence stretches between you two, and when that moment ends, you’re back to reality. The initial shock of thinking you’re about to die going away.

You cough, awkwardly, then start to get up as you say, “Um… sorry to disturb you in your - home. But I should really get going.”

“What!” The guy jumps up, and you jump with him in surprise. Trying to be a little courteous and not point the light directly in his face again, but still pointing the knife in his direction.

“I-I have people waiting for me. Um… there probably looking for me now, so…” It was a lie, and not a very good one, but by the way the creature suddenly looks sad you can tell he bought it.

You start to walk away, not totally letting your back face him, and you’re stopped by the cave dweller again. “Will you come back tomorrow?”

Your eyes widen with his question. Truthfully, you would rather run as far away from this place as possible, but by the way this creature is giving you puppy dog eyes right now, you almost feel… bad for him?

You’ve always been a sucker for lonely people. Always wanting to comfort them in their time of need. You’ve been lonely all your life, since people claimed to dislike you before they really even got to know you. Thinking back about your earlier brushed off question, you remember that’s how you and Hoseok met. He was the lonely math nerd on the middle school bleachers, and you were the pumped up - equally as alone - band geek sitting next to him.

Sounds like the start to a bad country song, but that’s really how you two met. You both just being alone at the pep rally, and sitting next to each other because no one wanted to sit next to either of you. And that was the start to your beautiful friendship.

Anyway, back to the present. You look at the creatures eyes, and he reminds you of Hoesak in a weird way. The desperation for friendship is written all over the creatures face. Even though you really, really don’t want to make any promises to this weird creature, you blow out a gust of hot air and tell him, “Yes. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

The smile returns to the creature’s face, and even though his shape teeth make him look so menacing, there’s a innocence there. An innocence that your probably the first to see and recognize in him in a long time. 

------

The next day, for whatever fucking reason that you can’t even come up with yourself, you go back to the cave. Not before getting an ear full through the phone by your friend first, but as always you ignore his warnings. You should really stop doing that now. Especially after his fears of the extreme were actually fucking accurate for once.

Oh, you got a few “I told you so’s” from him too. You weren’t scared or worried to tell Hoseok about what happened to you. The man believes in aliens and werewolf’s, so you didn’t think twice about him believing you. But after that first interaction with your new cave dweller friend, you might just believe in them too now.

You walk the same path you did yesterday inside the cave, but this time you watch your flashlight shake in your hand. No longer caring about how the cave sparkles when your light hits a crystal just right. Every step you take into the cave makes you stomach churn from nerves. Nothing was actually making you come back today, but you also couldn’t get the creature’s face out of your head. He also wasn’t that creepy looking when you thought back on it later on. At least not in the face. Take away the sharp teeth, and dark as night black voided eyes, you could even say he’s kinda cute. 

You chuckle at your own thoughts when you make it to the area you were at yesterday when you met the creature. You spin around, looking for him, then you hit yourself in the head when you realize you did that. You shouldn't be looking for him. You only came back because you felt bad, not because you wanted to add “friend’s with a cave dweller” to your list of summer actives. 

Only because you felt it was the right thing to do, and so you call out into the cave, “Hey! Anyone there?” No answer. “It's me from yesterday. I said I would come back, and I did!”

You wait another moment but nothing happens. Not even a movement of rock to make you understand where he is. Maybe you made up the occurrence with cave dweller. Maybe you hit your head on some rocks yesterday and dreamed the whole thing. Although, that wouldn’t explain how you got all the scratches on your legs from rolling around on the ground yesterday. 

Either way, you start to turn around and walk back the way you came. Rendering this whole trip as a bust, and really in need to schedule an appointment with a counselor. 

“Wait!” You hear the cave dweller screech from behind you, making you stop in your tracks and turn around. Just like yesterday, he's decked out in all black. But unlike yesterday, you find him out of breath and panting. Almost like he just jogged up a mountain to get here. 

“Oh - wow - you’re actually real,” Is the first thing you say when you see him. 

The creature looks up at you from his spot a few feet away, heaving out air as he holds himself up with his hand on his knees, confused by your statement. When he finally recovers from whatever made him so out of breathe, he straightens up. His knees are still slightly bent, and his back is slouched, but it’s weird seeing him stand up instead of hobbling on the ground like the creatures by in movies. But I guess this is different since it’s real fricken life, y/n!

“Why wouldn’t I exist?” He asks.

“I don’t know, maybe because you’re a cave monster.” You gasp at your own harsh words, and you feel even worse when you see him cave in on himself. Looking like you just wounded a puppy, instead of a creature that you see eat girls like you in the most gruesome ways in movies. 

Again, real life, y/n. Real life.

“I’m so sorry. I-I don’t know why I said that.”

He recovers a little, but the sadness in his eyes doesn’t get past you. 

“It's okay. I’ve been called worse.”

His way of making you feel better actually made you feel worse. You’re probably the first human that’s ever showed him any kindness in a long time. You should’t be shitting on him for something he can’t help. You try to recover the conversation by changing the subject, “Why were you out of breath before?”

He blinks a few times, then when he remembers how he came to you, he says, “Oh! I just woke up, so running to you was difficult.”

You raise a pointed eyebrow at him. “It's 11 pm.”

“Is it? I wouldn’t know. I-I can’t be touch sunlight, or any bright light for that matter.” He really drives his words home when he looks at the flashlight in your hand like it killed his entire family. This thing is really dramatic to, I guess. 

But since you’re such a nice person, you place the flashlight on the ground, sitting next to it, and pointing it in the opposite direction of him. He smiles at your gesture, and takes a set in front of you, still keeping quite a lot of distance between the two of you. 

“Why can’t you be in the light?” 

His once brighter then life sharp teether smile fades, and once again you feel that gut churching feeling of guilt. Is there anything you can say in front of him without making him look like a wounded animal?

“It’s a long story... but basically, I got this witch mad, and she cursed me for life. Never to enjoy the sun again, and never to look like how I once did.”

“...Look like you once did?” You repeat back to him in question, and he nods his head.

“Yeah. I was human once.” Your eyes widen in surprise, and the creature grins. “I know, surprising, but it was a long... long time ago.”

You felt his sadness radiate to you. It was the most upsetting thing to hear that he only looked and lived like this because of a witch - Which by the way, witches are real. Who knew? His��saddened expression, and the way he's looking at the ground makes you want to cuddle him up in your arms. Instead of doing something as weird as that, you become brave enough to place your hand on his shoulder. Feeling him jump in surprise as you do that. “I’m so sorry that happened to you.”

The creature looks back and forth between your hand and your face. You think it maybe making him uncomfortable, so you take your hand off his shoulder. As soon as you do, he grabs onto you wrist and yells, “No!” Both of your eyes become wide, but for completely different reasons. “I-I mean... please don’t. I haven’t been...”

He doesn’t continue what he was going to say, but you understand immediately. The poor kid has probably been touch starved since he was left here by that witch. No one brave enough to talk or even be close to him. That’s why, less hesitant then before, you reach your other hand out and place it on top of his that’s still holding your wrist. His eyes widen again, and lets go of your wrist. You take ahold of his hand with both of your hands, then kiss one of his fingers that don’t have a long nail attached to it. The creature shivers, and you smirk when you see his face heat up scarlet. 

“What's your name, sweetie?” You ask as you massage his hand in your one hand, while the other one circled his wrist. You feel like the devil for what you’re doing, but after finding out he was once a human. he reminds you a lot of the types of guys you used to mess around with in high school. Ones that always sounded like-

“J-Jimin.” 

Like that. Stuttering and cute as a button. 

You smile when you hear him say his name, and you don’t miss the higher pitch of his voice either. “Hi, Jimin.” You don’t miss how he shivers when you say his name, either. “My name’s Y/n.”

-----

For the next week, you would visit Jimin every single day. You were only supposed to visit this trail for a week, and then move on to your next destination, but there was no way you were leaving him to go see some fountains in Canada. 

You know it’s stupid, even Hoseok told you it was when you talked to him on the phone again three days ago, but you couldn’t help it! Jimin was really starting to grow on you especially every time you grazed his hand. How he would act like you flashed him your tits. It was just so cute!

He was falling for you hard, you could tell too. Ever since you visited him in the cave a week ago, he would be waiting in this spot everyday for you. Continuing to blush and act like the most innocent little monster you’ve ever met… well, the only monster you’ve ever met but who’s counting?

You’re not sure when you turned into such a little devil around him, either. Getting so excited every time he became a little mess around you. Whether it was when you started laughing so hard around with him that your breasts bounced, making him run silent and follow the movements with his eyes. Or when you hugged him for the first time, pressing your body to him and feeling his reaction through his tight leather pants. With both occurrences, you felt this evil smirk rise on your face while watching him squirm in front of you. Him not understanding his own feelings and making you want to tease him... or teach him.

Today was the closest you ever got. Come to find out, although a witch cursed him to live a lonely life, she gave him a few exciting perks. One perk being his ability to conjure up some magic.

While the walls were sparkling with your camping lamp your brought - the one you found in your pack and was better for Jimin to not be blinded by the light - he showed you his abilities. Him wanting to impress you, and wanting you to look at him in that special way you have been doing lately.

With a flick of his wrists and wiggle of his nails, three white glowing butterflies puffed out of thin air. Your were in awe of the mystical butterflies you watched fly around the cave. One of them landing on your nose for a second and making you giggle.

Sadly, this little trick only lasted a few moments. The butterflies soon puffing into thin air, and leaving only your camping lamp as light.

“Is that how you’re able to see around the cave?” You ask Jimin, still staring at the place in the air the butterflies just disappeared from.

“Yeah… I guess the witch realized me being able to see in the dark was needed somehow.”

You look over at Jimin, watching his once cheerful face that was watching you swoon at his magic flip upside down into a upsetting frown. Your own once smiling face turning downwards at the sight. So, you do what you always did when the witch was brought up - you give your little touched starved monster some lovings. Grasping his hand gently, and watching a tremor course through his body when your soft skin touch’s his rougher palm. 

You smile apologetically at him, feeling bad about his situation that he can’t find a way out of. You asked him once if there was a way to reverse the curse that the witch casted on him, but he said he didn’t know any. The witch being someone he barely knew at the time even, and the only reason she cursed him was out of secret jealousy. You guess the witch had a crush on Jimin all those years ago, and when Jimin started maturing and getting closer to girls, instead of doing the mature thing and trying to talk to him, the young witch cursed him to a life of loneliness.

One thing you got out of that story: witches were indeed bitches. It’s been almost 10 years since that happened to him, and ever since then Jimin has been alone in this cave. That thought drove you to touch him further and cuddle up next to him, wanting to make the cave dweller feel loved somehow. You feel him shiver against you when your nose touches his neck as you lean on his shoulder. The reddening of the balls of his cheeks not passing by you.

You smirk, feeling mischievous as you always do when you see the cave dweller get nervous around you. Him glancing everywhere, but at you. “I guess the witch didn’t take in your other needs when she left you here either, huh?”

Jimin looks down at you on his shoulder, confused. Not understanding what your words mean or why your voice suddenly became hushed. When he sees the way your biting your lip, making your words more suggestive to his ears now, he blinked rapidly and felt his own face become redder in this dark cave. The heat burning him ever so slightly.

He swallows around the lump in his throat, digging his nails into the hard ground, but because they’re so sharp it cuts through the hard sand easily. You pick your head up off of his shoulder when you see his reaction. Not wanting to overwhelm him to much, but still smiling nonetheless. You start to look around, trying to change the subject since your mind stared thinking some very corrupted thoughts, but then you feel his hand squeeze yours. Making you look back at him and see the shy look in his eyes.

“You okay, Jimin?”

He looks everywhere but at you again, and is somehow able to answer your question with a few stuttering words. Even if the feel on your face in his neck still lingers. “Y-your skin… it’s…”

Unable to find the words he’s trying to form, he caresses your hand still in his hand with his thumb. Captivated by the soft feel your skin has against his own.

You grown a small smile, leaning closer while you quiet your voice as you speak, “Do you like the feel of me, Jimin?”

His name on your lips makes his stomach twist, and he squeezes the sand in his one hand instead of the one that’s holding yours. Feeling so sensitive to even your whispering of his name. Jimin couldn’t even believe it himself on how affected he was by you. It’s been so long since he last had a friend, and you being all female and fluid with your actions has been making him dizzy with hypersensitivity. On one but him being able to touch him for far too long, and he’s starting to understand the extent of what your small touches can do.

But he doesn’t hate it. He wants you to overstimulate him. Make him feel things he’s hasn’t in so long, and he doesn’t care if he ends up looking like a tomato because of it. To think, he almost lost you to his devilish - in a bad way - looks from the very beginning. His mean hisses and gruesome appearance making you frightened at first, but he’s glad that he built up the courage at the time to ask you to stay. To not run away like all the other people that only ever got a glimpse of him at the time, and running away from the sheer fear of what he could be.

You were the first to get to know him. Actually take interest in him, and want to find out what makes Jimin Jimin. Not just about the curse, but also what he used to love. How sitting out in the sun used to be his favorite thing, and how he has a ear for good music. Wanting to go back to the days where he could roam freely outside of this caves, but never having the ability to do so.

Jimin thinks the first time he realized he had real feelings for you, and not just the obsession with you touching him, was when you brought some headphone with you on your visit. The day after he told you his love for music, you let him listen to your own mixture of a playlist. Come to find out Jimin loves modern pop music, and seeing the way his eyes lit up when he heard the tunes for the first time had you amazed.

It may have seemed like such a trivial thing to people in the real world, but to Jimin in his little cave of a world it was everything. His heart palpating a little faster for you ever since. That was three days ago, and now he wants to experience more firsts with you. More firsts that he can’t even begin to comprehend.

That’s why, still a stuttering mess, Jimin lets out a breathless, “Yes,” to your question. Him wanting you to touch him as much as you are allowing it.

And you’re definitely allowing it today. You squeeze his hand in yours, watching his eyes light up when you pick up your other hand to inch it towards him. Your hand gently caresses his cheek, feeling his skin pebble under yours in goosebumps. Feeling a little darling, and maybe even mischievous, you inch closer to him. Tracing his nose with your own, and hearing Jimin’s breathing pick up in the process.

You don’t kiss his lips, you not being sure how he’ll react to that yet, but you do tease at the kiss. Lingering your lips so closely to his, while your other hand brushes his cheeks and goes down his neck that’s slightly exposed from his tight leather turtleneck. You start to wonder where Jimin got these clothes from, but that thought goes away when you hear Jimin let out a small moan. Your lips brushing the corner of his mouth when you move in a centimeter closer. 

You bite your lip, loving the sound he just made and how he’s practically vibrating in his seat now. His hand once digging into the sand has a fist full of it now. Grasping onto it for dear life as you continue with your teasing touches.

“So soft,” Jimin whispers in between the two of you, and if you weren’t so close to him you probably wouldn’t of heard it. Almost like his lips moved without him knowing and speaking the firsts words he thought of. You smile at his endearing compliment.

“Thank you, Jimin. You feel good too.” Jimin groans at the small praise. Somehow sounding so much more dirty in his innocent ears. “Do you want to feel even more good?”

It’s a dumb question, really. Of course Jimin wants to feel good, but it’s more of a question that is he ready for it? Ready to feel things he hasn’t been able to before. Nonetheless he enthusiastically nods his head at you.

You giggle at his enthusiastic response. Although you told yourself you wouldn’t do this no more then a moment ago, having Jimin in your arms like this is making you crave the same thing. To feel how his lips would feel against yours, and wanting to find out what he would do when you do it.

Tentatively, you slowly move in closer to him. Feeling his breathe fan your lips when he gasps and realizes what you’re about to do. You pause just when your lips were about to touch, and you look into Jimin’s wide eyes. So much innocence there. Dark eyes that you think were once brighter then the sun stare up at you. Seeming inpatient when you watch one of them twitch.

Then, you do it. You push your small pair of lips against his plump ones, and there’s an instant reaction from Jimin. A small moan being released into your mouth. He tastes like bark and sand, but his lips feel softer then clouds. Feeling a little good about how his lips feel against your own, but Jimin is on cloud 9 about yours. 

You taste like mint and sugar to him. Two things he hasn’t been able to taste in a long time. You feel so good against him, and not knowing how to express that besides staying still, he just let you take over. Thinking if he moves even a little bit, you’ll decide to detach your lips from his. But you don’t.

After a few seconds to let Jimin get the first little gentle tasting of you, you start to move against him. Inexperienced lips eventually move back with you, but you’re mainly taking the lead with how both of your lips are moving.

It isn’t until your tongue juts out to touch his bottom lip, that you feel the familiar vibration of excitement come from him along with a higher pitched moan that you swallow from him. Slowly, you allow your tongue to enter his mouth. Not touching his tongue yet with yours, but scrapping it across his shape teeth. The sharp surface making your head spin because you’ve never felt something so interesting that it gets your blood flowing against your tongue, and you can only imagine how Jimin is feeling.

Jimin is feeling fucking crazed. He’s dizzy by you still touching his hand and neck, but the way your lips are moving against him now has him melting. When he feels your tongue touch his lip, he can’t help but moan at the contact. Something so simple as a touch of tongues has him feeling as hard as a rock too. When your tongue touches his teeth, it makes him feel ecstatic. Knowing you’re not afraid of touching his sharp canines, and being so grateful to have met a girl like you.

When you feel Jimin start to slouch, his relaxed mind taking over for him, you touch your tongue against his. Besides just another moan his hands shoot you out of the sand - grasping onto your shoulders gently like he couldn’t help but want to touch you further in that moment.

After another moment has passed, you detach your lips from each other. Both of your lips feeling swollen, but you smile when you see how fucked out Jimin looks by just kissing. Him looking like he was just drenched by water because of how much he’s sweating.

“Did you like that?” You ask after another moment has passed, scrapping your nose against his like before.

Jimin breathes in as much air his lungs with allow, feeling like he hasn’t breathed the entire time your lips were in matrimony. Unable to speak now, he nods his head enthusiastically again for you. 

If Jimin wasn’t in love with you before, he sure is now. And what’s even better then that, you’re also starting to feel your heart grow a little bigger for the cave dweller.

-----

Before you know it, a month has passed since you first met Jimin. In all honestly, you’ve never lived a more happier life before you met Jimin. While talking on the phone with Hoseok last, which was over a week ago now, you realized something detrimental to your life.

You always secretly wanted this.

Wanted a life filled around just one person. In a way, you’ve also been touch starved yourself. Maybe not by actual touching, but starved by having the sense of love from another person. That’s why you always loved the loners. Wanting to be around the people you felt needed you most. You just loved to feel needed, and right now, Jimin needs you more than ever.

That’s why, without thinking twice about it, you moved your whole life out here. To bum-fuck nowhere in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Renting a cabin from a nice family near by, and then telling you that you could stay as long as you want because no one had rented from them in years. It was cheap, and it gave you enough space to do what you needed there. You actually have a lot of money saved up, especially all the money you kept after your grandparents passed away. You being there only grandchild and actually giving a shit about them when they were alive gave you this perk.

It also didn’t matter where the cabin was or what it looked like. You only took it because it was less then five miles from Jimin’s cave, and cheap as fuck. You weren’t going to be spending much time in it, anyway.

Now, here you are, in the lap of a cave dweller that’s dick is as hard as a rock again from just kissing. You both have been in this position a lot since your first kiss. Both of you wanting to be consumed by each other in every way possible, and Jimin being surprised every time you let it happen. You’ve been taking the lead every time, which you didn’t care nor worry about, but this time it was Jimin who started the ritual of you two kissing.

All it took was you wiping some water after a drink from your flask off of your mouth, and his eyes were zeroed in on your movements. His own mouth watering when he watched you lick the corner of your mouth.

With a hesitating and stuttering, “C-can I kiss you?”

Skip to a couple minutes later, and now you’re straddling his legs, with his arms hesitantly wrapped around your back. Kissing like it’s both of your first times again. Which, no more then a month ago, it was Jimin’s first. That’s why you haven’t pushed him to far. Not wanting to overwhelm or push him to far off the ledge of his innocence.

But now you’re all for corruption at this point. It’s been so long since someone wanted you like this. Even if he was a cave monster, you want him just as much as he does you. Him asking for the kiss is all you needed to know he wanted you, not to mention the reactions he gives every time you still brush hands. But this was different. It wasn’t just his touch starved brain wanting you, he actually wanted you!

So now, your hands are buried in his dark locks, and you’re slowly rocking your hips back and forth. Loving it every time Jimin moans into your mouth when you brush his hard cock through his jeans with your thighs. You’ve been itching to touch that part of him. To see what this cave dweller has inside his tight pants, but you’re not sure how he would react to it.

Kissing and gentle rubs through the pants are one thing, but actually touching him there is different. You’re not sure if he’s ready for it too, but your mouth still waters every time you think about how’d he react when your mouth surrounded him for the first time.

You moan into his mouth at the thought, Jimin stiffening underneath you at the sound. You rarely make any noises besides the sounds of heavy breathing. Hearing you actually moan is a whole different experience for Jimin’s ears. He wants you to make that sound again. He wants to make you feel good. As good as you do for him, and that noise was the first indication that he somehow did just that.

Slowly, he detaches your lips from his. Not moving to far away because he barely can contain himself if he does. You frown at him, not wanting to stop what you were once doing, but the way Jimin is nibbling on his lips right now you know he didn’t stop for no reason.

“Um… y/n,” He says your name like he already doesn’t have your full attention.

Your crock you head to the side, worried that you may have pushed Jimin to far with your own dirty thoughts somehow. “Everything okay, Jimin?”

While looking in between the two of you, he nods his head. His face is getting redder by the second, and you’re starting to really worry about what’s bothering him so much. Before your mind can drift to what it could be, Jimin finds the confidence to ask, “C-can I touch you?”

You raise an eyebrow at him, confused. “We’re already touching, silly.”

You pet the back of his head to emphasize your words, and Jimin’s arm hairs stand on end at the tentative caress. “That’s not what I-…“ He huffs out a breathe, letting out his frustration for not knowing the words he wants to say. So he tries one more time like you taught when you realized he had this problem, “I want to - to-…”

He hovers his hand in front of you. Gesturing all around your body and making you have to figure out what he wants. You’re a patient person. You also had a gift for figuring out riddles, so figuring out what Jimin wants with small hints is usually quite easy for you.

You look at his hands, how there hovering over every part of you. Then you look at his face, seeing the frustration in his eyes, but also the way he bites his bottom lip in concentration.

After a few more agonizing seconds tic by for Jimin, you figure out what he wants with a smirk. “Jimin… do you want to touch me here?” You take your own hand, placing it on your breast.

Jimin nods his head fast, biting his lip so hard he can taste metal. “Want to make you feel good too.”

You bite your own lip, feeling a blush come on by his words. He doesn’t even know how sexy it is to hear those words come from him. How dirty they sound.

“Alright, Jimin,” Is the last thing you say before you take one of his hovering hands in yours, and press it against your breast through your thin shirt. Jimin quietly gasps, looking at the area his hand is resting, wide eyed. You find him so adorable sometimes, but right now having him hold you like this is making your own neither regions clench.

You love feeling his hand on you like this, and so does he - Clearly. Jimin starts by experimentally groping you breast, feeling you squirm a little on top of him. He glances up at you and sees the slight blush on your checks. He knows that’s how he gets when you touch a certain part of him he likes, so you must be feeling the same. It’s when his thumb caresses a bump peaking out from under your shirt, that he hears it again.

You moan into the quiet cave when his thumb rubs over your nipple. Not wearing a bra today was a good call because having him touch you like this is feeling amazing! Jimin then feels enough confidence to grab onto your other breasts, both of his thumbs rubbing your buds through your shirt at the same time. You arch your back from the ecstasy inducing feeling his hands are giving you, pushing your breasts further into his hands as you do so. You can’t help yourself anymore…

You roughly smash your lips back together, gripping onto the back of his neck to push his lips further onto yours. You both moan into each other’s mouths at the same time. You doing so because Jimin now knows what you like up top, so he keeps rubbing at your nipples. Jimin moans because you’re now roughly grinding down on him, wanting to create an even higher amount of friction than before.

Before you entered his life, he never found the need to touch himself. When it did come, before you entered his life, he would just ignore it until it went away. The feeling and need to touch his cock and cum. That feelings has been slowly nibbling at his resolve lately. Eventually breaking completely and making him fist his cock in his hand one morning after you left the cave…. that was yesterday…. But the feeling is still there, now.

He wants to be as intimate with you as possible, and have you against him instead of in his head while he cums. Maybe that’s why he found the courage to ask you to kiss him this time. Knowing what the extent of his pleasure is making him want to find that extent with you too. Having that feeling now as your core grinds against his dick through your clothing.

Your not satisfied with just grinding, though. You can’t wait anymore. You want to touch him for real, and the way Jimin is moaning into your mouth right now you don’t think it will be to much. Even if it is, you know he will tell you. He’s promised you numerous times before, that he would tell you if the touching gets to be too much, so you’re trusting that he would tell you to stop if he’s gets to overwhelmed.

You detach your lips from his, giggling at his inpatient groan because of it, and back up in his lap. Jimin watches you curiously, already craving to feel you on top of him again but being a good boy by remaining patient. It’s when your hand starts to unbuckle his pants that his eyes blow out wide, though.

“Y/n, what are you… are you..?”

Jimin doesn’t need to finish his question, because he get his answer the second you pull down his pants just enough to release him from the confides of his tight pants. Jimin wants to be embarrassed that you’re seeing him so exposed like this, but once you grab ahold of him, he’s knocking his head back against the cave wall and moaning louder then he ever has before.

You slowly pump Jimin’s cock in your hand, not trying to move to fast or to slow. All the while kissing his now exposed neck. Just like you expected, Jimin is acting stir crazy at your touches.

The way your hand is moving on him, circling his tip every now and then with your thumb, has Jimin seeing stars. He knew you would be so much better at this then him. His hands were sloppy and unsure when he touched himself, but your hands are determined and experienced. Each pump of his cock feeling better than the last. 

He wonders how many other guys you’ve done this to - been with in this way - but he pushes that thought as far away from his brain as possible. Not like the tickling of jealous it gives him, and how can he think about anything else, but your hand right now?

Jimin’s eyes are screwed shut. His long nails are diggings into the hard sand, and his sharp teeth are on full display as he hisses through his pleasure. You love this side of Jimin. The part of him that can’t control himself when he feels so good. It’s truly any amazing sight, and when you look down at his leaking cock that’s close to combusting you’re mouth waters. Wanting to taste him and have him cum in your mouth before he does it your hand. Which, by the looks of it, seems like it’s going to happen in the next few seconds.

You slow your hands movements down, moving your face closer to Jimin’s. When he looks back at you, finally opening his eyes, he almost cums right then and there. Seeing that look in your eyes does things to him. More than your little touches, and more then hearing you say his name in normal conversation. You’re just so pretty in his eyes, and the way you’re making him feel right now has him putty in your hands.

“Can I taste you, Jimin?“

It takes him a few seconds to understand what you mean, his inexperienced and oversensitive mind right now clouding his thinking, but once he watches you lick your lips his eyes widen even more. He never even thought about that before - what it would be like to have your mouth on him. His one other sexual experience with himself only had him imagining you touching him where you are now, so he’s not sure what it would feel like to have your wet... pretty... mouth surrounding him...

He makes a noise that sounds animalistic, but instead of shying away from it you start up stroking him again. Jimin flutters his eyes closed, trying to form words to your question but unable to because your hand just feels so good. Instead of saying anything, he just nods his head and then hangs it. Curious as to what it would feel like, and by the way your eyes light up when he agrees makes him think it’s anything but bad.

You bend your body over, your mouth centimeters from the tip of him. With one last look up at him, you take the tip of him in his mouth. The same animalistic noise is heard from Jimin again, but this time it sounds more monstrous. More beastly. Like you’re grinding down his control with your mouth alone. You don’t want him to keep his control, not while your mouth is on him.

So, you swallow him whole. Hearing a high pitched screech from above you as you do so. You know it could be considered a little mean to overwhelm him like this, but he did agree to it and there was no way he wouldn’t enjoy it.

Just like Jimin thought, it felt anything but bad. Feeling your wet mouth on him now is having him see stars again, but at the same time it makes his ears blow out. Only hearing white noise as your mouth slowly starts bobbing up and down on his length. It’s overwhelming, but in no way is Jimin going to stop you. It’s not like that. He wants this. He wants you.

You continue to bob your head on him slowly, enjoying the salty taste of his pre-cum on your tongue and hearing the moaning from above you. The vibrations of your own moan virberates across Jimin’s whole body. He’s feeling blood in his hands now because what was once filled with sand now it’s crushed in his palms, and making his nails hit his skin. There’s no pain to it, and truthfully he barely feels it. How can he feel anything else, but your mouth on him in this moment? Surrounding him fully, and making his mind feel cloudy with pleasure. 

The wetness of your mouth is making him slick, so you pick up speed especially when he starts to grow larger in your mouth. He was already close from your touches before, and your mouth now has him... has him...

Jimin feels it in his spine first. The feeling of pressure building and wanting to release all at once. He tries to warn you. Not knowing that you would secretly love to have him cum down your throat, but he also doesn’t have the capability to form words at this moment. So, he does the first thing he can think of when he starts to cum. He pulls you by your hair straight off of him. Cumming all over himself and keeping you as far away from the mess as possible. Not wanting to dirty you with his seed.

Jimin’s seeing fucking galaxies now as he cums. Still feeling your mouths essence on him like a ghost, and spurt after spurt is the result of that. It takes Jimin a good minute to finally stop cumming and come down from his high, but when he does he looks at you with an overall fucked out lock. He realizes then that he’s still holding onto your hair, and lets go of it. Combing his fingers through your hair next because he just can’t help himself. You’re all he sees and all he feels. You’re all he ever sees and ever feels, but right now it’s times a hundred!

You smile at your work, seeing Jimin look so out of breath and dizzy from pleasure, and giggle when Jimin’s sweaty fingers try to pet your hair back to normal. The pull of your hair was surprising, but it did send a thrill through you. A thrill that went right to your core and made your body heat up like furnace. You wondered what Jimin would say if you asked him to recuperate this pleasure for you, but you wiped that though away as soon as it formed. Looking at him now, he looks beyond exhausted and you think only one new feeling is enough for him today.

You gently put him back in his pants, then settle yourself in his lap again - making sure not to sit on his slowly declining length in his pants. You wrap your arms around his neck, and are elated to feel Jimin wrap his arms around your waist lazily. Jimin looks close to passing out, so you kiss him on the nose to spark some energy back into him.

“Did that feel good, baby?”

He hums at the nickname, smiling up at you. “So good… Sorry I pulled your hair.” He winces. “I just couldn’t tell you what was coming.”

You smile down at Jimin, happy that he cares enough about you to apologize for his roughness, but you also can’t help your chuckle that bubbles out of your chest. “It’s okay, Jimin.” You peck him on the lips. “Just next time, let it come.”

You wink at him, and watch him process your words.

Let it come…. Next time…

Jimin is once again staring at you wide eyed, and you’re laughing up a storm in his lap. Finding his innocence so adorable even after you just rocked his world with you hands and mouth.

Your little monster is in for a treat with you, and you can’t wait to teach him your other dirty tricks.

-

-

-

The End

[lilian-adamson]

A Question ; Tepin & Lilian

TIMING: Some time ago, around Root 666 potw LOCATION: Champlain Falls  PARTIES: @lilian-adamson &  @cattale​ SUMMARY:  Lilian and Tepin meet at Champlain Falls and have a pleasant conversation.  CONTENT WARNING: Parental Death Tw 

Lilian had a habit of exploring the wider town area, even if it really wasn’t in her best interest. For as small of a town it was, there seemed to be ghosts everywhere, but Lil didn’t really want to think why that was likely.  Still, being stuck to the town meant that she had a habit of wanting to explore it, even the haunted places. She couldn’t just pick up her messenger bag and run anymore after all, so this was the best compromise she could come up with even if she had to be careful. So she decided that she’d finally go to Champlain Falls, even if the weather was cold. It had struck her looking at the map that it would be pretty, and hopefully quiet for her day off. She probably wouldn’t be able to read there this time, but she could at least walk it. 

Lilian was surprised to see someone else there thinking that the area would be abandoned at this time of the year, although it was likely that the same impulse that had moved her here the other was experiencing. She hadn’t meant to catch her attention, but with a sheepish smile Lil waved and said, “Sorry, I hope I didn’t spook you. Didn’t think anyone would be out here today.”

In all the chaos and confusion of her very existence, Tepin often finds solace and sanctuary in Champlain Falls. It’s still a very risky and dangerous venture, though, every time she visits the place, considering it’s a common site for hikers and picnickers when she still can’t control her transformations, but sometimes, it’s a risk worth taking. Maybe the jaguar wouldn’t do anything terrible and instead just take a much-needed refreshing bath. If it were Tepin, she would. Wait, it’s just me… She heaved a sigh at that thought, facepalming in her head while she continued to just sit there and try to meditate. She wasn’t even sure she’s doing the right pose, only learning from what she’s seen on her crappy television, a relic of the past, but it keeps her calm and collected.

Sensing someone's approach, she quickly took a defensive stance, immediately rising from where she sat cross-legged, her eyes on whatever had found her, her arms ready to swing, though her feet were ready to run. When she realized it was just another person, most likely a tourist or someone who needed the momentary peace, she heaved another sigh, this time of relief. “O-oh, it’s fine… I was just… Uhm, I was just enjoying the scenery.” She offered her a warm smile, but then felt something was…strange about this other person. Has she seen her somewhere? Tepin could swear that face was famous…for something. “I’m sorry, this is probably weird but… Have we met? You look familiar… Like I’ve seen your face somewhere…”

Lilian saw her startle and, for a moment and backed up a step, not wanting to encroach on a space that wasn't hers. Still, she moved back so quickly that Lil figured it wasn't anger – maybe something more akin to fear than anything. So, she stayed, hoping her face didn't convey anything but calm, knowing what it was to be reactive. "It is pretty," she said softly, giving Tepin a smile and looking out to the water for a moment.

She hadn't noticed who the other was before, but Lil could pick that she must have been at the market. She wasn't sure why, but her face was familiar to know. It was hard to be in a town where she'd seen a lot of people, and none of them particularly well – but that came with the territory in a lot of ways. At the question, Lil chuckled slightly, "I was just thinking about that – you work at the market, right? I'm sorry, I don't know if I ever caught your name before. I'm Lil Adamson, and I'm sure you saw me around there."

Tepin could only awkwardly nod at the stranger’s description, stealing glimpses of her just in case, even as she turned to look out into the water, following her suit. When she introduced herself, Tepin’s eyes grew wide in surprise, a dab of delight in them. What was once a source of fear and uneasiness for her now became a much-needed beacon of familiarity. Ever since she moved to White Crest, she’s kept to herself, only really reaching out to potential customers and clients, so she can survive. She has barely left the Outskirts, caging herself within its borders to protect not only the people elsewhere, especially the townsfolk, but mostly the scared little girl within her, still guilt-ridden over the many “accidents” that she could not prevent.

“Lil Adamson?” Tepin wasn’t quite sure if that was it, or at least if that was only it, feeling like there was more to her than just another customer of the Night Market, but relented when she could not think of other possibilities. The balam was quite sure she had seen her elsewhere. Like on a poster or something. But for now, that seemed the only accepted explanation. “Oh yeah, that’s probably it… I’m Tepin Silva, by the way. I own the Fresh Greens stall at the Night Market.” She hesitantly extended a hand to shake but kept a warm smile on her face as she slowly approached her, chuckling somewhat nervously. “Are you sure you’re not a celebrity? I think I’ve seen you on a poster or something.”

Lil didn’t know what changed with the other really, but suddenly she seemed a bit less nervous around Lil. It made her feel a bit better, as she wasn’t very good at the whole calm presence thing. It was something that her Aunt June had, but Lil wasn’t really sure she was soothing in the same way. She was trying though. She wanted to be a pillar of White Crest and reliable, but there was always that urge to run. 

“Yes - Oh. Tepin yeah you have the catnip right?” Lil said with a warm smile glad that she had placed the other as well. The town certainly wasn’t huge, but it wasn’t small either. There were plenty of folks she wouldn’t run into, but Tepin did seem to be a fixture at the market.  When she extended her hand, Lil took it and shook it lightly. At the question Lil snorted slightly, “No - I don’t think so at least. I don’t think I’m a celebrity.” Which was true enough. Lil was perhaps infamous in some circles, and not exactly hidden as an exorcist around here, but most people never needed one and would rather not think of exorcisms at all.  Lil continued trying to find where Tepin might have known her, “ I work at Dell’s Tavern in the town, but if it’s Adamson that you’re honing in on you may have known my Aunt June.” 

Tepin continued to be delighted with this…Lil Adamson, appreciating her memory of her stall. Sure, there weren’t a lot of stalls at the Night Market that sold catnip, and advertised it like Tepin did, but it was still a feat she thought was worthy of her most genuine admiration. “Yes, the catnip! You’ve bought our catnip? How did your cat like it?” The answer was obvious, mostly because the purpose of catnip, its effects on cats, were widely known, but she wanted to hear it first from the woman’s mouth.

“Dell’s Tavern…” She repeated the name of the establishment, as if committing it to memory. When the handshake ended, she turned to Lil, and with the sweetest smile she could muster, as a makeshift apology, admitted the truth. “...I don’t think I’ve ever been there before, but to be fair, I usually just stay here in the Outskirts, so I’m not as knowledgeable of the popular spots in town.” The name she mentioned next wasn’t as familiar to Tepin as well. She couldn’t even put a face to it. “Hmm, maybe… I just can’t remember at the moment. Does she also work at the Tavern?”

Lil felt that the conversation was going as normally as she would expected, which made it a bit calmer. She hadn’t spooked the other, and while she wasn’t exactly a born conversationalist it was something she’d been trying to actively work on. “I did. I got it for some of my neighbors for christmas time because they have a few cats. It was a big stand out in the gift, and they talked about it a lot. I’m sure you’ll get some new customers when they run out” While Lil loved cats, she’d never really been in a stable position  where she lived and well she couldn’t make a cat just stay in a car all day.  She supposed now she was in a position to finally get one, but with the long hours she wasn’t sure. 

Lil laughed slightly not out of anything mean or rude but to try and make Tepin feel a bit better. “Don’t worry about it. Although I work there I probably wouldn’t know where it was if I didn’t. And Aunt June didn’t work there, but I think she used to put flyers around the town for her house as a side business. She had a bed and breakfast for a few years, and I see the posters from time to time. I don’t really have the heart to take them down. ” Lil had been told that she looked like her aunt, but she hadn’t really connected it. Further, the posters were sort of a front for people who needed exorcist help. June found it was easier for people to point out a poster then just explain where the house was.  

“Aww, I’m so glad they liked it!” Tepin beamed with giddiness at the notion that her small contribution seemed to have great effect on others. As much as her livelihood earned her some much needed money for her own survival, it meant more to her that she could help others with what little she could provide. Running away from home at a young age, to save her family from herself, from the jaguar spirit that took over whenever it wanted to, that she could not control, left her with little to no other options really. 

She knew her limits, and as much as the fact saddened her, it did allow her a manageable grasp on her reality. She had so many weaknesses but she also had strengths, and one of them was gardening, the things she learned from her mother, the things passed on from one generation to the next. Even beyond the world of the living, her ancestors were still helping her. Tepin believed that to be true. “Thank you so much for sharing them! I don’t think I can thank you enough, Lil.”

“Oh. A bed and breakfast?” Tepin tried her best to remember anything about an Aunt June or a bed and breakfast, but nothing came out of it, nothing useful. At that, she couldn’t help but look a little bit disappointed. She was so sure she’d seen her face before, somewhere, but her mind wasn’t being helpful, just blanking when she needed it the most. “That sounds…fun! I bet she’s a great cook?” Her heart softened some more, if it hadn’t already, at the way Lil was talking about her Aunt June. It made her miss her own family, her parents the most. She wondered if they were doing great right now, how they were, if anything had changed. “Your aunt must be a wonderful woman…”

“I am too.” Lil said with an easy smile. Lil had been trying to make friends with her neighbors, which hadn’t been as hard as she had worried about. It seemed there was a lot of good will for her aunt, but Lil had wanted them to know her. It seemed like a small thing, but when you were used to having people around you it was an important one. 

“No problem at all,” Lil said sheepishly. It didn’t seem a lot to her, but then again it was one of those things that other people might not find important but it was to yourself. Especially if Tepin was new, and the tree was affecting her farm it might be super important. So nodded slightly after and said, “I’ll be sure to visit again. I’m thinking of getting a cat soon although I have no promises when.” 

Lil nodded slightly, and realized that she probably didn’t know. It had been worth a shot at the least, and Lil did like talking to people who’d met June. She’d known her aunt well, but it was always nice. She’d loved it when Bobbi told her a snippet here and there. “She was a good cook and she was a wonderful woman.” Lil hadn’t realized until she had responded that the other thought June was alive, but there bits like that she couldn’t control. “Ah - that’s probably the only other reason I think you might have seen me before or knew the name.” Well, unless she needed an exorcist, but it seemed pretty unlikely. 

“Aww!” Tepin couldn’t help but feel all warm and tingly inside, maybe even giddy, at the thought of her newfound friend getting a cat. Tepin loved cats. Well, most of them. She definitely loved domesticated house cats more than she did big cats, wild cats. It’s hard to, especially when you have a wild and murderous jaguar spirit living inside you. Maybe one day, when she finally finds a way to cure herself of it, maybe she can learn to love all cats regardless of size and eating habits. “What kind of cat are you thinking of getting?” 

“Tell you what, I’ll even give you a discount on your first purchase. Think of it as a gift from me to your new friend!” A part of Tepin wanted to just give that gift for free, but the way things were going in the Outskirts, she realized she couldn’t afford to do that. She has no other source of income outside of her business. She was lucky she still had a few stuff saved. Otherwise, this whole roots situation would’ve been reason for her to finally move out and find someplace safer.

It took Tepin a while but when she finally realized that Lil’s Aunt June was gone, her wide smile slowly ceased to be, turning instead into a horrified frown. “O-oh… I’m sorry. I didn’t know…” That didn’t make it any better, though, and Tepin felt a little worse for not being as careful as she should have been. “I’ve…only been around for, like, three years, and I’ve mostly just stayed out here, in the Outskirts, so I don’t really know much about the people in town. Or the town itself.” She tried to smooth it over with a chuckle but it came out weird and very awkward. “I’m sure, wherever she is, she’s in a better place, watching over you…”

Lil smiled at her enthusiasm. She hadn’t really talked to anyone on the idea of getting a cat, and she was sure that it was out of character. She usually was ready to leave at a moment’s notice, not something you could do with a tiny friend to take care of. However, she wasn’t going to be moving anymore, and if she was honest it was lonely being in as big of a house she was in without anyone around. However with her odd hours, and random visitors she doubted she could get a roommate to put up with all of it. So a cat sounded like a good idea. “I hadn’t really thought about what kind of cat, but maybe a black cat. A big poofy one.” Lil said her hands showed an exaggerated shape. 

“Thank you,” Lil said with a smile and laugh. “I’ll be sure to come with them when I get one. Well if they like being on a leash I guess.” She knew it was a bit abnormal, but she’d heard of people being able to get cats on leashes. Maybe then if she had to go on a trip they could come with Lil. 

At the other’s realization Lil shook her head slightly. “It’s okay. I got a bad habit of talking about her like she’s still around. It’s pretty natural to get confused.” It was true enough, and she should have been more careful about it. Tepin seemed to want to make Lil feel better though so she gave her a small smile. “I’m sure she is. No worries at all. Although if you ever need a guide post the old orange house was hers - I guess it’s mine now. It’s on peaberry road if you ever venture further in. Do you live around here then?” 

“Aww!” Tepin repeated herself, a hand finding its way on her chest, as if her heart was actually swelling too big for her chest. In her head, she was already imagining how big and poofy that black cat would be. She had spent so many nights watching cat videos on her phone, the gadget a gift from one of her frequent customers, and they always made her smile. She knew in her heart of hearts it would make Lil smile as well, especially when the cat was real and not in a video. “Do you already have a name for her? She already sounds so wonderful!”

The balam shook her head, a grin on her face too warm and excited. “No, thank you! I love cats, so that would be a treat for me.” The mention of a leash, however, slowly chased off her smile, a frown replacing it. For a few moments, Tepin lost herself in her deeper, darker thoughts, remembering a bad memory involving a similar bind, though she was already in it when she came to. Whatever happened to the jaguar, it was bad. Fortunately for her, someone came to her rescue. A lot of someones. Men trained to deal with her captor who was revealed to have committed some crimes of her own.

Tepin snapped back to her present reality soon enough but all she could muster then was a weaker, meeker smile. She nodded in agreement to Lil’s succeeding statements, clearly out of it. “P-peaberry road? I don’t think I’m familiar, but I’ll keep that in mind. Y-yeah, I live out here. In the Outskirts. In a cabin.” She made a face, wincing, a little bit embarrassed at the idea that she may find her even more odd with that revelation, especially after spacing out that long. “It’s not… I’m not… I got it from a friend…who died, so… It’s… I’m normal.”

“Not yet, I don’t think I’d change her name if she had one already. If I get a kitten though I’ve always liked the name Rowan and I think it would work well,” Lil said with a small smile. It was nice to see someone else excitable, it wasn’t something Lil came across a lot - well maybe Bobbi, but her excitement was usually a bit different. Most of the time Lil wasn’t usually the bearer of good news, or even okay news so it was pretty rare to see someone being genuinely happy around her. For a moment she caught a look in the other - that she had said something off, but she wasn’t sure what for. Lil might have asked, tried to correct it but well Tepin had moved on. It wasn’t for her to pry, so she left it alone.

“ Right next to the movie theater if you like location based marks better,” Lil nodded at the idea and said, “Oh that would make sense with your business. I mean - well that’s kind of how I got my house too, just with my aunt.” Lil said with a chuckle and small smile trying to calm the other even a little. “I don’t think it’s that uncommon to live in a cabin, especially up here. It’s really pretty out here, I doubt most people would mind having some of that peace. You probably don’t have to worry about the neighborhood kid’s balls ending up in your yard at the very least.”

Somewhere in the distance, someone had stepped on some twigs. Tepin zeroed in on that for a bit, not unlike a kitty cat that just realized another presence was nearby. Fortunately, it did not last long, as whoever that was, they seemed to not be heading in their direction. She heaved a sigh of relief before realizing Lil probably thought her a weirdo now. The balam tried her best to bounce back, to seem a normal, totally not weird, human. “Did you know cats’ collar bones don’t connect to their other bones because these bones are buried in their shoulder muscles?”

Her feet scrunched the gravel as she steadied herself, awkwardly, caught embarrassed by her sudden shift in attention. “Rowan’s a nice name. Like the tree.” Tepin looked to the ground, feigning a cough. Her heart was beginning to pound in her chest, her lungs felt as if they could burst any second now, not unlike when she’d randomly wake up in these woods, heaving breath after breath of the cold night air, uncertain how she got where was. “I knew a Rowan once. He had a great set of abs.” Chuckling, she tucked a stray strand of her own hair behind an ear, as her eyes fixed on Lil in front of her.

“Oh, right,” she grimaced at the thought of having reminded Lil her loss. Definitely not something Tepin intended to do. Or would ever intend to do. “Sorry about your aunt.” Above them, and away in the deep forests that haunted this part of town, things whooped and buzzed, nature signaling that it was always watching, a living, breathing babysitter on a good day or a perverted monster just like a few days ago. “Yeah, it has its moments… I don’t have problems handling balls, though. I’m sure you don’t either.”

  Lil noticed the shift in attention slightly wondering if the other was waiting on someone, and if perhaps she’d taken too much time from the other. It was something she was still getting used too, being cognizant of others' time but not worrying if she was taking to much.  She almost said something and asked if she was waiting on someone when Tepin gave her a fact and - there was something that reminded her of herself. Without a thought she smiled and said, “I didn’t actually. I guess that makes sense, they are pretty strong.” 

Lil nodded a little. Her mom had a habit of naming her children with a plant name, either the middle or first with the exception of - well they already had a name. It also probably wasn’t a light topic to bring up either. Lil laughed and said, “That’s good for him. I’ve never met a Rowan, well I guess until I get the cat.” 

“No worries,” Lil said with a soft smile. “There’s no reason to be sorry either.” She meant it, but she couldn’t really convey why. Lil’s life was full of death, literally. She was never under the impression that her Aunt wouldn’t die one day, and she had just been grateful it had been peaceful - more peaceful than most in her family. It was sad to be alone, and most people wouldn’t have seen it as a miracle for her to have lived just to her fifties but Lilian had. Still, that would be more questions and sympathy then Lil really wanted to get into. After all, as similar as she thought her and Tepin might be, she wasn’t like Lil. 

Lil laughed at the comment, and for a while the two talked a bit, but Lil couldn’t help but think the other might have someone she was waiting on. Therefore after a bit, Lil gave a smile and said goodbye hoping that she would see the other around. Maybe she could make a new friend. 

[harpsicalbiobug]

We got married!

Highlights of the day:

We woke up to mountain chickadees and nuthatches outside our window making contact calls.

I made my flower hat in the car while my sister in law drove me to the hair appointment.

I had to use a spatula to put on my corset.

My family kept trying to Be Hosts at the photographer who had to keep declining food, coffee, tea, wouldn't you like some hummus? Some grapes? Tea?

Killian got drenched in kombucha when the keg expose exploded in his face (he was fine, it was fine, it's a story now) and the yellow-jackets were obsessed with him for the rest of the day.

Our friend who performed the ceremony was struggling with how to tie the handfasting, so I ended up tying him and Killian together to demonstrate.

I forgot my fancy wedding shoes so I got married in my Teva sandals. I'm happy about that.

A bunch of mule deer spooked in the meadow behind us just as our friend hit the, "please take a moment to appreciate the nature around us," part of the ceremony.

I couldn't actually make eye contact with Killian for most of the ceremony because that made him instantly start crying. Talked with friends later and found that this is pretty typical so you spend a lot of time looking at shoes and hands and trees.

People brought lots of home cooked food to the potluck but I didn't get to try any because it was so good it was immediately eaten. (It's ok, we had other food.)

We shared our cake with the yellow-jackets and bees.

I almost drank a wasp.

But! No one freaked out about the wasps or the pit toilets or the well water pump.

Colorado is sensible in that you can self solemnize with your partner and witnesses are optional, so one of our witnesses is the ponderosa pine we got married under. The signature is just a stamp made by covering a pine needle in ink.

My sibling and my dad and my brother in law made speeches that made everyone cry.

Lots of hikers complimented us and we saw a lot of cute dogs on the trail as we were being photographed.

The reception was just a joy I don't have any funny anecdotes, we just felt really loved and I got invited to help with field biology again lol.

My friend who worked on a garlic farm gave me a head of garlic as a wedding gift and I'm going to plant the cloves in our garden.

We received this wedding card from a five year old:

Anyway, we did it! We're happy and tired and liminally legally married after 11 years (gotta drop off the license)!

[fanficshiddles]

Horned Shadow, One shot

Summary: I had a dream and wanted to write it down, and add more to it. Harley is out camping in the woods and starts getting spooked at some unsavoury sounds and sights… Just a little spooky one shot. Well, I don’t know if it’s even THAT spooky or not really. Lol!

- Harley was so pleased to be at her favourite secluded spot, camping. She was in the middle of the woods, next to a lake. With no one else around for miles and miles, simply perfect.

It was nice to get away from everything for a few days.

She had set up her tent, a small camp fire and was ready to relax for a few days. She had a cooler with enough food and she planned to do a bit of fishing in the lake. But of course, she had extra supplies just in-case the fish weren’t co-operating with her this weekend.

After having some dinner, she went for an evening walk in the moonlight. But she made sure not to venture too far from camp, just in-case. When she returned, she just got straight into her tent and got comfy for the night.

It was the middle of the night and she woke up with a start when she heard movement outside her tent. Twigs snapping and leaves shuffling. Her heart started racing as she could then hear footsteps wandering around her camp. And a large, dark, shadow fell over her tent with visible horns.

Curling up into her sleeping bag she closed her eyes tightly and tried to imagine she was somewhere else. Or maybe she was just dreaming? Yeah, sure that’s what it was. She couldn’t hear any more movement after a short while, but she wasn’t sure if that was just because all she could hear was her heart pounding against her chest.

Being brave, she opened her eyes. The light from her campfire was still on, but she couldn’t see any shadows now. No new ones, anyway. The trees did cast shadows over her, but that was all there was now.

It was safe to say she barely got any sleep that night, every little noise made her jump. She kept thinking about the dark shadow with horns, what kind of animal was that?

As soon as light came in the next morning, she rushed out of her tent and ran to pee behind a bush. Her toilet spot. She had been bursting, but was no way leaving her tent till it was light.

Looking around her camp, it didn’t look like anyone had been here. There were no footprints in the mud and leaves, apart from her own. Her campfire was untouched and her seat that she had made out of logs was still as it was, too.

It was ridiculous, she had been here before and there was nothing to worry about then. She had a great time. But as the hours passed by, she found she couldn’t relax. Even in the daylight. So she decided she would just pack up and go home.

But when she returned to her car, she was horrified to find all four tyres were flat. So flat, not even enough to slowly get her to the nearest garage. Which was about twenty miles away. When she gave them a ring, they couldn’t get out to her until tomorrow. No one could till tomorrow, even her breakdown insurance.

‘You’ve got to be kidding me?’ She sighed and leaned back against her car.

Now she had a big dilemma, she couldn’t get out of the woods as she was too far in to walk anywhere. So she knew she was going to need to camp out for the night again. The thought made her stomach churn nervously.

She had a few options, she could’ve slept in her car. But it was a small car and she knew she would be more comfortable in her tent. Plus anyone could look in the windows, at least the tent was covered. Another option was set the tent up next to the car, but she wouldn’t have a water source close by, and making a fire here was a bit riskier.

So really, she knew the best option was to go back to her camping spot. By the lake.

Putting on her brave girl pants, she started the walk back there.

When she returned, she was relieved to see the fire was still going slightly. So she got it going again properly before setting up her tent once again, which didn’t take that long as she was a pro by now.

Harley kept her mind busy by fishing for most of the afternoon, she got a catch which she was pleased with. After eating a good meal, she got herself ready for bed. It was really early still, but she wanted to be in her tent safely before it started to get dark.

Her nerves were completely shot after last night.

After settling in for the night, reading a book with her torch, she was almost dozing off when she heard a loud snapping noise. But it didn’t sound like it was just a twig or stick snapping, it sounded like a full-sized tree!

Freezing, her ears were on high alert as she tried to listen for any other noises. But there was nothing…

‘It’s just animals, calm down.’ She said to herself, though her voice was really shaky.

She wasn’t able to sleep after that, so decided to keep reading to try and pass the time. The sooner the night was over with, the sooner she would get her car sorted and get home.

But soon, the sound of heavy footsteps could be heard slowly making their way towards her tent again. Her whole body started shaking, she looked at the side of her tent where the fire was, she could see the light from it.

Then, like last night, a large shadow over came her tent. Still with horns. For a moment, she just kept still and stared wide eyed at the shadow. But then the whole tent started shaking violently, making her scream and close her eyes as she tucked herself in.

The sound of her tent shaking slowly subsided, she was breathing hard as she boldly looked up. But there was no sign of anything, though what was worse, her fire had gone out as there was no light at all coming from outside now.

‘Get a grip, Harley. This is ridiculous! Surely just come kids messing around.’ She huffed at herself and got out of her sleeping bag. She pulled on her boots and, with a lot of hesitation, opened the zip of the tent and stepped outside.

But weirdly, the fire was still going bright.

‘Odd.’ She frowned and looked around, she could see a good distance around her because of the light from the fire. But she couldn’t see anything. It must be her mind playing tricks on her, seeing things that weren’t there…

Taking a few deep breaths, she sat on her log and poked at the fire a few times, making sure it would keep going.

But she jumped out of her skin when she heard a deep, low chuckle from behind her. Turning around quickly, she scanned the area but there was no sign of anyone. Was her mind just playing tricks on her again?

When Harley turned back to the fire, she screamed as she saw someone crouching down at the other side of it. Through the flames she saw piercing green eyes staring back at her. He had shoulder length black hair and pale skin… But he was wearing a helmet with large golden horns!

Before she could even think about getting up and running, he stood up straight, towering over her completely. The fire suddenly died out, and that’s when he lunged straight for her.

Crows from high up in the trees above Harley’s camp started cawing and flew up into the night sky, scattering from the scene.

Three days later, two hikers came across Harley’s abandoned car in the woods. The owner of the car nowhere to be seen.

[semper-legens]

13. Fragments of Horror, by Junji Ito

Owned: Yes Page count: 222 My summary: A woman obsessed with an old house drives it to madness. A family summon the spirits of the dead. A blackbird feeds mystery meat to a trapped hiker. Such are the twisted tales that flow from master of horror Junji Ito’s pen, and into this book. My rating: 4/5  

Ah, Junji Ito. Surely the world’s greatest creator of Fucked Up Little Men/Women Who Do A Spook. I greatly enjoy Junji Ito’s work, and this collection is no exception. Don’t get me wrong, this also isn’t my favourite of his work (that’s Uzumaki, because I am basic) but it’s an enjoyable enough collection that showcases his work well, and covers a range of ideas.

As ever with short story collections, I’m only gonna talk about a few that jumped out at me.

Gentle Goodbye is my favourite of this lot - I find myself drawn to these quieter, more melancholic stories than the straight-up horror, I don’t know why. A family has a ritual performed after the death of a family member wherein they summon that person’s spirit, referred to as an afterimage, which stays around for a few years so that the family can get closure. It’s a nice idea, and a bittersweet story. There’s no real horror; the main character realises she herself is an afterimage, and uses that knowledge to go and see her father for however long she has left. It’s very sweet and tender, and balances out the wackier, more horrific stories in this.

Blackbird is my favourite horror idea. A hiker who was lost in the wilderness was fed by a giant bird-woman - and it turns out she was feeding him his own flesh, which she brought back from the future after he was rescued, where he was dead. It’s weird to write it out like that, but it works well in the context of the story, as well as raising a lot of unanswered questions with the final twist, which is a Junji Ito staple. Plus, body horror. Body horror is cool.

Magami Nankuse is one I feel I should comment on because it features a transmisogynistic stereotype. The titular character is a writer who is obsessed with ‘tics’, quirky mannerisms that she gives her characters. Unfortunately, she is presented as being either a trans woman or a man in drag - the story never really distinguishes these things - and is the villain, portrayed in typical Junji Ito style in an exaggerated, grotesque manner. This story would have worked just fine without that element, and the idea of trans women being predatory, perverted (as the protagonist labels her), or otherwise grotesque is a harmful stereotype.

Whispering Woman was interesting - an indecisive girl’s father hires a nanny to help look after her and help her make decisions. She whispers in the girl’s ear, and allows her to live a basically normal life, even as her own life deteriorates. Eventually, she is killed by her abusive boyfriend, but the girl acts normally as though she is still whispering to her. It culminates in the girl murdering the boyfriend, arriving home covered in blood and brandishing a knife, saying the nanny told her to. It’s...odd? Raises a lot of questions about why the nanny didn’t make the kid kill her bf before she died, but still. The imagery is creepy enough, especially the dissonant serenity of the kid post-murder. Don’t try and solve mental health problems with ghosts, though. That’s just a bad idea.

Next up, a dip into YA dystopia...and a bland one, at that.

[thefloatingstone]

If you’re doing Self Quarintine (and you should be if you can help it) here’s some Youtube recommendations! Some of these I have posted about or recommended before but with almost all of us stuck indoors now’s a good time to remind you of some cool things you can watch for free!

I’m not gonna imbed the videos, I’ll just post the link because otherwise I would only able to post 5 and I want to collect a few so you can make a playlist or something. (I could make a playlist too but then I couldn’t tell you what each video is and you can’t pick and choose which one sounds interesting to you)

In no particular order:

Polybius: The video Game that doesn’t exist

An hour long documentary in which the youtuber did extensive research to find the origin of the “Polybius” Urban Legend, which speaks of an early arcade game reportedly seen around the early 1980s which reportedly gave people migraines, insomnia, nausea, subliminal messages, and in some cases heart attacks.

The Universal S

A shorter video in which LEMMiNO does his very best to try and track down where exactly this S that we all drew in middle school comes from? Why does literally every country on earth seem to HAVE their children draw this S?

I also recommend LEMMiNO’s video on the Dayltov Pass Incident and the perplexing UFO cases

Down the Rabbit Hole: Henry Darger

Fredrick Knudsen has an incredible fascinating series called “Down the Rabbit Hole” which simply focuses on... anything you can discover and go digging into. From weird internet personalities, to bizarre happenings in history. This video is about the artist Henry Darger, a man who lived in the early 1900s and for all intents and purposes had a perfectly average, lonely life, until it was discovered just before his death he had spent literally decades writing and drawing a fantasy world in what is possibly the longest piece of literature ever written.

I also recommend his video on the Hurdy Gurdy

Bedtime Stories Channel

I’m actually just gonna link the whole channel for “Bedtime Stories”. If you like weird and creepy stories, all of which at least claim to be “true” then Bedtime Stories is great. Coupled by illustrations and subtle sound effects, Bedtime Stories is literally listening to someone tell you a story about such things like hikers who mysteriously went missing, Sightings of Bog Men in Florida and giant Birds over Chernobyl, as well as weird and unsettling murders that remain unsolved. Sometimes the facts are a little dubious or have been disproved, but that’s not the point of the channel. It’s here to tell a creepy story, not give you a documentary.

A Journey Through Rule of Rose

Rule of Rose is a Survival Horror gave for the PS2 which has rather bad gameplay... but a FASCINATING story with just as many layers and symbolism as Silent Hill 2 could boast. It tells the story of one young woman traveling back into her own childhood in an orphanage in the 1930s, and all the horrors that contains. From repressed grief, abusive relationships, child neglect, abuse, and bullying... but it ALSO contains symbolism of societal class structure, politics, eating the rich, and how power structures work. Not for the faint of heart, but HIGHLY recommended.

I also super highly recommend his video on the similarities between Silent Hill 2 and Solaris

Clemps Reviews Crisis Core

Mr. Clemps is a great internet gamer who reviews JRPGs and other games he simply enjoys. Sprinkling in a heavy dose of comedy and very fast jokes and observations, Clemps’ videos are always upbeat, fun, and incredibly enjoyable to watch. I’m linking part 1 of his Crisis Core video in which he explains why the PSP game remains a personal favourite of his despite its flaws.

I also recommend his video on Eternal Sonata

Defunct TV: The History of Dragon Tales

Defunctland is a channel that deals with theme parks and theme park rides that are no longer standing, or which are no longer around in their current form. Defunctland also has a sub series though, called “Defunct TV” where they look at the origin of children’s TV which are no longer airing. I recommend the video on Dragon Tales which is incredibly wholesome, and a genuinely uplifting and soft story of good people trying to make good things for children. (I also recommend the videos on Bear in the Big Blue House, Zoboomafoo, and Legends of the Hidden Temple)

Hagan’s Histories of Polar Exploration

A Playlist for Diamanda Hagan’s videos about the doomed Franklin Expedition from the late 1800s, where England tried to find a passage through the Northern Arctic to the Pacific Ocean. This went horribly horribly wrong, with every member of the Expedition dead. Over a 100 years later we are still fuzzy on what EXACTLY happened, but apart from the arctic chill, there is also evidence of faulty canned food, a series of bad decisions, and cannibalism. Caution advised for this series.

I also recommend the rest of Diamanda Hagan’s channel. She is NOT for everyone, but if you enjoy somebody reviewing Z grade indie movies as well as just BIZARRE films, really bad Christian media bordering on Science Fiction (without making fun of religion itself) hot takes of classic (and modern) Dr. Who, an introduction to Red Dwarf, She’s an EXCELLENT channel to check out.

Good Bad or Bad Bad: Pass Thru

A half podcast half review show where two guys watch a terrible film, decide if it’s “Good” Bad or just Bad Bad and tell you if you should watch it too.

That’s it. That’s the whole show.

I recommend diving into the untold madness that is one of the best(?) bad film makers currently still producing batshit insane movies, the immortal Niel Breen.

There is literally nothing I can say that’ll prepare you for Niel Breen.

(I also recommend their more recent video for “Dancin’ It’s on!”)

History Buffs: Apollo 13

Do you like History? Do you like movies ABOUT History? Do you want to know if the movies about history you watch actually resemble what really happened in any way at all? History Buffs is an EXCELLENT channel, which does talk about the merit of a film itself, but is mainly focused on letting you know just how true to life that historical film you watch is. I highly recommend his longest video which covers the space race between the USA and the USSR, leading to what is known as “The most Successful Failure in NASA’s History”. The Infamous Apollo 13 and where the words “Houston, we have a problem” came from.

If you’re not interested in Apollo 13 however, I also recommend his video on the movie Casino, as well as his video on the female philosopher, Agora.

The Internet Historian: The Goodening of No Man’s Sky

With videos with literally MILLIONS of views, you probably already know the Internet Historian. But I still want to recommend him very highly because his videos are just THAT good and entertaining. I recommend his newest video, documenting that time we were all pissed off about No Man’s Sky, the difficulties the game studio was in when the game released, and how they have been working hard to finally create what is now a truly brilliant game which is winning major awards. A really good underdog story of how a video game company actually saw what was wrong with their game, and FIXED it.

I also recommend his video on Fallour 76 as well as the Failure of Dashcon

8 Creepy Video game mysteries

Hey. Did you know that sometimes there’s some REALLY weird shit in video games, hidden easter eggs which took literal decades to find as well as just a lot of “what the actual fuck?”. Oddheader is a channel with a dedicated discord and Reddit form solely focusing on trying to find or replicate bizarre video game finds, mysteries, and hidden glitches. Even if it means getting in his car and driving to a specific arcade just to check a rumour about Street Fighter II’s arcade version. So if you like getting spooked by weird game shit that’s not just some dumb creepypasta, this is a great place to start.

I also recommend his video on weird discoveries in DVDs and movies.

Red Letter Media: Best of the Worst

Look you already know who Red Letter Media is.

You know... these guys:

Here’s a video of them and Macaulay Culkin watching 3 terrible movies together.

I recommend literally any and all of their videos. Their discussion on Carpenter’s The Thing is amazing.

The Impact of Akira: The film that changed Everything

Ok trying to pick just ONE Super Eyepatch Wolf video is literal torture. Originally I was going to suggest his recent video on Final Fantasy 7 for the PSone but I realised I recommended something FF7 related with Clemps, so instead I will recommend The Impact of Akira, a video talking in depth about Akira both as a film as well as a manga, how it completely and utterly changed the anime industry both in Japan as well as the west, and why it is still a meaningful and one of the most important anime/manga even to this day, still being unsurpassed despite so much competition.

However, ALL of Wolf’s videos are incredible, so I also recommend his videos on wrestling (despite me not caring about wrestling at all), His video on how media scares us, The bizarre reality of modern Simpsons, Why the Dragon Ball Z manga is great, and literally any other video he’s made. He hasn’t made one bad video yet.

Was Oblivion as Good as I remember?

Exactly what it says on the tin. The Salt Factory goes back to playing The Elder Scrolls Oblivion and now with hindsight and modern sensibilities, gives feedback on his experience and whether Oblivion still holds up. This isn’t a super in depth review of the game’s mechanics or how its put together or how it was made. This is simply one guy talking about his experience replaying it with somejokes thrown in and how he felt revisiting it. It’s pretty good.

I also recommend the video he did on Morrowind (because I’m biased).

Weird Japan Only PS1 games

Thor High Heels is SO GOOD and deserves SO MUCH MORE subs than he currently has. THH focuses a lot of obscure and lesser known games as well as big popular titles like the Yakuza series, talking about what he likes about them, what he thinks is cool, and just what kind of atmosphere and mood a certain game has, even if the game itself is kind of ass. He’s done several videos on games that were only released in Japan, as well as videos talking about the fashion in Squaresoft games and how it inspired as well as was inspired by real world street fashion, the aesthetic of PC-98 games and other topics. He also styles his videos and thumbnails after promotional art for video games from the 90s and generally just has an excellent style to his channel over all. Very chill.

Blue Reflection Review

ValkyrieAurora is a channel run by Sophie where she talks about games she personally likes and enjoys. Her videos are really laid back and her voice is really calm and pleasant to listen to. She’s made a bit of a reputation for herself as “The channel that talks about the Atelier Games” and general is just a really enjoyable channel worth checking out if you just want something soothing to listen to.

Ancient Chinese Historians Describe Japan

Voices from the Past is a channel were historical text is read out loud in english. These can be anything like the above video where Chinese historians describe the people of Japan around 297 AD, Accounts of “Dog-Men”, or the worlds oldest letter of complaint from 1750 BC. If you’d like something interesting historically to listen to but don’t want a full blown history lesson, this is a really good way to hear contemporary people talk about their experiences and what they thought about each other in their own words, without opinions or input given by the narrator.

The Most Mysterious Song on the Internet

Whang! is a channel that covers weird internet stories, some horrifying, some curious and interesting, and some just plain weird. His video on The Most Mysterious Song on the Internet and its update, are about a song which was recorded off the radio in Germany around the 1980s, and after one person online asked if anyone knew who the artist was as they couldn’t find any information, led to the realization that NOBODY online knows where this song came from or who sang it. It’s a fun mystery to look into that, unlike some others on this list, is not creepy or unsettling, although perhaps a little frustrating.

I also recommend his video on The Most Mysterious Anime theme song, and the haunted Ebay Painting.

5 Lost, Destroyed, and Locked away Broadcasts

Yesterworld is similar to the Defunctland channel in that it talks about obsolete rides, theme parks and other forgotten pieces of entertainment. Although the majority of the channel focuses on movie rides, rollercoasters and Disneyland, I recommend the video on lost and locked away broadcasts which you can no longer see. I also recommend the video about Lost and Rediscovered movie props.

The Nightmare Artist

I talked about this one recently as I just discovered this channel. This video is about the renowned Polish artist Zdzislaw Beksinski who painted surreal and horrifying paintings during his lifetime. There is no mystery here or anything like that, it merely talks about the impact WWII left on Beksinski and how the trauma his country and people suffered influenced his painting, and how certain images and motifs can be seen to directly reference this terrible part of Poland’s history.

Disabilities in Prehistory

Modern media likes to portray how “savage” the ancient past is, and tell us stories of how any person born with a deformity or disability would be thrown over a cliff or dumped in a well because they would be too big a drain on a community to look after. But here’s the thing... according to archaeological evidence, it turns out our ancient ancestors actually did their best to look after its disabled members to the best of their abilities. This video talks about archaeological finds of people who had genetic disabilities and what we can learn from their remains. TREY the Explainer is a great channel for archaeology and also talking about what answers we could have for sightings of cryptids. (not ALL of which we have answers for)

I also recommend his video on Pre-Contact dogs as well as Homosexuality in Nature and the Genetic History of the Ainu.

Decoding “The Secret: A treasure Hunt”

“The Secret” was an art book released in the 80s full of beautiful paintings, but it is also more than that. The book has a fantasy story talking about 12 fantastical races who left wonderful treasures for humans to find,and the book’s paintings and riddles will tell you where you can find each of these treasures which are yours to keep if you can solve the puzzle... and the treasures are 100% true and can actualy be found and claimed, if you can solve the riddles in the book. The video tells the story of the artbook, who was behind it, what the treasures are, how many have been found and various other facts and details.

I also recommend the videos on this channel “The Game: A scavenger Hunt” and “The investigation of Erratas”.

5 Ancient Inventions That Were WAY Ahead Of Their Time

I would recommend you be careful with this channel as its main focus is existentialism and rather alarming topics such as “how close are we to the apocalypse” and other things whose titles alone are enough to upset me. However this video is nothing like that. This video is exactly what the title suggests it is. 5 ancient inventions that were so incredibly ahead of their time you’d think they were made up. From the computer used by ancient Greeks to steel swords we don’t know how to replicate, this video is a great mix of mystery and history.

Although I caution you with this channel, I recommend Joe’s other videos about mysterious books, as well as his video on the most inbred people in history.

However, I know I keep repeating this, I highly recommend caution with this channel. Perhaps its just me and the topics of life and existent are just triggering for me, but I’d recommend maybe just doing a search for the titles I mentioned and not to go searching through the video library unless you’re not bothered by this kind of thing.

-

Anyway I could keep going, but I think that’s a LARGE amount of videos to keep you occupied for the time being as well as some suggestions for further viewing.

Please enjoy, let me know if you found something interesting, and look after yourself!

If you enjoyed this list at all, please consider tipping me for a coffee

☕️ Ko-fi ☕️

[maple-writes]

[Image ID: Banner image reading: The City of Eventide, Chapter 28, Maple-writes. End ID]

Guess who finally finished the next chapter? This one took a lot longer than I thought it would oops

###

This was wrong, this was all wrong! I paced back and forth along the pebbly edge of a lake far enough out of the way for hikers to find me. Far enough I wouldn’t find them.

           Shaking hands ran through wet hair, claws digging into my scalp and brushing against dark horns. They should have gone, should have gone away by now. Why were they still there? Why were—

           I knew why. I knew why. I stopped beside the calm waters, doubling over around my aching chest. I knew what was going on. I knew. I knew and I’d ran away all the way up here and now… Now what? What was I supposed to do? My blood burned  through my system, fast and frantic with a beat that wouldn’t slow. It was over. Was this? I squeezed my eyes shut. Was this what Ember had felt? What Wendy?

           It didn’t matter! I threw my head back to the cloudless sky, chest heaving as I fought for air. Trees shifted all around me, tops swaying and creaking in a wind that sent shivers across my overheated skin.

           How far away was I really? I swallowed. hopefully far enough. Far enough out of the way that—

           What if Vena was right though? My eyes opened wide, watering in the light, burning in the sun. The game was up. There was no question what I was. And what really was there to leave behind?

           Fuck, fuck how nice would it be to just rest. My lungs burned, my heart faltered, my legs shook. What was stopping me? What was I doing this for if it would all go to shit either way?

           Striker would be so disappointed. So disappointed like so many times before. So many, so many, so many. Anger flared behind my bones. He’d neve, never be able to save me. He was wasting his time. He—

           I screamed, long, loud, to the cloudless sky. the empty blue, void of anything that could—

           What had Eventide ever done for me? I snarled, lurching forward on unsteady ground. What did I owe to this city anyway?

           Grasses and mosses died under my feet with every step. Beetles stopped crawling, curing in on themselves as they expired. I panted as I paused, jaw parted and hot saliva dripping from my mouth, down my chin and mixing with the blood dried on my face.

           Why shouldn’t I do what I was born to do? If I were born to kill, to tear, to destroy, to steal, why shouldn’t I? Why shouldn’t I destroy the place that held me back, that wouldn’t, where I couldn’t…

           Where I was nothing and always would be.

           It was like Vena said. I wasn’t getting anywhere. Not in 23 years. How dare anyone stop me.

           I flexed my claws, light vanishing between my fingers, leaving only shadows. Shade gathered around my legs, stolen from the sun before it could hit the earth. The wind blew browned needles from dead pines until they stood towering and bare. The lake vanished below the dead foliage choking its shores, broken only by the floating bodies of fish breaking the surface. Dark tails thrashed behind me, coarse and dark where light couldn’t pull way, couldn’t escape. My shoulders bunched up to my ears as every hair across my body bristled.

           Something moved behind me.

           I turned, a growl loud in my throat and eyes narrowed as Cirrus stepped out of the forest of lifeless trees.

           He froze where I met his stare. He stood. He stood. All the did was stare as my heart hit my ribs one, two, fifteen times in quick fast. Even from where he stood he was too much, soul trapped in too small a vessel, arching and writhing like violent solar flares held back by paper skin.

           All he did was stand there.

           I snarled, curling my claws at my sides, the shadows creeping higher, higher up my legs. “What do you want?” My shout echoed through the dead wood, loud like it all but tore through the pathetic wall of my chest. “Don’t you have a mother to let down again?”

           Cirrus flinched, face twisting a moment before taking a hesitant step forward. “Asher,” he spoke softly, like I was a goddamned animal. A spooked livestock to be calmed. “Asher it’s—”

           “What?” I bared teeth sharp and gagged like broken glass. “You better say it quickly before I rip your voice from your throat.”

           “Relax, relax Asher,” Cirrus took another step, then another, approaching with a wary eye. “Ginger said you got into a fight and didn’t come home and I…” He stopped only three arm lengths away, keeping his eyes low. “Are you okay?”

           What kind of? My tails lashed across the lifeless ground. Heat spread out from the base of my throat, hot and searing through my already overcooked heart. I clenched my jaw and looked my eyes but I…

           That was Cirrus. Cirrus. Pain wrapped tight around my ribs, choking in my neck. I told him. He knew he should never. He knew. My teeth jut through my cheeks, my gums. Blood seeped into my mouth. How dare he show up like this.

           Still he kept talking. “Ginger’s probably not far behind. Ember said over the phone this is where you two used to meet.” He swallowed. “Is that true?”

           “You told Ginger?” I spat blood to the ground, the rest oozing from the corners of my lips. “You bastard. You good for nothing piece of shit.” I paced back and forth, glaring hot and dark at Cirrus. “The hell you think you’re down here? Show up, showing, like I’d care what you had to say?”

           He opened his mouth and started to speak, but I cut him off. I wasn’t done.

           “You idiot. You worthless idiot.” A sharp toothed grin pulled at my mouth. “You’re nothing but a fool if you thought I’d ever love you. You wouldn’t believe how easy it was to trick you, trick you into thinking I gave a fuck about a worthless lowlife like you.”

           Cirrus didn’t seem to know what to say. He stood, staring, eyes furrowing and lips tightening. I stalked forward. The light vanished behind me, blanketing the dead grass in night. Cirrus didn’t move, didn’t back up, didn’t flee, he stood his ground as I came closer, closer, every step closer until we were nose to nose. My skin crawled this close to him, this close to the unrestrained power nestled between his lungs.

           “A-Asher what,” He choked on his words. “What are you doing?”

           “I told you not to follow me, didn’t I?”

           He yelped as I grabbed him by his shoulders and shoved him down. Before he could even try and get back up I was on top of him, my knee on his chest and my hand on his throat. My skin burned as his wild energy surged up through my arm.

           “Asher stop—”

           “I know why you came here, Cirrus.” I leaned in, teeth bared and blood mixed with saliva dripping from my open mouth onto his wrenching face. “You thought you’d be safe, didn’t you? You thought I’d care it was you, right?” I ghosted my hand over his heart. “You thought since I couldn’t take this that you’d be safe? You thought you’d be safe cause I couldn’t destroy your soul?”

           He didn’t answer, staring up with wide, wet eyes. Shadows curled and twisted around my shoulders, crawling like thousand-legged insects up and down my back. My eyes went black as I gripped Cirrus’ jaw, forcing his head up and hunching over to meet his face.

           “Maybe you’re right, maybe I can’t.” I tightened my grip, points of claws sharp against his skin. “But you know what I can do?”

           His hand closed around my wrist, pushing my arm away from his face.

           “I can hurt you. I can cut through your skin, tear your muscle off the bone.” I leaned in deeper, pressing my head against his. “I can rip you apart limb to limb, shred through to your organs.”

           Wind picked up in the treetops, scattering the last of the dead pine needles across my back.

           “I can make you wish, make you beg for me to kill you.” I smiled with narrowed eyes. “You should have done what I told you.”

           “Asher please—”

           “Why don’t I start with your eyes?”

           I ripped my arm from his grip and grabbed a handful of his hair to keep him pinned in place as I raised my other hand, claws sharp and my eyes locked on his. Panic raced through my blood, leaked from where my palm touched his skin, and he stared, frozen, scared, hurt.

           Strange, seeing him like that.

           “Hold still.”

           I brought my hand down to strike across his eyes, but Cirrus threw his arms up over his head. My claws raked the length of his forearm instead, ripping his sleeve and cutting through skin that bled.

           The first drops of rain fell around us, more and more as the wind blew hard and cold straight through my clothes.

           Cirrus grabbed at my arms as I clawed wildly at his face, his shoulders, anything I could try and reach, yelling and snarling as anger drove me forward. How dare he come here, how dare he after I told him not to, and how dare he try and fight me back. He knew. He knew what he was getting himself into! He caught my arms and shoved me off.

           I fell on my side, the ground already starting to muddy from the downpour without the live grasses to hold the sediment in place. Before Cirrus could get up, I swiped and grabbed hold of the collar of his shirt. I pulled him down with a snarl and lunged to bite his shoulder but he grabbed one of my horns and forced my head back. He pushed off against the ground and yanked my head back, throwing me down as he scrambled to his feet.

           Rainwater dripped from my hair, plastering it to my forehead as I found my footing on the mud. I slipped trying to get up, dirt mixing with the dried blood on my arms, on my pants, on my clothes.

           Cirrus backed towards what was left of the tree line, his sleeve darkening with watered down blood. He was going to run, wasn’t he? Going to run away now that he saw what I was? Of course he was. I opened and closed my fists at my sides. If he thought he could run he was dead wrong.

           A yell tore from my aching throat as I charged. My feet slipped as I ran across the mud field, chasing after Cirrus as he fled into the trees. Branches and bare bushes whipped against my arms, my face, my sides, stinging wherever they found skin instead of torn fabric. Wind blew through the trees, shedding needles and lichens as I raced past in pursuit.

           Cirrus weaved in and out of the trees ahead of me, barely dodging boulders and skinny trunks and struggling to keep his footing on the wet hillslope.  

           My breath came fast as my strides as I ran, feet hitting soft springy ground of a trail with frantic rhythm. Eyes locked on the back of Cirrus head, anger burned deep in my body. He was trying to get out of the forest, back to the parking lot, wasn’t he? Coward. The gap was closing, closing, I was getting closer, closer. Coward coward coward.

           Cirrus glanced back over his shoulder.

           His foot caught on a protruding root.

           He fell.

           I leapt on his back, claws digging into his shoulders as he struggled to throw my grip. He thrashed, and I sunk my teeth into the back of his arm. He screamed, cursing and pleading. Blood oozed hot into my mouth. He tried to move just for the tissue to tear even more between my jaws.

           He twisted, shoved my head back and wrenched his bleeding arm from my mouth. He tried to scramble backwards, to escape, but I pushed forward, reaching, grabbing, swiping at his throat as he tried to get away. Just fast enough he managed to get away until he backed himself up against a sturdy conifer.

           I lunged just as Cirrus drove his heel forward, straight into my chest. My breath faltered from the force and I fell sideways onto the cold wet ground. I coughed, pushing myself back up in time to see the last of Cirrus disappearing through the trees.

           Cold rain dripped down into my eyes from soaked hair as trees creaked and swayed the wind above my head. No doubt Cirrus would run back to Eventide. Run back, hide, whatever. I dug my hand into the rain-softened earth. He was going to pay for coming here.

           I pushed off from the dirt and started in the direction he’d left. Shadows gathered around my footsteps, choking out the mosses and the ferns and leaving dead, wilted foliage along my path. Insects that couldn’t get away fast enough fell from the damp wood bark and disappeared among shed leaves. The trees thinned into the trail, a clear way down the hillslope. My feet slipped on the wet ground as I walked, pushing on and on towards the mouth of the trail. Towards Eventide.

[wickedsrest-rp-archive]

Name: Melissa Rivers Species: Werewolf Occupation: Archaeologist  Age: 33 Years Old Played By: Ace Face Claim: Sophia Bush

“Books, travel, and carbs. I’ll take them all in abundance.”

Since she was a young pup, Melissa Rivers felt the pull of curiosity in an unexplainable way. Always wandering off looking for her own little adventures, to the dismay of her parents and older siblings. Her two older brothers and sister did their very best to keep a watchful eye on her but she’d become a little escape artist. Her favorite thing to do was to find some beautiful stone or interestingly shaped rock and bury it in the woods on her family’s property and go find it again, like her own buried treasure. The Rivers clan built their home near the base of Mount Le Conte in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. It was secluded enough that they had to plan long trips for supplies, but somehow the occasional hiker made their way there. Melissa loved watching through the trees wondering what their lives were like. She made up all sorts of stories about the places they’d gone, the things they’d seen, all of the real adventures they’d had… a lot better than her make believe ones.

Humans always fascinated Melissa, it was the forbidden fruit of it all. Her parents opened their home to any stray Were that needed a safe space. It was almost like magic how lost and putout werewolves found them, so many just looking for understanding. Mel convinced herself it /was/ magic, in fact. All of the Weres, from so many different places, with such different experiences meant she was surrounded with aunts and uncles and cousins, but also varying ideas and opinions about humans. Some thought they were the devil others thought they were saints, most the former than the latter but still Melissa being the curious inquisitive bookworm that she was, figured it had to be somewhere in the middle. That’s what all of the books she’d read seemed to tell her. With all that curiosity about humans bubbling up inside, Mel still decided to keep her distance. Her parents had always expressed their weariness of people but also taught their children to respect human life. She was always afraid of  getting too close and hurting someone. If there were ever hikers in the area near the time of the full moon, Mel’s dad and a select few “chosen family”/Pack-members went out and tried to spook them away. It took a bit of convincing from her father because of course everyone wasn’t on board with sparing the humans, but he could be very convincing. Sometimes though, not as convincing as he’d hoped. Throughout the years too near their home bodies of hikers would be torn and tattered, but for a long while it was spread out enough that there was none but rumor of what was going on in their part of the mountain.

Most of Melissa’s life was spent up in the mountains with her family, and though she loved them dearly she was dying to get out and see something new. So, just after her 15th birthday, Mel decided to go on a little trip… without telling anyone. She didn’t really run away, at least that’s what she told herself. Runaways don’t plan to go away for a couple weeks before returning, with the truck they borrowed and drove illegally. She made it all the way to Nashville and fell in love instantly. The sounds and smells, the people up close. She discovered so much in such a short time, like Nashville hot chicken and Karaoke and dreamy girls with guitars. The thing that caught her attention most intensely… (okay, tied with the dreamy girls with guitars) were the other supernatural beings. She could smell them from a mile away. Why was it always werewolf vs human with her family? There was a world of beings out there. Melissa wanted to know if there was some connection between them all. How did they all come to be?  She couldn’t wait to get home and tell her siblings, that was until she realized the fury that was most definitely waiting on her when she got home.

It’d taken a while for things to cool down with her parents, even being the baby who got away with most things, there was still hell to be paid. In the end it was worth it. Luckily her parents were softened by the arrival of their first grandpup, one little miss Ariana, the most beautiful tiny thing Mel had ever seen. Their entire family was so madly in love. The joy that everyone felt helped Melissa brave telling her family she wanted to go away to study anthropology or sociology or archeology somewhere she’d never been before. They weren’t exactly surprised, besides they had a few more years at that point to convince her to stay. And try they did, but Mel ignored them and obsessed over her cute niece and her books.

Years passed and Melissa went away to school as forewarned and though she missed everyone more than she realized, she was comforted knowing her family was safe right where she left them. She decided to double major in anthropology and archeology and was able to study abroad in Egypt, a long time dream of hers. There were challenges that came with being a Were in college, but she and her father had come up with a few plans to cage the beast inside… also known as a literal cage in a tunnel under the center of campus. It worked for a long while, that is until she got word of a tragedy back home.

The last year there had been more brutal attacks near her home, human carnage left without thought. The families open door policy had allowed some sloppy Werewolves in and Hunters had gotten word. Melissa didn’t get to see what was left of her family, she wouldn’t have been able to handle it. What she knew was her parents and siblings were brutally murdered and her niece was missing. Anger grew and festered as time went on and she eventually tried to move on. Those first few years after the attack Melissa didn’t care to restrain herself as she wandered across the country feeling lost and alone. It wasn’t until she came across an older empath in her travels that she was granted a little clarity.

Melissa went back to university, but she needed to be as far away as she could get, so she decided to get her Master’s of Archeology in Johannesburg, South Africa and her Doctorate in Varanasi, India. She’d crossed paths with other magical beings and traveled the world and figured out systems to minimize damage when her Wolf came out. But with all of that, she still  lived a life that always felt incomplete. After spending years moving from place to place Mel had gotten word about a young girl in a small town… it was a long shot but she needed some roots and to take this chance.

Character Facts:

Personality: passionate, inquisitive, quick tempered, stubborn, compassionate, determined, suspicious, tenacious, adventurous, studious

Melissa has had a very difficult time trusting humans since her family’s death, but she’s genuinely working on it.

Melissa is lesbionic but has never had a relationship and its weighing on her because she’s always wanted a family of her own. A dream it seems is slipping away.

Melissa is usually in places where she can avoid being in populated areas during the full moon. She does her best to limit the damage she causes.

Despite her refusal to purposely hurt people she is proud to be a Were and thinks all Werewolves should be.

Melissa has a cat… it’s a very strange dynamic.

[laylacooke]

Don’t Be Suspicious || Luce & Layla

timing: Late July, Midnight parties: @divineluce & @laylacooke summary: Luce & Layla have an unexpected meeting in the woods in the middle of the night. 

The one benefit that had come out of the fidget spinner ordeal had been the ability to throw out claws and teeth when a fight came. Partially transforming hurt, but it had become easier when it came to needing protection. However, it was the fine art of fully transforming at will, that Layla was focused on. It had been something that had scared her greatly for multiple reasons. The immense pain of shifting, being one, but the fear of killing somebody again, being the biggest. It’s why her need to find a good place in her head and her heart where she could have full control over the shifting was important, and it’s why she had ventured out to White Crest National Park to try and work on her werewolf skills on her own. However, having been in the same spot trying to focus had led to nothing but frustration, which eventually led to Layla letting out a frustrated growl that echoed through the trees.

“Get back here, you piece of shit--” Luce growled as she ran through the woods, her lungs burning as she chased the creature down, her sword haphazardly rattling in its sheath as she pursued the monster. It wasn’t anything particularly hard to handle, just your run of the mill ghoul-- but still. She’d been running in the forest a few nights ago when she’d realized that she was being watched, being followed. Which is why she was back here now, turning the tables. She’d been through so much bullshit; she didn’t need to add a ghoul stalking her back to her cabin to the list. As she ran through the trees, a growl rang out through the woods, startling her. “What the fuck?” She said, as she slid to a stop, staring through the darkness around her. “Someone out there?” Luce asked. Or was it something?

Falling to her knees in pain, the young werewolf still couldn’t figure out the way to fully shift voluntarily. What was she doing wrong? Every full moon it came naturally leaving her broken and sick, until the animal took over giving her new life, but right now, all she could feel was newly formed fangs and claws which left her mouth aching and her hands sore, “Why won’t you change?!” The frustration running through her blood left her clawing and gripping handfuls of dirt before flinging it into the distance. But a voice stopped her from doing anything else. Animal instinct forcing her to sniff the air, Layla’s yellow eyes darted around looking for the culprit. The scent of a human and the sound of their heartbeat gave the young werewolf what she needed to go hunting, but she still had control and knew she had come out here for a reason, “I don’t want any trouble, okay?” Her eyes scanned the forest as she climbed back to her feet, “I just came out here to hike.” Yes, it was partly a lie, but maybe it would be enough to get the person to leave.

As Luce made her way through the trees, she saw a fallen form in the middle of the woods, clawing at the dirt. Stopping in her tracks, her hand instinctively went to the hilt of her sword. Not that she thought she’d have to use it, but… after that shit with the demon voice changing Santa in the woods and her run in Shocky Mc-Fuck-You, she was wary of things that lurked around the woods. Even though the national park was one of the safer places in White Crest, it never hurt to be careful. But, when a voice came from the crouched figure, she relaxed, hand resting on her hip instead. “You hurt or something?” She asked, wondering why this girl was out here in the middle of the night. Luce was looking for trouble, but not this kind. She was in the business of fucking up some of the ghouls and monstrous creatures that roamed the woods, not rescuing injured hikers. But, if she had to, she would. “You fall and twist your ankle?” She asked, clicking the small flashlight secured around her arm, the beam cutting through the darkness. 

Layla kept her head turned and her fists clenched. The last thing she had wanted was to scare this woman, or worse, get into a fight with her. If anything, the redhead just wanted to be left alone. Find her peace and go back home. Ari and Ulf had probably been wondering where she was at, and Indy needed to be fed, “No, I was just out. Wanted to see the stars. I hear it’s pretty in this area at night.” Her face was aching from the fangs and blood seemed to drip down where they had forced their way out of her skull and gums. It was her heartbeat that was keeping them out, along with her claws. The fear of what this random person might do to her. However, before she could turn her head quickly enough out of the path of the light, she felt it hit her eyes and reflect off of her yellowed hues revealing that she wasn’t exactly human.

“Uh huh.” Luce said, nonplussed by the words. Out. To see the stars. It sounded a lot like the excuses she had made when Roland had caught her out in the woods. Well, she wasn’t a cop and she wasn’t going to go bothering some random girl in the woods if she wanted to be out here alone. With a shrug, she was about to move on with her night, make some comment about staying out of her hair when she saw the flash of yellow in the girl's eyes, a familiar shade she’d once seen glint in Ulfric’s. A werewolf. Huh. Well, how about that. “Just wanted to see the stars huh?” She said before tilting her gaze up. “The moon’s really bright tonight. Pretty.” She said with an offhand comment as she leaned back to look skywards, the sword on her hip glinting in the moonlight. 

It was too late, and there was no use in turning her head. The woman had clearly seen what Layla was. It was apparent in her voice and the comments that were coming out of her mouth. The glint from the sword caught Layla’s eye, and she slowly started to back away, “Please. I’m not out here to hurt anybody. I didn’t think anyone would be out here this late, and I knew it would be a good time to...try and figure some things out.” She didn’t want to outright say what she was. It was clear this woman already knew. Her heart was beating a little harder in her chest at the fear of what might happen, and she had started to pant.

As the girl began to back away slowly, it didn’t take a genius to realize what had her spooked. Ah, shit. Luce let out a sigh and held her hands up. “I’m not a hunter, don’t worry. I’m not going to hurt you. I was just out here,” She paused, not sure how to answer. She’d literally just said she wasn’t a hunter. And she wasn’t. She was just out here… trying to make the woods a little safer, deal with some pesky ghouls that had a knack for making a mess of things. “On a hike. And in a place like this? It never hurts to have protection.” She said with a shrug. “Are you sure you don’t need any help? You don’t exactly look like you’re in good shape there.” She said, glancing at the way the girl’s hands were inhuman and gnarled. 

The woman had a point. The woods of White Crest weren’t exactly the safest and knowing that reasoning made her feel a little less stressed. However, Layla still wasn’t fond of being around someone with a huge sword, “I guess that’s a good point. No pun intended...” She looked down at her hands, “Um, they should heal up on their own when my stupid claws go back in.” She hated not being able to have full control over herself. It made her unsure and leery when she was forced into certain situations. Layla’s intent was never to hurt anyone. As a werewolf, she couldn’t control that hunger. She had tried, but as a human, she was determined to keep those around her as safe as possible, even if that spelled bad news or pain for herself, “So hiking in the middle of the night huh?” She was starting to become a little more comfortable knowing that the woman’s vibe wasn’t really as hostile as she once presumed it to be.

Watching as the girl looked down at her hands, Luce cracked a crooked grin at the joke. “Like I said, I’m not going to hurt you. Just gonna have to trust me on that one.” She said. There was a certain irony in the fact that she was meeting another red-headed werewolf-- seemed like Ulfric wasn’t the only ginger wolf running around in these hills. But she wasn’t about to out him to some random werewolf in the woods. “Well, as long as they heal up fine, sounds good to me.” She said with a shrug. At the further question, Luce raised an eyebrow. “That’s what I said, right? Insomnia’s a bitch.” She said. She wasn’t even going to attempt to explain what she was doing out here. Besides, she had a feeling getting rid of the local ghoul problem wouldn’t do much to reassure the girl that she wasn’t a hunter. “Besides, you’re out here too, kid.”

“Yeah, I got that. Look, these things...I can’t make them go back in.” She held up her hands flashing her claws. “That’s why I’m out here. Trying to learn how to control what I was forced to become...” Her words kind of trailed off. Layla hated being a werewolf. She had learned to forget what she most of the time, but when it would come creeping back in, the regret held heavy in her heart. Shaking off that same feeling that seemed to be coming in stronger than before, she looked Luce in the eyes, “Yeah, insomnia is an absolute bitch.” Letting out a soft sigh, she decided a truce was in order in case they were to run into each other again in the future, “Name’s Layla. Consider this my way of trying to draw some kind of truce that if we see each other out here again, we either go our separate ways or are friendly to one another. Thoughts?”

At the girl’s words, Luce’s eyebrows raised even higher. What she was forced to become? What, was she some kind of bite victim? Luce didn’t know much about werewolves outside of what Ulfric had told her over drinks from time to time, but she’d only ever known born wolves. Then again, she had no idea what Ariana was, but she wasn’t exactly going to ask the girl. She had a feeling that talking about the girl’s background might… bring up some bad memories. The thought of Celeste, of their brief date in the woods not all that far from here, came back to the forefront and Luce shifted uncomfortably. “A truce? You make it sound like I’m out here trying to start shit. I already said I wasn’t gonna hurt you. Twice, in fact. So, chill.” She said before shaking her head. “If you try and go off on me, you won’t like it. But whatever, kid. Next time I see a red wolf running around, I’ll look the other way.” Luce snorted. 

Geeze, she reminds me of somebody, but I just can’t… “Uh, excuse you, I didn’t come out here sportin’ a huge ass sword. Who carries a sword anyways? This isn't King’s Landing.” Fucking bounty hunter. That’s who she reminds me of. “And I guess we’re not doing the name thing, huh?” Layla’s claws and teeth were beginning to go back in. Feeling threatened went out the window. “And if I see someone carrying a big ridiculous sword on their hip like Jaime Lannister, I’ll look the other way. So, I guess we’re on some sort of mutual ground. And don’t worry, I wouldn’t expect you to shake on it.” 

At the girl’s comment, Luce let out a short sigh before shaking her head. She honestly didn’t want to start shit with a wolf, she really didn’t. Ulf had warned her that wolves could be dangerous, and here was a young girl who’d been turned and was sitting there with her claws and teeth out. Not exactly someone she wanted to fuck with. “Luce. And yeah, I’m not about to shake on it.” She made a scratching gesture with her hands before pointing at the girl’s hands. “Sure. Mutual ground works for me.” With a sigh she jerked a thumb over her shoulder. “Well, if you’ve got this whole… tooth and claw situation on lock, I’m gonna go.” She said before backing away from the girl, returning into the darkness of the forest. The ghoul problem would have to wait for another night-- when there weren’t teen wolves in the woods.

[pcttrailsidereader]

Four Months Alone of the PCT

I posted this on this website about six years ago and just recently re-read this interview from a blog called ‘The Hairpin’.  The interview, with Myla Fay, a 25-year old thru hiker, is a good read and I thought worth re-posting.  My favorite story was her account of the hiker who found chapstick on the ground and used it to counter crotch chafing. A few minutes later a woman walked by and asked if anyone had seen her pina colada chapstick. From that point forward his trail name was “Penis Colada.”

Myla attended Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota as did my daughter … which came to light when I forwarded this interview to my daughter as part of my desire to have her hike a section of the PCT several summers ago (which she did join me for a lengthy stretch).

By Jia Tolentino

How did you get into long-distance hiking? I grew up in Maine and spent a lot of time outside, and when I was a kid, we went up to Blue Hill every summer to hike and swim, camping in Baxter State Park and backpacking in the White Mountains. And in high school I did some incredible trips with the Chewonki Foundation: one was a 400-mile white-water canoe trip that ended in the tiny Inuit village of Kangiqsualujjuaq in northern Quebec. I always liked the outdoors, and backpacking felt like a good fit. I was also always interested in long-distance hiking as a more structured way of traveling. I spent a summer alone in India once and felt overwhelmed by all the decisions and planning involved in traveling. With hiking, your trip is organized around managing food and water and covering distance, and there’s less of an expectation for fun and relaxation. I like the part of backpacking that’s monotonous and challenging. How long had you been thinking about hiking the PCT before doing it? I heard about the PCT my senior year in college, but during and after college I was focusing on school and work: I worked as a designer in Minneapolis and New York, which I liked. Then I wanted to work on my own projects, so I moved back to Maine and set up a printmaking studio in the basement of a rural Zen Center. But it’s difficult to make any money from printmaking and it’s also difficult to live and work in isolation. I felt unsure about what I wanted to do, so I made a list of things I never regret doing. I realized that I never regret spending time outside, traveling, and challenging myself, so I decided to hike. I don’t think any 90-year-old would look back on life and regret hiking the PCT. Did you know you wanted to go alone? I might have considered it if I had known someone willing to drop everything and go hiking for four months. But I liked the idea of hiking alone anyway. Being alone is wonderful because you never have to compromise. If I felt like swimming all day, that’s what I did.

How long did it take to get ready? I only had about three months to prepare. Most people spend around six to 12 months getting in shape, dehydrating food, and planning. For me, I bought gear and read “Yogi’s Guide,“ which has advice for thru hiking—tips for hitchhiking, choosing campsites, resupplying, etc. It also outlines motel and grocery options for each town. I bought my food in towns and mailed food ahead when the next town was too small to resupply.

Do you have to be in good shape before you start a hike like this? Or could you just tough it out and get better as you go? You don’t have to be in good shape to start a hike, but it helps. It also helps to be young. No matter what shape you are in, hiking 10 to 12 hours a day is going to be hard. I thought that after hiking for a week or two I would just be “in shape,” but I was surprised that my fitness continued to improve.

I also never stopped having some degree of pain.

What was the gear you started with and the gear you ended with? Anything you packed that you realized was useless? I started hiking in desert heat and ended my trip snowshoeing through six feet of snow, but surprisingly I used most of my gear in all situations. After a month I bought a solar charger on trail to charge my iPhone, which was a real luxury. I also bought a dress from Goodwill along the way. It was comfortable to wear hiking and convenient for peeing outside modestly. I added various warm layers as I went north—a rain skirt (which is lighter, more breathable, and easier to put on than rain pants), an emergency blanket, snowshoes, long underwear, and bread bags to wear on my feet for warmth. I eventually ditched my mace, bug spray, and a mouse-proof food bag because I felt they were unnecessary, but not everyone would agree. Now that I have a better idea of what I need, I revamped my gear for my upcoming trip on the CDT. I have a post on my blog about the new gear, and also have my gear list on my website, if anyone wants to read.

What about trail food? How’d you deal with it? Did you filter your water the whole time? What are the worst and best things you’ve tried on the trail? Food was hard to plan for because my preferences and hunger changed constantly. Sometimes I had five extra pounds of food when I arrived in town and other times I ran out. One of the benefits of buying food as you go (rather than mailing it) is that you can easily make adjustments. I hiked with a girl who mailed all her food and by the end, she literally gagged every time she ate a Clif bar or oatmeal. I think having a variety of food on trail is important. I cooked ramen with PBR once when I arrived at a road crossing where someone had left a few beers for hikers. I was out of water, so I used the beer, and it was surprisingly delicious. At the end of trail, I ate snickers dipped in cream cheese and I thought it tasted like chocolate cheesecake! One of the worst things I tried was cold instant coffee mixed with oats. I was trying to pack up quickly in the morning and didn’t want to heat water. Needless to say, it was disgusting. I also once ate a spoonful of dry protein powder at night because I was starving and low on food. It felt similar to the cinnamon challenge. How much more do you end up eating than normal? What are the cravings you develop after long hikes? I ate a TON of food. Granola bars, mini pies, peanut butter, Nutella, tortillas, ramen, Cheezits, candy, muffins (squished), pop tarts, nuts, and anything else that caught my eye in the grocery store. All hikers fantasize about food, mostly about fresh fruits, vegetables, pizza, and ice cream. I daydreamed about Slurpees a lot. There is no food guilt on trail. All notions of what, when, and how much is appropriate to eat disappear. Instead of cutting calories and dieting, hikers worry about not eating enough. I ate 3,000 to 6,000 calories a day, and it was incredibly refreshing. The downside of eating so much was the stomach aches. Sometimes I would eat a whole sleeve of Oreos, which tasted delicious, then I would feel awful for a while. It’s a lot to ask of your body, to process all that food.

Did you see a lot of other solo hikers? Did traveling alone made you more open to meeting random people? Travelling alone does make it easy to meet people. Most hikers start alone, and many hike in groups for various lengths of time. When I started, I wanted to hike alone to challenge myself and rely on my own decisions. I became more open to meeting people over time, and by the end of trail I found a balance between independence and community. Who were the coolest people you met along the way? Everyone I met had an interesting back story—one couple worked in Antarctica, one girl sold her house to live out of a backpack, there were Marines who hiked to deal with PTSD, and people who left their high-paying jobs because they didn’t want to devote their lives to work. One of my favorite characters on trail was a retired guy from New Jersey. He lived years without health insurance or hot water, and took ice-cold hose showers every day at home, even in the winter. He told only one person he was hiking the PCT and always camped alone far off trail. He didn’t own a phone, but carried a small radio to listen to baseball games. Every time he went into town to buy food, he bought a glass, because he only drank beer out of a glass. He was also a scavenger. Once in town I gave him part of a cookie and he just packed it away for later. Another time he told me that he carried a cube of bouillon for an emergency meal. I told him it didn’t have any calories, and he said, “But it sure does fill you up!” I should mention that there are more men than women on trail, and most people I met were white and middle class, so unfortunately trail culture is not too diverse. How many times were you ever truly scared, and why? Most of the time trail felt very safe, but I had a couple moments of being spooked. I almost stepped on a rattlesnake. I once got lost looking for a spring at night without my pack. I got dangerously cold during a snowstorm. These situations were all preventable had I been paying better attention. Some hikers do end up in truly scary situations. One girl had a mountain lion stalk her at night, and another guy ended up lost on a snowy cliff where he couldn’t go forward or backward. Oh my god. A lot of people on trail carry a SPOT device with an emergency button that activates a search and rescue response team. They are expensive and I personally felt safe without one, but a few people did use them on trail.

What about weather conditions? You had to hike at night sometimes because of the heat, right? The PCT covers a diverse range of terrains and temperatures. In the desert, it reaches 110 degrees, and water sources are sometimes 30 miles apart. I carried 1.5 gallons of water at a time. Hiking at night is much cooler and requires less water, so many people hike early and late (resting midday). Night hiking is beautiful but spooky. Some huge bugs and rodents that come out at night. And then there was the extreme cold: I’m reading a blog post where you did sit-ups in the middle of the night to stay warm. What’s your least favorite and most favorite weather to hike in? I still prefer hiking in desert heat over the cold Northwestern weather. In Oregon and Washington, I dealt with rain, hail and snow, which is dangerous without adequate food and gear. Most people carry down jackets and sleeping bags, but down is useless when wet. When it is cold, taking breaks is not an option. I knew one couple who hiked over 24 hours without stopping because all their gear was wet and it was snowing. They would have become hypothermic if they stopped. Can you tell me some hiker code? What’s the jargon like? There are lots of phrases specific to thru hiking. Some are practical (“slackpacking” is hiking a section without a full pack, “hiker hunger” describes the extreme hunger after hiking, “vortex” is when you spend longer than expected in town). A lot of them are meant to be funny (“Vitamin I” for ibuprofen). “Cowboy camping,” sleeping under the stars, is one of my favorite terms. It’s basically a fancy way of saying “I am too lazy to pitch my tent and I doubt it is going to rain tonight.” My friend “Scrub” has a more extensive list of hiking terms on his blog.

That’s his trail name: does everyone have one? Everyone gets a trail name, usually given by another hiker. Part of the idea is that you can leave your other life behind and be someone new on trail. And there’s other stuff like this: trail angels, trail magic, what does that mean? A “trail angel” is anyone who helps you by offering “trail magic.” It could be a day hiker who gives you an apple or someone who drives you to town. There are established trail angels who help hikers each year by leaving food or sodas on trail or even opening their homes to hikers. There are also some trail magic events, where angels make burgers or pancakes on trail for a day or two. It is hard to overstate how incredible it is to come upon fresh hot food or cold sodas after being out in the woods for a few days. The terms seem right. How was your emotional state going into the hike, and during it? What was the default state of each day? I was much happier on trail than I was prior to trail. Some of that may have had to do with the endorphins released from exercise. I also gained a lot of confidence in my body and my ability to troubleshoot difficult situations. By the end of the trail, I felt I could do anything. I certainly had moments of frustration, crankiness, and misery, but I always preferred trail to home.

Wow. What did you do to pass the time? It wasn’t too different from regular life. Sometimes I listened to music or books, sometimes I worried about logistics, sometimes I wondered what to do with my life. I thought about family and friends and remembered things I had forgotten. Sometimes I played games with other hikers, sometimes I counted my steps, sometimes I brushed my teeth for an hour. What are some good stories you heard on the trail from other people? There was a huge snowstorm in Washington that coincided with the government shutdown, and some hikers decided to road walk the last 60 miles to Canada to avoid deep snow. Rangers stopped them because it was illegal to be in the park during the shutdown. So after hiking 2600 miles, they quit because of a triviality. I also heard a story about a girl who saw a mountain lion sitting next to the trail. She roared at it, like you are supposed to (you never want to let a mountain lion know you are scared), then kept walking past it only to realize that there was a switchback in the trail and she had to pass it again. And then, there was a funny story about a hiker I never met who found chapstick on the ground and used it for crotch chafing. A few minutes later a woman walked by and asked if anyone had seen her pina colada chapstick. From that point forward his trail name was “Penis Colada.” That is a great story. What was your favorite part of the trail?

The last four days on trail were my favorite. I snowshoed on fresh snow through the most spectacular scenery on trail with a boy who I like very much. It was new and exciting and beautiful and romantic. What about the least? Southern Oregon was my least favorite part. Everyone talks about how Oregon is flat and easy, but my feet were hurting so it didn’t feel easy. In my opinion, it was also the least spectacular part of trail, just woods and ponds.

What was your favorite pit stop? One of my favorite stops was Buck’s Lake, a small town in northern California. I got off trail to apply for a job. I didn’t end up getting the job, but I stayed with the most incredible trail angels. They were welcoming and made burgers with heirloom tomatoes and peach cobbler and fruit salad. They also took me out on their pontoon for sunset to drink white wine and listen to the Beach Boys.

What did you miss most while you were hiking? Fresh fruits and vegetables, and my friends and family. How did this hike physically affect your body? I lost about 5 to 10 pounds by the end, despite gaining muscle. My breasts mostly disappeared and my feet grew a full size. Women usually lose less weight than men, which is an advantage on trail. What about your hair? My hair was crazy on trail. I was trying to grow it out, but it was a bad length for hiking: long enough to tangle and too short to pull back. I had dyed it before trail and wanted to let the dyed part grow out. I also decided to stop using shampoo, in part thanks to articles like this. Needless to say, my hair was a bleachy, greasy, tangled mess. I cut it off when returned home. Before or after, did you have a lot of people telling you that they wanted to hike the PCT too? Or were people more like, "You’re nuts!” A lot of people say something along the lines of, “Wow, that’s amazing! I could never do that!” But hiking is kind of like drawing. People say they can’t draw, as if it’s a mysterious talent, but both drawing and hiking are just a set of skills anyone could learn. If you are interested in hiking the PCT or another trail, I would encourage you to go ahead and do it. I think it is almost always a positive experience, although returning to regular life is difficult. People sometimes romanticize long-distance hiking, but I was just walking. Some people work 8 or 10 hours a day on spreadsheets or washing floors and few people say that is amazing. What’s your favorite picture from your PCT hike?

This is a campsite on an exposed ridge in northern California. The sky was smoky from a nearby fire, but I could see well enough to watch a meteor shower. It’s hard to choose one photo, but that was a good night.

[winchesterwords]

“Black Magic Winchester” Part I - Hunting Fic

Summary:  Set during Season Two, after "Folsom Prison Blues", the boys get a call from Bobby asking for help on a missing persons case. What they think to be a simple monster hunt turns out to be much darker than the hunters anticipated. With Sam still reeling from his visions and Dean having no idea how to help his little brother, how will they handle tracking down the darkness that has appeared in Sioux Falls?

Word Count: 5250

Warning: Typical SPN Violence

Song I Wrote To: “Human” by Rag ‘N” Bone Man

Note: We love a good story about Bobby and his boys

-------

The shrill ringing of Sam’s phone woke the Winchesters from their very much needed sleep.

Dean woke up first, startled, his hand instantly going for the gun he kept under his pillow. After a moment, his senses came back to him. Groaning, he grabbed a pillow and threw it at his groggy brother. “Sammy,” he whined, “phone.” 

Sam rolled over, blindly reaching for his cellphone on the bedside table. Ignoring his grumbling brother, Sam peered at the small screen. “It’s Bobby,” Sam yawned as he accepted the call. “Hey, Bobby, what’s up?”

“Are you with your brother?” Bobby Singer asked. Sam frowned at the question. 

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” he asked. 

“Just making sure,” Bobby said. “Can you two meet me at mine? Need your help on somethin’.”

“Is everything okay?” Sam asked, suddenly concerned. Dean, noting the tone in his brother’s voice, rolled over, his brows pulled together. 

“What’s wrong?” he asked Sam who held up his hand, telling Dean to wait. 

“Bobby?” Sam asked. 

“Everything is fine, just get your asses over here,” Bobby told him. The call ended and Sam looked at the phone in confusion. Dean raised his brows, waiting. Sam shrugged. 

“Said he needs us on something,” Sam explained. 

“Did he sound hurt? Or worried?” Dean asked. 

“Not really,” Sam told him, “he sounded a bit...mad?” Dean sighed, sitting up in his bed. 

“So, he sounded like Bobby?”

“Yeah, pretty much.” 

“Well, come on, let’s see what the grumpy old man wants.”

When the Impala rolled into the salvage yard, Sam and Dean kept their eyes open, looking for any signs of distress, but Bobby’s place looked exactly how they left it the last time they visited. 

“Do you think this has to do with The Demon?” Sam asked as he climbed out of the car. 

“If it was, he would have told you on the phone,” Dean pointed out. 

“Maybe he didn’t want to. You know, in case the demon was listening,” Sam offered. Dean rolled his eyes at his brother. 

“So, demons are wire-tapping now? Sometimes I wonder about you, Sam,” Dean said as he jogged up the steps to the main house. Dean knocked on the door, “Bobby?” There was no answer. Dean glanced at Sam who shrugged and together they pushed into the house. The disheveled Singer house was covered in books, scrolls, weapons, and anything else a wayward hunter would need. The boys loved it, both for different reasons, but still, it was the only home they had at the moment. 

“Bobby!” Sam called as they passed by the main room and into the kitchen, but there was still no sign of Singer. 

“What? Did he decide to take a vacation last minute?” Dean asked, staring at the empty room. 

“How am I supposed to take a vacation when I constantly have to look after you two?” Sam and Dean turned at the sound of Bobby’s voice. The older man stood in the doorway behind them, holding a journal in his hands, a scowl on his face. 

“Oh, hey Bobby,” Dean greeted with a smile. “You good?” Bobby narrowed his eyes at the older Winchester and that had Dean dropping his smile instantly and glancing at his brother who lightly shrugged. 

“Am I good?” Bobby asked slowly. Then, he took a few steps forward, raised the journal, and smacked Dean in the back of the head with it. 

“Hey!” Dean exclaimed as Bobby turned to Sam and did the same thing. 

“Prison!” Bobby yelled. “You decided to get yourselves incarcerated? I swear the two of you are going to send me to an early grave!” Rubbing the back of his head, Sam went to explain when Bobby raised his finger to him. “No, you’re going to listen for a minute. What the hell were you two thinking? You are the most wanted men in the country right now. Not to mention the fact that the feds still think Dean is some kind of psycho killer and as for Sam, well they just think Sam is straight-up crazy.”

“What?” Sam asked and Bobby glared at him. Sam shut up again.

“We take precautions, boys, so that this doesn’t happen, and then you two just willingly get yourselves thrown in jail? Are you stupid?” Sam and Dean were silent, glancing at each other. “You can speak now.” Sam nudged Dean. 

“It was a job, Bobby. We owed Deacon and he needed help. Crazy ghost nurse, dead inmates, and the chance to screw with the system? I liked our odds,” Dean explained. 

“I hated our odds,” Sam grumbled. 

“Prison life didn’t agree with Sammy,” said Dean. “I, however, didn’t do so bad.”

“That isn’t something to be proud of,” Bobby said, throwing down the journal on the counter. 

“Come on, Bobby,” Dean continued, “there was a job and people were being killed. What were we supposed to do?”

“You pass it along to someone else! You two, the most wanted hunters in the country, don’t go into a maximum-security prison just to take out one spirit!”

“Why are you jumping down our throats about this?” Dean asked. “This is the job!”

“Because you were reckless! So many things could have gone wrong, Dean! What if the escape plan didn’t work? What if Henriksen had figured a way out to transfer you sooner? This was your dumbest plan yet!”

“That’s what I said,” Sam put in. 

“Shut it,” Bobby shot back, “I’m angry with you too.”

“Bobby,” Dean said a bit softer, “everything worked out the way it was supposed to. We got the spook, saved some lives, and got the FBI off our tail for now. I would say that while it was risky, the risk was worth it.”

“It was still moronic and reckless,” Bobby lectured, “Your daddy raised you and taught you not to be stupid and I know that I taught you better too.” Realization lit up in Dean’s eyes.

“You’re not mad,” Dean said, “you were worried.”

“Of course I was worried,” Bobby said, “I’m a good hunter, boys, but if they took you away to some offshore black site… How was I supposed to be able to find you? You’re my responsibility now and your recklessness ain’t making it easy on my ticker.”

“Bobby,” Sam began, “you don’t need to look after us, we’re not kids anymore.”

“Like hell, I don’t, boy,” Bobby said. “You’re stuck with me, you and your dumbass brother.”

“Hey!” exclaimed Dean. 

“Don’t look at me like that,” said Bobby, “I know this was your plan.” Dean shrugged in defeat. “Just, promise me that if you’re going to do something utterly ridiculous and idiotic, you’ll call me first.” There was a beat of silence before Sam nodded. 

“We promise,” Sam said. 

“Yeah, promise,” Dean agreed. Bobby let out a breath, nodding.

“Okay, good. I’m going to hold that promise to you boys.” 

“Yes, Sir,” Sam said with a smile. 

“So, is that why you called us?” Dean asked, “To give us a lecture?”

“Partly,” Bobby said, “but I was serious when I said I needed your help on somethin’.” Bobby led them into the main room. Going over to the desk, he picked up a folder and handed it to Sam. It was a Sioux Falls police file. 

“Where did you get this?” Sam asked, opening it. 

“You’re not the only one who knows how to pick a lock, Sam,” Bobby deadpanned. 

“Fair enough.” 

“What is it?” Dean asked as Sam angled the file for Dean to read. 

“We’ve had hikers gone missing in the past couple of weeks. Hikers disappearing isn’t exactly odd around these parts except for the fact that all these people are seasoned. They know what paths to take in which season, where the rangers stations are, everything. They wouldn’t just get lost and not show up again,” Bobby explained. 

“When did the last one go missing?” Sam asked. 

“He was reported missing by his daughter yesterday morning. Cops have nothing as usual, but they don’t know what we know,” said Bobby. 

“Theories?” Dean asked. 

“A few, but they haven’t found any bodies yet so I can’t be sure of anything, but I would rule out demons,” Bobby said.

“No omens then?” asked Sam. 

“None, just four hikers gone and a whole lot of confused cops.” 

“Have they organized searches for the hikers?” Dean asked, looking over one of the missing person reports. 

“They had one for the first and planned for the second, but once the fourth one went missing, cops are keeping the trails clear of civilians,” Bobby explained. “Probably think it’s some rabid animal or a maniac taking people.”

“What’s the moon cycle like?” asked Sam.

“Not wolves, already checked,” said Bobby. “Besides, when wolves eat, they just take the heart and leave the rest. If this were werewolves, we would have found the bodies by now.”

“Yay for leftovers,” Dean muttered. “Okay, so not wolves, not demons, what else are you thinking?”

“Well,” began Bobby as he leaned against the desk, crossing his arms. “Another reason I called the two of you. You’ve taken on vamps before, right? Your daddy taught you how to kill them?”

“Yeah, we helped take out a nest with him when we went to find the colt the first time,” Sam said. 

“You think a vampire is doing this?” Dean asked.

“No bodies, no blood,” Bobby recounted, “either it’s taking them to eat later or it’s building a nest.” 

 “And if it’s not vampires?” Sam asked. 

“Then my other bet is witches or vengeful spirit,” Bobby finished. 

“Could this also just be a maniac?” Dean offered.

“Humans are sloppy as you should know,” Bobby said with a pointed look at Dean who frowned. “So, no, I do not think this is some serial killer trying to rid Sioux Falls from their regular rock climbers.” Dean and Bobby stared at each other, gauging the other’s expression. Sam looked between the two before clearing his throat. 

“Well, I say that we hit the research and see if anyone has died mysteriously on the trails in recent history,” Sam said, “That way we can rule out a spirit. If nothing comes of it, we will head out to the forest tomorrow and look for signs of vamps or witchcraft. Fair?” 

“Sounds good to me,” Dean said, picking up a random book and slouching into the couch across the room. Sam hiked his laptop bag higher on his shoulder. 

“He does realize that a book on the history of fertility sigils won’t help him with this, right?” Bobby whispered to Sam. 

“I’m just glad he picked up a book for once.” finished Sam.

The three hunters combed through the town’s archives all night. 

Bobby had acquired many articles and files since living in Sioux Falls and Sam was using every source he could find on his laptop, looking for any suspicious deaths in the area involving hikers. Dean was sipping coffee as he read through newspaper articles, marking the deaths he deemed important. 

Halfway through the night, Sam had drifted off, his laptop forgotten next to him on the floor. Dean got up and slung a blanket over his little brother’s snoozing form before going back to his work next to Bobby.

Any chance Dean caught Sam sleeping, he relished in it. The kid barely slept anymore. He was always worried about seeing a vision and stressing over it. The Demon had said he had plans for Sam and others like him and Dean had become so accustomed to protecting Sam from anything life had thrown at them, he hated seeing his brother in so much pain.

While he had been angry when Sam left him and their dad, he knew Sam was safer at school. However, even that proved to not be worth anything. Jess was gone and Sam was faced with evil every day. John’s words ran through Dean’s head all the time. How was he supposed to fight the evil that lived in his little brother? He wasn’t even sure if what dwelled inside Sam was as powerful as they originally thought. They fought darkness all the time and this was no different. They would fight this and Dean was determined to keep his brother safe. 

“If you keep staring at him, you’re never going to get any work done,” Bobby said next to Dean. 

“Right,” replied Dean, slowly refocusing back on the task at hand. 

“You are allowed to be worried for him, you know?” 

“I know, I just wish I didn’t have to worry about this,” Dean admitted. “Of all the things, Bobby… How am I supposed to protect him from this?” 

“I don’t know,” Bobby sighed. “Sam is strong, he’s resilient. The two of you have been through a lot in your lives. You will get through this. Besides, I’m right here with you.” Dean ran a hand over his face and turned to look at the man who was like family to him. 

“Thanks, Bobby,” Dean said. “I don’t know what I would do if…” he trailed off, trying to find his words. “After my dad, it’s been hard to imagine having anyone else but Sam, but now I know I can still count you in to help clean up our messes.” Bobby smiled, grabbing Dean’s shoulder. 

“Hell, you help me clean up mine from time to time. That’s what family does, boy,” Bobby said, dropping his hand. “Look at him,” he said, turning to the younger Winchester, “he’s okay. He’s safe right now. Nothing cataclysmic is happening. Just focus on one day at a time. Right now we have a job to do. Once we solve this mystery, we’ll work on Sam’s, okay?”

Dean took a deep breath and then let it out. He nodded to Bobby and picked up his work again as he listened to Sam’s even breaths.

The following day, Sam needed a break.

By the time he had woken up, Dean and Bobby were both in the kitchen, drinking coffee. Sam figured that the two of them maybe only had a few hours of sleep and even after the many hours he got himself, he still felt exhausted. 

Sam wandered the salvage yard, kicking at stray bolts and loose rocks that littered the gravel. So far, they hadn’t got much from the articles. Also, there was no indication that a nest had been in the area before. If it was vampires, it was a very new situation. One that they would need to handle quickly before it managed to create more of its kind and endanger more of the lives of Sioux Falls.

Leaning against a gutted Mustang, Sam let the sun warm his face, listening to the morning around him, trying to organize his thoughts. He had many theories on what was taking the hikers, but they all included ghosts. Perhaps he was just wishing it was spooks because they were easy. To the Winchesters, it was always a good day when a hunt was predictable.

“Thinking about getting a tan?” Sam turned to find Dean walking towards him. 

“Yeah, I was thinking I was looking a little pale,” Sam joked. 

“Yeah, you should get out more,” teased Dean as he joined his brother on the hood of the Mustang. “So, is that brain working overtime or are you out here to enjoy the sunshine?” 

“I was thinking spirits, but I don’t know. I could be wrong,” Sam admitted. “Did you find anything?” 

“Just, that a bunch of hikers did happen to disappear in a nearby town around thirty years ago. Similar to what’s happening here,” said Dean.

“Did they ever find them?” asked Sam. Dean shook his head. 

“Nope. They all just vanished. A couple of kids found one of the backpacks at the bottom of a ravine, but that’s it. No bodies, no suspects,” Dean explained. 

“So, not ghosts, then,” Sam realized, “Ghosts don’t move from town to town.”

“Not unless they’re attached to something,” Dean pointed out.

“What would they be attached to in a forest?” Sam asked. 

“Okay, fair point,” agreed Dean. “So then I guess we’re back to vamps. Great, just what we need. More fangs.”

“Well if it is vampires, we need to keep this quiet,” Sam warned, “The last thing we need is for Gordon to show up.” Dean made a face of disgust. 

“Yeah, that would not go over well at all…” said Dean remembering the last time they encountered the hunter with an obsession with the undead. “Do you think he’s still mad at me?” 

“You left him tied to a chair after letting a nest of vampires go,” Sam reminded him, “not to mention the punching and the threatening.”

“This is true,” said Dean. “Okay, you have a point. Keep it quiet, just between the three of us. Family hunt?” Sam nodded, “I like it.” They were quiet for a moment before Sam started to laugh. It wasn’t a laugh of joy but realization. One that usually happened at slightly inappropriate times. “What’s wrong with you?” Dean asked, staring at his brother from the corner of his eye. “Are you having a breakdown? Is this finally your psychic breakdown? Do I need to call a doctor?” Sam pushed Dean’s shoulder as he continued to chuckle.

“No, no,” Sam assured him, “I was just thinking about yesterday when Bobby was pissed at us for going into the jail.” 

“And that’s funny?” Dean asked, still confused. Sam nodded. “Dude he smacked us with a journal.”

“Okay, but imagine if Dad was here,” Sam said, “Can you imagine his reaction?”

“No, because he probably wouldn’t even be around to yell at us about it,” Dean said without a second thought. 

“Exactly,” Sam said and then began laughing again, “Or our asses would be in jail and he would probably end up turning it into some life lesson. I can hear his voice in my head. He would say, ‘Boys, this was stupid and do you know what else is stupid? Getting your asses handed to you by the FBI in the first place’,” Sam said in an excellent imitation of John Winchester. Dean joined in on the laughing. 

“And then he would lay out the way he would have done it. Step by step all while having that furrowed brow,” Dean said, his brows pulled together dramatically. “You know, sometimes, you remind me of him,” Dean admitted. 

“Yeah, I know,” Sam said, his laughter dying out. 

“What?” Dean asked, surprised, “ ‘I know’, that’s it? You’re not going to jump down my throat for comparing you to Dad?” Sam shook his head. 

“No, I’m not. I’ve accepted that he and I...we had more in common than I used to want to admit,” Sam said, staring down at his feet.

“Well then,” Dean said, clearly surprised at this revelation, “You know what that is, Sammy?” Sam glanced at Dean. “Growth, Sammy, you’ve grown.” Dean laughed again and Sam rolled his eyes. 

“And yet, you’re still a dick.” 

“Wouldn’t have it any other way, little brother.” Dean pushed off the car. “Come on, Bobby wants to head into the woods. Maybe we can find something the cops missed.” 

“Right, because the fake police always do better than the real ones?” 

“When monsters are involved, they do,” Dean said, throwing Sam a smile over his shoulder.

Sam, Dean, and Bobby were crouched at the edge of the main road.

The hiking trails were only a mile or two in, but they had encountered a slight problem. It seemed that the real police were interested in the large expanse of forests much to Dean’s surprise.

“So, the fine men and women of Sioux Falls do care about missing people? That’s...comforting,” he whispered. 

“The sheriff is one hell of a leader,” Bobby said and Dean swore he could hear some praise in his voice. “Though, I heard on the scanner that the presence here is more of a warning. To let people know the risks and all that,” Bobby explained. Dean frowned at the twin patrol cars that lined the entrance to the trails.

“Can’t they mark the trails off? Keep them closed until they figure out what happened to the hikers?” Sam asked. 

“They haven’t found any bodies, Sam,” Bobby reminded him. “Officially, they aren’t missing, dead, or in danger. Police won’t do anything until they have something they can work off of.” 

“Well,” interjected Dean, “we have gone off less and if it’s vampires,” he brandished his machete, “we got some work to do.” 

Keeping out of sight, the three men crept around the officers and entered the thick forest from the Southside. They stayed in the shadows until the sounds of the main road became muffled and indiscernible. They kept their blades ready in their hands and their eyes were constantly scanning their surroundings.

Sam made notes of where they were with his compass and the map he had grabbed from Bobby’s study just in case they got turned around. Occasionally, Sam would hear Dean swear behind him as his older brother tripped of a root or got spooked by a random flying insect and every time it gave Sam just a bit of joy. 

“Are you okay back there?” Sam asked after Dean nearly fell into a large fern. 

“Shut up,” Dean shot back.

“Not a fan of hiking, Dean?” Bobby asked, hiding his smile. 

“Last time we hiked through a forest we were with Ranger Rick and a crazed wendigo so I think I have good reasons,” Dean said, hacking at stray branches.

“Well, I would rather take another wendigo instead of mystery monsters,” Sam said. Dean grunted in response and they continued on. About twenty minutes later, Dean was leading the group while Bobby hung back to talk to Sam. 

“How are you doing, kid?” Bobby asked. 

“I’m fine,” Sam said, already knowing where this was going.

“Dean mentioned you haven’t been sleeping.”

“Dean should worry about his own sleep habits,” Sam grumbled. 

“Is it the visions?” Bobby asked, patient as ever.

“Partly,” Sam admitted. “I just don’t understand them. Sometimes they allow me to save the people I see in them and other times I get there and find out I was too late. What is the point of seeing the future if I can’t change it?”

“Maybe you aren’t supposed to change it,” Bobby offered, “or at least not always. Perhaps these visions of yours are to help you understand the future or even prepare you for it.” Sam looked at Bobby, his brows pulled together in confusion. 

“Prepare me for what? I know death, Bobby.” 

“Do you ever think that the evil you and I know isn’t the greatest out there? If ghosts and demons are as bad as it gets, Sam, then we would have been able to fix this world a long time ago. Whatever or whoever has given you these abilities, maybe they’re trying to let you know that these small deaths are just the beginning.”

���If that were true, it would be a very screwed up life lesson.”

“Things don’t happen without a reason,” Bobby said. 

“I’m not sure I believe that anymore…” Sam said under his breath. 

They hiked for another hour, but there was no sign of monster activity. Their EMF was negative and the only thing with teeth that they encountered was a very angry long-tailed weasel that wasn’t fond of the men stomping through its habitat.

“We’ve got nothing!” Dean exclaimed after they ascended another hill. “No tracks, no bodies, nothing. Are we sure these hikers didn’t just skip town to get away from their families? Maybe the won the lottery?”

“Never figured you for a quitter, Dean,” Bobby said, taking a swig from his water bottle. 

“It’s okay to quit when there is nothing here,” Dean pointed out. “Sam, anything going on in your head?” 

“If you’re asking if I had a miraculous vision of what happened to the missing people, then no Dean, no I haven’t,” Sam said with a roll of his eyes. Dean mirrored his brother’s expression. 

“You could answer the question without the sarcasm,” exasperated Dean.

“Boys…” Bobby warned, ready to play mediator between the Winchester siblings. 

“Not my fault he treats me like monster GPS,” Sam defended. 

“That’s not true!” Dean shot back, “It’s more like you’re one of those daytime fortune-tellers from the TV, but with more accuracy.” Dean smiled smugly. Sam narrowed his eyes.

“You know what your problem is, Dean?” he asked, taking a step towards his brother. 

“No, but I am sure you are about to tell me,” Dean taunted. Sam took another step, opening his mouth to yell when the ground gave way beneath his feet. Dean and Bobby lunged forward as Sam grabbed for anything to hold onto, but it was too late. 

Sam shut his eyes, waiting for the impact when he hit something solid only a couple of feet down. Slowly, he opened his eyes, brushing dirt from his face. “Sam!” he heard Dean yell from above. “You okay?” Sam got to his feet, having to crouch slightly under the low ceiling of what seemed to be a dug-out cave. “Sam!” Dean repeated. 

“I’m fine!” he yelled back. He would have a few bruises, but nothing worse than that. He was just happy he didn’t land on his machete.

“What’s down there?” Bobby called. 

“Some kind of cave!” Sam answered. He reached out to hold the wall for balance on the uneven ground and felt something wet. Sam drew his flashlight and illuminated the space around him. He jumped back from the wall as the light revealed his hand to be covered in blood. He hastily wiped his palm on his jeans, scrubbing the blood from his skin. Sam then noticed that up ahead, the cave opened up wider. He also saw a sliver of light. He drew his phone and dialed Dean’s number, placing the call on speaker. 

“What do you see?” Dean asked as soon as the call connected. 

“Hold on,” Sam said. “I think I see another entrance at the end of this small tunnel.” Sam paced himself as he maneuvered through the small cave. About ten feet in, the ceiling was much taller and the sun was able to shine through in areas. Sam came across another opening in the cave wall. “Okay, there’s a hole in the Eastside, covered in branches. You guys should get down here.” 

“Okay, Sam, wait for us,” Bobby said. 

“It’s okay, I’ll just see what I can find,” Sam said, ignoring them. 

“Sam!” Dean warned, but Sam was already ending the call. Holding his machete in one hand and his light in the other, he pushed further into the cave. Blood was splashed across the floors and while some of it looked fresh, most of it seemed as if it had been there for a while. As Sam moved closer, the air became warm and he had to pull up his shirt to cover his mouth and nose against the smell.

When he finally reached the center of the cave, the air left his lungs. He was frozen as he beheld the horrific sight before him. He didn’t know how long he stood there staring and only snapped out of his trance when he heard footsteps behind him.

“Sam?” Dean called as he approached, Bobby was at his side. At some point in his shock, Sam’s blade had fallen to the cave floor and only his flashlight remained in his tight grip. “Sam?” Dean asked again as he reached out for his brother’s shoulder that was still turned away from him. However, before Dean could make contact, Sam turned to face the other two men.

“This was not vampires,” was all that Sam said. Dean looked at Bobby who peered into the darkness, confused. Dean nudged Bobby and pointed to what looked like a small campfire near the center of the cave. Bobby drew his lighter, ignited it, and tossed into the rotting wood. As firelight filled the space, Dean and Bobby finally saw what had gotten Sam so shocked. Dean nearly gagged at the sight. 

From one end of the cave to the next were human remains in different stages of decomposition. All strung up with thick bloody rope from the ceiling. Symbols were painted in blood along the walls and a devil’s trap had been inked into the floor, also in blood. It was a scene out of a horror film and one they were not prepared for. 

“Dear God,” Dean said, his eyes locked on the carnage. 

“God hasn’t been in this place,” Bobby said. “But I know who has.” Dean and Sam turned to see that Bobby had found multiple backpacks that had been stuffed in a crevice. Bobby removed his hat, clutching it in his fist. They would have to do a more in-depth count, but Sam figured by the number of body parts, these were, in fact, the four missing hikers that Bobby had been looking for. 

“I think I’m going to be sick,” Dean muttered. 

“Well, do it outside,” Bobby said, rising from his crouch by a pack, “these poor souls have been through enough already.”

“What the hell did this?” Sam asked, “Demons?”

“Not with that in here,” Bobby said, pointing to the devil’s trap. “No, this dark, very dark. I’ve seen this symbol before,” he said gesturing to the bloody symbol next to Dean. “This is dark magic from before there was even light magic. I didn’t think things like this even existed anymore. Let alone witches who practiced.”

“So this was witches then? I thought they were all about animal sacrifices and funky herbs?” Dean said, trying to read more of the symbols while keeping his eyes off the severed limbs. 

“There are all kinds of witchcraft in the world, Dean. Some of it is garden spells and good fortune while others are… this is the definition of evil and interrupting the balance of nature. I’m surprised another witch hasn’t stepped in yet.”

“Would that usually happen?” Sam asked, getting his bearings back. Bobby nodded. 

“Most witches are about balance, this is the exact opposite of what many believe in. The witch community is very private. Hunters don’t need to get involved as much because they handle their rogues on their own. Which makes this that much more confusing.”

“So what do we do?” Dean asked. Bobby took another look at the body parts and then took off his pack and hauled out salt and lighter fluid. 

“You know the drill. Let’s put these poor souls to rest and then get the hell out of here. I imagine this witch isn’t going to be too happy that we’ve interrupted their ritual. Whatever ritual that is.” Sam and Dean got to work, salting every human remain as Bobby took the initiative and cut each one down. Once they were salted, they poured the accelerant and let the fire grow throughout the entire cavern.

The three hunters stood outside the cave’s entrance in complete silence as their makeshift funeral burned behind them. It was nearly dusk by the time the flames were just smoldering embers, leaving charred ashes in place of human bone. Bobby left the boys in the open air to make sure the fire was completely out and then they left the damned place behind them, trying to get the horrific images out of their heads.

[howtohero]

#294 Monster Hunters

It’s that time of the year again. The time where all the spooks, haunts, and frights get to come out and be celebrated and also as a fun bonus there’s a lot of candy around. And where there are monsters, you can be sure that monster hunters will not be far behind. Monster hunters are folks who, well, hunt monsters, and they’re the absolute worst. They ruin everyone’s fun. They buy out all the stakes in an area which makes camping a real pain. And, of course, they try to stalk and kill random innocent monsters (and then they have the audacity to ask for money for their “services” it’s real messed up). So this holiday season, let’s talk about how to fight those who would prey on the most monstrous members of our society.

As we��ve mentioned, monsters are generally pretty harmless. They just happen to be fuzzy or horned or fanged or winged or giant. But that doesn’t mean they want to eat people. Most monsters just want to get through the day and maybe eat some of that chocolate we mentioned earlier. They’re just like you and me, except way cooler. (Hey speak for yourself!) So the fact that there is an entire profession dedicated to hunting them is more than a little troubling. (They even have a union who has been emailing us nonstop to write a pro-monster hunter piece. Get wrecked monster hunter union!) You can spot a monster hunter by their long trench coat (perfect for concealing large stakes or large baguettes for snacking), their combat boots (perfect for giving people the impression that they know how to fight and aren’t just going around stabbing innocent beings who pose no threat to society), and their horrid attempts at what they call a “Transylvanian” accent (perfect for offending vampires and people from Transylvania). If you see a monster hunter and you’re a regular human, don’t do anything, just walk away. If you try to accost them they might just kill you and claim that you “reverted to your feeble human form upon being stabbed in the chest with a stake and/or taking a sip from a water bottle that had a silver bullet rattling around in it.” Monster hunters can get away with nearly anything in a society that hates and fears monsters. So the best thing you can do is to help enact systemic change that allows for a more welcoming society to monsters of all stripes. 

If you’re a monster and you encounter a monster hunter, you’ve got a few options. As a monster you’ve probably got some inherent abilities that would aid you in combat against a human, though we know how against your nature that is. You’ve got advantages in size, strength, and sharp edges. And monster hunters usually know jack all about what actual monsters are like. Most monster hunters get all of their monster-related info from reading ancient fairy tales or spotty accounts from blind hikers or whatever. So they probably buy into all of the old misconceptions about monsters (including the idea that all monsters are evil and will suck the blood right out of your mangled corpse yikes). Hell, there are plenty of monster hunters out there who can’t even properly identify what a monster is. Remember Ben Helsing? The guy who, for some reason, thinks that anybody who wears a costume is a werewolf? Gosh that guys is so stupid. Did I ever tell you about the time he came after the Psychic Fish? How could that guy be a werewolf? That doesn’t even make any sense! His whole thing is that he’s a fish who is psychic! You can’t add werewolf on top of that, that would be way too many things. (Oh, that reminds me the Psychic Fish has been trying to get in contact with you, he’s received a vision of something big happening soon and he wants to discuss it with-) Uhbupbup, I don’t want to hear it, he’s a fish, I’m not taking a call from a fish. Anyway, where was I, oh yeah, so that’s a pretty clear advantage right there. They’re going to attack you with religious iconography or eggplants or saying your name backwards three times while looking into a mirror. So... while they’re messing around with all of that stuff you could just smack them in the head and knock them out. Don’t worry about getting any heat from that, thanks to legislation passed by Senator Simeon Simian, monsters have the right to defend themselves from monster hunters.

If you’re a superhero (you know, the target audience of this guide) and you see a monster hunter, well, then I’d say you’re duty bound to stop them. When you put on the cape (metaphorically of course, monster hunters wear capes, superheroes are smart and wear costumes that won’t get in their way when they’re trying to save the world) you’re taking an oath to protect all innocent creatures from those who wish to do them harm, and that includes a whole lot of monsters. In fact, since monsters are so often hunted, I’d say it makes sense to take some precautions in case you need to protect a monster. Carry around an extra hood in your utility belt that you can drape over a vampire that’s been exposed to the sun. Carry some smelly garbage in your pocket that you can coat a sewer-mutant with in case a monster hunter tries to polish one off. Hand out free hologram projectors to monsters who live in the cities that the annual monster hunter conventions take place in. Get professional accent coaching so that you can do a real Romanian accent to publicly embarrass monster hunters. And, of course, physically beat up monster hunters whenever you can.

You may, at this point, be thinking that I’m being a bit harsh. “Surely some monsters are evil” you’ll say as though a few evil monsters validates the existence of the entire profession. A lot of people are evil pal, and yet you never see “people hunters” being lauded as heroes. So how about you keep your bad opinions to yourself! 

Monster hunters represent a very real threat to thousands of benevolent and sentient creatures around the world. But luckily, they’re incredibly underqualified for to do the thing to claim to be experts at. So this holiday season, be on the lookout for shifty individuals purchasing a lot of garlic or practicing unraveling toilet papers. Instead of being a monster hunter, maybe consider being a monster hunter hunter and stalk the Earth thwarting the acts of these vile people. 

[mor-beck-more-problems]

Wolf-Staken || Morgan & Ulfric

@big-bad-ulf

Morgan and Ulfric run into each other in the woods. Neither find exactly what they’re looking for.

The world had become a veil to float through. As Morgan ambled through the woods, she pressed her hand to every tree and branch that passed near her fingers. Testing to see if they would notice her, if her touch would matter in a way they couldn’t seem to matter to her. A freak snow was falling in from the west, but Morgan waded through the underbrush in her thin jeans and college hoodie as steadily as if it were a clear evening. She was almost at the clearing Deirdre had taken her to twice before. There had to be deer nearby, or a roost of chipmunks. The deer she’d killed had to have come from somewhere. She scanned the trees, searching for signs of life. A heartbeat. A rustle of leaves, something that even her new body would catch. And suddenly there was. A brown rabbit nosing out from the wet leaves, checking its surroundings. Poor thing. It was never going to be enough. Morgan crouched low into the ground. Hovering just over the grass. She tilted her head, imagining what it looked like to be that helpless at the bottom of the world, to understand how beyond your grasp the order of the earth was just by looking around. Morgan reached out for it. The end of her thought wasn’t clear, but the want was strong enough to propel her, fingers brushing over its fur--

The rabbit leapt away. Morgan dove, arms closing around air. She scrambled up to all fours, only feet above the rabbit’s height and launched herself again. For a moment it was around her and she had a sense, her face buried in its matted fur, its heart pounding in her ear as if was about to burst, as if it was about to die-- Morgan gasped and the rabbit wriggled out, kicking its haunches square into the side of her face. Morgan went splat, rolled onto her back, and willed a deep sigh though her body. The bottom of the world, she thought, staring up at the sky. Didn’t seem all that different from the view from death.

It was a flash of dark hair and pale skin deeper into the forest that had captured Ulfric’s attention first. All his nerves alighted at once from the glimpse of that family contrast, and he found he was as powerless to keep from following it as he was to keep from howling when the moon was clear and bright. But there was barely a silvery sliver in the sky this night, and his senses frustratingly muted. Unable to rely on scent and sound to identify her from a distance, he trailed the woman cautiously at a slightly higher elevation, keeping his face towards the snowfall to ensure he stayed upwind and undetected as he observed her. To his simultaneous relief and disappointment he quickly realized his quarry couldn’t be Diana Aquilla. On closer inspection she looked too young, and the way she scrambled for purchase through the trees didn’t fit with what he’d seen of hunters. They tended to drift detached from their surroundings, single-mindedly focussed on their targets like cruel mockeries of the angel of death. A lost hiker then? Ulfric pulled his body closer in line with one of the towering pines between them, concealing his silhouette. Maybe a few convincing growls from something lurking in the woods convince her to turn back? Then he could continue his patrol without distraction. Softly, he cleared his throat in preparation but it transformed into a surprised splutter as the woman pounced, or rather, made a very pitiable attempt to pounce on the rabbit. “It’s not polite to play with your food. Nor is it to trespass, for that matter,” the werewolf commented drly from his still concealed position. If she was spawn, or some other creature lacking the capacity for anything but mindless feasting, she’d attack at the sound of his voice and this detour would be dealt with quickly. If she didn’t, then deciding what to do next would get more complicated, but also certainly more interesting.

Morgan looked up from the ground, embarrassed. She was a miserable zombie, she knew that, but it was weirder and harder now that she had an audience. She picked herself up enough to dust off her hands and rub the dirt from her sleeves. The man looking over her was more or less what she would expect from a mountain man this far up north. Not enough weapons compared to the last two hunters she’d seen to be one, she hoped. “I-I wasn’t...playing,” she said. Although, for as ineffective as she was, she might as well have been. Maybe she should’ve lied. But trespassing, that was a lot less good than bad brain hunting. “I thought this was just...the woods?” Weren’t they just there? Had she gotten lost? Oh, shit, she had totally gotten lost. Morgan began to crawl back, grateful to not be able to sweat anymore. “But uh...obviously, they’re not. So, I can just...go be...somewhere else?” she said.

“The property line’s about a quarter-mile back the way you came,” Ulfric informed the woman, inclining his head slightly in that direction, squinting to see if he could make out any figures following her. Apart from the rabbit she’d let slip the forest appeared to be still. “You wouldn’t be the first to miss it.” Or to ignore it, as could still prove to be the case. As much as he didn’t want to believe it, the creature in front of him was in a wretched enough state that he couldn’t rule out the possibility that she’d been sent to scout ahead of the Aquilla hunting party in exchange for being spared their wrath. It would certainly fit the family’s odd history of trying to tame nonhuman creatures. “I wouldn’t go back the way you came. You might meet someone less forgiving than me.” The wolf stepped slowly towards the woman as he spoke, corralling her further into the clearing, where the denser snow would mean less secure footing if she did try to attack or flee. “Answer a few questions, and I’ll show you a shortcut back to the road,” he continued, not asking or bargaining but instructing. “What’s your name?”

Morgan slid her attention back behind her as the mountain man checked the horizon. The more she followed small game around the woods, waiting for them to die, the more she realized how much she spent her existence acting like prey. Was that why Constance had been so sure of herself and her curse? Could she see it in her, how small and ineffectual she was? There was nothing behind her that she could see, but his warning gave her little comfort. Morgan tensed, ready to run, but forced herself still. What could he really do to her? Kill her again? The knockers in the cave of voices had tried that. No luck there. “I was just walking,” she offered stupidly. And then she’d gotten a little rumbly and a little sad. And then the rabbit was just...there. She’d wanted to remember, and she’d liked the prospect of a meal after. But that wasn’t anything to explain to a stranger. “...I’m Morgan,” she said. Her name sounded strange in her own mouth as an introduction. She didn’t feel like Morgan, not as a matter of course, but there weren’t any other names she could offer in turn. “Morgan Beck,” she said again, shrugging. “If I’m following your advice, can I at least know who you are too?”

“I’m Ulfric. We’ve spoken before, Morgan,” Ulfric answered, the name jogging his memory of conversations he’d meant to follow on before he’d found himself spending all his free time playing guard dog. Morgan Beck; seller of rocks, lover of the outdoors and seemingly to be the only other person in town who knew the names of the full moons. The signals she’d been sending out online practically howled werewolf, and catching her midhunt in the middle of the woods would’ve confirmed his suspicions if it weren't for the fact that she was trying to catch her prey with her bare humanoid hands. Was this the influence of hunters then? She seemed rather under-responsive for someone who’d been cornered in the woods. Maybe they’d used wolfsbane to disorient her? Or maybe she was new enough to this to not believe what was happening was real? “Were you hoping to find something on your walk? Or is something looking for you?” He backed up, not taking his eyes on her, but motioning that she should follow as he continued to question her. “I can help you, Morgan, if you’re honest with me.”

“Ulfric…” Morgan had to dig back deep to remember that one. Everything before the crash, before Constance sent her into hyperdrive on a bullshit cursed errand. But she remembered him: the kind sounding man with the tattoo parlor, who drew and was away from his family and admired the moon and the flowers. Morgan relaxed her stance and followed behind him, casting one more look over her shoulder, just in case something was coming up behind them. No sign. “I remember you too, yeah,” she said. “You don’t seem like the kind to lead me into a murder pit or anything, but you can say if you are. Honesty’s the best policy,” she said, laughing dryly. “You seemed kind, is what I mean. And no, nothing is looking for me that I know of, though your warning about less forgiving people currently has me slightly spooked.” Not that anything would hurt even if she did find someone, but the sight of her bones reconstructing themselves and growing sinew still made her stomach turn. It didn’t feel cool or special. It felt wrong. She trotted a little closer to him. “I just need a way out of here. I don’t mean to be any trouble. I’m expected home soon.”

“Good, that’s what I intended.” Ulfric replied tersely when Morgan mentioned being spooked by his words of caution, but his posture relaxed slightly. With the new moon preventing him getting a read on her heart rate, he had to trust his gut on whether she was sincere but her earnest words seemed to suggest so. “I’ve got no intention of hurting anyone who doesn’t intend to hurt me,” he reassured her, not mentioning what he’d do to those intending to harm people he’d chosen to protect in order to keep from compromising the Bennetts’ safe haven. He also didn’t bother to press her on where exactly her ‘home’ was in case that tipped her evaluation of him more towards being the type who would have a murder pit, confident he could track her down by her business if he needed to. Instead the werewolf gestured with a finger to his lips that she should remain quiet, before turning to scan the trees ahead for threats, trusting that she wouldn’t be one as she trailed behind. The stoic silence continued until they reached a creek which he knew would lead them towards Torrance Street while giving the trailer where the young wolf and her sister were sheltering a wide berth. The flowing water deepened by melting snow also conveniently muffled his words as he spoke again. “Are you planning on hunting like this often? I wouldn’t recommend it in your… current state.” He said referring to her blunted teeth and nails and general dazed demeanour. “But I can give you some tips, if you really insist on it.”

Morgan didn’t mind the silence. In time, she fell in step with Ulfric’s pace and was able to lift up from herself, her own secret ghost, and float away to somewhere else like a runaway balloon. She barely noticed the terrain they passed and stopped only because Ulfric was too imposing a figure to miss even with her consciousness half missing. “O-oh,” she said. She hadn’t thought that far ahead, and she wasn’t sure what to make of Ulfric noticing how not-all-there she was. No one else felt compelled to comment on it, and the animals didn’t mind her. There were times when she felt invisible even to herself, the way she imagined ghosts felt all the time.  “I don’t know. Not if it’s gonna go like this,” she deadpanned. She realized, too late, that under the circumstances she ought to exercise a little more care. “I um...you know, it’s a weird story you probably don’t wanna know, but...I don’t have to, exactly. But in a pinch, well--if you did know how to do that without having to get, like, a gun or anything, that would be appreciated. For in a pinch.”

“No guns,” Ulfric agreed, scowling in distaste at the suggestion. “You’ll want to work on your approach. No offence, but you’re easy to hear coming”. As he picked up the pace to lead Morgan out of his domain, he rattled off the instructions that had been drilled into him a million times before his parents had deemed him ready for tracking prey in human form. “When you have locked on to your target, try moving towards it with one foot directly in front of the other, like you're walking on a tightrope. That’ll force you to focus on evenly distributing your weight.” He slowed for a moment demonstrating along the ridge of the creek’s edge for a few paces. “You don’t want to bring your whole foot down at once either. Just make contact heel and then roll it forward. If you feel something unstable, just shift it softly to the side.” He brought the toe of one worn boot gently down against a brittle branch on the forest floor but slid off it silently pushing it aside before it could break. That way you won’t snap every twig between here and Bangor.” Noticing a small cross carved into the trunk of a pine ahead, marking the outer boundary of his homestead proper, he turned back to Morgan and held his hand out for her to stop. “Wait here, and I call you ahead in a moment,” Ulfric ordered. “Or you could try and sneak up on me. You could use the practice.” His tone grew a touch more friendly at the amusing mental picture. “I wouldn’t go running off in any other direction though, don’t want to lose your way again.”

Morgan was pretty sure that general incompetence at anything outside her niche fields of expertise hadn’t been what Deirdre meant when she said the bones of herself remained. And it had been, Morgan wanted to petition the underworld for better bones to preserve. She followed Ulfric’s instructions as he gave them, recentering herself awkwardly as her center of gravity shifted. He wasn’t kidding about the focus part. She did her best with the placement of her feet, although it brought back shameful memories of her brief stint in ballet class. She wobbled in the leaves as her thoughts wandered into those dusty alive memories and snapped back to attention with a sheepish expression.

“Yeah, don’t worry about that,” Morgan deadpanned. She rolled her eyes ruefully and smirked at the suggestion she could successfully sneak, but as soon as Ulfric had put some distance from her, Morgan felt a pull to test him on his suggestion. Slowly, centering herself on her toes first, she began to creep, one foot directly in front of the other. Slow and mindful of the twigs. The wind rose around her and she winced, wondering how much of the rustling grass was her, and how much was the restless earth. She adjusted herself and continued until she was close enough to call, “Boo!”

Ulfric surged ahead of Morgan, breaking through the tree line. With a sigh of relief he saw that all the lights in his trailer were off, the silhouette of the structure that stood on the opposite side of the clearing barely distinguishable from the dense curtain of forest behind it. Even if her eyesight was as good as his in the dark, he was fairly certain she’d miss it without knowing where to look for it. Confident that the Bennets were safely concealed, he made to call back to the strange straggler he’d picked up in the woods, but picked on the soft swish of frost dampened grass a few feet behind him. Pivoting on the spot, he turned to face Morgan just as she’d uttered her triumphant exclamation. “Better,” He offered her gruff but sincere praise. She was a fast learner, and now he was relatively sure she wasn’t a threat, at least not to anyone but herself, that could be considered a positive. “You’ll need to practice until you can do it without really thinking. But for now, it’s a start. Come on,” he ushered her along at an unforgiving speed, keen to get her far away from where his unlikely wards were hiding. Before long they came to a fence, which he swiftly climbed over, extending a hand to help her do the same once he was on the other side. “The road’s just here, heading east will take you back towards town. Don’t linger too long. I was serious about there being things less friendly than me lurking in these woods,” Ulfric instructed her, glad to be able to return to his watch duty, but a little disappointed he hadn’t been able to figure her out; was she an inexperienced and admittedly very strange wolf as he suspected? Or something unknown and even stranger? “I would like to hear that long story though, when it’s a better time.”

Morgan deflated with a half-hearted huff as Ulfric turned, knowing exactly where she was behind him, perhaps even the whole time. Still, it was kind of him to smile and tell her she was getting better. If things got scarce at the butcher’s, she might be able to rely on his advice to actually help her catch something. She wobbled over the fence, strong but inexperienced in using her body this way. She held on tight to Ulfric’s sleeve the whole way down. “Thank you,” she told him. “I appreciate it, really.” He even seemed to mean it when he said he wanted to know what her story was. And his voice was so kind she wanted to believe him. She winced, knowing with her luck it wasn’t true. “Not sure I know how to tell it in a way you’d believe,” she said. “But you are someone I’d like to know. Maybe I’ll scrape enough dollars together to come into your shop sometime soon, if that’s, um, if that would be okay?” She began to inch towards the road. She was still learning how to be around people besides Deirdre; so far that was adding up to a lot of awkward and apology.

“You’re welcome,” Ulfric replied, easing her onto the ground, though he wasn’t sure how helpful he’d actually been. At best he’d reduced her chances of running into one vicious cabal of hunters for one night, but there were bound to be more out there and he doubted the way in which she seemed lost could be fixed by something as simple as directions back to town. At Morgan’s suggestion that he’d find her story far-fetched, he scoffed. “I think you’d be surprised what I’m capable of believing.” He was fairly certain the bar for what he’d considered unbelievable had dropped a few feet from its already low starting point since he’d lived in White Crest, the only thing he was skeptical of now was that there was anything left in the world that could shock him. “You would be welcome to stop by,” He insisted, hopeful that she would find him again despite the cautious reception and his eagerness to send her away for the time being. There would come a time when her disorientation would pose more of a threat to her than the chance of being caught in the crossfire of the Bennett’s bounty, and he would miss their chats if she fell victim to dangers she wasn’t aware of.  “Don’t stray from the road,” the werewolf called out a final instruction, but he was already fading back into the forest, adopting again the familiar cloak of shadows and silence that would conceal him as he waited for signs of his intended quarry.

[dyde21]

Lone Wolf 1: The Meeting

So I reread the amazing the amazing werewolf!AU HERE by @somethingmorecreative1 that @percyyoulittleshit reblogged recently and it honestly filled me with inspiration for my own sort of werewolf AU. I have a lot of ideas for this AU already honestly. Warning, a bit angsty in this chapter. A short part one!

XxXxXxXxX

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Annabeth sighed and tried to reign in her frustration. “Are you seriously telling me we have no idea where this rogue is?” She said, her voice steely and even. 

Piper squirmed slightly under the gaze of her alpha. It was clear the frustration wasn’t directed at her, she was just the messenger, but she could tell Annabeth’s temper was flaring up. 

Piper nodded, taking a deep breath. “Will and Nico both haven’t seen him recently.”

Annabeth dropped her head into her hands. “I assume he hasn’t just… left?” 

Piper shook her head out of habit. “They found two dead deer, and a hiker reported a large ‘bear like creature.’ Yesterday.” 

Annabeth leaned back in her office chair, annoyed. “So he’s somewhere where our best trackers can’t find him, yet close enough that he’s able to hunt recklessly in our area and risk exposing us. I don’t know if he’s cocky or stupid or both.”

Piper shrugged. “He’s probably just desperate.” 

Looking out the window, Annabeth knew her beta was probably right. It was true werewolves could survive by just hunting animals in their animal form, but most of them just preferred to eat normal, human meals. If he was hunting regularly, it meant he couldn’t. Which meant he was probably a loner who wandered into their territory. 

But he hadn’t even bothered to introduce himself, which was customary. They wouldn’t have had any of these problems if he had just stopped by. They could have talked, and sent him on his way, or even invited him to the pack. 

But no, this idiot had to play a dangerous game of hide and go seek which could wind up with all of them dead. 

“Annabeth?” Piper asked after a moment, jolting her from her thoughts. She realized she hadn’t actually said anything in a few minutes, leaving her best friend hanging. “Fine. Just let me know if we get any useful information. If you can find willing people, add another shift to patrols just looking for him. I want this resolved before someone gets hurt.” Annabeth really tried to avoid giving direct orders if she could help it. Her title of Alpha was undisputed, and they knew she could snap them in line if needed, but as long as they knew that it was fine for Annabeth. She took pride in a well behaved pack rather than one under martial law like many others. 

Piper nodded, moving towards the door before pausing. “You look awful.” 

Annabeth growled at her slightly, before she felt a slightly sweaty curl fall in front of her face from her messy bun and realized Piper wasn’t actually wrong. Letting out an annoyed huff, she just turned her attention back to her laptop. “I know.” She resigned.

“Get some rest.” Piper ordered, but knew that she shouldn’t press Annabeth any further at the moment. 

Childishly Annabeth just stuck her tongue out at the girl as she closed the door. She was exhausted, but it was hardly her fault. There were not one, but two business deals she was in the middle of negotiations for. Her territory was being harassed by some lone wolf that could either be in need of aid, or a rampaging danger to her pack, and the last threat of luke was still echoing in her head. She really wanted to get drunk, but her stupid genes made her body burn out the alochol short of incredibly amounts which made it not really worth it, poor coping mechanisms aside.

Deciding to work for a bit, she hoped following her usual routine would help ease the tension before she ended up snapping at some poor pack member that didn’t deserve it.

Luckily, the right playlist on spotify and a solid project did help her focus, even if her gaze drifted out the window once or twice towards the forest where the pain in her ass was hiding somewhere. 

XxXxXxXxX

Things were fine. That’s at least what Annabeth had been telling herself. The business deals had gone rather well, and the stranger hadn’t made himself known recently which meant he had hopefully moved on. Things were finally looking up and Annabeth was glad to be catching a break. She knew the life of an Alpha was always a difficult one, but it was times like these that she enjoyed sitting back and appreci-

“He’s back.” Piper said frantically, blasting into her office, holding her arm with a cloth. The smell of blood hit Annabeth’s nose and she shot to her feet, feeling the inner wolf snarling at attention. 

Who had hurt her Beta?

Annabeth was about to move the cloth when Piper stepped back, glaring at her. “Oh calm down.”

“What happened? Is it Luke?” Annabeth snapped, her anger unrestrained. 

Piper just leveled her gaze at her Alpha, having been with her for so long she wasn’t fazed by the girl’s outbursts much anymore. 

“No. It’s the stranger. I met him.”

Annabeth’s eyes widened. “And he attacked you? Call Clarisse and Beckendorf. We’re going hunting. Now.” She ordered. 

Piper shook her head. “Wait, it’s not what you think.”

“I don’t care. He hurt you. That’s a death sentence-”

“ANNABETH!” Piper snapped, making the blonde pause. The annoyance her pride was feeding her was outweighed by the shock. Her friend rarely raised her voice at her. At least outside of a joking manner.

“What?” She asked, eyes narrowing. 

Piper flinched back slightly, realizing she was still talking to her Alpha. 

I think… he’s scared.” She started.

Annabeth paused, rage being replaced with a mild curiosity. “What?” She repeated, less harshly. 

“I could smell him hunting nearby so I tracked him down. He was finishing off a deer when I got there. Annabeth… he didn’t look good. He was thin, and his eyes looked wild. I tried to calm him down and talk to him but he panicked and attacked me. Once he saw when he did he ran away instead of trying to fight.”

Annabeth digested the information, still staring at her friends arm. 

Piper rolled her eyes, sighing out of frustration. “Oh relax. It was just a cut. It’s pretty much healed already.” She said, moving the cloth to show her that the wound had in fact closed and was starting to fade.

“He might leave now. If he ran after attacking you, it’s clear he wasn’t looking for a fight. The best chance he would have had would be you alone yet he didn’t try to kill you. He might get spooked and move on.”

Piper nodded. “Maybe. But there’s no much free space to hunt around us. Reyna’s pack is just to the west of us, and all other directions are sparse in hunting areas.” Piper paused, looking down. “Annabeth… I’m worried. He really didn’t look good.”

Running a hand through her hair, Annabeth sighed. “We can’t afford to be kind hearted now. He attacked you and could bring more trouble. We need to protect the pack, and some rogue wolf is a threat. He needs to leave, for his sake. I won’t let him hurt anyone else.” Annabeth said, ignoring her own heart yearning to help a wolf that was desperate and alone. She had too many lives in her hands to naively follow her whims.

Piper nodded, but was clearly unhappy with her decision. Annabeth sighed but didn’t have much of a choice. “Piper.” She ordered, making her friend look up. 

“You are not allowed to run off and do something stupid to try and ‘help him’”. She said, making it clear it was an order.

Piper glared at her, but nodded. “Fine.” She muttered, mildly annoyed her plan had already been found out. 

Annabeth walked over, resting a hand on Piper’s arm. “I know you mean well. You’re the best of us all. But the pack… I can’t afford to lose you. It’s too dangerous.”

Piper just sighed nodding. “May I go?”

Annabeth nodded. “I’ll be back soon. Just have a little more work.”

Piper nodded, before leaving. 

Leaning back in her chair, Annabeth hated how complicated her life had gotten because of some desperate wolf. She really wished he would just move on and find help somewhere. She was too worried about the stability her pack was lucky with to introduce some foreign element into it. 

Finishing a little more work Annabeth decided to call it early to head back. She needed to clear her head.

XxXxXxXxX

Running through the forest the massive wolf let out a bark, and the wolves trailing behind her split off into their own paths. 

This wasn’t really an official hunt as much as a social outing. Keeping the pack together and letting them blow off steam. She wasn’t too worried about keeping them in line right now, and they would all be close enough in case anyone got in trouble. 

Admittedly she was a bit nervous about that rogue wolf still, but it had been a week since there had been any trace of him so hopefully he had moved on. 

Piper was the last at her side, but with a quick nudge of her head, Piper too went off to run on her own, maybe hunting down a deer. Annabeth wasn’t particularly hungry yet, so she just lowered to a gentle trot through the forest, keeping her ears and nose open for any sense of danger. She was content enjoying the quiet night and letting them have their fun. The run had been enough stress relief for her. 

Annabeth had just laid down on a massive tree stump when she heard the howl. It was Will’s. And… it was about an intruder. But it didn’t sound like the usual danger one. Instantly Annabeth realized their “friend” must have been back. Pushing herself, Annabeth sprinted as fast as she could towards the source of the howl. Piper was at her side in moments, and soon they caught up to Will. The large wolf pointed towards one direction, and Annabeth caught the scent. Sending Piper to the left and Will to the right, Annabeth headed straight towards it. 

It was time to put an end to their strange game of hide and seek, one way or another. 

Annabeth was the first one to catch up to it. 

The massive black wolf was running from her, but it seemed… slow. Like it should have been much faster than it was able to run. 

The second she got close enough it whipped around, growling intensely, but backing up slightly. Annabeth let out a howl, letting the others know to stay close but not join her yet. 

Standing tall, Annabeth approached it, demanding all the respect an Alpha deserved. It just backed up more, clearly looking for a way to escape. It turned left, as if to run, but Piper emerged from the bushes, head low and growling a clear warning. The wolf backed up a little more, only to be met with Will emerging on the other side. It snarled at all of them, before looking directly at Annabeth. The more Annabeth looked at it, the more she could tell Piper was right. It looked bad. It’s ribs were way too visible, it’s fur was matted, and it’s eyes were darting around like it was way too anxious. Understandable given the circumstances, but it didn’t seem to have any sort of composure.

Piper whined at her once, a plea for compassion. Sighing, Annabeth hated how easily she was influenced by her friend. 

Moving a bit closer to piper, she shifted back to human. Piper was close enough to protect her if the beast tried anything, but this would be her only chance to parley with it. And it’s only chance to survive the night. 

“My name is Annabeth, this is my territory and I’m the Alpha. Now who the hell are you and why have you been causing a ruckus.”

The wolf paused, clearly debating it’s options. A dangerous growl from piper made it clear trying to get a quick attack off at Annabeth was not an option, and Will mirrored him closely, blocking off any routes he could try to run. 

Seemingly out of options, the wolf lowered his head slightly, before he shifted back into a young man. He looked to be about Annabeth’s age, but he looked bad.

“I’m Percy.” He responded. 

Percy was in old, torn and dirty jeans, a stained shirt and a blue flannel. His hair was matted and he had the start of a beard. It was clear he wasn’t well fed from his overall frame, though it was hard to tell just how bad. 

“I’m just trying to survive.” He added. 

“By being obvious about hunting deer and being seen by humans? You’re lucky you aren’t dead.”

Percy let out a hollow laugh. “Some luck I have.” He muttered. 

“Why didn’t you try and find me when you got here? Why avoid us?” She pressed on, taking a step forward. 

“Cause I’m not going to bend my knee to some entitled asshole just so you can kill me the second I turn away.”

Both Piper and Will let out a growl at the insult. Annabeth’s eyes narrowed, but she kept herself in check. For as tough as his words were, it almost sounded like he wasn’t talking about her. He was trying to sound all tough and defiant, but it was clear he was just desperate.

Annabeth stared at him, thinking. “You have three options. One, behave and we’ll let you stick around and you can try and find a life here.” 

He scoffed at the idea, looking at them like he was disgusted to be around them. 

“Two. You can try and take us out, but I think you know that isn’t a good idea.” She threatened, a growl in her voice. This time Percy didn’t respond, just lowering his head slightly. It was clear he wasn’t actually looking for a fight despite his tough words. 

“Three. You can leave and try your luck somewhere else. But I don’t think you’ll get very far with your attitude.” She explained, crossing her arms. 

He just stared at her, his eyes cold as if he was trying to read her but Annabeth wasn’t phased.

She paused, loosening the tension in her shoulders slightly. “We don’t want to be your enemies. If you’re willing to give us a chance, we can help you.” She offered honestly. 

This seemed to disarm the boy slightly as his aggressive demeanor dropped. 

His eyes were searching hers for something, it was almost like a mask fell away. Instead of a dangerous rogue wolf, he was just a scared, packless boy trying to survive and Annabeth felt her heart hurt.

Next to her Piper shifted to human, raising her hands in peace. “I want to help you. We can get you food and shelter, but we need you to behave if we’re going to.” 

The boy took a step towards them, seemingly subconsciously. It was clear Piper’s words were working. 

“We can’t have someone dangerous around, but we want to help you.” 

At the word dangerous his walls shot back up as he tensed and stepped back. “I don’t believe you.”

There was a tense pause in the air, before a loud stick snapped to their right. Looking over, they saw Will, still as a wolf, looking started as he had accidentally stepped on one while circling. When they looked back Percy had already taken off running, shifting mid stride as he tore away from them. Will started to run but Annabeth called him off. “Let him go. We told him what we had to. It’s up to him now.” The large wolf trotted to her side, and Annabeth absentmindedly began petting the side of his large neck. “I just hope he makes the right choice.”

XxXxXxXxX

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy it and if there’s interest I may add more to it. I have quite a few more ideas planned for it. If you appreciate my writing, consider checking out my art commissions HERE or checking out my art twitter HERE I really do like writing, but I’ve been trying really really hard lately to get my commissions up and running and the less I have to stress about that the more I can just write. I’ll continue this AU anyway, but I’d appreciate taking a look at least! I can throw in an immediate prompt fill with any commission. =P Either way, self promotion aside, I hope you enjoyed it and let me know if you want more!