#which is nice since drawing Isaac is self care

[cicadako]

Steve from the office is an invaluable asset to the company

[asterekmess]

S3A-E6

Oh boy, here we go, Motel California is just full of absolute bullshit. *sigh* let’s get started then.

Read More’s are good for the environment (or so i’ve heard)

Before we start, I wanna let you guys know that I’m just not gonna comment on the Jennifer/Derek scenes. I just. I really honestly cannot do it. I don’t care. No. Also as this is well, this episode, please be advised that there will be extensive suicide mentions.

Thoughts:

I know this is random as hell, but that truck looks like mine. Oh, and look at the date, it’s only like nine years older than mine. nice.

why does it look like he’s nursing an arrow wound on his leg? Is it just me? That doesn’t look like a claw mark.

Can...can I just point out (god, i already need the tag) that....that they’re drawing a DIRECT parallel between this ARGENT HUNTER and Scott with the whole “lifting up the shirt to reveal the bite on their side’ thing? Like, it’s a perfect replica of when scott does it in the first episode. And they don’t do that with the others. Jackson’s bite was just Visible when he got out of the water and we never see Isaac, and Erica’s bites. Boyd’s was a whole sitting down thing on the Zamboni with his hoodie. They didn’t even do the same thing with Victoria ARGENT’s bite. OH and he’s wearing the heirloom necklace from season 1.

Wait, hold up. So, he just got bitten that night, but he’s already gonna shift? What? The bite works that fast?

....he’s from MA? Why tf is he in california? Also, he’s 27 apparently, oof.

Finstock...honey...you ran out of keys when you have like 6 students behind you still.

why is Finstock paying for Allison and Lydia’s room as well? He’s just that nice, or did he honestly forget they aren’t on the track team?

Maybe it’s just the Sterek shipper in me talking, but someone wanna explain why the fuck Stiles would put Derek on the suspect list for HUMAN SACRIFICES? Let alone TWICE? He literally just helped Derek get his pack back and has been working with them the whole time? Why???Would??He???Suspect???DEREK??? OR his sister???

I totally forgot that Scott promised Stiles he would watch Star Wars after they got back to Beacon Hills. SCOTT YOU ASSHOLE COME ON.

yeouch. You’re putting a huge damper on my Stydia brotp here Stiles. jeez.

*Movie trailer voice* He’s a hunter whose family has been torn apart by a human/werewolf war, who refuses to give up the fight against a species his clan has persecuted for centuries. He does weird detective work that makes no sense and looks like a Dark Souls ghost repeat of someone’s death. He insists on ‘staying out of things’ but then follows people around getting mad when things go wrong. Coming this summer, Chris Argent must actually learn.....to get off his ass and help.

WHY DO THEY ALL DO THE CLAW THING??? Yes, they are obviously claw marks. Why the fuck do you need to put your fingers on it?

Honestly, it makes me so sad because STiles is trying okay? Like, Boyd was pissed that Stiles acted like his friend when they never hung out, and STiles is trying to do the chill smalltalk thing, trying to point out things they have in common. He’s trying to MAKE FRIENDS and Boyd is just....uh...possessed? And still getting candy?? Huh?

Honestly, I’d do the same thing Stiles. Get that candy.

Allison, why’d you get in the shower if Lydia wasn’t back with the towels yet? How’re you planning on getting to them? You expect Lydia to come into the bathroom while you’re showering to put one there? #allydia confirmed.

WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS? I ALWAYS FORGET THIS HAPPENED. WHAT THE FUCK?

Okay, okay, look at that adaptation we got going on here. Remember, okay, the last time Allison was harassed sexually (which, holy shit I can’t believe this has happened twice) it was by Jackson, who was possessed by Matt. So when Scott gets super fucking creepy, instead of freaking out, her FIRST instinct is to check if he’s still himself, if he’s okay. She jumps to ‘possessed’ and tries to take care of him WHILE SHE”S NAKED IN THE SHOWER AND BEING CREEPED ON. Which, while absolutely horrendously terrifying, is also an interesting character growth. We get to see how Allison responds to the same situation, but a season later.

Really not a fan of the weird-ass focus they put on this woman’s stoma ( think that’s the word) like...are you seriously trying to make that a part of the ‘horror’ aspect of this episode? For real? what is wrong with you?

So I did the research, and actually, hotels aren’t required to tell anyone about deaths in their rooms. But they also renovate the entire room basically to clean that kind of thing up. Replacing walls and anything that can absorb liquid and even electronics. Oh, the things I google for this research. *sigh*

So, she says “since opening.” So...why does it even matter that an Argent was here? ALSO...why does the wolfsbane whistle matter? Clearly the whistle wasn’t the cause of the last howevermany (apparently 40) years of deaths, so why would it be the cause of these ones?? They gave like fifty different answers to the question of why the wolves (and only the wolves) tried to kill themselves and none of them make sense?

Hey, so...what the fuck even is this possession thing going on? What is it actually doing to these wolves? Why are they getting affected at different times? or did they all get affected at the same time, and the scene with Ethan and Danny is supposed to have been happening at the same time as the bit with Scott and Stiles? Is it supposed to like, make them more impulsive, or just drive them to do what they want to do? Boyd wants some candy, and he will get some candy. Isaac wants to watch tv so he just sits there and clicks through static endlessly. Scott wants to......fuck Allison?

Honestly? Good dad moment here. Chris. Good Dad Moment. I just, feel so bad for Allison. That when it comes down to it, she will always end up lying to her family to save Scott’s ass. Either when they’re dating and her dad wants to kill him for it, or when Scott shows up in her bathroom and grabs her and she can’t possibly tell her dad about it without Scott getting shot.

WHY do they treat that moment like it’s a big shocker that Allison was there? She TOLD her dad she would be going to help them. This shouldn’t be a surprise to him???

....wait how was allison on the phone with her dad, fully dressed and outside, but now she’s in her bra and drying her hair in the bathroom? TIMELINES. TW doesn’t HAVE them.

OKay, so Lydia says it’s only been 40 years, which would mean that the motel was only 6 years old when Alexander Argent died in it. Plus...Lydia literally says that approx. 4 deaths a year is a reasonable number? So...either this place has a lot of suicides, or it doesn’t. WHich one? Also, just because you have the warning at the beginning of the episode doesn’t mean you need to go into such callous detail about the different kinds of suicides that took place. God, that’s so tasteless.

As horrific as this moment is, I feel like I should point out that the behavior/conversation that Lydia hears...it’s nothing like what happened with the wolves. They’re talking about it, clearly nervous. But the wolves are stoic and silent. What? WHAT IS THIS PLOTLINE? IS THE MOTEL causing these suicides somehow, or are the werewolves poisoned by wolfsbane?? THESE ARE TWO DIFFERENT PLOTS. WHICH ONE IS IT?

god, I just..I can’t not point out the contrast here! Lydia is saying she heard two people die in a room across the hall, and after leading Allison there they find an empty room going through renovation. All she has to say is “they were here” and Allison believes her. No hesitation. Stiles’ childhood best friend literally shows up dead and Scott refused to believe a word he said about human sacrifice until Deaton confirmed it. Yet Lydia and Allison have known each other less than a year, and Scott and Stiles are supposed to have been friends for ages.

I just...I hate fisheye lenses. they don’t give me any horror vibes at all, they just look stupid. Personal preference.

Boyd, honey, those things are supposed to have bags in them so they can be reused.

WHAT THE FUCK WAS THIS SCENE? WHAT THE FUCK? WHY WOULD THEY EVER BRING THIS UP JUST TO KILL BOYD OFF LATER? WHY?

Lydia is actually very correct, remember what I said about the renovating?

God, this episode has so much...just horrible shit. I’m gonna fucking ignore it for my own sanity and just focus on how wolfy it is that Isaac wouldn’t want to sleep under the covers at a hotel because it would probably smell. Plus, bare feets. Also, why’d he go to bed so early? Did Boyd go get the ice for him, since he’s sweating so much?

I love that they are roommates.

Okay, I don’t understand. Three more suicides are about to happen. Boyd, Ethan, and I guesss...Scott? So what the fuck was up with Isaac? I just...they’re supposed to like. give into their their worst thoughts or something? Boyd’s guilt about his sister. Ethan’s....something. Scott’s...uh...self-hatred? Or, I think it’s more his lack of self-confidence? He doesn’t hate himself, he just doesn’t think he can keep going. And Isaac’s ingrained guilt of doing the wrong thing? His fear of being useless...I guess? So is it supposed to make them suicidal and Isaac’s a weird case, or does it only do that sometimes, and the rest of the time it just leaves you paralyzed with fear? This makes literally no sense.

Where has Stiles been this entire time?

Uh...that’s not how Alphas work? Just because Derek died, it wouldn’t make Scott an Alpha. Scott didn’t kill him. Even if Derek Was dead, it would’ve been from impact or from the wounds Ennis gave him. In no universe would Scott become an alpha. If it was the impact, Cora would become Alpha, as the next blood relation. If it was Ennis, the Hale Alpha spark would be gone/soaked up by Ennis.

Okay...so, Stiles was in the bathroom brushing his teeth, and he didn’t hear Scott talking to the phone?

*snort* Stiles has a Nokia phone. How much do you wanna bet his dad bought that for him after the Pool Scene because he was trying to make sure Stiles didn’t break another phone?

Did...did Stiles just leave the room with the toothbrush in his mouth?

Okay, I get that this is a teen drama...but why does it have to be so obsessed with 16 and 17 year olds having sex? Seriously? It’s not the common occurrence people think it is? Now, if these were college age people...or, hell, even then it wouldn’t be this fucking common. Seriously. I don’t want eye-candy from someone who’s supposed to be 17 at MOST. Teenagers watching this might like the eye candy, but when I watched this at 17 I STILL was sick of the sexy scenes. Knock it off.

Also. Ethan IS STILL A FUCKING MURDERER.

.....uh....Ethan...do you not understand human anatomy? Giving Danny the bite wouldn’t remove the metal bars in his chest. It might heal the cartilage or whatever, but it wouldn’t REmove the BARS. Oh see that’s just creepy. Wait. OKay, are you telling me that Ethan’s thing that he wants, with this possession thing, is to bite Danny? AND HOW DOES DANNY NOT RESPOND TO THAT? HE’s supposed to know about werewolves, which means he HAS to be getting what Ethan’s going for. WTF?

...what the FUCk kind of voldemort “love and monsters” kinda bullshit was that? What does that have to do with Ethan’s deepest fear/insecurity?

I am...so confused. FIrst off, I love having Allison, Lydia, and Stiles all chillin’ trying to figure things out. THat’s amazing. But how do they know something’s up with Isaac? Also, it contradicts what I was theorizing before when Allison says the last time she saw Scott like that it was a full moon. Now I’m even more creeped out? WHy would they have her fully believe that it’s Scott, and just...let him be a fucking creep? Why would they openly admit that he’s been that terrifying with her before and then just...be chill about it? Also, when did she actually see Scott act like that? When he did it on his second moon Allison never saw him bc Derek tackled him into the woods. When did Scott go all creeper on her? Is this a REgular OCCUrREncE?

I know it was wasn’t intentional, but it’s such an adhd mood for Stiles to see the paper sticking out of the bible and just snatch at it. most people would call that ‘attention to detail’ but like...I just see it as ‘wtf is this, gotta know gotta know” mooood.

Why does Stiles go running to the next room like it’s an emergency, and what is the relevance of these articles in the bibles? LIke, yeah, you knew there were a ton of suicides. How does this help?? God, it’s like they were trying to make it a mini-horror film, but they just suck at understanding what the right order is to put things. FInding those articles should’ve been something that happened at the beginningin order to create a sense of unease, not in the middle of figuring things out!

how exactly did Stiles get the damn door open if it was locked? For that matter, how did Ethan know the handsaw was there? Was he on his way to talk to Lydia and Allison, or was he heading for Scott and Stiles’ room to get help? WHat’s going on???

Thank you Allison for not just Standing There. And Lydia for having a BRAIN. <3

HOW DID STILES HOLD BACK ETHAN? Ethan IS AN ALPHA? HOW?

OKay. I know I said I wouldn’t comment on these scenes with Jennifer, but this is just a general observation. DEREK. YOU HAVE A CELL PHONE. YOU ARE PERFECTLY CAPABLE OF CALLING PEOPLE FROM THE BED.

What...what does that mean Ethan? “You probably shouldn’t have.” WHat?

I know it’s supposed to be for the Allison/Scott angle, but I just love Lydia and Stiles heading to save the pack. *sigh*

I gotta say, I actually really respect Stiles for straight up telling Lydia about the parallels he’s seeing. Rather than hide it from her, he’s trying to get to the root of the problem, point blank and he’s being honest with her about his worries that she might be involved without even knowing it. And she listens and doesn’t get immediately defensive. This communication is SO GOOD. Stydia BROTP.

I’m fucking on the verge of tears. Sinqua, your acting is just...like, you barely speak in this scene and yet your face is just??So pained?

Bare feets. I know I point it out a lot, but like, compared to kali, who keeps her claws out all the time even in like a fucking hospital. It’s so cute to see Boyd and Isaac wandering barefoot in their hotel room. Just, the level of calm it implies, despite the situation. They feel so safe with each other.

ALSO did Boyd go through all of that while Isaac was under the bed?

WAIT WHAT? WHy is Lydia suddenly all pissed off? WHAT? That makes no sense! But then when she says his name, she doesn’t sound upset at all?? WHAT?

ALSO, I thought this was supposed to be about suicides? Why did they add this totally random (and horrific) thing? It has nothing to do with BoYD! JUST BECAUSE YOU PUT A TRIGGER WARNING DOESN”T MEAN YOU NEED TO MUSH AS MUCH FUCKED UP SHIT AS POSSIBLE INTO ONE EPISODE. GOD. It’s like those people who assume just because they’re allowed to do R rated shit, they have to have random sex scenes in their tv show.

where did Scott get gasoline? Like...where?

God fucking damn it, how fucking demonizing can you get, fucking juxtapositioning Scott’s suicidal monologue about Derek suffering and being dead, then jumping to Derek fucking someone instead of telling anyone he’s alive? What the fuck is wrong with these people? Why is it literally ANY TIME Stiles or Derek are in some way happy (NOT that I’m considering Derek at that moment in time Happy or in any way okay) they always make it out to be the most horrible thing ever? It’s like I said before, Stiles smiling on the field because he actually gets to play lacrosse? Jackson’s about to die. Stiles happy because he’s going to play a game in class? His best friend is missing. Derek....I’m not even going to give what’s going on a name. But then they just layer that over Scott...what even is he doing? Everyone else actually tried to kill themselves. Why is he just...standing there? Are they seriously trying to make the claim that his strength of will is so strong he’s the only one could can hold out against the...whatever the fuck is causing this? Jesus fucking christ do you have to turn him into Jesus every time? SERIOUSLY?

YOU DIDN”T THOUGH. SCOTT YOU LITERALLY REFUSED TO FIGHT BACK. YOU PLANNED A RENDEVOUS WITH DEUCALION BEHIND EVERYONE’S BACK BECAUSE YOU INSISTED FIGHTING BACK WAS WRONG. YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN MURDERED IN COLD BLOOD IF DEREK AND THE OTHERS HADN”T COME TO FIND YOU.

...I get that this is supposed to be an emotional moment, but why the fuck does Scott’s monologue about how much he sucks have to drag Stiles down with him? Stiles was literally always good at lacrosse. He never got ‘better’ before being put on the field. You saying that the both of you were ‘nothing’ is a terrible, horrible thing to say because you’re implying that because Stiles didn’t get the bite like you did, the only thing that makes him more than nothing is being your friend. How does Scott manage to be a total asshole even when he’s in the middle of explaining why he wants to die?

AGAIN WITH THE RANDOM PLOTLINES. DAVIS WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU? IS THE HOTEL HAUNTED, OR IS THE WHISTLE FULL OF WOLFSBANE OR IS THE DARACH ACTIVELY MAKING THEM KILL THEMSELVES? WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON? ANd why would the Darach be making them kill themselves?? THey don’t match any of her sacrifice requirements! This makes no sense with the plotline you follow for the rest of the season!

WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SCENE? Scott was NOWHERE NEAR Ethan? WHY THE FUCK DID HE GIVE SCOTT THE CREDIT FOR SAVING HIS LIFE? And why would he thank him for it, when he told Stiles he shouldn’t have been saved? WHAT IS GOING ON?

Also, why does Ethan have like, a bruise thing on his cheek? Is that...is that a skin thing, or like, a show thing?

This doesn’t solve the problem of Allison’s car being stuck with an empty tank at the side of the road halfway to Beacon Hills.

dude. you realize that was literally 34 years ago? Deucalion would have to be like 50. and even then he would’ve been a fucking 16 year old Alpha. So that makes Deucalion more likely in his 60s. Also, why the fuck do you care Chris? This is such a random fucking thing. It makes no sense. What the fuck does it matter now?

Last Thoughts: What the fuck even is this episode? It’s like this steaming dumpster fire of half-assed ideas and loose ends to plots we’ll never see and really shitty horror movie vibes. We’re talking D List or maybe E list horror movies. I’m honestly disgusted? I can’t remember the last time I had to watch something so tasteless and cruel and insensitive in every single way?

.....on to the next episode, I guess. God, I need to change all of this in the rewrite, and I don’t know if I can actually make it good?

[tw-anchor]

27. Very Busy Night

Anchor

Stiles Stilinski x Original Character

Episode: 3x02; Chaos Rising + 3x03; Fireflies

Word Count: 10,425

Warning(s): Mature language, canon violence + gore, character death

Author’s Note: I fit in the rest of Chaos Rising in this chapter because I thought it would flow with Fireflies better. I hope you like this chapter! Tell me what you think! Make sure to reblog and like!

Find the masterlink where’s it pinned to my blog!

Allison pulled her bolt cutters from where she was hiding them behind her back and snipped at the chain holding the front doors to Beacon Hills First National closed. Olivia quickly grabbed the chain before it could fall to the ground and make any nose, alerting the alpha pack that someone was breaking into the bank. The last thing they needed was to get caught right away; that wouldn't make a very successful mission.

Olivia and Allison nodded at each other before they opened one of the doors and slipped into the abandoned building. It was very dark inside, which made it hard to see, but at least the subtle glare of the full moon provided a little light to guide them around. The bank was just as Olivia saw in Isaac's memories, dusty and deserted. The lobby was full of mishappen furniture that was thrown about, including chairs, desks, and teller counters that would have been nice once upon a time. The whole feel of it gave Olivia the creeps—and it didn't help that the full moon was starting to affect the werewolves in her life.

She could feel five different struggles in her mind, each belonging to the werewolves she considered pack. It was a little distracting, having to feel a loss of control while having no side effects from the moon herself. She had to make sure that she wasn't focusing on her pack but on what she was involved in. If she didn't focus, she would lose control and act like she did in the classroom on the first day of school. She wouldn't be able to do anything and she wouldn't be able to have Allison's back or protect herself—not that she could do much fighting, anyway.

She clenched her fists as she and Allison walked through the lobby, dodging the old furniture, and made their way back to hallway that would lead to the offices. They passed a couple of file cabinets on the way, but they were only a quarter of the way through the hallway when someone attacked.

Allison was quick to defend them, drawing one of her ring daggers and blocking the woman who had pushed them. Unfortunately, Allison was too caught off guard and Olivia was practically useless in defending themselves; the woman pushed both of them up against the wall.

It was then that Olivia saw exactly who it was that attacked them.

"Ms. Morrell?" she breathed in confusion. She was the guidance counselor, for crying out loud. Lydia and Stiles literally had appointments with her every week. What the hell was she doing in the alpha pack's den?

"Keep your mouths shut and listen close," Ms. Morrell warned them. "You have no idea what you two just stepped into. Right now, you've got maybe twenty seconds to get your asses hidden."

"What are you doing?" Allison asked.

"Get in that storage closet over there and lock the door," Ms. Morrel nodded at the door behind Olivia and to the right. "When you hear the fighting start, that's when you come out."

"There isn't supposed to be fighting," Olivia stated; their plan was for her to calm down Boyd and the girl and get them out of there before the alpha pack even knew they were there.

"You're wrong," Ms. Morrel said. "You'll hear it. Now go!"

Ms. Morrell let go of Olivia and Allison and ran out of the hallway. They didn't waste any time as they rushed toward the storage closet and entered the room, quietly shutting the door behind them. It was pitch black in the room and as expected, the light switch didn't work. They were blind for the moment.

And then they heard the multiple sets of footsteps. Realizing what was happening at the same time, they both nudged each other away from the door and held their breath, hoping that the oncoming alphas wouldn't be able to hear them.

That didn't exactly take care of their scents, though.

As the footsteps started to pass by the closet, Allison knocked over a jug of cleaner. Olivia didn't know exactly what it was but it sure smell strong enough to hide their scents. Hopefully, it wouldn't be too suspicious that there was a strong chemical smell coming from the closet out of nowhere. It was a storage closet, though, so who knew.

Nothing happened, though. They weren't caught. When the footsteps faded away until they were sure no one would come back, Allison shredded her jacket and placed it on the puddle of cleaner, hoping to dilute the scent that burned their nostrils. Olivia quickly pulled her phone from her own jacket and turned on the flashlight; now there was enough light to at least get their bearings.

However, when Olivia spotted something out of the corner of her eye, she wished she wouldn't have turned the light on at all. When the beam of light hit Erica's body, her stomach heaved and her chest tightened. Her eyes stung as she looked at her former packmate; her body was already decomposing, her skin chalk white with spots of decay here and there.

"Oh, my God," she breathed shakily. She grabbed Allison's offered hand and squeezed it with all of her might, trying not to freak out and blow the whole operation.

Erica was only two months older than her. She spent most of her life without friends and riddled with seizures that brought her self-confidence down to the negatives. When she was given the bite, she was okay for less than a month before she was being hunted down by the Argents. She didn't get to live the life she deserved and it made Olivia sick to her stomach. Erica was good. She was good and she deserved better than what she got.

She hastily wiped her wet face with the back of the hand that held her phone. It was no use, more tears were already slipping down her cheeks. She felt like a piece of her was missing and she couldn't believe that she hadn't even known that Erica was killed because it was clear that it had been more than a couple of weeks that her body had been in the closet.

"I'm so sorry, Liv," Allison squeezed her hand in comfort. She hadn't been friends with Erica like Olivia had been but it was still upsetting to see her dead. They were classmates and had Erica been on the right side of things, maybe they would have been friends. They'd never know now.

-

-

Stiles stared out the huge window in Derek's loft, staring at the full moon in the sky. It had been maybe an hour since Olivia, Derek, and Scott left but he was already impatient for them to get back. He didn't like waiting, especially when his girlfriend and best friend were risking their lives at the moment.

"I can't take waiting around like this, you know?" he spoke aloud, hoping that Peter would understand his worry. "It's nerve-racking. My nerves are racked. They're severely racked. Racked."

Why would Peter care, though? It wasn't like his own daughter and nephew were in danger. "I could beat you unconscious and wake you when it's over."

Stiles rolled his eyes and turned away from the window, facing Peter where he was laying on the couch. "Do you think that Erica's really dead?"

"Do you think I really care?"

Stiles quickly moved on and changed the subject as he started pacing around the loft. "I just, I don't understand the bank, though, okay? What—like, why wouldn't they chain them up in some underground lair or something? They're an alpha pack, right, so shouldn't they have a lair?"

"They're werewolves, not Bond villains."

"Wait a sec, wait a sec," Stiles turned back to him. "Maybe they're living there, you know? Like, maybe the bank vault reminds them of their little wolf dens."

Peter opened his eyes and stared at him blankly. "Wolf dens?"

"Yeah, wolf dens," Stiles nodded. "Where do you live?"

Suffice to say, his girlfriend's father hadn't exactly invited him around for dinner.

"In an underground network of caves hidden deep in the woods."

Maybe that was why. "Woah, really?"

"No, you idiot," Peter rolled his eyes. "I have an apartment downtown."

Stiles almost felt a little disappointed. "Okay, fine, but still, that just proves that there's something up with the bank," he pointed out. "And why wait around for the full moon, huh? Why not just kill them whenever they want to?"

"Maybe they think it's poetic," Peter suggested casually.

He shook his head. "They've already had three full moons to be poetic."

"And here, you've only had one full hour to be so annoying..."

Stiles waited for him to go on complaining about him but he didn't. "No, go ahead and finish what you were saying. I'm—I'm annoying...What were you gonna say there?"

Peter didn't rise to his challenge. "What are the walls made of?"

"What?" Confused, Stiles looked around the loft. "Uh, I don't know, like, wood and brick, or—"

"No, the vault, the vault," Peter jumped up from the coach and headed over to the bank's blueprints that were still spread out on the table. "the walls, what are they made out of? Where would it say that?" he went through the various pages of plans. "This doesn't say anything. Where would it say the materials, the type of stone?"

"Oh! Okay, hang on," Stiles rushed over to the table and searched for the binder that held the details of the build; when he finally found it, he handed it over to the werewolf. "Here, it's gotta be in there."

He looked carefully as Peter swiped through the pages, looking for what kind of stone they used for the vault. When they finally came to the page that held the details for the vault, Stiles discovered the section of materials.

"There," Stiles pointed to the section. "That's it."

"Hecatolite," Peter read.

"Is that awful? That sounds awful."

"Get them on the phone," Peter demanded. "Call them, now."

"Okay," Stiles scrambled for his phone and quickly started dialing Scott. "why?"

"Because Boyd and that girl aren't gonna kill each other, they're gonna kill Derek and Scott."

Panic raising in his chest, Stiles pressed his phone to his ear and was relieved when Scott picked up.

"Stiles, now is not the best time."

"Scott, Scott!" he exclaimed frantically. "No, listen to me, okay? Look, you gotta get out of there. Look, the walls of the vault are made with a mineral called Hecatolite. It scatters the moonlight."

"What does that mean?"

"It keeps the moonlight out, okay? They haven't felt the full moon in months."

"Okay, think of it like the gladiators in the Roman colosseum," Peter took over explaining. "They used to starve the lions for three days, making them more vicious, more out of control. Deucalion has kept them from shifting for three full moons, diminishing their tolerance to it."

"Scott, they're gonna be stronger—"

"More savage, more bloodthirsty," Peter cut him off. "Scott, they're the lions. They're the starved lions and you and Derek just stepped into the colosseum."

"Derek, we have a problem," they heard Scott say. "A really big problem."

Then came Derek's surprised voice. "Cora?"

"Who?"

Stiles looked at Peter, wondering if he knew a Cora. The shocked look on his face made him think that he did.

"Cora?"

"Derek, get out," a female voice came from the other line. "Get out now!"

"Scott," Stiles spoke again, hoping to get Scott's attention. "Hey, Scott! Scott, are you hearing this?"

Vicious growling started out on the other line and they could hear the fighting start.

"Scott?!"

The dial tone started beeping.

-

-

The fighting started not long after Olivia and Allison discovered Erica's body. They waited only five minutes before they set out of the closet, afraid that they were run into any members of the alpha pack on their way to the vault.

From the loud growling, the vicious roars, and the painted grunting, Scott and Derek had to have been having a bad time in that vault. The crashing and bangs didn't bode well for them, either.

Olivia had to get in there, now.

She and Allison were quick getting to the vault. Olivia was quick to notice the circle of mountain ash on the floor and that was good and bad. It was bad because Derek and Scott couldn't get out of the vault but it was good because neither could the girl or Boyd. Believe it or not, it was safer for Beacon Hills if Boyd and the girl were contained in one place. It wasn't so good for Derek and Scott, though.

"Look out!" Allison yelled as Olivia jumped over the seal and into the vault. Derek and Scott jumped out of the way as the mystery girl and Boyd lunged for them.

Boyd hit his target with Scott, digging his claws into his stomach and rising him up into the air. Scott grunted and searched for the strength to get out of Boyd's hold but he was unable to fight back.

"Boyd!" Olivia rushed to a stop and held out her hands toward her large packmate. He was seething and out of control as he turned away from an injured Scott to glare at her. "Boyd, control yourself!"

He roared a her, furious. Honestly, it scared Olivia more than a little bit. For some reason, Boyd was more out of control than usual and she didn't know if she could do anything about it. Yeah, she had been practicing with her abilities and they've grown stronger but Boyd was only with her for a month. She didn't even know the girl, so it'd be hard to do anything to her.

Then Olivia was on the ground, a girl her age hovering over her. The breath was knocked out of her chest and she was pretty sure she was going to die but when she took a look at the girl's face, time seemed to stop.

She knew who the mystery girl was now and she couldn't believe it. Cora, her cousin who was born only a year before her, was supposed to have died in the fire. That's what they all assumed when she didn't show up after the disaster that ravished the Hale house and killed Olivia's aunt and mother, along with other members of the pack. They hadn't seen her for six and a half years and now, all of a sudden, here she was, trapped in a bank vault by the alpha pack.

How had she even survived?

"Cora?" she breathed in shock. "You're alive."

Cora's face only slight softened as she realized exactly who she had tackled. She didn't really get to think on it further when Derek plowed into her, knocking her off their cousin and onto the floor.

"Ollie, go!"

Olivia hurriedly got up and backed away from her cousins, heading toward Boyd and Scott. She said nothing, as to not give away her position, and slapped her hand onto Boyd's back. Her gaze was tinted purple as she concentrated all of her energy into calming Boyd down so he wouldn't end up killing Scott.

"Come on, Boyd."

He was fighting her and it was hard to get a hold of him. Just as she was only a second away from reaching him and getting him into control, Derek called out, "No, don't break the seal!"

Her concentration lost, she looked over at Allison just as the taller brunette crouched down to break the mountain ash barrier.

"Boyd!" Allison called, getting the beta's attention.

As Boyd let go of Scott, Olivia tried to wrap her hands around his huge arm. "BOYD!"

Boyd only faltered for a long second before Allison broke the barrier. He ripped away from her grasp and sped out of the vault, Cora on his tail. Olivia stared after them in belief; she was so close to getting to Boyd.

Derek angrily stormed out of the vault and grabbed Allison's arm.

"Don't touch her!" Scott pushed him away as he and Olivia approached.

"What were you thinking?" Derek growled at her.

"That I had to do something," Allison shot back."

Scott immediately jumped to Allison's defense. "She saved our lives."

But she could have put many more in danger, Olivia thought to herself. She didn't blame Allison for what she did; if she were in her shoes and was watching Stiles get beaten up by a raving werewolf, she'd break the seal too.

"Yeah and what do you think they're gonna do out there?" Derek brought up the point that Olivia made in her head. "Do you have any idea what you just set free?"

"You want to blame me?" Allison scoffed in disbelief, her eyes narrowed into daggers. "Well, I'm not the one turning teenagers into killers."

"No, that's just the rest of your family," Derek retorted.

It was totally not the time but Olivia was impressed by Derek's comeback. Until now, none of Derek's betas had been bloodthirsty or out of control. Allison couldn't say the same about herself or her family of hunters.

Allison slumped a little at his comment, seeming to know that Derek's words weren't exactly a lie. "I made mistakes," she admitted. "Gerard is not my fault."

"And what about your mother?"

"Derek!" Olivia hissed at her cousin. Did he really have to bring that up at a time like this? They needed to be out there looking for Boyd and Cora.

Allison, however, wanted to know what Derek meant. "What do you mean?"

Derek turned to Scott with a daring look. "Tell her, Scott."

"What does he mean, Scott?" Allison's voice trembled. "What does he mean?"

Scott looked hesitant to tell her and Olivia guessed that it was because she and Derek were with them. If it was her telling Allison about her mother's actions before she died, she wouldn't want Derek around to butt in with scathing and insensitive comments—even if Victoria Argent deserved them, Allison didn't.

"Derek," Olivia spoke up, catching her cousin's attention. "We found Erica. We should—we should go and get her."

Derek's face crumpled as he seemed to realize what Olivia meant. Her heart ached as she took his arm and clutched it tightly before leading him away from Scott and Allison. They slowly walked down from the second level and to the hallway that held the storage closet she and Allison hid from the alphas in.

"She's dead..."

"Yeah," Olivia confirmed quietly, her eyes starting to sting with tears. "From the...her body looks more than a couple of weeks old."

She wanted to prepare him; he would take the loss of Erica harder since she was his beta. Even for her, the loss of a packmate was hard. It was like losing a limb; it still felt like Erica was there but when she reached out to find her, the blonde wasn't there to meet her.

Derek tightened his grip on Olivia as they entered the storage closet. He completely shocked Olivia when he faltered after laying his eyes on Erica's body. Derek was literally the strongest person she knew so it was tough to see him in such grief. He wasn't quite as bad as when most of their family died but it was still hard.

"This is all my fault," he whispered, taking in the decay of her body.

"No, it's not," Olivia insisted. "It's not, Derek. The alpha pack did this, not you."

"I was the one who turned her."

"And you didn't know it would turn out like this," Olivia bit the inside of her cheek. "Derek, please...please believe me. This isn't on you and Erica...Erica wouldn't want you to think that way, either."

Derek shook his head and slowly let go of Olivia before taking the few steps toward Erica's body. In one swift movement, he picked Erica up and cradled her in his arms. It was so heartbreaking for Olivia to see the pure guilt and grief he felt on display. It almost hurt worse than the grief she felt for Erica.

"Come on," Derek's voice was hoarse.

They slowly walked back to the vault where Allison and Scott still stood together, discussing what really went on the night that Derek bit Victoria Argent. They arrived just as Scott was finishing, telling Allison that he couldn't have the memory of her mother trying to kill him be the last memory she ever had of her.

The both of them turned when they noticed that Olivia and Derek had arrived with Erica's body. Allison frowned sadly while Scott's face crumpled; Olivia could tell that he was very upset with Erica's fate and while it didn't make much sense because he and Erica weren't very close, it was Scott. He felt for people so deeply that his reaction didn't really surprise Olivia.

Derek cleared his throat. "We'll come back for her after we catch Cora and Boyd," he stepped into the vault and gently laid down her body before turning back to Scott. "Are you ready?"

Olivia swallowed down the lump in her throat and spoke up, "If I can concentrate, I think I'll be able to find Boyd."

Derek nodded at her and then looked back at Scott. "You go after Boyd and I'll try to find Cora. Olivia, you give Scott any information that you find. I'll Isaac and Peter and get them to help. We need to get to them before they hurt anyone."

Olivia and Scott nodded in unison at him. "Let's do this."

-

Olivia sat at a picnic table just outside of the campground part of the reserve, her hands clasped and her eyes closed. She was deep inside her head with her focus on Boyd, mentally following him around Beacon Hills. It took a lot of energy to keep on him but she didn't have a choice. It was either this so Scott could find him, or let innocent people die. Cora had already tried to terrorize the drive-in if Derek hadn't stepped in but unfortunately, she ran off before he could catch her.

Apparently, she was much faster than Derek when she went without feeling the full moon for three full months.

She sighed when she felt Boyd take off again; she had given Scott his last location but he must have lost him.

Sure enough, Scott was calling her. Her focus now gone, she answered the phone and looked up at Derek as he made his way over to her. She put the call on speakerphone—even though he could hear it fine—just in case he wanted to talk to Scott.

"Scott?"

"Hey," Scott greeted her breathlessly. "I lost Boyd."

"You lost him?" Derek asked, disappointed.

"Yeah, I kind of had to."

"That wasn't exactly the plan."

"I know, which is why I think that we should stick together," Scott stated. "Trust me, he's too strong, too fast, and way too angry for one person to handle. We've got to do this together."

"Scott, we're at the edge of the preserve campground," Olivia spoke up, exchanging a look with Derek. "Can you meet us here?"

"Yeah," Scott confirmed. "I just got to drop something off first."

Olivia furrowed her eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"

"I'll fill you in later. See ya soon."

Olivia ended the call and locked her phone, setting it on the table before looking up at Derek. "This is a nightmare."

"No kidding..."

Olivia winced as her hearing cut off and a loud scream took its place. This had happened only a half-hour earlier but this one was much more severe and terrifying. The first time she didn't even know where it came from but as the scream died down now, the whispers started.

Lydia's there, she heard. A picture of the community pool flashed through her mind, leaving a searing ache behind. Lydia, Lydia, Lydia. She found him. She found him. Lydia, Lydia, Lydia.

What the actual hell?

"Ollie, are you okay?" her hearing came back all at once. She grimaced at her sensitivity and opened her eyes, seeing Derek's worried face hovering over her. "Ollie, can you hear me?"

"I can hear you," she croaked; for some reason, her throat felt sore.

"You screamed," he told her, crossing his arms over his chest. "What happened?"

She hadn't known that she screamed. Why did she? Was that Lydia who screamed in her head? That's what the whispers seemed to imply. If Lydia was the one who screamed, how did she hear it and why did she scream too?

"I heard screaming and Lydia's name," she hurriedly picked up her phone and tried to call Lydia. As she pressed her ear to her phone, she added, "She found something but I don't know what. I don't know what's going on."

To her disappointment, Lydia didn't answer. The line beeped rapidly, informing Olivia that Lydia's phone was currently busy. She hung up the call and tried Stiles; she couldn't leave to go check on Lydia, so he would have to.

"Olivia, are you okay?" Stiles picked up almost immediately. "No one called me after and I was afraid someone got to you guys. Are you okay? Did Boyd kill you? Who is Cora, by the way? Tell me what happened. Is everyone all right?"

"Stiles," Olivia interrupted; as much as she thought his rambling was cute, now wasn't really the time to indulge him. "We're all okay. Boyd and Cora got out but Derek, Isaac, and Scott are out looking for them now."

"Okay, good," Stiles sighed in relief. "So, who's Cora?"

"She's my cousin, Derek's little sister—"

"Derek has a little sister?"

"Yes and we thought she died in the fire—"

"You thought she was dead? How the fuck is she here now?"

"We have no idea, Stiles. All we know is that she's alive and she's been with Boyd for months," Olivia answered. "but that's not why I called you."

"What's up?"

"I need you to check on Lydia. Something happened and I heard her scream—"

"How did you hear her scream? Is she with you?"

"No, she's not," if he didn't quit interrupting her... "Look, she's at the community pool. Can you please go check on her?"

"Of course I will. I'll go right now," Stiles confirmed. "I love you, be safe."

"Love you, too," Olivia stated. "Call me when you get to her."

"I will. Bye."

Olivia ended the call and turned to Derek once again. He was looking back at her with a half-irritated, half-amused look. Clearly, he had heard the whole call.

He shook his head. "I can't believe you're dating him."

-

-

The tires of the jeep squealed as it came to an abrupt stop next to Lydia's car. Stiles quickly ripped off his seatbelt and threw himself out of the vehicle in order to get to Lydia. From the way Olivia's voice trembled when she spoke about her cousin, and the fact that Lydia had called him in a panic over finding a dead body at the pool, he was quick to panic.

Not only did Stiles have to get through Olivia's occasional episodes but now Lydia was having them too. The Martin girls would be the death of him, surely. Actually, the whole supernatural thing would be. He didn't have a doubt about it.

"Lydia?" he called her name as he ran past the pool's gate and made his way toward the redhead. "Lydia, are you okay?"

Lydia had her arms around her, tightly holding herself. "I'm okay," she trembled. "That over there...not okay."

He followed her gaze to the dead body in the lifeguard stand. He could already see without moving that there was a lot of blood; it made him sick to his stomach. "Yeah, all right," he pulled his phone from his jeans. "I'm gonna call my dad."

"I already called 9-1-1."

Stiles paused and looked back at her while blinking rapidly. "You called the police before you called me or Olivia?"

"I'm supposed to call you guys first when I find a dead body?"

"Yes!" Stiles exclaimed loudly.

He changed gears, calling Olivia like she told him to. She quickly answered the call. "Hey, Livvy—"

"Is there really a dead body?"

"Yes, there is."

"Are you sure?"

Stiles rolled his eyes as he inched closer to the body so he could check it out for himself. "Yep, throat ripped out, blood everywhere. It's like the fucking Shining over here. If two little twin girls come out of the woods and start asking me to play with them forever and ever, I'm not gonna be surprised."

"Okay, okay," Olivia said quickly; she absolutely did not like the Shining when Stiles showed it to her. "Um, can you get a little closer to make sure it was them?"

"Make sure it was them?" he repeated in disbelief. "Olivia, who else is going around ripping throats out?"

She sighed. "Please just do it."

Stiles stepped closer to the dead body, stepping around the huge puddle of blood that had collected on the edge of the pool. Like he told Olivia, the guy's throat was ripped out. He bled a lot; his whole arm down to his purity ring wearing fingers.

"It was them," he confirmed for her. "Listen, Lydia called the cops so I'll call you when we're done with them."

"Okay," on the other side of town, Olivia pressed some fingers to her temple, trying to rid herself of the horrible pain her head was in. "Thank you, Stiles. Really."

"No problem. Love you, talk later."

"Love you," Olivia locked her phone and slipped it into her jacket before turning to Derek, Isaac, and Scott.

Derek shook his head in denial. "This doesn't make any sense," he declared. "The public pool is all the way on the other side of the woods. We haven't tracked them anywhere near there."

"Derek, they killed someone," Scott pointed out needlessly.

"How are they moving so fast?"

"Derek."

"But they can't be that fast on foot," Derek insisted.

"They killed someone," Scott said firmly. "Some totally innocent kid is dead...and it's our fault."

Derek was quiet for a moment, blinking slowly. "It's my fault."

"We need help," Olivia interjected. The four of them weren't getting anything done when it came to Cora and Boyd. They had no experience hunting werewolves and why should they? They didn't hunt their own kind. That was a whole new kind of barbaric. They weren't the Argents, for crying out loud.

The Argents...

"We have Isaac now."

"No, more help," she clarified, a plan forming in her head. "Look, they're too fast, too strong, and too rabid for you guys."

"We'll catch them."

"What happens if we do?" Isaac asked his alpha in response. "We're just gonna hold them down until the sun comes up."

Derek shook his head grimly. "Maybe it would be easier just to kill them."

Olivia immediately went to protest but Scott beat her to the punch. "Killing them isn't the right thing to do."

"What if it's the only thing to do?" Isaac replied. "If we can't even catch them, what else do we do?"

"We find someone who knows what they're doing."

They turned to Olivia, curious. "Who?"

"Someone who knows how to hunt werewolves," Olivia said decidedly. "Like Mr. Argent."

Derek scoffed. "You've got to be kidding me."

"I'm not. Mr. Argent isn't as bad as the others and we all know it," she defended Allison's father. It was true; Argent was probably the mildest of the Argent hunters, including Allison. "If he knows the trouble we're facing and about the innocent people getting hurt, I bet he'll help us."

"She's got a point," Scott backed her up. "Me and Olivia can talk to him."

"And if he says no?"

"Then we make him say yes."

-

With a call to Allison, they tracked down Mr. Argent to the grocery store. Derek and Isaac stayed in the former's car and let Olivia and Scott take the lead on him. Mr. Argent wasn't a big fan of Scott and he didn't adore Olivia, but he was more tolerant of them than the other werewolves.

Olivia and Scott waited for him to come out of the store behind the car next to Argent's SUV. When he came out, his arms full of grocery bags, they came out of hiding and watched as one of his bags fell to the ground.

Argent picked it up with a sigh. "It had to be the one with the eggs..."

Once the bag was safely in the back of his SUV, he shut the hatch and abruptly turned around. Olivia flinched away as he held a gun up to her and Scott, both of them immediately putting their hands in the air to show that they didn't mean any harm.

"Hi, Mr. Argent," she squeaked.

Mr. Argent pressed his lips together. "Olivia, Scott," he greeted them cautiously. "What are you doing here?"

"We need your help," Scott said before he started explaining all that had gone on that night so far, from the alpha pack, the bank, and the wild goose chase that Cora and Boyd were giving them.

Argent didn't look happy to be approached. "First of all, why would I care about anyone related to Derek?"

"Ouch," Olivia mumbled under his breath but Argent steamrolled on.

"And second, I don't know this kid, Boyd. I don't even know his last name."

"Boyd is his last name," Olivia informed him.

"What's his first name?"

"Vernon," she said simply. "and could you put the gun down, please? You're freaking me out."

Argent shifted the gun away from her and more toward Scott; Olivia sighed in relief.

"Yeah, just curious, is there a reason the gun is still pointed at me?" Scott was offended.

"Well, there's probably still some part of me that wants to shoot you," Argent answered honestly.

Scott raised his eyebrows and nodded. "I get that."

Argent sighed and lowered his gun, putting it back in its holster. "I watched my father brainwash my daughter and almost turn her into a killer," he shook his head. "That world—your world—decimated mine. My wife, sister, father, my entire family. Why would I ever step foot in it again?"

"Because people are going to die," Olivia said bluntly. "and because you know how to catch Cora and Boyd without killing them."

Argent hesitated for only a second before shaking his head. "I'm sorry. I can't help you."

He went to enter his SUV when Scott stopped him. "Uh, do you think you could do us, like, one tiny little favor?"

Argent lifted his chin. "What's that?"

"Can you give us a lift to the public pool? We're supposed to meet Stiles and Lydia there," Scott stretched the truth.

Olivia gave him an impressed look, immediately catching onto his plan. Argent would see the police and medical examiner at the pool to pick up the body and investigate the scene and hopefully it would sway him to help them catch Boyd and Cora. It was manipulative but necessary. Cora and Boyd could kill even more innocent people by the time the moon fell if they were able to go free.

"Get in."

Ten minutes later, they were pretty close to the community pool. The whole ride was silent and awkward and Olivia was nervous, hoping that Cora and Boyd weren't out terrorizing the town while they played carpool. If Argent would agree to help them, though, they'd have a significant advantage over them.

"Left or straight?" Argent asked.

"Left," Scott answered from the backseat. "Sorry, it's right about the corner."

Argent turned onto the street on their left and slowed down, looking for the pool. Olivia could already see the red and blue lights coming off the police cruisers.

"That parking lot there," Scott pointed to them. "Yeah, just a little further up, right here."

"Thanks again for the ride," Olivia said as Argent came to a stop and parked.

She and Scott watched Argent's face as he took in the scene. There was already an ambulance there, ready to take the body to the morgue, and it looked like the kid's parents were there, too, to identify their son for the record. It was a disturbing image, how heartbroken the parents were as they sobbed over their child.

It made Olivia's chest hurt a little. Erica's parents would soon find out that their child was dead, too.

Scott went to leave the vehicle first, but Argent stopped him. "They did this, Boyd and...?"

"Cora," Olivia supplied her cousin's name. "Yeah."

Argent lifted his gaze to look at her. "Where's the last place you saw them?"

Minutes later, they were meeting Derek and Isaac back at the campground, where they stopped Cora and Boyd from killing a girl their age.

Argent stood in front of the four of them, kneeling down over two sets of shoe tracks. "You're tracking them by print?"

It was Scott who answered him. "Trying to."

"Well, then, you've been wasting your time," Argent stated. "There's only one creature on earth that can visually track footprints and that's man. And if you're not trained like me, you have no idea that this print is Boyd's," he pointed at the large shoeprint in the mud and then the slightly smaller ones. "and these—"

"Are Cora's," Isaac assumed.

"Nope, they're yours," Argent corrected him casually. "You trampled Cora's as soon as you walked over here."

Olivia raised an eyebrow as she looked over at Isaac, who looked embarrassed.

"Listen, I know the three of you are focusing half your energy on resisting your own urges under the full moon but that puts you at a severe disadvantage to Boyd and Cora, who have fully given in," Argent addressed Derek, Scott, and Isaac. "They put the pedal to the floor where you three are barely hitting the speed limit."

"So, what do we do?" Derek looked annoyed that he had to listen to Argent's advice.

"Focus on your sense of smell," Argent told him. "Actual wolves are known to track their pretty by up to a hundred miles a day by scent. A trained hunter can use scent to track them. If the wind is with them, wolves can track a scent by a distance of two miles, which means we can draw them to us...or into a trap."

Argent reached into the duffle bag that he had brought with him and pulled out a net. "The full moon does give us one advantage," he threw it at Scott, who caught it easily. "They'll have a higher heat signature, which makes them easier to spot with infrared."

Argent threw two infrared binoculars at Scott and Isaac before tossing one to Derek.

"Thanks," Derek handed them to Olivia and flashed his alpha-red eyes. "but I've got my own."

Argent nodded. "Just remember, we're not hunting wild animals. Underneath those impulses are two intelligent human beings. Don't think they can't rely on that human side. It's suppressed but it's there, reminding them how to mask their scent, how to cover their tracks, and how to survive."

They moved from the campsite to the cliff that overlooked all of Beacon Hills.

"When was the last time you saw your sister?" Argent asked Derek.

"Six years," Derek told him. "We thought she died in the fire."

Argent didn't comment on the fire. "Do you feel like you have a lock on her scent?" Derek shook his head so he turned to Scott. "Scott, how confident are you in your skills?"

Scott scoffed lightly. "Honestly, most of the time I'm trying not to think about all the things I can smell."

Olivia wrinkled her nose in disgust. She certainly didn't envy him.

"All right," Argent turned back to the overlook. "The problem is when they breach the woods and hit the residential area. Once they're past the high school, they're right in the middle of Beacon Hills."

"They're not going to kill anyone they see, are they?" Olivia spoke up hesitantly.

"No but there is an important difference to recognize," Argent answered her. "Wolves hunt or food; at a certain point, they get full. Boyd and Cora are hunting for the pleasure of the kill, for some primal apex predatory satisfaction that comes from the ripping of warm bodies to bloody shreds. And who knows when that need gets satiated?"

"We can't kill them," Scott declared.

"What if we can't catch them?" Derek countered reluctantly.

"Then maybe we just need to contain them," Argent offered thoughtfully. "There's no one in the school at night, is there?"

Derek looked at him in surprise. "You want to trap them inside?"

"If there's somewhere with a strong enough door, no windows, or access to the outside."

"What about the boiler room?" Isaac spoke up. "It's just one big steel door."

Argent paused for a moment before asking, "You're sure the school's empty?"

"It has to be," Scott confirmed. "There can't be anyone there this late, right?"

"All right," Olivia mused. "So if we do this, how are we going to lead them into the school?"

"I have something."

Argent led them back to his SUV, where he opened the hatch and pulled out another duffle bag with hunting supplies. He took a large silver stake that had some kind of light and button on the top and stabbed it into the ground.

"These are ultrasonic emitters. It's one of the tools we use to corral werewolves, pushing them into a direction we want them to run," Argent pressed the button at the top; there was a light squealing noise as the light flickered on. "It gives off a high-pitched frequency that only they can hear."

There was a slightly uncomfortable feeling in Olivia's ear but she certainly wasn't reacting to the noise like Derek, Scott, and Isaac were. They were all bent forward, their hands smushed to their ears in attempt to block out the noise.

"God, no kidding!" Isaac grunted

Argent turned off the emitter and started grabbing more of them from the hatch. He gave two to each of the werewolves. To Olivia's surprise, he gave her two, too.

"These are gonna drive them to the school?" Derek asked skeptically.

"And then it's up to you to get them into the basement," Argent stated.

"Does anyone else want to rethink the plan where we just, uh, kill them?" Isaac wondered.

Olivia rolled her eyes at him. "All right, lazy bones."

"It's going to work," Scott said encouragingly. "It'll work."

-

-

"Uh, you didn't have to follow me home," Lydia told Stiles flatly as they walked into her bedroom.

Stiles shrugged awkwardly, looking around the room. Despite the many times he had come over to the house, he'd never been inside the redhead's bedroom. "I just wanted to make sure you got in okay."

"I had a police escort."

"I know the inner workings of that force, all right? They're not nearly as reliable as people think," Stiles defended himself. "And I wanted to wait for Olivia, okay?"

Lydia gave him a displeased look as she sat down at the end of her bed. "And you're in my room, why?"

"Because it's creepy for me to wait alone in Livvy's room," Stiles made up an excuse; the real reason he was in Lydia's room was because he wanted answers. Like, how she had ended up at the pool in the first place or the fact that she found a fucking dead body out of nowhere.

"You're lying," Lydia smacked her lips together and rolled her eyes. "Why don't you just ask me the question that you've been dying to ask?"

Stiles faltered. "Well, I'm not—I haven't been dying to ask anything. I—no questions here for Stiles. Nothing."

"I can see it on your face."

"Maybe my face just has, like, a naturally interrogatory expression."

"Well, your interrogatory expression is getting on my nerves," Lydia snapped. "The answer is that I have no clue how I ended up finding that body. I didn't even know where I was until I got out of the car."

"Yeah, but the last time something like this happened..."

"I know," Lydia nodded. "Liv's dad."

"Peter," Stiles sighed; his future father-in-law was a pain in his ass. Well, he was a pain in everyone's ass. He went to say something else when his phone started ringing. "Oh, hold on."

He quickly pulled his phone out of his sweatshirt, eager to see if it was Olivia, but it was Melissa instead. He answered the phone and listened carefully as Melissa explained that he needed to show him something peculiar with the body that Lydia found.

After Lydia insisted that she go with him, the two of them headed into the hospital. They made their way to the emergency room where Melissa had a night shift and stopped at the desk where Melissa was waiting for them with some paperwork.

"Hey," she greeted them, leaving her paperwork for another time. "Over here...and if you tell anyone that I showed you this, I swear to God, I will kill you painfully and slowly."

She led off down the hallway that led to the morgue, sneaking into the room before anyone saw them.

"Why do you want to show us a body we've already seen?" Stiles asked her.

"Because you haven't seen everything," Melissa replied as she gloved up and walked over to one of the bodies displayed on the tables. She uncovered the guy that Lydia found at the pool and pointed to his neck. "See this around his neck?" there was a dark bruise that encircled the entire front of his neck. "That's a ligature mark. That means that he was strangled with something, like a cord or rope—"

Stiles furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Ah, okay, wait a second," he interrupted her. "What kind of werewolf strangles someone? You know, that's not very werewolf-y."

Melissa looked at him proudly. "My thoughts exactly," she confirmed before picking up the kid's head and turning it slightly. "And then there's this."

Stiles' stomach flipped nauseously at the sight of the kid's broken skull and exposed brain. "God, what the hell is that?" he gagged slightly. "Is that brain matter? Yeah, it's brain matter, of course."

Lydia gave him an annoyed look. "Seriously, Stiles?"

He honestly didn't know how she was so calm.

"See the indentation? He was hit in the back of the head, hard enough to kill him," Melissa stated as she carefully set down the head back on the table. "In fact, any one of these things could have killed him. I mean, someone seriously wanted this poor kid dead."

"So, this couldn't have been Boyd or Cora," Lydia assumed thoughtfully. "They wouldn't have tried three different ways to kill someone when they're that out of control."

"Maybe it's just one murder," Stiles suggested. "I mean, maybe it's a random coincidence."

Melissa shook her head. "I don't think it was just one murder."

"How come?"

"Because that boy over there, he's got the exact same injuries," Melissa answered Stiles, pointing to the table to their right.

The three of them shuffled over to the other body. When Melissa uncovered it, Stiles felt Lydia stiffen next to him.

"The M.E. said this one wasn't just strangled," Melissa started talking so Stiles didn't get to look over at the redhead. "Whoever did it used a garrote, which is a stick that you put through a rope and you just kind of keep twisting and—"

Lydia whimpered lightly, cutting Melissa off. Both she and Stiles turned to Lydia and were shocked to see that she was in tears, staring down at the body in horror.

"Lydia, are you okay?" Melissa asked her worriedly; Lydia shook her head. "Oh, my God, did you know him? I'm so sorry, I didn't even think."

She carefully pulled the sheet back over the body.

"I was...I practically grew up with him," Lydia whispered. "Liv and I were at his birthday party the other night. His name is Heath."

Stiles awkwardly patted her back, trying to instill some sort of comfort in her. His own eyes started to sting as he looked back down at the blonde boy on the table. Olivia had told him some of the conversation she and Heath had at his party after he kissed her. He really wished that things didn't turn out this way. He wished that Heath was alive and that he'd be able to drop his asshole friends and feel better. Who made fun of something because they were a virgin anyway? Dicks.

"Okay, we need to call the sheriff because you're a witness," Melissa smiled sadly at Lydia.

Wait, wait, wait...Stiles thought quickly, his mind racing. The guy at the pool was a virgin, he had a purity ring. And Heath was a virgin, too. That couldn't be a coincidence, it was just too major of a detail. And if there were two bodies already, that meant that there was probably another coming.

"Has anyone else been through here tonight?" he asked Melissa urgently. "Any—any other bodies or even anybody missing?"

Lydia and Melissa were understandably confused by his sudden behavior and question.

"Uh, no, no bodies but um..." Melissa hesitated.

"What?"

"Two girls," Melissa told him. "They brought the first one, Caitlin, in for a tox screen and then I overheard that her girlfriend, Emily, just disappeared. I mean, they were out in the woods and—"

"Nobody's found her yet?" Stiles cut her off.

"I don't know."

"Okay, the first one—"

"Caitlin," Lydia supplied for him.

"Right," Stiles nodded at her before addressing Melissa again. "Is she here? Is she here right now?"

Melissa nodded. "I think so."

"Okay, where?" Stiles went to leave the room but Melissa quickly stepped in front of him.

"Okay, okay, wait. Just wait a minute."

"I have to talk to her," Stiles insisted impatiently.

"Why?"

"Because I think I know what's happening."

-

"We weren't doing anything that bad," Caitlin, who was laying in a hospital bed with a sad expression on her face, told Stiles. "I mean, I've camped out there plenty of times."

"Right," Stiles acknowledged calmly. "but why tonight?"

"We wanted to be alone for one night. Emily lives with her mom and I have three roommates," Caitlin scoffed lightly. "Not exactly romantic settings, you know?"

Stiles smiled lightly; he did know. Olivia's aunt was a meteorologist at the local news station, so she was only gone in the morning and early afternoon and Lydia seemed like she was always home, especially during the summer when she was bringing guys home after her dates. It made getting intimate difficult there, so most of the time they hung out at his house since his dad was out at odd hours depending on what shift he took.

"I can relate," Stiles said. "How long have you two been together?"

"Three months."

Stiles nodded in realization. "And you wanted to make it romantic."

Again, Stiles could relate to Caitlin. He had been putting off having sex with Olivia because he wanted to make their first time romantic. Olivia was a virgin and he...was not. He took that swan dive the summer before. It wasn't anything special but he loved Olivia and he wanted her first time to be different than his.

"Yeah, you know, because..."

"Because it was her first time," Stiles finished for her.

Caitlin's face crumpled as tears welled up in her eyes. She turned to him with a pleading expression. "They're gonna find her, right? Aren't they?"

"I hope so," Stiles smiled sadly at her, his heart sinking.

-

-

Both Olivia and Argent met up with Scott and Isaac at the school once they were done setting up the ultrasonic emitters. After Scott and Isaac broke into the school to make sure Boyd and Cora would have a way in, Scott joined them.

"Do you see that?" Argent caught Olivia and Scott's attention, his eyes focused on a firefly only a foot or so in front of them.

Olivia furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. The fireflies in California weren't bio-luminescent, which meant that they didn't light up. It was weird that now, all of a sudden, there were some in Beacon Hills, of all places.

"Yeah," Scott gave him a strange look. "it's a firefly."

"No, no, I know that but..."

"What?"

"It's, uh, very unusual," Argent mused.

"California fireflies aren't bio-luminescent," Olivia informed Scott. "They don't glow."

Scott looked back at the firefly. "Does that mean something?"

Before Argent could answer, a loud howl broke out into the night. They immediately went into action with Argent getting into his SUV and Olivia and Scott settling themselves by the parked school buses.

"They're with Isaac now," Scott informed her quietly as they waited for Boyd and Cora. "and now they're coming this way."

Scott got ready as Boyd and Cora appeared, bending his knees so that he could lunge at them at a second's notice. However, Argent's SUV appeared and he blared his horn, causing Boyd and Cora to turn away from their direction.

"They're heading toward Derek," Scott said needlessly, as Olivia could still see them. To their shock, instead of plowing toward Derek, they jumped onto the roof. "They're not going through the school. They're going over it."

Olivia, Scott, Argent, Isaac, and Derek quickly grouped together.

"The red doors," Argent said urgently. "someone has to get them open."

Derek nodded, volunteering for the task, and started running back into the school.

"Someone has to drive them inside," Olivia pointed out.

"I'll go," Argent volunteered.

"No," Isaac shook his head. "I'm faster."

As he took off with a door blocker, Argent turned to Scott and Olivia. "You two need to get in there and lead them to the basement."

Olivia and Scott ran into the school side-by-side.

"Does this mean I'm your Robin now?" Olivia asked breathlessly as they turned into the English hallway.

"Nah," Scott shook his head. "Come on, Derek's in the math hallway."

They continued running through the school. The closer they got to the math hallway, the more they could hear the growls coming from Boyd and Cora. It sounded like Derek was already fighting with them while he tried to lead them into the basement.

They rounded the corner into the math hallway just in time. When Derek threw Cora to her feet, Scott and Olivia came to a stop next to him when Boyd looked like was going to fight. Trapped, Boyd and Cora would have no choice but to head for the basement.

That didn't mean that they were going to go willingly.

"Come and get us," Derek dared them.

At once, all three of them opened to the door to the basement and ran down the stairs. They went through the door that separated the rest of the basement from the stairs and ran in, heading over to the boiler room, which took up most of the basement and housed supply rooms.

Olivia couldn't see in the pitch-black boiler room but Derek and Scott could. Olivia made sure to stay out of the way as they did something to prepare for Boyd and Cora's appearance. The two out-of-control werewolves entered not long after and a second later, two fire extinguishers were going off.

While Boyd and Cora screeched and grunted from the ice-cold foam being sprayed over them. Olivia quickly went for the steel door. Soon enough, Derek and Scott were coming out after her, allowing the door to be slammed shut and locked into place.

They stood still, with Derek leaning against the door, as Boyd and Cora pounded on it to try to get out.

"Did that actually just work?" Scott asked, shocked.

Derek nodded at them with a relieved expression on his face. "It worked," as he answered, Scott slowly stepped up to the door, concentrating. "What are you hearing?"

"Heartbeats."

Olivia raised her eyebrows. "Two of them?"

"Actually, there's three of them," Scott's eyes widened.

"Who else could possibly in there?" Olivia hissed at him.

"Maybe a teacher," he shrugged.

Derek shook his head and grabbed the lock, preparing to open the door and run inside.

"What are you doing?" Scott asked him.

"Ollie, you need to come in with me. You and I can keep them calm until the sun comes up," Derek told his cousin, who nodded, and then turned to Scott. "Close the door behind us and keep it shut."

Scott gaped at him like he was nuts. "If you guys go in there alone, you're either gonna kill them or they're gonna kill you. And, if you haven't noticed, Olivia's not exactly like us."

"Okay, well, that's obvious," Olivia sighed.

"She'll be fine," Derek insisted, slowly unlocking the door. "Come on."

As soon as he opened the door and slipped into the boiler room, Olivia quickly followed him. Scott did as Derek told him, slamming the door shut and locking it behind them. Olivia followed Derek all the way to the teacher supply room, where Boyd and Cora were waiting for a teacher to come out.

Derek roared at them and they roared back. Olivia stumbled back as they attacked Derek. He fought back, dodging attacks and making blows of his own. Eventually, he had a hold of both of them at the same time, letting them claw at him.

Seeing Derek being ripped apart like that killed Olivia. It was time to get to work; her gaze went purple as she stormed toward the three werewolves as she sent as much calming waves over to Boyd and Cora. She was trying to anchor them and make them come down from their impulses to kill Derek, or anyone, for that matter.

"Boyd, Cora, stop," she carefully placed a hand on each of their backs. "Control yourselves."

Boyd growled viciously and then so did Cora. If it wasn't for the hold Derek had on both of them, they would have turned and possibly rip Olivia into shreds.

Control, control, control, Olivia repeated in her head like a mantra. You have control. Come on, come on, come on.

As if she wasn't already having a difficult time, the whispers started up, too.

Derek, Derek, Derek. Over and over again, her cousin's name was chanted. Derek, Derek, Derek.

She had to do something.

Gathering all of her strength, a scream came out of her mouth. "BOYD! CORA!"

She was shocked at the scream because she hadn't even been trying to do that but it seemed to work. As if a switch was flicked, Cora and Boyd fell unconscious and dropped to the floor. Derek almost went down with them is it wasn't for the fact that Olivia quickly grabbed him and let him lean his weight on her.

He was very beaten up, with horrendous scratches littered all over his whole body. His torn olive-green shirt was mostly brown from the blood he shed. Luckily, despite the fact that he was completely exhausted, the wounds on his face were starting to heal.

A ray of light coming from the window caught Olivia's attention. "The sun came up," she whispered to Derek. "It's over."

Unable to hold Derek's weight anymore, she allowed him to carefully drop to his knees. She still supported his upper body, letting him lean against her, but thankfully, most of his weight was gone.

Scott and Isaac came running into the boiler room only seconds later.

"There's a teacher. I'll take care of her," Derek breathed heavily, still trying to catch his breath. "Get them out of here."

While Scott and Isaac rushed toward Boyd and Cora, carefully picking them up and carrying them out of the boiler room, Olivia asked Derek, "Are you sure? You can go with them and I'll talk to the teacher."

"It's fine," Derek insisted as she helped him to his feet. "You go get some sleep. You have school in a couple of hours."

"Okay," Olivia was hesitant to leave but she was tired, especially after getting Boyd and Cora to control themselves. Derek seemed pretty insistent anyway, so she wasn't going to argue with him. "Be careful."

"I will," he promised her.

Olivia made sure that Derek was steady before pulling away from him. Just as she stepped out of the boiler room, her phone started ringing. It was Stiles.

"Hello?" Olivia knew how exhausted she sounded.

"Hey," Stiles croaked from the other line. "I need you to come to the hospital."

"Why?" she stiffened nervously. "Is it Lydia? Is she okay? Are you okay?"

"We're both fine, Livvy. We're okay," Stiles assured her; she relaxed, relieved that they were safe. "Just please meet me here and bring Scott."

"Okay, I will. I'll see you soon."

-

"So, Boyd and Cora might not have killed anyone?"

Olivia heard Scott but she didn't pay much attention as she sat by Heath's body, trying to control her tears. It was too much death in twenty-four hours and she felt like she was going to suffocate from the grief weighing down her chest.

She knew Heath since she was practically born. Now he was gone and Olivia had been so negative about seeing him again. She hadn't wanted to go to that party but she did and she was glad. She was grateful that she got to see him one last time but it also hurt. She didn't know who did this to him but he already had a hard life. He didn't deserve this—no one deserved this.

"You're gonna wish they did," Stiles said solemnly, letting Olivia grip his hand tightly.

"Why?"

"I'm not exactly sure yet, but...The other girl who was out in the woods, Emily? Eventually they're gonna find her," Stiles stated. "She's one of them. Emily, Heath, the guy that Lydia found at the pool. All three were virgins and they're all gonna have the same three injuries...strangled, throat slashed, head bashed in..."

Olivia sniffed and raised her head to look at him in disbelief. "The threefold death?"

Stiles nodded. "Yeah."

"So, if these aren't random killings, then what are they?" Scott wondered.

"Sacrifices," Stiles dropped the bomb. "Human sacrifices."

(Gif is not mine)

[enjiyuuu]

Ikevamp Matchups #1

Hey! I want to ask you for Ikevamp match up!! Hope requesting here is ok!

My personality seems to be ENTP-T. I'm a chill, cool person in general, fun to hang around and good at cracking jokes, get hyped lol. I'm also kind of a tomboy who loves hoodies and track pants a lot. I still can present myself formal and mature in appropriate situations, a very logical person. My personality can get cold, careless, and heartless sometimes. I abandon people easily for selfish reasons. I get really tense and emotional with pressure, and I tend to suffer alone instead of letting out my problems lol. I look for maturity, humour, responsibility, and intelligence in other people, I can be picky to choose who I interact with. I love to draw especially anime, I can focus well for really long time drawing, so I end up overworking often oops. I'm also good at figure skating, dancing, even formal ballroom dance too hehe. I enjoy listening to anime music a lot and a bit of k pop, so I always have my earbuds in, and phone in hand. I also love having philosophical discussions with other people. I'm terrible with children, animals, and sciences. I have zero experience in cooking, not good with food, I don't crave much. Lmao I have really low self esteem and my bad habit is to swear a lot. I can be reckless and irritable at times, and dislike ignerance. UWU hope this is good! Thank you again

A/N : I’m so sorry for taking a very-very long time to write this, since i have my personal and mental issues that i need to take care currently and pandemic seems getting worsen in my country. 🥺 But, i wish you forgive me for taking so much time HSHSHSH 😖 I hope you like it and have a nice day! 🌻 @arthotsglasses​

So, i match you with..... Osamu Dazai!

It’s not a love at first sight, you both knew that this kind of thing is not really exist in real life. But, Dazai has found himself attracted to you since he lay his gaze on you on that night when you came to mansion.

You’re a very attractive lady, if he has to be honest. It’s fun to hang out around you and sharing the same humour as you do. He often get mislead by himself like the other, but when he’s with you, it feels like you really get him at all.

Sometimes, you two teased Isaac or planning some pranks to do to other residents. It’s like you two are the best team that ever be. One moment, you two played truth or dare and finally you give him dare to walk in by using door not window, which makes him pouts all day long and you need to let him play with your hoodies while you were drawing. Of course, he don’t say it out loud, but it’s worth to see your cranky expression when he play with your hoodies.

He likes to watch you drawing secretly, because he knows that you’ll be uncomfortable if you noticed that he’s watching you, but he just can’t keep himself from watching you. You’re just.... too cool in his eyes. 

He also liked it when you’ve finnished your artwork and showed it to him. Anime back then in his time was pretty much different than yours, but still he loves everything you draw. 

There was something more inside you. You’re not just good with your playful sides and Dazai also like it when you’re being serious and mature. Ah, before he even realized it himself, that guy has fallen for you.

Dazai doesn’t like winter because the cold air makes the window harder to get open up and that he has to use the door all this winter. So, to cheer him up, you brought him to a frozen lake near mansion and two pair of ice-skating shoes that you secretly bought from the town.

His yellow iris attached to you when you started to dance on the ice. You look so gracefully stunning. Apparently, this year’s winter is not very bad. At least, he could see you on the ice and let you taught himself how to ice-skating.

“Even though, you may not like cheesy things. But, right now you look so beautiful, Toshiko-san.” He smiled and you laugh. “Pfft, what’s up with that?”

He pouts and says that he was being serious when he said that. Dazai just noticed that lately you’re not as cheerful as you used to be. You seems more feeling insecure sometimes.

But looking you so confidently dancing on the ice, he knows that you’re tough person and he knows that even tho you’re not okay, you’ll be alright. 

“It’s snowy already.” You stopped ice-skating and staring up to the sky. 

“Yeah, it is.” Dazai nodded. He turns his head to you and say, “make a wish then. They said when you say your wish when the first snow comes, your wish will come true.”

“But, that’s stupid.” You chuckled.��Dazai shook his head. “No, no, no. Toshiko-san, even tho it’s stupid, you should try it by yourself.” He says.

You let out a heavy sigh and finally says, “Fine, i’ll do it.”

So, you close your eyes and utter your wish silently. After that, you open up your eyes again and see that purple-haired guy is smilling towards you.

His smile is contagious enough to make the both corner of your lips curled up. “What’s your wish?” you asked. 

“I wished that you’ll smile like this longer,” he answered with a little chuckle. “Anyway, it’s getting colder. Let’s go inside!” He held your hand and both of you go inside the mansion to warm off.

Other potential matches..... Comte de Saint Germain.

[m-u-n-c-h-y]

Arthur and Abigail’s Relationship

To piggyback off of my Eliza Hot Take post, I have another fan theory/ramblings about the very interesting relationship between Arthur and Abigail. And no it’s not because they’re my guilty ship okay...

Everyone likes to talk about Arthur’s journal entry that appears at the “A Fisher of Men” mission. It’s a nice touch, in that, it establishes their close relationship and why Abigail trusts Arthur more than anyone to look after Jack.

However, everyone also has to take a second glance when Arthur writes about how he should have married Abigail. And while my guilty shipper heart would love to go down angst lane, let me be clear that my feelings towards this statement are similar to the last post I made.

Just like with Eliza, I don’t think it was out of romantic love.

Personally, I think a large part of Arthur caring for Abigail and Jack the way he does, is very much connected to Eliza and Isaac and his own guilt surrounding them. One could easily find this in canon and draw some parallels between Eliza and Abigail. Such as their young ages when they became pregnant (Eliza at 19 and Abigail at 17/18), or their status of being mostly single mothers with complicated relationships with the father of their children.

Now to make sure this doesn’t go off track, I’ll try to be focusing mostly on Arthur and Abigail’s relationship rather than Arthur and Jack’s. We can easily draw the Jack/Isaac parallel... because there is only one parallel. We know virtually nothing about Isaac except that he’s Arthur’s son, we really can’t draw too much between the two, but we at least know that Arthur definitely cares about Jack a lot, and a lot of that most likely stemmed from Isaac.

Anyway...

I believe that Arthur took a special interest in Abigail’s well being when everyone in camp found out about her pregnancy. Most likely because it brought up old memories of Eliza. And I can imagine Abigail being somewhat surprised by Arthur’s sudden helpfulness, but not being completely opposed by it due to her own lack of knowledge and understanding of motherhood, something no one is really prepared for honestly, but Arthur having experience, would help.

And when Jack’s born, the fact that Arthur actually knows how to handle a baby, unlike any of the other members of camp, is a weight off of Abigail’s shoulders (now whether she’s aware of Arthur having had a child isn’t stated in canon, and I personally think she didn’t as it seems Arthur never talks about Eliza and Isaac). She would have appreciated his help especially when John seems to be so... absent, both emotionally and physically. And probably set a high bar for how a father should act in Abigail’s head. Poor John didn’t stand a chance.

But really, I believe Arthur was doing all this for more than a little selfish reasons.

As I mentioned in my Eliza Hot Take post, Arthur would have carried over the guilt and bitterness of not being there for Eliza and Isaac as much as he should of. That his misunderstanding of Eliza’s rejection for marriage, culminated in even more self-loathing. And later, when they died, Arthur would’ve blamed himself for their deaths, for not being there like a father/man of the family should. The associated guilt, bitterness, and self loathing, coupled with the similarities between Eliza and Abigail I pointed out earlier, probably made him subconsciously start associating Eliza with Abigail, and after Jack was born, with Isaac. 

Essentially, replacing them. 

I think he saw Abigail and Jack as a means to make up for past mistakes at first. To be there for them like he hadn’t for Eliza and Isaac. And thanks to John’s disinterest in taking responsibility, it was rather easy for him to form a trusting and close bond with Abigail.

When John leaves, Arthur is obviously bitter about it, as he views it as an unforgivable act that he himself committed against Eliza and Isaac, which he believed got them killed. But I also think Arthur saw it as an opportunity to fulfill a want he’s had since maybe even before getting Eliza pregnant. To have a family of his own. 

So, Arthur began making advances without realizing it. Yes, he had the intention to marry Abigail for a brief time, probably convinced it was to do right by her, something Arthur failed to do with Eliza because Eliza straight up rejected that notion. That Arthur was trying to insert himself as a father/husband figure into Abigail and Jack’s life, due to the guilt and bitterness he harbored and this need to make up for it. To get Eliza and Isaac to stop haunting him. However, I don’t think he was consciously aware that that’s what he was doing. 

But, unfortunately for him, I think Abigail caught on, and being the “ride or die” kind of woman that rejected every man that tried to do the same after John ran off with his tail between his legs (her pov not mine), she rejected him too. And she rejected him just like she had rejected all the others, in that very blunt but very honest way that she does. Not that she does it to be cruel, but because, like Eliza, she cares about Arthur. That she doesn’t want to cause them more pain later down the line because they got together for the wrong reasons.

Personally, I imagine the scenario rather vividly, so this can be taken as my own version of how that rejection when down. You know... for funsies~

I can imagine Arthur taking Abigail and Jack out on a picnic of some sort as a little break from camp. It’s a nice day and the three are having a genuinely nice time for once, as the mounting frustration of camp duties and John leaving have been hitting them hard. When Jack waddles off within eye shot, Arthur makes a rather promiscuous comment about how Abigail hasn’t found a new man yet, sense at the time, it seems rather obvious that John doesn’t want to come back. There’s also this underlying tone of Arthur asking her why she hasn’t chosen him. A subtle thing that Abigail picks up on, because she’s seen it before while working as a prostitute.

And without missing a beat, she turns to him, looks him right in the eye, and says, “Mr. Morgan, I like you plenty. But I got this feelin’ that whenever you look at me, you’re lookin’ at someone else.”

And that... shatters Arthur. 

It’s not the rejection that hurts initially, but the fact that Abigail made Arthur keenly aware of the fact that he was basically replacing Eliza and Isaac with Abigail and Jack. And as a result, even more guilt and self-loathing sprang up. Leaving him bitter at himself for thinking he could even do that and think it was okay. At Abigail for ripping that bandaid off so viciously (he can’t stay bitter at her for long, but sometimes it reers up without him meaning to). And, of course, even more bitter at John for having a woman like Abigail, for having that love he has craved for so long, but hasn’t gotten.

[heyyyharry]

Chapter 5: Her

(from the My Girl Trilogy: Be My Only)

…in which Harry tries to win Y/N back, but there’s another problem.

Word count: 6.8k

AU: actor!Harry, older!Harry, younger!Y/N, (4-year age gap).

Chapter 4: From Now On - Harry finally makes a promise he can keep.

Wattpad link

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"Here she comes."

Celine pulled Y/N by the arm as the beautiful blonde strutted right past them, unbothered by all the stares shifting her way. That was Kathy Bright — the one that coexisted with every teenage girl's low self-esteem. She had everything, from a pretty face to a body straight out of a fashion magazine. Y/N hadn't paid attention to her before, because unlike most people in this school, she found no interest in other people's business. It wasn't until after she'd seen Harry kiss Kathy in the treehouse last year that she knew who the girl was. Since then, every time Kathy showed up, she couldn't look away.

"You know," Celine continued, grabbing Y/N's attention. "The boys in my history class were talking about her boobs the other day. Those little perverts."

"But she's dating Harry." Y/N furrowed her eyebrows, yet Celine seemed quite chill about it.

"That's boys for ya," she said with a shrug. "They don't care if a girl's taken. They see boobs, they drool. But don't worry, your boobs will grow. I mean...there's nothing wrong with being flat-chested...You're fine."

"Nice save." Y/N chuckled, shaking her head as she changed the subject to the regional spelling bee which she would take part in that Friday. Celine got easily distracted as usual and their conversation about Kathy soon slipped her mind. For Y/N, however, it never did.

As she came home that day, she stood in front of the mirror and studied all the features she hated on her body and her face to compare herself to the older girl. It'd never been a competition, but she felt like she'd already lost. She was not as tall, not as pretty, not as mature or popular. The only thing they probably had in common was Harry.

So what if Kathy was exactly his type?

How could Y/N ever compete with her?

.

.

.

"Morning, sis!"

"Morning." Y/N sighed in relief as she laid down her bag and shrugged off her jacket. She was half an hour late. Thank God, Eddie wasn't there. Normally, she wouldn't have cared if she was caught being late for the third time in a week, but since she'd asked for several days off for Celine's wedding, she couldn't upset her boss and have him change his mind at the last minute.

"Have the new books arrived yet?" She asked.

"Yeah, they're at the back," Alice answered and finally took her eyes off the phone. "Harry was looking for you yesterday. Have you spoken to him?"

"Yeah." Y/N nodded, pressing her lips into a small smile. She told Alice the same thing Harry had told her dad, that she'd been sick but she felt much better now. Alice didn't suspect a single thing, fortunately. "I was worried about you, you know. Thought you went 'Gone Girl' on us or something."

"Well, glad to know you've read the book I gave you."

"Nah." Alice shrugged. "I got frustrated halfway through the first chapter, so I watched the movie."

Y/N let out a faint laugh, shaking her head. To be honest, she'd been waiting for Alice to bring up Isaac. Though she hadn't told her about the breakup, she assumed her co-worker already knew. Yesterday, both Alice and Eddie had seen her cry at the back of the store once Isaac had left, so there was no way they were ignorant of what had happened.

"So...how did you meet him?"

This question, however, wasn't something Y/N would've expected.

"Who?" She raised both eyebrows, making Alice giggle.

"Harry, of course! You should've seen him when he came looking for you yesterday. He was so upset."

"We were neighbors back in Holmes Chapel, that's all," Y/N said, but her answer wasn't convincing enough for Alice to drop her assumptions. The younger girl crossed her arms on the counter, smiling from ear to ear. "He called you Bambi. Do 'neighbors back in Holmes Chapel' always have nicknames for each other?"

"Asshole." Y/N scoffed and hit her on the arm. "I know what you're doing, but Harry and I are just friends. Besides, Isaac and I just..."

"Right..." Alice's smile disappeared. She hurriedly got out of her seat and came to give Y/N a hug, but Y/N quickly pulled away.

"It's okay, no need to get sentimental," she said with a nervous laugh. "I'm fine, Al. Thank you."

Alice nodded and thought for a few seconds. "So is Harry dating Ruby?"

This next inquiry got Y/N tongue-tied. She knew Alice only changed the subject to distract her from thinking about Isaac, but unfortunately, she was only making it worse. If Alice had figured out how these names were connected, she would've seen the irony. However, Y/N was glad her friend didn't know enough to draw any conclusions.

"He said he wasn't seeing anyone," Y/N answered with a straight face, as if she hadn't asked herself the same thing over and over again for the entire morning. And just like her guess, Alice didn't buy it.

"What if he was lying? I mean, he's very private about his relationships, isn't he?"

"Then I don't know," Y/N answered with a shrug. The last thing she wanted was to overthink more than she had already. Half of her wanted to believe him when he said he loved her, and so she'd send him that text message, which he hadn't replied. The other half, however, was still uncertain, because giving someone who had hurt you many times before the opportunity to hurt you again didn't sound like a smart thing to do.

"I think they're secretly dating, or at least fucking," Alice continued. Y/N, on the other hand, remained silent. She didn't need to be reminded about Harry and Ruby's affair, but she couldn't ask Alice to stop mentioning them in the same sentence. All she could do was fake a smile and wait for this conversation to be over.

"I mean, have you seen that woman?" Yes, I did. In person. "She's a blonde goddess, and that face and that body are all natural. Can you believe someone was just born pretty? I cannot!"

"Lucky her." Y/N chuckled and quickly excused herself, "I'll be at the back if you need me, yeah?"

"Sure, meanwhile I'll be here doing everything Eddie's told me not to."

The girls were in hysterics when the sound of the bell on the entrance got their heads turning. It was Isaac who walked in, and Y/N thought she was only hallucinating. She'd assumed that he would never step foot in this bookstore again after everything he'd said. But apparently, he wasn't one of those men who pretended a relationship had never happened the second it was over. With a small smile and hands in his pockets, he approached the girls despite how startled they seemed.

"I was on my way to work and uhm...thought I should stop by and check on you," he said while fidgeting with his fingers. "Harry was looking everywhere for you last night. He also came to my studio."

Isaac's reason to show up here made Y/N feel a thousand times shittier. The nicer he was to her, the more she believed she was a terrible person who didn't deserve his kindness after everything she'd put him through. So, "thank you" was the only appropriate response she could come up with right now. Meanwhile, Alice couldn't bear the awkward tension anymore. She quickly excused herself and walked away, leaving Y/N and Isaac, once again, alone.

As the silence sank in, Y/N was afraid Isaac might hear her heart beating too loud. She stood with her hands clasped behind her back and tried not to let her anxiety show. But from the way the man kept touching the cuffs of his own sleeves, she knew he was just as nervous.

"Hey," he spoke at last. His voice was low and wistful. "Are you all right?"

"I am, yeah..." She brushed her hair behind her ear even though it was already tucked there. "You really didn't have to stop by just to check on me."

"Actually..." He sucked in a breath as his jaw tightened. "I'm also here to...uhm...apologize."

"Apologize?"

He gave her a nod, ignoring the startled look on her face and went on, "I think...you deserve to hear it after...everything. So...I'm very sorry."

Y/N's thoughtful eyes stared at him in confusion, but before she could even wonder, he abruptly cut her off. "I know this isn't the perfect time to tell you this. But I think if I continued to keep this from you, I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

"Isaac, what are you—"

"Harry admitted that he loved you last night. Did you know that?" Isaac's question caught Y/N off guard. She nodded her head even though an answer wasn't necessary. From that look she was giving him, he could tell that Harry had told her more than just those three words.

"We talked about you and us as well. I thought everything had gone back to normal, but after he left my studio, something came to my mind. And...and I felt like it wasn't fair to let you think you were the ones at fault, when I haven't been honest with either of you." Then he paused for a whole second to inhale deeply. "Harry was at your father's wedding."

"I know that..." Y/N murmured. "M-My dad told me this morning. Did he tell you too?"

"No...Niall did." Isaac breathed, his face twisted with guilt. "Niall told me before you and I got together. I kept it from you, because I thought it was for the best if you didn't know. I didn't want to lose you to someone who didn't love you, but I was wrong. He did love you, and he still does. Probably more than I ever could."

Y/N was at a loss for words. Shock dawned on her face as her eyes expanded to the point they might pop like balloons and she wouldn't have cared. She tried to think of something to say, yet no sound escaped from her parted lips, which were now quivering. After all the lies she'd been told by the ones she'd loved, the last person she would've expected had now done it too.

"I think he left because he saw us together in the treehouse," she finally spoke, her eyes shifted away from his as sadness clouded her features. She could've yelled at him, asked him to leave her alone, but instead, she chose silence, which was the worst of all.

"Are you mad at me?" He asked, his brows snapped together. To his surprise, Y/N whispered "no" and slowly shook her head despite not looking at him. "If I were you, I would've done the same."

Isaac didn't know what that meant, yet he didn't bother to ask nor try to guess. He'd said everything he'd come to say and finally got the closure he wanted, so there was no point in bothering her anymore.

"I must go now," he said at last. "Don't wanna be late for work."

"Okay." Y/N nodded, a corner of her mouth quirked up as she turned back to him. "Thank you for coming and...for telling me the truth."

There had been a moment of hesitation before they went in for a hug. It was awkward at first, but after two seconds they grew more relaxed and held onto each other even tighter. When they pulled away, Isaac looked deep into her eyes as if it was his last chance to do it. Not everything has to change, he told himself while smiling at her.

"I'll see you around, Smiley."

.

.

.

The only reason Y/N had signed up for the spelling bee was that she needed money for Celine's birthday gift. Her best friend had been drooling over a dress in that fancy store on their way to school, so she must make sure Celine got it when she turned fourteen next month. She could blame it on luck to avoid saying that none of the kids in her school could spell for dear life, so it was no surprise that she ended up taking part in the town-wide spelling bee, which was held in Springfield High School, all the way across town. She had to take a long bus ride to get there and would definitely get home late, something her parents would never approve.

"I have to be in the hospital with your grandma, and your dad is out of town. How are we gonna pick you up?"

Y/N blew up her cheeks as she leaned against the kitchen door to watch her mother chop the vegetables. From the clear irritation in Tam's voice when she mentioned Bradford, Y/N knew they had been fighting again. He would probably spend the next few days at her uncle's house and most likely come back once the smoke was clear. Avoiding confrontation was the only thing all three members in this household had in common, apparently.

"I can go by myself, you know. I'm fourteen," she insisted, causing Tam to drop the knife and point a finger at her.

"A fourteen-year-old should not take the bus alone at night."

"But, mum—"

"Enough of this. Gemma is driving you there and picking you up."

"No!" Y/N groaned loudly. She loved Gemma, but the last thing she wanted was for any of the Styles to find out she was taking part in a stupid spelling bee. Gemma would tell Harry, and if Harry found out, she would forever remain a child to him. The older kids like him thought these competitions were only meant for children, and she couldn't have him believe he was right for misjudging her.

"Can you ask someone else? Like...aunt Lynn maybe?"

"Your aunt is on vacation, sweetheart." Tam sighed as she crossed her arms. "But well, there's still Harry—"

"Fine, I'll go with Gemma." Y/N huffed and watched her mother's lips curve into a subtle grin.

For the rest of that morning, she kept telling herself that a grownup like Gemma wouldn't spill secrets if she was asked not too. So maybe if Y/N explained why she didn't want Harry to know about the spelling bee, Gemma would understand and not say a word to him. Sadly, it wasn't Gemma who showed up at her house that afternoon.

It was him.

He was waiting by his new car which, according to his sister, was a birthday present for when he turned eighteenth. There might've been a party that Y/N hadn't been invited to, because everything she knew about him now she'd heard from other people, either it was his mum, his sister or even Celine, whose brother was a friend of his. They were practically strangers to each other now. So the thought of sitting in the car with him for three hours straight had her palms sweating heavily.

"Hey, Bambi. Ready to go?"

It'd been a year since he last called her by that nickname and the bittersweet feeling it brought was definitely unpleasant.

"Uhm...where's Gem?"

"You don't want me to drive you?"

"No! I mean, yes...wait, I mean—" She was already flustered so the way he smiled only heightened the color in her cheeks. Shaking his head, Harry's gorgeous green eyes fixated on her. He said, laughing a little, "Gem had to help my mum with something so she asked me to take you there. Do you know the directions?"

She nodded fast, gripping the hem of her shirt. She wished the dimples on his cheeks would go away so she could focus on something else, breathing, for example.

"Alright." Harry shrugged and finally opened the door for her to get in. "But I'll need your help. I suck at remembering all the routes in this town."

When he said that, she realized Holmes Chapel didn't mean as much to him as it did to her. He treated it as temporary, and would probably leave as soon as he'd got a chance, just like how he'd abandoned their treehouse and their friendship. The thought of it only made her unhappy.

With hesitation, she got into the passenger seat, feeling his eyes on her but she didn't want to look at him. So she kept staring ahead when he got in and closed the door on his side.

"Don't be nervous, I've got a license."

His unexpected joke made her giggle even though she was trying to keep a straight face."If I'd known it was you, I would've brought a helmet."

Harry smirked at her response. He asked, to her dismay, "still the same sarcastic little girl, aren't you?"

Yes, that's me. The same little girl, she thought to herself while hoping he wouldn't talk to her for the rest of the drive.

.

.

.

⌲ Bambi: First things first, we need to talk. Dinner tonight?

When Harry received her message, he was over the moon. If he hadn't been at the table read, he would probably have jumped and shouted and punched the air like a madman. But he was sure anyone could tell how overexcited he was since it was written all over his face.

⌲ Your place or mine?

⌲ Bambi: Mine. 7PM. Don't be late.

⌲ I won't :)

⌲ Thank you.

"Oh my God!" The high-pitched voice pulled Harry right out of his head and also caught all the attention in the room. It was a new actress who had just introduced herself five minutes ago, but he'd already forgotten her name.

"How long do we have to wait for her?" The girl crossed her arms in annoyance, eyes rolling upward. Judging from that attitude, Harry knew she was one of those newbies that believed she was better than all the big names in this room. They were the ones who could never go far.

"Ruby's assistant already called us last night. She had some personal issues," one of the producers explained, but the same actress jumped back in with the same unpleasant tone. "Personal? Really? Maybe one of her nails broke."

Some people on the other side of the table laughed along at the mean comment. It made Harry furious. He knew it wasn't his place to speak, and if Ruby had been there, she wouldn't have wanted him to interfere. However, he could never tolerate bullying.

"Sara, is it?" He squinted his eyes to read the card laid in front of the girl. "Is this your first big movie? If not then I apologize, but Ruby has been an actress for roughly ten years now. So why don't you show your co-worker some respect and enjoy your first day at school experience?"

Sara's mouth fell open only to snap shut in a heartbeat. She could hear some people snickering at Harry's comment, and so she looked down at her script to hide how red her face had become. As soon as silence returned, Ruby showed up, barging into the room with a radiant smile, as if she wasn't late and the others were just early. All eyes followed the blonde to her assigned seat next to Harry where she flopped down before shrugging off her coat.

"Sorry, guys," she said. The positive energy she carried soon got everyone distracted from her unpunctuality, and the flutter of turning pages broke the grim silence at once.

For the next five minutes, Harry tried his best to stay focused, yet the familiar odor that brought nothing but unhappy memories sent his body into lockdown. Even when she'd tried to cover it with her expensive perfume which he used to love, the smell of cigarettes was way too strong for him to ignore. Now he finally saw why his Bambi had got so upset when she found out he used to smoke. People who'd been mentally hurt had a tendency to destroy themselves physically.

"Rubes, hey," he spoke under his breath, nudging her hand with his pen and asking, "are you alright?" The answer he received, however, was nothing but disappointment. She closed her ears completely to him, eyes glued to the page, and he didn't want to keep bugging her.

A part of him knew he should just leave her alone now that they were over, and hardly even friends. Unfortunately, the rest of him couldn't ignore her behaviors. He knew what she had done to herself, and would likely do again if she thought there was nobody left on her side. And so he kept glancing at the clock, waiting for their lunch break so he could speak to her alone. But as soon as he'd got a chance, one of the new members asked him for a photo, and he turned back just in time to see her skinny body slip through the exit door.

Ruby had never fitted in any crowd, she was just good at pretending that she did. After all, she was the one who taught him to stay away from the four corners of a crowded room, and always find at least one person to talk to. In her words, "when you're surrounded by wolves, the last thing you want to do is act like a sheep." But today, Harry found her sitting alone in the exit staircase, with her phone in her hand and a cigarette between her burgundy lips. She didn't want to be around her new colleagues for the sake of her own reputation, so she obviously didn't want to be around him. But what she wanted didn't matter right now.

Harry cursed under his breath and snatched the cigarette from her two fingers. She glanced up at him, her forehead creased as her light brown eyes narrowed. She had such a sweet, youthful face that nobody could be able to tell that she was thirty, and with that pout, she looked like a rebellious teen getting caught for smoking behind the gym.

"This isn't good for you." He raised the cigarette in disgust and grabbed her phone without warning. He didn't need to check to see that she was reading those toxic comments again. Self-destruction had become her favorite hobby. "This isn't good for you either, Rubes. You need to stop poisoning yourself."

The anger from her eyes showed the scared little girl within. After all, she was just a poor helpless lamb pretending to be the big bad wolf, because she'd rather be feared than to show that she was afraid. Silently, she rose from the stair, ducked away from Harry and went back to the room as fast as she had left.

.

.

.

Though Harry didn't keep his silence for three hours straight, he didn't say much to Y/N either. His poor attempt to start a conversation only included topics like school, their families, and the spelling bee.

"I know you're gonna win," he said, but she found him being supportive rather annoying. He didn't sound sincere and probably was being nice because he thought he must. She hated this, the person he'd become. This was supposed to be the boy who'd sworn to be her partner in crime, the boy who'd stayed over whenever her parents were out of town, just so she could feel safe at night. But no, he wasn't that boy anymore, he was just her neighbor who kindly gave her a ride because his sister had asked him to.

So the minute they arrived, she got out of the car without saying a word to him. She believed he knew something was wrong, as he rolled down the window and called after her.

"Bambi!" She turned around, trying not to let her annoyance show when he flashed her a smile and asked, "want me to come in with you?"

Y/N almost said yes. She would do anything to spend more time with him, but she was sure this wasn't what he wanted, so she shook her head no.

"I'm good," she reassured him, faking a smile.

"Alright. Do your best in there," he said. "I'll be here when you come out."

That, however, was a lie.

Y/N didn't win the contest, but she still got a consolation prize so she wasn't so bitter about it. What made her sad was how Harry had failed to keep one easy promise to her. He wasn't there when she came out.

She had waited in that parking lot for an hour and she didn't have his number on her phone. She assumed he'd be back in no time, so she kept on waiting, until her feet began to hurt and she had no choice but to call her mother.

Any other parent would freak out in this case, but Tam was different. When she arrived, she didn't ask about the competition nor Harry, and just pulled her daughter in for a kiss on the forehead. She told Y/N how proud she was and switched the subject to dinner and her grandma's health condition. Y/N was interested in neither of them, but at least she didn't have to think about Harry for the rest of the way home. She didn't even want to wonder where he was now and why he'd left her like that.

She wished she'd never found out, at least not from Celine's brother's tweet.

There was a concert near Springfield and Harry was there with his friends, and of course, his girlfriend Kathy. They were kissing in that group photo Celine's brother had posted at around the same time Y/N was waiting for him in that parking lot.

She couldn't decide which was worse, seeing that tweet or knowing that, he'd only agreed to drive her there so he could attend a concert with the girl he liked. For one second she had doubted her bad feelings, because she had wanted to believe that she was only overthinking, that he was still the same boy who genuinely cared about her. She guessed she'd been wrong once again.

Y/N put her phone down when she heard a knock and told the person to come in. Her mother showed up, with a sympathetic smile, she said, "Harry's downstairs. Do you want to talk to him?"

"No," Y/N answered while holding the purple rabbit close to her chest. "Tell him to leave. I don't want to see him."

"He's very sorry, baby. He had to stop by the supermarket to get something for his mum and he forgot."

Y/N knew her mother would never lie to her, so Harry must have made up that excuse so he wouldn't hurt her feelings. What was the point anyway? She already knew the truth, and now she knew he was also a liar, which made it much worse. But she was angrier at herself than she was at him. It wasn't his fault that she wasn't the first choice, maybe not even a choice.

"It's okay, mum. Tell him I'm asleep," she said before lying down and her mother's footsteps soon faded away once the door had shut. That night, Y/N cried herself to sleep for the boy next door...again.

.

.

.

Harry hurriedly squatted by the steps and rang the doorbell, heart thumping in his chest. With every second passing by, he grew more impatient and kept checking his watch, as if time would slow down every time he did. But it was already 7 PM. He wasn't supposed to be here, at Ruby's house.

On his way to the car earlier, Harry had run into a co-worker who'd found Ruby's phone in the bathroom. The lady didn't know how to contact her so she'd given it to him, and he had no choice but to pay her a visit. His initial plan was to return the phone and drive as fast as he could to see his Bambi.

However, it was Ruby's assistant who answered the door, and before he could even think, she rushed toward him, her eyes wide with panic. "Mr. Styles! Thank God, you're here! I think she did it again!"

Harry's face turned ashen as he bolted inside and leaped up the stairs to Ruby's room. It was dark but there was light coming from the gap beneath her bathroom door. He dashed forward, tugging at the handle while gasping and expelling sharp breaths. "Rubes! It's Harry! Are you okay in there?!"

"I've found the key!" Liv rushed back in no time and handed it to Harry. Frantic, he burst right in, only to freeze in the doorway, his jaw went slack.

"How can I help you?" Ruby asked calmly, leaning to the side of the tub and resting her chin on her knuckles. Her nipples poked through the bubbles, but she didn't seem to care as her mouth curved into a smile.

"Is this a joke to you?!" Harry raised his voice suddenly. "We were scared to death, Rubes! If you think this is funny, then you need to grow the fuck up!"

"Relax. Can a woman be alone in her own house?" Ruby smirked then asked her assistant to leave, and the poor girl didn't even hesitate to scurry outside.

With hands on his hips, Harry tossed his head back, inhaling the perfumed air in the humid bathroom until he was calm enough to lower his voice. "I'm here to return your phone. You dropped it in the bathroom."

Ruby didn't respond. She stepped out of the tub onto the mat, dripping and naked before the younger man whose eyes shifted away as he waited for her to put on her bathrobe. But instead, she only moved closer, until their faces were just inches apart and he could smell her coconut shampoo. Carefully, she held his chin with two fingers and turned his head so their eyes would meet.

It was only until she leaned in that he snapped back to reality and quickly grasped the hand holding his face. He pulled it up, staring at her scar-covered wrist and heaving a sigh for none of the marks was new.

Those scars, the bags under her eyes, the tiny freckles on her naturally rosy cheeks, she usually had them covered with makeup, because they were evidence of her not being the perfect cover girl everyone wanted her to be. Only with him was she not afraid to go unmasked.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt myself again," she spoke in a brittle voice, her large deep-set eyes glinted while holding his stare. "But now I know you still care about me."

Harry knew she expected a response, but he didn't think she could handle his honesty right now.

"I'll give your phone to Liv," he said before taking a step back to where the light faded into darkness, and hurriedly made his way out.

At that very moment, Y/N was waiting in her kitchen. She kept staring at the hands of the clock and reassuring herself that Harry might get stuck in traffic. The food she'd ordered for them from that Vietnamese restaurant he loved had gotten cold, and her stomach was growling because she hadn't eaten since breakfast. Starving and exhausted, the longer she waited, the more impatient she became. Eventually, she had to pull out her phone and check the texts she'd sent him a while ago. He hadn't read them, so she assumed he didn't have his phone with him. However, just as she was about to lose hope, he pounded on her door.

"Bambi, it's me!" Harry sounded frantic, all out of breath.

Without reluctance, Y/N strode out of her kitchen, toward the front door, and greeted him with a bashful smile. He apologized to her before going in for a hug, but the moment he wrapped his arms around her shoulders to pull her against his chest, her entire body froze.

"You smell different..." She pulled away, her voice was strained. "Why were you late, Harry? Be honest with me."

Holding her breath, she watched the color drained out of his face. The part of her which had believed him until now, still wanted to believe in him, yet he was making it so difficult for her to continue.

"I was at Ruby's," he finally admitted and reached out to touch her shoulder, only to pause when she glowered at him. "Nothing happened, I swear."

"I'm not your girlfriend. You don't need to justify anything," she told him, but clearly didn't mean it. She felt like an idiot and just wanted him to leave. She almost said it when he stopped her again.

"Yes, I do, because nothing happened. You're not my girlfriend, but you're the girl I love, and I want you to know that I wouldn't have done anything to hurt you." He screwed up his face and sucked in a harsh breath before he went on, "Ruby...she locked herself in the bathroom. Her assistant and I thought she was trying to...she's done it before...I couldn't let her do it again."

Y/N's eyes went round as her lower lip trembled. All the doubt she'd had just a second ago had vanished, and now she was only worried. It was strange that she could feel this way about a woman she barely knew.

"Is she okay?"

Harry seemed surprised by that question, but he nodded anyway. "Yes. She didn't do it."

"Good..." She calmly said. "Now you should go."

"What? I already told you—"

"I heard you, and I want you to go."

"I-I don't understand..." Harry stuttered as his jaw fell slack.

"What's there to not understand?" Y/N's voice suddenly deepened. "How are we gonna do whatever the fuck this is if you're gonna come running every time she calls? I know you feel the need to protect her because she's in a bad place right now, but it can't always be you. Either you're with me, or with her. I'm exhausted from chasing after you for my whole life, so I won't settle to be an option anymore, Harry."

Harry shook his head fast, taking her hands and squeezing them tight, with a fear that she might run from him again. "This would be the last time I came to her, I promise. Please, let's talk. I came here to talk, I'll tell you anything."

"Okay." She glanced up, her gaze was intense. "Why don't we start with why you showed up at my father's wedding? You lied to me, you said he sent you the photos of the garden but you saw it when you were there, weren't you? And you left."

"You were in our treehouse with Isaac..."

"We were just talking! You gave up on me so easily, and came running back to your ex the minute she called! I want to believe that you love me, I do, but you're making it so fucking hard!"

She tried to push him away and left this conversation before she burst out crying, but instead of letting her go, he dragged her back in, pressing her against his chest. He'd watched her leave once, and they both knew how it'd turned out, so he was definitely not about to do it again. With both arms secured around her body, he waited for her breathing to slow down before he began to speak.

"I didn't leave because I didn't love you enough to stay, Bambi," he whispered as his eyes fell shut. "I loved you so much I had to let you go. I tried everything to go back to my old life, even sleeping with Ruby, but nothing worked. Because I don't remember how to do it without you." His grip on her tightened when he lowered his head to whisper into her ear, "I'm here for you now. Wouldn't be here if I'd completely given up on you."

Her slim shoulders shuddered as she released quiet sobs against his chest, so he had to pull back and hold her face. "Please don't cry," he pleaded. "I hate it when you cry."

"Do you...do you even...know what you're talking about? How can I be sure you won't change your mind the next day? I'm just...I'm nothing like her. How can you love me?" That last sentence left Harry speechless. Those were the words she'd been holding back for years before finally admitting to herself, and to him now. The hardest part about loving him was that she had always felt the need to compare herself to someone else. First, a pretty girl like Kathy, then some other models while they were apart, and now an actress. She couldn't spend the rest of her life second-guessing when he was going to leave her for someone prettier. She had sworn to herself that she wasn't that girl anymore. She couldn't go back to being that girl anymore.

"Hey." He sighed and carefully wiped away the tears on her cheeks. "Remember when I brought Thumper back to you and I got a black eye?"

"Yes, you told me you fell from a tree," she whispered, her eyebrows furrowed. "I didn't really believe you but—"

"Well, I lied to you," he said, shaking his head. "I actually got punched by this kid who stole Thumper, and I traded the captain armband to get it back. It was supposed to hurt, but it didn't because I was over the moon when I saw you smile. I couldn't explain it, so I told myself it was because I loved you. Then I grew up and thought I was just a stupid boy who didn't know what he was talking about. But I did know, because I've never felt the same since, not with anyone else, not even Ruby. She was the second woman I loved, the first one was you, and now it's still you. I'm done being a coward, I want to be that boy again, and...and I will do anything for you."

"Stop."

"Bambi, please—"

"Stop, Harry!" She almost shouted, her expression hardened as she looked him in the eye. The next thing she said, however, got his head spinning. "Just...kiss me."

In an instant, he backed her up against the wall and pressed his lips against hers for a hot and urgent kiss. It was different from all the ones they'd had because this time they were in love. And for that one moment, nothing else mattered anymore, their past, their mistakes, the other people who'd been in their way, all disappeared in one kiss.

Now Y/N could only focus on the rhythm of his heart. Her fingers thrust in his hair and her tongue in his mouth. She couldn't stop touching him, she couldn't get enough of him. She missed him terribly, and she knew the feelings were mutual because his hands were all over her body, squeezing her, pulling her in. More. She needed more, just not here, not now, not like this. So as much as she wanted him, she pulled away, gasping for air.

"Fuck, I missed that." Harry rested his forehead against hers. His pupils flared and his breath hissed between his teeth. "I missed you so much."

A smile crept up on Y/N's face at last. She put her fingers around his neck as her eyelids drooped. "So...what's next?" She asked.

"I'm taking you on a date." Happiness glowed in her eyes when he kissed her lips, softly this time. "Go on a date with me, please? Tomorrow night?"

"I don't know, I'll have to check my schedules..."

"Bambi."

"Alright, fine." She giggled, rolling her eyes. "But I'll pick you up."

"You pick me up? You're gonna steal a car for me, baby?"

"Hey asshole, I have a car!" She hit him on the chest as her mouth twitched in amusement. "Besides, you can't be seen driving around London with me in one of your ten expensive cars."

"Who says I have only ten cars and that we're still in London tomorrow night?"

As her eyes widened, he distracted her with another kiss so she couldn't ask him anything else and spoil the fun. 'I love you's poured from his lips as smoothly as before, but she might need more time to get used to them and say them back when she was ready.

"I'll bring a helmet," he teased, his heart swelled again when she giggled and kissed him on the cheek. Harry didn't care how long it would take until he got hear those three words, at least for once he was finally doing something right.

[digitaldreams0801]

Diaspro Profile

Name: Diaspro Fantine Hyndon Tapia

Age: 16

Gender: Female (she/her)

Birthday: May 3

Sexuality: Homosexual Polyamorous

Magic: Earth

Astrological Sign: Satyr 

Status: Noble

Occupation: Student

Affiliation: Tapia Family of Eraklyon, Alfea College for Fairies 

Planet of Origin: Eraklyon

Hobbies: Shopping, reading, fencing, drawing, browsing the internet

Family: Alexandra Colette Clementine Tapia (Mother), Royce Stern Talon Tapia (Father), Allegra Jillian Dorothea Tapia (Oldest sister), Benjamin Charles Francis Tapia (Older brother), Cecily Diana Elizabeth Tapia (Older sister), Edward Brian Ernest Tapia (Younger brother), Fiora Marcia Vanessa Tapia (Younger sister), Gene Henry Isaac Tapia (Youngest brother)

Position in Team: Coordinator

Pixie: Livy, Pixie of Messages 

Likes: Shiny objects, elaborate designs, architecture, siblings, warm weather

Dislikes: Getting hands dirty, cold weather, parents, responsibility, arguments

Appearance: Diaspro stands at 5’7”, though she’s often taller thanks to the heels she frequently wears. She has pale blonde hair that falls in tight curls down her back and reaches her hips. Her eyes are a warm mix of orange and brown. Her skin is lightly tanned. If she lived on Earth, she would have been born as half Latina and half white, and her skin tone shows such. Diaspro has what some might assume to be a perfect figure, but she has never found it to be good enough due to the nagging of her parents. Her hips are defined, but she doesn’t have much of a chest, which is her greatest insecurity regarding her body. After growing up with the expectation of perfection, Diaspro grew to hate her body’s flaws since she feared she wasn’t good enough. She often wears loose clothing to hide her true appearance when she’s given the option to do so. However, she is often unable to decide on what she wishes to wear without outside influence, meaning she frequently wears tight, lengthy dresses to show off her figure against her will. Diaspro’s favorite colors are all warm, ranging from red to orange, yellow, and pink. She wears cream as an accent color. 

Personality: Diaspro initially comes off as a self-centered young woman who cares little for others. However, such couldn’t be further from the truth, and she only puts up this mask as a way of hiding her true self. Diaspro was pushed to fit a given mold from a young age, making her into a talented actress and increasing her ability to hide her true feelings. Behind the facade, Diaspro is a sweet person who longs to see others reach their full potential. She is selfless when it comes to those she cares about and would do anything to see them happy. She tends to be a bit sarcastic at times, using it as both a defense mechanism and a way of breaking the ice around new people she doesn’t know as well. Diaspro struggles greatly with her self-image, always thinking about what others imagine her to be. She tends to push herself too far to be liked by everyone at times, which can exhaust her emotionally and physically. She can obsess sometimes over small mistakes due to her wish to be perfect, putting her in an unhealthy box of self-hatred in her pursuit of perfection. She wants to be the person her parents raised her to be, but she never seems to be good enough for them or her own expectations, making her self-esteem low. However, Diaspro hides all of this behind the mask of a quiet girl who can easily fit any situation to her needs. She’s resourceful and smart despite the facade she puts up. After years of hearing that she was only valuable for who she could be rather than she was, Diaspro grew lonely. She is desperate for companionship and can get rather clingy when it comes to people who treat her well. She grows defensive when it comes to those she cares about, meaning she can easily be manipulated by bad influences if they are nice enough to her. She has a manipulative side, something her parents taught to her, but she refuses to use it unless she believes the situation requires it. Overall, Diaspro is a kind young woman who longs to make friends despite her struggles with perfectionism and low self-esteem.

Background: Diaspro was born as the fourth child and third daughter of Alexandra and Royce Tapia, two nobles of Eraklyon. She had immense expectations on her head from the moment of her birth, as even if she wasn’t meant to inherit the family’s territory and power, all children of the Tapia line are expected to make a name for themselves. Soon after Diaspro was born, her parents decided what that name was going to be, and they set her up to marry the future king of Eraklyon, Sky. Diaspro hated this idea despite getting along well enough with Sky. While they were friends, he had little interest in her, and she had little interest in men as a whole. Even so, she acted as if she enjoyed it to make her parents happy, as she hated the idea of hurting them for her own ‘selfish’ desires. Alexandra and Royce shaped Diaspro into being a perfect noble alongside the rest of her siblings. They firmly told her who she was going to be, leaving little room for input from Diaspro herself. While her parents’ rule was oppressive, she still found joy in her siblings and the time she got alone. She began to sneak out to find out more about the greater world, realizing that she wanted to be a fairy along the way. Of course, Diaspro kept her training secret, only ever vocalizing her interest in the ‘noble sport’ of fencing when she got older. Diaspro grew closer with Sky and Brandon over time, as Sky had similar aspirations of a different life like Diaspro did and Brandon was simply kind to her. Sky and Diaspro encouraged one another every step of the way when their parents refused to do so, fostering a strong bond between them that only grew with time. However, despite their attempts to support each other, it wasn’t enough to keep Diaspro from suffering under her parents’ ideals. She was pushed to be perfect always, forced to engage in diets when she became ‘too heavy’. Diaspro grew to hate her body and all its imperfections over the years, though she longed to love herself despite her parents’ actions. When she hit fourteen years of age, Diaspro made a promise to herself to rebel against what her parents wanted for her. She did her best to love her body regardless of its flaws and accepted her sexuality. She became much more free internally, but she had to hide such behind her mask of indifference as her parents had instructed. Diaspro was much more free with Sky, and she was the one to give him the final push to enroll in Red Fountain despite his father’s concerns. He was unsure about leaving her behind, but she was happy to see him off. After Sky left, Diaspro made her own plans for a new future with her siblings, who all wanted to see unique paths. She wound up finding her new future when the Red Fountain festival happened, when she managed to convince her parents to let her enroll at Alfea in the year to come. 

Other: Diaspro enjoys designing her own clothes every once in a while, but she’s too flustered to share her ideas with anyone. She has a particular interest in architecture and antiques as well, and she has countless books on both subjects. Diaspro has bought countless antiques to restore them to their former glory, leaving her room cluttered with knicknacks. She’s a bit of a bookworm as well and reads a lot more than one might expect by just looking at her. Diaspro enjoys fencing and is perhaps the best out of the girls when it comes to swordplay.

Position in Team:

Diaspro has talent in a little bit of everything, particularly diplomacy and tactics. She is able to act as a secondary tactician when need be, coordinating everything perfectly when such is required. She’s also strong with talking out situations due to her parents’ affinity for politics passing onto her. She can subtly manipulate a situation to fit her whims when she finds it necessary, but she does her best to hide such. Diaspro acts as the middle ground between many fields and can fit any role needed.

Dynamics: 

Bloom: Diaspro and Bloom’s relationship didn’t exactly start well, as they were both incredibly upset with the truth about Sky. However, that changed over time, and they began to put aside their differences upon realizing they were much more similar than they initially realized. Diaspro often helps Bloom to get out her pent-up rage at the world while Bloom shows Diaspro how to stop hiding her true self. While both still have issues, they are helping each other through them slowly.

Stella: Contrary to popular belief, Diaspro and Stella have a rather positive relationship. At first, they weren’t sure of how to approach each other, but they did become close over time, finding common ground in fashion. They became close due to not only fashion but also self-confidence issues of the past. They eternally cheer each other on and are happy to help one another through dark times. Their personalities are similar and mesh incredibly well, making for a positive relationship.

Flora: Flora was the first one to reach out to Diaspro when the latter was looking for a place to belong. Diaspro welcomed Flora’s kindness and grew to care about her over time. Diaspro wasn’t sure of how to approach Flora in the beginning, but when she realized Flora only wanted to help her become a better person and make friends, Diaspro began to trust her. Flora helped Diaspro to realize and openly declare that she deserved better than what life was giving her, greatly boosting Diaspro’s confidence.

Musa: Musa and Diaspro can both be somewhat confrontational due to the horrible way the universe has treated them over the years, but they are both steadily improving thanks to the other. Musa showed Diaspro how to relax and do things for herself instead of others. Diaspro grew to be incredibly authentic with Musa, something none of the girls could have expected. Musa also found out that Diaspro loved classical music, allowing them to grow closer over that.

Tecna: Diaspro and Tecna didn’t talk much at first, though they did grow closer over time. Diaspro encouraged Tecna to open up about her feelings after she had been part of the group for a while. It took a lot of work to finally get Tecna to embrace the emotional after years of hiding her true self, but Diaspro managed to get it done. Even if they don’t interact much, when they do, it’s often a meaningful conversation about how they are both steadily improving themselves emotionally.

Aisha: Diaspro and Aisha have similar backgrounds due to suppressive parents and arranged marriages, allowing them to connect easily after they met. Diaspro was incredibly outspoken and angry about Aisha’s arranged marriage and did everything in her power to prevent it. After Aisha’s marriage was called off, Diaspro remained close with her, always pursuing the ability to show their true selves against the world. Diaspro also acts as a source of comfort for Aisha when the latter gets upset about Anne near the anniversary of her death.

Roxy: Diaspro struggled most with reaching out to Roxy when the latter began to think about joining the group. Diaspro was far from sure about how to approach Roxy, but after a while, she figured out how to talk to her. Roxy’s exploration of sexuality was something Diaspro could sympathize with after doing the same in her younger years. Diaspro became a voice of comfort for Roxy when she felt like she didn’t fit in, and Diaspro encouraged her not to make the same mistakes she did once upon a time.

Sky: Sky and Diaspro hold a very close relationship after growing up together. While neither is interested romantically in the other, they care a lot for each other and will stick together through thick and thin. Sky and Diaspro openly encourage one another’s romantic endeavors and tell the other to find happiness wherever it may be. While both were unsure of if putting the other in danger was alright, they became more trusting of each other after a while and relied on one another greatly in battle.

Brandon: Diaspro isn’t as close with Brandon as she is with Sky, but she still gets along with him. Brandon and Diaspro have similar snarky senses of humor. They can both get flirtatious casually with others they know, and they can have competitions over their somewhat flirty natures when they feel like it. They also team up to tell embarrassing stories about Sky from when they were kids, joking about how they enjoy to see the prim and proper prince get flustered.

Riven: To put it simply, Diaspro does not get along with Riven. She doesn’t like his spiteful way of behaving simply because it reminds her of the person her parents tried to groom her into. Diaspro tends to tell Riven to be better in a very snarky way, which can cause Riven to get confrontational. In most instances, Diaspro simply isn’t in the mood to deal with him and his attitude, and she leaves him alone since she knows talking to him isn’t worth getting upset over.

Timmy: Diaspro admires Timmy for how open he is about his authentic self regardless of what other people think of him. Even if he’s far from being popular, he still proudly shows who he is, something Diaspro wishes she had the guts to do when she was growing up. Timmy picks up on the subtle differences of Diaspro growing to accept herself more and tells her how proud he is of her in private, something that makes Diaspro much happier than one might originally expect. 

Helia: Diaspro and Helia don’t talk much due to the latter’s introverted nature. They don’t go out of their way to talk to each other, instead mostly interacting in a group setting. Diaspro does talk to him every once in a while about his art and poetry, finding such subjects to be incredibly intriguing. They don’t hate each other, but they don’t particularly get along well either, being more of acquaintances than close friends. Despite this, they respect each other greatly in silence.

Nabu: Diaspro wasn’t sure of how to feel about Nabu at first. However, she grew to care about him after a while when she heard that he had been forced into a loveless marriage as well. She doesn’t ask him much about it, but she does appreciate him for encouraging Aisha when they were growing up. They have a silent mutual respect due to their similar situations of the past, but they don’t voice their concerns about one another often since they don’t know each other well enough to do so confidently.

Alexandra: Diaspro does not think highly of her mother at all. Alexandra was insistent on grooming her daughter into a perfect future ruler, not seeing any value in what Diaspro believed at all. Diaspro hated this fact about her mother and never told Alexandra anything she valued highly. Alexandra’s heavily controlling nature affected Diaspro and all her siblings. Diaspro prefers to avoid her mother and has no wishes to reconnect with her, thinking she deserves better.

Royce: Royce wasn’t as active in Diaspro’s grooming as his wife was, but Diaspro hates him for how passive he was. Royce didn’t act against Alexandra to help his children, instead encouraging her behavior. Diaspro holds less of a grudge against him, but she still finds him to be deeply disgusting for thinking such manipulative tactics were alright. Royce claims Diaspro is incorrect in thinking he did anything to hurt her, not wanting to admit wrongdoing no matter what.

Allegra: Allegra took all of her siblings under her wing, but she had a lot of responsibility on her shoulders due to being the future head of the house. She told Diaspro to fake being perfect until she had the chance to get away, encouraging Diaspro to follow her dreams always. Diaspro found Allegra to be a great source of inspiration, looking up to her throughout her entire childhood. Allegra was proud beyond words when Diaspro began to attend Alfea, and the two exchange texts and calls often.

Benjamin: Benjamin was turned against his siblings from a young age due to Alexandra’s behavior. He followed her directions most, and he was often used as the example of an ideal child to compare Diaspro and her siblings to. While Diaspro doesn’t hate him for it, they still don’t talk much. Deep down, Benjamin hates being used as the example of perfection, but he struggles with saying so due to how he was raised. Diaspro understands why he is the way he is, but it still frustrates her that she is seen as inferior to him.

Cecily: Diaspro and Cecily are the two siblings closest in age, and they get along rather well. Cecily was treated as the misfit of the bunch due to her clumsy, trickster nature, and she often suffered as a result. Cecily still insisted that Diaspro make a strong life for herself. Cecily is only part of the family because her parents believe that disowning her would cause too much drama. Cecily and Diaspro both suffer from self-esteem issues, which they actively try to help each other through.

Edward: Edward was raised to be a second iteration of Benjamin, though he often failed in his endeavors. Diaspro and Edward can sympathize in feeling inferior to their older siblings, though they don’t talk about it much. Edward, much like Diaspro, feels as if he is a pathetic imitation of what he should be, causing him to be self-loathing to an unhealthy degree. Edward slipped into depression not long after Diaspro left, but he is still supported by his sister no matter what.

Fiora: Alexandra and Royce never took interest in Fiora, always thinking of her as being unable to go anywhere. Fiora was born without the ability to speak and communicated through sign language. Diaspro always made an effort to communicate with Fiora even when others didn’t, and Diaspro is incredibly protective of her. Fiora dreams of following in Diaspro’s footsteps and becoming a fairy, something Diaspro openly encourages her to try and do against their parents’ wishes.

Gene: Gene is the sibling Diaspro is most distant with. He was young when she left for Alfea, only being about five years old, but he was frequently compared to her and the other siblings. Even from a young age, he was thought of as lesser, and while he is too young to understand, he knows it doesn’t mean anything good. On visits home, Diaspro does all she can to encourage him and help him to feel better about life, even if it will be a long time before he fully comprehends her actions.

Livy: Livy’s clumsiness reminds Diaspro of Cecily, and due to Disapro’s positive relationship with her sister, she and Livy clicked quickly. Livy knows she is a bit of a mess but shows herself openly regardless and encourages Diaspro to do so as well. While it is a work in progress, Diaspro is growing to care less when she makes a mistake. Livy claims that if Diaspro doesn’t get mad when other people are imperfect, she shouldn’t get upset when she makes mistakes, something Diaspro attempts to live by.

[stilesxeveryone]

Reply - Steter Week

~And another one bites the dust! Idk why I said that... but here’s day 3! I think! It’s soulmates! Which you can find on AO3 and you’ll also find my account!

My inbox is always open to requests for fics, moodboards and drawings!~

Stiles and Peter had talked.

Well, there was probably a lot more shouting and ordering and snarking than talking, but the point is they've exchanged words.

Stiles said, "I'm not scared of you." Peter said, "You must be Stiles." There was also, of course, all of the words exchanged on the lacrosse field, in Stiles' jeep and in the parking garage. There was probably a lot more that went unsaid and even more things that could've happened but didn't.

But that's not the point.

The point is that they've talked. They've had their first words.

So, Stiles was allowed to be surprised when it happened. He was allowed to be speechless when it happened. He was most certainly allowed to be freaked the fuck out when it happened.

'It' referring to the tingling and hint of burning coming from the soulmark on his wrist with the words 'Are you alright, darling' written in cursive.

'It' referring to the fact that Peter asked him, "Are you alright, darling?"

'It' referring to the fact that Peter fucking Hale just said the same first words of his soulmate, the same first words on his wrist, the same first words that were now burning ever so slightly and were surely turning from grey to black.

The same first words even though they'd already had their first words.

So, Stiles didn't reply. He stared with wide, surprised eyes and a healthy amount of fear wafting off of him, but he didn't reply. He didn't do much of anything until Derek yelled at Peter to, "Stop harassing Stiles and get the fuck over here!"

Stiles only blinked a little after that.

He still didn't get to reply though, because Peter had said, "Get well soon, sweetheart," and left.

Stiles was really fucking glad he didn't reply.

~

Stiles hated being speechless, and he was thankful that it rarely occurred, but he hated the few times that it had.

Words were all he had, in many ways. They were his only self-defence. They were his coping mechanism. They were how he held peoples' interest and attention. They were the only things he was ever really sure of.

He was glad it was very unlikely that he would ever see Peter again, because he could never speak to the man ever again.

He could never defend himself against him. Could never use his words as a coping mechanism against whatever Peter had to say to him. He sure as hell never wanted to hold the man's interest or attention ever again.

Because he was sure that whatever he would say would turn black on Peter's body and he didn't know how to handle that.

~

Stiles was baffled.

Scott had never apologised before, unless heavily coerced into it by his mother.

And Stiles knew that this wasn't any of Melissa's doing.

But somehow, somehow, Scott had apologised to Derek. A lot.

Derek hadn't exactly accepted the apologies (because there were multiple apologies, not just one) but Scott and Derek were talking.

To each other.

Somehow.

Which meant that Stiles was talking to Derek too.

And going to his house with Scott for pack night.

Which Erica, Boyd, Isaac and Jackson all participated in because they were pack too.

Which Peter participated in.

Because he was pack.

But Stiles didn't talk to him.

~

"Derek, have you told them about the, you know…" Isaac trailed off as he glanced around at the people gathered in the loft.

Boyd and Erica, soulmates, were cuddling on the loveseat.

Scott was on the couch with Allison, a space next to him for Isaac, all soulmates as well.

Peter was sat on the stairs and Stiles on the other side of the room, soulmates. Not that Peter knew. Not that Stiles would ever admit to it.

"Tell us what?" Stiles asked loudly, gaining everyone's attention. He kept his eyes trained on Derek and Isaac.

"We received a message recently-"

"And by message he means graffiti on the Hale house door," Isaac interrupted.

"-which suggests that the Alpha Pack is in our territory." Derek was getting a lot better at ignoring interruptions, courtesy of Stiles.

"Alpha pack? Like, several alphas in one pack? How does that even work?" Stiles asked, sitting up properly to stare at Derek incredulously.

"Not well," Peter said.

The 'what a surprise' on the tip of his tongue almost left his lips, but he held it back. Instead he barrelled on, addressing only Derek, "And you said the Alpha Pack, not an alpha pack. Are you indirectly saying that they're some kind of infamous pack of alphas that are gonna end up recruiting or killing all of us?"

"Stiles," Scott spoke up, placing a calming hand on Stiles' shoulder, "I think you're jumping to conclusions. Why would the Alpha Pack want to kill us?"

"No, Stiles is pretty spot on. And they want to because they're murderers, and murder is what they do."

Everyone glared at Peter.

Peter shrugged in response.

"Right, well, this is absolutely terrifying news." No one mentioned the fact that Stiles didn't actually smell of fear, just the usual amount of anxiety and concern. "Anyone want a drink?" he asked as he got up to go to the kitchen.

He rummaged through the fridge and almost brained himself when Peter spoke up, "Why don't you speak to me?"

Stiles took in a few deep breaths, trying to calm his heart. Once it was back to a more normal pace, he glared daggers at Peter.

"You talk to everyone else. Even Derek, who rarely replies with anything other than 'shut up'."

Stiles grabbed his drink and left the kitchen.

He didn't reply.

~

When he was younger, Stiles used to trace his mum and dad's soulmarks all the time. After a nightmare and he'd slip into their bed to sleep, whenever he scraped a knee, if Jackson was being an asshole again, if he was worried about a test.

He found comfort in running his fingers over the black 'Excuse me, miss, you left your book at your table', and its reply 'Thank you so much'.

His parents had met at school, high school sweethearts. It wasn't anything amazing or funny or weird, but it was special. Because they were soulmates, because they were his parents, because they had been nice to each other and loved each other from the very beginning.

He traced his own soulmark when he was younger, too. It was a sign that his soulmate cared about him, even if they had only just met him. They cared about him, even though it was the first time they had ever spoken to him.

His mum always made him promise to say something nice back, to show that he cared about them too.

Something like, "You're amazing."

So that they would always carry kind words with them. So that any time they felt sad, or bad about themselves, or angry, or nothing at all, they'd know that their soulmate thought they were great.

Just like how he always felt cared about.

~

After his mum died, after he saw how it affected his dad, after he saw the best man he had ever known drown his sorrows in alcohol and his work, he made a promise to himself.

If he ever met his soulmate, he wouldn't complete the bond.

Now, after meeting his soulmate, after his soulmark turned black and he didn't reply, he couldn't say for sure whether it was his promise or something else that stopped him from completing it.

~

When Stiles arrived home and walked into his bedroom Peter was already there.

"You know, if we hadn't already spoken before and my soulmark was actually something you'd ever say to me, I'd probably assume we were soulmates and you don't want to complete the bond."

Stiles' heart stopped, sped up and almost left his body completely.

Peter heard everything.

He stepped closer, Stiles stepped away, back against the door. For the first time in a long time, Peter could smell the fear coming off of the boy.

"Stiles, speak to me."

Stiles couldn't reply. All he could do was shake his head, not make eye contact.

"Prove me wrong. Prove to me that we aren't soulmates."

He kept shaking his head, tears in his eyes.

"Show me that you don't speak to me because you hate me, not because you're afraid of what we are."

Stiles wanted to reply. So badly. Everything he could say to Peter flitted about in his head. Things that would affect the here and now, like 'I'm sorry' and 'I'm not afraid'. Things that could affect the past, like 'Kate Argent is going to burn down your house' and 'Please don't bite Scott' but those were pointless, what's done is done.

No.

If he was going to break the promise he made to himself, then he would keep the promise he made to his mum.

"You're amazing, Peter."

It was quiet, a whisper, practically a breath.

But it was special.

Because they were soulmates.

Because he finally replied.

Because he could finally use his words and tell Peter everything that had been building up.

"You're amazing, Peter," he said again, just a fraction louder, and finally looked up at Peter.

Peter's eyes were wide, his jaw slack, then suddenly his expression changed. He looked both happy and hurt.

"Why didn't you want to complete the bond?" he asked, the most vulnerable and soft Stiles had ever seen him.

"I kinda, um, made a promise to myself that I would never complete it after… after mum died and dad became an alcoholic," Stiles said, surprising the both of them with his honesty. "I was also genuinely too shocked to reply to you the first time. Like, you come back from the dead, help save Jackson, ask if I'm okay and it turns out you're my soulmate? Especially since we had fucking spoken before, too."

Peter grinned, wide and—some would argue—with too much tooth. Tentatively, he asked, "Can I touch you?"

Stiles nodded.

Peter's hands settled gently on his cheeks and he shuffled closer. Peter breathed out, "Can I kiss you?"

Stiles nodded again.

Their lips connected, barely, softly, and Stiles leaned in more to deepen it ever so slightly. His hands wrapped around Peter's waist, pulling them flush against each other. Their lips started to move, tug and pull with teeth and tongue until they were making out and neither could breathe.

They pulled away, barely, softly, and Stiles grinned. "I'm so glad I can finally sass you back. The amount of times I almost spoke to you just for some smart-ass comment was really stressful."

Peter laughed, and his smile was soft. "I'm glad you don't hate me."

"Sorry I let you think I hated you," Stiles said, frown tugging on his lips.

"It's okay. At least I can kiss you now."

And so, they did.

[adrianfridge]

write an AU where Stiles finds out Jackson is back from London by running into him (literally) at Jungle

I attempted to write this as a full fic, but it’s not happening. So this is a simplified version of events. And it’s entirely self-indulgent crack, which is your fault for supporting the drag queen plot bunnies.

So, imagine an AU in which the events of 3A were the last of the big deal troubles in Beacon Hills – there’s no nogitsune or benefactor or Dread Doctors or war. And the nemeton getting activated increased supernatural activity, but it’s nothing the pack can’t handle.

Regression to the mean happens, except now none of the teens care as much about what society deems “normal.” Their version of normal has been skewed forever, so they’re making the best of it.

After defeating the darach and the alpha pack, the alpha twins – Aiden and Ethan – decide to scram, leaving Lydia and Danny both distraught. Stiles just happens to have enough I-just-temporarily-died-so-why-the-fuck-not bravado to offer himself to Lydia as a consolation prize. And after dating for about a month, they have a mutual break-up, during which Lydia decides to give up on teenage boys and Stiles decides to take up Danny on a long-standing offer for sex and cuddles. They have an on-and-off thing until the end of senior year when they go off to different colleges.

In the meantime, Jackson’s in London trying to make it work with his new pack. He’s no longer a big fish in a small pond, but he tries to act it. He ends up engaged to a werewolf girl who only wants him for his money, and he’s fine with it until she dumps him for another guy with even more money. That happens around the time of Stiles’s twenty-first birthday, and Jackson’s feeling down enough to finally accept one of Scott’s invitations, who he’s been keeping in touch with on the basis of having bragging rights about knowing a True Alpha.

Stiles decides to hold his birthday at the Jungle for a few reasons. One of them is simply nostalgia. Another is that he’s embraced being bisexual. A third, which just kind of snuck up on him, is he’s become a drag queen.

Stiles first met the drag queens the day they were trying to catch kanima-Jackson at the Jungle. His fake ID didn’t go through, and he was annoyed that Scott was being hit on with free drinks. He’d thought the queens finding him and sneaking him their numbers as the lowlight of the night, but it came in handy for Lydia’s birthday party when he called them in to the liven the place up. Since then, they’d sort of kept in touch. And became friendly. Stiles ended up watching way too much RuPaul’s drag race and going to a local show or two before acknowledging he was more than just fascinated by drag queen culture.

His alter-ego, René Gade, is like a “punk Carey Mulligan” in the scene. And he’s dressed up for his party with a bright pink-magenta wig to match his eyebrows, lips, nails, and six inch pumps. It contrasts nicely with the dramatic black eyeliner around his eyes and the black patent-leather cocktail dress, chain jewelry, and lacy arm sleeves. To round out the outfit is a white sash with “Birthday Princess” written on it and a shiny tiara.

He’s got his drag queen buddies, but they don’t ever replace his pack. Back in high school, after Scott and Allison broke up, Allison ended up dating Isaac. It’d rubbed Scott the wrong way, and on one full moon, in particular, he got into a fight with Isaac that somehow led to a hook-up that Stiles never wanted the details about. All he knows is Allison ended up sleeping with Lydia out of spite, and ever since then, the four of them still have a thing that he’ll never comprehend. So he calls it a draw.

The floor is packed as the five of them join in the dancing. Lydia’s coordinated her outfit to be as elaborate as his – just with her real strawberry blonde hair – whereas Allison’s in a simple A-line dress and Scott and Isaac both have on matching V-necks. Some rando guy tries to rub up on Scott, and before Scott can fully react, there’s Lydia, Allison, and Isaac encircling him like some cockblocking machine.

In that moment, Stiles bumps into his own rando. Guy’s wearing a shiny grey button-down and slacks that are just tight enough to be a tease. And the second Stiles gets a good look at the douche’s face, the world around him freezes as he’s transported five years into the past.

Last time Stiles saw Jackson was the day he had to drive Jackson’s naked ass home after he changed from kanima to full-fledged werewolf. Jackson and Lydia were being grossly lovey-dovey in the back seat of his Jeep while Stiles figured that was going to be his life forever. Then Jackson moved to London, and he hadn’t heard from him since. Though apparently *someone* has been keeping in touch.

And Jackson looks as good as ever, which is even more disconcerting now that Stiles is comfortable with his bisexuality. Five years and Jackson’s jaw got squarer, with more noticeable stubble, and he’s broader. Stiles hit the gym enough to say he’s developed a physique, but Jackson’s gone from slim swimmer to muscle bod. Which should be illegal.

Jackson doesn’t immediately recognize Stiles, but by the context of the other four and the sash, he pieces together who he’s looking at. And it’s hot. He’s been pansexual since forever, and the idea that Stiles *finally* got a fashion sense is a turn on.

But they still squabble. Jackson compliments Stiles, and Stiles acts offended on Lydia’s behalf. Jackson can’t believe Stiles is holding onto a grudge from all the way back to high school formal. Stiles can’t believe Jackson’s even here of all places. Jackson plays it off like he’s bored of London and he’s doing Scott a favor – he says it just as Scott’s making out with Isaac, which just negates any reason in Stiles’s mind as to why Scott would need any favors from him.

Stiles winds up making out with Jackson in the bathroom of the Jungle anyway. He feels he’s owed it after being single for too long. And Jackson doesn’t disappoint. They end up heading back to Jackson’s hotel room to finish the night, something the rest of the pack is too obvious in approving – especially Isaac, who outright demands for Jackson to get Stiles laid already because Stiles reeks of sexual frustration.

Once they start undressing, Stiles discovers Jackson’s wearing lacy lingerie beneath his slacks. Turns out Jackson was thoroughly expecting to hook up with *someone* that night, and Stiles gloats how Jackson’s stuck with him now. He then discovers Jackson is fully on board with giving up control in bed, even prefers it, and Stiles is really *really* into that.

Jackson is taken to pound town. And he plays it off like it’s a birthday present on top of the card he got.

They both act like it’s nothing in the morning.

It takes less than a month for Jackson to move in with Stiles and officially join the pack.

Less than a year for Stiles to start picking out wedding dresses with a budget beyond his wildest dreams.

[stewy497]

Stew Reviews - Celeste

So, after a full year of umming and erring over it, I finally gave in to peer pressure and got myself a Nintendo Switch. I’ve got the usual no-brainer titles to go with it; Mario Kart and Odyssey, Skyrim, Breath of the Wild, Rayman Legends, and The Binding of Isaac, curiously enough. But out of all the games I’ve played on this new system, the one that most cried out for analysis was a little indie project from Matt Thorson by the name of Celeste that Nintendo seem to be particularly eager to push.

I didn’t pick up Celeste immediately because from the gameplay trailer I had assumed it to be a slightly generic platformer. When I did pick it up a few days later, I found that mechanically, Celeste can be considered a contemporary of Super Meat Boy which I really like, being a tough-but-fair 2D pixel art precision platformer in the try-die-try-again mould. The gameplay isn’t particularly revolutionary, so I guess in a way I was right about it looking generic, but it is very solid and rarely unduly frustrating. The main innovation here is that you collect strawberries rather than bandages, and your basic move set is enhanced with the ability to climb walls and a short directional dash which you can use to quickly reposition yourself in mid-air. The physics are reliable and the platforming puzzles are all competently designed, being built around the dashing and climbing mechanics, so they always feel central and never like some gimmicky tag-on. Thusly, navigating a screen on the first attempt with a smoothly rattled off sequence of calculated jumps gives a feeling of indescribable satisfaction. Each level is visually distinct and has its own slight variations on platforming mechanics, such as dash extenders or trajectory-altering winds, so the game retains a stable core that doesn’t end up becoming stale. The game suggests that gathering the strawberries is completely optional and in the end grants little more than bragging rights, but it’s entertaining enough that I generally want to go after them while still being challenging without making me break the Switch into three pieces – not in the sense that it’s meant to, I mean – which few games can claim to achieve. There are also secrets to find, B-sides and crystal hearts, and admittedly their function isn’t readily apparent until you reach post game, but they do have one so they count towards something other than meaningless 100% completion. As satisfactory as this all is however, where Celeste really grabbed me was in the story.

Some minor spoilers ahead for the sake of analysis, so you may want to skip the next two paragraphs if you want to go into Celeste fresh.

You play as Madeline – assuming you decided not to abuse the enter-name-here feature – a young red-headed woman who has arrived at the foot of Mount Celeste with the intent to climb to the mountain’s summit. Right off the bat it’s quite obvious that Madeline is dealing with some deep-seated emotional issues, from the way she stubbornly proclaims how much she needs to reach the summit and the occasional cryptic dialogue exchange or dream sequence. One conversation in particular flat out states that she suffers from panic attacks, so presumably it’s some form of anxiety disorder. The thrust of all this is that climbing Mount Celeste serves as a metaphor for Madeline overcoming her problems, which as a writer and as someone who has experienced mental health issues myself, I can appreciate. It might not be the most complex piece of symbolism in the world, but it works and it works well. This theming is complemented by the gameplay itself too in a nice example of ludo-narrative synchronicity, as in the face of your literally hundreds upon hundreds of failed attempts, only your own determination not to give up can propel you onwards.

As you draw closer to the peak, you’ll meet and interact with various supporting characters. They’re all quite reliably grounded and likeable, and each of them strike a chord in different ways. First off is Theo, let’s call him our frame of reference as the most “normal” person in the story; a wanderlusting and aimless amateur photographer who’s also climbing the mountain, occasionally slightly brusque in his manner but also pragmatic and sensible with it. Then there’s a portly and spectacularly neurotic hotel owner who may or may not be dead and tends to overthink and worry to the point of paralysis; a half-mad old woman who lives at the foot of the mountain; and an evil red-eyed palate swap of Madeline representing all of her uncertainty and self-doubt who constantly tries to sabotage her ascent... You know, the usual stuff. Their interactions are well written and touching, with two particular moments close to the summit sticking in my mind.

Speaking of characters and their interactions, one object of note is that while the majority of the game is, as I mentioned earlier, presented in low-detail pixel art, for dialogue and key story beats the visuals employ cute, hand drawn illustrations. On their own they’re quite enjoyable to look at, but being spread out by large expanses of pixel art makes each one feel far more special and worth savouring. I found myself taking screenshots of the ones I particularly liked just so I could go back and look at them again later.

Overall, I can find very little to complain about with Celeste. About the only recurring issue I could name would be that the input for the left joystick might be a bit unforgiving; it seems like half of all my deaths could be attributed to Madeline dashing a different direction to the one I wanted. You can mitigate this to some degree by switching to the directional buttons, but good luck if you need to change direction more than once; while all other controllers use a single cross-shaped button because it makes it easier to find the direction you want, the Joy-Con’s four individual buttons mean that my thumb keeps getting confused and prodding the space between them. Yes, the Pro controller has a more traditional D-Pad, but it’s positioned below the analogue stick rather than above it like every other controller, so reaching for it feels unnatural and off-putting. And besides, I played most of the game in portable mode anyways, so it’s a moot point. I suppose the easiest fix for this issue is to simply play a different version of Celeste, since it’s available across all platforms, but I can still recommend the Switch version because, like The Binding of Isaac, this game’s model is well suited to being portable, and I enjoy being able to have my pick with how I play it.

Secondly, for a game with such strong writing, I get the feeling that the writers neglected to proof read their final draft. The end of the second level hints at something or someone in Madeline’s past, but after she wakes up from the dream sequence where this happens, that particular story beat is never brought up again. If you’d hoped I would forget about it, Matt, perhaps it would have been worth coming up with another level or two to pad the runtime and improve the odds of that.

The last incredibly petty thing I have to say is that it’s often unclear whether or not Celeste’s mechanics are diegetic – that is to say, whether they exist within the context of the game’s story or purely for the sake of gameplay. Yes, I know that I’m probably the only person who cares about this, but it got on my nerves and it pads out the word count so I’m going to talk about it anyways. Part of the reason for this is that Mount Celeste is established as a supernatural setting that brings certain qualities out in those who scale it, but it’s hard to see where the dividing line is. Is Madeline actually capable of dashing in mid-air? A feat like that should be physically impossible without generating the force of a nuclear blast, but it’s demonstrated in cutscenes multiple times so I suppose she must be? What about the dash-extending space voids in the second level? The whole game it seemed those were simply part of Madeline’s dream, but then during the final climax when the game’s throwing everything it has at you, they return alongside everything else. But like I said, I’m the only person who cares about this so it’s hardly a deal breaker. I digress.

So, bottom line: a narrative triumph with solid and entertaining core gameplay. To be enjoyed by anyone who can face a challenge, and a must-play for those in the indie market.

[hekate1308]

The Baggage We Carry, Chapter Five

Read it on AO3

Alright, Dean might have been trying harder in school than he had before. But he still didn’t think he deserved any of the rapturous praise Miss Rachel heaped on him – despite his suspicions that she herself took the credit for getting him interested in doing his work in the first place.

“That was so embarrassing, I am never going to her class again”.

“Don’t be silly Squirrel, of course you are”.

“Because you of all people know how important it is to attend.”

Crowley shrugged and lit a cigarette.

“But Dean” Cas said, his face glowing, “you really did extremely well. It’s gratifying to see that your work paid off”.

“Can you even talk like a normal person, Feathers?”

“Would any of us know what that sounds like?” Dean asked.

“You’ve got a point there”.

And Dean realized that he’d never felt happier than right here on the roof, with his best friend smoking next to him and his – other best friend beaming brightly.

I’ll probably never be this happy again, he thought suddenly. This is it for me.

Cas reached out and squeezed his shoulder.

Yep, definitely it for me.

“Would you two cut it out? I’m feeling left out” Crowley pouted, but Dean knew he was only kidding.

The next weekend, he and Cas had met up in the library, Dean telling himself that no, this was not a date, no matter how much he might have liked it to be; his annoying crush sadly showed no sign of going away soon, and he’d have to deal with it eventually.

Not that particular Saturday though, so he shrugged it off like the mature human being he was.

Karen surprised by suddenly moving into their corner and saying, “Robert and I would like to invite you to dinner... Crowley and Sam too, of course. Are you free next Friday?”

“Ah – I – me and Sammy, yeah. Cas?”

“I accept your invitation, Mrs. Singer. Thank you very much.”

“You can call me Karen as well, Cas. What about Crowley?”

“Oh, he usually shows up, believe me”.

And yet it was Crowley who had the strangest reaction to the invite.

Mom and Dad didn’t think much of it; the Singers had no kids themselves, so it was normal they’d have others over now and then; and they’d known them for years, so they weren’t worried for their safety.

Sam seemed to see it as his invitation to the “big boys club”, seeing how much he gushed about it (even though he was the last person to need such a thing since he was probably going to be taller than Dean, which he was not angry about. At all).

Dean hadn’t told his parents Crowley was also supposed to be there, of course. That would only have led to questions he very much didn’t want to answer.

But when he told him at school (during a break since Cas always looked so disappointed when he skipped lessons), his friend blinked before saying slowly, “Mrs. Singer asked me to come over to her house... for dinner”.

“Yep. Friday. If you don’t have anything to do – “

“And she wants me to come?”

It was then that Dean realized.

He and Crowley only ever met at school or went to the library and in all these years, he’d never even seen him talk to someone other than him except for Cas.

The guy had probably never been invited anywhere in his life.

“Sure. And you could meet Sam.”

“You want to introduce me to your brother!?”

“Sure. We’re besties, right?”

“Yes” Crowley answered still as slowly as before, “I guess we really are”.

For the first time, it occurred to Dean that he wouldn’t be the only one who’d suffer when Crowley inevitably left and their friendship ended.

“So, you free on Friday?”

“Sure” Crowley said, as self-assured as ever as if the last two minutes hadn’t occurred.

When Dean told Cas in class, he shrugged.

“It’s not easy being lonely.”

“You have five older siblings” he reminded him.

“And none of them really talks to me, not like you...”

He looked into Dean’s eyes again, and once more, he was caught like a deer in headlights.

“Or Crowley” Cas added belatedly.

Dean blushed and looked away.

This was getting out of hand.

Come Friday, Sam insisted that yes, he had to wear a shirt to his jeans (while still refusing to have his hair cut, sadly) while Dean wore the same clothes he always did when he saw Karen. No point in playing dress-up now.

Dad even let him drive the Impala to the Singers’ house.

“That weird knocking stopped” Sam observed when he got in.

“Yeah, fixed it yesterday afternoon”.

“You’ll do great in the shop”.

Dean didn’t answer.

“What are you up to anyway?” Sam suddenly asked.

“What do you mean?”

“It feels like we never talk anymore” he complained. “You’re always in your room, or God knows where. Mom and Dad don’t think much about it, but I do”.

It surprised Dean – it didn’t seem like a recent development to him. He felt like they hadn’t really talked in years.

“I’ve been busy with school, yes”.

“Please” Sam huffed. “We both know you don’t care”.

That stung more than it should have.

Again, he was quiet.

After about five minutes of silence, Sam did something unexpected.

He murmured “I’m sorry”.

“What?”

“You go quiet when you’re hurt. You didn’t mean to”.

None of you do, Dean thought, and that’s the problem. If you were like Crowley’s mother, it wouldn’t be a problem. But you do care, and I hate myself for wanting to hate you now and then.

“I know Sammy”.

“You’re still hurt”.

“Feelings aren’t cars. You can’t fix them like that.”

“I know... I’m still sorry”.

Dean looked at his brother and nodded.

He was starting to think Sam might actually be growing up.

“Dean, Sam!”.

Karen beamed.

“Come on in. Crowley and Cas just arrived”.

Dean wanted to ask if they had arrived together, but refrained from it.

What Cas and Crowley got up when they were alone (if they even hung out together without him, it wasn’t like he had asked if they did) wasn’t any of his business.

They were indeed already sitting at the table, talking to Bobby.

“Hi Bobby.”

“Hi boys, sit down”.

As always, Karen had prepared an excellent meal. Dean knew she was a great cook from the food she snuck into the library on a regular basis, but he was ready to bet that meat loaf was the best he’d ever had, even better than (God forgive him) Mom’s.

“So, did you read about the new advances they made concerning autonomous cars?” Bobby asked casually.

Dean nodded.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’d die to get my hands on the charts, but part of me’s a bit worried. I think I read Sally too many times”.

Bobby chuckled at the same time as Sammy breathed, “That’s Asimov”.

“Sorry?”

“Sally. That’s a story by Isaac Asimov”.

“Tell me about it, Moose” Crowley sighed. “I have never read I, Robot but I can tell you anything you need to know about Susan Calvin.”

Sam was silent for a moment before he said, “But... you don’t like to read”.

“Of course he does. That’s how he met Karen, when he came to the library to check out... Vonnegut, wasn’t it, son?”

“Yeah” he said slowly. He was starting to think Karen and Bobby had included Sam in the invitation exactly for this talk to happen.

He might have complained about his brother in the library a few weeks ago, he remembered. And he hadn’t sounded that different from Sammy in the car – because he felt he didn’t really know him, they barely talked these days.

“You like Kurt Vonnegut? I’ve read Slaughterhouse-Five, and Cat’s Cradle, but the first was much better – “

“Are you saying something against Cat’s Cradle?” he interrupted him at the same time as Crowley groaned.

“You’ve done it now”.

“Dean let me discuss it with him” Cas piped up.

“You ever realize that’s because of your pretty blue eyes?”

“Boys, stop bickering, we were talking about books”.

And not just books. Yes, Dean could have held himself back; but for the first time ever, he was actually having a meal during which most people understood him for who and what he was, and it was exhilarating.

“Crowley” Karen asked eventually, “Are you still focused on getting into Harvard?”

“Sure, someone has to save the world eventually”.

“Always thought you’d rather watch it burn” Bobby chuckled.

“Let’s call it a fifty-fifty chance then. Would have better odds if I could get Squirrel and Feathers to go with me, of course”.

“I wouldn’t even be able to afford the gas to get there”.

“Please, we’d fly, of course.”

“If you think I’d ever set foot onto one of these metal death traps...”

“Statistically, they are safer than cars, Dean” Cas interjected.

“Yes, and statistically, twenty percents of all statistics are wrong”.

“You’d make a good student, no matter what college” Karen said gently. “If you wanted, of course”.

And that was it, right there: If you wanted.

His parents had never used that phrase.

Would it really have been too much to ask? Just once?

“Yeah, well...” he mumbled.

Cas reached over to squeeze his hand again. Dean felt Sam’s eyes on them, while Crowley stayed blessedly silent this time around.

Karen was grinning at them, and even Bobby gave them a knowing look.

Dean pulled back and cleared his throat.

This hand holding definitely had to stop. He didn’t just go and hold his other friends’ hands, didn’t he?

Nope, but remember when you used to fool around with Crowley? His brain happily supplied.

Good God, he definitely should learn to draw a line between friendship and... something else.

Even if he and Crowley had somehow managed to stay besties.

Maybe because they were both insane, in their own way.

The dinner went great, regardless.

It felt so nice to just let go and have fun for once.

Crowley didn’t step out once to have a smoke. Dean was starting to wonder whether he really liked cigarettes or not.

As they said goodbye, Karen pulled each one of them into a hug, one after another; and it wasn’t difficult to realize from the looks on Cas’ and Crowley’s face, that they were not used to this kind of affection.

Really, in certain ways, Dean was luckier than both of them.

His parents might not have paid much attention to him, the real him, but he had never doubted they loved him and Sam.

Cas was every day ignored by his family members and Crowley...

The less said about his mother the better, really.

Karen and Bobby had seen it from the beginning, just like they’d known Dean to be unhappy.

They really were good people, and Dean was glad to have them in his life, in all of their lives, really.

“Dean” Sam began on the drive home, “I underestimated you all these years. I’m sorry”.

He snorted.

“Relax, Sammy. You’re twelve. I’m pretty sure you’re allowed to get a few things wrong now and then.”

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it”.

Then he asked, “Why do you never talk about this stuff at home? Books, college...”

“Because Mom and Dad love reminding me that I won’t need either”.

“But...”

“Sammy, you know how happy they are about me taking over the garage. Plus, quite frankly, I don’t think they believe me up to college, and they may just be right about that”.

“Dean, I didn’t even get half the stuff you were talking about physics with Bobby”.

“Yeah, well... It’s interesting. Doesn’t mean I have the brains for college”.

“The others think so, and Cas and Crowley are pretty smart”.

He had to admit even he couldn’t find anything to say.

Still, he couldn’t help but think that he knew their parents a little better than his brother.

“Alright, I’ll try. You’ll see”.

[amorremanet]

2. May I please request an ice cream headcanon for Isaac Lahey? Any one would be most appreciated! Death By Chocolate, Devil's Food Chocolate, Jasmine Peach Tea, Peanut Butter Plum Cherry, Phish Food, Purple Daze, or Vanilla Fudge Ripple please! These prompts are amazing and it was super difficult to ask for one, so I thought that I could give you lots of choices. Thank you Kassie!!!!

ice cream flavors headcanon meme

Okay, so, I appreciate all the options, and I did intend to do more of them, but…… wow, I haven’t Teen Wolf’d in a while, so I only wound up doing two. ……Sorry? ♡

Death By Chocolate: an indulgence/guilty pleasure headcanon.

Asking about Isaac’s guilty pleasures is sort of……… I mean, it rests on the assumption that he feels guilty about pleasure. And to be fair, he does, sometimes?

But the times when he feels guilty for enjoying things are most often things like, “I should probably not feel happy that Stiles is getting some comeuppance for being a douche to someone else, especially because I care about Scott, and Stiles always makes Scott hold his hand through things like this……… but on the other hand, Stiles can suck my schadenfreude, because I hate him and I enjoy seeing him get his comeuppance for being a douchebag :)”

Or like, “Scott would probably not be impressed with me for feeling kind of vindictively pleased that Derek dug himself into a huge hole again through his own terrible choices… so instead of telling Scott, I’m going to go talk to [Boyd, Danny, Jackson, Erica, Allison, and/or Lydia; maybe Camden, in AUs where he’s still alive, but also maybe not, because Cam and Derek’s relationship is…… messy], because they’re more okay with me holding a major grudge and thinking that Derek failboating because he refuses to listen to anyone is kind of hilarious”

i.e., “Yeah, Isaac feels slightly guilty for enjoying these things, but not nearly enough for him to consider stopping, so yeah.”

Or, somewhat more depressingly, Isaac will sometimes feel guilty for enjoying things when he’s already down on himself about something else, because some of the shit he’s internalized from his father comes up and gets him feeling like he doesn’t deserve to be happy or to enjoy anything, ever

Peanut Butter Plum Cherry: a soulmate/soulmate AU headcanon (alt: an unconditional love headcanon)

Isaac has little to no idea what to do with unconditional love, when it’s given to him. It’s not even like he never had any unconditional love in his life before he met Scott, because big brother Camden loved Isaac unconditionally (or still loves him unconditionally, in all of my headcanon AUs where Cam is still alive), and he was/is often borderline OTT in showing it, because he was overcompensating for how he’d spent the entirety of Eleanor’s pregnancy insisting that he was going to sell his brother to the circus and buy a puppy

Like, you know how sometimes, parents will go, “The best day of my life was the day my child was born” and/or tell their kids that the day they were born changed everything in the best and most unpredictable ways? ……Yeah, Cam says that to Isaac, and in an HP AU, Cam’s Patronus-summoning memory would definitely be going to the hospital after school on Valentine’s Day and being introduced to his baby brother.

He also (among other things): took Isaac out of the room when their parents’ voices got even slightly raised, and did it often enough that, after a while, if Edmund and Eleanor couldn’t find Isaac, the first place they looked was Cam’s room; nearly broke off his friendship with Derek multiple times because sure, Derek was there first but he wouldn’t stop glowering at a toddler, over feeling like Isaac was, “stealing his friend,” what the eff Derek; and regularly got between Edmund and Isaac, or at least tried to draw their Dad’s attention onto him instead so he wouldn’t go after Isaac, and did so until Cam enlisted in the army.

Then, there’s Erica, who was one of Isaac’s first friends at school, and they bonded super-closely, over a lot of things, chief among them the way that Erica being epileptic made her a social outcast vs. the way that Edmund tried to keep Isaac from having too-strong a network of support outside the house, because keeping your kid isolated makes it easier for abusive parents to control and hurt them, which all led to a shared feeling like, “I have Erica/Isaac and nobody else, not really”

(since, like… Erica tried so hard to keep her parents from finding out about some of the shit she went through at school, especially because it could’ve meant them finding out that she didn’t always take her meds as dutifully as she should’ve, and Cam was Isaac’s biggest supporter, and depending on the AU, he was either dead or just not in Beacon Hills)

Then, there was Eleanor, who always loved her sons unconditionally — but the problem was that she was living with severe depression, and Edmund was genuinely trying to help by keeping her from ever getting help (like, his actions were wrong, but they came from a place of not wanting Eleanor to get labeled, because if anything ever happened to him, having a depression diagnosis could’ve gotten her turned down for medical insurance, or it could’ve made people step in to try and take their kids [especially if anything happened to him], and a distrust of mental health professionals that was very strongly tied to Edmund’s experiences as a Vietnam vet)

So, even before Eleanor’s suicide, she unconditionally loved her sons, but she wasn’t always able to be there for them in the most understandable way, and there’s only so much covering and rationalization a big brother can do, especially when Cam didn’t really get what was going on, either. Plus, Eleanor died when Isaac was only five years old.

(disclaimer: While a lot of these details were things that Astrid and I came up with, in our old RPs, Eleanor’s death by suicide and her dying when Isaac was young were actually some of Daniel Sharman’s ideas, and we adopted them into our Lahey family headcanons)

Finally, it’s like…… Unfortunately, as you already know, Isaac’s father was an abusive jerk who got both of his sons to feel like most love is going to be conditional (which was likely another reason why Cam was so close to OTT about his, “I LOVE YOU UNCONDITIONALLY, I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU UNCONDITIONALLY” thing as Isaac’s big brother), and Edmund reinforced that point with violence and fear — which are, unfortunately, often more visceral and easier for people to remember than happy feelings, safe feelings, etc.

And all of this comes together in an emotional car-wreck that means that, as they’re getting to know each other, Isaac is torn between his desire to be closer to Scott because Scott gives unconditional love to so many people, so easily, and it feels good to be around him…… but also wondering where the bodies are hidden underneath Scott’s floorboards, because Isaac’s pretty sure that there’s no way any real, actual person can be that good and that kind.

Then, once he’s accepted that Scott really is just like that, once they get to a point where  Scott is all, “I love you specifically, and I love you unconditionally”… and Isaac’s response is basically

Because okay sure, Scott. You say that now, and Isaac believes that you believe that, and he believes that you would never deliberately mislead someone by promising them unconditional love……

……but Isaac is still pretty sure that all love is conditional eventually (and not in a way where it’s like, “You withdraw from someone who treats you like shit, or stand up for yourself to them,” but like, “Well, okay, you didn’t do exactly what I said with these unreasonable and unfair expectations, so I don’t love you anymore”), and he’s pretty sure that you will eventually hit your limit and stop loving him when you realize that he’s nothing like the rose-colored version of him that he feels like you’ve got in your head, or if/when he doesn’t live up to the idea of Who Scott McCall Believes He Can Be often enough for you, or something similar

(—The really sad part of this is that Isaac isn’t wrong in saying that Scott has a tendency to put on some serious rose-colored glasses when dealing with people. Sometimes, it helps bring out the best in them, or inspires them to do better for themselves, or something…

but other times, it leads to shit like making excuses for Stiles, Derek, Theo, and/or Allison when they’re legitimately in the wrong or have done something that hurt someone else, or Scott getting walked on by Stiles or Theo or Agent Blobfish [not so much with him anymore, but still], or Scott not voicing his discomfort with shit Derek does like following him around all day, when he would’ve previously done so, because now he knows that Derek’s had a really hard life and does genuinely want to help, etc.

The thing is, though? Scott is aware of this tendency of his, or he’ll become aware of it at some point, depending on the AU. He’s also aware that it can be a lot of pressure to have him believe in and want the best for you, especially for someone like Isaac, who believes that everyone will probably leave him eventually because he just doesn’t deserve to have them in his life because he’s, “not good enough” or whatever.

Scott also knows [or becomes aware] that not everyone can just go, “Yeah, that’s nice that you believe in me so much, Scott, but I’m not going to try to live up to your rosy idea of the me who I could be and if anything I do happens to overlap with this, then okay cool, but I’m doing it because I want to, not for your sake” — like Stiles, Allison, Boyd, Danny, Lydia, Erica, and Cam in any AU’s where he’s alive

[Derek would join them in doing this, if he had self-awareness enough to get that there’s a pretty huge difference between his idea of The Derek Who Scott McCall Believes He Could Be, and Scott’s actual idea of The Derek Who Derek Could Be.

Unfortunately, as you already know, Derek. So that’s probably not going to happen.]

—moreover, Scott puts a lot of effort into watching himself about all of this and trying not to overwhelm other people with how much he believes in them [unless their name is Jackson, but that’s not even a different ballgame; it’s an entirely different sport from Scott’s myriad relationships with basically everyone else], and Scott really does just want Isaac [and everyone else] to be their authentic selves in a way that makes them happy and promotes the best possible sense of collective good

………But Isaac still hears that and goes, “Yeah, until Scott figures out that I’m trash and decides he doesn’t love me anymore, so…… nah, I don’t buy it” and instead zigzags wildly between, “trying way too hard to be the version of himself who he thinks Scott wants him to be” and, “lashing out in some way, whether that means getting in fights or taking boneheaded, self-destructive risks, or whatever else, because the Isaac who Isaac thinks Scott wants him to be is way too well-behaved and rests on repressing basically all his impulses that aren’t, ‘Snark at someone and be funnier than Stiles, because I hate Stiles and want to show him up,’ and repressing shit instead of dealing with it pretty much always ends badly”)

[1inawesomewonder]

What a nice surprise the addition of Drew O’Brien has been to the Grizzlies program this season. (Sage Photo)

From Sullivan Arena, St. Anselm College, Goffstown, NH – Sunday, February 16, 2020

Perhaps the best thing about the shellacking that the Grizzlies took out in Keene on Saturday night was that they had less than 24 hours to think about it as they had to return to the ice for another game. Yesterday afternoon, at Sullivan Arena, Goffstown welcomed the Clipper Mules of Portsmouth-Newmarket for the only game in Division II hockey. Goffstown held their opponents to one shot on goal in the first period. Then scored five goals over ten minutes in the middle period to go on and earn a much needed 8-5 victory when all was said and done.

Maybe it was just a good night’s sleep or maybe a self reflection and renewal to taking care of the details. Either way, the Grizzlies came out and  played an outstanding first period of hockey against the visitors from Portsmouth-Newmarket. Goffstown held the Clipper Mules to one shot on goal, which didn’t come until the 14:00 mark, and created 13 shots of their own. Jackson Burke who was flying all over the place all afternoon ripped a slick backhand off of the post at 2:47 of the period, but that counted for neither a shot, nor a goal. Goffstown got on the board at 11:25 of the period when Eric DesRuisseaux led a nice breakout and pass to Drew O’Brien. The puck ended up on Grady Chretien’s stick and Grady pushed the puck past Jack Bussiere in net to give the Grizzlies a 1-0 lead. The first period would end the score 1-0, and Goffstown out shooting the Clipper Mules, 13-1.

Eric DesRuisseaux and the defensive unit had a great game on Sunday, save the penalty kill. (Sage Photo)

In the second period Goffstown had 13 shots again but this time many of their scoring chances were vastly improved. Despite the tremendous offensive outburst, a sign of things to come showed up in the first 90 seconds of the period. Goffstown took their second minor penalty of the game, and this time, Portsmouth-Newmarket cashed in with a goal. It took the Clipper Mules just 20 seconds of power play time to tie the game at 1-1. Andrew Madden scored from Jack Suhesky on a nice move, shot, and rebound play at 1:26. Goffstown took the lead for good at 4:13 of the period after Jackson Burke used his speed and skill to get to the offensive zone before dishing a beautiful pass to Grady Chretien who finished from there. At 6:51 of the period, on the power play, the Grizzlies scored on Eric Purcell’s first career goal right at the net’s doorstep. Eric DesRuisseaux had an assist on the play. Then at 8:31 Drew O’Brien, Grady Chretien, and Colby Gamache teamed up to give the Grizzlies a 4-1 lead, with O’Brien getting the goal. On back-to-back shifts Jackson Burke scored a pair of goals, at 12:16 and 14:36 respectively. The first one came on a great pass from Luc Ouellette and Burke buried the shot. The second was a nice touch pass from Theo Milianes while shorthanded that sent Jackson in on a complete breakaway all alone. Burke is an exciting player to watch, already possessing outrageous skills. He plays with great speed and a near reckless abandon. He is a player to watch as he matures and grows stronger, and if he ever masters the old, give the pick up to get it back approach he could be unstoppable. Goffstown led 6-1 after two periods. They outshot the Clipper Mules 13-7 in the second period.

Here, I unveil the nickname, Jackson “Breakaway” Burke. He had a big game against the Clipper Mules. (Sage Photo)

The third period wasn’t a total surprise from the standpoint of Portsmouth-Newmarket’s compete level despite trailing by five goals. Look at their schedule, they compete and battle every single night. So, when they scored on the power play, again, just 38 seconds into the period, their resolve earned a boost. Luke Suhesky scored the goal on a set up from Jack Suhesky. Goffstown answered quickly with a highlight reel worthy goal scored by Colby Gamache on a breakaway. Trailing by 4 goals at the time, Portsmouth-Newmarket started taking more risks trying to get back in the game and Grady Chretien made them pay with a pilfer and pass to set up Colby’s dash at 1:55. The Clipper Mules kept coming on though, scoring goals at 7:11, 8:51, and 13:44, all on the power play. For some reason it seemed like the Grizzlies were taking out every little injustice they ever felt, including any happening in the present, and somehow turned it into a wild west lack of discipline. Did the officials miss any calls that were worthy of penalties on Portsmouth-Newmarket? Of course. But even on a day when things were overwhelmingly going their way it seemed like the Grizzlies wanted to retaliate and/or sulk about the treatment. This is where leadership, maturity, and the choices made in reacting to adversity come in to play. It is conceivable that if the Grizzlies stayed out of the box through better decision making they may have had a running time third period in their favor just as it had gone against them a night earlier. That’s not to take anything away from the Clipper Mules. I realize that it takes another team to draw penalties and Portsmouth-Newmarket just kept attacking.

Colby Wright is another sleek skating member of the Grizzlies this season. (Sage Photo)

After Skyler Mikolaities scored from Ryan Higgins and Noah Foster; and Madden scored from the Suhesky’s; and Mike Durkin scored from David Blodgett; the Grizzlies only led 7-5 with 1:16 to play.

Portsmouth-Newmarket called their timeout and pulled Jack Bussiere from the net after the timeout. It took twenty seconds for Goffstown to slam the door when Grady Chretien nailed an empty net goal from Drew O’Brien. All in all, the Grizzlies had 40 shots on goal to just 19 for the group from the seacoast. On the other hand, Portsmouth-Newmarket didn’t need a lot of shots to cash in on 4 of 6 power plays.

      NHIAA Hockey:

Updated records.

Goffstown (11-7-0) vs. Portsmouth-Newmarket  (5-10-0)

Sullivan Arena, Goffstown, NH

Sunday, February 16, 2020. 4:30 PM Start:

  Summary:

Goals:

Goffstown: 1-5-2 = 8

Portsmouth-Newmarket: 0-1-4 = 5

Shots:

Goffstown: 13-13-14 = 40

Portsmouth-Newmarket: 01-07-11 = 19

Scoring:

1st Goffstown at 11:25. Even. Grady Chretien from Drew O’Brien and Eric DesRuisseaux.

  2nd Portsmouth-Newmarket at 1:26. PPG. Andrew Madden from Jack Suhesky.

2nd Goffstown at 4:13. Even. Grady Chretien from Jackson Burke.

2nd Goffstown at 6:51. PPG. Eric Purcell from Eric DesRuisseaux.

2nd Goffstown at 8:31. Even. Drew O’Brien from Grady Chretien and Colby Gamache.

2nd Goffstown at 12:16. Even. Jackson Burke from Luc Ouellette.

2nd Goffstown at 14:36. SHG. Jackson Burke from Theo Milianes.

  3rd Portsmouth-Newmarket at 0:38. PPG. Luke Suhesky from Jack Suhesky.

3rd Goffstown at 1:55. Even. Colby Gamache from Grady Chretien.

3rd Portsmouth-Newmarket at 7:11. PPG. Skyler Mikolaities from Ryan Higgins and Noah Foster.

3rd Portsmouth-Newmarket at 8:51. PPG. Andrew Madden from Luke Suhesky and Jack Suhesky.

3rd Portsmouth-Newmarket at 13:44. PPG. Mike Durkin from David Blodgett.

3rd Goffstown at 14:04. Empty. Grady Chretien from Drew O’Brien.

    Special Teams:

Goffstown Power Play: 1 for 3

Portsmouth-Newmarket Power Play: 4 for 6.

  Saves:

Goffstown: James Amorelli  14 of 19. (44:53)

Portsmouth-Newmarket: Jack Bussiere 32 of 39. (44:40)

  Standings: Boys Ice Hockey Division II

NOTE: The following are not official NHIAA standings. They are only the accumulation of game results as reported by the athletic directors and coaches.

Click here to view the schedules for all of the teams below.

Rank School W L T Points Rating 1 St. Thomas Aquinas 10 3 1 42.00 3.0000 2 Keene 8 2 2 36.00 3.0000 3 Goffstown 11 4 0 44.00 2.9333 4 Oyster River 9 3 1 38.00 2.9231 5 Merrimack 9 3 1 38.00 2.9231 6 Somersworth-Coe-Brown 9 5 1 38.00 2.5333 7 Dover 7 7 0 28.00 2.0000 8 Lebanon-Stevens-Mount Royal 6 7 0 24.00 1.8462 9 Kingswood 5 7 0 20.00 1.6667               10 Portsmouth-Newmarket 5 8 0 20.00 1.5385 11 Winnacunnet 3 10 1 14.00 1.0000 12 Alvirne-Milford 2 12 0 8.00 0.5714 13 Spaulding 2 13 0 8.00 0.5333

  Sage Page

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Theo moves the puck well and made several nice passes on Sunday. (Sage Photo)

The Big E, Eric Purcell scored his first career goal, on the power play no less. (Sage Photo)

Sean Hunter is getting limited time this season with the influx of talented youngsters, but he still hasn’t seen a hit he didn’t like. (Sage Photo)

Grady Chretien is compiling a season that has Grizzlie fans on the edges of their seats when he has the puck. (Sage Photo)

Colby Gamache is having another fantastic season and has become one of the all-time leading scorers in Goffstown hockey history. (Sage Photo)

Since Isaac has been back in the lineup after an early season injury, his skating ability at the blue line has been a huge asset to the Grizzlies team. (Sage Photo)

Calvin Sage plays with energy and determination that not everyone gets to. Jack Wilkinson is another talented freshman that could put up big numbers in coming years. (Sage Photo)

The Grizzlies got back on the winning side with an 8-5 decision against Portsmouth-Newmarket on Sunday. (Sage Photo)

Chretien and the Grizzlies score a beautiful goal on Sunday afternoon. (Sage Photo)

  ~ Thank you Maureen, your photos are fantastic!

Honestly these articles are so much better with your contributions.

The beginning of every article. (C) 1inawesomewonder 2017.

The thoughts and opinions expressed here are those of the individual contributors, mostly mine, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the schools, coaches, players, or characters listed in any of these blog posts. Or, maybe they do, but you would have to ask them directly. Either way, “It’s a great day for hockey” ~ the late “Badger” Bob Johnson.

Hockey: Goffstown 8 vs. Portsmouth-Newmarket 5 From Sullivan Arena, St. Anselm College, Goffstown, NH - Sunday, February 16, 2020 Perhaps the best thing about the shellacking that the Grizzlies took out in Keene on Saturday night was that they had less than 24 hours to think about it as they had to return to the ice for another game.

[newquintonrp]

jeremiah isaac band || blake jenner || cismale || may 21st, 1996 || mechanic || bundy valley || the dirtbag

❝ Sometimes life has to strip us in order to save us. ❞

HISTORY.

TRIGGER WARNING: Abuse 

Growing up wasn’t easy for Jeremiah Band. Born to Kenny and Katja Band, life for him lost it’s simplicity at a very early age. His father left when he was five and his mother was constantly working to take care of him and his younger sister, Elizabeth. They lived in poverty for many years, and Jeremy grew to be callous and bitter person because of this. He didn’t have very much, and his mother tried to care for her children, but it just wasn’t enough for Jeremy.

Things were difficult until Kat married a rich man named Felix Merryweather when Jeremy was thirteen. They moved into his expensive home, and things were looking up. Felix was a nice enough man. He treated their mother well and had money to take care of all of their needs and then some. But something was still wrong. Jeremy felt like he didn’t need a father, since he’d made it this far without one. He’d been the man of the house all his life, and now someone else was trying to take his job.

Jeremy and his stepfather butted heads constantly. They were always a few seconds away from a physical altercation until his mother or sister got in between them. It was a miserable life with the two of them constantly fighting, and when he was fifteen, he moved out. It started off as a bluff to get his mom to leave her husband, but when she helped him pack his things and kissed him goodbye after dropping him off, he realized that wouldn’t happen. He was abandoned by his father as a child, and now his mom, too? It was then that he started to turn colder than he’d ever been.

He was thankful that his cousin, Zach, let him stay with him after that whole debacle. Thankfully, Charlie Daye was there for him. They met around the same time his family issues were going down and Charlie was this major support system he’d never had before. With all of the problems he had at home, she was his security blanket. She made him feel safe and loved, wanted and good enough. She was his star. She guided him when he was lost. Having Charlie was something that happened by chance. They were in the same Psychology class and were paired together for the parenting project. They were supposed to take care of a fake baby that cried and pooped and creeped him out like no other. So he was fully hoping that she would just deal with the thing and leave him out of it.

But the first time they got together to work on a draft for their baby diaries, he felt this weird attraction to her. She constantly avoided eye contact and blushed nonstop, and something about her nervousness intrigued him. He started to pick up on things he never would have paid attention to before - Like the music notes doodled on her papers or her chewed down unpolished nails. He was fascinated by everything she did, and he wanted to be around her more often. So he started flirting with her and offering to give her rides home after rehearsals, wanting to be around her more often. He said it was because he needed to be sure his “wife” made it home safe, but really, he just liked the way she looked sitting in the front seat of his truck. After the project ended, they continued to spend every moment together, and it wasn’t too long before they officially started dating.

He was young, but it felt like he had found his soulmate. And On the outside, they were the couple everyone wanted to be.

But behind closed doors, it was anything but. At first, it was just arguing. They would get into it, and then he would apologize and promise it would never happen again. He didn’t want to treat her like he’d been treated growing up. She was his everything, and he knew she didn’t deserve that.

But then those verbal fights turned physical. She’d learned the things that pushed his buttons, and he found himself laying hands on her like he’d always promised he never would. And each time, he hated himself for it. He would apologize, cry his eyes out on his hands and knees, beg her to forgive him. He didn’t want to do it to her, but he just kept getting angry. He still loved her more than life itself and hated his unstoppable temper.

They dated for a year and a half before she eventually slept with him. He told her that sex was just something people in love did. He was a guy, and guys needed that physical intimacy. And he was tired of having to look elsewhere for something he knew she could provide for him. He cheated on her various times throughout their first go around because of how much he missed sex. Finally, she agreed and they both thought sex would fix things. It was the thing in their relationship that was missing. The fighting would stop.

But things just got worse. They argued more and more and eventually…He lost.

Charlie and Jeremy broke up before Christmas of 2013. He was heartbroken but he also knew it was for the best. He needed to work on himself. He kept a distance from Charlie until she broke the news that she was pregnant with his kid. Being a teenage dad was definitely not something he wanted to happen, especially as a senior in high school. After much deliberation, he agreed to be there for the kid. Throughout the pregnancy, they became closer and closer and even hooked up a few times towards the end of it. Imogen Band was born on September 2nd, 2014. In an instant, Jeremy felt like everything had changed. He wanted to do right by his daughter. He wanted to give her a good role model growing up. He tried to be his best self for her and Charlie. They got back together after their daughter was born.

Everything seemed simple for a little while. Jeremy was working and Charlie was taking care of their daughter. They seemed like they had it all together and were even living together. He finally seemed like he had his anger under control. Then, Charlie accused him of cheating which led to another break-up. This time Jeremy thought it was for good. Of course, he wanted to fight for her but he didn’t want to push her away even more. He thought if they were really meant to be, it would happen again. Thankfully having his daughter around kept him straightened out. He even focused on himself during those months which included going to anger management.

Shockingly to him, the pair got back together. This time he was destined not to make his past mistakes or make Charlie feel insecure. He wanted this to be it for them, he wanted a future with her. A few months after they got back together, Charlie fell pregnant again. This time he was way more ready than the first. He was a changed man already and although another child wasn’t ideal, he wanted to embrace the idea as much as he could.

Alexander Band was born on August 21st, 2017. Jeremy fell in love with their son as soon as he was placed in his arms. All of the financial struggles that he was feeling went away in that moment.

Jeremy loves his kids so much. He loves Charlie. He loves his life now, his family saved him. Despite his current financial problem, he finally feels like he’s supposed to be where he is.

PERSONALITY.

+ endearing, cunning, carefree

- cruel, bitter, hotheaded  

Jeremy has never been a very nice guy. He wasn’t raised to be one. His mother wasn’t around very often, and his dad left when he was very young. As he grew up, he turned into an angry, resentful person. He doesn’t let people get close to him, and he knows just what to say to keep them from trying. He’d never admit it, but he’s afraid that if he let himself truly care about someone, they’d just leave him like his family did.

On the flip side, he has a way about him that draws people in. He has a mysterious vibe to him. He gets angry over nothing, blames everyone but himself for problems, and holds grudges like it’s his job. But to those who care about him and have somehow cracked his exterior, he can be pretty fun. If you’re able to look past his roughness, you could find a great friend in him. He has calmed down a bit since his high school days. He can still be a bit crude and hot-headed. He’s definitely more chill than he used to be and is definitely working on his attitude towards everyone.

SECRET.

Having one kid is a lot of money and Jeremy learned that the hard way. Although he got a job thanks to his cousin, it has never been easy. He struggled financially when he was young which was why he has always been so determined to financially provide for his family. He didn’t have much growing up and as a result, he wanted Imogen to have everything as well as Charlie. And it was hard saying no to his daughter. He always told Charlie he’d handle all of the financial burdens and he probably should’ve clued her in more before they had their son.

After Alex, including all of the medical bills and stuff, they were royally fucked. There was no way in hell Jeremy could tell Charlie. He still hasn’t told Charlie that their finances are shit right now. Instead, he got himself a second job. He hasn’t told Charlie that little fact yet nor has he told them about their little problem. He’s just going to suck it up and hope that package handling at UPS will help play the bills.