(no subject)

[not_yet_screaming]

 "Of course it's fucking Jackson." Lydia's tone was tart as she pressed down on Erica's stomach with the ball of her foot, speaking directly to Derek. "That wasn't obvious? I assume you were the one that bit him." Her smile turned acid and her voice dripped scorn. "And I'm not afraid of you. You sent your betas in after me because you were too much of a coward to do your own dirty work."

She shrugged. "Me I'm just immune. And I've..." Her flinch was tiny although possibly not too tiny for a small pack of werewolves to pick up on. Her tone, suddenly, from dripping scorn and venom became utterly casual. "nothing to worry about at all. No supernatural problems." And if people didn't pick up on that that was their problem. But she couldn't say more.

So she turned to the tear stained Erica who had been hit by both Kanima venom and blended wolfsbane, pressing down harder. "And you? You think you can depose me socially. Even with superpowers you couldn't beat me physically. And Allison throws me around like a rag doll." She tried to keep the frustration out of her voice, but knew she hadn't succeeded.

Comments

[silverbow]

Allison is nearby, having run off the porch when Jackson made his exit in all his scaly glory. While the two groups are huddled together, there's still a divide, suspicious glances and dark looks passed back and forth as Lydia makes her thoughts known, Derek's face getting darker as she continues on.

There's a fresh bolt in her bow, ready to be raised and shot in an instant if need be, and she eyes Isaac as he brushes himself off. Boyd had the sense to stay back.

"Lydia, you should save your breath. They don't really listen." Rather hypocritical of her, but nobody could deny that shoe fits. "Given how they're pretty much loose cannons."

That doesn't go over well, from the growling prompting her to move up to Lydia's shoulder, Scott and Stiles flanking them.

[not_yet_screaming]

Lydia rolled her eyes at the growl, hoping Allison had caught some of what she was trying to clue. "They're werewolves. It seemed to cost Scott 30 IQ points and made him think with his muscles. And the rest seem to be worse. With luck they'll learn they can't just muscle through everything. And aren't even as good at thinking with their muscles as Jackson." She smiled sweetly at Derek as the paralysed Erica muttered something.

"No, Erica, you aren't a hostage. But you are learning that physical superpowers aren't a match for brains, which I know you have. And who picked your wardrobe and did your makeup, honey? Derek?"

Derek's reply was a command. "Let. Her. Go."

[silverbow]

To be fair, having to adjust to a new set of instincts is enough to distract anybody, but Lydia makes a point, in that who they were before the bite can't have been lost. Even if Derek had been letting Erica and Isaac run amok, their previous frustration fueling their actions.

Allison knows that Scott's gone through the change better than most, or that's how it had seemed to her - but even he had had rough patches. Danny, that time at practice. And Jackson's shoulder. "Maybe what you all need are better examples."

Derek makes to move forward, but Allison swings her bow up, silently warning him to keep his distance. This isn't that kind of fight, but it seems he's always had trouble picking his battles.

"We're not hurting her, and the Kanima venom will take time to wear off. Let her talk."

She moves, trying to gently tug Lydia away, enough so that she won't be standing on Erica while still being on top of her.

[not_yet_screaming]

Lydia nodded and took her foot off Erica. "She's going to recover. And Erica, I'm coming close to really disliking you. The last person I really disliked was Greenberg." The threat hung in the air.

"Why do you have it all, bitch?" There was a note of defeat in Erica's voice.

"Because I put the work in." Lydia's tone was sharp because she was making a point. "Six hours a day in front of Youtube makeup tutorials for a few weeks, and then regular refreshers to get it perfect and fast. Weeks teaching myself to walk well. Allison puts the work in. Even, heaven help us, Stiles puts more work in than the three of you combined, coasting on superpowers." She excluded Boyd and Scott from her condemnation as the dark voice at the back of her head lit up with laughter and willed her onwards.

It was a direction she was happy to go, even ignoring the flash of red in Derek's eyes. "And you, Derek. Because you were too ignorant to get things right and too lazy to do your own dirty work you almost had me killed and made those two killers." She brought her hands up to her ears, trying to block the sounds of laughter. "At least Kate did her own dirty work."

Inside her head there was a one person standing ovation and shouts of 'Bravo' as Lydia paled, realising that she'd probably gone too far there.

OOC: How's that for raising the stakes?

[silverbow]

"Greenberg?" Allison asks Stiles quietly, never having gotten the full story. She only knows the other teen from the rants Finstock throws in class. More than enough to underscore Lydia's point to Erica. She listens to his quick explanation and frowns. That seems a little bit much, but she also understands the realities of high school politics.

Scott nods at points; he agrees with a lot of what Lydia had said, his own attitude towards Derek, especially from their early interactions. He'd never warmed to Derek, especially when he'd taken away whatever chance Scott had of being normal, no matter that he's accepted the changes to his life now.

Stiles jerks a few times wanting to interject, but from Lydia's tone and the way no one else seems to blink, he goes along with it, sighing heavily towards the end, that's going to go over well, muttered under his breath. From the looks of things, Derek's hands should be bleeding from how tightly he'd clenched them into fists. And whatever emotion the other wolves are picking up on him has them shifting, his pack members troubled, while Scott moves forward ready to jump in front of them, frowning belligerently, his own eyes glowing gold in return.

When Lydia claps her hands to her ears, Allison makes the decision to pull Lydia in towards her, wrapping her arms around her back. Her eyes dart over towards the other pack, not wanting to bring up Peter Hale in front of Derek. She doesn't know how he'd react if he was brought up, and with Kate mentioned...

"He's not really here, you know? Don't listen to him."

While Allison, Scott and Stiles are distracted by Lydia - Derek and Isaac take the time to go over to pull Erica up, back towards them. The entire pack gather around her, unconsciously needing the reassurance that she's okay. Comparatively. Oh they all knew that Derek had presented them with reasons as to why he'd chosen to bite them, but Lydia's words is enough to throw a wrench into the high they'd been feeling. They'd been asked to become werewolves, not killers.

"You have no idea what you're talking about," Derek growls, he radiates tension, all his control focused on not just lashing out at her. "Just because you can read a lot, and have worked out the best ways to fit in your own perfect little teenage life doesn't mean you have any idea what kind of world you're playing in now."

He'd seen the wolfsbane Lydia wears, recognized it for the effects it has on the werewolves. But that's not understanding. Not when she's siding with the Argents.

[not_yet_screaming]

"Last queerbashing at Beacon Hills was of Danny when we were freshmen." Stiles whispered back. "Lydia went to war." Of course there was no way Stiles was going to give Jackson any credit. Greenberg himself hadn't really been a part of it; he'd just been going along with the then captain of the Lacrosse team to try to ingratiate himself and been slightly horrified. That he was there and had done nothing was not only more than enough for Lydia to include the only freshman present on the hit list, it had made her madder at him.

Lydia shuddered in Allison's arms, ignoring the enraged alpha. "I can..." she flinched and her tone softened although her arms round Allison tensed, clinging to her friend as if she was a log and Lydia was going to drown. "He's not here. There's nothing to worry about. I'm not being haunted." She knew the werewolves ought to be able to hear her, and if someone needed to say something like that then there was something very wrong.

OOC: Greenberg always seemed to need a backstory to me. And how Jackson became the lacrosse captain as a Freshman is its own unanswered question.

[silverbow]

Allison nods. She thinks that if it had just been Jackson behind the counterattack, it would have been less effective. Which isn't a slight on Jackson's abilities, but he's struck her as more direct in his vengeance.

She adjusts her position so that she can also keep an eye on Derek's group, particularly Derek himself, Stiles words earlier coming back to her. That, and if you get rid of the leader, the opposition falls into chaos.

"It's okay," she continues, trying to be soothing. "Lydia, it's okay. Remember where you are right now." She presses him lips together tightly when Lydia mentions that she's haunted. It doesn't seem to get any reaction from the others, but give it time. "You're stronger than he is."

"Look, you got what you needed here," Allison finally says, voice flat. "Why don't you go off and actually do something useful." It's probably better to get Derek's pack away, before he asks too many questions and makes presumptions again.

"without killing him," Scott interjects, not that he thinks the others would be all that successful.


(ooc: say what you want about TW, but the open ended stuff makes it easy to play in RP wise, because plot chasm? Fill it with whatever you want.)

[not_yet_screaming]

Lydia shuddered but her voice was tart as she relaxed her grip slightly on Allison. "I know where I am. And he can't touch anything right now." She swallowed. "So I'm stronger."

Fortunately the pack was retreating, Boyd carrying Erica in his arms rather than over his shoulder as Stiles and Scott looked curiously at the two girls.

"Haunted?" Scott was the first to speak. "What... And who?"

Lydia put her fingers in her ears - but would still flinch at Peter's name although she could then confirm it.

[silverbow]

"Glad you're feeling better," Allison eases back a bit, if Lydia's able pull herself together in order to express that sentiment, she at least has her masks back in place.

She doesn't bother watching the other pack leave, knowing that Scott would be able to hear when they'd gone off far enough to be sure that they wouldn't come back. They're still a group however weak their bonds, so she's sure that they'll mostly follow Derek's orders in whatever they plan next.

At Scott's question, Allison gives the quickest answer she knew of: "The bite had aftereffects - you know?" That should be enough for them both to connect the dots, without her going into too much detail. That's okay, right?

"Peter Hale?" Stiles blurts out first. "What, how is that even..." Trailing off, he exchanges disbelieving glances with Scott. Scott, who would have a better idea of just how Peter can get into people's heads.

[not_yet_screaming]

Lydia gasped and swayed. "Please ... don't say his name?" She swallowed. "And I think I'm meant to be a backup plan?" In truth she knew she was meant to be a backup plan and was already doing things about it - starting with decoding Peter's spells and working out how to mispronounce them and mess up the geometry. Of course she couldn't even tell Allison that. Almost literally. But she was no one's backup plan.

[silverbow]

Allison trades looks with Scott and Stiles, indicating that she'll fill in the gaps later, when discretion isn't as necessary.

"We won't," she assures Lydia. "You want to sit down on the steps? Scott and Stiles can handle the rest of the clean up." The damage is not that bad, and they'll still be near enough to talk.

They nod, getting to work, and Stiles can't help but bring up the question most of them are thinking of: "Backup plan for what? Unless he can come back - it's going to be useless."

[not_yet_screaming]

Lydia's reply was perfectly neutral. "It will be useless unless he has a way to come back, won't it? It's a good job he hasn't worked out a way to do that and didn't prepare it before he died." From her tone she might as well have been discussing the weather, and that was as close to things as she could skirt. Especially when Peter was still laughing about what she'd said to Derek.

It took Stiles a second to catch on. "You mean..." He stopped as Lydia raised one finger.

[silverbow]

"Now's probably not a good time to talk about this," Allison says, given the way Lydia's been acting. Since there's always the possibility of Peter knowing what Lydia does. There's only so much you can hide from someone who is in your mind.

She silently mimes closing her mouth at Stiles, whose jaws snaps shut with a click. Scott keeps looking over towards them, and away again while that had gone on, his face a changing mess of emotions - because holy cows why is there always more to this werewolf thing.

"Just know that it's a complication on top of everything else, and we'll have to work around it."

[not_yet_screaming]

And Lydia was hiding things from him ... she hoped. But in her time and of her choosing - this was the most she'd actually said directly even to Allison about what was going on, and she was probably going to pay for it. "Besides. I can handle him. And it would be mortifying to know that someone had tried to help me deal with my own problems."

Stiles' eyes widened; he'd picked up on the word mortifying (and her slight stress on it) and he picked up facts and connections easily. He'd explain to Scott afterwards that the root of mortifying was death, and Lydia had meant that if she found out someone had tried to help her Peter might kill her or at least come close.

[silverbow]

That's sorted, for now. The boys can work it out between themselves first, and maybe contact her for details. Whatever Scott knows, Deaton will probably know too, soon enough. Though whether the man chooses to step in is another matter.

"Can't say that he didn't bring it on himself," she says. Since Peter had been the one to bite Lydia, though it doesn't make it any easier to see secondhand.

She sighs, splaying her legs forwards as she rests her elbows on her knees. "We need to figure out what to do about Jackson too."

[not_yet_screaming]

Lydia looked at Allison. "Two questions? Exactly how strong is a Kanima, and do you think either your family or the werewolves know what it takes to make it transform?" Her smile was slightly vicious. "And at the moment I don't care much about what Jackson thinks. But think I know how to get photographic evidence he'll accept."

[silverbow]

"At least as strong as a werewolf," Allison says, "but whether that's the same levels as a beta or an alpha, I don't know." Though Allison had managed to get a copy of the bestiary her from her grandfather, she hasn't spent much time with it, given the other books and training her parents had been giving her.

"I can send you a copy of the bestiary?," Allison suggests. "It's in Latin, from what we can tell, so I've set it aside."

Stiles adds that it seemed scared of water, the last time he encountered it, that's something else they can look up when the chance comes.

"Oh, but if there are pictures somewhere, does that mean someone else knows Jackson turns into the Kanima?"

[not_yet_screaming]

"I can read Latin." Lydia shrugged. "I even taught myself Archaic Latin when Latin got boring. And someone certainly knows Jackson's the Kanima. The way it was moving in the library... that wasn't Jackson in control. The wrong type of aggression?" She bit her lip. "Plus the wrong type of reaction to me?"

[silverbow]

Allison nods, Jackson hadn't had any idea as to what's been going on, other than the fact that Derek had bitten other people. When they'd asked him to come with them earlier, he'd been pretty ready to wash his hands of everything.

"That's useful," she says. "That makes working out what's in that book so much easier."

As for Jackson... "I'll send you a copy of it now, you've got data on your phone, right?" If not, Scott can get them his wifi password.

[not_yet_screaming]

Lydia snorted. "Of course I do!" More than she ever actually used. "If it's scans I might also want to put it on my computer. I can encrypt both if you're worried." She wasn't Danny with computers - but that was just a matter of focus and she was far from a beginner.

[silverbow]

"You can transfer it, or I can email it to you too," Allison says, pulling out her ipad and getting to work.

And, they'd never really thought about encryption for the file at all, Allison had the only copy, and it was rare that she let her things leave her sight.

"Could you do that for mine too?"

[not_yet_screaming]

Lydia blinked. "Allison? Your parents stop you from speaking with Scott but allow you unchecked internet access? Haven't any of you heard of Skype, Snapchat, or even Facebook? And yes I could."

[silverbow]

"They still go through my emails and things," she says. She'd never really had that much of a reason to hide stuff from her parents before, so it hadn't been an issue before. Though internet history isn't something they track, since it always erases itself whenever she closes the windows.

It's just when they're in the room and notices what's on her browser that's the problem.

"And thanks."

[not_yet_screaming]

Lydia shrugged. "There's always IMs. And no history is the point of snapchat. And no problem."

[silverbow]

"Snapchat doesn't save pictures to you phone," she says thoughtfully. "I like the sound of that."

Having a more direct way of talking to Scott, and Stiles would be great. No more waiting around for the messenger.