video ][ forward-dated to the first, post-feast

[wilee]

[ immediately post-feast, yes, because that's the responsible thing to do. the whole scenting thing is still a work in progress, but she hasn't smelled anything even remotely familiar since she got here, nothing she wants to put much thought into at least. not yet. because hey, maybe she didn't smell her not-dad during that big feast. it's possible she just smelled some- burnt turkey! yeah. same thing, really! ( yeah, wow, she's bad at making up excuses, even to herself. Peter Hale does not smell like burnt turkey. ) but anyway, now she's fussing with the locket, because it doesn't matter how out of touch she was with technology a few months ago, she can tell when something ( the locket, in this case ) is trying to get her attention like a cellphone would. and then she sees there's messages on there.

good. good start.

if she can't sniff out where she is ( since that map makes no sense to her ), she'll just- ask. it takes her a second to realize the video is recording, but then she notices it's recording and aha! here! have a smile that's kinda like this. ]

So, thanks for the big dinner and all, that was great. Really. Wow. So good. [ is she being sincere enough? no? she's kinda trying! though it's a wonder her face isn't covered in grease and gravy, okay. so charming, this one. but yeahno, she remembered to wipe her face with a napkin after eating, tyvm. progress! ] But I need to get back home now.

So which way is Beacon Hills?

[ and now she'll make a quick shifty-eye ]

-- And where can I find one of those boxes with the lids you can keep food in for later? Just wondering.

Comments

[wilee]

Somebody must think I am. You're just saying I'm not because you're- you.

[ hn ]

[teenyoda]

No. Look, I've talked to some people from there who weren't... completely terrible. I don't really know if it's good vs bad or anything. I think they have different, um... standards. Or it could be the shard you've got. I don't know, Malia, but it's not because you're evil.

[wilee]

[ someone's super zeroed in on the fact that she got split up from Stiles to be on her not-dad's side. guess who that someone is. ]

Just- tell me how to get to where you are. Or where you can meet me.

[ she's pulling up her map on her locket now, the screen next to the video of Stiles. what a weird phonelocketthing. ]

I'm looking at a map, but I don't know what anything is, so it's useless to me.

[teenyoda]

Okay, I'm over in the mountains to the west. Well, not in the mountai-- never mind. I'm over there. I can make it to a fairy ring in about a day or two, maybe three, depending on how fast my carpet flies, and then I just need to pick what ring to go to. You can probably make it to the Scima ring in a day or two, so you can either hop through to the Glaem one and wait there, safely, or I can try to grab you from the Scima one.

We'll have to talk through the whole trip, of course.

[Of course. Because like he was going to let her run around in a strange land without him.]

[wilee]

[ she's listening, she is, but- ]

Your carpet? I don't get it.

[ nopenope, more shaking her head. she's still looking at the map instead of the camera, following between the different marked fairy rings with her finger ]

Do we? We could probably get wherever we wanna meet faster if we're not busy calling each other all the time.

[teenyoda]

It's part of the whole magic thing. I have a carpet that flies. Like that movie.

[That shall remain nameless on the off chance someone happens to pop into Drabwurld.]

You have no idea what's out there, Malia. It's not just bunnies and deer and bears. There's trolls and giants and things with teeth bigger than you are.

[wilee]

Oh. Right. Of course you do.

[ when they're not video chatting she's going to make him pay for throwing all of this at her at once. but right, later. in person. whenever that will be. ]

Well, how do the fairy rings work? It doesn't look like there's much distance at all between the rings and each castle.

Although I don't see how trolls could be any worse than berserkers.

[teenyoda]

You go up to the ring and say the name of the ring you want to show up at and then you step into it. Or you step into it and say the name. I... haven't exactly used them yet. I'll figure that out.

You realize I haven't traveled everywhere yet, right? I mean, I've only been here six months.

[SIX MONTHS, MALIA. WITH NO LUVIN'S.]

How about dragons. You see how they might be worse than berserkers?

[wilee]

[ but you're supposed to have all the answers!! ]

Six months? Stiles.

[ that makes no sense. six months was before- everything. everything. ]

No. I mean, yes. If there's really dragons.

This is crazy, how does anyone handle showing up here?

[teenyoda]

[He threw his hands up to show he had no freaking idea.]

I don't know. It's all just totally screwed up here. There's people here from different times but from the same place? And dead people showing up, more than just Allison. It's... it's a lot of messed up, Mal.

[wilee]

So, what do we do?

[ no wait ]

What have you been doing?

[teenyoda]

We survive. It's about what I've been doing. I mean, I've been doing other things, but the big priority is not winding up dead.

[wilee]

[ she doesn't quite roll her eyes, buuut ]

I meant specifically. We can't just stay here. We need to go home. [ I need to find my mom. ] I need to catch up in school. And pass finals. So do you.

[teenyoda]

Six months, Malia. I've been here six months. You think I haven't been looking for a way home?

[Rude, Malia. He wanted his Scott and his dad back even before he realized he had a girlfriend he wanted back too.]

[wilee]

Well, maybe you haven't been looking hard enough.

[ ehhhh she's doing that thing where she snaps at Stiles because she's frustrated and panicked and that's bad right ]

Sorry.

I wish you weren't in a mountain right now.

[teenyoda]

[If she'd popped up last week or the week before, he wouldn't be letting out a heartfelt sigh and showing actual feelings in his eyes when he smiles at her.]

Me too. Look, I'll be there as soon as I can. I have to let Jon and everyone know I'm going and make sure they're all set here, but then I'll come get you. Just... please stay away from Peter. I have no idea what fairy alpha wolves can do.

[wilee]

I can't really stay away from someone I haven't seen yet. But I'll be fine.

[ yeah, she's pissed at Peter. she won't run from him, or at him, but she's not afraid of him, either. there comes some power with knowing, for certain, when you can't trust a person even a little bit. ]

We still need to pick somewhere to meet. How about the Station? That way neither of us have to deal with being on the ..wrong side.

[teenyoda]

[Malia, he swears to god... he was going to... SOMETHING.]

... Station's a bad idea. It got messed up when the shadow monsters were rampaging. Why not just, ah, camp out near your ring? That way I know you're safe-ish and I can pop through, grab you, and then pop back.

[He had no idea what was going on with future stuff, but he'd been offered a place to stay and would have a way to get back and forth from the new place to the Seelie castle, so... plans. Plans, he had plans.]

[wilee]

[ "camp out"? ]

I'm okay with camping.

[teenyoda]

[He wrinkled his nose.]

Hopefully not for too long. You might not even have to wait more than a few hours, depending how we get all this together.

[Stop being so happy, Malia. That was his job.]

[wilee]

Only a few hours, really? Even if I leave tomorrow?

[ she's so going to leave tomorrow. because camping. he already told her it was an option, can't take it back. ]

I could leave tomorrow.

[teenyoda]

Look, just give me until tomorrow morning to figure out what we're doing here, okay? No taking off without talking to me first, okay? Don't make me have a heart attack.

[wilee]

I'm not making you do anything.

[ and she's not actually taking him that literally either, but ah. it's easier to poke at Stiles' fussing than focus on, uh. anything else about this right now. ]

I told you. I would never leave without you. And that includes not getting lost where you can't find me, too.

[teenyoda]

[Slight mollification. But now that he knows she's here, he's not going to be content until he can see her for himself. Because he's a dork like that.]

Oh, I think that's just about the biggest lie ever spoken. You make me do a lot of stuff, Malia. But... just be careful, okay? Please?

[wilee]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[ what a ninny ]

You're the one that's been messing with magic and making new friends and fighting dragons for the last six months. Somehow.

[ yes that is all a 100% accurate and true retelling of what he's explained to her so far. she seems amused with herself, at least. ]

You have no right telling me to be careful.