incryptid } { of family compound and inherited paranoia

[fadingspark]

Stiles: [and after literally giving Derek the third on why he didn't tell him and why he continued to threaten to rip his throat out if he was supposed to protect him and Derek pointing out that Stiles isn't dead is he, they make the very long drive to Portland until they are pulling up to the Price homestead]

Alice: [and she will navigate them through all of the various security hoops until they're pulling up to the house itself. There's a tall, brunette woman also heading into the house, roller skates slung over her shoulder and looking very sweaty in her roller derby gear]

Antimony: [blinks as Alice gets out of the car] Grandma?

Alice: Hello baby girl. Miss me?

Derek: [leaning over to Stiles] That's Antimony.

Stiles: The one who does bombs and makes traps?

Derek: Yup.

Stiles: Don't piss that one off. Got it.

Antimony: You brought company. [she will at least stay far enough away to keep Derek's nose away from her rank roller derby b.o. - you're welcome - she peers at the unfamiliar face in the back instead.] Hi, Derek. Who's your friend?

Stiles: [he doesn't have a sensitive nose, and he's been in locker rooms so he's desensitized to BO. So he'll take a step forward, raising his hand in greeting.] I'm Stiles.

Antimony: [. . . . . . . . Antimony inches towards Alice] Uncle Noah is aware you've kidnapped his son, right?

Alice: I didn't kidnap him. He volunteered.

Stiles: He also sends his regards. But no, I'm 19 and can make my own decisions now. He just agreed to it.

Antimony: As long as he knows where you are and isn't going to charge up here to be angry with us.

Stiles: No, he isn't. Probably going to call me every few hours to make sure I haven't blown myself up or something though

Antimony: That's a valid response.

Derek: Why don't we go inside? [werewolf has to pee]

Antimony: [nods and waves the path ahead of her] By all means.

Derek: [and he will go first and excuse himself to use the restroom.]

Stiles: [and he will enter, looking around] So I guess I have a lot to catch up on.

Antimony: That is an understatement. Did you bring an envoy?

Alice: Yep. I'm taking them up to the rest of the colony now. [and she will take her leave to go deal with the mice]

Stiles: [and he will tug on his backpack straps, not sure about just leaving it at the door] So how do I go about signing up for the tour?

Antimony: I gotta clean up, but I'm sure someone's around. Just keep walking until you find a blond.

Stiles: Oh kay. [and he will just... go exploring]

Verity: [and Annie will go shower, and eventually Stiles will come across a short haired blond he might recognize, who's contorted herself into an oddly flexible position on the couch]

Stiles: [and he was NOT expecting that as he came around the corner] Wow, that's definitely a different kind of position there.

Verity: [that is not a voice she knows and her head snaps around hand already going for one of the guns in the couch and she's drawn on him in less than a minute] Who the hell are you?

Stiles: Wow. [and his hands go up, but he's surprised, not actually afraid of the gun] Yeah, I was warned you guys were jumpy but damn.

Verity: That is not an answer to the question. When someone is pointing a gun at you, you should probably answer their question before the colorful commentary. If not, we may feed you to our alligator turtle.

Stiles: Actually, usually when someone is pointing a gun at me, they are wanting me to give up vital information about a friend and I usually don't answer the question. But since you asked nicely, Hi I'm Stiles.

Verity: [blinks. Then blinks again] Claudia's Stiles?

Stiles: Yup, that would be me.

Verity: Who brought you here?

Derek: [coming around the corner] That would be me. [smirks] Hey Very.

Verity: [oh Derek's here. she'll put the gun down now] Hey. I didn't know you were coming.

Derek: It was an unplanned trip. Your grandmother's fault, really.

Verity: And now it all makes sense. Should have figured it was her hand in this.

Derek: But I can certify that Stiles was not kidnapped and came here willingly.

Verity: That's good. We do not need Uncle Noah calling in a SWAT team.

Stiles: Derek's the SWAT team these days.

Derek: [eye roll]

Verity: [eyebrow raise]

Stiles: Oh, they don't know about your special trick, do they?

Derek: Stiles. [the shut up or I will kill you look]

Verity: [double eyebrow raise]

Mice: [but before that can go further there's a cluster of mice coming over the top of the couch] HAIL THE RETURN OF THE SON OF THE SARCASTIC PRIESTESS.

Stiles: [grins] I'm never going to get used to that.

Derek: Reasons I'm glad I'm not a Price... [mutters, but thank you mice for the distraction]

Verity: Oh there's going to be a whole ritual for this.

Stiles: Well then. [and he will reach into his bag and pull out a mini coffee cake from the box he had gotten for the road trip] Here's a gift from me to the colony for your ritual.

Mice: HAIL THE GIFT OF FOOD FOR RITUAL. HAIL.

Stiles: Enjoy. [see, he's learning. Right?]

Verity: Heads up - food is the ultimate bribe. Save it for when it really counts.

Stiles: Well, I'm getting to know them. Totally bribing them to like me counts, right?

Verity: They already like you. You're part of the family. You're their god. Just take more care not to hurt them than worrying about if they like you.

Stiles: Alright. Point taken.

Verity: C'mon. You're probably hungry.

Stiles & Derek: Starving.

Verity: Let's make some sandwiches.

Stiles: Need help un-contorting?

Verity: Nope. [and she tumbles cleanly out of it until she's back on her feet again] Let's go.

Derek: [silently follows]

Stiles: [and he will be behind them] So have you lived here long?

Verity: [she nods] This used to be a warehouse that we renovated. Family's been here for generations.

Stiles: Wow. So, did my mom live here at some point?

Verity: Yep. Though her room was given to someone else when she moved out.

Stiles: Who's in it now?

Verity: Alex, I think. He's not here yet though, he's flying in from Ohio with his fiancée.

Stiles: Yeah, Alice told me about that. That's why she figured it would be a good time for me to come up as well. So I get to meet everyone.

Verity: Well, we're all meeting Shelby for the first time, so you won't have lost any ground there.

Stiles: Maybe she'll be happy to not be the only newcomer. Makes it less intimidating.

Verity: Maybe. I don't really know much about her other than she's Australian.

Stiles: Meanwhile from what I gather you guys know a lot about me. [looks at Derek]

Derek: Just doing my job.

Verity: We know the basics of things. You are still free to share what you are comfortable with sharing and assume we don't know.

Stiles: [nods, but he's never good at talking about himself. He wants to know about people. He's not big on sharing] Just for the record, I don't remember any of you. I didn't even know the mice were living in the attic until last week.

Verity: Most of us don't really remember you either. And all the parents probably remember you as much shorter.

Stiles: Shorter and unmedicated, I'm sure.

Verity: Probably, yeah.

Stiles: Your brother isn't going to be mad and think I'm stealing his moment, right?

Verity: I think he'll be grateful for the distraction. [mimics tossing her nonexistent long hair over her shoulder] If it were me, though, you'd be in trouble.

Stiles: Guess I picked the right time then.

Verity: You did.

Stiles: But just warn me when you're bringing home your fiancé so I know not to one up you.

Verity: [snorts] Well, the odds of that are getting less and less likely by the day.

Stiles: Oh? Why's that?

Verity: I have terrible taste in men.

Derek: [and his eyebrow will go up at that]

Stiles: How so?

Verity: Well, the last guy I dated was a member of a clandestine organization that wanted to exterminate my family? I mean, he quit, but the fact that that was what I was drawn to off the bat is probably a bad sign.

Stiles: So you're into the bad boy that you probably shouldn't touch.

Verity: And yet I touch him anyway.

Stiles: Bad touches.

Verity: He had abs for days.

Derek: If you're going to talk about Dominic I'm going to take my sandwich into another room.

Verity: I'd rather not, so you can stay. It'll be a good deterrent.

Stiles: [and he is going to look back and forth between them a moment] You know her ex?

Derek: Not biblically.

Verity: Derek and I hung out a bit when he was living in New York. You were there for William? Was William right before you left?

Derek: I was there for William. He didn't like my scent.

Verity: Most cryptids still don't know how to handle your kind of werewolf.

Stiles: Your kind?

Verity: Derek's kind of werewolf is more like a therianthrope. A lupine cousin of a tanuki. But there's also lycapthropy-w, which is kind of like a therianthrope rabies. Alex can tell you all about it, he just dealt with an outbreak in Australia.

Stiles: Go for the werewolves, stay for the bride.

Verity: They actually met before that. The bride was the reason why he went in the first place.

Stiles: I stand corrected.

Verity: Alex is a bit of a nerd. He runs the reptile exhibit as a visiting researcher at a zoo in Ohio. Shelby handled the big cats.

Stiles: [nods] well that's an interesting combo.

Verity: To be honest, we're all surprised Alex was able to look away from the basilisks long enough to notice her.

Stiles: Basilisks?

Verity: He's running a breeding program out of the reptile habitat.

Stiles: No, I mean what are basilisks?

Verity: Oh. Let me show you a picture. [and she'll gesture for him to follow her]

Stiles: [and he will go to follow her, leaving Derek behind with the sandwich]

Verity: [and she will pull out one of the field guides to show him this picture of chickens with serpent's tails] Snake chickens. Their gaze can turn you to stone.

Stiles: Wow. That's kinda freaky.

Verity: There's a lot of weird stuff out there. Nature doesn't know what it's doing sometimes.

Stiles: Well, I've only know about it... well again... for like 3 years, 4 month, and 17 days.

Verity: Beacon Hills right? I know things got crazy after Miss Talia died. [she hadn't seen Talia since she was a child, so those habits still remained, even if she doesn't realize it]

Stiles: Yeah, that was awhile back though. No my best friend got turned into a werewolf. Like Derek kind of werewolf.

Verity: [she nods] His kind of cryptid is kind of my specialty. I prefer one that I can talk to.

Stiles: Well, I'm sure Scott will talk your ear off.

Verity: He's the new alpha right?

Stiles: That would be him.

Verity: I've heard he's a good guy.

Stiles: He is. Dumb as a brick sometimes, but he's got a good heart.

Verity: The heart is the part that matters. And this is speaking as a girl who regularly throws herself off buildings for fun.

Stiles: Do you also go to the School for Unnecessary Backflips?

Verity: I'm a dancer. We always go for the Unnecessary Backflip.

Derek: Who do you think taught me how to do them? [he finished his sandwich and followed their voices]

Stiles: Wow. Okay then.

Verity: Free running in New York is awesome.

Stiles: I'm not a big fan of heights, sorry.

Verity: That's fine. They're not for everyone.

Stiles: I can handle like, two stories. after that, nope.

Verity: I am the opposite. The higher the better.

Stiles: Well, you have fun with that.

Verity: Will do. If they ever let me out of here again.

Stiles: You can always get a new face. Go all Nicholas Cage

Verity: No. I've already spent too much of my life trying to be someone else.

Stiles: But I take it you go out and you're in danger

Verity: I kind of declared war on the Covenant on national television.

Stiles: Your grandmother pointed me to the video.

Verity: Yep. Not my wisest choice, but ... they were going to come anyway. [glances over to Derek] They've already burned down the Freakshow.

Derek: [and there's a growl from that] Kitty and Jason?

Verity: They're all fine. Istas smelled the gasoline and got them out.

Derek: [sighs in relief] Good. Where are they?

Verity: The local dragon nest is letting them use one of their old warehouses as a safehouse.

Derek: What about the other communities?

Verity: They're figuring it out. I'm sure word will spread quickly enough but they can't really do a max exodus without drawing attention to themselves. I know Kitty already got in touch with the bogeyman community, and she reached out to the madhura at my request.

Derek: We'll let Scott know about it so he can be prepared in case they happen to run into that area.

Verity: Considering hunters just got run out of Beacon Hills I don't think they'll be heading there soon, but they should probably be prepared.

Derek: Hunters and the Covenant are two different levels. Argents were only as good as they were because they believed they were better than them.

Verity: Yeah, but they're also not going to want to come in when the community's on high alert.

Derek: Maybe then we should send people there to help fortify it.

Verity: You'll have to take that up with my parents.

Derek: Guess I will.

Stiles: Shouldn't you talk to Scott about it?

Derek: I will.

Verity: My parents are going to be the harder sell.

Derek:: My family's been taking care of that town for a long time. Scott's the alpha, but I'm the guardian for my family. They'll understand.

Verity: [she nods and turns back to Stiles] Sorry. Didn't mean to take that sudden veer into business talk.

Stiles: Well, I mean I'm going to be a part of this too, aren't I? I'm already pretty much Scott's right hand.

Verity: Yeah, but I don't think you came here to join our war.

Stiles: I've already been in my own. Beacon Hills is my town too.

Verity: Okay. I'll take your word for it.

Derek: There's no real convincing him otherwise. Just easier to go with it.

Verity: Duly noted.

Stiles: So do I get one of those? [pointing at the field guide]

Verity: There aren't many copies. You can look at it though.

Stiles: You know you could just scan this and make a digital copy.

Verity: Well it's never had to leave the house before. The whole family was raised and trained here.

Stiles: Except for me.

Verity: True, but you're here now.

Stiles: So I can scan it and take it a copy back home with me.

Verity: You'll have to ask Dad. It's his father's field guide so it's also part family heirloom.

Stiles: Maybe I could trade him something.

Verity: [long uncomfortable pause] I don't think it'll be that simple.

Stiles: Even if it's the Argent family bestiary?

Verity: Why would he want that?

Stiles: ... Because it has a lot of information in it?

Verity: Written by people who hunt rather than protect.

Stiles: So just because they hunt, you don't think they could have valuable information?

Verity: I don't know. I've never read it. But any behavioral information we likely already have. Also I don't think the Argent bestiary is yours to bargain with as you are not an Argent.

Stiles: No, but doesn't mean I don't have a copy of it. It's really all I've had the last few years.

Verity: [sighs] Look, Dad is the person to discuss this with. Trying to convince me of anything isn't going to do you any good.

Stiles: Fine. [and he will look up at Derek a moment] Where's the men's room?

Derek: [gives him the directions]

Verity: [crosses her arms in front of her chest don't judge her for being defensive about her family heirlooms!]

Derek: [and when he's gone] You do know that except for his dad, that kid hasn't had any family that he's known of since he was four.

Verity: I am aware of that, but that also wasn't my choice - and before you say, yes I'm aware it wasn't his either - but that doesn't mean we can just make copies of field guides with our family names on it and just let it float out into the either. I told him it wasn't my decision to make, he was the one who pushed it.

Derek: His name is in it too.

Verity: I said "our."

Derek: But you act like he wouldn't be just as protective.

Verity: Well, I don't know him! And again, neither of us are at fault there, but my parents raised me too paranoid to just hand stuff over to the first person that says they're family. In case you don't recall, one distant family member has already tried to kill me in the last few years.

Derek: Yeah, trust me, I know the paranoia well. He has a healthy dose of it too. In fact, he's way more like you than I'd like to think sometimes. But you know me, and him revealing he's got the Argent bestiary? That was him trying to extend some trust to you.

Verity: And I didn't say he couldn't have access to it. I was just saying I couldn't make the decision if he could take a copy with him. [huffs a bit] I'm not trying to make a bad first impression.

Derek: I know. Where is your father anyway?

Verity: Checking on Nemo.

Derek: Nemo?

Verity: The plesiosaur we found in the reservoir before I left for LA.

Derek: Why am I not surprised.

Verity: I was very surprised. As were the grad students who hatched him.

Derek: I hope they got good grades.

Verity: Me too. [a beat] So how long are you staying, anyway?

Derek: I'm just the chauffer. Up to Stiles, but he's probably going to need to be back Monday.

Verity: [nods] Well, hopefully we'll be able to get a run in before you go.

Derek: I'm sure once Stiles and your Dad starts talking, it'll be hours before I'm needed.

Verity: Good. They can get all science-y together.

Derek: I'm sure there's other stuff that he can tell Stiles about.

Verity: Plenty.

Derek: [and he will go to say something, and then turn his head] How many rooms are booby-trapped?

Verity: All of them.

Derek: [and he closes his eyes as Stiles' yelp of surprise echoes through the house]

Verity: [sighs] Which room?

Derek: Across from the bathroom, I think.

Verity: Annie!

Antimony: Yeah, I got him. [and she'll wander over to find Stiles]

Stiles: [hanging upside-down from the ceiling]

Antimony: You okay there, Stiles?

Stiles: You mean beyond the fact it feels like my ankle is being cut off and the blood is rushing to my head, yeah. Just hanging out.

Antimony: [smirks, before going to gently lower him to the ground.] Make sure your hands are ready to support your weight on the floor.

Stiles: Yeah, I'm ready. [not the first time he's been caught upside-down]

Antimony: [and she'll bring him down slowly so that he has time to adjust and eventually he's back on his feet again]

Stiles: That was a good trap. Didn't even see it, and I look for traps before I enter strange rooms.

Antimony: Thank you.

Stiles: How did you do it?

Antimony: A magician doesn't give away her secrets.

Stiles: Oh. [and he'll sigh] Thanks anyway.

Antimony: Look, it's not personal. But the more you know, the more you can get tortured out of you. Paranoia runs rampant on this side of the family.

Stiles: Yeah, well it runs in mine too.

Antimony: Where do you think you got it from? [sighs and leans in the doorframe] And, don't take it personally with Very, okay? A surprise long lost family member recently tried to kill her.

Stiles: I heard. [leans against the wall carefully after checking it out] I've almost lost my dad three times in the last two years. I've nearly died half a dozen times. But I'm trying to at least be open and not judging.

Antimony: It's different when it's blood coming after you. [she takes a breath before gesturing to the back of the house so they can talk without other people listening in] How much did Alice tell you about the Covenant of St. George?

Stiles: Enough. Fanatics her husband used to be a part of, wipes out species, purity of humans, hates the family because Thomas turned against them.

Antimony: Not just Thomas. The Healys used to be a pretty prominent Covenant Family too. To put it in terms you'd get, think about it as the Covenant is full of Gerard Argents, and we're Chris and Allison. And they really, really don't like us.

Stiles: Yeah, but Gerard Argents can be outfoxed.

Antimony: Oh yeah. We've tried. They were getting ready to do a purge in New York, and a Healy was part of it. Verity tried to stop them. They tortured her within an inch of her life and when our cousin Sarah used her telepathic abilities to erase those memories from her mind, she broke her brain over doing it. There's a lot of bitterness there, so while yeah - we know you're not Covenant, it's still going to take us some time to warm up, okay? Just like it's going to take some time for you to warm up to us.

Stiles: So I take it the mice can't vouch for me?

Antimony: No, they do. And so does Alice. You wouldn't be in here otherwise. But we don't know you anymore than you know us.

Stiles: You know, Scott always says that I don't trust people, and for a reason. But I was always told to trust family. I can see why you're cautious, and maybe I should be more too, but I was willing to put it aside. Guess I was wrong.

Antimony: You weren't conditioned like we were. That's probably a good thing. [she shrugs] I always heard that Aunt Claudia was the most chill out of all the parents, but I don't really remember her much to say whether or not that's true.

Stiles: I don't remember her much either. She wasn't herself a lot of the time after I was four. I just remember making cookies, and her singing to me, and dancing in the kitchen. Everything else is stuff that my Dad's told me.

Antimony: [she nods] She's the only one of Alice's kids who married outside the life. I mean, my mom is human but she was raised by non-humans. Uncle Ted isn't human. Uncle Noah's a nice guy, don't get me wrong, but he was very much not what anyone expected.

Stiles: No one really expects my dad. [smirks]

Antimony: [she laughs] Probably true.

Stiles: So what's your Dad like?

Antimony: A lot like my brother. Analytical, science-y. A bit dry but a good guy.

Stiles: Does he do good Dad jokes?

Antimony: Oh, yeah. He lives for Dad jokes.

Stiles: So they aren't so different.

Antimony: [shakes her head] No. They always got along really well until your mom got sick.

Stiles: He didn't... keep your Dad from visiting my Mom while she was in the hospital, right?

Antimony: I don't think so? I wasn't much older than you so I don't really remember a lot, but I know he didn't agree with keeping you from the family.

Stiles: I can imagine why. I'm not happy with it either.

Antimony: Something for you two to bond over.

Stiles: Honestly, I'm kinda afraid to meet him.

Antimony: Why?

Stiles: Everyone says I'm so much like my mom. He's going to be the one who knows her the best. So I'm just not sure if I'm going to be able to live up to what he will want from me.

Antimony: What do you think he's going to want from you?

Stiles: I don't know. [shrugs]

Antimony: I don't think he wants anything. He just wants you to be Stiles.

Stiles: I hope so.

Antimony: I know so.