swarmofbears | open post

[ Somehow, both Emma and Abigail managed to snatch a few small moments of sleep as daylight approached, switching off as well as they could in brief shifts. At Abi's insistence, Emma slept first, and so she's the one of the pair who is awake when Kaitlyn comes to find them, a welcome message of safety— the full moon has passed. She leaves the other behind to wake Abi, to get her up to speed while Emma herself exits into the morning sun, a sigh of relief and joy escaping from her tired lips.

Despite everything, she can't help but wonder: is Jacob okay? Is everyone okay? Apart from herself and Abi, Kaitlyn and Dylan are the only ones she knows about for sure.

Not that Dylan's in perfect shape, she remembers as she spies him loitering outside by the long-dead car, his arm cradled against him. And it's weird, because she's not exactly the hugging type, but she has a sudden urge to run up and put her arms around him, grateful as she is to see him.

Instead, she jogs up, composure kept together as well as possible, given the incredible circumstances in which they have all found themselves. ]

Hey. You made it.

[ Hopefully he can read through the words to the tone to understand: she's glad. ]

[There's pure relief in Dylan's eyes as he turns to face Emma, thoughts about his hand and the others pushed away momentarily as he takes a brief look over her. Ye-Yeah, she's fine. Really fine, and that probably goes the same with Abi back down there. He's glad-- so glad, in fact. Even if he can't confirm anyone else's safety, he can at least focus on one of his friends that survived the night.]

Decided to leave the girl's sleepover early?

[Joking even now, but there's a small smile to him, even letting his injured arm hang by his side. He doesn't want to bring too much attention to it again.]

Y-Yeah, made it. Kaitlyn was a real badass, might've been oh so delicious lunch meat without her.

[ She's as fine as she can be, given the situation— she's sure it's the same for Abi, for Kaitlyn, for Dylan too. They're all going to need therapy. A lot of it. But that's something for later; for right now she is just glad to see him, to know that one more— and that makes four— is okay.

She grins at his comment. Hand aside, he's clearly doing okay if he can still be a smartass. ]

Yeah. Abi slept in, so Kaitlyn's filling her in now. Who would've known the girl had so much badass in her, right?

[ Honestly, they all would've known. Kaitlyn's always been nothing short of amazing. Though that said, she's positive that all of them found a little bit of their own amazing, last night. ]

Don't sell yourself short, though. I'm sure you had your own share of badassitude.

Kept her up all night, Emma?

[He teases slightly, even though there's the whole uhhh complicated relationship with Nick, which oh shit, he's probably back to normal, right? Dude's probably butt naked out in the woods and wondering what's going on. Although, to be honest, Dylan himself doesn't know what's going on besides werewolves, man.

But Dylan puffs himself up just slightly, just exaggerating his moment of badass to her.]

Kaitlyn hasn't told you about my awesome save? [Come on Kaitlyn, he thought they were buddies!! But that's okay, he's here to tell Emma about this.] How out in the scrapyard, I dropped this car on the werewolf so that we can make our daring escape? Totally cool.

[He'll leave out the part where he was panicking a whole lot and thought for a few seconds that the werewolf was going to kill her. Nope. That's no fun for anyone.]

[ He gets something of an amused smirk at that one. Yeah, sure, Abi's got that whole Nick thing to deal with, but Emma can't help but think that that outcome would make Jacob's head straight up explode. Which would serve him right, honestly.

She hopes he's okay.

She shakes off the thought with a grin in response to Dylan's story. Kaitlyn had said he'd saved her life, but hadn't really gone into the details of it— and hearing them now, she whistles her approval. ]

You dropped an entire fucking car on the werewolf? See, I told you you're a badass.

[ It's easier, she thinks, to focus on these moments, these little victories, than try to understand the horrors of the night. Just... keep it surface-level, right? She's good at that.

And yet she already finds herself wavering, wanting to check on his mental state, his arm, wanting to express her fears and be honest and truthful about the moments on that damn island where she thought she was a goner.

But she holds it back for now, the smile still fixed in place. ]

When Dylan's really needed, he delivers.

[His smile's genuine but he finds himself wavering just slightly, especially as exhaustion begins to creep up upon him. He's 100% glad that Emma is safe and in front of him, but as relieving as it is, he's also just reminded of why he's feeling this way.

Dylan swallows past the lump in his throat as everything from the prior night-- the past few hours crash down on him. How does he even talk about Caleb to her? Not to mention if Mr. H really died or did Ryan and Laura?? He hopes none of them died and just. Fuck.

At least he can make sure that his friend in front of him is okay. Well, as okay any of them can be right now.

He finds himself in a more serious mood and he looks at Emma with clear concern.]

Hey, um. You really okay? [Okay, that sounds dumb.] I mean. This is one of the more rough all-nighters I've had. You feeling the same?

[ She's doing such a good fucking job of holding it together, and then his expression shifts, and his words are genuine as they question her, and everything suddenly fucking sucks, because how is she meant to keep it together when he's not? The lump in her throat builds too easily, and her gaze flickers away as she tries to spare a moment or two for herself, tries to keep herself from straight up breaking down on him.

In true Emma fashion, her immediate response is full of the things she wants to say, but tinged with the sarcastic voice of her vlogger persona. ] Oh, you know. I'm totally fine. I duked it out with a werewolf, convinced myself a few times I was gonna die... totally normal, right?

[ But she can see the sincerity on his face, and she owes him more than that, especially after what they've been through. She sighs, shakes her head, and the bitter expression fades into something more vulnerable. ]

Yeah. Yeah, I'm feeling the same, Dylan. Last night fucking sucked.

[ And even then, of the two of them, he had to have it worse, right? ]

How's your arm?

[Maybe they should all have a big crying session after this. Right now sounds good, but he wouldn't mind another one once they find everyone else. Hopefully it'll be all of them crying over making it together and not over a friend's corpse. That thought alone is almost crushing.

But right now, Dylan manages a tiny smile when she talks about her fight with a werewolf and damn, who's the badass now?]

You went one-on-one with a werewolf? And survived? Okay, you're the one that needs her documentary starring Angelina Jolie.

[But as her own vulnerability comes up, the last vestiges of the lighter atmosphere dies out. When Emma asks him about his arm, he can't help but raise it slightly, looking at the amputated limb with a slightly dazed look. He's been like this for a few hours now, but it still feels surreal every time he looks at it. Like oh fuck, it really is gone and he's gonna have to live his life with just one hand.

Every so often, he almost feels like he still has his left hand. Maybe it's that phantom limb syndrome those docs talk about.]

Um, I mean, it hasn't grown back. [Dylan cringes slightly at that, not liking how that sounded.] Sorry, didn't mean it like that. Just feels... weird, yeah? Never had a missing hand before-- but doesn't hurt at least. Kaitlyn said I can get a hook to replace it, maybe I'm meant for the high seas.

[Snatch a lot of booty maybe.]

[ There's a joke there, perhaps, once she's not feeling so miserable, once they manage to find their way back to light-hearted: something about wanting to be played by someone hotter, or at least less ancient, than Angelina Jolie. But with the vulnerability she's allowing herself, with the seriousness of the situation— of the look on his face as he looks at his hand— the moment for jokes is gone, and she observes him in silence for a beat or two, shaking her head when he cringes. ]

No, it's okay. [ She knows he didn't mean it in the way it originally sounded— and even if he had meant it like that, how could she blame him? They all went through hell last night, but where the rest of them have only the mental scars to deal with, he's going to have to deal with a physical reminder each and every day. And no matter how light-hearted he is about it...

It's gotta suck, right?

She sighs, and tries a small smile on for size. ] I dunno how useful a hook will be in everyday life. But it might help you score at least.

[ Ugh. Somehow that seems inappropriate. Her smile turns rueful, and she shakes her head. ] Sorry. I should leave the jokes for the experts, huh.

[Emma's trying and he sees that, so what else should he do but follow along with the joke? At least a little? He's not the type to ruin the mood, even if the mood is 'desperately pretending that they're coping.' Jokes have always helped Dylan, even now, he's just not sure how long he can keep this up.

It's a little easier when there's someone with him, at least.]

...You really think a hook will help get me booty? Or you thinkin' of a different prosthetic to attach here? Going to warn you though, you might have to battle Kaitlyn over the hook.

[Hooky Mc Hook Face as she called him. MAYBE A LITTLE INSENSTITIVE but Dylan hasn't thought of it as such.]

But in all seriousness, I'll be okay.

[He thinks so at least. Maybe if he says it out loud, he'll actually feel that way.]

[ She can't help but grin at that, even as she shakes her head, reaches out one hand to push at his shoulder; the movement is playful, silly, the most she can really manage in that direction right now. ]

She can have you, Lenivy. Not my type. But Captain Hook? Kind of a hottie.

[ Not the Disney one, of course. Bad perms for days. But the more modern one, the one on that TV show with the name she can't remember right now...

Yeah, okay. This attempt to distract herself isn't really working, if she's honest.

She nods. ]

You will be. We all will be.

[ Those of them who've survived, anyway. How many of them is that? The thought makes her feel sick to her stomach. ]

It might take some time, right? But we will be. There are people who've been through worse. You know?

For my sake, I'm just gonna assume you're talking about the young hot one and not the cartoon. I getcha.

[He sort of knows who Emma is talking about and hey, he'd 100% hit that too. Dylan can accept that.]

...Yeah, we will. [People have lost more body parts in other places, and they didn't have werewolves to cite for them. He can at least sort of brag about his injury, even if no one will believe him. ...Not that Dylan actually wants to brag about his missing hand to others.]

Reminds me all about those inspiring documentaries. Like the ones you sort of binge on Netflix.

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as someone who loves angelina, this tag feels blasphemous

how RUDE

I KNOW I WAS MAD AT MYSELF THE WHOLE TIME (well I mean more mad at emma but hey)

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