exsiliumlogs | (no subject)

[Isaac just sighs and turns around then, purposely avoiding Peter's gaze and moving to stare out the window, toward- well, he doesn't know what. His arms are folded tightly over his stomach, a gesture that's more anxiety than it is out of any sort of desire for warmth.]

From what you remember? Yeah, I know. [There's a pause there, and Isaac shakes his head.] I'm not sure. We're not... it's complicated.

We've got time.

[peter doesn't do anything to try and get isaac's attention, just keeps tooling around with the guitar. the song changes, to a less-familiar one.]

He doesn't seem to trust himself.

[and that scares peter a bit, because even if he never quite trusted scott, at least scott trusted scott.]

Peter, time is... it's basically the opposite of what we have.

[For the record. Isaac huffs out a breath and his hands tighten before loosening again. Breathe.]

Scott is fine. He has to be fine. [He has to be, because if he's not then it's just Isaac and both Peters keeping a true alpha and a wild beta in check, and he highly doubts that any scenario like that will end without a body count.] We have anchors. We stick to them. He'll trust that, I know he'll- get over whatever he's going through right now and help me with Erica.

[There, frankly, isn't an option not to.]

She doesn't have one- not as far as I know. She'll still be wild.

We have time for this.

[after all, if they had something they should be doing at the moment, they would be.]

Anchors?

Huh?

[He doesn't understand the question at first. Have they really not been over this?]

It's, uh. [He sort of waves a hand, almost dismissively.] It's why we have control- what keeps us human all the time, rather than going all mass murdering every time our heart rate picks up.

[they really haven't. peter's seen them lose control and regain control but the whys of it haven't ever been exactly clear.]

Okay, that's pretty goddamn important. It's like, what? A memory, a mantra?

[Isaac makes an affirmative noise, looking conflicted for a moment before finally abandoning the stretch of floor he was pacing over to go sit next to the other werewolf so that he can explain this properly. With the night he thinks they're about to have, he'll need all the assistance he can get.]

I guess it can be. Derek taught me on my second full moon- it's anything that means something to you. To the human side of you. [He presses a hand close to his chest, his jaw a little tight.] Derek's was his anger. It doesn't have to be an emotion, though. Just... something with enough weight to make you remember what you are. Something that drives you, I guess.

Okay.

[he says that so isaac knows he was listening, but he takes a moment to think about it, still picking idly at the guitar.]

And you have one. Pretty good one, I'm guessing. No comment on using anger to hold back anger. Your friend Erica doesn't know hers yet, and Scott...

[scott doesn't trust himself, but peter doesn't see the point in saying it, so he gives a bit of a shrug instead.]

And creepy Peter?

[Isaac sort of shrugs halfheartedly at that, folding his legs under him.]

If I had to guess, revenge? That's sort of why he went crazy in the first place. Or maybe he doesn't have one and that's why nobody trusts him. I'm not really sure of the ins and outs of exactly how that works.

[His fingertips play idly with the hem of his jeans, and he's still frowning in thought. If Scott doesn't trust himself- if he's so volatile, what could that mean?]

Maybe the transition to alpha means that he needs a stronger anchor. [He doesn't like the idea of that, but says it anyway.] ...maybe the one he has now isn't working.

That guy...he's got a long game. Whatever, as long as he's gonna have his shit together.

Do you know what it is? Because it doesn't really matter to me, I barely know the guy, but if there's a reason it wouldn't work anymore, that's kinda important.

[Isaac shakes his head.]

It's not really something I ever asked him. I just know that it's not like Derek at all- maybe the opposite. [He frowns.] Friendship? Stiles? Maybe his mom? None of them are here, so that could be why.

[But all of this talk about it is just making him frustrated.]

We couldn't help him even if we knew. It's a decision that you have to make yourself. If his isn't working and he's not finding a new one... [Then chances are, he won't appreciate the two of them butting in about something so personal.]

[he shakes his head.]

Not talking about helping him that way. Just want to know what we're looking at, because that's what Erica's going to have to do either way, right? Her I might be able to help you with. Not sure I want to try the eye thing on Scott.

I dunno if the eye thing would work on even her. [Isaac admits, chewing on his lip.] Even if you could pull her out of it for a second, without an anchor, she has nothing to grab onto. No humanity.

Scott... I think he's pretty mad at me right now. [Probably for good reason, but hey.] I doubt he'll be interested in sitting down and talking about our feelings. But I don't know. If he snaps, there's a chance he'd pull me with him.

[Finally, Isaac lifts his head to look at Peter, his gaze weary. Now do you see why he was pacing?] If we both go crazy, Erica has no hope of staying sane. Then it's you and untrustworthy Peter- who I know won't be up for a fight- against a beta who hasn't seen the moon for months, a true alpha, and- well, me. And if you guys lose, we go out and try to tear the town apart.

[he does. and the guitar goes quiet as peter turns to look back at isaac.]

Then you need to not get pulled along with him, rikonoro. Because I can probably run better than any of you in the snow, but the only way I could keep anyone but you down is with my teeth.

[Oddly, he feels as if he's being lectured by someone older than him, someone far wiser than a fellow seventeen year old werewolf. Isaac isn't sure whether he should feel indignant or thankful for that.][What makes Peter think it's going to be that easy?]

I know what's at stake here. It's why I... why I asked Peter to teach Scott how to control it. [Isaac takes a deep breath.] Which would be why he's upset with me.

[peter wishes to hell he felt wise or like this was something he could lecture on. what he feels like is a scared kid who's probably about to take on things that are bigger and meaner and angrier than him, and his only strengths are that he's in control of himself and a set of jaws he doesn't want to use.]

Well, let's hope like all hell that works. Desperate times.

[if isaac was expecting judgment for that, he came to the wrong guy.]

That's kind of what I thought.

[Isaac brings a leg up to rest his heel on the edge of the bed, wrapping an arm around his knee.]

Either way, we're sort of screwed. But if Scott gets a handle on himself, then things swing back into our favor and we just have Erica to worry about.

[peter sighs.]

Okay. So that's what we've got. How do we keep them in? Besides calling Steph and Tempest and Kate, anyway.

[why does it seem like peter keeps locking himself in cages with crazy werewolves? why has that become a thing.]

[Isaac shakes his head quietly, his jaw tight.]

No. No, we can't call anyone that gives off that vibe. Erica is- from what they told us, she was tortured by the Argents. Forcing her into submission with hunters will probably make her freak, and probably not trust me again. Plus, I don't see other-Peter being okay with them either. If they're here, he probably won't help.

[Everything is complicated, everything sucks.]

Look, if word of us being dangerous while not on the moon gets out, how soon do you think it will be before the others start organizing hunting parties? I'm not getting locked up, and I won't put my friends through it either- not if I can stop it.

Trust me, Isaac, nobody here understands more than I do how much we fucking don't want to be hunted. There are reasons I haven't said anything to Steph.

So how do we keep them in?

[Isaac just... shrugs. He's not the guy who makes the plans, he's not the person who gets put in charge of this sort of thing. They need Stiles, or Scott when he's in his right mind- or even Derek.]

We hope that Scott gets control and then the three of us try to keep Erica down while you calm her and I help her find an anchor.

Okay.

[he's not going to bother to point out what a shaky-ass plan this is, because god knows they've made it through on some seriously crap plans before.]

What time are you all planning to meet up? Not sure how I feel about changing in public.

[and he's not sure how he feels about leaving isaac alone with creepy peter and two potentially out-of-control werewolves, either.]

[If you wanted a better plan, you came to the wrong guy. :| ]

They'll start feeling it at sundown. I know it doesn't give you a lot of room to change, but- [He shrugs.] I can make Peter give you an empty room to do it there if we want to go early.

[he shakes his head.]

Normally I'd be all for putting a few doors between me and an oncoming shitshow, but nah, nothing for it. Might distract them for a couple minutes, anyway.

[bad joke, but scott and isaac had certainly been horrified enough the first time.]

[He lifts an eyebrow.]

...you're really gonna parade around naked in front of my friends.