nothing like a flower

↪ Have you seen ADELAIDE KANE around town? Neither have I, but I have seen AMARYLLIS FLYNN. The TWENTYyear old has been seen to be working as a THIEF/CLEANER AT ASHBOURNE HOTEL. It should also be known that they are a SHAPESHIFTER (BOMBAY CAT) and is known to be QUIET and DISTRUSTING, but also CAUTIOUS and OBSERVANT

[ivmwc]

amaryllisflynn​:

Her eyes rolled at Sean’s silliness with nothing to say about her ‘cool detachment’. God, these kids - mostly Sean was really rubbing off on her. To think she actually thought twice about what to say in order to not hurt his feelings.  Past Amaryllis would never. “I’ll take my cool detachment and head up to bed first then.” She got up and walked towards the stairs, going up before stopping right before she disappeared, “..Good night.” She mumbled before completely heading upstairs. 

Sean could only chuckle at the woman’s very lame attempt to save face. He, of all people, knew that it would be easier to pull a tooth than to get her to admit she had come to care and empathize more over time. At least for now. If she had been willing to accept to be his girlfriend, there was still hope yet. “Sleep tight,” he replied with a smile.

[amaryllisflynn]

ivmwc​:

“You’re right, it is,” he agreed. “But that’s the thing about having people you care about, sometimes seeing them upset and not being able to ease their pain makes you throw logic out the window,” he chuckled. “Here’s hoping you get to keep your cool detachment as you continue to spend time around us mere mortals,” he teased.

Sean could only grin at her in amusement. It was clear that she was trying, but the whole concept of ‘pulling punches’ was still very much new to her. “Yeah, I think we should head on up. I have school tomorrow and you have a morning shift, which means we’re already pushing our luck as it is.”

Her eyes rolled at Sean’s silliness with nothing to say about her ‘cool detachment’. God, these kids - mostly Sean was really rubbing off on her. To think she actually thought twice about what to say in order to not hurt his feelings.  Past Amaryllis would never. “I’ll take my cool detachment and head up to bed first then.” She got up and walked towards the stairs, going up before stopping right before she disappeared, “..Good night.” She mumbled before completely heading upstairs. 

[amaryllisflynn]

ivmwc​:

He tightened his hold on her the slightest as he ran a reassuring hand up and down her arm. “It’s alright, you don’t have to apologize. You really are right, and I just have to make my own peace with that. I guess with everything happening with Tomi and now Izzy, I just…I don’t know, guess I can’t help but feel like I failed as a brother somehow.” It hadn’t really helped that even Sky had managed to defend his sister’s honor better than he had.

Sean would be the first to admit that Brax could often leave a lot to be desired when he spoke -especially after tonight- so it wasn’t surprising that he could still sense some reticence from the girl. “I can’t speak for exactly how he got the spot, since it was before my time, but I can personally attest to the fact that his heart is in the right place. He’s honestly the closest thing to a father that Tomi and I have had since ever, and that also kind of makes this whole thing harder.”

“That’s a bit absurd...” She frowned, turning to face the other. Was it because she didn’t have siblings (until now but they were still acquaintances at best) that she didn’t quite understand how this relates to Sean. “Dallas was a liar, and Braxton was an idiot. I don’t see how their choices would make you fail as a brother. Unless you wanted to go fight them as well like Skylar did. Then you’d be twinning with her instead with the bruise.”

Amaryllis didn’t have much to comment on after Sean said that Braxton was his father figure. That alone was a bit alarming. While she knew this to some extent, the girl thought that Colston would be the better candidate but this wasn’t her business. “Well.. perhaps he should find where he dropped his brain before he makes a bigger mess out of this.” She cleared her throat. Comforting others really wasn’t her forte. “Shall we head to bed ourselves? It’s been.. a night.” 

[amaryllisflynn]

ivmwc​:

Sean chuckled at the response, though even he would be hard pressed to tell if it was out of amusement or frustration. “Right.” He kept his answer short and instead took in a deep breath, biting back on the urge to reply ‘thanks for the reminder’, as the weight of the uselessness he felt crushed him just a little more…after all, it wasn’t Amaryllis’ fault in any way, shape or form. It wasn’t like Sean was being very forthcoming himself.

“Yeah, you’re right. Time will tell if they can fix things, but it is definitely something that’s between them to address.” At her question of how Brax became the beta of the pack, he chuckled again, this time with a definite root in mirth. “It doesn’t seem like it, but he’s earned his place. He did after all help us out on the front lines when we had those bezerker things running around.”

At the short answer from Sean, Amaryllis had a feeling that she must have said something wrong - or at least, something that he didn’t want to hear. “Sorry.” She apologized. Perhaps should have said it in some other way. “I’m sure you want to help somehow.. ” Knowing Sean, it was most likely why he was upset with it all. His sister was hurt, and he couldn’t be the one to comfort the other. 

Amaryllis’ face was clear of doubt when Sean said that the man actually earned his place. Aside from what he did during the berzerker situation, the shifter really didn’t see how he managed to snag the position. Sean also had the purest heart so of course he would give everyone the benefit of the doubt. 

[amaryllisflynn]

ivmwc​:

Sean’s frowned slightly, browed furrowed in thought. “He might be…I mean, it’s really hard to tell with Kala. Which I guess is why Avery wouldn’t shut up about her apparent admission that we’re all her friends for the rest of the night.” He let out sigh before dropping back to fully lean into the couch and relax, bringing his girlfriend with him. At her mention of things being a sign he made a non-committal noise and said, “You may or may not be right, but let’s face it: We could be told our next gathering will bring about the end of the world and we’d still do it so we can at least ensure we all go out together.”

Sean’s mood dipped at the mention of his sister. Izzy was more like a mother to him than a sister, and seeing her upset while knowing there was nothing he could do to help was eating him up inside. “She decided to keep herself busy with the girls and then head to bed early. I think she just wants to not dwell on it at the moment, but…well, you can only put stuff like your emotions off for so long.”

Ah, yes. How could she forget Avery’s insistent to remind everyone tonight that Kala considered them as friends. The absolute regret on the dragon’s face was definitely a mood Amaryllis felt with her earlier experience with this group. Sometimes this lot was just too much. At least there were a few with brains and knew when to just stop and be calm - an ability that the oldest wolf of the group did not seem to have. 

“Well, there’s nothing we can do.” She put it bluntly. “This is the fault of that beta’s of yours and only they can figure this out.” She sighed, “Not that I question anyone’s decision but how did he get to be the Beta?” 

[amaryllisflynn]

ivmwc​:

“But you can sit like person and hold a conversation,” Sean pointed out, a slight ripple of discomfort working its way across his face at the memory. At the question of how Kala was able to put up with Peyton, Sean shrugged and said, “Kala has gotten really good at ignoring talkers since dealing with Key, and I’m sure the fact that it was kind of her job also helped.” Thinking for a moment he then added, “You know, she’s in the group chat. We can always just ask her for pointers or- or, we can even poll the rest of the crew? I mean, I wouldn’t recommend doing it tonight though. I’m sure everyone is looking to decompress a bit.”

Her brows raised with surprise, “I thought she was friends with that one.” Perhaps ‘friends’ was an overstatement. The drama professor genuinely looked happy to be in Kala’s presence but the feeling didn’t seem that mutual. However, Peyton also looked the same when talking with her guard. The shifter looked at her phone that was just lying there on the couch beside her, “I still think this is a sign to stop having such big gatherings.” This topic will be on hold until she figured out what to do with the incoming date with her mom or sister. “...How’s your sister holding up?” She whispered, fully aware that Izzy could hear them. 

[amaryllisflynn]

ivmwc​:

He snorted and laughed. “You say that like I haven’t witnessed you in cat form acting as a pillow for my nieces while they nap. Which no one would’ve asked of you, and you know it. I know you’re still iffy about attachments, but I think it’s safe to say that Fallcrest has become your home….and maybe, so have the people.” Sean chuckled at her mention of the booth’s occupants being protective. “For the record, that protection was extended to you without any input or request on my behalf. I know the topic makes you feel some sort of way, and it isn’t exactly the party way, but I think you got yourself a fam…well, another fam.”

Sean pulled back a bit, just so he could be sure to look down at her face when said, “You do know that if you need someone to play like diffuser or whatever, you just have to ask right? Like, even if you’d rather it not be me specifically, we have plenty of backups.”

“I can’t lift them once they lay down on me.” She will deny it until the end of time but Sean was right. This place had unknowingly become her home. Even without the bean confirming it, the gang had voiced numerous times that no one could mess with them - Amaryllis included. Even Tomi informed her directly a few times. Needless to say, it wasn’t something she’d forget with how many times they’ve repeated it. 

The shifter thought about having someone to play diffuser before but at the same time, wasn’t sure if it was even appropriate since it was supposed to be the two sisters bonding. She was sure that if she brought Sean along - the two of them would get along far faster than Amaryllis would with Peyton. “How on earth did Kala spend a couple days with that girl?” Now that she thought about it, Kala was only a tidbit friendlier than she was. 

[amaryllisflynn]

ivmwc​:

Sean couldn’t help the small laugh at Ryllie’s rather succinct description of her sister. “Well, it’s not like either of those qualities are entirely new to you now,” he began. “For the last couple of years you’ve allowed me and my friends to become your friends and, I would hope, your family. That being said, we have a fair few talkative members and more than a fair few impulsive ones. Need I remind you we spent the evening sharing a table with a balloon for a reason.”

He wrapped his arms around her properly and brought her in close to place a kiss atop her head. “I’m not saying you have to do anything you don’t feel inclined to, but I am reminding you that you’re a much more adaptive person than you often give yourself credit for when it comes to dealing with people.”

“Yes, well, that’s because they’re your friends. They seemed to have come with the package.” They spoke as if Amaryllis didn’t just quietly observe most of the time and only participated in their conversations from time to time. This girl was bound to be speaking to her specifically - or perhaps carry the conversation by herself if there were plans to know each other a little better. “Yes well, it’s clear that everyone at that booth is fiercely protective of one another.” 

Her eyes rolled  as she cuddled against her boyfriend - an action she would have never really imagined herself doing if one asked her a few years back, “Whatever.” She mumbled, “As adaptive as I am, I don’t think I can handle all that energy alone.”

[amaryllisflynn]

ivmwc​:

Watching a clearly real cat talk was not as funny as it was on TV. Sean had just gotten so used to cat Amaryllis being one entity and human Amaryllis another, that watching the cat version trying to engage like the human one might…it was bit more mind-bending than he felt his own mind was flexible for…

Once she changed back, and reached out for him, Sean was more than happy to oblige. Still mindful of her preferences when it came to affection, he wrapped her up in a loose hug and said, “Well, for starters, you and Embry have pretty different temperaments just as a base. And although there are similarities between the situations you faced, I don’t really think there’s a way to compare her experience in the system with yours. You are, however, on the right track by realizing that Peyton herself isn’t really to blame for any of it, so maybe you could take baby-steps and start off by getting to know her first? I know it worked it out well for Emmy to focus on Levi first.”

It was obvious that Embry and her were two very different people. For one, the wolf actually did like having company while she was more particular with whom she spent her time. At the suggestion of getting to know Peyton first much like how Embry did with her half-brother, the shifter only wrinkled her nose. “She.. talks so much.” She only met her twice - and talked to her only one of those two times and already she had a feeling that she could hold a conversation by herself even if the entire group didn’t talk. And on that note, she was genuinely surprised that Kala put up with her for that long. 

“And impulsive.” She added, thinking back to how unprepared the girl seemed to be when she first came. Peyton didn’t even figure out her sleeping situation before attempting to come in contact with them. “Mainly talks too much.”

[amaryllisflynn]

ivmwc​:

Having gone out to meet Izzy and the babies as Col helped them in, Sean opted to go ahead and help Izzy get settled in and then take a shower of his own. He knew Amaryllis hadn’t really been able to get around to processing much with so many people around all night, so he figured she’d appreciate a few moments alone.

The sight that greeted him when finally made his way back to the living room only solidified that his girlfriend was in full ‘think’ mode. Taking a seat on the opposite end of the couch, he did his best not to say anything, but he couldn’t help himself. “You only do human things while in cat form wen you’re really, really having a rough go of it. It might not be much, but I’m more than willing to be a sounding board at least.” … anything to contain the slightly creepy image before him.

“I met.. my mom.” The cat spoke before letting out a sigh and reverting back to her human form to stop creeping out her boyfriend. “That still feels strange.. And I got angry at her and she just took it.” Granted, Devin clearly expected Amaryllis’ rage for abandoning her. “I have nothing against Peyton but I don’t know how I feel about being abandoned, leading the life that I had, only to find out that this other kid has the life that I could’ve had. How did Embry handle this?” She sighed as she reached out for Sean’s hand so she could tug gently for him to come over to her side. 

[amaryllisflynn]

Amaryllis (and Sean) left shortly after spending a bit of time with the group and Peyton. When they got home, the shifter did quick work to wash up - however, when she came out from the bathroom, it turned out she opted to shift into her cat form and the little black cat made her way to the living room couch to process all the events that happened today. 

@ivmwc

[amaryllisflynn]

ivmwc​:

“They have me on both offense and defense this season, so if I have to tackle the man away, I am more than able to,” he replied, with a certainty in his voice that made it clear he was also more than willing to. “If you’re sure. Everyone loves when you join us, even if it’s just as an observer. You’re family and they like having you with us, but I also don’t want you to feel any pressure to do something you’re not up for.”

As they pulled into the long gravel driveway that led to the house, he chuckled at the thought of the menu. “It’s going to be like half the pack, so I’m sure we’ll mostly be doing grill work. But, I will be making sure to get a dish of your favorite into the oven early on so you’ll have it all to yourself when we sit down to eat.” Throwing the truck into park, he killed the engine and made quick work of rounding to her side, and helping her out. “Come on now, go on, get cleaned up, relax a bit, and enjoy the peace and quiet,” he said before dropping a quick kiss to her temple.

Amaryllis had been to enough gatherings that she was well aware that the girl could just sit by and watch while everything unfolded, and nobody would be bothered by it. They could handle all the talking themselves anyways. “I know.” She smiled as she got out of the car. 

“Half the pack? That’s going to be a lot of food..” She chuckled, “Are you sure we don’t have to head in early to get it started?” The shifter was grateful that Sean also included her favourite and since she’ll have it to herself, which meant that she wouldn’t have to fight with the rest for food. “Thanks Sean.” She leaned in for a quick side hug before disappearing into the house to get herself prepared. 

[amaryllisflynn]

ivmwc​:

Sean gave a small nod in understanding, and said “Don’t worry. I’ll shoot Tomi a text when we get to the ranch and the Tornado Twins will be on Brax duty all night. The most he’ll get to say to you is ‘hello’ and maybe ask how things are hanging. Feel free to ignore the latter, we almost all do.” Amaryllis had come into his life to remind him that loneliness didn’t have to be something you just accepted as being a part of your life, and that it also wasn’t something that could just be ‘cured’ by being surrounded by people all the time. Sometimes, it really took that one person that understood you to just exist in the same space for things to be alright, and he wasn’t going to not afford her similar comforts. “I’ll make sure you don’t have to worry about anything tonight, but enjoying your evening…and my cooking.”

“I don’t think ignoring him actually works.” She chuckled quietly. From past experience, it looked like it took physical actions to drag the Beta away from doing anything. “There’s time before the dinner, I’ll be fine by then.” Hopefully. It still unnerved her that she had a sister.. Who came here alone. Contrary to what Sean said, there was a very high chance that her mother didn’t want to find her which is why that girl came here by herself without telling anyone. “What are you cooking today?” At least there was something to look forward to at the dinner. 

[amaryllisflynn]

ivmwc​:

“Oh, uh, not like in the same room or anything -though he has done that before- just meant that they’re all napping at the same time,” he clarified. Chuckling at her remark, he spared a brief glance at her before turning back to the road ahead. “Yeah, I suppose there’s something to do with the wolf gene. I mean, even if in Tomi it’s like dormant or recessive or whatever, she clearly still keeps up with us well enough. But you’ve been a part of the family long enough for them all to understand you have your own settings, and the only ones that can’t quite always seem to get it are the twins, because they’re small, and Brax….because he’s Brax.”

He brought their hands up to give her knuckles a quick kiss. “But don’t worry. I’ll be around all night to make sure no one oversteps or to provide you with a quick out at any given time. Consider me your biggest tool..wait..you know what I meant.”

At the tenderness Sean was showing, Amaryllis gave a small smile. No one in her life had shown her the amount of care that he did and such a small gesture already warmed her heart. “I’ll be fine.” She had been to enough gatherings that she was aware that all of his friends - except Brax - knew what boundaries were. If not Sean, she was sure Tomi would drive the beta wolf away from her, as it had happened one too many times already. 

“I just.. don’t think I can handle Brax tonight.” She admitted now that she had time to think about it. He was stressful on a good day, so what’s to say how he was going to be when she was already pretty strung up by earlier events.

[amaryllisflynn]

ivmwc​:

As she spoke, he backed out of the parking spot, and began their drive towards the ranch. He reached out across the front seat and took her small hand in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Yeah, there’s plenty of time for your get comfortable. Izzy sent me a text that Brax and the twins are all napping at the moment, so you won’t even have to worry about the girls ambushing you at the door,” he chuckled lightly. He wanted desperately to make this better for her, but he knew it wasn’t his place. All Sean could do was be there for when she felt up for talking…if she felt up for talking.

“Brax is.. napping with the babies?” That man was incredibly odd and so far, she was just glad he hadn’t pivoted all his attention to her at once because he was.. lot from the few times she met him. Anyways, it was good to hear that she had time to unwind a bit, something she really needed at the moment. Holding onto Sean’s hand did help ebb a bit off the edge. “Your family is just.. so full of energy.” It wasn’t just the twins, it was Sean, Tomi and the rest of the gang. Everyone had a similar level of energy that Amaryllis couldn’t relate to. She did find a few kindred souls who preferred the quiet, but they were outnumbered. 

[amaryllisflynn]

ivmwc​:

Sean knew better than to try and initiate any form of conversation with Amaryllis right now. Not only would he be walking in blind as to what may or may not be a verbal landmine, but he was sure that her battery was thoroughly drained by the experience -even he had done most of the talking.

So when she began to pull him towards the truck, he just let himself. Getting in and starting the truck to ensure the heater kicked in, he was a bit taken aback by the question, not really having expected she’d want to speak at all. “Uh, about another two hours or so,” he replied, before adding, “It’s perfectly fine if you’re not up for all of that tonight.”

Amaryllis looked out the window once she settled in her seat. “It’s fine.” She answered quietly. “I can attend.” It was a celebration for Sean’s sister and she felt that she should go just to support him at the very least. Would it even matter anyways if she stayed quiet? She was quiet most of their gatherings in the first place - watching the rest of the group be as chaotic as ever. 

“I just want to go wash up before we go.” After a day of work, Amaryllis felt gross and wanted to at least clean up before meeting everyone. 

[amaryllisflynn]

ivmwc​:

pcytonxdcwson​:

“Thyra. Got it.” Peyton was so frazzled with the development of this visit that she was glad that her temporary living situation was somewhat resolved at the very least. On the other hand, she didn’t know how to feel being called a kid.. by another kid. This boy looked just as old as she was. Or maybe he was the same age as her sister? Either way, she wasn’t that much younger. 

“Thanks for um.. helping me. Even though I did just drop a bomb on you. Sorry about that.. again.” Her fingers combed back the bangs tickling her eyes. “It’s really nice to meet you though. I’m glad that you’re like the first person I met in this town. I don’t know what would happen if I ran into some sketchy ass stranger.” She rambled on, “I’ll um.. I think you should go back because it looks like Amaryllis is going to murder me with her eyes.” 

“The universe works in serendipitous ways, especially around this place,” he chuckled, before making a face. “Yeah, we certainly have our fair share of those, so don’t let your guard down just yet. Stick to the hotel, you should be alright though.” Sean made another face and said, “Trust me, if she was up for murder, her eyes would be the least of your worries. Take care though.”

With that, he was jogging back to Amaryllis. With the sun having begun it’s descent, so had the temperature outside, and Sean found himself instinctively slipping out of his letterman jacket so he could wrap it around the girl’s smaller frame. “It’s taken care of,” he reassured her as he rubbed his hands up and down her arms to warm her up. “She won’t bother you anymore.”

Amaryllis watched the girl walk towards the hotel, looking less enthusiastic now that she was being sent away. The sisters exchanged a look as Peyton passed by her - well, it was more so the younger one giving an apologetic look while the older sister kept her stare. When Peyton entered the hotel, Amaryllis could have let out a sigh of relief if she wasn’t so distracted with Sean trying to warm her up. 

Taking his hand, she pulled him towards the truck without another word about what just occurred. “When did you say people were arriving?” She asked once she got into the truck.