scientia sit potentia

Ivy Gilmore. Twenty-one. Beacon Hills, California. Journalism major at Wittlich University. Best friend to the incomparable Brian Cappelletti and Cami Spencer. Constantly drinking coffee. Endlessly curious and determined.

[ivymgilmore-blog]

bbrian-cappi‌:

That… is terrifying. But also disappointing. Blue loves to catch spiders. All we would need is a giant cat and boom. Problem solved.

Crocottas are shapeshifters too. They look like wolf-dogs or human, depending on their form… oh. And they can shift to look like anyone… Extremely territorial… can mimic voices… I don’t like these things at all. 

It says they originated in Greece and Rome, but I also can’t find anything about how far they’ve traveled. It sounds like they can blend in fairly well, other than they eat humans.

There are werewolves...maybe there are large werecats, too?  Werecougars?

Oh...wow.  None of that sounds like something I want anything to do with.  It sounds like they can blend in exceptionally well.  There could easily be a crocotta here now, if they can really can mimic human voices, or transform themselves to look like anyone.  Does it say anything about how to find out if someone is a crocotta, or how to stop them?

---Wait, hang on, I missed a page here.  Something called an anuk-ite.  It’s another shapeshifter, native to North America, with two faces: one beautiful, and one terrible.  It creates discord and chaos wherever it goes and...oh my God.

They often form symbiotic relationships with djinn.

[ivymgilmore-blog]

bbrian-cappi‌:

Sure. I’ll start with crocotta. It sounds like something delicious…

But it’s probably terrifying.

It does sound like some sort of dessert, doesn’t it?  But I’m pretty sure it’s less sugary confectionery and more horrifying mythical creature.  Alas.

It looks like arachne are exactly what they sound like: giant spiders.  They’re shapeshifters who can take on a humanoid form, but typically still have double irises.  They spin webs to capture their prey, which is horrific.  But it also looks like they’re typically found in Greece.  I think we can safely cross these off of the list for now.  I also think if we start hearing stories about giant spider webs, it will be pretty clear what that is.  Hopefully, we don’t, though.  That sounds absolutely awful.

Anything about crocottas?

[ivymgilmore-blog]

bbrian-cappi‌:

You  make it sound so much easier than it happens in my brain.

What’s the first one on the list?

I do my best.

Alphabetically, arachne, banshees, and crocottas.  I think we can cross banshees off the list, though; I don’t think they cause any harm.  I can start with arachne, and you can start with crocotta?

[ivymgilmore-blog]

bbrian-cappi‌:

Ivy… I’ve known you for forever. And I still have no idea how to start on researching literally anything.

That’s not true, Brian.  You’re great at researching things like shark facts, what the tide will be like when we’re going surfing...you know a lot.  And when you’re interested in the topic, you always find good information.

What we need to do now is find out what this Peter Hale fellow might try to send after us next.  We have a list of supernatural creatures that exist according to Allison, Rory, and Rollin’s family-- which is so much more extensive than I could have possibly imagined-- so now, we can research which of them live in North America, or in this region.  We can also look up news stories for any incidents that sound like they might coincide with their typical behaviors.  Everything that happened in high school was reported in the news, the reports were just missing the supernatural element.  But maybe if we know what we are looking for, we can find something.  What do you say?

[ivymgilmore-blog]

It’s research time.

[ivymgilmore-blog]

coyote-beautiful‌:

Yes.

[Malia squatted down to help Ivy jump onto her back. She hooked her arms behind Ivy’s knees and took off running towards the apartments, jumping over a few fallen trees on the way.  Thankfully, they made it back to the apartment without running into Peter. Malia noticed the witches already outside putting up more protection barriers. She crossed through the entrance and let go of Ivy’s legs so she could jump down.]

You should come up to our apartment. We can keep you safe there.

Everyone is probably going to go up there to meet anyway. 

Okay...Malia...

Thank you.

[ivymgilmore-blog]

coyote-beautiful‌:

[Malia led the way to the door quickly and looked outside. She sniffed the air, but no strange scents were around… at least yet. She led the way outside and was about to start to run, but stopped before she began. Ivy wouldn’t be able to keep up with her.]

Get on my back. 

We’ll move faster if I just carry you.

Are you sure?  I... [Ivy took a deep breath and nodded.  Something told her this was no time to overthink. ]  Okay.  [She climbed onto Malia’s back piggyback-style.]  Thank you.

[ivymgilmore-blog]

coyote-beautiful‌:

Oh… thank you.

[Malia looked at her buzzing phone and read the message. She froze on the spot. The pieces came back together. She was in Peter’s old house… and he is back in town after breaking into the vault… FUCK.]

Peter’s my biologic father. We need to run.

You’re welcome.

[Ivy’s eyes widened as Malia’s eyes turned blue; she was already panicked by the time Malia spoke.]

---Oh my God.  L-let’s run.

[ivymgilmore-blog]

coyote-beautiful‌:

That’s okay. it’s only Sunday. And you just found out. It isn’t easy for anyone to get used to this.

It seems like it was. I hope it will be again one day.

Thank you, Malia.  You’re really nice on top of being brave and amazing.

I hope it will, too.

[Ivy’s phone vibrated, and she took it out of her pocket to look at the incoming message in confusion.]  Who is Peter, what is Derek’s family vault, and should I be panicked right now?

[ivymgilmore-blog]

coyote-beautiful‌:

Well… yea. But she can’t hurt us any more.

Happy things. They would cook big family meals together and stuff. They had a lot of fun together. This was a happy place.

That’s good.  I’m really glad she can’t.  I’m still just...I’m really sorry.  You-- all of you-- you’ve been through a lot.  Here I am, struggling to get through everything that happened with the djinn, and that’s just a Monday for you guys.

Wow.  I bet so many people could fit in here.  It must have been really amazing then.

[ivymgilmore-blog]

coyote-beautiful‌:

She came back to take me, Allison, and Rory. We didn’t want to and then we had to kill her.

It’s okay. I’ve been here a lot. I sometimes wonder what it was like when everyone lived here. Derek tells me stories sometimes.

Come on. I’ll show you the living room.

Oh my God.  That’s...that’s horrible.

I’m sorry you had to go through all of that; that all of you had to go through things like that.  I’m sorry that you’ve had to do things like this for so long, with no one else knowing the truth.

What kind of stories does he tell you?  ...Wow...this place...it must have been incredible. 

[ivymgilmore-blog]

coyote-beautiful‌:

It’s okay. She’s dead now.

Do you want to look inside?

What happened?  If it’s okay if I ask.  And only if it’s okay with you...I don’t want to intrude anymore than I already have.

Have you been here a lot before?

[ivymgilmore-blog]

coyote-beautiful‌:

Yes… My biologic father lived here…

And my biologic mother burned it down.

That’s horrible.  I’m so sorry, Malia.

[ivymgilmore-blog]

coyote-beautiful‌:

Why are you sorry?

I just ask because nobody usually comes out here. Its… sad. You’re not lost?

I didn’t mean to trespass or anything.  This...this was your families house, wasn’t it?

I’m not...at least, I don’t think I am.  Town is back that way, right?

[ivymgilmore-blog]

coyote-beautiful‌:

Are you lost?

I’m sorry, I was taking a walk and I...I’ve never seen this place before.

[ivymgilmore-blog]

[ivymgilmore-blog]

Surfs Up || Brian & Ivy

[ivymgilmore-blog]

bbrian-cappi‌:

“Guess we can’t let them have all the fun.” He smirked. Brian paddled back towards shore, managing to catch a small wave he rode part way in on one knee. 

Looking back, the ocean had calmed with most of the waves small and breaking closer to shore. He was thrilled he and Ivy were at least able to catch a few waves before the ocean settled.  Once near shore, Brian hopped off the board and hoisted it under an arm before walking back with Ivy to camp. 

“Something like that,” Ivy smiled, paddling back to shore along with Brian and rising up against a small wave, but not doing much else besides letting herself coast as Brian rose up on one knee.

She felt so content and happy here at the beach with Brian and the rest of her friends.  She gazed back over the water, glad to have a night of fun ahead, and a new day of surfing tomorrow, too.  She fell into step with Brian as they walked back to camp.