are you gonna be my girl?

Jake Howell 23 years old werewolf resistance

[charlotte-the-confused]

She found herself outside of Franks'. It wasn't that Charlotte necessarily wanted a drink. She just wanted to get out of the manor (like she so often did) and the idea of being alone with her thoughts was not particularly appealing, and Franks' was one of the few options left in town, and having a tequila sunrise wasn't necessarily unappealing. Except that as she stared at the bar, she remembered the last time she had been there, with Ian and Isaiah and...No, she couldn't. She turned away, colliding straight into someone. "Sorry," she managed to get out. "I didn't see...Sorry." @havensdalestarters

[jakehowells]

Damn. Jake had to stop running into her like this, it was like he was glutton for punishment at this point. A small smile tugged at his lips as she spoke but it quickly faded. Why did she look so lost? Jake's eyes were full of concern and he hated that he couldn't just get them back. His pack, his family. Charlotte, Katie, Taylor... They should be together. John would have been able to do it, he would be able to save them. "You don't have to say you're sorry. See? Not a scratch on me."

[bloodbuzz-ohio]

The O.C. "Premiere" aired 21 years ago today on August 5, 2003 dir. Doug Liman

[jakehowells]

@itsluxmorrison

[weltenwellen]

Jeanette Winterson, Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?

[mayorbetteporter]

[jakehowells]

@faith-hunter-hih

[jakehowells]

If the glint in my eye traced the depths of your sigh Down that passage in time Back to the moment I crashed into you Like so many wrecks do Too impaired by my youth To know what to do

@itsluxmorrison

[jakehowells]

And there was something about you that now I can't remember It's the same damn thing that made my heart surrender And I'll miss you on a train, I'll miss you in the mornin' I never know what to think about I think about you

@itsluxmorrison

[itsluxmorrison]

not that there was much to do in town that held her attention for longer than five minutes, lux found herself in franks' bar in her usual preferred spot at the corner near the window.

she gave both franks a nod when one of them placed a fresh drink down in front of her. staring into the ice, lux ignored the bustle of the bar around her.

@jakehowells

[jakehowells]

jake was looking to shake the rest of this day off and franks' was always the perfect place to do it. neutral, no nonsense, cold beer - what more could you want? he'd been caught up a the door, catching up with old friends, checking in with his team. when he finally managed to head to the bar... there she was.

lux morrison.

jake had learned by now that you can't go back, the past is the past. but he'd be lyin' if he said he never once thought about it. about her. before jake had met alice or joined the football team, or really accepted the pack as his family, there had been lux. jake was angry and bitter, and smoking behind the bleachers. he was like putty in her hands, to be honest. but they were never more than secrets and stolen moments. lux had always wanted to run. in the end, jake had wanted to stay.

he should keep walking, you know? instead, he pulled up beside her and said, "this seat taken?"

[miss-molly-v]

"It wasn't intentional. Fine, it wasn't fully intentional." Molly didn't want to lie to Jack, after all. At the idea of willingly biting a wolf, they couldn't help but make a face. "Oh, no, pass, thank you very much."

[jakehowells]

"No complaints here." Jake would always be goofy, like right down to his core. Puns were awesome, even if they were about vampires. "You're welcome. I see you're takin' to this whole thing alright, already roasting us werewolves without breaking a sweat," he joked. Then, much quieter and far more earnestly, he added, "Right?"

[lost-boy-andrew]

Andrew hadn't seen Jake in a while; the other man had been on his mind lately. But he knew that if he started talking to Jake, it might lead to a fight or even force him to make a decision about his internal conflict. He took a drag from the cigarette, a smirk on his face as he looked at Jake.

"What's one more?" He said simply with a shrug.

[jakehowells]

"You know you could stop, right? You could stop any time." Jake didn't mean smoking but he wasn't about to elaborate. He hesitated then, folding his arms tightly across his chest. He should definitely get out of here. Nothing good could come of this. "Are you planning on loitering 'round here by yourself all day?"

[lost-boy-andrew]

Andrew was avoiding the house; he needed a minute away from all the chaos of everything. Most of it wasn't even the people; it was him, he had been thinking again. Walking around the town, he just wanted a minute, but in Havensdale, he wasn't sure it was possible.

"Can you spare a light? I need to smoke."

[jakehowells]

Jake had to think very long and hard about whether or not he was going to approach Andrew Choi. The sensible, stand-in leader, part of him knew he should keep walking. The reckless, punk kid, part of him wanted to take a swing for old time's sake. He reminded himself solemnly that John wasn't here to bail him out and most of all, his curiosity and soft heart would get the better of him. Andrew was as close to Katie as he was going to get.

So, Jake watched him borrow a light and steeled himself before approaching. "What, you ain't got enough bad habits?"

[miss-molly-v]

"No need to worry. I won't bite." Molly wanted to laugh, couldn't quite bring themselves to do so. "Pinky promise. Had something to drink the other night."

[jakehowells]

"Dang. A vamp pun at this time of day? You're doin' way too much work here, Mol," Jake teased softly. "Ah, don't even worry 'bout it. I hear us wolves are an acquired taste, anyways."

[faith-hunter-hih]

Of course he could get her a treat. It wasn't in his nature to deny her, nor anyone, anything at all it seemed. God, to be this good. Or perhaps he wasn't always like this. That was the point, wasn't it? For her to know as little about him as possible outside of these little meetings. Part of her hoped he was a real asshole up there, but not a single fragment of her could believe that to be even remotely the case. "Surprise me," Faith smiled before prodding at his chest, pushing him towards the door, "and please kindly leave, before Hank or whoever shows up."

[jakehowells]

"Done and done," Jake grinned in response to her prodding his chest. His boots were back on, belt buckled and most of his buttons were done back up. Unfortunately, it was time for him to get on out of here. Jake wouldn't coddle her or tell her to be careful topside (he knew Danny had that covered). Instead, he threw one last telltale wink her way and playfully saluted with two fingers. "Yes, ma'am," he grinned again, holding back a laugh, halfway out the door. "I'll see you next time, darlin'." And with that, he was gone.

[evolution-of-emily]

The calmness of his voice took Emily aback, made her pause for a second (and pausing around wolves was dangerous; give them any space to maneuver, and they would take advantage of it). Wolves were not supposed to be calm, after all. Her years of training had taught her that, and she was not sure how to respond. But her training had also taught her to never let her guard down, and that was exactly what she was going to do.

And there it was. Out of the corner of her eye, Emily could see his claws appear. The calmness was a lie. It was just like she had thought. "Do what? Have me force you out of my way so I can finish what I was doing before you interrupted me?" As she spoke, she shifted her weight a little, in preparation, ignoring the slight twinge in her shoulder that still hadn't faded. "Yeah, I guess we could avoid that if you would just move."

[jakehowells]

Jake watched as she shifted her weight, gearing up for a fight that he had no desire to be a part of. He had to protect Katie, though. Whether that meant from a hunter like Emily Matthews or from herself, he didn't care. Whichever. It's what John would do. Without a second thought, John would throw himself onto the fire for any one of the pack. For their family. "You don't have to do anything, Emily. Just leave them alone before someone gets hurt," he pleaded, even though it was hopeless.

Taking a steadying breath, he held his ground. "I'm not moving. You do what you gotta do."

[faith-hunter-hih]

"It's working as intended, then." Faith lingered in front of him as his kiss perfectly combined his trademark goofiness with sweetness, wondering why she'd ended up in yet another golden boy's arms. She could reason it was simply his warmth she was drawn to, or the dopamine of surrounding herself with him. Really, though, she enjoyed everything that remained unspoken between them, two people broken by the dome, which left them in control of at least one thing. Something uncomplicated - something that they couldn't have with the people that knew them. That loved them. The pair didn't share in each other's burdens. Weren't entwined in each other's misery. She found herself thankful for not knowing him. Not before, and not now. Perhaps not ever. She enjoyed this. She needed this. Faith took a step back to finish dressing herself as Jake did his boots. If they remained in their separate bubbles, they could maybe survive this. "No, but you can bring me a treat next time. I think I'll deserve it after this patrol."

[jakehowells]

Jake chuckled, watching her with undeniable affection and fondness. He liked this, he liked her. And he liked most of all that they weren't each other's great, soul-crushing, loves. They hadn't broken each other's hearts, they hadn't known each other inside and out. They probably never would. Jake liked to make her laugh. He liked to make her... well, not laugh, too. They were each other's mutual distractions, and he wouldn't have it any other way. Jake didn't have to worry about being anyone else but himself in these moments. There was no pressure, no crushing responsibilities. Just her sharp teeth and nails. "A treat, huh? That I can most certainly do," he grinned, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. "Sweet or salty?"

[julian-cordoba]

"Feel free, I have no use for leader-y things." Julian chuckled, nodding his head. "I took care of the dishes last night, don't worry about it, man. " He nodded his head. "Starving, I went on a run before this, and that was a mistake."

[jakehowells]

"Wish it was me," he joked, but there was a hint of truth behind it. No one knew better how much the loss (temporary, he reminded himself - they would find him) of John had affected the pack than them. "Be still my beating heart, I think I'm about to swoon. For that, I'll make sure you get the biggest slice of pizza we've got. C'mon, you sit, and I'll fire up the oven."

[evolution-of-emily]

Full moon nights were usually some of Emily's favorites. Maybe it seemed counter-intuitive, given her utter hatred of werewolves, but the knowledge that she might run into one of them, that she might get into a true tussle, it gave Emily a rush like no other. Yes, she liked going on patrol no matter what, knew how important it was, but full moon nights were special, no doubt about her.

It was frustrating though. Ever since the stupid dome had trapped them all here, not all the wolves were turning regularly. Almost as if they were able to choose. But a monster never would have that level of choice. It took a little longer, but, ah, there it was, some fur tangled on a bush. The hunt was on. Emily decided to keep her bullets to herself for now, to start with bare hands, just for the fun of it. She thought she had seen the actual creature, but before she could really start the chase, something-someone cut in front of her. No, not just someone. Jack fucking Howell. A wolf himself. How dare he. "Get out of my way," she snarled.

[jakehowells]

"I can't do that," Jake replied to her snarl as calmly as he could. Three years ago, it would have been a different story. He would have pounced on the chance to get into a real fight, bloody knuckles and bared teeth, but now... He had to take the diplomatic road, first. He had to be a leader, and he had to keep himself alive. The pack had already lost too much, he couldn't add himself to that list. They needed him too much.

Something told him that Emily Matthews wasn't about to back down without a fight. He didn't really need her to, so long as she was distracted long enough for Katie to be clear. If she could run back to the safety of Montgomery Manor, Jake would make a run for it too. And if Emily was going to chase one of them, better him. Against his better judgement, his claws had started to show, but he kept his hands by his sides. "We don't have to do this."

[jakehowells]

Normally on a full moon, Jake would turn like always. A born werewolf, he'd never known anything else and frankly, he wouldn't want to. These days, he spent less time playing and more time stoically watching over the pack. A poor stand in for their real leader, but it'd have to do. Tonight, there was something in the air. A tension, maybe? Jake had a bad feeling about it, either way. He'd decided to stay on two legs tonight.

The sudden quake that had rippled through the town cemented his decision. He needed to be ready for anything. He needed to do whatever John would do. Keep them safe, all of them. It was after curfew now and all bets were off. Jake should have been with the pack, he should have been with the Resistance. He shouldn't be keeping tabs on her, still. But he couldn't help it. Katie was family. She'd always be family, and he would recognise her anywhere on a full moon. His attention was quickly pulled from her passing fur, though. He moved faster than ever before, coming around her left-hand side. Not the smartest move to make, especially with a hunter as notorious for killing wolves as Emily goddamn Matthews. "Leave her be." @evolution-of-emily