— THE WOUNDED WOLF

Vanessa smiled at his grin, she did enjoy the enhanced sense of smell, sometimes. “You’re right, she doesn’t really give the wolf vibe, does she?” Looking at the flyer again, “who on the list do you think is a werewolf? One of my guesses would have to be Post Malone.”

Ryan shook his head in agreement. “Post Malone?” he echoed, thinking. “With all those tattoo’s? I dunno. I’d kinda dig if Ed Sheeran was one. Or like. The Chainsmokers. Though I don’t think I’m very good at guessin’ species and all that.”

“It’s fucking amazing that she is.” the woman replied, “Ally has been blasting her music for weeks, I’ll totally don’t mean to brag but I will, I know every lyric… I’m just saying.”

“Every lyric?” Ryan stressed, impressed. “Dunno if I know many, but I dig the hell outta the beats. Gotta keep up a bit with modern music or else people’ll start callin’ me old.” 

“Honestly, it’s the best damn news I’ve had ever. I knew that woman was magical.” she replied with an amused grin, “I knew I was crushing on her big time for a reason.” she sighed wistfully, grinning at the thought of the woman. 

Ryan lifts an eyebrow. “You think she’s castin’ a spell when she plays or somethin’? ‘Cause that’d be wild. Though I guess that would depend on if she were a witch or not. She feels like one.”

“You sure about that? Because me and the obstacle course? We’re like this.” She crossed her fingers to show just how tight they were. Even if she’d probably barely lost more times on it than she’d won. At least with Ryan, it really was just the build up and the actual game that mattered. The outcome was just a bonus for whoever won. At his suggestion, she nodded thoughtfully, her interest piqued. “A classic Ryan Carroll dinner for a week. That’s hard to pass up,” she admitted. And her chocolate chip cookies were easy to make. As if there was ever any thought in it to begin with, she finally stuck her hand out. “Alright. You’re on. And I absolutely look forward to those dinners.” She gave him the most intimidating game face she could muster. “They’re amazing.”

“We’ll see how close you two are,” Ryan counters, eyeing her suspiciously. For a moment he watches her, listening, mulling over her words, because he becomes mockingly hesitant. “Tryin’ to butter me up won’t make me go easy on you,” he said after a long moment, crossing his arms over his chest. “I see what you’re tryin’ to do. It’s not gonna work. I’m immune to flattery.” He moves forward slightly with the line, until they’re the next to up to start the journey through the obstetrical course. “You ready to lose?”

“I think they’re a mix too. Kevin is definitely a vampire, though. Or maybe I’m thinking of Brian…” He paused. “Okay, I know which one is Nick Carter but after that I get lost, honestly. It would be nice if they were all different, I agree. Especially since they’ve been getting along for, what, twenty years or something like that.”

Ryan laughed. “Dunno which one of ‘em you’re talkin’ about, but I trust your judgement.” A grin spreads across his lips. “I know who that one is, but the others?” He shook his head with another laugh. “Somethin’ like that? Dunno the particulars, but they were a 90′s group, yeah?”

“You’re not surprised?” Maya asked, eyes widening. She was downright shocked that Lizzo was a supernatural. The way she moves and plays the flute on stage…she had to be something. “Though I have to agree, the list is getting longer than ever-sometimes I wish it was shorter so I can just enjoy myself and not have to see nearly everyone this year.”

“Always seemed like there was somethin’ extraordinary about her.” Ryan admitted with a lopsided smile. “That’s a fair point, though. M’not gonna be able to listen to all of ‘em. Gotta eat and drink at some point.” The smile grew even more crooked across his lips --- he enjoyed the hell outta monster jam. Good music and food. A nice atmosphere to share with Allison. Hollow Grove knew how to throw a good party.

Arthur smiled slightly. “No, I’ve never really been shocked to discover any artist on this list,” he said. “Though I always wondered how many people who swore they saw Elvis after his ‘death’ actually saw him, and how many were either lying or just delusional.”

“Well, since he’s actually a supernatural I bet a bunch of them were tellin’ the truth, yeah?” he prompted curiously. “If I was a dude like him, runnin’ in the circles that he did, m’sure he was always lookin’ for a party.”

“It’s okay,” she said, quickly smiling to show him that it truly was. “I’m just a little jumpy, if we’re being honest.” Kinsley took one last glance as the flyer before turning to the other. “I mean, not necessarily telling people who they are, but they’re not living in the shadows anymore. It’s not like people are going to call you a liar if you say you’re human.”

“Don’t blame you there,” he admitted with a soft chuckle. Not that Hollow Grove wasn’t safe, just that the life of a supernatural --- he’d come to learn --- was wrought with danger. “That’s fair, I guess. At least here there’s always the assumption that you aren’t human.”

“Same, but I wonder what she is. Vampire? Werewolf? Witch?” Elena began. “I will admit… There is someone on this list that I might have turned into a werewolf myself,” she admitted, somewhere smug about the fact. “Can you guess who?”

“My money’s on witch,” Ryan nodded, as if he were sure. The young wolf lifted an eyebrow next, fixing the other with an amused grin. “Oh yeah? I... ” hazel eyes shift back to the list. “I don’t know why but I want to say Cher? Or maybe Calvin Harris.” Truth be told he had no idea.

Mina looked at the flyer and got exited -- Lizzo she just started listening to and loved already, she didn’t give a flying Houdini about Post Malone, but when she saw the Backstreet Boys, she was having a very hard time controlling the smile on her face. “Yeah it is, but honestly they could just left Post Malone where he is.” she said with a tiny bit of a scowl on her face.

Ryan’s eyes returned to the list, scanning, until he found the name Mina had shows very little interest in. “Dunno who that is,” he admitted with a chuckle. “My musical taste comprises of the radio and that’s about it. Though I do know who the Backstreet Boys are. Makes me feel old just thinkin’ about when they were popular.”

Vanessa was looking forward to the Monster Bash, she loved concerts and the line up looked amazing. “I’m surprised she’s a supernatural. I wonder what she is.” Being a relatively fresh werewolf, Nessa wasn’t used to the amount of supernaturals there actually were. She had just gotten accustomed to the town of supernaturals, adding to that list always threw her. 

“Based on her vibe,” Ryan started, as if he were really sorting through all the information within his own head. “I’d put money on either a witch or a vampire. But I say witch more than anything. Dunno why, she just feels like one. Now if I could get close enough, I’d be able to tell what she was.” He tapped his nose with a grin.

This was it. The inflatable obstacle course. She’d been less than victorious last year - not that she’d minded, honestly - but this year, there were bragging rights on the line. Luna stretched, eyes playfully narrowed on Ryan as she sized up her familiar foe. He was good, she’d give him that. Their board game rivalry was one for the books, and usually, it was anyone’s game. Today was no different. The sky was blue, the breeze was cool, and the promise of defeat hung in the air. His defeat, hopefully. “Beautiful day to get your butt whooped,” she put out there casually, eyeing him with a barely hidden smile. “Wouldn’t you say?” @ryan-carrcll

Ryan let out a bark of laughter at the challenge, lifting an eyebrow. “My butt whooped?” he echoed, as if utterly shocked by her words --- he’s not. The trash talking was almost as predictable as Elvis being one of the performers at Monster Jam. “I think you’re being a bit optimistic there, my friend. Pretty sure it’s a beautiful day for everyone to watch me win.” Truth be told, he didn’t really care about winning. That’s not to say he wasn’t going to try his absolute hardest to, just that when it’s all said and done with, he’ll be laughing either way. “Wanna up the wager a bit? You win, I cook you dinner for a week. I win, you give me some of those awesome chocolate chip cookies you make.”

Ezra smiled and shook his head. “The fact that Elvis is a supernatural still blows my mind,” he said. “Rihanna isn’t a surprise to me either. Although I really wanna know what the Backstreet Boys’ deal is. Are they all, like, one species? Or are they all different?”

“Right?” Ryan supplied, still looking shocked. “Are there like.... I bet they’re a mix, you know? Unless they’re all like. Vampires or somethin’. It’d be pretty cool if they were all different, though. Kinda prove that we can all get along.”

“Fire lilies chrysanthemums and tulips,” she echoed the names of the suggestions in a bid to memorise them.  “And fillers?”  Kitsi looked up at him when he turned to her, wondering for a moment what his grin entailed.  “Oh?  Congratulations on the eternal entrapment.” 

Ryan’s head tilted to the side. “M’not... that good at filler stuff. I only ever paid attention to the flowers,” he admitted truthfully, looking somewhat embarrassed. The young wolf grins wide next, the simple thought of being with Allison for the rest of his life sends a surge of excitement through his gut. “Thank you,” he inclines his head in gratitude. “M’pretty stoked about it, to be honest.”

Tessa had been beyond excited to see Lizzo on the lineup, simply bubbling with excitement to see one of her favorite performers. “I shouldn’t have been as surprised as I was. I mean, Juice is just pure magic.” She’d already texted both Lily and Chloe with the good news. “But I don’t know. It always slips my mind that people could be supernatural, you know?”

Ryan nods. He forgets most of the time that he hadn’t been born a supernatural. That he’d had a life previously --- though he’s sure he’s blocked most of that from recollection as a form of self preservation. “It makes sense,” he grins. “When you really think about it. Though it kinda... it’s weird. If someone’s good at somethin’ we think they’ve gotta be different. Like... they can’t just be a regular old human and be extraordinary.”