to the ones appointed to see this through

[triskeles]

Who: Derek Hale and misc/open
Where: Around Wonderland
When: Dec 15-24
Rating: PG to R (warnings will be noted)
Summary: A catchall post for Derek's activity throughout the event. Merry Ewaymas!
The Story:

December 15-16:

Derek is going to be spending most of his time with Stiles for the first two days of the event, but Isaac and Tom's post goes up the second day and leads to him seeking his other, previously missing packmate out. Especially after Allison comes to him, tells him what's happened with her and Isaac.

December 17:

Stiles has been anchored to the point that he's consistently lucid, and all of Derek's attempts to get him to tell him what's happened fall short in the end. He seeks out people that Stiles has told him were heavily involved in everything in the future, and thus can be found pretty much everywhere up until it gets closer to nightfall. At this point, he's going to disappear until the sun comes up. Only a few people are going to know why this is. (Hint: it involves the full moon.)

December 18:

After he's recovered from last night (Remus essentially using him as a chew toy for a while), Derek is going to get in contact with a lot of people (largely present day folks that the future people tell him are involved in things, but others as well) and can be found once again scouring the mansion and its grounds. He'll be on edge, keyed up but willing to listen to anyone that approaches him.

December 19-20:

Spent much like the 17th and 18th, but it's mostly because Derek's trying to keep occupied and out of his room. (There's a ghost in there that's just helping to break his heart even more.) He's a little less open to people he's not looking for, but he's not snapped yet. By the end of the 20th, he's finally going to stop running around like a man on a mission and crash.

December 21-24:

Spent mostly with the pack, but he can be weaseled away from them (only on the 21-23, you will not get him away from Stiles on the 24th no matter how hard you try).

Comments

12/17 (middle of the night)

[freewill]

[While many may have forgotten, distracted by their future visitors and the phantom images that are scattered all over the mansion, it hasn't slipped Castiel's mind that it's the full moon.

This is something he's been focused on lately, between discussing strategies with Dean at Thanksgiving and also questioning a few of the werewolves at that time. While he's been assured that they have it under control and everything is safe, he isn't willing to take anyone's word on that. Not until he sees for himself.

In the dead of night, Castiel makes his way over to the woods, starting at the entrance. He winds his way down both well-used paths and over more uncertain ground, all of his senses tuned in for something out of the ordinary. There must be at least a few wolves racing around out here, and he intends on finding them.]

aw yiss muthafuckin cr development

[triskeles]

[ There isn't much racing going on in one particular neck of the woods, truth be told.

Derek is exhausted, but he's wide awake and plans on spending the rest of the night until dawn that way. Seated at the base of a tree in the Wonderland chill, heat rising off him ever so slightly from heated blood, he has all of his senses trained on the surrounding area. If the full moon wasn't shining down through the trees, his eyes would be a dead giveaway of his location in the dark, a brilliant and bloody red that glows faintly as he simply... sits and watches.

His breathing is a little haggard, and his heartbeat is in his ears, but overall he seems unbothered by the fact that he's been torn into with fang and claw. The pain is keeping him from shifting, but it's not what's keeping him human. He can't exactly say that it's his anger that keeps him anchored, though, and that bothers him as he listens for Remus. Makes sure he's not going anywhere.

But as he listens for the other werewolf, mind feral and angry, he catches a familiar scent, senses dimly a familiar power. He's quiet as it gets stronger, comes closer, but he cants his head a little to the side. The wolf beyond him is exhausted enough that he doesn't feel hesitation in him to ask the now-quiet night air: ] Castiel?

[freewill]

[As soon as Castiel catches hold of a werewolf's signature, he's intent on tracking it, almost like someone following a trail of bread crumbs through the woods. While he isn't able to identify who it is from what he's sensing, that doesn't matter.

The strange thing is that the werewolf isn't moving away from him. It's staying still. Castiel's always known werewolves to run themselves ragged with their need to devour hearts.

He hears Derek before he sees him, stopping in place and then taking a moment to orient himself. Of course, werewolves have extremely good hearing. Castiel follows the voice until he finds Derek seated by a tree, torn up and bleeding, but surprisingly calm.

No one else seems to be around.

Castiel draws closer, looking Derek up and down. He pauses with about five feet left between them.] Why haven't you shifted?

[triskeles]

[ Shifting where he's seated with the slightest grimace to right himself a little more, Derek presses his hand to his ribs and makes sure that he hasn't disturbed the healing process there. He doesn't feel particularly threatened, given the fact that the angel just seems to be vaguely confused and isn't trying to smite him or anything.

Head tipping back, he blinks with bright red up at him where he's standing, lucid and aware and almost human, if it weren't for the color of his eyes. A soft snort leaves him at the question, and he considers the proper phrasing for the explanation. ]

You missed that part, actually. [ Well, he wasn't going to take a fully shifted, feral werewolf on without meeting him halfway. ] But it's a split between being in enough pain that it negates my shift, and being a born-wolf. We have better control of ourselves than bitten do, and I can go through the full moon without a shift.

[ He continues to look at him, almost expectantly. There's bound to be more questions, and all Castiel has done so far is save members of his pack, wolf and human alike. He can give answers. ]

[freewill]

[Even though Derek's outright admitted that he's in pain, and even though that's obvious enough from the wounds scattered over his body, Castiel doesn't make any effort to heal him. If he's well enough to sit there and carry on a conversation, then he should be fine to heal on his own. In a way, Castiel imagines it would be a disrespect to help him without being specifically asked.

Besides, if that pain is keeping him in control, then Castiel shouldn't take that away.

A born-wolf, he calls it. That must be the same or similar to a pureblood wolf, and it's why Derek feels different from all the other wolves that Castiel's come across here.]

Then how do the bitten control themselves? [He scans over all of Derek's injuries again. From the looks of it, they don't control themselves.]

[triskeles]

In Remus' case, he requires a potion that he can't currently concoct to keep himself under control. Hence my being out here. [ Hardly bothered by the fact that they're carrying on conversation while he's healing-- it's not the first time this has happened to him, anyways-- Derek draws his hand away from his side and regards his fingers. There's nothing black, so his body is mending perfectly fine on its own. Given that Remus isn't an alpha, despite his differences, he'll be healed up before sunrise without any problems. ]

In my case, and my pack's, wolves have an anchor that tethers them to their humanity. Memories, emotions, people, doesn't matter what it is. If you have something to focus on during the full moon and moments of duress, it'll keep you from shifting or succumbing to the instincts and impulses that can push you into becoming feral.

[ The red eases from his eyes, returning to something that almost looks colorless after the bloody contrast. ] Stronger the anchor, stronger the control.

[freewill]

[A potion? It's not something that Castiel's heard of, but that's the way it happens when there are so many different worlds that he's contending with here. From the sound of it, Derek is the sole thing keeping Remus from attacking others. It seems like a shaky plan, and yet it's gotten the job done so far.

All of these werewolves must know that the moment one of them slips, it's going to lead to a world of trouble. Castiel doubts he needs to remind Derek of that. He's already putting himself on the line to see that it doesn't happen.

An anchor, though. If only something that simple would work for the werewolves from his world, but in most cases they turn out to be lost causes.]

And you've taught all of your pack how to do this? [Derek comes off as responsible, but Castiel has to be certain.]

[triskeles]

[ Honestly, he's not going to pretend he understands Remus' breed of wolf. But after reading the series, after following the Marauders through Rowling's writing, it's enough that he knows better than to try and lump him in with the pack like that. They're completely different, and there's not much he can do about it except keep him occupied and away from people.

Cocking his head as he looks up at the angel, Derek considers his question. Everyone has their anchors, steadfast and solid. There are circumstances that would lead to them being knocked loose, with or without Wonderland's influence. He knows that better than anyone.

But at the same time, he's started to trust his pack since they showed up here. Hopefully they can face whatever is thrown their way. ]

Yes. Wonderland's tricks aside, they have full awareness and control of themselves.

[freewill]

[Not much can be accounted for when it comes to Wonderland, which is part of the reason that they have to be so careful. This place can take everything they know and turn it on its head, which means that they can never truly let their guard down.

Derek seems to understand that, at least, but Castiel still has to wonder if some day an event will come along that will make it impossible for the werewolves to maintain the amount of control they need.

They'll handle that if and when it happens.]

But Remus is another kind of wolf, correct? You've contained him? [There's no sign of the other werewolf now, but if Derek is here and not in a panic, then Castiel has to assume it's been handled.]