"Someone died yesterday. Someone still died yesterday. They died because I was too busy making sure Stiles got home safe and wasn't too afraid of the kanima and made him some tea to go to sleep— some fucking tea!"
"Language."
Violeta stopped pacing back and forth her grandmother's room. She stared at the elderly lady who, herself, was making tea. Violeta swore in French, knowing her grandmother wasn't so well-versed in that language.
"Je connais des mots en français aussi." Abuela said in accented French, giving Violeta a pointed look. Violeta stopped and huffed, watching her grandmother as she poured tea into another cup... then poured that back into the teapot and repeated that process one more.
"What are you doing?" She asked.
"Easing your mind." Abuela replied. "Mi amor, you cannot save everyone. You identify what creature is... who it is. You achieve something."
"He killed an innocent human being."
"If you have done your research on kanimas, you know that is not always true." Abuela said. "Come, give me your hand." Violeta sighed and came to sit down next to the old lady. She held out her right hand and abuela opened the tea pot lid and held Violeta's hand above the opening, letting it bask in the steam of the tea pot. Violeta watched intently, not expecting this.
She had thought abuela would just hold her hand as they both drank some tea to 'ease her mind.' Instead, she moved Violeta's sleeve up so that her arm too would feel the steam. Then, she laid her arm down on the table and laid some fresh tea leaves on the inside of forearm. On top of this, she poured the tea over her granddaughter's arm.
It burned and Violeta loud a small hiss... but kept it there, trusting whatever tradition her grandma was keeping or spell she was performing right now. There had been many instances like this where abuela had just done something without explaining why but it turned out to be another life lesson or some skill that Violeta needed to pick up.
So Violeta had faith in whatever her grandma was doing.
Once all the tea was poured out, her grandma removed the tea leaves for Violeta to see a word written on her arm. She stared in disbelief then looked at her grandma.
"What does it mean?"
"I don't know." Her grandma said. "Google it."
"What? Are you serious?"
"If you don't know how will I know." She said as she bobbed Violeta's nose. The teenager's face smoothed into one of annoyance at that. With a huff, she pulled out her phone with her left arm and typed the word into Google.
Abuela Maria stood up and went to sit beside the window, staring at the world outside. From where she had been sitting previously with the teapots, her granddaughter read out from her telephone. "It's Polish... The first part means sword and the second means glory or famous." She read out. "It's actually a name. A name?" She looked up from her grandma. "This is a name? Of what?"
"A person?" Her grandma said with a smile.
"What kind of person nowadays has this kinda name?" Then Violeta realised something. "Wait if you knew it was a name, why did you tell me to Google it?"
"A joke."
Violeta only sighed. "Am I supposed to know someone by this name or something?" She read it out again, scrunching up her nose. "Are they... important to me?"
"If you know them then they will be important. If you do not know them then you will have nothing to fear." Her grandma answered without even glancing at her. Instead, she had her eyes closed and smiled as the sunlight filtered through the window and shone upon her face. Violeta wanted to be angry but she looked far too peaceful for a tantrum.
"Okay well I need to go to school." She said. It was true. She had to go school and check up on Boyd and Stiles. Plus, she knew that Stiles would've told Scott who would want to speak to her. Plus, Allison had started her hunter-training so there was that she had to keep an eye on. Besides that, Jackson was a kanima and she needed to figure out his master. Oh, and Lydia was something else that needed to be kept under checked.
... and so it begins.
She needed a coffee.
"I want ask something, which you can say no." Her grandmother spoke when she stood up.
"Of course." Violeta said.
"Take today off school... stay with me."
Violeta paused at the door way and nodded, coming to sit back down. Her grandma had always told her to go to school, saying high school was important. She never liked the idea of her taking time away from an important life-experience that everyone must go through.
Violeta came and sat by her grandma, hating that she understood why her grandma was asking this from her.
-
"I'm so sorry about the other day. I'm trying. We'll get through this. I know because I love you. I love you more than— oh my god, you and Allison just need to find a better way to communicate!"
"No! You're the only one we can trust! Is she coming to the game tonight?" Scott asked, begging his best friend.
"Yes," Stiles relented. "Message complete. Now tell me about your boss."
Scott, thinking about what Violeta had pointed out to him, did a quick look around then huddled in closer with Stiles and told him that Deaton thinks that that Argents kept some sort of record of all the things that they've hunted.
"... like a book."
"He probably means a bestiary." Stiles said, slapping his palms together.
"What?"
"A bestiary."
Scott laughed and stared at his friend. "I think you mean bestiality."
"Nope. I'm pretty sure I mean besitary." Stiles said, explaining that it was basically an encyclopaedia of mythical creatures. Scott sighed, wondering how his best friend - a human - knew more about the supernatural than him, a member of the supernatural. Stiles reassured him and told him it was his highest priority as his best friend.
It was then that his mind flashed to Violeta.
She had basically told him that she was happy to hell him everything if he was happy to suffer the consequences of having such knowledge. Unsurprisingly, it put him on edge. It made him nervous. But not just in the bad, fearful way. It was the butterflies of excitement that he, Stiles, had the chance to know everything. And in knowing everything, he would be close to Violeta. He would know everything about her which would mean drastic changes for their relation—friendship. That was all it was. That was all it could be.
If she told him about her, it would be, like, mythical friend-zoning.
For the rest of the day, Stiles was zipping between his best friend and Allison, relaying messages between the two. Never once did he see Violeta. He wanted to call or text but he wasn't sure if that was the best thing. He hadn't seen her since she made him tea and hugged him goodbye, reassuring him that his car would be fixed in no time.
And it wasn't like he could ask anyone in school about her. Yes, he saw some of her crew around but it wasn't like he had enough courage to walk into the gym and ask any of them about her. Who was he, Stiles Stilinski, to ask about Violeta Rodriguez?
In one particular message relay in which Stiles ran to find Scott before lunch finished, he didn't see where he was going. He had been running non-stop for the entire break hour and he was tired. So he didn't see the few guys walking out of the, you guessed it, the gym.
Stiles felt himself about to fall back, the impact of running into the solid mass of some senior. He would've fallen back... and then probably stayed on the floor, laying there in shock and fear of what would happen to him. That's how it would've played out. Because that's how it played out for anyone that happened the get in the way of the guys Stiles had carelessly run into.
Stiles recognised D-Bo and Rico. He had run into the one called D-Bo but stared at both with wide eyes. It was well known amongst the school grounds that Rico had a gun of his own despite being only seventeen and Stiles had seen quite a few of Jackson jock buddies doing deals with D-Bo under the bleachers.
"Oh shit, dog, you aight?" D-Bo asked as he recognised who the scrawny kid who bumped into him was. He shot an arm out to steady to kid who looked hyped up as shit.
"Yeah, I uh, sorry I didn't see where I was, uh going."
"S'aight man." D-Bo said. "Ay, check it out. Rico ain't believe I have one of them Captain America key-rings shit." He then showed Stiles his keys and saw a small Captain America Pop Vinyl keyring attached to a loop of keys.
"Yo, homie it's a fucking doll." Rico said with an eye roll.
"Ay, yo fuck you. Vi got me this shit and Captain America is a fucking boss n shit. A straight cuh if I ever see one." D-Bo said. "You see him run up on dem fuckin' Nazi motherfuckas in that last movie?"
Stiles couldn't believe what he was hearing but broke out of it when he heard the reference. The inner geek couldn't help but ask, "Winter Soldier?" in reference to the latest Captain America movie that D-Bo had seen and enjoyed so much he had a key-ring.
"Yeah, fuckin' straight A shit." D-Bo said. He then did a double take at Stiles and the younger boy gulped, wondering why he was staring at him like that. "You like that shit?"
"Uh, y-yeah." Stiles said.
"See," D-Bo said to Rico as he slung an arm around Stiles' shoulder. "This homie know the good shit unlike yo' dumb ass."
"You that kid Vi's friends with?" Rico said, finally noting just who Stiles was. "The Stilinski kid."
"Uh, y-yeah." Stiles said.
"Man ops be crazy but ya dad aight." D-Bo said. "He chill n shit."
Stiles didn't really know what to say that. Like, it feel cool that his dad was respected and he felt proud of that. But what do you actually say to that? Thankfully, he didn't have to say anything because Rico jumped in.
"My lil sis say you got her Skittles." He said. "Lola." He added the name when Stiles appeared to be drawing up blanks. However, it suddenly dawned on him that the little girl from the ice rink was this guy's little sister.
"Uh, yeah." Stiles repeated and wanted to punch himself for saying the same thing. "She's a really good skater." He managed to get out.
"Thanks man," Rico said, "she won't stop talkin' 'bout you."
"Oh, uh she's a really sweet kid." Stiles offered.
"Ay man," D-Bo said, bringing Stiles closer so as to whisper to him, "Vi ain't — hold up." Stiles blinked and saw that Scott was standing a few metres away from them. He was staring at Stiles with the same shocked, wide eyes Stiles had when he bumped into D-Bo. "You aight man, keep walkin." D-Bo said, a threat to his words and tone. Even Rico 'squared up' a little.
Stiles was quick to defend his friend. "Hey, uh, it's cool. He's my best friend. Scott McCall. Friends with Violeta also."
"Vi ain't mention no Scott." D-Bo said. "Only you."
"Wait, what?" Stiles asked. "Violeta talks about me?" He turned and looked at Scott and gave him a reassuring smile. "Hey Scott I'll catch up with you later."
Scott frowned and heard his friend's faster than normal heart rate... but then again Stiles had been running a lot. Scott had also smelt the nervousness but that could be excused to the fact that Violeta spoke to her crew about Stiles. Because, despite it all, Scott didn't smell nor sense any fear from his friend.
"I'll be at my locker." Was all Scott could say before he walked off, glancing back at his friend once. After Scott had disappeared down the hallway, D-Bo brought an arm back around Stiles' shoulders and brought him closer to huddle in.
"Vi's grandma gettin' real sick. Chicka actually there wit her now. Maria ain't got long left and we all know Vi gon' act up." D-Bo said. "Now, she likes you and says you a friend. If you is, you gon' keep an eye on her." The silent question was there and Stiles nodded, showing both of them that yeah, he will be there for Violeta when the unfortunate tragedy of life occurs.
"Aight man. Imma catch you later." D-Bo said. He held out his hand and Stiles blinked, staring at it for a second too long before he understood what D-Bo meant. Placing his hand in D-Bo's, he did that handshake he'd seen Violeta do countless times to countless other people. He, of course, fumbled and didn't do it quite as... smooth.
D-Bo laughed but said nothing. He looked at Rico who was smirking also. The latter just patted him on the shoulder and said, "I owe you man." Before the two walked off. Stiles looked after them, watching them go. He then let out a shaky breath and righted himself before dashing into a sprint to find Scott.
He found the werewolf by his locker. He landed in a slam against the metal door and nodded, his breath coming out in puffs as he pulled out his inhaler. "I know, I know." Was all he could manage between puffs.
"Looks like people are starting to see how close you are to Violeta." Scott murmured as he watched his friend.
"You're telling me." Stiles panted.
-
"That name is a mark and until you need it, you hide it."
"How will I know when I need it?" Her grandma smiled at her and Violeta tried to not get annoyed with the fact that she knew the answer would be 'you'll know when you know.' Instead, she watched as her grandma brought her two hands down on Violeta's right arm and began kneading it.
She rubbed circles over the letters and Violeta watched the words imprinted on her skin morphed into two straight lines which joined up at one end. Then, she saw a third design come underneath at the opened end. Before she could even have time to think about how her grandma was doing this, the letters had altered themselves to form a sword. It reflected the name, Violeta supposed, and it actually looked very nice.
"How did you do that?"
"What do you know about the powers of tea aside from their healing properties?"
"Not much."
"Then perhaps you have some reading to do."
Violeta merely sighed and went up to get the books.
-
"I know I said no in the past but I think now is a good time to ask Violeta about all of this." Allison said to Stiles as he relayed another message to her, the bell having rung to signal the end of the school day. "Do you know if she'll even be at the game tonight."
"Doubtful." Stiles said. "And I don't think we should ask her."
"Why?"
The conversation he had had with D-Bo and Rico ran through his mind and he shook his head. "She's got other stuff going on."
"More important than catching this thing? Didn't you say it came after both you and her?"
"Yeah but believe me, Vio needs to be where she is right now." Stiles said, clearly getting agitated as even he wished the Latina could be here right now. Ignoring the fact that she apparently had some cool powers that could totally kick this creatures butt and she apparently knew everything about everything, having her around would be able to calm him down.
It was just like that night when having her there, so close, telling him it would be okay... he really did believe her when she said she'd protect him, that nothing she would let nothing happen to him.
Allison was smiling at him.
"What?" He asked, wondering why the hell she had such a smug look on her face.
"I didn't know you were on a nickname basis with her." She teased, bumping his side. "You guys would be so cute."
Stiles' face flushed a bright red and in true Stiles Stilinski fashion, he began awkward spluttering and stuttering nonsensical, blatant lies.