Coruscate || Jasper Hale [ON HOLD]

Enlightening Explanations

"Her ear heard more
than what was said to her,
and her slow speech had overtones
not of thought,
but of understanding
beyond thought."
John Steinbeck
(adapted)

To: Jazz ♥
Got pepper spray and a pocketknife from my dad
Reliable enough for you, hun?
P.S—Going to the Rez today
Gonna figure out more about the shapeshifting
I'll be safe

Elle starts typing more, but she doesn't send it.

Deleting the short sentence, the brunette packs her backpack with a notebook—used not for writing, but random notes—and many pens, granola bars, teas, and a jacket.

"Dad," the youngest Swan calls out as she walks down the stairs, "Could you drop me off at the Rez, please?"

"Sure," Charlie nods in agreement as Elle appears in the entryway, "Why not ask Bella?"

"You mean you didn't hear her leave at the crack of dawn? Or notice that her truck is gone?"

At Elle's rhetorical questions, Charlie's eyebrows furrow and he stands, moving to the window to check the driveway, sighing, "Huh. No, I didn't."

"Lovely work, Chief of Police," Elle teases, "Great observation skills. Impeccable awareness of your surroundings. Perfect detection of change."

Charlie shakes his head in amusement, "Alright, alright. I get it, Ellie. Do you want a lift or not? If you keep on with the sarcasm, you'll be walking, and I'll be driving next to you the whole way."

"Oh, now that's just cruel," Elle giggles.

After a few more minutes of good-humoured teasing, the two Swans are in Charlie's cruiser, on their way to the Quileute Reservation.

On the way, Elle receives a response from Jasper.

From: Jazz ♥
Much better
Thank your dad for me
I know they all care deeply for you, but be careful not to anger any of the shapeshifters
They can lose control, just like my family and I can

To: Jazz ♥
I understand
Thanks for warning me ♥

"Jazz says thanks for giving me the pepper spray and pocketknife," Elle tells her dad, who smirks in amusement.

"So he's the one that convinced you to ask for a form of protection," Charlie realises, "I grow to like this Hale boy more and more each day. I think I'd be quite disappointed if I ever need to shoot him."

"Goodness gracious," the youngest Swan bursts into laughter, hitting the oldest Swan's shoulder lightly, "Dad!"

✯✯✯

"The first shift happens when you're old enough, there's a vampire or more around, and there's an emotional trigger," Elle starts, looking over the group of three, "Right?"

The girl scribbles down information as she goes, determined on understanding shapeshifters.

"I know you guys aren't killers," the Swan states as she meets each of their gazes, "So who—or what—is responsible for the people going missing and being killed?"

At the silence of the group, Elle sighs, "It's a Cold One? A vampire?"

"You catch on quickly," Jared chuckles, "Although I wouldn't expect anything else."
"That means yes," Sam adds with a roll of his eyes, "It is a vampire."

"I'd say it's more than likely one or two vampires," Elle states, "They're keeping a lower profile than the previous vampires, of which there were three."