Got any Remus interactions?
“Of course you can have a slumber party, Moon Pie.” Winnie said, stirring the bubbling, smoking cauldron as Sibella chopped the necessary ingredients listed in the latest issue of Better Tombs and Gardens.
“What a fang-tastic idea! You’re older sisters used to have slumber parties with their friends all the time.” Sibella smiled.
Remus clearly wasn’t expecting this response when he asked his moms this. “First, it’s not a slumber party. It’s a sleepover with a few guys from the volleyball team. Second, I need you guys to tell me no. Don’t you want to spend a quiet evening at home?”
“This is more important, your first party.”
“And we’ll finally get to meet those new teammates you’ve been howling about. Plus, it’ll be nice to have some new blood in the house.”
“You’re right about that. Why don’t you have friends over more often?
“Because, like most teenagers, I’m very self-conscious about my family embarrassing me!” Remus shouted, pointing at the massive bubbling cauldron, the wide array of spooky ingredients like newt eyes and lizard tails on the counter, and the floral aprons his moms were wearing. “I don’t want to scare off my teammates with all this spooky weirdness.”
“Hey, we’re spooky monsters, but we’re people too. And if you're that worried, we’ll make sure to tone down the spooky stuff that happens during your sleep over.” Sibella said, pouring an ingredient into the cauldron producing a large puff of smoke. “Mmmmm, smelling deliciously rotten already.”
“Sure does, babe. Come on, think about it, son. All your friends are having fun.”
Remus sighed. “Actually, I think it would be fun to have some people over. You know, be normal for once.”
“And if all goes well you might just go from normal to toast of the town.” Sibella taste tested the brew. “Needs more wormweed.”
“And if anything goes wrong I could always move to another town.” Remus mumbled, already feeling that this sleep over is going to be a disaster.
——
“Oh my god!” Newton yelped, looking concerned at Remus who suddenly flopped onto the lunch table right in the middle of peeling his orange. He looked around, wondering if he should get help but the others were weirdly calm. “Um, is he okay?”
Ichiro paused his bite to his sandwich, looking unphased. “Oh, he fell asleep again, didn’t he? Don’t worry about it. This happens all the time.”
“I-it does?”
“Yep.” Mark added. “No need to be so concerned.”
“Is he sleepy because he’s part vampire?” Newt asked.
Ichiro looked at him confused. “What? No. Remus just has anemia and has to eat something around this time…Speaking of–” He shook the werewolf boy by the shoulder. “Moony, get up. You need to eat your orange to get your energy up.”
Remus stirred, groggily getting up. “Wha–? What’s happening–? Practice time already, Ichi?”
“Nope, still in lunch period. You need to eat your orange.” Ichiro explained.
“You also might want to drink some more soda too.” Mark added. “You already nodded off during math class too.”
“Aw, okay.” Remus said, coming back to his senses. He brought the blood orange up to his mouth and sunk his fangs into it. Soon the orange started to shrivel up and dry as Remus sucked all the liquid out of it. He clicked his tongue. “Awww, that’s much better. Now what were we talking about again?”
“Scary thing is, even though he dozes off in class a lot he’s on the honor roll.” Mark whispered to Newton.
“Hey! I heard that!”
——
Mark sighed in content. He ran a hand through his damp hair. “Gotta say, it’s not too bad doing laps in the rain, kinda refreshing.”
“Speak for yourself!” Remus shouted from behind him. His fur was soaking wet and he was dripping water all over the gym.
“You’re cleaning the gym floor after you dry off, Moony.” Ichiro said.
Remus growled. “Oh c’mon! It’s not like I made it rain or chose to be covered in fucking fur!”
——
“Look, Newt, you've got to treat a volleyball like you treat a woman—” Remus said, but stopped as the Stacies all gave the werewolf boy a hard look.
“What was that you were saying, Remus?”
“C’mon, Remus. Aren’t you like going to finish?”
“Yeah, we’re really interested in what you have to say.”
“Totally, go on, Remus. Say it.”
Remus paused. “No, no, no. I’ve dealt with my sisters enough times to know that look. I ain’t saying anything and you can’t make me.”
——
“Hah! That’s another point for me!” Remus shouted, smirking. “Suck it, guitar boy!”
“Fuck you, you oversized throw rug! That shot was clearly mine!” Beat spat back with a scowl.
“What the hell did you just call me?!” Remus snarled as he and Beat glared at one another. “You wanna say that to my face?!”
“I would but I don’t feel like bending down that low.” Beat said, knowing exactly what to say to get under his upperclassman’s skin.
One of Remus’s eyes twitched at the jab before letting out a loud growl. “That’s it! I don’t fucking care if you’re the next captain or some shit, I’m kicking your rocker wannabe ass!”
“Bring it, you Teen Wolf reject!” Beat said, gesturing to the senior to come at him.
——
“Do a fang-tastic job, Moony!
“You got this, little bro!”
“Awooooo, show em’ what I taught ya kid!”
Rico looked at the Townsville stands and wolf whistled. “Woah, who are those purple bonitas?”
Remus twitched and clutched his water bottle tightly. “Those are my older sisters, asshole…”
Rico smirked, still eyeing his sisters. “Are any of them single?”
“…You are so going down, you punk ass.”
——
Mark and Ichiro gawked as they took in Remus’s house. It looked exactly like a haunted house.
“Wow, your family starts decorating for Halloween early.” Mark whistled, looking at a giant cobweb near the door. These decorations were next level.
“These aren’t decorations. This is how it always is. My parents like the spooky monster lifestyle. Oh and be careful of any of the plants you see. Some of Morticia’s plants might try to eat you.” Remus explained.
“What?!”
——
“Reeemmmmuuuuussssss!!!” Rowena howled as she barged into her older brother’s room. She dragged her struggling little sisters in with her.
Remus groaned. “What is it this time?”
“Badriyah and Bellatrix stole my shoes and jacket—”
“No we didn’t!” The two younger girls said in unison.
“Then why did I find them in your room?!” Rowena growled.
Badriyah and Bellatrix’s eyes widened before hissing at their older sister. “Why were you in our room?!”
“Because I know you twerps always take my stuff without asking!” Rowena shouted, holding up the stolen shoes and jacket.
“So! You don’t even wear those shoes anymore! You said they were too small!” Badriyah screamed, making a grab for the shoes.
“Yeah! And you said that jacket was ugly and that you were going to donate it!” Bellatrix added, making a jump for the jacket.
“That still doesn’t mean you can come into my room and take stuff, you little twerps?!” Rowena shouted. Then she turned her eyes to her older brother. “Remus?! Tell them to apologize for taking my stuff?!”
“No?! Rowena should say sorry for going into our room?!”
“Yeah!”
Remus looked between his three sisters. Honestly he hated having to be the decider for their arguments. Things always got messy and no matter what side he picked someone was always mad at him.
Remus opened his mouth, looking like he was about to say something only for a puff of smoke to go off and a dark purple bat to come out. Knowing he’d have to move quickly, Remus, in his bat form, flew out the open window.
“Hey! Get back here!”
“You haven’t picked yet!”
“This isn’t over!”
After dealing with seven older sisters, Remus learned that the best thing to do with a sister fight is to let it run its course and not get involved. He’ll kill time at the arcade till things blow over.
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The study was significant, not only because it showed that the conditions keeping worms alive also kept a lot of other things alive, but also because it clearly showed the vector—the mechanism that moves organisms from one place to another. For most invasive species, vectors can be exceedingly difficult to pinpoint. For instance, container ships moving from busy port to busy port discharge billions of tonnes of ballast water, dispersing countless organisms multiple times at multiple locations over prolonged periods. The bait trade is comparatively small, and the vector more precise—a relatively straight line from source (bloodworm harvesters and dealers) to recipients (bait shops and anglers), and potentially into the ocean if wormweed is disposed of in the sea.
The simple act of surviving, however, doesn’t necessarily mean an organism will result in a problem. As Fowler saw it, the fate of many hitchhikers in the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem, near the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, remained unknown. But three problem species almost certainly were introduced on both coasts by the bait trade: wormweed itself, which has the potential to spread and has taken hold in parts of the Chesapeake Bay and also in San Francisco Bay; snails commonly known as periwinkles that have physically altered habitat, reduced biodiversity in the intertidal zones, and displaced other animals; and the notorious green crab, an invasive species originally from the Baltic and northeast Atlantic that has damaged fisheries, decimated juvenile shellfish populations, and destroyed eelgrass beds, marsh grasses, and other habitats globally. Multiple federal, state, and local officials now monitor these aquatic invasives and attempt to control their populations.
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