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mythicamagic · 4 years ago

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In the Company of Wolves: Inukog oneshot

Summary: Every place feels like a temporary home for a Hanyou. Kouga offers Inuyasha a welcome respite within his wolf pack. Inukog oneshot

Written for @gaykagome, who has been a lovely, encouraging commenter and fandom friend ^^ thank you for your support bud.

Rated T

7,000 words (you can also read this on ao3 via the same username)

In the Company of Wolves

Leaping through sprawling trees, thick white hair flew out behind a red figure. Inuyasha landed on a sturdy branch, legs bent, muscles coiling and springing free as he leapt forth again. He smirked, a fang hooking over his bottom lip.

"Nice try, but you ain't got a hope in hell."

The deer fleeing for its life beneath the branches had skittered to the left, racing through dense undergrowth. Perhaps it hoped to lose him, or maybe it was running scared. Either way, this would be over quick.

Stepping from branch to branch, long fingers flexed, claws catching on sunlight. Pushing off from a tree trunk, Inuyasha sprang down with every intent of landing atop his prey.

He fell within range, closing in- only for his foot to collide with a mass of thick black fur.

Inuyasha's eyes flew wide, crashing into the beast and hitting the floor in a tumble of limbs. The deer merrily pranced away out of sight.

Snarling and lifting his head, Inuyasha cradled his throbbing skull. "Damn it, what the-!"

A large bear-sized wolf staggered to its feet, rumbling a noise of complaint. Two cobalt blue eyes glared at him.

Inuyasha stopped, "Kouga?" he rose a bushy brow.

There was no mistaking that smell. He'd never seen the mangy wolf's true form before though. In all honesty, it was kind of surreal. Hell, the guy even looked a bit more dignified.

Kouga tilted his head, standing. As he shook himself, yellow, static powder fell from his fur like gold dust, swirling into a whirlwind of youki. In a matter of moments, Kouga's humanoid form stepped out, hands on his hips.

"Why'd you get in my way?! You lost me my meal!"

White triangular ears flicked and pressed back against his skull. Fuck taking that. Inuyasha stood, hands balled into fists.

"Your meal?! I've been tracking that deer for at least an hour! You weren't even in the picture, I didn't smell ya chasing it once!"

Kouga tilted his chin up, flashing a cheeky grin. "Tch, that's what happens when you track from downwind, Dog Breath," he muttered, ignoring the pissed off Hanyou and looking around. "How come you're out here huntin' anyway? Isn't Kagome with you? She always carries some goodies to chew on. Tastier than venison too."

Inuyasha glanced away moodily, crossing his arms. "Shaddap. Like it's any of your business."

Kouga hummed, scratching his jaw. Odd. There was no bite in his tone. Sniffing a little, Kouga picked up the faint scent of sadness clinging to the robe of the fire rat.

Inuyasha's face heated. He quickly bared his teeth, "quit with that! She's just busy, alright? Besides, I can still hunt for myself. Ain't you a little far from your territory to be hunting out here?"

Kouga blinked, mildly concerned despite their history together. "Uhh… where do you think you are, Dog Breath?"

Frowning, Inuyasha glanced around. Clearly no answers were forthcoming from the forest, so leaping up, he climbed a tree, digging claws into rough bark to hoist himself up. Minding the tallest branches aside, Inuyasha gaped as he surfaced from the sea of greenery. Sprawling, picturesque mountains met his startled gaze.

How far did I chase that deer?

And why'd it have to lead him to Kouga's turf, of all places?

Dropping down to solid ground again, Inuyasha avoided eye contact. "I just got caught up in running, that's all," he answered the silent question hanging in the air.

Kouga tilted his head slightly, "… right."

A rumbling sound rang out between them. Inuyasha grit his teeth, ignoring the impatient gurgling of his stomach and swiftly turning. "Whatever. See ya," he started walking.

"Hey-" Kouga called, causing him to nearly trip in surprise and frown over one shoulder.

The wolf winced, looking awkward and weirded out to even be asking. "We got leftovers. If you want some," the offer was casual. "Don't want you keeling over on the way back, Kagome would kill me."

Inuyasha stared. Maybe he'd hit his head or something because for some reason, the offer sounded like a tempting one.

"Keh," he grunted, pivoting on one heel and trudging towards Kouga's territory instead. "Better be good," he complained with no energy behind it.

"Its free food! Be more grateful to your host," the wolf snarked, jogging to keep pace with him.

---

Mutters echoed throughout the cave, causing white ears to twitch and swivel atop his head. Inuyasha ignored the curious wolves, digging into tough boar meat. Uncooked. Miroku and Kagome would've called it ghastly. His lips twitched at the thought, soon wiped away. Something squeezed his chest instead.

"Hey, blabber-mouths! Keep it down!" Kouga's booming voice caught his dazed attention.

Ginta and Hakkaku quickly shut up, apologising. The rest of the wolf pack fell quiet, though their eyes blazed with questions.

Inuyasha rose a brow and glanced at the Wolf Prince. Did he think the gossiping bothered him or something? Weird guy. He should know a Hanyou would be used to it.

Kouga's tail flicked as he strode through regular wolves, minding some beasts aside. He then threw himself down beside Inuyasha on some soft furs, stealing a rib. Not having the energy or inclination to snap at him for it, Inuyasha merely flashed his teeth, grunting and continuing to eat.

"So what brings you to us, Inuyasha?" Hakkaku asked bluntly. Ginta gasped and fretted, clearly having wanted to ask more delicately.

Inuyasha drew into himself slightly, noticing a hush fall over the atmosphere within the damp cave.

"Was just in the neighbourhood is all. If ya wanna blame someone for dragging me here, look no further than your precious leader," he snorted, sidestepping the question.

Kouga elbowed him and chuckled in a deep, rich baritone. Triangular ears flicked upon hearing it. "Aw c'mon! You practically tripped over yourself getting here you were so eager," glimmering blue eyes swung to his pack, giving a shit-eating grin. "He's just too proud to say 'thank you for the meal' because he lost his prey and is still being a sore loser about it~"

Inuyasha blinked, noticing his verbal diversion and change in topic. Kouga was... helping him?

Sure enough, the wolf demon gazed at him, brows raised in challenge, trying to encourage a rebuttal.

Relief touched Inuyasha's face for a moment, before snorting loudly and thrusting his nose up in the air, turning away. "Me? You're the one who got in my way, Mangy Wolf."

"Dog Breath!"

"Flea Bag!"

The wolves glanced back and forth between them, noticing the lack of malice in their nicknames. Their scents were calm, giving them away. A touch of humour and enjoyment radiated from them as they bickered.

"Alright, prove it-" Kouga suddenly threw out. "Hunt with us tomorrow. Then we'll see who's better at it," he jabbed a thumb at his chest. "Obviously, it'll be us wolves! I've provided for my pack as leader for tons of years and I'm faster than you."

Rolling golden eyes, Inuyasha picked up a stone, hollowed out cup of water, taking a sip. "Keh, wouldn't be the first time people have underestimated me. Won't be the last," easing slightly closer to get in Kouga's face, he bared sharp fangs in a feral grin. "I'll beat you just like I've beaten everyone else who figured a half-breed couldn't measure up to a full demon."

Kouga stared, a funny look crossing his face- both palms shooting up to wave slightly. "Huh? Nah, you've got me wrong," he grunted, straightening his spine. "I was just trash talkin' you as competition, not because you're a Hanyou. I honestly wasn't thinkin' of that," his voice trailed into a musing tone.

A stab of surprise and disorientation swung through Inuyasha. There was no time to recover, however, as the demon kept talking. "Though now that you mention it, you're probably used to hunting alone, right? We'd call you a Lone Wolf if you were one of our kind. My pack will win through sheer teamwork."

Inuyasha huffed. So clearly it was more like 1 vs 30 rather than a fair fight. Coward.

Ah well. Looking down at the bones he'd picked clean, he gave a rough shrug of his shoulders. Not like he had anything else to do. He could stick around a little longer.

"You're on."

----

Many hours after the sun had gone down, taking its vibrant colourful sky with it, the moon had opened up her blanket of stars. Inuyasha sat at the mouth of the wolf pack's cave, hands thrust inside his sleeves. Tetsusaiga rested against one shoulder.

The wolves had finished singing their melodies to their mother, the moon, so they'd settled down.

Golden eyes slid towards their sleeping forms. They'd packed themselves tight against one another to retain some heat. Only a few had broken off in pairs to cuddle by themselves. Ginta and Hakkaku were well and truly wrapped around one another, swathed in furs.

They all looked comfortable. Trusting, together. A family unit.

Inuyasha stared. The most annoying part about it was that he could never pinpoint exactly what he was feeling, looking at groups like this. It made him uncomfortable, a reminder that they had something he didn't. Maybe he had, for a time, but his friends had all split off to live their own lives. Shippo was growing up. Miroku and Sango had their own family now.

Kagome…

He wasn't needed anymore. Their quest had been over for a long time. He should be over it by now.

Staring at the pack was like looking into a store window in Kagome's time. Unseen glass forever separated him from what they possessed.

Kouga lifted his head from where he lay, noting a chill in the air. Inuyasha met his gaze, quickly turning to face the other way and pretending to look at sprawling scenery. A snort sounded out in the cave before sharp, static youki fanned into the breeze.

Transformed, Kouga stepped around his pack and lay down towards the entrance, blocking out the night's chilly breeze with his thick fur and large form.

Inuyasha glanced behind him with mild surprise.

Kouga was maybe, actually, kind of…

... a good leader.

---

It started at midday.

The pack immediately flooded the forest, racing through it like droves of rats. Inuyasha shared a look with Kouga, before smirking and starting to leap from tree to tree.

Hunting with wolves nearby started to look next to impossible, considering how eagerly they dove and ran through the undergrowth, loud and clumsy. However, the second they caught wind of a herd, they split off into different, smaller groups. Inuyasha watched them from his vantage point above.

Scouts ran on ahead. Kouga kept towards the back of his pack, signalling orders with mere grunts, growls or gestures of his hand. Inuyasha followed the scouts, dropping down to run alongside them. They were slightly younger demons, teenage boys and girls, lithe and built for running. They stared at him but gave tentative grins.

Inuyasha blinked and offered a slight smirk, soon powering on ahead and leaving them behind.

Sniffing out a herd of deer that the wolves intended to close in on, Inuyasha kept to his vantage point in the trees. He rounded one side of a large clearing, heart thundering.

It had been a long time since he'd hunted seriously. It took him back to old times. Kagome had spoiled him with ramen, and complacency softened his body. But now rusty instincts were awakening, shaking the dust away. His fangs ached. Demon senses kicked in, blood pumping. He could hear and smell everything, down to the blades of grass, fusty scent of deer and pungent odour of wolves.

As predicted, Kouga's scouts halted at the opposite side of the treeline. Lower-ranking wolves and wolf demons alike burst through into the meadow then, causing the herd to take off running.

Right towards Inuyasha.

Dumbasses. Didn't they figure they were leading them right to him?

Grinning, Inuyasha's clawed nails elongated slightly. Waiting as a few deer ran beneath his position- he suddenly lept. Free-falling and spreading both arms wide, he tackled a stag around the neck, yanking it down with him using his weight.

Grabbing it by the antlers the second he recovered, Inuyasha gave a quick jerk, snapping its neck cleanly.

Panting and grinning, he raised triumphant eyes-

Only to see Kouga bent over a felled deer not too far away. His mouth was bloodied. His prey lay dead on one side. It was obvious from the number of adults mid-way through their meal that they'd taken it down much quicker than Inuyasha. They'd had the same idea, flushing out prey and leaping upon them from the opposite direction. Somehow they'd evaded even his detection.

Younger wolves looped around, waiting pensively for their turn.

Kouga licked his lips, maintaining eye contact. Dark hair hung loose from its typical ponytail, claws stained crimson. Inuyasha's heart skittered. His breath halted.

The demon drew bloodied lips back over his fangs when a lower wolf sniffed too close to his food- a loud, powerful snarl thrumming through the clearing.

An answering rumble built in Inuyasha's throat, unbidden. Blazing, twisting heat hooked low in his stomach, cock twitching.

Golden eyes snapped wide, realising just what the fuck he was reacting to.

Kouga's feral expression softened back to normal, shooting him a surprised grin and happily digging into his meal, none the wiser.

Shaken, Inuyasha grimly started tucking into his own, busying himself with eating. He then offered some scraps to some salivating teens, ignoring the amused demons watching. He wasn't above dining with pups. Especially if it meant never confronting what had just happened.

---

"So you and Kagome broke up, huh?"

Inuyasha jolted, wondering how obvious he'd been about it. Frowning at Kouga, who seemed content to laze within the den after the hunt, he gave a long exhale. "Have been for a few months now."

"Gotcha."

"We're still friends though, so don't even think about sniffing after her again."

"I ain't about to, Dog Breath," Kouga flashed him a wolfish grin, slowly sobering, "you wanna talk about it? Only it seems to be eatin' at ya."

Running a hand through his hair and giving a dusty sigh, Inuyasha stared blankly at the forest down below. With no other wolves around, he felt somewhat better about talking so plainly.

"Nothin' much to talk about, she's with someone else now. Seems happy."

Kouga made a noise of affirmation, showing he was listening while picking at his teeth with a pinky.

"I've got a crappy track record with relationships."

"You've got a crappy track record with women, yeah."

Inuyasha whipped his head back to stare at Kouga, wondering what he meant by that. If he meant what Inuyasha thought he meant.

Kouga remained in a reclining position, meeting his gaze easily. The late afternoon sun touched his skin, giving it a warm glow, hooded eyes seeming to darken. "You ever think about trying to be with someone else, rather than pining after the same soul over and over?"

Inuyasha's lips thinned, cheeks heating.

"I dunno. I was with Kikyo and then after being sealed to the tree- I woke up and met Kagome like no time had passed," he grunted. This would usually be the part where he clamped up. He didn't like talking about something so vulnerable. Self-preservation had taught him not to divulge too much, even to friends like Kagome. Kouga could easily mock him. However…

Looking over, no sinister motivation seemed to compel the wolf. He was genuinely interested. Inuyasha's insides screamed at him as he reluctantly continued. "It was like… it made sense to be with her, but I barely had a chance to process losing Kikyo. Things just kinda happened," he shook his head slightly. "Startin' fresh? Sounds like a fairy tale."

Kouga chuckled deeply, causing Inuyasha's ears to twitch again. His stomach did a nervous flip, but there was no cruelty in that rich tone. "Kinda set in your ways, huh? You're like a human in that respect."

"Keh, well what about you? Been with anyone recently?" Inuyasha asked flatly. He wasn't fishing or anything.

Kouga stretched languidly, yawning and exposing sharp-pointed canines. Blunt claws flexed wide, before curling into his palms again. "Nothing permanent. My last 'relationship' was with a guy for a couple of weeks. Just casual stuff. Heh, bet that's unthinkable to you, right?"

Inuyasha bristled, cheeks reddening. He tossed his head and huffed in answer.

"Oi, I don't mean anything by it. I think it's great you're such a loyal pup and have soul-consuming relationships instead of flings. Still, it sounds kind of exhausting to me," the wolf shrugged.

"I thought 'wolves mated for life', you sure tried that line on Kagome."

"We do," Kouga muttered, looking at him, "but only after we find someone special. We got an expression, us wolves. It basically translates to 'my heart and liver.' You gotta find someone that really fits your needs, who you pursue like they're a missing organ inside you. Till we find our chosen one, we're free to pursue who we want."

Inuyasha snorted, "and Kagome was that person to you?" he drawled sarcastically.

Kouga shrugged, not catching it. His earnest, blunt disposition was somewhat refreshing, if Inuyasha were being honest. "I figured so. But after three years of thinking about it, I kinda dove headfirst into loving her without really knowing her. I pursued her so hard that I forgot to think about why I was even running."

Unbidden, a smile came to the Hanyou's mouth, a fang hooking over his lip. He chuckled, eyes warming. Something heavy lifted from his shoulders. "We're both dumbasses," he said, golden eyes dancing. It felt kind of good to not be alone in that. To know they both should've done better.

Kouga blinked, gaze roving over his face. Slowly, he gave an answering, amiable smile. "You get a snaggle-tooth when you grin," he pointed out teasingly. "It's cute."

"Don't think you can flirt with me just because we bonded for a second, wolf," Inuyasha rolled his eyes and forcefully snuffed out his grin.

"No I'm gonna," Kouga chuckled, tail thumping beside him.

Something dissuaded the Hanyou from hotly shutting this down. His heart sat a little lighter in his chest, shoulders relaxed. If the dumbass wanted to keep saying stupid shit, who was he to stop him?

----

After that day, Inuyasha resolved to stay- at least until he caught a kill quicker than the wolves during a hunt.

Kouga became somewhat more shameless and flirty. It started out subtle. Well, subtle for Kouga.

One time, Inuyasha had leisurely taken a sip of his drink, setting it down and not noticing the wolf sit beside him. Kouga then proceeded to pick it up.

He crooked his wrist as he lifted the cup so that his lips landed squarely over the same place Inuyasha's had just occupied. He'd performed the manoeuvre so quickly that Inuyasha wasn't sure at first of what he'd seen. But as Kouga drank, he glanced at him, and Inuyasha knew then that the move had been intentional.

There were other small, maddening things. Kouga's tail brushing against his hip in passing. How he always brought over a slab of meat from a fresh kill to Inuyasha first during evening meals. How he offered over and over to take a 'friendly' dip in the waterfall together.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at the attention. It never strayed too far into 'Miroku' territory, but it also wasn't something to take it seriously. The other wolves by now had caught on and sometimes teased their leader. Kouga laughed it off yet continued undaunted. When he next offered Inuyasha a pot, the Hanyou blinked.

"Are those stingers?" he grunted.

Sure enough, bee stings dotted bronze skin. The idiot hadn't removed the stingers from his hand.

The wolf chuckled, gesturing to the covered pot. "Ya mentioned that honey goes well with meat, so I got some for you."

Staring and feeling weird again, Inuyasha heaved a sigh and grabbed Kouga by the wrist, tugging him to kneel beside him. "Hold still, idiot. Do your feet run away with your brain or somethin'? You have to take these out," he bent over his hand, clawed fingers grasping a stinger.

"I was just eager to get it back to y- OW!"

Huffing, the Hanyou continued in his task, ignoring the whimpering demon. Despite his gruffness however, he leaned Kouga's arm over his knee, one hand gripping the back of the wolf's to keep it steady. He could feel Kouga's sharp inhale close to his cheek.

Finally removing the last of the stingers, Inuyasha's dog demon side betrayed him. As natural as breathing; he'd bent his head and swiped a careful tongue over a red sore to soothe the wound unthinkingly. Human embarrassment kicked in then, and he dropped Kouga's wrist like a rock, lurching back and standing.

"There! Tend to your own damn hand now!"

A ripple of laughter washed over the pack as Inuyasha stormed away, leaving Kouga to stare at the spot of saliva on his hand like it were a dewy jewel.

---

When next hunting, Inuyasha set off on his own under cloudy skies. He didn't keep track of the mass of wolves flooding the forest. Closing his eyes and removing the robe of the fire-rat to leave him in his white underlayer, he sank into a crouch. Burying Tetsusaiga somewhere safe at the base of a tree, he exhaled. The hanyou then began the process of shedding.

Shedding didn't entail fur. Rather, for him, it meant shaking off the layers of bullshit that weighed on his mind. He even stopped thinking about himself as a person. His mind turned blank, running through the forest like an animal.

He hadn't hunted via pure instinct in so long. He forgot how to speak with a human tongue, letting out grunts and growls. Saliva pooled in his mouth. Unknowingly, golden eyes tinged red. Faint markings cut across his cheeks. Fangs and claws elongated, youki pounding through his system with every thunder of his heartbeat.

A hare darted out from the bushes- and Inuyasha lunged.

He was barely aware of Kouga looping closer until he jogged out from the trees. "Hey, mutt- no luck for us today. Think that last hunt scared the herd too far awa-"

The creature hunched over spun around, a mangled kill hanging limp from his mouth. It hit the ground with a sickening thud as long white hair bristled, puffing up. A deep, rumbling snarl deafened Kouga's ears.

Inuyasha gazed at him, unblinking, panting with ragged breaths.

Kouga stopped and stared. Unbidden, the wilder, fiercer side of his nature reared its head. Teeth and claws gleamed, interest piqued.

However, something was wrong.

Inuyasha gasped and grunted, bending low and whimpering with pain. His body began fighting with itself, his demon blood coursing too strong for his hanyou form to withstand.

Kouga didn't really know anything about hanyou kind. However, he knew enough about the situation to realise a particular sword was missing from Inuyasha's hip. Turning tail and hurrying away, it was a simple matter of tracking Inuyasha's scent all the way to the base of a tree.

The fog cleared from crimson eyes, and Inuyasha blinked, panting. He flexed his shaking hand around a muddied Tetsusaiga, the partial transformation leaving him worn and ragged.

Kouga was squatting next to him. Concern probably wasn't the right word for it, but he gazed at him seriously for a moment before standing.

"Don't do stupid stuff just to win bets, Mutt Face."

Coughing, Inuyasha slowly adjusted back into his old senses, gripping his sword so tight his knuckles bled white. "Yeah... fine, whatever... Mangey Wolf."

----

The 'incident' as Kouga called it was not an isolated one in terms of throwing him for a damn loop. After bathing at the waterfall in a nice, refreshing midday dip, Kouga noticed an absence immediately.

"Where's Inuyasha?"

Ginta looked up from polishing some armour.

"I'm not sure. He started getting fidgety and sniffed around- then he looked at the sky and took off without a word to anyone. I think he looked a bit pale."

Kouga frowned. In a few hours, it would get dark. Tracking him would be more difficult.

Wasting no time, Kouga lept from their den, sailing down the side of the rocky mountain face. His black hair and wolf tail flew up to flutter in the breeze. "Be back later!" he called, ignoring Ginta's confusion.

Bursting into a mini tornado of power, Kouga started running, lifting his nose to scent the air. Locating Inuyasha's unique smell, he sprinted into the gloom of the trees. It seemed the Hanyou hadn't wanted to be found. His scent zig-zagged everywhere, even travelling upriver, perhaps intending to lose anyone tracking him.

Kouga smirked. As if that would work on a full demon.

By the time dusk settled in, however, Kouga felt antsy. Still no sign of the mutt, and it was getting dark. Even his scent had become strange and diluted.

Stopping beneath the canopy of trees and frowning, Kouga shifted his attention to the waning light above. The moon was out, but faint.

Kouga's eyes widened slightly. A new moon.

Hearing a sigh and the crunch of weight shifting on dried leaves, Kouga turned, nose twitching.

A willow tree sat relatively still and serene, located near some stretch of water. Weeping, draping branches were parted by Kouga's rough palms. He peered into the shadows behind the sweeping curtain, finding a familiar face.

Inuyasha stood, eyes incredibly dark. Midnight locks of hair split down broad shoulders. He stood weary and watchful, gripping a useless Tetsusaiga.

"What are you doing here?" Inuyasha muttered.

Kouga gave a look, as though it should be obvious, stepping into his private space beneath the darkening tree. "I came here to find ya, obviously."

Dark eyes widened slightly at his blunt honesty. Sighing anew, Inuyasha rubbed at his forehead. "Dumbass. I'm guessing you forgot what night I transform despite seeing it yourself before?"

"Kinda," the wolf demon shrugged, resting both hands on his hips and walking around the tree, glancing at the fresh kill of a rabbit. "Glad ya fed yourself at least. C'mon, let's go back before we lose any more light. Unless of course you wanna stumble around in the dark, forcing me to hold your hand?" he teased.

Inuyasha gazed back soberly, causing the mirth to leave Kouga's eyes. Both fell quiet.

As a human, Inuyasha lost many things. Animal ears, a keen sense of smell, golden irises that gleamed like a treasure trove. He also lost a certain harshness. The thick wall of defence usually built up around his heart had crumbled.

Like this, Inuyasha looked much softer. In more ways than one.

"I don't want to go back looking like this," Inuyasha muttered. "And neither do you."

"What're you yappin' about?"

Bushy brows pulled down, and he backed up slightly. "Listen, you've had your fun little charity experience including a Hanyou in your shit, but I know how full demon society works. I'm not stupid. You're all fine with me hanging around as some little project to measure yourselves against, but when it comes down to it, you don't want to confront this part."

Kouga's heavy brows pulled down, a sneer marring his lips. "Ah, I get it. Ya think my pack will mock you because it's your human night? You're a fucking idiot," he sighed. "I was in love with Kagome. Ya think anyone's gonna say shit? Admit it, you just feel vulnerable because you got baby skin and no fangs."

Inuyasha's expression flickered; an open book. His hands balled into fists, stubbornness setting his mouth into a thin, grim line.

Kouga gave an exaggerated sigh, grabbing his arm, "quit bein' stubborn-"

Yanking himself free, Inuyasha gave a poor imitation of a snarl, exposing blunt teeth. "Get lost!"

Growling, Kouga blurred in the air- appearing behind him and grabbing the failing human around the waist- lifting so that his kicking feet left the ground. "We're going back, it's cold out! Your baby skinned, barely furred ass will catch a cold, and I ain't dealing with that!" he started walking.

With a yowl of outrage, Inuyasha swung his elbow back into Kouga's face. With a grunt, he was released, only for the two to snarl and grapple once again. Heels dug into mud- foreheads smacked, palms clasped and muscles strained on Inuyasha's end to match the power of a demon, failing. Kouga licked at his bleeding nose, before giving a hard shove. Landing on forest ground and losing themselves in senseless scrapping, sharp teeth closed around a curved ear.

Inuyasha yelped, dark eyes flying wide. Did he just?-

He had! Kouga had reprimanded him like a damn pack member.

Sensation burst within his chest, boiling over, consuming. He didn't know how to react to it. Therefore, Inuyasha didn't stop to think about his actions. When drowning in feeling, his mind turned blank, and he acted on impulse.

Curling coarse fingers in dark hair and latching tight- he yanked Kouga down by the back of the neck- mouths colliding.

Teeth knocked. Lips strained against hard pressure. Inuyasha's grip tugged Kouga's hair tight against his scalp. It was painful. It was uncomfortable. It was brilliant.

The wolf demon reeled, inhaling hard through his nostrils. His senses flooded with Inuyasha's human scent.

There was a reason Kagome's slap had cemented her into Kouga's head as a potential mate. He wasn't used to being opposed. Everyone listened to him, and he talked freely. But a push back, a stubborn, fierce 'no!' made his world tilt on its axis. It was exactly what he needed. Someone to raise their voice and get his attention. An opposing view to clash with his own. That was what leaders primarily looked for in partners, not meek obedient types.

And Kouga couldn't say he personally disliked it either.

Releasing him, Inuyasha panted. His face suddenly paled, realisation dawning. "Shit," he muttered, drawing back and falling silent.

Kouga opened his mouth, then closed it. There were no words he could scramble together in his currently fried brain. What he did know- was that the weather still felt chilly, and Inuyasha needed a place to sleep. He kind of felt the desire to prod for more, but judging by Inuyasha's closed off, guarded look, that wouldn't be happening anytime soon.

They picked themselves up, standing. Inuyasha wiped some mud from his ashen cheek.

"You won't come back to the pack tonight, right?" Kouga asked.

Mild relief seemed to touch his features as he nodded glumly.

"Gotcha, well, don't kick up a fuss. I'll take ya somewhere else for the night," the wolf demon stepped away, youki swirling around his form, tumbling faster into a fierce gust. Inuyasha watched as a 10ft tall dark-furred wolf eventually lept out of the whirlwind. Kouga then knelt down as best he could, jerking his head to indicate Inuyasha climb on.

"You've got to be kiddin' me?" he grumbled. It didn't take much prompting for him to give in, burned out from nerves and high tension. The new moon always messed everything up.

Grasping onto thick, feathery fur, Inuyasha climbed onto his back, sitting behind Kouga's shoulder blades. The wolf demon flashed him a toothy smile, pushing off starting to run.

Gaping and swaying from the momentum, Inuyasha ducked down and gripped his hackles. Kouga talked a lot of shit, but he got one thing right; he was fucking fast.

Muscles coiled and shifted, prowling through dense undergrowth with quick footfalls. Kouga panted softly, paws thundering over chilled forest floor, scattering leaves.

Inuyasha ducked to avoid a few low-hanging branches, feeling the wolf's sturdiness and warm form beneath him. Despite being in human form with his dulled, dim senses, the silence of the forest combined with Kouga's rhythmic noises made him feel strangely wild yet lulled. He was a creature again, not a man nor demon. It comforted him.

Kouga's breath fanned out in visible puffs of curling smoke by the time they reached an abandoned cave beneath a slightly upturned tree- it's hanging, frozen roots slightly obscuring the entrance. Snowdrops littered the ground- crunching under Inuyasha's feet as he dismounted and quietly entered.

More snowdrops awaited him inside the mouth of the cave, and he sank down exhaustedly into the flowers, cheek cushioned by soft petals.

Kouga huffed, staring down at Inuyasha's near motionless body. Shifting, he settled beside him, acting as a shield against the elements.

Inuyasha's feet were turning blue. Knowing he'd probably be insecure about holding onto him in inhuman form, the wolf shifted closer, bumping against his side.

Making a tired noise, a dark brown eye cracked open. With a sigh- Inuyasha's coarse hands met Kouga's fur, settling closer into the mass of warmth. "This means nothing," came his muffled voice.

Resting his head upon enormous paws, Kouga ignored this, tail thumping slightly behind him.

"Thanks for... coming to get me."

At that, Kouga stiffened with surprise, lifting his head to look at him.

Inuyasha's breaths evened out, and in the quiet hush that followed, it was difficult not to notice how his dark hair seemed to mesh and meld so naturally into the wolf demon's own black fur.

In the morning it would be harder still not to stare at sprawling wisps of long white hair blending into the snowdrops.

Kouga's blue eyes blinked, nose twitching. It was then he realised he was probably in danger of something much larger than either of them could've expected.

----

Predictably, Inuyasha acted as though nothing had happened.

He stuck around the wolves for a few days longer, before finally approaching Kouga, arms thrust inside trailing sleeves.

"So… gonna be headin' out soon."

Kouga continued sharpening his knife. He then stood, rolling one shoulder and keeping his tone casual.

"For good?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha muttered, face guarded. "No point in sticking around here any longer than I need to. Keh, I ain't in the habit of getting in people's way."

Kouga heaved a sigh, putting the knife away and folding his arms, walking from the cave and out into bright sunlight. Rounding one side of the mountain and following a rocky trail, his tail swished with agitation. "You ain't in the way, Dog Breath. I made that pretty clear. You wanna talk about the kiss or not?"

Inuyasha made a noise behind him. He then scrambled for something to say, "we don't gotta talk about it! Weird shit happens when I turn human! Stuff I wouldn't usually do-"

Kouga cut him off with a dramatically loud groan, turning on his heel to face him. Inuyasha jumped, feet skidding to bring him to a stop- rocking forward with momentum and ending up nose to nose with the wolf.

Cobalt blue eyes remained flat, "dunno how Kagome put up with your damn wishy-washy ass. I ain't about to listen to that crap when my nose can sniff out lies unlike her. Since you're so bad at this, I guess I'll be the mature one; and that's how ya know you're being an idiot, stupid mutt."

Inuyasha blinked, opening his mouth with an irate expression.

"I want ya to stay," Kouga said bluntly. "The kiss didn't bother me. In fact, I kinda liked it and I'm open to doing more of that stuff, weird as it sounds saying it out loud. I was into it," he shrugged broad shoulders. "But if you're too busy getting yourself worked up about feeling like an outsider, that's up to you. As pack leader, I'm telling you you've got a place here, dumbass. You can quit being a lone wolf if you want to. My group won't mind."

Inuyasha stared at him, completely stunned. He put a little distance between them, ears pressing flat.

His expression rapidly changed with a multitude of conflicting thoughts. He opened and closed his mouth, eyes flickering to the scenery, to the rocks, to their bare feet. Heavy brows drew down.

Kouga sighed and scratched his pointed ear, figuring he'd be stubborn about it. Not like he could force him to stay. But still… an odd sense of disappointment weighed in his chest. He'd had fun. He'd had a lot of fun with him around.

"I don't do casual," came Inuyasha's reluctant reply.

Kouga's brows rose. Oh. That's what he'd been having reservations about?

"Fuck- I'm bad at this," the hanyou gazed stubbornly at the horizon, cheeks heating. Hands curled into fists at his side.

Blinking, Kouga let out a rasping chuckle, shoulders shaking. It immediately won him Inuyasha's attention. "You really are," he agreed, tone turning into a teasing one. "I didn't know you were that into me."

Growling and bristling, Inuyasha seemed to assume he was laughing at him, so Kouga held up a hand. He then used it to grab hold of the robe of the fire rat, bridging the distance between them.

Inuyasha's breath rushed out of his nose, exhaling sharply. He froze, becoming completely still. Kouga's mouth remained against his in a firm kiss, before shifting into a yielding one, eventually drawing away.

Kouga grinned, "if you wanna get stuck with me, then I'm totally capable of being serious too."

Inuyasha slowly relaxed. He snorted, lips quirking as golden eyes warmed. "Dumbass," he mumbled, tugging him back in again. This time Kouga's ensuing chuckle came out muffled against his lips.

"Heh, you really do have dog breath."

"Do I gotta keep shutting you up?"

Kouga lifted a shoulder, flashing him a wolfish grin, tail thwacking his thigh. "If that's the method you're going with to do it, I guess so."

Inuyasha's gaze flattened, feeling large hands slide around him to rest on his shoulder blades. Oddly comforting. The warmth of a wolf was a strange, foreign thing, but one he could get used to. Kouga had a strong scent. He could feel it saturating his clothes. The robe of the fire-rat would reek for weeks.

And that was okay too.

Their noses bumped, and they huffed with amusement, teeth nipping. They'd be clumsy for a while, but sticking around suddenly didn't sound so heavy. Inuyasha resolved to stay for a few more weeks.

And then maybe he'd linger for a little while after that too.

---

The wolves always howled in their true forms, conveying their love, heartbreak, hunger, stories and other things into their haunting songs. They were beautiful, powerful, twisting, waxing poetic about nothing and everything.

Inuyasha stepped out onto the summit of their mountain that they gathered upon. When he threw back his head and howled suddenly, it startled the others out of their songs.

His voice strained, held back by untrained vocal cords. It wasn't wild enough and held no finesse, too tempered by humanity. Imperfect.

Kouga beamed upon hearing it. He then transformed, black silky fur receding.

Throwing his head back, he let out a loud howl, hair dancing in the breeze. Inuyasha finished and looked at him breathlessly, heart drumming loudly. His throat hurt, cheeks stinging from the cold bite in the air. It felt fucking fantastic.

The rest of the wolf pack demons followed suit, transforming into their mockery of human appearances. Their inhuman forms joined in, baying with hoarse, powerful voices.

If someone had happened upon the pack that night, they'd have found the wolves packed in close, huddling for warmth in their cave. And at the very centre of the pack would be one hanyou, nestled amongst their slumbering, monstrous forms, nose buried into windswept fur, heart in sync with theirs.

---

It would be a few weeks later when Inuyasha would return to Kaede's village. It had been two months since he'd left.

Kouga jogged around him on the trail, sniffing the air and chattering animatedly. He loved travelling. Inuyasha grunted a few replies but was content to listen to him. It kept his mind off inevitably seeing a certain someone again.

That person seemed to spot them almost immediately as they approached the village.

Kagome came rushing over, causing Kouga to grin and call a greeting- his words going completely ignored as the miko drew back her hand.

Inuyasha blinked at the ensuing slap. His cheek stung like hell.

Salt peppered the air then, causing guilt to sink heavy into his gut.

"H-how dare you!" Kagome's watery eyes blazed. "You disappear for months- without a word to anyone?!- and then just swan back here like nothing happened? I searched for you! Do you have any idea how WORRIED I was? You jerk! You're such an absolute JERK!"

Inuyasha slowly stepped closer and brought her into a hug just as she burst into tears.

Kagome thumped her fists weakly against his chest, shuddering and prattling nonsense.

"I just… needed to get away," Inuyasha muttered, ears pressed back tight to his skull. "Didn't feel right being here."

Letting out a rush of hot air, Kagome drew back slightly to look at him. "N-nothing had to change. I told you that," she hiccuped. "Just because I'm in a relationship with someone else- it doesn't affect us. We're still friends. Your place is here. Miroku, Sango and Shippo were worried too."

"They were?"

They'd seemed so busy with their own lives before. Too busy to hang out with him- or maybe he'd been alone in thinking that? Had he put distance between them unknowingly because they'd all changed but he'd stayed the same?

"Idiot," Kagome and Kouga sighed together.

Noticing their wolf companion, Kagome wiped her tears and turned to Kouga. She gave him a much gentler reception, hugging him tight with gratitude.

"So he was with you the whole time? Thank you for looking out for him, Kouga."

"Heh, no worries. It's actually been pretty fun."

Kagome pulled back and rose a brow, glancing between them. "Really? You two haven't been fighting?"

"Sometimes," Inuyasha scratched his nose, combing some claws through his hair. "That hasn't been so bad either, though."

Completely lost, Kagome tilted her head. She then located a hickey on Inuyasha's neck, the skin bruised and red. She reddened herself, meeting Inuyasha's awkward gaze.

"Oh," she put the pieces together slowly. "So… are you just visiting?" she asked quietly.

Inuyasha nodded slowly. "Yeah. I got…" he took a breath, words faltering. He then continued, voice full of conviction. "I got a place to return to now. The wolves ain't a bad bunch to stay with now that my nose has adjusted to their damn smell."

"Hey-" Kouga scoffed.

"I'll keep coming back here though," he continued. "I'm just-"

"It's okay," Kagome soothed. "That makes me really happy to hear. Sometimes new things are good. Different, but good."

It was the same thing she'd said when trying to talk to him about her new relationship. Inuyasha nodded slightly, rendered mute by the heaviness of her words. Change was inevitable. It had freaked him out enough to run from the only real family he'd ever known.

Sadness flitted through her gaze before acceptance gentled matured features. Ageing had changed her too. That was partly why they'd broken up as quickly as they had. They were too different now than how they'd been at 15, swept up in a whirlwind teen romance. There was a sadness in never being able to return to their glory days, but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing to move on.

Kagome scrubbed at her eyes and smiled for him. She always smiled when he needed it most. Grabbing both of their coarse hands, she tugged. "C'mon, everyone will be wanting to catch up. There's also some ramen I saved with your name on it."

Inuyasha's slack fingers twitched in her hold. He then adjusted them, squeezing her hand. Something brazen, fragile and guarded in his heart soothed and healed. His shoulders relaxed. Finally, he felt a sense of peace sweep over him that he hadn't experienced for some time; ever since they'd been flung out of orbit from their romance and back into friendship.

Meeting Kouga's amiable, enthusiastic gaze, Inuyasha bit back a snort. Golden eyes danced, lips twitching- before tilting up. A fang hooked over his bottom lip, snaggle-tooth peering out.

---

End

#Inukog #inuyasha #inukoga #kouga #koga inuyasha

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emerald-amidst-gold · 4 years ago

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Ready for the sun to Fane’s moon, and two fools being awkward, but adorable upon a first meeting? I know I am!

Chapter summary: Fane's sister, Mhairi, personally comes to the Inquisition after she receives a letter that Fane had become ill - unbeknownst to everyone. She finds herself in a different world with different people, who all have different perspectives, but she soon finds that not everything concerning Fane's status is as clear as the letter in her hands..

Haven was not what Mhairi was expecting when she made the decision to come to the small village. That wasn’t to say the village was bad, by any stretch of the imagination! It was simply..different to her. The frigid air that made her toes curl in uncommon boots, the chaotic hustle and bustle of various different people, the massive hole in the Veil that made her eyes water from just looking at it - all different than a tiny Dalish camp. Then again, Mhairi had a feeling many things were going to be different to her now that she was here.

Icy blue, but curious eyes took in the seemingly ‘every day’ routines of the people who inhabited Haven. She saw that most were either soldiers or those belonging to the Chantry - easily pinpointed due to their crimson clothing and the symbol of the Andrastian religion emblazoned upon their robes. As Mhairi walked along the path that led up to the village’s gates, she could hear some of the faithful reciting parts of their ‘Chant’, and the feeling of loneliness immediately washed over her. This.. this was not a place the People walked often, if at all.

“Mythal’enaste.. Why am I so surprised? The Keeper had warned me about this..”, Mhairi murmured to herself - nervous energy causing her to crinkle the letter from the Inquisition that was in her hands when she could feel a few Chantry sisters giving her a sidelong glance - most likely because of her vallaslin. She sighed in an attempt to steady herself, “..But I need to be brave. Fane is here. Fane is here, and I have to see him..”

Despite the unease and discomfort Mhairi was feeling from being scrutinized, she knew none of that mattered right now. She hadn’t come to be preached at or to preach at another; she had come for her brother - she had come for Fane .

Mhairi turned her head down to the letter in her hands, carefully smoothing the delicate paper out on the palm of her hand from where she had crinkled it, to give it another quick read, “I need to find someone named..’Seeker Pentaghast’..”, she mumbled softly as she read the lines detailing who she needed to contact, “I’ve read about the Seekers, but I wouldn’t know what one looked like. Maybe I should have sent a letter saying I was coming..”

Mhairi had been puzzled by the nature of the letter; it was rather ambiguous, to be frank. It seemed to carry a heavier air despite it being short and straightforward. And truthfully, the letter that Mhairi had received didn’t ask for her in person. It merely stated that her brother was sick, and if she had any information about him that could help towards his recovery. She remembered thinking, ‘Why can’t they just ask Fane themselves?’. However, the moment she read the word ‘illness’, she had bolted out of the Keeper’s aravel - much to her mentor’s dismay - and had begun preparing for a long, but well meaning journey. This type of thing wasn’t something she could just leave, even if she knew Fane would be livid with her for coming to Haven. No, this was something she had to do in person - not with a silly letter.

Mhairi took another slow look around, pocketing the letter in the pouch attached to her hip before letting out a thoughtful hum.

“Maybe I should..ask someone? If Seeker Pentaghast is important, then I’m sure anyone would know them, right?”, she said to herself, tucking an errant lock from her braid behind a pointed ear as she continued to look around. “And if no one knows, I guess I could just find Fane myself..?”

Mhairi heaved a defeated sigh - frigid mountain air condensing into a tiny puff cloud as she did so. She was..lost - incredibly lost. Back when she and her brother were with the clan, Fane would be the one to handle situations involving people - which was ironic due to the fact that Fane vehemently stated that he was by no means a people person. If anything, Mhairi believed her brother was very much a people person, if only because he could read people - unlike her, who more or less took every word a person said at face value. No, Fane was as cunning as a wolf leading its pack, and as dangerous as a dragon protecting its hoard. Mhairi couldn’t count on both hands how many times Fane had successfully bartered with a merchant, or caught them attempting to swindle him - the merchant assuming her brother was just a ‘savage Dalish’ before her brother would glare down his nose at them, and as cold as ice, laid out an ultimatum that left him the profited party. It was one of the only instances where Fane was calm when someone was ‘messing’ with him.

And if anyone - be it from the clan or a human villager - had done something to slight her, Fane would materialize as if from thin air with the look of death about him - his two toned eyes like emerald trees alight with golden fire before a hard boot would meet a poor jaw or chest. Her brother was fiercely protective; a fact Mhairi had found herself constantly scolding Fane about.

More like ‘over’ protective. It’s a tad ridiculous, honestly. Mhairi thought with a tiny roll of her eyes before shaking her head with another sigh.

While Fane was more clever than most gave him credit for, he was also..difficult; Mhairi wasn’t afraid to admit that, and it wasn’t just because Fane could be overbearing. Her brother never meant to cause harm with his words or actions, but she could see that among strangers, Fane’s volatile demeanor would be problematic. The main problem was Fane’s unwillingness to socialize or explain why he had said or done something when a fit of rage took him. Usually, when they were with the clan, Fane would opt to stay away and watch any gatherings from a tree or any high vantage point - like he was simply observing the clan’s rituals, or he would deign to disappear altogether - choosing that the forest was a better companion than the other clan members. Her brother would begrudgingly join if Mhairi pressed hard enough, but she didn’t like to do that to Fane. There was a reason Fane wanted solitude. Mhairi just..hadn’t figured it out yet - yet.

And as to her brother’s fiery temper? That was far more complex. It was something even she didn’t fully understand, but she knew - just knew - it wasn’t everything Fane was. Her brother was more than his rage and indifference; he cared - perhaps too much, now that Mhairi thought about it. Every snide remark when hunting with the other hunters of the clan, every seemingly irritated sigh, every roll of his eyes towards the Keeper, every lonely look in jewel like eyes was a silent plea for understanding - a want that was always met with misunderstanding. No one - not even Fane - wanted to look past the anger he harbored towards the world around him.

There was fault on both sides, obviously. The clan had always believed Fane was an outcast - a monster , due to his white hair, large body, destructive temper, nonexistent faith towards the Creators, and two toned eyes. In turn, Fane believed the clan to be arrogant, pathetic, ignorant, cowardly, hypocritical, and a waste of his time. Both were stubborn, and such stubbornness eventually made her brother completely unwilling to engage with the clan and vice versa. Especially after Fane had gotten his vallaslin; her brother’s unresponsiveness towards the pain of the act solidifying the idea that Fane was a ‘monster’ - a vindictive husk. Mhairi did what she could to bridge the gap, but..again, stubborn . It didn’t help when Fane sealed himself up like a chest encased in hot lava, and it would seem her brother was acting very much the same with the Inquisition as he had acted with the clan. Which, to Mhairi’s dismay, was not a good sign, especially if Fane was sick. She supposed she understood now why the Inquisition kept asking her or the Keeper about her brother’s personality; Fane wasn’t sharing that information himself.

Why won’t you let people in, brother? What made you close up so tightly? Mhairi thought painfully, starting to crinkle the letter in her hands again before easing up with a tiny sigh.

Enough. Now wasn’t the time for reminiscing or feeling saddened by her brother’s one track mind. Now was the time to find Fane or this Seeker, and help him! That’s why she was here!

“Let’s start with the first idea - ask someone. But who..?”, she mused quietly, stopping along the dirt road that ran through - what she believed to be -the Inquisition’s training grounds.

Mhairi supposed she could ask anyone, but it would be more beneficial to pick out someone that seemed equally as notable. From what she knew of human hierarchy, if there was one important person, there were usually three more surrounding them - all equally as important, even if titles separated them.

I spy.. Her mind thought with a hint of playfulness as icy blue eyes scanned the training grounds around her - occasionally freezing subconsciously when a glint of metal would catch it. Relax. It’s just the sun.. Just the sun.. She mentally reiterated each time metal shone.

Mhairi continued to scan the large opening, hopping up on the balls of her feet to see over taller soldiers for anyone that would catch her attention.

“Hm..”, she hummed with a small pout when no one caught her eye before another glint of metal had her actively flinching, “Mmgh..”

Delicate arms wrapped around her torso as Mhairi hugged herself loosely, letting her eyes slip shut for a moment to calm down her now racing heart. It was okay. She was okay. This wasn’t the time to panic because of her own memories, but the sound of metal hitting metal and the glinting of steel nearly made her want to collapse into a ball.

“They’re just training. Just training.. Like Fane does.. The sword isn’t coming at you..”, she tried to comfort herself before the distinct sound of metal bouncing off of another sword wrong made her eyes snap open in panic.

Before Mhairi could even register what was going on, she panickedly threw up a magical barrier as the whirling of steel zoomed past where she was standing to wedge itself in the ground behind her. Eyes blown wide, she stared down at the errant sword as her hands shook violently with the restraint of keeping her barrier up and at the fear coursing through her. The..the sword..it..!

“O..Oh, Creators..”, she stammered out quietly before her arms fell to her sides limply - her knees buckling to send her to the ground backside first as her magic flooded back into the Veil.

Mhairi tangled her hands in her platinum hair - dislodging more from her long braid - as her whole body shook, pulling her knees up to her chest to make herself smaller as she cowered. A tiny whimper escaped her lips before she bit down on her bottom lip to stifle it. No, no! She had to get a hold of herself, but she couldn’t stop shaking! That sword had reminded her of..of..!

“Maker’s breath! Are you trying to kill someone, recruit?!”, a booming, angry voice had Mhairi’s trembling body freezing for a moment.

“Hm..?”, she hummed in question, not raising her head from her small balled body just yet.

“N..No, Commander! T..The sword slipped i..is all..!”

“Slipped?! You practically threw that sword!!”

“S..Ser! S..Sorry, ser!”

With a slow movement, Mhairi carefully lifted her head from where she had buried them in her knees - icy eyes looking around frantically for the source of the yelling, but unable to see anything from the slew of soldiers that were grouped around training. What was going on?

“Fane..? No, that’s not his voice..”, she whispered somewhat shakily - her chest still seized with panic. The rushed sound of boots crunching against ice had Mhairi snapping her head fully upwards as they approached. “Huh..?”, she uttered quietly.

Mhairi’s panicked gaze met an equally panicked, but shocked pair of amber colored eyes as the human man bearing them noticed where the sword had ended up. She could see the blonde human linking up what had happened before an enraged growl tore from his lips before he pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to reign in his anger.

“I will kill that man..”, the angry human spat out before sighing, “Maker, give me strength..”

Heh..he’s like Fane when he gets angry. Her frazzled mind thought fondly before the clearing of a deep voice had her refocusing on the human standing over her.

“Are you okay?”, the human asked her softly, large body coming down to her level - the sound of armor making Mhairi’s ears twitch slightly.

Mhairi’s eyes continued to stay wide, but not from panic anymore. No, it was because of the man in front of her - or more specifically, the human in front of her. A human..was talking to her! A human! She had never spoken to a human before! Well, not prolonged conversations, anyways! Still! A human! The concerned human furrowed his brows at her silence.

“Miss?”, he addressed her with mounting concern.

Mhairi visibly startled at that before she could feel her cheeks begin to flush - prior panic washing away with each moment she stared into honey brown. She opened her mouth a few times to attempt to say something, but clamped it down each time before breathing out a long sigh. She had to get a hold of herself!

“I..I’m okay.. Just..just startled is all..”, she said shakily, attempting a tiny smile when she saw the man’s worried frown deepen, “D..Do swords normally fly around here?”, she asked, trying to lighten the mood with humor.

The armored man blinked his amber eyes at her question before a small smirk cracked his worried mask. Mhairi felt her own smile grow at the sight. She liked that look on the stranger, and she wasn’t sure why. Strange.

“Not typically, no.”, he stated with a light chuckle before his face fell once more, “Are you certain you aren’t hurt?”, he asked after her again.

Mhairi continued to smile as she shook her head gently - her platinum hair whipping around softly from both the wind and the movement.

“I’m fine. Promise!”, she reaffirmed cheerily, starting to push herself up to stand, albeit somewhat shakily.

“Here! Let me..”, the man started hurriedly, rising quickly to hold a gloved hand out to her.

Mhairi blinked in surprise at the proffered hand. She hadn’t expected such..chivalry. Were all humans like this? If so, she would have to say ‘I told you so!’ to her brother. With a wider smile, Mhairi delicately took the human man’s hand - idly thinking about how warm it was before he pulled her up easily.

“Ma serannas.”, she thanked the man with a grateful smile before blanching in embarrassment, “Oh, I mean, ‘thank you’! Ir abelas! I..I mean, I’m sorry!”, she amended panickedly.

The blonde man stared at her in shock as she rambled - an odd twinkle in his amber eyes before it disappeared. Mhairi covered her face with her hands, groaning in embarrassment as she did so. Oh, now she’s made a fool of herself! She hadn’t meant to speak in elven! It was just second nature, so she hadn’t thought anything of it! Of course the human would be confused - maybe even annoyed - by her! A quiet chuckle had Mhairi snapping her head up at the sound - meeting amused amber eyes as they watched her. He was..laughing?

“You don’t have to apologize. I understand a few phrases of elven. Though, your voice makes the words sound a bit different.”, the man told her before his eyes went wide, “I..I mean..! That’s not to insinuate..!”, he stuttered out, a hand coming up to rub at the back of his neck in nervousness.

Mhairi couldn’t help the already large smile on her face from growing larger as she watched this large, seemingly intimidating human fumble over his words - much like how she had just moments before. She knew her voice was a bit different than most of the Dalish. The accent could be thicker on certain words, and if she was really excited, her voice liked to peak. Fane was constantly snapping at her every time she ‘whinnied’ - as he liked to say -, saying the pitch made his ears ring. However, the tone of this human’s voice had suggested that he had liked the way it sounded. That made Mhairi..happy. Maybe because not many people complimented the way she spoke? She gave herself a tiny shrug, her smile nearly making her cheeks hurt with how large it was as she continued to watch the flustered human.

He’s..endearing - cute, even! Her mind thought boldly before she shook her head to dislodge the statement it had made. Look at her! Fawning over someone just because they said her voice was different! She was so typical, wasn’t she?

Despite berating herself for her odd thoughts, Mhairi continued to smile as she looked up at the blonde man - noticing he was much taller than her before mentally slapping herself again - and opened her mouth to ease his nervousness.

“I understand what you meant.”, she said softly, feeling a soft blush not borne from the cold dusting her cheeks as she added, “I appreciate the open mindedness, and the..um..compliment.”

The human’s eyes went wide once more - presumably from Mhairi calling him out - before he brought a hand up to his mouth to clear his throat, but Mhairi could see a smirk threatening to break through before the man next spoke.

“Yes, well..”, he fumbled before clearing his throat harshly, “If you’re sure you’re okay now, I have to..um..get back to my duties.”

Mhairi blinked at the word ‘duties’ before her mind caught up to speed.

The armor, the yelling, the dominating presence, the formality.. He’s important! He might know where the Seeker is! Or even where Brother is! Her mind exclaimed excitedly.

“Wait!”, she cried since the human had begun to walk away from her - his head turning to look back at her in question.

“Yes?”

Mhairi smiled brightly before bounding over to the confused man - reaching into the pouch at her hip to fish the letter from the Inquisition out of it. She thrust the letter towards the bewildered man - waiting as he warily took it from her small hand to give it a read. As amber eyes roamed the words, she saw his face form into a hard, but perplexed expression. Mhairi tilted her head at the sight. He looked..troubled. Why?

“Is something wrong?”, she asked, her smiling face falling at the continued look of confusion.

The human let out a heavy sigh, carefully giving her the letter back before shaking his head slowly.

“No. It’s just..”, he started before continuing with an even more serious tone, “I’m surprised that Seeker Pentaghast and Sister Leliana actually contacted you. Especially given the circumstances..”

Mhairi blinked several times before a feeling of dread and panic washed over her. What did that mean?! Was Fane more than just sick?! Why wasn’t this man being plain with her?! She slowly began to crumple the letter she had taken back before looking up at the human man pleadingly.

“Where is my brother?”, she asked urgently.

The large man hesitated for several moments before he shut his eyes with a deep sigh through his nose. Mhairi felt her fingers tear into the paper before she stepped forward, icy eyes glaring with intense heat as she did.

“Where is my brother?!”, she asked once more - more panicked and loud this time.

Amber eyes reopened to look down at her with apprehension - the man’s mouth opening to say something before a mind numbing scream rang throughout the valley. It was piercing, roaring, and agonizing all at the same time! It made her body begin to tremble once more before Mhairi’s eyes went wide as saucers with realization, as did the man’s in front of her. That voice..!

“..Fane..”, she whispered with horror shaking her voice before she propelled herself forward - easily setting herself into a sprint as she cried once more, “FANE!”

“What the..?”, the human started as he looked around for the source of the scream, but snapped his gaze back to her as Mhairi bolted in the direction of the scream, “Wait!”

Mhairi ignored the human’s cries as she barreled down the snow covered path - nearly slipping a few times as she ran up the stone steps that led into the main village from how frantic her footsteps were. She didn’t have time for formality or procedure! She shouldn’t have even entertained that human when she already knew something was wrong with Fane! Evidently, it appeared to be worse than she thought!

All Mhairi could hear as she pushed the large wooden doors open - having to use a bit of her magic to actually get it to budge - was the deafening screams of her brother somewhere deeper in. She had never heard Fane scream like this - never! There would be angered yelling between Keeper or clan, but never screaming as if he was in some kind of horrific torment! Something was wrong - horribly, horribly wrong, and it wasn’t an illness!

Why is he screaming like that?! Is he being hurt?! Has he actually been injured this whole time?! Did these people do something to him?! Oh, Creators! Please, no! NO! I should have been here sooner! Stupid! Stupid! Her mind thought frantically as she finally managed to shove the gates open - immediately sprinting up another set of stairs as soon as she stumbled through them.

Mhairi stumbled into several different people as she followed the sound of her brother’s screams - ignoring every bewildered look as she slammed into them, even when they seemed to be just as startled by the earth shattering screams that infested the whole village. However, her only concern was the source of those screams as her platinum hair tumbled from its braid from each person she connected with - flowing freely as she ran even faster before one begging statement resounded in her mind as hot tears began to escape her icicle colored eyes; the trails formed from them feeling frozen as the mountain air lashed at her cheeks.

Please, Creators, don’t take him from me, too..! Please..! Please..I’m begging you!

#dragon age #dragon age inquisition #female lavellan #oc: mhairi lavellan #oc: fane lavellan #solavellan #gotta love that sibling relationship #even if it will only cause pain later on!#*cackles manically*#ao3

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russian-writer · 7 years ago

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WHAT ARE YOUR MUSE’S AESTHETICS?

BOLD ANY WHICH APPLY TO YOUR MUSE. ITALICIZE WHAT THEY LIKE (For the basics) OR CAN BE TAKEN TWO WAYS (For the quotes) REMEMBER TO REPOST & NOT REBLOG. FEEL FREE TO ADD TO THE LIST.

TAGGING : Anyone who wants to! TAGGED BY : Taken from meself

BASIC :

fire. ice. water. air. earth. claws. fangs. wings. gold. diamonds. grass. leaves. trees. roses. metal. iron. rust. rain. snow. lace. silk. cotton. sun. moon. stars. blood. dirt. mud. silver. steel. sugar. salt. lavender. pomegranate. foxglove. glass. wood. paper. wool. fur. smoke. ash. ocean. bruises. scars. wind. spices. light. dark. paint. charcoal. wine. hard liquor. sweat. dust. bare feet. canine. feline. coffee. tea. candles. sword. dagger. staff. arrow. hammer. shield. gun. spikes. sand. rocks. roots. feathers. pearls. rubies. sapphires. emeralds. herbs. waves. lightning. sunlight. moonlight. clay. stone. brick. lions. wolves. foxes. ravens. crows. mountains. chains. quicksand. poppy fields.

QUOTES :

“ YOU RISE, I FALL, I STAND, YOU CRAWL, YOU TWIST, I TURN. ” / the softest palms that never want to touch you until after a bottle of wine. / “ just braid your hair if you won’t brush it, at least, you useless girl. ” / pulling on your skirt with one hand as you shuffle away. / “ YOU’LL GET IT DONE BEFORE THE DAY IS UP. ” / GUILT THAT ISN’T YOURS TO HAVE. / it’s a crooked game, but it’s the only one in town. / “ how could you do this to me? ” / THE SHARP STING OF GUILT. / YOU FEEL SOMETHING EVEN THOUGH YOU’RE PAID TO DO THE OPPOSITE / THE FAMILY YOU NEVER HAD. / falling backwards through time. / DROWNING, BUT YOU DON’T SAVE YOURSELF. / “ you’re getting better. ” / “ they smile like a snake. ” / you’re the stars and the sky. / THERE’S A PART OF YOU THAT COULDN’T STAY AWAY EVEN IF YOU WERE FORCED TO. / they are your wings, there’s no doubt there. / “ lets take off somewhere. lets fly. ” / YOU EDGE A BIT TOO CLOSE TO THE SUN. / another ghost to take your place after every stumble. / deep roots in the ground slashed open in the sun. / rock candy melting in water. / waves rise and leave the foam behind. / THE PRECIPICE YOU CALL HOME HAS A TIP YOU’LL REACH EVENTUALLY. / happiness is the best front a man can make. / “ i’ve never seen someone as beautiful as you before. ” / YOU DISAGREE; THEY’RE MORE BEAUTIFUL. / discomfort at the tiniest of touches. / the sky opens up when you see them. / rain comes down. / your sanity hanging by a thread. / “ OH GOD, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? ” / roommates weren’t supposed to be the smartest ones of all. / your mother had the most beautiful gardens, but you can’t grow anything worth a damn. / THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN DEEP SPACE AND DEEP WATER. / they’ve got a devil on their shoulder and an angel in their mind. / YOU TRIED TO HELP, BUT IT ONLY GOT WORSE. / NOW THEY’RE DEAD, IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT. / adam & eve in the garden. / a temptress in crisp button-downs. / “ you’ve gone off the deep end, haven’t you? ” / THEY LIE SO PERFECTLY YOU ALMOST FORGET YOURSELF. / the spark that lit the kindling on your funeral pyre. / sugar and spice and a taste for the dark side. / you smell like the mountains in the winter. / crisp red apples piled up on the table. / your shoes are sharp, but your wit is even sharper. /what a pretty one, they say. / directionless laughter. / “ love, I think I’m dying. ” / A SOFT, HOLLOW SPOT SITS IN YOUR CHEST. / there’s a place you’ll never leave no matter who tries to stop you. / the seat of power fits like a glove. / heavy is the head that wears the crown. / there will always be someone ready to break your neck and relieve you of the weight. / you share a space, but not a mind. / they think of you as weak. you are, maybe. / “ what are you going to do with all of these pills? ” / an empty bird’s nest. / broken pencil tips. / there’s an empty paper in front of you that you’ll never fill. / “ we want you to succeed. i hope you can grasp that. ” / “ they weren’t there when it happened. ” / quick to anger. / corruption. / there’s a red string tying you together. / the scent of whiskey on the horizon. /“ you’re the best friend i’ve ever had. ” / “ jump. I dare you. ” / 99 red balloons drifting through a hazy sky. / you try to lift your head up, but it’s so much effort. / always walking on sunshine. / marble under the sun. / “ I was hoping that you’d understand. ” / there’s a million reasons to come down from the clouds, but you can’t be bothered. / loon is the word of the day. / hair twisted up with glitter butterfly clips like a haphazard mobile. / you drift, but you know where you’re going. / no one has any dirt on you because you’re infinitely spotless. / the empty side of your bed they crawled into when they were nine. / court hearings. / “ I MISS YOU. ” / siblings are a funny thing. / they point out every family-shaped hole in every picture on the mantelpiece. / a lone wolf separated from its pack. / “ they say your name is death. ” / all-consuming passion. / THINK ABOUT THE THINGS YOU DID. / feed off the daylight. / no signs of life. / “ what are you waiting for? ” / pure wilderness. / if you’re hungry enough, anyone can stop caring about something long enough to eat it. / spine like a ladder, and his weary feet can’t find purchase. / THE BURN WAS SO SLOW, NO ONE EVER SAW IT COMING. / LEARN THROUGH TEACHING. / “ have you ever thought about why trees bleed? ” / sleeping nude as a means to declare you want to stay. / “ go down with me, fall with me. ” / black on black on black on black on bl — / the long game. / restless hands. /YOU WILL DO ANYTHING TO KEEP THEM / a cemetery by the moon, unblessed. / even when you walked one would think you waltzed. / “ mad men know nothing, but you should have seen me ” / “ my blood ran cold. ” / power corrupts. / wood grain and nail tracks. / no scales are strong enough to judge you. / “ your eyes make me want to do terrible things. “ / gaping as the river swallows her whole / rose brambles claiming your home / power is power / i am the night. / lust and loss call used feet that rhythmically hit the pavement. / dark hair and a glance thrown over a shoulder / THEY CALL YOU ANGEL AND DEVIL IN THE SAME BREATH / YOU HAVE CEASED TO BE YOURSELF; ONLY WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO BE REMAINS / flowers bloom until they rot and fall apart / brother; what’s my name? / whatcha gonna do when the chips are down? / wouldn’t you have done the same? / you can have your principles as long as you’ve a belly full / lover’s desire / what remains? / when you were mine the world seemed to burn / apocryphal vows delivered upon hands and knees / BEWARE THE MUSIC OF THE DEAD, FOR IT SHALL LEAD YOU LIKEWISE UNTO DEATH.

#mun speaks #[About Mikael]

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griefburdened-a-blog · 7 years ago

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BOLD ANY WHICH APPLY TO YOUR MUSE. ITALICIZE WHAT THEY LIKE OR CAN BE TAKEN TWO WAYS. REPOST & NOT REBLOG.

TAGGING : @ofgoodplace , @ofbadplace / @hawkinsdaughter , @momwheeler , @dcdharringtcn , @wheelerwinemom , @outcfmymind , @monsterspied , anybody else who’s up for it! TAGGED BY: nobody, I took it from myself actually. lol

BASIC :

QUOTES :

“ you rise, I fall, I stand, you crawl, you twist, I turn. ” / the softest palms that never want to touch you until after a bottle of wine. / “ just braid your hair if you won’t brush it, at least, you useless girl. ” / “ you’ll get it done before the day is up ” / guilt that isn’t yours to have. / it’s a crooked game, but it’s the only one in town. / “ how could you do this to me? ” / the sharp sting of guilt. / you feel something even though you’re paid to do the opposite. / the family you never had. / falling backwards through time. / drowning, but you don’t save yourself. / “ you’re getting better. ” / “ they smile like a snake. ” / you’re the stars and the sky. / there’s a part of you that couldn’t stay away even if you were forced to. / they are your wings, there’s no doubt there. / “ lets take off somewhere. lets fly. ” / you edge a bit too close to the sun. / another ghost to take your place after every stumble. / deep roots in the ground slashed open in the sun. / rock candy melting in water. / waves rise and leave the foam behind. / the precipice you call home has a tip you’ll reach eventually. / happiness is the best front a man can make. / “ i’ve never seen someone as beautiful as you before. ” / you disagree; they’re more beautiful. / discomfort at the tiniest of touches. / the sky opens up when you see them. / rain comes down. / your sanity hanging by a thread. / “ oh god, what have you done? ” / roommates weren’t supposed to be the smartest ones of all. / your mother had the most beautiful gardens, but you can’t grow anything worth a damn. / the similarities between deep space and deep water. / they’ve got a devil on their shoulder and an angel in their mind. / you tried to help, but it only got worse. / now they’re dead, it’s all your fault. / adam & eve in the garden. / a temptress in crisp button-downs. / “ you’ve gone off the deep end, haven’t you? ” / they lie so perfectly you almost forget yourself. / the spark that lit the kindling on your funeral pyre. / sugar and spice and a taste for the dark side. / you smell like the mountains in the winter. / crisp red apples piled up on the table. / your shoes are sharp, but your wit is even sharper. / what a pretty one, they say. / directionless laughter. / “ love, I think I’m dying. ” / a soft, hollow spot sits in your chest. / there’s a place you’ll never leave no matter who tries to stop you. / the seat of power fits like a glove. / heavy is the head that wears the crown. / you share a space, but not a mind. / “ what are you going to do with all of these pills? ” / an empty bird’s nest. / broken pencil tips. / there’s an empty paper in front of you that you’ll never fill. / “ we want you to succeed. i hope you can grasp that. ” / “ they weren’t there when it happened. ” / quick to anger. / corruption. / there’s a red string tying you together. / the scent of whiskey on the horizon. / “ you’re the best friend i’ve ever had. ” / “ jump. I dare you. ” / 99 red balloons drifting through a hazy sky. / you try to lift your head up, but it’s so much effort. / always walking on sunshine. / marble under the sun. / “ I was hoping that you’d understand. ” / there’s a million reasons to come down from the clouds, but you can’t be bothered. / loon is the word of the day. / hair twisted up with glitter butterfly clips like a haphazard mobile. / you drift, but you know where you’re going. / no one has any dirt on you because you’re infinitely spotless. / court hearings. / “ I miss you. ” / siblings are a funny thing. / they point out every family-shaped hole in every picture on the mantelpiece. / a lone wolf separated from its pack. / “ they say your name is death. ” / all-consuming passion. / think about the things you did. / feed off the daylight. / no signs of life. / “ what are you waiting for? ” / pure wilderness. / if you’re hungry enough, anyone can stop caring about something long enough to eat it. / the burn was so slow, no one ever saw it coming. / learn through teaching. / “ have you ever thought about why trees bleed? ” / sleeping nude as a means to declare you want to stay. / “ go down with me, fall with me. ” / black on black on black on black on bl — / the long game. / restless hands. / you will do anything to keep them. / a cemetery by the moon, unblessed. / even when you walked one would think you waltzed. / “ mad men know nothing, but you should have seen me ” / “my blood ran cold. ” / power corrupts. / wood grain and nail tracks. / no scales are strong enough to judge you. / your eyes make me want to do terrible things. / gaping as the river swallows her whole / rose brambles claiming your home / power is power / i am the night. / lust and loss call used feet that rhythmically hit the pavement. / dark hair and a glance thrown over a shoulder / they call you angel and devil in the same breath. / you have ceased to be yourself; only what they want you to be remains. / flowers bloom until they rot and fall apart / brother; what’s my name? / whatcha gonna do when the chips are down? / wouldn’t you have done the same? / you can have your principles as long as you’ve a belly full / lover’s desire / what remains? / when you were mine the world seemed to burn / apocryphal vows delivered upon hands and knees / beware the music of the dead, for it shall lead you likewise into death.

#▸ – (AESTHETIC.)#// long post

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offireflydancers · 7 years ago

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Day 4- RP advent calendar

Original credit goes to this RP Advent Calendar for the format and idea. In an effort to spread a little holiday cheer I will be posting little some personal RP tidbits on a whole range of topics from now until Christmas! If anyone wants to join in on the holiday fun feel free to follow along, edit it however you’d like or come up with some of your own prompts!

a female character of mine

A female character of mine is The Unnamed Survivor aka THE GIRL. Depending on the verse little is known about her origin, only that her parents left before they could name her. She is my only multi-muse so how she survived infancy and childhood is verse dependent.

in her SOA!verse, an estranged Uncle raised her until she could fend for herself before leaving. From there she worked as a waitress until she could buy enough money to buy her own motorcycle and make he way to California. Once she reaches Charming The Girl has a run in with the GEMMA TELLER, where she make’s quiet the impression and become’s a part-time bartender at the clubhouse. HC: distaste for crow-eaters and show-girls based on the fact that her mother was most-likely one.

In her ZA!verse she’s raised by haphazardly MAYSILEE and KEERA, after growing up alone in the ZA. Nothing is known about her parent’s aside from the fact that her iconic crossbow was handed down from her father. The girl is quick on her feet, and relentless in her travels across most of the eastern seaboard. Her biggest fault most likely is her confidence in handling Biter’s, or (in her opinion) the brief romantic relationship with CONNOR McMASTER.

In her Revolution!verse she acts as SEBASTIAN MONROE’s second in command after MILE’S MATHESON leaves. Later becoming a weapons master for DUNCAN, leading the charge against the newcomers. She’s responsible for helping hand Charlie over as a freelance bounty hunter. despite the fact that The Girl has a bounty on her own head for working under Monroe.

In her Teenwolf!verse the girl is a feral lone-wolf finding shelter on the outskirts of Beacon Hills, after a mysterious man murdered her family and gave her the bite. Having graduated with DEREK HALE She tends to deal business in the shadows, often acting as more of a back up for SCOTT McCALL’s pack when help is needed. Though she’s usually found working alongside CHRIS ARGENT, learning to track and hunt supernatural-beings in the hope of finding the man that turned her.

Overall she has a feral and sarcastic personality, often caught rolling her eyes and going to whatever ends necessary to ensure her goals. Once someone gains her loyalty she’s an ally for life.

QUICK FACTS:

Zodiac Sign: Libra ( exact D.O.B unknown)

Sexuality: Bisexual

Appearance: Lanky with dirty blonde hair, Gun-metal grey eyes, and a wide dazzling smile. Usually covered in dirt wearing a tank-top, leather jacket, jeans and boots.

Weapon of Choice: Anything.

If you would like to write with her in any of these verse’s (and more) feel free to drop a line and let me know!

tagged: @dementedbeautyqueens || @connormcmaster || @thefallengeneral || @regretandsass ||

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shianhygge-imagines · 8 years ago

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{The Difference} Chapter 3: Trouble Will Find You [A Witcher Story]

Good things don’t last... Actually... nothing good has happened so far.... it’s no surprise it went from bad to worse.

|Masterlist|

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Four days later

Jazz shivered and sat huddled under a large tree, what kind, she did not know for it was too dark for her to discern any telling traits. She knew that something such as this was bound to happen, though the young lady had hoped for it to happen later rather than sooner. Yet here she was, stranded in the middle of the dense forests separating Vizima and Velen, her stolen steed gone, leaving Jazz with only the items that had fallen when the horse had thrown her off in fright.

In fright of what, though, Jazz was unsure. Animals, after all, had better senses than humans, but whatever it was, Jazz had enough sense to scramble for cover after quickly gathering the fallen bag and sword. Her poor horse, Jazz wagered, would have become prey for some ghastly creature of the night. A tasty snack to be chased and played with until the hunter becomes bored and rips the equine into mincemeat.

What a lovely thought, Jazz sulked from her position on the forest floor, If whatever scared the horse off comes back, I’m in some deep shit.

When Jazz had been thrown from atop the horse, the impact, had thankfully not harmed her as much as it should have, her mind thinking to what had happened to Christopher Reeve in 1995. He was young and at the height of health, and he still became a quadriplegic. It was a morbid thought, but Jazz thanked whatever it was that she’d only gotten cut from several sharp rocks and maybe bruised her arm. Still though, I’m bleeding. Lightly, but still bleeding.

The landing had cut up any exposed skin… namely, Jazz’s thighs hands, and even parts of her face. Mere flesh wounds in reality, but for a lone and defenseless woman in the middle of the forests at night, the blood was a beacon to every predator, every creature that preyed on people like her.

Shifting slightly, Jazz rummaged through the single rucksack that fell from the horse, finding several pieces of cloth to bandage the wounds on her palms and wipe away the blood on her cheek. “This is what I get for trying to brave the dark.” Apart from the various clothes used to dress her wounds, there was an apple, a waterskin, and… Jazz’s hand wrapped around something metallic… and sharp. “Ah!” Jazz recoiled, pulling her hand away with a hiss when the pointed object pricked her hand. A frown marred her normally passive expressions as Jazz reached back into the leather sack to pull out the metallic object.

In the darkness, where not even the moon shone through the thick clouds, Jazz could only feel the shape of the mysterious object. It was between the size of a golf ball and a tennis ball, fitting in the palm of her small hand only barely. Whilst pulling the thing from the sack, a long metal chain had slumped out, no doubt attached to whatever Jazz held in her shaking hands. Must be a necklace… or a decoration… Jazz mused, gently sliding her fingers over the object whilst sniffing the metal. Smells of iron… maybe… blood? Was it won in a battle? Five… no… six protrusions… two spiked on either side of the two curved. The curves feel like… a beak? A snout? Who’d wear a pendant that looks like a bird? It was then, that Jazz stiffened, hearing the sound of hooves impacting dirt. It sounded like a stampede and echoed seemingly all around the small woman, as she pulled herself and the stolen belongings further into the thick shadow, quickly slipping the necklace over her head to wear.

Jazz curled into a ball, knees tucked into her chest, back to the trunk of a particularly large tree, and enclosed on either side by tree roots. She was positioned on the side of the tree facing away from the road, but Jazz threw the leather bag into the shrubbery just to make sure that no part of her peeked out from the tree’s protection. Then, once properly settled, Jazz clamped both her hands over her mouth, waiting for the approaching group to pass and leave.

The sound of horses came closer, loud and louder still until a hollar of, “HALT!” echoed in the trees and the gallops came to a sudden stop on the dirt path, not even ten feet away from where Jazz sat. There were a few seconds of silence where Jazz did not dare breathe, no inhale or exhale, simply frozen in place. Waiting.

Then, the sound of jiggling metal before a thud with several following. One, two, three men it seemed, had dismounted. Why? Jazz wondered, feeling as if she’d forgotten something.

“That’s one of o’r swords, aw’right.” Jazz froze in place when one of the men spoke, and she wanted to hit herself for forgetting to hide the sword as well. She didn’t think that the people of White Orchard were willing to chase her all the way to the forests near Dorian. Such a journey was foolish, especially over a horse.

“Da tracks ‘ed fur’er down ‘a the road. Ya ‘ink the thief dropped the silv’a s’ord?” Silver sword? Jazz blanched and felt sick to her stomach. No one from White Orchard would carry a silver blade, so whoever these men were, if they found her, she’d wish she were dead.

“I don’t care. I just want my trophy back.” It was a harsh voice that spoke this time. Deep, gravelly, from years of use. The pronunciation indicated someone who was actually taught to speak and read the proper way. And as much as Jazz wanted to be scared of an educated man leading a group of armed men, she couldn’t bring herself to. The necklace around her neck had begun to shake, steady at first, then violently. The lady of another world finally knew what she had in her possession.

“Ya mean tha’ mu’ant’s pendant?” A Witcher’s medallion. School of the Griffin. These men killed the witcher it belonged to. It made sense now. These men were witcher hunters… and they’d somehow taken down a witcher from the Griffin school. I knew that witcher hunters hunted and killed magic users… mages… sorceresses… the like… but to think that they’d travel south to kill a witcher of all things… Suddenly, Jazz didn’t know what to be scared of more. The overzealous witcher hunters on the road, or the threat within the forest that the medallion vibrated in warning of.

“You two,” Jazz moved to slowly crawl into the brush as the leader of the group started to speak, “we’re searching the area.”

I’ll take my chances with whatever lurks in the dark. Jazz thought after weighing the two evils, continuing on her hands and knees. They’re searching… but if I go slow enough… “Hey! Ah found ‘em!” Ah shit! Jazz cursed in her head as she scrambled to her feet, running further into the forest, the witch hunters running and following closely behind.

“Get back here, you fucking thief!”

As much as she knew better than to speak, Jazz did, snarling as she ran, “Piss off, you cock sucker! I’m not giving the medallion back!”

“Motherfucker, ‘tis a bitch!”

A laugh, “Run all you want, whore! Once we get to you, your cunt is ours!”

Nope! Jazz squinted, trying to see better in the woods. If she could lose her pursuers, it would be worth getting lost in the woods. Need to run left as soon as possible, or I’ll end up running towards the Pontar. Jazz’s stomach gurgled. Need food. Can’t run forever. The Griffin medallion around her neck sudden shook beyond violently, and in the distance, Jazz could see a towering and lean figure emerge from the forest floor. She didn’t know what it was until she heard the wolves. Turning now! The medallion had been warning her of that creature… and with its violent nature, she knew that she had to get out of the woods as soon as humanly possible.

Quickly pivoting in place, and stumbling on a raised tree root, Jazz paused to take a quick breather before sprinting back the way she came, passing the witch hunters in the blink of an eye. “Thank you for your contribution!” Jazz called as she ran past, her voice chipper despite the heavy breathing. The men had stopped running, startled that the woman they were pursuing had run back towards them. Jazz, however, didn’t care to look back. A mere twenty ten seconds later, she heard the sound of screams from behind her.

Another few minutes of running later, Jazz reached the dirt path, where three mares awaited. Not stopping to breath, Jazz scrambled atop an obsidian colored mare and gripped the reins, “Ha!” With a neigh, the horse took off down the main road towards Velen.

Not even a hundred meters down the road, however, a trail of tree roots burst from the forest, stabbing Jazz’s second stollen steed and bringing both mare and rider down to the dirt path in a violent tumble. When Jazz regained control of her body, she scrambled to her feet, finding that her dominant arm was twisted at an odd angle, and that her left leg hurt whenever she placed pressure on it. Liquid dripped down her face and Jazz raised her undamaged left arm to wipe at it, coming away sticky. Blood. Great. Glasses are broken as well.

A loud cry filled the forest. Inhuman, yet sentient and haunting. Then, one by one, a wolf appeared from the forest to a total of seven. Each were slightly different in color, white, timber, black, brown… And each snarled, backs hunched, mouths open, staring down the little injured human. Jazz backed away from the pack of wolves, limping slowly. Despite not running, the young woman’s breathing began to quicken, a sigh of distress as her eyes flickered back and forth. She wanted to run, but Jazz knew that she wouldn’t get far with her leg in such a state.

She was thoroughly fucked.

Jazz whimpered, and her face went warm as her eyes stung. And then, for the first time in nearly five days, the young woman broke, sobbing and not even noticing the unnaturally tall figure rise from the shrubbery behind her. “I wanna go home! I don’t want to be in this horrible world! Let me go back!” Jazz cried and hiccuped, stepping back again, to increase the distance from the wolves. But when her back bumped into veiny bark and cloth, she turned and glanced up, acknowledging the leshen with dead and resigned eyes before leaning forward and pressing her forehead to the leshen’s abdomen, crying with renewed vigor. “I don’t wanna die!”

It’s easy to say that Jazz should run away, or that she should have grabbed the silver sword from the dead horse and fight back. Anything besides using a leshen, a malicious forest relict creature, as a sob pillow. But the woman… no… the girl… for that was what she was in that situation, was tired, hungry, lonely, and hurt. Her will had gotten her so far, but it wasn’t enough. Whether she run or fight back, Jazz knew that she was a dead woman. Violence towards creatures is often retaliated with violence, and if, on the slim chance, the leshen has an instance of kindness… Jazz would risk surrendering.

For a while, the leshen merely stood still, as if puzzled by the weeping girl touching him. “If you’re going to kill me… I beg of you to make it quick.”

The leshen was old, having lived in the woods around Dorian for many centuries. Few humans dared to venture into its forest, and those who did often brought harm towards the trees and the animals. And those who brought violence would receive violence in return. The villagers down the way had taken to calling it a forest guardian, as most humans mistakenly did. By all means, it was a monster, living for the kill of any who trespassed. It was why it had followed the small human as she entered its lands. Why it watched her in the dark as she was ejected from atop her steed when the mare had sensed the ekimmara that also stalked the pair. The ancient relict had stayed to watch the sole danger to its forest while the ekimmara chased after the fleeing horse. The human had overstayed its welcome, and as the leshen approached the woman as she sat in the cover of the trees, ready to slay her with roots, it was then that the other humans arrived atop steeds of their own. These humans held blades of silver and chased after the smaller human, cutting down branches and small shrubs in order to reach the defenseless human. The violence was enough to anger the ancient leshen into action, calling upon the wolves and crows of the forest to attack the men, and then to attack the woman as she sought to flee on horseback. And though it regrets killing the midnight colored mare, the leshen could not allow the woman to survive, believing that she would take to the forest with a silver blade in hand and attack.

Yet to the ancient one’s surprise, the woman had merely surrendered itself, body language limp and accepting of whatever came. Submissive. Giving the leshen all the power over her fate. The voices within it, deep and primal, roared for it to kill, to slither its roots around the small and fragile body and crush its ribcage. And yet another voice purred soothingly, pleased with the submissive sensibility of the human woman. Then it purred in delight, muttering something in an ancient language that might equal to female.

Jazz’s breathing hitched when she felt the leshen lay its hands on her and the echoing voice returned. The edges of her vision slowly began to go dark as the small woman struggled weakly. “Wha? Stop! What are you doing?” Jazz grunted in alarm when the leshen seemed to glow eerily, the runes on its body lighting up with some sort of magic. From merely playing the games and reading the books, Jazz only knew the leshens to be simple and malicious creatures. Never has it been recorded to be able to, for lack of a better description, glow a deep and bright green. And not knowing what was happening… it scared Jazz, as much as it scared her to die in a foreign world.

But then, as the darkness crept at the edges of her vision, Jazz heard a loud pop before her body was sent into fits and spasms of pain. “Ah!” The pain concentrated on her right shoulder, left leg, and torso, but the searing feeling that came from the leshen’s touch spread throughout her entire body. It felt as if her insides were burning, and Jazz had to scream in pain, attempting to twist out of the leshen’s grasp. “Stop! Please! It hurts!”

But the ancient being wouldn’t listen, continuing in its work, which, to Jazz seemed like torture befitting the reputation that leshens had developed. The leshen didn’t stop, not when Jazz had passed out from the pain, and not when the wolves started to feast upon the terrified mares down the road. The leshen only stopped when the sun had risen above the horizon, and it had finished what it had set out to do. With a final haunting call, the ancient being disappeared, retreating into the forest it protected, and leaving the young woman completely healed, upon the forest floor.

Those who understood the leshen’s parting words shivered.

Mine. Free.

Moments later, Jazz opened her eyes, blinking the blurs in her vision away slowly and gathering her thoughts. And then, she bolted upright with a strangled gasp, sitting in the overgrown grass and feeling around her torso, then her arm, and finally her leg. She remembered the pain from being held in the leshen’s grasp, being chased by the witcher hunters, getting thrown from a horse two times in one night…

“A dream?” Jazz wondered aloud, noticing that her glasses were fixed as well… and then she turned around and saw the mare carcass, now missing chunks of meat from where the wolves had feasted on the majestic creature. A gulp, and Jazz stood, “Not a dream…” her hand reached up and gripped the witcher’s medallion around her neck, “The leshen let me go? And healed me?” with narrowed eyes, Jazz stood on shaky legs to loot the mare corpse, knowing that she had to get to someone who could help. “Leshens are not benevolent, it did something to me and I need to know what.”

Gathering as much food into one leather pack as she could, Jazz took the silver sword laying where it fell last night, and started down the road again.

Chapter 2 < Here > Chapter 4

#the witcher 3 #the witcher #the witcher imagines #wiedźmin #witch hunters #school of the griffin #shianhygge #shian imagines

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erenfanclub · 8 years ago

Text

foggy

Levi felt like he hadn’t seen the sun in days. The sounds of the forest had gradually changed, but it was as if he was stuck in an eternal night, where the moon was full but the shadows were much stronger than its pale light.

Getting lost had really messed with his perception of time.

Arms laden with collected firewood, Levi looked around and then cursed under his breath. He blamed his current predicament entirely on the thick fog that had rapidly descended and spread through the tree trunks as soon as he’d left his temporary camp. Working out his orientation was impossible, and although he’d carefully doubled-back on himself as soon as he noticed the situation, he had failed to come across any familiar ground. He didn’t even have a map, which in hindsight was very irresponsible, but he had planned to pack up and keep moving the following night. It didn’t matter where he went, as long as he stayed hidden from a few choice individuals.

The irritation that always accompanied thoughts of his pursuers flared hot once more, and combined with the growing stress, Levi almost growled. Not willing to waste any more time, he shifted his bundle of wood into one arm and marked a nearby tree with something distinctive, sheathing his knife at his hip again once he was finished.

He set off in the same direction as before. Or at least he thought it was the same. It was getting harder to tell the longer he tried. The dark trees loomed over him when he passed, but were quickly swallowed into the fog after a dozen more paces. It was like the world began and ended at the limits of his vision.

It was a long while before Levi saw something new. He slowed his walk and squinted through the endless grey when he saw something move just ahead of him. A light, he guessed, bobbing high in the air like it was coming from a carried torch. And it was moving towards him.

Out of habit, Levi ducked behind the nearest trunk, silent and cautious, only peering around to track the suspicious movement. It was slow, so the owner wasn’t running or partway through a chase to capture him, but Levi couldn’t let his guard down. Controlling his breath, he watched as a lone figure finally came into view.

Without conscious thought, Levi took stock of the newcomer. Male, taller than Levi, and walking with confident steps, were some usual descriptors that still had Levi tensing. But he was dressed in plain, loose robes, plus a darker cloak with the hood down, and that was not at all what Levi was expecting. In his right hand was a long wooden staff, with a strange-looking lantern hanging from the curl at the top end; this was the source of the firelight, not a lit torch as Levi had imagined. Overall, the stranger was quiet and unassuming. Average height, brown hair, inexpensive clothes. However, Levi wasn’t going to reveal himself to a random night-walker, no matter how inviting the fire looked.

The lantern made a slight popping sound, sending tiny sparks up into the air around it, and the stranger suddenly stopped. Without warning, the boy turned and looked straight at Levi.

“Hello?” he called.

Levi whipped his head out of sight.

It made no sense. Levi knew he hadn’t made a sound, and from their distance he should just look like an extended silhouette of the tree, shapeless and inconspicuous. Hand on knife hilt, and heart beating harder than before, Levi chanced another look.

The brunet had taken a few steps towards his hiding spot while he hadn’t been watching, but was staring a little off to the left of Levi now.

“I just want to talk, please,” he said, and Levi cursed again, internally. It felt like the boy had no intention of moving on now that he’d sensed someone nearby, however he did that. But something about his tone and body language put Levi more at ease. Hesitantly, Levi stepped out into the open.

The stranger gave no indication that he was surprised by Levi’s presence, his face only showing light curiosity. Levi waited.

“Hello?” the stranger asked again, but Levi wasn’t big on words. He gave one small nod in acknowledgment, nothing more.

There was a slightly awkward pause, in which Levi blinked and the brunet changed his grip on his odd staff.

“Armin, please tell me I’m not speaking to an empty space, you’re supposed to be leading me.”

Levi furrowed his brow, unsure whether this strange boy was assuming his name was ‘Armin’, or was just crazy and talking to himself. He had his head tilted upwards, towards his right side where the open lantern swung slowly, the fire dancing a little and bathing the stranger’s face in a warm orange glow. Even though Levi knew that leaving the only other human being for miles around could be a mistake, he was still fighting the urge to turn and walk away. When the boy turned back to face him, he stopped deliberating and took a risk.

“Do you live around here?” Levi asked, expertly masking any emotional tells in his voice. He was wary, but not stupid, and showing weakness was a foreign concept to him. He sounded indifferent, as if he didn’t care what the answer would be. The boy sighed. Levi almost thought it was a sigh of relief, although he couldn’t figure out why.

“Finally!” he said, face lighting up without the help of the lantern this time. “Well, I have been out for a long while now, but yes, my home is not too far.”

Levi startled at his sudden animation, but hummed at the answer to his question. He needed someone who knew their way around, and was willing to put up with a boy of questionable mental stability to get that information.

“It’s quite a night to be wandering around alone, isn’t it,” he said, tone neutral.

“It wasn’t how I originally planned things to go, but shit happens,” Levi replied vaguely, shifting the bundle of wood under his arm. He chose not to comment on what the other was doing out here at this time.

“True,” the boy said with a slight smile. He shifted his staff to his left hand, and held out his right in greeting. “Still, I am glad to have met you here…”

“Levi,” Levi finished for him, reaching out to grab the boy’s hand. But instead of shaking it like Levi expected, he held it still for a moment, and then used the pad of his thumb to rub over Levi’s knuckles. Stunned, Levi didn’t have time to protest before he started running both hands up Levi’s arm towards his face. The boy stepped much closer and purposefully felt the line of Levi’s jaw, before focussing on touching his nose and brow. He finished by running one hand through his hair and over his undercut to end at the base of his neck.

Levi couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed. Years of observing people’s hand gestures and the placement of their feet had served him well, but this time he’d neglected to notice an important detail. The boy’s pale grey eyes were not just washed out by the fog. His behaviour wasn’t so confusing.

The boy was blind.

“Ah, sorry.” The youthful voice snapped Levi out of his musings, and his staring. Soft hands were withdrawn, leaving only a ghostly touch as a reminder, a faint tingling on Levi’s skin. “And thank you. My name is Eren. And you are the one I’m looking for.”

If Levi had been trying to form words before then he was certainly lost now. With his train of thought derailed, he barely noticed Eren’s staff, standing perfectly vertical on its own. Eren took hold of it again without even a glance, and the moment to ask about it passed. Instead, Levi scoffed.

“There’s a whole line of people looking for me, it would seem,” he said, slightly rattled but unimpressed.

Eren smiled again. “Seems so,” he agreed easily, “but be thankful that I found you first.” Before Levi could say anything more, Eren raised his hand to his lips and blew a strong, sharp whistle. He flinched, but was glad that Eren couldn’t see it. Levi listened to the sound pierce through the silence of the night, loud enough to shake the leaves. It faded a moment later, and then Levi really did hear a rustling coming towards them from above.

A black, winged shape dived down through the fog, and then snarling in front of him was a large dog. Levi didn’t move an inch, but not out of fear. He knew he was tired, but he’d never been tired enough to start seeing things. The black dog was definitely the raven from seconds before. He saw it shift midair, its dark form changing just before it hit the ground.

“Mikasa, it’s him. Thank you for making your own search, but luckily Armin found a heat signature. We should be getting back now,” Eren murmured to the animal, his voice fond. It stopped growling soon after, but shifted to make itself a larger, more intimidating wolf before returning to the smaller canine form. Levi was sure it knew he couldn’t misunderstand the meaning of that display.

“Now, Levi, please come with me. It’s best not to stand still for too long in this forest. We should head down to the valley, dawn is coming. You’ll be much safer in our home.”

#my writing #ereri #riren #lmao foggy was the kitty word of the day ages ago but here we are #the start to another fantasy au i guess #just a short thing to ease me back into writing real words lol #what is this like the second thing i've posted all year?? i know i suck #but apparently i really do like to write exclusively at night loool #armin is a fire sprite if anyone is wondering #and eren is clairvoyant which consequently takes his eyesight from him.... poor bby #he saw levi in a vivid vision and then they go on an adventure and fall in love idk idk #imma sleep now #this is barely edited but it doesn't really matter ok

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