#Werewolf River Cartwright

[too-many-rooks]

And I'll do another one. Wolf River (or Les Arbres River 2 if that's already been asked)

The magic of the ask game; I didn’t really have much else worth sharing so this motivated me to write this whole passage I’ve been putting off for weeks;

‘The man on top of him - who had, mere seconds ago, not been a man but the biggest grey wolf River had ever seen, stilled. Under him, River tried to struggle, but what he’d prefer to imagine as relentless thrashing had been downgraded to ineffective squirming. When it had taken him to the floor, the wolf’s teeth had torn through his thick coat and sank deep into the flesh of his shoulder, at the juncture of his neck; blood was seeping through his clothes, and the sharp claws pressed against the other side of his neck threatened to spill more of his blood. 

The man - the wolf? The werewolf? River didn’t even have the time or space in his brain to deal with the enormity of what that meant, if he was just going to die - the other werewolf’s hold was like iron. River knew he would not be able to escape as things stood now. 

Tensed and waiting for more pain, the fight paused, very abruptly, as the stranger - who was entirely naked, perhaps most pressingly - an older man with thick, dark, eyebrows drawn together over sharp and analytical eyes frowned down at him, with all the concern of someone solving a mildly challenging puzzle. 

“You’re one of mine.” He said, mostly to himself, not seeming to need an answer from River, that he was barely capable of giving. Before he could even offer any (performative/instinctive - expected/rote - decorum/etiquette?) noises of struggle, the man had pressed even closer, to the side of River’s throat still glugging blood from the bite mark he’d left there mere moments ago. 

Inhaling deeply, the stranger stuffed his face into the side of River’s throat, ran the point of his nose upwards, followed by his beard bristling against the soft skin of his neck, so oddly intimate and deeply uncomfortable, River squirmed with more effort, eyes wide and alarmed, as he tried in vain to struggle once more against the rock-solid grip he was being held in, barely managing to choke out a “Get - off - me!” in defence of himself. 

The stranger took no notice of his complaints; though he pulled his head up, eyes closed, River’s blood staining his grizzled grey beard, it ran in rivulets down his bare chest and dripped onto River’s jumper. Face turned to the sky for just a moment, the stranger considered his scent, and, looking down at him with an air of surprised revelation, blinked down at him, and said,

“River?”

[docrotten]

I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF (1957) – Episode 153 – Decades Of Horror: The Classic Era

“All right now, we’ll move in stagger fashion. We’ll circle the outer edges first and keep going round and round till we meet in the center.” And that’s called a “search grid?” Join this episode’s Grue-Crew – Chad Hunt, Daphne Monary-Ernsdorff, Doc Rotten, and Jeff Mohr – as they go for the winning combination of mad scientist and teenage angst in I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957).

Decades of Horror: The Classic Era Episode 153 – I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957)

Join the Crew on the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel! Subscribe today! And click the alert to get notified of new content! https://youtube.com/gruesomemagazine

ANNOUNCEMENT Decades of Horror The Classic Era is partnering with THE CLASSIC SCI-FI MOVIE CHANNEL, THE CLASSIC HORROR MOVIE CHANNEL, and WICKED HORROR TV CHANNEL Which all now include video episodes of The Classic Era! Available on Roku, AppleTV, Amazon FireTV, AndroidTV, Online Website. Across All OTT platforms, as well as mobile, tablet, and desktop. https://classicscifichannel.com/; https://classichorrorchannel.com/; https://wickedhorrortv.com/

A troubled teenager seeks help through hypnotherapy, but his evil doctor uses him for regression experiments that transform him into a rampaging werewolf.

  Director: Gene Fowler Jr.

Writers: Herman Cohen, Aben Kandel

Makeup Creator: Phillip Scheer

Selected Cast:

Michael Landon as Tony Rivers

Yvonne Lime as Arlene Logan

Whit Bissell as Dr. Alfred Brandon

Charles Willcox as Jimmy (as Tony Marshall)

Dawn Richard as Theresa

Barney Phillips as Detective Donovan

Ken Miller as Vic

Cynthia Chenault as Pearl (as Cindy Robbins)

Michael Rougas as Frank

Robert Griffin as Police Chief P.F. Baker

Joseph Mell as Dr. Hugo Wagner

Malcolm Atterbury as Charles Rivers

Eddie Marr as Doyle

Vladimir Sokoloff as Pepe the Janitor

Louise Lewis as Principal Ferguson

S. John Launer as Bill Logan (as John Launer)

Guy Williams as Officer Chris Stanley

Dorothy Crehan as Mrs. Mary Logan

A young Michael Landon, just a few years before rising to fame as “Little Joe” Cartwright in Bonanza, stars as Tony Rivers, a troubled teen struggling with anger management. Whit Bissell is featured as Dr. Alfred Brandon,  a psychologist (or mad scientist) with ulterior motives. Yes! Oh, yes, indeed! It’s the AIP/Herman Cohen campy classic, I Was a Teenage Werewolf. The Grue-Crew is in full Drive-In Theater mode for this one.

High-quality versions of I Was a Teenage Werewolf, streaming or physical media, are not available, but there is a reason. Susan Hart, the actress and widow of AIP co-founder James Nicholson, owns the rights to eleven AIP films outright: It Conquered the World (1956) and its remake Zontar, The Thing from Venus (1966); Invasion of the Saucer Men (1957) and its remake The Eye Creatures (1965); I Was a Teenage Frankenstein (1957); I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957); The Amazing Colossal Man (1957); Terror from the Year 5000 (1958); Apache Woman (1955); The Oklahoma Woman (1956); and Naked Paradise (1957). She frequently negotiates rights for merchandise and theatrical showings, but physical media has not been updated for release in decades. You can, however, purchase a VHS tape of the movie.

Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror: The Classic Era records a new episode every two weeks. Up next in their very flexible schedule, as chosen by Chad, is The Wasp Woman (1959). Yes, they’re sticking with 1950s B-movies, but moving from AIP/Herman Cohen on to Film Group/Roger Corman!

Please let them know how they’re doing! They want to hear from you – the coolest, grooviest fans: leave them a message or leave a comment on the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel, the site, or email the Decades of Horror: The Classic Era podcast hosts at feedback@gruesomemagazine.com

To each of you from each of them, “Thank you so much for watching and listening!”

Check out this episode!

[butternuggets-blog]

Oneshot Masterlist

~~ A Discovery of Witches ~~

Cowboy In Your Pocket VampBaldwin Montclair/HumanCowboyMartin AU

Did You Hear That? Scary/Gore - Entry for Adarafaelbarba’s Trick or Treat Bingo

Look, I’m Sad and Frustrated, I Need Some False Hope Right Now How Baldwin Montclair stopped WW3 from happening in the ADOW universe

Passing Ships Prompt Angst/Whump - New Baldwin/Martin, for Adarafaelbarba’s Birthday Bingo

Sermon In The Streets Alternatively, The Time Baldwin Got C**k-Blocked By Jesus

Museum Baldwin Montclair/Martin, for Adarafaelbarba’s September Writing Challenge Bingo

Monsters For Adarafaelbarba’s September Writing Challenge Bingo

Becca and Pip Sing at Baldwin

Baldwin Visits, Diana is Sick

Matthew and Baldwin Take Becca Hunting for the First Time

New Pets 1 2 WeaverBecca AU

Matthew, Marcus and Baldwin Play Paintball

Unflappable Baldwin through the seasons (of ADOW)

Becca and Baldwin Help Matthew Walk Again

Matthew Has A Nightmare Angst/Whump

Eva Breaks Up With Baldwin

Becca Plays Hairdresser on Baldwin

The Betting Pool

Go-at Peacefully Into The New Year

~~ Marvel ~~

Zemo Goes Dancing

The Rookie AU Playlist Venom/Eddie/Male OC; story has mentions of SUICIDE, ASSISTED SUICIDE, PARENTAL ABANDONMENT, PARENTAL ISSUES, MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH, DEPRESSION, IMPRISONMENT, MENTIONS OF PAST ABUSE/TRAUMA

Leaps of Faith Require Ice Cream Venom/Eddie/Male OC; The Rookie AU

Baldr Odinson AU (Unwritten)

~~ SAS Rogue Heroes ~~

Changing Faces 1 2 Adow/SAS

Paw Patrol Werewolf AU Gender Neutral Reader Insert

The End Is Where We Start From Major Character Death, Mention of Suicidal Thoughts, Angst with A Happy Ending

~~ Random Oneshots ~~

Dixie’s Revenge Spoilers for S2 ep 5 (Splitting The Party) of 1 for All

Persuasion, By Multiple Means Shadenite, DC Stargirl

Saucepans and Back Taxes Stargirl Fluff/Crack, Slight Angst , Shadenite

The Four Horsemen Open A Bar Highlander; Crack Treated Seriously

Other Oneshots

A Quiet Night In Slow Horses; River Cartwright/Spider Webb/Hobbs

~~ Spicy NSFW ~~

Valentine’s Day Prompt NSFW SMUT/P**N WITHOUT PLOT - Baldwin/Female Reader, for Adarafaelbarba’s Birthday Bingo

Apologies NSFW, Bucky Barnes/Male Reader

Second Chances NSFW, Smut/Angst, Porn With Minimal Plot, Baron Zemo/Male Reader

Unexpected NSFW P*rn Without Plot, Modern Witcher, Slash, Mpreg, Pregnancy Kink, Breeding Kink, Geraskifer, Magic Sex, Threesome (technically), Mild Gender Bending.

[rikaswork]

"like father like son." . HAVE A HOWLING FATHERs DAY . I Was a Teenage Werewolf released June 19, 1957 was Michael Landon first movie role as Tony Rivers . But his most notable roles were Little Joe Cartwright in Bonanza; Charles Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie; Jonathan Smith in Highway to Heaven . trivia: He did a couple of 45s singles' "Gimme a Little Kiss" and "Be Patient With Me" under the artist Teenage Werewolf. _ #Iwasateenagewolf #michaellandon #happyfathersday #fathersday #werewolf #werewolves #horror #horror #horrorlove #horrorfanatic #actionfigure #actionfigurephotography #toys #toyphotos #toyphotography #toycommunity #toycrewbuddies #geekphotos #geekphotography #geekery #geeklife #geeky #geek #geekculture https://www.instagram.com/p/CCABjw7hgtY/?igshid=188wbt6vmdemo

[too-many-rooks]

I LOVE werewolf river omg

I AGREE I'm always such a sucker for any kind of supernatural creature AU and I think werewolfism just suits him so well.

It's the need to be a part of something, the need to be told he's a good boy, that he's helpful and useful. Being too loyal and trusting to the people he cares about, or respects, or defers to as an authority, and getting fucked over by them, bc his loyalty is never returned. How Frank and his pack(/cult) could come into his life and it's like this missing piece, finally understanding exactly why he's felt so lonely his whole life, and how tempting any kind of offer of family would be.

How much he loves fucking running all the time, how he can take a beating and shake it off fairly quickly, how good he is at the hunt, at tracking people down and following them without them recognising he's there.

Anyway I started rambling a bit too much about the many fun werewolf River ideas developed with @countessrivers that we’ve been batting back and forth in the tags, but decided to add a bit more detail and contained it under the cut where I elaborated a bit (a lot) more

One evolving thread of an idea is one where River gets stuck in werewolf form at the end of S3 after he gets exploded/nearly killed. Transforming and flipping out a bit and eating a bunch of Chieftain guys (and maybe Nick Duffy also.) Louisa chasing after him to explain to Shirley and Marcus that the massive wolf currently munching on Head Dog's liver is River, and please don't shoot him, but also - considering how he unbothered he was by Chieftain's bullets, probably won't do much but annoy him.

River snapping out of his bloodthirsty rampage once the smoke has cleared and the immediate threat is gone, but having some difficulties when it comes to 'okay, now be a human again' (The idea being this is perhaps the first time he's transformed not during a full moon.) Kind of switching into silly puppy mode, not at full human brain capacity, not particularly bothered by anything - he's had a hunt, and a meal, and now some of his pack is here! Great! Maybe him and Shirley play fetch, have a little play fight, I think that would be cute.

Louisa sending Shirley and Marcus off to publish the file, her sneaking River out and into her apartment. River going through the indignity and betrayal of being showered and just a Sad Wet Wolf in the bathtub, but Louisa refusing to let him near her furniture/floor when he's so gross and still covered in blood and gore and whatever was on the floor at that facility. The heartbreak continuing when Louisa won't let him sleep at the end of her bed. Louisa pointing out that he didn't exactly bring his clothes with him when he turned into a giant fucking wolf, so when he wakes up tomorrow morning - hopefully back to normal - she doesn't exactly want her colleague/just about friend naked on her bed! (River presumably sneaking on/being let on anyway, the puppy dog eyes have got to be killer)

And then the next day coming; and River's still a big stupid werewolf. Louisa and River ending up at (a not dead) Spider’s apartment, who may or may not know about his lycanthropy already, but knows it’s River pretty quickly either way. River busy terrorising Spider’s wardrobe by ripping up all his ties and gnawing on his shoes, but eventually Louisa needing to leave. River and Spider engaging in their standard pettiness and humiliation rituals around stuff like Spider trying to make him eat dog food/from a dog bowl, trying to make him wear a collar bc they need to go into public and River’s a literal giant wolf so he needs one for his doggy disguise so people don’t start screaming on the tube. (And obviously, the many ways River might be collared by all these various people and all the fun uses for/implications of it)

Spider needing to go to the Park, and having to take River with him/not trusting him alone in his apartment. Not resisting the opportunity to make fun of how the only way River’s allowed back in now is as an office pet, (someone overhearing and realising he’s named his dog after his work frenemy/rival he has always had a… weird kind of obsession with and just like. Okay then.)

Spider getting intercepted by Diana who sends him to do something for her, but not letting him take his dog with him, that would be deeply unprofessional- no, she’ll look after it, presuming it’s house trained.

Diana thinking how she’d quite like to have some additional back-up in a meeting she’s got later that day with Whelan/Judd, whoever might benefit from being growled at by a big scary dog, sending him to the fancy dog groomers to get a blow out to make him look all dignified and fancy to act as her particularly intimidating accessory.

River not, *not* enjoying being a guard wolf for Taverner and having her scritch his ears and tell him he’s a good boy. Her taking him back to her place, cottoning on to who exactly he is eventually, bc, she’s a smart lady, and maybe he can get away with responding to ‘River’ but also responding to ‘Cartwright’ being pretty much a dead give away.

Diana thinking about how River could be useful to her now, could be a solid asset, especially if she’s seen footage/evidence of what he did at the facility wanting a loyal dog of her own after everything with Duffy, and now Flyte (and perhaps the ‘dogs’ being a very literal name and them being werewolves too, who rejected River bc he doesn’t smell right bc he technically belongs to a different pack, also a potential thought.)

River finally turning back in Diana’s apartment, feeling extremely awkward being naked and in her home, fashioning some kind of toga from a blanket to protect his dignity/not flash his boss.

Diana not really caring, instead giving him her pitch/job offer, and it’s to work for *her* directly, to cover her back, to protect her, even when that means protecting her from the service/Lamb. Potentially playing into any latent mummy issues/general need for the approval of authority figures in his life to push him along. It not being how he thought he would/wanted to go back to the Park, but it being an opportunity he can’t really turn down.

And then, how his connection with Frank would be different, him presumably being a werewolf in the first place bc he inherited it from his dad. And how River, who I’m imagining having been a lone wolf his whole life, potentially never even meeting other werewolves, so Frank coming into his life and it being kind of this revelation, and he’s fascinated by him, and all that he could teach him, and the idea that he sort of knows River better than he knows himself worming it’s way into his brain.

And, if it’s carrying on that earlier plot line I laid out, Frank getting involved as River is coming back under Diana’s sway, and moving back toward the Park in the space between seasons 3 and 4, Diana needing someone to train her new pet werewolf, Frank hearing about that through the grapevine and assuming MI5’s untrained pup is probably his boy, and wanting to check in.

Frank being presented as like ‘the werewolf specialist’ here to solve all their problems, but saying he needs to take River out of London to be able to train him properly. And, don’t worry, he’ll totally give him back. (Maybe he will, maybe it’s more of a split custody/River getting the Mi5 jobs, but very definitively belonging to Frank/being part of his pack/cult.)

So River slotting into life at Les Arbes, and finding out about Frank being his dad and meeting his half-brother(s) and becoming a part of a pack for the first time in his life, and feeling like part of a big family, and like - having friends his age, and them perhaps being playfully and physical affectionate, scrapping and play fighting and cuddling in a way that River’s always craved but never really had access to, bc it’s just like, basic werewolf socialisation.

And obviously, you know, there being, a kind of unsettling vibe - it’s clear that they’re some sort of off-the-books paramilitary werewolf squad, but perhaps the super intense cult stuff is turned down a bit when not in a time of crisis, and for River’s sake, and perhaps it’s not as necessary in an a werewolf AU where there’s more pack ties to each other and submission and obedience toward the pack Alpha is kind of innately ingrained.

But how River could sort of… accept all of that, the part of him that is desperate for action, and craves fieldwork - getting that at Les Arbres, even if it’s more shady than the career he had planned. And perhaps being able to dismiss any kind of strange cult-y interactions as being a part of like, werewolf culture that he knows nothing about, (like he can shrug off all the weird kissing in the book as werewolf socialising, bc wolfs lick each others mouths as a greeting,) and wanting to integrate so much he doesn’t want to question it all. (And then uh. How different social conventions/rules/relationships are. For freaky horny reasons. And just, much potential there. Sorry not sorry.)

Anyway that’s sort of one thread of an idea that has many spin-off and tangent and adjacent ‘what if’ ideas, some of which involve a lot of fun vampire stuff which I won’t share for risk of spoiling a potential upcoming fic I’m very excited for 👀

But yeah, long story short anon, same.

[too-many-rooks]

So uhm... Talking about your werewolf River, it's living in my head rent free...

And i was thinking what if during one of his first non-full moon transformations, our dear River gets caught by the Dogs and all dat... The Park seeing this very untrained, very unsocialized, possibly dangerous puppy deciding to lock him up in one of those park's cell and putting a muzzle on him...

Then human River waking up a few dozens of hours later, exhausted, sweaty, (probably soaked in blood because 😊) with the muzzle still on him.

The humiliation he would feel to be nakey, vulnerable, and everything... The humiliation of having to ask(beg) for someone to come in and remove the muzzle..

Or whatever,,, sorry, this AU just makes me go crazy

Anon!!!! I’m screaming this is fantastic.

Paw Patrol out roaming the streets of London, picking up a scent that’s not from one in their pack, and that being an issue,

River in a situation where he has had to turn, has been unable to resist it, maybe having busted out of any locks/handcuffs he tried to restrain himself with. Being dangerous, bc he’s out of control and can’t turn back, and might not have much rational thought. Genuinely posing a risk to people - wanting to hunt, wanting to kill, being dazzled by all the lights and noises and sounds and smells and getting overwhelmed and running for the nearest green space. (Causing a bit of a scene about a ‘lost dog’ on social media, or speculating about a wolf escaping from a zoo.)

Being able to calm down some, but still pretty feral, once he’s got grass under his feet, maybe picking up a scent, and selecting a hapless jogger as his evenings prey. The dog catchers having tracked him across the city, way outnumbering him and having training/resources- getting talked and having the wire loop of an animal handling pole tightened around his neck before he can pounce and kill someone, perhaps tranquillising him to get him in the back of a like… emergency animal control response unit van, collaring him, muzzling him, and taking him back to the Park to ride it out.

Waking up hours later in a cell, sweaty and exhausted (and yes, probably covered in blood, bc why neglect the opportunity,) muzzled and locked up - not knowing where he is, not seeing daylight, nor smelling anything natural. Being frightened and alone and not sure if he should call for help, bc whoever comes might be worse that being alone. Eventually breaking, calling for anyone, but not particularly happy to see Hobbs, or Duffy, or whoever it is - though they seem pretty happy to see him, at least - seeing him like this, trapped and captive and muzzled, where he belongs. Being marched down a hallway, naked, in sight of the others and enduring the (literal) wolf whistles and the weird sexualised bullying and harassment only kicking up a notch now. Maybe leading him to whoever it was whose blood he got covered in, holding his arms back and letting them take a claws-out swipe across his chest in retaliation.

Them not being able to keep him this time, bc Lamb’s there to collect his wayward stray (and, in a supernatural AU, Lamb being very clued in to it all, but no one having *any* idea about what he actually is, he’s evidently thoroughly mortal, but everyone thinks he knows too much to just be human, very fun to me,) gets someone to bring him some clothes, because this is meant to be a work place, for Christ’s sake.

But the dogs threatening that this won’t be River’s last time in their kennel - that he’ll be bought to heel soon enough, once old Cartwright’s out of the way, and daddy Lamb can’t always protect him.

(And then, how much more compelling the option of joining Frank’s pack is compared to being muzzled and broken by the Dogs.)

[too-many-rooks]

I’m a sucker for Wolf! River

Me too me too this sad little puppy is the werewolfiest man I’ve ever laid eyes on - here’s a snippet from the next part of my Wolf River fic (also sorry for this being three weeks late, was laid low by a virus )

‘When River hoists himself over the walls of Les Arbes, and drops down past its gates, he has, not for the first time in his life, the instinct to crane his neck skywards and howl. 

All his life, his howls were mournful, stifled things. 

A wolf howled to speak to its pack; to call out their location, to find their family, to be found. 

River had howled alone in Kentish woods, screaming desperately to a forest turned silent by his yearning and his begging. 

He’d learned to suppress his noises; there was only so many monthly nights of sad howling that could be blamed on various neighbour’s various dogs before people started to get suspicious, and set the game wardens on him. 

He tended to set the hounds off anyway; even as a human the dogs were unsettled by him, and when he called to them, they cried back in alarm to alert each other of an intruder in their midst, a predator, a threat.’

[too-many-rooks]

imagining Rose and David having to work out how to raise a gangly werewolf pup is so good. like river transforms one night and ends up dozing off in front of the fireplace and they're like "should we carry him up to his bed? do you tuck in a werewolf?? What did Isobel do???"

God anon this is so sweet - it also meant I spent a lot of my work day sneakily looking at pictures of wolf puppies (and now have spent a significant portion of my evening watching videos of wolf puppies. Which has all very been enjoyable.)

Sleepy baby werewolf all curled up by the fire, maybe having turned accidentally bc he feels warm, and safe, and he’s not really in control of it. David and Rose just sort of quietly staring at each other in baffled horror, eventually deciding to carry him to bed, bc he can’t sleep here all night. River doing that thing dogs do when they’re sleepy and don’t want to be moved and just turning into a total dead weight and going all liquidy, David trying to scoop him up by his middle and going all droopy and floppy. Probably eventually giving up bc his back can’t handle it, and he seems… perfectly happy down there..

Or it’s like the Saint Gellert thing, Rose and David checking in on River after he’s gone to sleep and seeing a wolf in his bed and thinking ‘oh no this baby wolf has snuck into our house in Kent and eaten River in his sleep!‘ bc, as unbelievable as that is, it’s actually more conceivable than ‘the grandson our daughter abandoned and ditched with us is actually a werewolf, and also werewolves exist????’

Just generally, puppy River having very little control over his transformations - it just being sort of reflexive when his emotions bubble over and he’s too excited, or scared, or frustrated, and *boom* gangly little werewolf puppy tripping over his way outsized massive paws.

[too-many-rooks]

doing stuff for my werewolf River fic and researching various subspecies of wolves to assign an aesthetic to the different Les Arbres boys, real throwback to my days of like, coming up with werewolf ocs in the roleplay forums I first started doing creative writing in when I was a kid. Googling classic 12 year old stuff like 'biggest wolf' and 'most dangerous wolf'. very cool and fun.

[too-many-rooks]

More stuff about werewolf!River soon? Please? 🥺🥺🥺🥺

Perfect timing! I saw this pop up in my inbox as I was writing a long rambling response about werewolf River in to this anon here - https://www.tumblr.com/too-many-rooks/768606383228715008/i-love-werewolf-river-omg

Hope to get out more fic soon, hopefully this will be of interest till then!

[too-many-rooks]

River Cartwright has lived his life separated into two, neat boxes, and expended much effort to ensuring as little overlap as possible.

There was River Cartwright; human, his grandparents' loving son, who made sensible decisions and was normal and reasonable and (conceivably) employable at the highest levels of Government security.

And then there was, well. The large wolf that he turned into on a monthly basis.

River has survived for decades under the guidance of his grandfathers teaching, keeping him self hidden, keeping himself controlled, protecting his secret at all costs.

But when a stranger, looking and smelling impossibly familiar, comes to his grandfather’s door to try and kill him, River is propelled into new territory in a peculiar French commune, and learns answers to questions he never thought to ask.

[too-many-rooks]

an au where Taverner agrees to giving River up to Frank would be crazy because like... would mi-5 even hope river would feed them back info? or would it be like just getting rid of a loose end like Taverner wanted to do since the training exercise? it's such a wild train of thought I love it

One of the reasons I’m so obsessed with Frank is all the myriad ways that he could totally mess River up, and why the idea of Taverner agreeing to Frank’s pitch, or maybe part of his blackmail failsafe demands being to let him nab him River is so fun, is that there’s just so many potential takes on it, and they’re all super interesting! Bc, yeah, yes all of these! Would there be a hope/expectation from River to be feeding information back, even after he’s essentially been sold and burned by them, and presumably growing increasingly indoctrinated and under Frank’s control? Mi5 have apparently been using Frank to do their dirt work for years, so is River joining the family assassin business/cult presented as just like… a wild secondment from Slough House?

Would Diana be tempted to just get rid of the problem/ constant thorn in her side that is River Cartwright? @sloughhousestaircase made the really interesting point of Diana being like ‘where were you x months ago when I needed to ditch this kid?’ Bc yeah, if Frank had approached her before River was sent to Slough House, and came under the protection of Lamb, and Diana still trying to figure out how to get rid of him, would she have been more tempted? Would she be able to pitch it to a much less disillusioned and more naive River as an undercover operation - but would she be able to mantain any level of control over him once he’s with Frank, and realising who he is, and how they’re connected?

Me and @countessrivers, who are very much driving the ‘River being part of his dads assassin cult’ train, have pitched each other a bunch of different ideas for how a Diana trading River scenario would go down, which a range across a whole spectrum of au’s from like, post s3 developing werewolf River needing to be trained and controlled (to be used as an asset by Diana,) and Frank coming in as like the werewolf specialist, (and then obviously indoctrinating his son and bringing him back to the werewolf pack at Les Arbres.)

Or more closely following on canon, Frank’s promise in the books that they’ll ‘talk soon’, maybe Frank finally being able to have a drink with his son once he’s finally out of extensive debriefing/medical treatment for Thames water in the lungs, which he can achieve by breaking into River’s flat and waiting for him and drugging his glass to knock him out, and making it easier to take his son home without any fuss.

There’s just, so many ways Frank could absolutely fuck up River’s life. And I think that’s beautiful.

[too-many-rooks]

More thoughts bc I started having them -

And then also - how terrified River might be at having his secret be discovered. How his mother must have told him over and over again to keep it hidden; how she’d respond to these wolfy out bursts with fear and panic and disgust, and how that must have made River feel ashamed, and wrong, and frightened and guilty of this thing that he is.

how out of her depth she must have felt being left alone with a werewolf child away from its pack, away from people who actually know how to care for a young wolf. How River might assume she left him there because of what he is, and now that his grandparents know, thinking they’ll get rid of him too. How long it takes to unlearn that, to be convinced otherwise, and if that fear ever really goes away, even as he gets older, and more certain of how much his grandparents love him, since he’s also growing bigger, and more dangerous, and harder to contain.

(And to that point - how *does* having to contain River during a full moon evolve? When he’s very young presumably it’s limited to puppy-level damage - he might chew on some shoes and widdle on the rug and generally be a menace bc of his lunar zoomies, but the most damage he can do is gnaw a little too much in someone’s fingers with his sharp puppy teeth, or play a bit too rough. But he’s not gonna stay a puppy forever - even if he’s not necessarily dangerous, when he gets bigger, getting over excited, wanting to play, wanting to wrestle, to chase, and the disconnect with how fragile and delicate his grandparents are compared to how tough his pack mates *should* be, who *should* be able to overpower him quite easily and teach him how rough he’s allowed to play.

How, maybe he *does* get more dangerous, as he gets older and unlocks more of his hunting instincts and his prey drive. Maybe, at first, most full moons are best spent with a long night-hike with grandad, to expel some of that wild energy, and then home for a lamb bone from the weekends roast and a nap by the fire. But, as he gets older, is it too dangerous for David to be in the woods with him anymore? And then what? Do they try locking him up somewhere in the house? Do they listen as his pained screams and sobs turn into mournful, lonely howls and despairing whimpers? How long can they stand that? Do they end up dropping him off in the remotest spot they can find, and send him off with enough supplies that he can hike as far away from other people as possible, to let him ride it out in the countryside alone, and just hope that no one sees him, no-one catches him, hurts him. But it’s not like there are swathes of uninhabited wilderness in Kent. How worried are they that he’ll hurt someone? Or, if he does, that David’s connections are enough to protect him from the consequences?

And, thinking about it, from Isobel’s perspective, what’s it like being a human that has a werewolf child? What was the pregnancy like, what was birth like? Was she afraid to go to a hospital for how the *thing* inside her might show up on an ultrasound, what it might look like when it comes out of her? Were there things that happened to her body while she was pregnant that she didn’t understand, that she couldn’t find answers about in any pregnancy book, did she have anyone to speak to about it, anyone who could help? Did she hope he might be normal, and then was horrified to see his first transformation? How did it feel to sometimes see her child in his crib, and sometimes see an animal there instead? Is a newborn werewolf affected by full moons? Did she watch her child scream in pain she was powerless to stop, and have to see his tiny little body reform and change shape in the first few weeks of his life?

Although she’d leave him in a few years, was she scared someone would take him away, if they found out what he was? Was that idea, even if it frightened her, ever tempting? How many times did she think about leaving him? About carrying him into the woods during a full moon and walking away? About taking him back to Les Arbres, letting them find him, letting them take him? How many times did she look at her son, and not see anything but a monster?

Does David have that same experience? Does he know what Frank is, and, knowing what Frank is, does that make him realise with 100% certainty that not only is River Frank Harkness’s child, the thing that is wrong about him, the thing that is frightening and unnerving and monstrous, has tainted his grandson too? Does he ever consider how, maybe, the safe call, the practical call - is to just take the thing out into the woods with his shotgun and put the poor beast out of its misery? Does he ever hear River howling, howls that sound like crying, like begging, that are never answered, and wonder if he’d be better off with his father?

imagining Rose and David having to work out how to raise a gangly werewolf pup is so good. like river transforms one night and ends up dozing off in front of the fireplace and they're like "should we carry him up to his bed? do you tuck in a werewolf?? What did Isobel do???"

God anon this is so sweet - it also meant I spent a lot of my work day sneakily looking at pictures of wolf puppies (and now have spent a significant portion of my evening watching videos of wolf puppies. Which has all very been enjoyable.)

Sleepy baby werewolf all curled up by the fire, maybe having turned accidentally bc he feels warm, and safe, and he’s not really in control of it. David and Isobel just sort of quietly staring at each other in baffled horror, eventually deciding to carry him to bed, bc he can’t sleep here all night. River doing that thing dogs do when they’re sleepy and don’t want to be moved and just turning into a total dead weight and going all liquidy, David trying to scoop him up by his middle and flopping over on either side. Probably eventually giving up bc his back can’t handle it, and he seems… perfectly happy down there..

Or it’s like the Saint Gellert thing, Rose and David checking in on River after he’s gone to sleep and seeing a wolf in his bed and thinking ‘oh no this baby wolf has snuck into our house in Kent and eaten River in his sleep!‘ bc, as unbelievable as that is, it’s actually more conceivable than ‘the grandson our daughter abandoned and ditched with us is actually a werewolf, and also werewolves exist????’

Just generally, puppy River having very little control over his transformations - it just being sort of reflexive when his emotions bubble over and he’s too excited, or scared, or frustrated, and *boom* gangly little werewolf puppy tripping over his way outsized massive paws.

[too-many-rooks]

More thoughts actually, bc I think wether the Dogs know what River is already or not when they capture him is really interesting.

There’s one option of them having potentially rejected him from the pack bc Frank’s already got some sort of genetic scent claim over him and they just don’t trust it, don’t like it - don’t want him.

Perhaps it’s more that being a Dog is one of a few limited options for a werewolf in the service - and there’s the perception of them as these sort of mindless, semi-disposable foot soldiers. The very name ‘Dogs’ being so much more insulting in this sort of au, being seen as domesticated, tamed, obedient beasts - kept muzzled and under tight control from whoever head-dog leader of the pack is, and anyone who doesn’t like it, (like Marcus, perhaps) is forced out.

And that being a tough existence - maybe not all of them being born to it like River is, maybe not all of them being able to fully turn into a wolf like he can, there’s sort of different ranks, and status, different powers but also different difficulties, maybe transforming is very painful, and there’s an aspect to it that is disabling, and traumatic and horrifying.

So, a person being turned in an attack, having their career trajectory suddenly snap into a different direction and being restricted and changed in so many ways, seeing this lone wolf, who is this kind of rare, and almost venerated type of werewolf compared to them who are no more than lowely dogs, who is given remarkable freedom, and (contrary to his perspective) gets away with things none of the rest of them would, who should have been muzzled and bought to heel /years ago/ but is protected by who his grandfather is (- and that not even where he gets his prized bloodline from, no-one seems to know where he even *came from!*) and how much resentment could start to brew in that sort of situation.

And then, conversely, if River knows about the Dogs - if he knows he’s been rejected, and wondering why he’s not good enough, why no pack wants him, or thinking he’s being a sneaky little wolf that they don’t know anything about, and getting away with, (he’s not) or if he just doesn’t know that there’s a whole contingent of werewolves at Mi5 bc no one ever told him and he doesn’t know how to recognise a fellow werewolf, bc he doesn’t realise he’s ever met another one before, and he’s just so deeply unsocialised he doesn’t know anything about werewolf manners and etiquette and ends up accidentally offending every werewolf he meets.

So uhm... Talking about your werewolf River, it's living in my head rent free...

And i was thinking what if during one of his first non-full moon transformations, our dear River gets caught by the Dogs and all dat... The Park seeing this very untrained, very unsocialized, possibly dangerous puppy deciding to lock him up in one of those park's cell and putting a muzzle on him...

Then human River waking up a few dozens of hours later, exhausted, sweaty, (probably soaked in blood because 😊) with the muzzle still on him.

The humiliation he would feel to be nakey, vulnerable, and everything... The humiliation of having to ask(beg) for someone to come in and remove the muzzle..

Or whatever,,, sorry, this AU just makes me go crazy

Anon!!!! I’m screaming this is fantastic.

Paw Pawtrol out roaming the streets of London, picking up a scent that’s not from one in their pack, and that being an issue,

River in a situation where he has had to turn, has been unable to resist it, maybe having busted out of any locks/handcuffs he tried to restrain himself with. Being dangerous, bc he’s out of control and can’t turn back, and might not have much rational thought. Genuinely posing a risk to people - wanting to hunt, wanting to kill, being dazzled by all the lights and noises and sounds and smells and getting overwhelmed and running for the nearest green space. (Causing a bit of a scene about a ‘lost dog’ on social media, or speculating about a wolf escaping from a zoo.)

Being able to calm down some, but still pretty feral, once he’s got grass under his feet, maybe picking up a scent, and selecting a hapless jogger as his evenings prey. The dog catchers having tracked him across the city, way outnumbering him and having training/resources- getting talked and having the wire loop of an animal handling pole tightened around his neck before he can pounce and kill someone, perhaps tranquillising him to get him in the back of a like… emergency animal control response unit van, collaring him, muzzling him, and taking him back to the Park to ride it out.

Waking up hours later in a cell, sweaty and exhausted (and yes, probably covered in blood, bc why neglect the opportunity,) muzzled and locked up - not knowing where he is, not seeing daylight, nor smelling anything natural. Being frightened and alone and not sure if he should call for help, bc whoever comes might be worse that being alone. Eventually breaking, calling for anyone, but not particularly happy to see Hobbs, or Duffy, or whoever it is - though they seem pretty happy to see him, at least - seeing him like this, trapped and captive and muzzled, where he belongs. Being marched down a hallway, naked, in sight of the others and enduring the (literal) wolf whistles and the weird sexualised bullying and harassment only kicking up a notch now. Maybe leading him to whoever it was whose blood he got covered in, holding his arms back and letting them take a claws-out swipe across his chest in retaliation.

Them not being able to keep him this time, bc Lamb’s there to collect his wayward stray (and, in a supernatural AU, Lamb being very clued in to it all, but no one having *any* idea about what he actually is, he’s evidently thoroughly mortal, but everyone thinks he knows too much to just be human, very fun to me,) gets someone to bring him some clothes, because this is meant to be a work place, for Christ’s sake.

But the dogs threatening that this won’t be River’s last time in their kennel - that he’ll be bought to heel soon enough, once old Cartwright’s out of the way, and daddy Lamb can’t always protect him.

(And then, how much more compelling the option of joining Frank’s pack is compared to being muzzled and broken by the Dogs.)