#balto imagine

[cannibalcoyote]

Balto's Sister Ch.3: Concerned

Ch.2 Ch.4

As I walk through the snow covered streets of the town I hear the paw steps of Steele as he follows behind me, still in a slight daze of what I revealed to him not too many seconds ago. Looking forward past where the buildings end and into the horizon, I see the place where Balto resides, and a feeling of guilt washed over me. I realize that Balto needs me right now, and even though I may be conflicted over what to do with my predicament, I need to be there for my brother.

I slowed down gradually to a halt, Steele looking up and stopping next to me, looking down at me slightly due to his taller stature, but I was happy to see annoyance wasn't his expression, instead his eyes glistened with curiosity as to why I stopped walking.

Looking down at my black paws coated in powdery snow I attempt to quickly find a way to tell Steele I need to check on my brother without angering him. I know he's supposed to be my enemy, but I rather enjoy his company, when it's just us since he acts much more civil and not like a brainless brute.

"What is it princess?" Steele's question rings sharp through the crisp, cold air of winter. My ears fold down slightly as I look up at Steele.

"I do enjoy your company Steele, and I hope that we continue to get along, but I should be on my way to check on Balto." I state hesitantly, my voice softer than normal.

His eyes show in jealousy, he features hardening slightly as he hears Balto's name.

"Why are you always hanging around that mongrel? Does he have something I don't!" He quickly voices, a growl emitting from his throat as he glares at me slightly, awaiting an answer.

"No, no, there's nothing like that going on between me and Balto, I'm just really good friends with him is all. I know you and him don't get along at all, but I really must be checking on him, a lot of things have happened to him today, and being the friend I am, I should be there for him!" I state in exasperation, not wanting to argue with Steele over this.

Steele still doesn't seem very happy, he's growling at me slightly. "Fine then! Go to your mongrel and comfort him, but remember Princess, you are mine." His tone lowers intimidatingly as his words are final, but me being me, I always challenge authority.

"You'll have to prove yourself worthy before I become yours, now if you don't mind, I have a friend to console." I state promptly, walking away, not forgetting to lightly trace my fluffy tail against his jaw as I leave.

I hear him growl slightly, not aggressively, but more in the sense of a purr, causing me to form a slight smirk.

———————

Once out of the town, I bound over to the boat where Balto and Borris have decided to be their residence. As I hop up to the deck seeing Balto and Borris conversing, Borris mopping the floor as Balto does most of the talking.

"Ah Luko how nice of you to finally arrive." Borris states sarcastically as he finally noticed my presence.

"Well you know me, I'm always fashionably late" I stated as I let out a slight crackle, gearing Balto slightly chuckle as well.

"We were talking about the bird migration." Balto states, a smirk withholding itself upon his face. I soon smirk as well, as I realize what he is hinting at. I decided to humor him, lifting my nose and sniffing the air lightly.

"Hmm, I smell herring." I smirk at Balto. Him smirking back.

"Say, it must be Muk and Luk." Balto voices as he walks over to Borris, a smile on his face as he watches the goose continue to mop. Borris begins to say something until a high pitch yell is heard.

"Uncle Borris!! Uncle Borris!!!"

"Oh no." Is all Borris says, holding the mop in his hands as if it will make him invisible.

I love these guys, but I really can't deal with Muk and Luk right now. My confusing conversation with Steele has my mind all jumbled up, and I really just want to rest.

I say my goodbyes to Borris and Balto before pouncing out of the boat, walking back to the town to find a place to sleep for the night.

———————

As I arrive in the town I notice immediately that the doctor is quite busy, but what really got my attention was Jenna. She was standing outside the building, concern etched into her facial features and body language as she helplessly looked through the window, even releasing a bark in the hopes of gaining the people's attention.

I slowly walk up to her, concern evident in my eyes.

"Jenna? What are you doing outside the hospital." I question, concern dripping from my words as I hope the answer isn't what I think it is. I am soon confirmed however when I see Rosie bounding out of the hospital to see Jenna, attempting to play and run around with her, but immediately having to stop to release a coughing fit of the sort.

Jenna looks concerned and nudges Rosie slightly in the hopes she'll be alright. Rosie's father soon rushes outside calling her name, ushering her back into the building and out of the cold snow.

Jenna and I didn't talk about it, but I understood now why she was looking into the building.

"Jenna, I'm going to go now, but if you want to talk about it or anything, just bark my name." I say slowly, Jenna only nodding in response as her eyes never leave the window. I let out a slight sigh before going to find a place to sleep, walking around the building in hopes of finding a place close to where I am.

I happen to be in luck, I forgot all about the boiler room here. It hasn't been locked yet, so I pick the dirt open slightly before shutting it to trap the warmth. I curl up on the opposite side of the room, blending in with the shadows, slowly allowing myself to drift away into a tense slumber.

Ch.2 Ch.4

[phantomwritezstuff077]

The other universe:

I did it again guys, I made something sad

tag:

@slutforsnow

[blackbackedjackal]

I miss my taxidermy mentor. Like my ACTUAL mentor.

[cartoon-and-animal-lover]

So I just watched Saberspark's Balto video, and now I'm starting to wonder if maybe it was a good thing Togo didn't get the credit he deserved, considering what the real Balto went through.

[justapigeonn]

little personal wc design headcanon list cause i'm bored:

clear sky has a very pale intense stare. like imagine steele from balto but take it up to 10 - looking as him is genuinely uncomfortable

both leafpool and leafstar are torbies and have cute little ginger patches in their coats

splashtail is a ragdoll

darkstripe has a short tail

a good chunk of windclan is either an oriental shorthair, a cornish rex or a devon rex

despite being being mostly really fluffy, hollyleaf and lionblaze have much shorter fur on their tails, while for jayfeather it's the opposite

nightcloud is one of the very few longhaired windclan cats (selkirk rex)

darktail is a smoke maine coon

lightleap is the only one of the tigerclones (specifically the brown tabbies/ones that strongly resemble him, not just his descendants) that is longhaired

riverclan cats generally have a lot more body fat than the rest of the clans to keep them insulated during and after swimming

[deadpanwalking]

hello do you mind if I ask you a question about Russian! You can in fact say yes I do mind. Then please stop reading. I’m reading Katz’s translation of the brothers karamazov and I’m curious about the word nadryv — is it a word that people often/conversationally use as “violent expression of emotion” in a sort of derogatory way, or is that use fairly unique to Dostoyevsky? How often do people used it to mean a physical tear? What do you think about the word “laceration” as the translation? (I’m a little taken aback by it bc nobody has ever used it to mean how Dostoyevsky means it in front of me … but I am not an expert. I know what he MEANS but probably there’s no English word for it.)

Ana, your questions are always so fucking good.  I was at an arcade with my coworkers last night, and after I read it, I thrice fumbled easy skill shots on the Aerosmith pinball machine because I was thinking about how to answer it.

The reason why надрыв always makes the “untranslatable Russian words” lists is specific to its usage within the context of Russian literature—outside of that, it's fairly unremarkable.  I’m not going to get into the nitty-gritty of the derivational morphology, but it’s worthwhile to consider the mechanics.

So you know how Russian has 200,000 words, but English has over a million? It's because Russian is a fusional synthetic language with a high morpheme-to-word ratio. We "synthesize" words by taking a root and slapping prefixes, suffixes, inflections, and endings to it to alter their specific semantic and emotional connotations. You can imagine how something like that can be challenging (and insanely fun) for translators to work with.

On its own, над is a word that means “over, on, at, or above”, but it's also one of the most commonly used prefixes.  Its English equivalent works the same way—consider the differences between see and oversee or coat and overcoat.  

IIRC, the suffix -рыв is from the Proto-Balto-Slavic word for “dig”, though in Russian, it’s come to mean “tear or rupture”—here’s a list of ways that it is used with various prefixes.  As a deverbal, надрыв is used to describe a tear on the surface of something, but also–significantly– something that’s strained unto breaking.  I’ll give you some non-Dostoevskian examples from everyday life:

«Хватит этого надрыва! Пинбол-автомат не насмехается над тобой», – сказал мой раздражённый коллега.

(“Enough with the drama. The [Aerosmith] pinball machine is not mocking you,” said my annoyed colleague.)

«Зачем этот надрыв? Никто не заставляет тебя играть на пинбол-автомате по двадцать часов в сутки. И что ты пытаешься этим доказать?» – сказала моя жена, видя, что я буквально изматываю себя игрой.»

(“Why are you putting so much effort into this? Nobody's forcing you you to play the [Aerosmith] pinball machine twenty hours a day.  What are you trying to prove?” my wife said, seeing that I was literally exhausting myself with the game.”)

Доктор сказал, что из-за чрезмерной игры на пинбол-автомате у меня произошёл надрыв карпальной связки, и теперь ему придётся ампутировать мне руку.

(The doctor said that, because of excessive playing on the [Aerosmith] pinball machine, I sustained a tear in my carpal ligament, and now he’ll have to amputate my arm.)

The Dostoevskian надрыв is its own thing. He first used the word in The Demons, but you could also say that what it describes is a recurring theme in the majority of his work—the plate tectonics of moral and existential schisms that rend individuals, dividing children from their innocence, intellectuals from reason, hedonists from the pleasure of their unexamined lives, willful men from free will, virtuous men from faith, sinners from salvation, etc. 

Translators always approach it carefully—I’ve seen “laceration”, “heartache”, “strain”, “fracture”. Pevear of P&V explained their choice (“strain”) by talking about 'translator's drift", which is "when the translator decides, 'Well, I know what that means and it means this.'" Drifting is dangerous for “there are 20,000 ways to say anything, but the author wrote it only one way.” They chose “strain” to amplify the aspect of the word that evokes the tension of the skin just before it splits open into a wound, rather than the more visually-evocative image of the wound itself.

“Laceration” is a perfectly cromulent choice, and the translation you have is excellent, but I prefer the P&V because, historically, translators have smoothed over the peculiarities of Dostoevsky's writing to make his language “read like a classic”. “Strain” is unbeautiful, but as a native Russian speaker, I find that it superimposes nicely over надрыв, and it respects the deliberate choice Dostoevsky made to synthesize that specific word—does that make sense?

[tanadrin]

The subject of this week's You're Wrong About is the 1925 Nome serum run--the event (incorrectly, as it turns out) associated with the Iditarod in the popular imagination--and although I think it's a story a lot of Americans are vaguely aware of, it's terrific to hear it told again. This rendition features Togo, a sort of dog-Gilgamesh whose Enkidu is pulling sleds, some extremely determined Norwegians, and a governor of Alaska named Bone. We are reminded that this feat was accomplished in temperatures of around -50 Fahrenheit (which is -45 Celsius), which is as far from, say, 20 Fahrenheit as 20 is from 90. Conditions in that Alaska winter were so bad that you had to light fires under airplanes' engines to get them to start, an even sled dogs were liable to suffer crippling or deadly injuries from the cold.

Yet despite the incredible danger, and the endurance required, mushers undertook a desperate relay race over 1,085 kilometers to deliver just enough diptheria antitoxin to Nome to buy time for a larger shipment, because an outbreak was threatening that could have doomed hundreds of people--mostly children--to death by what was essentially slow suffocation. A journey that normally took 20 days was accomplished in five, at a pretty brutal cost: the first musher arrived at his hand-off point with three of his dogs dying and his entire face black with frostbite. Another finished his run with his hands frozen to his sled--they had to be unstuck with boiling water. The last legs of the relay were completed in a severe blizzard with hurricane-force winds.

And they did it! They got the epidemic under control, with only around half a dozen confirmed deaths, and another relay was able to deliver even more antitoxin a couple weeks later. Though Balto and Gunnar Kaasen are remembered in particular, it's one of those situations where everyone involved, dog and human, was integral to the outcome. I was also surprised to learn that most of the mushers involved were fairly young men at the time--the last surviving member of the relay died in 1999 (and had over 200 grandchildren at the time!).

[dailymothanon]

I’m back 🐶 thank you for being patient, things are relatively back to normal! Anyways I got some drawings… it’s the actual D&D au now! I’ve got plenty of ideas, but for now this is Alaska and Maine! Alaska is a Druid, circle of stars though his race is unknown (I also don’t have any general cloth ideas for him). It is noted he is very bird-like tho, no wings because he can just have a wild shape/starry form with a pair. Maine is a half human half beast, he’s quite prickly because unfortunately even in this au he still has to deal with the northeast 😒 (long rants of ideas below)

I also have other ideas for other states, but I haven’t drawn them yet. For New Jersey I’m thinking like Nevada he is a fae folk but of a bee; and he was born with deformed and torn wings that resemble the Jersey devil’s. But due to his deformity his “hive” decided to just toss him out because they wanted a big strong community with no one holding them back 😒 so maybe Jersey had to barely survive out there on his own, and in later years NY could’ve found him (I like to think he is a human knight, merely because instead of his bat he can have a sword) and took him in 😌 (and they were roommates)

Another idea I’ve got is for Texas! I would like to think he is a mostly human gunslinger who is legally blind (not totally blind, tho still very blind) but sees thru heat & taste, much like a snake does. Maybe he collects bounties, I haven’t really thought much for his lore yet 🤔 but he is one of the best gunslingers out there despite his disability!

Cali is also one I’ve thought up, I think he could be a dragon rider. A funny idea is that he has a scam where he and his dragon makes this whole act where he pretends to be a princess damsel in distress, being held captive by the big bag dragon and people who come and try to “save” him but it just ends up with Cali robbing them 😒 (love me a big flawed character)

As for Alaska, he’s as stated, a Druid of the circle of stars! He comes from an unknown island (just imagine irl state of Alaska except disconnected to any continent tbh) that’s gatekeeped gaslighted girlbossed because they don’t want no colonizers or anything ofc. But Alaska grew up hearing all about the other outside lands and he wanted to go see it! So one day he ventured into the continents (the one that contains all the other states except for Hawaii) and yaddy yadda; and Alaska is actually very curious and friendly in this au because he doesn’t have the trauma of outsiders 😌 he has a pet(s?) dog with three heads (ofc, Balto Togo and Fido) to accompany him! I haven’t designed his starry forms yet btw. And also he doesn’t really know how his Druid magic works somehow 🧎 it’s mostly innate and learned behaviors and habits and traditions. It just comes naturally to him! This is the biggest difference between him and Mass with magic, think of Alaska’s Druid magic as traditional and natural, meanwhile Mass’s sorcery as artificial and learned and studied magic. So it’s hard to say who between the two is better at magic

Maine is a half-human-half-beast, he faces discrimination because of it and there aren’t much others like him in at home land. He mostly doesn’t care but the occasional person really gets to him. Not really sure why he is half beast yet tho I don’t have the lore for that. Mass keeps trying to pester Maine about learning magic, as Mass is one of the best magic users in his region (and he’s quite boastful/egotistical because of it) so he believes Maine might be really good too, and Mass wants him to be able to know it when in times of need, but Maine doesn’t really listen 🙄 though he is nimble and quite good at sneaking!

My last minor ideas is that Ginny is a great swordsman (race undecided), Mass is probably a human sorcerer, Nevada is a fae folk, Ny is a human knight, and Hawaii 🤔 some sorta sea/ocean critter maybe? Dunno yet. Anyways I hope these ideas are cool and that you guys like them! I also want to mention I probably wont post daily still, I wanna do what’s comfortable for me.

[equine-altar]

Just realized that a therian's wall of heroes would probably have a lot of remarkable animal entities on it. Magawa, the rat who was exceptional at detecting landmines. Romeo, the wild Alaskan grey wolf who had exceptional relationships with humans and pets. Secretariat the race horse. Wolf 21 (or any noteable wolf you would prefer). Even local heroes with no world-wide noteriety could be there--the emotional support horse that visits the local children's hospital. Matt Harnacke's horse Emporio, who aside from looking gorgeous in tiktoks literally made me finally awaken as a horse therian proper. Lisette the war mare who mauled and then allegedly consumed part of a Russian soldier's face. Bear 435 Holly, the winner of Fat Bear Week in 2019. O Six. Deep Blue. Balto. Dolly. Saint Guinefort. Hachiko. Tama the train cat. Cher Ami. Tardar Sauce. 907F. And of course, Laika the space dog.

These figures could either be role models, historic figures, or gods. They represent that even in a human-dominated world, we're still worth noting and memorializing in texts and paintings. Mortal animals still move people, and I can just imagine how it would feel seeing an article made about someone of your kintype and going "That's me. That's my family. They're my kind." Especially after being so alienated from humankind in general.

[rottenpumpkin13]

I challenge you to write pre-SOLDIER zangst

Challenge accepted.... challenge completed.... with loads of tears 🥲

Zack burst into the house, the door slamming behind him, nearly tripping on the bunched up welcome mat. "Mama! Mama, they were here!" he shouted, breathless.

Zack's mother looked up from chopping vegetables in the kitchen, her eyes widening as she saw his state—dirt smeared his tank top, and there was a hole in his shorts that wasn't there this morning.

"Zack! Where did you go?" She rushed to him with the dish towel in hand. "You were supposed to be home an hour ago!"

"No, Mama, listen—!"

"And just look at your face!" She bagan wiping the dirt from his cheek. "Did you fall from that tree at the grove again? I warned you not to let those older boys trick you into climbing it. You don’t need to prove anything to anyone," she said, utterly exhasperated.

"I wasn't there, Mama!" Zack protested, "the guys in suits that work for Shinra were heading up to the reactor again, and we saw them!" Zack's words tumbled out in a rush as he pushed away the dish towel.

Mrs. Fair shook her head, turning back to the kitchen. "Zack, honey—"

"I talked to them, and one of them said I’m a really fast runner. They saw us playing with the sword and said I should join the army! They even said I could be really good at it!"

Zack let his excitement flow as he bounced on his feet, circling his worried mother who kept chopping the carrots with a nervous look on her face.

"It's the same guys who recruited Balto, Mama! Balto's one of them now, and they say he's making a lot of money. He even paid to fix his parents' roof, remember?" Zack's excitement was as palpable as his mother's worry.

"Zack, sweetheart—"

"What if I manage to join SOLDIER? I know I can do it! I’m already getting pretty good with Dad’s old sword. With some more practice, I could be a hero! Just like Sephiroth! Imagine that! What if—"

Mrs. Fair gently placed her hand on his head, silencing him, yet prompting him to look up at her with wide, hopeful eyes. He knew what was coming, yet it didn't stop him from hoping.

"Zack, Balto hasn't been home in a very long time," Mrs. Fair began softly, marking the moment the boy's exuberance faltered, his gaze dropping to the floor.

"His mama misses him very much," she said, "and I'm sure he misses her too. But the life of people who work for Shinra is very busy. I bet they can't visit home whenever they want."

Zack squared his thin shoulders, puffing his cheeks. "Yeah, but I'll be home lots, you'll see!" he insisted.

Mrs. Fair hesitated, her hands stilling for a moment before she resumed chopping the vegetables. "It's dangerous out there, honey. Not just for those who work with Shinra, but the planet as a whole. People are not as understanding as the ones here in the village. It'll be dangerous for you."

Zack's jaw tightened. "But I'm brave, ma. I… I'm not some dumb kid anymore."

"You're twelve, honey. You've got a long time to think about your future." She smiled, her eyes flickering between him and the vegetables. "And if you are to leave the village, I'd rather it be to go to college.

Zack groaned softly. "I don't think college is meant for me, mama. And working in the village too. I love it here, but I want to be a hero, you know?"

She laughed as she transferred the vegetables from the counter into the boiling pot. "You're already a hero to me, honey—you saved my life by being born and brightening up my world. You don't need to prove yourself any more than that."

Zack felt a lump forming in his throat, his eyes stinging with the threat of tears.

"Get cleaned up before dinner. Dad will be home soon," she added, her back to him now as she tended to the bubbling pot on the stove.

Zack swallowed hard, trying to push down the swell of emotion. "Alright..."

In hindsight, Zack should have heeded his mother's warning, but that was the problem with Zack Fair; he wasn't one to take no for an answer. He had always been a chaser of things, just as he chased butterflies through the jungle, Touch Me's he foolishly sought to keep as pets, or his friends in games of tag, so too did he chase after his dreams. Some would argue it was honorable.

With this mentality, he went behind his mother's back, using the computer in the owner's office at the market—made easy by his friendship with the owner's son—and enlisting for the army.

They had lowered the recruitment age these days because of the war. The call for young, able-bodied boys reached every corner of the planet. Then he bought a ferry ticket from the Gongaga region to Junon. All he needed then was a ride to the harbor without his parents knowing.

He packed his belongings in a small knapsack when his dad was at work and his mom was at the general store. He didn't need to take much, just some spare clothes, his compass, a map, the gil he saved up from his birthday, a photo of his family, a flashlight and his dad's old pocketknife for good luck.

He stuffed the knapsack under his bed and laid awake, eyes wide open, every night leading up to the planned date. He was nervous, excited, scared, but curiously, second thoughts never came. He was sure he wanted this, and that certainty burned within him, melting away any shadows of doubt.

So when that night finally rolled around, Zack sprang out of bed quietly in the middle of the night. He grabbed his knapsack and left the note on the kitchen counter—a simple explanation, an apology, a promise to return.

The dust kicked up that night as Zack ran, his heart thumping in his chest, all the way to the mercantile shop where he knew the pickup truck would be. The shopkeeper knew his dad, but thankfully he wasn't there when the burly laborers were unloading the crates.

Zack's heart pounded as he approached them, his breath forming clouds in the cool night air. He begged for a ride to the harbor, lying that he had his parents' permission—not that they cared much. They looked at him with curiosity and skepticism, but acquiesced when he offered them some of his gil.

Soon he was on his way, perched on the back of a pickup truck speeding further and further away from Gongaga. The wind whipped past his skin, biting and cold, but Zack was thankful he was smart enough to bring his old sweater. He clutched it tighter around him, wondering when that scent of home would eventually fade.

He stared at the shadows of the jungle slipping further and further out of view, the foliage and towering trees becoming mere silhouetted against the two AM sky. The tug on his heart grew stronger, prompting him to reach into his bag. He grabbed his flashlight and the scattered papers he had brought with him—documents and forms he printed out when he signed up, a recruitment poster he got in the newspaper a few months ago, and a family photo.

He was barely six years old in the photo, his parents beaming beside him. Zack's cold fingers brushed his mother's face in the picture. He let out a sigh, the sound swallowed by the rushing wind. She would be upset come morning when she realized what he had done, but he believed she would eventually be proud; proud of the man he would become.

Zack shone the flashlight over the recruitment poster, the one showing Sephiroth in the midst of fending off a Zolom, the epitome of a perfect hero. Zack grinned. One day it would be him on that recruitment poster, and his parents would be so proud of him then. He shoved the poster back into his knapsack and hugged the photo close, glancing back at Gongaga which had just dipped out of sight completely.

"Don't worry, Mama," he thought to himself, "I'll be home soon."

[cannibalcoyote]

Balto's Sister Ch.2: Steele

Ch.1 Ch.3

"Didn't make the team.... Bingo." Steele's obnoxious voice suddenly rang through the air.

"Don't look at him, don't listen to him, live a long life." Boris states weakly to Balto.

"My name's Balto!" He growls, completely ignoring Boris' advice. I turn around, facing Steele's obnoxious figure, slightly baring my teeth as he struts by.

"I'm sorry. Balto. Balto the half-breed." The group surrounding Steele say in unison, 'ohh'; at least they were until I silenced them with snarl. Some of them backed up a little, but I paid them no mind, shifting my attention back to the situation.

Steele walked forward, pushing Boris backwards with a rough movement, making fun of him as well. As soon as I realized what Steele had done, I pounced up, my jaws clamped tightly around his snow white paw. I'm shaking and yanking my head in every direction, Steele desperately trying to get away from me, but his attempts are futile.

I finally let go, seeing that Boris is alright, but it seems that that was a bad choice; Steele forcing himself forward and pushing me to the ground, holding me down with his paw as he growls in my face. I react immediately, swiping my claws in an attempt to rake them across his face. Sadly, he managed to jump back before I could' I think about continuing, but I decide better, moving away as I regain my composure.

Steele moves away and acts as though our interaction never even occurred. I want to snarl at him, but his confident air is a little too intriguing; maybe off putting is a better word.

"I've got a message for your mother." He sadistically states while smirking, walking back towards his group, pointing his large head up before howling at the sky, the others hastily joining in. Now this hit a nerve for not only Balto, but also myself; what he's doing is extremely offensive and rude seeing as we don't even know what happened to our mother.

I see Balto getting angry, growling and beginning to stalk towards them. I quickly follow, releasing several snarls of my own in-between my growling. Steele sees us and immediately moves back a bit to hide behind his posse.

"Get him." He barks, the group simply sending a barrage of barks and growls at us, which really did nothing but annoy me.

"Get out of here wolf-dogs, better get back to your pack." With the last word he spat onto Balto's muzzle, resulting in Balto becoming even angrier; both of us almost attacked him until Boris interrupted us, pleading that we should leave now.

"Luko come on, we go now." Boris states, trying to get me to leave as well.

"You go, I'm staying here." I respond, making them leave, but not before Steele and his group begin bombarding them with snow, and even a rock that hits Balto square on the back.After a moment of my brother absence I hear Steele begin to talk to me, I want to ignore him, but something forces me to listen.

"Come on princess, why do you even hang out with that half-breed?" Steele questions as he sees I'm still there, tilting his head with an arrogant smirk seemingly etched upon his face.

"You seem to forget Steele, but I'm part wolf as well." I state back, my lip pulled in a slight sneer.

"Don't worry, I know, princess." Steele responds as he walks next to me, pushing his chest up against mine and getting close to my face.

"Come on, why don't you take me to see Jenna, or do you want me all to yourself, Princess?" Steele asks as he begins leading me through an opening in the fencing. His group is gone, and now he almost talks to me as though he's mocking his friend, this husky is so indecisive.

"Why do you bully Balto, but not me?" I question, bewilderment radiating throughout my tone.

"Well, Balto isn't a girl, and he's also super annoying. Not to mention, he is competition." Steele simply responds with a slight growl in his voice when he says Balto's name.

"If Balto is competition, then what am I?" I ask as I look down to the floor, slowly walking through the thick snow.

"....You're my ..question. I don't know what to do with you. You're obviously part wolf, but you seem much more interesting than simple minded Jenna." Steele responds as he suddenly stops, instead stepping directly in front of me, resulting in our chests touching again as he stands up to his full height, towering over me.

"So what am I to you?" Steele questions.

"You're my confusion, I don't know whether I should hate you because of how you treat Balto, or love you because of how I feel towards you." I mutter the last part quietly, looking down before walking around him, leaving Steele in visible shock of what I just said. He quickly follows me after shaking himself out of his daze.

Ch.1 Ch.3

[sketch-shepherd-art]

So while I DO prefer Balto 2’s canon that Balto’s mother Aniu is the white wolf from the first movie, I also thought it’d be fun to play around with a different AU idea where she isn’t (and yes iirc I’m aware that director Simon Wells said that he originally imagined that Balto’s DAD was the wolf while his mom was the working husky but didn’t confirm such) 

Hell with how Aniu is drawn in Wolf Quest's cheap DTDVD sequel animation they already look like two completely separate characters lol.

But anyway tl dr; Balto AU where Aniu and the White Wolf from the first movie are two different wolves

[chibi-pix]

It's finally done. IT IS FINALLY DONE! So, an idea hit. Some friends showed me a very obscure character shown in the first episode of Voltron force and said "This guy is important" and all that jazz and felt he was of Balto, Pidge's planet. And a thought hit. With sibling stuff, so that means Katie as Pidge's kid sister (you know, kid sister mentioned in DotU but never revisited and that gives me so many fun ideas)? Yeah. Imagine this dude knowing she was alive and where she was all this time and not telling the twins. Oooh, delicious angst. As for the statement in the last shot, it was an idea of Balton language from someone else in Discord and it roughly translating to "faceless coward", which is a big insult. Dude's gonna get wrecked.

Also, this is the dude.

Punch him, Pidge!

Anyway! I hope y'all enjoy this one! Commissions are open and available on my Ko-fi. Until next time!

[sketch-shepherd]

There's so much controversy about how inaccurate the Balto film is to its real life events when it's honestly easy to imagine that the film's events are just a fabricated version that Grandma Rosie made up to entertain her granddaughter in the live-action segments

Of course you'd have to ignore the sequels if you wanna look at it that way though

[fandom-lover2]

Stupid Human

Modern AU where instead of being Nome's hero, Balto ends up unwittingly adopted

Word Count - 4494

AN - Seeing him on everyone's 'hear me out' cakes reminded me that as a kid, all I wanted was a dog like Balto. So, I wrote a story about it.

“Balto!”

His ears twitch at the sound carried across the snowed tundra.

It’s faint, even for him with his impeccable hearing. He ignores it, getting comfortable beneath the blanket again.

The wind howls loudly outside, but worse is still to come. He knows it, Borris knows it, all the animals know it. A blizzard incoming, a bad one.

The humans noticed it a lot later than the animals. They only began leaving their work places to head home and prepare just before lunch. The animals had sensed it this morning.

Balto knew finding a place to try hide out in town wasn’t a good idea, had almost died the last time he’d tried it. Everything was closed and barricaded, nowhere to hide.

He was safest on his boat, beneath the blanket and in the captain’s hold. He was safe here, had been the last time a blizzard had slammed over Nome. He hoped the humans would make it in time, be safe in their homes.

At least, he hoped one human was.

He did feel the cold ache in his stomach from having missed seeing you after school. Cold from hunger and from worry. He knew you were smart, but you had not been in Nome long.

No, the older humans would make sure you were safe, would keep you indoors.

“Balto!” you called again, voice carried in the wind.

He was just imagining it. You were safe, at home already. You were safe and protected from the storm that was coming. Indoors, with food to last you a few days when the town was snowed in, and warm.

The wind howled again, so harsh and loud.

Balto buried his head beneath the blanket. He didn’t like the sound of screaming wind. He could sense the storm clouds getting closer, building on the horizon, rushing across the sea. A few more minutes, maybe half an hour, and it would be here.

“Balto!”

This time you sounded closer, but again it was just his mind playing tricks on him. There was no way any of the adults would have let you leave town.

He wished you were coming, bringing him some food before it was days of not being able to leave the boat. But no, that wouldn’t happen because then you’d be unsafe.

You were a smart human. You wouldn’t be here.

Balto’s ears pricked up at the sound of footsteps approaching the boat in a hurry. Muk and Luk coming to seek shelter no doubt.

Borris heard them too, and stuck his head out to squawk at them, but he froze.

Feet rushed up the plank. Only two feet. Only two feet used to step.

Balto just managed to get his head out of the blanket before you rounded the corner.

You looked down at him, panting and face red. “What? You going deaf?” you accused.

Balto stared up at you, unsure if madness had finally come to claim him or not.

“Come on. We don’t have time.”

You removed your backpack and began taking things out of it, your lunch and some school books. Opening a rusted door, the placed the items into the locker and closed it. Then, you yanked the blanket off Balto, and he was still too surprised to growl at the sudden coldness, and threw the blanket over Borris.

“What is this idiot doing?” He tried to flap around, but you quickly picked him up, and shoved his body into your bag. Then, you zipped the bag so that only his neck stuck out, and lifted the backpack onto your back again.

Borris was now also too stunned to speak.

You looked down at Balto expectantly.

“Come on. We gotta go before the storm gets here.”

Storm, right. The blizzard! Oh, please don’t say…

“What the hell are you thinking?” Balto barked, standing.

You were a smart human, he thought. Now, you were risking your life with a blizzard moments away just for him?

“You’re an idiot!” Balto moved past you, rushing down the plank.

You followed, careful not to slip on the wood. “We gotta hurry.” you said, starting to head towards town.

Balto was right, the storm was gathering. The dark clouds were relentless as they rushed towards the shore. Balto looked between them, then the town, then you. At this pace, you would never make it. And there were few things worse than being lost in a blizzard.

“You need to go faster.” Balto said, starting to begin walking faster, hoping you’d follow.

You did, but he could tell you were struggling. The colder air made your chest tight, and the run from town to here had exhausted you already. And, snow fell faster now, making it harder to walk and you had to lift your feet higher above the white powder.

Balto looked at the clouds again. You still weren’t going to make it.

Damnit! If you had just been a good human and listened and stayed in town then this wouldn’t be happening. Why did you have to be so stupid and risk your life? And for him!? He wasn’t worth it.

You needed to be safe, in town and away from danger. This was all his fault, you being here his fault. If he had just ignored your kind words and food then you would be safe.

Balto looked to the clouds again. There wasn’t time, you needed to go faster. The storm was going to eat you before you made it to town.

“Faster!” Balto barked, beginning to run. He heard you follow, but it didn’t last long. He turned and rushed back to you, his keen ears hearing how your lungs shuddered to try take in air.

“Faster Kristin! You need to go faster!”

“She can’t.” Borris spoke up from his place at her back.

If Balto thought it would help, he’d pull Borris from your back. But the old goose would never make it to town in time. And Balto wasn’t ready to lose two people he cared about today.

Borris was right, you weren’t managing going fast to get back to town. But there wasn’t time to be going so slow. Balto took your jacket sleeve into his mouth, jaw locking around the blue material, and pulled.

You almost fell, but managed to regain your footing as you began running again, being pulled by Balto. You gasped behind him, begged him to slow down with what little breath you had, but Balto didn’t stop.

He pulled you, eyes darting between the storm and town. It was close, going to be close. Town was right there, and the clouds were right there.

With a sudden knock to the gut, Balto realized none of you were going to make it.

 It was the edge of town, so close, when the clouds swallowed you.

The wind slammed into you, knocking you to your knees as you tried to keep from falling over completely.

Balto spun, putting his body between you and the oncoming snow. You wrapped your arms around him, burying your face into his neck.

The snow, while only blinding him, probably bit into your skin like cold needles. He had fur to protect him, and while you did have a thick jacket and gloves, your face was exposed.

The snow swirled around him, around you, getting into his eyes as he tried to look to town. The wind roared in his ears, deafening him as he pushed his ears back to try stop snow getting in them. He could see in the dark, he knew you couldn’t. It wasn’t night, but there was almost no light. The clouds were so dark they blocked out the sun, and the snow so thick he couldn’t see the street light above.

Balto had been so close to getting you home safely. So close.

“I’m sorry.” he heard you over the wind. “If I had just stayed at the boat.” you whined, burying your face into his fur.

No! He wasn’t going to let you die here. You weren’t dying today because he couldn’t get you home.

Gritting his teeth, Balto took a step forward. He knew this town better than anyone. He knew the side trails, back alleys, short cuts. He knew how to cut between and beneath buildings to get you to your home fastest, out of the wind the best. He wasn’t letting this human, his human, die.

You felt him move, raised your head to him. He looked at you, eyes locked. He wasn’t going to let you die.

You nodded, standing slowly. You gripped the back of his neck, both hands burying into his fur and holding tightly.

He loved the sting of his fur being pulled, because it meant you were still holding on.

You ducked low, and held on.

Balto led you purely based on memory, taking quick breaks within the shelter of alleys as he planned the next trail. Close. The house was so close. Just one final trek across the road and you would be home.

Beside him, Balto felt you struggling. Your lungs still fought to get air, your fingers were losing their grip, your teeth clattered so loud. He needed to get you across the road, quickly. Into the warmth.

 You weren’t going to survive much longer.

“Just hold on. One more. You can do it.”

Borris had wrapped his neck around yours so his head buried into your jacket just below your chin, and from within his hiding place Balto heard him say, “You can do this.”

One more push, just a few steps. He turned towards you, licked your ice cold face. He felt you nod, your eyes struggling to stay open. You could do this, he knew you could.

Taking a deep breath himself, Balto began across the street. The wind assaulted him and you on all sides, pushing you this way and that, forward and back. But Balto kept you on your feet, kept you on a true path.

Balto hadn’t ever been more at ease to step onto a wooden porch as he was right now. He pulled you up the stairs, his fur begging you to let go as he took almost all your weight. Just 4 steps, then you were at the door.

The snow had already risen to block ¼ of the door. This storm was the worst Balto had ever been in.

He pulled you up the steps, and when the green door was in front of him, he raised his paws and began scratching against the door, barking as he did so. No way you would manage to get your keys, you were almost passed out as it was. He needed the adults, your parents.

You found the strength to join him, knocking against the door.

Balto heard footsteps approach, and the door handle rattle. The door opened, and light greeted all of you. Light, and warmth.

“Where the hell have you been?” a man yelled, pulling the door further open so you could get inside.

Balto stood back, expecting you to enter the house first. But then yelped when you bent down, placed your hands on either side of his back legs just below his butt, and shoved him forward. He tumbled into your house, you following behind in an uncoordinated stumble.

The man slammed the door shut, locking it. You sat down beside Balto, panting. He did the same. Borris lifted his head from beneath your jacket.

“This is not bad.” he complimented the warmth that began to settle.

Balto could hear a fire crackling somewhere in the home, smell the smoke of burning wood.

A woman came down the hall, rushing towards you. “What were you doing?” she demanded, kneeling in front of you.

“Savin’ the dog.” you panted out, smiling despite it all.

“You’re an idiot.” the man spat out, heading into the house. Balto didn’t like him, and watched him go into the house with a glare.

True, he’d been calling you that for the entire rush back to town, but the way the man said it wasn’t a way Balto liked.

The woman had begun worrying over you, saying she was going to fetch a towel so you could dry yourself. She left you all sitting by the front door, the reality of what had happened sinking in.

You’d run all the way to the boat, ignoring the risks, to save Balto. In turn, Balto saved you by getting you through the blizzard.

You moved, slowly taking off your backpack and placing Borris beside you both. “Saved ya.”

“Only because you put us in danger.” Borris shot back, knowing humans wouldn’t understand him.

 You shivered violently, trying to shrug off your coat. Your cheeks and nose were a light purple while the rest of your face stood pale. Balto didn’t know a lot about humans, but he knew purple wasn’t good.

Snow began melting in your hair, wetting it. You tried to stand, trying to make it easier to remove more layers of clothes. Your legs couldn’t hold you, your body shivering too much.

Balto whined when you fell, using himself to catch you. The snow on his fur began to melt too, soaking his skin beneath.

He’d be fine. You weren’t. He needed to get you to the fire, warm you up.

The woman returned with two towels. She wrapped one around your head and began shaking your hair dry. You took the other from her and draped it over him, beginning to dry him.

He wanted to move away, insist you were more important first, but he now knew you weren’t a smart human and would put him above yourself.

The woman helped you remove a second layer, and then a third. Now you were just in a shirt, the other layers discarded. You shivered violently, curling in on yourself.

“Why is there a duck in your bag?” the woman asked.

“Goose.” you and Borris both corrected at the same time.

“He’s Balto’s friend, and he was going to die out there.”

“The dog’s friend is a goose and you decided to save the goose and dog?” the woman asked.

You nodded, shifting to be closer to Balto as you continued to dry him with the towel. Borris seemed content to continue sitting in the bag. “They’re both my friends.” you defended.

“They are wild animals.” the woman reasoned.

And Balto agreed with her, wanted to anyway. But the smell of something food in the kitchen and the promise of a warm fire kept him from wholeheartedly siding with the woman.

You tried to stand again, and this time managed to keep some weight beneath you. “I’m going to shower.”

“And they are going back outside.” The woman moved to open the front door.

“No!” you cried, slamming yourself against the door, keeping it closed. “Please, just till the storm is over.”

The woman looked over at Balto, who did his best to appear cute, and then to Borris who didn’t bother covering his scowl.

“Please.”

“Till the storm is over.” the woman agreed. “But you are cleaning goose and dog shit.” The woman began heading into the house, towels in hand. “And they aren’t going in the kitchen.”

You smiled down at Balto, and he sighed. Stupid human.

You bent down to pick up Borris, holding him close to your chest as you moved into the house, Balto following.

The fire was in a room which had a large black rectangle mounted on the wall. Chairs faced the rectangle. The fire was in the corner of the room, glowing and warm.

You ignored it, heading into the room opposite it.

Balto had never actually been in a house, or at least no one thought he had, but he knew what a kitchen was. You were in the kitchen, he wasn’t allowed in the kitchen. He stood outside and watched as you went in, Borris still in your arms, and opened a cupboard and pulled out a bunch of newspapers. Satisfied with your find, you moved back towards Balto, and then went up the stairs. Balto followed.

You went to the last room in the hall of doors. Your room, it seemed. A bed, desk covered with books, a collection of papers on the walls showing you and other people, and… a lit fire place.

Balto didn’t need an invitation or instruction. He headed over to the fireplace and sat in front of it, his eyes closing in bliss as warmth began to seep through his fur, drying it as the heat went.

You laughed at him, and he felt agitation grow.

“What were you thinking?” He turned his head to face you, keeping his chest to the flames. “Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? What could have happened to you?”

You, of course, were unaware of his words, busing yourself by placing the newspapers down beside him.

“Balto, she cannot hear you.” Borris tried from his place on your bed, still in the bag.

“You were so stupid! A stupid human!” Balto was getting more angry, furious at the fact that you couldn’t hear him. “You could have died!”

You moved from arranging the newspapers, going to your bed and opening your bag. Reaching in, you removed Borris, placing him down on the ground. He flapped his wings, untangling them and stretching his bones.

You took the blanket he had been wrapped around in and made a ring with it, a circle within the newspapers. “There you go, Goosey Man. Now if you crap, I only gotta change the newspaper. And you got a nice nest.”

“Thank you.” Borris moved to his new situation, inspected it briefly, then hopped into his nest and settled down.

Balto looked at him, hoping he’d have something to input. The goose did not.

Balto sighed, this was useless. You couldn’t understand him, and even if you did, you wouldn’t listen.

He knew you weren’t stupid, you had known the risks before running out to find him. You just didn’t seem to care. You left the room, shutting the door behind you.

“She saved us, Balto.” Borris spoke, his eyes still closed.

Balto watched the flames. Instincts told him to run, that fire was dangerous. But right now, fire was warmth he needed.

Borris was right. From what he had felt out there, what he could hear, this blizzard would be one of the worst Norm had ever had, worse than anything he had ever lived through. If he and Borris were still out there, neither would have survived till morning. As it was, the storm sounded like it was getting worse with every second that passed.

“I know.” Balto finally admitted.

Then, he settled down before the fire place, closing his eyes.

You returned a while later, a towel wrapped around your body. You had some color again, which Balto believed to be a good sign. You opened a door on the wall that revealed clothes, and dropped your towel.

Balto closed his eyes, moved his head away. Stupid humans, needing layers of things to keep themselves warm. Why didn’t they have fur? Fur would keep them alive. Humans and their weak bodies.

You got dressed into clothes, then left the room again. You returned a short while later, a piece of food in your mouth. In your hands, a slice of bread and a plastic box of something. You sat between the boys, holding out the bread to Borris and placing the box before Balto.

It was a triangle, with orange stuff on it. There were three triangles actually. And they smelt good and warm. Balto devoured them quickly.

“Dogs aren’t supposed to eat pizza.” you remarked, watching the fire. Borris was still nibbling away at his slice of bread.

Pizza, Balto thought. He’d smelt pizza before, from a shop where a lot of people went the evening before the first day of no school for two days. He liked pizza enough.

“Geese shouldn’t eat bread either.” you added.

Borris didn’t care. He was probably just as hungry as Balto.

Once Borris had finished, you took the plastic box out the room with you, and then returned again with a bowl of water. You placed the bowl to the side, away from where someone may step on it.

Then, you closed the bedroom door and tiptoed over to your bed, slipping beneath the covers. The fire remained the only light in the room.

Balto could hear you beneath the covers, your teeth still chittering from the cold. Sitting by the fire would probably warm you better. Balto tried to think of a way to get you to come to the flames when you called him.

He looked up, and froze. You lifted the blankets you had climbed under, and patted the bed.

What? Was he supposed to jump onto the bed with you? Sleep on the bed with you? Like a real dog, who had a real house, and a real human.

This was only temporary, just a tonight thing. Why were you doing all this anyway? It’s not like this really meant anything.

Yes, he waited for you after school, ate whatever you did not finish for lunch, then walked you home. It didn’t mean anything, at least not to you he thought.

Why had you risked your life for him? Why were you telling him to climb into your bed? Why was any of this happening?

“Balto,” Borris interrupted his spiral, his voice unusually soft. “Women do not like to be kept waiting.”

Balto looked from the goose to you, and you were still waiting for him with the blankets lifted. Balto rose to his feet, padded over your bedside softly, and tested the waters by putting his front paws on your bed. When you didn’t react, he lifted his one back paw, then the other.

You shifted backwards, giving him more space. He turned, his back to you and he settled down. You dropped the blankets, the layers settling over him as your arm wrapped around him, holding him close.

He froze, head on the other pillow beside your head. Then, he felt your entire body convulse as another shiver overtook you. He then noticed how cold you were, despite the dry clothes and under the warmth. You were freezing.

Balto whined, beginning to get off the bed.

You whined as well, trying to hold onto him. “Balto, stay.” you begged.

Balto looked to the closed door, then back at you.

You couldn’t keep your eyes open. You needed help, but he wouldn’t be able to get out and get the other humans. He needed to do this, somehow help you. He needed to get you to the fire.

Moving to the end of the bed, he took a mouthful of blankets and pulled. You protested at the loss, curling into yourself more.

“Hey,” your words slurred like the men who spent too much time in the place that had loud music all through the night.

Balto didn’t like hanging around there, but their trash always had a lot of food. The men, the ones who slurred their words, were always so angry and violent when they left, smelling vile.

But you hadn’t been near that place, which meant something was wrong.

He turned back to the door. Even if he did manage to get out, go to the other humans, he doubted they would listen to him. Or care enough to help you. The man showed he didn’t care.

Balto left the blankets in front of the fire, then went back to your bedside and pulled out the pillow from beneath your head.

You protested, but didn’t stop your head from flopping onto the bed. Something was very wrong with you.

Balto went and put the pillow by the fire too.

Now all that was left, getting you to the fire. Balto went back to your bed, and lifted his paws onto the bed, nudging you with his nose.

“Come on, Kid. You need to get warmed up.”

 You opened your eyes briefly, then closed them again.

“No, Kid. You gotta wake up.” Balto nudged you again, but you didn’t stir.

Your body shook so violently Balto was sure you would fall off the bed soon.

“Borris,” Balto called, moving to the other side of the bed, to your back. “help me, please.”

Borris stood from his nest and waddled over, flapping up onto your bed.

“I’m going to pull, you push. When she’s on the floor, I can move her.”

“Balto, are you sure this will work?” Borris had already gotten into position, he head bent as he readied to push your chest.

“I’m not giving up on her.” Balto said through his teeth as he gently took a mouthful of your clothes and began to pull.

You groaned at their attempts, grumbling inaudibly as you tried pushing Borris away.

Neither stopped, continuing to try edge you off the bed. With one final heft, you fell from the bed.

Balto moved fast, putting himself below you. He grunted as you fell onto him, but kept you draped across his back. He took you to the pile of blankets and pillow, gently rolled you off him and onto the carpet before the fire.

You had just enough energy to maneuver your head onto the pillow.

Balto pulled the blankets over you.

Borris returned to his place in his nest, watching you as Balto did.

Your breaths were slow, soft. Your body still shivered, your lips blue.

He should have gotten you home sooner, should have made you go faster. You never should have been out there to begin with.

“She will be ok. The fire will warm her.” Borris reassured, but it did little to calm Balto.

You were so fragile and weak, a human. You had no fur or feathers to protect you, no teeth or claws to defend yourself. You were weak, and it had been his job to protect you.

Balto spent a long time sitting over you, watching you. When the fire began to die, he fetched more wood from the pile and restarted it, praying for the flames to warm you.

Finally, hours into the worsening storm and close to nightfall, you stopped shivering. Your breaths became deeper, your lips gained some color. You were going to be ok.

Balto wanted to continue to watch over you, stay a silent sentinel above you as you slept, but his own exhaustion was coming to take him.

Reluctantly, he lay down, his back pressed to yours.

You moved, whether in your sleep or conscious, and turned to face Balto, lifting the blankets over him once more, wrapping your arm around him and pulling his close to your chest. You buried your face into his neck scruff, your nose still cold, and snuggled close to him.

“Thank you, Balto.” you whispered, and then you both fell asleep.

[olderthannetfic]

https://olderthannetfic.tumblr.com/post/741535018017488896/genuine-question-whats-the-point-of-writing

Anon this is such a baffling question to me I was writing fanfiction when I was 7 playing Balto and Jenna and mushing with my friends. Playing Pokemon and making new ones when I was 10 and having elaborate plots with friends like an episode. Discovering fanfiction sites at 12 was like a dream come true. The answer is that it is FUN to use your imagination to play! Some of us just can’t help it and no amount of misunderstanding is going to stop our brains from playing because for some of us it has ALWAYS been a social activity done for FUN not attention and praise and money. (But if you like those aspects too I’m just happy to see your work so go for it lol)

--