#but the instinct for Wolves to care for their Cubs is still there no matter how repressed and denied by mages and bitter elders

[proheromidoriyashouto]

Accidental Warlord AU headcannon that the Witchers have to take human carrying lessons. Prior to Geralt's little oopsie, a Witcher on the Path wouldn't have handled a non-witcher at all or with much care whem they did have to. Like having to fight a monster and only having one hand free to shove some scared person behind them or carrying a corpse back to town. It's not gentle handling of relatively fragile (emotionally and physically) beings.

After Geralt's become the Warlord, there's a baby in the keep. And that baby gets handed to different people, all of whom have 0% experience holding a baby, much less correctly.

"The baby doesn't like me."

"Why'dya think that?"

"Everytime I hold her she rolls her head away from me! She doesn't want to look at me."

"She's a baby. She doesn't know what she likes yet."

"...do you think she's afraid of my scars?"

"Eskel..."

"Maybe someone else should watch her for Geralt during meetings."

"No, look. Let's go get her right now and figure this out. Prejudice is learned, right? It's not possible that she could make that kind of judgement I don't think."

"Well, okay but I swear she does it."

"..."

"..."

"...you know you have to support her head, Eskel?"

"...What's that mean exactly?"

"I don't know. Ya just do it."

"Helpful advice."

And like, Jan has to come to their rescue and teach them how to hold baby Ciri properly and how to swaddle her just right and how to carry her in a bjorn sorta thing without slipping out to hit the floor and how to carry her on a hip while still getting work done as she gets older. Throwing her over a shoulder potato-sack style is a sometimes-at-play thing not a consistent means of transporting the Warlord's heir (no matter how she laughs when they do that).

It doubles with chores for efficiency. Bricks and mortar wrapped in old clothing to mimic the general shape of babies which are then strapped to chests or cradled in an arm. If your brick cracks your baby is dead. If the "head" rolls off your baby is dead. If you forget about it off to the side for too long the enchanted cloth changes color to signify your baby is dead.

Literal sacks of flour hoisted onto a hip and kept there all day to mimic clingy toddlers. Your "kid" gets wet the enchanted sack becomes covered in a layer of mucus to simulate how easily they can become sick. Your "kid" drops to the floor, it's been enchanted to scream until you cuddle it into a fitful "sleep".

The Witchers develop a point system and maybe a drinking game about it.

After Geralt, who has learned how to hold Ciri in the trial-by-fire that was traveling the Path with an infant, Lambert and Aubry pick it up the quickest, being the most involved with the current generation of Wolf Cubs.

After a good streak is kept, most Witchers are free to leave the training game, but a good chunk decide to move up a level instead and learn to handle the live children in the Keep. Mostly the little trainees, but also the servants' children. And all the laisse-faire attitudes about dropping bricks and sacks of flour are abandoned immediately.

Little bodies, so warm and heavy in one's arms that when they wriggle away it leaves Witchers feeling bereft. The slow puffs of sleepy breaths buried against hollow throats as children doze off while being held in arms that have been trained ot destroy. The bouncy giddyness of a child-upon-hip delighted at the height at which they see the world as stairs are ascended. A fussy baby distracted by strands of long hair that surround them as a nose buries into their head to breathe in deep that sweet infant scent.

And it feels right caring for the children who are their future brothers and honorary nieces and nephews and cousins. Like something they should have been doing all along. Tending to a kinder future.

[oh-for-fic-sake]

The Detectives Den

Masterlist

Summary: walter take you to a cabin for what you thought was a romantic weekend, but he has an ulterior motive afterall mateing season is just arou d the corner~

Warnings: Adult Situations +18, Smut, rough sex, primal sex, male dom, werebear Walter, Mating, Breeding, Turning, Noncon Bite?, claiming bites, soulmates, au shifter

A/n: so here it is! The were bear i started months ago and abandoned but picked up again today because of this post. Typos ahoy!

Taglist: in reblogs

You cried into the matress clawing desperately unsure if it was an attemt to help the huge male above you, or tryingmto escape him. For some reason since being here at the cabin he seemed different? Instead of being your huge soft teddy bwar he was wild, dark and growly both at peace and on edge. It was like he was now this big bad bear of a man, growling and strong all macho 'chop wood and start fire'

You grunted as he rutted harder almost fucking your hips pff the bed sending your feet scrabbling on the wooden floor, your socks sliding on the smooth wood.

"oh god~ sl-slow down! WalteAGH~" you cried out pressing up onto your elbows and stamping a foot on the floor grunting. Walter snarled into your back almost viciously before pressing an open mouthed kiss to your back lappjng the salty skin. He growled feeling his inner beast beat on his own restraint. The beed to uck and bit was almost overpowering. He wanted you dripping, ozzing his cum as he stained your perfect frailty with his venomous bite and change you for the better. He needed it like he'd never needed anything in his life. It was his own fault he was so needy and eager... restless. Hed had you at his side for six months far to lost in his bliss of having his mate he'd all but forgot about the mating season untill he was weeks away.

He snarled grolwing deeper and deeper his inner bears bellows trying to break through damanding you put your head down and take your mating properly. Face down ass up and minimal complaints! The deep sounds echoed through as the harsh breaths and grunts fanned over the sensitive skin of your shoulder blades.

"W-walt! Fuck please- hurry!" You whimpered over your shoulder as the large hands of your lover held you still bent over the bed pinning your hips into the matress and he thundered away, burrying himself to the hilt again and again still trying to feed you every thing he had and more. You cried out as he arched, tipping his hips striking your clit with his heavy sack moaning out his pleasure, the small pats making his cock twitch flexing agaisnt your tight channel as he speared you pryingnyou opene like never before.

These were no calculated strokes, he was fucking you with little care to how you withered and cried at his onslaught. Maybe thats why he brought you out here? You were deep in the woods and no one could hear you scream out your pleasure.

He growled low in his throat again biting back at his beast who was watching as you keened and scrabbled bent over on the bed your bare back glistening, tiny beads of sweat rolling down your sides. The scent of your arousal was enough to make him rabid, he needed this! Needed the release. His instincts were screaming savagely just below His mate! His female! His entierly!

And you were. He'd known the second he'd seen you in the cells. He thougt you were coming to bail out your foster dad who'd been caught at the center of a party filming a snuff film. A dark bdsm practice where the sub was unknowinly 'snuffed out' usually sufficated or break their neck from trying to escape. Either way it was a disgusting practice that was hard to pin blame, who was the one to arrest? The person tying the bonds? The dom? The spectators?

As it turned out you were there to cuss him out and hand in evidence phone records, emails, previous incidences. It turned out your father had been arranging these snuff films as a quiet hitman business silently offing people for a price.

Walter had gone out of his way to protect you, luring you to him with sweet dates and raw sex appeal. It had taken just over two months but he managed to secure a relationship with you. Youd been a couple for six months now, and finally it was time!

Finally he could claim you as his own kind did. Allbeit a tad late with only weeks to get you used to your rightfull place. Beside him. Below him!

He'd managed to et you out here to his den, secluded in the forest for a month long stay, mot that you knew it'd be a month. He'd said it'd be a long week end, you wasnt the outdoorsy type... well not yet.

"Shh, shh mate~ calm down you'll get there, just not yet... don't come yet we need- I need you to hold on for me" walter growled lowly into you making you sob and slump on the bed moaning into the covers. He moved slower trying to remember you were human, no matter how close the season was he couldnt mate you just yet. He had to give you the bite, then claim and help you come around to your new form and mate you... all in three weeks. If he tried to mate you properly now youd never survive him.

"Bu-but Bear!? Please i cant!" You wailed grunting and pressed back on him urgently unaware of just what was about to happen. He almost felt guilty, but it was better this way. Bite and help them transition then breed and continue the line. Or risk looseing you? His one mate! Once you were turned you'd feel the bond and wouldnt leave. It was how things were done, tradition!

Walter shook his head ridding the doubts that collected in his mind before chuckling... if only you knew how right you were~. Because be was a bear, a grizzly to be exact. It always brough a smirk to his face when you called him that, it'd soon be an inside joke between you. For every shifter there was a soul mate. The wolves had it easy,being pack animals their mates were mostly wolves themselves. But bears? No. Bears were solitary and their mates tended to be human.

For everything that happened in his life, he never imagined getting such a sweet gentle mate! You were a prize, his prize. Gifted to him by the old gods. You'd love and raise his cubs to be strong, fierce boy's and dainty smart females. His mind drifted, he couldnt wait to fill you, to plant his seed inside your womb and watch you create his cubs. But first he had claim you.

His eyes glazed as you beat at the bed arching your back to him trying desperately to pull him deeper clenching your pussy tight trying to force him to his own end where you could join him. You walls trembled as the suckled on him desperate to have walter quake at the knees and rut you into a tantelizing climax.

Walter snarled eyes now flickering with the burnt red brown that his beast held, the copper tinge glowing with a primal rage and need to latch onto his female and hold her still, repriand his sow for trying to take control and steal his seed before he was read to gift it to her!. Thoughts of tearing the skin and biting you twisted around his mind like a raging storm, his fangs ached. The venomous gift that would seal your fate to his forever thrumming in his jaws eagerly waiting. He was ready. He.was .ready! Years of woundering, then months of play the human game had made him impatient. He needed it, needed to feel the bond tie you together!

"Fine! You asked for it!" He snarled, an inhuman tremorto his voice made you pause, just as you tried to turn and question him you screamed out in panic. Walter bit you. Hard!

You thrashed squealing and panicking, kicking your splayed legs as your neck siezed, cramping. You muscle constricting around what felt like two deep thorns searing into you. Then a deep burn built. You cried in panic, fat tears rolling down your face mind bearly grasping what was going on around you. The shunts of your lovers hips became heavier and more pronounced, every breathnow a severe growl ratteling your bones. His cocks invasion slicing through the pain and terror as he moved faster and harder into you hitting your clit.

You wept tears streaming down your face as he fucked you rougher growling into your neck. Then despite the pain and fear the knot in your tummy snapped and you came around him. The trembling and mind numbing orgasm tore through you making you massage his still thrusting cock. You sobbed collapsing, giving up the fight as your sensitive body ached.

As if rewarding you for finally giving in Walter released your neck leaving it wet. You shuddered knowing that there would be blood but there wasnt much you could do about it. You keenesoftly as he roared over you victoriously painting your insides with his essence, lightly fucking into you. Instinct driving him to scent your cunt as deep as he could for your change, so youd smell of him warding off all other males in the area. This female was taken.

"Fuck. Fuck that was- better then the stories" he hummed over you smileing to himself head hanging down feeling at peace now his mate was claimed and would change. You'd be like him, strong fierce and safe. Able to take care of yourself and protect yourself and his young... fend off any vile human, fend off anyone but him~ your bear, your male, your mate!

"W-walter? My neck? What did you do?! Whh did you!- it feels funny it tingling" you panicked as walter pulled away from you befor slowly crawling onto the bed pullingnyou gently onto the soft bedding tugging you up to rest on your back.

"Its fine, perfect even- its the venom getting to work love" he explained cooing at you wiping you down patting the wohndmon your neck. In his spare of the moment bite he'd been rougher then he could have been, and that was part of the reason his venom was making you go limp already.

"V-VENOM! WHAT VENOM?" You bellowed now bawling panting, hyperventilating eyes wide and tears rolling down your face. His heart clenched as your hand waved in the air trying to hold him but you couldnt feel it, only a heavy numb limb that was useless.

"No, no its not bad- not bad my we t little mate... your turning, you'll turn and be like me" walter said hushingnou craning over you taking your waving hand an pressing kisses to the palm.

"Turn?! What are you- you bite me! We need help! Im gojng numb! Cold walter im bleeding out! Am i bleeding!?" Yu yipped still not understanding what was goingnon? He bit you... HE BIT YOU!? you tried pryingnyour hand free wanting to feel the damage on your neck. The room was spinning, you were growing cold you felt li,e you were dying!

"No shh your not bleeding, your turning... youve taken the bite soo well, so well love... you'll be fine... you'll sleep and then wake up stronger then ever" walter hummed fawning over you, giving you small gentle stroke's he knew he couldnt sit you down and explain, you were falling fast. He just had to reassure you untill you drifted off into the change.

"Wha?"

"Shh im here im here mate... your gonig to be a bear just like me" he whispered softly grinning down at you unable to stop. He was too damn proud, he found you and bit you! Youd be with him always!

"Bear?" You muttere trying to hold him closer as the room began shimmering, lights and blaack dots laceingnyour vision as the heated chill rushed through you drowning your body in a strange soothing yet frightening feeling.

"Yes... I'm a shifter, I brought you here to- to my den, the den of my forefathers, ive given you the bite just as my father did to our mother inthis very cabin!" He rushed trying to explain best as he could not liking the scent of terror on you. He never wanted to scare you, but fear was inevitable. Still if he could ease your worries before you succumbed he would.

"What- walter im- its fuzzy!" You cried desperately tryingnto cling to the little consciousness you had. But it was getting harder as the seconds ticked by.

"Hush im here, it's the change my love... youll be like me... a bear shifter- and just before mating season too...You'll change and then we will mate over and over untill your carrying my cubs~" walter said as a lump swelled in his throat. His father had said this was the worst bit. The fear and panic as your new found mate fell to the transformation. But as the guilt and anxiety sent in so did the excitement of your furture. Your mateing, your family-cubs and a den of your own! It was enougn to make the grown boar cry like a young cub!

"W-walt your scaring me~" you slurred as the room began spinning, a hot sensation coursing through your veins but your skin was cool and prickling.

"Shh its okay love, you need to sleep, just rest when you wake things will be... they will be perfect, sleep, give in don't fight, you dont want to be awake for this part" he said movi g to lay your hand back down at your side. Then sat up besode you looking around for another pillow tomprop under your head.

"W-walter! No, dont leave-" you cried bawling frightened as your eyelids got heavy, he sounded as if he was drifting further from you. Bringing another wave of panic, especiallywhen he placed your hand down.

"I'm not, i wont leave you, not for a second my beautiful female" he said leaning over you holding your chin peppering kisses over your face. Making sure you felt he was still there even as you drifted into the comatose state that would protect you from the pain of your initial transformation. You cries slowly doed off as you closed your eyes unable to fight anymore and let the black take you.

Walter stayed put watching you with baited breath. Now it was his job to gaurd you. Protect and care for you as the grueling first shift took holdand he spied what bear you'd be. The venom in all shifters was the same, each becmea different animal in accordance to their individual traits. He was a grizzly one of the largest bear, his cousin geralt was a polar bear and sy a kodiak. He knew youd be a bear because you were mates, and thats just how it worked.

He sat back cringing as you grunted moaning as things began to shift, your body would rid itself of toxins and ailments first. Flush your system before the real process began. He stood from the bed making his way to the bathroom to fetch the many damp towels he'd need to clean you up. It had been him to insight the change and now it was his duty to care for you through this difficult transition. And it would be is absolute pleasure, because this was the all important duty for him as a male his kind, this would tighten his bond with your beast. He would oversee everything and help you, even help break bones to help you shift faster. Anything to get you through a full shift cycle, to beast and back so you could awaken that little bit faster and begin your life as a true pairing. Despite th grusome nature of the event, walter couldnt be more pleased because thos was the true beginning of his life with you, and he wouldnt change a damn thing.

[colehasapen]

(ONE SHOT) oya'karir STAR WARS

(belated) Whumptober no.28 - Such Wow. Many Normal. Very Oops.

Comfortember no.2 - First Day/Night

There’s an injured animal in the forest, Obi-Wan can hear it from his cabin over the sounds of his banthas bellowing to each other, and the shrieking of his chickens. Standing on his porch, Obi-Wan can hear the sounds from the dense underbrush of the woods that surround his home, traveling up the mountain, as well as the distant sounds of hunting dogs. The druid had lived in the mountains long enough to have memorized what hunting season is when - it’s like clockwork - but whatever is out there isn’t something that’s supposed to be hunted, and it’s not an animal that he’s heard before.

Obi-Wan had never been able to ignore a creature in pain, he’d never been able to turn away from something in trouble, and walking away from the monastery hadn’t changed that, no matter what his former mentor seemed to believe. He had been raised to love and care for all beings as an orphan left on the doorsteps of the Jedi Temple, he had been taught to protect and heal, and choosing to leave didn’t change that. It didn’t change who he was.

So with hot determination burning in his chest, Obi-Wan abandons his tea and his planned morning of gardening, to instead slip into his traveling clothes and sling his bow over his shoulder, and set off into the woods. For a gifted animal druid like Obi-Wan, tracking is a breeze, and he’s very quickly able to pick up the trail. There’s no obvious prints in the dirt; they’ve been brushed away and covered with leaves, showing an intelligence not seen in common animals, which makes it likely that Obi-Wan is tracking a magical creature. It’s illegal everywhere to hunt magical creatures, as they’re recognized as sentient, but it didn’t stop certain sorts from seeing it as either sport to hunt them, as their ancestors once had, or they consider them delicacies and their bodies go for a lot on the black markets.

He finds a broken, bloodied bear trap deeper into the forest, likely what had injured the unknown creature, and a quick taste of the flaky blood has the creature’s emotions exploding in his senses. Pain, frustration, and fury were the strongest, burning like spices in his mouth and nose, followed by an undercurrent of protectiveness and determination, and the faintest sting of rotten fear. Whatever creature was injured here is protecting others, younger than they are, because the protectiveness carries the smallest traces of the sweetness of a parental love.

Obi-Wan straightens. Using the creature's blood to draw a quick tracking rune on a leaf, and setting it flat on his palm, the druid watches it spin like a compass. The spell would lead right to where he needed to go, whereas tracking the trail would waste much needed time. Time that could have the creature suffering needlessly, or help the hunters catch it’s trail.

Obi-Wan continues to duck through the trees, covering his own trail as he goes, following the compass through the underbrush while also keeping one eye on his surroundings. Finally, the leaf quivers, pauses then drops, and Obi-Wan stills. A warning growl from the thick shadows around him has the druid carefully lifting his hands to show the creature watching him that he means no harm to them.

“Good morning,” He greets, slowly scanning the trees around him, straining his ears to try and pick up where the creature could be. Whatever it is, it must be a predatory creature, because they’re soundless beyond the growling and the faintest ruffling of underbrush that shows where it was as it stalks him. “I’m not a hunter.” Obi-Wan assures, “I’m a druid from further up the mountains.” The creature’s growling quiet slightly. Most magical creatures knew instinctively that druids could be trusted, being linked to them and nature in ways that most would never understand. While they weren’t drawn to druids like common animals were, they weren’t often aggressive either. “I mean you no harm, I just want to help you.”

The growling stops, going quiet. The only sound he can hear is the rustling of the thick foliage over his head, and the chirping of birds. Obi-Wan keeps himself carefully still, keeping his body language loose and nonthreatening. And then, like a ghost, a large figure steps out of the shadows.

It’s a wolf, larger than any wolf Obi-Wan had seen in person before. As black as night, and with glowing golden eyes, it’s the size of a large pony, and the blue and white marks splashing through it’s fur give them away as a magical creature if it’s size hadn’t already. He - and now that he’s close enough, Obi-Wan can sense that the wolf is male - either a young Direwolf, or something else entirely. He’s limping too, hind leg dragging behind him as he shuffles towards Obi-Wan, nose twitching and teeth bared in a silent threat, ears perked.

“Oh.” Obi-Wan breathes in shock, awed at the sight of the magnificent creature in front of him, “Hello there.”

The wolf is large, streamlined for speed and endurance, and Obi-Wan can see powerful muscle moving under his lovely pelt. The golden eyes are sharp with intelligence, even for a magical creature, and he studies the druid in turn, probing. Then, in front of his eyes, the wolf gives a full body shake, fur melting away to reveal scarred brown skin, and Obi-Wan takes an instinctual step back in shock.

Oh.

Oh - a Mandalorian wolf.

Obi-Wan feels vaguely faint - the Mandaloran wolves had been labelled endangered and nearly extinct when he had been thirteen. Hundreds of them had been hunted and slaughtered on the fields of Galidraan, by a party led by once-Master Dooku and on the orders of the Duke of the territory. It had been under false pretenses, but it had still been horrible, and the monastery had felt the consequences of their participation and had removed Dooku from the Order for his crimes. The Duchess of Mandalore had banished the last of them from their ancestral lands when they had refused to bow to her newly claimed authority. Obi-Wan had loved Satine once, he might always love her, but it didn’t mean he had to agree with her, and her decisions involving the Kingdom she was leading were most of the walls that had been placed between them.

“You’re a druid?” The Mandalorian grunts, voice guttural and deep, and Obi-Wan can smell his muted hesitation and hope. He’s a large man, just as he was a large wolf, with thick rolling muscles packed under brown skin and handsome features, and short-cropped black hair that curled tightly on top of his head. Golden eyes are watching him, and Obi-Wan shakes himself out of his shock.

“Yes.” He says in a rush, forcing his eyes away from the rippling muscles of the man’s chest and stomach, painfully aware that the Mandalorian is naked. He’d barely had any interactions with another person since leaving the monastery, and now he finds himself face-to-chest with a very muscular, and very attractive man.

An injured man who needs his help.

“My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi.” He introduces himself, and the Mandalorian tilts his head, assessing and hesitant.

“Alpha.” He says, “You said you have a place up the mountains?”

Obi-Wan nods, “Yes, it’s not large, but no hunter would dare enter my land. It’s safe there.”

The wolf’s hesitation tastes sour in the air, though it doesn’t show on his face. If it weren’t for his scent-based empathic abilities, Obi-Wan doubts he’d ever be able to read the man’s expression.

“Got enough room for cubs?”

 

 

The druid is an odd one. Admittedly, Alpha had never met a druid before in his life, but it couldn’t be considered too odd, since he’d spent most of it, up until a few moons ago, in confinement. There were no druids on Kamino, and if they were, Alpha suspects their little zoo would have long since been destroyed, and the Kaminoans’ experiments would have been halted. Alpha and his cubs would have been free before now.

When he had escaped Tapioca City with six cubs of various sizes in tow, he had been intent on hunting down a pack to take them in, to help him protect his cubs. They may not be his, not by birth, but Alpha had claimed the litter, and the runt, as his own. He had taken them in, he had protected them, nurtured them, and trained them to defend themselves. They were still young though, still small and breakable, and they wouldn’t be useful on the battlefield for years yet, not unless the Kaminoans used their disgusting alchemy. They needed the protection of a pack, they needed stability and a place where they wouldn’t need to be afraid of being taken back to the cages.

Alpha had spent long enough in captivity that he barely remembers being free, he barely remembers his family, or his home, and he’s long since forgotten his name, but his cubs? The children magically created from his blood knew nothing beyond the cages of Tapioca City , and the cold cruelty of the Kaminoans.

The world outside is strange and odd to them, and more dangerous than Alpha remembers.

The hunters had been tracking them for weeks, and Alpha had thought that their luck had finally run out. They had been hunted up the mountain, forced to keep moving or risk being caught, with little food or rest. Rex, smaller and more sickly than his older brothers, had fallen ill - he had been deemed defective by the Kaminoans and slated for culling to remove his “unwanted genetics” because of his white fur and hair, and his frailness. When he had been distracted by Rex’s sickness, his older pups had slipped away, wanting nothing more than to help and bring back food in hopes that it would help their younger brother get better, but it had ended with Kote getting injured when the hunting hounds found them. Alpha had fought the hounds off, had killed them, but they were still coming, so he had been forced to hide his cubs in what had once been a badger den, then leave them behind to lead the hunters away.

Exhausted and distracted by his hunger and worry, Alpha hadn’t seen the bear trap until it was too late and it had already snapped closed around his leg. He had been forced to shift to pry the metal trap from his ankle, likely making the injury worse, and then shifting back to keep moving. He had continued going out of stubborn determination to keep his pursuers away from the cubs he had hidden.

He hadn’t expected a druid to come out of the trees and offer him and his cubs a safe place to rest and heal. Obi-Wan Kenobi; Alpha isn’t sure what to make of the human. His instincts tell him he can trust the druid, but his experiences tell him to be wary.

So Alpha stands at Kenobi’s shoulder, hovering protectively as the druid finishes stitching the wound on Kote’s face closed, a dozing Rex, drowsy from the tonic Kenobi had given him, held securely in his arms, white and blue fur smelling of herbs. Wolffe and Fox press against his legs, their curiosity strong, while Bly and Ponds roam around their new environment. The human’s pale hands contrast against Kote’s dark skin, and Alpha’s second youngest cub stares up at the druid with large amber eyes, completely in awe.

Kenobi keeps up a stream of inane chatter as he works, talking about the flora and fauna of his mountain, or the funny things his bantha herd had done. Anything to keep Kote’s attention away from the sharp needle poking through his magically-numbed face, but it wasn’t really needed. Kote is completely enraptured by the pretty human looking after him and tending to his injury.

Maybe if his cub was older, Alpha would push Kote towards Kenobi as a possible mate, but he’s only nine.

Kenobi was definitely everything Alpha himself had always imagined in a mate; he’d only known the man for a few hours, but he could feel the stirrings of attraction towards the druid and his sweet scent. Strong enough to defend himself, smart enough to provide, beautiful and fertile-smelling, and kind and gentle with his pups. Alpha had been imagining his possible mates since the moment he was sexually mature enough to able to breed and the Kaminoans had started shoving female wolves into his cage - he’d never taken any of them, had been insulted by the insinuations that he’d breed with common animals, and the scientists hadn’t been overly pleased with him for it. He’d imagined a pack far away from Kamino and any possible intruders, with a mate at his side and plenty of room for his cubs to run and grow without fear. Kenobi’s mountain sanctuary already met those criteria, and the longer Alpha was around the druid, the more he thought about those dreams.

And he’d only just met the man; what would happen during the long recovery period that stretched before him?

Kenobi had welcomed them into his lands, had treated Alpha’s leg and gave Rex medicine. He’d gone out and hunted them dinner when Alpha couldn’t, he’d let Ponds paw through his books and carved Bly toys, even after Alpha had warned him that the cubs would chew them up within a day. He’d shown Wolffe how to string a bow when the boy had asked, and had comforted Kote through his fear of needles and distrust of medicine. Alpha could smell the arousal on the man whenever Alpha was in his space, which could also be counted as a possible success as a potential mate.

Though Kenobi’s attraction was likely as instinctual as Alpha’s. The druid is alone, any scent beyond his own, and now Alpha’s pack, is so stale it’s nearly non-existent. The clothes Kenobi had given him to wear were larger than the druid, like the only thing that would fit Alpha, and made from rough-spun fabric with a scent so stale that it couldn’t have belonged to anyone in years . Kenobi had been alone for a long time, he needed a pack.

Well. Alpha stares at the human, considering, scanning his eyes across broad shoulders and his gentle expression as he talks with Kote. There’s always room in his.

[mosylufanfic]

“I still remember the way you taste.” + Killervibe!

Me: I shall do a prompt party and write very short little drabbles only!

Also me: AHAHAHAHAHHAHA

Anyway, for this blame Hedgi, and also KillerFrost from the Discord chat and her art.

Canines

Clouds drifted across the half moon, dappling the park with patches of gloom. Caitlin didn't mind. She had good night vision, and she had other senses, too.

She could remember long ago, when she'd been human. She'd walked through this park in the sunlight, holding hands with the man she loved. 

But that had been before the first vampires arrived two years ago, and the werewolves followed, bringing their war to Central City. Her home belonged to the monsters now, and she was one of them.

She set off around the perimeter of the park in a lope. It didn't belong to either side. They'd settled into an uneasy truce a few months before, with the park a kind of no-monsters' land. Supposedly, vampires and werewolves alike had safe passage. She snorted to herself.

She hadn't trusted a vampire since the day her husband had tried to kill her.

If she let herself, she could still remember the feeling of returning to find him in their living room, safe and sound after a week of being missing. She'd cried out, "Cisco!" and run to wrap him in her arms. 

Only for him to open his mouth - that mouth she'd kissed and smiled at and loved - to reveal razor-sharp fangs as he lunged for her throat.

She didn't let herself remember very often.

She paid attention to the scents that washed over her as she ran, seeking out anything that might be a clue. Members of the pack had been disappearing in this area. Young werewolves, barely turned, still learning their own power.  It made her skin itch, made her want to howl at the moon overhead. The pack was all she had anymore.

More practically, their truce with the vampires was still so tenuous that if they kept losing young, strong wolves, the balance of power could tip away from them in a moment.  

She paused in a stand of trees, lifting her muzzle into the wind. A whiff of a familiar and hated scent froze her where she stood. Old, dead blood.

Her lips lifted over her teeth as an instinctive growl rumbled in her throat.

Vampire.

She pressed herself low to the ground, clamping her jaws shut. Suckers had excellent hearing. She picked her delicate way through the bushes, which had grown out from their manicured shapes into tangling hedges now that there was nobody who cared to maintain them. 

She found a spot still open enough to poke her muzzle through, and sniffed deeply, trying to work out if she'd encountered this sucker before.

No . . . at least, she thought not.

But there was something familiar about the scent. She couldn't put a name to it. Maybe one she'd tangled with briefly. As if they'd swiped and snarled at each other, retreating without drawing blood. 

She squirmed further under the hedge until she could see his shape. Some of the older wolves said dependency on sight was a human weakness. Your nose should tell you all.

But she'd only been a wolf for a year. Since . . . 

She cut that thought off. He was gone. As good as dead.

A cloud drifted away from the moon, bathing the clearing in silvery light, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine. Leaves rustled.

The sucker lifted his head, and she went still. Her pale pelt was a liability, standing out in the darkness, but as long as she stayed low and hidden and still -

After a moment, he crouched over his project again. She bit back another growl. What was he doing? Setting a trap? One of the pack had lost a leg to a trap laid on the main street the other day. Werewolves healed fast, but that was a permanent loss.

If he was setting a trap in truce space, maybe the vampires were making ready to restart the war.

And his smell . . .

Moving carefully, she crept closer, low and slow, trying to understand why his scent drew her so powerfully. 

She was getting too close, she thought, but she couldn't stop. What was it about him?

Anyway, his head was down, his shoulders relaxed. He wasn't paying attention. She inched closer - closer - 

Ten feet away from him, a dry leaf gave the faintest of crackles under her front paw. Faster than a blink, he whipped around and sprayed something directly in her face.

With a yelp, she twisted away. Whatever-it-was burned in her throat and her lungs, spreading through her body -

Then a heavy weight slammed her back against the grass. She snarled and tried to bite, tried to swipe with her claws, but her attacker evaded easily.

Moonlgiht glinted off fangs, and she thoguht, I refuse to die like this, brought down by a fucking sucker - 

Then the weight was gone.  

She lifted her head, blinking at the night, which was suddenly both dimmer and sharper than it had been. She rolled to her belly and pushed herself up on her front legs -

Except they weren't her front legs, they were her arms. She was in her human form. Horror spilled through her.

She was the only one who controlled her form. Her. Hard-won control, but hers and hers alone. The moon couldn't turn her or keep her from turning back, not anymore. 

What had that sucker done?

She whipped her head around, teeth bared, and found the sucker crouched a few feet away, shrouded in darkness. She tried to shift to her wolf form, and failed again. Even with the light of the moon pouring down on her, she stayed in her human form.

"Are you okay?"

The voice.

That voice. 

"Cisco," she said, and hated the way her own voice shook.

The urge to bolt almost overwhelmed her, but she dug her paws - no, fingers, she had fingers - into the grass to stop herself. If she ran, he would be after her. That was what suckers did. And on two legs, in human form, she wasn't near fast enough to escape, and she didn't have the teeth or claws to fight. Her only weapon was her werewolf blood, poisonous to vampires. 

Small consolation, given that her throat would already be torn out by the time it took effect.

"Are you okay?" he said again.

There was a stick nearby, one that had been broken off a tree. She could smell the raw green wood, and groped for it. If she didn't have her teeth, any weapon would do. "What did you do? What was that?"

"Wolfsbane," he said.

"What?"

Panic rattled her bones for a split second before her cool, practical doctor's mind cut in. If he'd hit her with pure extract of wolfsbane, she'd already be dead. He could be lying, but her throat still burned and her skin still prickled. And there was the way she couldn't turn.

"Super mild," he said. "A couple of parts per million, with a few other things thrown in. Practically homeopathy." He eyed her. "Apparently it still works." He shifted forward, reaching out to touch her face.

She smacked his hand aside with the stick. "Don't try that glamour thing on me."

"I'm not dumb enough to try and glamour a werewolf. I'm checking to see if you're okay."

She bared her teeth and jabbed the stick at him. He lurched backward.

"Okay," he said tightly. "You're fine. I get it. You mind putting down the stick? The last time you had a sharp piece of wood in your hand, you almost took my eye out."

Instinctively, she glanced at his temple. No scar, of course. Suckers healed fast. She'd seen the skin knitting itself together before he'd escaped out the open front door. "Self defense," she said coolly, lifting the stick higher. "You would have killed me and drunk from my cooling corpse on our living room floor."

He shut his eyes. "Fuck."

"Ring a bell?"

"I wasn't trying to kill you," he said wearily. "I was trying to turn you."

The stick dropped involuntarily, and she gripped it tighter. "Into a vampire?"

"No, into a unicorn. Yes! Into a vampire. So we could be together."

She sat still, letting the revelation wash over her and sink into her skin. "You just - you lunged for me. You'd been gone for days. I thought we'd find you in a morgue, if we found you at all. Then you were there, and you snarled and your teeth -"

He met her eyes, his full of regret. "I'm sorry. Believe me. I'm so sorry for scaring you. I wish I could have explained, but baby vamps aren't exactly in their right minds. Getting a hold on our powers takes some wrangling. At that point, I barely knew words."

Like werewolf cubs, she thought. She had been a little out of her mind, too, after she'd turned. Between her grief, the pull of the moon, and her overwhelming new senses, she'd been a mess.

But - 

"I didn't want to be a vampire," she said. "I wanted to be safe."

"I wanted you to be safe too."

Like that? she wanted to ask. Really? Like that?

"Anyway," he went on. "It didn't matter. By the time I got my fangs on straight and went back for you for real, the mutts had already gotten to you."

"Don't call me that," she snapped. "And they didn't get to me. I went looking for them."

He gaped at her. "You went - why? You just said you didn't want to be a vampire, why is being a mu- werewolf any better?"

"Because as far as I could tell, the werewolves were the only ones with any defenses against vampires." She eyed him coldly. "And at the time, that sounded like exactly what I needed."

He shut his eyes. "Well, aren't we just the monster Romeo and Juliet."

"Aren't we just," she echoed, watching the moonlight fall on his profile.

If she hadn't known to look for the glint of his fangs at the corners of his mouth, and the new pallor of his skin, she could have mistaken him for human. How many times had she rolled over in bed and traced her finger over the curve of his ear, the bump of his elbow, the fullness of his lower lip as he lay sleeping next to her?

From the way he met her eyes, she wondered if he was thinking similar thoughts.

His eyes moved down over her body, then up. He frowned. "You know you're naked, right?"

"Yes," she said tartly.

"Okay," he said. "Just checking. Because you're weirdly okay with it."

She'd never been the one to stroll around their apartment naked, without so much as a bathrobe. That had been him, teasing her about her primness. "I've gotten used to it," she said. "It happens every time." 

"So, wait. You're naked when you transform?"

"Yes."

"You don't, like, have a t-shirt or something?"

"Where exactly do you think I'd keep a t-shirt when I'm in wolf form?"

"I don't know, magic."

She raised her brows at him. 

"Okay, fine. Point is, do you want my coat?" he asked, already lifting his hands to tug it off. "It's freezing out here tonight."

"Oh that's a wonderful idea. I'll wear something home that has the stench of vampire all over it."

He dropped his hands. "You could've just said no."

She looked away, ashamed at her own snarkiness. "I don't think it would be smart."

"Yeah, maybe not."

She shot a glare at him, suddenly remembering that before all the rehashing of their history, she'd found him doing something very sneaky. "And the minute I tell them you used wolfsbane on me, we're both going to have bigger problems."

"I told you, it was extremely mild!"

"Mild or not," she snapped, "by using it in this park, against me, you've broken the truce."

"You wolves broke it first."

"I have every right to be here!"

"Yeah, and so do I. But this doesn't." He swept out a hand to indicate the patch of ground he'd been crouching over. "Garlic."

She stared at the patch of tall, thin green leaves. "Weeds," she said, but their scent tickled her nose. If he hadn't been right there, distracting her, she would have smelled it earlier. 

He rolled his eyes. "Give me a break." He yanked his scarf over his mouth and nose, pulled on a pair of heavy gardening gloves, and reached out to yank up one of the plants, exposing the bulbous roots. "What's that?"

She hesitated. 

"Come on. I know you know. You spent an entire summer trying to grow them on our kitchen windowsill."

"Okay, fine, it's garlic. Now put it down before you poison yourself."

He tossed it away from himself, and it landed a foot or two behind Caitlin. "Yeah. Garlic. In this park, which we've established is a truce space."

"Okay," she said. "So maybe one of us planted a few cloves of garlic in an out-of-the-way area."

He snorted.

"But can you blame us? You've taken six new werewolves in the past three weeks. Snatched them off the street, hid them so well even our best can't sniff them out. What have you done with them? Tortured them? Tested your wolfsbane concoction on them?" Tears burned in her eyes and she blinked them back. 

"Bullshit we have," he said. "That's you, disappearing eight baby vamps before they get their teeth sharp enough." He snarled down at the uprooted garlic bed. "You growing this so you can stuff it down their throat?"

"Wait a minute," she said. "You're losing people too?"

"Yeah," he said. "That's what I just said." The hard set of his face softened as he stared at her. "You don't know anything about that, do you?"

"No," she said. "And this is the first you've heard of the missing cubs, isn't it?"

"Yeah," he said slowly. "Although maybe you don't know everything your alphas are doing." At her look, he dropped his gaze and in a low voice admitted, "Maybe I don't."

They both looked at the garlic.

"How much you wanna bet you'd find a patch of wolfsbane somewhere in this park?" he said.

"Not a lot," she said grimly. "Where did you get that spray?”

“This old book.”

“Who gave it to you?”

“I don’t know, it just turned up, and I thought I’d try out some of the defenses it listed.” He frowned at her. “You think somebody wanted me to?”

“Anybody who’s known you for ten minutes would know you wouldn’t be able to resist.”

He grimaced. “Accurate.” He looked at the spray bottle still lying on the grass.

“The garlic, and the spray,” she continued, thinking out loud. “That could be a couple of random people, just trying to defend themselves. But kidnapping werewolves and vampires, and doing it so well that we can't find so much as a whiff of them, that would require a lot more coordination.”

"Especially ones still getting used to their powers. I don't know how it is for cubs, but for baby vamps, it's a dangerous time for them and everyone around them."

"Cubs are the same," she said. 

"Fuck," he mumbled.

They sat in silence under the moon for a moment or two.

"I thought the fighting was over," he said. "It was so damn nice not to be at war for, like, a hot minute."

"It was always only a truce," she said. "Nobody ever said it was over."

"Yeah, but this city's gotten a lot better since then."

"It really has. Why would they want to start it up again?"

"Ancestral blood feud," he said. "You think they need more of a reason?"

She shook her head. "Something about it feels off. It's too neat. You're losing baby suckers - "

"Hey."

"Sorry. Baby vampires. At the same time, we're losing cubs. And there's garlic planted in a truce space, and someone made sure you found a recipe for wolfsbane spray.”

"Yeah," he said. "That is a little too neat. You think maybe - "

"Somebody wants us fighting," she said.

"Yeah. Focused on each other instead of . . . somewhere else."

"Who would want that? And why?"

"I don't know. It's an interesting question, don't you think?"

She looked up at the moon. It was lower to the horizon. "I should go." She tried one more time to turn, and failed, which she'd half-expected. "How long does that wolfsbane concoction last?"

"The book said until the next moonrise."

"Who else has it?"

"As far as I know, just me. This was the first time I've taken it out. I knew I was coming here and I knew somebody might not want me digging up that garlic."

"Don't touch it anymore," she said. "I'll dispose of it. And don't tell anyone. I won't either."

He put his hand on her arm. It was cooler than it had been once, but the weight of it and the calluses on his palm felt oh-so-familiar. "What are you going to do?"

"Find out what I can," she said. "About the garlic. About the baby vamps."

"Be careful."

"You too."

They both got to their feet. Caitlin wrapped her arms around herself. It was a little chilly. It didn't matter. She knew where there was a stash of clothes in the park, usually stocked for cubs who were having trouble with their transformation. She could make it that far.

Cisco seemed to be thinking along the same lines. "Uh, you want me to walk you home or something? Just in case. You know."

"I'll be fine," she said, reaching for the garlic lying on the ground. "I'll have this. And a sharp stick."

"Right," he said. "Right." He cast another look at the disordered patch of garlic, then turned to walk away.

She crouched to dig up the rest of the bulbs, then thought of something. "Cisco?" she called out.

He turned. "Yeah?"

"Why did you stop? Earlier. You would have bitten me."

"Technically," he said, "I was planning to break your neck. That whole poisonous-blood thing." He raised his brows. "What, you thought we didn't know?"

She swallowed. "The question stands. Why didn't you?"

He came a step closer. "I know how you feel under me."

She stood still, the blood rising in her cheeks and thrumming low in her belly.

He smiled a little, sadly. "I still remember the way you taste. The way you smell. The way you sing really, really badly in the shower, and like weak-ass coffee."

She rolled her eyes at that. "Just because I happen to like keeping the enamel on my teeth."

His smile quirked wider. It was an old argument. "If we meet back here in a week, the moon will be closer to full, right?"

"Waxing three-quarter moon, yes," she said.

"Will you be able to turn into a human?"

"I have it under control. I'll be fine. And I'm a werewolf," she corrected. "Whether I look like a wolf or a woman, I'm still a werewolf either way."

He sighed. "And I'm a vampire." He turned. "See you then."

She put a hand to her lips, wishing she could have kissed him one more time. "See you," she whispered into the night.

FINIS

[iinuyashaa]

The Lessons in Memories

Daisuke-  The Great Help

Kouga remembers the softness of his mother’s hands.

He remembers whining irritably within her grasp, wriggling with all of his childish might to escape the repeated tugs at his brown locks with a brush made of bone from the tribe’s last hunting haul. Sitting in his mother’s lap had made him feel like a cub again, and at fifty years old, Kouga was no cub; his father had affirmed as such. Fumiko, his father’s mate, with all of the grace of a confident mother and sharpness of the demon that dwelled within her being, continued to entrap her son in a strategic hold in order to finish combing his unruly hair. This was certainly not the first time this had occurred.

“An Eastern Prince should take care of his appearance more, Kouga,” she had chided softly, ignoring the petty snort in response and his latest attempts of leaping out of her hold. Kouga remembers her voice; it was one of a natural, ethereal timbre that could have calmed the wind from howling or the earth from shaking. It contrasted highly against his rough struggling to be relinquished from her hands. The prior admonishment was delivered in a thoughtful tone that hid a darker side of his mother, one that had killed and pillaged, but also one that had defended her tribe and family. She had, after all, fought alongside his father to secure their title as alphas of the Eastern Wolf Tribe. His mother was supposedly a tyrant upon the battlefield, and as a cub he had heard stories of her victories against the Birds of Paradise. He had beamed with wolfish excitement at accounts of her ripping the fiendish beings limb from limb and bathing in their blood, releasing a passionate cry while doing so. Perhaps that last part had been a tad bit embellished by the elders, but it was nonetheless a worthwhile story to tell around the fire in the darkness of night. His mother had possessed a fire of her own, different from his father’s but just as strong. She had been a female few chose to reckon with.

But with him, Kouga remembers his mother almost always being soft.

He remembers huffing at her words and dismissing them. He was going to be alpha one day regardless of whether or not his pack-mates perceived his hair to be presentable.

“Let me go! I don’t care what others think- I always tie my hair back anyway, mother!” His younger self had countered indignantly, finally hooking his claws into the soil beneath them and hoisting himself away from her. Scrambling to his feet, he had a moment to take inventory of her own appearance, quickly noting the tan skin that glistened with sweat under the heat of the afternoon sun and knowing orbs the same dark shade as pebbles near the river eyeing his form. The look of disdain that unfolded upon her features was a sure sign that his mother was not happy about the arrangement. 

To Kouga’s surprise, Fumiko only allowed a sigh of resignation to escape her before she herself rose to stand. Brushing off any unwanted dirt from her dark pelt- an identical match to his father’s own, he remembers- Kogua had groaned in irritation as his mother plucked his cheeks between her index finger and thumb and brought him closer to her. The two wolf demons were suddenly face to face as she leaned down in front of him. The arch of his mother’s eyebrow before she spoke dared him to speak, but even Kouga at select times such as these had understood when to keep his mouth shut. 

“I care.” She began slowly, and instinctively Kouga felt his insides flicker with nervousness at the softness of her voice. His mother was a champion at maintaining a serene tone while being angry with him. “I care because I birthed you, nursed you, and now you choose to not take care of yourself. Brush your hair. Clean your kills. Wash yourself regularly. This laziness will come to an end, my son.” Kouga heard the sizzling heat of irritation drip from her words, a snapping and popping akin to the crackles of firewood as they are engulfed by greedy flames. Still, her voice was smooth as always.

Had he the power to wither away at that moment, Kouga was sure he would have with his mother peering down at him as she was.

Fumiko continued, but this time her eyes had softened to the same extent as her voice. Her next words were quieter, and she began to speak from the heart she, according to humans, did not possess. “I care because one day you are going to be the alpha of our tribe, and if you do not respect yourself enough to take care of yourself, no one here will respect you. Do you understand that?”

No. Kouga had not understood completely at the time, given that he had been a mere child in youkai years; regardless, however, the young ookami had slowly nodded his head, and his mother had relinquished her hold upon his cheeks, which were now puffy from her squeezing fingers. He then gazed up at his mother expectantly, waiting to be told to sit down again so she could finish brushing his hair.

But once again his mother surprised him.

“Now, go play. I believe Ginta and Hakkaku are waiting for you. We’re finished here.” Blinking, Kouga had taken a hesitant step back, pausing to ensure that his mother was being truthful. A moment passed between them before Fumiko smiled and waved her hand, urging him to go on. Looking back, Kouga supposed that she wanted him to enjoy at least one day of youth; desire for him to relish the feeling of not having the weight of their world on his shoulders. One day of bliss wouldn’t harm his future.

Kouga had released an exhilarated laugh before taking wide leaps into the forest.

That day, Kouga had learned the importance of enjoying the small things.

He remembers to do so.

--*~*--

Kouga remembers the thundering anger quaking from his father’s voice; the sound bouncing off the walls of the inner chambers of the den and making his head spin. Kouga felt red and blistering with shame, and his tail lay limply along the cave’s stone floor as he kneeled before his mother and father. The minor cuts and bruises upon his arm thrummed with the absence of poultice on them, but it was a burden he had to carry until his parents inflicted a wound even greater. Time passed before a seventy-five year old Kouga felt brave enough to raise his head and meet Katsuro’s- his father’s- seething gaze. Kouga remembers never having seen his father so irate until this point in his entire existence. The chamber felt suffocating; too much anger swirling around, too much doubt, too much disgust.

Katsuro himself was having a hard time controlling his temper, and Kouga had wanted to sink into the floor when their eyes locked. The dark blue hues belonging to his father churned, resembling the turbulent ocean waters of the eastern sea.

“What were you trying to prove, Kouga?” His father questioned through grit teeth. Kouga parted his lips, but firmly clamped them back shut.

“I forbid you from venturing into the valley. You know well enough what lurks there- and yet here you are- sitting in front of me in disgrace.” The words were hissed out, but there was a twang of worry to them that Kouga would only be able to comprehend when he himself was older. “Allow me to educate you on what has happened today, and perhaps you will then have a clearer understanding of your disrespectful- and dangerous- actions.” Katsuro began, cracking his knuckles. Kouga felt himself sink closer to the floor.

“I am out traveling with the hunting party when I am told news from a scout about a few wolves being chased and attacked by Birds of Paradise down in the valley. But surely, I thought to myself,” Katsuro paused, allowing his sarcastic tone to permeate for a moment, “Kouga would know better than to be one of those idiotic wolves. My son, he knows better. I have told him to never go to the valley! He knows how many have been lost there...” His father’s voice trailed off, tempting Kouga’s gaze to flicker down to the floor once more. He could sense the grimace that flashed upon the elder’s face.

“I am soon told that you were spotted struggling to defend yourself against three Birds of Paradise. Three. Do you know how fast I ran, thinking that I might not make it to you in time?” Katsuro’s voice went quiet with his question, but Kouga dared not raise his head. “I prayed to the Ancestors as I ran- prayed that I could make it to you before you were torn apart. That’s what they do to us. You know that. You knew that before you disobeyed me and went there. Not only that- you took Ginta and Hakkaku with you. You endangered your own kin because of your foolish actions!” He yelled, the timbre of his voice rough with displeasure. It felt that with each sentence, Kouga’s mind and heart were getting clawed out of his body. He could hardly stand it.

“Father, I-” Kouga croaked as he attempted to explain himself, unbothered at the fact, for once, of how much he sounded like a flustered cub.  

“I did not permit you to speak!” Katsuro had roared, slamming his fist against the stone throne below him.

Life appeared to stand still. One could have heard a feather floating to the ground.

“When I reach the valley, I find you still fighting. Only the Ancestors know how you survived that long- but it did not matter anymore. A quarter of the pack had to be brought in to fight against enemies that you enticed into attacking merely by venturing into their territory. You placed many lives in danger today, Kouga. How can I trust you to take over once I am gone if you perform in this fashion?” Katsuro glared down at his son and released a deep sigh. “I am more than disappointed.” Finally raising his head, Kouga swallowed the lump in his throat. His father had been right; Ginta and Hakkaku had hardly stood a chance against the one bird they had been fighting, and once they had been knocked out, it was left up to Kouga to not only protect himself but also his comrades. He had put his family in danger. Kouga felt his cuts sting again, and he clenched his hands into fists to block out the internal and external pain.

His father slowly stood before stepping over to stand in front of him, for once wearing the full regalia of his pelts. If it had been any other situation, Kouga would have remarked at the uncanny timing for his father to suddenly be wearing his ornate furs and gems and discipline him like a true Alpha.

“Why did you disobey us, Kouga? Why did you not listen to me?” Katsuro asked, his voice uncharacteristically gentle and lacking the teasing tone it typically possessed.

“I…” Kouga started, glancing at his mother, who stared at him with a concerned gaze. “I knew that you and mother had defeated the Birds of Paradise, and… and I wanted to defeat them too. I wanted to prove that I am strong. Strong enough to be Alpha one day.”

Katsuro parted his lips and shook his head, releasing a deflated scoff before dropping to his knees and wrapping his arms around his son. “You are strong, Kouga. You did not have to prove anything.”

The younger ookami felt his father take his chin and lift it up so that their foreheads touched, and suddenly the shame that had plagued his soul from the very beginning of the exchange was flushed away when his mother’s arms wrapped around the two males, encompassing them as best as she could in a tight grasp. He had not even noticed her come closer.

“We could have lost you, Kouga.” Fumiko whispered, her voice silken with longing as she nuzzled her head against his own, and his father let out another deep, shaky sigh against the skin of Kouga’s cheek.

“I am sorry for disgracing you, mother, father…” Kouga whispered eagerly, physically relieved to have the atmosphere more tame, but his monologue was silenced by his father clamping a hand over his mouth.

“I accept your words, Kouga.” Two pairs of blue irises met, one just a darker shade than the other and holding, fortunately, a greater amount of wisdom. “But do not ever do something so reckless again. At least while your mother and I are still alive.” He finished, adding his jest for the sake of lightening the mood.

Kouga pulled his head back and allowed a quavering, grateful smile to form across his features. His father matched his expression.

He learned on that day to never endanger the pack as a means to prove something, especially for the sake of personal pride.

Kouga remembers to do so.  

--*~*--

Kouga remembers the winter of his one hundred and thirty-eighth year being the most bitter he had ever experienced. Hunger had run rampant among the pack. They had lost two elders to starvation and a cub to an unusually aggressive ogre that had been spying on them. The morale of the tribe was low, so downtrodden that even the presence of spring had not been able to lift some spirits. Offerings had been given to the Ancestors as a last resort to at least bless them with a plentiful hunt, but the winter had been so frigid that the spring hunting was not as bountiful as the years before.

He remembers his parents being blamed for the misfortune.

He remembers the scent of blood and death assaulting his senses, the scent of moist iron infiltrating his nostrils and causing every fiber within his being to howl as he walked back to the den from an unsuccessful hunt one day in late spring. The scent quickly spurred him into motion. The wet, green grass beneath his feet squished furiously as his legs carried him, quicker and quicker  until he reached the entrance of the den, his eyes widening in horror as he took in the sight before him. The water from the waterfall was stained a hellish, ruby color as blood passed through its system; the red substance covered any rock, tree, or grass nearby, coating the world around him in a demented nightmare. Bodies- both in humanoid in form and in their primitive wolf form- lay all around, unmoving, unwavering. His mind raced as he tried to piece together what had possibly happened, but all he could smell was the stench of wolf blood; no other creature’s scent could be traced by his seasoned nose. A panicked howl had escaped his body as he examined the carnage, and in the back of his mind he knew he heard Ginta and Hakkaku respond back with their own, but he could not reply when he scented the blood of two wolves in particular.

“Mother!” Kouga had shouted, his throat thick and voice hoarse with distress, “Father!” He had screamed, desperation flooding his being as he raced up the stone walkway, passing by the bodies of his brethren until he reached the mouth of the cave. He grunted as he scrambled through the bodies and weapons and entrails, clawing his way to the inner chambers where his parents resided-

The spectacle before him had made Kouga fall to his knees with a cry of pure agony.

Fumiko and Katsuro lay in the middle of their chambers, piled on top of each other as though they were nothing more than sacks  of rice. Clambering over disheveled furs, jewels, and the few personal belongings his parents owned that had been thrown to the floor, Kouga felt himself heaving in sheer panic and despair and anger. From their lifeless forms, he could almost pick up the faint scent of lilac that had belonged to his mother, but the kill was fresh and the scent of blood continued to suffocate him. He had felt like vomiting, but the tears that spewed from his eyes relentlessly had clogged his vision as he moaned, “No, no, no… No..” The following howling of their names came out in a crazed yell while his mind attempted to wrap around the blank stare of his mother’s hazel eyes and pale skin; his father had fared no better, his stare was as cold and lifeless as his mother’s, but along his throat a deep, uneven gash portrayed the gruesome manner of his death.

Kouga does not remember the next few months very well. It is almost as though his mind will not allow it, but he is able to pick apart bits and pieces from the depths of his youthful memory.

Kouga remembers later learning of a plot to kill his parents that was sparked to life by his father’s most trusted beta, Daisuke, one of the wolves to even save Kouga’s life by the Birds of Paradise less than a century prior. He remembers rounding up anyone who was left alive and perturbed by the manner of this savage attempt at grabbing power and taking back what was his birthright.

Suddenly, Kouga remembers too much. He remembers the stench of entrails, the sound of splattering blood, the mournful and pained howls of wolves; he remembers the chill of winter, and then the blistering, searing pain of Daisuke’s fangs tearing through his flesh, and it burns and burns and burns until he feels like he is engulfed in fire, or he’s being harangued by his father again. He remembers hating dogs- he hates them for not stepping in and supporting him; for allowing the wolves of the tribes to slaughter each other for his birthright, for allowing a civil war to ensue where brother fought against brother. Those damn dogs, the damn dogs, his mind repeats, swirling and churning with one unhappy memory after another. Flickers of memories flash across his eyes and dance in his mind; the last hunt with his father, the sweet caress of his mother, but they are quickly replaced by the agonizing sight of their blood and lifeless eyes and the pain, oh, the pain is too much, and even the clear sky he spies above him does nothing to cool him, and every emotion sprouts in his soul in the midst of what feels like moments, joy and panic and love and fury until it is too much and Kouga feels as though he is dying-

Cerulean hues snap open wide as the reigning Alpha of the Eastern Wolf Tribe releases a breathless, choked gasp, and scrambles to sit up under his furs. Chest heaving, Kouga stares at the stone wall ahead of him, and the flicker of firelight goes unnoticed by his usually acute senses. He feels a bead of sweat- sweat?- roll down the side of his face, but what makes him nearly jump is the light touch of his bed-mate. A delicate, silken palm rests softly against his chest and the owner’s concerned voice calls out to him.

“Kouga?” Kagome asks gently, her own eyes misty from being asleep just moments before, but the worry is evident in her voice, and the wolf-demon is so rattled it takes him a moment to assess the situation. The smell of sweet, youthful citrus enters his nose, and Kouga turns to face his mate.

“I…” He begins, his voice wavering as he attempts to pick up the pieces of his masculinity, and embarrassment rolls over him in waves. His eyes are wide with terror, but his body is beginning to come down from the rush of chaos. Kagome brings her hands to his cheeks, brushing her thumb along the tough skin beneath her hands.

“It’s okay,” She whispers, calming the frightened demon before her. Never before has Kagome seen the absolute, internal distress in his eyes present now. Instinctually, she reaches out for him, wrapping her arms around his form and tugging him close, “I’m here. Everything’s okay.”

Kouga allows himself to relish in the small moment, closing his eyes in grateful comfort. What did he ever do to deserve someone like Kagome? Here she was, clutching a frightened demon to her to make him feel better. He almost wants to laugh, but instead chooses to stay silent and envelop her in his own arms. Deep, solemn breaths are shared between the two of them in the silence of the night, but it eases the stress of his memories.

“Are you alright now?” Kagome murmurs against the skin of his shoulder, brushing her fingers slowly through his hair. “I’ll be fine,” He retorts, his eyes still shut.

“Do you want to talk about it? You were really shaken up, Kouga…”

He pauses.

“No, no, I just…” Kagome lifts her head, and Kouga can see his woman is not going to take no for an answer. “Ah,” He nervously states, preparing himself for his defeat. “Fine. Fine. You sure you want to hear it?” The demon acquiesces with a grunt.

Kagome scoffs and takes his hands into her own. “Of course I do. I’m your woman, aren’t I? I’m always going to be here to listen to you. Accordingly, of course.” A sheepish smile graces those beautiful, rosy lips.

Kouga feels his heart nearly burst before he begins to speak, and he rolls his eyes before flashing back a toothy half-grin of his own. “Alright, alright..”

That night, Kagome teaches him the importance of opening up and discussing one’s vulnerabilities and that it is acceptable to vent to a trusted advisor.

Kouga remembers to do so. He remembers, indeed.

-

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      --*~*--

-

- 

[Hello, it’s me! Thank you so much for reading my story. It means so much! I just thought it would be nice to give some more stories about Kouga’s childhood and the things he’s been through, since the anime and manga don’t go that much into detail. 

Also, the part where Kouga gets in trouble with his father? Does it seem familiar? That’s because if you’ve watched the Lion King, it is based from there! I have always had a hc that Kouga could find himself in a similar situation as Simba, with wanting to prove something to himself but doing it recklessly. I in no way mean to copy that trope as my own; I just wanted to put a personal twist on a well known tale from the Lion King. Creds to Disney for making such a good scene! 

I hope you enjoyed. It was really fun to write this and somehow I completed it in one day. Please let me know what you guys think! I hope I wrote Kouga alright lol. PS: here you go, guys, a little treat from me :’) @kouga-appreciation @nikkxb @writingsomestupidshitlovelies ]

[baby-n-boo]

Hehe The Order (Netflix) agere bullet fic, just cuz i cqn

Hamish, Lilith and Randall force Jack into getting claimed by Silverback like in canon, but turns out that being new to the claim... Is like being a new wolf pup in a pack. Jack smells just like a pup, instead of the powerful, age old wolf he's been claimed by Because Silverback has been in hibernation for years, he sort of takes a while to settle into his new champion too, so Jack does start acting a bit like the new cub too. So, accidentally, pack instinct kicks in slowly, and they all start protecting him a little more AU where Lilith always knew she knew magic but never talked about it, cause the wolves looked down on it, and she couldn't afford to get kicked out again (and where her, vera and Alyssa are all fine, Gabby doesn't become midnight and Kyle is still alive) It gets to the point where Randall is lending out his clothes to Jack, not just so he's not nude, but so he has some element of control Obviously stress means he slips at points that aren't helpful, so he's usually accompanied everywhere by at least one of the pack, who have things in their bag for just an event. Hamish is most common, cause he makes everyone around him look sloppy anyway so people are less likely to notice Jacks behaviour... Also cause he loves his little one. Remember that part where they're feeding jack the potion so he doesn't die cause silverback ks tryna yeet outta there, and they're all like "sippy time" and "yum yum" and that stuff? Yeah. He slipped further than ever before cause of all the drama and he can't get back up again, so they have to look after him. The potion was a bottle of formula, and he was putting up a token resistance though all he wanted was to be held and fussed over. Jack never got a room in the house, cause he had a dorm room. But in this version, he has a nursery, decked out to his every need and/or whim (thanks to that sigil thing that Lilith uses to get the stuff for him though Hamish disapproves) None of the others know what's going on or why, but they presume its something to do with the fact Jacks mind wasn't open to the idea cause he didn't get the choice to be claimed. They make sure to give him a decision in everything now, even when he's little, because it's so important Hamish does have to move his bar to the baby gated kitchen though, and eventually to an empty office/study, cause uncle Randall kept conveniently forgetting that babies can't have alcohol in their sippies Shocker, Randall can cook. Hamish cant, though they assume that's cause he drinks the cooking wine and gets distracted. Even more of a shocker, Lilith can cook. She doesn't let her little bro eat mac n cheese or dino nuggets all the time, though she did once make them from scratch, which prompted a two day tantrum when Jack was told no more. (Alyssa's timeout sure put an end to that) They may be sfw caregivers, but Hamish and Alyssa aren't ashamed or afraid to give their little pup a swift spanking if he's earned it, especially toward the end of the season. They know his limits, he has a safe word, and they've never hurt him yet, but they cant afford to be bleeding hearts. Randall falls for the puppy dog eyes everytime without fail. Jack wears pullups to start with, because nobody can argue, he's getting a bit incontinent with all his passing out. Eventually he graduates fulltime to diapers, and its always a short straw as to who has to clean up. Lilith always vouches that Alyssa, as the only one of them without a heightened sense of smell, should do it, but it's amazing how many times Lilith seems to miraculously draw the short straw after that. One would almost say its magic . Baby jack does not like real magic. A bit cause the sound hurts his head, but mostly cause its icky, and too much thinking. Give him a good old fashioned card trick anyday, he'll be giggling and playing with rogue cards in no time. Wolves are strong, and Alyssa has a sneaky enhanced strength charm, so anyone and everyone in that house can lift Jack, for diaper checks, or surprise hugs, or to stop him trying to crawl down the stairs after climbing out of his crib again. Everytime it makes him blush, even when big There's one surefire way to keep Jack smol (or get him there), and that is to be picked up and cradled. Doesn't matter where it is, or what else is going on. You pick him up, and cradle him to your chest, especially absentmindedly, or whilst rocking from foot to foot, you'll have a tiny baby Jack on your hands in no time Hamish is the best at that kind of regression for Jack. He likes to get involved in Serious Conversations With Important People About Important Things (mostly with Alyssa about real magic, cause he knows Jack won't listen), and then just suddenly smile, picking Jack up from where he's come near, cradling him, and pushing a pacifier into his mouth whilst nodding seriously. Bonus points if he whispers "Hi there little one/baby/my little wolf pup" in that accent of his. Nap time is a strange calm affair. One can just turn to him, usually the more parental types, and say "Awe, does my puppy need some sleepies/nappy time?" And he'll melt into that crib, happy to do as you ask. The sibling types have a harder time but not by much, they'll usually slip and be like "come on, wolf-dad said nap time. Ill tuck you in." And that's that Hamish loves and hates being called wolf-dad. It was Randall's fault first When the temple magus came around, they all tried to hide it, but she quickly found one of jack's deco-pacis and threatened to give everyone one until they owned up as to whos it was. Lilith and Randall challenged her on that and tried to call her bluff. They were quickly silenced and sentenced to sit on their miraculously padded, exposed butts in timeout for that. Hamish, however, saw sense, and asked Jack if it was okay to share the secret, to which, the already stressed boy simply broke down into tears, falling into headspace immediately. For the rest of that afternoon, they had two fussy babies, and a very quiet, reserved toddler to deal with. Hamish asked Vera about the spell, and she waved him off like "It's only a temporary regressive effect. They're still fully awake jn there, just...without their usual bodily control." And laughs, watching happily as Lilith tries to stand to fight the spell and ends up falling onto her padded butt again, in a cloud of pink lace from her socks and dress, paired with squeaks from her maryjanes Randall was luckier cause he didn't cuss her out when calling her bluff, so he got snappy overalls and a puppy print shirt, though still about as much control as Lilith. Jack refuses to come back out of his regressive state for about a week after that, not even crying for attention through the baby monitors, just waiting for someone to come get him, until one day they find him whispering a story line to himself whilst wheeling some cars back and forth on the floor of the front room. The older siblings rue the afternoon they spent in baby jack's shoes, and try their hardest to be there for him, anticipating his every need They also admonish Hamish for being so patronising to them whilst they were like that, since he took particular joy in offering them bottles of formula, and giving them "age appropriate" toys to play with, but he shrugs it off, going to get another drink Randall finds a onesie that'll fit their little pup, that says "Daddy's drinking buddy" and gets it edited to say "Everyone's drinking buddy", and Hamish instantly loves it Sometimes they sit Jack on the bar when they're drinking, and he'll raise his sippy in toast like everyone else, not quite getting it Turns out, after about a year or so, he actually lost the new cub thing a while back, having learned to control silverback and everything, but he just enjoyed being looked after so much that he let it carry on Lilith and Alyssa are betrayed for a while, but eventually come to their senses, realizing all Jack wanted was a family, as ragtag and weird as it is, and they come back with even more resolve to care for their little wolf pup than before Hamish is quite grandfatherly, he even says he's geriatric, but we cant have Pops as his nickname cause of pete, so...lets say hes..... PawPaw (which matches the wolf thing) or "Mishy" (tundra) Lilith, being the only were-woman, should fall into the motherly role but she's...really not the type. Instead, she's a big sister type. So she's "Sissy" or "Lee" (timber) Randall, however. Maddox exists, so jacks gunna have issues with the brother thing, naturally. So, it's sorta good he's good with being the cool, almost too young uncle. We cant gloss over the gay with Hamish, though ik it's season two..... Its great. We're having it. Nicknames like "Unca 'ndie" or just "Randy" (which is dirty in a way lil jack doesn't get)- (greybeard) Alyssa, on the other hand, is absolutely Mommy. She finds she much prefers Jack when he's playing with his toys on the floor, and babbling behind a pacifier, to when he's trying to be smooth, and its a natural progression from there to her being Mommy (mostly due to some nightmares at nap time and some stern timeouts). Other nicknames include "Liss" or "Ally" if he's trying to hide it in public. It helps him process the loss of Chloe a lot more, and, when they beat Edward, it's a lot easier to turn to Alyssa and regress that way, made even better when his PawPaw can hold him close and make him feel small again. Clay...exists. And knows. He is actually quite cool with it, though he does seem to think Jack's more than a little high. He actually volunteers to babysit when Alyssa's on order business and the rest of them are on Patrol, but Hamish politely turns him down. Clay calls Jack "lil dude" a lot, and also "squirt", which Randall loves cause woo finding Nemo. Vera is a grandmotherly type, the type to just drink all day but loves her baby grandson. She also thinks she has a thing going on with Hamish but Randall is much more important to him, so its never any further than a beard/heteronormativity...plus she has money so can get all of Jack's stuff legit. Lots of incredibles references with JackJack Baby Jack calls the wolves the Paw Patrol, and nobody wants to stop him cause he's so cute about it. Canon divergent at the end. Alyssa takes him to his grandfather's grave, after he dies peacefully in his sleep, and they have a good wholesome conversation, where he ends up slipping at the end, leaving her to hold his hand and help him out of the public area.

[onibugis]

☆Nu’est as monsters | Baekho

Finally... this is the first one of that Halloween AU that for sure won’t even be all published by Halloween... I’m sorry! If you have any members you want next tell me, if not i’ll just do whoever I want~ Hope you like it!!

So Baekho would be a werewolf. Big, scary and intimidating werewolf. But a fluffy puppy on inside a bit confused about human stuff

During the day he’d just be like a normal person, he’d have a normal job like idk, a personal trainer or whatever people do in gyms

But during the full moon nights he’d transform in a werewolf

Wouldn’t really hurt anyone, just stay in the nearest woods sleeping

He also wouldn’t have a pack — he’d just be a lone wolf (never better said)

He left his original one when he was still a cub because they left him behind

He started living as a normal human and even tho he has still some problems controlling his animal instincts, people just think he’s a bit odd and don’t really mind him sniffing the air a lot, scratching his head and ears in the weirdest ways and eating like crazy whenever there’s meat

Actually no one would be surprised that he was a wolf, like he just gives off that beast vibes

Anyways, one day you’re walking back to your apartment which coincidentally is near the local gym

You’re actually a bit hurried because the streets are dark and you don’t really live in the safest area in town and you see him, walking towards you

You get scared because, well, he’s like 2 meters tall and a lot wider than you

But just when he’s in front of you and you can finally see his face, he collapses and drops his knees to the floor

You get even more startled and are really reluctant to help him

Like, what if he’s just acting and when you couch down he assaults you or something?

But after seeing he isn’t really gonna move you bend down a little and ask if he’s okay

And then, thanks to the light of a streetlight, you see the river of blood near him

“S-sir! Are you okay? Hold on, let me call an ambulance!”

You start looking for your mobile phone, but he grabs your wrist really hard

“Don’t” and your blood freezes because he’s voice is so raspy and scary

You look at him terrified and then realize something you hadn’t seen before

He has ears — like animal ears… and lots of hair, which is slowly disappearing in his arms and jaw

You look at him astonished and without saying nothing, until you hear him breathe heavily

Now you don’t have any doubt that he’s really hurt, but he’s still holding you tight and you can’t call the ambulance nor the police

You end up taking him to your home to treat his wounds, and while two are going up in the elevator you end up staring at his face… he’s actually very handsome, but you’re just as crazy for helping him this way

When you start trying to clean his wounds you see that he has all his chest scratched — No human could ever do that

“What the fuck did you do? Fight with a wolf?” You joke. He probably just got chased by a stray dog or something? But you freeze when he says “yeah” in the most serious tone you’ve ever heard.

You look at him with a puzzled expression, and he just rubs it off “I’m thankful to you for helping me, but please matter your own issues”

You immediately nod and finish up healing him

“Don’t worry about that” He says when he sees you looking at his torn and dirty shirt “And thank you very much again… I don’t have anything to repay you with”

“It’s nothing, I’m glad it wasn’t a deep wound…” You say while you walk him to the door “Just be careful when walking back home… um…”

“Baekho, just call me that” He finally introduces himself. You also tell him your name and wave him goodbye.

Next morning, you see some news about some wolves sighting near the limits of the local forest… but still don’t understand what Baekho had done that night.

You also just convince yourself that all that hair were just shadows and that the ears you saw on top of his head was just his messy hair

So after that day you keep meeting Baekho when you pass by the gym at your way at work

You discover how socially awkward he is when all his coworkers are amazed by how much he talks to you

Even more, he asks you out on a date.

He tried really hard — lots of stuttering, messing up and even biting his own tongue.

So even tho it’s more like casual dates, you two end up going out

Most of that dates are walking through the park, he really enjoys that

But ends up paying more attention to dogs than you

So anyways, a month or so after you met Baekho, you’re walking home alone again

You haven’t seen him that day nor gotten a text — you’ve supposed he has lost his phone as always

He isn’t really fond of technology

You’re lost in your thoughts and then you see it, a big ass wolf walking around in front your apartment block

You get scared shitless and want to run away, but freeze up when you realize he’s looking at you

He starts approaching you but your legs don’t move, and at this point if he takes one step more you’ll cry at once

But you realize he’s the one crying. His head, ears and tail are down, and he can’t even walk that much

So long story short, you let him in your house cause you’re still crazy and he doesn’t seem aggressive, but you have to try to not make noise because animals aren’t allowed in your apartments

You try to clean up his wounds with a wet towel, not wanting to risk it using human products. You get really surprised when he doesn’t flinch away nor gets irritated when you touch his cuts and bruises

You also realize he has a familiar scar in his chest, but you’re really nervous so don’t mind it that much

You put a blanket on the sofa and let him get up while you go to bed

Next day you plan to call the police or animal control or whatever, and you make sure to lock your room’s door just in case the wolf gets hungry at night

Next day, when you get up, there’s no wolf in your sofa

There’s a naked man

More specifically, Baekho

The scream you let out doesn’t even sound human and it wakes him up

He panics at the sight of you panicking and starts trying to explain himself, even more when he sees himself naked

After you calm down a bit he explains himself, and tells you about him

He’s a werewolf and even though he has been doing well all alone during his life, another pack has taken the forest he used to stay on during full moon nights, so he often gets in fights with them and ends up hurt because of that

You take a bit to take in everything he explains to you, but what more can you do? You let him stay in your house, at least during those nights when he surely can’t control his wolf form

Obviously, with the promise that he won’t make a mess or destroy or eat anything

He’s actually very clean and neat in his wolf form, just leaves hair everywhere

Now you understand more the weird things he does, and now that he doesn’t have to keep the secret around you, he isn’t that shy anymore

Doesn’t show that much of animal instincts in public, just being a bit protective around you

He’s also very gentle and caring, afraid he might hurt you with his strength or lose control around you

Maybe sometimes he exceeds himself with kisses or tight hugs, but starts apologizing immediately thinking you don’t like it

Also, likes chasing cats down the street

[liveandletrain]

Saturday Morning

For @ofhamartia who asked for  Older!Liam & Older!Scott and Scott and Allison as a married couple.

A plotless, fluffly ficlet set fifteen years after the end of the show. Contains a lot of Easter Egg style references to various characters.

Liam knew before he knocked on the McCalls' door early Saturday morning, that he was going to regret everything.

It was Scott who answered, not by opening the door, but with a quiet "come in" that reached Liam's ears. He pushed through the door and into the house itself and almost instantly relaxed, the scents of his alpha and his alpha's cubs surrounding him in welcoming warmth. Waldo lifted his head from his paws and whuffed, but otherwise didn't react. He seemed content to make Liam go to him to deliver the obligatory ear-scratches. The Great Dane's corner smelled strongly of dog and made Liam's nose wrinkle.

Scott waved a spatula at him from the kitchen in greeting, the other arm holding a squirming baby. Something that might be grease stained the front of his white t-shirt. "You're just in time for breakfast. Rebeca's asleep in the living room, would you get her please?" He adjusted his hold on what was apparently Tori. "Sweetheart, you keep wriggling like that and you are going to end up on the floor." Tori ignored him, babbling and doing her best to escape.

Scott smelled like content and Allison and sweat from his morning run. Tori smelled like baby. (It was a very unique scent that Liam had been trying to find another way to describe for years.) The skillet on the stove sizzled and Scott's heartbeat kept a calm, steady rhythm contrasting Tori's faster and lighter beat. A door opened and closed upstairs as Allison moved about.

Liam crossed the hallway and stuck his head into the living room. Rebeca was indeed asleep, sprawled out in the playpen like a starfish. Beside it, the heartbeat in the center of a pile of blankets shifted and a pair of soft brown eyes peeked up at him. "Hi, Uncle Liam."

"Hey Alex." Liam glanced between the oldest McCall child and the TV. "Any good cartoons?"

"Power Rangers." Alex informed him seriously and Liam nodded.

"Breakfast's ready." Scott announced and Alex scrambled out of his nest to stand gravely beside the playpen, closely supervising Liam's handling of his little sister. (Liam had no idea where the boy got those protective instincts. None at all.)

Tori was already in her high chair by the time they made it back to the kitchen and Liam buckled Rebeca into her own across the table. Scott set a plate of steaming migas in front of him and a smaller one in front of Alex right as Allison breezed into the room. Liam did his best to ignore their usual, mushy greeting ritual by shoving his face full of eggs. Honestly, they'd been married for six years and had kids. You'd think they'd be out of the honeymoon stage by now.

"Good morning!" Allison dropped a kiss on each of their children's heads and smiled at Liam. "Is Julian down yet?" She was wearing a new perfume, light and natural. It smelled kind of like the ones Lydia got, the kind that didn't make all the wolves sneeze.

"You mean has the smell of food lured him from his den?" Scott said wryly, ruffling Liam's hair as if the beta was still a teenager as he passed him by on his way back to the stove. "Not yet."

"I heard that." The actual teenager slouched into the kitchen looking barely awake, Peter the Cat trailed behind him looking smug.

"Good morning, Julian." Scott replied, nudging the boy into a chair and giving him his own plate, ignoring both the scowl the newest addition to the Pack gave him and the way the boy leaned into the hand on his shoulder.

"G'morning Dr. McCall." The boy straightened a little in his seat and Scott sighed fondly on his way back to his own seat between the twins. "G'morning, Coach."

"Morning, Julian." Liam nodded at the kid. "Sleep well?" The full moon had been two nights ago and the newly-bitten teenager hadn't been in school Thusday or Friday.

Julian shrugged and focused on his breakfast, occasionally dropping scraps down for Peter in what he probably thought was a sneaky manner. (There were two kinds of people; those Peter conned out of food, and Lydia.)

"We'll have to make it fast." Scott said apologetically, pulling Liam's attention back to him. "I have a meeting with Sydney at ten and need to stop by the clinic before that."

"And I," Allison said as they heard Braeden's SUV pull up outside, "Need to go." she shoved the last couple of bites into her mouth and stepped around to bump foreheads with Scott, grunting something that was probably "I love you" around her full mouth.

Scott grinned up at her and kissed the tip of her nose. "Love you too. Have fun in LA and give Araya my regards. Stay safe, I'll see you on Monday."

She hugged and kissed Alex and the twins, patted Julian’s shoulder, and was out the door. She had a brief argument with Isaac over who would ride up front once she reached the car. Allison won. (She always did.)

“What do you want to bet,” Liam asked, returning his attention to the other inhabitants of the kitchen. “That they bring back a new kid?”

Julian shifted, looking between them curiously.

Scott remained focused on the applesauce he was spooning into a bowl. “Nah, it’s Derek’s turn to find one and he’s too busy with Lucas.” He passed the bowl down the table to Alex, who shoved a spoonful into his own mouth before reloading the utensil and holding it up to Tori’s face. Scott dished up a smaller portion into another bowl and began feeding it to Rebeca. “Then again,” he admitted. “We shouldn’t underestimate Derek’s ability to find babies.”

Liam watched Alex’s ritual of one spoon for himself, one spoon for baby for a while, mesmerized. “Is that sanitary?”

“They’re werewolves, Liam.” Scott said, sounding amused. “They can’t get sick. Eat your migas too, Ale.”

Rebeca did her best to impale her eye on the spoon her dad was trying to get into her mouth. Julian looked interested. “Wait, we can’t get sick?”

“It’s one of the perks,” Liam told him. “Until all the humans get sick and need someone to take care of them.”

Scott grinned wryly. “As I remember it, Mason was about ready to throw you and Corey out of the house Rebecause you wouldn’t stop hovering.” Tori babbled agreement and flung applesauce all over Alex’s hair.

“Ewww! Daddy, look what ‘Toria did!” Peter the Cat leapt up onto the table and began licking the applesauce up. Liam snagged a napkin and shouldered the oversized furball aside.

“She didn’t mean to.” Alex gave him a skeptical look and Liam glanced at Tori, who should not be able to look that gleeful at only six months. Unable to think of anything to say, Liam focused on cleaning the applesauce out of Alex’s hair.

Julian scarfed down his last few bites, dumped his dishes in the sink, and made a strategic retreat.

“Remember, Malia will be picking you up soon!” Scott called down the hall after him. Alex finished his own plate and, after a pleading look at Scott, dashed off to the living room to resume his cartoon-watching.

“Malia?” Liam asked, finally able to sit down only to be faced with Tori demanding he take up feed her. He had to wrestle the applesauce coated spoon from her grip first. Whoever came up with the saying ‘taking candy from a baby’ had obviously never tried to take anything from a baby.

“She’s teaching the teenagers to track in the woods today.” Scott smiled mischievously. “I believe she’s planning hide and seek.”

Liam winced sympathetically. Half the time he still couldn’t find Malia in the woods and that was an activity the pack had begun before they’d even stopped Monroe. “So, is there a reason you’re meeting with Sydney on a Saturday?”

Scott’s face grew serious, which clashed with the care he used wiping Rebeca’s face. “Theo got back last night. He thinks he found him.”

“The alpha that bit Julian?” Liam’s breath catches.

Scott nods. “It’s not just Sydney I’m meeting. Val and Chris will be there too. This is a Pack matter but keeping everyone in the loop avoids problems.”

“Is this a Pack Matter or a Hunter Matter?” Liam asked quietly.

“That will depend on the alpha.” Scott sighed, hoisting Rebeca out of her chair and to the floor. “But either way, Julian is staying with us.”

Liam nodded sharply. That was never in question. He wiped Tori down and placed her on the ground next to her twin. “And I’m on babysitting duty. Is Stiles going to be at the meeting?”

Scott grimaced. “No, but Stiles has had his babysitting privileges revoked.”

“Oh?” Liam felt a grin growing on his face, anything that gave him an edge in the friendly jockeying between the pack seconds was welcome. “What did he do?”

With a sigh, Scott ran his hand down his face, looking frustrated. “He put Tori and Rebeca inside a circle of Mountain Ash and marathoned the first six Star Wars movies with Alex.”

“He what?” Liam blinked, confused. “Don’t they have like, three different playpens? I distinctly remember Allison on a Scary-Mom shopping spree.”

“It’s Stiles, who knows.” Scott said. “But Alex was upset that he wasn’t able to get to them. He actually had a nightmare about it a few nights ago, probably because it reminded him of last year.”

Liam cringed. No one liked thinking about the time that extremist hunters had kidnapped Alex and a heavily pregnant Allison. The only good part of that disaster had been the pack showing up to rescue them only to find that Allison had already mostly rescued them herself.

“Stiles is upset about that and has labeled himself a horrible person not suitable to be around children.”

“How does he handle being at home then?”

“According to Lydia he’s brooding a lot. Like, Derek back at the beginning kind of a lot. I’m going to talk to him after the meeting.”

Liam hummed acknowledgement. “Would this be a bad time to ask if you’ve noticed that Stiles is gaining weight?”

Oddly enough, Scott looked a little relieved. “So It’s not just me. He really is.”

Liam nodded enthusiastically as they followed the twins towards the living room. “He really is. Just enough to be noticeable. If this is what happens as a field agent then he can never take a desk job.”

Scott laughed and scooped the twins up, deposited them in their playpen, and headed upstairs to change. “Did you know that Derek and Braeden had a pregnancy scare last week?” Liam settled on the sofa, keeping one ear on Alex and the twins and one on Scott.

“I didn’t even know Braeden was back in town until yesterday. And now would be a very bad time to have a new baby in that house.” He was proud of himself for suppressing his shudder. “Newborn plus toddler Wendigo sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.”

“Derek said Lucas hasn’t tried to chew on anyone in over a week.” Scott said softly, accompanied by the near-silent clatter of shuffling through the closet. “He’s optimistic they’ll be able to focus on potty-training soon.”

“Instead of ‘don’t eat people’ training.” Liam muttered. There was a moment of silence.

“You okay?” Scott appeared in the doorway, shirt unbuttoned and shoes in his hand.

Liam waved him off. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. Just don’t expect me to volunteer to babysit for Derek anytime soon.”

“I think Annelore has that well in hand.” Scott grinned. “You didn’t hear her telling off Grace and Alex a couple of days ago.”

“She enjoys being the oldest way too much.”

Scott sat down to put on his shoes. “There have to be some perks.” He finished buttoning his shirt and stood up. “Lunch is in the fridge, I should be back by two.”

“Have fun!” Liam waved after him, smug in being able to miss what would undoubtedly turn out to be a very boring meeting about territory lines and jurisdiction and inter-pack politics. Sometimes it paid to be the beta.

[fanficshiddles]

Instincts, Chapter 46

‘He deserves to at least go back to Asgard prison!’ Thor argued with his adopted brother.

‘He deserves to die! He was willing to put us all to our death. He even went behind your back! How can you still justify his actions?’ Loki shouted at him.

‘I do not justify what he did. But he doesn’t deserve to die. He is still our father.’

‘Your father. He is not and never was my father. He is pure evil and deserves to rot in Hel!’ Loki snarled as he punched Thor in the chest in annoyance.

‘Please, Loki. Let some of my guards take him back to Asgard. I give you my word, he will go straight to the prison.’ Thor said in a calmer manner to try and ease the situation.

‘What, so he can get three meals a day, all the comfort he wants because he was a King? I don’t think so. You’re on my realm, Thor. You go by my laws and my rules. He’s a traitor and he will spend the rest of his days in my dungeons. That’s the end of it.’ Loki put his foot down and he wasn’t going to change his mind.

Thor couldn’t argue anymore. He knew that Loki was right. It was his realm, he was King. Whilst Thor was King of Asgard, while he was on Wolfheim, he had no final say in anything. He only hoped that Loki would change his mind in time and allow his father to return home.

Loki stormed into his chambers, making Layla jump as the door slammed shut behind him.

‘Sorry, little one.’ He said softly as he walked over to her.

She jumped up into his arms and they both stood in the middle of their room and hugged in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying one another’s hold and scent.

‘I’m scared.’ She said quietly.

‘It’s going to be ok. We will win this, I promise you… Have you told Eva about what we found out?’

‘Not yet. I was going to wait for you. Is it the right thing to do?’

‘I think so. We need to be honest with her. It’s the best way.’ Loki assured Layla as he kissed the top of her head.

Just on time, Eva came bounding out of the bathroom. She was all wet and she shook right beside her mum and dad, soaking them too.

‘Eva!’ Loki growled playfully as he laughed and reached down to ruffle her head.

‘I told you to roll in the towel first.’ Layla scolded.

Sorry. I heard Daddy’s voice. I wanted to be with you both. Eva said sheepishly.

‘That’s alright. We need to speak to you about something, sweetheart. Let’s go sit down.’ Layla said as she motioned to the fireplace.

The three all sat down on the rug on front of the fire. Eva rested her head on Layla’s knee as Loki explained to Eva about her apparent royal blood.

What does it all mean? Eva asked as she looked back and fore between her parents.

‘We are not entirely sure, love. You are princess, and always will be, of Wolfheim, because you’re ours. But this might mean that you are also a princess, or even a Queen, over the hybrids.’ Loki said as he stroked her head.

So… Couldn’t I just order them all to stop? Eva asked, confused.

‘I don’t know if it works like that. They are trying to get to you, but we are unsure why. Whether it is to harm you or steal you. But we need to keep you safe, just in case.’ Layla said softly.

Eva nodded in understanding.

‘What’s happening with Odin?’ Layla asked Loki as Eva went to go stay with Freya for a little while.

‘He is staying in the dungeons here. He will rot down there, I will make sure of it.’ Loki snarled.

‘I’m guessing Thor didn’t take well to that?’

‘No, he didn’t. But he has no option. I am the ruler of this realm and whatever I say goes. Odin is the one that started all of this. And I am starting to think that he has something more to do with the hybrids than we think. He must have had past involvement with them, to know they exist and to get in contact. It does not make much sense.’ Loki said with a frown.

‘Why don’t you go and ask him? See if he spills anything?’ Layla suggested.

Loki nodded in agreement. So that’s what he did.

He went down to the dungeons and stopped outside of the cell that Odin was trapped in. It had nothing but a bench and a bucket for him to use as a toilet. There was no comforts at all and it was freezing cold and damp down there. Loki and Odin both knew he wouldn’t survive for long down there, but that was what Loki wanted. Odin didn’t deserve to live, but he also didn’t deserve a quick death. So Loki would make sure that it would be dragged out and as painful as possible.

‘How do you know about hybrids?’ Loki snapped.

To his surprise, Odin was honest with him.

‘I had a deal with them many years ago. One came to Asgard not long before you were born. He wanted to make an alliance with me and a deal. That if I wiped out every one of you that I came across, then he would help fight in any future wars. He kept his word and helped fight against the Jotuns in the Great War. He saw I kept my word by using you to kill off your own kind.’ Odin said honestly, without a care in the realm.

‘Why? Why would you do that and why did he want all of us dead?’ Loki hissed.

‘Having those hybrids on my side was a great asset. They are near unstoppable. They didn’t want to live on Asgard, just help when needed. He said that he wanted all the wolves to be wiped out so that it was just them left, to be the new kind of wolves. I believe they can still do it, they are strong. You have no chance of winning this war.’ Odin smirked evilly as he glared at Loki.

Loki’s nostrils flared with anger as he pounded his fist against one of the bars on Odin’s cell.

‘What do they want with Eva?’ Loki snarled.

Odin laughed and shook his head.

‘I do not know or care what they want that mangy mutt for. It is no use to me.’

‘Why? Why are you doing this? Why did you do it, to me? To my family? What did we do that have made you so against my kind? HUH?’ Loki shouted angrily.

‘Do you really want to know the truth?’ Odin asked calmly as he laid his one eye upon Loki.

‘Yes. Tell me!’

‘Your lot killed my parents. It was thousands and thousands of years ago. They went to visit Vanaheim on royal business. Not long on the realm, they were attacked by a pack of wolves. Half wolf, half Vanir. They had went rogue from your precious realm here, they wanted to rule the world themselves. They killed them both in cold blood.’ Odin spat.

Loki felt a slight twinge of guilt inside him, but it didn’t last long at all.

‘You will hold an entire race against just a few idiotic choices? What happened to that pack? They surely received punishment.’

‘They did… They were hung by their own King and Queen…’ Odin said reluctantly.

‘Exactly. We are not all tarred with the same brush. You really want to kill out an entire race because of a few bad ones? Did the hybrid wolves fail to tell you that their main aim in life is to rule the world? They tried to get the King and Queen, years ago, to fight against all other realms. To take over. The King and Queen banished all hybrids, appalled by their behaviour. But I’m starting to think we should have teamed up with them and did so. At least that means you wouldn’t have had the chance to harm any of us.’ Loki snarled.

Odin looked slightly shocked, he hadn’t known that the hybrids only goal in life was to rule the world... They had lied to him.

‘They told me they just wanted to extinct your kind.’ Odin said sheepishly.

‘You are more of a fool than I thought you were.’ Loki snapped and shook his head as he stormed away, he had had enough of speaking to his ex, adopted father.

Loki filled everyone in about what he had discovered. It was clear the hybrids still wanted to take over every realm they could. But there was still uncertainty as to what they wanted with Eva.

The family had just been sitting in the main quarters, when suddenly the sirens went off around the city.

They were under attack.

The war had started.

Hybrids were descending upon the city and the palace. Soldiers and guards were attacking in wolf form and in their natural form with spears and knives.

Some of the people of the realm were helping in their wolf form too, attacking as much as they could. The women and children all fled to the safety of the countryside, where there were safety shelters set up with many guards and soldiers.

Loki made sure that Layla, Eva, Freya, Joan and Safir were locked deep inside of the palace for safety. No matter how much they all complained that they could help and wanted to help. But the Alpha’s wouldn’t allow it.

Loki, Rudolf, Rafal, Armund and Dennis charged into action and started fighting the hybrids that had managed to get into the palace. The entire battle soon turned into a bloodshed. But Thor wasn’t far away and he used Mjolnir to kill a few of them at a time.

For once, Loki was happy to be fighting beside his adopted brother again. They had each other’s backs as they looked out for one another and helped. It wasn’t long before they managed to clear the palace from the hybrids.

So the group rushed outside, but as they reached the gates and looked down over the city, it was like a sea of bodies. A mixture of hybrids bodies and their own kind, as well as some Asgardians that had come with Thor to fight.

Loki felt like he had been punched in the stomach as he felt guilty and bad for all of his army. But he didn’t have time to waste as another wave of hybrids were coming down the hills towards the city.

But then a piercing loud howl from deep within the palace could be heard all around the city.

LAYLA! Loki shouted as he turned on his heels and darted back inside, with the others quickly following.

When Loki, Rudolf, Rafal, Armund, Dennis and Thor arrived at the safe room, they were shocked to see around 8 hybrids inside it, snarling at the omegas and Eva.

But Layla and the others were standing their ground, their hackles were up and they were snarling back at them with Eva behind them for protection. Loki and the others moved in to stand on front of their women and face off against the hybrids.

Hand over the cub. One of the hybrids snarled, he looked like he was the leader, covered in scars and the largest.

Never. You will have to get through us first. Layla growled angrily as she was poised, ready to attack.

What do you want with her? Loki snapped as he moved to stand slightly on front of Layla, to protect her.

She is my daughter. The hybrid snarled.

[imaginethemultiversedoms]

Animal Instincts Pt 1

Fandom: The Flash

Rating: G

Summary: Barry’s younger sister was also hit by particle accelerator explosion while helping take care of the animals at the animal preserve. Now, she has the ability to communicate with any animal.

A/N: This was an idea that has been playing about my brain for a while. I’m not sure how many parts this will have, but I love the idea of a meta having a connection with animals. This is also going to be in third person and the OC is named.

A year and half ago…

    "Animal symbolism is prevalent throughout many of the world's cultures. While some are revered as sacred symbols, others are seen as mischievous and cunning, bringing chaos wherever they go. The Coyote is one such animal that is a trickster in Native American lore, though the Raven, Crow, Spider, Blue jay, Rabbit, and Bear among others have appeared in similar trickster lore in some tribes. One animal can mean different things to different groups. While Malaysians said monkeys possessed artistic abilities and introduced writing and sculpture, Chinese legends state they perform brave deeds..."

    "Hey, whatcha up too?" Ava startled as her older brother, Barry, leaned over the back of her chair at Jitters, quickly reading the article she was studying. "Animals in mythology? Interesting. What's it for?"

    "A small assignment in my animal behavior class. We got to talking about how certain animals behave and how it correlates with how they are perceived in different cultures. While there are differences, some animals are portrayed the same way in different myths and lore. The assignment is to prove whether this is due to how humans have observed animal behavior in the wild, either by hunting or just observing," she answered quickly, barely sparing her brother a glance as she wrote down a couple notes. She did steal a small peek and smirked at the impressed look he was giving her.

    "I didn't realize how interesting animal behavior really was," Barry replied. She shrugged and smiled humbly.

    "Mr. Baxter likes to think outside the box on occasion."

    "Sounds like you have an awesome teacher, Ava."

    "He really is. Hey you going to that particle accelerator thing with Iris tonight?"

    "Nah, it's not really her thing." Ava couldn't help but hear the disappointment in his voice; her brother had been in love with Iris since childhood. Barry was her favorite person in the entire world aside from Joe and Iris. It was hard watching him pine after someone who was oblivious to what was right in front of them the whole time. "You want to come?"

     "I would, but I already promised Diane I would help feed. After Mark fired Jack for drinking on the job and harassing the animals, we've been short-staffed at the preserve. Sorry."

     "No problem. I'll take lots of pictures to show you later. Bye, Short-stack." He kissed her cheek as he grabbed his things. 

   "Love you, Sasquatch," she teased, grinning at her brother. Even though there was a four-year difference, the two of them were always close, practically in each other's back pockets. Ava didn't know what she would do without him. Having lost their mother and their father go away for murdering her at the tender age of six, she didn't want to even consider the thought of not having Barry at her back, protecting her as only big brothers could. He was her hero, best friend, and confidant all rolled into one giant pain-in-the-ass package she couldn't live without. The world just seemed darker without Barry Allen in it.

    After a bit more research, Ava packed up your things and headed out to the rescue preserve she volunteered at. Hopefully, in about two years’ time, she would be graduating with both a Computer Science degree and Veterinary Technician, both of which would be used at the preserve she loved so dearly. The owners/managers, Mark and Diane, rescued domestic and exotic animals from situations such as abandonment, neglect, etc. It was also a rehab center for animals that were brought in injured or blown in from storms. It happened quite often during tornado season. 

    Ava and Diane worked seamlessly in tandem, feeding and cleaning up after the big cats, horses, llamas, birds of prey, macaws, African Grays, foxes, snakes, and the huge tortoise Diane lovingly nicknamed "Crush" from Finding Nemo. It was dark when both finished. Ava were going through the final check when a large explosion echoed in the distance. Looking up, she was shocked and frightened to see a mushroom-shaped gold halo surrounding the middle of Central City...right where STAR Labs was. The particle accelerator was exploding and the effects were catapulting across the city. Soon, it would hit the preserve. 

    Ahead of her, Diane was already screaming for the employees to head inside for the tornado bunker. "AVA, COME ON!!" She bolted for the entrance. About halfway there, a tall figure bounded out of nowhere and shoved violently aside. Ava hit the side of the tiger enclosure with enough force to knock the wind out of her. Dazed and crumpled on the ground, she caught a hazy glimpse of a man bounding for the bunker. It was Jack Morgan; the guy Mark had fired two days prior. She wasn’t sure why he was back and right now it didn't matter; she needed to get inside. Dazedly getting to her feet, she stumbled a few steps before crashing to the ground. Ahead, she heard Diane screaming, Jack shouting, and then the worst sound you ever hear: the bunker door locking shut. Jack had forced his way inside, possibly hurt Diane, and shutting Ava outside. 

    Bastard, Ava thought. Looking up, she saw the gold halo of dark matter hurtling towards her, making impact in possibly five seconds. "Barry, Dads, Iris, I love you," she whispered, tears streaming. She barely had time to curl into the fetal position when the dark matter hit. 

    The world turned gold, then red, then white with pain. There was screaming all around: the tigers, the horses, the foxes, the wolves, hell even Nemo was somehow screaming. She could barely hear herself screaming with all the panic and chaos. Then, the roars and the screams and the whinnies turned into a cacophony of panicked voices, all screaming nonsense and words all at the same time. Her head was exploding with so much pain, she barely registered the panicked animals escaping. Gates busted open, fences came down, hooves stampeded, wolves howled, and a tiger roared a challenge from above. 

    Before Ava fully lost consciousness, she heard a deep, regal voice shout, "LEAVE THE CUB BE!" 

Present Day...

    A falcon soared across the dark skyline of Central City. It dodged around the skyscrapers, gracefully catching the air currents that blessed it with its unhindered freedom. Flapping a couple times, it looked around and caught sight of a few pigeons roosting on a nearby ledge. Gleefully, it tucked its wings and dove for the small flock, catching a current back up above the skyline as the smaller birds scattered, squawking angrily. Settling into the last leg of its flight, it peered back down at the ground. It caught sight of the red blur that had been so prominent the past three months. It belonged to a meta-human named by various bloggers and conspiracy theorists, The Flash. The Flash was a speedster, one of the first meta-humans of many to come out of the particle accelerator explosion nearly a year ago. There had been a few others who used their powers to create trouble, but The Flash was only one able to take them out and protect the city. Of course, those same metas were never heard from again, so anyone who was affected and not evil were keeping quiet, afraid of the retribution that might rain down. 

   Mentally shaking the dark thoughts from its head, the falcon caught a warm updraft and turned south. Within minutes, the falcon caught sight of a clearing, bordering a chain link fence. In the middle of the clearing sat a young woman, legs crossed and hands resting over her knees. The falcon tilted his wings back and dropped with a screech. He landed in front of her as she opened her eyes with a smile, easily pulling her consciousness back into herself.

   "Did you enjoy the flight with me?" a soft, melodic, male voice echoed in Ava’s mind.

    "I did. Thank you for allowing me to fly with you, Regan."  Ava stretched the stiffness from her back and legs; she and Regan, an American Kestrel Falcon, had been flying for close to three hours, the longest she had ever gone from her body. "I think it’s about dinner time now, if you would like to return."

    "Will there be any of those nice fat rats again? Seemed a shame to waste them on the snakes." Ava snorted as she allowed the falcon to hop onto her shoulder.

    "I'll see what I can do." Silently, the two of them walked back to the preserve. Dropping Regan off at his enclosure with the promise to bring him something special, Ava headed towards the building. A lot had changed in the year and half since the explosion. When the dark matter hit her that night, she was given abilities she only read in myths and fantasy books. While she hardly remembered anything that happened that night, Mark and Diane said they'd found her in the tiger enclosure with the breeding pair protecting her. It had taken some coaxing, but Chakrii, the male, had allowed Diane to get Ava and take her to the hospital. It wasn't until a few days later, what she thought was a hallucination from the concussion was the ability to understand animal language. A few months later, while her older brother was still in a coma from getting struck by lightning that same night, she realized she could also enter an animal's consciousness to use their eyes and ears. Mark and Diane, bless them, had taken the changes in stride and allowed the preserve to be a haven to explore her new "talents". And if it improved the wellbeing and happiness of the animals, well then, that was a perk.

    Ava told Iris after Barry had woken up. She handled the news with her usual grace, quickly becoming your confidant and the person to keep you grounded. But when other metas started popping up and causing trouble, she froze at the notion of telling Joe and Barry. What were she supposed to say? "Hey Barry, so I got hit with the same matter and even though you didn't get any abilities, your little sister can talk to her favorite animals now?" Yeah, that would go over well. For now, it was better to let things flow.

    She quickly got started on the feeding routine, checking in with the animals as she went. Regan got his special treat - a live rat she had managed to negotiate the boa constrictor in the reptile house out of - and were getting ready to go home when she saw Iris talking to Diane. "Hey Iris!" Ava called out, hugging her foster sister. "How was your first day as a big-time journalist?" 

    "Nerve-wracking honestly, but it went well," she replied. "You want a ride home?" Ava nodded, grabbing her backpack and clocking out. Both girls chatted about each other's day, Iris telling Ava everything about her new job as she drove. About halfway to the house, the conversation eased into familiar territory.

    "So, Diane told me you were at the clearing for three hours today."

    "Regan was due to stretch his wings after that hit he took. He allowed me to tag along and we flew over the city for a bit. His wing is fully healed. He should be able to be released soon enough," she answered, fiddling with a hole in your jeans. 

    "You know at some point you're going to have to tell Dad and Barry," Iris said softly, turning onto the street. Ava sighed, leaning your head against back against the seat. This was an old argument that wasn't even an argument. It was more of a disagreement of how stubborn they were being. She knew she had to come clean about this. There were aspects of her powers she didn't understand, such as how she could talk to the animals in the first place and how far her powers could even go. But she was scared at how her family, more importantly Barry, would react to their baby being a meta. She wanted to remain as Ava in their eyes: stubborn, energetic, and mischievous with a restlessness and independence that ran for miles. She was Barry's baby sister. It would crush her to see the pain and fear in their eyes. 

    She also knew that deeper part of her, a part connected directly to her powers, was uneasy at the idea of telling. They might shackle her, out of fear and over-protection, and not let her fly anymore. Oh, how she loved to soar. 

    "How? You know Barry's new friends work at STAR Labs, the whole origin point of all this. And they work with The Flash. How am I supposed to tell them about this?"

    "They could help you better understand what is going on!"

    "Or they could try to cure me of it. Or lock me away wherever they've got those other metas. Don't lie and say you haven't thought of that."

    "Okay, I have, but this is Barry we're talking about. Your big brother. You two have been in each other's back pockets for as long as I can remember! He's not going to let anything like that happen to you!" Ava sighed and stared out the window, feeling tears prick at the corners of her eyes. The car turned into the driveway and stopped, though the engine continued to idle. Iris reached over and took one of her hands, squeezing gently. "Ava, talk to me, what is going on?"

    "I don't want to lose this, Iris. This power...this gift. Being able to finally soar above the clouds, above the skyline, it's the best feeling in the world. I can't fully describe it and I know that I don't want to lose it. This is who I am. I can't lose that, Iris." After a moment, Iris reached over and drew Ava into a tight hug. She hugged her back tightly.

    "You won't, Ava. I'll make sure of it, even if I have to go and yell at Wells and his team myself." Ava chuckled at that, already feeling better about it. 

    "You are the best sister I could have ever asked for, you know that, right?" her voice muffled slightly. 

    "So are you," Iris replied, smiling. Both glimpsed the curtain in the window moving and knew they needed to head inside before questions were asked. "Come on. Dad said he was making lasagna. After dinner, we can go upstairs and watch a movie. Your tips look like they could use a refresher." She tugged at her blue tips cheerfully.

    "Cool. Legally Blonde?" Ava asked.

    "I was thinking of The Mummy Trilogy."

    "Brendan Fraser kicking mummy ass? Even better." Both got out and headed towards the front door. Hooking an arm around hers, Ava leaned her head-on Iris’ shoulder. "Thanks Iris."

    "Anytime." 

[outcrhcll]

     There’s a WIP verse of a more medieval setting Hati/Skoll. A few things of note exist in this, differing from his primary verse!

     Foremost, their mother would be alive. Methods for containing weren’t as refined back then, and a mother’s instinct can be a formidable foe. She’s cunning, patient, and relentless--with one cub old enough to speak and the other still an infant, she was faced with the fact they’d soon risk dying, with or without her watchful eye on them. It didn’t matter; their father wanted to learn all he could from them.

     Their father, whose first name I haven’t decided yet--he was an alchemist, chasing after the philosopher’s stone like any other. He didn’t care about producing gold or resources with it--he wanted immortality, or to him, to no longer be under the rule of the gods. That isn’t to say he wanted the responsibility of being a god--he simply wanted to be under his own jurisdiction. Werewolves live an unknown span of time, ranging into the centuries for the natural born ones, and when he found a she-wolf that wasn’t immediately hostile, he pounced on his opportunity.

     Her fault translates similarly to Hati. If someone takes intrigue, without hostility or closed-mindedness, he’s liable to not chase them away.

     By the time she broke her bounds and killed the man, the two cubs had been altered quite a bit. A lot of curseborn blood had been infused--changing their shape and minds just a bit, askew from the old gods’ gifts. It’s something she’ll never forgive herself for, because to her, this is likened to them being in pain every day even if neither knows what it would’ve been like to live without the conflict of natures.

     She suffered quite a bit under her confinement as methods for dissection and such are crude in this time period, and coupled with her age, she’s considered quite elderly in terms of her kind. They don’t age all the same way--some live centuries, some only live a single one, depending on how wild they are and how in tune they are. She herself is a long-lived and possibly more druidic kind, so after exposure to cruelty and experiments, she was weakened and deigned to live alone with her sons.

     There are two reasons for that. One, she couldn’t expect a pack to accept them; they were a product of involuntary will, and a human-sired one at that, with curse blood muddying them. They’d be killed as a mercy to all involved by any alpha worth his status. Living with a curseborn pack was too risky--they were violent, unstable, and might decide that because the boys weren’t from the Alphas, that they were a threat. Most naturalborn don’t think like this unless in times of hardship or famine, so it’d disgust her as an idea. The second reason was how old she was becoming; she couldn’t guarantee their safety beyond a few years. Her body was breaking down slowly, so she couldn’t have cubs again, and while most wolves choose an honorable death by that point, she chose to linger for them.

     She knew her eldest was a sentimental boy, and more human than Skoll. He’d want her comfort much longer, despite the foul moods he often became a victim of. He listened to her--but even so, it nearly brought Skoll into a state of death to convince him to back off more than once. His anger was wild, and after the cusp of pubescence waned, he became incredibly more docile than the other male and readily took a position of Beta in their three-person-pack. Skoll would be alpha male, and while their mother kept the honor of her own title, they all knew she would pass on someday and let it transition to Skoll.

     With them as adults, they more or less live a mix between their natures. Their home is a cave, yes, but it’’s renovated with furnishings including a soft bed and chairs for their mother--since being in human form becomes a little easier as time goes by. They live near a bustling town, serving as a dangerous protector from the woods--and entering as humans, unknown, for goods and trading. Or drinking, if it’s Hati.

     Any town would have strongly mixed feelings for the brothers and their pack. While they prevent war and bandits from encroaching, they do ask for respect, and are not above killing a townsman to force it. They don’t let anyone reach certain parts of the forest--because they protect the magical creatures, but the town has no idea. The brothers also engage in banter if provoked, typically Hati, such as referring to the towns men as inept if they think he’s bedding with one of their women. Pride is a funny thing.

     Above all, their mother would die either protecting them from a skirmish or die one harsh winter. She speaks very well for a naturalborn, spiritual to the core, and would make her last words one of a revelation as to who they are.

     They don’t know they’re the offspring of the true Norse wolves after all. This is why she protected them; with them, their line would die, and fate wouldn’t allow it and neither would she.

     One day this world would be judged, and mankind could not stop that.