#cringe furry-shapeshifter elements

[torse]

AU / headcanon scene - “Little Bird”

originally this was a part 2 of 10 Cloverfield Lane buut there are some elements of Notkin being a shapeshifter which don't really fit into that one 😭 Look,, most of my HCs are created while I'm asleep they don't always make sense so in this he can just be lost or escaping SOMETHING, not necessarily an insane guy in a bunker though he is still missing a leg as I tend to do sorrynotsorry

Notkin escaped, hobbled out with makeshift crutch but he was underfed, possibly hurt, and by time he finds a major road/path he collapses Patho Gang (idk who all is in it) roll up slowly, call out to him, and when he doesn't answer they get out to check if he’s alive but as soon as someone gets close he swipes a shiv at them he's delirious and doesn't react to requests to calm down, just keeps panicking and swiping as a last resort, someone manages to pin down his arms- which he struggles against for a bit but quickly runs out of energy he collapses and makes a weird yowl sound [Herb Bride] runs out from the caravan where the rest of the group is waiting, yells at him to back off she gets on ground next to Notkin like full on lays on her side in the dirt and starts talking in half steppe- which I do not have the capability of figuring out to translate so.. [steppe language] "[little cub] what is it you fear?" "going back.." "we are from the east, you run from the west. Baarhani, [little cub], will you let me help you?" he doesn't answer, on the verge of passing out but starts saying something very quietly- something that sounds like [little bird] [Herb Bride] apparently recognizes it as a steppe children/nursery rhyme song and starts singing it for him she keeps singing it as she carries him back to the group (she's very strong and I love her for it) Patho Crew protests since he's a stranger, another mouth to feed, and that hes not a "cub", he looks at least 20 but [Herb Bride] says that shifter cubs make that sound instinctively when in mortal danger, it causes any adult shifter nearby to urgently help them they normally eventually grow out of that instinct, but cubs that grow up not knowing safety are known to still use it.. she goes mamma bear mode ♥

I guess the kin are either familiar with, or have shifters amongst them and Notkin remembers a little steppe from brief childhood with a kin caretaker

[Herb Bride] is part of Grief’s gang. So she takes Notkin back to Grief at town/camp/whatever fun fact: when this was originally a sequel, the outside world had gone into chaos. so when the Patho Gang rolls up, they assume Notkin to be a zombie/raider/infected/whatever and shoot him. he dies. the end. :^)