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princecharmingmendes · 4 years ago

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Invisible String | Werewolf AU | Raul Mendes

Raul is a werewolf and his mate turned out not only to be human, but his best friend's little sister. And as much as he tried, he could not ignore that invisible string tying her to him.

Hello hello! This is a bit of an experimental thing and I'm really excited about it, I've always been highly interested in everything about alternative universe and fantasy in general, and ever since I received the first ask to write a werewolf piece I've been wanting to do it but also a bit nervous. So hopefully this meets your expectations and you guys like it! Let me know if this was any good and if you guys would like to see something else like this!

*Word Count: 8K+;

*Warnings: a few curse words, a little angsty (i guess), minor drinking;

*Posted: March 28th, 2021.

-*-

Raul felt like life liked playing sick little tricks on him.

Like the fact that werewolves had a very strict hierarchy and normally it worked nicely. The Alphas are the ones in charge and responsible for keeping the pack safe and in order. Betas normally were kind of the strength of the pack, trained to listen and do whatever the pack needed and physically skilled to fight off anyone. And the Omegas were the glue to all of it, the sweet and naturally more caring ones, and it was an ancient thing that was followed to this day. Until Raul and his twin brothers were all born Alphas. It was hard informing the pack that they’re all going to be the Alphas of their pack. And since normally it was only allowed one wolf to claim that position, it was harder to make older ones respect their decision and actually accept, but at the end of the day, they didn’t have much of a choice. The Alpha genes ran in the Mendes family for generations and thankfully their dynamic was actually great and the triplets formed a great group of wolves.

And that was just an example of the things Raul blames on fate or whatever for making his like a bit more difficult. But maybe the hardest one was having mated with not only a human, but his Beta’s younger sister. His best friend’s and right hand’s sister, one of the only girls that was off limits had to be his mate.

And it wasn’t even his choice. Mating is a common thing between werewolves and other creatures, often seen as a blessing, a reason to celebrate. It’s similar to what most people have as a soulmate. It’s two souls that were meant to be together and are deeply connected to the other. Sometimes it’s harder to notice, it can take a few years and sometimes it’s almost instantaneous, and it can’t be undone or ignored. And even though sometimes it can be denied by one of the sides, according to the ones who’ve been through it, it’s an awfully painful experience. Some even go as far as describing having a piece of you being pulled out of your heart.

It also doesn’t have to be necessarily tied to a romantic relationship, you can simply be friends with them for the rest of your lives, even though it doesn’t happen most of the time. Most of the time it isn’t even something to think about, it just feels natural, you feel whole when you’re around that person, they’re meant to be your other half and normally it just clicks. And when you grow up surrounded by wolves, it’s normally a beautiful connection to witness. Raul always found their parents relationship amazing, and deep down longed for a similar deep relationship with someone, finding his mate and falling in love. He just didn’t expect it to happen the way it did.

It was over four years ago and he was running a bit late to Mike’s, his best friend, nineteenth birthday he was having at his parents’ house. Raul got caught up sorting through some pack stuff and when he was finally done with it, he was already half an hour late and it was outside their little secluded “neighborhood” in the wooded area. It was a bit far from the town so the wolves wouldn’t have a problem with the humans since their existence was still a secret. Only very few and selected humans knew about them. So it was best for everybody if they built their little community on the woods just beside the town, and keep their presence among humans only when seen necessary.

Mike’s father, who is a werewolf, fell in love with a human (Mike’s mom) and they decided to move into town to be closer to her job since she was a nurse and needed to be near the hospital in case of an emergency. And when Mike was born a wolf, they decided that he was going to be raised like his dad was in the wolf community and would make his decision in joining it or not when he was older. And he did choose the pack life since it felt more natural to him. But Y/N, his younger sister, was actually born a human and was raised by his parents like any human kid, and she was never taken to their community since she was three years younger than her brother and Mike was very protective over her, not knowing how his pack would treat her or react to her.

So when Raul parked his car right outside the address that was sent to him and ringed the bell, he wasn’t expecting to be met with his mate. But there she was, Y/N stood with the door open as her eyes widened the slightest bit and he was sure he wasn’t breathing. He felt like he was floating and her sweet scent of something like Roses and Strawberries was all he could feel. All his other senses were clouded by her presence just a few inches away from him. He didn’t know how to react or what to say, and for the first time in his life he was completely speechless. Raul was normally a very socially skilled person, he was good at talking to people and reading someone’s expressions like a book, always had a sharp answer at the tip of his tongue and knew what to do at most situations, but Y/N caught him off guard.

She seemed a bit confused as well. Her mouth slightly a gape as she held to the wooden doorframe. Y/N was really happy she was finally meeting all of her brother’s friends and getting to know a bit more of this part of his life she was deprived of. And she was a bit shocked to notice how big and strong all of his friends were, specially Shawn and Peter, who Mike explained to be the Alphas. They were also incredibly nice to her, she suspects it was her brother’s doing since every time they would say something or curse, they would always look at Mike first. But when the doorbell rang again, she knew it was Raul, he was the only one missing and they knew he was late due to “pack stuff” as they explained. She felt a bit jittery and basically ran to the door from the spot she was sitting next to it on her phone, wanting to get to know her brother’s best friend for a while now. But she wasn’t prepared to meet him.

Sure, he was identical to his twins, but there was something different about him that hit her hard. Of course, he had more tattoos and a few more piercings, he looked a bit rougher in the edges with his leather jacket and wild golden eyes, but there was something that wasn’t about his appearance that took her breath away. And suddenly she didn’t know what to do, they’re both stuck in their place staring at each other. And even though her mind was screaming at her to stop being awkward, invite him in and actually act like a decent being, Y/N couldn’t move a muscle, and he’s probably thinking she’s an idiot and too polite to invite himself in. And in the middle of her internal turmoil, he regained some self control for the sake of both of them.

Raul cleared his throat shaking his head a bit “Hi, I’m Raul, you must be Y/N” he said and she swore she melted at the sound of his voice “it’s really nice finally meeting you”

He offered his hand to her to which she swiftly grabbed, feeling his warmth seeping throughout her palm, his fingers curling around her much smaller ones. He had a beautiful design tattooed on the back of his hand and she got a little lost in it.

Y/N sighed relief he broke the awkward moment and looked up back at him, trying to control her thoughts “Yeah, that’s me, nice to meet you too, would you like to come in?”

Raul smiled as he let go of her hand a bit reluctantly “sure” was all he said as he stepped in closer to her, being hit with a fresh wave of her sweet scent, forcing him to take a deep breath.

“The boys are outside in case you’re wondering” she said placing a strand of hair that fell out of her little updo behind her ear.

Raul held back the urge to do it himself “Oh, so they annoyed you into staying in the living room?”

“No no” her eyes almost budged out of their socket “I was just- I was just waiting for you since I knew you were running late and they’re all talking, so I didn’t want to intrude and I-“

“Y/N it’s just a joke” he said through a chuckle as he saw her face flushing “relax a bit, honey”

Y/N giggled softly as she closed the door “I’m sorry, I-“

“Hey, dude!” Mike called from across the room, making their heads snap towards him “how’s everything back home?”

“All settled” Raul said taking a step closer to his Beta “just arrived actually”

“Oh, so you met my little sister” and even though it seemed like a normal sentence, Raul knew Mike and knew his posture like the back of his hand, he knew this was a reminder of the conversation they had back home about staying away from her.

“Yeah, she opened the door for me” he said and from his peripheral he saw Y/N nodding confirming his line.

“I see, the guys are outside, let’s go grab a burger for you” Mike said patting him on the shoulder and dragging him away from the front door where Y/N seemed to be frozen in place.

Raul remembers vividly every little second of that night. Remembers how he decided he should keep his distance for the sake of his friendship and for Y/N herself. She was only sixteen when they met and she is human, which means the bond isn’t too strong for her, specially at first glance, and dating a werewolf was hard. He lived far into the woods and didn’t necessarily mingle with people in town, who were probably her friends and she wasn’t raised with his type, so maybe it would be too much for her. And Raul’s sure Mike wouldn’t be happy about it, at least not now where they first met and she’s that young. So he kept his distance, only talking to her when extremely necessary.

And that was a pattern he kept for the remaining four years of their limited interactions (which he intended keeping that way).

As older as Y/N got, the closest she got with the pack. She was always close to Mike, but since she was young she wasn’t allowed to walk or drive alone to the community, but as soon as she was old enough she was always around on the weekends and important dates. And she was just lovely, so everyone adored her, always wanting to have her around for monthly movie nights and even going as far as inviting her to spend the night. Raul couldn’t really blame anyone for wanting her around, he did too, but he couldn’t, so he didn’t say a thing about it. And he knew he made her hesitant on accepting those invitations, cause at every attempt she ever made to get closer to him, he shut her off. And he could see Y/N was hurt, but it was for the best.

He even tried dating someone else for a while and he noticed Y/N didn’t like it even the tiniest bit. The girl he was dating was a Beta that was temporarily living with them as her pack solved something around the area, and she was nice. But it didn’t last long, she was only staying for a few months, and on the day she left, there was a barbecue in celebration to one of the older wolves and of course Y/N was there. Raul was late since he was taking his ex to the airport, and Y/N didn’t even look at him when he stepped into the little location they were all settled. He found the act odd but didn’t say a word, only walking towards his brother’s and Mike who were laughing probably about something dumb one of them said. Raul spent a few minutes with them, but he kept looking over his shoulder where Y/N was sat, noticing after an hour she was missing and he instantly started trying to find her.

He dismissed his friends as he walked into the pack house, trying to clear his senses to track her in case she was hurt (since she was a bit wobbly on her feet already), but only to be met with her staring at her phone while sitting on the couch with a huge pout set on her lips. Raul was about to turn and leave when Y/N looked up, noticing his presence and he swears his heart stopped at that moment. She had tears filling her eyes and her lips were trembling slightly, a deep frown set on her brows.

“I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t be here” she mumbled sniffling softly “I just needed to clear my head a bit”

Raul nodded with softer eyes as he walked closer to her “it’s okay, are you hurt? Are you in pain?”

Y/N shook her head “I honestly don’t know why I’m so upset, I didn’t even drink that much or anything, I just-“ she sighed heavily and looked up at the celling.

“Tired?” Raul offered gently and she nodded her head slowly “want me to drive you home?”

“No, please, just go enjoy the night, isn’t Samantha here?” she said as he sat down beside her, still keeping some distance.

“We broke up, she left today” was all he said and she looked up at him with wide eyes, but before she could start apologizing, he just pressed his hand to her knee gently “it’s okay, it wasn’t anything serious, no need to apologize, sweetheart”

“I- okay”

“Still wanna stay?” he pressed gently “I can still take you home”

“No, it’s okay, I was supposed to spend the night anyway” she shrugged.

“Wanna go upstairs and take a nap?” was all he asked and she shook her head.

“The thing is I was supposed to stay at Stacy’s room tonight, but her boyfriend showed up, so I guess I got the living room” she explained “which is totally okay, and I don’t want to seem ungrateful, I know you don’t like me much, and I don’t want to make things worse”

And at that his heart shattered “wait, what?”

“Oh no, I really don’t mind, I can call a cab too, I can leave in twenty minutes too, I’m sorry I-“ she started breathing a bit heavily as he picked up her heart racing more than usual.

Raul shook his head, turning on the couch to face her better “No, it’s not that, I’m not mad at you or anything, I just- who said I don’t like you?”

“I- no one” she opened her mouth a few times before closing it until she said something that shattered his heart in a billion pieces “no one, it’s just something I’ve noticed throughout the years”

“What do you mean?”

Y/N sighed deeply as she glanced down at her lap, fidgeting the bracelet she always wore, which Raul caught on a long time ago to be a nervous habit “I know you get uncomfortable when I’m around and Mike told me it was probably something about you not being used to have humans around, and I totally get it, it’s just sometimes it seems like my presence is enough to put you in a sour mood and I don’t think it’s because I’m human or anything, and I shouldn’t be saying this to you, I’m sorry”

Raul took a deep breath as he squeezed her knee gently and seeing her relax a bit at his touch “stop apologizing for everything, you did nothing wrong, sweetheart, well, besides assuming I disliked you”

“Oh” was all she managed out as her brain ran a million mile per hour.

Y/N has had a crush on him for years now, ever since the first time they met. He was the literal description of her type, but the dreamy part ended there. Of course Raul was always polite and never made anything to directly hurt her, but he kept pushing her away and avoiding her like the plague, and maybe it was all in her head, but he didn’t seem like that whenever he was around others. And that did nothing to help her case. She knew nothing would ever happen between them, he made it pretty obvious he wasn’t attracted to her, but she’d like to try and be friends with him but even that didn’t seem to interest him. And it wasn’t his fault, she didn’t even knew the reason as to why she felt the need to have him around, but she just did. So Y/N just lost hope after all the attempts to make him like her, but he was always so distant and it still affected her after all this years.

In the other hand, Y/N had no idea how hard it was to push her away. Raul was certain she knew exactly what to do to get to his heart, she had to. Every little thing she did made his heart flutter and she was just so good at having people wrapped around her fingers that she made her way through all of his friends lives. He thought they were mates at first glance, her scent was a great clue, but as they got to know each other better, even indirectly, just made him sure of it. Y/N meant much more than what he thought was possible, seeing her stressed over school stuff or sad about whatever reason was enough to put him in panic, not knowing how to keep his distance and stop her from hurting. And all his cold exterior wasn’t necessarily his choice, he knew Mike confessed he hoped his sister would not get with an Alpha, that meant she would have to give up a few things in her life and that would herself in danger for having Raul’s scent all over her. And Mike also told him he would do whatever he could to avoid that to keep her safe.

So he did it for her, to keep her safe from the problems that came along with living in a pack, dating a werewolf and being a human. But it was getting harder, and tonight he decided to ignore it, that she needed him more than she needed to stay away from him. And that’s what pushed him to wrap his fingers around her wrist, making her look up at him

“Do you want to watch a movie or something?” he offered in a lower voice “maybe it will help you clear your head a bit” and Y/N seemed a bit shook, looking up at him with wide eyes and she nodded slowly.

Raul smiled fondly at her as he got up with her following him up the stairs to the little movie room the pack out together for movie nights. They sat down side by side as he offered her to pick something for them, then Raul proceeded to reach for a fluffy blanket that was thrown on the corner of the sofa. When he turned back to her she still looked a bit lost, so he offered to put on a show he knew was her favorite, and she just nodded in response. Y/N was too nervous to do anything wrong that would push him back into being his closed off distant self, and she knew she looked ridiculous all tense and barely breathing by his side.

Raul noticed her stiffness right away and decided to turn off the lights hoping this would make her relax even a little bit. And as the episode progressed he noticed she was getting more and more loose. An hour later, in the middle of the second episode, he felt her leaning closer to him, probably searching for a bit more warmth, so he lifted his arm to rest on the back of the couch and to make room for her in case she wanted. It only took a couple more minutes for her to be basically leaning most of her weight on him, and when her arm slipped, she fell mostly laying on his chest. And as soon as Y/N was ready to start apologizing, Raul shushed her softly, asking her to relax and pulling the covers up both of their bodies, and so she did.

He didn’t notice he was falling asleep until he woke up many hours later with the sound of voices downstairs from his brothers. Raul looked down at his chest to find Y/N cuddled to him, sound asleep as his arm wrapped around her waist held her still. He took a deep breath and almost chose not to wake her and just go back to sleep, to deal with the stiffness due to the sitting position he held and the consequences of sleeping there with her in the morning. At least until he heard the door cracking open slowly and Shawn’s head popping in.

“Are you two okay?” his brother whispered as he noticed the girl asleep on the couch, and to that Raul nodded in response, afraid to wake her up “take her upstairs to your room, dude, Mike will find out you like her sooner or later and he’ll deal with it, just don’t let her sleep on the couch”

Raul sighed and nodded. Shawn bid his goodnight and closed the door with a soft click. Peter, Shawn and his mom were the only ones to know about his mating situation, and he liked it better that way. They tried convincing him to tell her at least, but they understood that maybe it wasn’t the right time just yet and let him decide what to do with his feelings.

So he ended up taking his brothers suggestion and as gently as he could, he rearranged the girl in his arms to he could carry her upstairs to his bedroom. Y/N grumbled softly in protest, nuzzling her face further on his neck as she quieted down. Raul had to stop himself from cooing at her. As he walked out into the bright hallway she mumbled something unintelligible before calling his name.

“It’s okay, sweetheart, I’m here, it’s just me” he whispered as they walked into his room, before placing a kiss to her hair, gently lowering her to his mattress.

Y/N slowly opened her eyes “Raul? I’m sorry, I fell asleep on you” she mumbled quietly.

“It’s okay, just thought a bed would be a better place for you to sleep other than the couch” he said standing up to his full height and bringing the covers up her body “that’s why I brought you to my room”

“Thank you” she said grabbing his hand and he just nodded at her with a gentle grin on his lips “why are you up?”

“I’m going to crash downstairs on the movie room” he stated caressing the back of her hand with his thumb and she started shaking her hand.

Her hold on him tightened “No, not a chance, I’m not taking you out of your bed for you to sleep on the couch, please stay here with me, please”

And how could he possibly say no to her looking so sleepy and so sweet?

He breathed a chuckle with a nod “just let me change first, do you need a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt instead of what you’re wearing?”

“Yes please” she murmured feeling a bit embarrassed for making him do all of this for her.

And as if he could read his mind “Don’t look at me as if you’re being a headache, yeah? It’s okay, sweetheart, let me just grab you some clothes” he squeezed her hand before letting go of it in favor of picking up what he promised.

He came back from his closet in only a pair of sweats and a thin white t-shirt, a similar paring folded in his hands for her. She got up to change on his bathroom as he climbed on his bed, trying to contain the excitement of the prospect of having the girl he’s been fond of for over two years, the possible love of his life. Y/N quickly returned in his clothes, following suit and diving under the covers, laying on her side away from him as he stayed on his back, trying to control his breathing after turning off the lights. A few minutes passed and he’s sure she was asleep, the room dark enough so he could only see the silhouette of her body by the faint glow of the moon seeping through his curtains. But then he heard the soft rustle of his sheets as she turned to face him, and he only turned his face on the pillow to properly look at her.

“Can I ask you something?” she whispered almost as if she was afraid to break the comfortable silence that fell over them.

Raul hummed in response “anything you want” his voice a soft and raspy tone, making her shiver slightly.

“Why are you being so nice to me?” her voice barely audible as if she was nervous to ask, or maybe the answer frightened her more.

“You don’t have to worry about it, you should just rest for now” was his response and she sighed in defeat, nodding her head before facing him away again.

The clear defeat on her features, despite the darkness was enough to make him regret his words. So Raul turned on his hand, raising a careful hand to caress her exposed bicep. She flinched at first, not expecting his touch, but quickly relaxing to it as he felt goosebumps raise on her skin. He decided to scoot a bit closer almost as if he were testing the waters and she shuffled closer in response. Soon the hand on her arm slid to wrap her waist gently and Y/N sighed happily in return, finally resting her back on his chest. Raul placed a kiss at the top of her head as she melted under his sweet gesture.

When she was in transition to dreamland, she swears she heard him whisper into her hair, the place he decided to muzzle his face “I’m sorry I made you think I disliked you, Y/N that’s not the case at all” he took a deep breath and she was far to gone to say anything back “You just seemed like you needed me tonight, and I’m sorry if I ever made you think your presence here was unwanted, you’re just too good and I don’t deserve you, sweetheart”

And not knowing if this was true or not, his whispered confessions with that slightly raspy and almost honeyed at the same time voice lulled her completely to sleep.

-*-

In the weeks prior to that event, neither of them said a thing about that night, not even in an indirect way. Raul barely spoke to his brothers about it, but they already knew what happened, and Y/N didn’t feel like telling Mike would be a genius idea, so she decided against it. And to her disappointment things got back to the old normal, at least for the most part. She felt like Raul was a bit more comfortable around her and didn’t try so much to stay away, but it wasn’t like that day, and it still hunts her that she actually caught a small glimpse of what their relationship could be. But it was also taking its tool on him, that night he slept like a baby and allowed himself to daydream that this could’ve been their reality if things were a bit different.

He woke up that morning pretty early as usual, for his perimeter check, but only this time Y/N was sound asleep on his chest, and maybe he stalled a bit to enjoy her sweet scent a bit more before slowly peeling her off of him and gently laying her back down on the pillows. There was only a bit of resistance in form of a whine but she ended up pulling his pillow to her chest before settling down. It was harder than he thought leaving her on his bed as he quickly changed and jogged downstairs to go on his run, but maybe it was better like this, this way he could run and put his head at ease and actually come up with his next moves. So that’s what Raul did, but as soon as he was back on the house, already in two feet only, she was already wake and preparing something in the kitchen as she chatted with Peter.

Raul leaned on the doorway as he watched her, back on the clothes from last night, talking about her next college project as his brother sipped on his coffee mug, so he cleared his throat not to scare her as he walked in “good morning”

“Morning, Raul, can you keep her company as she eats her breakfast? I actually need to run to Sam’s house to pick up some stuff before he leaves for work” Peter asked, a knowing look on his face as Raul just shrugged it off “thanks, got to go, Y/N, good luck with that sheet!” his brother said before leaving the kitchen completely.

“Hi” she said, eyes trained on the eggs she was making as he stood beside her, his hip leaning on the kitchen counter “would you like some?”

“Sure” he said looking around the room “did you sleep well?”

Y/N’s body visibly stiffened as she cleared her throat before answering “yeah, thank you about last night, by the way”

Raul nodded before changing the subject and seeing her relax at that, knowing it was for the best, mentally deleting the speech he came up with. And that’s where the whole conversation died.

-*-

Months later Raul found himself in an equally as hard situation.

Y/N was spending the weekend at the pack house that was a bit more empty than usual, since a few of the wolves (including Mike) decided to go on a little getaway to run from the cold that was arriving sooner than expected, and since her parents were out of town, his best friend asked if she could stay with them so Y/N wouldn’t be all by herself for four days during the possibility of a storm that was estimated for that weekend. And of course they couldn’t deny it, specially since she was very sweet and everyone loved her.

And tonight was the second night of her in the house and Raul was pacing back and forth on his room, probably about to open a hole on the floor from pacing too much, but he didn’t know what to do. She was downstairs on the living room working on some sort of paper for college and he decided he was going to bed, but as soon as he reached his room, the storm that was expected to happen finally arrived and he literally heard her heart rate speeding up exponentially, but didn’t know how to approach her or even if he should. However, when he heard her curse under her breath when a lightning lit up the whole house he knew he could not do nothing, so he opened the door to his room and basically ran down the stairs.

As Raul reached the bottom of the stairs, he identified Y/N to be the little ball wrapped up in a fluffy blanket in the middle of the couch. He took a deep breath before carefully walking towards her, he tried making enough noise so she wouldn’t get caught off guard but not enough to disturb her. But as soon as he reached the side of the couch she looked up at him with wide teared eyes from the little cocoon of blankets she was. Raul physically stopped himself from cooing at her and pulling her to his lap.

Y/N gave him a little sad laugh as she rubbed her eyes harshly “I’m sorry we always end up meeting like this, I must seem like an idiot, right?”

Raul shook his head sitting down beside her “You’re not an idiot, what’s making you so upset?”

She took a deep breath before answering “I guess I’m just tired, and this paper is a bit harder than I thought and I’m actually a bit afraid of storms, and this is all stupid and I-“

“Hey, it’s not stupid, it’s stressful and it’s okay, no one really like storms, they’re dangerous and pretty scary”

“Sure, when you’re five” she said playfully rolling her eyes as he chuckled softly.

“Oh, darling, you know that’s not true”

“Are you scared of storms?” she asked with an arched brow.

“No”

“See?”

Raul chuckled as he shook his head “you’re really something, aren’t you?”

Y/N shrugged as she saved the document before moving to the book she was using as reference “Why are you up if you’re not scared then?”

“You are”

Y/N turned her head in his direction “Oh, I didn’t mean to wake you up”

“You didn’t, I just knew you were afraid and decided to come check on you” he said already regretting admitting to it.

“Oh, I’m sorry, you didn’t have to come though, I’m a big girl, I can take it”

Raul gave her his signature lopsided smile that she had only seen a few times directed to her, making her insides a bit toastier than before “I know you can, sweetheart, just didn’t want you to be alone if I could come down and try to help”

“Yeah, that’s the Alpha spirit, right?” and with that sentence Raul rested his head on the back of the sofa with a laugh.

“Maybe” Raul turned his head to face her, deciding he was going to ignore the whole ‘pushing her away’ speech, at least for a moment “I was thinking that maybe we should make some hot chocolates if you want to finish this paper tonight”

“Are you serious?” Y/N had to confirm she wasn’t going mad and that he was actually willingly wanting to spend some time with her.

“Of course I’m serious, you can’t joke about stuff like this”

“What? Hot chocolate?” she asked holding back a laugh.

“Well obviously” he pushed himself up from the couch, relieved to see she seemed distracted enough to forget about the whole weather outside “I’m aces in the kitchen”

Raul offered her his hand and she smiled at him shaking her head before closing her computer and pushing it aside, taking his outstretched hand and letting him pull her up carefully “well, how did I just find that out?”

“Because I’m normally too tired and busy most of the time to actually make a meal”

She noticed he didn’t let go of her, and she wasn’t going to be the one to do it or point that out “oh yeah, being the Alpha and bossing everyone around must take a lot of your time and energy”

Raul chuckled as he walked her to the kitchen, letting go of her hand against his will in favor of grabbing the ingredients “Mike’s a bad influence, I bet his the one who told you that”

“You certainly didn’t, we barely talk at all” and as soon as the words left her mouth she regretted it.

Raul was with his back facing her as he sorted through the stuff to prepare their drinks, and she was ready to start apologizing, afraid he was going to push her out all over again. Why did she have to go and say something like that? As much as the mood between them was playful, mostly cause he was trying to distract her and she knew it, but it was light and fun, she had to say such thing and ruin it. Sometimes things felt so natural with him that she just forgets that they aren’t that close. But before she could freak out and start spitting strings of ‘I’m sorry’ he did something Y/N wasn’t expecting. Raul started laughing out loud, turning to face her and she ended up laughing as well, maybe out of nervousness or out of relief, either way she laughed.

“I deserved that” he pointed out “but I guess that will have to change since you have such a distorted vision of the Alpha role”

“I wouldn’t particularly mind” she added softly, in hopes he wouldn’t pay much attention to it, but again, Raul was, apparently, a little box of surprises.

“Me neither, darling” he said before turning on the stove.

Y/N felt heat rising up her chest to her face and decided to clear her throat before changing subjects “Who taught you how to cook? Shawn’s a mess in the kitchen, Peter’s good but I know he took lessons”

“I guess I just learned from watching my mom, when I was little I used to spend a lot of my time in the kitchen with her whenever she was using it, my grandma too, and I guess I somehow absorbed that”

“Oh, they’re good?” Y/N took a tentative step closer to him, eager to learn about him and taking the opportunity of his sudden interest in spending time with her to milk all the information she could.

“My mom’s good, but my nan is just fantastic, she told me she used to sit on the counter by her father and watch him, and I guess I did the same”

“Well, I guess I’ll have to do the same cause my kitchen experience resumes to making toast, sandwiches and eggs” she said and he looked at her from the corner of his eye as if he was pondering.

“Then do it, I don’t mind a little audience” he said and she giggled, hoping on the counter beside where he stood.

And that’s how they spent most of their night, with light chatter and a bit of healthy teasing going around and they were ecstatic about it. Y/N felt like she was finally able to relax after all the stress and she felt weirdly complete, almost as if before she was missing a piece. And Raul, he was over the fucking moon and already regretting keeping her away for that long, avoiding every type of contact with her and he was almost telling Mike to piss himself and ignoring all this stupid made up rules he made. He sat down by Y/N’s side as he helped her finish her paper and he was actually able to, finishing it in less than twenty minutes, so they just sat down side by side talking about random stuff, until he noticed she was starting to get sleepier and sleepier with every passing minute.

“You should go to bed, sweetheart” he pointed as she was basically leaning her weight on his side, not that he minded, but they got really close really fast

“Already trying to get rid of me?” she joked and he laughed despite being afraid that was something she actually believed in, and maybe that’s what drove him to ask her what he did next.

“Never, and if you’re still a bit nervous about the rain you can sleep in my room, I can always take the couch”

“I can’t kick you out of your bed” she said looking up at him

“You’re not kicking me out, I’m inviting you and offering to stay elsewhere”

Y/N shook her head “I don’t mind sharing if you do”

Raul didn’t expect it, but he also wasn’t mad about it “If you really don’t mind, then yeah”

“Okay, I’m ready for bed if you are” she said grabbing her stuff.

Raul nodded as he helped her to carry her school material up to his room, which he placed on top of his dresser before turning around to face her standing awkwardly in the middle of his bedroom.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

“Hmm, nothing I just-“ she mumbled as he chuckled.

Raul stopped by the end of his bed “I can still take the couch if you’re uncomfortable”

“It’s not that, you don’t make me uncomfortable” she said as she walked up to him “I don’t know what it is, I just feel safe around you, is it weird?”

Raul was not expecting it as he looked down at her “No, not at all, you can climb on the bed, darling” he offered as he did the same on his side.

She ended up taking up on his offer and laying down on the other side, pulling the covers up her body “you can be really sweet when you want to, you know?” she mumbled softly after a while, after the lights were already off and the only source of light in the room was coming from the lamp on his bedside table.

Raul said turning to face her, only to find Y/N already on her side facing him “Don’t think many think the same”

Y/N laughed and shook her head “guess you’re just good at pretending you’re this big bad Alpha when you’re just a big softie”

Raul laughed throwing his head back and she couldn’t stop herself from admiring the sound, his neck and his beautiful face, looking a lot more soft than normally.

“I really like your laugh” she blurted out before she could think.

His laugh was cut short when he realized her words and he smiled at her “I like yours, wish I could hear it more often”

“Well, it’s not really hard to get me to laugh”

Raul smiled at her “yeah, hm- I wanted to apologize”

“For what?” she asked, genuine curiosity shining on her eyes.

“For being a dick to you, for such a long time, there’s not an excuse for that, as much as I tried to come up with one” he finally admitted running his hands through his curls.

Y/N bit her lower lip as she looked at him “you’re never a dick to me, you’re a bit closed off, yeah, but never a dick, you never made me feel uncomfortable or anything like that, and ever since that night where you made it clear you didn’t dislike me, a few things started making more sense to me”

“Like what?” it was his turn to get confused.

She sighed heavily “I thought for a very long time you just hated my guts or didn’t want me near for being a human or an outsider, but then you said it wasn’t the case and you were so sweet to me that night, and the morning after, and ever since that day, even though you weren’t necessarily cuddling with me and being around me all the time, you were slowly opening up, spending more time around me when I was here and at first I was confused, but then yesterday I was talking to Peter and he may or may not have told me this was something to do with Mike”

“What?” Raul almost sat up, but he didn’t want her to stop talking, so he held back his impulse and just kept laying down.

“And I also talked to my mom about it, very recently, and she said my dad had a similar reaction to her when he found out they’re mates… I’m not implying anything, and I can be totally wrong about it, but I thought about it for a second and I swear it made sense, it explained why I felt so drawn to you since I first laid eyes on you” she admitted, coiling into herself a bit.

Raul was completely taken back, not knowing what to do or what to say, not expecting her to come into realization and not knowing how to proceed, that until she mumbled a soft “please say something, anything, just don’t shut me off again”

“No, darling, it’s not that, I’m sorry” he said reaching for her hand as grabbing it in his “I’m just speechless, I- you feel it too?”

“Is it true?”

“I- yes” he sighed in relief.

“You’re my mate?! Or I’m yours, I’m sorry, I don’t know how this works” she giggled nervously.

Raul couldn’t stop his smile to blossom on his lips as he nodded his head what felt like a thousand times “whatever you want, I don’t mind”

“So what does that mean now?” she said shuffling closer to him.

“It doesn’t have to mean anything, I know your brother wouldn’t appreciate the idea and I don’t want to hurt you or cause any pain, darling, I just want what’s best for you” Raul said squeezing her hand gently.

“You could never hurt me, and I don’t honestly care about what Mike thinks right now” she said placing a hand on his chest “what do you want?”

“Honestly?” he asked and she nodded eagerly, which made him chuckle “you, in any way you’ll have me, but I also don’t want to rush you into anything, this works differently for me since I’m a wolf”

“Yeah, I know how sensitive you guys can be” she joked and he laughed, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead “but I want you, I feel the pull to have you near me almost as a need”

“I know, sweetheart, I feel the same way” Raul admitted pulling her closer by her waist “just don’t want to skip any steps with you, but I kept you away long enough”

Y/N nodded tipping her head back to look at his beautiful face better, their noses brushing due to the proximity “agreed, but I still want you close”

“We’re already close, darling” he breathed a chuckled and she shook her head.

“Are you afraid of kissing me? What are you? Twelve?” she teased and he laughed, pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose.

“Of course not” he whispered leaning a bit closer.

“Then what’s taking you so long?”

“Bossy little thing” he teased one more time before closing the space between them in a gentle kiss.

Y/N tangled her fingers in his wild curls as he cupped her jaw carefully, afraid that if he squeezed her even a tiniest bit she was going to disappear. But his gentle touches soon turned into a bit more urgent ones and she pulled his hair, encouraging him to deepen the kiss. Raul tighten his hand on her waist, trapping her bottom lip between his teeth, pulling it to him softly before lessening the sting with a swipe of his tongue. And unfortunately Y/N had to pull away too soon for her liking due to her stupid lungs needing oxygen. Raul leaned in to press a bunch of soft, barely there, kisses all over her face.

She giggled a bit breathlessly as she murmured “Mike will murder me when he finds out”

“Shh, we can worry about that when he’s back, he’ll have to get over it eventually”

Y/N giggled before leaning in for one more kiss.

“Okay, love, we really should sleep, and then tomorrow I can maybe take you on a date if you want” he said pressing a chaste kiss to her lips before resting his forehead on hers.

Y/N smiled up at him “Or we can have a little movie marathon here and you’ll make me dinner”

Raul laughed “you’re a mean one, you know that?”

“Why?”

“Because you know I can’t say no to you” he said and she smiled at him.

“Good boy, you’re such a good puppy” Y/N teased and he laughed.

Raul shook his head “okay, it’s definitely time for you to go to bed”

-*-

*Please reblog or like this post if you liked it so I’ll know.

*I’m sorry if there are any spelling mistakes.

*Please do not repost this without giving me the credit, this is a completely original piece and I do not give permission to copy this!

*Hope you guys enjoyed it!

*xoxo

-🌙

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melanielocke · 4 years ago

Text

Lost in the Shadows - Chapter 12

AO3

Taglist: @nott-the-best @foxglove-airmid @alastair-esfandiyar-carstairs1 @justanormaldemon @styxdrawings @ipromiseiwillwrite

Alastair clutched his sharpest dagger in his hand as he followed Thomas to the ruins. He’d been carrying it with him, just in case. His cousin Jem was not fond of his dagger collection, but Alastair had found the daggers could calm him down. He liked moving twirling them in his hand, he liked the way the grip felt in his hands. He didn’t hurt himself, and even if he did he would never use his precious daggers. It was an odd interest, one Alastair had held since he was about twelve and had entered a decorative weapon’s shop with Cordelia by accident. His father had called it all rubbish, nothing compared to cortana, and while that was true, Alastair’s eye had fallen onto a beautiful, but simple and relatively affordable dagger. He’d asked his mother if he could have it for his birthday. She’d warned him, it wasn’t a toy, these were for decoration, but he did keep them for decoration, hanging them on his bedroom wall, occasionally holding them. They weren’t meant for use except under unusual circumstances like this.

He understood Jem’s concern, as a psychiatrist he must have seen many patients who struggled with self harm, but Alastair never had. With the current circumstances, he was glad to have something to defend himself with just in case. He hated not knowing what was coming though. He hated this constant fear that Thomas was right, that something was coming for him next and Alastair had no idea how to stop it.

He would never admit it to anyone but himself, but he was in love with Thomas. It felt a lot like when he’d just started his relationship with Charles, yet also different. It was wondrous feeling, falling in love. Wanting to be near him all the time when Alastair usually preferred solitude, wanting to see him happy and doing anything to make sure he was. The warm, fuzzy feeling when Thomas smiled at him. But there was a reason people called it falling in love, and Alastair had learnt by now that after the fall came the landing.

He’d do anything to keep Thomas safe. He had no idea what he’d do if he died. He didn’t think he could bear it. If anyone deserved to live, to be happy, it was Thomas. He wondered if he should tell Thomas how he felt. He knew now Thomas was gay, but if Thomas liked him, would he ask him advice for coming out to his parents? Then of course Alastair had confided in Charles, had asked him for advice all the time. He’d taken his advice to heart once, thinking Charles was so much older and wiser and knew what was best.

The ruins looked abandoned. Alastair knew there were plenty of ruins in Scotland, but he hadn’t heard of any being at walking distance. Lucie had come here often enough that she must have known about them, her grandmother lived here year round. Usually, ruins did not appear out of nowhere. He could make out the outline of what must have been a building once, an upright wall here and there.

‘This must have been a castle once,’ Alastair said. ‘Considering how big it is. Where are we?’

‘I’m guessing we’re still in the woods,’ Thomas said. ‘Perhaps it’s like in Beauty and the Beast and people are enchanted to not find it.’

Alastair couldn’t roll his eyes enough. ‘First of all, in Beauty and the Beast there was nothing keeping people from finding the castle, they just never did because they did not leave their village. Not that any of that made sense. And if people are enchanted not to find this place, why would we?’

‘I’m sure there’s a story somewhere that describes this,’ Thomas said. ‘Perhaps it can only be found under certain circumstances, on certain days or hours. Oh, there’s an inscription here.’

Alastair walked over to see where Thomas was pointing. ‘It’s in Scottish Gaelic, I imagine. I can’t read that,’ Alastair said.

‘Me neither,’ Thomas admitted. ‘But I’ll take a picture. Perhaps we can decipher at home.’

Alastair wasn’t sure it would be important but it was worth a try. Mysterious ruins no one knew were there had to hold some sort of important clue, right? Alastair remembered what they’d discussed about the possibility of people getting trapped in places by a supernatural entity. Was this what it looked like? He tried not to think about the possibility of being trapped here with no escape.

He took out his phone. No cell reception, but that didn’t surprise him. He took some pictures too, making sure to look at every part of the ruins and see if there was anything of interest. He remembered it all, of course, but being able to show people pictures was easier than dragging them all into his memory.

‘I think there’s a cellar down here,’ Thomas said, standing at a trap door.

Alastair leaned down and tried to open it, but it was stuck. He yanked as hard as he could but no effect.

‘You’re stronger than me,’ Alastair said. ‘Perhaps you should try.’

Thomas leaned down and started pulling. He really was muscular and Alastair caught himself staring at Thomas’ upper arms as he pulled. Part of him longed to touch those arms, those shoulders.

‘Did you start working out?’ Alastair asked.

Thomas looked up. ‘Yes, why?’

‘I’ve been trying to understand how you’re suddenly so muscular.’

‘Some muscle came with my growth spurt,’ Thomas admitted. ‘But I started working out with James too. I found it enjoyable. Do you?’

‘Not lately. I used to train with wooden swords with Cordelia, and I do try to keep active, but I’ve never really gone to the gym. Although I guess it would be entertaining to watch attractive men work out.’

‘You like muscular men, then?’ Thomas asked.

Alastair wondered what he could answer without giving too much away. ‘I’m not necessarily into body builders or the like, but I do appreciate some muscle. It’s not the main thing I look for in a partner, it’s not all about appearance.’

‘So, what do you look for?’ Thomas asked.

‘I like being able to spend time with someone, have fun with him,’ Alastair said. ‘My ex never took me anywhere, it was mostly making out in his apartment and for him it was very much about sex and about fulfilling his needs. But I would like someone who’s not ashamed of me and takes me places. Like going to a museum, or have dinner somewhere. I guess going to a museum is not a very typical date, but I would really like that.’

‘Really? I’ve always loved art and history museums,’ Thomas said.

Alastair guessed perhaps someday he could ask Thomas to go to a museum with him. It made him love Thomas even more, knowing he didn’t think it was weird Alastair wanted to go a museum, knowing he would like that as well. Charles had always thought he was weird, in a way that said “I like you, but other people won’t”. Or perhaps it was more like "I tolerate you but only as long as you can satisfy me."

‘Not everything has to be outside though,’ Alastair continued. ‘I dislike crowds. I would also like to be at home with someone, and just do nice things, cuddle on the couch, watch a movie, play a game.’

He’d missed that with Charles. The best he’d gotten was watching a movie together at his place, but even then Charles had been impatient to finish and start having sex. Charles had never taken him anywhere in public, claiming it was for his sake because what if someone he knew would see them together? But Alastair didn’t want to hide, and he didn’t want a relationship that was all about sex, or all about someone else’s needs. He wanted to feel loved and appreciated. He knew it wasn’t very realistic that would happen though. He wasn’t an easy person to love.

‘I think I’d like that too,’ Thomas said. ‘I never really thought about that, to be honest. I never thought beyond having crushes on boys and maybe going on dates. But it really sounds nice, going to a museum with someone you like.’

Alastair wondered if Thomas would like to go to a museum with him someday. They’d walked through most of the ruins, and beyond the inscription and the closed trapdoor Alastair couldn’t find anything of interest right now. Nor could he explain how they’d ended up here.

A howl interrupted their conversation. It was a loud sound, the howl of a wolf.

‘Come, let’s get out of here,’ Alastair said softly, grabbing Thomas’ hand.

They took the same route back, and not much later another howl pierced the air. Alastair wasn’t sure where it was coming from, but he held his dagger ready to attack, Thomas’ hand in his free hand, gently pulling him along with him. They wouldn’t get separated. They would make it back. They weren’t trapped.

There were no wolves in Scotland, no ordinary ones at least. They hadn’t been in a very long time. There was an old legend of the wulver, but as far as Alastair knew those were friendly and could sometimes be found fishing. Werewolves, though, were another story. In old stories, werewolves were villagers who went into the woods to change into a wolf. Some drank water from the footprint of a wolf, others wore a belt made of wolf fur. They returned to their villages to kill. They were extremely rare nowadays, the methods of becoming one lost. Many that remained no longer changed back into a human, remaining wolf forever.

Thomas gripped his hand tightly, nails digging into his skin.

‘Tom,’ Alastair whispered.

‘Over there.’

Alastair looked in the direction Thomas pointed at and after blinking a few times he saw it too. Even after training with Risa he still needed to make a conscious effort to see. It walked on its hind legs, using its front paws for support at times. Not quite human in built, but not quite wolf either. It was covered in dark gray hair, some bare patches and dark red stains here and there. Its eyes were a bright yellow, its mouth was opened just a little, sharp teeth visible.

Alastair gently tugged on Thomas’ hand, indicating he wanted to continue. He didn’t dare speak. The werewolf hadn’t seen them yet. Alastair hoped they could get past it without being seen. He could be quiet, he could be careful. Thomas followed, taking careful steps, and glancing back to the werewolf every once in a while. It lifted its nose into the air, sniffing in the cold air. Alastair didn’t feel any wind, couldn’t tell if they were on the safe side of it. Likely, there wasn’t any wind and the wolf could smell them. Its head turned, yellow eyes looking into Alastair’s own.

‘Run,’ he whispered.

He kept his grip on Thomas’ hand. They wouldn’t get separated. He wouldn’t let Thomas die. They ran, and Thomas’ long legs easily pulled him along. Werewolves were fast though, Alastair didn’t know if they could stay ahead of it and soon enough he felt something yank Thomas away, forcing him to let go of his hand.

Thomas had fallen onto the ground, the werewolf trailing around him, claws ready to attack. Alastair gripped his dagger firmly and turned back, running straight at the creature.

‘Alastair, get away from here!’ Thomas yelled.

Alastair plunged the dagger into the back of the wolf. The creature howled in pain, and Alastair pulled back his dagger before it turned around and hit him with its claw. Alastair fell over, and he felt warm blood on his shoulder. It wasn’t a deep cut, it couldn’t be, but he was bleeding. The wolf stalked towards him, careful as if to sense if he was still dangerous. It wasn’t dead. It didn’t seem too bothered by the injury Alastair had inflicted. Of course, werewolves were fast healers, only silver was a weakness. And cortana, of course, but he didn’t have the sword. His dagger wasn’t made out of silver.

He scrambled to his feet, dodging another attack from the wolf’s claws. Thomas was behind him, grabbing his wrist and pulling him along. They ran, but they could only make few steps until the wolf crashed into him with its full body strenght behind it, causing both of them to fall over. Alastair held his dagger in front of him, desperate for some protection even if the dagger couldn’t hold the wolf away for long. As it slashed with its claw, Alastair struck too. He caught the paw with his dagger, severing it from the body. Warm blood gushed out, but only for a moment. The paw fell. When it hit the ground, Alastair could make out the rough shape of a pale human hand. The wound closed almost immediately, but the paw didn’t grow back. Even a fast healing werewolf couldn’t grow back severed limbs. Good to know.

The wolf came closer, giving him no room to get up or escape. He threw himself in front of Thomas in a hopeless attempt to keep him safe, to be a shield to him. He still held up his dagger. If he was lucky, he could cut off the other paw, but he didn’t think he would be able to behead the wolf with just this dagger.

Then it collapsed onto the ground, losing its body hair in the process and transforming into a naked human man.

‘Alastair!’

Behind where the wolf had been was Cordelia, cortana in her hand.

‘I was so worried!’ she yelled. ‘Where have you been?’

‘Layla,’ he said. ‘You killed the werewolf.’

Alastair scrambled up, and took Thomas’ hand to help him up too. He inspected the body, thankful it hadn’t collapsed on top of him. Cordelia had slashed through it, the head severed from the body. It was an average looking white man, maybe forty years old, with mousy hair. He had no idea for how long the man had been a wolf, there was no way to tell and the man was naked so he couldn’t date the clothing style either.

‘And just in time,’ Cordelia said. ‘You almost died.’

‘My dagger isn’t made of silver,’ Alastair said. ‘Only so much I could do. Thank you for saving us. Why are you here?’

He noticed Lucie was there too, standing behind Cordelia, clutching one of his daggers. Under normal circumstances, he would be very angry someone had touched his daggers without his permission but considering a werewolf had just tried to kill him and Thomas, he was tolerant. He’d probably be more upset if Lucie had come here unarmed. When they returned home, he should give Lucie another dagger. This one was the first he’d received as a gift, too precious to him and he didn’t want to get blood on it.

‘We came looking for you, of course,’ Cordelia said and Alastair had the sense she was angry with him. ‘You were gone for so long, we figured even you couldn’t stay in the woods for the whole day.’

Alastair frowned. ‘A whole day? What time is it?’

‘We left around four in the afternoon,’ Cordelia said.

‘Four? No, that’s not possible. We left quite early. ’

‘We left around eight,’ Thomas added. ‘There’s no way we’ve been gone for over eight hours when you arrived here.’

He took a picture of the dead human with his phone. Alastair wasn’t so sure that was a good idea but he figured they could have that discussion later, and he could always delete the pictures.

Right now, all Alastair wanted was some bandages on his shoulder, a couple of painkillers and a hot bath. Or maybe a bath would only hurt his shoulders more, in which case he guessed curling up on the couch in a blanket would do.

They took the same route back, Alastair looking around to take in as many details as possible. He could go over them again later and compare the details of the walk today to previous days when nothing strange had happened. It was the same path they’d walked on before, but some things were still different. Alastair still didn’t quite understand why they’d found themselves someplace else today.

They made their way back to the Lightwood’s cottage to find both sets of parents there, looking at them in shock. Sophie looked like she’d been crying, and Alastair felt guilty. He liked Thomas’ mother, he didn’t want to make her cry.

‘Where have you been?’ Tessa asked, her voice stern.

‘Is that blood on cortana?’ Will added.

‘We realized Thomas and Alastair had been gone for a long time,’ Cordelia said, changing her sword back into her necklace. ‘We couldn’t reach them, so we went looking. Just in time, because they were attacked by a werewolf.’

‘It didn’t feel that long to me or Thomas,’ Alastair added. ‘One hour, two maybe. We did find something strange, ruins in the middle of the woods we haven’t encountered before. I took some pictures, but we can go over the memory as well if the pictures aren’t clear.’

‘Later,’ Gideon determined. ‘The four of you look terrible. Is anyone hurt?’

‘The werewolf did claw open my shoulder,’ Alastair said. ‘I don’t think it’s deep, but might need to be cleaned and bandaged.’

‘Come, I’ll take a look,’ Tessa said.

He followed Tessa back to the manor. It was a bit far, but Alastair could still walk and he guessed Tessa had more first aid supplies at the manor.

‘I don’t think it’s bad,’ he said. ‘I feel it, but I can still move my shoulder.’

‘I’ll need to see it before I can make any judgements,’ Tessa said.

They entered the house and Alastair sat down on the couch while Tessa gathered some supplies.

‘Please take off your shirt,’ she said.

Alastair did, wincing in pain. Tessa inspected the injury. ‘It’s been a while since I did this. But I used to work in the emergency room as a doctor before I turned to research.’

Alastair vaguely knew Tessa had a PhD in medical research, but wasn’t sure which field. He didn’t know she’d worked as a doctor before that, although he guessed it made sense she’d started out there before turning to research.

‘You’re right that the wounds are very superficial, but with a wild animal attack I would recommend a rabies shot,’ Tessa said.

‘Right now?’ Alastair asked, very unmotivated to go to a hospital.

‘Not necessarily, but don’t wait too long,’ Tessa said. ‘If you don’t, and you get rabies, you’ll die. I’ll put on some bandages and let you rest.’

When Tessa was finished bandaging the wound, Thomas entered. His brown hair was a little damp and he’d changed into a clean green shirt and blue jeans. He looked worried. Alastair tried to sit up. He was suddenly very aware that he was half naked, his shirt discarded somewhere. It had blood on it, and a hole where the wolf’s claw had carved through it. He should probably throw it away, which was a shame because he liked that shirt. Thomas was staring at him, Alastair could tell. Would he like what he saw?

‘Are you alright?’ Thomas asked.

‘I’m better now, the wound is thoroughly cleaned and covered. Tessa didn’t think stitches would be a good idea considering the infection risk,’ Alastair said.

Thomas sat down next to him, his cheeks a little red. ‘I was so scared today.’

‘I know. Me too.’

‘You threw yourself in front of me.’

‘I wanted to protect you. I had a weapon, you didn’t.’

Thomas put his hand on Alastair’s. ‘You could have died. You had every opportunity to get away while it was focused on me.’

Alastair shook his head. ‘It would have caught up to me. We both would have died if Cordelia hadn’t shown up when she did. I can’t believe our luck.’

‘Can I hug you?’ Thomas asked.

A bit reluctant, Alastair consented. Thomas pulled him into a hug. It was an unfamiliar sensation to Alastair, Thomas warm hands on his back, careful not to touch his injury, feeling him so close, feeling his rough breathing. Thomas’ hair was damp, he smelt of vanilla. He must have taken a quick shower before coming here. Alastair leaned in, his head against Thomas’ chest. Thomas was warm, and it felt nice to be held like this. He felt safe and protected, and for Alastair a sense of safety was scarce to come by.

‘I was scared of dying,’ Thomas said. ‘But watching you die would be far worse.’

‘Don’t be dramatic, Tom,’ Alastair scoffed. ‘You barely know me.’

‘That’s not true. I’ve gotten to know you a lot in the past week, and I have much enjoyed our time together. And I realized… I… I love you.’

Thomas let go of him, as if to await his reaction. Alastair was tempted to put a shirt on, very aware of Thomas’ eyes on him. At the same time, he liked the attention, hoped Thomas would think he was beautiful even if Alastair had never felt that way. A bit uncomfortable and cold, Alastair instead grabbed the blanket on the couch and wrapped it around him as he tried to process the shock of Thomas’ words and find a proper reply. He suspected the blanket belonged to Lucie, it was decorated with Lilo and Stitch.

He knew he should say something, but he couldn’t find the words. Part of him believed he’d hallucinated what Thomas had just said, because it couldn’t be true, could it? Why would Thomas love him? What was there to love?

‘I’m sorry,’ Thomas said.

‘What for?’

‘You obviously don’t feel the same way, and I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have bothered you with my feelings.’

Alastair looked at Thomas, trying to read his face. Was he serious right now?

‘I do feel the same way, you fool,’ Alastair said, staring at Thomas in disbelief.

Thomas seemed to freeze in the moment, hazel eyes wide, his mouth slightly opened. Before either of them could say anything, Tessa returned with several medicine boxes.

‘Here are some painkillers,’ she said.

‘Thank you,’ Alastair said, taking two paracetamol. If that wasn’t enough, he could always add some ibuprofen.

‘Gideon and Sophie are on their way here to cook, you must be starving,’ Tessa said. ‘Alastair, be careful with that shoulder, give it some rest.’

Tessa returned to the kitchen, presumably to start preparing. Alastair realized he was hungry. He hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast and apparently it was now on the late end for dinner. It felt odd, since Alastair was fairly certain he hadn’t been gone for a whole day. It felt more like lunch time.

‘You look adorable with that blanket,’ Thomas said with a small smile.

‘I’m cold,’ Alastair said.

‘I’m not judging,’ Thomas said.

‘You were,’ Alastair said.

Thomas said nothing.

‘Come on, you definitely were.’

‘Can’t you just accept that you’re cute?’ Thomas asked.

Alastair made a show of rolling his eyes. ‘Alright.’

‘Can I kiss you?’

‘What?’

‘You said you liked me too. I’ve been wanting to kiss you for some time. So I figured I’d ask.’

‘I expected you’d just initiate. Asking is nice though. Keep doing that, I like it.’

Charles had never asked permission for anything. Charles usually initiated, he had been the one to decide what would happen and had assumed Alastair was fine with whatever he had in mind. And Alastair had pushed himself to accept things he wasn’t comfortable with too, terrified to disappoint. Terrified he would be abandoned if he didn’t do whatever his lover wanted.

He could not have anticipated how amazing it would feel to have Thomas ask him for permission to kiss him.

Thomas didn’t say anything else, just leaned in and closed his eyes, allowing their lips to meet. Alastair suspected Thomas didn’t really know what he was doing, but that was alright. He took control of the kiss, grabbing the front of Thomas shirt with his good hand. Thomas put his hands in his hair, gently tugging at the strands. It usually annoyed him when people messed with his hair, but right now it was a tangled mess anyway, and he had to admit it felt kind of nice.

They broke apart, faces still close, and looking into each other’s eyes. Thomas’ hazel eyes seemed like a mixture of colors this close and Alastair could see the light reflect in them. He felt a desire for more, but wanted to take it slow. This wouldn’t be like Charles, no rushed or pressured decisions. It would be gentle and sweet and they would have all the time in the world.

He leaned back, and pulled Thomas along with him, Alastair laying down on the couch on his back, the blanket slipping from his shoulders. He didn’t mind now, he allowed Thomas to admire him. Thomas looked a bit awkward, trying to find a comfortable position without crushing him. Alastair would probably be able to take Thomas’ weight, he liked being underneath a lover, just the right amount of pressure on his body to feel comfortable.

Although maybe not now with his shoulder injured, that was just going to hurt a lot.

‘Tom, your parents could be here any minute,’ Alastair said.

Thomas only shrugged. ‘Kissing a boy in front of them saves me having to write a speech. And I really don’t want to stop kissing you.’

‘Are you sure?’ Alastair asked. ‘You don’t want to give a speech?’

‘I’m sure,’ Thomas said. ‘I just want to kiss you.’

Alastair had nothing to say against that, and kissed Thomas again, gently opening his mouth and slipping his tongue inside. If someone had walked in, he probably wouldn’t even have noticed, too caught up in the moment. Thomas’ mouth tasted of strawberries, he must have eaten some before coming here.

After Charles, Alastair had never imagined another chance at love, and certainly not with someone as kind and beautiful and perfect as Thomas Lightwood. Part of him was still convinced he was too difficult to be loved. He pushed all thoughts of something bad happening to Thomas to the back of his mind and indulged in the moment. When they broke apart, they just sat lay, breathing carefully. Thomas’ hand in his hair again, wrapping strands of it around his finger.

After a moment Alastair decided with his injured shoulder, this wasn’t the most comfortable position for either of them, so he sat back up, climbing into Thomas’ lap, arms around him.

‘You’re a good kisser,’ Thomas said.

‘You will be too, with some practice,’ Alastair said. ‘Was that your first kiss?’

‘It was,’ Thomas said. ‘I’ve never been with anyone before. But I’ve also never felt about anyone like I felt about you.’

Alastair frowned. ‘Really?’

‘Really,’ Thomas confirmed. ‘I don’t fall in love easily. I’ve felt attracted to other boys at times, but I rarely really fall in love. When I do, it doesn’t really go away though. I’ve loved you since we went to school together.’

‘Since school? But I was awful to you back then. I’d done nothing to deserve it.’

‘You don’t always love the people who deserve it,’ Thomas said. ‘Back then, it was more of a schoolboy crush really. You were so mysterious and beautiful, yet I saw you were sad too. I could tell you didn’t mean what you said, I could tell you were in pain and I wanted to know what broke your heart, what let such bitterness spill out. And then I heard about you from Lucie, when you went to school with her. Although I still didn’t understand you, she confirmed you weren’t awful at all since you stood up for her and I felt like I was right, there was something special about you. And now this past week, I feel like I’ve finally seen the real you. And I don’t just mean that sadness, I mean your interests, your love for books and long walks. How you can rant for hours about the evil of capitalism and how passionate you are about wanting change. So my feelings have changed over time, but it’s always been you I wanted.’

Alastair found it difficult to believe, but he could tell Thomas was sincere. It was difficult to believe anyone could love him, he guessed. He still felt too broken to be loved, undeserving of it. He wanted to believe Thomas though, he wanted to make this work. He wanted to silence the voice in his head that it was impossible, that Thomas couldn’t possibly love him, because who could love someone like him? The voice was wrong, and Thomas gentle touch allowed him to push it to the back of his mind for now. Perhaps someday it would disappear for good.

#Alastair Carstairs #Thomas Lightwood #Thomastair #Lucie Herondale #Cordelia Carstairs #Lucelia #the last hours #tlh #fanfiction #fic

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asweetprologue · 4 years ago

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Geraskier prompt: Cooking and sharing food

hey, sorry for the wait on this one! i’m trying to answer an ask or do a prompt every day in october but I also have school so we’ll see how it goes lmao

anyways I really thought this prompt was cute as shit so here we go!! more below the cut so this post doesn’t take up too much of ur dash

On the feeding of wolves

One of the first things Geralt had learned when Jaskier came to stay at Kaer Morhen was that the bard could cook.

Jaskier had never come to stay at the keep before. Geralt had never asked. It always felt like overstepping, when he’d thought to bring it up. Jaskier had his own life, friends and coworkers and family that he needed to catch up with, prestigious court positions to fill, beautiful men and women to fall into bed with. He already followed Geralt around for the better part of the year, most of the time. To ask him to come and stay longer, to live in close quarters with Geralt and meet his family… It was too close to asking for what Geralt really wanted.

That had changed recently, something exciting and tentative springing up between them. Geralt wasn't sure if Jaskier had only just developed a more-than-platonic interest in him, or if he’d realized Geralt felt the same, or if he’d just suddenly decided to throw caution to the wind. Whatever the case, Geralt was glad for it. Things had been better over the last few months than ever before, even if they’d yet to formally put a name to what they were doing. So Geralt had finally built up the courage to ask Jaskier if, maybe, he wanted to come north with him, and Jaskier had gleefully agreed.

Geralt had been worried about Jaskier getting along with the other wolves, fretting over it the entire way up the mountain pass to Kaer Morhen. It turned out he needn't have worried, however. Jaskier had a secret, full proof plan to seduce the witchers of the Wolf School, and it involved warm loaves of bread and a judicious amount of spices.

On the road Jaskier never cooked. Geralt had spent - he didn't even know. Hundreds of evenings, probably, roasting meat over an open fire or tossing it into a pot for stew, throwing in whatever vegetables and herbs he’d been able to scrounge up. Jaskier had complained plenty when it wasn't to his liking, but it didn't bother Geralt. He was a man of simple needs; a warm bowl of soup in the forest or a hunk of chicken in a tavern was enough to suit him. As long as it kept him going towards the next task.

Jaskier, on the other hand, was a noble deep down and it showed in his tastes. He didn't mind the food they picked up in taverns along the road, but it was obvious that he preferred the fare they received at banquets and the occasional festival. He had a sweet tooth a mile wide and a sensitive palette for spices and ingredients. Geralt, with his heightened sense of smell, should have been better than Jaskier at picking them out by far, but the bard had a knack for it.

It turned out that “knack” was built on real skill. On the day of their arrival, Jaskier had strode into the main kitchen of the keep and said, “Oh finally, a real oven!” Geralt had written it off, only to wake the next morning to Jaskier making dozens of dainty hot cross buns. The fire was crackling away in the stove, and a pot of tea was already boiling away. Jaskier had turned to him with a brilliant smile on his face, flour in his hair, and said, “Those ones just came out! Help yourself. Where are those brothers of yours?” Geralt had stood for a moment, blinking in surprise, before he picked up one of the buns. It was delicious, hot and flaky with a subtle sweetness to it.

It had become a bit of a ritual since then, in the week that they’d been at the castle. Jaskier didn't always make breakfast, but he cooked at least one meal almost daily. He was good, too, his food packed with flavor and warmth that made Geralt feel lazy and content afterwards. Jaskier insisted that they all sit down to eat together, even old Vesemir, and the other wolves began to open up around the bard. Eskel was pleased to have someone else around who had his appreciation for more academic pursuits, and Lambert quickly found that Jaskier was an easy sell on any shenanigans that he wanted to pull. Even Vesemir seemed to enjoy his company, asking Jaskier after Geralt’s exploits on the Path - “He is woefully silent when it comes to his own victories, aren't you darling? Let me tell you about last spring, when he took down an entire nest of archspores near Toussaint -”

It was good. Great, even. Geralt had no idea where it was fucking coming from.

After the first week he finally cornered Jaskier in the kitchen, where the bard was working on dinner. Lambert and Eskel had felled a deer earlier that day, and Jaskier was planning to make some kind of stew with the tough meat. He was currently kneading a dark lump of bread dough, probably to go along with the meal and serve as breakfast the next morning. He looked up when Geralt walked in, his expression pleased. His chin lifted and he nodded to a hissing pot on the stovetop. “Oh, Geralt, glad you’re here. Will you be a dear and stir that for me? I’m afraid the onions might start to stick.”

Geralt did as he was bid, picking up the wooden spoon hanging nearby to shove at the onions in the pot. There must already have been some spices thrown in - garlic, some rosemary, thyme - because it smelled heavenly. “I didn't know that you knew how to cook,” he said after a moment.

Jaskier hummed, focused on his task. His shirt sleeves were rolled up to the elbow, and Geralt watched distractedly as his forearms tensed and released as he kneaded the dough. “Hmm, I suppose you wouldn't. I don't know much about roadside cooking, so I always left it in your decently capable hands. We’ve never settled anywhere long enough to make use of a kitchen.”

Geralt watched the bard, onions forgotten. “You never said. Where did you learn?”

Jaskier glanced over at him and the away, blushing. “Oh, here and there. When I was a boy my parents felt I was too loud to be in the presence of guests, so they usually sent me to the kitchens for the staff to watch over. No idle hands in there, let me tell you. They put me to work quickly enough, little tasks to keep me busy. I helped out more as I got older, until my parents deemed it inappropriate behavior for a viscount.” He smiled down at the dough beneath his fingers, shaping it into a round loaf. “I think that's where I found my love of music and making, if I'm being honest. There were always sounds in that room, people singing and laughing while they made food to feed the house. I like being a part of that.” He met Geralt’s eyes. “I like making people happy by making things.”

Geralt stepped closer, reaching up to lay a gentle hand on Jaskier’s neck. “You don't have to,” he said. “They’ll still like you even if you don't do things for them.” He took a breath, and then continued. “I’ll still care for you. Always. You don't have to be useful, Jaskier.”

Geralt heard the bard’s breath hitch, and then Jaskier leaned forward to press a soft kiss to his lips. When he pulled back he was smiling warmly. “I like doing it,” he said, “but thank you. It means… more than I can say.” Taking Geralt’s free hand in one of his flour coated palms, he said, “I care about you a great deal as well.”

Geralt opened his mouth, unsure of what he was about to say. Something embarrassing, like I want to wake up to your cooking every day or I used to dream about this sort of thing or maybe just I love you. Instead, he said, “I think the onions are burning.”

They were. The kitchen was filled with the rich smell of over caramelized onions, and Jaskier gasped as he pushed past Geralt to attempt to save them. He cursed up a storm as he pulled them from the heat, looking down into the pot with a pout. Geralt huffed a laugh, knowing that Jaskier would find a way to pull it all together regardless. There was flour on his palm in the shape of Jaskier’s hand, and something in his chest that he thought was there to stay. The kitchen was warm, and Jaskier’s hair had flour in it once again, and Geralt felt like he was finally, finally home.

#witcher #the witcher #geralt of rivia #geralt #jaskier #geraskier #geralt x jaskier #geralt/jaskier #prompts #octoberfest #theanisplanet #thank you so much for the prompt!#making food for and with each other is so tender wow #i know that last line is kind of headass but you know what it's my fic and I do what i want :)#also I wrote this fully at 3:30am so if there's spelling mistakes that's why i did edit it but yknow #my work #october2020

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petri808 · 4 years ago

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Sanjou no Ai

click to read from beginning

Bakudeku Au fic, final chapter

For the first few months of their new arrangement, the mated pair settled into a routine of sorts. Almost every night, the okami would return to the Shrine after nightfall and spend it with Izuku, but always left before the sun peaked over the horizon the following morning. It was okay for the time being since now Katsuki could take his time in re-educating the kitsune on the ways of a yokai. And there was so much that Izuku had no clue about. Until now, he only had the scant information left by the previous shrine keeper and the instinctual sides he couldn’t avoid. But even those had not gone without question because he didn’t always understand why he felt the way he felt or did the things he did. For instance, he thought he was ‘born’ to live a life in the shrine, but that wasn’t true at all. The god created them for purposes, such as the okami to protect the wolves and forest, the kitsune too had a similar role. Then at some point when the current shrine was built upon the mountain, the kitsune yokai pledged to help the humans. Generations later left the likes of Izuku in a role he didn’t even know why it existed but performed faithfully�� until now.

The information left him semi-torn about his life. Should he continue to honor that treaty and stay at the shrine, or give into his instincts and become a free protector of the forest? It shouldn’t be such a difficult choice, but what brought on the anxiety fell more into could he do it? Could he learn to fend for himself? It was an internal battle that’s been raging from before he and Katsuki mated, but now took center stage. Of course, the okami assured his mate that he wouldn’t be alone. As the alpha it was his responsibility to provide for and protect his omega, especially if the kitsune became pregnant. And besides, Izuku needed to give himself more credit for his strength. Katsuki pointed out how the man had risked his life to save an injured wolf, did that not show how strong or brave he could be when needed? Izuku had no argument against such a statement.

Still, that didn’t calm his mind, if anything, new thoughts would come for Izuku to mill over. Okay fine, maybe he would be okay for himself, but what about with the pups Katsuki mentioned. He’d have to worry about protecting their lives. A family was just another topic he was trying to wrap his brain around. Like first off, they were both canines but not the same species. Again, it was the okami who reminded the kitsune of magic, that they don’t operate under the same laws of nature. Which didn’t really explain much at all, so he simply put it aside instead of continuing the conversation. Next, if they were to desire a family, Izuku definitely would need to leave the shrine. Katsuki wasn’t pressing him over the topic, but maybe it was those omegan features kicking in that made the kitsune think about it. Like some hormonal drive to reproduce because he certainly never felt such instincts before!

One night after another mellow round of love making, they lay there cuddled in Izuku’s bed.

“Kacchan,” the kitsune whispered with hesitation in his tone. “Why haven’t I become pregnant considering how often we do this?”

“Where the hell did this question come from?”

“I know it’s random… but, oh, I don’t know, it’s just something I been wondering about for a few weeks now.”

Katsuki’s turned Izuku around to face him. “If you really must know. I’ve been using magic to sterilize my seed because I know you’re not ready.”

That answer made the kitsune a little irritated. Shouldn’t such a decision be made by both of them, together?! Regardless of if he was ready or not. “That’s not fair.” Izuku pouted.

“Oh, and you saying you are? You know full well you cannot be working here and get pregnant. Look, you should be happy that I’m not pressuring you to leave this place immediately and take your place in my nest where you belong.”

“I don’t know what to do,” Izuku whimpered in toil.

Katsuki was digging down deep not to lose his patience right now, but after months of waiting could anyone blame him? He took a deep breath to control himself from growling. “I know you’re scared of being away from here, but I don’t know how many more ways I can say it, you don’t have to be. I’ll take care of you and our family when we have one. You just need to decide between the shrine and me.”

“Decide right now?”

“No. Now you sleep,” Katsuki bundled the kitsune against his body preferring to end the night for now and deal with it later. “But you will need to do it soon.”

But Izuku was no fool and could sense the irritation in his mate. He could tell Katsuki was just holding back from lashing out. “You’re not mad at me… are you?”

“I’m trying not to be. So, go to sleep.”

Izuku’s voice lowered, quivering in tone. “I know you just picked me because I’m the only yokai around, and I’m okay with that. I’m just sorry I’m so weak.”

That was the last straw. Izuku’s self-defeating aura and sadness was oozing out and pissing him off! Even though the alpha within him felt pained, it wasn’t enough to change Katsuki’s mind. He sat up with teeth partially bared and speaking through a gritted tone. “That’s bullshit! I could’ve left the area and found someone else if I’d wanted to! I told you, I picked you because I liked what I saw. Yeah, you ain’t physically strong like me, but you have your own strength, a kind of strength I’d never possess, and if you can’t recognize that, then… Argh! You need to figure shit out! The okami leapt to his feet. “I’m going home! When you’re ready to make a damn decision. You know where to find me!”

“Kacchan!” Izuku cried out as his mate transformed and bounded out of the dwelling, but it was too late. He’d screwed up big time all because he was such a weak fool! How did Katsuki ever see a strength in him? Where was it? Just look at him, he was small, skinny, and always nervous of making a mistake. His mate was right. He couldn’t see whatever it was that Katsuki saw in him.

Izuku curled up into a ball and pulled the blanket over his body as he wept openly. The omegan part of him was in so much pain… it called out for its mate, cried at the loss… oh, it hurt so much! Kami, it felt like someone had ripped his heart right out of his chest and stomped it into the ground. He’d never felt so much pain before and even though physically there was nothing wrong, his entire body was suffering. It ached, every bone, every fiber of his being a wave of numbness and throbbing all mixed together. This must be the bond, Izuku realized. Until now their bond had given nothing but pleasure and now it burned like the hottest fire from the sun.

“Kacchan…” he whimpered into the silent night air. The darkness consumed him inside and out. What to do… what to do… he needed Katsuki to breathe, to live or a broken bond would surely kill him.

He didn’t know at what point he’d fallen asleep, maybe from pure exhaustion, but the next thing Izuku knew he could see light filtering though the blanket. Morning had arrived and with it an absolutely shocking pain, twice the level of anguish as the night before. His mind was reeling, so fogged over from all the turmoil that he could barely move, barely function. “Kacchan!” He screamed out! Ready or not, it couldn’t go on like this. For all his fears and anxieties, the only thing he knew for certain, bond or not, was he needed Katsuki. He loved Katsuki. And so right then and there Izuku knew what he needed to do. It physically hurt to get up, but Izuku did his best to dress himself and stumble into the shrine. All these months he’d hidden any sign of changes. Now it was time to come clean. He couldn’t stay.

The priests were already up and about doing their daily chores like usual. So, while remaining cordial despite his slow, pained movements, Izuku searched for the elder to speak with. Elder priest Toshinori was a kind and caring man, over 80 years old by Izuku’s estimation and had been at this shrine for close to 60 years. Izuku cared a lot about the elder, like a surrogate grandfather figure who was always ready with wise words and guidance for any seeking it out. But he could tell this man’s younger years were hard and laborious. Though thin and aged now, his sinewy tanned skin and worn hands were a testament to a hard upbringing. Izuku often wondered if this is why Toshinori was wiser than many of the others that had passed through these grounds over the centuries. Many priests came from relatively stable but lower-ranking homes who wouldn’t see such a poor upbringing. This man lived and came with experiences to guide his beliefs in a wiser way.

He found the elder in the sanctum reading.

“Mr. Toshinori.”

“Ah, Izuku,” the man looked up from his book. “I was wondering when you might come to me.”

Izuku sat down in front of the man bowing low. “Mr. Toshinori, I don’t know how to say this properly, but I must leave the shrine.”

“I know, and I understand.”

“Wait, how did you know?!” Izuku sat up straight in confusion. “I-I was sure I’d hidden the okami well.”

Toshinori smiled. “For a time, you did, but I sensed changes in you, positive changes. You hid them well, but a sparkle in your eye as you looked at the forest, at times just a pause in your routine as you were deep in thought, smiling to yourself. I knew something was happening to you and I must say it was nice to see you so happy.”

Tears were gathering in Izuku’s eyes at how understanding the priest was being. The internal struggle slowly lessened inside. “I am,” the smile broke free. “He makes me feel so alive, but I’m torn to leave the shrine and everyone here.”

“Young Izuku, it is natural to leave the nest when it is time. This shrine is all you know, and the world can be a very scary place, but it is also part of life to go out into and find your true meaning.”

“Is that what happened to you?”

“In a way,” the man chuckled. “Your kind has served and protected this shrine well for a long time but at the expense of losing your very nature.”

“But I want to continue protecting this shrine! I love this place! I love this forest!”

The man leaned forward with a serious expression. “Izuku, would it be too impossible to achieve from outside of the shrine?”

Izuku quieted in thought for a moment before responding. “No, I suppose not.”

“Then the answer is you can still protect what you love and be with whom you love at the same time.”

“I… I never thought of it that way…” ‘Like how Katsuki had protected the offerings…’ “I can do that!” Izuku bowed again to the priest. “Thank you, Mr. Toshinori! I promise, I’ll still help at the shrine, but I will live in the forest from now on.”

Toshinori placed a hand on Izuku’s bowed head. “I trust you will, young Izuku. And do bring your family around someday, I’d like to meet them before I die.”

Izuku looked up with a blush. “O-Okay, I will!”

The air rushing past his face felt exhilarating in his kitsune form. It had been a while since he’d used the full fox body, but ever since he’d consciously made the decision to go to Katsuki, all the pain relaxed, and he wanted to find his mate as quickly as possible. Izuku couldn’t explain what this newly realized sense of freedom felt like, all he knew is he felt lighter. It might take some time to get used to it after being on such a regimented schedule all his life, but it was simply amazing.

He rushed straight for Katsuki’s den hoping his mate would be there, sending out his scent ahead as a calling card. Oh, how he wanted to just snuggle into the Okami’s thick beautiful fur! ‘Please be there!’ Izuku crooned and whined as the pull of their bond grew stronger and stronger. Katsuki must be close! His body could sense it, feel it as he arrived at the entrance to the cave. “Kacchan!” Izuku called out. Movement up ahead was picked up quickly by the kitsunes sensitivity’s hearing.

Finally, the large form of a wolf stood at the apex of the cavern and tunnel, and the happy tears Izuku had been holding back broke free. It was his mate. Soothing energy flowed out from the okami and wrapped the kitsune in a welcoming embrace.

Izuku whined and pressed forward into the okami’s welcoming embrace. “Kacchan, I’m home!”

#bakudeku #bkdk #bakudeku au #Bakugou katsuki #Midoriya izuku #kitsune midoriya #okami bakugou #alpha/omega #yokai au #katsudeku #bakudeku fan fic #bakudeku fan fiction #does contain smut

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catscraftsandcommentary · 4 years ago

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thoughts on tiny!Steve/werewolf!Bucky shrunkyclunky AU

Because I’m too fucking lazy to actually type it into a proper fic and edit it and do all the fancy-ness that it would take to, y’know, make it a properly written story.

Vaguely fantasy/colonial setting, somewhere with lots of forests. Steve lives in a small town called - of course - Brooklyn, with best friend Peggy (local beauty and hell on heels.) Also with various non-friends Rumlow (sheriff), Rumlow’s minions, Alexander Pierce (mayor/governor of the area), and various townsfolk. Who often don’t like Steve because he’s constantly poor, constantly sick, constantly fighting and/or preaching about how their normal behavior is terrible.

Peggy thinks he’s great. Rumlow, who wants Peggy, despises him.

So at some point, Steve does something to piss Rumlow off more than usual. For a while, I thought about “stopping Rumlow when he won’t take ‘no’ from a girl at the local tavern and Steve reads him the riot act/starts a fight with him (these are pretty much the same thing, lbr.) BUT, sudden better idea, Rumlow comes up with some new, ridiculous plot to get Peggy to change her mind about him (never gonna happen, bro), but Steve ruins it somehow.

Like Rumlow commissions something for Peggy (clothing? art? jewelry?), but then extorts the artist to get out of paying, and Steve, who is PISSED, tells Peggy, who refuses the gift very publicly AND calls Rumlow a thief, extortionist, etc.

Hell. On. Heels.

So Rumlow immediately blames all his problems on Steve, and sentences him to banishment, permanent, on penalty of death. If he’s not out of town by sunrise, Rumlow will be glad to skip the wait.

Except oh yeah, Rumlow and the bros are going hunting tomorrow, leaving at dawn, so they’ll have to check in that Steve’s gone - and that Peggy isn’t hiding him - before dawn, so, y’know, he might want to get moving.

Cutscene to Peggy’s house, where she’s trying to talk Steve out of a suicidal second confrontation with Rumlow, or a more political confrontation through Pierce (who did, after all, appoint the bastard), or whatever other dumbass, noble idea he comes up with. She makes him pack a bag (or more likely, packs one for him), and tells him to go straight into the spooky old-growth forest a ways from town. Not the nice, civilized woods where Rumlow et al usually hunt, or along one of the roads to one of the other towns, but

“You head straight into the heart of that forest, Steve, because so help me, that is the only way you’ll be safe from him. And if you see any wolves - hell, if you hear any wolves - you say that Margaret Elizabeth sent you with a message for Natalia of the White Wolf’s pack. And that message is pay your debt.”

And no, she does not explain any of that to Steve before she bundles him out of her house and on the path to the forest road.

Oh, did I mention that, according to general knowledge in this AU, magic isn’t real, except for maybe small good luck charms and similar. Which plenty of people still scoff at. So telling Steve to talk to wolves is...suspicious.

Second aside, a while back, Peggy saved Natalia from an angry mob, took her family’s home, let her recover in her own bed, and then accidentally fell in love with her. Oops. Before, of course, Natalia had to return to her own pack. Now they have a secret on-again, off-again romance. (I haven’t thought about WHY Peggy didn’t just run away with Natalia immediately, other than it wouldn’t work for my story. Shh.) And of course, Natalia promised to someday do the same for Peggy.

Cutscene to forest, next morning!

Bucky and his wolf buddies are out cruising the forest, as you do, when they sense a Disturbance In the Forest *cough force cough* and decide to check it out. Upon smelling some humans they’ve collectively termed “those fuckers,” they decide to fulfill the threat they issued at their last meeting and be done with the problem.

Namely, they gave Rumlow and his crew the same ultimatum that he’d given Steve, except that Rumlow had a history of terrorizing and killing everything (and everyone) in the forest, whereas Steve just wanted to protect people.

They herd the horses and hunting dogs to the edge of the forest near the town, leave the bodies in a pile, and are ready to continue on, except...there’s still one human somewhere in the forest. And these shitty scumbags had been following their trail. Time to figure out what’s up.

They reach the edge of a clearing, and all the wolves sort of melt out of the undergrowth at the edges, while Bucky, in his big fucking white wolf form walks out to the edge, transforms, and then stalks out in his best Murder Strut (TM).

And yes, this is “built like a brick shithouse” Bucky from Civil War, and yes, he is entirely naked, and still covered in blood, so Steve’s brain goes immediately offline.

Steve backs up until his back hits a large tree, waving a large knife at this seriously threatening (but hot) impossible fucking being, because werewolves do not exist. Right?

Right?!?

Bucky just casually pins Steve’s arms over his head, disarms Steve and tosses the knife away (without even looking where he tosses it, which Steve finds inexplicably really hot), and leans in to smell him.

Now, when Bucky reached the clearing, he recognized from the scent that this was a potential mate for him - and possibly a very strong mate too. Mates, in their world, are more “you are compatible with this person” than “this is the only person you can ever love EVER” and the strength of the potential bond can vary as well. (Just like some relationships are stronger than others.) But basically, Bucky realizes that whoever’s in the clearing, they could be good together. They could be goddamn AMAZING. And yeah, he wants to smell some more of that.

Steve is...more than a little overwhelmed by suddenly having a giant wolf turn into the hottest man he’s ever seen, who’s now pinning him to a tree and huffing him, but he does manage “Natalia.”

At which Bucky choke-grunts. The fuck?

“I have a message for Natalia. In the white wolf’s pack. From Peg-from Margaret Elizabeth.”

Vaguely grumpy at not getting to nose up his mate, but also very curious as to where this is going, (because how does this tiny gorgeous human know his second or her mate? Yes, Natalia is Bucky’s second-in-command), Bucky finally lifts his head. “I am the White Wolf, and I speak for Natalia. What is her message?”

Steve stares up the man towering over him and snarls, “Pay. Your. Debt.”

Bucky grins, slow and wicked. “Gladly. But not here.” He steps back, lowing Steve’s arms, and then...somehow, suddenly, Steve’s arms are around his shoulders, his legs are lifted around his waist, and Bucky is cradling Steve to his chest while telling his pack “bring his things.”

And then everyone is racing through the forest, faster than Steve has ever seen anyone move before and what the fuck did Peggy get him into?

After an hour or two of running (being carried) through the forest, Steve finally puts his head down on White Wolf’s shoulder, tucks his face into his neck, and tries to rest. He didn’t get any sleep, he spent the whole night hiking through dark, unfamiliar forest, he’s pretty sure he can stop worrying about Rumlow hunting him down - in the most literal sense, yikes - he’s tired.

Also, being carried is kind of soothing. There’s a rhythm to it. And wolfman smells nice. Mm...

Bucky is perfectly happy to have his newly-found mate fall asleep in his arms, and he’s very loathe to put him down once the pack reaches their den. (I still can’t decide what I want the den complex to look like. A castle? A big house? A fort? Maybe it’s a cave system that has been smoothed out and built into like hobbit holes. Or the Holds and Weyrs from Pern.)

But he finally decides to lay Steve down, feather-soft, into his own bed and tuck him in warmly. After all, Natalia vowed to repay Margaret in kind for what she’d done to help her, and part of that had been sharing her bed. There are guest rooms, but they’re so far away. This is closer. Warmer. More convenient. Better for his mate. And he’ll explain everything as soon as he wakes.

Steve does wake up and demand all the details EVER, as well as actually meeting Natalia and hearing how she knows Peggy (to make sure that this “white wolf” isn’t making shit up). Bucky gladly complies. Natalia is more salty about it, but she deals.

Then Bucky commences doting on his new mate. While trying not to come on too strong. Mostly failing. He...may have left out the bit about being able to smell that they’re mates. So he’s just trying to keep Steve interested enough in werewolf life/forest life to stay there and not, say, ask to go back to the human world (or back to his town even) since Rumlow and his men are dead.

Steve finds everything fascinating, and since Bucky always responds immediately to his cues - verbal and nonverbal! - he doesn’t have a problem being wooed. He might even, actually, like to be wooed a bit faster. Or more carnally. Not that he knows how to hint that.

Peggy eventually shows up sometime and is cute with Natalia, aka Natasha.

Steve slowly settles into life as the Kept Human Boy of the most badass werewolf alpha ever, who loves his tiny feral little mate and WILL tear your throat out if you even look at him funny.

#stucky #steve/bucky #Steve Rogers #Bucky Barnes #shrinkyclinks #my writing #original post #fanfic #catscraftsandcommentary writes

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kell-be-belle · 4 years ago

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Wolf Pile

@sugar-and-spice-witcher-bingo

Prompt: Reunion

Relationship: Platonic Jaskier/Wolf Witchers, Mentioned Geraskier

Rating: General

Content Warnings: None

Summary: The lives of witchers are frought with peril, every day carries with it the distinct possibility of being the last. When all return to Kaer Morhen whole and alive, the witchers- and one unwitting bard- find themselves celebrating their homecoming in an unexpectedly tender fashion.

Ao3

The smell of dinner still hung in the air, mingled with the prevailing scent of damp and age that seemed to occupy every corner and crevice of the keep. Pork loin roasted to a succulent perfection topped with an apple chutney alongside fingerling potatoes and parsnips. Jaskier had expected himself to spend the winter months at Kaer Morhen gnawing at slabs of jerky and slurping down watery soups which made the excellence of the dinner an unexpected, but exceedingly pleasant surprise.

Who knew witchers could cook?

It had been nearly a week since Geralt had delivered the two of them unto the imposing steps of Kaer Morhen and life was beginning to settle into a steady pace. Mornings were dedicated to training. Witchers could not afford to let their skills dull even when there were no drowners to dispatch or ekhidnas to eliminate. Jaskier had taken to observing them, accompanying their routines with the idle strummings of his lute. It was quite the spectacle to behold without the inherent threat of danger.

Afternoons were spent on various chores like tending the livestock or doing the laundry. Everyone took turns, rotating through some of the more monotonous or undesirable tasks to help keep the tensions to a minimum. Jaskier was no exception to this. If he planned on being a guest of Kaer Morhen, then he, too, was expected to help in maintaining its upkeep. Though nobility by birth, Jaskier was not adverse to such domestic tasks and threw himself heartily into their performance. The last thing he wanted was Geralt’s brothers thinking of him as some sort of freeloading cad though he was, admittedly, at times exactly that.

Evenings were for recreation, or whatever passed for recreation amongst a group of business-minded witchers. Oftentimes that meant practical pastimes like sword sharpening, armor patching, or committing their freshly collected knowledge to the vast repository that was the library. They were not entirely without their fun, however. Sometimes it meant real recreation such as fiercely competitive games of Gwent, exburtant displays of drinking prowess, and- in Geralt and Jaskier’s case- a delightful little romp in a secluded alcove or abandoned room.

It was a life that was uneventful, but after a year of monsters, money, and mayhem, perhaps that was exactly what the wolves needed most.

Jaskier sighed heavily, throwing the last of the freshly washed dishes in the rack so it could dry among its brothers. Though he had rolled up his sleeves before setting to task, he had still managed to thoroughly soak through the cuffs of his chemise. Soap bubbles smudged his cheek and he begrudgingly swiped them away with the heel of his hand. Such domestic skills were not counted amongst the Seven Liberal Arts. At the very least, his skills in cleaning outweighed the absolute horror show that was his cooking and so here he was.

Jaskier hefted the washing bin with a strangled grunt. He did his best not to slosh it down his front as he carried it across the kitchen to the window. He was already damp enough. Unfastening the latch, Jaskier cried out as the pane flung in towards him and sent the biting winter wind howling into the room. The fire in the hearth sputtered and snuffed. Jaskier quickly dumped the sloppy dish water out the window. He wouldn’t be surprised if it had already frozen halfway down the wall. The people who built Kaer Morhen couldn’t have chosen to erect their fortress in a location further south? There were plenty of grand, imposing mountains near Temeria and Aedirn. Better yet, Toussaint! Jaskier adored Toussaint. Oh, the things he wouldn’t do for a patch of sunshine and freshly uncorked bottle of Est Est about now.

With more effort than what should have been necessary Jaskier pushed the window shut; shivering miserably as he drove the latch home. The wind still rattled in his chest and left him feeling hollowed out. His hands were raw and chapped and he bemoaned their state and he wrung them together for warmth. He regretted not purchasing more of his favorite beeswax balm before settling in for the winter. At this rate, he would be lucky if his hands survived to see another spring.

Jaskier made no effort to make himself presentable. He was simply much too worn out to be bothered with such pretenses. He planned only on returning to his room, anyway. Jaskier tugged his doublet from where he had hung it on a peg beside a flour splattered apron and shuffled from the kitchen.

The corridors of Kaer Morhen were sparsely lit. Deep breadths of shadows pooled between the scantly placed sconces like the darkness between blinks. Meant for witchers, Jaskier had to remind himself. An inconvenience to his unfortunately human senses, but he was steadily acclimating. This cold, though. It was just as wretched now as it had been at the beginning and was only getting worse. Heating the entire keep was a Sisyphian task. Efforts were, instead, focused on the most commonly inhabited areas- the bedrooms, the kitchen, the lounge, small hall, and library. Moving between them was like rotating between pools in a bathhouse. One had to shuffle along swiftly enough as to not allow the cold air to settle before sinking into the balmy warmth once more.

Jaskier was shuffling in said manner, his boots making a soft scuffing against the worn stone floor. As soon as he got to his room he was going to stoke that fire to a dangerous level and then bury himself beneath every fur he could sink his greedy little fingers into. Would it be possible to just hibernate there for the rest of the winter? He wondered what would it take to convince Geralt to bring him his meals?

Schemes involving copious amounts of flattery twisted in Jaskier’s head as he arrived at the doors to the lounge. They were cracked open slightly and light spilled through, bisecting the corridor like a border that could not be crossed. A chasm too dangerous to traverse. Jaskier found himself unwittingly pausing before it. It was undoubtedly warm in there and his body ached to feel it take him in. Jaskier thought briefly of joining the witchers and their enterprises, but exhaustion weighed on him like a yoke about his shoulders. With months of this bitter winter yet to endure, there would be plenty more opportunities for evening comradery. For now, Jaskier longed only for the warmth of his bed and the oblivion of sleep.

Still, curiosity flared small and insistent in his mind and Jaskier found himself peering through the opening. He supposed it couldn’t hurt to at least see what they were up to. Perhaps bid them all a final goodnight and sweet dreams before retiring.

What Jaskier found was rather unexpected.

Inside the lounge were the witchers, which, of course, wasn’t the unexpected part. The unexpected part was that they weren’t all sequestered to their favored armchairs or cushions set to their menial activities. Instead they were huddled together on the woven rug before the merrily crackling fireplace in what Jaskier could only describe as a pile. The light cast from the well stoked hearth behind clung to collected silhouettes in a lambent halo. Jaskier blinked against it. Their afterimage burned like brand in the darkness behind his eyelids. When his eyes had adjusted, he looked again.

The witchers were situated in various positions of repose; heads resting on the mountains of shoulders and nestled in the valleys of laps. Limbs entwined together like the bodies of serpents and fingers entangled in hair and clothing. Nothing about the display was sexual, but it had such a profound sensation of intimacy that Jaskier’s stomach clenched with guilt. It felt as though he were witnessing something not meant to be seen. Not by the likes of him.

It felt as though Jaskier were an invader. This was hallowed ground and he was not worthy of treading it.

Regardless, Jaskier found he could not bring himself to look away. Gravity had shifted and he was hopelessly trapped in the orbit of their resplendence. His breath was taken by the sight, trapped painfully behind his sternum. He had travelled with Geralt for years, had met his brothers on the path, but never had he seen this kind of tenderness pass between them. There were embraces, the brush of foreheads against one another, a hearty clap between shoulder blades, but this… this was something all it’s own. It lived. It breathed. It’s heart fluttered in time with the rise and fall of the fire in the hearth. Jaskier could feel it holding them all together as if in embrace.

Jaskier then understood what this was. It was a reunion.

Every spring, the wolves of Kaer Morhen set off on the path not knowing whether or not they would return the following winter. The lives they lead were fraught with peril and each day carried with it the distinct possibility of being the last. To arrive home to these crumbling steps, to see the same faces gathered around the dinner table, it was a blessing. A cause for celebration. This was a homecoming. An expression of happiness and gratitude that they were once more spending the season together. Alive. Whole.

Drawn in by the warmth like a moth to flame, Jaskier unwittingly pressed himself against the door. The old iron hinges released a half-hearted protest as his weight and it sent his heart rabbiting in his chest. He felt like a criminal. A street urchin with a loaf of stolen bread clutched in his grubby fingers. He whirled and pressed himself against the wall, breath trapped in his throat for fear of being found. A useless effort since he was attempting to hide from witchers and not dulled down school children.

“Jaskier.” It was Geralt’s voice that floated out to him as if carried by the spring breeze. It caught Jaskier like a fish on a line, drawing him back to the threshold of the lounge. He hesitated a moment. When he opened the door, what would he find? He feared the scene he witnessed was nothing more than an exhaustion driven fantasy and would find the witchers once again sequestered to their armchairs and cushions with the swords in their laps or books in their hands.

Jaskier wormed a hand in the space between the doors, drew them open wide enough so that his face peered balefully through them.

In the multitude of years that Jaskier had spent trailing Geralt back and forth across the continent, he could not recall ever seeing him so wholly and utterly content. He blinked slowly, rolled his head languidly in Jaskier’s direction. If Jaskier didn’t know any better, he would have dared to say it was drunkenness. The curve of his teeth peeked from between his lips as they drew back in a smile. The expression seemed so natural that Jaskier suddenly found himself wondering if he had imagined the last ten years of Geralt’s constant scowling.

Geralt untangled his fingers from where they had been slotted between Lambert’s, raising his hand with the scared palm facing up in what could only be interpreted as an invitation. Jaskier felt the breath leave him one great rush, struck by the magnitude of what he was being offered. How… how could he possibly accept? It wasn’t that he had no desire. Melitele help him, he wanted nothing more to bury himself among them and bask in their glow like the afternoon sun. But was it truly alright? Geralt loved him, that he knew, but what of the others?

“Jaskier.” Came his name again, this time in the deeper baritone of Eskel. His eyes glinted in a knowing way and he winked as if he could read the very thoughts racing through Jaskier’s mind. “Come on, it’s alright.” The shape of his grin was skewed by the gnarled scars on his cheek, but that only succeeded in making it more charming.

“Don’t just stand there gawking like some half demented owl.” Lambert’s face was turned from him, but there was an ease to the way he held himself. There was warmth underneath the sharp edge of his voice. “If you’re going to join us, just join us.”

Vesemir did not speak. He opened his eyes briefly and considered Jaskier a moment before closing them once more and settling back against Eskel with a contented huff. Like an old dog abiding to the whims of younger pups.

Jaskier’s heart suddenly felt too large for his chest. It pressed against the cage of ribs, swelled into the spaces between them. To think that the witchers could look upon his face and be glad that he, too, has seen it through another year. That he, too, is here alive and whole. It was more than he deserved. It was more than anything he could have ever wanted.

Jaskier stepped fully into the room, crossing to the piles of wolves, and slipping his palm into Geralt’s waiting one.

Warm, calloused hands reached out to him and drew them into the fold and he sunk into their collected embrace like a pad of butter atop freshly baked bread. Someone brushed the fringe from his forehead, another pressed a palm in the space between his shoulder blades. The warmth of their bodies was cloying and encompassing, but it was one Jaskier would happily drown himself in. Love was not a feeling Jaskier would say he was unfamiliar with, but as he found himself awash in this tenderness, he wondered if he had ever truly understood what it meant.

Now, he was sure he did.

#the witcher #sugar-and-spice-witcher-bingo #prompt fill #fluff #platonic relationships #platonic cuddling #Geraskier mentioned #kaer morhen #the school of the wolf #fanficiton #no beta

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kdinthecity · 5 years ago

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Love Amongst the Turtleducks (Part Three)

@zutaraweek for Day 3: Fuse. Also posted on Ao3. I struggled with this prompt, and yes, it’s a stretch. After this transition chapter, there is major fluff ahead. Also, the OCs’ names here, Amaruq and Takanni, both mean wolf in Inuit.

For the second day in a row, Katara’s healing lessons were cut short. Yesterday Dr. Yang was called into emergency surgery just after they finished a tour of the capital hospital. Katara desperately wanted to observe, but apparently the doctor ran things like the military, and she’d have to move up through the ranks first.

I’m already a master healer in the Water Tribe, Katara seethed. Although they didn’t do surgeries in the South Pole. It sounded fascinating… and also very serious, she conceded. She was here to expand her healing knowledge, not flaunt it.

Besides, she couldn’t complain too much because it meant she could spend the rest of the day with Zuko. Or the parts of his day that he wasn’t running between meetings, at least.

Today’s lessons with Dr. Yang were hard. Of course the royal family’s physician would be an expert on burn care. The method for making burn salve was frustratingly technical. Katara couldn’t stop thinking about Zuko’s scar, speculating on how he got it, wanting to know for sure. Would waterbending have healed it when it first happened? Could she heal it now with spirit water from the North Pole oasis?

Dr. Yang sensed Katara’s distress and insisted she take a break. Katara said she didn’t need one. Dr. Yang said some just don’t have the stomach. Katara cut her off with a stomp of her foot and loudly proclaimed, “I can do this!” Before their brewing argument reached full steam, though, two blue-clad tribesmen interrupted them.

“I’m sorry to bother you, Katara,” the younger one, Amaruq, said. “But there’s a problem with the air ship.” He cast a sideways glance at his fellow crewman.

The other one, Takaani, cleared his throat. “Yes, um… we were preparing for the trip back home when we found a stowaway in the engine room.”

Katara’s curiosity was definitely piqued. “I’ll come take a look.”

She resolutely ignored Dr. Yang’s glare and whatever the doctor mumbled under her breath as she left.

“Ohhhh, aren’t you cute!?” Katara crouched down and reached a hand toward the cowering wolf pup in the corner of the air ship’s engine room.

The responding growl sounded too menacing to belong to such a ball of fluff.

“We think it’s hurt,” Takaani said.

“Burned, maybe,” Amaruq added. “Got too close to the heating mechanism.”

Katara stood and looked around the room. There weren’t many supplies in here, but she soon spotted what she needed. “Amaruq, give me your bag.”

“What? Why?”

Takaani gave his fellow tribesman a look that said, “She’s the Chief’s daughter. Give her what she wants,” with his eyes alone.

Katara smirked at them both. They had served on her father’s crew, barely older than Sokka and among the youngest to leave their village when the men went to war. Before that, they had all been childhood playmates, of sorts. Mostly Katara would just throw snowballs at her brother and his annoying friends.

She took the bag and sifted through its contents. Amaruq did not disappoint—proven Water Tribe, through and through. She pulled out a package of half-eaten seal jerky and slipped his yak-hide waterskin over her shoulder.

The wolf perked up at the scent of meat and scrambled toward the offered treat. When Katara inched closer, he shuffled back a few steps and eyed her warily. He was favoring his right front paw, she noticed.

“He’s probably starving,” Takaani said. “We only just found him, so he’s been in here since we left the South.”

It took careful coaxing to get the pup to eat. And he wouldn’t let Katara examine his paw until she’d given him the last slice of seal jerky. Amaruq lamented his loss by sighing dramatically.

The wolf finally crawled into her lap with a soft whimper. She placed glowing hands on his matted fur and felt the mangled skin knit itself back together. It might’ve been a burn, but she wasn’t sure. This probably meant she needed to swallow her pride when it came to Dr. Yang.

Takaani and Amaruq’s eyes widened at the sight. They hadn’t grown up with healers—or benders, even—in the South.

“He still needs a few more healing sessions,” she said.

“How long do you think it’ll be? Our orders from the Chief—“ Amaruq was cut off by Takaani’s fake cough.

“It’s OK. You go back to the South Pole,” Katara replied. “This little guy can stay with me.”

Later, at the predetermined nightly turtleduck pond meeting, Katara introduced her new pet to her anti-pet friend. Zuko nearly had a conniption fit when the wolf lapped up huge mouthfuls of pondwater.

“I guess he’s thirsty,” Katara said with a giggle.

Zuko gripped his topknot-less hair. “But doesn’t he eat—“

Mama turtleduck—Zali?—squawked loudly at the intruder, but the wolf paid her and her brood no attention. Right now, he only had eyes for Katara. Bright blue Water Tribe eyes. It struck her how something so simple could make her feel at home.

The pup settled in Katara’s lap, and Zuko chanced a pat on its fluffy gray head.

“He needs a name,” she said. “I’m at a loss because we usually name everything after wolves. I’m not sure what to name an actual wolf.”

“My uncle names animals after how he finds them,” Zuko mused aloud. “Like he named a meadow vole that once took residence in his billowy sleeve Jacuzzi. And he named this ostrich horse we had Song…” Zuko trailed off, suddenly downcast.

“He stowed away in the engine room on the air ship,” Katara said. “So, what’s in an engine room? Controls? Fuse?”

“You need something that fuses fire and water, I think.”

“Right… because the Fire Nation built the air ship and then traded with the Water Tribe. Hmm… what about Smoke? Or Steam?”

Zuko shrugged. “Or I was thinking because he’s Water Tribe, but living here in the Fire Nation.”

Right. Like me.

They sat in companionable silence until the sun went down. Katara felt a weary Fire Lord relax against her shoulder. With the wolf pup asleep in her lap, she sheathed her hand in glowing water and ran it along the injured paw.

There was something about the scene—being here in the Fire Nation, healing, tears falling. She closed her eyes and saw flashes of lightening, a new scar forming. She opened them to find him staring, worried.

There were no words to describe what had happened between them that night. And no words to describe what she was feeling. She tucked her head under Zuko’s chin and pressed her cheek against his chest, soothed by the steadiness of his heartbeat.

“I think I’ll name him Storm,” she said finally.

#zutara #zutara week #zutara week 2020

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theconfusedartist · 4 years ago

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this goes a few places but i’ll try to stay on track

honestly, I’ve been thinking about this but like...

i kinda wanna write the arc in which the phantom thieves become better friends to the MC?

maybe this is a bit far fetched but like, the way the phantom thieves treat the main character isn’t the way you’d treat someone you care about. and like. this isn’t even coming from a place of me hating them either, bc i really really like all of them and i’m glad that they all get to move on and forward with their lives

like, the entire game the MC goes through making deals, shady connections, and dubious places to make sure everyone has what they need, whether its for weapons, items, or a shoulder to cry on, the MC is always there for them. and. i know that this is, in a game and narrative point of view, for the sake of getting the game rolling so the player can get supplies and doesn’t have to worry about waiting on other characters for things needed to assist in palace infiltrations. like, i get what it serves in a story sense, and why it needs to happen in a game sense

however

whenever i think of persona 5 as a writer, trying to write from the POV of the the MC, the phantom thieves, or any of the other confidants, it just kinda...hits me? the MC is a 16-17 year old that has managed to convince all these people that he has whatever they need to continue on with their work/life/well-being.

and for some, this makes sense, like Mishima and Shinya make sense bc in Shinya’s case its an older kid helping a younger kid with a bad parental situation using means that would keep him from getting arrested (which is when most people stop trying to help, for fear of retaliation from the parent) and with Mishima it makes sense bc he worships the phantom thieves to an unhealthy degree, while also keeping their image in his hands, and is also their only means of communicating with the outside world as the phantom thieves bc to do so otherwise would compromise their identities (not that yelling out their plans in the middle of a train station wouldn’t compromise them as well, but y’know) and that is dealt with by Mishima gaining confidence and learning how to be the hero he idolizes not only for others in distress but also for himself and continues to pursue his own creative pursuits

like, for all the phantom thieves, i have no real problems with their confidants

the only real issue is that, at rank 10, all of them declare that they’ll be on the MC’s side and help him through thick and thin. except.....they never do. and it’s not like it has to be big either, I’m not asking for any big dramatic scene either, just basic shit. like, you know what makes the MC a good friend? he reaches out, makes sure to listen, actively does what he can to help, and works with them to help them get through their problems. none of the other thieves do this, not once. and if you wanna make the argument that they all heard him out about his record, yes, that IS a great thing and i’m glad that they recognize that it was wrong.

but when i think of the rest of the game, i just think of them never talking to the MC. not even in the sense that the player has to see the conversation play out or anything, after all when you go on hang out spots with confidants but not for a link, the game says that the MC got closer to the character and you have the chance to give and exchange gifts. i really really REALLY liked that feature bc it makes it feel like the others are trying to get to know the MC and give him something he’d like.

however.

if they want to be good friends, they should also be able to do things that aren’t related to the phantom thieves. Haru, i give a(only a bit though) pass bc she joins the group so late that theres no way she’d know about all the ins and outs that the MC has to take care of as the leader, and by the time she would even get the chance, she’s dealing with her father, then the plot, then the final and Final bosses. she would’ve had no time to really learn the dynamics of the phantom thieves or the metaverse (and this is blatantly shown right before they first enter Okumura’s palace and right before they steal the treasure) and is rarely ever afforded that chance to bond with the group in game save for banter in mementos. not to mention, she actively gives some of the best boosting items in the game and also does her best to connect with the MC through their own shared similarities (Leblanc and her grandfather’s shop, always having to act a certain way for fear of reprisal, not knowing what she’s supposed to do but needed to act more mature as people don’t see her as a child but rather as a thing/tool for their benefit) that i didn’t really see in any of the other social links with the phantom thieves.

again, this isn’t saying that the thieves are being bad friends on purpose or that they’re going out of their way to be The Worst(tm) but if they’re going to claim that they want to help through thick and thin then why don’t any of the others ask about the MC? the only time i ever recall them asking the MC about things they like/dislike is during the summer Leblanc hangouts and it’s only about a specific topic. (examples being: Yusuke asking if they should make plans to go to France or buy a TV, Ryuji asking about the MCs favorite sports and preference in manga character tropes, Futaba asking if the MC ever built a laptop or dealt) i know this is a rpg, so i’m not expecting anything specific to come from the MC as the player is able to hc whatever they want about him, but even the game going ‘x asked me about y issue’ would’ve been enough. it doesn’t have to be detailed, i just want examples of the thieves that claim to be his friends asking about his hometown, his family, how the MC is doing bc rarely is that ever asked, or if the MC needs help.

like, yes, the praise about how cool and strong and awesome you are is great but if the MC has been running around Tokyo for a solid week talking to all these people, working multiple part time shifts for money, and doing xyz just to make sure the phantom thieves are operational then i (as a player) would also like that same sort of thing if this is supposed to be a team. honestly, though, it was fine for the most part bc the game was still really fun and hanging out with them (over all the other confidants like (Kawakami, Ohya, or Chihaya) is a gdamn BLESSING GOD dealing with them is stressful tbh) is honestly the highlight of the game for me bc they’re so colorful and full of life that i didn’t even really give too much thought about this save for once or twice, and that was only AFTER the interrogation room

why? bc up until this point, i had no reason to think that the phantom thieves were doing anything than what they said they would: sticking through thick and thin and lending their support. i simply attributed those moments that weren’t in the game to back up this claim as being shown during the non-confidant level up hang out times, that the things i talked about before were just not being shown to the player explicitly but it was still happening behind the scenes. but the interrogation scene with Sae kinda made that....fall flat on it’s face.

i mean, hear me out. even if, and that’s a BIG IF, there was absolutely no other way to get the police off their back, no other way to handle the assassin that was coming for them, and no way to do anything outside the metaverse.....................why was there no one there to make sure that the plan worked? like, there’s a camera inside the cell, so Futaba at the VERY LEAST should be able to tell whats going on inside, right? and even if you wanna tell me that somehow the cops were able to put that on a server that Futaba couldn’t access that still brings me back to the same point at before.

the phantom thieves, when explaining to Sae how they got their plan together, also have this nice little image of them going to the (was it the real or the fake one?) interrogation room and making sure that they COULD actually carry out their plan.

so. if they went to the physical place to make sure their plan could work, knew exactly where the MC was going to be and when, and knew there would be cameras, why did none of them have some sort of a back up plan set up? not even just in case?

like, i know that the ‘bad ending’ is the MC telling Sae the others’ identities and then dying but, the dude is drugged out of his mind! he’s been getting beaten for hours, if not an entire day, then interrogated by Sae! even if the MC had sold them out, it would’ve been a case of giving a drugged confession, bc the MC wouldn’t have been in his right mind.

yes, as a player, you can say no. as a player, you can easily say, ‘why would i give up my friends?’. it makes no sense as a player to let the characters who you’ve spent at least 40+ hours up to the wolves. but the MC? who is drugged out of his mind? who has been beaten bloody and knows that nothing he says is going to get them to stop? who then has to deal with Sae interrogating him and constantly reminding him over and over that if he doesn’t give her what she needs, he WILL die? yeah, of course the MC is going to say no, but if he did I wouldn’t hold that against him bc he’s not in the right state of mind at all. not only that, but then someone who was supposed to be a friend and ally is coming in to kill him, and the only thing to keep that from happening is starting up the metaverse and making him think he shot the real deal.

but even with that, what? did the thieves test out what would happen if someone shot what they think is that person in the other world while that same person is sitting in the same spot, at the same time, in the same conditions? bc if they didn’t, then why were they so sure this plan would work? and if they DID then why was there no one there to make sure the plan worked?

seriously, have someone hide out in the metaverse, right? then when the assassin comes in, that person can then verify that the MC isn’t fucking dead

what part of leaving a friend to act as a decoy, leaving him to deal with a police force that they have already been informed is corrupt and willing to do whatever they have to in order to get a confession (the same person that has already been brutalized by the police mind you!) by himself, to then ALSO deal with being interrogated, and then pray that the plan they came up with (that they also have no intention of making sure it worked) to deal with the assassin goes as planned, then ALSO HAVE TO PRAY that HOPEFULLY Sae decides to help him flee incarceration.

do you see my problem here? what part of any of this plan is solid? what part of any of this plan isn’t cruel? like, even with all the exceptions i was trying to give them, this is not acting as a good friend. hell, this isn’t even how you should be acting as a good ALLY, forget a friend.

and afterwards, the whole ‘yeah we’re so great we tricked akechi!’ doesn’t even feel like a good thing bc the MC can say he doesn’t remember anything and Sae can follow up saying that he shouldn’t have to remember what happened to him and

none of the thieves say a word. it’s just. glossed over.

like nothing ever happened

the bruises are gone somehow. the concern never appears. the thieves never ask.

welp! back to palace infiltration!

like?

what about that is being a good friend? and here’s what gets me: in the aftermath were the MC isn’t supposed to go outside bc ppl might see him--he’s still the one getting all the supplies.

what the hell? isn’t this the ‘thin’ they were talking about? hell, at this point i’m not even asking for them to talk about how the MC is feeling, i’m just saying they should be carrying at least some of the load if he is NOT SUPPOSED TO BE OUTSIDE

like what?

honestly, i wanna remake this post bc i ended up just making a bunch of word vomit but like. it is what it is

i love the phantom thieves but goddamn they are not very good friends. i don’t think they’re trying to be bad friends on purpose but they definitely are

#honestly #i think i need to rewrite this post #with like proper grammar and capitalization #listen #i can like characters #and also point out that #the power of *friendship* only works if you've been good friends #and persona is all about friendship #but the more i thought about that friendship #the more shallow i realized it was #and that's sad #bc the phantom thieves are some of my fave characters #but like it is what it s #persona talk

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crystalgirl259 · 4 years ago

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Wolves Of Secrets Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Lone Wolf

Dark was the night as the full moon shined over the great city of Ninjago. The cold, misty wind whistled through the city as the citizens went about their own business, either going home to be with their families for the rest of the evening or to their evening jobs. The city of Ninjago was built on the sunny side of a gentle mountain and was truly a beautiful place. Its grace was only matched by the backdrop of lush, green forests which have helped shape the ancient city to what it was today.

The city had a very clear Japan, Tokyo feeling too it.

The city's skyline was growing with stylish skyscrapers and they each represented the many different aspects of the sizeable city. Businesses were booming in Ninjago and it had attracted a lot of attention. A few new cultures had left their mark not just on education, but also upon the city's identity. What historically was a city of predictability has grown into a new culture of variety and it's this that united the nearly 6 million people to this day.

It's this multicultural identity that had truly left its mark.

Hundreds of gastropubs, bakeries, and clubs offer a plethora of culinary choices. Those who felt hungry for something else could enjoy art galleries, musical activities, photography, or one of the many other recreational activities. Just outside the main city area, right on the edge of the dark forest, stood a large, lone house. In this house was a very special family. From the outside, this house looked cosy. It had been built many, many years ago with white bricks and had spruce wooden decorations.

Small, half-rounded windows added to the overall style of the house and had been added to the house in a fairly asymmetrical pattern.

The house was equipped with a large kitchen, two bathrooms, and three bedrooms. It also had a large living room, four bedrooms, a roomy dining room, a garage, and a large basement. The roof was high and slanted to one side and was covered with black ceramic tiles with a small chimney. Many smaller windows let in plenty of light to the rooms below the roof. The house itself was surrounded by quite a modest garden, with mostly grass, a few colourful flower patches, and a small shed at the other end of the garden.

Inside the house, a young teenage boy sat on the couch, eating popcorn and watching a movie.

This was Lloyd Garmadon. He had long, blonde tousled hair, and brown arched eyebrows with bright emerald green eyes that many people would state could sometimes glow in the dark. He wore a dark green jacket with a white t-shirt and black pants and black and dark green sneakers. As the clock was about to strike midnight, Lloyd was about to turn the boring movie off when suddenly with was a rustling sound outside. Fearing the worst, he quickly switched off the TV, grabbed his coat, and ran outside.

As soon as he stepped out into the cold night, however, instead of the rustling he had heard mere seconds before, all he could hear was an owl hooting nearby and the wind howling through the trees.

He was about to go back inside when all of a sudden he heard a loud crash from the other side of the house. He quickly ran towards the sound and was shocked by what he saw. He saw a full-grown, grey timber wolf sniffing around some turned over trash cans, snacking at the rancid chicken meat. He looked to the steel doors to the basement and was horrified to see another wolf attempting to jump out. As soon as the grey wolf sensed him, it slowing turned around to face the teen with a low growl, baring its sharp teeth.

Lloyd, however, was completely unfazed by this and he simply stood up straight.

"Get back inside!" He roared, startling the wolf for a second before it crouched down and started snarling louder. Instead of running away, however, Lloyd simply lowered onto his knees and bared his blunt teeth at the wolf. His emerald green eyes suddenly turned to a stunning gold that shined in the dark. The teen and the wolf snarled at each other as Lloyd slowly crawled forward, making the wolf back up. The grey wolf suddenly yelped as it fell back into the dark cellar.

Lloyd's eyes returned to their normal color as he stood up and looked into the dark pit.

Suddenly one of the wolves jumped up and bit into his thick coat's sleeve, ripping it off as the wolf fell back down. Not missing a beat, Lloyd quickly closed and locked the cellar doors, looking at the full moon as the wolves muffled howls sounding into the night...

****************

The next morning, as the rain came pouring down, Lloyd quickly got dressed and ran down to the cellar. He loudly slid the iron door open and stepped inside where he saw his mother Misako and his uncle Wu slowly getting to their feet as the finished getting dressed. His mother had ash grey hair braid into a ponytail with a snowy white streak and pale green eyes. She wore a pale khaki utility jacket with dark brown pants and a short, dark green scarf.

Wu was an elderly man with a long white beard.

He was wearing white robes and a conical straw hat. They both yawned and stretched as Lloyd glared daggers at them.

"I think that chicken was off." Misako gagged as she clutched her stomach.

"I can't believe you two." Lloyd glared Breaking out and raiding the bins."

"Oh, Lloyd!" She cried as she rushed forward and examined his arm. "I am so sorry! I didn't break the skin, did I?! Does it need stitches?!" She panicked, but he pulled his arm away from him.

"You always say how I have to stay hidden from humans and never give in to our wolves." He growled as they walked back upstairs to the kitchen. "Yet the moment you get a chance, you're out of the cellar and away!"

"You don't understand how powerful the pull of the full moon is," Wu explained. "When you're old enough to take wolf form-"

"I won't be a hypocrite, who says stay hidden and then breaks out at the first whiff of food!" He replied and turned to his mother with a slightly disgusted look. "And that chicken..."

"Actually, your mother's not the only one who's been eating things she shouldn't, is she?" Wu frowned as he opened the trash can to reveal the leftover popcorn.

"Yes, and you were still dressed when you came outside, young man." Smiled Misako when her son froze. "Didn't we agree in bed at 10 on school nights?"

"I'm going to miss the bus." He quickly said and ran for the front door. When he made to grab his coat, however, he let out a long sighed when he saw the missing sleeve...

****************

Lloyd blushed furiously as he kept his eyes on the school floor as the other students stared and laughed at his soaked clothes. He let out a small growl as he shivered; his mother owed him a new coat.

"Hey, Lloyd!" A voice called out and he looked up to see his friends Zane Jullien, Jay Walker, Kai Smith, Nya Smith, and Cole Brookstone stood by their lockers, waiting for him.

Jay reddish-brown curly hair with brown eyebrows and light freckles with dark blue eyes. He wore a blue jacket with a white stripe over a white t-shirt and blue pants with an orange wooly scarf.

Zane had platinum blonde, almost white, hair that stood up straight in something like a crew cut and bright icy blue eyes. He wore white pants and shoes with a long-sleeved, cyan blue shirt under a navy blue knitted vest.

Kai had tall, thick spiky brown hair, shaped like fire and bright amber eyes that shined like burning embers. He had a focused expression on his face, with a scar visible on his right eyebrow and bandage above his left. He wore a red half-zipped-up jacket over a white shirt with some kind of Japanese symbol on the back of the jacket and brown pants.

Nya was Kai's younger sister who had long black hair kept in a ponytail, pale pink lipstick, small dimples on her cheeks with dark brown eyes, and she had a beauty mark on her right cheek. She was wearing a leather jacket over a white shirt with blue stripes and dark blue torn jeans.

Cole had a very muscular body, being the strongest kid in the whole school, with long, shaggy black hair and bushy eyebrows with very dark green eyes that reminded Lloyd of cold emerald stones. He wore a black leather jacket and pants with a dark brown tank top and black heavy-duty boots.

Lloyd smiled as he walked over to them. They were the only people who could possibly understand the struggles he faced every day as a teenage werewolf; because so were they. Well... sort of anyway. Only he and Nya had yet to transform on a full moon, but they knew it could happen any month now and they were both nervous and excited.

"What happened to you?" Jay asked when they saw he was dripping water into the hallways.

"My coat got eaten by werewolves." He deadpanned.

"Don't you start too." Kai groaned.

"We've already had this from... Oh, Pixel!" Nya suddenly smiled as the said girl walked over to them. Pixel had pale, almost white, skin with wide lips and bright green eyes. Her hair was styled like Nya's and was a very light platinum blonde. She had a purple dress with red details and an opening in her left arm that showed a part of her chest, and red heels. Lloyd simply smiled and rolled his eyes. Pixel Borg was the only one in their friend group that wasn't a werewolf.

She was a very good friend to them, mostly to Zane, since childhood and it hurt them they couldn't share their secret with her.

"Did you hear last night in the forest?" She asked with a big smile on her face, but they all shrugged. "Howling." She replied and they froze as she pulled out her cell phone. "Here, look what I found on Carper's Lane this morning." She explained as she showed them a picture of a paw print in the mud. "I'm going to compare it to paw-print photos of different dogs."

"What, every type of dog?" Cole scoffed.

"This is proof." She insisted. "Proof that there's something weird over there in the forest."

"Pix, if your father found out that you snuck off into the forest in the middle of the night again he wouldn't be too pleased," Zane warned.

"If I can prove there is some kind of undiscovered creature in the forest then that alone would guarantee my scholarship into Horizon Academy."

"You know your father could pull some strings and get you in there no problem." Jay pointed out.

"I know, but I want to earn my spot and my father understands and respects that." She explained.

"Hey, Pixel!" One of the cheerleaders, Maggie, suddenly called out. "I saw something weird in the forest, you!"

"Haven't you got hair-curlers to play with or something?" Nya snapped before she and her friends quickly walked away.

"I really need to start my research, I'll catch up with you all later." Pixel smiled before she made a beeline for the library; as soon as she was out of sight, Nya suddenly grabbed the boys and shoved them into a nearby janitor's closet.

"Alright, who was it?" She glared.

"Wasn't me!" Jay exclaimed fearfully and the rest quickly denied it as well. Lloyd eyed each of them carefully. It could only have been Cole, Kai, or Zane; they were the only ones who spent the full moon on Zane's father's property deep in the forest. Since she couldn't transform yet Nya stayed in their apartment in the city and Jay spent it on her parents' junkyard on the other side of the city. The only problem was that Dr. Jullien's home was far from where Pixel said she found the paw prints.

He also knew the guys wouldn't go near the city, full moon or not.

"Maybe it wasn't one of us," Lloyd suggested. "My mom managed to get out the cellar last night and when I got them back in they started howling, and that paw print could have come from a normal dog."

"I suppose." She sighed when the bell suddenly rang; the group sighed as they made their way to their first classes. Lloyd quickly ran to his locker to get some of his textbooks when he suddenly caught the scent of something odd. It was a new scent, meaning whoever it belonged to was here very recently. He was about to follow the scent when he walked right into one of his teachers, Miss Koko. She had bright orange hair with amber eyes.

She wore orange lipstick and a pale brown suit.

"Lloyd, what are you doing? It's time for class." She ordered and Lloyd quickly scurried to his first class, making a mental note to investigate the scent later...

****************

As soon as Lloyd ran into the classroom he immediately took his seat next to Jay. This was one of the few classes he and all his friends had together. As soon as he took his seat a teacher he hadn't seen before walked in with a big smile on his face.

She had greying brown hair tied in a bun and a dark blue dress.

"Welcome aboard students! My name is Ms. Laudita and I'm your new Social Studies teacher," She smiled as a student stepped into the room. "Everyone! This is Morro Ren, he's new here so I hope you'll all make sure he feels welcome." She explained and Lloyd was suddenly hit with the same smell from before. He looked up and saw the new kid eyeing them all cautiously. Lloyd quickly looked to the others and saw they had realized the same thing as him.

Morro Ren possessed long jet black hair with a dark green streak dyed in it and dark brown eyes.

He was wearing a pale green shirt with torn brown pants and black boots. As he moved to take a seat at the back of the class, he and Lloyd glared each other down without a word. The class continued as normal until the bell rang and Morro all but ran out, Lloyd and the others following close behind. As soon as Morro stepped into an empty stairwell Kai and Cole blocked his path.

"What are you doing here?" Nya growled.

"What?" The new kid asked, confusion clear on his face. "I'm looking for-

"No, here! On our territory!" Jay exclaimed.

"Do you not know the rules?" Zane asked.

"You can't stay here." Kai huffed.

"If my mom and uncle get a sniff of you-"

"I don't even know you!" Morro snapped as he took deep breaths.

"Exactly!" Lloyd exclaimed in frustration.

"I don't care whose territory this is; I'm not sticking around anyway, and why would I in this dump?" He sarcastically asked. "No smelly brats tell me whether to stay or go." He stated before shoving passed Kai and Cole and running down the stairs...

****************

Later that day everyone was sat at their usual table in the cafeteria, enjoying their lunches. When Pixel and Dareth had joined them, Zane had explained what had happened with Morro when Pixel asked why they were all in a sour mood; leaving out some key details of course.

"We're not smelly!" Cole hissed angrily as he devoured a large slice of cake.

"Well, except for Jay." Kai shrugged absently, getting a hurt cry from the said boy and a kick from Nya.

"You did kind of start it." Pointed out Pixel.

"No, we didn't." Nya defended.

"Someone must know something about him or his family." Suggested Zane. "Seen moving vans, something." He added as a member of Kai's soccer team, Chad, walked over to their table.

"Hey, Kai, are you going to ask the new kid to try out?" He asked though it sounded more like an order.

"I don't think he's the right sort for the team." He replied, keeping his eyes on his food.

"Fine, I'll ask." Chad huffed and walked over to Morro's empty table.

"Wait." Cole gasped but it was too late.

"Relax guys, he won't bite." Pixel frowned at their behavior and the group shared nervous looks. They turned back to Chad and Morro when the new kid suddenly got up and right into a startled Chad's face.

"I don't like soccer and I don't want to hang around with you and your weirdo friend! You got that?!" He roared, sending a pointed look at Kai and everyone sat at the table.

"Obviously, they don't teach manners where he's from." Nya glared as Chad speed walked over to them on shaking legs.

"Next time, you need to approach the weird kid." He hissed to Kai as the cheerleaders suddenly pushed passed them and over to Morro's table, completely looking over the way he had just spoken to Chad. Before the new kid could escape, a blonde cheerleader named Harumi Jade took a seat next to him and practically curled around his arm, much to his disgust. Harumi had long white hair with long bangs fashioned in a bun with chopsticks.

She wore a green jacket with matching pants, a white shirt with red lotus flowers, and full lips painted red.

"Hey cutie, since you've only just got here the principle thought it would be a good idea for someone to show you around, and we know everything about this school; all the best clubs and people to hang out with." She explained as she flashed him a big smile.

"Those weird kids, who're they?" He asked as he pointed over to Lloyd's table, where they were still watching him.

"Oh, that's just Lloyd Garmaddon, Pixel Borg, Zane Jullien, Jay Walker, Kai Smith, Nya Smith, and Cole Brookstone." One of the cheerleaders happily said, only to cower away at Harumi's glare.

"Their families have lived here for centuries." She quickly dismissed. "Never leave the area, don't like strangers or questions."

"They're all cuckoo!" Another cheerleader added.

"What are we talking about them for? Let's talk about you." Harumi smiled as she leaned closer, only to gasp when Morro suddenly stood up, grabbed his bag, and stormed off, leaving a furious Harumi and a dumbfounded Lloyd behind...

****************

After an awkward lunch, with Harumi and Chad and their groups giving them the stink eye, Lloyd and the others finally had had enough and went to their lockers to get their stuff for their next class.

"Are you guys joining us on Miss Jinro's forest stakeout?" Zane asked hopefully.

"It's open to anyone but is part of the ninth grade syllabus so all freshmen have to go," Pixel added with a smile. The others just rolled their eyes and chuckled, only to stop when Cole suddenly froze right in front of them. They looked over the taller teen's shoulder and were irritated to see Morro looking through his own locker from something.

That wouldn't have been a problem if it wasn't for the fact that his locker was right next to theirs.

Before they could do anything, however, Chad and his gang pushed them and 'accidentally' knocked into Morro, causing him to drop his bag and pieces of vegetables to come flying out. To say he was still sore about what Morro did in the cafeteria was an understatement.

"I thought I smelled something funny," Chad smirked as his gang laughed. "Is that your snack, freak?"

"Piss off," Morro growled. Unfortunately, this only made Chad angrier as he marched over to the new kid and violently shoved him into the lockers.

"Got a problem?!" He challenged, failing to see the veins on Morro's hands darkening as he bared his teeth. Before anyone could even blink, Morro suddenly jumped up, almost as high as the lockers, and pounced on the bully, sending them both to the ground. Feeling their stomachs dropping, Lloyd and his friends didn't miss a beat as they ran to stop the fight before any serious damage was done.

Kai and Cole managed to rip a snarling Morro off Chad while Pixel and Jay checked on the jock to make sure he was uninjured.

Quickly, Nya and Lloyd pushed the new kid into an empty art classroom just as Miss. Koko burst through the crowd of onlookers.

"What on Earth is going on here?" She glared as Zane, Cole, and Kai leaned against the door to the classroom, and Jay and Pixel helped Chad to his feet. Meanwhile, in the classroom, Nya and Lloyd mirrored their friends leaning against the door as Morro curled up on the ground, gasping for breath.

"What are you doing?" He cried out between breaths. "Get out!"

"Just breathe." Lloyd tried to reassure but Morro started growling as he backed further away.

"You have to get out!" He screamed as the veins in his face and neck started turning dark and his brown eyes turning a stunning yellow. Realizing it was too late now, Morro slowly looked up at them with a defeated look in his eyes. "I'm so sorry." He whimpered before he erupted into growls. Nya and Lloyd could only watch as his body shrunk and rearranged itself.

His clothes fell off his body as his skin was replaced with thick dark brown fur.

His face stretched out into a muzzle as his blunt human teeth sharpened. Once it was over, Morro slowly stood back up, but instead of a human, a full-grown timber wolf looked back at them. He snarled at the two teenagers before he suddenly started running around the room and on the tables, knocking several art supplies onto the floor.

"Morro!" Nya shouted and the wolf jumped down and snarled at them again.

Slowly, both teens knelt down to the floor with their heads down; when they did raise their heads they revealed their own bright yellow eyes, causing the wolf to freeze. He stared at them for a few moments before relaxing and lying down on the floor. Unfortunately, things weren't going so well outside the classroom for the others.

"He's crazy!" Chad cried as he finished telling his side of the story to Koko.

"You started it!" Pixel exclaimed.

"And where is Morro?" She asked but everyone just shrugged and looked around, still leaning against the door. "I'll catch up with him later; you two, follow me." She sighed as she led Pixel, Chad, and his group away. The friends waited until the crowd of students finally disappeared before they quickly ran into the classroom; only to find a human Morro putting his shirt on as Nya and Lloyd picked up all the items he had knocked over.

"I knew there was something about you guys." Morro smiled like a child on Christmas Day. "It's true, isn't it? You're all like me!"

"We're not like you!" Cole quickly said, a look of rage on his face, causing Morro's smile to drop.

"Yeah, we don't show off and pick fights and invades other packs' territory." Kai hissed.

"You're a danger to us all and the sooner you leave, the better," Nya added when all of a sudden the door to the classroom opened and one of the teachers walked in, only to freeze when he saw the state of the classroom.

"What happened here?" The teacher asked in shock. Morro simply huffed in annoyance as he pushed passed the stunned teacher and stormed down the hall and out of sight. They just let him go. Lloyd wanted to chase after him but he knew the others were right; Morro didn't belong here...

****************

After school, the gang went to their favorite hangout, the Yin & Yang Bistro, to gather their thoughts. They would have gone to Wu's tea shop, Steep Wisdom, but they didn't want Lloyd's uncle to listen in on their conversation. Alas, instead of a quiet place for them to discuss what they had witnessed as they had hoped, the gang had to watch as Miss Jinro's forest stakeout class met at the cafe to prepare.

"Apologies, students." She sighed as the class started to get impatient. "We're waiting for the last few stragglers to show and then we go."

"Ya've got five more minutes unless yer buying somethin'" The cafe owner, Mr. Burke, grumbled from the counter.

"I still think we should tell someone, you know," Jay whispered.

"Yeah, let's tell Mom and Uncle Wu that a strange werewolf just showed up at our school and trashed a classroom after trying to attack a student." Lloyd laughed bitterly.

"To be fair who hasn't wanted to kick Chad's ass." Kai snicked, only to yelp when his sister kicked him under the table.

"This isn't a joke Kai." She hissed as Pixel and Zane walked over to them.

"Are you coming to the forest walk too?" Zane kindly asked.

"Pass," Cole said as the rest scrambled for excuses. Just when they thought their day couldn't get any worse, however, Harumi and her army of cheerleaders suddenly walked in and scanned the room.

"Hey, Burke, has Morro been here?" She asked sweetly.

"Who?"

"He's this tall and dreamy and he beat the crap out of Chad."

"Ah, the Dobsons' new foster kid." Burke laughed and the gang paled.

"M-Morro's in foster care?" Zane asked.

"Yeah, must have been a bad boy ta get moved all tha way up here for a fresh start."

"He's an orphan?" Cole gasped as a look of shame on his face, hard with the others.

"Most foster children have parents somewhere." Pixel stated. "He was probably moved up by Social Services so he to get away from them." She added and Lloyd's stomach dropped in horror. Morro was probably all alone in the world, stuck in a strange place, with no-one to turn to; trying to make it in the world all alone and he and when he does meet another one of his own kind they reject him. Before anyone could say another word, Lloyd, Cole, Jay, and Kai ran out of the bistro, leaving everyone in a stunned and confused silence...

****************

The four teenage boys spent the better part of half an hour tracking the new kid all over the entire city until they followed his scent to the forest at the edge of the city. The giant forest was tremendous, gloomy, and lush. Its canopy was ruled by willow, oak, walnut, and cottonwood, who let through enough dancing beams of sunshine for a hodgepodge of sprouts to rule the insect riddled soils below. Many people were too scared to enter.

Only nature lovers, hikers, and the occasional dog walker ever went in the forest.

Coiling branches clung to many a tree, and a potpourri of flowers, which desperately tried to avoid the shadows, spruced up the otherwise homogeneous scenery. A mixture of beastly sounds, most belonged to foraging animals, added life to the forest, and were out of sync with the sound of the wind blowing gently through the forest. Many normal humans had gotten lost in the dense green world, but Lloyd and the others knew this place like the back of their hands.

They decided to split up, hoping to cover more ground.

Jay and Lloyd went to search closer to the road while Cole and Kai went deeper into the forest. As they walked along the empty road, Lloyd suddenly grabbed his friend's arm and pointed further up the road where they saw Morro Ren walking along the edge of the road, his head down. They knew must have smelled or heard them, so he was simply ignoring them.

"Morro!" Lloyd shouted as they ran to catch up to him.

"Don't worry, I'm out of here." He growled, still looking at his feet as he picked up the pace.

"Please don't! We're sorry, don't go, we can help you." Jay pleaded.

"Help?" He scoffed. "I've had help; counseling and other stupid shit."

"You need to learn to control your wolf self before someone gets hurt... probably you," Lloyd explained, only for them both to jump when Morro suddenly turned around and glared daggers at them

"You're just like the rest of them!" He snarled.

"We know about the Dobsons," Jay replied in a trembling voice. "We know you're alone."

"So?"

"We're like you, you saw that." Lloyd tried to reassure, only for the new kid to shove them away.

"You might like me, you think the same as them!" He snapped. "You're just trying to make me better; but, you know what? What I am, what I turn into, that is way better!" He roared with a big grin on his face. "It's better than anything I've ever known and I'm not letting anyone take that away from me!"

"We're not gonna let you do this," Lloyd warned.

"Go ahead, stop me!" He jeered with a cruel laugh. "Use your wolfy powers and see how long it takes for someone to find out what you are; because no one at school knows your little secret, do they?" He asked and they looked away, their thoughts drifting to Pixel for a brief second. "I thought not; I've got nothing to lose here, unlike you." He smirked before taking off into the forest at full speed.

"Hey!" Jay cried as they chased after him.

"Stop!" Lloyd called as he disappeared into the trees. If they hadn't been werewolves Lloyd and Jay might have lost him, if not for their incredible sense of smell, or Morro's cheap cologne. They quickly tracked him down and before the smug kid could even blink he was tackled by them both. They all cried out and grunted as they rolled down the hill and crashed into the dirt trail. After they managed to untangle themselves, Lloyd was shocked to see Pixel and Zane standing in the middle of the trail with Miss Jinro's forest stakeout class.

Seconds later Kai and Cole came running over the hill and into the awkward tension.

"Sorry, we're late, everyone." Kai weakly chuckled. "Seen any squirrels yet?"

"No, you lot have scared off every animal for miles." Miss Jinro glared before turning to the group of students. "I'm sorry, everyone, we'll have to come back another day." She sighed as they walked away, leaving the gang, Pixel, and Morro alone. As soon as the teacher and class were gone, Pixel glared and advanced towards the group of boys.

"Well done, guys! This was something important to me and Zane." She snapped.

"There's something important we have to do." Cole tried to explain.

"Like what?"

"Morro is more important than any club." Lloyd glared. "The thing is... Morro and I... are related?" He quickly lied, shocking everyone. "Distant cousins; he's the black sheep of the family, and I didn't want him here, so I treated him badly, which is why he lashed out and trashed the classroom."

"We don't have to be best friends, but Morro's here now," Zane added.

"OK." Jay smiled.

"Sure." Pixel sighed.

"Welcome to Ninjago." Cole smiled as he gave the new kid a firm handshake.

"You really don't like soccer?" Kai suddenly asked. Everyone stared at him for a few seconds before they all burst out laughing, Morro included...

****************

Later that evening, as the sun was starting to set, casting it's beautiful orange and shadows among the forest, instead of going home with Zane and Pixel, Lloyd and the others stayed in the forest to have a talk with Morro. There were things they needed to sort out.

"So... where you from?" Kai asked.

"My parents used to live in Stiix; they... they died when I was two," Morro mumbled, his eyes fixed at the rustling branches of the trees.

"And nobody knows what you are?" Cole asked in shock and awe when he shook his head.

"So, what did you do for the full moon last night?" Jay asked.

"I couldn't stay in my bedroom, could I?" He scoffed. "I climbed out of my window and made for the forests."

"So it was your paw-print that Pixel found!" Lloyd gasped; none of them would have been nieve enough walk so close to the city in wolf form.

"Was it your first full moon change?" Asked Cole sympathetically, knowing how scared he was for his first full moon transformation.

"Second." He replied. "The first got me kicked out of my last foster home."

"What happened?" Jay asked.

"Don't know." He shrugged. "I went to bed and woke up in a ditch naked; turns out I trashed my bedroom, so they kicked me out." He mumbled before clearing his throat and straightening up. "Anyway, what about you? I mean, full moons must be epic out here."

"Yeah, they're pretty cool." Cole shrugged.

"Well, I and Nya haven't started transforming yet." Lloyd sighed.

"So, I know more about this stuff than you do?" He laughed.

"Yeah, you're the expert." Kai laughed. "That's why you lost it with Chad in front of half the school."

"I didn't know that could happen." Morro glared. "I only thought werewolves went hairy at the full moon."

"We feel the urge to change when we feel threatened or angry too," Jay explained. "Learn to control it, and you can transform whenever you want."

"How do you know all this stuff?"

"Our parents tell us." Kai shrugged and Morro's eyes grew to the size of saucers.

"You have parents like us?" He cried.

"Well, sort of." Lloyd winced and turned the others, who all gave their nods of approval. "I live with my Mom and uncle who are like us, Kai lives his sister and his parents are werewolves too but they're usually out of town on business, Cole lives with his dad but Lou's human, Zane lives with his dad who's one of us and Jay lives with his parents, but they're both humans."

"I'm adopted but they know what I am and they don't care." Jay quickly added when he saw Morro's confused look.

"We were all born this way, you're normal." Lloyd smiled. "Everything you thought made you a freak: sight, hearing, speed, sense of smell, they're all completely normal for a werewolf; if you stay you'd have a pack, at last, people to teach you."

"So, say I did stick around, only for a bit, no promises." He quickly said when he saw the hopeful looks on their faces. "No rules, no lectures, you can keep your group hugs and your big, furry family, I'll do things my way."

"A lone wolf, huh?" Kai smirked. "I think you and I are gonna get on great."

"Next time you lose control over your wolf self, what happens then?" Cole asked.

"Well, that'll be an interesting day, won't it?" Morro smirked as he got up and walked away. Lloyd and the others shared a nervous look, worrying about what the new day would bring...

#ninjago #ninjago fanfiction #ninjago kai #ninjago nya #ninjago lloyd #ninjago zane #ninjago cole #ninjago morro #sensei wu #werewolves

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warsofasoiaf · 4 years ago

Note

Fallout: New Vegas seems to be like a grand finale for the OG Fallout franchise. Do you have any ideas that you think are cool for a potential next Fallout game, like locations, storylines, factions, etc. Perhaps instead of the badass Rangers being the good guy survivalists like in most post-apocalyptic games they could be the bad guys for once? Parallel stories right after and long after the Apocalypse? Throwing some out there, I'd love to hear more of your thoughts!

I would like different flora and fauna to get the mutation treatment. The Deathclaws are nice, but they’re a Jackson’s chameleon, which only ranges in Florida, Hawaii, and California. It makes sense that the original Fallout games had West Coast fauna, they were set on the West Coast and the developers are from the West Coast, but moving to different locations should see different monsters. Yao Guai are nice, since they’re black bears, but I’d like to see some more scary predators. Maybe a cougar that evolves patagia so that it glides between ridges like a flying squirrel, or mutated grey wolves lead by a three-headed specimen called a Cerberus. Make an aerial enemy, which as a boss can go all the way up to the size of the mythical roc.

Depending on when the game is set after the Great War, you can start building factions in a solid way. Close to the war you’d have strictly survival and scavenging, so I wouldn’t want to see tribes as much as I would see survival-oriented communities focused around localized places of food or resource production. Later on, start using future imperfect as unremembered and scavenged ideas become totemic representations that the new people use. Mix mid-20th century Fordism with the cargo cult practices of alchemy, just as an example for factions that get a little bit of the Fallout wackiness while showing a sense of loss and a guiding philosophy.

You might also have a more clean-cut raider type of faction, similar to what we saw the Gunners were in Fallout 4 but fully committed, who were just raiders with better equipment. Have some sort of mafia/yakuza type faction actually attempt to establish order for protection services which the character can alternately join or fight. Alternatively, create a war band similar to the First Recon which the character can join, but make sure it has several large quests along with sidequests for the crew so you actually like them and they like you. That way, if you need a player punch, you have NPC’s that the player (can) give a crap about.

If the goal is to build a new Wasteland ala New Vegas, instead of making multiple factions that you either join and lead, I’d instead suggest making a smaller number of integral factions which have subfactions that you favor. That way, you becoming the de facto leader of the faction (even if you aren’t in practice, you’re the architect of their fate) makes a lot more sense because you either put the subfaction in power or staved off a power struggle from a subfaction you didn’t like.

If you just want interesting sites, maybe go to the mountains and have a settlement built roughly like the Pueblo cliff dwellings. A lot of open-world games have combat arenas with wide lateral space, make one with narrow spaces but which allows jumping to lower levels as a tactical option to avoid attacks.

Thanks for the question, Messaged.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

#fallout

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invisibleanonymousmonsters · 6 years ago

Text

Entrapment

Character: Bucky Barnes

Summary: One day, Bucky finds an injured wolf on his morning run. He can’t help but feel like his only choice is to rescue it.

Word Count: 5,050 - One Shot

Bucky had to stick to a routine. His anxiety, his depression…it would flare when he didn’t go through it. His psychiatrist told him to be weary. That soon the very thing that made him feel in control could one day be the thing that controlled him.

So, Bucky tried to keep it simple. Wake up at 5AM. Go for a run. Eat breakfast. Catch up on the world of today.

But his morning run wasn’t really running. It was a damn marathon. Sam tried to join him once and deeply regretted it. Steve didn’t bother joining, despite his physical capability to do so. He recognized it as a form of therapy for Bucky and didn’t want to interfere.

Bucky loved his morning runs. Sometimes he listened to music; other days he just wanted to listen to the world waking up. It made him feel more human. It also made him realize he was such a small part in the giant world around him.

He enjoyed running through the woods and around the lakes. His Brooklyn upbringing never let him experience nature like his life did now.

Today was a no-music day. Which meant that Bucky heard every noise.

But it wasn’t a sound that had made him slow down to a walk. There was a chill that went up his spine – a sixth sense that he had built through his training.

He had to take a moment to regain his breathing so the sounds of his panting didn’t overwhelm his hearing.

He looked around him wildly.

There was a crack of a branch.

Had someone followed him? Was someone watching him?

He was just about to unstrap the knife he always kept at his side.

But then there was moment in front of him.

It was a wolf crossing his path. But it wasn’t walking. It was limping.

That’s when Bucky saw that one of its front paws, pastern, and hock was completely torn up. Blood was apparent against its light fur.

It had mostly likely stepped into a claw trap. But wolves were very rare in this area. Even more rare were bears. It’s strange that anyone in the region would even put out such traps.

The wolf was eyeing Bucky. It showed no sign of attacking him. But its eyes were so wild with fear that Bucky knew it would fight him if it felt threatened enough.

That’s when Bucky realized it was actually staring darkly at the knife that was now in his hand, like it knew that was the real threat.

“Not gonna hurt you, bud.” Bucky spoke gently and slowly sheathed the knife back in its casing at his waist.

The wolf’s ears perked forward as it listened to his words.

“That looks pretty bad,” he pointed to the wolf’s injuries. Then a thought suddenly occurred to him and he looked around. “Where’s the rest of your pack, huh?”

The wolf continued staring him down.

Bucky knew a few of his teammates would say it was best to shoot the animal down, that it would be the humane thing to do. The wolf would be an easy prey for other animals in the woods. It wouldn’t stand a chance in a fight.

But there was something about the wolf that made Bucky pity it. But more importantly, he felt like he related to the animal.

“Maybe I can help you,” Bucky muttered. He felt a little ridiculous talking to the wolf. But he swore his words seemed to calm it a bit.

Bucky took a step forward. The wolf immediately snarled and let out a growl.

Bucky held up his hands and stepped back. “You’re right. You’re right. That was stupid.”

He sighed. “But I can’t help you if you don’t let me near you. I promise I won’t hurt you.”

It was honestly surprising the wolf had humored him this long and stayed. It should’ve run off the moment it spotted him.

Bucky tried to think of a plan. He needed a tranquilizer. This animal was too wild and scared to accept help. But Bucky knew if he returned to the compound, there was a chance he would never find the beast again.

Bucky had to keep eyes on it.

He decided to kneel, staring deep into the wolves eyes that so clearly held a soul.

“Listen, I can help. But you gotta trust me. I won’t get near you. But you have to follow me. I know people that can help you. I promise nothing’s gonna hurt you.”

To his shock, it looked like the wolf was seriously considering his offer, listening to him as if it spoke his language.

“So, I’m going to start walking back home…and I hope you come with, OK?”

Bucky slowly turned and made his way back the direction he came. He walked slowly. Then he paused, turning his head a little, and listened very closely.

There was a shuffling behind him.

He turned to see the wolf had walked closer to him. But as soon as Bucky’s eyes were on it, the wolf stopped.

Bucky smirked and continued walking. He kept his pace slow, knowing that every step for the wolf must be excruciating.

Then he realized he had to give the compound a heads up. He couldn’t just show up with a wolf without warning.

He grabbed his cellphone that Steve made him promise he’d always keep on his body.

“Hello?” Steve answered.

“I’m about to ask you for a weird favor…”

Eventually there was a break in the woods and Bucky could spot the compound in the near distance. He turned and recognized that the wolf appeared panicked. It could sense it was getting too close to civilization and a population of people. Its instincts were telling it that it was no longer safe, that it should run back into the woods where it belonged.

Bucky knelt down and look into the wolf’s eyes again.

“Hey, I made you a promise didn’t I? I ain’t gonna hurt ya.”

Suddenly, it’s hackles raised and it bared it’s fangs. The growl sounded even deadlier than the one it gave Bucky earlier. But its gaze was on not him.

Bucky turned around to see that Steve was standing back a few yards behind him.

“You gotta back up, Steve. You’re scaring it.” Bucky warned.

Steve did as he was told, eyeing the wolf wearily. Of all the ways he could go, Steve was sure a wolf attack wouldn’t be it. But he’d rather not get into a brawl with the beast, nonetheless.

“Got what I asked for?”

Steve nodded and subtly handed a gun to Bucky. “Banner said the dosage should be heavy enough. Said to aim for the neck.”

Bucky took it and pointed it at the wolf.

To his shock, the growling stopped and it no longer bared his teeth. Instead, it started whimpering and whining at the sight of a gun being pointed at it. Like Bucky aiming it toward it was the greatest betrayal.

Bucky’s heart broke at the sound. But he pulled the trigger and the tranquilizer dart landed right in the wolf’s jugular.

It let out a yelp and leaned on its hind legs at the impact, before falling to the ground.

Bucky winced at the sight.

“Buck, why are you doing this?” Steve asked curiously, yet held no judgement.

Bucky walked toward the animal and easily picked up its limp body in his arms. “It was all alone and it needed help.” That was the only explanation he really had.

——————

Bucky ran a hand through the wolf’s white fur as one of the doctor’s stitched up the wolf’s injuries. He thought it was a light brown from a distance. Now he realized it was pure white, just dirtied with blood and mud.

“Well, she should make a full recovery,” the doctor said as it wrapped the last of the wolves injuries.

“She?” Bucky questioned.

The doctor smiled. “Yes, and she’s a tough one too. That trap broke a bone. The fact that she was able to walk all the way here is miraculous.”

Bucky rubbed the wolf’s fur gently and smiled shyly. “She’s a fighter.”

“We should keep her in an enclosure.”

Bucky’s face darkened. He was all too familiar with what it felt like to be locked in a cage.

The doctor seemed to read his mind. “I promise it’s for her own good. We can’t monitor her recovery if we release her and she’ll push herself too far. The smaller the space, the more she can rest her leg.”

Bucky’s jaw flexed. He didn’t like it. But he knew it was for the best.

———————

They had locked her into an empty room on the lab floors. There was nothing for her to break and the glass was bullet proof. She was perfectly safe inside.

But that didn’t stop Bucky from watching over her.

When she woke up from the sedative, the wolf seem to panic at its unknown and new surroundings. She started pacing and whimpering. With her fear, she started running in circles frantically. Her eyes whipped around the room, trying to find an escape of some sort.

She wasn’t supposed to be running or jumping as she healed.

But Bucky knew she wouldn’t calm.

He thought for a moment. Was he really about to do this? “Fuck it,” he muttered before unlocking the door and slowly stepping in.

She immediately paused to watch the intrusion.

The wolf started whining at the sight of Bucky, like she recognized him and mistook his entrance as perhaps a rescue.

“You gotta calm down, girl. Or you’re going to hurt yourself further. You gotta rest.” Bucky whispered as he kept his distance.

The wolf seemed to consider his warning and advice. Then she stopped her pacing and decided to lay down. Her face was balanced on her front paws as she looked up at Bucky.

He smiled at how the wolf turned adorable so quickly.

Then he went to the door, to leave her alone again. But she started whining the moment his hand neared the handle.

“Alright. Alright. Alright,” he sighed with a smile. “I won’t leave.”

He pressed his back to the wall and slide down so he was sitting.

It seemed he couldn’t escape the gaze of the wolf. She watched him closely.

Bucky leaned his head back and crossed his arms. It wasn’t until then that he realized he hadn’t slept in quite some time. Now that he knew his new little friend was safe and sound, he finally allowed himself to notice how heavy his eyelids were.

He didn’t know how long he had been asleep when he felt something wet wiping across his face. Was that someone’s tongue?

Bucky’s eyes flickered open to find that the wolf was licking his face.

He chuckled and tried to escape it. “Come on. Stop it,” he managed to beg through the laughter.

He was brave enough to try and push her head away, but she fought against it. Her mission was to give him endless kisses.

That was when Bucky heard the door start to open.

It must’ve been why she was trying to wake Bucky up. She heard the warning sounds of an intruder.

When the door opened, she jumped between Bucky and the door with a protective stance. Her hackles raised once again and her growling was terrifying.

Steve’s eyes widened at the sight before him.

“Hey, hey, hey. Easy, girl. He’s a friend,” Bucky tried to coo.

“I-I was just bringing her some food and water.” Steve tried to tell him as he backed up slightly, taking the wolf’s warning very seriously. “Are you crazy sitting in here like this?”

“Are you crazy for walking in here then?” Bucky countered. Then he sighed. “Just put it down slowly and get out of here, punk.”

Steve nodded and did what he was told.

As soon as the door closed, the wolf relaxed. Then she turned around and started kissing Bucky’s face again.

“You’re a protective little thing, huh?” Bucky laughed in between licks. “Why don’t you go eat that food and water?” He suggested pointing to them.

She followed his gaze and considered it for a moment before making her way over. It was a bowl of raw meet that she devoured in seconds. Bucky wondered when the last time she ate was.

When she finished the water too, she came walking back to Bucky. She walked in a little circle, not caring that she was brushing against him as she did so. Then she finally settled and laid down.

But what shocked Bucky most of all was when she rested her head on his thigh.

“Doesn’t take much to gain your trust, does it, doll?” Bucky chuckled.

Then, taking the risk, he brushed a hand down her fur. She closed her eyes in content, not seeming to mind him petting her like a well-trained pet.

Soon, they were both fast asleep.

Hours later, Bucky felt like the weight against him was different. It was heavier. But what really caught him off guard was the absence of fur. His hand was no longer tangled in it. Instead, it was resting against smooth and warm skin.

Bucky’s eyes shot open. There was no longer a wolf sleeping against him, but a naked woman. Not just a naked woman, a beautiful one. Her y/h/c flowed behind her back as her cheek still rest against his thigh.

Bucky would’ve convinced himself he was having a dream until he saw that her forearm and hand were will wrapped with the gauze he’d seen the doctor put on the wolf earlier.

Was she a werewolf? Was she shape shifter? Or had she been put under a witch’s curse?

Bucky tried to be a gentleman and ignore her nudity. But he couldn’t stop his gaze from running down her body.

Christ, she was beautiful.

Then he snapped out of his daze. Without waking her, he tried to subtly shift his body so he could take off his jacket. He managed to do so and then draped it over her body, giving her a bit of modesty.

Bucky had to wake her. She couldn’t sleep on this hard and cold tile floor. She needed a bed and to get properly cared for.

He brushed some hair away from her face.

“Doll, you gotta wake up,” he whispered. She hummed and winced. But then she seemed to sense that something had changed. Her eyes snapped open.

She shot up and gasped.

Her eyes were wide with fear and panic.

“Hey, hey, hey. You’re OK. You’re safe,” Bucky urged.

She looked down at her naked body, surprisingly not panicked by being so exposed. “I shifted,” she muttered. Then she blinked and a smile broke. “I shifted!”

Then she realized she wasn’t alone.

She quickly stumbled to her feet and put a great distance between her and Bucky.

He held up his hands. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m a friend.”

She gripped his coat tighter around her body and eyed him wearily.

Her face started to change, like she was suddenly remembering something.

“You…You helped me,” she whispered.

Bucky, ever so slowly, got to his feet, but still held his hands up.

“I found you in the woods. I had… no idea you were human. Are you…Are you a shapeshifter?”

She nodded. “Someone was hunting me. I got caught in their trap. When I get hurt…I can’t-I can’t shift back to my human form. It’s too painful and my body resists.”

Bucky frowned. “How long were you like that?”

Her brow furrowed. “I don’t know. Days? Maybe weeks?” She swallowed. “I can…lose myself to the animal the longer I’m in that form.”

Bucky nodded. “Maybe we should get you checked out. Make sure nothing else is wrong.”

She ignored his comment and looked around the room. Then she seemed to be studying him. Her eyes paused on his metal arm. “Am I at the Avengers’ headquarters?”

He shifted his weight, but nodded.

An unsettling silence filled the room.

“Thank you…for helping me,” Y/N finally muttered. “If it weren’t for you, I might’ve stayed that way forever or,” she shook her head, “…died.”

“I understand if you don’t want some doctor touching and examining you,” Bucky stated. “But at least let me get you some clothes.”

She nodded after thinking about it. “OK.”

Bucky nodded too and started toward the door. Then he realized something. “What’s your name?”

She seemed to become shy from the question. “It’s Y/N.”

Bucky smirked at the name. He stepped forward and offered his hand. “I’m Bucky.”

She shook timidly and tried to give him a small smile.

“Come on. Let’s get you those clothes.”

She nodded.

Luckily, Bucky’s jacket was big enough to cover her, just exposing her legs and bare feet. But that didn’t stop people from gawking at her as they passed them in the hall. It was mostly agents and scientists. The Avengers were probably hanging out in the residential quarters.

Bucky glared at anyone that gave Y/N a funny look, who already seemed uncomfortable with their scrutiny.

“Don’t mind them,” he tried to tell her. “They’re just not used to seeing a pretty woman with me.”

She smiled a little at his joke.

When they got into his bedroom, Bucky scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. He’d never brought a girl to his room before – let alone to the compound even. There wasn’t much to see. There were weapons scattered across the dining room table that he had been cleaning. There were a few pictures hung, mostly from back in the day. There was a book shelf with every inch taken up. A record player sat in the corner.

He cleared his throat. “Let me find something for you to wear.”

A few minutes later, he came back with one of his hoodies and a pair of sweatpants.

“Thank you,” she carefully took them from his grasp. “I’ll wash them and make sure you get ‘em back.”

But Bucky was already shaking his head. “Don’t worry about it.”

Then she looked around awkwardly.

“Oh! The bathroom is right over there,” Bucky pointed to a door on the other side of the room.

When she came back out, his heart rate sped up a bit. His clothes were so baggy on her. She looked adorable and kept pushing the sleeves of the hoodie up so her hands weren’t engulfed by the fabric. “Umm…do you live around here?” He asked.

“Excuse me?” She fiddled with her hands.

“Sorry,” Bucky pinched the bridge of his nose.

Apparently it was easier for him to talk to a wolf than a god damn woman.

“I was just asking so I could take you home,” he clarified.

“I live in the woods. Not far from here. It’s a little cottage, kind of hidden away. You guys are probably my closest neighbors.”

“Do you want me to take you home?” He asked carefully.

She looked at him for a moment. This was such a strange circumstance. She was embarrassed and felt out of place. But there was something so calming and lovely about this man’s blue eyes. They were soft and gentle, just like him. Y/N was suddenly angry with the way the media had portrayed this poor man.

Y/N finally nodded at his question.

“OK. You’ll just have to show me the way,” he explained.

The car ride was peacefully quiet.

“Is it just a wolf?” Bucky finally couldn’t hold in his question any longer.

“Hmm?”

He took his eyes away from the road to look at her. “Can you only change into a wolf?” Then he panicked. “I’m sorry! That’s probably a rude question.”

But she was laughing at him.

“It’s fine. It’s not rude,” she assured him.

Bucky let out a breath.

“It’s not just a wolf. I can turn into anything I put my mind to. Mammals, fish, amphibians, insects. Some just take more effort than others.”

“That’s…” Bucky began.

“Freaky?” She offered.

He looked at her again. “I was gonna say magical.”

“Well,” Y/N sighed. “That’s a much nicer way of putting it than I’m used to.”

Bucky had a little flash of anger, thinking about people making Y/N feel like a freak.

“It’s this private drive up here on the left,” Y/N pointed out an unmarked road that he would’ve easily missed.

The road went on for almost half a mile before Bucky saw a little cottage at the end.

Y/N had been right about the Avengers being her closest neighbors. There wasn’t a soul for miles. It was a quant and cozy home, isolated from the rest of the world.

Bucky stared at the cottage through the windshield. “You sure you’re going to be alright here by yourself?”

Y/N smiled at his concern. “I have been for years.” Then she saw how he seemed unconvinced about her safety. “Wanna come in?”

He watched her for a moment, probably trying to figure out if she was being sincere with her invitation or not. “Uh…sure.”

Y/N found the spare key hidden behind the outside light and unlocked the front door.

Bucky was right about the place looking cozy. He immediately spotted a fireplace that looked like it was used all day, every day. There wasn’t an inch of space on the walls that wasn’t covered. It wasn’t like she was an unhealthy hoarder, just that she collected things she found beautiful and fascinating.

“I know it’s really…busy,” Y/N commented quietly.

It was then that Bucky realized this place was her little oasis. It was secluded because it freed her of judgment from others. He couldn’t imagine a shapeshifter being their true selves in a concrete jungle of a city. She’d be on the front page of every newspaper if she shifted into any animal besides a rat or pigeon.

“It’s very homey,” Bucky replied sincerely.

But suddenly he felt like he was intruding on her safe haven, like his presence was sullying it somehow.

“Bucky?” Y/N interrupted his negative thoughts.

He looked up at her.

“Thank you – again – for everything. Really. You saved me.”

His face softened at the kindness within her words.

“It was the right thing to do,” he shrugged, trying not to show how affected he was by her words.

She scoffed at that. “I don’t think you realize how many people would’ve just tried to shoot down an injured animal, whether it was from mercy or the glory of a hunt. There’s not many people that would risk their life to try and help a dangerous wolf.”

Bucky didn’t know how to respond. She pointed out something about himself that he hadn’t even realized. It was true, most people wouldn’t have made the effort to look after a wild beast.

“I should,” he cleared his throat awkwardly, “get going.”

He couldn’t tell if she was disappointed or relieved by his sudden departure.

“Bye, Bucky.”

“Bye, doll.” His blood ran cold. He hadn’t meant to use that term of endearment.

When Bucky got into his car, he gripped the steering wheel tightly and stared at Y/N’s cottage.

Was he being absolutely ridiculous?

There was no doubt he was drawn to her – a way he’d never been drawn to a woman before. Hell, he had felt some sort of pull toward her when she wasn’t even human.

Why didn’t he ask if he could see her again? Why hadn’t he asked for number?

Because he was a coward. That’s all he was these days: a coward.

————-

A couple weeks went by and Bucky’s life went back to normal. The only reason the team had found out the truth about the wolf was because Tony freaked out when he found the footage.

Sam, Nat, and Steve were the only ones that caught the difference in Bucky.

Bucky was always quiet. But now his quietness had turned into introspection and reflection. It was obvious he was lost in his head now, instead of just keeping out of everyone else’s conversations.

But Bucky kept to his usual routine still.

On this morning run, he decided to opt out of the sounds of the world and drown them out with music.

He had to run off more steam as usual. Was it sexual frustration? Romantic frustration? He couldn’t figure it out, but he absolutely knew who was responsible for it.

Bucky had already run 20 miles by the time he slowed to a stop. He was right at the edge of one of the surrounding lakes. The beach was filled with rocks and pebbles, not the sandy paradises one usually imagined.

There was a pause between songs, which allowed Bucky to hear a rustling behind him.

He whipped around in a defensive stance.

His eyes widened when he found a grizzly bear staring at him from no more than 10 feet away.

Bucky quickly recovered and realized there was no chance there was a population of grizzly bears in this area.

He smirked then.

“Y/N?” He asked gently as he took slow and cautious steps toward the ginormous animal.

The bear started walking heavily toward him.

Even if Bucky was convinced the bear was Y/N, his anxiety was still skyrocketing from such a large and deadly animal invading his space.

But the bear didn’t stop coming closer.

Instead, it rubbed his head against Bucky’s chest, startling the poor man. It continued brushing against him, making it clear it wanted to be pet.

“Alright, alright,” Bucky laughed as he rubbed the fur around its thick neck.

This went on for a few minutes when the bear finally pulled away, but kept its face just mere inches from Bucky, who kept a grip on its neck.

“Can’t tell if it’s really you in there or if you lose a bit of yourself, doll.” Bucky commented.

The bear tilted its head slightly at his words. Then it leaned forward and licked his face.

Bucky’s face scrunched and he let out a laugh. “Well, thanks for that.”

He wiped the slobber off his face.

But when he opened his eyes again, there was no longer a bear standing in front of him. His amusement dropped.

Y/N stood before him, with a mischievous expression and a naked body.

Their was no shame or self-consciousness in her nudity. Her shoulders were pulled back proudly and her head was held high with confidence.

It didn’t matter since Bucky could only stare into her y/e/c eyes.

“You were so curious about my abilities, figured I’d go ahead and show you,” she smiled charmingly.

“And you couldn’t change into – I don’t know – a bunny or maybe a deer?”

She laughed. “And miss an opportunity to scare the crap out of you? Not a chance.”

Bucky shook his head at her antics and put his hands on his hips. “What’re you doing here?”

Her playfulness was gone now. In its place was a somber expression. “I can’t seem to get you out of my head Bucky Barnes.”

“I know the feeling,” he mumbled back.

“I just need to know,” she began. “Why did you help me that day? What kind of man sees an injured wolf and makes such an effort to save it?”

Bucky shifted his weight uncomfortably. “I don’t know.” She took a defiant step towards him. “Yes. You do.”

He glared at how she was pushing him and sighed. “A broken thing. All alone. Lost and with no help in sight. It….” He tried to find the courage to say the next thing. “It reminded me of myself, OK?”

She gave him a sympathetic look and closed what little distance was between their bodies. Her hand cupped his cheek, smoothly moving across his stubble.

“My friends and family always ask if I’m lonely living in my little cottage in the woods,” she explained. “But there’s a difference between being alone and being lonely.”

Her eyes searched for something in Bucky’s. “But you, Bucky Barnes, are surrounded by people constantly – people who love you. Yet, I can’t help but feel like you’re the loneliest man I’ve ever met.”

Tears filled Bucky’s eyes at being read so easily.

“So lonely, in fact, that you saw a broken animal and related more to it than the people who try so hard to understand you.”

Bucky tried his hardest to keep his tears back. “You’re not lonely?”

She gave him a sad smile and shook her head. “No. Despite my recluse lifestyle, I’m not hiding from myself like you are.”

“How do I stop?” He asked desperately.

“You gotta let people in, Bucky. Then facing yourself won’t seem so scary.”

Bucky nodded slowly, realizing she was right and only telling him what he needed to hear. He rubbed his face and tried to clear the tears away.

He laughed sarcastically. “That stupid psychiatrist they’re paying thousands to has been digging through my brain for a year now, and has never explained that to me so simply. Fuckin’ idiot…”

She giggled at that and Bucky swore the sound made his heart stop for a second. “Maybe it’s time to get a knew one then.”

Y/N walked backwards then, starting to take her leave. Bucky hated the growing distance between their bodies. “Yeah? So why I don’t just hire you?”

“It’s not professional to date your clients,” Y/N teased.

“Oh, so we’re dating now?”

She tilted her head and pretended to think about it for a moment. “Well, we did just kiss…”

Bucky laughed, realizing that she was referencing the wet kiss she’d given him in her bear form.

“Wait!” He stopped her in a panic.

She paused.

“When am I gonna see you again?”

Y/N smirked. “You know where I live.”

And before Bucky could say anything else, Y/N had shifted into her wolf form just like the day they met. The wolf watched Bucky for a moment, staring inquisitively at him.

But when Bucky took a step forward, the wolf booked it, sprinting back into the woods like a bat out of hell.

Bucky rubbed his face and shook his head. “Jesus, that girl’s gonna give me a run for my money.”

--------------

I usually don’t write other things when I’m in the middle of writing a series. But I’ve always wanted to write something with a shapeshifter!reader and this idea had just suddenly come to me. I’m very curious what you all think. Please let me know ❤️

One Shot - Masterlist

#bucky barnes fic #bucky barnes one shot #bucky barnes angst #bucky barnes fluff #bucky barnes reader insert #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x shapeshifter!reader #shapeshifter!reader #marvel reader insert #bucky fanfic #bucky one shot #bucky x shape shifter reader

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packsbeforesnacks · 5 years ago

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Unbreakable Oaths || Blanche & Winn

TIMING: Monday, May 25th, 2020, Sunset LOCATION: The Outskirts PARTIES: @harlowhaunted & @packsbeforesnacks SUMMARY: RIP Blanche Harlow, 1999-2020 WARNINGS: None.

Winn was lying on his back, in a small clearing in the woods near his home, sunlight casting shadows from the trees and onto his body. Meditation, all the latest psychological research showed, was effective in helping lessen symptoms of depression and anxiety in some patients. He wondered if the same was true for wolves. His stress levels, and his temper, were well-managed things. The easy-going, affable version of himself that he presented to the world — that was him. So, then, why, with Salva, had he…? Had he thought he could... kill. Winn didn’t have answers, none he liked. What he did have was standing plans with Blanche to spend part of Memorial Day “training.” Blanche needed to see a werewolf, up close, to see the shift, to see the movements of his body, to get a real sense for what she could be dealing with. She wasn’t a Hunter, not by a long shot, but every scrap of information she took in could prove useful if she ever found herself facing down the maw of another wolf. The best way, Winn figured, was the old-fashioned way, mock-fighting against him safely. So Winn needed, for both of their sakes, to be safe, to be calm. He’d already lined this up with his powers at their lowest. But, more than some, Winn knew things could go wrong in an instant. As Blanche approved, his ears perked up. But he didn’t rise. Not yet.

What a way to spend a part of Memorial Day. Blanche almost canceled on Winn. She almost told him that it was a bad idea, that she shouldn’t be trying to fight him off, that it was dangerous… But it was Winn, and she had seen Ariana shift at the beach to fight off that damn lobster. Honestly, it would be nice to blow off some steam. With Bea’s death, with Nell… Blanche had parked her car outside of Winn’s house, before hiking to the small clearing where Winn told her to meet him. Exhaustion clung to her, and she knew she would spend the better part of the night looking for any sign that Bea’s soul decided to stick around. There was nothing so far. And that was probably the most frustrating. Blanche squinted, coming through the trees as she concealed a yawn. “Winn,” Blanche called. Her tone was flatter than normal, and Blanche almost winced, trying to make her next words sound more enthusiastic. “What gives? Are we going to take a nap?” Actually, a nap didn’t sound bad.

The first thing that Winn noticed about Blanche was that she looked… tired. Guilt panged in his heart. He knew things with Adrien had been bad, but they’d talked about that, so… What new horror had this fuckin’ town decided to pull on Blanche? Winn stood, stretching out his still-human body and rolling his neck. Whatever had happened, he knew she’d open up slowly, so he went for the obvious ribbing: “You look like you need a nap, B. Hope you’re ready to get movin’! This ain’t your mama’s gym class.” Winn hesitated, a half-smile frozen on his face, considering… Safe. This was supposed to be safe. But… Would Blanche had even come if she wasn’t ready to do this? Probably not; they’d never had a problem cancelling this little dance party before, one thing or another popping up and throwing a wrench in their weekends. “I was takin’ a little doze in the sunlight, gotta get my beauty rest, after all.” He let the half-smile turn to a full one. “Alright, so, I’m gonna start you off… simple. Let you get acquainted with the wolf, sorry in advance for the sniffin’. Then, when you’re ready, we can move on to you tryin’ to land a blow on me, while I’m movin’... After that, well, maybe I’ll try to trip you up or somethin’, but I don’t want my claws anywhere near ya, dude, and neither do you. Just watch me and everything’ll go smoothly.” Hopefully.

“Watch it, my mom goes to jazzercise, and those bitches are mean,” Blanche responded automatically. She rolled her shoulders back, feeling them pop and ache. She’d been sleeping in Nell’s greenhouse for way too long, with what little sleep she was getting anyway. Blanche took a look at him a moment, considering. “You sure you don’t need a few more minutes in the sunlight for that beauty rest?” Blanche said. She was trying. At least she was trying. She needed to do something. Maybe this wasn’t it, but as Winn beamed at her, she wasn’t sure she could say no. It would be fine. “Good thing I showered before I came. You’re going to sniff me?” Blanche asked, raising an eyebrow at him, mildly amused at the thought. But she nodded. “Yeah, I saw one of you guys shift at the beach the other day when a karkinoid got a little too close to comfort. Don’t worry, I’m prepared.” Blanche would be lying if she said she wasn’t ready to watch Winn like a hawk. She had been a little too hypervigilant these days anyway. She doubted she’d even be able to land a real hit. What was she going to do? Kick him?

“Jazzercise,” Winn said, cocking an eyebrow at Blanche’s easy mention of her mother. Odd. File that away for a later conversation, if it actually meant anything. “Pretty sure some of the PTA moms go there, so, like mean bitches is, uh, accurate.” He shuddered, as per usual, at the thought of those women. It wasn’t that they were, like, the worst. Just the worst thing he had to routinely deal with. One good thing ‘bout the summer. “And, like, the sniffin’ just… happens, okay? Don’t worry ‘bout it, it’s a wolf thing.” Speaking of wolf things… “Wait, who’d you meet on the beach? I might know ‘em. Don’t know all the wolves in town, but it don’t hurt for me to know more.” Instead of waiting for Blanche’s answer, he turned his back to her and let the shift come on. Closer to the new Moon, Winn felt the ache of it more. The ways in which his body was growing, adjusting to the beast within him. He stared at Blanche when he was done, waiting patiently for her to make the first move.

And there was the wince when Winn mentioned the PTA. Her mom was a PTA mother. Probably a bad thing to joke about, but she wasn’t wrong. The PTA moms were mean. Her stomach twisted a moment when she thought of Linda Quinn, the other star mother, and she had to shake it off. Maybe, Blanche decided as she remembered the horrible things Rio had shown her, all PTA mothers were evil. She sucked in a deep breath, and tried to focus on what Winn was saying. “I think you just like my scented body wash,” Blanche folded her arms over her chest, grinning. Oh, wait, she could tell Winn who she met. “Yeah, you do know her. It’s Arian—ah.” Blanche trailed off as Winn shifted. Well. There it was. She took an automatic step back as her eyes narrowed. Winn was less likely to attack her, but Blanche couldn’t believe Winn wanted her to just waltz up to him and punch him in the snout. And she sort of felt a little ridiculous. This felt a little ridiculous! Kaden and Adam would have simultaneous strokes if they knew they were doing this. That was fine by her, she supposed. “Okay…” Blanche said, slowly, “I’m going to try to hit you now.” It was fine. They didn’t have to find out. On the balls of her feet, Blanche jerked forward and really did try to punch Winn in his werewolf face.

Aaaand a miss. Winn hadn’t been expecting to take it on the snout, not with Blanche’s first punch anyway, but… well, he might have more work to do here than he thought. The wolf was front and center — calm, but mostly because it didn’t sense any threat from Blanche… at all. C’mon, brain, give her more credit than that. Maybe they should’ve started in human form? Get Blanche comfortable punchin’ Winn’s face before askin’ her to aim at the beast. But, well. They were here now, and Winn wasn’t gonna change back until he could get back to his house and tell B to cover her eyes. There were just things that you didn’t want your more-or-less-sister-figure to see. Okay. He’d stay… still. He wouldn’t move. He’d just let him hit her. It literally wouldn’t hurt. The wolf grumbled, unhappy with even being hit at all, but Winn powered through. He approached Blanche, slowly, so slowly. There was no way she could miss.

This was a goddamn waste of time. Blanche realized that as soon as they started. She wasn’t opposed to kicking the crap out of something, but this wasn’t it. She was too tired to be trying to punch a werewolf in the face. She wasn’t a hunter, this wasn’t her job. Why did she need to be prepared if something attacked her in the first place? She would just die, and then it would be over. Isn't that what happened to Bea and Nell? Nell walked away from it traumatized, but Bea was headless and stuck in some fucking freezer somewhere. Bea, who couldn’t be bothered to show up to her own fucking summoning. They continued for a while, back and forth, Blanche slipping each time before she finally couldn’t take it anymore. “Alright! Enough! I’m done!” Blanche snapped, frustration finally built up enough to snap, holding up her hands and then running them down her face, muffling her next words: “I’m just going to go home.”

To say that this was going… poorly was an understatement. It was clear that Blanche was more tired than she let on. Winn should’ve stopped, but his wolf-brain was in the driver’s seat. And the wolf wanted exercise. At its best, this was play-fighting, something that the two of them could look back on and laugh when Blanche eventually kicked his ass. When he had a player who just wasn’t getting it, there were two options: keep pushing or back off. So, he kept coming at her, and she kept missing. By the time she raised her hands in defeat, Winn was just about ready to let her throw in the towel. Had she kept her damn hands outta her eyes, he probably woulda. But that was fuckin’ dangerous and Blanche needed to— He couldn’t let her— This was safe. He was safe. But real life was fuckin’ dangerous, and if she was hell-bent on gettin’ into messes and putting herself at risk, then she needed to be prepared. All of this was in the back of his mind as he ran at her again, loud, loud thuds on the ground as he bounded up to Blanche, paws up in an obvious “Gotcha!” and a toothy smile on his maw. He’d just give her a little scare, and then they’d stop and come back at it again.

Winn scared the shit out of her. Blanche had just said she was done and was going to stop, but the next thing she knew was there was a wolf running at her, teeth bared. She panicked, scrambling backward, and screamed long and loud as she shoved her hands out in front of her as blood pounded in her ears. Like others before, Winn was thrown away from Blanche. The familiar energy under her skin burst from her as her adrenaline laced fear shoved Winn away from her. Blanche scrambled back, eyes wide as she watched Winn connect with a tree. Shit. Was he fucking stupid?! She said she wanted to stop! “Winn!” Blanche snapped, but things didn’t feel right. Like she had just lifted something that was far too heavy and carried it anyway. She staggered. “Shit—”

Winn remembered the force hitting him, his back connecting with a tree, and then—

The wolf crumpled to the ground, a low growl buried in the back of its throat, coming out slow and dangerous. Pain, like it had fallen down a mountain. Nothing was broken, it would be fine. But it would not underestimate this human again. It snarled, teeth bared, hackles raised, as it rose from the ground, eyes finding the human and narrowing. The human shouted something foreign to it, something in its own language, crude and loud. The wolf gnashed at the air, the tiniest of warnings. The Moon would come, soon, and it would stain the earth with blood as it bit. It always savored the snap of bone, the chase that it would give the human through the forest, its home territory. The wolf howled, rage bounding into the air, an offering to the sky. And then, it ran at the human. Nothing would stop it from its prey.

The only thing that Blanche could think of were Lauren Langley’s insides pouring out of her as she showed Blanche her true form. Werewolf attack. Kaden’s mother and father were mauled by werewolves. Blanche didn’t exactly register what was happening as she froze, eyes wide as Winn’s snarling face came crashing towards her. Blanche had never seen Winn like that — she had never been in this position. She was rooted straight down into the ground. She couldn’t even scream. She couldn’t move. Move you idiot, try to run! If she was going to die, why the hell was she going to die standing there like an idiot. She wasn’t going to be like all the other fucking stupid people in this town that just died. Inky black spots appeared in her vision and her knees hit the grass first as her entire body crumbled, arms going to cover her head.

Why was it not running? The wolf watched, almost in slow motion, as the human crumpled to the ground, far enough away from the thing that it had had plenty of time to run away from the wolf. Run! said a voice, in that crude tongue. But, as the wolf came upon the human, raised its claws to rend its flesh from its bones, it found it could not. The heartbeat was— A growl, now, but not from its own gut. But from its own throat? No. No, this would not do. It brought its claw down—

— and Winn stopped himself, coming back to his senses. His vision was blurry, his senses scattered to the winds. Fuck. What the fuck. He’d known Blanche could throw him, rationally, but to be actually thrown. It was awful, wild. It had pushed him to an edge, an edge he almost didn’t back away from. He had to… He had to go, to get away. What if he fucked up, what if he hadn’t been able to stop the wolf? Blanche was... It was safer, for her, if he left. He couldn’t be trusted, with a human life. Why the fuck had he thought he’d be safe for Blanche to fight? Stupid, idiot, useless motherfucker. He whimpered, soft at the back of his throat. Would she be... alright? She had to be. He couldn’t shift back, tried and couldn’t. Dammit, fuck. He… He had to go. He had questions, but no thoughts about where to find answers. Had Salva been right about him?

#wickedswriting #para #Blanche #Unbreakable Oaths #Sunshine Riptide #:------)

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laylacooke · 5 years ago

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Hunters & Vampires & Wolves, Oh My! || Orion, Fran, & Layla

TIMING: The week before the full moon. PARTIES: @3starsquinn, @caraitaliadolcemeta, @laylacooke SUMMARY: A young hunter saves a dumb-dumb wolf from a crazed vampire. WARNINGS: mentions of blood and injuries

It’s not like Layla had wanted to be the next meal for a vampire much stronger than she was, it just sort of happened. But while she was hauling ass through the forest, she couldn’t let go of the fact that, somehow, she didn’t change. At least not yet. Maybe it was because she was finally finding some sense of peace and a home. Maybe it was because her mind was currently focused on the woman with fangs bared chasing her at a ridiculous speed. Whatever it was, she was just glad to not be a huge smelly, dog. And as she glanced back to the vampire to see how far she was, it only took a split second for the red head to hit a tree followed by a hard thud to the ground. Dazed and groaning, Layla couldn’t seem to focus on anything at the moment except her heartbeat in her ears and the pain running through her body from the impact with the huge pine that had stopped her from getting any farther.

How did she reach that point was a good question. But there was no return now. With just the sweet thought of that blood washing down her throat, dripping from the corners of her mind - Francesca was going completely mental, about to enter that often state of frenzy she just couldn’t get off whenever she tasted blood. It’s not that she was inexperienced still, it’s just that she enjoyed it too bloody much. She allowed the little wolf to take her chance. Hell, she even stayed behind for a while, counting the each second in her mind before she actually began to chase her down. Just keeping up with her, not really making any extreme effort, the Italian vampire couldn’t help but roar at that scene. Laughing out loud at the girl’s clumsiness, she even had to lean against the same tree that hit her (not the other way around). She couldn’t help it, it’s like when you see someone trip on her own feet and want to help, but you just can’t stop laughing. Except she didn’t really want to help her. “Cazzo, bambina, sei veramente una maldestra.” Unnecessarily catching her breath, she sighed with a little chuckle and suddenly jumped her, pinning her to the ground. “My doc said I’ve been missing werewolf from my diet. So… Thanks?” And her fangs violently pierced two, deep holes in her curvy neck.

Orion had been surprisingly lucky. In his months since he began coming to the Scribe headquarters hidden in the middle of the woods, he hadn’t been attacked or hurt once. In the woods. In White Crest. It was a miracle. The woods had been one of the main reasons he had talked himself out of coming back to the headquarters for so many years after his Uncle had originally shown him. Apparently, his luck had run out today though. His hearing picked up on the altercation, but he couldn’t tell how far away it was yet. He needed to focus. He took a deep breath and tried to home in on the sounds, finally pinpointing it after he heard something or maybe someone colliding with what he assumed was a tree. Against his better judgement, he took off in the direction of the sound, leaping over tree branches and weaving between trees. He tripped more times than he was willing to admit and had bounced off a couple of trees, but by some miracle he had stayed upright the entire time and continued to readjust his direction to follow the sounds of struggling. He finally broke into a small clearing to find two women, a girl on the ground and pinned by another, the woman’s mouth digging into the victim’s throat. It had to be a vampire, right? Oh boy. He had never come in contact with a human vampire. Which could only mean the tingling sensation that he was feeling meant the second girl must be a werewolf. “Hey!” Rio yelled, trying to force some confidence in his voice instead of the trembling that he sure was present. “Let her go!” He called out, jumping into the clearing and grabbing onto the woman, attempting to pull her off of the girl. But Jesus, that woman was strong, way stronger than Rio was. Uh oh.

By the time Layla had started to come around, it was too late. The woman that had been chasing her, aside from stopping to laugh at her misfortune, was already on top of her, and as soon as fangs sank into Layla’s neck, she let out a bloodcurdling scream. The last time she had been bitten by anything, it had almost killed her. Her mind had flashed back to that night in the woods when her father left her to die at the hands of a werewolf. Her heart pounded fiercely in her chest. She felt faint. And no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t shove the woman off of her. Vampire. It was her first encounter that she had known of, but her training as a hunter did offer her some knowledge, in that moment, of things she could potentially do. Unfortunately for her, she didn’t have any of the right weapons with her, and the one part of herself that normally gave her protection wasn’t working out for some reason, “Get…off….me!!!!” It wasn’t until she heard a voice in the distance, that Layla’s mind left her situation for the briefest of moments, and when she watched as he came forward to try and help get the leech off, she knew Francesca was still too overpowering, even for what smelled like...a hunter?

The branches shaking like the girl in her arms, dry leaves crushing with sudden impact and occasional bumping sounds - there was someone coming their way. It was never prudent to allow a living thing to witness a vampire feeding off a victim, it’d rat out her identity, yet she couldn’t care less. She was old enough, she was strong, well-connected, and she was hungry. What smelled humanly was getting closer, but he posed no threat. That living heart beat so fast, that ragged breathing, the sweat - they were as hesitant and even frightened as the redheaded puppy. The all-mighty hero jumped and dared to touch her. Fran let go of the werewolf for a second, pushing him and shoving him against a tree with a simple, easy motion of her hand. “Fuck off, kid,” she mumbled with her face still buried in the girl’s neck, lips smearing the blood all around. Whoever said you can’t play with your food was absolutely wrong, it’s just bloody fantastic. Francesca pulled up the shifter, sitting her up in one go, holding tightly to her upper arm and grabbing her hair so it wouldn’t get in her way. A crack, like a broken bench, echoed in the quietude of the forest, fingernails digging into her flesh. Ops, might have broken something. It wasn’t her intention to leave her completely debilitated. But then again, with that one in the picture, she might need to kill them both. She pressed her palm against the girl’s mouth to keep her quiet, actually enjoying the struggle. “Shhh, be a good girl and I might let you live after I kill that brat…” The vampire licked her blood-squirting neck. “I don’t think you’d like your meal blabbing while you’re trying to eat it.” And gave her another deep bite on top of the other.

Whether or not she was just a normal, everyday vampire wasn’t exactly clear as of yet, but Orion could definitely attest that she was incredibly strong. Way stronger than he was. His strength was built to match werewolves though, not vampires. Plus, he was pretty sure he had read that vampires get stronger the older they get. Did that imply that this woman had been around for a long time? Too many unknown variables. All Rio could process right now was the pain he felt as the woman shoved him backwards into a tree. It hadn’t looked like much effort at all for the woman, but Rio felt like he had just been body slammed against the trunk. His back stung and he crumpled to the ground, glancing up and forcing his vision to regain focus just to catch her digging her fangs back into the girl. “Crap.” Rio pushed himself back up, wondering what he could do to stop the girl from being murdered right in front of him. He glanced around the area, noticing fallen branches and twigs lying all over the place. With the woman distracted, it may not be that difficult to simply… stab her. It wasn’t exactly a wooden stake, but it would be deadly all the same. But… he couldn’t kill her. Even if she was attacking someone, what right did he have to end a life? A little maiming wouldn’t be that bad though right? He bent down, picking up a branch and breaking it in half, ripping pieces off so that the edge was sharp enough to pierce. Then he took a deep breath, closed his eyes and ran forward, stabbing the branch down into the woman’s leg using that distraction to try to shove her off of the redhead. “You need to run!” Rio yelled at her, hoping that she could wiggle free from the vampire’s grasp now.

Layla felt like a rag doll as the vampire continued to drain her blood. She had never experienced anything quite like this feeling before. She had given blood once, to the Red Cross when they had come to visit her school for a blood drive, but this was different. And with each passing moment, Layla felt just a little more lightheaded than the moment before. One thing she did see, though, was the man that was trying to help her, go flying back into a tree, and it angered her. Trying as much as she could, she began squirming to get free, but when Francesca picked her up, Layla could feel the crack of several ribs with nails digging into flesh, and she let out an agonizing howl. Some werewolf she was. With her mouth covered and tears now sliding down her cheeks, the redhead hoped some reprieve would come soon. And before all hope was lost, it did! With some slack in her captor’s grip, Layla, despite the pain she was feeling, bit down hard on the vampire’s hand before spitting it out and crawling her way towards safety. Well, as safe as you could be while struggling to get to your feet.

As one heartbeat throbbed madly, another slowed down. The werewolf’s blood didn’t pump as fast as it first did. Here was a special moment, when a vampire could actually feel a life slip away. It’d haunt her at some point later that week, maybe at the end of the month, when she found herself alone in her big house, but it didn’t bother her now. She had just decided to kill the other woman. Fangs dug deeper, tongue sucked stronger. She could hear the second beat but guessed the boy still struggled to get up after being knocked against a tree. And then the burning, maddening-stinging blow. It was followed by the worse bite that wet dog could give her, which bored her as much as a bee sting would, and she shooed her the same way she’d have done with an insect, pushing her away on both shoulders. It wasn’t a sign of surrender, she just had changed her mind about killing the redhead - she’d be killing the boy instead. Stupid boy. Growling as she pulled off the branch, Francesca stood up and turned to him. “You’ll fucking regret this.” In a flash, the brunette was standing right in front of him, blood all over her mouth, chest, arms, hands, leg. It was a horror show. The bloody hand grabbed his neck and lifted him from the ground, pushing him against that same tree, a branch scratching the side of his body, making a gash and tearing his top. “Scream. I like it.”

The woman was right, Orion did regret it. Almost immediately actually, as the attack had made him sick to his stomach and hadn’t even seemed to hinder the vampire’s strength or anger. It had only succeeded in shifting the woman’s anger from her original victim over to Rio. He supposed he was happy about the girl being free, but hadn’t exactly thought about what he was going to do once she was free. The vampire stood up, her body stained with blood, a mix of her own and her victim’s. It looked like a scene straight out of a horror movie, which Rio felt like he was currently stuck in. He should have run. Instead, he stood paralyzed by fear. He had always been afraid of hunters and the monstrosities they committed. In his mind, he logically knew that supernatural creatures were capable of just as much evil, he just thought that if they could talk things through, maybe they could figure something out. “I’m sorry- I didn’t want to hurt you I just needed you to-” Uninterested in his attempts to mitigate, the woman cut Rio off by grabbing at his throat, lifting him easily into the air and shoving him against the same tree he had already rammed into once before. He felt a sharp pain as something cut into his side, tearing into the hoodie and long sleeve shirt he had beneath it. Despite the much more pressing issue of the vampire currently trying to murder him, he couldn’t help but immediately feel the discomfort of having the scars that ran along his body exposed. But he was soon distracted as the woman pushed deeper and deeper against Rio’s throat, cutting off any chances he had at breathing. He kicked his legs furiously, connecting with nothing, and he clawed at the woman’s hands, but to no avail. And she was enjoying this? Holy crap. He choked and coughed, trying to form words, to beg the vampire to stop, but nothing was working. He could feel himself getting lightheaded, the life being quite literally choked out of him. He needed to do something now or he’d be dead. That’s when the idea struck him. He gave up on pushing away at her hands, instead flinging his arms back to his bag, the only thing separating him from the tree. He fumbled inside one of the pockets, feeling around for the container that he kept stuffed away for a rainy day. It stored little things, an iron ring, a silver necklace, a cross and salt. His vision was blurring now, and muscle movement felt mechanical and slow. But he pulled out the container of salt, holding it between the two of them and crushing it between his hands, watching all of the grains escape and pour onto the forest ground.

Layla was finally able to climb to her feet with the assistance of another tree. She hadn’t felt this kind of pain in quite some time, but her mind shifted when she noticed the vampire had gone after the man who had saved her. Clutching at her side, Layla looked around frantically for some way she could help him, but her mind was drawing a blank as the world was still spinning around her from lack of blood. And then she felt it, a low rumble coming from her belly. If she could at least growl or roar or something, then maybe it would distract the woman long enough that the hunter could find some kind of distraction. Standing there closing her eyes and panting, she felt it coming, and before she could stop it, Layla let out the best deep growl she had ever released, at least as a human. Face scrunching up in anger, she was preparing herself for battle when she saw the salt go down. Thank God! Her face quickly relaxed. Salt was perfect. It would keep the vampire occupied so the two could hopefully make a run for it.

“What you got there, little hunter?” Somber green eyes turned into ruby gems as they watched life slowly leave his desperate gaze, whilst he struggled and reached for his backpack. “That’s right, I know what you are. A little hunter protecting a werewolf?” She tutted. “That isn’t gonna go well amongst your community, yeah? The boy who died protecting a dog.” A dark grin spread across her lips, bearing out long fangs. He should’ve stayed out of it. She wasn’t a serial killer, she wouldn’t have hurt the girl (that much). But with all the drama he caused, now she obviously couldn’t let them just walk away like nothing happened. He bloody “branched” her leg! In the back, the redhead growled loudly, which only made Francesca roll back her eyes. “Will you shut up?! I’m trying to have a conversation here and inform this little guy about what’s going to happen after he dies!” She knew the wolf was in a bad shape and wouldn’t be able to do anything against her. It was pointless giving her any time of her night. Yet as soon as she was about to keep explaining the truths she was going to spread about tonight, there was salt e-ve-ry-whe-re. Francesca tightened her grip, growling loudly in anger, wanting to choke him at once. But her persistence lasted no longer than a couple of seconds and she pushed him aside with anger, dropping to her knees. “FUCK!” She cursed out loud, starting to pick and count every grain found under the dry leaves, stuck to wet dirt and damp grass. She used all her speed, appearing as nothing but a blur passing by their eyes. They were going to die a fucking painful death when she was done.

This vampire knew nothing about Orion, but still seemed to hit the mark way too closely. His only hope left had been the salt, which he had been increasingly afraid was not going to work, especially when the vampire didn’t immediately stop choking him out to focus on the salt. But after a long moment before he was being shoved aside, dropping into the ground and grabbing at his throat as he gasped for breath. He wished he had more time to celebrate that the stupid salt trick had actually worked. But right now, his only goal was to get far, far away from the woman. He crawled back up to his feet, still feeling dizzy and grasping at his side, catching the scent of blood as it began to leak from the wound. He moved slowly at first, but as soon as he got to the redhead and the two began moving through the woods he picked up speed. “We need to get far, far away from here.” He gasped as the two ran through the woods, trying to listen for anything that might signal safety. Through the fog, he could hear something over to their left. It was too hard to tell the specifics, but it was better than nothing. The two made their way toward the noise, Rio tripping multiple times along the way but managing to stay on his feet. Finally, the two broke through the trees and out into what looked like a neighborhood. “Houses. Let’s get into the house!”

Layla found relief when Orion had hit the ground. There was their opportunity, and she had just hoped he could get to his feet in time. With the blur streaking around counting salt, she knew their time was limited, but when he started moving, she followed. Layla hadn’t been to this part of White Crest, so her sense of direction was skewed, and it wasn’t helping that she was dizzy and her ribs were throbbing. However, she trusted Rio and followed him closely. When they broke through the fog and safety sat just ahead, she picked up the pace. The closest house just so happened to be for sale and as Layla used what strength remained, she busted open the door allowing them access. Once inside, she frantically began looking for something they could use to bar the door. She wasn’t sure how much time they had remaining, but she didn’t want to waste any of it. Panting, she continued to look, “The door...what are we gonna block it with?” She looked to the hunter who she noticed wasn’t exactly in the best shape either.

The blur of a shadow still flashed back and forth. Of all places, that needed to happen in the woods. In the bloody woods, with the mud, the dirt, the leaves, the branches, the insects and every other possible thing that could get in the way of finding millimetric grains of salt. “Fucking five hundred and thirty five,” Francesca counted it in a whisper, zipping in circles around the tree where the shaker was broken, like a maniac. The sooner she finished counting all that fucking salt, the sooner she got to kills those two. The pile was considerably smaller and there was just a tiny portion piled up here and there. It was almost time for the blood bath.

The last thing either of them needed was a breaking and entering charge to make their days even worse, but Orion was fairly confident that nobody else was in the house that they had just broken into. Of course, the pain in his sides was enough to throw his senses off their game a little bit, but they didn’t have much of a choice regardless. Once inside, he felt like he was finally able to catch his breath for the first time, and the pain in his side finally had a chance to remind him that it was still there. “We don’t have to block the door,” He gasped through heavy breaths, “She can’t get in here.” Not much for an explanation, but he needed a minute to collect himself before he could focus again. He pulled his hand away from the wound and caught blood on it. Great. Oh well, it would heal fairly soon. “My name’s Rio, by the way. You doing okay?”

The training Layla had regarding vampires had gone out the door as soon as they had taken off in a mad dash to safety, but when he had said something, it reminded her about the invitation rule. At least she thought that was legit. Between watching Buffy religiously growing up and having her parents spew facts at her, she couldn’t quite keep it clear. But to be fair, before she had become a werewolf, she had never encountered a vampire in her life. Looking to the man, she noticed the blood on his side, “Layla, and I would so rather be meeting you under different circumstances. But I’m fine. I’ll be fine. Are you?” She nodded towards his shirt, “You need help.” She had forgotten about the blood that was probably seeping down from the two puncture marks in her neck. Her ribs sure didn’t let up though, “Maybe there’s towels or something we can use. Follow me.” Going towards the back of the house, she made her way into a bathroom and began looking around. She wanted to help Rio out, especially considering he was the reason she was still here and not laying in the woods sucked dry from that leech of a woman.

“SIX HUNDRED AND TWENTY NINE GRAINS, YOU FUCKERS!” Francesca shouted from deep down her lungs, the anger making her boil from the inside out to the point her hands were shaking and her fangs were at permanent display. There was no need to look around, she knew they were gone from the sombre woods where one could commit murder without feeling exposed. It took her no more than ten minutes to count all that salt, but it seemed enough for the dodgy couple to just run away from the big, bad monster. They didn’t slip through her fingers though, as the vampire could still easily smell the trail of blood they both left behind. Like Hansel and Gretel’s breadcrumb trail, yet serving the opposite purpose - leading danger towards them, not salvation. In less than three minutes, Fran reached the quiet neighbourhood. All lights were out, except for light posts on the main street before all the suburb houses. Her heels were the only thing that could be heard in the next mile around them. And as they clicked, one by one the light bulbs burst. Not exactly burst, but at the speed of lightning she’d simply climb up each post close to a specific house that hung a “for sale” sign, and break them herself. She could hear them inside.

Now silently, the brunette surrounded the house, studying the best angle to get inside. Someone went to the bathroom. What a terrible time to need to pee, honestly. She wondered what she’d do in such a situation - you’re being hunted down, but hey, you got to pee. Urgently. She felt so lucky for having a system that simply had no physiological needs except for nourishment. Fran found the tall window to the bathroom, loudly and slowly clicking her nails against the wooden structure around it as, slowly, her hand “fingered” its way towards the glass. She stopped, then knocked against the wall, as if asking for permission to intrude. Then nothing. Until, slowly, the brown-haired top of a head appeared, making way to pale skin, then familiar ruby-sparkling eyes. “Let me in, little wolf…” She whispered, hoping she’d caught her attention and left her distraught enough to look her in the eyes and allow her compulsion sink in. “I’ll be good… Make this easy and everything will be over soon.”

“Me? No I’m fine don’t worry about me.” Orion assured, though Layla didn’t seem to pay much attention to that, opting instead to mission herself to find some towels for him.” She made her way through the house, and Rio trailed slowly behind her, trying to take in the rest of the place. It seemed barely furnished, which made sense considering the for sale sign. Must be people in the process of moving out. He hoped some dirt and blood stains didn’t devalue the home too much, considering the two had broken in dirty and injured from the attack in the woods. As Layla ventured into the bathroom to look for supplies, Rio strolled past it and made his way further down the hallway, peeking into the closed doors to check the rest of the area at. He felt weird, invading this person’s privacy like this. But regardless, the two had already broken into the home and it was smart to hang out here until they could be sure that things were safe. He made his way into what looked like the master bedroom, completely cleared out of furniture. He was careful not to touch any walls on his exploration, not wanting to accidentally trail blood along the house. He jumped out of his skin when he heard the banging on the window from somewhere around the house. Crap. She’s back.

Layla was now desperately checking every drawer in the bathroom. Under the counter. In the medicine cabinet hanging over the sink. Anything that would help Orion and stop the bleeding, before things got much worse. But in the ways of first aid supplies or even a leftover towel, she found nothing but a single Band-Aid shoved and forgotten at the very back of a drawer connected to the bathroom sink. As she raised back up to go show him her find, Layla’s ears quickly perked at the sounds outside, and then she smelled it...her. What she hadn’t anticipated was the banging on the wall which caused her to jump. Looking back and not immediately seeing anything, Layla narrowed her eyes. Curiosity had easily gotten the better of her, and by the time she had moved towards the window, it was too late. Her eyes had found Francesca’s. Staring deep into them, Layla felt numb to everything around her. Everything seemed to be okay, and all that mattered was the woman’s voice. Slowly, opening the window without any control over what she was doing, she stepped back, “Sure, you ca…”

The excitement was nearly impossible to handle. If Francesca had a heartbeat, it’d be pounding in her ears now. Whoever said there was no thrill in hunting was just wrong. When you got to have an actual conversation with your target, things got even more interesting. No one wants a hunt that ends in fifteen minutes, there’s no fun in that. Unable to restrain the grin in her lips, her mesmerizing red eyes remained the only thing that could be seen through the window, the rest of her body and features were hidden by the wooden structure of the house. Both of her hands were on the windowsill now and the vampire was more than ready to enter de residence and paint those walls red. It was dull, it needed some urgent proper decor, being completely honest. Some vampire style would do the trick.

Orion rushed out of the bedroom and back towards the bathroom. His side throbbed in protest and his heart was throbbing against his sternum. The pain dulled his senses, and his heightened hearing kept cutting out. He could catch the vampire’s words but his own heartbeat cut her off. He finally burst into the bathroom just as Layla started speaking, Rio’s mind could picture the horror scenario where Layla accidentally let the vampire in. From behind, Rio threw his hands over Layla’s mouth, covering them and stopping her from speaking. “Please don’t say anything else.” He whispered, pulling here away from the window and making sure to try to redirect Layla from the woman’s eyes. Rio kept his eyes trained on the bathroom tiling. “Please just leave us alone. We don’t want anything to do with you.” He said, trying to hide the trembling in his voice. “She was trying to compel you.” Rio explained to Layla, unsure of just how much she knew about the woman who was hunting them. “We need to stay clear of the doors and windows. If we can hang out until the sun comes up then we will be okay.”

Layla was so close to letting Fran in. It almost felt normal to finish the words, but before she could, she felt herself being pulled away. Her eyes were still set on the red orbs hovering just outside the window. They were so beautiful, but the further back they got, the more aware Layla was starting to become. When she realized what was going on, she blinked a few times and tried to speak, “You ca leh me go. I won say nuhhing.” Her voice was muffled, but she was coherent and understood what Rio was asking of her. For the second time that night, he had saved her life. She owed him big time. BIG TIME.

With a quick pant, Francesca rolled back her eyes. That night truly wasn’t going according to her last-minute plans. She, herself, gave up on compelling the wolf. That fake hunter knew too much for his own good, and, stupidly, he’d keep trying to save the day. Good luck when he ends up crossing paths with a crazy werewolf out there in the full moon. The vampire suddenly disappeared from the bathroom window, banging on the opposite wall, closer to the corridor they were standing in. “Little pig, little pig - let me come in,” she quoted the children’s story, a vicious smile gracing her lips. Again, she was having a little bit too much fun for someone who’d probably have reality sinking in in a month or so. “Well, then,” she continued after hearing no affirmative answer. “Then I’ll huff and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your house in!” Her voice sounded angry, but it was all an act - she just wanted to scare them. They did cause her a lot of trouble, she could have some fun out of it. After a minute of silence, she banged her hand on the front door, incessantly, loud and strong, actually breaking bits and pieces of the wood. Then it stopped. Francesca got bored. “No worries, we’ll catch up some other time.” And disappeared.

Orion didn’t know how long the vampire stuck around. But he could hear her for what felt like hours. Stalking the area, threatening them. He couldn’t stop himself from shaking. He was terrified that at any moment someone could show up at the house and let her in. That she would find a way to kill them, plus some other innocent life too. But eventually, he heard her leave. “It sounds like she’s gone.” He mumbled. It wasn’t the most comfortable, but he had found the laundry room to be the safest place for them. It had no windows, which meant no fear of being compelled. It also meant they only had to listen to her taunts instead of seeing her make them in person. He was currently lying on the ground, and was too afraid to risk anything else. “We should stay here. Just in case. Until morning. I don’t want to risk her hiding some place out in the woods waiting for us to leave.”

Layla had almost gotten them killed and that raced through her mind as they were both shoved into the laundry room together. She hadn’t expected any of this to turn out the way it had, but she was grateful for Rio, and she owed him for saving her, “I am completely and 100% on board with that idea.” Pressed up against the wall, she could see Rio clearly with her wolfy vision. She could tell he was just as scared as she was. It was going to be a long night, but at least they’d be safe, and that’s all that mattered. Plus, it gave her plenty of time to profusely apologize for the mess she had gotten them into.

#para: hunters & vampires & wolves oh my!#3starsquinn #caraitaliadolcemeta #wickedswriting

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perspective-series · 6 years ago

Text

Werewolf Perspective (2/10)

By @arc852 and @hiddendreamer67

Warnings: None

(Check the reblog for links to the previous chapters!)

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Logan inspected the dark green stalks, looking up to see it ascend to reach heights four times his own. He began to saw through one of the tinier branches off the main stem, huffing slightly from the exertion.

Roman tilted his head. “Do you need some help?” Without waiting for an answer, Roman plucked the entire stalk from the ground and held it out to Logan. “There you go!”

Logan blinked, for a moment just gaping at the entire plant was ripped out in front of him. Surely it was the size of a regular tree back in the village.

“I….I only need a sampling.” Logan managed to form coherent words after a moment, only briefly pondering the idea of trying to take the entire plant home with him.

“Oh, um, here.” Roman ripped off the tiny branch Logan had been working at earlier and held that out to him as Roman tried to put the plant back into the ground. It kind of worked but it was a little crooked now.

“Thanks.” Logan tilted his head, regarding the leaning plant for a moment before taking the sprig and putting it into his bag, which at this point had already become rather full. Indeed, Logan had not fully accounted for the fact that plants within the whispering woods would be this large.

“Alright, let’s see…” Logan pulled out his list. “Next up is not a flora, but rather there is a location known as the spring of avawren. Its waters are said to hold magical properties. Have you heard of it?”

Roman grinned. “Of course! It’s actually right behind where I live!” They had purposefully built their house there because of the close proximity to the river after all. “Though I never noticed it had magical properties.” Roman hummed at that thought, wondering what kind of magic it held. He grabbed Logan and started on his way.

“It’s mostly healing properties, although it has to be concentrated correctly to be noticeable.” Logan explained. “Or so the legends say.”

“Interesting.” He supposed that’s why he hadn’t noticed it. Since Werewolves already had fast healing abilities. They made it to the river in record time, Roman able to see his house about a half mile away. “Here we are.” Roman once again put Logan down.

Logan crouched by the water’s edge, pulling out a large bottle and filling it up. He plugged the lid, shifting the liquid back and forth as he noticed how the water seemed to sparkle.

“Where is your home?” Logan asked, standing up and taking a look around. Of course, it was hard for him to see past the dense sea of reeds surrounding the spring.

“Over that way!” Roman pointed towards the distance before realizing Logan probably couldn’t see. He picked the human up to show him. “See?”

Logan peered where Roman was pointing, noticing what looked to be an absolutely massive log cabin. The structure was magnificent, and even to Roman’s scale likely held two stories.

“Impressive.” Logan couldn’t help but note. “Did you construct that all yourself? It seems awfully large.”

“Oh, no, my packmate and I both built it a few years back. He’s currently inside the house right now.” Virgil was his only packmate, the two never having clicked with any of the other werewolves in their old village. So they had packed up and moved out here. He wondered briefly if Virgil could see him and if he did, he was probably wondering what he was doing.

“Oh.” Logan regarded this new information. “How many packmates do you have?”

“Just the one. We never clicked well enough with anyone else to bond with them.” Roman shrugged. Sure, most packs held at least 4 wolves where they were from but as long as Roman and Virgil had each other they were okay.

“I see.” Logan was quite the same. Most humans avoided his company, even for reasons other than his experiments. The only exception was his friend Patton who stubbornly refused to abandon him like everyone else. “How many werewolves are usually in a pack? Is it the same as regular wolves?”

“The least amount is usually four to a pack, the same as giant wolves. Though, I think regular wolves are at least six to a pack, so a little different there.” Roman answered with a shrug.

“Yes, that’s what I’ve observed.” Logan nodded. He had had his fair share of run in with wolves, though none of them pleasant. It was certainly a welcome discovery to find Roman wasn’t intent on devouring him. Or at least… he had shown no sign of such a desire.

Roman nodded. “So, anything else you need on your list?” Roman asked, eager to continue to help.

“Well, yes, but…” Logan looked up, noticing how low in the sky the sun had dropped. “I should probably be heading home before it gets much later, it’s already going to be a long trek.”

Roman frowned, his tail no longer wagging. He didn’t want the human to leave. “Well, maybe you could stay the night with me! My house is just right there after all and it would be no trouble at all.” Roman grinned hopefully.

“Oh, no, I wouldn’t want to intrude.” Logan shook his head. “Besides, I should probably return these ingredients to my lab promptly.”

“Aww, please Logan. I’m sure Virgil wouldn’t mind the company and I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t actually want you there.” Roman said, practically begging. “Besides, it’s already really dark and I don’t want you getting hurt on the way home.”

The concept of someone caring about his safety was almost foreign to Logan, and briefly he was reminded of Patton. At the very least, Logan didn’t want to risk the safety of his new rare ingredients if he were to be attacked on the way home.

“I suppose one night would be acceptable…” Logan mused.

“Yay!” Roman cheered, already heading to his house. “This is gonna be great! I’m sure Virgil will be thrilled to meet you!” Probably. Maybe.

“Is Virgil like yourself?” Logan asked, wanting to know exactly what he was getting into.

“Eh, he’s more of an introvert than I am. A bit darker as well and can be a bit sarcastic but he’s a good guy.” Roman explained, silently hoping Virgil would not immediately hate Logan as soon as he smelled him.

Unfortunately, Roman’s hopes went unheard. Virgil sat inside the cottage, sniffing the air. Just like Roman, he had smelled the human as soon as it entered their territory. Now the scent had become intermingled with that of his packmate’s. Virgil let out a jealous growl, claws digging slightly into the kitchen table. What on Earth was Roman doing with a human? The petty little things were so bony they weren’t even worth trying to eat, and they always liked invading nature and claiming it as their own.

Roman entered the home and immediately sensed Virgil’s angry emotions. Their eyes then met and he bit his lip and looked down at Logan. Maybe this had been a bad idea…

“Virgil! How is my wonderful packmate doing on this fine evening?” He asked, putting on a smile.

“Why’d you bring it in here?” Virgil growled.

Immediately Logan regretted his decision to come here, trying to look even smaller as he felt Virgil’s beady gaze upon himself.

Roman frowned. “He came to our territory on accident, looking for some ingredients. I decided to help him and it is currently too dark for him to go home safely. So I offered for him to stay the night.” Roman explained.

“Terribly sorry, I don’t mean to intrude.” Logan apologized.

“I wasn’t talking to you.” Virgil turned his gaze to Roman.

“Virgil, he is our guest. Please treat him with a little more respect.” Roman tried, holding Logan closer to him.

“Well he’s certainly not my guest.” Virgil huffed, shoving his chair back from the table. “If you want to turn into some sort of human rescue facility, you’re not gonna get any help from me.”

“I can go if it’s really a problem.” Logan offered, looking back and forth between the quarreling wolves.

“Good.” Virgil snarled.

“....I thought you weren’t talking to me?” Logan pointed out, but the look he got in return made him instantly regret speaking up.

“Okay, Virgil can I speak to you alone for a moment?” Roman put Logan down on the table and smiled at him. “Be right back!” He then pulled Virgil into another room for some privacy.

“Really Virgil?”

“You’re the one who brought a human into our house!” Virgil retorted. “This is supposed to be you and me space, not you and me and him.”

“I know! And I’m sorry, I should have talked to you about it first. But there is just something about him. I don’t know what but I couldn’t just leave him to go home out in the dark like this. He’d get hurt!” Roman explained before sighing. “Please, it will just be for tonight. Just be civil?”

“...fine.” Virgil relented. “I’ll stay out of your way and let you do your whole human babysitting shtick. But I don’t want to see him getting into any of my stuff, and come morning he’s gone. Got it?”

Roman wagged his tail in glee, his ears perked up. “Of course! Thank you so much Virgil!” He hugged his packmate before going out to get Logan. “Good news Logan! Virgil has agreed to let you stay the night!”

“Thank you both for your kind generosity.” Logan smiled as Virgil emerged as well.

Virgil looked at the human, almost bored as he stalked past the two of them and back into his room.

“...is he always like that?” Logan raised an eyebrow. Logan was not by nature social, but this was on another level.

“Well...he is a little towards non-packmates -so everyone but me- but he gets worse around humans. He...doesn’t like your kind.” Roman admitted, though it was probably obvious now.

“Noted.” Logan nodded.

“But he will stay in his room tonight while you stay in mine!” Roman picked Logan up and headed upstairs to his room, setting Logan down on the desk he had up there. “Well? What do you think?” He asked, motioning towards his room.

“Impressive.” Logan said, taking in the craftsmanship of every piece of furniture. It was also astounding to think of the amount of materials that had gone into creating such a structure.

“Why thank you.” Roman said, despite the fact he didn’t make all of these himself. “So, did you get everything you needed? Cause if not we could also go out tomorrow.”

“There’s still a few items i’d like to acquire.” Logan admitted. “But my bag is becoming full, I’ll have to go home instead.”

Roman let out a whine before he could help it and hoped that Logan hadn’t actually heard it. He cleared his throat. “Well, I could always make you another bag to fill up and take with you.” Roman suggested. “I know I have some fabric around here somewhere that should work.”

Logan blinked. “I suppose that would work, but I must ask, why are you so eager to help me?”

Roman’s ears flattened against his head. Not even he was sure why he wanted to help this human so much. Not only had they just met but he had entered their territory! He should have driven him away, not brought him in deeper.

...But there was just something about Logan. A feeling that was almost familiar at this point, a feeling that reminded him a lot of Virgil-oh no. Roman’s eyes widened.

The thing he was feeling was a bond.

He had bonded with a human.

#perspective series #werewolf perspective #prinxiety #logince #kinda?#whateva you want lads #g/t #sanders sides #werewolves #werewolf!roman #alchemist!logan #werewolf!virgil #giant werewolves #part 2 #soulmate au #bonding can be whateva you want bby B)

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