The Wolf and The Witch
Part 1/?
Steve knows better than to enter the Witchwood. He’d been warned from the time he was a child, back before the wolf, that it was home to its namesake. And not just any witch, a dangerous one. One that had killed an entire hunting party, unprompted, with the flick of a finger. None who have entered those woods since have ever returned.
Steve knows better than to enter the Witchwood, but he doesn’t have a choice. Robin is slumped over his back, hands clenched tightly in his fur, clinging desperately to consciousness. He can feel her blood, warm and sticky, matting the fur of his back. His own gait is slowed, every step jolting the silver teeth digging into his right hind leg and sending sharp pain shooting through him. He’s not sure how much longer he can run, and he can hear them - the bloodthirsty cries of the townsfolk dead set on his murder.
They had been found out. So many cycles of living in this town, living among its residents as a friend and neighbour, and still they’ve all turned on him. Of all the times for it to happen, too. It was the moon he had agreed to make Robin a wolf. She had already been weakened from the wolf taking hold when they had been attacked, the silver already a weakness but her body not yet given over to the strength of the wolf.
Steve wishes he could take her to Nancy, knows Nancy would help despite everything, but the townspeople have blocked them off, funneled him in his blind panic. His only hope is to lose them is the wood, but even then he might lose Robin to his own fumbling medical knowledge.
But first, he has to get away from their pursuers. Steeling himself with a deep breath, Steve enters the Witchwood.
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Eddie is no stranger to people trying to do him harm. It’s been a constant in his life from the time he was a child, long before his gifts had awakened. And one that had- well. It’s been a constant of his life, sure as the cycle of the moon and sun. So he notices the prickle of someone entering the woods, but he gives it no regard. It happens a few times a year, that someone gets it into their heads that they will be the one to kill “The Witch of the Woods”. None ever even make it to him, losing themselves in the enchanted trees.
These trees are older than him, and their magic is their own. They like him and welcome him among them, but otherwise are hostile to outsiders. In the beginning, he had tried to help those who became lost in the woods, but those days have long since passed. Despite what his uncle says about his soft heart, Eddie’s become bitter and jaded and he no longer pays any mind to those who venture into the woods.
But this time, something is different. Eddie feels the disturbance of someone crossing into the forest, feels the shift of magic as the forest warps around them, and it’s… different. The ways and paths of the trees are second nature to him, he can tell by the shimmer of magic against his skin which paths have been revealed and which hidden away and this…
The forest is being lenient, gentle. The interlopers are shown the ways to peaceful places, soft and danger-free. Eddie can recall only a few times that the forest has been kind to intruders, and it has almost exclusively been to children.
So he’s more than curious already when he feels the buzz of more people crossing the boundary into the woods. A lot more. And Eddie realizes that this hunt is not for him.
The trees are not so kind this time, opening its twists and turns like a maze, a trap for anyone foolish enough not to turn back immediately. They don’t, of course. They never do. Eddie pays them no mind, drawn instead by curiosity to the two that are being pursued.
He steps between the trees, slipping into a space that’s folded away between reality, picking his way with ease through paths that are there and paths that are not until he emerges at the edge of a small clearing, moonlit and mossy. Theres a tiny spring-fed pond and there, limping toward it, is a wolf. It’s huge, the size of a small bear, with a strong frame and thick russet fur.
It notices him at the same time as he notices it, and it’s massive head swings to face him, teeth already bared in a snarl. It’s hackles raise, and it turns fully, squaring up, a threatening growl rumbling across the little clearing to him.
Eddie steps back, already gathering his power until it glows around him with dark energy, because this is no normal wolf. Even without the size and the silver trap clamped around its leg giving it away, he can see it in its eyes, feel in its presence that this is something more.
He recalls his childhood, the warning tales at his mother’s knee. He remebers later, freshly chased out of town and taken in by his uncle, watching as the old man leafed through his ancient book and warned Eddie that he wasn’t the only dangerous thing in the wilds. Eddie has no doubt that he’s come across one of those dangerous things now. He looks at the wolf and knows exactly what he’s seeing.
A werewolf.
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The best thing about Yami as a character is the fact that he has secrets, not out of a desire to keep people in the dark or a sense of shame for his past.
But because he probably doesn’t think to let people know stuff about him.
The audience is consistently shown that Yami has connections to people and none of the Bulls are made remotely aware of it.
Lotus reveals he had an encounter with Yami and Luck’s response is to ask “you know the captain?” Not say “The captain’s mentioned a guy like you before.” Safe to say that Yami doesn’t even boast about his past battle victories.
Henry’s existence, despite the Bulls living in Henry’s house, is a surprise as the squad thought he was a ghost at first. It’s honestly silliest case since how does a group go 6-7 years without meeting their (essentially) landlord?
Zora’s status as a Bull comes as a shock to Asta, Noelle, and Luck at the gathering of the Royal Knights. And none of the Bulls recognized him at the exam so he never showed himself earlier and Yami likely didn’t talk about him even to describe his looks.
Nacht being vice captain, the fact that the squad had a vice captain at all to top it off, was a bombshell to Asta but also long standing members like Finral and Vanessa.
There’s also the fact that Yami has a sister back home which Asta was floored by. (Note that Yami outright lied about being born to fishermen but he just quietly omitted Ichika’s existence in his recounting of his life.)
The details of Yami’s history and relationships are a mystery to the whole squad. It’s not done maliciously by any means. Yami comes off as the type to think “they’ll find out eventually so no need to tell them now.” And leaves it up to fate whether or not anyone learns anything about his past.
Also, literally every time, those reveals happen at some wildly inconvenient times. It’s either in the middle of a fight or when everyone is stressing about an upcoming battle or after Yami’s been freaking kidnapped.
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My brain refused to let me sleep for a whole goshdarn HOUR last night because it *really* wanted me to write this.
So I've spent the whole day off-n-on working on this. I tried to follow through with showing his more manipulative yandere side, but idk if I actually did all that well at it...
Enjoy this late-night sleepytime brain worm anyway! ^w^
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"Sunshine, I need you. To quit. Squirming." Jack spoke through grunts as he tried to wrestle their phone from them. His Sunspot was being very uncooperative and he just needed them to stop and listen.
"I know you want to listen, love. Please, just stop struggling and hand me the phone. I wouldn't be able to hold you down right now if you didn't really want me to take it from you. So please Sunshine, just hand-"
Their pouty face hurt his heart to see as he succeeded, but it was for the best he reminded himself.
"There we go!" He sighed. Letting go of them, he motioned for them to stay where they were as he proceed to get up and hide that little black object.
If it wasn't necessary for their work, he'd just break the stupid thing. One less distraction away from him. One less way for others to try and take them away...
"I know you're not happy about this, I know. But we need to talk. One on one- no distractions and no interruptions."
"I could have just turned it off."
"And no temptations." He stressed temptations as he sat down beside them on the couch. They sat up, rolling their eyes and crossing their arms.
"Alright," they said with a huff. "What is it that's so important you had to take my phone away?"
"You of course, and the fact that you," he put a hand on one of their arms before he continued, "have not been taking proper care of yourself!"
"Oh, pfft, is that all?"
Jack looked mildly frustrated.
"Must I make it clearer how serious I am?"
"Look, Jack, I know how you worry about me a lot, but I'm fine. Really!" They tried to pass off the slight cough that cut them off as intentional throat clearing.
"You've been overworking yourself to the point of making yourself sick, you hardly eat or sleep, and you only recently got over the cold a coworker gave you!"
"I never caught that cold-" A more noticeable coughing fit cut them off and Jack looked wholly unconvinced.
"My point exactly. If you keep going like you have been this past month, you're going to burn out and potentially have an accident. I can't sit idly by and watch you hurt yourself like this!"
Silence was all that met him as they looked away. He could tell they were starting to face the music- the fact that he is right.
"W-well, okay, maybe you are right. I haven't been able to spend much time with you lately either. But what am I supposed to do? The bills won't pay themselves..."
"First off, you've got more money than you think. Secondly, if you're willing, we can make a budget. I'll even help you stick to it."
"Helping me stick to things is one thing you are pretty good at."
"See? Look, you don't have to figure this stuff out alone. I know you stress about money a lot, but at least let me try to help you. It's the least I can do since I can't make money myself, yeah?"
They nodded. Accepting help from him in the form of housework, companionship, and daily reminders had been okay and quite natural to do even. What's one more thing? He was willingly offering to help them budget- something they weren't good at not freaking themselves out about. Jack's help could be the difference they needed in getting their finances- and their work life balance- under control.
"Yeah, I... I think I would like help with that, actually."
"Thank you for trusting me, Sunshine. I promise you, we're going to figure this out. Together. However the budget making can wait until tomorrow."
They quirked an eyebrow up at his words.
"Tomorrow? What are we doing now then? It's still only eleven in the morning. Am I getting my phone back?"
Jack couldn't help but chuckle at their confusion.
"Oh no, we're not doing anything today beyond making sure you get rest. Playing on your phone is not rest, so you'll be getting that back tomorrow."
"But-"
"No but about it! Besides, maybe I'd like to take care of you. Bundle you up in a blanket with a piping hot bowl of soup. Spend that time talking with you..."
They couldn't lie, that did sound nice. It'd been so long since they last got sick, it'd been awhile since they let anyone just take over for them.
"Can I make one request?"
"Is it about the phone?"
"Nope."
"Then go ahead!"
Something told them Jack wouldn't mind, but they still felt a little embarrassed asking anyway.
"Instead of a blanket, can I... can I wear your jacket?"
Jack smiled and ruffled their hair. He shrugged off the jacket and placed it around their shoulders.
"You look so cute in it Sunshine... Now sit tight and let me go get you that soup!"
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