Disclaimer: I do not own Noblesse. The Story in the Characters belongs to Son Je Ho and Lee Gwang Su.
Notes: I get inspired by a conversation between darkicedragon and Weeping Detective. As always a big thanks to Pandora-Twist for the corrections and also a thanks for the picture darkicedragon.
D: "werewolves that can only turn into actual wolves are boring tbh"
excuse you
Weeping Detective: like hell they're
Weeping Detective: come one a werewolf acting as a pet because they're low on money
Weeping Detective: or just like getting petted
Weeping Detective: or something
D: EHEHEHEHE.
D: wolf!kentas just dropping his huge furry butt onto m21 bc he wants pettings plz. and attn. also kisses
Weeping Detective: niceee
Weeping Detective: getting brushed is something else too
Weeping Detective: no work involved
Weeping Detective: just relax and let someone else do it for you
D: yussssss. and then he'll repay the favour if/when m21 goes wolf and wants to be petted/brushed then
Weeping Detective: and helping him out to getting used to being in wolf form
D: yesssss
Weeping Detective: somehow m21 can do human expressions in wolf form
D: there is much eye rolling
Weeping Detective: it's in top 5 for most entertaining things to watch (ranked by several human, lords, werewolves, etc)
D: XD
D: plus, m21's used to just doing human expressions, so he just DOES them even though his face doesn't line up like it used to
Weeping Detective: XD
Weeping Detective: the EYEROLL OF DOOM tm transcends species
D: AHAHAHA
It all started with this big brown dog. Tao, Takeo and M21 sat in a cafe in the city and enjoyed one of their rare breaks. It was Tao's idea to drink a caffe and he would not have waited if they disagreed so they came along. Now that they were here, it was quite nice actually … unusual and kind of bizarre, given that they were in close conflict with the Union … but so was Tao.
While he was still talking, M-21 looked out of the corner of his eye as a dog approached and for some reason interested him enough that he turned his head to look at him. At first he noticed the size. This dog was built like a bear and stocked with shaggy brown fur. Some passersby drew back fearfully, but nothing happened. The dog laid down in a shady spot and stretched out with pleasure.
"Looks like a wolf," Tao played with his straw.
"Nonsense," murmured M-21, not letting the dog out of his sight. A child approached the dog and plucked at one of the ears. "Why would a wolf be in a big city?"
"M-21 is right," Takeo interjected. "The guy is really big … I'm a little worried about all the children. What if … "
At that moment, the dog licked an insistent child with his tongue across his face. The trio shrugged unanimously when they saw this.
"He would not do anything," replied M-21. Strangely, he was absolutely certain.
"If the expert says so," Tao grinned and looked at M-21 "Who knows … maybe dogs notice that you are part werewolf. Every dog you've met so far has obeyed every word from you."
"Shut your mouth Tao" M-21 snapped. He knew that Tao might be right with his theory, but if that really was the case, he really did not want to know. Not everything, where his heart was concerned.
The dog on the street stopped playing with the children for a moment and turned his head over to them as if he had heard what they were talking about.
-.-.-.-
"M-21!" Tao's excited shouts came in through the open balcony door. M-21 sighed heavily and put his book aside.
"What is it?" He was half bored and half annoyed as he stepped onto the balcony. Instead of an answer, Tao pointed down to the garden grinning from ear to ear. On his left, Takeo looked sympathetically at him. In M-21, an uneasy feeling spread.
"That can not be true" he managed to speak as looked down and he saw the huge brown dog they had seen in the city. He was sitting in their garden now … Frankenstein's garden.
"We should take him away before he starts digging holes or scratching the door" Takeo suggested. M-21 broke out into cold sweat at the mere thought and to his misfortune the situation became even worse. The dog had seen him and rose gently, waving his tail. When M-21 did not react quickly enough, he threw back his head and howled. All dogs in the area went crazy.
"…"
"What's going on here?" predictably Frankenstein's voice came from behind. "What is this noise?"
Silently, M-21 made his testament.
-.-.-.-
"Did you invite him?"
Frankenstein had ordered them into the living room. Together with the dog who sat next to the sofa and looked very satisfied. M-21 looked at Frankenstein incomprehensibly.
"Invite?" He repeated confused. "How could I have done that?" And why did Frankenstein let the animal in the house?
Frankenstein's eyes narrowed and M-21 resisted the urge to step back. "Hm …" slowly the blond man turned his head and fixed his gaze at the dog. "I understand …"
Understand what? Before M-21 could think about asking questions, Frankenstein had turned around and left the room "Be careful that he does not make a mess," he warned M-21 before slamming the door closed.
M-21 stared after him, then at the dog who had his tongue hanging enthusiastically. M-21 could swear that he was laughing at him.
-.-.-.-
"Stop it," M-21 snapped at the dog after he had been following him the whole day. During his patrol at school, he had run after him! And when the children asked him if this was his dog, he did not know how to react.
The animal sat down on its hind legs and tilted its head. Determined to ignore the dog, M-21 went to the kitchen to get something to drink. The dog continued to follow him there.
In the evening he slumped tiredly on the sofa and stared at the animal. The dog simply stared back. M-21 sighed heavily and lowered his head. Takeo, sitting next to him, patted his shoulder sympathetically.
"He just doesn't get tired," M-21 hissed irritably, looking angrily at the dog. "What do you really want from me?" The dog got up and put his head on M-21 lap. Expectantly, he stared at him.
"Maybe he want pats?" Suggested Tao.
As if, thought M-21, but he didn't have any idea either. Hesitantly he dug his fingers in the thick fur, surprised that he was so soft. The dog closed his eyes delicately and sighed as M-21 scratched him and scratched behind his ears.
Apparently this really was the only thing he wanted. Then he left the house.
-.-.-.-
M-21 was a light sleeper. It was a habit, he always woke up very quickly when something unusual happened. Especially when a huge dog hopped suddenly on his bed at night!
In the first moment, he was not aware at all that it was the damned mutt! Not until he had thrown him out of pure reflex against the wall. He got up in a flash, turned his hands in anticipation of a fight.
Breathing heavily, he found the dog instead, who had shaken himself up and was staring in visible anger at M21. From the hall steps were heard, and Tao and Takeo burst into his room, alarmed by the noise they had heard.
The two looked similarly perplexed as M-21 felt. The idea that Tao perhaps had lead the dog in was rejected at the sight immediately. How did the dog came in? M-21 was furious and let his transformation go and grabbed the dog roughly on the neck skin. The animal growled loudly, it sounded like a dull rumble and had he not been so damn pissed it might have impressed him.
Now, however, he was too angry and instinctively bared his teeth and growled back. He had never done this before. Inside, he shrank from himself, and his companions gave him uncertain looks.
"M-21 calm down …"
"No," M-21 snaps back. "I almost slit the throat of this stupid mutt!" He glanced angrily at the dog. The animal put on the ears and its growling shook as if it had understood what M-21 had said.
"Get out" M-21 hissed softly and the dog obeyed. Tao and Takeo exchanged a worried look, but it did not matter to M-21. He turned away and threw himself back on his bed.
-.-.-.-
M-21 would have thought that this one night would be enough lesson for the mutt, and in some ways that was true. It was just that he was no longer trying to sneak into his bed while he slept. He did it only when M-21 was awake.
M-21 kicked him out every time, but the dog was persistent. Just as he was about to throw him out again, which was not even that easy a task with such a heavy and massive body especially when he did not want to leave, he saw Raizel standing at the doorway. Raizel's brow were furrowed at M-21's attempts to haul the dog out.
"He wants to keep you company"
M-21 blinked at him and then at the dog who was sitting on his pillow.
"Why?"
"He likes you," Raizel replied and disappeared from M-21 view.
M-21 sighed and stared at the beast. The dog blinked and rolled demonstratively down on his pillow. He looked up at him with expectantly pointed ears. M-21 was tired and annoyed, but mostly just tired.
"The hell with you" he growled to the dog and laid down at the other end of the bed using his arm as a head pillow. The dog whimpered softly, but M-21 ignored him. Stupidly, it did not bother the mutt, and he crawled closer until he clung to his back. M-21 hissed in irritation, but this also did not interest his uninvited guest.
Slowly he relaxed. The other body next to him was warm and soft, and before M-21 knew he was already asleep. The next morning he felt as relaxed as he had ever before, and the dog was still lying next to him.
-.-.-.-
Somehow the mutt had managed to double. Unable to do anything other than stand by and ask himself if dogs could multiply themselves by cell division, M-21 stared at the new dog that laid next to the first.
The new one was about the same color as the first. But on further notice, his physique was narrower and smaller. To M-21, he looked more feminine than his buddy who was wagging his tail at his sight. The new dog raised her head, which was still quite massive and rose. She circled around M-21, sniffing at him. Then she returned to her colleague and laid down again.
So far so good … but how should he explain this to Frankenstein?
-.-.-.-
He was dead. He would definitely die. Even as Takeo and Tao patted his shoulders, he knew they could not do anything about it! He did not know how the dogs always managed to get into the house! And he did not know why they were becoming more and more!
Instead of the two he knew, although the female was rarely there, now there where four laying in the living room. One, another female, in front of the sofa, her head resting on her paws and looking at him curiously. Her coat had a strange rusty tone. Those ones he already knew were a little distant and seemed to be sleeping.
And the last one had made himself comfortable on the couch beside Frankenstein's Master. His giant skull was on his lap and he was letting himself be pampered by Raizel.
Raizel did not seem to mind. This was good. But the mutt with white fur laid on the sofa … on the SOFA!
"I'm dead," murmured M-21 tonelessly.
-.-.-.-
There were so many dangerous situations in his life. The attacks of the Union, the experiments, or the moment last week where he had confessed to Frankenstein that a giant, white dog had laid on the sofa.
A violent struggle against the Union in consequence of which the building collapsed and buried him among the ruins, counted. His attackers had left him there, probably because they thought they had kill him, and they were not completely wrong.
He was in a bad shape. It had to be burning somewhere. He could smell the smoke in the air and saw the threatening flickering of the flames in the dark. His mouth was full of blood and he had to spit out to breath better. His leg and many other bones were broken. Every movement was painful, yet he turned wildly, trying to get up. The fire came nearer and nearer, but he could not free himself. His injuries and the struggle had weakened him too much.
Meanwhile smoke had spread everywhere. He could not get enough air, his environment blurred with each second and M-21 wondered if the others had already noticed that there was a fight and were looking for him. Tired, he reared up with all his remaining strength and managed to pull one of his legs out of the debris. Then he collapsed, snapping between coughing and choking desperately for air.
Everywhere there was blood, too much blood. A wet snout touched his face. M-21 blinked and looked up. "You?" He murmured dizzy as he recognized the big brown dog who had been controlling him for weeks. Why? Asked M-21 but got no answer. From pure reflex, he made another attempt to free himself, accustomed to fight his survival.
M-21 shouted as his pain doubled. He gritted his teeth and hit the ground with his fist. A heat wave bubbling through his body, his bones crunched and shifted. Another wave built in him and he howled with pain, his eyes twisted upwards and he collapsed as everything around him became dark.
-.-.-.-
Tao was restless. His cameras had recorded a fight outside the city in which M-21 had been involved. They did not know how it had gone since Tao had lost contact and M-21 did not respond to his calls.
They had set up a squad to find M-21 as soon as possible, and Tao was right behind Frankenstein as he opened the outside door and froze. At the door stood GBD1, an abbreviation Tao had come for the giant, brown dog who stalked M21 and 1 because he was the first to land in the house. GBD1 had something in his mouth, which looked like a dirty, gray bundle. On closer inspection, Tao realized that it was a puppy.
"Takeo, go down to the lab and turn on the machines," Frankenstein ordered and took off his jacket. Tao observed irritably as Frankenstein took his time collecting the dog's puppy and wrapping it in his jacket.
"Boss?" He asked cautiously. What about M-21? What about his comrade?
Frankenstein turned around. He seemed upset, "This is M-21 and if you do not want him to bleed to death then hurry up now!"
-.-.-.-
Frankenstein had treated the puppy whom he called M-21, and then laid it in a small corp with a blanket. Now Takeo, Regis, and even Seira were standing in a circle, watching the gently rising and lowering of the small chest. Frankenstein had gone to change.
"I can not believe it's M-21," Tao murmured, straightening. The puppy and M-21 looked similar. Gray fur with black drawing and a scar on his muzzle. He had always made jokes about full moon, because it was generally known that werewolves transform at full moon. Only that it was not full moon. In addition, M-21 was a grown man and not a … child?
"My people are not good at concealing themselves from the humans" replied an unknown deep voice, "This form simplifies it for us."
Suddenly a man was sitting on the sofa. Takeo, Regis, and Tao readied themselves for battle. The stranger raised an eyebrow and made no attempt to attack them. In fact, he sat with a casual pose as if it was perfectly normal that he was there. To make it even stranger, Seira simply went to the kitchen to prepare tea and Raizel did not even bother to take off his eyes from M-21.
"Uh … Who are you?"
The man snorted and rolled his eyes. "Frankenstein would certainly find this funny. Too bad he is not here," scratching his chin he continued "Remember who was sitting here before, and then look at your comrade."
Who was previously sitting on the sofa? That was the white dog with the scars. The one who had always put himself on the sofa and had survived to general astonishment. And M-21 was there in the basket … as a puppy …
"Oh," Tao slipped out. "You're not a do… wolf," he corrected quickly. Not least because Takeo had pushed an elbow to his ribs.
"Just saved yourself there" the werewolf chuckled and took the tea cup which Seira handed him.
Tao sat down with Takeo on the sofa as well. Regis followed a little later. He was red at the revelation that the man was a werewolf, as if something embarrassed him.
"The visitors we all had lately … were they all werewolves?" Tao dared to ask carefully. The man nodded and somehow this explained much of what had happened the last few weeks.
-.-.-.-
"In contrast to Nobles, werewolves can control less of their aura and also tend to engage in spontaneous non-human actions due to their … temperament" Frankenstein took off his glasses "Muzaka here is a good example of this"
"Ah!" snapped the werewolf amused, not ruffled in the slightest by Frankenstein's attempt to annoy him.
"They like to change into wolves when they are among humans or are seriously injured. A transformation into such a form enhances their survival, although their wounds heal more slowly and also conceals their aura. It is like an energy saving mode"
"So M-21 turned into a wolf because he was wounded? Why did this not happen before?" Takeo asked. He had taken the basket with M-21 on his lap to keep an eye on him. Seira fixed M-21s blanket around him and Tao was sure that they would just like to pet him. He himself only held back because M-21 was injured. Although M-21 looked very fluffy.
"I suspect his abilities are still not sufficient. It could be, of course, that he needed only an impulse to transform himself" Frankenstein stroked his chin thoughtfully "Werewolves influence each other by their aura and energies and the younger learn a lot by looking and imitating. That's also why M-21 is here with Muzaka and not in the recovery room"
"He'll change back again?"
"As soon as his injuries are healed and he has enough energy" Frankenstein looked at Muazak "You did talk to Kentas, right? He told me that M-21 was in severe pain during transformation"
Muzaka replied to Frankenstein's eyes. "Some of my people have a hard time with it. Usually it gets easy with every transformation, until there is no more pain" his eyes wandered to M-21 "But the boy is not a born werewolf. I can not tell you how it will be with him"
-.-.-.-
They had just made dinner when M-21 woke up. Shortly before, GBD1 … uh Kentas had also returned. Still on four paws, he had sat down beside the sofa.
At first they heard a low noise. Tao was immediately at the basket and looked tense at its inmate. M-21 ruffled his paws and then opened his eyes. Unsure, he raised his head and laid it on the edge of the basket. Then he looked around, sniffling. Tao could see his eyes grow bigger and bigger as he noticed they were all bigger than him.
"Everything alright M-21?" Tao asked. M-21 opened the snout and squeaked. At last he looked absolutely horrified. Tao bit his lower lip to suppress a similar sound. It would be unfair to M-21.
"He does not look happy," Regis said.
"Not happy?" Muzaka snorts loudly and looks at M-21. He replied the werewolf's gaze, and Tao could see how he felt when he recognized who the man was and what he was. "This is an understatement"
Tao wanted to laugh, badly. But a look at M-21 was enough and they all refrained themselves. Muzaka was right when he said that it was an understatement that M21 was unhappy. His comrade sat with his head bowed, tucked in a tiny blanket and buckled in his provisional bed. The ears were laid down and his tail Tao could not see either.
When he tried to touch him, M-21 hissed maliciously.