A/N: Why have one intense moment when you can have two?
Canon name = nickname:
Velouria = Vella. Keaton = Keaty. Hinoka = Hina. Setsuna = Seta. Corrin = Lupus. Sakura = Saku. Ryoma = Red. Azama = Monkundo.
Epifanio Theron: Well, it's nice to meet you, too. I'm am quite glad you find this entertaining, because I know I'm finding myself chuckling from time to time as I place in this, sometimes admittedly bizarre, scenarios.
You know, when I looked up Seta on Google Translate, for what it's worth mind you I know Google Translate should not be relied on for everything, it actually 'recognized' Seta as... Portuguese. But, that's not the weirdest part, as when translated to English, Seta means... Arrow. If that ain't a coincidence, then I don't know what is. The only thing I really did was shorten these characters' names, but somehow Setsuna's shortened name means arrow. Behold, Lupus and Seta... a.k.a. Wolf Arrow.
And I hope to keep providing wonderful chapters. Also, have no worries on me giving this up, I'm gonna keep on truckin.
Half-beastdragonsoul2013: I haven't forgotten, and remember that Mikoto doesn't have a nickname either.
Consort: Seta is rising up very quickly in Lupus's support, it's the in-game equivalent of being beside each other for literally every turn. And oh, I didn't like typing up that nightmare all too well, else I would have actually went into a more descriptive state of the bodies. And... yeah.
Mikoto will get there... hopefully by the end of the chapter. I agree, at least in Fates. In Fates, I believe Dragonstones to be the 'safety' trigger of sorts, which locks out enough of a dragon's power to keep them from overwhelming the one transforming.
Once I saw that, I actually was really going to go with her climbing to a rooftop, but then I thought it over and saw it wouldn't flow that well with what I had in mind, oh well.
Zalde: Maybe ask Oboro... oh wait, nevermind. Oboro and Lupus are on like their 'F' support.
Guest (Chapter 8, Feb 27th): That is my favorite humorous line I have ever typed ever.
Corrin lets out a huge yawn as she curls around the now-stripped chicken. Without having that annoying 'etiquette' in her way, she quickly devoured all of the meat that the chicken had to offer. She also snapped off a few bones here and there, some for her, the rest for Keaty and Vella, though all of them went into her little bag.
She reminded herself to both thank Subaki and give him a really good nickname.
Perking her ears up and looking around the castle's gardens for a moment, she loves this place now, she sneaks a hand into her bag and pulls out a single bone, then begins chewing on it… She wonders how Vella and Keaty would like chicken. A fresh one, obviously… what does a chicken look like? Is it furred? Feathered? Just skin?
Crunch, crunch, snap, Corrin continues to chew on one of the chicken's bones as she slowly manages to relax into a position more suited for napping. At least she can admit the bone still tastes good, even without any meat on it.
A part of her wonders what the others thought of her sudden departure. Sure, they obviously missed her, they want her back, and they care about her, but how much of that translates to understanding what she wants and needs? Her thinking pauses for a moment, how does Seta feel about it? Corrin finds herself being more concerned with how Seta reacts.
Corrin's ears perk up as she picks up some quiet and distant footsteps… yet when she looks around? No one, nothing. Thinking it off as someone in a nearby hallway. Resuming on her fragmented chicken bone, she takes a few more bites…
And stops as she hears grass shuffling alongside the footsteps. Letting out a small growl, she's standing the next moment, sword in hand, chicken bone in her mouth, and staring straight at the invisible source of the noise. When she did stare, the sound stops. Corrin stands perfectly still, eyes narrowed and ears perked. Second by slow second passed and she was about to finally shrug it off…
Thump, thump, thump. The distinct pounding of a heart sounds out, and she knows it isn't her own.
"Some beasts hide in plain sight, pup." The alpha once said, as one of the younger Wolfskin came back with severe bites and scratches.
"How?" Corrin asked.
"Color, they can change their body color." He paused and lets out a guttural chuckle, "Not that it's perfect. We have more than eyesight to track things down."
"Like how Keaty and Vella and me can sniff scents?" She scooted a bit closer, absorbed in whatever the alpha will share with her.
"There's that, yes." He nodded, "But, sometimes other scents may interfere with your judgement, so…" He crouched down some, "Place a hand over your chest, listen and memorize the sound of a beating heart. A frightened beast's heart can give its location away as easily as it's scent."
Corrin did just that, placed a hand over her chest and listened, "Thump, thump, thump." She vocally mimicked her heart beat, "Thump, thump, thump." She burned that sound into her memory…
Thump, thump, thump, the life sound echoes through the area. As soon as another step was made by this thing, Corrin attacked. With her senses locked on to it, and a speed that exceeded most humans, she lashed out. The ring of metal sounded out soon after, as this invisible thing is now, well, visible. The man held a short sword in his hand and is struggling to redirect Corrin's blow.
Thump, thump, thump. His heart starts beating faster, as he finds himself unable to even move his sword arm under the pressure of Corrin. He has fiery red hair, a scar over one eye, his mouth covered with a mask, yet none of that really mattered to Corrin, because there was another detail that triggered a growl.
His outfit is one-for-one just like the one that man had who attacked Vella's group. Pressing her sword down even harder, she hears the blades starting to crack under the sheer force she holds. It seems he noticed as well, as he decides to let go of his sword completely and take a quick step back. Corrin wastes no time following up on the previous strike, yet this time he simply dodges…
His kind are still too fast.
...but she also refuses to be outdone again.
A third, a fourth, again and again Corrin lashes out, closing a mere inch with each failed strike. Perhaps the man is simply waiting for her to wear out. Soon, he's forced to use another weapon, this one in a shape of a star. The sound of metal clashing echoes out once more, but it takes much less time before he's forced back again.
Except this time, instead of trying to hit him with her sword, she snatches him by his outfit and slams him on the ground. The man coughs as his body makes a small indent in the ground, before he now struggles to remove her arm off of his chest. Corrin picks him back up and slams him down a second time, earning sweet satisfaction, the scent of blood. Now fueled by both the rage of his kind hurting Vella and the invigorating scent of blood, she picks him up a third time, but this time she hurls him across the room, with enough force to crack the wall his back hits.
She goes to charge him as he lands, but a pair of arms suddenly grab her… another person she doesn't recognize. "Lady Corrin, please stop!" She exclaims, "He isn't your enemy." Corrin pulls forward, undeterred by her protests. "Stand down." Another tug as Corrin starts to drag the woman with her. "...I see, then." Another shing of metal, then Corrin gasps as she feels a blade pierce her side, yet the strike was shallow.
It didn't take long for Corrin to realize the blade had some sort of sedative coating it. "I… won't." Corrin breathes as she still manages to take a few steps. "I…" The red hair man looks past Corrin, probably to the woman behind her.
"Damn it Kagero, she's still walking!" His voice comes out deep and harsh.
"She's already near the lethal dose, Saizo! I'm not killing her." Kagero bites back.
"And if she kills someone else?!" Saizo readies one of those star things, as it's coated in a sickly green liquid.
"I won't let you. You know how much the Royal family mourned her being lost to the Nohrians." She resolves, now getting in front of…
Corrin lets out another, if weaker, growl as she notes her clothing as well. "Kagero!" Saizo calls out.
"Saizo! Kagero!" Another voice booms out, "Gods, sister?! What is going on here?" It's… Red?
"B-B-Big S-S-Sister!" Saku screeches as she runs to Corrin's side. "Wh-where's the an-anti poison? Festals can't cure toxins!"
"He'll… They'll." Corrin coughs up as she manages to still stand.
"Daughter?" Mikoto is the next to come in, "Please, relax." She places a gentle hand on Corrin, who jerks away.
"I'm… not… finished with him!" Corrin growls out as she starts to feel… something?
"Lupus?" Seta's voice rings out, as she runs to be in front of her, "Hurt, angry." She tilts her head, keen eyes scanning her over.
"Not now… Seta." She hisses with that untold danger lurking behind her eyes, the thing better left caged.
"Lupus…" Seta frowns. "You wanted to learn swords, right?" She suddenly asks, "For… them?" The rest are silent as Seta seems to have hit a weak spot on Lupus.
"I do." Lupus concedes, "But, him…"
"He wasn't with them." Her head tilts in the other direction, "We're here for you, Lupus. We all want to help you." A beat passes, "I want to help you. You're a really good friend." Satisfied with her reasoning, Seta smiles that lazy smile.
Lupus spares another glare at Saizo, before looking at Seta, "I…" She then looks away, "You're a really good friend, too." Her eyes dart around the room, "I'm sorry."
"Corrin?" Red reaches out. "Is there anything else we can do to avoid issues like this?"
"Agreed. If there's anything we can do, daughter." Mikoto steps up once more, placing a hand on her shoulder again.
A pause as Lupus thinks things over, "...Mother?" She slowly asks, as if uncertain if the woman who calls herself her mother is in fact, her mother. "I do have a question, actually."
"How is she walking again so quickly?!" She overhears Saizo harshly whisper. "I thought you said she was near the lethal dose!"
"And I'll do my best to answer." The two face each other, Mikoto's gentle and loving smile countering Lupus's forming frown.
"She was!" Kagero counters, "If I did that to anyone else, they'd almost certainly be dead!"
"Things turn to a haze when I get angry and I hear… roaring." Lupus looks away, "Do you know anything about that?"
Now it's Mikoto's eyes scanning the room, "I do, but we're going to need some time to explain it all. Corrin dear, there are some things you need to know about you… and only you." She gently says. "Will you come with mama and hear her out?"
Before she answered, Lupus looked at Seta again, "Yeah, I can." She ends up nodding, yet she still reaches out for Seta, "I want her to come with me."
A beat passes, "I don't see why not."
Mik… Mother guided both Lupus and Seta across the halls, with Lupus practically attaching herself to Seta. "Seta?" Lupus finally breaks the silence, "Remember when I told you I didn't know what you smelled like?"
"Have you found a comparison?" She smiles.
"Well… not a direct one, but… you smell better than all of the good smells combined." Lupus's voice becomes smaller in that moment, and she ends up looking away, "I really like your scent." A pause, "Seta?"
"Yes, Lupus?" The two stop for a moment, mother stopping shortly after, a curious but happy expression on her face.
"Is it okay if I sniff you?" She breathes, "Like, a really deep sniff?"
"Yep." She casually answers, clearly unbothered by Lupus's clearly un-human-like request. Disregarding all personal space, Lupus shoves her face into Seta's body, trying to imprint as much of even the smallest variations of the scent she's come to know as Seta's. "Oh… hee hee…" She starts giggling, "Lupus, that tickles!"
"I'm… not, hee hee, done!" Lupus too, has started giggling, "Just a lil more." The two have started some sort of play struggle, with Lupus continuously trying to get closer to Seta, and Seta trying to get Lupus away from her more ticklish spots. To Mikoto, it seemed weird, almost concerning. To Seta, that's just how Lupus is. To Lupus…
It felt like she was back at the den, trying to pin down Keaty for a good sniff. The difference being that Keaty would just deny he doesn't like it, even though his tail wags up a storm. Seta clearly shows she likes it, but her ticklish side is getting in the way, well there's that and…
"Corrin!" Mikoto finally exclaims as Lupus pins Seta on the floor to get those last few sniffs in, "That's enough!" Neither Seta or Lupus moved after that final sniff, but instead they are simply staring at each other. The giggling has died down and a heavier breathing has replaced it, but it can't be due to exhaustion, Lupus is far too fit to feel tired after a minute or so of that.
There was another difference than when Lupus sniffs Keaty, it never had her heart racing so fast, it never felt so warm. "Seta?" The archer's face is flushing.
"Lupus." And hers in kind. Thump, thump, thump. Seta's heart is hammering, maybe even harder than Lupus's. Thump, thump, thump. Or maybe Lupus is really only hearing her own. The two remain there for several moments, as if unsure what exactly to do next.
No, Lupus really didn't know what to do next.
"Hold me?" Lupus finally squeaks out.
"Uh… I'm going to need my arms for that first." Seta lazily smiles. "The floor is starting to hurt a bit, too."
"Oh… oh!" At that, Lupus backs off, unwilling to hurt the woman so close… so dear to her. She extends a hand and helps her up. "...Sorry." Lupus looks away, suddenly feeling… she doesn't know exactly. It's weird, a tingly weird. It's a type of weird that only gets stronger as Lupus stays so close to Seta.
She backs off some, taking some of that tingly, prickly feeling a bit. "You didn't mean to, Lupus. It's alright." Seta seems just as put off.
Yet, for some reason, mother is smiling. Did Lupus do the right thing? It felt wrong to be that close to Seta, but it also feels wrong to be this far. It feels wrong to look at her so directly, but also wrong to look away.
Lupus just doesn't know anymore, she just hopes she didn't ruin what she has with Seta.
The three women continued their walk with a new blanket of silence, however this one is born of tension and just… weirdness. Lupus would occasionally flick her eyes towards Seta, but then look straight back ahead. She didn't really feel like holding her hand right now.
But she did feel like holding her head.
Why is this so confusing?! She never remembered the alpha talking about anything like this… there was only mating.
"Alpha, what's that really potent smell that comes from two Wolfskin sometimes?" Corrin asked at one point.
"Male and female?" He quickly countered.
"Uh-huh."
"Females go into heat. Males mate with them." He bluntly answered.
"Mate?"
"Breed."
"Um…" There were still a number of words Corrin didn't know the meaning to.
"No, there won't be a demonstration this time, pup." He quickly stopped that thought. "A male claims a female, the two mate, the female bears pups. Do you understand now?"
Corrin quickly nodded, not because she actually understood, but because the alpha had started to get aggravated. The alpha held no reserves. "Yes, alpha." And she knew that he knew that she didn't know.
"Good."
...But there's no heavy scent to speak of, only this tingling feeling. Females don't mate with females… females can't get females to bear pups. Yet, then why is Lupus associating this tingling with mating? It's something from her instinctual human side, but she never had anyone to reference to in her time in the Wolfskin dens.
She does now, though. Yet, when she opened her mouth to ask mother, she snapped it back shut. It felt… embarrassing to even think about bringing it up. Why? What are these feelings that are suddenly hitting her so hard?
Thump, thump, thump. Her heart is still hammering, too. Looking at Seta only makes it worse. Lupus has always associated a loud heartbeat with fear or adrenaline, but neither of those describe what she's feeling. She hasn't ran miles or climbed around steep cliffs, and there's absolutely no way she is even remotely afraid of Seta. What is this feeling!?
Lupus almost bumped into mother, as deep as she was in her own thoughts. "We're here." She gives the two that gentle smile.
"Um… Seta?" Lupus spares a single glance, before returning her gaze straight back forward. Thump, thump, thump, "I… maybe… could you wait outside?"
She isn't looking right at her, but she knows Seta is expertly looking her over, "Of course, Lupus." She also knows Seta is smiling that lazy smile, "I'll… return to Hina actually. She might need me. I'll see you later!"
"...You too." Lupus more of whispers than says, before looking at her mother with wide eyes, "So, what did you want to tell me… mother?"
She offers that gentle smile Lupus has come to associate with Mikoto, "Please, come in and sit. This will take a while." She opens the door to a room of sorts, it has a large… square-ish thing on one side. A soft carpet lines the floor, there are a number of smaller lights and other so many little things that Lupus doesn't know the name to, "I should probably start…"
"What's that?" Lupus effectively breaks the solemn mood as she points at the largest piece.
"That is a bed, Corrin."
"And that?" A mirror with a lot of little drawers and small…
"That's where I put on my makeup…"
"What's makeup?" Mikoto sighs… it seems she'll have to quell Lupus's curiosity before she can get to the part where she can explain what they came here for.