A/N: Finally, getting back to Lupus's family! I'm sure they've been waiting patiently enough, but I'm also sure they would rather have their sister back with them, than spending her time with only the Kitsunes.
Delays are gonna start popping up. For those of you who are also following 'Confined', I am revising older chapters, which in turn pushes delays on the other fics that are 'WiP'... there is a list of those on my profile.
Also, I'll be including the nicknames with every chapter, as I hadn't realized it was causing potential confusion, also I'll be going back over the previous chapters and add in the nicknames that have been introduced then. The format, as usual, will be 'Canon name' = 'nickname'
Corrin = Lupus. Velouria = Vella. Keaton = Keaty. Setsuna = Seta. Hinoka = Hina. Sakura = Saku. Subaki = Superman. Ryoma = Red. Selkie = Silky. Kaden = Ka-da. Lastly, only Selkie/Silky refers to Corrin/Lupus as Lu-pu.
Curse of Whimsy: You could say her saliva is… 'Silky' sweet. HA!
Again, thank you for bringing that up, I wouldn't have noticed otherwise.
Consort: Yep, considering Silky is the only one who knows that Lupus can partially shift. Imagine the response when Lupus pulls that off in a sparring session.
Sausage1: ...maybe next time Silky makes her appearance and she attends dinner with the family. I could see Lupus like, "Hey, Silky? Mind opening your mouth again?" And then reaching in to add some 'sweetener' to her own food. And only Silky and Lupus are completely fine with it, while others are gagging and calling her out on that. I doubt even Seta would approve of that.
Lupus traveled the halls of Castle Shirasagi alone, with no real destination in mind. Well, she knew she wanted to spend time with a family member, but the question was, which one? She wandered from one spot to the next, she could pick up Saku's sweet scent, Hina's spicy, Seta's 'perfect' scent, Red's… 'sweaty'? Scent, and Takumi's… something.
She needs to give him a nickname and figure out both of their scents.
She happened to end up at the training yard, and despite the fact that the sun has since set, the moon has risen… Hina was out here, training. Well, Lupus at least knows who she is talking to first, then. "Hey, Hina?" She asks as she enters the area. It seems she has discarded her lance in favor of… fists? Hina is actually practicing her punching on a dummy. "Hina?!" She repeats, causing her big sister to jump in place.
Wow, she was really focused. "Huh? Oh! Little sister? What are you doing up this late?"
"I could ask you the same thing, H… big sister." She walked up, seeing that this dummy has suffered quite a bit of abuse, to say the least. She then noticed that Hina's knuckles have been bandaged and healed a number of times, "What's wrong?"
"I've been thinking…" She says, heaving a breath and stepping back, as if she was being fueled by adrenaline this whole time, and that source of energy has faded. "The last time you came in here, when we sparred." She looks at the dummy, which does sport a few blood stains here and there, "About being ready for anything." She sighs, "Sister… do you think we've failed you?"
"Huh? How?"
"Maybe I should've been there for that meeting, maybe I could've have brought you home then. Maybe we…"
"Okay, stop." Lupus interrupts her, "Yes, it was tough being in the pack, but I loved the time I spent there. I probably would have loved growing up with my family, but I also don't want to give up the time I had with the Wolfskin." A pause as Lupus steps closer, "So, is that why you were hurting yourself on this dummy?"
She has a small smile, "I suppose I was also trying to improve. I'll admit, it was embarrassing for you to best me that quickly."
She looks at the beaten dummy… before kicking in its chest and causing the whole thing to crumple down. "Yeah, I'm strong when compared to you, aren't I? But I'm weak when compared to Keaty and Vella when they shapeshift. I'm slow when compared to Silky and Ka-da in their shifted forms." She looks at Hina, who is gawking over the fact that the dummy just fell apart in a single strike, "But you have a very happy Pegasus and skills in a weapon. You have a huge dedication to protecting family. I think that even the alpha would have a hard time winning against you."
Perhaps Hina didn't believe her, because she ends up shaking her head. "I want to be the one to protect you." Oh… "I'm your big sister, I should be the one fighting off the ones who wish you harm."
"Alright, then what if the pack wants me back?" She narrows her eyes, "Would you fight off all of them?"
"Huh? Why… yes! I would! I'm not losing you again!"
"Even if I enjoy my time there?!"
"Sister! Do you not realize how much it hurt us when we heard our father died!? That you were taken away?!" Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, but she kept pushing, "I didn't leave my room for weeks until I one day decided that sitting around isn't going to fix anything! I took up the naginata, I trained harder than anyone here, just so I could bring you back!"
Lupus lowers her body, "Alright then. Show me. Show me how much you want me to stay here."
"By fighting you?" She looks confused.
"If you can't best me, you won't be able to fight off even the weakest of the pack. So, yes. You want to be strong enough to protect me? I can show you what I did to get this far."
Hina looks at the dummy, then at her little sister's fighting stance… the same one that floored her in a matter of seconds. "I… I'm not losing you again." With her resolve set, she also lowers herself.
"Again, too tense. Stop digging your feet in so much. Hands, be ready to grab." She points out. "Now then…" She would have continued, had Hina not went for a swift gut punch. And if Lupus were any slower, she wouldn't have been able to avoid it.
"Don't blink?" Hina smirked as Lupus barely stopped the incoming attack. "And always be ready." Lupus flashes her canines as she moves to sweep Hina's legs… only for her to perform a short hop.
… she learns quickly. A few more strikes ended up being thwarted by Hina. Maybe Lupus should stop holding back so much, then. Feeling that Hina is up to a better challenge, Lupus's mouth forms a small smile. Hina just might be good enough for a playfight! Lupus moves in for a swift side-punch, only for Hina to side-step it and retaliate with a strike of her own. It frankly didn't do much to Lupus, but the fact that Hina just dodged and landed an attack was enough.
Lupus lands a quick hit on her midsection, before grabbing an arm, looking to flip her around and floor her. Except… except that this time, Hina turn her grip against her, twisting Lupus's arm just enough for it to be painful, forcing her to release. "Don't underestimate my resolve, sister!" The fire in her eyes is burning bright… and the spicy scent Lupus has come to associate with Hina becomes more definite. "Do you realize how much losing you to the Nohrians hurt us?!" Hina's strikes became faster, yet they stayed accurate. However, they still lacked the potency, as they only put the most minor of stagger on Lupus, whose skin and physical tolerance is far higher…
She did grow up without the aid of armor, after all.
"Oof…" Lupus skidded across the ground as Keaty back-handed her hard enough to hit the ground. She was still learning, but even back then, there was an apparent difference between her and the pack. Keaty didn't need to shapeshift back then to easily best her. Lupus had built up her stamina, but she lacked the other attributes in fighting…
If she didn't double-down, she'd be useless.
"Sister…" Vella chided her, "You're going to get really hurt again."
"Don't care." She got right back up, refusing to stand down, "I'm not good enough yet. I… I won't be satisfied until I can hold my own against one of the pack."
"You're human. You can't stand against a Wolfskin." Keaty scoffed.
"I don't mean when you shift, brother! At least… I need to be at least good enough to best you all while un-shifted." Lupus charged Keaty again, before ducking under a quick and weak blow… but, the problem is that to Keaty it was weak, to Lupus it would really hurt to get struck by it. With a growl, she lands her first blow of the night on his side, and he retaliated by snagging her by the arm and flinging her across the grounds. Had Lupus not twisted her body mid-air, she would've hit the nearby den's stone wall head-first. Instead, her back ended up taking the brunt of it. "I… got a hit in." She coughed, but was otherwise pleased with herself.
"...You got lucky. I'm not really trying." Keaty brushed her off in his typically bluntness. "Honestly, stick with the traps."
"Brother!" Vella had redirected her chiding on him now, "You know how much this means to her." She walked towards Lupus, "Come on, let's get you some rest, okay?"
"Ow…" She whined as her sister's furred arms cradles her, then lifted her off the ground. Vella's expressions is concerned… understandable. Lupus can smell the distinct scent of blood, and she does feel somewhat light-headed. "I'm gonna get him one day…" She muttered as she ended up passing out, with a small smile on her face.
"I won't lose!" Hina exclaims, avoiding Lupus's latest strike, before she grabs her arm, slightly twisting it, before using her body to bring Lupus down to the ground. "See?" Hina is breathing rather roughly, as her foot is on her midsection.
"One… problem, sister." Lupus coughs.
"Huh? Ah!" The Wolfskin-raised half-human and half-dragon quickly grabs Hina's thigh, before using her superior strength to bring her down… even from Lupus's own downed position, then rolling over to pin Hina down.
"Gotta pin the other. Otherwise you're leaving yourself open." Lupus seriously states, no smile on her face this time. "Wolfskin don't give in just because they're on the losing side. They don't stop even if there are weapons trained on them. 'A cornered animal is the most dangerous'. Thinking you've won because you have a clear upper hand is an easy way to get yourself killed." With that, she gets up off of Hina, before helping her up.
"Shoot…" Hina mutters, "C'mon though. I did good, right? I held my ground, I still managed to knock you down."
For a moment, Lupus was going to respond in a 'Keaty' fashion with: Yeah, but I wasn't really trying… "Yeah, you did. I didn't think you'd get so good so quick."
Hina smiles, clearly proud of herself, "Gimme a few more days, and I'll be able to stand up to you without restraint." She puffs her chest, "I know you better than that, you weren't really trying, were you?"
"...You got me there." The two share a laugh. "But, you did do really good, honestly." Lupus then crouches down again, ready for round two…
"Alright, hold on. I never really fought like that, and my muscles aren't used to being used like that. I need a few moments." Hina states.
...Fair enough. Lupus used to have that same problem, granted that was something that was fixed very early on in her life, but it was there regardless. "...Hey, Hina? What were things like? When I was still here?"
She frowns, probably thinking more of Lupus's actual disappearance, rather than thinking on when she was here all those years ago. "Our big brother and mother could probably tell you more, but as for what I know? I suppose you always were rather active. We could never keep you still. I think… I remember mother jokingly complaining about how your diaper would be changed in one moment, but by the time the next one was ready, you'd already be half-way across the room."
"Diaper?" Lupus echoed.
"It's… a specific type of undergarment that babies use."
"I don't like undergarments."
"...I figured out that much." Hina sighs, "How did you handle the… uh, monthly problems without them?"
"Huh?" Lupus tilts her head. "What happens monthly?"
"The part where you, er…" For some reason, Hina suddenly seems so reserved, "bleed 'down there'."
"Why would I have a wound down there?" Lupus looks at her lower half, completely confused. "Is that a human thing?"
"Sister, you are human! Which is why I'm asking in the first place!" Hina's face lit up a brilliant red, almost outdoing her hair and eye color.
"I'm half-dragon, and no… I've never bled 'down there'." A pause, "Mother said I had scales when I was really young."
Hina seems thankful for the sudden shift in conversation, "Oh right… you did. It wasn't all the time, but they'd pop up quite often. We honestly thought you had some sort of rare disease, but the Shrine Maidens assured us that there wasn't anything wrong. After that, we accepted that the Dawn Dragon favored you."
"Family… what was father like?" Lupus plops down on the ground.
"Hm… the easiest way to describe father is to think of an older version of our big brother Ryoma. Older, wiser, and more experienced." She nods to herself, satisfied by her own answer.
"Oh… I can see that." Another pause, "So, how does it work? Having two rulers? Well, having more than one person in charge at all."
"Do you think the alpha could handle hundreds of thousands of Wolfskin on his own?" She asks.
"No way. Even if he was the only one strong enough to be a Wolfssegner, he couldn't mate with all of the bitches and…"
"Sister!" Hina chides her, "Please, watch your language."
"...Huh?" She tilts her head, "Wolfssegner?"
"No… the other word."
"About mating?"
"The one starting with a 'b'."
"Bitches?"
"Yes!"
"Why?"
"It's offensive to use, that's why."
"Alright… then it should be offensive to call you a 'Princess'." Lupus narrows her eyes. "Another human thing, then… fine. Alright. The alpha couldn't mate with all of the females in heat, and that would cause the number of Wolfskin to drop. So, for the good of the beast-race, they'd split up into smaller packs. Besides, it's also better for survival to be spread out."
Hina takes a breath, "Okay, so think of it like that. The King needs other people in charge so he can properly manage the entire country."
"...but he only mated with mother."
"Humans don't 'mate'."
Lupus sighs, falls on her back, before spreading her body out… already exhausted from all of the human things. "Can we talk about something else, then? Or are you ready for another playfight?"
"You know what? I think I'd rather spar." Ears perking, Lupus quickly gets back up, "Let's go! Round two!" Without waiting for her to even get into a proper stance, Hina moves to make the first strike, quickly earning the initial hit, it's a simple punch to the side, though it does seem she isn't holding back as much.
Perhaps Hina realized she can't really hurt Lupus that much? The Wolfskin-raised human dodges the next, before countering with a blow of her own, meant for her midsection, only for Hina to catch her fist… and being pushed back from sheer force, Lupus then weaved her other fist, but Hina redirected it with a backhand, then landing a punch with that same hand. Smiling once more, Lupus pulls her hand back, both fast enough and with a generous amount of force, to which Hina stumbled forward, and Lupus elbowed her on the gut, knocking the wind out of her and causing her to keel over.
Alright… maybe she still needs to restrain herself a bit.
But then Hina takes that hesitation and sweeps a legs under Lupus's legs, causing her to ungracefully fall. Yet, before Hina could pin her, Lupus had already shifted around, gotten back up and landed a quick, but softer, blow on Hina's arm. The next several strikes from either woman are dodged, deflected, or stopped outright. Of course, that also means the playfight was starting to heat up, going from the gentle and slow to rough and fast.
Lupus made sure she wasn't going overboard… something that became difficult to do as Hina proved to be a force to be reckoned with. She started growling. Miss, miss, deflected, dodged, stopped, Hina prevented most of the strikes, and the only ones she's been receiving are glancing blows… attacks that landed after being deflected a bit too poorly. However, on Hina's side of things, she has already managed to land several full-force attacks.
Hina smirks, Lupus smiles.
Looking to finish it off, Lupus quickly moves in and tackles Hina, before going to pin her down… or at least, that was the idea. In one last surprise move, Hina actually twisted her body enough mid-fall so that Lupus was the one on the ground, and unlike last time, Hina used her whole body to pin Lupus down. Her older sister was sweating waves, but she looked incredibly proud of herself. "How about that time? I got you serious, didn't I?"
Lupus nods, "Not enough to give it my all, but you did get me going… I like that. I'd like to have more playfights like that." The two women were breathing rather rapidly… Lupus will definitely need to get some proper exercise in again… she's starting to get lazy. She frankly wouldn't stand a chance against Keaty now, even in his unshifted form.
Or… or maybe Hina is just a whole lot stronger than Lupus expected.
Right as Hina got up and lent a hand to assist Lupus up, the sun finally showed itself. Then, of course, Lupus's stomach growled… Hina's soon followed. The two let out weary giggles, "Food?" Lupus suggested.
"It's probably time for breakfast, so yeah. Mind doing this again… uh, probably tomorrow. I'm gonna be sore today." Hina has a small smile as they walked.
"You betcha! I'll be looking forward to it!" Lupus nodded as she walked beside Hina, her big sister.
And oh… will there be playfights in the future.
A/N: If Hoshido has it... I wonder if Hina uses Old Spice?