Happy Werewolf Friday, everyone.

This week has me feeling rather disillusioned. Recently, I found out that an acquaintance of mine has been harassed in my old college town. This is days after my best friend was yelled at by a group of homophobes while he was working. In the meantime, the Oompa Loompa sitting in the White House right now has declined to issue a statement for Pride Month (surprise, surprise). And don't even get me started on those men who were freaking killed for defending a pair of Muslim women.

It occurs to me that almost all of the important pieces I've written lately center around fighting against bigotry in some way. I mean, this story is a prime example. My novel, which is the first book in a fantasy series depicting a war between multiple sentient species, holds a strong message of coming together because of, not in spite of, the differences between people. I guess that's my way of fighting what's going on right now. I just hope that I'm able to reach even a few people and maybe change them for the better, so that they can go on to do the same thing.

On a lighter note, this chapter has some nice Black Sun for ya'll. Enjoy.

Blake sat in one of the few undamaged pews of the chapel, flipping through one of a handful of books that had been found in the priests' private library. According to Nebula, the holy people of the town had been among the first targeted by the vampires. After the near destruction of the chapel, the town had come together to rebuild it just enough to allow for use of the bell and limited religious services. During this time, they had found a small room of books they had never seen before.

In Obsidian, most books that could be found were instruction manuals concerning silver mining, and the occasional copy of the Good Book. It was a town mostly focused on hard labor rather than enlightenment. This was shown in the design of the church, which was much less elaborate than the tall, stone towers and stained glass of Burgundy. This place was a mix of stone and wood with most of the windows being plain and clear. Only a few near the front were lightly tinted with color.

Blake sighed as she flipped another page, looking at an illustration of a crazed werewolf. I shouldn't have expected to find anything, she thought.

Echoing footsteps down the aisle caused her to turn her head. Sun was approaching, glancing warily at the walls around them.

"This place really gives me the creeps," he muttered as he walked over. He noticed the picture in the book and grimaced.

"I'm trying to find some information on vampires and their relationship to werewolves," Blake explained. "But there isn't much." She closed the book with a thud. "There's plenty about how they're both creatures of evil, but nothing about the differences between them."

Sun sat down next to her. "I mean, the differences seem pretty obvious, don't you think? We turn into wolves, they look like scary Grimm people."

"Yes, but there has to be a connection between us," Blake insisted. "Why else would vampires be immune to werewolf powers? Why else would they be afraid of getting bitten by us?"

"Good point," Sun admitted. "But I don't think you'll find anything here. What about Roman? Doesn't he have lots of books?"

Blake chuckled dryly. "Not the kinds of books I'm looking for right now."

"Maybe some of the older wolves know something, like Ferron or Tukson."

Blake picked up the book and returned it to a table that held all the other recovered tomes. "They might."

"I saw Tukson over near the woods. I can walk you there if you want," Sun said, mentally smacking himself for how overly-eager he sounded. Truthfully, he had come wanting to ask Blake something, but was wondering if he would have to wait a while longer.

"If you want," Blake said, though her brows were furrowing with confusion. Why did Sun seem so jumpy? They stepped outside, into the warm sunlight. She took a deep breath, replacing the musty air from the church with air that smelled of distant trees, dust, and blood. It wasn't ideal, but one couldn't expect much from a place under constant siege.

They walked in silence, Sun's tail swishing back and forth, occasionally brushing against Blake's side or leg as it did so. After the fifth touch, Blake looked up at him. "Okay, why are you so nervous?"

Stupid tail… Sun grinned sheepishly. "I was just wondering something, but it can wait."

"If it's quick, you can ask me now," Blake said. She wanted to talk to Tukson, but knew that Sun would likely fidget all day until he talked about what was bothering him.

"I, well, it's dumb, and…"

Blake groaned and led them around the corner of a building, stopping in the shade, away from the sound of other townsfolk. "Just tell me what it is, Sun."

Sun blushed, staring at the ground. There was no turning back now. "Remember when the pack separated and you went with the group to get Corsac?"

"Yes. So?"

"Um, not sure if you remember, but…" Sun coughed. "Before we left, you, uh…"

"Kissed you?" Blake finished, feeling her cheeks warming to contrast her to-the-point tone. "Why on earth would I forget that?" It was technically my first kiss after all, even if it was on a whim…

Sun's blush deepened. "I wasn't sure if- I mean, I didn't know whether-" He took a deep breath. "Is it okay if I kiss you?"

Blake's ears straightened and her breath caught in her throat. She probably should have been expecting something like this to come up soon, considering how close she and Sun were at this point. Still, to be blatantly asked something like that…

She knew that werewolves were more casual about certain things, and that kissing was possibly one of them. Among humans and Faunus, kisses on the lips were generally reserved for people who were very serious about each other. As in, they would likely be officially engaged within the month.

When she had kissed Sun, it had been a decision made in the spur of the moment, knowing his feelings for her and wanting to give him something special before a long separation.

Then again, was she jumping to conclusions? Were kisses just as sacred to werewolves? She wasn't sure. If that was the case…

"What would it mean if I said yes?" she replied hesitantly.

Sun's tail flicked. "For now, just a kiss." He ran a hand through his hair nervously. "I'm not sure how humans and Faunus do things, but werewolves don't declare their mates till the spring. They're allowed to go from person to person during the other seasons, in case they need to figure out who they want to be with the most."

"I see." Blake was surprised at the pang of disappointment she felt in her chest.

"I like you a lot, Blake," Sun continued earnestly. "And…when spring comes around, I definitely see myself asking you to be my mate. You don't have to commit to anything now, though."

Blake felt an uncomfortable twisting in her stomach at the thought of spring, and she decided to ask a question that had been bothering her ever since she had first developed an attraction to him. "Sun, what will you be like during the spring?"

"Huh?" Sun blinked in confusion. "What will I…" His eyes widened suddenly as realization hit him. Of course! Adam was her only experience with the mating season!

"I'd be like me, Blake," he said, his gray eyes firm and serious. "When the mating season comes around, werewolves do get more…lustful. That part is true, but it doesn't make them lose control. Mated pairs will be more passionate, and couples who were thinking about it before will be more likely to mate, but that's it. Any wolf who uses the mating season as an excuse to rape someone is nothing but cowardly scum. The only wolves who might lose control are whelps, and that only happens if they're approached by someone else, which is why courting a whelp is generally not allowed."

Blake nodded slowly. Sun's words did make sense. She had seen the werewolves mention the mating season with smiles on their faces. For them, it wasn't something to fear. "So, you've never seen someone force themselves on someone else?"

"Not in Cinder's pack!" Sun declared. "I mean, some can't take a hint and need to be firmly told to beat it during courting encounters, but none of them ever did anything that the other wolf didn't clearly want."

"That's good to know," Blake muttered, suppressing a shudder as she remembered that suffocating moment when she had been pinned under Adam, feeling his hot breath on her neck.

She looked back at Sun, realizing with a start that he was still waiting for an answer to his initial question. If she was being completely honest with herself, she did want to kiss him again. It wouldn't do any harm to indulge once, would it? She had until spring to figure out what exactly she was ready for.

"You can kiss me," she found herself saying. "If you want." She closed her eyes, feeling her muscles tensing a little despite Sun's reassuring words.

She heard his feet shuffling closer, felt a warm breath on her face. Then, she felt the softest of touches on her lips. It was less of a kiss and more of a series of quick, light brushes of skin. One warm, calloused hand came up to cup her cheek as Sun kissed her just a little more firmly.

Sun's heart was pounding as he kissed Blake's cool, soft lips. He desperately wanted to deepen this contact, but didn't want to risk scaring her away. When he didn't feel her moving in response, he wondered if it would be best for him to stop.

Cautiously, Blake stepped closer, placing a hand on Sun's chest, feeling his heartbeat beneath his warm skin. She tilted her head, reciprocating the tentative kiss.

The two remained in that position for a few minutes, then parted. Both were smiling and both were sporting flushed cheeks and shining eyes. Sun pecked her cheek once more, then backed off.

"Tukson's over that way. Want me to go with you?"

"Do you want to listen to a bunch of theories concerning the connections between werewolves and vampires?"

"Honestly, not really," Sun laughed. "I just want to kill those bastards and go home. You can tell me later if you figure out anything interesting."

"Fair enough," Blake chuckled. "Thanks, Sun."

"Do non-werewolves usually thank people for kissing them?" Sun asked, his eyes glittering.

"That's not what I meant!"

Sun grinned. "Yeah, I know. See you later, Blake."

Blake rolled her eyes as she walked off, though she couldn't will the fond smile from her face, no matter how much she tried to look annoyed. She activated her beta powers, locating Tukson a few yards into the forest. He was sitting on a log, eating some blackberries from a bush.

"Hello," she called out as she approached.

Tukson grunted in reply, eating a handful of berries. "Have a seat. Plenty here for you."

"Thanks." Blake sat down and picked a few berries from the bush. She popped them in one by one, enjoying the tart, sweet flavor. "So," she started. "You mentioned that you, Ferron, and some others had experiences outside of Adam's pack."

Tukson nodded. "Yes. I was changed at an older age than is usual. Before that, I ran a bookstore. We didn't sell the trashy books that Roman seems to like so much," he added.

Blake decided not to bring up the fact that she actually enjoyed those books. "Did you read anything about vampires?"

"There were some stories," Tukson said. "Most of them were fairy tales, just as much as the ones involving werewolves. They all were about a hero going off to kill them. The religious texts are the same way."

"I know. I read through most of the ones here," Blake sighed. "I want to know what the connection is between vampires and werewolves. There has to be one."

"I agree. I wish I could be of better help to you." Tukson took another handful of berries. "You're familiar with the story of how werewolves were made, yes?"

Blake nodded. "The Moon blessed a girl and her little brother, who were ravaged by Beowolves, and gave them the ability to kill Grimm."

"In the story Adam told me, it was a singular man who later transformed four women, who he then had pups with. Interesting." Tukson shrugged. "But, the idea is the same. We were given the ability to destroy the Grimm through a gift they unwittingly could give us. The vampires are our opposites, based on what I've seen: They appear as Grimm-like beings and have constant control over the Grimm around them. Perhaps, they really did make a deal with the devil. Maybe they were made in response to the creation of werewolves, or visa versa. Who can say?"

"Do you think we can defeat them?"

Tukson chewed thoughtfully. "Not sure," he muttered. "They're pretty powerful, but we outnumber them by a lot. Then again, we don't know what else they might have hidden in that mountain of theirs. Either way, I have a feeling things will end soon, one way or the other."

Blake ate a few more berries before standing up. "Want to come back to town with me?"

Tukson shook his head. "Nah. Too many humans. Just because we have a truce doesn't mean I like being around them. I forgot how stifling those big buildings can be." He let out a snort. "I wonder how I kept my sanity in that shop for so long."

"Bookshops are special."

Tukson grinned. "True that, little lady. True that."

….

That night, Salem ordered another attack on Obsidian. She had Tyrian and Watts lead the Grimm into the town. The Nevermores blocked out the stars and moon as they swooped low, snatching at people.

It would be nice if they could bring Salem a meal, but that wasn't the main objective of this attack. It was time for Obsidian to be wiped from existence. No human or Faunus would live to tell of the werewolf alliance. If she could kill the entire werewolf pack, that would be nice, but she didn't think that would likely happen.

Let them live the rest of their lives remembering, she thought with a smile. They will never live in another human town. Others will come, and they will see the signs of battle. They will blame the werewolves along with the Grimm for Obsidian's destruction. All the better for me.

Her pet peered from the shadows of the deep cavern, snorting impatiently, wondering why it wasn't allowed to join its fellow Grimm in the slaughter.

"Want…fight…"

"Yes! Wriggle the blades within my spine! So good!"

"Patience, love," Salem cooed. "You will see carnage yet."

This attack would guarantee that the people of Obsidian would get no sleep that night. Then, with the coming of morning, the vampires would retire to await the following evening.

In the meantime, her precious Nuckelavee would finally get to add to its ever-growing collection of broken weapons and bloodstains. Then, the vampires would tie up any loose ends when night came around again.

It's almost a pity, she mused with the slightest of smirks.. By nightfall, I'll hardly have anything left to do.

I know I'm not the President, but here's my statement for Pride Month: Keep fighting, not just for the rights of LGBT people, but for the rights of anyone who is hated for being different. Step up and help someone if they're being harassed. When the time comes to vote for our representatives, vote for people who value human rights and equality. Whether you're LGBT, Muslim, atheist, black, white, purple, or a werewolf, you matter. Never forget that.

Peace out!