Most people would be thrown off their usual vibe or homesick when they were forced to move to a rural town in the middle of nowhere when they were born and raised in a populated city. One would also think having been raised under such conditions would have them used to that busy life, however, not Asami Sato.
She had always been the odd bad and the quiet girl with no friends. She was shy and awkward around people except her family. So, needing to move to the middle of nowhere was a blessing in disguise. Her dad's work expanded so a new location was under construction meaning their family moved to be closer for obvious reasons.
As for her mom, she took that as an opportunity to expand her veterinary clinic. After some research, she discovered that the little town they were moving to, Little White, didn't exactly have one despite their wildlife.
So, after months of careful planning, the Sato family was quickly situated and welcomed to this town. While her parents blended in easily Asami was… well, she was still the same albeit less of a mess. Even though she'd die when school started, despite it being summer break, there weren't that many crowds of people making her jump for no reason, and while people loved gossip and whatnot, thankfully, they seemed to pick up that Asami was a quiet person quite fast.
Hopefully, the school will be the same.
On most days, Asami would be helping her mom at the clinic helping animals. On others, she would be holed up in her room reading books and if not, at the library or bookstore trying to find something new. That brings us to what Asami was currently doing.
Reading a book at the clinic late at night. It was only a couple minutes to closing and it was as quiet as ever. She ended up turning a few more pages before her eyes eventually gravitated toward the clock, midnight.
Perfect.
She quickly wrapped up whatever she had left before locking up and making her way home. As her boots crunched along the gravel, she readjusted the strap on her side bag before twitching when she heard a loud snap. She froze like a deer caught in headlights before clutching onto her bag and waiting a few seconds. When nothing happened, she let out a breath of relief before making her way again.
Thankfully her house was about a ten-minute walk away so it wasn't a long commute.
She only had to cross this bridge that was kind of eerie at night but just as she crossed it, she heard another snap. She froze in place again before searching her surroundings carefully. The darkness of the night was starting to seriously creep her out and she shifted her glasses before running the rest of the way home without turning back. Once she was inside her home, she quickly went up the stairs, changed, and hopped into her bed before hiding under her blanket.
She had a hard time sleeping that night.
xXx
"Asami, I'll be heading over to the next town for a while. Will you be okay by yourself?"
Looking up from Mister Wiggleton's medical chart, she pushed up her glasses before nodding. "Yeah, I'll be fine Mom."
Yasuko smiled with a nod. "Alright dear, call me if you need anything okay?"
"Will do," Asami nodded again before watching her mom leave. Once the door closed shut, she turned to face Mister Wiggleton. "It's just you and me now huh?"
Mister Wiggleton, a small pomeranian dog, barked once as if he answered her while wagging his tail furiously.
Asami quickly smiled before checking off the rest of the chart. In no time, the rest of her day went by in a flash because of all the work she had to do: checking up on the animals, taking them on walks, changing their litter, feeding them, giving them their medication, etc… and just like, it was near time to close again.
Sadly, Asami barely had any time to herself but that was okay. She loved animals, they were cute, sometimes an asshole, but really sweet nonetheless. It was easy to guess what they wanted and she didn't need to play guessing games to figure them out, unlike humans.
As she mindlessly mopped the rest of the floor, she jumped terribly when the phone rang, dripping the mop in the process. She groaned out loud before picking it up and setting it aside. After that, she begrudgingly picked up the phone but thankfully, it was just a simple question. She gave the worried owner some simple advice before finally calling it a day. Once she locked the door, she grabbed onto her side strap before furrowing her brows.
No matter how many days she walked home alone at night, she still couldn't get used to the eeriness. She knew this town had a low crime rate. The community was great and quite liberal and open to learning. That meant she was safe. She knew that logically but that still didn't change her weak nerves.
So… once again, as she made her way home, she walked down the same old, crunchy, and forest trail. She made it about halfway home when she heard some tree branches rustling. That made her twitch and freeze again. This time, her head snapped toward the source of the noise because it sounded dangerously close. She whimpered before squinting in that direction. A bunch of thoughts were running through her head but the first one at the top of that list was running away.
She wasn't some idiot.
In horror movers, characters always seemed to go toward the sound for some damned reason which was absolutely fucking stupid. She had no plans to follow in their steps so the moment she saw something freaking, she was planning to run for her life. A few seconds passed before she heard something rustle again. Asami jumped back but just right when she was about to make a run for it, she heard a whimper.
That made her spot again before squinting into the woods again.
Now, she wasn't going to walk toward the sound but if for some reason… if there was a hurt animal, she wanted to help them and that's where her dumbass was leading her. As she inched forward, the louder the noise got and the more she could see some sort of… furry lump? An eyebrow went up before she pulled out her phone's flashlight. She cautiously made her way over before eventually seeing a… large… dog?
She gasped when she saw the critter's full size.
It wasn't a dog.
But still super cute with those fluffy-looking ears. She finally made eye contact with the dog, no, the wolf, and it immediately started growling at her so she took a step back. Asami didn't dare to blink or look away. Something was wrong with it and she wanted to help it. So, she swallowed her nerves before speaking in a soft voice.
"Hey buddy… it's okay, I won't hurt you."
The wolf only bared its teeth in response with a low growl.
Asami finally glanced at its legs. She couldn't see it very well but there was this bad bloody gash on its hide leg. The wolf was shaking and looked like must have gotten into some sort of fight or accident and if left untreated, there was a possibility it might not heal properly. She needed to help it. So… she tried again.
"Good boy…" The wolf let out this dissatisfied grunt which made Asami correct herself. "Or girl…" She took a slow step forward, "I only want to help… I'm new in town… my mom opened a veterinarian clinic." She wasn't sure why she was explaining this to a wild animal but a part of Asami was lonely. She hadn't had anyone to talk with for a very long time. "I know how it feels to be alone and hurt and well… I just wanna help."
The wolf's ears twitched before they lowered somewhat and Asami took that as permission to step a little closer. She slowly inched her way closer until finally, she was within reach. She gulped before slowly reaching out to hold out her hand. The wolf's nose twitched before it sniffled and began sniffing her hand. Once it was familiar with her scent, Asami carefully brought her hand up to pat its head.
Wow. This wolf's fur was surprisingly soft and fluffy for a wild animal. It was as if someone groomed it or something like that.
Sure enough, Asami rubbed its head before eventually smiling bashfully. "See? I'm not going to hurt you." She then scratched the wolf more firmly, getting it to close its eyes and lean into her scratch. "Good…" she tried getting a closer look in an attempt to identify its gender. "Good… um… girl…?"
The wolf snarled softly before licking its lips. It shifted slightly in place and Asami managed to get a little closer. Eventually, she was on her knees and scratching the wolf's cheeks more like a dog. As the wolf started panting lightly, Asami eyed it's lower region. She then smiled before speaking in a sweet voice.
"Good girl…" She made some kissy noises, "Don't be scared, I wanna help you." She started scratching it more enthusiastically and sure enough, her tail started wagging slightly. Asami giggled before patting her head one more time. She then paused to pull out a handkerchief and carefully reached for her leg. "I won't hurt you… I just need to see your leg."
The wolf gave her this judging side eye which almost made Asami snort. Something about her facial reactions was oddly adorable and human-like.
"Let's see…" She couldn't see much, to be honest. "I would love to check you out at the clinic…" She then eyed the wolf, "Was that… okay? It is close by…"
The wolf huffed again before trying to inch forward but limped in the process. Asami ended up sighing before fluffing her head.
"That does it girl," Asami ended up scooching around before carefully tucking her arms underneath her legs. "Please don't bite me girl…"
The wolf ended up eyeing Asami the entire time before huffing the moment she let out a soft 'hup' and picked her up. She immediately staggered in place before scrunching her face to tense up her muscles.
"Oh, you're heavier than I thought girl…" She grunted before carefully making her way back to the clinic. However, before she made it too far, the wolf eyed her again before letting out a soft grumble and bark. Asami glanced at her face before raising an eyebrow. "What?"
The wolf just dangled in her arms with a somber expression.
Asami stared at the wolf for a second before blinking when a realization hit her. "Oh— sorry girl. I didn't mean to comment on your weight. You're just… more muscular and stronger than most average wolves… I think. Not like I've ever held one but I have helped huskies out and they are the closest dog breed to your species…"
Her foot slipped a bit on the gravel and Asami stuttered before laughing guilty at the wolf when she shot her another look.
"Sorry, but don't worry, I got you…" she eventually looked up at the night sky before furrowing her eyebrows. "And here I am talking to a wolf…" she sighed before laying eyes on the door of the clinic. "I really don't want this summer to end…"
The wolf's ear twitched and in no time, Asami went around to the back and opened up the door. She managed to get inside and awkwardly turned on the light switch before gently setting down the wolf on the operation table. The wolf huffed again before Asami walked over and grabbed some sterile gloves. She quickly came back and cleaned up her wound before looking at it carefully.
"Hmm… it doesn't seem broken…" She gently felt it up before starting. "I'm gonna run an ultrasound on your leg, I gotta make sure your bones aren't broken." She then swiftly prepared everything and the entire time she was moving around, the wolf eyed her carefully. She sat there patiently until Asami finally came back. "Alright, I gotta take an X-ray and I promise, the machine is a little scary but it won't hurt at all."
She then swiveled the wolf over the machine and after a long moment, an X-ray was taken.
"Good news looks like you're okay." She smiled before patting the wolf's head. "Good job girl, you were so brave and strong." She then let go before grabbing one of her clinic's honorary bandanas. "And here you go, just for you." She quickly tied it around the wolf's neck before patting her one last time. "And also a snack for you." She pulled a piece of jerky before handing it to her.
The wolf looked adorable and dashing as she sniffed the jerky. After a second, she gently took a bite before eating it slowly.
Asami's heart swooned before she mumbled to herself. "I probably won't see you again…" she scratched the underside of her soft ear. "Stay safe okay? Don't fight any other wolves out there. You're a beautiful girl… I'll be heartbroken if something happens to you."
The wolf whined this time before rubbing its head on her hand.
"A kind girl too…" Smiling sadly to herself, Asami frowned. "Just a week until school starts. At least it's one more year of torture before I can become full-time here…" She looked at the wolf before leaning in to hug her. "I wish I could be around animals all day long."
Letting out one last sigh, Asami picked the wolf off the table before taking it outside. She set her down near the woods, gave her one more piece of jerky, and patted her head one last time before reluctantly turning away. When she was several steps away, she turned back around to look at her one last time.
"Be safe out there…"
Sighing out loud, Asami shut her eyes before turning away. This time she didn't look back before closing the clinic again and heading home. She had a few more weeks of freedom before she was thrown back into the fire pit called high school and she was sure as hell going to savor it.
xXx
Asami twitched like crazy when some teenager ran past her and jumped on another one. They were clearly close and she groaned to herself before adjusting her backpack strap. She quickly eyed the crowds of teens, shivering at how close they looked, before pulling out her schedule from her pocket. She went over her classes for the nth time today before taking a deep breath and walking forward.
She's done it before and she'll do it again.
"Alright class, settle down, I hope you've had a good summer." Their homeroom teacher said before tapping the table. "I see I get the joy of looking at all your beautiful mugs again…" he paused before eyeing the transfer student, Asami. "And a new one."
The entire classroom shifted around and all eyes were on Asami because of course they would be. Why wouldn't they be? She was the new girl in a small town after all. She immediately searched the classroom for an empty chair and once she found one, she lowered her gaze before beelining to the seat. Once she was there, she slid it back before dropping her bag and taking a seat. After that, she turned away from the classroom in hopes of them ignoring her. By some miracle, just right before someone could walk up to her and talk, the teacher walked inside and grabbed their attention.
"Alright everyone in your seats, I hope your summer break was great but as much as I wish it lasted a little longer, we're back here and we got a lot of great things to cover this year." He then started roll call and when it was Asami's turn, she shrunk in her seat more.
"Asami Sato?"
At the sound of her last name, that triggered a small chain reaction of gasps and curiosity. She eventually sighed before raising her hand sheepishly. "Here."
All eyes were on her again and Asami frowned.
Her teacher nodded before continuing down the list and just when he said the name "Korra" out loud, a girl ran inside the classroom just in the nick of time.
"Here!"
The teacher seemed to sigh as if this was a regular occurrence since he shook his head with a judging look. "Cutting it real short on day one now are we?"
Asami could practically hear the smile on her face as she apologized with a bubbly voice. "Sorry!"
The rest of the class laughed, confirming that it was a regular occurrence but Asami just ignored it. She didn't plan on joining or partaking in this class culture. At least… until that same girl came over and sat next to her and rather than sitting down next to her, she stood there as if she wanted to say something. Eventually, Asami could take it and she turned to look at the owner of the voice.
They made eye contact and Asami's heart skipped a beat.
She immediately turned away and was doomed. Okay fine, she was cute, that was for sure, but that only meant her school year would be worse. Not only would she be drowning in the inevitable horrible school experience, but she would also have to fight off a stupid crush solely based on looks.
She fiddled with her hands beneath the desk before noticing from her peripheral vision that she hadn't moved. That was clearly strange so Asami forced herself to look her way again. This time, the cute gal had a curious look with an eyebrow raised, and wow were her eyes so blue and beautiful. Her cute face didn't help and for some reason, she was reminded of that wolf she helped during the summer.
Asami planned on saying something but the moment she opened her mouth to speak, she hiccuped before her cheeks burned. The girl blinked before giggling softly but then cleared her throat before speaking in a (forced-sounding) serious voice.
"That's my seat."
Panic immediately washed over Asami. Oh no— they had assigned seating?! She immediately shot up before bowing her head. "I'm so sorry, I didn't realize—"
The girl's eyes shot open in surprise. "Oh— no, I was just joking, sorry!" She let out a guilty laugh before tilting her head slightly and asking, "You mind if I take the seat next to you though?"
J-Just joking? Just joking?! "Oh—" Asami's face turned bright red before she looked away and sat back down, ignoring the dozens of eyes on her. "Y-Yeah— that's fine."
The girl gave her a small grin. "Thanks."
She sat down and Asami had a hard time relaxing. Her body had tensed up and she could practically feel the heat emanating from her body. She then started mentally reciting several lines from her favorite books in hopes of calming her pounding heart. After a second, she finally calmed down her heart attack before jumping when the girl next to her spoke.
"Oh, I'm Korra by the way. Nice to meet you." She held a hand out but Asami wouldn't dare reach out for it.
Asami's eyes flickered back and forth at her hand and desk before she forced her shoulders to relax before stuttering her name. "A-Asami."
After a moment, Korra blinked a few times before dropping her hand. She faced forward and thankfully for Asami, she didn't speak directly to her for the rest of class unless necessary.
xXx
Asami mindlessly swung the trash bag into the dumpster before sighing out loud. She hated school as expected but she was mostly sad that she didn't get to spend time with the animals more. Her time with the furry friends got drastically reduced and she wasn't sure she would make it.
Just as she turned around, she yelped before jumping back. There was a large dog, or rather a wolf, standing next to her, and upon further inspection, Asami confirmed it was that same wolf that got injured a while back.
"Hey, girl!" She immediately melted into a sweet smile before crouching and scratching her head. "Are you okay? How have you been?" She made a few more kissy noises and gave her lots of pets before finally glancing down at her leg. "Is your leg better?"
She made a few more kissy noises before rustling her head one last time and carefully looking at her leg.
"It seems fine…"
She then reached for her hind leg before touching it softly. The wolf sniffled and let out a soft 'woof' before licking its lips and huffing. Asami did quick work of checking her out before leaning back and cupping her cheeks like a domestic dog.
"Aww who's a good girl?"
The wolf huffed again before rubbing her face along Asami's hand. She started whimpering and that made Asami cock her head. "What's wrong girl? You hungry?"
She then stood up before checking her pockets. "Darn, I left the treats inside…" Glancing at the back door real quick, she turned to face the wolf. "You want to come in?"
The wolf tilted her head before eyeing Asami and for some reason, she was reminded of her cute classmate, Korra.
"Come on, follow me girl, I'll give you some snacks."
Asami started making her way to the back door and luckily, the wolf followed. Once they were inside, the noisy daycare room suddenly grew quiet. That made an eyebrow go up because the animals were never quiet when they were awake. She then glanced at the wolf, wondering if the animals realized she was a predator, before shrugging it off and reaching for the treat bin on the tall shelf. She then grabbed two bone treats before tossing one to the wolf.
The wolf was quick to catch it with its mouth before chewing away happily.
That warmed Asami's heart and she forgot about how shitty her school day was.
"Atta girl, do you like it? I made them myself." She then crouched down and fed the second bone by hand.
The wolf gingerly ate it off her hand before licking her palm repeatedly. That made Asami giggle before rubbing the underside of her chin.
"You're so soft for a wild wolf…"
The wolf looked her in the eyes before whining softly and for some reason, Asami wanted to wolfnap this cutie. That's when her mom walked inside.
"Oh my gosh—-" Her mother exclaimed, "Asami is that a wolf?"
Asami twitched before quickly leaning down and hugging the wolf. "No!"
Her mom shot her this look. "Asami…"
She gulped before hugging her tighter. "She's just a stray! And a husky…" She then pouted her lips before tickling the wolf's neck. "See? She's totally harmless and obedient!"
The glare on her mom's face didn't go away and then out of nowhere, the wolf started wagging her tail furiously while panting happily. Asami's eyes widened in shock before the wolf let out a soft 'woof' before nuzzling against Asami and licking her cheek. Yasuko ended up eyeing her suspiciously before sighing and giving in.
"Alright, I'll let it slide this time baby but next time, she has to stay outside. We don't know what she may be carrying and it's not wise to expose the other animals to it. Understood?"
Asami blinked a few times with an innocent look. "Understood!" She shot her mom another innocent look before ushering the wolf out the back door.
Once they were outside, Asami let out a sigh of relief before laughing in a light voice. She then looked the wolf in the eyes before smiling and petting her head one last time.
"Thank you, girl, I needed that."
The wolf ended up licking her lips before panting softly. She barked a few times before nudging Asami's leg and whining. Asami smiled again before gently pushing her away.
"You have to go back home girl, I can't keep you."
The wolf huffed again before taking some reluctant steps away. She paused before looking back at Asami.
Asami just gave her a sweet smile before waving her off. "Go back home girl, back to your family." The wolf wouldn't move and Asami sighed before turning away and ignoring her soft whimpers.
xXx
"You smell like a wet dog."
Asami instantly froze as her eyes snapped open. Her eyes immediately shot over to her right and she looked at Korra with a pale face. Korra, on the other hand, had her elbow propped on the table with her chin resting on her fist. She looked bored, with a passive face really, as she stared right into Asami's soul, and fuck, did Asami want to run.
"Oh— I-I-I-I—" Her face was burning as she quickly sniffled herself. I thought I cleaned up thoroughly?! "S-Sorry." She looked away before letting her head hang. "Sorry. I um. Work at a veterinarian."
Korra's lips twitched upward into an amused smile before she carefully inched closer. "Ah, you mean that new one in town."
From what Asami knew, it was the only one. "Y-Yeah. That one." Spirits, she still couldn't say a single sentence without a stutter.
Korra drummed her fingers on the desk as she slowly tilted her head. "Must be hard working while going to school." She tapped her fingers again and Asami had to stop herself from twitching every time her finger made contact with the desk.
"N-Not really…" Her eyes flickered at Korra before she quickly looked away. "I um… grew up with animals…" And why she was explaining herself? "So I d-don't mind… being around them."
Humming at her proclamation, Korra tapped her cheek with her finger. "So I guess you like animals?"
It was a simple question but it made Asami's heart skip a beat. "Yeah! Yeah, I do! I love them." Her eyes were practically shimmering with joy at the thought of her furry friends.
That made Korra raise an eyebrow before she hummed in curiosity.
Asami gulped and looked away again. She shifted in her seat before fiddling around with her fingers nervously. This was horrible. What was this? Asami could have sworn the whole class knew she wasn't a talker within the first two weeks so why was Korra talking to her? It had to be because they were deskmates.
Right?
Korra ended up settling back in her seat before spacing out. She started scribbling random things, perhaps doodles, in her notebook. Of course, Asami turned away and minded her own business, completely blindsiding the fact that Korra was doodling a sketch of her in her veterinarian uniform because she wasn't about to start a conversation unless absolutely necessary.
xXx
Asami shot up from her bed the moment she heard a violent rattle on her bedroom window sill. The color in her face drained and she was spooked shitless, to say the least. She fidgeted in place before hearing the clatter again.
"Oh my spirits, what the fuck is that?"
This time, she had to guts to roll out of bed. She then tip-toed over to the window before seeing a bloody hand. She gasped heavily into silence before seeing a somewhat familiar face.
"What the fuck…" She muttered before getting closer. "K-Korra…?"
On cue, Korra glanced into her room with a pained face. "A-Asami… h-help…"
Asami jumped again before all of a sudden, Korra shifted… into a wolf. A wolf. A wolf. A wolf?! She didn't have time to react before remembering the blood. She quickly ran over and opened the window to a whimpering wolf. That same wolf she had grown fond of who was bleeding open on her balcony.
"What the fuck?!"
Her trembling wouldn't stop as she quickly picked up the poor animal and brought her inside. She quickly set her down on the carpet in her reading nook before running into her bathroom and grabbing the medical kit. After that, her brain managed to narrow in and focus on the task at hand.
Helping this poor injured animal.
She could react to the bat-shit crazy transformation later. She needed to help this animal. Needless to say, the carpet was no longer white anymore. She'd have to soak it in serious cleaner and possibly chemical solutions later or just buy a new one.
Yeah, she didn't need that carpet anyway.
Turns out, Korra, or well this wolf, had long passed out by the time Asami was done treating her. She didn't know what to do with the beast so she ended up tucking the wolf in her bed. After that, Asami deep-cleaned her room as best as possible before watching the wolf, or rather, Korra sleep.
Her classmate, Korra?
The wolf?
Which was it?
Asami sighed before flopping down onto her bed. She was exhausted and the moment her head hit the pillow, her eyes grew heavy. She tried fighting the sleep but failed to do so as she settled in her place. Soon enough she drifted off and by the time she woke up, she twitched violently when someone knocked on her door.
"Asami? Dear, are you up yet? You're going to be late." Her mom called out in a sweet voice.
She cursed out loud. "Oh shit—" She then shifted around before landing eyes on the wolf, no, the human who also happened to be her classmate, Korra. Better yet, she was naked. "Oh shit—"
Korra grumbled before shifting around. She then opened her eyes before blinking repeatedly and the moment she registered her situation, her face turned bright pink as her jaw opened.
"Asami? Are you awake?" Her mom called out again before she began twisting the doorknob open.
Her face went pale and Asami immediately snapped around at her door. "I-I'M UP! I'M UP!" She then turned back to Korra before awkwardly shoving her off the bed, getting a pained "Oof—" in response.
Her mom finally pushed open the door before shooting her daughter a look. "That's rare, you never oversleep."
Asami had to will herself to not look at Korra. "Sorry, I was just a… tired that's all. Had to stay up late to study…"
Yasuko stared at her for a second before shrugging. "Well hurry along then, you're really going to be late."
"I will. Thanks." She gave her mom an awkward smile and once she was gone, Asami shot Korra a sharp look.
Korra twitched again with an awkward lopsided grin.
Asami breathed through her nose before getting out of bed. "I am not going crazy. I am not going crazy…" She quickly grabbed a change of clothes before heading to the bathroom however, the moment she took a step inside, she paused before snapping around. "I saw nothing. You saw nothing. You were never in my room. Is that clear?"
She vaguely heard Korra whimper like a cute puppy as she hid behind that blanket. Korra ended up nodding shyly before Asami turned away.
"Good. Once I'm done changing, I expect my room to be empty when I come back. Got it?"
Again, Korra just nodded sheepishly and the moment Asami slammed the door shut, she slammed the back of her head on the door before sliding down. She then heard some rustling, presumably Korra grabbing her things and running off before she groaned out loud and rubbed her face.
"What the fuck?" She groaned again before shaking her head. "I am going mad… yeah… it was just a bad dream… that's all…" She laughed to herself hysterically before getting ready for school and little did Asami know that she was going to get dragged into some territorial drama.
