Werewolf Decalphabet Challenge
Title: Werewolf Decalphabet Challenge ~ F
Fandoms: L.J. Smith (Night World); Harry Potter; Blood & Chocolate (the novel by Annette Curtis Klause); Women of the Otherworld (Series by Kelley Armstrong)
Main Pair/Char: Multiple
Beta'd: Nope, so please point out mistakes.
Rating: PG to light R
Warnings: violence, language, mentions of abuse, dark fic
Length: Total of 2,060, drabble length ranges
Posted at: mukashi2 way back when, finally getting around to posting it here.
Author’s Notes: These are ten drabbles from various fandoms, featuring various characters, but all have two things in common: words beginning with the letter F and German legends of werewolves. An index for reference is at the bottom.
Father
Gabriel had no love for his father.
He spent most of his time drunk and beating Gabriel and his mother. Later on Gabriel would often be reminded of him in Lucien.
The thing he hated most about his father was his belt. It always hung on the back of the closet door, waiting to be used.
Eventually the belt took on a life of its own and a young Gabriel grew afraid of it. He only associated it with pain and his father’s anger. He only heard the slap of leather against his skin and his father’s growls when he looked at the faded strap of brown.
When Vivian came home from class and told him of old werewolf legends about wearing belts to change forms Gabriel wasn’t surprised. Actually, it explained quite a lot.
Fear
Lupe had been excited when the annual senior camping trip had finally come around. She loved the forest and spent most of her time wandering the trails. For once she would have company, even if she did have to stay in human form.
Lupe was the only Night Person in her high school and while she knew other schools existed that were more populated with her kind, she had decided to stay with her childhood friends. Though they were human, Lupe felt sure that their friendship was true. She often wondered what would happen if she were to tell them the secret.
Of course she never would because it would be signing both their death warrants. The Night World made no exceptions when it came to the rules.
The trip had started out fine; beautiful weather and everyone was getting along. It wasn’t until Lupe smelled the buck did she start having second thoughts.
He tempted her all day, staying just out of sight but still in range to smell. He must’ve been curious to see so many humans in the woods and territorial with his land. Lupe felt her jaw ache with the urge to change and she had trouble focusing on conversations.
Eventually she could no longer resist and slipped away to shift. The hunt was fast and fulfilling. Lupe ate more than she ever had in one sitting and her stomach was stretched out painfully.
Figuring the others might be looking for her by now she quickly started shifting back to human form. Only when she was almost done did she hear the panting of someone behind her.
It was Daniel, a boy she had known since kindergarten. He was watching her with such wide, fearful eyes.
Lupe reacted instantly, something she would regret for the rest of her life.
Daniel died with his eyes still wide and fearful.
After only a moment of numb silence she quickly went about hiding the body. Hours later, after the search had been called off for Daniel and his body found, she reflected on her actions.
She had no choice. His fear would’ve killed her no matter how hard she tried to convince him.
It was better this way she tried to tell herself. But she knew it was just her own fear talking- the fear of the irrefutable laws of the Night World and the fear of Daniel’s reaction. The fear that wouldn’t let Daniel live.
It was then that Lupe decided to find out if the rumors were true- if there really was a Circle trying to bring humans and the Night World together.
She was tired of being afraid.
Food
Elena let the book fall on her swollen belly as she quickly tried to lick the syrup off her sticky fingers. She had been reading, eating, and sunbathing in the forest for a few hours now- one of the luxuries of pregnancy.
She smelled Clay approach from behind before she heard him. “What are you reading?”
He answered his own question by picking the book up as Elena chewed a large mouthful of pancakes.
“Legends of the Werewolf.” he drawled, leaning on his side to look at her. She enjoyed the play of the sunlight over his golden hair. “I thought you already read that one.”
Elena shrugged, taking another bite of her ham and pancakes. “It makes me laugh.”
Clay snorted and tried to snatch a piece of ham. Elena growled and snapped her teeth, but he was too quick.
“Not much changes.” Elena sighed.
He looked at her questioningly and she continued. “I was just reading about women werewolves having their hard earned food being stolen two hundred years ago.”
Clay chuckled and bent to nuzzle her belly. “I’ll protect you darling.”
Now Elena snorted. “And I’ll have to protect myself from you.”
Fight
“I can’t wait to tell Jacob, man.” Ethan stomped up the porch steps of the old manor, leaving muddy prints on the faded wood. He set his rifle down and let it lean against the porch rail.
“I know! He’ll be pissed he missed it!” Henry was laughing with his mouth open and breath coming out in puffs of steam in the cold air.
“Did you see how big that wolf was?” Ethan’s eyes were wide and excited, looking back to Henry as he opened the front door.
“Yeah and you got him right on the shoulder!” Henry laughed again, a braying sound.
“Jacob!” Ethan called, looking for his missing friend. “You missed the fight man!”
They came upon him in the living room.
“Whoa, dude.” Henry stopped laughing.
Blood had soaked into the couch, obliterating the old floral print. Jacob was shaking and wincing, clutching a dishrag tightly to his right shoulder.
“Guess you found your own fight.” Ethan tried to joke but all the red was making him queasy.
“Man, what’s up with your eyes?” Henry was asking in open mouth awe.
“I told you never to hunt without me.” Jacob managed to get out through clenched teeth. His voice was thick and heavy.
“Sorry, man.” Ethan replied automatically, eyes still on his friend’s wound. “Do you, uh, want to go to the hospital?”
Jacob didn’t answer.
“Hey man, your face is looking a little…” Henry trailed off, his own hand gesturing at his face.
The room was silent save for Jacob’s panting and the low rumbling sound.
Ethan looked to the window thinking a thunderstorm was moving in but he saw a blue sky.
“You should’ve waited for me,” came a voice from Jacob. It sounded nothing like Jacob.
The last thing Ethan saw was his rifle through the open front door, still sitting on the porch and shinning in the sun.
Fence
Morbach, Germany. 1988.
The wind was cold but laced with fear so he enjoyed inhaling it deeply. He prowled the countryside in his true form, taking advantage of his ancestor’s legends.
The shrine he destroyed gave testament to their bloody deeds of the past. The candle was just as easy to snuff out as a child.
When he came to the fence he chuckled darkly at the attempts of the humans. They always tried to keep the darkness out, never understanding that it was already inside.
He didn’t bother killing the guardsmen. He was already full and had ground to cover.
Forgive
Jeremy would have never believed that Mary-Lynette would be the one to betray him.
The pain of the fire and of the knife in his chest was nothing compared to the shock and anguish at seeing Mary-Lynette over him, her fist on the handle. He tried to kill her, his teeth snapping in her dark hair, reaching for her neck, but it was useless.
The old man had always told him this would happen. Tell a human your secret and they would kill you. He just never believed Mary-Lynette was capable of it.
As he lay dying, Jeremy never forgave Mary-Lynette for her treachery and took his last comfort knowing that she would never forgive herself.
Fall
Bill was a good man: happy in nature, kind in deeds, and helpful to nearly anybody who asked. Everyone liked him and with his beautiful wife Fleur, it was no wonder with how popular the couple became.
He was greatly respected by the community and many sought his advice. Fleur even laughed about charging those who came, saying her door was opened nearly all day with the traffic.
It wasn’t a surprise that when Ron got into yet another fight with Hermione he decided to ask Bill for some advice.
But Ron forgot about nightfall.
Replaying the argument over in his head, Ron walked up the path to the little cottage Bill and Fleur had bought after they married. The flowers that lined the walkway were basked in silver from the moon.
Ron muttered to himself as he banged on his brother’s front door. He was so preoccupied he didn’t think twice of the shuffling and crashing that sounded on the other side of the thick oak wood.
It wasn’t until the door cracked open, letting only a sliver of light fall across him, did he remember. Fleur, her eyes wide with fear and hands clenching tightly, looked at him from the doorway.
“What are you doing here Ronald?” She whispered, her accent barely noticeable with the shaking of her voice.
“I- uh” he started, but there was another, larger crash from inside the house. He and Fleur both jumped. She turned her head to look back in the cottage, speaking soothingly in French. Growls and snarls rumbled from behind the door and Ron felt his hair rise on the back of his neck. He shouldn’t have come here. Not when the sun fell.
“You must go now, Ronald.” Fleur shooed him away and he didn’t have to be told twice.
He hurried down the path, hearing the door slam behind him and then a long, mournful howl.
Bill was indeed a good man, but everyone knew that you wouldn’t find Bill at nightfall.
Fury
Sometimes Clay would become so enraged and feral that even Elena grew afraid of him. She had seen him kill mutts so quickly and with such fury that she found herself ducking her head and tucking her tail between her legs.
She only saw him a few times in that condition and it had taken Jeremy’s firm hand and alpha demeanor to calm him.
One time Jeremy was not there and she stood alone before the fury-blind Clay. She caught his blue eyes and whimpered to him. The change was immediate; the inhumanness left his eyes and her husband returned.
From then on, she no longer worried about not having Jeremy with them. She knew that she could temper Clay.
Faith
Vivian eventually talked Gabriel into letting her go to college. The thought of how she had him wrapped around her little finger just like her mother had her father brought a smug and happy smile to her lips.
It was in her Humanities class did they delve into folklore and legends. Vivian tried to keep from laughing or becoming angry when they inevitably turned to werewolves. Humans were so fascinated with what she was, they read books and watched movies about her, but she knew from experience if she were to show them her wolf they would all run.
He had no faith in me. She found herself thinking of Aiden before she could stop it.
When she heard the story about the werewolf woman who showed her true form to her husband and was ultimately killed, Vivian cringed and left the class.
I never would have hurt him. If only he had faith in me.
Vivian went home to Gabriel, felt his fur against hers, and had no regrets.
Freedom
Remus grieves over his curse, for that’s really what it was, no matter how many times it tries to convince him otherwise.
The dark whispers of the wolf are laced with promises of freedom and bliss. Running through the trees with nothing but the moon to light the way, feeling the thrill of the chase begin and the satisfaction of the bloody ending- just the prelude for the guilt and sorrow of the morning after.
But on the nights Remus runs free, he lets himself believe. He is all wolf on those nights and there is no morning after- just the forest and the hunt and the stars overhead.
On those nights he’s free and not even the sun can overtake him.
Father - Based on many legends about humans wearing belts from the devil to change to wolf form.
Fear - The Werewolf, http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/werewolf.html#colshornwerewolf
Food - The Werewolf: Another Legend, http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/werewolf.html#lyncker163
Fight - Based on a common theme throughout the legends about humans being identified as werewolves by injuries obtained during wolf form.
Fence - The Morbach Monster, http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/werewolf.html#morbach
Forgive - Based on a common theme throughout the legends of werewolves being betrayed by loved ones.
Fall - The Evening Wolf, http://www.werewolves.com/bookofwerewolves4.html
Fury - The Werewolf in Hindenburg, http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/werewolf.html#temmehindenburg
Faith - The Werewolf Wife, http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/werewolf.html#kuhnwife
Freedom - A personal opinion of the symbolism of werewolves.
Fandoms: L.J. Smith (Night World); Harry Potter; Blood & Chocolate (the novel by Annette Curtis Klause); Women of the Otherworld (Series by Kelley Armstrong)
Main Pair/Char: Multiple
Beta'd: Nope, so please point out mistakes.
Rating: PG to light R
Warnings: violence, language, mentions of abuse, dark fic
Length: Total of 2,060, drabble length ranges
Posted at: mukashi2 way back when, finally getting around to posting it here.
Author’s Notes: These are ten drabbles from various fandoms, featuring various characters, but all have two things in common: words beginning with the letter F and German legends of werewolves. An index for reference is at the bottom.
Father
Gabriel had no love for his father.
He spent most of his time drunk and beating Gabriel and his mother. Later on Gabriel would often be reminded of him in Lucien.
The thing he hated most about his father was his belt. It always hung on the back of the closet door, waiting to be used.
Eventually the belt took on a life of its own and a young Gabriel grew afraid of it. He only associated it with pain and his father’s anger. He only heard the slap of leather against his skin and his father’s growls when he looked at the faded strap of brown.
When Vivian came home from class and told him of old werewolf legends about wearing belts to change forms Gabriel wasn’t surprised. Actually, it explained quite a lot.
Fear
Lupe had been excited when the annual senior camping trip had finally come around. She loved the forest and spent most of her time wandering the trails. For once she would have company, even if she did have to stay in human form.
Lupe was the only Night Person in her high school and while she knew other schools existed that were more populated with her kind, she had decided to stay with her childhood friends. Though they were human, Lupe felt sure that their friendship was true. She often wondered what would happen if she were to tell them the secret.
Of course she never would because it would be signing both their death warrants. The Night World made no exceptions when it came to the rules.
The trip had started out fine; beautiful weather and everyone was getting along. It wasn’t until Lupe smelled the buck did she start having second thoughts.
He tempted her all day, staying just out of sight but still in range to smell. He must’ve been curious to see so many humans in the woods and territorial with his land. Lupe felt her jaw ache with the urge to change and she had trouble focusing on conversations.
Eventually she could no longer resist and slipped away to shift. The hunt was fast and fulfilling. Lupe ate more than she ever had in one sitting and her stomach was stretched out painfully.
Figuring the others might be looking for her by now she quickly started shifting back to human form. Only when she was almost done did she hear the panting of someone behind her.
It was Daniel, a boy she had known since kindergarten. He was watching her with such wide, fearful eyes.
Lupe reacted instantly, something she would regret for the rest of her life.
Daniel died with his eyes still wide and fearful.
After only a moment of numb silence she quickly went about hiding the body. Hours later, after the search had been called off for Daniel and his body found, she reflected on her actions.
She had no choice. His fear would’ve killed her no matter how hard she tried to convince him.
It was better this way she tried to tell herself. But she knew it was just her own fear talking- the fear of the irrefutable laws of the Night World and the fear of Daniel’s reaction. The fear that wouldn’t let Daniel live.
It was then that Lupe decided to find out if the rumors were true- if there really was a Circle trying to bring humans and the Night World together.
She was tired of being afraid.
Food
Elena let the book fall on her swollen belly as she quickly tried to lick the syrup off her sticky fingers. She had been reading, eating, and sunbathing in the forest for a few hours now- one of the luxuries of pregnancy.
She smelled Clay approach from behind before she heard him. “What are you reading?”
He answered his own question by picking the book up as Elena chewed a large mouthful of pancakes.
“Legends of the Werewolf.” he drawled, leaning on his side to look at her. She enjoyed the play of the sunlight over his golden hair. “I thought you already read that one.”
Elena shrugged, taking another bite of her ham and pancakes. “It makes me laugh.”
Clay snorted and tried to snatch a piece of ham. Elena growled and snapped her teeth, but he was too quick.
“Not much changes.” Elena sighed.
He looked at her questioningly and she continued. “I was just reading about women werewolves having their hard earned food being stolen two hundred years ago.”
Clay chuckled and bent to nuzzle her belly. “I’ll protect you darling.”
Now Elena snorted. “And I’ll have to protect myself from you.”
Fight
“I can’t wait to tell Jacob, man.” Ethan stomped up the porch steps of the old manor, leaving muddy prints on the faded wood. He set his rifle down and let it lean against the porch rail.
“I know! He’ll be pissed he missed it!” Henry was laughing with his mouth open and breath coming out in puffs of steam in the cold air.
“Did you see how big that wolf was?” Ethan’s eyes were wide and excited, looking back to Henry as he opened the front door.
“Yeah and you got him right on the shoulder!” Henry laughed again, a braying sound.
“Jacob!” Ethan called, looking for his missing friend. “You missed the fight man!”
They came upon him in the living room.
“Whoa, dude.” Henry stopped laughing.
Blood had soaked into the couch, obliterating the old floral print. Jacob was shaking and wincing, clutching a dishrag tightly to his right shoulder.
“Guess you found your own fight.” Ethan tried to joke but all the red was making him queasy.
“Man, what’s up with your eyes?” Henry was asking in open mouth awe.
“I told you never to hunt without me.” Jacob managed to get out through clenched teeth. His voice was thick and heavy.
“Sorry, man.” Ethan replied automatically, eyes still on his friend’s wound. “Do you, uh, want to go to the hospital?”
Jacob didn’t answer.
“Hey man, your face is looking a little…” Henry trailed off, his own hand gesturing at his face.
The room was silent save for Jacob’s panting and the low rumbling sound.
Ethan looked to the window thinking a thunderstorm was moving in but he saw a blue sky.
“You should’ve waited for me,” came a voice from Jacob. It sounded nothing like Jacob.
The last thing Ethan saw was his rifle through the open front door, still sitting on the porch and shinning in the sun.
Fence
Morbach, Germany. 1988.
The wind was cold but laced with fear so he enjoyed inhaling it deeply. He prowled the countryside in his true form, taking advantage of his ancestor’s legends.
The shrine he destroyed gave testament to their bloody deeds of the past. The candle was just as easy to snuff out as a child.
When he came to the fence he chuckled darkly at the attempts of the humans. They always tried to keep the darkness out, never understanding that it was already inside.
He didn’t bother killing the guardsmen. He was already full and had ground to cover.
Forgive
Jeremy would have never believed that Mary-Lynette would be the one to betray him.
The pain of the fire and of the knife in his chest was nothing compared to the shock and anguish at seeing Mary-Lynette over him, her fist on the handle. He tried to kill her, his teeth snapping in her dark hair, reaching for her neck, but it was useless.
The old man had always told him this would happen. Tell a human your secret and they would kill you. He just never believed Mary-Lynette was capable of it.
As he lay dying, Jeremy never forgave Mary-Lynette for her treachery and took his last comfort knowing that she would never forgive herself.
Fall
Bill was a good man: happy in nature, kind in deeds, and helpful to nearly anybody who asked. Everyone liked him and with his beautiful wife Fleur, it was no wonder with how popular the couple became.
He was greatly respected by the community and many sought his advice. Fleur even laughed about charging those who came, saying her door was opened nearly all day with the traffic.
It wasn’t a surprise that when Ron got into yet another fight with Hermione he decided to ask Bill for some advice.
But Ron forgot about nightfall.
Replaying the argument over in his head, Ron walked up the path to the little cottage Bill and Fleur had bought after they married. The flowers that lined the walkway were basked in silver from the moon.
Ron muttered to himself as he banged on his brother’s front door. He was so preoccupied he didn’t think twice of the shuffling and crashing that sounded on the other side of the thick oak wood.
It wasn’t until the door cracked open, letting only a sliver of light fall across him, did he remember. Fleur, her eyes wide with fear and hands clenching tightly, looked at him from the doorway.
“What are you doing here Ronald?” She whispered, her accent barely noticeable with the shaking of her voice.
“I- uh” he started, but there was another, larger crash from inside the house. He and Fleur both jumped. She turned her head to look back in the cottage, speaking soothingly in French. Growls and snarls rumbled from behind the door and Ron felt his hair rise on the back of his neck. He shouldn’t have come here. Not when the sun fell.
“You must go now, Ronald.” Fleur shooed him away and he didn’t have to be told twice.
He hurried down the path, hearing the door slam behind him and then a long, mournful howl.
Bill was indeed a good man, but everyone knew that you wouldn’t find Bill at nightfall.
Fury
Sometimes Clay would become so enraged and feral that even Elena grew afraid of him. She had seen him kill mutts so quickly and with such fury that she found herself ducking her head and tucking her tail between her legs.
She only saw him a few times in that condition and it had taken Jeremy’s firm hand and alpha demeanor to calm him.
One time Jeremy was not there and she stood alone before the fury-blind Clay. She caught his blue eyes and whimpered to him. The change was immediate; the inhumanness left his eyes and her husband returned.
From then on, she no longer worried about not having Jeremy with them. She knew that she could temper Clay.
Faith
Vivian eventually talked Gabriel into letting her go to college. The thought of how she had him wrapped around her little finger just like her mother had her father brought a smug and happy smile to her lips.
It was in her Humanities class did they delve into folklore and legends. Vivian tried to keep from laughing or becoming angry when they inevitably turned to werewolves. Humans were so fascinated with what she was, they read books and watched movies about her, but she knew from experience if she were to show them her wolf they would all run.
He had no faith in me. She found herself thinking of Aiden before she could stop it.
When she heard the story about the werewolf woman who showed her true form to her husband and was ultimately killed, Vivian cringed and left the class.
I never would have hurt him. If only he had faith in me.
Vivian went home to Gabriel, felt his fur against hers, and had no regrets.
Freedom
Remus grieves over his curse, for that’s really what it was, no matter how many times it tries to convince him otherwise.
The dark whispers of the wolf are laced with promises of freedom and bliss. Running through the trees with nothing but the moon to light the way, feeling the thrill of the chase begin and the satisfaction of the bloody ending- just the prelude for the guilt and sorrow of the morning after.
But on the nights Remus runs free, he lets himself believe. He is all wolf on those nights and there is no morning after- just the forest and the hunt and the stars overhead.
On those nights he’s free and not even the sun can overtake him.
Father - Based on many legends about humans wearing belts from the devil to change to wolf form.
Fear - The Werewolf, http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/werewolf.html#colshornwerewolf
Food - The Werewolf: Another Legend, http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/werewolf.html#lyncker163
Fight - Based on a common theme throughout the legends about humans being identified as werewolves by injuries obtained during wolf form.
Fence - The Morbach Monster, http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/werewolf.html#morbach
Forgive - Based on a common theme throughout the legends of werewolves being betrayed by loved ones.
Fall - The Evening Wolf, http://www.werewolves.com/bookofwerewolves4.html
Fury - The Werewolf in Hindenburg, http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/werewolf.html#temmehindenburg
Faith - The Werewolf Wife, http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/werewolf.html#kuhnwife
Freedom - A personal opinion of the symbolism of werewolves.