Thank you to those in the Slices of Whump server celebrating Stabmas (The Ides of March) with me! I have 2 more fics for later, but have a Cassiel write!
CW: Homeless Whumpee, STABBBBBBBB, Sad Stuff, Fantastic Racism Mention, Knife Violence, a Hint of Gore, and Shape-Shifter Whumpee
Tagging the Squad: @emcscared-whumps, @noirineverysense, @ocean-blue-whump, @inscrutable-shadow, @actress4him, @crash-bump-bring-the-whump, @pigeonwhumps, @technom0ose, and @shapeshiftersandfire!!
Enjoy <3
It was like any normal day for Cassiel, the city life bustling around him, from the construction sites in the distance to the rumbling of cars in a constant state of traffic and seeing a never ending surge of pedestrians trying to make it to work. The combination of all the sounds gave way to a splash of multiple colors that had no real harmony, but he could see why it was something to behold; it was a symbol of a well-oiled machine, each person controlling only one part of a far grander system.
Only problem for him was that he didn’t know where he belonged in it all. He knew how to play a guitar to earn money for scraps, but beyond that, there wasn’t anything he could add to the city.
He watched on as the day turned to night and people returned to their homes while he remained outside in the cold like any average day. He set his guitar back in the case that Liam, the music shop owner, had given him, smiling as he saw that he made enough money to afford some pancakes and maybe a nice bit of protein at a local diner.
Nighttime was a little tense for him, considering he would always have to watch out for any of the Specialized Enforcement patrols that took place in the shadows, hunting for shifters. It wasn’t easy hiding from them, but he’s somehow made it through unscathed, especially considering he was a Dire Wolf shifter, and they were extinct for a long time. Or so they had thought until Cassiel was arrested.
Even though he was alone, he would sometimes lend the Beast an ear, hoping that one day, the monster that lived inside of him would no longer shed blood. Someone had to hope for the sake of the Beast.
He finally made it to the right district of the town where the diner would be, smiling to himself as he headed down the sidewalk. That was until he heard the faint sounds of a person in pain, which made him stop in his tracks, tilting his head and looking down the dimly lit street of abandoned tenements. “Oi, is anyone down there?” He called out, warily approaching one of the boarded-up doors.
“In here, man! I think I busted up my leg,” a man responded, the voice showing up as a bright teal color. Cas looked around and then at the board, wondering if it’s a trap.
Of course it’s a trap, you fucking moron, but what would I know? It’s not like I feed off of this sort of thing. Go on ahead and play ‘hero’. I am sure they are going to give you loads of hugs for it.
That’s all Cas needed to bust down the board, leaving his guitar inside of the derelict building, his eyes still adjusting to the dark. “Where are ye, lad?” He asked, taking small, calculated steps down the hallway, walking past a few doors.
“Right here.”
Cas didn’t have a chance to react, a sharp pain in his side forcing him to pull away and press his back to the wall. His eyes caught the sight of three men, one of them placing an arm across Cas’ neck and another sharp pain in the center of his stomach, his cries cut off.
“No need to be scared, buddy. We just want to take your stuff and leave. Don’t make this harder than it has to be. Where’s your wallet?” His voice, still a bright teal, reeked of cigarettes and alcohol. His other hand was out of sight, but Cas knew it was most likely related to the pain in his stomach.
Wonderful. Just wonderful, boy. You’ve been stabbed. You won’t even defend yourself if you had the chance. Let me take over.
He couldn’t let the Beast win, but he felt himself getting dizzy from the agony of his injuries, tears in his eyes. The man in front of him growled and mumbled something Cas didn’t quite catch, but a powerful force made him fall to the floor with a thud, his head cracking against the wooden floor.
“Where’s your fucking wallet, low-life?!” A new voice screamed at him, placing a boot over where the initial pain was. This voice was a dim orange, but he couldn’t focus too much on it, his eyes were stuck on the blade sticking out of his stomach, which the woman casually ripped out, making Cas cry out in response.
“I d-don’t have one, lad. I swear. Me only p-possession is me guitar,” he responded, holding the woman’ ankle in a faint attempt to make the weight on his injury less. “I’m not l-lyin!” His lips trembled in fear and he saw the man who originally called for him and another man, far older than the first, conversing with each other. The older man brandished a dagger. Not any dagger, but the one that the Specialized Enforcement agents were selling to civilians to ward off shifters.
“No money means we can’t let you live, little guy,” the older man gruffly chuckled with a splash of daffodil yellow, taking a few steps towards Cas. “Any last words?”
Let go. Give in to me, and you’ll make it out. You won’t even remember a thing.
Cas started to tear up and he shut his eyes tightly, mumbling to himself and gritting his teeth when the woman dug her heels into his stab wound. “P-please don’t do dis… I don’t want it to hurt ye all.” He opened his eyes to see red beginning to take over the edge of his vision.
The older man held the blade right at Cas’ neck.
This is your final warning. GIVE IN NOW!
“I’m sorry…”
Before the red completely took over his vision, he saw the fear in the older man’s eye when Cas’ wolf jaw clamped over his arm with an audible snap.
…
Cassiel opened his eyes, glancing around for a moment to make out where he’s at. He was under a bridge in the city park, and he winced when he moved, seeing his shirt and his pants covered in blood, as well as his hands. “Is… is dis m-“
Part of it. It got messy towards the end because you were stabbed in the side and abdomen. Luckily I helped make sure you healed fast enough. Those three people won’t be a problem anymore though.
Tears blurred his vision again and he covered his face with his blood ridden hands, apologizing to yet another three souls who encountered the Beast.
#STABMAS is in full swing!!! Strippername almost went off on me in front of a line of customers because clearly I am the jerk here. Usually when we get busy, one of us is on register and one makes the drinks. She was on register. I was making drinks. She then instead of calling the next drink to me so I know what to make, leaves a line of 5 or 6 people to make it WHILE I AM ALREADY IN THE MIDDLE OF MAKING A DRINK! I ask her what drink is next and she won't tell me. WITH A LINE OF PEOPLE WAITING, SHE WON'T TELL ME THE NEXT DAMN DRINK THAT NEEDS TO BE MADE SO WE CAN MOVE THE LINE ALONG FASTER! She then wanders off and starts making a drink instead of calling the drink and helping the next person LIKE ONE DOES AT ANY OTHER NORMAL COFFEE SHOP!!! I know what the person after that's drink is so I start it because my hands are clean and I'm elbow deep in beverage making. She then pushes her way in front of the machine, blocking it and the milk that I need to finish what I'm doing. I reach to get the syrup I need and she won't move so I ring up the person I'm making the drink for. I try to get to the milk and she gets angry and storms away saying that I needed to wait. We still have several people in line that witness this. Joy. She then goes and badmouths me to our coworkers and customers and leaves me to deal with the rush. Seriously? Yes please go act like a twelve year old instead of an adult with a child. Throw a tantrum in front of our customers and make sure they know how horrible I am for trying to efficiently do our damn job. Barbara assures me she's not worth going to jail over. I'm still tempted to stab her.
