Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | ????
((I had... so much problem with this bit, and I really don’t like it still, but... whatever, time to post it. I hope y’all can enjoy it?))
Ichigo chewed on his lip and tried to gather his nerve to allow the change to take him all over again. He didn’t /want/ to try, didn’t want to suffer through the disorientation all over again, but… but maybe this time it wouldn’t be like that. Rerugen’s change hadn’t seemed to affect him terribly, and now Ichigo thought he knew /why/—
(He still didn’t want to.)
Rerugen waited patiently for him to decide, leaving the decision in Ichigo’s hands yet again.
It was the lack of expectation that helped him gather his confidence, along with the hope of never having to face the same sort of disorientation again.
Ichigo closed his eyes and concentrated, turning his attention inward. Rerugen was right, it /was/ easy to figure out how to trigger the change. The urge was there lurking just within reach. He reached—
Power /rushed/ through his body—
(He should not fight. He should. Not. Fight.)
(Let the power do what it /wanted/—)
He knew what to look for. Knew how Rerugen’s power had felt—
His senses faded and swirled together in a blur, a cacophony of sensation that /snapped/ into abrupt focus a heartbeat later. Ichigo shook his head and stumbled into Uryuu’s legs.
“Alright?” Uryuu asked softly, braced to take Ichigo’s weight. He reached down and sank his hand into Ichigo’s ruff, fingers scratching the back of his head. “That seemed smoother.”
Ichigo nodded and leaned further into Uryuu, relaxing into the touch and taking the time to gather himself. It was still strange to observe the world from such a different height but at least this time he didn’t feel like the world was writhing beneath his paws.
Rerugen was watching him, head cocked to one side and ears standing at attention, mouth slightly open and his tail wagging. He seemed… pleased, Ichigo supposed, and content to sit and wait.
“Want me to call you back?” Uryuu asked after giving Ichigo time to orient.
Ichigo considered the offer then /whuffed/ in agreement. It had been easier, but Rerugen was right; more practice would only make it easier still. Now that he had the feel of it he was certain he could master what Rerugen had shown him and eliminate the last of his disorientation.
Uryuu reluctantly untangled his hand from Ichigo’s ruff and murmured, “Kurosaki Ichigo.”
Fade. Blur. Cacophony and /snap/—
Ichigo shuddered and took an unsteady breath, pressing his suddenly-human shoulder into Uryuu’s waist and bowing his head. Uryuu’s hand settled back on his head, a grounding touch that helped settle his mind back into his body. “That was… easier,” he admitted with a glance up at Rerugen who had turned his head to the side, giving him the illusion of privacy. “I… think I have it.”
Before Uryuu could respond, Ichigo mentally reached /down-and-in/—
Fade. Blur. /Snap/—
He /whuffed/ in excitement and stood to give himself a good shake, body for once feeling /natural/ moments after his change. Uryuu’s fingers tightened in his ruff as soon as he stilled and he turned to stare up at his pack-brother in question, head cocked and ears pricked forward.
“I shouldn’t be surprised,” Uryuu told him with the faintest of smiles. His tone was both relieved and pleased, making Ichigo stand straighter, pleased to have pleased Uryuu. “You always were adept at learning when you saw the way.”
Ichigo took a couple of steps away from Uryuu’s support, pleased when he neither stumbled nor swayed. His wolf-shape was almost /comfortable/ without the lingering disorientation and nausea he’d grown resigned to. Everything was still a bit too sharp, a bit too /loud/, but… spending time in this form would fix that. He’d not given himself the chance to really practice as a wolf, especially when so many moons interfered with school or sleep, but now…
Maybe he could learn now.
Rerugen approached slowly, ears upright and tail wagging. He was… happy?
Ichigo tilted his head and stared at the wolf-shaped man, trying to understand Rerugen’s intent. Ichigo was almost certain Rerugen was happy — dogs wagged their tails when pleased, didn’t they? And the upright ears were… close to the way Yoruichi’s ears would perk up when she was happy, so… maybe that was similar.
He’d gotten used to reading /Yoruichi’s/ body language as a cat, but he could already tell that Rerugen didn’t use the same set. Did that mean that /Ichigo’s/ body language was confusing the man as well? And without being able to speak…
Ichigo shook himself again, trying to discard the dizzying questions. They’d manage.
Rerugen /whuffed/ in something like amusement and closed the gap between them, still moving cautiously. His scent was… /warm/ was the best word Ichigo could find for it, like Uryuu’s had been from the very start and the rest of his pack had become in short order.
Rerugen smelled like a /friend/.
(Why already? He knew why Uryuu had clung so close so quick, but Rerugen—)
(Ah.)
Ichigo relaxed, content with his read on Rerugen at last. They weren’t going to be betrayed, or ridiculed, or anything of the sort; Rerugen was desperate for even the illusion of a larger pack, and underneath it all he was as genuine in his interest in teaching as he’d sounded.
He swayed in place when Rerugen nudged his flank and gave an exasperated /whoof/ when he shot Ichigo a — playful? Probably playful — look.
Rerugen did it again but harder, his eyes gleaming with mischief.
“Making friends?” Uryuu asked in amusement.
Ichigo growled playfully at Uryuu then snapped at Rerugen in exasperation when the man did it again. Except that only seemed to encourage him because he darted back a few paces, stretched out his forelegs in something akin to a bow, then barreled right back in.
He yelped and twisted away from the unexpected charge, barely avoiding being knocked flying as he ducked behind Uryuu’s legs and shot Rerugen a sour look.
Uryuu laughed and dug his fingers into Ichigo’s ruff once again. “I think he wants to play,” Uryuu suggested with a hint of disbelief, then laughed again as Rerugen’s ears perked forward and he bobbed his head in imitation of a human nod.
/Play?/ Ichigo wanted to protest. He wasn’t— they didn’t— there was no time for /playing/. He needed to learn—
Rerugen took advantage of his hesitation. Darted around Uryuu’s legs. Sent Ichigo sprawling with a shoulder-check. Leaned in and /snapped/ his jaws inches from Ichigo’s throat—
His confusion cleared. He twisted. Scrambled up. Knocked Rerugen aside and /over/—
Rerugen eeled away like he was made of shadows instead of flesh. Snapped his jaws in Ichigo’s face and turned to /run/.
Recovering his balance took Ichigo longer than he liked, limbs tangling up and brain refusing to cooperate. But the instant he had sorted himself out he bolted after the other wolf.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | ????
((Whoo, getting a bit more of this side au done today. Fun times!))
Uryuu didn’t know what to expect when he followed Rerugen and Ren out to the little green area just behind their home. It was shared by several other buildings, and was clearly some sort of community area; there were several wash-tubs set upside-down to drain, and a couple clotheslines that had clothing pinned to them. A few toys were scattered around, like children spent time playing there, and there were even a few toys that looked like /dog toys/.
(Did… did Rerugen actually /play/ in his wolf form?)
He eyed the man before dismissing the notion. Rerugen seemed far too rigid to unbend like that; he was an adult Quincy after all, and likely had far more important things to do than play.
“First question,” Rerugen began once they had reached the center of the small green. “Kurosaki-san, are you aware of how to retake your wolf form after you’ve been called out of it?”
“I… we all suspected it was possible,” Ichigo admitted reluctantly, “but I never tried it.”
“It is. The trick is to reach inward towards the power that controls the change and release it. So long as the moon is in the sky, we can /always/ become a wolf.” Rerugen looked between all of them, a small frown on his face, and continued, “It’s also important to remember that we don’t /have/ to retake our human form, even if someone who loves us calls our name. In the end, it is /our/ decision.”
“Oh.” Ichigo looked down at the claws on his hands, then sighed and rubbed at his face. “You… want me to change, then?”
Rerugen cocked his head to one side, expression concerned. “Do you not wish to? There are other things I can teach you if that’s the case.”
Uryuu grimaced. He knew exactly what Ichigo’s reluctance was, and he didn’t blame his friend for it. The transition from human to wolf and back had never gotten any easier on him no matter what they tried. Even Yoruichi hadn’t managed to help, her transformation too different from their own.
(Uryuu loved her a little for her efforts. For the way she snarled at Urahara when the man looked like he wanted to /experiment/. For the way she didn’t push Ichigo to try to change back, even though they all suspected he could.)
“I— no. It’s alright,” Ichigo said with reluctance, lips thinning as he braced himself.
But before he could, Rerugen scowled and stepped closer, hand settling on Ichigo’s shoulder. “No,” he said sharply. “You are uncomfortable with this. What did I just finish saying?”
Ichigo sent a helpless look at Uryuu, clearly out of his depth, and Uryuu found himself speaking in Ichigo’s stead. “That it’s our choice if we change,” he said, though he couldn’t keep the disbelief out of his tone no matter how he tried. Surely, /surely/ Rerugen would just tell Ichigo to push through his discomfort, that the skill was necessary to learn and practice.
(There was no Yoruichi here to defend Ichigo.)
But instead Rerugen shot Uryuu a pleased look and nodded at him before focusing on Ichigo again. “Exactly,” he said kindly. “It is /your/ choice, not mine. If you do not want to, then you do not have to. Knowing that the possibility is there is enough for me, since one day that knowledge might save your life.”
“Wouldn’t you rather I practice it, then?” Ichigo asked hesitantly.
“Practice only makes the change easier to control,” Erich said as he released Ichigo’s shoulder and stepped back. “The change is always a part of us, and so long as the moon is in the sky our bodies /want/ to be wolves. Now that you know it’s possible, figuring out how to trigger it will be like stretching a limb gone numb.” He took another couple steps back, rolled his shoulders, and said, “Let me demonstrate, so you know I’m not lying.”
Uryuu moved to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ichigo, trying to provide a modicum of comfort to his friend. He… wasn’t sure how to feel about all of this. There had to be a trap somewhere. Surely Rerugen wouldn’t back down so easily.
There was /something/ odd in Rerugen’s gaze as he watched the two of them, before he tipped his head to the side, breathed out, and /changed/.
Ichigo inhaled sharply and Uryuu stared in shock as Rerugen’s body /faded away/, clothes falling away and his body turning into a silver mist that flowed like quicksilver into a new form. His change was /beautiful/, and the wolf that stood in Rerugen’s place was alert and clearly unbothered by the change he’d just gone through.
“That looked nothing like mine,” Ichigo murmured. He reached a hand out and grabbed Uryuu’s wrist in a bruising grip, fine tremors shaking his hand and arm. “Do… do you think…”
Uryuu wished he had an answer to the unspoken ‘is it because of my heritage?’ that Ichigo — that they /both/ — were wondering about. If he forced himself to change fully like Rerugen implied he could, would his change look like that while Ichigo’s remained the rough, disorienting transition that it currently was?
Reregun’s ears perked forward and he watched both of them carefully, something almost like /concern/ in his body language. What he had to be concerned about Uryuu didn’t know, and maybe he was just projecting or reading something that wasn’t there, but… it was disorienting either way.
Finally, Rerugen /whuffed/ and looked to Ren, head cocked and tail wagging slowly, clearly waiting for something. When Ren arched an eyebrow at him, he just blinked and gave them a canine ‘smile’.
Ren clicked their tongue, expression warm and amused. “I see how it is,” they spoke with a smile, “/Rerugen Erich/.”
Uryuu watched in awe as the transformation reversed just as smoothly as it had started, Rerugen’s form melting away and flowing into his human shape with no sign of distress or disorientation. In fact, the man knelt to grab his pants before his body had even finished solidifying, capable of coordinated motions that Ichigo /never/ was.
While Rerugen pulled his clothing back on, Uryuu nudged Ichigo until his friend turned to him. He desperately wished he had any sort of answer for Ichigo, but in lieu of that… “We could ask?” he suggested softly, hoping that Ichigo would agree.
It was more ways that Rerugen could /hurt/ them, but… it was also a chance at /answers/. Answers they had no way to find. So far, Rerugen had been nothing like every other Quincy they’d met, and had even insisted that the lycanthropy was /older/ than their Quincy heritage.
He seemed… genuine. Honest. Willing to help them the way only their pack ever had.
Ichigo shivered and cast a sidelong glance at Rerugen, who was watching them with /definite/ concern on his expression. “We could,” he murmured. His lips compressed into a thin line and he took a deep breath. “Do /you/ think we should?”
“Yes.” Uryuu didn’t give himself a chance to hesitate. They’d already faced ridicule and hatred. What could Rerugen Erich do that the Wandenreich hadn’t already done?
(He didn’t want to think too hard on that.)
“Rerugen-san, a question,” Ichigo started as soon as he had Uryuu’s agreement, turning to face Rerugen properly again. “Your transformation, was it always so… easy?”
“No. I was the first Change in generations, and it took time to accustom myself to the difference between my own power and the wild reishi that controls the shift.”
“Wild reishi?” Uryuu had never considered /that/ as an option — Urahara had said that the mechanisms of their shift were complex, but he’d never indicated that he thought /reishi/ might be the culprit. “What does that even /mean/? Reishi is just reishi, isn’t it?”
“Yes and no. Our bodies draw in reishi naturally over the course of the day, and most of it we simply expel back into the world. But when our wolf inheritance has been unlocked, our bodies cling to more of that power than usual. And then, when the moon is overhead, our inheritance /takes/ that power and activates it. But because the change is fueled by an outside source, those of us who have experience with controlling our own power have a tendency to fight it,” Rerugen explained.
Ichigo frowned and looked down at his hands, running his thumb over his claws. “So… it’s so hard because… I’m fighting it? Even when I return to human form?”
Rerugen nodded. “You’re not precisely fighting the change, you’re fighting the sensation of power /not your own/ affecting your body.”
“Can you… can you teach me?” Ichigo asked softly, squaring his shoulders and meeting Rerugen’s gaze stubbornly. “I don’t want to keep /feeling/ like that if I don’t have to.”
Rerugen’s stance softened and he smiled reassuringly. “Of course I can. How good are you at sensing?”
“I… could be better,” Ichigo admitted ruefully.
“He’d decent at close range,” Uryuu added when it seemed like Ichigo was going to leave it there.
Rerugen hummed then held out his hands, palm up, to both of them. “Here, let’s try this, then. You both hold on to my hands and I’ll shift. Try to focus on what’s happening while I do so, and see if that helps any.”
“That won’t hurt you?” Uryuu asked as he and Ichigo stepped closer. He’d never dare touch Ichigo while he was in the middle of a shift, uncertain if he could disturb or interrupt the change by accident.
“No, though if I concentrate on keeping my hands in yours, you’re going to need to help support me,” Rerugen said with a smile. “Canine bodies aren’t particularly meant for standing on their hind legs.”
“Wait, you can control even your /stance/?” Ichigo asked incredulously.
“Skill and practice. Lots and lots of practice,” Rerugen answered with a dry laugh. “And lots of making my wife laugh at my plight.”
This close, Uryuu could /feel/ the man’s reiatsu, warm and welcoming and so, /so/ pleased to be interacting with them. It was humbling to realize exactly how /much/ it meant to Rerugen that they’d accepted his offer, even with as wary as they were.
It made his decision easier.
He took hold of one of Rerugen’s hands and concentrated, trying to hone his senses in on just the man. He could feel Ichigo’s focus narrowing down as well and wondered how much Ichigo could feel. There didn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary, at least at first, but then—
Erich’s hand dissolved in his.
The ‘mist’ was cool and smooth and more solid than it looked. Even when Uryuu lightly squeezed, his fingers didn’t sink into it the way he expected, but rather compressed the ‘mist’ like he had squeezed a flesh and blood hand.
And the /sensations/!
Reishi and reiatsu flowed through the ‘mist’, coupled together in a way Uryuu had never seen before. There was a delicate balance, and Uryuu could see why Rerugen would say it had been difficult to learn how to shift as smoothly as he did. The slightest upset and the reishi would be scattered and fragmented instead of working as a single action.
“/Oh!/” Ichigo breathed at his side, leaning in and bringing up his other hand to lay it tentatively against what had been Rerugen’s arm. “/Oh!/ It’s like— oil and water. And if you fight it— /oh/…”
The ‘mist’ solidified in Uryuu’s hand, becoming a large, warm paw. Rerugen’s weight settled on him as the man let Uryuu and Ichigo support him in the unnatural stance he’d taken.
(It was humbling, the trust the man had in them already.)
Rerugen’s ears were perked forward and his tail was wagging happily. He was clearly pleased with them, especially Ichigo.
“So… I’m right?” Ichigo asked, then gave the paw in his hand a considering look when Rerugen barked and wagged his tail harder. “I think… maybe I have it? I think… I think I’ll try it.”
Rerugen barked again and pulled his paws free of their hands, moving back to sit and stare expectantly up at Ichigo.
Uryuu gave Ichigo’s arm a squeeze and moved back to give his friend room as well. He hoped that Ichigo’s usual learning curve would apply here as well — he /hated/ how the shift left Ichigo shivering and disoriented, and if Rerugen was right, if this could help…
Uryuu would do everything in his power to help, even if that was just being support and comfort and the one to call Ichigo out of his wolf shape time after time.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | ????
((So I actually managed to get something postable done? Uh... well, it’s something at least.))
By the time they made it to the village square, where Orihime had set up her shields to defend everyone and was now healing those few who had become wounded, the wolf was already there. One of the villagers was kneeling on the ground, her arms wrapped tight around the wolf and face buried in the wolf’s fur. Another villager stood over the two of them, a fond look on their face.
The villager glanced at Ichigo and Uryuu as the two of them approached, their gaze lingering briefly on the heavy claws both of them sported, before they nodded in greeting. “I am glad you are safe,” they told Ichigo. “I am Ren, and this is Mami and Rerugen,” they introduced, gesturing towards each in turn.
“Kurosaki Ichigo, and this is Ishida Uryuu,” Ichigo said. “Rerugen-san found me in the forest and helped me out.”
“Mmm, I see,” Ren gave him another considering look, then turned to Mami and Rerugen. “Did you find what you were searching for?” they asked Rerugen, then frowned at the head-shake they received. “I see. Mami…”
“Yes, of course,” she let go of Rerugen and rose, stepping towards Ichigo and holding out her hand. “If I could have his bags? Thank you,” she smiled warmly at Ichigo as she accepted the bags from him and slung them over her shoulder, then looked at Rerugen. “Rerugen-san? Would you prefer to change or remain until the moon descends?”
Rerugen glanced at her briefly, then stepped closer to Uryuu and Ichigo, muzzle lifted to scent the air around the two of them and his ears tilted in confusion. /Whatever/ he was scenting off of them only seemed to confuse him more, and he stepped back to Mami’s side with a sneeze.
He nudged at Mami’s leg, making her laugh and step backwards in order to keep her balance. Her free hand settled on the nape of his neck, fingers curling into his thick fur, and Rerugen didn’t even make a token effort at shaking her hand free.
“We’ll see you back home,” Mami told Ren with a warm smile, then inclined her head to Ichigo and Uryuu and continued, “You and your friends are invited as well, Kurosaki-kun, Ishida-kun.”
“Thanks,” Ichigo replied with a nod. He and the others hadn’t intended to stay long, but the chances that Rerugen was like /them/… Ichigo wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip through his fingers. And from the death-grip that Uryuu had on his arm, his brother wasn’t about to let him, either.
(Another Quincy. One like them. Who didn’t immediately turn them away or chase them off.)
(Ichigo couldn’t blame his brother in the slightest.)
“I’ll bring you to our home once you’re all ready,” Ren told him with a nod. “Just let me know.”
They strode off before Ichigo could do more than nod, gaze focused on several of the other villagers. Ichigo watched them for a moment, then looked to Uryuu and cocked his head in question.
“Small reserves, but there,” Uryuu answered his silent question. He looked at Ren a moment longer, then turned away and tugged Ichigo towards the rest of their pack. “Trained, I think. Probably by Rerugen, if he’s a Quincy.”
Ichigo made a questioning noise, following Uryuu across the square.
“I couldn’t sense him very well,” Uryuu admitted with a grimace. “I almost thought you brought a normal wolf back with you, at first.”
“Ichigo did /what/ now?” Tatsuki asked with a scowl, hands on her hips and every inch the foreboding pack leader except for the feel of her /warm-worried-interested/ reiatsu. She scanned both of them as they approached, gaze lingering on the tears in Ichigo’s attire and the blood he knew was visible as he moved.
Uryuu scoffed and turned his head away, pretending nonchalance as he said, “Ichigo’s normal luck took effect, is all. He got separated and then was saved by someone we think is like /us/.”
Tatsuki’s gaze sharpened and she looked between the two of them. “You /think/ is like you?”
Ichigo shrugged and swayed into Chad as his best friend came up behind him, nudging the other with his shoulder in silent confirmation that he was /fine/, honest. “Well, a wolf destroyed a bunch of Hollows with some sort of power, and then understood and answered my questions as best he could, and had human-style bags that he wanted to bring back.”
“Ren-san recognized /this/, too,” Uryuu admitted, raising his free hand enough to catch Tatsuki’s attention and curling his fingers to make his claws more obvious. “And Mami-san asked the wolf if he wanted to change or ‘remain until the moon descended’.”
“Not like /them/, then,” Chad said thoughtfully.
Ichigo winced and shook his head, remembering the way the Wandenreich had reacted to both Uryuu and him. /Revulsion/ was the kindest word he could think of.
(It was wrong, he knew, to take the opinions of fanatics like /that/ at face value, but…)
(Even Uryuu’s father had grimaced and looked anywhere but their wolf-traits.)
“So, when do we get to meet him?” Tatsuki asked.
“Oooh, meet who?” Orihime broke in as she came up to them, fairies still fluttering around her body. She made an exasperated noise and stepped up to Ichigo’s side, hands coming up as she murmured the name of her skill and the signature golden shield formed around Ichigo where he stood.
“Either they found another werewolf, or Ichigo was saved by a really smart wolf.” Tatsuki shrugged and flashed Ichigo and Uryuu a grin. “Given the sorts of things I’ve seen so far, it could be either.”
Uryuu made a noise of frustration, and Ichigo cut in before his brother could take Tatsuki’s teasing the wrong way. “We were invited back to their home when you guys are done helping out. We just need to talk to Ren when we’re ready.”
Orihime pursed her lips and cast a glance over her shoulder, clearly gaging the state of those still lingering in the square. Ichigo let her be, not wanting to rush her when there was little reason; no matter how anxious he was to speak with Rerugen, he was still… hesitant, wary of the man and the judgment he’d seen in every /other/ Quincy’s gaze.
(If it wasn’t for the wolf, it was for his heritage. He could never win.)
(And what of his brother, who never fully changed? Would Rerugen look down upon /that/?)
“Alright,” she said, letting her barrier drop and looking up at Ichigo with a soft smile. “You were the last one I needed to heal. Let’s go meet this werewolf that saved you.”
“He didn’t /save/ me,” Ichigo muttered, rolling his eyes. He elbowed Uryuu in the side when his brother snorted, then ducked around Chad’s other side when Uryuu spun to retaliate. “He /helped/ me, there’s a difference. I could have made it out on my own.”
Chad made a soft noise, one large hand settling on Ichigo’s shoulder and the other on Uryuu’s, carefully holding them apart. “Who are we meeting?” he asked.
Uryuu leaned briefly into the touch, before he tugged himself free and gestured towards Ren, who was on the far side of the square talking with a group of villagers. “Them. The person in the dark blue kimono.”
Ren looked over as the teens approached, then turned back to the group of villagers and quickly finished their conversation. As the villagers dispersed, Ren turned towards Ichigo and the others and looked them all over. “Is this everyone?”
“Yeah,” Ichigo said. “Ren-san, this is Yasutora Sado, Inoue Orihime, and Arisawa Tatsuki.”
“Nice to meet you all,” Ren said with a polite bow. “Have you completed what you need?”
“Yes!” Orihime agreed, smiling brightly. “Everyone should be healed now.”
Ren’s expression softened at Orihime’s words, and they smiled warmly at her in response. “Thank you for the consideration. Shall we, then? I’m certain Rerugen-san is interested in speaking with all of you.”
“All of us, huh?” Tatsuki frowned a bit, glancing over at Ichigo and Uryuu, then squared her shoulders and nodded. “Alright then, lead on, Ren-san. And thank you for this chance.”
Ichigo shared a look with Uryuu as Ren exchanged a few more pleasantries with Tatsuki, then turned to lead them to their home. Uryuu was almost instantly glued to his side again, shoulder pressed against his and matching step.
(At least he wasn’t the only one nervous about this meeting…)
((So from this post I made a couple days ago, Ven challenged me to do mini scenes of the tag rambles that I added to it.
This one’s a bit iffy, idk. Still kinda cute but ehh... didn’t come out the way I wanted it too.))
(TAGS: werewolf!Erich is so damn affectionate once you earn his trust and around those he trusts he can fall asleep in a heartbeat
werewolf!Erich enjoys being big or little spoon doesn't matter
just let there being cuddling happening)
Kisuke froze as Rerugen dropped onto the couch and then sprawled across his lap, carefully setting down his pen and eyeing the man. He’d not expected Rerugen to actually do that, no matter how much he’d hoped.
(He’d sat on the couch on the off chance Rerugen /would/, but… he’d never expected it to /work/.)
“Mmm, this okay?” Rerugen asked sleepily, turning his head to squint up at Kisuke.
“You’re fine,” Kisuke replied, shock fading and body relaxing. He cautiously brought a hand down to Rerugen’s head and threaded his fingers through the man’s soft hair, listening to Rerugen’s pleased hum.
Kisuke watched Rerugen drift to sleep, still threading his fingers through the man’s hair and reveling in the chance to touch.
*snicker* in the werewolf!verse, can you just imagine Kisuke enthusiastically asking werewolf!Erich about All The Werewolf lore? (Erich might even find Kisuke questioning him about the validity of ancient European folklore - rather cute.)
Erich, to the pups+Kisuke: “Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright.”
((Okay so… you kinda attempted to prompt cute and silly and Urahara being his typical self, aaaaand then this went… sideways.
SO UH. HAVE A LORE DUMP.
And a bit of cute fluff, but ANYWAY. LORE.
Yes, most of this actually applies to Misfits-verse as well. Also, I’ve decided that most every shapeshifter legend is true in these ‘Verses, albeit some of them have died off and some of them are dying off (like the were-Quincy). It’s a thing.
Also I might continue this at some point, but this felt like a good stopping point.
Also-also, please note that werewolf!Erich is like 200% more tactile and openly affectionate than Lilacs!Erich because wolf-instincts and finally having a pack again after so very, very long. And he pretty quickly sways Uryuu to being more tactile and openly affectionate in general. This is also the timeline where Uryuu doesn’t become a werewolf because Erich gives him back his powers before that happens.))
“Do you have a wolf-skin?” Urahara asked curiously, following Erich out of the training ground after their latest spar. “Or an enchanted belt?”
Erich shook his head, eyeing Urahara with wry amusement and pointedly tapping two of claws together to draw attention to his current wolf-traits. “No and no.”
Urahara made a considering noise, fiddling with his fan and staring at Erich thoughtfully. “Silver bullets? Silver in general?”
“Bullets hurt,” Erich agreed, pausing to dart up in several bursts of hirenkyaku to reach the trapdoor out. He waited in the shop for Urahara to follow him up, then continued, “but there’s nothing inherent in silver that harms us.”
“Ji-san?” Uryuu asked from the doorway, looking between Erich and Urahara warily. “Is he bothering you again?”
Erich chuckled and held out a hand towards Uryuu, unable to resist a fond smile when the boy willingly came to him and allowed Erich to settle his arm over his shoulders in a loose hug. It was such a joy to be able to show /affection/ to someone again, and have them accept it. It was such a joy to have /pack/ again. “No, Urahara is simply being his normal nosy self.”
“Mou, you wound me, Rerugen-san!” Urahara protested, shoulders slumped in theatrical dejection and hat pulled down to hide his eyes. “You don’t /have/ to answer!”
“Of course not.” Erich pulled Uryuu back into the private areas of the shoten, honing in on the room the other teens were. He let go of Uryuu and gratefully dropped onto the couch, stretching out his legs and relaxing in the presence of his pack.
Uryuu almost immediately dropped to sit on the floor next to him, leaning against Erich’s leg and resting his head on his thigh.
“You know you could sit up here with me,” Erich murmured, reaching out to run his claws gently through Uryuu’s hair.
“I’m comfortable,” Uryuu said. He tilted his head enough to give Erich a narrow-eyed look, then let his head drop back and pointedly leaned into the touch. “So what what he bothering you about this time?”
Erich shot Urahara a stern look as the man paused, took in the scene, then mimed being struck by the sight in front of him. “He’s being nosy about werewolf lore, of course,” he explained, catching the attention of the other three.
“Oh, I’ve been wondering about that too!” Orihime perked up and moved to sprawl across the couch near him, chin propped up on her hands and legs swinging through the air. “There’s so many conflicting stories, and none of it really makes sense.”
“Most of it’s fake, isn’t it?” Ichigo asked, marking his place in his book and setting it aside. “I haven’t found any stories that have the werewolves showing traits outside of the transformation, except maybe eye color. Well… except the full moon thing is apparently true?”
“Which is new,” Chad added. When the other teens glanced at him curiously he shrugged. “Mid nineteenth century gothic horror was the start.”
“Ah…” Erich gave a lopsided side and shrugged. “An ancestor was careless. It… happens more often than you might expect. Many of my men during the war knew, but when magecraft was such a prominent, obvious thing, it was easy to spin a tale of an ancestral curse by an angered mage.”
“Is that true?” Uryuu asked softly. “/Were/ we cursed?”
“No,” he said firmly. “It may make things difficult in this day and age, but this was /never/ intended as a curse.”
Urahara settled in a nearby chair and made a thoughtful noise. “Then what /was/ it intended as?”
He watched Urahara for a long moment in silence, then swept his gaze over the teens, noting their attention and interest in the answer. Uryuu and Ichigo, at the very least, deserved to know, since the change was in /their/ blood as well. Even Chad and Orihime arguably had a right to that knowledge, being part of the pack as they were.
(Urahara, too; though when his traitorous mind had begun to tentatively label the man /pack/ was unknown.)
“A blessing,” Erich said, then held up a hand to forestall the questions he knew were coming. “This has been in our blood since before the genesis of the Quincy. Arguably, we are lycanthropes /first/ and Quincy second, despite the way the abilities usually manifest. We’ve been so since the time when we were simply Humans with ritual magic and the Sight, dedicated to hunting the monsters that hunted /us/.”
“/Oh/,” Orihime breathed, eyes bright. “An extra edge in battle! And…” she hesitated, glancing from Erich and down to Uryuu, then over to Ichigo and back to Erich. “Bonds. A hunting pack.”
Erich nodded in agreement, running his claws through Uryuu’s hair again. “Wolves are powerful and dangerous by themselves, but the pack instincts… /those/ make them /deadly/, especially against foes as large and dangerous as Hollows.”
“But why the /moon/,” Ichigo asked, scowling deeper at the words. “That seems less useful than a pelt or a belt or… or just transforming at will.”
“Pelts and belts can be lost,” Erich pointed out. “Look at all the legends about /selkies/ losing their pelts and being bound to whoever finds it. Ritual magic requires an anchor, a stable point to emanate from so that the magic continues to affect those it should.” He lifted his hand from Uryuu’s hair and spread his arms, glancing between his pack-members in question. “What would they have tied it to for free transformation, if not a distinctive item like a pelt or belt? And where would we have /found/ these items, generation after generation? Would we be born as wolves and shed our pelts to become Human? But what if we marry outside those like us? How would /that/ work?”
Kisuke made a face, flicking his fan open and covering his mouth with it. “No, I can’t imagine that would work out well for anyone. I doubt you’d even be /able/ to crossbreed like that.”
“No, probably not.” Erich shrugged and tipped his head towards Kisuke in agreement, inwardly amused at the face Ichigo was making. “So instead, thirty families gathered to anchor the ritual in the moon itself; or, more precisely, in the /concept/ of the moon. A stable, known constant in our lives, from the moment we are born to the moment we die. A constant shared by the entire world. Whether they knew that the change in the moonlight would change the strength of the ritual, I’m unsure, but it is what it is.”
Ichigo gave him a puzzled frown and glanced over at Chad, the two of them holding a silent conversation that Erich let play out. He was curious to see what question the pair had for him.
“How’s it work with calling your name, then?” Ichigo finally asked, looking to Erich again. “The concept of the moon seems… too big to be overridden by a single person.”
“Yes and no. How often do you think about the moon?”
“Not often,” Chad said.
“When I see it,” Ichigo agreed.
Orihime nodded. “Yeah.”
“It’s just… there.” Uryuu tilted his head to look at Erich thoughtfully, chewing on his lower lip in thought. “So… you’re implying that the immediacy of our emotions is enough to override the moon?”
“To an extent.” Erich smiled down at Uryuu and ruffled the teen’s hair, laughing at the disgruntled noise Uryuu made in response. “Emotion has a wild magic of its own, and when you look at my wolf form, and call my name, you’re usually instinctively /wanting/ my familiar form back. And, after a while, you /expect/ a certain action to get a certain result: call my name, pull me from the wolf. Which has a power all its own, separate from that of your emotions.”
“Does it… hurt?” Uryuu asked warily, staring up at him uncertainly. “When… when we do that? Should we not?”
“It’s fine, pup,” Erich reassured, leaning forward to give Uryuu a hug. “It feels /strange/, and there’s always the urge to revert, but it never hurts. Not even in the very beginning, when I first awoke as a wolf in my late twenties.”
Uryuu pressed into the hug, arms slipping up to wrap around Erich’s chest and clinging tight. “Thank you,” he murmured, barely loud enough for Erich to hear.
