grant me a bitter glory

Vawraek · #1 AW 01-06-2025, 07:30 PM Quote

One moment, the witch was cackling like a deranged hyena, her eyes gleaming with that special brand of lunacy only a witch could muster, and the next, his body was being squeezed, tugged, and pulled every which way like he was some sort of overcooked noodle in a pot of boiling water. The transformation was a symphony of agony and confusion; he could feel his bones shifting and his flesh twisting—like being crammed into a suit two sizes too small while someone turned the dial on his pain receptors to the max. “Oh, great. Just what I needed,” he thought, his last coherent thought fading amid the chaos of everything happening to him.

Then, like a poorly-directed horror film, he hit the ground hard, the impact stealing the air from his lungs with an unapologetic ‘oof!’ The sheer force sent stars dancing across his vision, while his dazed yellow eyes blinked in confusion at the swirling mass of purple light that had greeted him in the most unwelcoming of manners. “And here I was thinking my biggest problem today would be deciding on a good vintage,” he muttered to himself.

He lay there for a moment, perhaps two, gathering his wits—though judging by the throbbing in his head, he suspected it wasn’t particularly abundant. His legs remained in a state of mild rebellion after the magical makeover, and his pride endured an even worse fate as the ground, with its dampness and rough grass, became all too familiar to this new furry body. “Well, isn’t this just delightful?” he groaned, staring up at the sky. Great, just great—laying on the ground like some sort of misbehaving pup rather than the suave, sophisticated man he is— was? Did it even fucking matter at this point? Anyways… “I mean, who wouldn’t want to be turned into a wolf against their will? I’d sign up for that in a heartbeat!” The sarcasm in his voice was powerful with this one.

After what felt like an eternity of awkward moments (for no one but himself), a loud snarl escaped his lips—a deep, animalistic sound that echoed across the clearing, startling a nearby squirrel into fleeting panic. “That fucking witch!” he howled, the rage bubbling up inside him like a boiling pot. Honestly, the level of vitriol in his voice could have made a medieval knight reconsider his life choices. With a dramatic huff, he pushed himself onto his new paws. He wobbled slightly at first, as if he were one cocktail short of a proper balance, his wolfish form not nearly as dignified as he’d like to think though fuck anyone who dared to remark about it to him. With a proverbial slap of resignation, he regained his footing—a wolf, sure, but a wolf with style, naturally.

As he started pacing in what resembled a furious temper tantrum, he couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the absurdity of it all. Seriously, how the fuck did he get himself into these kinds of situations? “What was her plan, huh? Turn me into a furry Pinterest project? Please. I’d rather chew off my own leg,” he scoffed, kicking a small rock with a paw that had all the grace of an awkward puppy. “Honestly, what is life without a few dramatic confrontations with ancient witches?” His voice dripped with sarcasm, his wolf-formed growl underscoring the irony of his predicament. At this rate, he might actually consider a job in the entertainment industry—if only he could find a witch to turn him back!

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Hawkes · #2 01-09-2025, 09:11 AM Quote

Hawkes knew these woods. He'd spent some time in them a while back, mesmerized by their vivid bright colors in the foliage. It was a beautiful place, even as the sun had begun to set, the mushrooms along the tree trunks beginning their otherworldly glowing.

If he were a pack wolf by heart, Hawkes would have half a mind to claim this place for himself. Unfortunately, wandering paws did not make for a loyal man, and so he would settle for passing through every so often. Perhaps the fungi would lose a bit of their magic if he lived there and saw them daily, anyway.

Hawkes paused momentarily at the sound of snarling from further into the forest. It wasn't really in his nature to insert himself into violent situations - survival and all that - but curiosity won out this time. Electric eyes roamed his surroundings as he approached the raving man, a large thing, and alone, it seemed, spouting off nonsense that Hawkes did not understand.

He didn't want to help, but there was a sick sort of interest that brewed in the back of his mind, and with a smirk, he announced his presence.

"What th' fuck's a Pinterest?"

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Vawraek · #3 01-13-2025, 12:43 PM Quote

"What th' fuck's a Pinterest?"

That little question jolted Vawraek out of his spiraling thoughts, his ears twitching in irritation. He paused to flex his powerful, now furry paws, trying to suppress the growl building up in his throat. “Imagine if a corkboard hooked up with a magazine and got carried away with some kind of pining obsession,” he shot back, barely holding in a chuckle that turned into a low huff, the laughter struggling to escape his canine form. His muzzle twisted into a smirk at his own absurd analogy. “Squirrels would lose their minds over it, if they were your typical basic white girl who had a taste for the aesthetics, of course.”

With a swift flick of his tail, he turned to zero in on the voice, his yellow eyes narrowing at the source. An eyebrow raised in disbelief, he began to snarl instinctively. “What are you? Living under a rock, clueless about one of the internet’s greatest ideas? I mean, seriously—” His foot poised mid-step, frozen as a fresh wave of realization slammed into him. Acidic eyes widened, jaw slackened. Wait. Did that wolf just speak?

Wildlife can freaking talk now, and guess what? He can understand it.

The weight of the situation crashed down on him, and Vawraek tilted back his head, letting out a frustrated snarl—half searching for some semblance of his sanity, half grappling with the absurdity of it all. What kind of twisted magic did that witch unleash on him?

“And now the wildlife can talk. What the hell is my life?” he grumbled, rolling his eyes toward the heavens as if the cosmos itself would grant him an answer. The movement caused his ears to flop dramatically, a telltale sign of his exasperation. Insanity felt like the only valid answer now. Because if he wasn’t losing it, then this was proof that every furry little creature he’d wiped out in his little reign of chaos could’ve been spouting off opinions—maybe that’s why the ravens have always loathed him. Hmm, makes a kind of sick sense. He huffed again, your classic wolf equivalent of a sarcastic scoff.

“Since the witch decided to turn my life upside down and fucked it six ways to heaven,” he rolled his shoulders, trying to shake off the mounting tension building within them, “you might as well be useful—no judgment for being a mutt, by the way.” He leaned slightly forward, pupils narrowing in annoyance, tail flicking side to side, nose flaring with barely controlled calm. “So, where the fuck am I, and what’s going on in this freakish forest?” His ears perked up attentively, body mimicking an almost predatory posture, ready to pounce on whatever information might come his way.

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Hawkes · #4 01-13-2025, 01:36 PM Quote

Alright. So he was insane.

Words were spouted off from snarling lips, and Hawkes simply stood and took the brunt of the other man's exasperation and anger unflinchingly. The most he would react was a quirked eyebrow, inquisitive, trying to figure out just what the fuck this guy was saying to him. White girls and squirrels and aesthetics and a ma-ga-zeen? It made no sense, no matter how Hawkes turned it in his head. It was almost as though they'd come from different realities.

Mention of a witch, again. Did this man believe in fairy tales? Hawkes had heard of them, sure, but he'd never experienced any wolves performing magic in his day, and he'd been around a time or two. Or was it three, now? The only supernatural thing he'd ever seen had been his weird awakening in this land.

But maybe that was part of it. Maybe witches were an actual thing in this guy's world. Hawkes supposed it wasn't completely out of the realm of possibility.

And just when he'd decided to give him the benefit of the doubt...

...you might as well be useful—no judgment for being a mutt, by the way.

Mild irritation and amusement warred within him. Hawkes was never the helpful sort, even when someone seemed in dire straits. Less so when the person asking for help was being a total dick.

"I'm gonna let that slide, but only because y' seem like yer havin' a bad day," he began, channeling every ounce of patience he possessed. "Could ask nicer, though. This witch of yers magic away yer manners or somethin'?"

He shrugged a shoulder then, glancing at the way the mushrooms seemed to come alive in the darkness. "As for the forest, I dunno. Been here before, but all I could gather was that the mushrooms glow. Don't eat 'em." Not that he thought this guy would be dumb enough to eat a glowing fungus, but hey. Couldn't be too careful.

"And I dunno if you've looked at yerself recently, but yer a mutt, too," he pointed out. And then, just to be petty, a smirk on his maw, he tacked on: "Yer a big fuckin' ugly one, but you and me 're the same thing." The guy would probably look better if he stopped snarling so much, but Hawkes wasn't going to give him even that much credit at the moment.

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Vawraek · #5 01-13-2025, 02:50 PM Quote

"I'm gonna let that slide, but only because y' seem like yer havin' a bad day."

A snort of amusement escaped Vawraek, nostrils flaring, his lips curling into a mean little smile that laid bare his pearly whites. “You do that,” he cooed, his narrowed eyes glimmering with barely concealed mischief swirling below the veneer of irritation, the wolfish glint sharper than one might expect. It was almost charming, in a very wicked sort of way. When the stranger followed up with his next words, Vawraek couldn’t help but let out a deep, guttural chuckle—more canine than he’d ever imagined he’d sound, yet somehow smooth enough to retain vestiges of his human charm. “Nah, this is what you get. The fully authentic Vawraek at your service. No witch or creature of the night can take credit for my manners,” he said, baring his teeth in a self-deprecating smirk. “That’s all my father—may God rest his soul. My mother passed long before she could grace me with her delicate touch, so I suppose I’m stuck with his brilliance—all questionable.”

He would’ve signed in some theatrical fashion if he had hands, but he was left with paws instead. So instead, he made a vague gesture as if conducting some bizarre little prayer, his expression playing between mock reverence and a smirk. Completely and totally unserious. Vawraek was never a very religious guy. You can blame Daddy dearest for that one.

The guy's response about the forest? Utterly unsatisfactory. Vawraek thrived in a world filled with supernatural creatures—vampires, demons, and things that went bump in the night including the occasional damn witch. But a forest where mushrooms glowed like a neon light show? That was new territory, even for him. It made for quite the interesting tableau—unsettling and mesmerizing all at once. He couldn’t shake off the nagging possibility that these mushrooms were packing some kind of hallucinogenic punch, and maybe he was breathing in spores that were warping his already questionable reality. Talking animals, now that’s something that really rattles a man's cage.

"And I dunno if you’ve looked in a mirror lately, but guess what? You're a mutt too."

The truth stung. It wasn’t by choice, mind you. If Vawraek had a say in the matter, he’d trade this furry body for something a bit more graceful—maybe a sleek leopard or a fearsome tiger. Something that screamed “majestic” instead of “loud barking.” But when he thought about it, maybe this was the kind of poetic irony the witch intended. A mutt like him, conjuring up images of all his vices laid bare. Shouldn’t have played around with a powerful witch and declared his faux undying love while slurping up her powers. Note to self: don’t screw around with witches who can turn you into a dog.

Just a friendly reminder.

But, damn it, powerful women had that irresistible allure, didn’t they?

At least he’d dodged the bullet of being turned into something like a pig—now that would be a million times worse than being a dog, and that’s not up for debate.

Then, of course, the bloke had the audacity to call him ugly and compare him to himself, which sent a wave of indignation through Vawraek. His expression soured, lips twisting into a sneer worthy of an Oscar nomination. “The hell? We gettin’ into looks now? You little twerp!” He advanced a step forward, using his larger wolf frame to loom intimidatingly. “Fuckin' cretin, sassing out a poor guy questioning his own sanity right now!” A tiny smirk danced at the corner of his mouth, barely visible but definitely not suppressed. For all his bravado, he wasn’t genuinely offended. Sure, he valued his looks, but honestly? He couldn’t care less about this guy’s unsolicited opinion. “Ain’t much difference between us, asshole.”

One thing was clear: Vawraek had to have the last word. Always.

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Hawkes

Huh. This guy was pretty funny, actually. Hawkes found himself mirroring the smirk on his face, his particular brand of assholery mimed back at him with ease. No longer concerned about offending the man - Vawraek, he'd said? - Hawkes snorted in response, a chuckle escaping him. "Definitely questionable," he huffed. "If he's the reason yer actin' like this, then God ain't gonna be the one restin' his soul, hate to say."

Hawkes had never been religious, either. If anything lay beyond this life, he was bound for hell. He'd come to terms with that long ago.

But this Vawraek guy was funny. Entertaining. Hawkes could play along with the whole witchy thing for a bit just to soak it up - it was hard to find interesting wolves. Most conversations left him bored with their run-of-the-mill topics, the whole getting to know you crap. Abaddon had always been his favorite to banter with, but who knew where the fuck that guy even was right now.

He was bound to come back at some point. He always did. Just, sometimes it took a while. And no, Hawkes did not miss him.

But he did miss the ease of the back-and-forth between them. Perhaps this could be a fun substitute.

Vawraek took offense of some kind to his gibe about the appearance, but as he stomped closer, Hawkes could see the tiniest quirk of his lips. He grinned in return, but did not approach further, and instead shrugged flippantly. "Never said I was a looker, now did I?" he shot back, tone almost playful. There was no pride to be had in looks, though Hawkes had always been a sucker for a pretty face, and up close, this guy wasn't so bad.

He looked him up and down, appraising, and cocked his head to the side. "I'm Hawkes," he introduced, unprompted. "I take it yer not from around here." He arched a brow. "So. Ya pissed off a witch and she sent ya here? 'S that yer story?"

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Vawraek · #7 01-21-2025, 05:42 PM Quote

Vawraek and his father had a complicated relationship—if you could even call it a relationship at all. "Complicated" edged into "ugly" more often than not, a spectacle that played out in a low, simmering tension. Vawraek was the quintessential free spirit, a chaotic whirlwind of impulses, fitting the bill of a ‘flying by the seat of his pants’ kind of guy. His mouth could weave a tapestry of trouble faster than he could find a way to escape its clutches. A true testament to that tempestuous spirit. His father, on the other hand? An ice sculpture of cold, calculating intent—rigid and unyielding.

But at the end of the day, good ol' daddy dearest was still his father, and Vawraek found himself too weary to change that immutable fact.

At this point in time, the old man would undoubtedly be rolling in his grave, spitting curses that danced like smoke in the air, raking Vawraek’s name across the hot coals of hell and back. There was a certain satisfaction, however, in picturing his father's disapproving scowl, especially as he ribbed his own son for being foolish enough to tempt the fates by bedding a witch. What a delightful twist of irony it was! He’d let his silver tongue slip through the cracks only to end up shackled to this new identity, a wolf trapped in a new reality.

“Oh yeah, the devil is probably more his style anyways.” Vawraek offhandedly agreed, eyes wandering to further take in the oddity that was the forest he found himself in. Yeah, no, you still couldn’t convince the man that he wasn’t breathing in the spores of this place and it wasn’t making him hallucinate what was currently happening to him.

However, Vawraek was man enough to know and understand that no matter how much he wanted to believe this was all a dream, the facts were right there staring him in the damn face. He fucked with a witch and was turned into a wolf. Fact. He was now talking to another wolf who seemed to be humoring him for the lack of a better word. Again, a fact. Now it was just to get a straight answer on whether or not witches and therefore humans existed who can help him off this furry bandwagon he’s found himself on.

Blinking slowly Vawraek turned his attention back towards the wolf before him, their words slowly sinking in even as a canary yellow gaze roamed over the dips and sharp angles of the figure before him. Like, yeah, sure, if Vawraek was to look at this like dogs were attractive this girlie before him would meet the requirements. Small and soft where Vawraek wasn’t, but with a sharp tongue to keep him on his toes. His grin grew wider, pulling his lips back enough to show his teeth in a wide almost boyish grin as he pulled his head back and looked down at the she-wolf before him. “Aw, don’t sell yourself short sweetheart. You’re a beaut and it’s all about perspective. Bet you get all the hound dogs to chase your tail.” Vawraek giggled at his own little joke as he flat out preened at the now named wolf’s attention before him.

“Hawkes, huh?” Was all he said in response before shrugging in an ‘okay’ kind of manner and instead sarcastically replied to Hawkes next statement. “Nah, what gave it away, girlie?” He snorted, nostrils flaring as he rolled his eyes, “unfortunately women don’t like being told lies, specifically the ones where a man tells her he loves her.”

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Hawkes · #8 Content Warning 01-21-2025, 07:27 PM Quote