bakerstreet | Let's howl at that moon

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[meme] shipping

Let's howl at that moon

☽✩ the werewolf pack (au) romance meme ✩☾

There are many supernatural beings that congregate in groups for survival or protection or just for companionship, not unlike humans. Witches have covens. Vampires have nests. But none of those have connections that can compare to the bond of a werewolf pack.

You should know. You're part of one, either born a werewolf or turned. For humans, blood is thicker than water; for wolves, the pack is to the bone. Of course, with humans, romantic relationships can complicate closeness of other sorts. That's not the case with werewolf pairings, as they tend to grow out of natural pack dynamics and are viewed as just another facet of life. The only difference is that werewolves tend to treat relationships, even potential would-be-mates, with extreme seriousness.

After all, you'll fight for your pack, so you'll fight for your mate, won't you?

✩ how to play ✩

☾ Comment with your character, preference, and information!
☽ Reply to others.
☾ RNG. Also, please note that while the words "alpha" et al. are used, this isn't a meme for that AU.

✩ prompts ✩

☽ Born: Your parents were werewolves. Any children you have will be wolves, too.
☾ The Turning Process: Like any transformation, the after effects of the bite are painful. Luckily
☽ With Who Turned You: You're romantically or sexually linked to your "creator," so to speak, probably because you have nowhere else to go. They seem to treasure you, though, no matter how much they hide it.
☾ Alphas: Both of you are top of the pack.
☽ Alpha and Beta: It's a classic case of the leader and the second in command: a perfect team up.
☾ Omegas: You two find solace in each other even when you're
☽ Closer Than Family: The romantic and platonic lines are blurred. You honestly can't
☾ Outside Threat: Your pack and your loved one is threatened. What won't you do?
☽ Reluctant: You don't want to be with anyone, but it's expected and they're the closest in the pack to you...
☾ All I've Ever Known: All you've ever known is the werewolf existence, the pack, and them. Of course you would never want to lose that.
☽ Can't be Together: You two should not be considering a potential pairing, either due to your status difference or because your alpha has proclaimed there will be no inter-pack mingling.
☾ Everyone Else Was Taken: You had no other option; everyone else was paired.
☽ Protector: Every pack has an instinctive protector or nurturer. You've lucked out and ended up with them.
☾ A Natural Closeness: It doesn't matter to you what you're defined as. You've always been close and you'll stay that way.
☽ Affection: Werewolves show their love in different ways that humans. Nuzzling and licking aren't considered odd at all.
☾ Fall into Step: The two of you have your pack positions and proclivities and they're the same in your relationship.
☽ Reverse: The submissive in the pack becomes a dominant in the relationship and vice versa.
☾ Two-Man Pack: The rest of your pack is gone, and you two have to stick it out.
☽ Rogue: You were once a lone wolf, but a special person brought you into the fold. Understandably, you're attached to them.
☾ Kin but Not: "Family" doesn't mean exactly the same thing in werewolf society as it does in human. There are fewer taboos between "siblings."
☽ Disciplined: You're a rule breaker, and your partner has to reel you in.
☾ Living Straight: Neither of you wants to hurt humans...yet there's always that urge.
☽ Bad Duo: Killing people and raising hell are your specialties. You're a real supernatural Bonnie and Clyde.
☾ Unrequited: Even werewolves can have feelings that aren't returned. However, it's an even more fragile scenario, given that you must still be pack after this.
☽ Got Your Back: Together, you hunt and fight. Always together.
☾ Love Outside the Pack: You've found love outside the pack, which is the ultimate sin. Everyone who isn't pack should be your enemy! The other person in this thread can be a human, vampire, etc.
☽ Life Mates: Wolves mate for life. Needless to say, this is not something you should go into lightly.
☾ Heat: The obligatory smut option.
☽ Fight for the One: Someone wants to challenge you for your mate. There's no question as to whether or not you'll fight for them - but will you kill?
☾ Leave: One of you wants to leave the pack. Will the other come along, or are ties too strong?
☽ A Brutal End: The life of a werewolf, especially those who let sentiment cloud their judgement, can be painfully brief.
☾ WILDCARD

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only | Expand All

[Defenders compliant. Open to cast, MCU, and crosscanon. 21+]

[The Shaw clan had always had a strange definition of "family". But then that happened often, with their kind. The world and dynamic of the pack, bloodlust and violence and feral posturing, bled over into every other aspect of their lives. Both in business and pleasure. They lived outside the law, outside society, and worked as criminals to make ends meet. When they weren't living off the land, hunting like the animals they truly were. They didn't have much in the way of connection or interest to human society.

Owen, like his brother, like both their parents, had been born with fur hidden under his skin, fangs just threatening to burst out once the moon turned full. And like most born wolves it gave him a snide arrogance towards those who'd been turned later in life, or worse were only human. He disdained of them. Humans were nothing, weak, to be toyed with or disposed of when they got in the way. Or, sometimes, for fun.

Humans weren't important. But power, power was. Power was the way of the wolf. The Shaw pack had to be the strongest and they took their territory very seriously, so when rumor came a new pack was trying to muscle in on their turf there was only one thing to be done about that.

They didn't know a lot about Kilgrave. They didn't have to: his pack was small, all the strength seemingly consolidated in him and the woman that was assumed to be his mate. The rest were all omegas, weak. Easily frightened. When the Shaw pack went to ambush them they scattered easily, and Kilgrave turned tail and ran. More interested in surviving, it would seem, than standing his ground to fight. It was an easy victory - almost too easy, Owen groused, but still satisfying.

All that was left to be done was to decide what to do with the woman, Kilgrave's second, that they'd managed to overwhelm and take prisoner. Owen of course argued to kill her and be done with it. But his mother and father argued, saying she could be useful somehow. Particularly if Kilgrave tried to come back. Unconscious, she'd been brought back to their base of operations and left in a cage. And Owen had drawn the task of standing guard over her until she woke back up.]

[If only they knew. The problem with wolves that had been turned from humans were that the effects could be... unpredictable. Especially when humans tinkered with the results. Kilgrave had been turned by his parents in an attempt to save him from a life-threatening disease. They'd been doing experiments on him beforehand and the mix of the two things clashed into making him the monster he was now. A werewolf with an ability to control those under him. He was an alpha without the physical strength, an alpha of the mind, and that was an oddity in a world where the weak were at the bottom of the pole.

Jessica had also been turned as a human, but it had been a fucked up accident. Her and her family had been involved in an accident involving a rabid werewolf that humans were experimenting on, the transport vehicle crashing into her family's car when the wolf got free. She'd been bitten, her family killed, but her injuries had been masked by the accident itself. It wasn't until she was with her new 'family' that she found out the truth.

Then she'd made an effort to avoid other werewolves, but in this world, it was next to impossible. Kilgrave had found her, found out that she, like him was a made wolf with something extra added in, and he found a way to make up for the strength he lacked. He barked, she jumped, and every time she did, she died a little inside.

So when the Shaw clan had come to wipe out Kilgrave's attempt to muscle in on their territory, Jessica had done her best to defy his orders to kill them. She found loopholes, ways to make herself do what he said to the letter without going past it. She fought him and his control and when she saw a clawed hand coming for her head, she didn't block it. She welcomed death, because death was better than what her life had turned into.

She was almost disappointed when she woke, finding herself still alive, healed, still in one piece and nothing but bars between her and a strange man looking at her like he wished she'd stopped breathing.]

Yeah, well, fuck you too.

[He had been watching her unblinkingly, the way only an animal could, a predatory one, even if they looked out on the world through outwardly human eyes. Seated a wooden crate nearby in the warehouse they had locked her in, legs stretched out and fingers laced lazily in front of him.

He blinked, once, at her response when she woke up. Because he had to admit that surprised him. Such cynical bravado right from the start.

But Owen gave a cool smile, baring the teeth that remained sharp even when he was human. It made his lean long face seem even more 'wolfish' than it superficially was.]

Well now. At last sleeping beauty awakes.

Fuck off.

[She lifted a hand to her head, fighting back the odd flip in her stomach at that smile. It should be scary; she'd met a few werewolves that had spent so long in their wolf form or halfway between that they never changed all the way back. They were constantly borderline feral, and that smile had her thinking he was the same way. A monster that other monsters feared. But while it should be scary, there was something there that muted it. He didn't smell feral. He didn't have that musky piss smell that most of the rabid or feral wolves had, like they marinated in their own scent to prove how big and bad they were. He smelled... male. Male and clearly dominant, judging by how he met her eyes and had caged her in the first place.

But he wasn't the only alpha in the room, and Jessica moved to get to her knees, looking around at the bars caging her. Her hand reached out to give one a sharp rattle, seeing how secure it was and if she could break her way out. If they'd known what she could do, they would have trussed her up more. They hadn't. That meant that they, like so many others, underestimated her. She didn't know if it was because she was female or smelled like a turned wolf, but they always did. She'd been taking a bit of satisfaction in the look of surprise when she ruined a born wolf's interpretation of her.]

Charming.

[That cocky, indifferent look didn't leave his face. Female wolves could hold their own, Owen had seen it too many times to underestimate one completely - but some turned bitch, and one from a pack weak as Kilgrave's had been at that? Yeah, he was definitely thinking little of her.

He'd seen the way she fought. Like she'd no idea what she was doing. Snapping at shadows, clueless as to her own strength. Another easily overwhelmed human-turned-wolf. Sad, really. So much potential wasted on the weak and undeserving.

Getting to his feet he paced forward though not getting within reach of the bars. Just in case she decided to lash out. She might try it: his nostrils flared slightly as he got her scent, taking a better measure of her. She was confident, he had to give her that: she didn't reek of fear or stress the way he would have expected.]

If you were expecting tea and biscuits waiting, love, you're going to be disappointed. This is our territory. And you don't belong here. Now, what do you think's to be done about that?

Take it up with the dick of the pack. Oh, wait, sorry, alpha. I don't want your shitty territory.

[She moved over to where the cage door was, looking at the lock and wondering at how sturdy it was. Werewolves were strong. They had to be used to that. But this wasn't a feral or rabid wolf cage, which were usually meant to house the ones that were too crazy to contain their strength. This was just your regular, run of the mill wolf cage. Which meant she could probably break it.

Eying him, she gave it a poke, taking a deep inhale as she tried to see if there was anyone else other than him around. If it was just him, she felt she had better odds at getting out of here in one piece. And then she had plans of her own. Plans that involved going after a certain alpha and ripping his fucking head off.

It was hard to smell anything past him, though. Like his scent was taking up more than the warehouse they were in. Like he'd rubbed himself over everything and this was his space. That was probably not what had happened, but it was confusing her, making her brow furrowed as she took another whiff. Maybe it was one of those differences between wolves that were born versus ones that were bitten. Well... that was a pain in the ass.]

[Owen spends a lot of time in these familiar haunts, it's true. But he's blood for the Shaw clan and this is all theirs. It should reek of their intermingled, inherited scent, of which he is no doubt a part. His sheer confidence and dominant control in what he considers his territory is also helping. Alpha born wolves can do different things with their pheromones that, he would say, no second-hand wolf could match.

Her mocking of the terminology gets a disgusted snort from Owen though.]

Really? Then what were your people doing, nosing around our place? Do you even know where you are?

They weren't my people. They were his. And you'd have to ask him, if you can find him. All I know is he wanted what you had, and apparently he failed. I'd almost like you for that alone.

[She gave another quick look around, not seeing movement other than from him before she curled her hand into a fist and punched at the lock. It groaned, twisting, but not giving just yet. Another quick hit and it flew open, leaving the cage door swinging and Jessica getting to her feet as she moved to step out.]

I might like you more if you made sure not to get in my goddamn way so I could get out of here.

[He moved half a step back, not out of fear but reflex, at her pounding on the door like that. And it actually giving. That...should not be possible.]

How are you doing that?

[His eyes had widened but they narrow again as she steps out of the cage. Swiftly he moves to block her, standing right in her path. He frowns and snarls.]

Oh no you don't. You're not going anywhere.

Yes, I am. I have a score to settle and you're in my way.

[She could smell male and alpha coming off him in waves, and there were a bunch of mixed signals going off in her head that she was having trouble trying to sort through. Some of them wanted her to punch him in the face, and she expected that. Some others wanted her to drop down and show him her neck or belly, and she ignored those. And yet others wanted her to rub up against him, and she squashed those down as quickly as she could, because she knew that those feelings would bring scents with them. Scents she didn't want him to pick up on.

She'd found that scents were her biggest problem when it came to Kilgrave. He could order her to do all manner of things, but he could always tell by her scent how she really felt. He'd hated that.]

You don't want to be in my way. I've got no problem with you or yours. Just... move.

Not happening.

[He digs into his stance, letting his arms hang at his sides in preparation for movement. Meeting her in a way that demands eye contact. This is pure alpha posturing, no doubt.]

That's a neat trick you just pulled but it's no matter. You crossed into Shaw territory, and were taken as a Shaw prisoner. Like hell I'm just letting you waltz away.

[He was frustrating her, and that frustration was building into a growl, one that had her hunching her shoulders up and deciding to go with her instincts. Those instincts had her leaping at him, opting to go with ignoring words for actions, since her words weren't getting through that thick, alpha wall he'd put up.]

You're not keeping me!

[It came out as a snarling growl, Jessica about done with having her life controlled by others.]

[He didn't answer her with words but snarled back, noise rising to a challenging roar. His eyes shifted to something more yellow but other than that his body remained human. A controlled transformation despite the heightened emotions, drawing on his wolf's strength while remaining human in form.

He caught her firmly by both arms just above her elbows and tried shoving her back in the direction of the cage.]

[Jessica had no intention of going back in the cage, and a little of that panic was showing through as her teeth started to elongate, claws lengthening as she moved put her arms on his chest and shove. Hard.]

[He's not expecting that kind of strength, despite her show with the cage before. Suppose he half took that as a fluke.

He curls his fingers like he's bearing claws, even though his own fingers remain untransformed. He speaks in a roar.]

What are you?

Not yours. Not anyone's!

[There's an almost pained desperation in that outburst, Jessica moving sideways to try to get past him, try to get around him to the door, but at this point, she might just go through a wall if she can.]

I told you. I'm not interested in you. I don't want to hurt you. Just get the fuck out of my way.

[She's trying to keep the rippling shiver of an impending transformation at bay, snarling at him as pain comes in little twinges, settling as she fights to get a hold of herself. He might hear her muttering street names under her breath.]

[She's losing it. He can tell that much. He feels more confusion than he does sympathy. Empathy has never been much in his nature, having been raised to think of it as weakness.

More even than that he feels that with her on the verge of losing control is a good place for him to make his move.]

Like I said, it's not happening!

[He bends forward slightly at the waist as the discomfort of the change takes over him, muscles rippling and fur breaking out across his skin. His shirt rips, bare feet twisting into clawed toes. His fur is black as his hair was and his face elongates, growing a muzzle and pointed ears. He grows taller and broader but he stays bipedal, somewhere between human and wolf, forcing the change not to complete entirely so he can try to keep the upper hand here.

Jaw splitting open in another snarl, fangs shown and salivating, he reaches towards her.]

[Survival instincts take over, and that's always been where Jessica's shined. When she lets go and just runs on raw instinct, she's something terrifying. A monster reaches for her and she leaps off the ground, placing a kick with all her force at his midsection to get him away from her, to give her time to complete her own change. Hers is a little longer, not having been born to her bones shifting and melting into new positions. Seems her instincts have prompted her to mimic him, and when she pushes up from the ground, she's a mix of woman and wolf, fur so dark it's like liquid pitch covering her.

She shakes herself out, then gives him a deafening roar, accepting his challenge and meeting him with a bounding leap as one alpha to another.]

[The kick lands hard, and with his change stuck in this transitional form his thoughts are slightly muddled, an unsteady confused mix of human and wolf. He drops to his hands and knees on the floor, even as he tries to keep his head clear of the anger and bloodlust that threatens to drag him down all the way.

If it was up to him, he'd gladly snap her neck and be done with it. But it isn't up to him. Unfortunately. He might be an alpha but so long as he's part of clan Shaw he's one in the service of another alpha, and he'll do what he's told. And they want to keep her their prisoner, alive.

He rises to the challenge as she leaps towards him, pushing back to his feet and leaping up to meet her just as she reaches him. Aiming for her chest and face with both clawed hands spread.]

[She takes the hit, feels his claws tear through her skin, bite into flesh and draw blood even as she's going for his shoulder. There's a small part of her, the human part, that's horrified that she can be this violent. But that part has been shrinking, dying every day she's had to do unspeakable things for Kilgrave.

What Owen doesn't know is that it's the fear of Kilgrave, not the Shaws or anyone else, that has her fighting so hard. Jessica's his favorite toy. His pretty strong arm. He'll try to get her back. He'll regroup. He'll have contingencies. He'll wipe this clan off the face of the planet to get her, and he might use her to do it. She was so tired of it.

So it was with that fear of a man who wasn't even there that she bit at Shaw, trying to get any meaty part of him in her mouth to cause pain.]

[He can smell her rage, her desperation, the fear that lies underneath. He can feel it in her every move. Even if he can't know the underlying cause. It makes him realize this fight isn't going to be as easy as he thought it would be, if only because her emotions are practically making her feral in her need to get away.

Never mind the whole other thing. Her strength. Even for a werewolf, this is intense.

He reacts with pain as she bites down into him, getting at a spot high on his arm, practically at his shoulder. He growls and attempts to backhand her, kicking out as he next move to slash at her with his clawed toes.]

[If there's one thing Jessica's used to by now, it's pain. Pain is a constant that she almost welcomes, because physical pain helps her stop hearing the screaming in her mind.

Pain is a warm blanket around her head as he hits her, and out of the corner of her eye she can see him moving to lift his legs, trying to use them on her like a cat would and a wolf never could. Shaw is a fighter; someone who's learned how to use his form to its fullest. Someone who knows himself, knows how to move, knows what move will do what. He's a chess player. Jessica is chaos, pure and simple. She oftentimes lets instinct rule her, but other times will do the exact opposite, either out of spite or an insane sort of genius. When she sees him lifting his leg, she reacts in the only way she sees she can.

She falls into him, trying to use her weight to bring him down, to take away a weapon of his.]

[Her weight, the sheer force behind it, knocks them both to the ground, him on sprawled on his back with her over him. He flails in surprise because, no, he didn't see that coming. It's too stupid a move to make for strategy and too reckless to have worked out of instinct. He had no way to predict it.

Catching his breath he grapples with her, trying to roll them both so he can pin her under him and wind up sitting on top.]

[She's snarling and snapping at him, a voice in the back of her head urging her to get this over with before the rest of his clan comes to his aid. She can probably take him if she's willing to kill him, but she's not. Jessica is not a killer by nature. There is only one person's blood she wants to spill, and it isn't this wolf's.

Even knowing that he's still out there, somewhere, building up his resources, it frustrates her. It has her bucking under him and then, surprisingly, letting out a plaintive, desperate whine as she moves to try to push him off, claws hands trying to get a hold of his wrists. In a challenge of pure strength, she'll win. She always does. And maybe she can get him to figure that out and back off so she can just go. She really, really doesn't want to kill him.

What's more frustrating than all of that is that the wolf side of her is having a moment of indecision. Something about his scent is messing her up, confusing her and making her not entirely sure of what to do next, even as the human part of her wants to get the hell out of there.]

Jessica Jones | Netflix Marvel | F/M

calling this a wildcard because idwiw

Ooh. You rebel.

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