#ic;underdog just look at the mess you've made (nikki)

[wiildhearrted]

"Do you think he knows...?"

[wiildbedded]

cadcnce:

"Oh right, well maybe I might learn if I kept watching you~ you seem to have the technique down after all."

“I’m going to actually murder you if you don’t get the fuck out of my room.”

[wiildhearrted]

@townofcadence liked for a starter

"You know, you really don't have t' keep sticking your nose where it doesn't belong, Nik," Caleb sighs, trudging along behind the other shifter, but he makes no moves to actually stop her. He knows better than to think she's actually going to listen to him. After all, she hasn't listened to him in all the years that they've known each other, has she?

Nikki just flips him off, continuing to march threw the woods without a word. She does, however, hold a branch out of the way for him to duck under. He may not be the tallest, but he still has nearly half a foot on her, so he'd still have to duck.

The wolf has explored the abandoned town before, or at least the outskirts. Nothing of interest was to be found, but the past couple of weeks, something has been off. Her pack has been on edge, and even Caleb agreed that there was something...weird in the air. Something different.

"C'mon, Nik. You don't always have to go around doin' stupid --"

Nikki cuts him off with a finger to her lips. Being feral, her senses are just a tad stronger. She scented another before Caleb did, but once he does, he goes silent with a nod.

Ever the efficient hunter, it doesn't take Nikki long to find the stranger by following his scent. "So," she smirks, hoping to catch the man's attention. "What'cha doin' wanderin' around my woods?"

Well, the abandoned town next to her woods.

[wiildhearrted]

Reunion

Another week of restless sleep, but that’s not anything she isn’t used to these days.  She’s been spooked.  Eight days have passed since she caught his scent.  Thought she caught his scent.  Work had lead her on a three hour road trip to answer a call about some wildlife that needed picked up.  It was so brief, but she’d never forget that familiar scent of honey and earth.  His scent has always been woodsy, warm to match the softness that radiated from him even when they were kids.  Her head had whipped around, desperate to find the source of the scent even if she wasn’t so sure she wanted to get her hopes up.

Dark blue eyes had met with honeyed brown, fallen upon his shaggy blond locks and a well trimmed beard that hadn’t been there the last time she’d seen him.  It’s not as though she had forgotten what he’d looked like.  Not as though she ever could, but she’d started to become accustomed to her new life.  How long had it been since she’d actually let her thoughts wander to her past and stay there?

The literal ghosts of her past are haunting her, it seems.  She’d loaded the critters into her truck and sped as safely as she could back to the sanctuary, but over these past eight days, she keeps catching his scent.  Keeps seeing him in the corners of her vision.  So Nikki does what she does best.

Runs.

Her wolves alerting her draws her from her stupor – growling and barking and raising hell at whatever stranger dare come so far into the woods to knock upon her front door.  Except he isn’t a stranger.  Or is he?  It’s been nearly a decade at this point.  She’s not the same person as she was then.  She’s much much worse, and –

Fuck, there’s no point in just sitting there.  If he’s scent tracked her all the way to her home, if he’s knocking on her door, she can’t very well run anymore, can she?  Well, she could.  She could pack up right now and hop states just like she used to.  Damn, she really had started to like the little life she was building here.  

Or maybe all the grief, alcohol, and sleep deprivation has finally gotten to her and she’s lost her mind.

As soon as she stands, gives her wolves a small ruff of a command, they quiet.  Her hands trembling, resting on the doorknob.  Forehead rests against the door, and she takes a deep steadying breath before she moves back to open the door.

“You done runnin’, Little Foot?”  The voice is deeper than she remembers, but it holds the same twang as her own, gentle as it’s always been.  His jawline is a bit more square, and his hair is longer than he used to wear it.  It’s the same dark blond, though.  Lashes surrounding amber eyes just as thick as they always were.  Nikki takes a moment to take it all in.  The differences.  The similarities.  His ears have been pierced a few times now.  He’s filled out more than when they were teens.  But there’s no mistaking who he is.  

What she doesn’t understand is how.

“You’re dead, Brother Bear.”  There’s a hint of fear in her voice, but it isn’t him she’s afraid of, not really.  Him being alive means she has to face what she’s done.  What he surely blames her for as much as she blames herself.  No, no, no.  She can’t.  She can’t.  Her breaths come rapidly as she takes a step back, leaning forward to brace hands upon denim covered knees.  Duke and Ryker are by her side in an instant.  Duke standing between her and the man he doesn’t recognize.  Ryker gently nudging her into a sitting position.  Her heart feels as though it’s about to burst from her ribs.  Hands cover her face for a brief moment before raking upwards and through her hair.  “I watched your house burn.  I ran in, ‘nd I found your brothers ‘nd your dad, but I couldn’t find you.”

“Nik, I’m fine – “ he tries to step forward, but the low rumble emanating from Duke’s chest makes him think twice.  “Call off the wolves, Little Foot.”

His words fall on deaf ears as she stares up at him.  Dark blue eyes are clouded over, welling with tears. Nikki isn’t in the present.  Lost in the flames that destroyed her past.  “I couldn’t save them.”

“Nik, please,” he tries to step forward again, face contorting and tears welling in his own eyes when he can’t reach her.  Her wolves won’t budge, and he won’t hurt anything that she holds dear.  Won’t hurt anything willing to protect her so fiercely.

“I couldn’t save you,” her voice finally breaks along with the thin line of tension holding back her tears.  “You died.  I killed you.”

“Nikki, stop,” he’s firm in his command, regardless of how much it isn’t like him.  He grits his teeth, stepping forward and pushing past Duke despite the way the wolf sinks fangs into his forearm.  

Almost as if on cue, the scent of his blood snaps Nikki back to reality.  “Release,” but her voice is too shaky the first time around.  “Duke, release.”  The wolf obeys, making enough room so that their guest can take a seat next to Nikki.  “We need t’ get that patched up.”  Their kind heals quickly, but that doesn’t make the threat of blood loss any less real.  “Ryker, rag.”  

The blond man eyes her, lifting a brow with a tilt of his head.  Should he ask why her wolves know a command to retrieve rags?   If she’s anything like she used to be, he has a pretty good idea why.  Even still, Ryker returns shortly, the smallest tip of the rag in his mouth to reduce the amount of saliva on it as he carries it to Nikki.  

“Give it here.”  This time the command is at the man, grabbing his wrist gently with her left hand to extend his arm.  Deftly she wraps his forearm in the rag, ties it off tightly enough to staunch the bleeding until his enhanced healing kicks in.  The light grip on his injured arm only lifts so that she can grab his uninjured one.  She scooches back so that she can extend his arms between them, compare them side to side.  The marred skin on his arms isn’t quite identical, but the pattern of his burn scars is similar to each other.  She holds his arms like that, almost like a barrier between them, and she can’t meet his gaze.

The events of that night are replaying over and over in her head.  Getting her sister out of their burning house, urging Dani to run to safety while Nikki ran back into town to try and rescue the others.  Running to Caleb’s house as it’s on verge of collapse.  Finding the bodies of his father and younger brothers.  The support beam striking her back and nearly crushing her as the house continued to collapse.  She’d barely made it out alive, but she never did find his body.  Finally, she lifts her head to look at his face.  He’s older, but it’s his face.  Her voice breaks again, as if saying his name would break the spell and he’d vanish again.  “...Caleb?”

Tears spill down his cheeks, but he gives her a fanged grin.  “I can’t believe you’re alive.  I ran t’ your house but it was already collapsed.  I couldn’t find  you or Dani –”

The force of her hug knocks the wind from his lungs.  Nikki’s death grip around his midsection is returned.  One arm wraps around her middle, squeezing her tightly as his other hand rests on the back of her head.  He can feel her tears dampening his shirt, as she buries her face in his shoulder and sobs.  His own silent sobs join her loud ones, shushing away her repeated “I’m sorry’”s until she finally quiets.  

Nikki doesn’t fully pull away, only just enough so that she can look at him as she speaks.  “Dani made it, too.  I made sure ‘fore I went back t’ look for you.”  She trails off, not wanting to admit that her younger sister doesn’t want anything to do with her.  To admit that Dani blames Nikki for what happened just as much as Nikki blames herself.  Just as much as Caleb probably does.  “Fuck, Caleb.  I can’t believe you’re – after all this —.” Her thoughts are jumbling together as she rambles.  “It’s been years.  Fuck.”  The sound that escapes her is a mixture of a laugh and sob as she wipes the final remnants of tears from her cheeks.  

Caleb’s own tears have finally stopped, and he gently takes her head in his hands to press their foreheads together.  Rest there a moment, take in a familiar scent of home in an effort to ground them both.  “‘S’okay.  I’m safe.  We’re safe.”  The feeling of a wet snout nudging against his cheek pulls his attention away from his dearest friend.  Eyes are met with Duke’s, the wolf’s tail wagging low and slow and he whines.  A tentative lick is given to Caleb’s cheek, as if the wolf is apologizing for biting him now that he knows Caleb is a pack member.  He laughs, ruffling Duke between the ears.  “All’s good, buddy.  Thanks for protectin’ her.”

His attention turns back to Nikki.  “Now, when’s the last time you freakin’ slept, dummy?  You look like absolute shit.” 

[wiildhearrted]

@ervaurem prompto cheers/toasts for her bday!! noctis (miraculously) is the one who is capturing the event with prompto's camera (lol)

Much to Ignis's chagrin, Nikki might have gotten a bit too tipsy already. It's been far too long since she's properly celebrated her birthday amongst friends. The shifter is finally letting down her guard and enjoying herself. A fit of giggles erupts from her as Prompto toasts for her birthday. Her arm is thrown over his shoulders, pulling him down to press a kiss to his cheek.

"More shots!"

[wiildhearrted]

Hopefully Nikki wouldn’t mind if a friend fills it in.

Not at all!

"There's a reason we're such good friends!"

[wiildhearrted]

Teef.

She chomp.

[wiildhearrted]

"How in the hell does no one wanna kill me, but someone wants t' kill Caleb?"

[wiildhearrted]

@suizokukans

"You really didn't have t' do anythin'," despite her protests, her gaze is soft as she looks at the birthday cake alit with candles sitting upon her kitchen table. "My birthday really ain't all that special."

She may be protesting with her words, but it doesn't stop her from pulling Kiyoshi into a hug and placing a tender kiss to his cheek. "Thanks, 'Yoshi."

[wiildhearrted]

"Wylan is a bully confirmed."

[wiildhearrted]

@nostomannia

She sees you, Sol. She's just pretending her type isn't that easy to hit.

[wiildhearrted]

🍫 to give my muse a box of chocolates

"Hope you like dark chocolates~" Zack hands one out for her to receive. "It's funny though that today's also my birthday." (And yes I have my Zack at least have his birthday on 2/14 lol)

→ BE MY VALENTINE! | @eternity-hero

Ah, shit. It's his birthday? Son of a bitch. Had he told her that? Had she just forgotten? Either way, not only had only had he gotten her a gift for Valentine's Day, she hadn't gotten him anything. Not for Valentine's Day, or his birthday.

She takes the chocolate from him, gesturing towards the box in his hand. "You should eat some of 'em, too. I don't really have much of a sweet tooth."

[wiildhearrted]

@dcviated replied: Wy vc: skill issue

"The only skill you have is bein' a pain in my ass."

[wiildhearrted]

[ src. ] 💖

( ohh i wanna see for prompto & nikki? :eyes eyes: )

A Less Spicy Shipping MemeSend a 💖 and I’ll tell you what a relationship would be like with my character: @ervaurem

How likely they are to enter a relationship with them:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

Would they…

Make the first move? Yes | No (it could really go either way. she might say fuck it and she might be terrified lmao) Say “I love you” first? Yes | No Cheat on them? Yes | No Be the jealous type? Yes | No Plan the dates? Yes | No Initiate the first kiss? Yes | No Remember anniversaries? Yes | No

BOLD WHAT APPLIES:

Their Relationship Is:

friends to lovers | rivals to lovers | enemies to lovers | still just enemies | mutual pining | star crossed lovers | old married couple | perpetual honeymoon phase | stable and boring | stable but not boring | secret lovers | best friends hiding their feelings | and they were roommates | friends with benefits | coworkers avoiding HR | one-sided affection | weird sexual tension | it’s complicated | toxic relationship | a secret affair | an actual dumpster fire | other

PUBLIC Displays of Affection:

hand holding | kiss on the hand | kiss on the cheek | kiss on the forehead | kiss on the lips |  cuddling | hugging | affectionate messages or comments | pet names | pictures together | no displays of affection

PRIVATE Displays of Affection:

hand holding | kiss on the hand | kiss on the cheek | kiss on the forehead | kiss on the lips |  cuddling | hugging | affectionate messages or comments | pet names | pictures together | no displays of affection

Do they stay together?

yes, this is endgame | yes but someone is gonna die tragically | something is keeping them apart | they part ways as friends | they part ways as enemies | they’re on-again-off-again | they have a super messy breakup | it was just a fling | other

BONUS

What terrible pet names would they give each other?

I don't think Nikki has any terrible nicknames for him. She usually calls him sunshine, and occasionally teases him by calling him chocobo.

[wiildhearrted]

"shining armor " (artair-- only if you want to though !)

send in " shining armor " for my muse's reaction to your muse physically running into a dangerous situation in order to rescue them. ( examples: an explosion, a fire, anything at all! let your minds go wild! ) | @townofcadence

Bare feet pound into the dirt, fangs bared in a snarl even though there's no one before her. It isn't fear that drives her. At least, not fear for herself.

The shifter's using herself as bait, drawing the hunters behind her away from her house. Her woods. Her home.

Caleb.

Like hell she'd let him come anywhere close to dying again. The beast within her is rattling within its confines, and she wants so badly to let it out. To give into instinct and let her feral side let herself take care of the threat in the best way she knows how.

She feels her body shift of its own accord. A howl looses between her furred muzzle as claws dig into damp earth and her chest heaves with exertion. Perked ears swivel as a tussle ensues behind her. Nose twitches as she barely recognizes the scent of another and she turns abruptly.

Nikki isn't so far gone that she mistakes Artair as a threat. Her beast doesn't recognize him as friend or foe, but it does recognize the scent of metal and gunpowder. She launches herself at the hunter, trying to put her body in between the person chasing her and the one trying to help her. A yelp escapes her as a boot connects with her ribs, and she twists, able to sink her fangs into the stranger's calf before he can fully pull it back.

Even as she thrashes, shifts back into her human form, her jaws lock. Eyes filled with rage as she grabs at a dagger strapped to her thigh. The taste of blood on her tongue -- blood belonging to someone threatening the safety of her pack -- calms her. She only releases after one too many blows to her face, and she slashes wildly.

Artair's figure can be seen in the corner of her vision, and she growls.

"Look, 'preciate what you're tryin' t' do here," she only gives Artair the briefest of glances before going on the offensive again -- making sure to keep her body between who she's attacking and Artair. "But get the fuck out of here. I don't need your help."

[wiildhearrted]

Have Darla sneezing so hard her glass eye pops out. "Hey, can you grab that for me, please?"

@inseparableduo

Holy shit, did that really just happen? Nikki scrambles to catch it midair before it goes clattering to the floor. Her reflexes are just quick enough that she succeeds, she pushes herself up off the floor with her free hand.

"You good? I'd wash that off 'f I were you." Not that she was dirty, but people's hands aren't exactly the cleanest.