#werebear michael fantasy au

[vagrantblvrd]

Thinking about werebear Michael again?

(Because reasons.)

And like.

That one fantasy-ish AU where Ryan’s Some Dude wandering around? Something of a mercenary/former mercenary who just.

Wanders.

(A vagabond, if you will.)

Here and there and knows a little bit of magic - small spells that don’t account for much up against properly trained mages or other magic users but handy all the same, right?

(Can make the business of starting a campfire easier after a long day on the road when the sun starts to set and the cold comes rolling in. Keeps him from freezing when he’s in the mountains or up north. Other little tricks like that.)

And there are monsters out there too, right? Ghosties and ghoulies and he’s learned (the hard way) how to kill the ones trying to kill him. How to leave the ones going about their own business alone and so on. (And sometimes what his fellow humans call monsters are better people than they could ever hope to be and all that.)

Anyway.

Wanderer Ryan who comes to a small mountain town somewhere and realizes something is Wrong.

Comes to find out there’s a monster in the woods surrounding the town that’s been plaguing them for some time now.

The townspeople have put up a bounty for its head, hefty reward offered by the people and more than a few people who have gone there hoping to claim it.

Ryan’s not really interested because he’s still got money from recent jobs he’s taken. (And not all that keen about venturing into unfamiliar woods after some unknown beastie and all that.)

But!

He’s got this look to him, seems confident and capable and the mayor makes a convincing case.

Missing livestock and attacks that injured/maimed several townspeople. Worries that it might get bold enough to poke around town, attack the townspeople and children and so on and so forth. (Sweeten the pot with promise of more money after he supplies proof of the creature’s death. Its head or pelt or something else along those lines.)

And Ryan.

He can tell he won’t get a moment’s peace until he agrees to accept, so he does. (Can’t hurt to have a little extra coin and such.)

Ryan doesn’t go looking right away, though. For one it’s late and he’s tired when the mayor “convinces” him. For another, something is weird?

(There’s a figure in a corner of the tavern, travel cloak with the hood pulled up and he knows he’s being watched.)

Also.

The mayor was all weird about this monster in their woods?

So.

He says yes when the mayor asks if he’ll deal with the monster in their woods and then finishes his meal and dirnk and goes to bed. (Tries to ignore the feeling of eyes on his back as he heads up the stairs to the room he’s paid for for the next few nights.)

The next morning he does a little poking around town under the guise of resupplying and such.

Buys food and whatnot for his travels. Gets new shoes for his horse and chats idly with the blacksmith about things.

Man’s had similar talks with other mercenaries and the like passing through, the handful who took up the bounty Ryan’s after now. Idiots and blowhards for the most part, jumped up on their own self-importance and none of them properly kitted out to deal with whatever they might come across in the woods.

All steel and iron and not a sliver of silver among them, he says.

Ryan listens and buys a pretty little knife off the blacksmith. Delicate thing, bright and shiny and not the best when pitted against solid steel but monsters are real and there’s some truth the old stories and all that.

(Feels like a frivolous purchase, but Ryan lost a knife like it some time back. Stuck it in the heart of a monster haunting another small town and always meant to get it replaced.)

ANYWAY.

He wanders the town all day seeing to errands and such he’s meant to get to but hasn’t and chatting with the locals.

Hears a few things that don’t quite mesh with the story the mayor told him, but nothing unduly worrying.

The monster’s appearance was sudden, unexpected. Took a while before anyone noticed it had taken up residence since it seemed content to keep to itself. But as the weather grew colder and game scarcer it went after easier prey, and livestock went missing and then people went looking and things went on from there until a bounty was decided on and here Ryan is.

People are a bit furtive about it all, but not in a way that sets off alarm bells in the back of his head and Ryan decides he’ll go looking the next day. (No sense in looking for the damn thing at night, after all.)

AND.

While he’s eating his dinner that night, same quiet table in the tavern that figure in the travel cloak sits down across from him and gives him a once-over.

Nothing hostile to it, if anything the man looks curious.

Lean figure with messy hair and this faint smirk and something amused (tired) in his eyes.

Asks Ryan if he’s there for the reward, and Ryan not seeing a reason to lie, tells him it wasn’t his intent.

But.

An annoyingly insistent mayor and maybe Ryan’s an idiot for saying yes, but the children here are unbearably adorable and sweet and Ryan’s seen instances like this turn ugly if left untended, so.

Better to take up the bounty than leave things as they are and hope for the best. (Doesn’t say for who, though, because some people don’t understand.)

That gets him a look, curious, thoughtful, and the figure laughs.

Quiet thing, and wishes him luck with his little hunt as they head out.

Ryan watches them leave and sighs because something tells him that’s not the last he’ll be seeing of them and hopes things don’t turn out messily the way they tend to in his experience.

...They do, though.

(So. Much.)

When he sets out to hunt down the monster that’s been prowling the woods he finds old tracks and all that. (Strange ones mixed in. Human to monstrous and baffling and that bad feeling of his again.)

Follows them best he can and finds the places where previous encounters with the monster must have taken place.

Old bloodstains and torn up ground and greenery and other things - broken weapons beginning to rust after being left out in the elements for so long and so on.

Realizes whatever this monster the quiet little town has, it’s bigger than he thought. (They usually are, though, so. Yes.)

Sighs and forges on and after a few hours realizes the woods around him have gone quiet.

Eerily so.

No birds, small animals.

Early winter and he’s high up enough there’s a couple of inches of snow on the ground and that quiet, muffled quality to the world around him it brings.

The tracks or whatever he’s been following have led him to a clearing and the opening of a cave and this awful feeling, because there’s blood on the snow here.

Signs of something big disturbing the snow, bloody tracks and heavy whuffling breathing somewhere behind him. Crunch of snow underfoot (underpaw?) and he turns to see the quiet little town’s monster shuffling towards him.

Big old bastard, and if Ryan didn’t know better he’d think it was just some overgrown animal walking towards him and not something else. (Other.)

But he does know better, and has time to swear under his breath because of course - and then the wind shifts. Carries his scent to the monster and Ryan sees it realize he’s there, nostrils flaring as its massive head lifts and spots him.

And then the fighting starts, because of course it does.

Monster rearing back on its hind legs and roaring at him, deadly fangs and claws and Ryan is so very small in comparison. (He’s faced worse, though. Managed to survive in spite of everything.)

Strangely, oddly, the fight isn’t like the ones he’s been in before.

The monster bellows and roars, bares it teeth and swipes at him with huge paws, but Ryan manages to evade it easily enough.

Dodges and rolls and blocks with his sword. Makes his own little attacks, and watches the way it watches him,

Angry, furious, really.

Snapping and growling and knocking his sword aside but instead of rushing in to crush him with those paws before he recovers his sword or gets back to his feet...it doesn’t.

Or rather it doesn’t kill him.

(Sends him tumbling, rolling a time or two. Scratches and bruises where there should be rents and gouges and broken bone, a dead idiot blood soaking into the snow and mud.)

Forces him away from that cave with the chunred up snow and mud and blood, and that’s when Ryan sees it. (Broken off blade in its side, glint of metal peeking through bloodstained fur and flesh and careful to keep that side away from Ryan’s attacks.)

An arrow lodged in one huge shoulder and other injuries and Ryan backs up a step, two. (More.)

Waits to see what the monster will do, if it will follow him or retreat.

It does neither.

Just watches him, alert and wary and bleeding into the snow and Ryan pauses -

“I see you still haven’t learned any manners,” Ryan hears, and turns to look to the side where that odd figure in the travel cloak is standing at the edge of the clearing.

Hands on his hips and this look on their face.

Annoyed? Exasperated?

Something like that.

The monster cocks its head, makes this curious little grumbling noise that almost wants to be a growl.

And that figure, slight and fragile in the way people tend to be, rolls their eyes.

Walks right up to the monster who snarls and growls and snaps their teeth at them right up until it doesn’t.

Looks almost alarmed as that slight figure keeps coming, backs it up against cave entrance.

Whuffles and chuffs and - to Ryan’s surprise and faint amusement - looks to him like it thinks he might intervene.

He doesn’t.

Just watches as that slight figure scowls up at the monster and lectures it?

No.

Mocks it.

Affects an accent as he looks the monster over. Eyes narrowing as he sees the same injuries Ryan had, breath hissing through his teeth and -

“You stupid bastard,” he finishes, sounding tired.

Exhausted.

Hands dropping to hang by his side as his head lowers, and Ryan starts to take a step forward when the monster whines.

Makes this odd noise it sways towards the slight figure, noses at his shoulder.

Ryan stops, stares as the figure laughs - that quiet little thing of his again - and looks up at the monster.

Edge of a wry smile on his face as he looks up it, and Ryan is very confused because this is not how things like this tend to go.

(Usually there’s more screaming and blood and flashing steel and silver, not. This.)

And then that slight figure sighs, fondness and exasperation as the monster whuffs, pressing its head against his shoulder and he hugs it.

Ryan watches, because odd, and after several moments go by in which no one is horribly killed, wipes the blood off his sword and sheathes it.

Clears his throat because it’s obvious they’ve forgotten about him, and he almost - almost - laughs when they starts and look over at him.

Hides a smile at the small, silent, fight between the two of them trying to shove the other behind them in case Ryan’s a threat - honestly.

The monster is the size of a small shed and -

Well.

It’s ridiculous, really, is the thing. The sight of that slight figure trying to push the monster behind him and vice versa and Ryan realizes whatever is going on here it’s bound to be a long story.

...it is.

Dear God is it ever.

Something, something, something a warrior and a bard (or so Gavin claims to be) and a series of missteps that ended in a curse, a spell, some bit of magic and idiots being idiots.

Protective idiots, in this warrior fearing the curse would take away his human reasoning, make him no better than a wild animal - a monster - and dangerous to anyone around it. (A loved one.)

So he’d run.

A curse/spell affected by the phases of the moon and those odd tracks Ryan had found. (Human leading to monstrous and baffling.)

(And run and run and run as far as he could until he felt he was somewhere safe, somewhere he wouldn’t come across anyone else and pose a threat to others.)

But then winter has started to set in and a lean year and he’d been forced to hunt too close to a quiet little mountain town.

Drawn attention he didn’t need in the townspeople and the mercenaries they hired and on and on and on until Ryan happened along.

And all this time, all this time Gavin following what whispers and rumors he could to find his idiot. Chasing smoke, and being turned around a time or two until he ended up in a certain quiet mountain town and just.

“And you call me an idiot,” he mutters, tending to Michael’s injuries with Ryan’s assistance.

Annoyed, obviously, and worried and scared and Ryan has a feeling he’s gotten himself inolved with another troublesome incident. (There have been so many over the years, but none so bafflingly odd.)

He could, he knows, go back down the mountain to the small town and continue on his way. Tell the mayor he didn’t find a thing up here and to keep his money as he continued on his way, but.

The monster - not so much much a monster as the idiot Gavin claims him to be.

Head resting on his paws as he watches Gavin like he never thought he’d see him again. (Follows him with his eyes as Gavin moves about the cave he’s been living in for the past few weeks, months?, seeing to his wounds and such.)

Closes his eyes when Gavin pauses to lay a hand on his head, a brief moment of respite before he gets back to work.

Complaining about the hardships he’s had to endure chasing after Michael and how unbearable it was (a pun, perhaps?) and how Michael owes him and on and on and no heat to any of it.

Ryan watches the two of them and smothers a sigh because he’s the soft touch Meg always tells him he is. (Soft-hearted and stupid with it, and it’s gotten him in trouble more times than he cares to think about.)

(And then, like. Shenanigans in which Ryan falls in for Gavin and Michael, when he’s in his human form between full moons and a Quest to break the curse/reverse the spell and just.

Lots of shenanigans and Michael and Gavin being wary of him at first - because of course - but the fact he didn’t kill Michael when he had the chance and so on has them willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and like.

Shenanigans?

ALSO.

Realizing there’s no way to break the curse/reverse the spell but that’s fine, it’s okay.

Having a huge fucking werebear on your side who’s figured out how to control where/when he shifts from human to fuck-off huge bear and back is a handy thing indeed.

...:D????

[aevus-blogging]

The Crew is faced with a dead-end alley between two very tall buildings (think Urban Fantasy AU) Michael *climbs up with his claws* Ryan *Teleports* Gavin *spreads his golden wings and flys* Jeremy *Parkours up* Geoff *Who has no special abilities*: ... I'm just gonna take the stairs. -😺

Dear Sir Cat Anon, I don’t know what exactly you expected upon sending this, but I present you an urban fantasy au oneshot. I went perhaps a bit outside what you gave me, but I got an idea and went with it.

———————

It was supposed to be an easy in and out. The apothecary was a front for a necromancy ring, and gods the balance was too wrong to let it go. All they had to do was get in, destroy the nomicon and get out. It should have been easy. They had forgotten to factor in the modern eras own personal wonder, the automatic alarm system.

Ryan had easily gotten in, the spectre of death simply teleporting in. Unfortunately he hadn’t thought to check the shop for an alarm system when he went to let the other two in. As soon as he had opened the door the alarm went off, causing the Werebear and the Chimera to stiffen.

“Oh great.” Gavin huffed, wings angrily flapping behind him as he fiddled with his golden choker.

“Don’t give me that. Trash the store while I search.” Ryan snapped at the chimera. As a Soul Reaper Ryan had a much stronger connection to death than the others, the nomicon should theoretically sing with Death energy. Gavin rolled his eyes, clicking and hissing in an ancient tongue that even if Ryan heard would have flown over his head.

“Gavvers let the scary death dude do his job. Ours is to make this seem like an act of vandalism.” Michael gruffed out, already tearing down a bookshelf. Gavin winced at the crash and shattering of glass as the shelf of crystal balls met the floor. Gavin honestly didn’t know why he was chosen to trash the store instead of stand look out. He was much better with a scope than Jeremy. But Gavin complied, taking a rock and throwing it at the window from the outside for that extra touch of realism. So far no sirens, then again this was Los Santos, the cops probably had three other robberies to deal with as well right now. Gavin was about to ask what was taking Ryan so long when he heard a scream of pain from the reaper.

“Ryan!” Gavin called out, rushing through the ruined shop to get to his crew mate and friend.

“Stay back!” Ryan growled out, in the back of the shop. Did Gavin or Michael listen? No. The two burst into the back, seeing Ryan trapped in a very ornate sigil. Michael was immediately reeling back, a snarl on his throat. Gavin could feel the energy radiating from the sigil, could feel out sucking at his energy like a black hole.

“Trapping Sigil. Designed to kill and leech a magical entity of its energy.” Ryan grit out, cracks showing on his skin. “Fail safe on their nomicon, only activated when i destroyed it.”

“Geoff we-“ Michael shot into the comms before being stopped by Ryan.

“He won’t make it in time. You two go.”

“We can’t. I won’t.” Gavin growled out, wings flaring. The sigil was well made, but Gavin could destroy it.

“You don’t understand, this is arcane magic Gavin!” Ryan shouted, Gavin only looked at Ryan, eye glowing gold, same with the choker he always wore.

“I know Soul Reaper.” Gavin said, voice echoing as if spoken by ten of him at once. For the first time in a millenia Gavin was letting his true power leak through the facade he kept up. The ‘Chimera’ reached out, touching and shattering the sigil containing Ryan. The Reaper fell to his knees as he was freed while Michael could only watch in awe.

“Ryan, can you walk?” Gavin asked, glow subsiding as he returned to ‘normal’.

“Yes I can Seraphim.” Ryan said, causing Gavin to flinch a bit.

“Dickheads, we need to go now!” Geoff yelled into the comms. Ryan gave Gavin a look as he stood up.

“Right, we destroyed the book, we’re heading out.” Ryan said. Gavin knew Ryan had questions for him, that Michael would as well. Once everyone was safe Gavin knew he’d have to spill. But for now, escape. Gavin could hear sirens approaching and followed Ryan out. The trio booked it out of the vandalised apothecary and to the meeting place were Geoff and Jeremy were waiting.

“Jack’s got a car for us near the Theatre and Scalp intersection.” The witch told them, taking in the trio’s appearance and frowning.

“What happened?”

“We’ll explain when we get home Geoff.” Gavin said. Now was not the time to reveal to the world who he was. Gods knew what would happen. Geoff looked like he wanted to argue, but with the sound of sirens drawing closer he knew better than to argue.

“Fine. We only have a few blocks to go.” Geoff said before a cop car pulled out onto their street, headlights illuminating them.

“Run!” Jeremy shouted, turning around and just racing down the street. The others rushed to follow the son of Hermes as the police car revved after them. The quintet was practically herded into an alley by the cop, police car parked so that none of the five could run out without running into the other cop, blocking them in.

“Freeze! Put your hands behind your head and get on your knees!” The coo shouted, aiming his gun at them. The crew exchanged a quick glance before Ryan shrugged and just vanished, teleporting to the roof tops.

“No thanks Mate!” Gavin called out to the man, spreading his wings and launching up. The man looked frantic as he tried aiming at the winged man with shaky hands. Next to go was Michael, partially shifting so that he could use his massive claws to dig into the wall to climb it. Once Michael was about halfway up Jeremy gave the cop a two fingered salute before running at the wall, using his parkour skills and the crevices Michael had made to climb up after the werebear.

“I’m always the one stuck on the ground.” Geoff muttered as the cop trained his gun back on the witch.

“On your knees!” The cop shouted, trembling as he advanced on Geoff. Geoff just glared at the man, muttering a sleeping spell and flicking it at the cop. Down he went, gun clattering to the cold asphalt. Geoff shoved his hands in his pockets as he climbed the fire escape, muttering the whole time.

The group was waiting for him at the top of the building. Geoff gave each of them a glare, slightly bitter none had stayed to help. Ryan huffed and raised his hands and shook his head.

“Don’t give me that look, I’m running on empty.” The Reaper said.

“Yeah yeah. Let’s just get to Jack.” Geoff huffed out. The group followed his lead along the rooftops, ignoring the fading sound of sirens as they reached the meeting place. Just below them a midnight blue suv was waiting for them. One by one they descended, Gavin carrying Geoff this time. In no time the suv was packed full and their Selkie driver was looking over at all of them.

“Fun night boys?” They asked, a small smile on their face.

“The most Jack.” Geoff huffed out. Jack just laughed and started the drive back home.

“You three have some explaining to do.” Geoff said, looking at Gavin, Michael, and Ryan.

[crithaus]

What’s your HC for our lovely SloMogar bois getting together?

Uhhhh that depends! I have a *lot* and by I, I mean me and rhinnie have a *looooot*, there are various fahc ones, danvin to slomogar ones, some mavin to slomogar ones, some danchael to slomogar ones ones which, that king au picture is actually set in our favor fantasy king au, and for that one I guess, Dan was a little Duke that got shipwrecked on Ramsey Kingdom and Geoff took him in while he was raising Michael, who he adopted when he was 10, and Michaels this shifter that can turn into by varying degrees, either a werebear, a werewolf or both hence, mogar

And they fall in love and their misadventures are all p cute and shit

And then Gavin's family comes over to visit the newly crowned Michael and all 3 boys get together

[vagrantblvrd]

aliciaforferris replied to your post “Thinking about werebear Michael again? (Because reasons.) And like....”

Plus the possibility of naps with a big warm bear. Sounds great, honestly

Yessss! Michael being ~annoyed when they make camp somewhere and Gavin immediately settles in against his side that first time, right?

The three of them just starting to travel together and it’s been a long day. Michael’s a bit unsettled/disbelieving how unbothered by Michael’s werebear-ism (worried at how much Gavin trusts him because what if he loses control? They don’t know it won’t happen yet, you know.)

So Michael’s all grumpy/cranky/worried and all “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”, but werebear so it’s all little growly noises and such.

Gavin’s just “You’ve got all that fur, and you’re so warm, Michael,” like it’s just that simple and also if Michael wants Gavin to not snuggle him for warmth he’s going to have to make him?

Meanwhile Ryan is watching the two of them from the corner of his eye as he tends the fire and watches their food to make sure it won’t burn and trying not to smile. (Because look. Gavin who is either completely fearless or a complete fool arguing/bickering with a damn werebear - Ryan’s seen a lot in his time but this is something he ever could have seen coming, okay)

And then!

After they get their shit together Michael still grumbles when Gavin just makes himself comfortable like it’s his right (it is, of course, but best not to let him think he’s getting away with everything) and Ryan chuckling at both of them until Michael sweeps him in close with one of those massive paws of his and just

Yesssss.

[vagrantblvrd]

speaking of selfindulgent stuff what's the most selfindulnt fic you've written?

Oh, friend, that would have to be everything I’ve ever written because wow, but uh. For now, here are some goodies I love most. (At this moment in time, because I’m indecisive as hell.)

There’s the werecats AU thing (because werecats???)

Destiny 1 and Destiny 2 AUs (because Destiny and my love/obsession/addiction to the universe/games like whoa.)

Stargate AU because ~nostalgia…and the thought of these idiots exploring the galaxy/universe and with ALL the core tropes of Stargate fandom. (Myan, Alfreyco, and others TBD.)

The whole…Crinkle Dot debacle??? (I mean, EMT Michael dealing with idiot Vagabond and crew, amirite?)

Anything Myan at this point since writing the above series had me fall hard for the pairing. (Creature Feature and Rise Up are recent Myan faves I’ve written, because hapless vampire!Ryan and werebear!Michael respectively???)

ALSO because apparently I have a Thing for bounty hunter!Michael there’s Hard Way Home (Myan ridiculousness), Chasing the Sun (Mavin ridiculousness), and Better than a Dream (Mavin ridiculousness with a ~twist.)

Everything Under the Sun that’s got the werewolves and other assorted suburban fantasy Things, because of course it does.

Oooh, and for ultimate ridic romcom shenanigans there’s Brighter than the Sun which is just far too many words of Freewood nonsense??? Also, Woven Threads where Ryan and Gavin flirt in all the wrong ways - because murder games - only super way less Dark and Edgy than it sounds???

For legit Angst™ purposes there’s A Place So Dark, which is Mavin and loosely based on a terribad 80s movie and like. A bit from a GTA V Let’s Play that was less than a minute long my brain latched onto that I swear I’ll update someday. (Main character death, but they get better, idk, there’s some supernatural fuckery going on with that one and the mcd is offscreen/referenced so there’s that, I guess???)

Any/all sekrit agent/spy AUs because I grew up on cheesy television/movies and cannot get enough. /o\ (Various pairings/ships because I love this shit.)

Oooh 2.0, I almost forgot? But like. I have this major love for Ramwood.

That Kind of Comfortable is just. Total nonsense in FAHC AU with P.I. Geoff and Vagabond!Ryan and also Trevor is there making Geoff’s life miserable, but mostly soft idiots in lurve. :D???

Heart Like an Anchor with hapless idiot Ryan and Geoff and other assorted hapless idiots in the FAHC AU? (Ramwood with Jeremichael…and possible Jeremavin if I ever get my act together and finish the thing.)

There’s also a whole lot of nonsense and ridiculousness going on in Building Blocks which is my not-fic dumping ground that has various ships/pairings and such.

…as you can see, ALL the things I write would fall under the self-indulgent umbrella of ridiculousness???

:D????????????????????

EDIT: More self-indulgent Freewood stuffs if anyone’s ~interested. :D?