18+ Private Western Brisshal Red Riding Wolf

[Ueno Mizuki]

Mizuki smiled despite knowing that this wouldn't exactly reassure Cleo. It might be a bit odd, but she found it endearing how hard her girlfriend was trying to both be friendly towards the two wolves and not set them off in some way.

Don't worry, the only reason they'd jump you is if they did so before I could tell them not to. They won't do a thing to you now.

Wolves were intelligent enough that one couldn't mind control them like mere pawns, but Mizuki's authority over these two was sufficient that they wouldn't attack someone she'd told them to leave alone unless that person was attacking them first. Of course, she'd given that command using her Primal Aura, which was why Cleo hadn't been privy to it.

The luna wolf finished greeting the other wolf while the first one sniffed Cleo all over, until finally he looked her in the eyes. After several seconds he walked around her, rubbing his flank against her before lifting his head once more and licking her face, his tail wagging once more if not as exuberantly as when he greeted his alpha.

Of course, once the first wolf had taken his turn Cleo would have to let the second wolf inspect her as well. This one seemed to be more thoughtful in general, taking his time inspecting Cleo with his nose before he, too, rubbed himself against her in a friendly gesture before licking her cheek. With both wolves having gone through their introductions they returned to their slain prey, resuming their meal as Mizuki walked over and sat down next to them.

It wouldn't mean much to them, but if it helps you identify them. (She scratched her chin.) I can't really think of anything fitting though. I know that humans like to call wolves things like Fang and Stalker, but that's like calling a human Hand.

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

She really couldn't do much but defer to Mizuki's expert knowledge on this particular subject. Her education and all of her experience dealing with people didn't really help her much when it came to animals. At the very least, she was smart enough to not treat wolves like they were nothing more than wild dogs. Years of evolution had separated dog from wolf, even if the two were still damn near the same animal as far as genetics were concerned. Maybe.

She wasn't actually sure about the science behind it all.

She made brief eye contact with the wolf that had been sniffing her, before it walked around her and rubbed against her and began to lick her face. She sputtered slightly, leaning back even as her hand hesitantly found its way between the wolf's ears and began to scratch, before the second wolf approached her and repeated the actions of the first one.

And then they returned to their meal. Cleo followed Mizuki, though she stopped slightly further away from the kill, unwilling to do anything that would put her acceptance at risk. Approaching their food would definitely put her at odds with them.

She could come up with names, though.

How about Cloud for one of them and Ochre for the other one? Since one of them is kind of cloud colored and the other has some spots of brown in his fur?

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

The first wolf was surprised by Cleo's ear scratches, but quickly adapted to them, pushing his head against her hand before it was time to return to his meal while his brother had his turn inspecting the human female.

Mizuki noted that Cleo wasn't willing to get too close to the fallen goar, the caenis herself lounging comfortably as she scratched one of her packmates behind the ears while he enjoyed his meal. Glancing at their meal her mismatched eyes grew hungry for a moment before she shook her head and returned her attention to Cleo, who brought forth surprisingly decent suggestions.

Hmmm... Better than anything I would have come up with. (She snorted in self-derision.) Sure, if you want to call them that I don't mind. Just remember that these names don't mean anything to them: it'll take time before they become familiar enough with the sounds to realise you're talking about them.

Wolves had sharp ears, which meant they could recognise each other by pitch and tone. However, they didn't have anything like solidified names.

Cloud and Ochre it is. Now that they've both greeted you they won't bite if you try to pet them. (She glanced at the carcass again.) It'll take a while before they've eaten their fill, and as you can imagine they're not great conversationalists. Do you have any questions I could answer in the meantime?

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

Right, it wasn't like the wolves would learn their names instantly, no matter what Mizuki could do with them. Still, the names were honestly more for her benefit and for Mizuki's benefit than it was for the wolves. Now she could refer to a specific wolf and Mizuki would know which one she meant, since she didn't have that way of primal communication that Mizuki was capable of. She was limited to using human words and human expressions.

More than once, she regretted not getting even a tiny bit adventurous with the character creator. Even if she had just been herself with cat or wolf ears, she would have had access to more than whatever it was that humans could do.

Still, for now she'd do her best to not push her luck, which also meant not approaching whilst they were in the middle of mealtime. Cleo turned her attention to Mizuki, humming as she tried to drag any questions, kicking and screaming, to the surface of her mind.

So are these two the only wolves you know, or are they just the ones that you spend the most time with? I imagine you've at least met some larger packs out there.

Cleo paused, glancing over at the wolves, before looking back at Mizuki.

Also, why are they bigger than the average wolf?

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

With introductions out of the way the wolves seemed to have little interest in Cleo, devouring the goar's carcass by digging their teeth into its flesh and ripping it lose with surprisingly strong jaws and neck muscles. They weren't modest either: aside from when they ripped loose a bone and gnawed on it they quickly gulped down the shreds of flesh they liberated from the body, blood staining their muzzles as strings of sinew made a desperate attempt to keep the goar's cooling body whole, only to inevitably surrender to the canine's strength.

As they kept eating they also began to dig deeper, and as they broke off some ribs and gouged a hole in the goar's belly they began to bite into the animal's organs as well. A mixture of stomach acid and half-digested berries spilled forth when Cloud punctured the goar's stomach, a testament to the last beast the animal had before it had been hunted down.

I'm familiar with most wolves in Astorea, but these two are the only ones who are part of my own pack. (Mizuki answered smoothly, as she'd expected that question.) While I do have the ability to take control of other packs if I really want to trying to unite them wouldn't work. Contrary to popular belief each pack is a family unit, more or less: I call myself their alpha, but normally a pack consists of a father and mother who have authority over their children. The alpha-beta system we're familiar with only happens when packs are formed by wolves who aren't related to one another, as the natural family structure is lacking.

She actually enjoyed telling Cleo about this, as she didn't often get to share the knowledge she'd picked up regarding wolves after she became a caenis. It wasn't like having wolf ears and a tail instantly made you an expert, so she'd done quite a bit of reading.

These two are brothers who were roaming together when I found them. After some coercion they accepted me as part of their small pack. Smaller packs are also more common than bigger packs, especially in harsher environments.

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

It was quite the gruesome display and were she anybody else, Cleo would probably feel pretty queasy, but it was hard to get sick at things like this when she'd seen equivalent things that had happened to people. She'd never forget cases that she'd investigated which had turned out to be dog attacks, or other kinds of animal attacks, though that didn't mean she was a particular fan of the sight, for sure. It was just a lot easier to focus her entire attention on Mizuki.

And, well, Mizuki seeemed quite knowledgeable about wolves, though it only made sense that she might do some research, either firsthand or in the real world. It was clear she was passionate about this kind of thing and having such a connection to the animals probably helped fuel that passion just a bit.

So these two were a sibling pair until you showed up? What makes them accept you as the boss of them, though? If that's what you are?

She wasn't sure how much authority Mizuki actually wielded, or whether it was just a thing where the brother wolves recognized something stronger than them and just didn't push their luck.

It was cute seeing her girlfriend get so intense and focused over something, though. Cleo grinned, leaning forward, interested in learning more.

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

The wolves' ears were alert as Mizuki talked, the two listening to her even if her words meant little to them, in case she said something that was relevant. For the most part, however, their attention was on their meal, leaving the two bipeds to their conversation as they had more important matters to attend to.

Mizuki nodded in response to Cleo's first question, although the follow-up questions made her look more thoughtful.

As you can imagine it's not that strange for two brothers to end up together depending on circumstances. And you could say that I'm their boss: as mentioned when wolves who aren't related form a pack they do use the alpha-beta structure, where dominance is the key factor. That said, I also take care of them and help them out when they need it, so it's not just tyranny. (She scratched Ochre under the chin, her fingers becoming bloody in the process.) It's not that dissimilar from how humans form pecking orders, even if it's a lot less subtle.

If one looked at schools and companies they might see the similarities, how children and adults alike would try to maneuver themselves into positions of strength. Mizuki did do her best to make the relationship more pleasant and mutually beneficial than that, but it couldn't be denied that part of the reason she was in charge was because she made sure of it.

That said, I also often leave them on their own, which makes it easier for them to act as a pair. As for your earlier question why they're so big... these are dire wolves, technically.

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

That did make sense. Litter brothers that didn't end up in some kind of large pack would probably strike out together and look after one another. It just made sense to support one another. And it was interesting to know that Mizuki was in charge and that the woman decided to help the wolves out as well, so it wasn't just Mizuki ordering them around and using them. A lot more altruistic than Cleo would normally have known a person to behave, especially for some NPC wolves, but still admirable.

It was good that her girlfriend had no desire to trample over the wishes and wills of others.

I see, then you're in charge, but more of a boss than a king, queen or alpha, then? Well, I suppose it's pretty fortunate that they see you as something similar to themselves, all things considered.

Well, if they hadn't, then the two of them wouldn't be here right now discussing these things, but that was besides the point. Cleo took a glance at the feeding wolves, then looked back at Mizuki and hummed in thought.

So a dire wolf is just a wolf but bigger in size? Are there a lot of them around? I don't think those are a thing in the real world, are they?

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

I'd use the term leader, but I'd say that's not much different from an alpha. After all, for wolves an alpha is a substitution for their parents, and parents are meant to look after their children. (Mizuki nodded.) They know that a caenis is not exactly the same as a wolf, but we're similar enough that we can form packs together. I imagine that Beast Arts helps a lot with that.

Ochre looked back at Cleo when the human lancer glanced at him, staring for several seconds before flicking an ear and returning to chewing on the rib he'd managed to forcefully pull out of the goar's chest. Bite marks were already evident on the bone, drool covering the osseous length as he did his best to clean it before biting it in two to get to the marrow inside.

Mizuki shook her head, glancing towards the goar again and licking her lips before answering Cleo's question.

That's the basic idea, but they're also... well, think of it like lions and tigers. (She held up one hand with the fingers spread, and another with the fingers curled into a fist.) Lions are smaller and rely on working together to take down big prey. Individually they're weaker, but together they can hunt things that even a tiger would have a hard time with. A tiger is completely solitary, but is also much bigger and stronger: aside from something like a rhino or an elephant, there isn't much a tiger can't kill if it really wants to.

If wolves are like lions then dire wolves are like tigers. They're not as extreme as tigers, so the difference with wolves isn't as big as between lions and tigers, but they still tend to move in even smaller packs than wolves and are per individual stronger. They live in environments where their smaller kin wouldn't be able to survive. And yes, dire wolves have existed on Earth as well, but they went extinct during the last ice age.

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

Right, leader. Got it. Not alpha or anything, huh?

Cleo probably wasn't going to remember much about this, even though she'd try her best to commit as much to memory as she possibly could. She just didn't have the same passion for all things 'wolf' that her girlfriend did, even if she did really enjoy seeing the woman enjoying and engaging with that passion. Seeing Mizuki be so full of life and spouting out facts like this was definitely nice. Her girlfriend was way smarter than most people would give the woman credit for on first appearance.

Hell, even Cleo herself had thought of Mizuki as nothing more than a wild brute, when she'd first met Mizuki. And nearly tossed a spear through her, were it not for how badly Mizuki had outclassed her back then.

Still, Mizuki's explanation of what a dire wolf was did make sense. The comparison to tigers and lions was not lost on her. Something bigger and stronger, capable of surviving where the smaller ones couldn't, but being more solitary as a result, aside from a few exceptions.

I getcha, yeah. That's pretty lucky though, right? To have managed to get a pair of dire wolves to work with you. They look big and strong enough to ride, actually. Pretty horse-like.

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

I'd say leader and alpha.

The exact phrasing could become rather complicated, since relationships between wolves weren't exactly the same as between humans. That, and people had lots of terms for things which were almost the same with often only a few differences between them, even if those differences could end up being important.

Mizuki was quite happy to be able to talk with Cleo about this, with her girlfriend also listening attentively. Many people would just zone out when Mizuki got started about wolves, as even etiquette didn't give you the willpower required to keep listening to someone going on and on about something that wasn't that interesting to you. As any student would know.

There was some luck involved yes, but I'll admit I was also looking for them. (She ran her hand along Cloud's back, earning her a wag.) When I started out in this world I preferred to act by myself, but in the end both wolves and caenes are stronger as a pack. Even dire wolves still form packs, even if they're small. So when I heard that there were dire wolves roaming around I jumped on the opportunity.

The two wolves were still busy, but were certainly eating a lot faster than a human would have in their place. It helped that they didn't waste time with chewing the meat, swallowing it once they had it ripped up into small enough pieces. Mizuki nodded as Cleo commented on their size.

You could definitely ride one if they let you. They're big and strong enough to easily carry most people. (She wrinkled her nose.) As long as it's not someone like Zeus.

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

In the end, she was pretty sure there didn't really need to be a label for what exactly it was, since it wasn't like the wolves cared, so by extention it was likely that Mizuki didn't care either. Cleo herself was probably one of the only people that would ever need to know anything about the specifics and she herself wasn't all that concerned with what kind of label would be attached to a relationship with fake wolves.

Still, more interesting was the idea that Mizuki had actively gone looking for the wolves. Probably not those two specific wolves, but just the fact that the relationship had been somewhat intentional was interesting. It did make sense for Mizuki to want to transition from being a solo act to a team player and pack hunter.

People were often way more effective at things if they worked as part of a team, after all.

Oh, so you have ridden one before? Do they like it or is it not comfortable for them? I assume the latter, since it's not like there's exactly a demand for dire wolf saddles and stuff like that out there.

After all, the purpose of a saddle was to make the ride comfortable for both rider and mount.

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

It made sense that Cleo would be more curious about riding the wolves. That was something of a fantasy for many people, to ride something more exotic and ferocious than a horse into battle. Mizuki, however, hadn't ridden his packmates yet, so as the female lancer asked she shook her head.

I've let them carry others when needed, but I always run next to them. (Cloud looked at the two of them, Mizuki scratching him behind the ears to make him return to his meal.) I could get some custom made saddles for them if I really wanted to, but it doesn't happen often enough for it to be necessary. As for whether they find it comfortable...

She indicated the goar the wolves were eating, which now had quite a lot of meat missing and two of its limbs ripped off and chewed into splinters.

They're big enough that they can handle it without any complaints as long as it doesn't take too long. Only really big people make them uncomfortable. (She smiled.) Someone like you should be no difficulty for them.

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

That was fair. After all, she'd seen Mizuki actually transform into a wolf, so there was probably very little need for the woman to ride them herself, aside from just conserving her energy on a long journey. And even then, Mizuki didn't seem like the type that would just do that, so everything made sense so far. As did the reason for not getting saddles made for them. If they were barely ridden, getting saddles would just be a waste of time and money.

That does make sense, yeah. If they don't get ridden very often, then no need to make them saddles and stuff. Plus, you can turn into a wolf yourself, can't you? Guess there's no need to ride when you can BE the steed.

Cleo chuckled at that, grinning lightly, before she moved closer to Mizuki and nudged the woman, wrapping an arm over her shoulder and leaning in slightly.

Well, it's nice to know that you don't think I'm fat or anything, love~

Her grin shrank slightly, becoming a soft smile as she watched the wolves eat.

Do you think they'd let me ride them, or would they need to know me a little better before they did?

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

That's part of it, yes. (She coughed as Cleo mentioned her shapeshifting abilities, but didn't reject the lancer's embrace, her own tail curling around her girlfriend's waist.) I also don't want to become soft, since stamina and speed are an important part of my skillset.

Running free together with her packmates was an exhilarating sensation, but it was also pragmatism. To be strong she had to work out, and travelling on her own feet rather than relying on the assistance of Cloud and Ochre was a good opportunity.

Any fat you have is where it belongs. (She blushed a little as she said that, but she perservered.) But overall I'd say that they can carry most people easily.

They were dire wolves, after all, which meant they were a lot stronger than you'd expect from a standard wolf. That, and Mizuki had been helping them grow even stronger ever since she met them, so she was pretty sure that even amongst her kin they'd stand out.

They'll let you ride them if I tell them to, so if you're interested just say the word love. (She smiled.) That said, it's one thing to ride them once and another to ride them regularly. If you want them to accept your weight more often you'll have to take care of their needs as well. Tit for tat and all that.

Feeding, grooming... Just because they weren't pets didn't mean they couldn't appreciate someone looking after them in return for their efforts.

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

Cleo grinned and nudged Mizuki again, a hand slipping down to pinch the woman's belly. As she expected, she found far more muscle than fatty flesh, grabbing pretty much only skin.

Well I don't think you're at risk of getting soft, personally speaking. All of that running and activity definitely does that body a favor or two.

Cleo paused, blinking, before she looked at Mizuki again.

Actually, does being active in your wolf form translate to getting stronger or staying in shape in your humanoid form too? Is that how your ability to transform works, or are the two like, totally separate?

Still, it was cool that the wolves would let her ride them, though hearing that she'd have to help them out in her own way in return, if it was going to be a regular thing, made sense. She could do grooming and feeding and stuff. That wasn't too hard and more than fair enough, in return for wolf rides.

That sounds fair enough. I don't mind helping them out, if I end up having to ride them on a more regular basis.

It'd be helpful for keeping herself mobile even as she threw her spears, assuming they wouldn't mind her being mounted in combat.

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Mizuki yelped as suddenly a hand was pinching her belly, revealing that while she wasn't exactly lacking in an insulative layer of fat it was primarily muscle, grown and strengthened through constant exercise.

Hey! (She swatted at Cleo's hand, although not very strongly.) [color=246BCE]How about I start checking your fat content?[/color] (She paused for a moment before grinning.) But thanks. I certainly can't complain.

Travelers generally had fantastic physiques anyway, but she could still imagine that people who focused on spellcasting rather than fighting with their own fists found themselves becoming softer as time went on. Which brought to mind Cleo's transformation.

When I change shape it does try to carry over effects between forms, but it depends on how similar the different shapes are. My wolf and caenis forms are close enough that any workout I do in wolf form also reflects on my caenis self. I imagine that if someone used Metamorph to turn their flesh into stone it wouldn't carry over as well. (She grabbed the hand that had pincher her stomach, squeezing it gently.) Speaking of, I've noticed that when you go all out with your Arcanamancy it does also change your physique a little. Does that have to do with how your magic works?

A small snort escaped her, but otherwise the luna wolf gave no indication of anything being amiss when Cleo treated tending to the wolves as a simple task. Given how much food they needed... well, they'd certainly make the lancer earn those rides.

They'll want to rest for a while after finishing their bellies, but it shouldn't take too long. Unless you're in a hurry I suggest we wait here for them to finish their meal and digest their food.

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

Cleo could only chuckle as her hand was swatted away, making sure that she leaned forward to plant a soft kiss on Mizuki's cheek as she did so, squeezing the wolf woman up against herself using the arm that she'd draped over Mizuki's shoulder.

Sorry, I couldn't resist. But if you wanted to start feeling for my fat, well, I wouldn't mind. I think you've already gotten a pretty good idea of MY fat content, though. There's pretty much no difference between this body and the body that I have in the real world, as you know by now~

Though, the question of how her own transformation affected her body did make Cleo pause. The irony of the fact that her Evoke form actually made her put on a bit of weight, fatty weight at that, was not lost on her.

Well, I think the reason my Evoke form makes me a bit more plush and womanly is because it's optimizing my body for the production and release of Arcane mana.

And that was about as much as she understood. She was far from being an expert on the science behind magic, after all. Though, at the suggestion that they wait for the wolves to digest, she nodded.

I don't mind waiting, since it means I get to spend longer here with you~

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

It appeared that Cleo wished to compensate for the pinching with a hug and a kiss, which Mizuki considered adequate compensation. Leaning into Cleo she nuzzled the female lancer, her tail hugging her girlfriend a bit closer.

The base design is the same, but your life in here is different from your life out there, so I'd think that after a couple of months I would be able to find a couple of differences if I searched long enough.

She frowned thoughtfully as Cleo explained her suspicion for why her Evoke form was different from her standard form, and why in that exact manner.

An overflow of arcane magic could affect your form by expanding it... (She considered it for several seconds before shrugging.) Well, you turn back to your usual self afterwards, so whatever reason there is it doesn't have permanent effects.

With Cleo's agreement to wait for the wolves to finish their meal and rest afterwards Mizuki settled in. While the two of them were seated amidst the snow her fur allowed her to be comfortable, and by wrapping her tail around Cleo and hugging the lancer close she could share her warmth with the other female.

I'm glad to hear it.

The two wolves would keep going through the goar's flesh, seemingly intent on stripping its skeleton bare to fuel their large frames. Mizuki watched them eat, frowning as she heard her own stomach growl. To cover it up she began to talk again, hoping Cleo hadn't noticed.

One of the reasons why dire wolves haven't overtaken smaller wolves in every environment is that they need a lot of food. In colder environments prey is big enough that hunting them costs less energy than they get from eating them, but here where it's warmer they'd have to hunt a lot of smaller prey.

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

Mizuki had a point there. She was DEFINITELY more active in this body than she was in her real body and it showed. If she looked closely enough, she would probably find that her arms were a bit more built than her real arms were, due to how much she threw spears and the like. That was a kind of serious workout that her real self just wasn't going to get no matter how much she tried. Not even if she decided to try competing in javelin tournaments or something.

Yeah. I have figured out how to take on my Evoke form on a more permanent basis, if I'm not like, utilizing any energy to fight or whatever. But basically everything I do in that form is supercharged with magical energy, so any exertion drains me more than usual.

It did mean that, if for some reason she wanted to, she could just hang out in her Evoke form. She just didn't often do that. She lacked a reason to do so.

The two of them sat watching the wolves eat, though Cleo did notice Mizuki's stomach growl a bit. She was just a bit too observant for Mizuki's hopes.

You know, you can eat if you really want to. You will have to clean up some before I cuddle you afterwards, though.

@Ueno Mizuki