Chapter Text
It had been some time since her sister had come home with the most ridiculous of hunting trophies Vi had ever seen, a whole live moose to be exact. She’d thought Vander would have stepped in to put an end to the bizarre situation, yet instead he’d been nothing but welcoming for reasons she couldn’t understand.
Now the two were inseparable, always ‘hunting’ together even if it was normally just an excuse for them to chatter away, leaving Vi with an irritated feeling she couldn’t understand. Jinx had been so happy lately, more than she’d been in a long time, so why exactly was she upset?
“ My, what a sulk you have going Vi.”
Seconds later a weight landed on her head, knowing who it was without even having to bring her eyes upward. With a groan, knowing where this conversation was going already, she flopped to her side full of grumbles. Her action of course only got a short caw from her companion, quickly fluttering down to the ground in front of her snout.
“....Hey Cupcake.”
The raven in front of her simply fluffed slightly at the nickname, having grown used to the teasing over the years, the origins of which being their first meeting years ago. Vi had stumbled upon a campsite by the enigmatic humans that sometimes ventured into their forest, never coming close, just…. observing. Usually they were pretty good about leaving little trace of themselves, but this time a sweet smell had caught her young snout.
A strange something had sat on the ground, far too colourful to be natural, yet underneath the bright pink something of sweetness she could smell meat. It was around the time she’d just begun hunting for herself and Jinx, always going slightly hungry to make sure her sister got as much food as she could.
She’d been careful to never show her hunger to Jinx, knowing she’d refuse to eat if it'd been revealed, but the gnawing that she wasn’t eating enough had never left her.
"There’s nothing poisonous about it, if you're wondering, they simply want to observe a reaction."
Her head had darted upward at the unfamiliar voice, suspiciously eyeing the pitch black bird perched on a nearby branch.
A raven, tricksters that seemed to hold endless knowledge, more cunning than any other animal in the forest. Vander had always warned of getting on a raven's bad side, as it never just ended with them , earning instead the ire of every raven.
".....What are you doing here?"
"Human watching, that's why I know it's safe. They'll do stuff like this sometimes."
"Or, you just want me to be the one testing for poison so you know if it's good to eat or not."
The caws of laughter that erupted from the raven echoed through the woods, though much to her surprise its next action was to fly down next to her.
"Then how about we try it together? That should alleviate some of your worries about poison right?"
“.....”
“We both get something out of it, even if it’s poison like you think it is.”
She’d debated it for a moment, unable to win out against the rumble her stomach gave at the sweet smell before her, leaning down hesitantly to take a bite. Mirroring her the raven did the same, waiting so that she took a chunk the moment Vi did.
They had devoured most of it by the time Vi remembered Jinx, freezing in that moment with overwhelming guilt that the raven quickly picked up on.
“.....My sister, she’d love this…”
“Then bring it back, nothing happened to either of us yet. Any time I’ve seen humans use something it's always been fast acting rather than delayed, so we should be fine.”
“......”
“You said she’d love it right? Give her the rest, I’ve had my fill of the cupcake.”
“Cupcake?”
The raven had motioned towards the largely devoured thing they’d been eating.
“That thing, a tiny cake the size of a cup. Cupcake. Humans eat them a lot. Usually they’re fully sweet and made of cake, but this one they’ve built with meat.”
“.....”
“I’ve had some of the normal ones before, some of the humans are very curious about giving us ravens things and watching our reactions. We always exaggerate to get more because it seems to please the humans.”
As if noticing she’d grown off topic the raven pulled back with a light caw, a flutter of its wings quickly followed by a weight having landed onto Vi’s back.
“H-Huh?”
“I want to come too, I’ve never seen a young pup before up close, they seem adorable.”
“....You’re not trying to sneak more right?”
Another round of caws erupted as Vi went to pick up the remaining, stopping inches away as a thought hit her.
“Well whatever, as long as Jinx gets some, Cupcake.”
That had made the laughter cut off, feeling claws moving up to perch on her head, the raven’s head appeared in her sights moments later.
“....Are you calling me Cupcake?”
“Yeah, cuz you’re super sweet.”
“The name’s Caitlyn, not Cupcake.”
“Okay Cupcake, name’s Vi.”
“......Haaah.”
Caitlyn had pulled back in defeat, allowing Vi to busy herself with getting a firm grip onto the remains of the cupcake, neither speaking on the ride back. Not that Vi could when her entire focus was on keeping herself from devouring the enticing smell that radiated upwards from her mouth, but at least Caitlyn’s quietness helped her not grow distracted.
When she’d arrived back to the small den she and Jinx lived in, it hadn't even taken a call from her for her sister to come teetering out in excitement. Back then she’d been a tiny little fluff ball, far too weak to play with the other pups her age and left to spend most of her days waiting for Vi to come back.
“Vi! Vi, you back!”
Jinx had run into her leg, flopping onto the ground with a yelp before quickly picking herself up again as if nothing had happened. Only then did she notice what Vi was carrying, growing excited at the smell.
“Food!?”
Vi’s nod had made her excitement grow, the moment the cupcake was dropped it was jumped on by a hungry Jinx, her tail moving so fast it blurred.
“How adorable.”
Caitlyn’s remark from above got an enthused nod of agreement from herself, the soft sound of fluttering from above followed by her landing beside her. Jinx still hadn’t noticed, not until she’d licked clean the last morsel of meat from her paws, but rather than freak out she’d simply tilted her head in confusion.
“Vi? Friend?”
“Well–”
“Yes! It’s nice to meet you, my name’s Caitlyn.”
“Caitl..Caitly…..Cait!”
“Yes, that’s quite good, Jinx. Vi has told me a little about you, but are you much for play?”
“Play?.....Yeah!”
Entirely having moved on without Vi, Caitlyn had grown busy growing close with Jinx, immediately settling in to play various games. That had been the start of their relationship, with Caitlyn quickly worming herself into being an important part of their little family. She always seemed to have had time to spare when it came to playing with Jinx, almost keeling over when she was called “ Big Sis Cait!” in return, which had stuck as her nickname ever since.
“I’ve heard chatter Jinx finally found a mate, a rather strange one at that.”
Caitlyn’s words pulled Vi from her reminiscing, noticing that she’d pulled closer to catch her attention. Despite that, Vi still didn’t respond, rolling to her other side away from her inquisitive gaze.
“Is that what this sulk is about?”
Saying that, Caitlyn once more popped into her vision, proving it was incredibly futile to pull away from said gaze given she was a raven with wings . Knowing she couldn’t continue to ignore Caitlyn she released a huff.
“...... Maybe? Haaah, I don’t even know at this point.”
“Is Big Sis Vi feeling left behind? Jinx spending more time with her new mate than you?”
“N-No! I’m happy for her!”
“Hmmmm.”
“Wh-What!? Aren’t you kinda upset since she probably won’t play with you as much right!?”
“But she still does? I just came from seeing the two and might I say, Lux’s antlers make lovely perches.”
“......”
“What a terrible frown.”
Her glare did little to stop Caitlyn, hopping closer.
“You know, Jinx was actually worried.”
That got her perked right up, ears forward and alert.
“R-Really!? About wha–”
“ You. She practically begged me to step in since I really get you as she put it. What’s with you keeping your distance, you’ve never done that before.”
“.....”
“...Is it because of Lux?”
“.....No.”
" Vi. "
"I mean it! Sure, it was a little weird at first, but I can see Jinx really likes her! Who am I to get in the way of her being happy with all the shit she's had to go through!"
"Then?”
“....”
“You know I won’t stop bugging you about this, not if that would mean losing my credentials as the one Jinx turns to for situations like this!”
And she was right, annoyingly. Caitlyn wouldn’t stop her pestering until getting what she wanted, willing to drag Vi through hours of torment so as to not lose whatever ‘credentials’ were. Even Jinx’s puppy eyes couldn’t win against Caitlyn when she set her mind on something, a monumental thing since that was usually all it took to best the raven.
“How long will this interrogation go on for this time, hmmm Vi? Shall we beat our personal best of five hours?”
“You and your stupid words I don’t get! Fine ! You win!”
“Again!”
“You win again !”
“Mmmhmm.”
Caitlyn’s crest puffed while sauntering close, not at all caring about how miserable Vi was at actually having to voice what was bugging her.
“.....It’s embarrassing.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time, come now, out with it.”
Her glare of indignation did little, Caitlyn not allowing herself to grow distracted from her soon to be gained prize.
“......With how big and strong Lux is it…..makes me think Jinx wouldn’t need me anymore. She can do way more cool stuff than I can with that frame of hers, I’m just a nothing compared to it!”
“.....”
“I see how much fun they have together and I just…..don’t want to get in the way of that, I just can’t approach them, but it hurts thinking she doesn’t….need me anymore.”
“.... Vi, I wish to say this as politely as possible, but you’re being a little….Hmm, how should I…Ah! Idiotic. I find that’s sometimes a shared trait between you sisters.”
“Wh-What!?”
“Do you want to know what the two of them have been doing that is so much fun?”
“......”
Despite her lack of answer, Caitlyn pressed on.
“A way to combine their strengths to come hunting with you. Something that Jinx was too nervous to bring up to you until they’d perfected it and is the reason I am playing mediator again between you two.”
“.....You do get stuck playing that a lot huh?”
“I’m just so good at it after all, it makes sense both of you rely on me! Though I must admit, Jinx is far cuter about it compared to your angry sulking act.”
“I-It’s not– Haaah— you’re really too good at this, I can’t even get upset.”
“Mmmhmm, not what will you be doing next?”
“.....Going to see Jinx and get out of my own head, I guess.”
As if accepting her course of action, Caitlyn hopped onto her back as Vi rose, nestling herself into the thick fur she’d constantly complimented as ‘incredibly soft and warm’ whenever her choice in perch was questioned.
“....Guess I owe you one again, huh Cupcake?”
“It’s nothing, what are partners for?”
“Mmmm.”
Like that, Caitlyn nestled close, Vi setting off to see the sister she’d been attempting to avoid. She knew that by Caitlyn’s passing comments and lack of anything negative about Lux, Vi herself had nothing to worry about, knowing her partner would have been incredibly vicious if she felt like it. Making full use of her connections, apparently vast due to her family, there wouldn’t have been a moment of peace for Lux until she’d made herself scarce if Caitlyn didn’t approve of her relationship with Jinx.
“....If I’m being honest, you’re a bigger pain than me sometimes…”
“What was that?”
“Nothing….just wondering what I should say when I see those two….gonna be awkward.”
She felt it was best to leave it at that, allowing Caitlyn to prepare herself to no doubt bask in Jinx’s praise for another job well done.