Work Text:
Werewolf walked down the hallways, dark and seemingly never ending. He knew these halls like the back of his palm, he knew what paintings covered the walls and which floorboards creaked, yet right now everything felt forein. Sweat dripped from his brow. He tried to calm himself down before, if he truly knew his own mother, he would know the answer. That fell through when he asked himself why he would even approach her like this.
He feared every response outside of “no” but his legs wouldn’t stop moving. It had to be merely morbid curiosity, something they’d giggle over at the very least, and knowing her he’d might be grounded at most. Mom was just like that. Morbid.
Velvet had offered to join him, the two had been playing together when Werewolf left to find mom. He declined rather fast. Despite his anxiety, he needed to ask this alone, to get the truth himself. Velvet wouldn’t understand, how could they? Mom was nice to him, she was loving to all of them, but he had the biggest attachment to her. He knew why, she had extended the same sympathy to him when she discovered him for the first time. Still…
His travel came to an abrupt halt. He could smell something… rotten, under normal circumstances this might have been cause for concern, but he knew the ingredients in her potions were always less than fresh. This didn’t stop the lump in his throat from getting bigger, though. With an involuntary gulp, he grabbed her doorknob and gently opened the door, the prayers he made of his hands not being too sweaty coming through. Her room was just as dark as the hallway, the only source of light coming from whatever she was stirring.
She was turned away from him, focused on her mix. In the light he could make out her large horns, casting even more shadows than what she was worth, maybe this is why Licorice clung to her… besides from being a five year old. He had to admit, her shadows made her out to be a… he didn’t want to think it. He made a few steps, careful not to press on any of the creaking ones for too long, even with his caution a soft hum caught him off guard.
“I know you’re there, Wolfy. You can’t sneak up on me.~”
She still hadn’t grown out of his puppy days, his body tensed up as he quickly stammered, “I-I wasn’t trying to!”
“Wolfy there’s no need to get so defensive! It’s alright, I was just messing with you.” She briefly stopped with her work, turning to face him with a genuine smile, “What do you need? Is Velvet bothering you?” He shook his head, tugging at his sleeves as he spoke.
“I… I wanted to ask you a question- but, y… you’re busy! I can come back later-”
He was cut off instantly. She turned around fully, a small pout and crossed arms gave her a more gentle disposition, she looked less… unsettling, instead she seemed disappointed. Her soft side shined again when she knelt down and ruffled his hair. “I always have time for you, don’t you forget that… it looks like something is bothering you, please. Just tell me about it, you know I won’t judge.”
Her touch eased his nerves, if only for a second. He let out a sigh, trying to find the right words, hoping he wouldn’t come off as rude or insensitive. He pulled back, clenching his fists. “Mom… are you… are you evil?”
The moment of silence was nerve wracking. He wished he hadn’t opened his mouth, it was impossible to read her expression, having to stare her in the eyes made him want to vomit. Maybe if he apologized now he could make it all better, or if he stayed quiet, or he could run! Running was always an option! He fully expected some form of punishment, but it never came.
She just giggled.
“What would make you think that, Wolfy?” She stood back up, hands on her hips in a lax manner. This didn’t seem to phase her, in fact, it seemed she found the question amusing. He sure as hell didn’t, her reaction made him even more uneasy, he saw it as a genuine question, but the more he thought of it the more childish it seemed. His ears bent back as a sudden rush of confidence ran through him.
“Velvet told me how you met.”
Now this struck her in a different manner, her eyebrows raised in surprise. Before he could get a better read on her she turned around, going back to whatever she was working on, she always loved to experiment, but it seemed he would be the one testing her patience. “What did they tell you?” Her voice wasn’t laced with anything but curiosity.
“You saved him after his home was destroyed. You gave him a new arm.”
“Is that so? It’s the truth, don’t know how that would be evil, though. Wouldn’t that be a sign of kindness?”
“Did you..?” The rest of the question didn’t dare leave his lips, but the implications made her tense up. Every part of her body tightened. She refused to face him, so he imagined the scowl she must’ve been wearing as she stirred.
“Say it, Werewolf. Say it aloud,” she didn’t raise her voice, which made the situation worse, her calm and nurturing tone made her even more intimidating. “You can’t make bold claims without the gull to have them. It makes you cocky, cocky but a coward, perhaps even weak. You’re a brave kid, Wolfy, just spit it out.”
If it was a taunt, she won, as he did what he was told. “You always say how you don’t like other cookies, how most of them are… insufferable. Like your old friends, you said they were bad, that they were selfish. Does that extend to other cookies? Are all cookies bad?”
“Of course not, you aren’t a bad child, neither are Velvet or Licorice-”
“But are you?” Big mistake, he did just what she told him to avoid; being cocky. He heard something from her direction crack, for her sake he hoped it was what she was using to stir her work. She still didn’t turn around, but her voice had a layer of anger to it. She clicked her tongue, not saving a breath.
“Some may say that, and perhaps they’re right. Isn’t it all subjective? I don’t think you’re evil, but some cookies may think so, your ears set off enough red flags as is.” The comment made everything in him ache, especially with the emphasis on evil, she… she was right, he knew people would see him in a bad light. Everyone seen werehounds as dangerous creatures… that’s what he’d been told anyway. Cookies thought they were monsters, they would think he was a monster, too. That sense of misplaced courage came for him again.
“Is that what my parents thought?” He said this a little too loud for his liking, not a full on scream, but enough to make himself jump. Even then, he was met with silence. He was too far off the deep end, though, his knuckles had gone white and he bared his fangs.
“Is that what my mom thought-”
“ YOUR PARENTS DIDN’T WANT YOU- ”
He knew she didn’t mean it. She was turning around, he had gotten too close during his outburst. She forgot how sharp her nails were. Yet, paired with what she had said, the pain was amplified. His cheek stung, his breath hitched as he stepped backwards in shock, cupping his cheek in his palm. Her eyes were just as wide as his, but he didn’t have enough time to register that before his vision was blurred by tears.
The second she moved forward, he turned on his heel and ran. He was always the fastest in the family, even when mom’s adrenaline was on a rush, he knew he could outrun her. She called his name over and over, begging him to come back. Her pleas fell on deaf ears, he couldn’t hear her over his own sobs. He did his best not to run into furniture on his way out.
He got to hear one plea.
“Wolfy, I’m sorry!”
That rang through his head as he almost crashed into his sibling. Velvet was always resilient, recoiling from the semi-impact in an instant. They smiled at him, their grin almost as big as their one arm.
“Werewolf? You’re back! How was your talk with mommy?”
He wasted no time, brushing past him, had he been in the right headspace he might’ve stopped to tell him what happened. Instead, his emotions were taking control, he couldn’t handle being in the presence of his mom, this home even. He dashed past Velvet, only receiving a gentle “Hey, where are you going?” in return. They didn’t chase after him, but watched as he pushed open the front door and ran into the woods.
He didn’t have a plan, he didn’t expect things to turn out this way. He felt his body begin to shift. The last thing he wanted was to be running wild in the woods, but it’d be a greater fate than staying with her… he found the cocky bravery to call her what she was.
She was a monster, and today she had let her true colors shine.