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esp_dragonFandom: Noblesse
Summary: “You’d taken your…skin off before,” he heard Frankenstein say, puzzlement in his voice.
“Yeah, I did,” M-21 said, “but Mary destroyed it just now.”
Notes: Wereselkie!M-21 AU.
Written for the damage prompt for the Noblesse 10th year anniversary.
Rating: G
Genre: General
Word count: 955
Status: Complete
M-21 stared at the mound of rocks in front of him, straining his ears, all of his attention on the communication device. There was no other sounds, not even a tumble of dust. No rasping breath.
No. Nononono-! M-21 howled, claws gouging the floor. M-24 was gone. He couldn’t be. He couldn’t-
M-21 couldn’t breathe, wanting to fling everything out of the way to prove M-24 was still alive, that he was all right, but he never had anything easy.
He was dripping blood onto the floor, matting his fur, but he didn’t care. There was nothing for him now.
“M-21…” It was Frankenstein.
“What.” What did they want. To laugh at his misery?
“We need to go.”
M-21 let out a bitter laugh. “Then go.” What did he care if the pair needed to go? They still had each other. They were both still ali-
“With you, M-21,” Frankenstein insisted.
With him? Frankenstein’s words distracted M-21 for a second. “Right. And it’s convenient for you I can’t walk around in the daylight anymore, isn’t it? I’ll have to stay hidden away in some room in a lab.” The words tumbled out his snout and he knew he was making everything worse for himself, especially after ‘24 had sacrificed himself for a chance of safety, but M-21 didn’t care. What was the point if he couldn’t share his freedom with '24?
“You’d taken your…skin off before,” he heard Frankenstein say, puzzlement in his voice.
“Yeah, I did,” M-21 said, “but Mary destroyed it just now.” Mary had attacked before he could take it off. “There’s nothing left but tatters.” And even if he could put it on again, his werewolf form would poke out through the gashes, drawing attention either way.
“There’s nothing you can do to make a new one?”
“I have no idea how,” M-21 let himself admit, hands curling into fists, claws pressing against his palm. He’d never thought he’d need to learn how to — usually when his skin had been damaged it would seal over again after some time, but it had never been that bad before.
“I can make you a new skin,” Frankenstein’s master said, and M-21 looked over at him, his eyes widening for a second. He could do that? Or was it a trap? Not that he had much leverage with the pair.
“What do you want for it?” Because of course they want something in exchange.
“Nothing.”
What. There was no way that was true.
“But…” Frankenstein’s master said, “I will need to change something similar, like another skin.”
M-21 stared at him. Another skin? There wasn’t one. There wasn’t another…
Frankenstein’s master was looking at something past him and with dawning dread, M-21 turned to look at what he was looking at.
'24’s skin.
He must have had enough time to take it off before fighting with Jake.
“No.” There was no need to deliberate; he wasn’t going to change '24’s skin for vain reasons, not after what '24 had done for him.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.” M-21 limped over to '24’s skin, seeing it in more clarity with each step. It was trapped under some of the fallen debris (just like their original wearer), covered in dust, but M-21 couldn’t see any obvious damage to it.
He gripped one of the bigger rocks settled on top of it with his claws and lifted it up and set it to the side, his muscles and injuries protesting. M-21 picked the skin up, mindful of his claws, and stared at it.
This was all he had of '24. All he would ever have of '24. He would have to make sure he took care of it.
His breath was stuttering and he couldn’t put it on just yet. Doing that meant '24 was dead. That he was never coming back.
But M-21 already knew that. He squeezed his eyes shut, rubbing away the tears before they fell again.
Without opening his eyes, M-21 slipped the skin on, feeling his true form condense under its power, his image becoming human to other eyes. He was still injured, but wearing the cloak would help him heal. '24’s last gift to him.
It felt wrong, wearing '24’s skin so soon after he’d died. But he needed it to be able to walk around non-modified people without suspicion. '24 would understand.
M-21 avoided looking at himself as he turned around to look at the pair. His true form tingled underneath the cloak, knowing it wasn’t his own skin, but he would get used to it. He would have to.
He lowered his gaze as he turned back to the pair. He’d acted emotionally earlier and lashed out, destroying his chance with them. But he had a skin now, so he wouldn’t draw attention to himself as easily so he could evade the Union for a little longer.
“Are you ready to go now?”
M-21 blinked. “Yeah…?” They were still willing to take him in after he’d snapped at them?“
Frankenstein smiled. "Then please follow us,” he said, his master already walking towards the door, the limp figures of the brats floating behind him.
“All right…” They still wanted him after his outburst?
* * *
M-21 exhaled and then opened his eyes, studying his reflection in the mirror. It was what he’d expected: '24’s face gazed back at him, thinner than before, but still with pale eyes and no hair, scars spreading out over his cheeks.
He let out a shuddering breath, bracing his weight on the sink. '24…
There was nothing else for him to do but keep going, try to find his and his comrades’ names. He would have '24’s face to remind him of that every day.
Summary: “You’d taken your…skin off before,” he heard Frankenstein say, puzzlement in his voice.
“Yeah, I did,” M-21 said, “but Mary destroyed it just now.”
Notes: Wereselkie!M-21 AU.
Written for the damage prompt for the Noblesse 10th year anniversary.
Rating: G
Genre: General
Word count: 955
Status: Complete
M-21 stared at the mound of rocks in front of him, straining his ears, all of his attention on the communication device. There was no other sounds, not even a tumble of dust. No rasping breath.
No. Nononono-! M-21 howled, claws gouging the floor. M-24 was gone. He couldn’t be. He couldn’t-
M-21 couldn’t breathe, wanting to fling everything out of the way to prove M-24 was still alive, that he was all right, but he never had anything easy.
He was dripping blood onto the floor, matting his fur, but he didn’t care. There was nothing for him now.
“M-21…” It was Frankenstein.
“What.” What did they want. To laugh at his misery?
“We need to go.”
M-21 let out a bitter laugh. “Then go.” What did he care if the pair needed to go? They still had each other. They were both still ali-
“With you, M-21,” Frankenstein insisted.
With him? Frankenstein’s words distracted M-21 for a second. “Right. And it’s convenient for you I can’t walk around in the daylight anymore, isn’t it? I’ll have to stay hidden away in some room in a lab.” The words tumbled out his snout and he knew he was making everything worse for himself, especially after ‘24 had sacrificed himself for a chance of safety, but M-21 didn’t care. What was the point if he couldn’t share his freedom with '24?
“You’d taken your…skin off before,” he heard Frankenstein say, puzzlement in his voice.
“Yeah, I did,” M-21 said, “but Mary destroyed it just now.” Mary had attacked before he could take it off. “There’s nothing left but tatters.” And even if he could put it on again, his werewolf form would poke out through the gashes, drawing attention either way.
“There’s nothing you can do to make a new one?”
“I have no idea how,” M-21 let himself admit, hands curling into fists, claws pressing against his palm. He’d never thought he’d need to learn how to — usually when his skin had been damaged it would seal over again after some time, but it had never been that bad before.
“I can make you a new skin,” Frankenstein’s master said, and M-21 looked over at him, his eyes widening for a second. He could do that? Or was it a trap? Not that he had much leverage with the pair.
“What do you want for it?” Because of course they want something in exchange.
“Nothing.”
What. There was no way that was true.
“But…” Frankenstein’s master said, “I will need to change something similar, like another skin.”
M-21 stared at him. Another skin? There wasn’t one. There wasn’t another…
Frankenstein’s master was looking at something past him and with dawning dread, M-21 turned to look at what he was looking at.
'24’s skin.
He must have had enough time to take it off before fighting with Jake.
“No.” There was no need to deliberate; he wasn’t going to change '24’s skin for vain reasons, not after what '24 had done for him.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.” M-21 limped over to '24’s skin, seeing it in more clarity with each step. It was trapped under some of the fallen debris (just like their original wearer), covered in dust, but M-21 couldn’t see any obvious damage to it.
He gripped one of the bigger rocks settled on top of it with his claws and lifted it up and set it to the side, his muscles and injuries protesting. M-21 picked the skin up, mindful of his claws, and stared at it.
This was all he had of '24. All he would ever have of '24. He would have to make sure he took care of it.
His breath was stuttering and he couldn’t put it on just yet. Doing that meant '24 was dead. That he was never coming back.
But M-21 already knew that. He squeezed his eyes shut, rubbing away the tears before they fell again.
Without opening his eyes, M-21 slipped the skin on, feeling his true form condense under its power, his image becoming human to other eyes. He was still injured, but wearing the cloak would help him heal. '24’s last gift to him.
It felt wrong, wearing '24’s skin so soon after he’d died. But he needed it to be able to walk around non-modified people without suspicion. '24 would understand.
M-21 avoided looking at himself as he turned around to look at the pair. His true form tingled underneath the cloak, knowing it wasn’t his own skin, but he would get used to it. He would have to.
He lowered his gaze as he turned back to the pair. He’d acted emotionally earlier and lashed out, destroying his chance with them. But he had a skin now, so he wouldn’t draw attention to himself as easily so he could evade the Union for a little longer.
“Are you ready to go now?”
M-21 blinked. “Yeah…?” They were still willing to take him in after he’d snapped at them?“
Frankenstein smiled. "Then please follow us,” he said, his master already walking towards the door, the limp figures of the brats floating behind him.
“All right…” They still wanted him after his outburst?
M-21 exhaled and then opened his eyes, studying his reflection in the mirror. It was what he’d expected: '24’s face gazed back at him, thinner than before, but still with pale eyes and no hair, scars spreading out over his cheeks.
He let out a shuddering breath, bracing his weight on the sink. '24…
There was nothing else for him to do but keep going, try to find his and his comrades’ names. He would have '24’s face to remind him of that every day.