Chapter Text
In the dense, rainy forest of Forks, all was quiet and still as the animals sensed a small predator padding silently through the brush. No sound except that of the rain and what little wind there was within the forest. Nose in the air the tiny predator searched for any suitable prey to feed on when they catch a scent that sends them into a restrained frenzy. Sniffing determinedly for any trace of the scent or soul that remained stubbornly elusive.
While all the other animals in the surrounding area could sense the possible danger only those with keen sharp eyes could see the small shape slinking in and out of the shadows, the bushes undisturbed bar the swishing of multiple fluffy tails. Suddenly the shadow freezes and catches the scent sprinting off after it. Nimbly weaving through the trees and underbrush the little predator stops at the edge of a clearing looking across the grass to the newly refurbished building.
If the occupants happened to look out the large windows then, they would have seen the small fox-shaped shadow creeping across the lawn to the front door. Stopping at the stairs taller than them the black fox tilts their head, stepping back and focusing on the space behind the door with a flick of their tails and a small step forward the fox disappears into purple shadows and appears silently inside the door. Head to the floor the shadowy fox ignores the surprise of the house’s inhabitants and follows the scent of self-loathing to the piano in the corner.
A Hispanic teenage vampire with mahogany hair sitting at the piano looks down in shock as the small fox-like creature sniffs him and gasps softly when he feels something akin to ice flow through him.
Sifting through the vampire’s soul, it’s not what the fox is looking for; sneezing from all the self-centred self-loathing the fox turns and follows a different trail. Nose to the ground again the fox is distantly aware of the laughing and mocking from the only scentless person in the room. The next trail leads them to a grieving Native American female and a mildly self-loathing British male.
The parents and leaders of the small coven softly chide their youngest for mocking their oldest progeny. The matriarch crouches down gently to get a better look at their small furry visitor and stares into the iridescent dark purple eyes that seemed to be staring past her and her mate. Whatever the fox finds as they shake their head and move on, leaving a cool but refreshing shiver down their spines, seems to be unsatisfactory. The patriarch is left stunned as he feels the loathing he felt towards his condition, rarely at the front of his mind but always there, lifting and draining away. His wife also feels lighter the grief and leftover emotions from her human life washed away.
Once again they are not what the fox is looking for. Though, the parental care they radiate convinces the fox to take their pain anyway leaving them with lighter shoulders before following the final current self-loathing scent in the room. This leads them to a Swedish female so similar to them yet so different. Being very careful with their claws the fox goes up on their back legs and yips at the female imploringly.
The blonde young woman frowns in confusion when the fox paws and whimpers at her. Her mate, the final occupant of the house, however, seems to understand and gently lifts the fox onto her lap; the Polynesian young man itching to see what the cute fox wants. Gently the blonde strokes the fox’s fur as they cuddle up to her and gasp softly when they feel her pain, jealousy, and other leftover emotions from her death gently wash away the memories themselves floating away, reachable but distant as if they could no longer hurt her.
When it’s all gone for now the fox gives one last nuzzle and then tries to pick up the trail they were looking for in the first place. They manage to find a semi-recent trail, however, it leads up the stairs that are too big to climb and Eva says that there is no one upstairs. Huffing they sit down at the bottom of the step and scream. If the fox can’t find them then they’ll call them to the fox.
The vampires get very agitated because of the scream but a quick scan shows no danger so they ignore the commotion and continue calling for the elusive scent.
Confused as to why the fox is screaming, the patriarch looks to his oldest progeny to see if he has any insight but he's as confused as the others. His youngest, next to his wife, seems most upset at the fox’s distress and tries to pick them up again to see if he can check for an injury. Strangely every time he reaches for them his hands go straight through them as if they are not there and they don't seem to notice his efforts.
The blonde woman who feels a strange kinship with the fox gets her phone and searches up fox behaviour, while they are undoubtedly supernatural it might give them some indication of the cause. However, as she reads what fox screaming, especially female fox screaming, means she snickers and decides to keep it to herself. The only other coven member with something in common with the four they were interested in is her 'twin', and while she's glad happiness may be in his future, she's still a little sister and mischief is her obligation.
After a small wait, there is a rush of air and two vampires enter the house. One a scentless Asian female the other the elusive scent the fox has been searching for.
Alert from the screaming, the American Civil War survivor restrains his first instinct to attack the powerful creature that rushes at him. The non-threatening emotions coming from the small form and the lack of negative response from his protectors save him from adding another thing to his long list of regrets. Ignoring his foster brother’s mocking, he curiously searches through the emotional climate of the fox that is currently scent-marking him rather thoroughly to his amusement. Unlike most who are unaware of his emotional gaze or those who try to guard against it this fox opens for him, stripping themselves bare as they focus more on his bonds. This prompts a response from his first protector though he subsides when his progeny bonds remain untouched though, the same could not be the same for his other bond, and none of them has a problem losing that tie. While it seems from his adoptive brothers mocking that he has gotten the friendliest response from the visitor, the pixie who approaches to check the fox out gets the worst, the fox threatening the small psychic they see as a threat.
Distantly they are aware of the commotion and mocking from the others but that is background noise to the sire bite that reeks of pain, hatred and misery. Settling down and wrapping their tails around him comfortingly they start licking at his neck covering the scent of the pain-hurt-betrayal sire and whittling away at the bond gently. After a minute or so the bond is broken and they can feel the shock and relief from their mate-to-be and a concerned tug from his two lasting progeny bonds. After checking that they are healthy and scentless to their mate-to-be they leave them alone, focusing on the possession and obsessive lust aimed at him from the previously scentless Aisan female. Lifting their head they glare at the small-hyper-psychic trying to make -quick check- unwanted moves on their mate-to-be and aggressively gekkering a warning. When she makes no move to back off the shadow fox stands and leaving a single tail still wrapped around their mate-to-be they gather energy to back up the warning.
However, before they can follow through they feel the call of their skulk-mate telling them that they have to return to the Den for rest. Growling and huffing they painfully yank the possession away from their rival and with one last nuzzle for their mate-to-be they disappear in shadows and reappear back in the Den changing to their physical form and reassuring their Tod that they made it home safe and letting Eva take the wheel to play with their Skulk-mates. Shadow can wait until they are free again. Hopefully, Eva or Ash will help their mate-to-be in the meantime.
(What I picture the fox looking like, just purple and black and the size of a fennec fox and with only three tails for now. Image source: https://runescape.wiki/w/File:Inari_concept_art.jpg
I forgot when I first posted but I made the Cullens except for Carlise and Jasper more ethnically diverse because it's either racist or short-sighted that the only people Carlise finds in his many travels and is willing to turn are all white Americans. Roslie is Swedish because I wanted to keep their 'defining' physical features the same so I went with an ethnicity known for statuesque blondes. I would have changed Jasper but it would be slightly unrealistic for a non-American to be as supportive of the civil war as his father is. These are my new Face Claims
Alice as Ayame Goriki (Japanese)
Rosalie as Hanna Alström (Sweddish)
Emmett as Jason Mamoa (Polynesian)
Esme as Althea Sam (Native American)
Edward as Marcel Ruiz (Hispanic)
