Hati grinned with pride as he set down the last piled- high plate that he’d cooked. The poor rickety table gave a squeaking groan from the weight of the food on it. Atlas stared at it in concern for a long moment before he shrugged, deciding it was fine before he started dishing up with Hati. “I always forget how much I like werewolf cooking,” he said after taking a bite.
“Because you never let me cook.” Hati teased.
There were a few moments of quiet where they casually ate together before Atlas paused and spoke up. “Hey, Hati…” Atlas started awkwardly. “I wanted to talk to you about something important.”
“Yeah?” Hati responded, taking another bite. “What’s up?”
“So, we both know it’s a full moon today…”
“Of course!” Hati said cheerfully. “How could I forget?”
“Yeah, but if we’re not around your pack , we usually have Carmen to help.” Atlas reminded, watching Hati shovel more food in his mouth. He didn’t really know how Hati could fit that much food in his mouth. “But she has a report tomorrow so she's out, and you know Teophania has a full moon ritual she usually does with her coven, so we're down someone to help out in place of your pack…”
“Help out with what?” Hati asked.
Atlas groaned and dropped his face into his hands. “If only you were as self aware of you being a werewolf as you are emotionally intelligent..” He mused to himself with a tired expression. After another moment he finally looked at his friend who was scarfing down food like he’d been starved for a week. “Hati, people here don't know what werewolves are like during full moons, let alone werewolves that haven't been turning normally like your situation right now.” Atlas frowned, going back into his own thoughts as he talked to himself. “I know they said to live like we're humans, but I didn't think they'd make it so strict to ban you from running while fully turned..”
“Don’t worry, Atlas!” Hati assured. “Everything is going to be okay!”
“That’s the full moon talking.” Atlas dismissed immediately.
…
“Teophania!” Hati said excitedly as he spotted his friend in his eyesight. He quickly moved to go say hello.
Teophania raised a brow as she spotted Hati coming toward her. “Hi, Hati-” She made an audible oof noise as Hati hugged her as a greeting, the momentum from him running knocking the both of them to the ground.
Hati cheerfully and repeatedly greeted Teophania as she gave a tired sigh much too early in the morning. “Just when I start to forget about this, another full moon comes around.”
“Hati, no! You know how Tiff feels about PDA!” Atlas scolded, pulling the werewolf off of Teophania with his magic, keeping the man suspended in the air as he gave an apologetic look to Teophania, who’d already gotten up and brushed her dress off. “Sorry, Tiff. I lost him for two minutes, I swear-”
“It’s fine, Atlas.” Teophania said. “Thank you for watching over him so Carmen and I can still do what we need to.”
“Of course, Tiff. I honestly don't mind.” Atlas responded with a sort of sheepish smile. “I usually watch Hati during full moons and turns anyway, but it's a little more complicated with classes.”
Teophania nodded until she fully processed what Atlas had said and blinked in surprise. She looked at him with a confused expression. “Hati’s still required to attend classes today?” She asked, bewildered.
“Ah, yeah.” Atlas told her. “Headmaster Anderson threatened the end of the program if he skipped any classes today.”
Teophania stared at him with wide eyes for a long moment before she spoke up. “Wh- and he knows what full moons do to werewolves?” She asked.
“He wouldn't listen to me!” Atlas complained, frustrated. “Every time I tried to explain that wasn't how it works he just blew me off, and he wouldn't even let Hati say a single word! He just said that he refused to let him skip a day of school a month for two hours of violence.”
Teophania sighed, knowing Hati and Atlas were going to have a rough time this fulll moon. “Oh, dear…”
“Atlas! Can we go hiking?” Hati asked, giving Atlas his best pleading expression.
Atlas, however, was unfazed. “No. We have to go to your next class.”
“But I don’t want to!” Hati pouted, dragging his feet when Atlas dragged him along down the hallway. “It’s boringggggg!”
“That doesn’t matter!” Atlas told him. “You have to go!”
Hati whined, staring pleadingly at his friend with sad, teary eyes.
Atlas gave him a determined grin as his magic formed a blindfold over his eyes. “That won’t work on me this time!” He declared, grabbing Hati’s arm. “Let’s go!”
“I won’t go!” Hati complained, still throwing a tantrum. “You can’t make me!”
“Watch me-”
CHOMP!
Atlas froze and dismissed the magic covering his eyes as he tried to put an action to the sound he’d just heard… until he spotted Hati chomping down on his forearm repeatedly, leaving sharp-toothed bite marks in the leather sleeve of his jacket. “Gah! Hati, bad! No biting!”
“Defend yourself, you coward!” Hati challenged, releasing his friend’s arm from biting but still holding it with an iron grip.
“We are not play–fighting right now!!” Atlas told him frantically.
Hati softened his expression and grip immediately. “Why not?” Hati asked.
Atlas sighed in relief, thankful about how well werewolves respected boundaries. He gave Hati a sincere expression. “Look, we can spar after class, but right now we have to get you to-”
“Hey, Werewolf!” A woman’s voice called, causing Hati to visibly tense up. It turned out to be Sirena, who walked up to them with a box in hand and followed by the student council members. “Sorry to call you out right before class like this but-” She spotted Atlas then, and turned her attention to him. “... you know you don't have to be here right?”
“Trust me,”Atlas assured. “It’s better if I am today.”
Sirena gave him a stare with a mildly disgusted expression for a few long moments before she spoke up. “Riiiiiiiight…” She said. “So! In light of what’s going to happen today, and that the student council strives to help all students with illness accommodatons-”
“illness accommodations?” Hati asked with a tilt of his head. “But I’m not sick.”
“Hati,” Atlas got his attention quietly. “They’re talking about your turn today.”
“But that’s not an illness.” Hati reminded, confusion obvious on his face. Atlas gave an exasperated sigh, hanging his head.
After a moment, Atlas looked back at Hati again. “I know that, Hati.” He stated tiredly, then looked at Sirena and the student council. “Look, not to be rude, but I really don’t think today is the day you should be doing this. Yesterday, maybe, but Hati doesn’t have the restraint today to-”
“Which is exactly why we’re here!” Sirena interrupted cheerfully. “The student council organized to provide these to you every full moon.” She hefted the box over to Hati, who accepted it like it weighed less than paper, and looked inside curiously. Inside was a pile of thick, heavy-looking iron chains with large padlocks. A smaller box was tucked into the corner. Hati felt his stomach drop. “The keys are in the smaller box.”
Hati stared into the box for a long moment, biting back the anger rising in his throat. “Are you being serious right now?” He asked in a low tone, honestly wishing they were joking. Even if they were trying to make a joke, it wasn’t even remotely funny.
“Of course we’re serious!” Sirena laughed as if Hati’s question was absurd, getting chuckles from the other present student council members to back her up. “Even though we may not blame you for your predisposed violence, per se, we can’t have you hurting any of the Arcan students.”
Hati gave her a frown on an unreadable expression. “Do I look like a violent person to you?” He asked.
“Of course; You’re a werewolf.” Sirena answered seriously with a smile as if this was obvious. “Even if you didn’t look dangerous, that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t be. That’s the thing about monsters, isn’t it?”
Hati frowned. That hurt. It wasn’t the normal kind of hurt that eroded his trust and his mood slowly. That, he could stand. A few extra minutes in his prayers, a talk about it with his best friend, and he’d survive. This wasn’t that.
This was a kind of hurt deep down in the pit of his chest, a kind of pain that hurt so sharply it seemed almost like a physical injury. Something snapped. Hati went to take a step, but Atlas stopped him, having noticed his change in mood. “Hati, don’t.” Atlas told him sternly as he grabbed Hati by the arm, leaving a silent warning of you don’t want to do something rash and regret it later in his glance.
Sirena’s tone took on a more teasin, taunting lilt to it. “Don’t what? Don’t attack me for telling the truth? Or, what, is Fido here going to get all upset and cry about it?”
“That’s it.” Hati growled, dropping the box of chains with an audible rattle. “I’m done. Atlas, let go of me.” He didn’t look over as he tried to pull out of Atlas’ grip gently, non verbally telling him to loosen his grip.
Atlas did the opposite however, knowing this could turn out messy if he did so. “Hati, no.” He warned with a frown.
“Atlas,” Hati bit out, glaring at his friend while tears threatened to fall despite his angered expression. “Let go.” Turns were sacred. Both knew it. It wasn’t something to tease or joke about, and certainly not something he would let slide for the sake of peace like the tens upon hundreds of times he’d ignored students teasing him and staff blowing off his traditions and needs. Hati was finished with a peaceful response that went unheard and unnoticed.
“No.” Atlas repeated sternly.
Sirena seemed to catch Hati’s expression and laughed, jeering to her student council friends loud enough for Hati and Atlas to hear. “Aw, look! I was right!” She crooned with false sympathy and laughed. “I didn’t know werewolves got upset so easily, let alone cry.”
Hati growled angrily, and tried to lunge forward. Atlas caught him mid-air to keep Hati from doing something he’d get in trouble for, practically clotheslining his friend in the process. “Hey.” He snapped at Sirena with a demon-eyed glare. “That’s uncalled for. Especially today.”
“What’s uncalled for?” Milo’s voice cut through the tense atmosphere like a knife. He looked curiously at the scene in front of him and raised a brow.
Sirena, apparently, hadn’t noticed who it was. “It’s none of your business-” She spat out with venom, her eyes finally landing on Milo. She paled. “Prince… Milo..”
“I mean, I believe it is, since I’m the Arcan liaison for our program students.” Milo said in a polite, matter-of-fact tone.
“It’s nothing, Milo. We can handle it.” Atlas told him in a similar polite tone. “just hit a little bit of a snag.” He cast a glance at Sirena and gave her a sly grin. “It’s a bitch.”
Sirena went into a moment of red-faced anger. “Wh–”
Milo ignored her antics, interrupting her. “Well, I know today is a bit of a complicated day for Hati, so I’m happy to help. What’s up?”
“Nothing!” Sirena snapped. “They just got upset over nothing, and now they’re trying to pick a fight!” She scoffed. “Should have expected as much…”
Hati tried to lunge again, but since Atlas was still holding him in the air, it only registered as angry flailing. “You gifted me chains! And you called me violent!” Hati shouted in a harsh tone. Then he paused. “You know what?” Hati started flailing with more fervor and bellowed in a tone that sounded more like a growl that somehow formed words. “Get your ass over here you ljótr bikkjar I'll show you violent!”
Atlas had to put more effort into holding Hati back while he writhed and thrashed. “Hati, no! This isn’t a pack dispute!”
“Let go!” Hati yelled, kicking his legs like an entitled child that was told no. “She ruined my high and insulted my pack! That's more than enough to lay a square of branches! Holmgang! First blood; right here, right now!”
“Your high?!” Atlas responded, bewildered at his friend’s words. “Who taught you language like that?! And stop squirming!”
“Bikkjar, thu vakr minn spyrnith trauđ gnógr viđ lemja beinr fram nár fit sandr!”
Milo turned his attention to Sirena then, looking at her like their arguing wasn’t happening. “Well, Sirena, it seems like it isn’t nothing, and it looks like you really upset Hati and Atlas. It doesn’t give me reason to believe that you didn’t do anything to provoke it.” He stated, then looked at Atlas, who had somehow calmed Hati down and was now whispering thank goodness for full moons to himself. “Could you two tell me what happened?”
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