A Wolf and a Racoon

(I actually have no idea how I should explain this- oh well. Well, all the people here are animal-hybrids. They look like people, have similar skeletons to humans, eyes and basically the whole body, only with the fur colors their animal counterparts would have as their skin/hair color, along with their animal’s ears and tails. If someone is a bird-hybrid, they’ll have wings instead of hands. Hope that’s a bit clearer, now enjoy~)

“Go away mutt”

The boy didn’t care to give the second figure another glance, before returning to scavenging through the trashcan.

He swore to his brothers and sisters that he’d bring back something they’ll be able to actually use for once, not like the flee-covered blankets and rotten food.

Although, the racoon wasn’t even sure if whatever that was could be classified as food.

His hands grabbed at the filthy cloth that was riddled with holes, which seamed harmless for now. He grimaced, scrunching up his nose at the stench.

He suddenly felt someone pulling at his tail, before he let his head emerge from the dump. He saw the same person from before- clearly some kid from a rich, snobby family.

The boy had grey wolf ears, a slick, clearly cared for tail, along with floppy white hair. He looked young- maybe around 8, 9 years old? His eyes remained neutral, not showing an ounce of emotion as he reached from behind his back and handed something to the other.

“The hell do you want?” they asked, raising an eyebrow at the box. It was purple, just like the boy’s clothes, with golden edges.

Golden just like the shiny gold bracelets on his hands.

“Go away. I don’t need some brat bothering me right now” He clenched his teeth, scowling at the boy’s outstretched hand. He wouldn’t take something from someone who’s taking pity upon him. He can handle everything on his down, damn it.

The boy didn’t move though.

“Scram” the racoon-eared growled out, yet the other did nothing but look up at them with a questioning glance. That just made the older narrowed his eyes. Where are this kid’s parents? They shouldn’t leave a brat like this running around on his own.

“Listen, where are your parents? You shouldn’t be in an alley like this” huffed out the boy, his gaze not as stern as before. The wolf seemed to relax just a tad, his shoulders dropping. But he still didn’t let any emotion seep into his expression. He just furrowed his eyebrows, tilting his head to the side.

Wait… could it be that…?

“Do you understand Jammish?” the racoon said carefully, as the wolf seemed to think for a moment, before realising what the other meant, and shook his head slowly.

Aha.

“…I’m LaSalle” the older of the two said, pointing at himself. “What about you?”

The wolf just tilted his head again, before narrowing his eyes.

Huh. So that’s how it’s going to be.

“Scram, kid. I really don’t have the time for you” LaSalle barked out, before ducking his head back into the dumpster.

A few minutes later he came back with some usable cloth and good-looking shirts someone must have thrown away. As he was arranging the items in his grip, he noticed the wolf-boy sitting at the foot of one of the dumpsters, fiddling with his jacket’s zipper.

The racoon muttered curses under his breath, before walking past the other, not even glancing their way.

He felt the wolf’s gaze burning into his back, but he didn’t dare turn around. Stupid brat can go find his parents alone.

After a few seconds, he heard the pitter-patter of paws following him. He turned around to see the boy walking behind him, the box still in his hand. When the wolf noticed that the other was looking at them, they glanced up at them with wide eyes.

Vibrant yellow eyes met grey, as the both stared at each other for a few seconds.

“Scram” the racoon sighed, continuing to walk down the alley.

The sound of footprints didn’t leave.

---

“I couldn’t get rid of him, he’s been following me the whole way here” the racoon whined to his friend, as they carefully examined the wolf who stood by the door. They were playing with their box, tracing the runes carved into it with their finger.

“Have you looked for his parents?” Liza’s voice continued as LaSalle dumped his findings on the floor.

“No. Nobody ever stays around at the northern district, there was nobody else but the stupid wolf.”

“Mind your tongue, LaSalle” Liza scolded him, as the other’s gaze flickered to the wolf for a moment, before going back to glaring at the panda.

Liza was one of his oldest sisters, and often had a soft spot for children. She’s been the mother figure for all of LaSalle’s siblings, along with the house’s protector and owner.

Without Liza, LaSalle and everyone else who hid under this roof would be back on the streets, dehydrated and starved.

Yet this kid had the nerve to follow LaSalle in a beautiful purple coat, gold and silver bracelets decorating his arms, and a fancy looking box in his hand.

He had it perfect, and it should be kept that way. The wolf didn’t know what it felt like to have nothing, to be stripped of food and water. They didn’t know what it was like when your own family locks you out of their house.

The bastard had his riches, had his food, had his family. They shouldn’t follow the homeless racoon around.

“…I don’t think we’d be able to support him- “

“Support him? What do you mean? He clearly had a rich family, he doesn’t need out support.” The racoon growled out, as the panda flinched at his tone.

“Calm down LaSalle” Liza’s firm voice managed to shut up LaSalle, yet the glare didn’t wither.

“Bring the kid to the market, he’ll be able to ask someone from there about getting home. Everyone knows everyone there. Then you can come back and we’ll have soup” Liza commanded, as the racoon had nothing left to do but agree.

A few seconds later, LaSalle was once again walking, quiet footsteps drifting behind him. He didn’t even look back at the wolf as he walked out of the house, walking up to the gate. Just get this guy to the market, come back and eat. Seamed easy enough.

“Hey!” called a voice from behind him. Groaning, he turned around. His eyes twitches as he realised that Peck was jumping around the confused wolf, calling out greetings while examining the boy from each side.

“What pretty bracelets- and your coats so shiny! It’s beautiful! Where’d you get it- Oh!”

The rabbit stopped jumping around, before staring intensely into the other’s eyes. The wolf seemed to be trying hard to understand the rabbit’s words, nodding lightly to her compliments.

“You have yellow eyes! Does everything look yellow to you?” she asked, cocking her head to the side.

The wolf stared back uncomfortably, before furrowing his brows. He didn’t understand.

“Are all the colors you see more vibrant? Are they prettier? I personally like drawing things and colouring them more brighter shades- oh! Do you see everything like that? I’d love to be able to do that!” Peck explained, a bright grin planted on her face.

“Come on, we have to get you to the market. Peck, go away, do something else. Leave the thing alone”

The rabbit stopped smiling, turning to LaSalle with a pout.

“Why are you so gloomy? I’ll have to draw a colourful picture for you now!” the rabbit whined, throwing her hands up in the air.

“Scram, I’ll be back soon” the racoon muttered as the wolf watched the exchange patiently. Peck sighed, before turning away.

Something unexpected happened.

The wolf grabbed at the rabbit, turning them around. They opened the box in their paw, pulling out something that looked similar to a pair of glasses. The wolf plopped them on the rabbit nose, before saying;

“Brighter”

Peck stared for a moment, blinking. The glasses were tainted yellow, making her yellow eyes look purple. She stood for a while, before a grin erupted on her face.

“Everything looks so bright! Is this how you see? Liza! Do I have yellow eyes now!? Thank you so much!” the rabbit hugged the wolf tightly, before bouncing back to the house.

Confused, the wolf stood in place for a moment, before shaking his head and putting the box back into his pocket.

The racoon rose and eyebrow, as the other shrugged.

“I thought you didn’t know Jammish.”

The wolf stood silent for a moment, his brows furrowed, before stating;

“A little”

LaSalle nodded, before waving his hand for the wolf to follow him. The other didn’t respond, and a few minutes later they were heading to the market in a steady pace.

“Name?” the sudden silence was broken by the wolf’s questioning voice.

“Hmm?” LaSalle looked over his shoulder, meeting the other’s yellow eyes.

“Name?”

Ah. He was probably wondering about who the rabbit was.

“That was Peck. She’s… Lively.”

“…Name- Your name” the wolf tried again, as the racoon just smirked.

“You forgot already? Mine’s LaSalle.”

The wolf grumbled under his breath, clearly trying to properly form his question. The racoon waiting patiently, not dropping his pace.

“…French- LaSalle… French name?” the wolf said finally, as the racoon nodded.

“My parents were French. I hate them- I hate my name, but I won’t dare change it.”

“…why?”

“…it’s the only thing that makes me aware that I’m… ‘me’ for my whole life. If I’d change it, I’d feel like it was changing a part of me.” The racoon answered. The wolf nodded, before the two fell back into silence.

The market was close now.

The loud chatter and voices of jammers advertising their shops filled the air, as people ran passed the two of them.

The market was as lively as usual, now all they needed to do was ask someone about the wolf, since someone would eventually recognize him as a friend’s child or someone from their neighbourhood-

Wait.

The wolf wasn’t from here, he didn’t even know Jammish.

LaSalle mentally face-pawed himself, cursing at his own stupidity. Nobody will know the wolf, nobody will recognize him-

The boy suddenly ran from behind the racoon, brushing againced him as he ran.

“Hey, wait! You idiot!” the racoon called after the wolf, before sprinting after the kid.

Seconds later, the wolf was nowhere to be seen, as a wave of jammers brushed passed the racoon, just a jumble of ears and tails LaSalle wouldn’t even try to recognize.

He scanned the area around him, the maze of people running around as the endless chatter ran through his ears-

There he is.

The racoon started pushing himself passed all the people, towards the blur of purple he’d seen running towards the park entrance.

“Wait up, you idiot!” LaSalle clenched his teeth as he pushed passed the jammers, annoyed voices called after him to watch where he’s going.

The racoon only stopped running at the entrance of the park, freezing in place.

The boy was standing in front of a bench, on which sat a similar looking wolf. The two exchanged a glance, before the younger of the two jumped from the bench, hugging the other tightly.

…Was that his sister?

“Juno” the quiet whisper escaped the boy’s lips, as LaSalle smiled slightly.

That’s right- the wolf had a happy family, had someone to return to. He had someone to say ‘I’m home’ to. He had someone to say ‘welcome home’ to. He had someone to hug when he was sad, he had family dinners and comfy beds.

LaSalle was happy for the wolf- LaSalle truly was. But they wanted that so bad… They wanted something they never had so bad.

Someone brushed passed the racoon, breaking him out of his trance. They glanced back at the wolf who-

Wait.

Two others- probably the parents walked up to the siblings. The father froze, announcing something to his wife in another language. They didn’t look happy.

LaSalle furrowed his brows as he watched.

The mother walked up to the children, pulling the boy off of his sister, before taking the girl- Juno -into her hands.

“Greely!” a whine excepted the young girl’s lips, as the father and mother hushed the sister, not looking back at the boy, who was trying hard to catch up to his family.

His family.

LaSalle’s heart skipped a beat as he realised what was happening.

They were leaving the poor wolf behind- they were throwing him away, as if he was a piece of trash.

Now, instead of some rich snob, dressed in a fancy purple coat and golden bracelets, LaSalle saw something else.

He saw himself in the wolf, he saw pain and betrayal in their expression- the unemotional face from before breaking into a soft cry.

“Juno!”

LaSalle clenched his eyes shut, his teeth scrapping againced each other.

“Aurora!”

The racoon remembered how broken his voice sounded, how much his heart hurt after everything. He remembered how much he begged his parents- he remembered how much he wanted to please them.

He remembered the gems he’d gather from his jobs, he remembered how he’d buy everything for himself. He promised himself he wouldn’t be a leach to his parents- He remembered how he’d promised Aurora he’d stay by her side, how he’d help her with anything she’d like.

He remembered the day the door was closed- how the lock snapped shut, painting an invisible line between LaSalle and his sister.

And now, the racoon was watching the same thing happen again.

He couldn’t let that happen- not to this wolf. Not to this kid. He wouldn’t let this happen again.

The wolf could go back with him, he could be happy. The wolf could come back- come back to his new home, with a new family. He could come back and eat Cosmo’s delicious pastries, he could come back and paint with vibrant colours Peck would give him, he could laugh at Sir Gilbert’s horrible jokes, he could listen to Tavie’s beautiful songs.

The wolf would come home with LaSalle, because nobody deserved to be treated like trash.

Greely would be happy with them.