FB3X Drabble Cascade #148 - 'canid'

[charisstoma]

FB3X Drabble Cascades

Welcome to the FB3X Drabble Cascade, a weekly blog hop where we want you to share your drabbles, or flash fiction inspired by our word of the week. To join in, just post your piece to your blog/social media/website and add your link to the list with Title (Rating, Genre), e.g. A Little Bit of Fun (PG, Science Fiction) and then to perpetuate the cascade, add the list code to the bottom of your post :)

http://fantasyboysxxx.blogspot.com/2016/01/fb3x-drabble-cascade-148-word-of-week.html


And yes I can see this developing into a series, "The Station"
Title: The Crime (PG, Paranormal, familiars)
Author: charisstoma
Word count: 100
Sequel to be found at The Station

“He’s guilty,” was hissed in Horace’s ear.

“Of what,” was growled back from the werefox standing by Horace’s desk.

Maurice licked his paw, “You’re a dog.”

“Okay; first, I’m not a dog and second, I’ve apologized for last night.”

“You’re still a dog, leaving me like that.”

“Look, I got called in. I’m sorry to leave you like that ...”

“You mean naked, hard and secured to the bed frame,” Maurice clarified helpfully.

“You could have magicked them open.”

Horace cleared his throat, “I do wish the two of you would stop putting me in the middle of your romantic squabbles.”

Comments

[thwax.livejournal.com]

LOLOLOL! Poor Horace. I don't think his plea is going to be heard.

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

*grins* Yes, I think Horace will be the intermediary for many of these spats. It's difficult being the human captain in a small police station.

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

Ah Horace has a protector? There is a next part, The Station.

[mee-eep.livejournal.com]

*GRIN*

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

Meri did the photo prompt. Blame her.

[meridae.livejournal.com]

Arran remained stoney faced, despite the small smile of amusement flickering around the corners of his mouth. On his shoulder, Hezekiah seemingly ignored the scene in front of them, his tail twitching lazily as he chewed industriously on a particularly recalcitrant claw. The lack of a purr and the tension in Hezekiah's spine told a different story.

The focus of attention of the young constable in the room was, however, very clear, as he stood by his superior's side behind the large desk, whispering urgently in the man's ear.

"Sir, remember? Constable Boid is on secondment from the ASCD." Young PC Ross was trying very hard not to be overheard by his large, stern faced - and quite handsome - colleague standing loosely at ease before his boss' desk. He couldn't know that Arran had placed a charm on the buttons of his tunic that let him hear everything that was said.

Inspector Duncan was a big man - probably fit and muscular in his youth - but now run to fat. Red faced and ruddy, with a halo of soft white hair that he tried desperately to comb over his naked scalp to hide his lack of youth, he had a temper to match his complexion. He was also a bit of a bully.

"I don't care *where* he's from, Constable Ross, I will not have that . . . that . . THING in my station!!"

Ah . . . a bully who disliked cats it seemed.

Bigot . . . . the soft voice whispered lightly threw his mind, although Hezekiah remained outwardly focused on his grooming.

Hush, little one Arran soothed, not daring to reach up and calm the cat's irritation.

"Sir, please, you got the memo from regional division last week . . . PCW" the young constable stressed the acronym "Boid is . . "

"And I repeat!" Inspector Duncan bellowed, pounding his fist on his desk for emphasis. On Arran's shoulder, Hezekiah's ears and whiskers flatten, and his rear claws dug into the kevlar of Arran's stab proof vest, but he didn't hiss quite yet. "I don't care who he is or where he's from, I WILL NOT have the flea-bitten CUR in my station!"

Hezekiah tensed, his grooming long paused, and his tail twitching in agitation now rather than disdain.

Little one . . . Arran tried to caution, then groaned mentally as the Inspector continued his tirade.

"Is the mongrel even neutered? I doubt it! Get him out of here and get the damned thing fixed while you're at it! That's an ORDER!" Another fist to the desk coincided with Hezekiah standing up on Arran's shoulder, his spine arched, his fur on end as he hissed loudly in pure halloween kitty mode. A loud bang and flash of light followed the sound of the Inspector's fist thudding on wood, and then poor Constable Ross was left sputtering and coughing, his eyes streaming tears as he waved away clouds of acrid smoke.

"Oh dear, that's done it then," Arran observed, breaking the silence as both he and Ross stared at the desk. Constable Ross went a waxy and sick shade of white, his mouth gaping open as he saw the large, brown and extremely warty toad sat where his boss had previously been.

"Hezekiah," Arran sighed. "Didn't we just discuss not turning superior officers into toads before we transferred?"

Hezekiah jumped from Arran's shoulder to the desk, Arran once again thanking mundane technology that could protect his shoulder from Hezekiah's claws.

"Would you rather I turn him into a rat instead? I am rather hungry . . . " The long, lanky black cat - barely out of his teens in cat years - stalked across the desk and reached down to bat at the toad sat in the Inspector's chair. Constable Ross managed the impossible and turned even whiter - Hezekiah hadn't actually spoken out loud (at least not out loud as mundanes understood it) but he'd obviously included the young policeman in the conversation.

"No, no, it's fine," Arran sighed again, retrieving the cat from the desk and putting him back up on his kevlar'd shoulder. "We don't eat superior officers either."

"He's probably stringy anyway," Hezekiah settled back down and started to dampen his paw preparatory to grooming his ears.

[meridae.livejournal.com]

"Quite," Arran replied, moving around the desk and gently lifting his boss from the chair to the table top. "How long?"

"How long?" Hezekiah's tone was one of innocent puzzlement, as if he had no idea what Arran was asking.

"Yes, how long before the hex wears off. I assume it was a hex your threw."

"Of course it was a hex," Hezekiah scoffed. "I didn't have time to cast a full transformation spell!"

"Not that you could do that in any case," Arran couldn't help reminding. Hezekiah was very powerful - possibly the most powerful familiar that the police force had - but he was also very young and had a lot to learn. Including transformation spells. A claw to Arran's neck, however, warned him of the foolishness of reminding Hezekiah of this - at least when the cat was sat on his shoulder. "How long?" He repeated insistently, realizing that Hezekiah was avoiding the question for some reason.

"Hmmm . . yeah . . . about that," Hezekiah continued nonchalantly grooming his ears. Constable Ross continued not so nonchalantly gaping at them both.

"About that?" Arran's tone held a dangerous note of warning. He couldn't really hurt or punish Hezekiah . . . but he could make life unpleasant for a while. Maintly by witholding Hezekiah's favorite treats, but still.

"Well . . it was a Hex, right?"

"Right?" They'd already established that.

"Well . . it's not like I carry them around with me, right? Nowhere to store them for one thing."

"Right." Arran didn't point out that if Hezekiah would deign to wear the police vest he'd been provided with he would have pockets. Small ones but still.

"So . . . . "

"Sooo . . . Hezekiah, so help me gods . . . "

"So I used one of the miltary grade ones in your vest and I know you made it but I didn't know if it would respond to my power because we're not so well meshed yet so I gave it and extra boost and . . . " The cat sounded almost comical, spilling his words out in a near panic so they almost tripped over themselves. Still behind the desk, Constable Ross gave a choked sounding gurgle and Arran glanced up quickly to ensure the lad was still alive. He was - but Arran knew a cat that might not be for much longer. Setting off a hex that you couldn't control precises was a matter for the Wizard's Council and Hezekiah knew it. They could not only strip his powers for this, they'd probably take his precious balls too.

"So?" This time the warning tone in Arran's voice was dangerous.

"So . . . I don't know." Hezekiah mewed plaintively. "The hex usually lasts for four hours. I only know it will be longer than that. Maybe overnight?"

"Maybe?"

"Or maybe more?" Hezekiah was cringing now, and actually jumped off Arran's shoulder to strop around his legs in anger-appeasing anxiety.

Arran didn't bother sighing this time, just closed his eyes for a moment and pinched the bridge of his nose before looking back up at the young constable and saying brightly "Well then, lad, we'd better be about it."

"Uhh . . . " Constable Ross was still having trouble getting over the strangled breathing thing. "Ab-bout it? Sir." The last word was obviously added in the hopes that Ross wouldn't find himself turned into a toad as well - technically he and Arran were the same rank.

"Yes, about it. We'll need to get a basin and some pond water if the Inspector is to be comfortable tonight. Maybe some rocks and a lilypad if we can find them."

"Ohhh . . oh right," the young man rallied himself visibly. "I-I know where there's a pond - not far from here. Lots of frogs. I c-could show you."

A pond Ross no doubt knew about because he'd tadpoled there as a lad not too many years ago.

"Lead on then lad, it wouldn't do to let the Inspector dry out now, would it?"

"N-no. Sir." Constable Ross was still visibly pale and frightened - but managing to function in spite of it. Good lad.

And you, Arran shot silently to the cat sitting contritely at his feet. Watch the damn toad to make sure it doesn't wander off. And DON'T eat it.

Hezekiah waited until Arran and Constable Ross were out of the room before replying with a hint of his usual sass. Of course I won't eat him! Toads taste foul! And all that slime! UGH!

[meridae.livejournal.com]

ASCD - Arcane and Supernatural Crimes Division
PCW - Police Constable Wizard

(So technically a female wizard or witch could be WPCW according to British Police titles. Although they don't add the W in front for female officers anymore. Which is a bit unfair - surely the criminals need to know a woman is coming so they can run EXTRA FAST cos they're EXTRA scared.)

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

Your criminal's gender-phobia *grins*

I may have to snitch your ASCD for this. Yep. Just may.

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

A pond Ross no doubt knew about because he'd tadpoled there as a lad not too many years ago.
OOOoooooooh. Were-froggy or toad.

Quick education fact: Toads aren't slimy. They're dry and pebbly and I don't think that they do ponds once they've become full fledged toads. Hezekiah and Arran need to bone up. *grins*

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

*GRIN*
You can get sent to your twelfth secondment real easily due to things like this.