Starcrash Lovers

Clik Clik Boom

Five years later... 

Boom sat at the cafe waiting for her sister to show up, as usual, Velma was late. Her sister wasn't the most punctual person on the planet and it drove Boom absolutely insane. She drank her coffee while she played a game on her phone. Boom didn't like being around people, nor did she like the stares she received. Being Garoul, humans instinctively knew they were in the presence of a predator and it caused them to be anxious around her. When she would be walking home after patrol, humans in the path would usually berth wide for her, not wanting to get near her. Most times, Boom just rather stay in and play video games, at least on Discord no one could sense her true nature. 

"Daphne!" A feminine voice rang out over the cafe as a young woman with long light brown hair came strolling up to Boom, she was tall, slender, light-skinned with freckles that peppered her nose and cheeks. Her smile is so wide and bright that she could cast away any cloud that hung over a person... 

Well almost everyone, Boom looks up at her and frowns with a grunt, "You're late." She didn't like when Velma called her 'Daphne'. 

It was a joke of a name,  Boom being Cursed she never got a human name, and when she was released to the Robinson's for further education and to acclimate her to human society they thought it would be grand to let their daughters, Velma and Sandra, come up with Boom's human alias. At least they didn't decide to call her 'Scooby'. 

"Sorry!" Velma winced when she got close to Boom, taking a seat from across from her sister. "I got held up at the store." She confesses as she smiles at her younger sister. 

"What was her name?" Boom lifted a brow at her sister, knowing that Velma was an insatiable flirt and often times would lose track of time when it came to a pretty face. 

"Shut up!" Velma roared in laughter before simmering down into a slight chuckle, "So, what's up?" 

Boom set her phone down and plucked her coffee up taking a sip off it as she shrugs her shoulders, "There is a new family moving in. Something-dolph." She waves a dismissive hand, "You being part of the Welcoming Committee..." There was actually no Welcoming Committee, it was just mostly a running joke towards Velma since she was so incredibly nosy about new people that she made sure she was first to meet them and 'welcome' them into the community with food and conversation. 

Velma's eyes go wide as she looks at Boom, "Do you know anything about them?" She was like an over-excited puppy, nearly wiggling in her seat at the idea of new people. 

Boom shakes her head, "Nah, not really. I think they are the House of Fenris, so y'know not the friendliest of the lot." 

The Garoul had different Houses, one of them being the House of Fenris, which claimed to the progeny of the infamous Norse god Fenris, the great sun devouring wolf. The House of Fenris were some of the greatest warriors within the society, they were the strongest and most blood-thirsty. They had no qualms going to war with other Houses at the slightest offense, like the House of Mac Tire who were nearly wiped out centuries ago when the House of Fenris invaded their lands, a feud that still continues to this day. Fatalism was strong in all Garoul, but none took it to the extreme like the House of Fenris. 

Velma nods understanding the situation, if she wasn't careful with how she approached and talked to them, or the new arrivals could declare war on their House. "I'll just chant 'blood for the blood god'." She then grins impishly, "They won't even know I ain't one of them." She teased with great amusement. 

Boom snorted a bit, "Yeah, I'm sure that'll go over as well as a fart in church." She downs the rest of her coffee as she mulls over what they were going to be like. 

They don't generally like cities unlike the House of Prometheus, which is where Boom and Velma belonged. Most Houses loathed cityscapes and preferred to be closer to nature, whereas the House of Prometheus thrived in urban settings. Modern conveniences for the modern wolf, a concrete jungle for the predators to run in, that was in essence just as untamed as the rural countrysides and forests. Mankind made neat toys and gadgets that the House of Prometheus used in their tactics, unlike Garoul, mankind was creative and the House of Prometheus loved human ingenuity. 

Boom was one of many technoshamans within her House, she was able to magically connect with the living entity of the Digital Web. This was her niche, speaking to the Spirits of the modern world, asking them to complete tasks for her and fellow Garoul. She was one of the best programmers in the city, but her real skill lied with her ability to use whatever firearm was placed in her hands. She could speak to the Spirits of guns, controlling the way the bullets flew, making it almost impossible for her to miss her mark. 

Velma on the other hand had no special skills, she was no different than the average human with some small minor exceptions. Not everyone born with the Garoul gene was able to shift, most in fact didn't. Only a few were born with the capabilities, no one was ever sure why. Even the Promethean's top genetic researchers were unable to figure out what was the catalyst for the Garoul gene to activate. If it did happen, it usually happened during puberty unless they were one of the Cursed like Boom. 

"Always the optimist." Velma sighed with an amused smile, "Don't overthink it too much, I am sure it'll be fine." Velma didn't seem far too concerned, then again she never was. She rarely worried about anything, something that Boom both hated and admired. 

"I'm thinking about heading to the arcade, you want to come with?" Boom asked with a lifted hopeful brow, Velma was the only friend Boom really had, and really the only family member that somewhat accepted Boom. The Robison's were great but there were always some reservations when it came to Boom. 

Lauren and Emmanuel did their best to be parents to Boom, but it was strenuous. They, unlike Boom they weren't Garoul, they were like Velma, wolf-touched but unable to shift. There was always a sense of uneasiness they had with Sandra and Boom being the only Garoul, but Boom was especially hard since she was Cursed. Sandra did her best to treat Boom with respect and dignity, but there was always a distance that Sandra kept. It wasn't Sandra's fault, nor was it Lauren and Emmanuel's, they did their best under the circumstances to try and make Boom feel like she had a home but as soon as Boom felt comfortable enough to be out on her own, she left. The only one that tried to keep contact was Velma, possibly because the wolf-touched didn't have a mean bone in her body. 

"Oh..." Velma furrowed her brow apologetically, "Sorry, Daph, I've got plans this afternoon." She wasn't really big on the whole gaming thing but she wasn't lying to her sister, she really had other plans. "Rain check?" 

Boom hid the disappointment and the gut-wrenching feeling in the pit of her stomach. She still didn't have a pack and a lone Garoul didn't do well. The depression they felt when isolated was horrific, slowly eating away at their sanity but as always Boom shrugged it off, "No worries, next time." She offered a slight smile as to not make Velma feel bad about it. 

"Next time." Velma smiles and nods in agreement before looking at her phone, "I need to get back to the store." She stands up and walks over to Boom and places a kiss on her sister's dark forehead. 

Velma always thought Boom's human form was beautiful, with milk chocolate skin and beautiful long ebony hair, Boom's eyes were always marked with the wolf in a shade of brilliant amber and gold. Boom's features were striking, sharp angles and high cheekbones. her battle form might have been menacing but Boom's human form was lovely to look at, and Velma always felt if things were different between them, she might have fallen head over heels for the Cursed. 

Boom cringed at the public display of affection and gently batted her sister away, "Alright, that's enough." She grunted and then gave Velma a slight smile. "Get outta here, I'll text you later." 

"Love you." Velma smiled and waved to her sister before leaving the cafe. 

Boom just smiled back but said nothing as she watched Velma leave... Velma could tell her a thousand times that she loved her, but Boom was hard-pressed to believe it. While Boom loved Velma dearly, those feelings just couldn't be fully reciprocated. There would always be a part of Velma that would see her as a monster... That was just the way of things.