Viktor Petrovsky

[Viktor]

Name: Viktor Petrovsky
Nicknames: His mother used to use the nickname 'Vitya' when he was younger, which turned into an affectionate name that only she used. When she died, so did the nickname, as he hasn't shared the existence of the nickname with anybody except Eira. As for more modern nicknames, he frequently goes by 'Vick' or 'V'. At the orphanage he works for most of the children can't say his name properly and more often than not end up calling him 'Bitter', something that his co-carers find hilarious, even if he personally doesn't see what's so amusing about it.
Race: Werewolf; pureborn
Occupation: Rogue; orphanage carer
Gender: Male
Skin Colour: Caucasian
Age: 424, but physically he appears to be in his late 20s to early 30s
Clothing: Viktor dresses casually, preferring items of clothing that would not hinder or restrict his movement in any way. He will mostly wear comfortable, snugly fitting t-shirts or the occasional button-down shirt with a pair of jeans, over which he will wear either his short, leather biker-style jacket or his long, black coat. His ensemble is finished with a pair of smart looking black or brown shoes (Viktor doesn't own a single pair of trainers). Sometimes he adds to this a pair of sunglasses if it's a particularly sunny day, and will wear a pair of fingerless gloves on occasion. In terms of colours, he sticks to dark or neutral colours, knowing how important it is to blend into his surroundings sometimes. Having said that, he does own a rather fetching yellow apron that he uses during his job if the kids take part in any messy activities.
Height: 6' 1"
Weight: 172lb
Tattoos: One across his shoulders of a pair of wings between which there's Cyrillic lettering that translates to "I am strong".

Piercings: N/A
Jewellery: A ring that used to belong to Edmond, and a Rolex wristwatch.

Body Modifications: A number of small scars scattered across his body from his time as pack fighter in Russia.

Viktor's wolf form

Wolf Form
Build: Viktor's wolf is very tall and muscular, and is capable of bipedal movement, which is quite ideal for fighting; obviously these were the main criteria that were taken into account when he was considered for pack fighter all those years ago. Since then, he has trained hard to increase his power and strength, most of which is concentrated in his arms and broad shoulders. He has opposable thumbs and so is able to use weapons with ease, although he much prefers hand-to-hand combat, if he has the choice.
Height: Biped - 8'5"; quadruped - 5'0".
Weight: 330lb.
Hair: On the tips of his fingers, ears and snout, as well as over his legs, he has some lighter grey colouring but other than that his hair is totally black. It is thickest around his head and ears, as well as over his back, where he has something akin to a mane that but the rest, although thick enough to keep him warm against harsh weather, is relatively short.
Eyes: A bright, icy blue that looks white most of the time.
Defining Marks: He has no tail.

Pack
Pack: N/A
Position: N/A
Territory: N/A

Hair
Length: A few inches, long enough for it to reach quite far down his neck, as well as cover his ears if it wasn't tucked behind them. It's often swept back so that it doesn't get into his eyes and obstructs his vision.
Style: His hair has a naturally wavy look to it, and though he likes to make sure it looks okay Viktor isn't one to make too much of a fuss over his hair. He will normally let it rest wherever it happens to do so, only combing it to make sure it's not a mess.
Colour: Brown.

Facial Hair
Length: Mostly just stubble, mostly because he doesn't really shave with much frequency any more. That said, he'd rather not end up with a beard.
Style: There's no real style to his facial hair, it's just casual stubble.

Eyes
Colour: Hazel, but they can appear to be a different colour depending on the surrounding light or even what he's wearing at the time.
Oddities: Will turn their lupine shade of icy blue when he feels intense emotions, or simply when he's teasing or taunting.

Personality: At first glance Viktor comes across as a very moody man who constantly spends his time alone, brooding and wallowing in angst, looking as if he had to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. To a certain extent that's true, as his thoughts are frequently filled with memories of his past, those which he still finds hard to let go or forgive himself for, but first impressions can be quite deceiving. It takes him a while to be really open with someone, but once he is he can be considered a friend for life. Contrary to first impressions he does have a pretty sharp sense of humour, he's just really serious most of the time.

The past has most certainly left its mark on Viktor. Because of that day when Viktor awoke in a strange house to find that he had murdered the entire family, which included three young children, he now feels overly protective of children and views those who hurt them deliberately in a very negative light. It is still the biggest grudge that he holds against his old pack, even though the pack itself doesn't exist any more; hurting the pack's youngsters was one thing, but to be responsible for the deaths of innocent young mortals and not even care? It was and is, to Viktor, unforgivable.

This, and other experiences in his past had meant that he has been emotionally closed off, preferring to ignore problems instead of facing them, believing that he was strong enough to beat them, something that he tried harder to do when he met Eira. But the emotional breakdowns he used to suffer (and still does on a rare occasion) as well as support from her during these deeply troubled moments have made him become more open with his thoughts and fears, if only to Eira herself; she is the one person whom he trusts implicitly and without question, and if given the choice he would give his own life for hers in a heartbeat. Since they got different flats in the city he's missed her company terribly, but can respect that she may need her own space, even though he's started to bottle things up again without the constant companion he'd had before.

He is still very distrustful of packs and pack wolves, and doesn't believe that hierarchical structures within them are healthy. In a sense, his view of pack life is that his own pack are the norm, since he's never been in another pack to find out otherwise. So he will avoid packs whenever possible. He has no issues with rogues that he meets, having enough belief in his own judgement enough to know who to and who not to trust, but he feels nervous about the thought of so many wolves in one gathering.

Viktor likes to keep fit, and goes on a jog every morning, without fail. He is a strong believer in self-discipline and would not allow himself to slack off, even if he doesn't feel up to a job. Mostly it helps to make him feel better anyway. He also keeps fit because he knows that, especially as a rogue werewolf in a city with two major packs, he has to remain vigilant at all times and never knows when he might find himself in an altercation. Fighting has always been a major part of his life so he can accept the concept very easily, because he believes that fighting between wolves is, or at least in his own experiences it has been, inevitable. It might take a while before anything happens for said fighting to need to take place but it eventually always does.

Weaknesses: The biggest and most obvious weakness is the affliction to silver that comes along with the lycanthropy; physical contact with it can cause burns, and prolonged exposure can lead to intense sickness and nausea as it slowly poisons him until it eventually kills him.

He believes that his deepest fears and emotions should be bottled up, frequently seeming moody and broody to those who don't know him very well as a way of protecting not just himself but those around him because he is afraid that anyone who knows too much about him can be used against him, as Edmond was. He's not emotionally closed off or anything, he just bottles a lot up because he wants to protect Eira. Unfortunately this acts much like a pressure cooker and eventually it just gets too much and overflows, causing him to panic over everything he's done and everything he's lost, essentially having an emotional breakdown. During this time he becomes crippled with emotion, unable to function as any normal person would. Luckily his day care center is somewhat aware of his need for the occasional day or two off, and are quite happy to give him the time he requires to get back to normal. After around 260 years he's learned to open up more, if only to Eira, but he still has the occasional episode.

Which brings up another major weakness of Viktor's; Eira herself. He would literally do anything for her or to protect her, whether it was in his power or not, and this could be used against him in some way.

His strong need to protect children can also be seen as a weakness that can be used against him; if an enemy was holding a child hostage he wouldn't even entertain anything that could possibly result in the child getting harmed, but at the same time he would become enraged at the thought of a child being used for such a cruel purpose. This is why if he knew that he was in some sort of trouble he wouldn't go anywhere near the day care center, afraid of getting anybody there involved in any problems he may have to face.

There are only two things that would or could make Viktor snap and lose control of his actions; if someone did something to a child in front of him, and if someone did something to Eira at all. During those moments a red mist befalls him and he will unleash his own brand of punishment on the perpetrators, although the full weight of his actions will weigh heavily on his mind for the years to follow.

Abilities: Viktor has, of course, inherited all of the abilities that come with being a werewolf, which include heightened senses and reflexes, increased strength, speed and stamina, as well as a powerful healing factor. His balance, grace and ability mean that he is able to leap great distances, and also right himself during a fall. Due to his age, he is fully able to control his wolf over the full moon.

As pack fighter he went through rigorous training so that he was skilled as well as strong, and as such, he is more than competent at hand-to-hand combat. Additionally, he is a very skilled swordsman and archer, although he hasn't found the need to use either skill in recent decades. His proficiency with guns is a more recent skill that he's learned, and although he wouldn't claim to be an expert or a pro in their use he's a good enough shot to know that he can rely on said skill if he should ever need to.

He knows basic sign language as well, because one of the children that he cares for is deaf. He didn't want the child to feel at all left out by not being able to communicate with many people, so he decided to learn signing, if only a basic amount to help the child feel a little more at ease. Among other skills learned on the job are finger-painting, sewing, braiding hair and getting kids to take their naps without too much fuss.

Weapons: Even though he is able to use all manner of weapons he doesn't really own many anymore, just a couple of pistols and a folding knife that is kept beside his bed.

Prized Possessions: Viktor learned very early on in life that it does not bode well to put such emotional weight onto an object, so that when it breaks or is lost, so is a part of your heart. However, he can't help feeling some fondness for his mother's Faberge necklace, which was a gift to her from Viktor's father.

Home(s): A flat on Cole's side of town.

History: The pack to which Viktor would later be born were somewhat nomadic, moving around Russia from town to town without ever really settling in one place for more than a month at a time. Wherever they went they left a trail of terror, loving nothing more than to use their abilities and advantages as werewolves to treat mortals almost like toys, most of which were discarded after their moment of fun dissipated. It wasn't just those on the outside looking in that had to be wary, those who were part of the pack had to be just as vigilant, if not more so, lest they become the target of the day; it was commonplace for those higher up in the pack's hierarchy, the fighters and Betas, to treat the younger wolves and females terribly. Not everyone felt this was right, of course, but it was very unwise to speak against the Alpha, Konstantin. Most who opposed the treatment of the unfortunate would mysteriously vanish from the pack, and nobody dared ever ask what had become of them.

It was the only reason that Aleksei, one of the main fighters of the pack, had never spoken out against the pack's behaviour, even though he was against it all. As selfish as he sounded, he was looking out for himself and causing unnecessary attention to fall on him was not the way to do it. Instead, he looked out for the younger wolves, using the excuse that he didn't want to see a wolf die when they could be of such use to the pack in the future, a point that he stressed more often when, during the 15th century, the pack settled and began to establish themselves as the pack of the area.

History continued below...

[Viktor]

History Continued...

Although there were some females within the pack, Konstantin believed that they needed more so that the pack would flourish with new blood and life, so that there would be new generations who would train to be fighters to protect the pack and ensure their survival. Female rogues who happened to be in the area were taken in as pack breeders, and although they had to deal with the pressures from those wolves who were 'higher up' than them, they knew a good deal when they heard one; they would be part of a pack that would grow stronger, and would be protected, fed and looked after. A few beatings here and there was a small price to pay, in their minds

One of the rogues who was picked up was a pureborn wolf by the name of Verochka, who Aleksei himself had convinced to join the pack with the promise that he would look after her. The two had felt an immediate bond between them, a strange kind of kinship that they didn't understand at first, but the more time they spent together, the more they realised that they were falling in love. After a few months Konstantin decided that Verochka was worthy of being the mate of one of his best fighters and allowed the two to become mates, and shortly after this Verochka became with child. They were happy enough for now, but secretly the two had made plans to flee the pack once the baby had been born, so that the three of them could live together without the pressures and violence and fear that this pack was held together by. They wanted more for their child than the life they had now.

And so the couple bore a child, a baby boy destined to become a pack fighter to follow in his father's footsteps. Life for the pack went on as normal until shortly after Viktor's tenth birthday, when Aleksei was taken out on a scouting trip and didn't come back with when the rest of the group did. Rumours circulated about why, about the possibility that he had been executed and disposed of, but Konstantin quickly stamped any such talk out. Verochka knew what had happened; the Alpha had found out about their plans to flee the pack, and this was just his way of showing the young she-wolf that nobody leaves without his permission.

Now Verochka and Viktor were alone, and had to cope without the shield that Aleksei had been. It meant that Viktor had to grow up very fast, learning how to defend himself when he needed to and blend in when he didn't, learning to join the pack's activities no matter how bad they seemed to be at the time. However, his mother did her best to instil in him the goodness that would prevent him from becoming as cold-hearted as the rest of the pack. He just had to live this way so that he could survive, even if he didn't approve of such things. Verochka hoped to God every day that Viktor remained strong, not allowing the pack to corrupt his mind.

After Viktor hit puberty and experienced his first change he was moved and kept with the other youngsters who hadn't yet gained control of their wolves. It was then that he was made aware of a somewhat new 'tradition' that the older wolves had, to let the young wolves out once they had transformed, knowing that they had no control of themselves. There were more than a few stories of mortals getting hurt and killed by the young pack members who had to go through life living with what they had done, guilt-ridden even though they weren't in control of their actions. The practise was some sick form of entertainment where the older wolves would take bets on which wolves would end up injuring others, or themselves. Now, Viktor was part of this twisted game, unable to say no, unable to stop from taking part.

Viktor had once woken up in the morning to find that he had killed an entire family; two parents and three young children, all killed in so violent a way that the walls and ceilings were covered in blood. He had one of the young girls was cradled in his arms, face so serene that were it not for the red that was smeared all over her skin and seeped into her clothes it would almost seem like she was just sleeping. Viktor had no recollection of the night before, but knew that he was the one responsible for the carnage before him. A piece of his soul died as he put the children in their beds before retreating, lurking in the shadows as he returned to the pack's home to make sure he wasn't seen. Verochka knew what had happened, and also knew that her son would now change, and sure enough, his mood became slightly darker.

It was at that moment that Viktor decided he was going to become a fighter not so that he could protect the pack but so that he could one day leave and protect those who were unable to protect themselves against the pack. He knew more than to speak this out loud, though, so he suppressed the feelings of anger and resentment towards his pack mates, because it was not just his own life the pack had control over but his mother's as well.

When he finally gained control of his wolf, earlier than most wolves, he began serious training in order to become a pack fighter, getting permission from Konstantin to do so under the guise that he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps. The training itself consisted of little more than torture and beatings to 'toughen the mind and body', but Viktor was used to it by now so he began to rise in ranks to become one of the pack's fiercest and strongest fighters, spurred on by his determination and need to get stronger. Even Konstantin was mildly surprised at how fast he had become such a strong and competent fighter. Unfortunately that meant that he now had to train others using the techniques that he loathed so much, and even though he accepted this way of life he still to this day feels deeply ashamed for not speaking out sooner because many wolves died on his watch.

The straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak, came with the death of his mother, who was strangled to death when she had rejected the advances of one of the other fighters. The one person Viktor had in the world had been taken from him in such a cruel way, and he wasn't going to deal with the pack's ways any longer. Enraged, he confronted his Alpha about all of the problems he saw with the pack. Konstantin did not take to the 'advice' very well, and decided that Viktor had grown too big for his boots. He and the fighters punished him by beating him to within an inch of his life, then dumping him just outside of pack territory, knowing full well that he would die without help. The last thing that Viktor heard was laughter, and then he fell unconscious.

When he awoke he found himself lying in the soft dirt as rain fell down on him, looking into the face of a kindly old man who had happened to cross Viktor's path and had been concerned about the fallen man. The man, Grigory, took Viktor home where he and his wife, Olga, tended to his wounds and helped him to reach full health again. As thanks, Viktor did household chores and did any task that they asked of him. This taste of normalcy was a welcome break from the control that he had been under when he was a part of the pack, and he was, for the first time in a long while, truly happy.

Unfortunately for him the pack found out that he was still alive, and had been watching him for a while, trying to decide what to do and how to handle him. Konstantin wanted to personally rectify the situation himself, so that the job would be done properly. He took his best fighters to the small house where the three lived and waited until Viktor left to get some groceries, ambushing the old couple who had little chance against so many strong wolves. Then they all waited for Viktor to return and discover the bodies.

It was a strangely surreal experience for Viktor, who caught the familiar scents of his old packmates mingled with the smell of blood. He knew what must have happened and what would be the result of his walking into the house but he did so anyway, dumping the groceries on the ground before opening the door to look at the smiling faces. Behind them he could see the bodies of Grigory and Olga, lying on the floor with an ever growing pool of blood beneath them. Something in Viktor snapped, and all rational thought left him as he launched himself at Konstantin, who bellowed orders to the fighters not to get involved. The two were locked in battle for hours, too closely matched for even the other fighters to call the outcome, but Konstantin himself, lost in his own insanity and arrogance, continued to underestimate the power of this young wolf. Eventually Konstantin fell. Viktor had defeated his old Alpha.

The fighters around him were dumbfounded, unsure as to whether they should believe what their eyes were telling them. When he turned and they all saw the rage in Viktor's eyes they begged for forgiveness, saying that Konstantin was the one responsible, that under Viktor's leadership the pack could reform as one united without the need for fear and control. Viktor didn't say a word. Eyes still shining the near-white blue of his wolf, he silently walked out of the house, past his old comrades who scattered to clear a path for him.

From there he walked and walked, not really having a destination in mind, only knowing that mother Russia was not his home any more. As he travelled, he became more emotionally distant to all the people he met, unwilling to really open up to anybody, and as a result he became broody and withdrawn. That was something that dissipated when he met Edmond, a French rogue who had tried to pick his pocket one day. The two began to travel together and soon struck up a strong friendship after sharing the stories of the paths they had each taken to lead them to the spot they were in.

Edmond shared his dream to travel to America one day to start a new life, trying to convince Viktor that it would be the best thing they'd ever done. He remained unconvinced and they stayed in Europe, getting odd jobs to make their way in the world. For the relatively short amount of time that they spent together they became fast friends, their experiences both making them extremely wary of packs, able only to trust each other.

Just when Viktor thought that the past was truly behind him it decided to deal him one last, cruel blow. He and Edmond were staying at a cheap motel in France for a few days before they set off for a 'change of scenery' in a new country. Edmond had gone to get their dinner from a nearby diner when there was a knock at the door, and Viktor found himself face to face with his past; one of his fellow fighters from the pack back in Russia. The unwelcome visitor forced himself into the room and began a tirade about how he had searched for Viktor ever since he had murdered – and that was the word he has used; murdered – their Alpha and then fled, leaving the pack to fend for themselves. The pack had quickly fallen apart, torn to pieces by internal wars between those who vied for the title of Alpha. The fragile links that held them together all broke, and they all scattered across Russia.

Viktor wasn't sorry, he was glad that no more wolves would suffer what he and countless others had gone through under that regime, and he said as much to the shocked wolf who had expected him to want to return to Russia to rebuild the pack and restore its former glory. When it was clear that there was nothing more to say the two got into a violent fight, each fighting for what they truly believed in. When Edmond returned he became inadvertently involved, trying to help his friend, not really knowing what the whole thing was about but having a pretty good idea anyway. After a few choice words the assailant chased Edmond out of the room, incensed by this stranger who, in his mind, had no business getting involved in something that was no concern of his. Viktor tried to keep up but had taken a few knocks that made him unsteady and dizzy, and the two were lost in the dark night.

The next morning Viktor found Edmond's body down one of the silent alleys within the city. Viktor did the one thing he could do for his friend and gave him a proper burial so that he could be given the final dignity and respect that he deserved. He had only known Edmond for 5 short years, which was nothing relative to the years he had already lived, but it was long enough for Viktor to realise the friend that he had lost. Once again the Russian found himself alone, and now he was far more reluctant to open up emotionally, fearing that if he let himself care for someone again they would only be hurt because of it. He became broodier and although he was always a quiet, contemplative soul he was now a darker character, constantly looking as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Taking what little belongings the two had, including Edmond's white-gold ring which he keeps on a gold chain around his neck, he fled to the south of England, hoping that he was now far enough for his past not to return and further haunt him. He didn't really know what to do now, but he managed to get a roof over his head and was able to pay his way at least for a little while, until he knew what to do next. He took to wandering the streets to help clear his mind, scaling buildings and just sitting, thinking, reflecting. He probably thought a little too much during his outings but there wasn't much else for him to do.

One night he was out, as usual, when he heard a loud cry from a nearby alley. He knew he should stay out of whatever was going on and keep his head down so he didn't draw any unnecessary attention towards himself but something about the cries for help piqued his attention enough to have him creep to the railing, hidden in the shadows of the stairway as he peered at the scene below. A woman was being set upon by vampires. He'd seen his fair share of the vile creatures during his time as the pack's fighter so he knew full well what he would be up against. The thing that made his blood boil wasn't that it was two vampires attacking one defenceless victim, nor the fact that this victim was a woman; it was that the woman was heavily pregnant.

Time was working against him now and for that woman every second he took getting to her could mean the difference between life and death. Without a second thought Viktor took the only shortcut available to him, leaping over the stair railing so that he plummeted through the center of the stairwell before landing deftly on his feet, giving himself a split second to get his bearings before darting towards the scene of the attack. Before either of the two creatures had time to react he tackled one to the ground, taking advantage of the fact that it had no time to react by breaking the vampire's neck, eradicating any chance of a struggle.

He turned to face the remaining vampire, who turned and fled. He was in such a state of anger that he would have chased it had he not heard a soft gurgle behind him from the woman who had been attacked. There was blood everywhere, and to Viktor's horror he realised it wasn't all coming from the open wounds that had been the result the attack.

She was losing the baby.

He had a matter of seconds to make a decision that would impact this woman's life in the biggest way possible; he could save her, but he would have to turn her and hope that the lycanthropy took over her body quick enough for her to be able to heal, physically at least. The baby would have prevented him from considering it, but now he had the chance to save the one life that was left. As quickly as he could he mixed their blood, hoping to hell he'd done it right, then, making sure to keep to the backstreets and shadows he carried her to his home. She remained unconscious for a full day, and Viktor remained by her side for every second, willing her to survive.

When he finally saw signs that she was improving and her wounds were healing, he allowed himself to breathe a heavy sigh of relief. Of course, now came the hard part, because he had to explain to her what exactly had happened, all of it. He wasn't a religious man but he prayed that she was strong enough to get through it, and if her recovery from the brink of death was anything to go by, there was hope at least.

A day and a half after the turning, her eyes fluttered open. She looked around in a haze, vaguely registering the fact that she was in unfamiliar surroundings. Viktor said nothing, and waited for her to feel comfortable enough to talk to him. Slowly she became more conscious, and various things started to dawn upon her one by one, building up so that when she eventually saw Viktor the questions came tumbling from her lips in no coherent order. He tried his best to answer them all with frankness that may sting now, but would be better for her than veiled truths and white lies. It took a while for the gravity of the answers to sink in, but once they did the tears began to roll, and all Viktor could do was sit with her until her tears were spent. Once they were, he found himself on the receiving end of her anger, since there was nobody else to be angry at. She blamed him for everything that had happened and to a certain extent he blamed himself too; if only he hadn't hesitated perhaps her wounds wouldn't have been so bad, perhaps the baby would be alive, and perhaps she would have no need to feel the pain of such loss. He accepted her anger, because he felt she needed to let it out and because he believed it was well aimed. Eventually, after more explanations about why she couldn't go back to see her husband, the two retired for an early night; it had been a very tiring couple of days, and the woman - whose name he had yet to learn - still needed to rest.

During the dead of night, after she had checked to see if he was asleep, the woman got up and crept as softly as she could towards the door, slipping out unnoticed... Or so she thought. Viktor knew better than to let himself sleep when she was in such a state and once she had left he got up and followed, keeping a safe distance and staying hidden as he went. Eventually, what he feared would happen did; she was still far from fully recovered, and she became confused and disoriented. Things just got worse when Viktor tried to approach her, inadvertently making her feel cornered and trapped and her fear triggered the change, even though the moon was far from full.

He tried his best to stop the change, knowing there was no chance for it to reverse now. He had only one option; incapacitate her before she has the chance to cause damage to either herself or to others. So once he himself had gone through the change he knocked her out with one smartly aimed punch to the jaw, making sure not to seriously injure her. For the second time in so many days, he carried her back to his flat to await the morning. When she woke up, there was no anger or spite, just a heavy sadness that came with the dawning realisation that she could never go back to the life she had known until now. After a short silence, he asked her name. It was suddenly strange to think that they had gone through all that they had done and didn't even know what name to call the other by. She introduced herself as Eira Geathen, and in return he gave her his own name.

Viktor took Eira under his wing, telling her all she needed or wanted to know about the change, her new condition, and what it all meant and this time she truly listened. He told her then that he would look after her, and that he would not let anything bad happen to her again.

After a while he suggested they move to America to start over in order to help her as much as he could, so that she could deal with this new thing in her life without having to deal with any memories and feelings that may cause her any pain. When she was ready to, they did so, and until Eira could control her wolf the two of them moved about, moving away when there was the danger of someone becoming suspicious that they didn't age. It was very early on during this time that his problems dealing with his emotions first came to a head. He had made a silent vow to protect Eira, and in his mind part of that was to not share many of his deepest feelings with her, things that may cause her to fear or even hate him, because God knows some of the things he did when he was a young wolf still haunt him now.

Some time after she finally gained control of her wolf the two moved to LA, where they each decided to get their own places; Viktor wanted Eira to finally be able to taste a little freedom after needing to be looked after for all those years. He found, however, that even though they still saw each other regularly he missed her terribly, more than he actually expected to, but since she now had a life of her own he tried not to impose too much.

Viktor quickly caught on to the situation with the two packs; packs still made him extremely nervous, so he tried to stay out of their way as much as he could but at the same time he didn't let them bother him so much that he didn't lead a life. So life for Viktor went on uneventfully enough, until one day when he was out and about he found himself smelling smoke from somewhere nearby. When he located the source of the smoke he was told that it was an orphanage, and that there were still children inside the building that needed to be brought out. Viktor was not one to ignore any situation where a child was in danger, so began helping the effort to get everyone out, using his werewolf abilities to locate and then help everyone out of the building. When, eventually, the last child was brought out of the building, she wailed and asked him to go back for their hamster because it was in a cage and wouldn't be able to run away on its own. Not one to ignore such a plea, he went back in, hearing distant sirens getting closer as he went further into the building to find the little pet.

After retrieving the little creature he turned back to climb down the stairs and get back out but they had begun to crumble as the fire had engulfed the entire lower floor. He glanced around and spotted an alternate escape route; out of the window and down to the back alley below. Ordinarily, a two story fall would hurt a little, but thanks to his lycanthropy Viktor was able to leap down with much ease, taking a moment after he landed to dust himself off and then check that the hamster was safe. Satisfied, he began to walk out of the alley and joined the crowds who had all assumed that he had been trapped when the stairs had collapsed.

Not long afterwards, the fire was brought under control and mostly thanks to Viktor's actions not one life was lost and nor were there any injuries, not even for Sporky the hamster. Realising that his actions might give him a little more attention than he really wants, so he slipped away unnoticed, relieved to see that he was referred to only as a 'mysterious hero' by the newscasters who probably, in his opinion, just wanted to make the situation seem more dramatic than it really was.

It was a few days later that Viktor visited the orphanage, which had found a new home because of a donation from an anonymous benefactor who had heard about the story over the news. By then the story had blown over, but the carers and children still remembered him, of course. He ended up staying for the rest of the day when the kids refused to let him leave and by the end of the day he was offered a job because the kids adored him. It wasn't a job that he'd ever really considered, but since it wasn't the worst way to spend his days he took them up on the offer. He sees it as a form of repentance for his actions and behaviours of the past, to help take care of the generations to come to make up for the generations lost as a result, directly or indirectly from his own actions.

For now Viktor is content with life, with a job that he adores and a life that is devoid of the complications and fear that used to be a large part of his life. He's still in two minds about whether to tell Eira just how much he misses her, but can, for the moment, cope just seeing her each day for lunch.