OC Spotlight: Inepu // nsfw-ish

The capital of our desert empire is an absolute marvel. It sits at the edge between endless sand dunes and a fertile alluvial plain, controlling the agricultural wealth generated by the latter--the wheat, barley, legumes, and flesh that feeds the people. 

Within its splendid walls you'll find the palace-temple of the divine empresses, whose union ended the civil war between the city and the nomads. Even larger are the temples to the primary deities, adorned with statues that bleed and paintings that move during the night. There's the mansions of the aristocracy, not least the nests of the noble thajir that have long since dominated the political life of the city. Some of the sharpest minds of the underworld are honed in its academies and libraries--or in the military headquarters, whence masters of strategy lead the imperial army. Ancient orders of warriors and priests safeguard secrets and mysteries and forgotten knowledge, while philosophers and artists wrangle concepts both old and new. The judicial court has its highest seat here, too, and it's always been an important center of trade and commerce. 

In short, the capital is the beating heart of the empire's political and social life, economy and trade, military matters, the law, religion, and the arts. It's a marvellous sight, a brightly shining jewel in the imperial crowns, a testimony to wealth, power, worship, and order.

Or at least, that's how it likes to present itself.

Like every "flawless" city, it has a dark underbelly. Wherever there's a wealthy quarter, there's also the slums, hidden away so the rich and powerful can pretend it's not there. Nobles, merchants, and high priests carry out their business up on high, many without ever setting foot in the less fortunate districts, or even lowering their gazes far enough to acknowledge its existence. There's many nooks and crannies where poverty and hopelessness reign supreme, with local crime lords having more power than any imperial official. Such gangs feed on the slums like leeches off of already depleted veins, and the city police -- the sentinels -- generally do more harm than good. Here, people have little more than each other.

And it's here that Inepu grew up.

He was born a street pup, both figuratively and literally, since he is a shapeshifting were-jackal. His earliest memories are of the gutter, of the few kind people who helped him when he was little, the few cruel people who did the opposite, and the many people who just didn't care. At the very back of his mind there's a vague recollection of siblings, but not of how they disappeared, or when. Of his parents, he remembers nothing.

On the other hand, he has a very clear memory of meeting Tai for the first time, back when they were both still kids. Inepu never had size or strength on his side, and some people took his petite stature as an invitation to bully him. One day another boy stepped in out of nowhere, to defend Inepu from a thuggish kid that had him cornered, and helped soothe his bruises afterwards. Tai was also a jackal, but jet black where Inepu had subtle stripes, and with much more attitude than Inepu had at the time. He had a similar background and similar trust issues, and yet it didn't take long until the two of them were inseparable. 

Twenty-ish years later the two childhood friends are still together more often than not, but much has changed since they were homeless orphans huddled together in the streets.

To begin with, not much is left of the shy and scared jackal child Inepu used to be. He never grew tall or big, but his confidence has far outgrown his body, leaving him fearless bordering on idiotic. He's cocky, impulsive, and not a fan of peace and quiet, so life's never boring when Inepu is around.

He regularly gets himself into trouble, sometimes on purpose, but thankfully he's also become much better equipped to get himself out of it. By now he's an expert at using his unimpressive size to his advantage, in many different ways. He knows how to make others underestimate him, be smarter than they're strong, speak faster than they can run, and how to be so darn cute nobody can resist him. Both his mind and body are agile and nimble, and despite his love of attention he can move quiet as a shadow when necessary.

When push comes to shove Tai no longer needs to protect him, because Inepu has become quite deft with a dagger and a bow, not to mention using an opponent's strength against them in hand-to-hand combat. That said, Tai still feels the need to look out for him, refusing to admit that Inepu has actually become the better fighter of the two. 

Inepu's greatest weapon, however, is his pretty face, his peachy ass, and his seductive talents. He has zero qualms about weaponising sex, in ways that ranges from subtle flirting to going all the way to a roll in the hay. Shameless flirting is a great way to make someone lower their guard or create a distraction, and once you've made it to someone's bed you can steal all their riches while they sleep. Giving the best handjobs in the empire is a fantastic bargaining chip, and Inepu has won several bets based on the mistaken notion that "there's no way it'll fit." 

He's 100% a bottom and with trusted partners he loves playing the submissive part. One of his favourite lovers is, of course, Tai. Their deep friendship eventually reached a tipping point where it became sexual, with the two of them sharing many firsts with one another, ranging from their first kiss to their first time having sex. It was never something exclusive, but where others came and went, they remained each other's constant.

If Inepu lived in the modern era, he would be a self-proclaimed thot and run several thirst trap accounts on various social platforms. But he would also be an outspoken advocate for sex positivity and everybody’s right to enjoy pleasure and sex without suffering social stigma or discrimination. 

Alas, social media does not exist in this desert empire, and instead Inepu and Tai are thieves by trade. 

As orphans in the slums they had often had to resort to pickpocketing and shoplifting to survive. Once they became pretty good at it, a local crime boss gave them an ultimatum of joining her ranks, getting the fuck off of her turf, or suffering the consequences. They were basically forced to accept, having nowhere else to go, but Tai had a bad feeling about it from the start. His suspicions were confirmed when they learned more about the gang's involvement in kidnapping and enslaving unfortunate souls that nobody would miss. 

That's when the jackal lads decided to escape the city they had grown up in, even if it was dangerous to venture into the endless deserts outside its walls. Perhaps they could join one of the free-spirited raider clans that roamed the dunes, or even find sanctuary in some remote village in an oasis? Most enticing of all, they had heard rumours of the scoundrels, a loose organisation of criminals with a stricter code of honour and morality than the city mobsters. Their headquarters were supposed to be hidden somewhere in the vast desert, protected from outsiders by a combination of natural forces and divine favour. 

Fast forward to Tai and Inepu being lucky enough to stumble upon the scoundrel hideout, being accepted into their ranks, and finally having a place to call home. 

They had already developed a lot of skills in the hard school of the slums, but learning from more experienced scoundrels allowed them to really hone their proficiency in rogueish activities like gambilng, lying, cheating, scamming, and fighting dirty. Inepu had been fanboying over the master thief Renza from the moment they met, and after somehow persuading the elf to teach him more about fighting with a dagger, Inepu and Renza become very good friends, with very nice benefits. Tai and Renza do not get along, so hilarity ensues when Tai ends up uncharacteristically jealous over having to share his precious Inepu's attention.

To be quite honest, Inepu have poor taste in men--and I say that with a lot of love. If you're a polite, orderly, calm, and well-behaved upstanding citizen he just isn't interested. He much prefers if you're wanted in five cities, with so much confidence and sex appeal your mere presence could give a prudish monk an aneurysm--and the deadlier you are, the better.

The first time he met Ali, he was thoroughly unimpressed. They crossed path at a trading post, with Ali looking just like any other merchant. He was handsome, sure, but his way of flirting with Inepu was much too gentlemanly and sweet. Inepu promptly decides he's too much of a boring boyscout and Ali only confirms that interpretation by respectfully backing off. 

A little while later, Inepu happens to secretly witness Ali in action. As he would soon learn, the "merchant" is in fact an assassin, serving an ancient order of the god Khuthlya. Hidden among a few rocks, Inepu watches him hunt down a target.

In that moment, Ali is like a completely different person. Cold. Calculating. Efficient. Lethal. Intimidating af.

Inepu is instantly in love.

When Ali disappears from his sight, Inepu tries to find out where he went, only to be grabbed from behind by someone who's trained to leave no loose ends. But next second Ali recognises Inepu, who wastes no time. He can't remember last time he wanted someone to fuck him so badly, and Ali proves more than up to the task. The "gentlemanly merchant" is dominant just the way Inepu loves it and to make things even better, Ali is also a werewolf. You know what that means. Knotting.

When Inepu returns to the scoundrel headquarters, Ali is at his side. They both felt like just a one night stand wasn't enough, and the thrill of dating a complex and paradoxical person like Ali is right up Inepu's alley. Get you a man who can do both, y’know?

If Tai had ever disapproved of Inepu’s choice of lovers, the calm and collected Ali quickly earns his favour. In his turn, Tai has been seeing Nokai for a while, and Inepu has already shared their bed a few times. It happens quite naturally that Ali is also welcomed into the bedroom, and with time the four werewolves form a polyamorous pack, with strong bonds of trust and love between all participants.

Cards on the table, that’s precisely why we came up with Inepu, Tai, Ali, and Inepu in the first place. The idea of a bunch of polyamorous werewolves who stick together as a pack was so wholesome and nice, and we had tons of fun brainstorming how their different personalities, skills, and sexual preferences would fit together.

Inepu, as already outlined, is a nimble rogue who uses his looks and seductive skills to get what he wants--and what he wants is normally either 1) dick or 2) shinies. He rarely needs someone else to save his ass, and yet the other three are unnecessarily protective of him. He loves being the center of attention, though, so he usually doesn’t mind. On that note, he thinks that the perfect date night is when his three lovers take turns on him--he’s a hopeless bottom and an equally hopeless sub.

Nokai is a brawler, physically the strongest and with a bad temper to boot, but due to his traumatic childhood and PTSD he’s also the most emotionally vulnerable. He relies on the others for comfort and support, even though he’d be hard pressed to admit it out loud. He’s a top, but contrary to what most people might expect he’s also a sub, because it helps him deal with his mental shit.

Tai is more of a strategist, who relies on persuasion and wit to get himself out of a pinch. He takes an intelligent and premeditated approach to solving problems and pulling off jobs--though he’s well aware that once you add Inepu’s chaotic energy to the mix, things don’t always go as planned. Many people would describe Tai as ‘a bitch,’ whether affectionately or in an attempt to insult him. But deep down he Cares. I promise. In the bedroom he adapts to who he’s with at the moment, being both a vers and a switch.

Ali, the assassin, is easily the most lethal of the four--but also the sweetest. He’s a kind-hearted, down-to-earth dreamboat … who kills people for a living. He’s the Dom™ of the group, and usually a top (but he might make the occasional exception for Nokai. As a treat). He’s also the most responsible and level-headed of all of them, and when the going gets tough he’s the glue that keeps them together, both individually and as a team. 

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aaand that’s it for inepu and his pack! :> i’ve already written a spotlight about nokai, in case you want to know more about him. if you have any other questions about these boys and their dynamics, feel free to comment below!

// art + inepu + nokai © me; tai + ali + renza © kubi.