Aries

> *"I can't wait to see the beast you become."*
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## Storyline

The Listener is captured and interrogated by Aries in "Claimed By A Yandere Werewolf" after stumbling into his pack's camp and nearly killing two of his best warriors, Rain and Hawk (spelling unconfirmed). Though he is outraged that his pack's territory was violated he admits that he is impressed by their strength and ferocity.

He asks the Listener who they are and what pack they belong to and threatens them with violence should they lie. He doesn't recognize a wolf with their name and is surprised to hear they have no pack. He is quick to claim them as "my poor stray" and inspects them closer, discovering that they are a newly turned "pup" - a human newly bitten. Though he is intrigued by the strength of their power and their potential to grow even stronger he is also captivated by their current human form, especially their eyes.

He makes the Listener an offer. Their first option is to be left at the mercy of his pack, still incensed that one of their most popular and strongest warriors was defeated by an outsider. The second is to let Aries mark them; they would be part of his pack but would be considered his for the rest of their life. In return they wouldn't be touched by the other pack members and he would train and care for them as his protege, guiding them to reach their full strength as hunter and beast.

The Listener agrees and he relishes the opportunity to mentor such a powerful pup. Their first lesson: shedding their human form to embrace the beast within.

Aries returns with a foul mood to the caves in "Yandere Werewolf Protects You" after an unknown amount of time. The Listener greets him to his surprise but he doesn't turn them away. He shares the news that has disturbed him: an unknown pack decimated one of his hunting groups, leaving 3 of 7 alive to return. The Somberclaws are demanding he declare a Blood Hunt but he refuses to, saying its foolish to throw the whole pack against an unknown enemy. He would much rather take time to understand their strength and numbers so they can plan ahead and utterly destroy them.

This is not sitting well with the more vengeful members of his pack and rumors abound that they would prefer Rain as Alpha. He is more concerned with the grudge she holds against him for allowing the Listener to remain but she hasn't made a move to take his place just yet. He regrets not killing her and those who agreed with her, revealing that he takes any threat to himself as a threat to his pup, something he will not allow. He vows to protect them against anything "be they god, man, or beast" and even his own pack.

He asks the Listener how he should handle the threats coming at him from all sides and they respond that they should just run away together. Aries is amused and entertains the thought for a while before somberly reminding them that it's not an option. The Listener says they are worried for him and he reassures them that their safety is motivation enough for him. He wants to see them grow even more than they already have in the short time they've been together and he believes there is no limit to what they can achieve with his guidance.

After some time, Aries returns to the Listener terribly injured in "Yandere Werewolf Fights For You". He apologizes for failing them for he didn't realize just how bad things had become. He explains that Rain lied to the Somberclaws, convincing them that they were attacked because the unknown wolves were looking for the Listener. The pack, in an outrage, forced him to choose between his pup and them. When he challenged Rain for the alpha position she refused, defying tradition, and her wolves betrayed him and attacked him (presumably on her orders). He reassures the Listener that they are safe for now as they have left to form their own pack though they haven't left his territory.

Aries descends into melancholy. He muses on how lucky he is to have the Listener and his failure to protect them, asks for their help in the oncoming fight with Rain's wolves, and shows regret for not punishing Rain from the beginning, describing her as a rot that corrupted everything he's ever loved except for his pup. Aries even reveals a little of his old human life and how becoming a wolf has changed him from the man he used to be.

He beckons the Listener to come close and listen to his heartbeat, telling them that his heart belongs to them. He vows that when he recovers they will hunt at his side to slaughter their enemies, not because he is protecting his territory but because the territory belongs to his pup; he is gifting it to them as a sort of dowry. He promises that, together, they will rid their lands of the rot once he recovers in two moons but for tonight they shouldn't worry, just rest.

## Personality

As Alpha, Aries holds the ultimate authority in his pack. He speaks with a low, gravelly voice like a wolf's growl that highlights his predatory nature. He is highly territorial and doesn't hesitate to threaten violence against those who threaten his pack, authority, and property. Despite this he is capable of restraint and strategic long-term thinking, qualities he considers important as a leader. It's implied that he's also shed blood to ensure their safety, earning him the loyalty of the majority of the Somberclaw pack members. In the third audio he describes that in the process of becoming a wolf he's lost his sense of restraint, to stop and think before acting, suggesting that a truly temperamental, vicious beast lies within him.

His predatory, possessive nature grows the more time he spends with the Listener and has become more centered on them. He takes great pleasure in being their mentor and seeing them grow into a proper werewolf. He is especially fascinated by the expressions they can convey with their eyes. He quickly grows close to them and is soon completely enamored with the Listener. He thinks of them as a gift from the Divine, a reward for his leadership and sacrifice. By the latest episode the Listener is the only one he appears to trust and love to the point that he promises the Somberclaw territory, what he previously considered his without question or opposition, will be theirs as a dowry.

The betrayal of the pack is extremely difficult for him to understand and he perceives it, in part, as a failure in his duty as alpha. He believes that he was a good leader who sacrificed in blood to protect them and more. It's not clear if there are pack members other than the Listener who stayed to support him but the thought of leaving the pack defenseless nearly drives him to tears ("War is coming. We are so weak, so few of us left.").

## Trivia

### Aries

* Hollow came up with this character in a livestreamed improv roleplay session with Liu's Audio, his friend and fellow ASMR VA on YouTube. A second session was recorded but not uploaded due to the recording being corrupted. Those who haven't seen it are still grieving.
* The wolves of the Gravetail pack are his rivals for territory and he kills them on sight. This season he has successfully kicked them out and the Somberclaw pack are occupying their caves for the season. Gravetail pack members have a distinct mark on their neck.
* There other packs that he considers rivals but doesn't name them.
* Can tell when another creature is lying by listening to their heartbeat. His nose is also very sensitive, able to tell if a person is awake or asleep by scent alone.
* Before he was a werewolf he was a scholar who tried to "unravel the very nature of creation itself". He says that becoming a werewolf has stripped him of restraint, to stop and think before acting.
* Calls the Listener "whelp" then "pup" after claiming them, then "my heart" in the third episode.
* His heartbeat can be heard in the third episode when he asks the Listener to lay on his chest. It beats steadily but slows down at the end of the audio. We have yet to see if this means he succumbed to his injuries or has just fallen asleep as promised.

### The Listener

* One of the few non-human Listeners in the Hollow-verse, in this case a new werewolf.
* Aries suggests that they are attracted to him, noting that their increasing heartrate while being questioned might be for different reasons.
* Was sired by a very powerful werewolf though Aries doesn't identify them. They were untrained in their new powers before meeting the Somberclaws.
* By the third episode they appear to return Aries's feelings, trying to help him when he is injured and seemingly agreeing to help him in the upcoming conflict.

### Fan Theories

* The pack inhabits caves in the Forest of Zetria.
* Aries or the Listener was the creature that Briar followed in the forest.
* Rain is jealous of the Listener; before they arrived she was a likely candidate to be the one at Aries's side.

## Main Audios (in order of upload date)

All audios can be found in the *Yanwere* playlist here.

* Claimed By A Yandere Werewolf
* Yandere Werewolf Protects You
* Yandere Werewolf Fights For You