The deep-seated, cushioned chairs were arranged in a small but open circle. A table served as the center, and held a pitcher of water, a stack of glasses, and a box of tissues. They arrived one by one, filling out nametags by the door and then plopping into the chairs; it was evident they were all miserable about their conditions, not necessarily about being there specifically.

     Wolf was the last to wander in, using his fist name rather than trying to fit 'Wolf Wolfson' on the nametag. He took the closest empty seat, one which seemed to be directly across for the moderator, who was dressed in sleek black robes and wore a soft, welcoming smile. After surveying his surroundings, he leaned forward and took a few tissues from the box- one, two, three, four, five, six- knowing that he'd eventually need them and wouldn't want to disrupt the group later. He sniffled as his nose ran, and he gave his signature scratch as he melted comfortably into the chair.

     "I guess we should go ahead and begin. I've been asked by the women to lead the discussion here today. My name is Professor R.J. Lupin, for those who do not know me. Does anyone have any opening remarks?" He gave a weak cough into his fist. "You must excuse me. Full moon a few nights ago, and I haven't felt at all well since."

     The man beside him snorted a laugh. He was dressed in snug black clothes which covered him well. He had on black leather gloves and a thick, black leather jacket on for warmth, though it was unbuttoned and sat open off his shoulders. "None of us can help that! Welcome to the club." His voice was harsh, rough, and oddly deep. He rubbed the undersides of his nose with his knuckles. As if in response to his statement, his nose twitched and flared with the tickly sensation. "Ehh..." his bent hand stretched out to lie flat beneath his nose. "Ehh-Chushhh!" he sneezed into the back of his hand. Leaning forward, he grabbed a tissue in the move Wolf had politely anticipated. The brown-haired tough-guy rubbed at his nose through the tissue to clean up, and blow his nose. As soon as a light blow was completed, he froze in place, eyes drawing closed. "ehhchiishhh! Heptchuhh!" Keeping the back of his hand to his nose, he leaned forward again and took another tissue from the box, quickly blowing his nose in response.

     "Sounds like you have a pretty heavy cold there," Lupin commented softly, attempting to get discussion underway, "er, what was your name?"

     The man's nametag was hidden nearer to center chest where one arm covered it for the moment. He sniffled and growled with a nod. "It's mostly heavy in the sneezing. Can't smell a damn thing." He sniffed unsuccessfully through the stuffy nose to demonstrate. "And the name's Wolverine."

     Wolf decided it was his turn to pop up on the issue. He sniffled, hesitating as he gauged his stuffy nose, but then decided they of all would understand. "They wrote ode about be like that. Lost by sedse of sbell frub this code sniff, sniff. The Kidg was kiddabbed add I could't eved track hib down. It's edough to bake a wolf go crazy."

     Wolverine nodded enthusiastically in agreement. "Oh I hear ya, Buddy. They had me and Jubilee lost out in a snowstorm and just left us there. All my powers were completely gone."

     "Your powers?" Lupin asked in curiosity, as he pulled a thin handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed at his nose, sure there was a sneeze in there, but attempting to keep it as quiet and restrained as possible. All at once, the sensation hit, and he realized as he gave into it that they were all silent in waiting for him. Blushing slightly, his weakness showed through. "ahhhChuphh! uhhhHuhshh-uh..." he rubbed his nose through the handkerchief and snuffled to tidy up. "Do excuse me."

     "No problem, Prof," Wolverine said, giving a snuffled blow into the wad of tissue in one gloved hand. When finished, he raised both hands and suddenly long metal claws shot out from underneath. He smiled giving them all a look around. Then relaxed to let them gently retract. After letting them take that in, he finished. "Wolf senses, wolf claws, the whole nine-yards. And the power to heal quickly. Doesn't mean I don't go down when I get punched in the face but it means I don't stay down for very long."

     One man across the circle chuckled. His eyes were dark black, his hair cut short with styled spikes. A tight spiked dog collar wrapped tightly around his neck and there was no telling what was beneath his long black trenchcoat, though a ruffle of red silk and shiny vinyl protruded. "You and me, buddy, we should compare notes."

     Lupin, getting a rather strong vibe of darkness from this man, decided to redirect the conversation. "So, you're written in so that you are more or less unable to use your powers? I can't imagine any of us would like that at all, but I'm certain we've all been there?"

     The response was a circle full of nods.

     "Where I cub frub," Wolf piped up, "we odely get sick whed sniff, sniff, when it's ibortadt to the story. So that's why it had to habbed like that."

     More nods followed.

     "How do you think we feel?" asked one man on the other side of the circle. His hair was long, pulled back into a ponytail, but the appearance of a full beard and moustache made him look wise. His eyes were soft and kind and held some sort of heightened perception, but certainly not those of a wolf. His face gave him a weary, tired look, though not one half as strong as the expression Lupin wore. His nose was a light red, and looked sore to the touch, though one could barely feel a hint of his suffering from his noble demeanor. He put a hand on the shoulder of the young man who sat beside him. Sporting a short, hedgehog cut and deep eyes, the young man was otherwise in the same constantly sniffely, sneeze mood that they were all in. His nose had been buried in a cloth hanky since they'd started, and he was still in that position, though half curled in long, flowing robes on the chair. The young man ceased sniffling just long enough to nod, before his head bobbed back down with a triple, "ahhHehshh! Huptcheshh! EhhChhh!" The first man rubbed the lad's head affectionately. "We're always missing missions, or having to do them halfway while sniffling and sneezing. I do not mind it so much for myself, but my Padawan is especially prone at catching the sniffles, and I from him. It keeps us down a good part of the time."

     Lupin cleared his throat and picked up the small spiral pad which rested on the arm of his chair. "Excuse me, but this is the meeting for Wolf-like creatures who've been subjected to small doses of sneezing fanfiction."

     Looking a bit paler than before, the first man said softly, "We're Jedi."

With a soft, understanding smile, the professor nodded, "I believe what you two are looking for is the Triple S- the Star Wars Sneezing Slash support group."

     The face of the young man flushed red, and he looked at the ground as he tried to collect himself to rise. The mix up was evidentially his fault in some way.

     Continuing by reading off the pad, "This is room 161. The Triple S is being held down the hall in room 191. The moderator is apparently a gentleman named Xanatos."

     The two exchanged looks of both shock and worry, then quickly rose. They extended their sincerest apologies as they hurried from the room.

     Further around in the circle, one red-haired woman punched the shoulder of the man beside her. "I told you we weren't in the right place, Mulder!" She stood, pulling him with her.

     Though he looked a bit tattered and under the ware himself, he was able to look around quickly. "But did you hear that, Scully? Wolves! Werewolves, magical powers, maybe even aliens." He rubbed two fingers under his nose. "Did you bring a camera?"

     She sighed, shaking her head. Whether they were in danger or not, she wasn't sure, but she did not look fondly on the idea of sticking around long enough to find out. Pulling the protesting man with her, she hovered beside the moderator. "Excuse us, please. But do you have a listing about police or FBI officials... or even X-Files, maybe?"

     Lupin was growing more tired and worn out by the moment, but a short glance at his watch told him there were a few more hours of sunlight left. He snuffled into his handkerchief as he gave a nod. "X-Files Romance and Adventure Sneezing fanfic. Down upstairs in room 611. Moderated by a man named Skinner."

     The woman smiled and nodded at recognition of the name. "Thank you. We're so sorry," the red-haired woman apologized as she dragged her partner out.

     "But Scully, real werewolves! Documented proof thah... that... ahh... ahhEHshhh! Heh-Kishhh! HuhKeshooo!" They bent him forward weakly.

     She patted him on the back as they left. "Not today, Sneezey."

     When they were gone, Lupin looked around the room. Four remained, including himself. "Any of you in the wrong room?"

     Two heads shook no, and the other bobbed forth with a rather strong, wet-sounding "HEHshhishhhhh!" Wolf dug two tissues from his pocket and held them at the ready for another sneeze. "heh... heh..." his nose was crinkled up, eyes closed, chest heaving with each breath of the slow, stuck sneeze. "ehhHISHHHH!" he fell forward, rubbing at his nose. He blew softly, then relaxed back into the chair. "Excuse be. Sniff! Sniff, sniff. I'b id the right roob, too."

     Lupin smiled, sitting back with a stifled yawn. "Now then, where were we?"

     "ehhHishh! EhhhChishh!" Wolverine rubbed roughly at his nose with the back of his hand while he sat forward for more tissues. "Damnit, I don't want to be here. I shouldn't even be here!" He sniffled miserably though a stuffed nose, making a pathetic squeak.

     "Nor should I," spoke the man with the dog collar. His nametag read 'Kanis' though he sat with his arms folded so that it was partially obscured from view. "In fact, the one and only highlander fanfic I'm in hasn't even been finished or posted yet. Just some sniff, sniff, stupid whim associated with some immortal cold bug. I'm an immortal, we're not even supposed to get sick. Sniff, sniff, sniff." When he sniffed, it was as if a dog were sniffing out a scent. His eyes blurred back and forth with each, and his nostrils twitched and flared. He sighed and snapped his fingers, and from beneath his chair crawled a weary rottweiler puppy. With a leap, it landed in his lap, curling up with a content growl. He smiled, stroking its head gently for comfort.

     Wolf grinned. "You should try usig a rabbit subetibe," he smacked his lips at the remembrance at the last full moon induced fever and the tasty treat his Virginia had left him with to 'cuddle'.

     Kanis nodded, then lifted his hand to his nose. His thumb spread from the rest of his hand, and the small web of flesh between the two was pressed to the bottom of his nose as his thumb pressed against one cheek and his index finger against the other. His eyes closed and his other hand steadied the puppy in case it became startled by him. "huh-TUSH! TISH! TECHH! TUSHH! huh... huhIHSHH! TCHOO! TUSHH! TCHESH! TESHH! TISHOO!" He caught his breath and lowered his hand, wiping it on the side of his coat. "Apologies. Sniff, sniff, sniff, sniff."

     "Quite all right, lad." the professor said with a smile and a rub at his own nose through the handkerchief. "Wolf, are you quite... allright?" he stood, knowing the answer to his own question as he looked at the man, tail curling up and onto his lap as he brought his legs up to curl in his chair. He looked tired, and he was digging in his pocket for tissues as his nose ran with constant sniffles. Lupin stood, taking a blanket and wrapping it around Wolf's shoulders.

     Wolf snuffled a stuffy "Thadk you," and yawned. He scratched his temple twice in his signature move. He pulled the blanket more tightly around himself. "How do you all cobe with this?"

     "Cope with it?" Lupin asked, restating it to be sure it was correct.

     Wolf nodded with another sniffle in the silence following.

     "You gotta just go with it, I think," Wolverine finally answered. "Let them do what they will. They take away your instincts or your powers, you tough it out." He rubbed his knuckles against the bottom of his nose. "hehh... hehChishh! HhuuurAshhh! huh... huhHISHHH!" He leaned forward and pulled a few tissues from the box, handing one over to Wolf. He blew his nose loudly with the others. "Sorry."

     Lupin smiled, stuffing the handkerchief neatly back into his back pocket. "So we should all simply let it run its course?"

     "Could be worse," Wolf piped up with a wide, satisfied smile. "By love, Virgidia takes the best care of be..." his voice dropped to soft, dreamy, deep tones. "We sduggle udder the covers add she's always there for be." He sighed, sniffed, and relaxed with a smile.

     Lupin nodded in agreement. "It does take so much out of me, as well. But there are worse things. And in a way... it's almost flattering."

     They all gave consensual nods.

     After checking his watch, Lupin gave another nod. "Well, looks like the session is over. Same time next week?"

     They agreed, rising and gathering their things. Kalis tore off his name tag and snapped his fingers as the dog fell in line right beside him. Wolverine, followed suit, taking his off as well and moving slowly to rise, stretch, rub at his nose, and headed out with nods to them all. Lupin helped Wolf up, and let the half man lean on him. "You'll be all right?"

     Wolf nodded. "Would you like to catch sub fresh air add watch the bood with be while I wait for by fiadcé to bick be ub?"

     Lupin smiled, patting the man's back. "I'd be glad to sit out and watch the moon for a while to keep you company." He grabbed the tissue box from the table with a chuckle. "Here, we may need this."

     Wolf laughed as they headed out together.