Path of the Stars ( A Dog Adventure RP )

Pangoblin

Guess who's baack~
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whenever i'm not bogged down by college, work and life :p
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  1. Male
  2. Female
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Genres
horror, supernatural, fantasy (any kind, high or otherwise) action, adventure
CHARACTER INDEX Path of the Stars ( Characters )

OPEN SIGNUPS - BY INVITATION ONLY Path of the Stars ( A Dog Adventure RP OOC )

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    Theme:

    Time of Day: Afternoon
    Weather: Warm, partially cloudy
    Season: Mid Summer

    Posting Order
    @Navuso @Annyeong Bunny @Pangoblin @DracoGale4

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    Bryton City, once a bustling metropolis now lays nearly dormant, a month after what the city dogs refer to as, The Vanishing, where all humans seemingly left without a trace. Cars line the streets, abandoned along with the countless buildings that are now inhabited by the animals of the city, namely the dogs who now rule it. There are those who still within or near the homes where their humans once dwelled, hoping for their return, some had moved on, while others who did not have human masters began taking advantage of the situation.

    Somewhere within this once great city, a lower middle class apartment complex holds a sort of safe haven for dogs, many of which who were the pets of the previous human owners. Though this number is dwindling by the passing weeks, dogs leaving their flats due to lack of food and security, taking to the streets to join or form packs.

    The dogs of this apartment, known as Complex 53, work like a small community and less of a functioning dog pack. Some have known each other before The Vanishing, some newer faces, but they all work with each other during these strange times, watching each others backs, offering food. Not all were friends, but they did and do rely on each for a sense of security. However, this odd little 'community' will see that they must make a choice. The dog packs of the city are growing more bold, increasing their numbers, waging bigger brawls and battles for territory and food, making the city an even more hostile place to live. The little community is forced to make a life changing decision, join a pack, or perish.

    But... there is one last option. One that they will find within the stars, a path that will lead them out of the city in the unknown humanless world beyond.

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    General Idea
    ------
    Greetings fellow rpers! Man, animal rps take me waaaay the hell back to my middle school days, and I feel nostalgic for one :D
    So, the over all idea of this rp is this. Our main characters will be dogs who form a pack and escape the city, going on various adventures to find a safe haven to call their own while using the stars as their guiding key.

    Do note that these are basic skeletons to help guide and inspire rpers what to write. This may change if enough people wish to add and remove elements of the story or scene.

    The Beginning
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    Our characters are residing within a lower middle class apartment complex, some were once pets others were strays, they all know each other to various degrees. Some are friends others acquaintances, some knew each other long before The Vanishing, while others are newer faces who took refuge within the flats. They are not a pack, nor do they consider themselves to be one, there are those who are still loyal to the humans and believe that waiting for their return is the best option and those who think that maybe they should join a pack for safety. There is a total of 30 dogs that reside in this apartment.

    As the weeks pass by, the dog packs of the city are turning more and more aggressive and bold, fighting for territory with not only other packs, but also raiding buildings inhabited by dogs, forcing them to join or killing them outright. A nearby apartment gets attacked by one of these dog packs, they killed nearly every resident, save for one dog who manages to escape and take refuge within the small dog community in the apartment of our main cast. The survivor explains what happened and the community becomes worried that their building will be the next target. A meeting is held a dog announces that they will leave the city, suggesting the other do the same. There is dissent within the small community, some agreeing, other disagreeing and other unsure.

    The aggressive dog pack attacks the building killing some npc dog residents, while the main cast manages to escape into the night somewhere within the city. It is that night that they all decide that leaving the city is the best option and it is here they begin their journey.

    Important info on Bryton City:

    There is only two ways out the city, one being a massive bridge that crosses a vast lake, the other being a train that, oddly enough, still moves on its own. Main charas will choose either of these paths to leave the city.

    The Town of Gladden Wood
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    Hopping off the train the dogs arrive in an empty small town ran by a large dog pack. The pack seems friendly at first but over time it is clear something is very wrong.

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    While escaping the cult dogs, and perhaps gaining a new member or members to their pack, they come across a vast lake during a storm. They hop on an old boat, still being chased by the cult and manage to push the boat onto the water, escaping the deadly pack. They ride out of the storm till night fall, seeing as they were more than half way crossed the lake to another shore. After reaching the shore, the dogs then continue their journey on an abandoned road following the stars.
    They wander all night till they they come across another path, this time made of dirt, they decided to go along the dirt path till they reach a top of a hill seeing vast farmland.

    They come across farm animals and farm dogs, and are at first met with hostility by said farm dogs. As it turns out the dogs of the area are having an issue with their live stock being killed, mostly sheep, goats and the domestic fowls (turkeys, chickens, ducks ect..). The pack of dogs are accused of the attacks, as they are outsiders, but it turns out it’s actually a pack of wolves doing the killing. When this discovery is made, the main cast grows accustomed to the farmland and even become friends with soem of the farm dogs. One night another livestock animal is killed, this time a calf, and it is here where the leader of the dog farm pack declares war on the wolves. The main cast of a dogs is forced t choose, either they help fight or they leave the farmland. The main cast dog pack decided that this fight was not their place and int he end leave the farmland, running into the woods. It is here, that the dogs truly begin to learn how to be true wild dogs.


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    Living in the wilds is not what the dogs had originally thought it would. They were truly free, but the forest they chose to stay is strange hostile, bears, courgars and the changing harsh weather is making finding prey scarce. The dog pack leave again, coming across a strange dark tunnel that leads to a place unknown. After entering the tunnel, the dogs travel in darkness before hearing “voices” and sense something is chasing them. They finally see the other end of the tunnel as they run. Once they leave the tunnel they continue on the journey, they notice a stretch of road near by.

    They follow along and empty, old and seemingly abandoned road as a mist and fog fall over the area growing thicker as they travel. The road comes to a dead end as it stops at a drop off, the fog so thick that they aren’t able to see the bottom of the drop off. One of the dogs notice a new path made from brightly colored bricks off to the side traveling into the forest. They follow the bricked path to a strange, abandoned amusement park.


    The fog fades some, allowing the dogs to see better, but still obscuring the distance beyond. Curiously they wander through the eerie park, trying to find a way out of the place and the fog. As they do so, the come across a group of foxes that live within the amusement park. One of the foxes offer the dogs help of finding way out, but only if they manage to kill or chase away a cougar that hunts the area.

    The dogs agree and seek out the cougar, finding it and managing to either kill it or chase it away. In doing so, the fox leads them out of the foggy park to a cave. The dogs enter the cave and continue to travel through it till they fall sleep. When they awaken, the continue on their way before seeing and exist. Leaving the cave, they see that they are on the other side of a mountain or hill that overlooks what appears to be a beach town.
 
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  • Bucket of Rainbows
Reactions: Navuso
Rex the Australian Pom Mutt
How many days and night had passed? The fluffy small dog didn't know anymore. It had been a while, long enough that he had already scavenged most of the food that had been left from The Vanishing. It was a term that had been used by other dogs, and this ex-stray had taken to thinking about it as such as well. She was gone, never to return. Others would disagree with him about that, but that was what he felt. As he was finally running out of things to tear up and feed upon, it was time to expand his search further than before. It was time to leave the relative safety of his floor, one where he was slowly becoming aware of the other canines around. He still wasn't on good terms with everyone, nor did he have any friends or packmates to look to, but it was amiable enough. He would offer some of the scraps that he had left to not let the others starve, and in turn they didn't attack him or invade his small space. It worked well enough, though he wasn't sure how well it was going to hold up now that there was no more food.

The gray brute pushed the worn chair along the grooves carved into the floor from the piece of furniture making the same trip multiple times a day for many days/weeks. Once it was against the doorframe, he hopped up onto the seat, then once more to the back of the chair. Small paws helped him balance on the thin wood as he reached out to grab the doorknob, then he hopped down and pulled the lever with him. With the latch released, the barrier pulled open and he was free to roam once more. Short but quick steps carried the canine down the halls until he finally reached the stairs. He hesitated a moment, able to hear the shuffling of other canines around. It reminded him of his time on the streets, a time he didn't really want to go back to, but that didn't seem to be an option now. With a deep breath, the small form descended the steps, carefully as to not trip and fall to his death from how far apart they seemed to his small frame.

After a few minutes, he arrived on the next floor down. The first thing that hit his sensitive nose was the scent of death. A cough bubbled from within his chest, the stench unpleasant. Nobody on his own floor had passed away, yet. Probably because most of those dogs knew one another from before The Vanishing. There was a kinship there that Rex was able to benefit from without having to work too hard at it. Here, though, seemed to be a different story. There were two brutes fighting at the far end of the hall - apparently over some kill they had found, debris scattered along the floor from remains that used to be within the apartment rooms. Most of the doors hung open, locked that way by trash or poor upkeep with the hinges. Whatever it was, it was almost like stepping into a different world. Still, he needed to try and find more food, so he carefully started to ease through the mess. His small frame was kept close to the dirty floor, dirt and other undesirable mess turning the fur on his belly a brown that matched the speckled markings along his tail. He wasn't good at stealth, per se, but if he kept low, a lot of the larger canines tended to just overlook him. And if he was spotted, his size and speed made him a hard target to catch. He got about four doors down before the scent of death hit him in a harsher wave than before. He wrinkled his nose and growled softly, only to pause. Perky, sharp ears flicked and swiveled slightly as he could have sworn that he just heard something from behind the door. Behind the barrier between him and whatever was decaying within the room. Cautiously, he eased closer and pressed his ear up to the firm division, only to confirm a soft sound. It didn't sound like a large dog, if anything... It sounded almost like a pup. But that couldn't be, right? A pup would need a caretaker to survive this mess. Still, he was curious, so he looked around before finding some boxes to drag to the door. It took a bit of work to get them stacked up, but he finally managed and climbed the perilous tower to get to the door.

Much like how he left his own place, his paws found the lever that would grant him access, and he kicked the boxes out from under his hind paws. Only, the handle didn't give. A yelp came from the mutt as the hard metal hurt his paw before he crashed ungracefully to the floor below. A worried glance around, anticipation of a fight rather high, revealed that none of the natives seemed to care. What was one small fry going to do? He wasn't a threat to them, and apparently wouldn't be seen as aid, either. Another huff was given, then he started to scratch at the door to try and get in. When that failed, he limped back to the base of the stairs, tilted his head up, and gave a series of yippy barks followed by a very pitchy yowl. Someone had to help get that door open. If he couldn't get in with his usual tricks, then he would definitely need more power, more strength. He needed at least one larger dog to come on down, maybe two or three. More minds to focus on the task at paw, to rescue whatever poor soul was stuck within that rather pitiful locked room.

@Pangoblin @Annyeong Bunny @DracoGale4
 
Akira: Blue German Shepherd




The Apartment




At first, the smell was unbearable. It scalded the pup's nose after some time, but in that moment, another afternoon burning the sky, Akira was numb to it. Her soft whines echoed in the empty apartment... another reminder that she was the only soul occupying the space. Her little heart was torn and her blue coat was dirty; covered in dirt, grime, and possibly blood. She didn't know anymore, and didn't want to think too much on it. At being only four months old, the German Shepherd pup spent most of her time trying to avoid looking at the small corpses of her three litter mates. One by one, after their owners vanished, they had gotten sick. It was a sickness that Akira was too young to understand, but dried blood littered parts of the floor where her sister and brothers had vomited. Flies flew through the air, landing on the small decaying corpses. Out of the corner of her eye, the pup was sure she saw small wriggly white worms starting to appear.

It was that day in particular that Akira felt the most anxious and panicky. Though it had only been a few months, the food that she had scavenged from the cabinets and counters had been picked clean for a few days. Since she was a growing dog, her appetite had been large and her lack of experience meant that she didn't ration the food. Now, she was stuck. As Akira paced through the small one room apartment, her whines grew louder. On the outside of the door, she could hear and smell other dogs. Many times she tried calling out to them, but to no avail. They didn't seem to care. The shepherd held her head low in both mourning and despair. She was stuck, and there was no way out. The thoughts that then popped into her head was that she would be the next body among her litter mates. The thought struck fear through her small body, causing her whines to become more frantic.

However, after a few hours of trying, Akira's whining grew soft. Her hope was dwindling and she was close to giving up. Tucking her tail, she moved to lay on the ground, pressing her nose against the crack underneath the door. Waiting....

Then, she heard it. The sound of something moving on the other side of the door made Akira jump back into a standing position. She stood completely still, watching the door with grey eyes as her little heart began to pound once more. Whether it was from adrenaline or hope, she couldn't tell. The sound of the handle attempting to turn shocked the pup, frightening her. Then, upon hearing the sound of something falling to the ground on the other side, Akira yelped and turned, running to her safe spot: her owners' old room. There, she curled herself into a ball in the corner of the room, huddled against old clothes she had gathered. Shaking a bit, the blue shepherd made more soft whines, closing her eyes as the sudden smell of death hit her nostrils. After so long, she had blocked it away, but upon remembering the smell, Akira attempted to bury her nose into the clothes. Fear struck her mind that maybe soon, she would be apart of those same smells...






@Navuso @Pangoblin @DracoGale4
 
FFFFFFFF

Rose, on the occasion, wondered why the city still lit itself. It was the strangest thing, since the humans were gone there was no one to light up the buildings or streets. Perhaps the humans had done something to have this place still glow in their absence, whatever the case may be, it didn’t matter much. She just knew she was somewhat grateful that the city was not covered in complete darkness, it made the occasional night walk a bit less stressful. Rose watched as the sun began to settle into sleep, the sky turning a bright yellowish-orange, and the city slowly glowing with its assortment of lights. The red fae’s head was propped lazily on the arm of a chair, nose barely an inch away from the windowsill. She remembers the first time she had watched the sky and city change at this height, she would have been in complete awe, should have been, but all she could feel was unease.

Before she moved into Complex 53, it had been two weeks since The Vanishing, the humans had seemingly all up and left, leaving everything behind. Nothing was in disarray for the first few days, but slowly and surely trash began to litter the streets from the roaming dogs of the city who had taken advantage of the situation. At first there was great confusion, many dogs walked with caution in broad daylight. There wasn’t a time of day or night were the city wasn’t bustling with humans going to and from, cars zooming or crawling along streets depending on the traffic. Now, it was just empty and damn near quiet. Overtime, the dogs grew bolder, Rose included, rummaging through dumpsters and cans, then buildings that carried large amounts of food. Street dogs celebrated, howled in joy as they were finally free, while pets mourned, hoping their humans would return.

Rose wandered the streets for days, scavenging for food, hunting the rats that have also taken to being a bit bolder in roaming out in daylight. Food was a plenty, dogs weren’t ripping each other apart for scraps, it almost felt too good to be true. The fae was more than glad that the humans had left, but overtime she began to admit that though the humans were a troublesome creature, they held some form of order. Humans had kept the dog packs in check, they couldn’t just get into public fights, nor could they grow in size. Humans always made sure that these dog packs were controlled, whenever they became too large or a fight would break out, dog catchers were called on the spot. Now they were gone, and it was a free-for-all, humans no longer have rule here, it was the dogs’ turn to run the city. And that could spell danger for everyone. More than once she’s come across a hostile pack, they no longer looked over their shoulders, wary of human interference. They were bold, self-assured and knew that no one could stop them. More than once she was offered to join, but she had no interest in doing so. Sure, there would be safety in numbers, but there something about these city packs that rubbed her the wrong way. They were corrupt, sadistic and she couldn’t help but feel it would only get worse. So, she wandered the streets alone, till she came across Complex 53. Dogs resided in this building, some were already residents of the building due to their previous human owners, others were once wandering streets dogs like herself who had taken refuge.

It’s been well over a month she’s decided to call this place her ‘home’ and there were many things she’s learned since being here. This was a community, not a dog pack, which she was fine with, somewhat.. Though many dogs were friendly, they stuck out of each other’s business, which in of itself isn’t horrible. Rose didn’t want dogs shoving their noses where it doesn’t belong, but at the same time no one is truly looking out for each other. She’s seen plenty dogs turn the other way when someone was in dire need. Rose has only ever lived within one pack, and that was with her mother and siblings, after that she lived with an old brute, Maximus. It was from these experiences that she knew of the benefit of knowing someone had your back. But even so, it was better than nothing, better than living out there on the streets. She only had to leave Complex 53 when food was scarce and no one could offer food. She had stored some of her ‘prizes’ in a closet, found human food, killed prey, it wasn’t much but it was enough to sustain her.

Just enough to survive.

That was her entire life as a stray, but now she wasn’t too sure how much longer she’ll be able to go on with living like this. The city was not a place of abundance, at least a dog could depend on the humans for at least some left overs, discarded on the ground or in the trash. Now the humans were gone and soon there will be hardly anything left. Dogs could only scavenge for so long, rats, squirrels, pigeons and even the occasional racoon or cat weren’t going to fill the bellies of every dog in the long run. This community is in danger as well, they too relied on the food left by the humans, those like her who run ‘errands’ to find whatever they can and bring it back to their flats. There is a limit to everything and if the fae new anything about anything, is that when the food gets scarce, dogs turn on each other. It hasn’t happened yet here, the dogs of this apartment sit rather comfortable still, though there are certain floors that are doing better than others. But overall, they are doing fairly fine, but the dogs outside? A different story.

Just a few days ago when she was doing her usual run for food, she caught sight of a large pack barging into a store. A stampede of them flooded the inside and she could hear the howls and cries of the current residents of the building. Thankfully, they hadn’t seen her and she was going to take this opportunity to turn tail, but what made her stop in her tracks had made her blood run cold.

“Now, don’t make this difficult, you can even join our pack if ya’ like. We’re only lookin’ for some food. And if ya give us some, we’ll kindly walk out of here.” A voice barked from within the store, the door hung wide open, allowing Rose to hear everything. Another voice replied, trembling with a whine. “Please, we only have enough for ourselves, please just—” a snarl, a sharp cry, and finally a gurgle is what came next. The fae had seen dog’s kill each other before and she was well aware of what the sound of someone’s throat being ripped out sounded like.

What followed where cries, wailing and vicious growls. She could smell fear and blood, Rose was quick to take off into a sprint, lest she wanted to end up like the inhabitants of the store.

As said before, she wasn’t new to dogs fighting, turning into wild beasts for food or territory, but she was not prepared for the pure evil of what happened that day. That pack wasn’t just there for food, they were there to claim and lay waste, they wanted to exercise their power. She can still see the wild delight in the raiding pack’s eyes as they charged inside, full of zeal at the mere thought of what they could do and no one, no man or dog could stop them.

It didn’t help when she came back to the apartment, she over heard rumors of dog packs launching attacks on others, particularly those who reside within buildings. This was something that needed to be discussed at the meeting, she worried was only a matter of time before this place gets hit next.

The sharp yaps of a dog broke her train of thought, immediately she launched herself onto her paws and bust through her door, swinging it wide open. Pale yellow eyes searched frantically, fearing that the complex was under attack. The howls echoed through the space, but she could easily detect it was coming from below her. Upon reaching the stairs of her floor she noticed as a small grey and speckled dog. She recognized him, but did not know his name, and seeing as there wasn’t howls and cries filling the air by other dogs, she assumed they were in fact not under attack. With a huff the fae would growl out in annoyance, “What’re ya yappin’ for? Had me thinkin’ that the place was on fire.”
@Annyeong Bunny @Navuso @DracoGale4

 
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Tai M1-K9 03-573

Time: 1200 hours, Mid-day
Warm, partially cloudy
Location: Unknown
Scent: Dirty, unpleasant, trash, other dogs


The dark-colored brute wandered the unknown city, his paws padding silently across the hard sidewalk with a gentle 'click' of his claws, his muscles rippling through the black-colored and white pelt. His cool ice-cold eyes gazed the streets around him, ears sharp and poised for attention, his movement slow and precise. He stuck close to the shadows and the alleyways, doing his best to avoid any other dogs, though most who spotted him tended to veer the other way and leave him be. He tried to avoid the larger dogs and bigger packs, preferring to avoid any sort of trouble he may come across, though for the most part the dogs have left him be. Whether it was because they also wanted to avoid a fight or it was just the sole reason that he had nothing of interest or value, it was not always clear, but he was grateful otherwise.

He had traveled far from his own home. The journey had been long and lonely. Tai was used to such distances and the unknown, but the one major difference was that he had always had his partner by his side. His relationship with his human was different than most dogs on the account that he wasn't just some pet, nor was he ever treated like one. The two were partners, who trusted each other and always watched each other's back, to defended and protected one another. They never left one or the other behind in any situation, had been through so much together, had survived in the bleakest of situations. Yet here he was and here his partner wasn't. He had been left behind. He was supposed to go wherever his master went, no matter how dangerous or how frightening it could be, but he wasn't with him. He knew his master would never have left him behind on purpose, so he knew that something had happened, something wrong.

He searched for so long. When he could not find his partner in his own home or the vicinity around it, he ventured further, doing whatever he could to track him. But there was no scent. If ever he picked up one it was only an old scent that would lead back to the apartment. He had searched in a radius around his home, hoping desperately to find something, and every day he would search a little further and further. He would always return home to rest, then go back out to search again from where he left off. Only when he had eaten all the food back at the apartment and his searches had begun to venture too far did he stop returning, and would simply take refuge in some shelter till dawn, then he would begin again. He was used to going on with small portions of food, and he knew the possibility of not eating for a long time, so whatever food he found he made sure he spared as much as he could and only ate enough to keep him going while he would hide the rest. But even that wouldn't last long.

During his searches, he quickly discovered that his own human's disappearance wasn't the only one. He kept seeing more and more dogs out on the streets, wondering the same thing he was and searching for their own owners. Instead of relieving him, this only disheartened him further, for it only made it more likely that he would never see his partner again. He was a dog meant to save others, so he helped the others where he could, but he mostly left them to their own devices while he continued his search. There was not much more he could do for them and he was on his own mission to find his partner. Every so often he would climb the highest point he was able to get to and howl, calling for his master, then listen for any reply. Sometimes there were other dogs who returned their howls, as if also calling for their own masters, and the city echoed with the cries of canines who longed for their companionship. An eerie song that stretched across the landscape and filled the sky, demanding their return or desperate for answers, hollow with loneliness and loss. Other times there was just silence.

The more days that passed the less likely that it seemed he would ever be reunited with his partner. It was getting harder and harder to hold onto hope, hope that his master wasn't one of the many humans who have 'vanished,' hope that one day he would look up and then there he would be. Whistling for him to come, and then Tai would run into his arms, ignoring protocol and simply be happy that he had found his partner.

That hope died when he searched the entire city where he and his partner lived and he didn't find a single clue to his partner's whereabouts. If his partner had been taken then there would have been some sort of struggle or sign, some scent he could follow even if it wasn't his master's, anything to tell him that he was still around. Yet there was nothing. Tai was alone... He no longer had his partner by his side. He would have to face this new world on his own. He returned to his old home one last time, the last ditch effort of hope that maybe his master had returned, but of course, he found the apartment empty save for the items his master had. Tai took a good long look around the place. He was not sad to leave it, he was used to always moving with his master and never really settling in one place, but what he was sad about was leaving his master behind. It was the last place he had seen him, and so he felt that leaving here meant leaving him. But there was no point in staying... He was gone. He knew this. He had always known but had refused to believe it, had refused to accept it, had pushed the truth away and clung desperately to the hope that his master was still somewhere. Waiting for him.

He knew that his partner would not want him to linger around forever and wither away. He would want him to survive for he was a survivor, a fighter, and he would not tarnish his partner's memory by wasting away in this small apartment. So he left, never to look back or return, carrying nothing with him except the collar around his neck. The only thing he had left to remember his owner by.

And here he was, now trekking through another city after a long journey. He was certainly thinner than he used to be, but he still had his muscles that he had built up in his days in the military, and his fur made it harder for him in the heat. He was not used to this kind of weather but he managed to push through, taking short breaks beneath some shade and found streams or puddles to drink water, and where he did not find trash for food he instead hunted. Small things like raccoons or squirrels. He was not sure where he was going, or what he should do, but moving seemed like the only answer for him.

The city seemed a lot like the one he had come from. The scent was not a pleasant one and he had already crossed a few dog fights, but because he kept himself hidden and remained in the shadows, he managed to avoid them. He wanted to avoid battle at all cost, not because he was afraid, but because he did not want to risk injury he may no longer be able to heal from. He was quite used to battle and getting in a few scraps but he no longer had a partner to treat his wounds, so now if he were to get injured it may turn out far worse than he may be able to handle, so he would prefer not to get into a fight if he could help it.

His ears perked sharply and he jerked up his head at the distant sound of some 'yipping.' By the tone he could tell it was from a smaller dog, and he detected no aggression so it wasn't some warning or threat. Was that a hint of desperation in it? It sounded as though whoever was making it needed help. He followed the sound till he came out of the alleyway and across the street he could make out a tall building, similar to what his partner had, so he guessed that it was a place that humans lived, or had once lived anyway. He scanned the building, his ears still perked toward the sound and he could tell that it was coming from that building.

He debated his options: He could run in but then he'd be trapped inside with narrower paths, easily cornered, so if this were some sort of trap then he'd be ambushed. But as far as he knew, he never encountered dogs that had devised such a plan, but that didn't mean that they weren't capable of it. That building could be full of dogs, and he certainly smelled a lot of them, but would they really try to ambush someone? What would be the purpose? From what he had seen this place didn't seem so scarce of food that they would turn on each other, and he had yet come across cannibalism, so what would be their purpose to lure a dog or dogs here and ambush them? What if someone really needed help in there?

Coming to a decision he made his way silently across the street, keeping low and made his way to the back area, trying to avoid any windows. He searched around till he came across an open doorway, and peering in he could see some trash lying on the floor and a flight of stairs. He crouched low with his belly to the ground, only his head peeking around the corner, and he lifted his snout to sniff the air. There were dogs, but not nearby. He pushed himself up onto his paws and crept silently in, his ears listening for the sound of barking, and began to make his way up the stairs. He was careful with every step, looking further up to make sure he wouldn't accidentally walk right into any other dogs, and stopped where he heard the barking the loudest. All the doors were opened in this apartment, meaning that dogs had already managed to make their way out, and had seemed to break some of the doors so that they couldn't swing back shut. Tai kept low, wandering into a long hallway with doors lining on either side of him, and became quickly aware of the stench of death. It was nothing new to him but he was surprised to detect such a stench in a place like this. But then again, perhaps he shouldn't be, considering many dogs would have needed their owners to survive.

He came to a corner and crouched low once more, poking his head around to see a rather small speckled dog down the hallway, discovering the source of the noise. He was about to come out when another larger dog came in. The other was a she-dog with a red pelt who was currently speaking to the other dog, and though there seemed to be an annoyance in her tone and stance, there was no outright aggression. In fact, though he scented other dogs here, none of them seemed to hold an air of aggression or violence, so they all must live together here rather peacefully. Even if some of it was tolerance of one another.

He wondered if he should remain hidden. There was no wind to blow his scent to them, and the stench of death would likely cover it, so they wouldn't be able to detect him. Just so he could figure out what was going on, but then it might not look good for him if they somehow found him while he was hiding, and neither of the dogs seemed aggressive and would do him harm. There also weren't any other dogs nearby to ambush him, at least as far as he could tell, and if things did go south for any reason then he knew his escape route and could quickly book it if the case called for it.

He stood up and made his way calmly from around the corner, making no attempt to keep quiet and even purposely made himself a little louder to make himself known, that way he would not startle either of the dogs. After all the two seemed quite acquainted with each other and might have lived around here for a while, so it was likely that both of them would recognize right away that he was not a familiar face, and that alone would cause them to be more cautious of him and consider him a threat.

"I am a friend." He tried to reassure them. "I don't bring any harm. I heard your call and came to investigate, I don't mean to intrude into your territory unannounced."




@Pangoblin @Annyeong Bunny @Navuso @Vio @solstice
 
Rex the Australian Pom Mutt
“What’re ya yappin’ for? Had me thinkin’ that the place was on fire.”

The red fae that had shown up was clearly annoyed as she towered over the small brute. There was already a good size difference between them when they were on the same level, but with the steps between them, it was only that much more so. Rex stayed his yowls for attention and looked over his shoulder, back to the locked door. As deep brown eyes fell on the messy hall, movement caught his attention before he could explain the situation. The new canine, one that Rex had never seen before, stepped out and the fluffy smaller male dropped his head with a low growl. This was a new threat, one that he wasn't really equipped for, though the noisy brute spoke first.

"Huh?" the admittance to just be investigating was an odd one, since the Australian Pomeranian wasn't used to outsiders not being aggressive. He had seen enough from within the apartment to know that fierce strangers usually meant death. Especially for a non-fighter such as himself. Still, the fact that the other brute wasn't showing signs of aggression, and was actually talking with them did seem like a good sign. And he was a large dog, built with muscle under the contrasting fur.

"Territory?" the small floof asked with a laugh. He didn't really view it as a territory for them anymore. There were too many animals within this space, and none of it being a real pack. It was a loose community at best, though there were meetings every so often on the roof. Meetings that Rex tended to attend but usually stayed out of the way and stayed quiet during.

"Never mind," he dismissed it as he took a couple of favored steps towards the new dog. He still had a collar on, which was a good sign. "Both of you, come help! There's someone locked behind this door," he explained as he led them back over to the door that he had been working at trying to get in to. "It's locked well, not just closed. And it sounded like there's a pup inside. I'm sure that's wrong, since any abandoned pups should be dead, but... Whatever it is, whoever it is, there's someone trapped in there. We look out for each other, right?" he asked, looking back to the stairs in hopes that the fae had followed him as well. Two large dogs was better than one powerless small dog, after all.



@Pangoblin @Annyeong Bunny @DracoGale4
 
Akira: Blue German Shepherd




The Apartment




She could hear them, the other dogs on her floor. Though she couldn't make out what they were saying, she heard them as if it were low muttering, too low to hear. Akira gave a soft whine before lifting her nose from the pile of clothes. The scent of her owners and her mother had started to fade by that point, and the realization of that only made her feel queasy.

Lifting her head from the clothes, she gave a small mournful howl, her voice small and shaky. Then, she stood and walked toward the kitchen once more, her tail between her legs as she searched for something to eat. Anything. "I thought I had something saved... maybe I was wrong." Akira thought silently as she sniffed the cabinets once more. She had checked every day since her last bit of food had run out, but still, she searched again and again in hopes that some food might show up. The blue shepherd pup licked up a few crumbs inside an open cabinet and whined in hunger. Another day that there had been no food.

Akira padded over to the open fridge, one of her ears flopping over as the other stood straight up. Deep in the back of the fridge, she found a piece of cracker and ate it, swallowing quickly as her hunger took over. Afterward, she stared at the empty spot where the food had been and scolded herself for eating all of it. With her search over, the pup slowly walked back to the front door, laying down in front of it. Sticking her nose to the crack underneath, she hoped to smell the fresh air on the other side instead of the rotted one in the apartment.

"Please... let me out..." Akira finally spoke out loud, her voice on the deeper side for a pup, but still small and helpless. Her grey eyes looked under the crack of the door, seeing shadows of other dogs passing by, not so much as pausing to glance at her door. Feeling her doubts sink in, Akira slowly closed her eyes and began accepting her fate...






@Navuso @Pangoblin @DracoGale4
 
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Rose's coat bristled and ears perked slightly as her head snapped to the side upon hearing the tapping of claws and smell of gunpowder infiltrated her nose. A dog, about her size, with a black and white coat came calmly padding their way, his eyes were icy blue and face didn't come off as friendly. The pattern of his fur made it look as if he were wearing a mask with a furrowing expression, but she didn't sense immediate danger from him. He made a bit of noise as he approached them, whether or not he was was stalking them was ruled out. Even so, she watched him with caution, tail held slightly higher than before, one can never be too careful around strange dogs. Speaking of which, now that she's thinking about it, she's never actually seen this dog before, not in the streets, definitely not around the complex.

The red fae's tense body went slack the moment the black and white dog spoke. Her face wrinkled in confusion, tail lowering, the smaller speckled brute voicing her thoughts perfectly "Huh?". Now Rose knew without a doubt this brute was new around here, no one spoke of territories in this apartment, that kind of talk was typically reserved for the actual packs that roamed the streets. To even conceive the idea that this place had a functioning pack would have made her laugh if it weren't so worrying. Dogs could come and go as they please around here, something else Rose didn't particularly favor when it came to this place. There were no guards, no define lines of territory, save for the flats. That just opened a gate for any strange dog or dogs to roam in and out, no one bothering keeping tabs on whose an actual resident or whose just roaming looter.The small yappy one seemed to be amused by the brute's assumptions and oddly formal introduction proclaiming he came in peace. To her surprise, she didn’t see so much as a hint of worry in his eye as he approached the strange dog. Rose wasn’t sure if she was impressed or slightly baffled by the yappy hairball’s boldness. As a matter of fact, he didn't even so much as shake when she came to his presence, most small dogs were cuatious around their larger counterparts and within good reason. Not that Rose was the type to bully others, but more than once she did witness unfair treatment to the smaller breeds.

"There's someone locked behind this door." The smaller brute finally explained his wild barking before, calling upon anyone who may want to help and unsurprisingly by the looks of it, she and the strange dog were the only two that bothered to respond to said calls.


Rose watched the little dog trot away down a hall, she hesitated to follow. It wasn't as if it wasn't plausible that someone was trapped in a room, unfortunately there were a number of dogs within this complex who met their unlucky fate of dying of starvation due to the door being locked. She made that unsettling discovery when she decided to take refuge within the building. Behind some closed doors, one could detect the stench of death, undoubtedly the pets left behind by the humans. But this wasn't what upset her the most, what had baffled the fae was the fact that most dogs did not try to help, they passed by, trying to ignore the smell, which tells her that none of the dogs even attempted to to knock down a door while some poor dog possibly begged for help. The dogs of this place would let others die, looking the other way. The mindset was "'it's not me, so why should I care". With that being said, if what this speckled mutt was saying was true, then she couldn't possibly ignore them, but if it wasn't, she could be led to a trap. But then again, so would the black and white brute, who she was certain wasn't in on the plausible trap. A part of her wanted to turn away, but she knew that it wouldn't sit right with her conscious if there was indeed a trapped dog that she could at least try to help escape and be given a chance to survive. Rose decided to trail behind the smaller brute, albeit leaving some distance between them as she did, wary of her surroundings.



As they stopped in front of a door, the all too familiar stench of dead dog hit her nose, had they come too late? The fae turned her attention downwards to the speckled dog as he explained that he's certain he had heard not only a voice, but the voice of a pup. As if thews of a trapped, possibly dead or dying dog weren't upsetting enough. "We look out for each other, right?" The fuzzball was just full of surprises wasn't he? How on earth any dog could hold such an optimistic idea in a place like this was beyond her. Rose would give a small snort, the fur between her shoulders bristling once more dwelling on the reality of which that it was socially acceptable to just let a pup die, well knowing that something could be done to prevent it. "Only if a dog gains from it. Don't really know ya' Shorty, but I've seen you wandering 'round in this place for sometime. You and I both know, that no dog really looks out for each other. Not here anyways." She wasn't the motherly-type, but any dog with a functioning brain and conscious wouldn't just let a pup waste away, the little brute was had more honor the biggest lumbering oaf on this floor of the complex.

"To be honest with you, all I smell is death. Not only that..." she paused to tilt her head and press her ear against the surface of the door before pulling back "I don't hear anything-" she paused as she checked the door up then down, her eye strained at the bottom of the door, she notices a shadow. Taking a paw-step back, Rose crouched low and sniffed, a golden eye peaking to see what laid at the foot at the other side of the door. That's when she caught sight of grey fur and an equally grey nose. Not only that, but she detected something sweet and flower-like, something most certainly not dead. Someone was there, and truly was still alive. Pulling herself up the fae spoke, this time with some authority in her voice "Hey Shorty, you said this door's locked right? Well, I suggest you stand back" the red fae turned and gruffed at the other brute "You! Help me take down this door." then finally her barked towards the door, "And you! Whoever you are, if you're still alive in there, I need to stand back as well. W'ere gonna bust thing down and get ya out, ya hear me?"

Rose to a few paw-steps back, till she was against the other side of the wall across from the door, "I'm gonna need to you to help me run and slam this thing down." the red fae didn't know if the big brute was going to listen to her or not, it didn't matter if he walked off or her helped, she wasn't going to let some dog die when there's a chance to save them. The doors of the apartment weren't feeble or weak by any means, but they weren't sturdy either. She hoped she had enough in her to at least back a dent, if not, she's going to end up clawing at the wood bit by splintering bit.


@DracoGale4 @Navuso @Annyeong Bunny
 


Tai M1-K9 03-573

Time: 100 hours, Mid-day
Warm, partially cloudy
Location: Apartment Complex
Scent: Dirty, unpleasant, trash, other dogs


The bigger brute's cool blue eyes landing on the speckled pelt dog when he spoke. Apparently, it seemed that neither he nor the red fae understood what he meant by 'territory,' or it wasn't that. Perhaps it was the fact that the idea itself seemed preposterous since thinking about it now, Tai hadn't come across any social order of a pack just yet within this building, on the account all dogs here wander on their own and seem to mind their own business. Perhaps there was no order here, just dogs looking out after themselves, but obviously not all of them as Tai came to soon realize when the smaller brute explained why he had called for them.

Cold blue eyes landed on the door and ears perked sharply towards it when the speckled brute explained about a trapped victim within. Was he correct? Was someone in there? How could he know with this scent of stench so strong? Was the victim already dead? He remembered many rescue missions ending in failure with the victim dying before they could reach them. He did not know how long the smaller brute had been barking for though it did not take Tai an awfully long time to get here once he heard his calls, so perhaps there was still a chance that the victim within the trapped room was still alive.

Both dogs were completely different, that much Tai could tell right away from simply conversing with them in this short span of time. The smaller brute seemed more trusting the red fae on the account he called for help and that he approached him with such confidence and no fear. Not only that but his reaction was much the same to the red fae, both of which were far bigger than the small speckled brute, yet he did not cower in either of their presence. He was unsure if this was because of arrogance or that he truly did not feel afraid, or perhaps it was the need to help another that blocked all other feelings from the smaller brute's mind. This Tai could truly admire. Indeed, it was this small brute who had called for help when he thought he heard someone else in trouble, and instead of running away at the sight of two large dogs, he instead stuck around to explain the situation. Asking for their help. This brute seemed far too small and honest to be laying any sort of trap, which Tai would have immediately suspected of, but he had already concluded that there was no reason for a trap.

The red fae, on the other hand, treated him immediately with the utmost suspicion which he didn't blame her for. He would have done the same, yet even now he was not quick to show her his back either. She seemed doubtful to the speckled brute's claim as well, speaking aloud Tai's own suspicion, about the victim aside already being dead and if the smaller brute was sure he heard something. Yet before she even finished such a sentence, her ears and head perked towards the door just as Tai did, the faintest sound coming from the otherside. Tai stayed back to allow the female to get a better look, then suddenly her whole appearance towards them changed, all business with the greatest urgency. Tai's ears slightly twitched and his head perked a bit at her sudden command towards him, caught off guard by the sudden switch of modes she portrayed. He never took orders from anyone but his master.

But this situation was dire and he agreed with her urgency. There was no time for argument or a better plan, they must take action, and quickly if they were to save the young pup. He didn't respond, simply looked to the door, eyeing it up and down. He had broken doors before in his time of the war, but there had been a particular door that had almost dislocated his leg when he was trying to save his partner from the other side. He learned to look for signs on which doors were good for busting down, and ones that would be impossible. Since it was obvious that previous dogs had been able to knock down many of these doors from other rooms, it was clear that these doors were not of the strongest side, so with the help of both him and the red fae then they should be able to get the work done.

"This side." He said, gesturing with his nose to the side that held the hinges. "The wood is weaker here, some of the bolts are already coming loose." Obviously, this building was pretty cheap to have such poor handiwork despite the length of period the humans had disappeared. "The lock is newer than the hinges, that's probably why no one was able to knock down the door before if they had tried." Then by getting the door off its hinges it would simply slip off the entire frame.

He moved to take his place next to the red fae, his muscles tensing beneath his thick pelt, ice sharp and focused on the door. "We'll take turns." He said. That way they didn't both collide into each other and the door would be constantly hit with incredible force.

Only after when the red fae charged at the door and came back did he push off the wall with his hind legs, bolting with all the speed he could muster, then slammed his full body weight as hard as he could against the door. As soon as he was finished he turned and ran back to the opposite wall, only to turn sharply once more and kick off again to ram into the door again. Back and forth, never stopping, his legs beating and pushing against the ground with every step. A snarl passed his lips every time he kicked off the wall to charge at the door, beating it hard against his shoulder, determined to break it down. The door was his enemy, and like all his enemies, he would take them down. He pretended it was his master on the other side, waiting for him, on the verge of death if he did not come to his aid right away. He became a machine, set on one goal alone: To break down the barrier separating the dying pup from possible salvation.



@Pangoblin @Annyeong Bunny @Navuso
 
Rex the Australian Pom Mutt
The small dog tilted his head when the large fae commented about how they only looked out for each other if there was something to gain from it. Technically, that was true, but that didn't change the fact that they still looked out for one another. At least a tiny bit on his own floor. If they didn't, then he probably would have been killed for the bounty within his home well before the food ran low or out. He didn't comment, though, and watched with his chocolate eyes as she investigated. "It might seem that way, but I know I heard something," he yipped back when the female commented about only death. He wouldn't confuse pure death with the chance of there being something living within. And there was no reason to lie right now.

Thankfully, it seemed like the red fae changed her mind, and when she started to bark orders at him, the Australian Pomeranian immediately moved to obey. She definitely held a voice of authority to her, and it was to do what he wanted, so he had no reason to stand up or argue it at all. Short legs and tiny paws scampered along the floor to give a wide berth from what was going to happen, perky ears tilting forward as he listened to the brute finally speak up again. This time it was to offer advice, and it sounded like he knew what he was talking about as well. Rex let out a breath that he didn't realize that he was holding and felt the fluff of a tail wag along his haunches with how it curled up.

Was he imagining it? Or did this dark and light male act like he had some serious experience with this kind of thing? Almost like... The military that his human used to watch the magic box over. Did this brute watch too much of the magic box and learn from it? Or did he have actual experience? Rex couldn't really tell, but he watched with interest as the two dogs, both easily around twice his size, charged the wooden barrier with the intent to snatch it off the hinges so that they could get inside. As they focused on the task, he eased closer to better inspect the damage. The tail wagging increased in pace as he saw the wood by the hinges starting to crack and fray under the pressure of two large dogs battering right into it.

"It's giving!" he chirped, crouching down to see if he could see underneath without having to get too close. "Hey! You in there! We'll get you out soon." The speckled dog called to the assumed pup, excited that they could actually be saving a life. He might not have the force to do what the other two were doing, but that didn't mean that he was any less determined to get inside. It didn't mean that he was any less of an asset on this mission, since nothing would have happened if he hadn't taken the risk and called for help. Sure, there was a chance that he could have gotten attacked for kicking up such a fuss, and he wouldn't put it past the alpha-like fae to have done just that if she thought he was trying to betray her for some reason. But he was also sure that he was quicker and able to squeeze into places that neither of the much larger dogs could get to. If things had turned south, he would have been able to get away. Maybe 'out of the frying pan and into the fire' as his human used to say, but it would be better than certain death if things had gone that route.

Thankfully, it seemed like none of the small group would be facing such a fate at this time. Once the wood buckled under the weight and force, he exploded past the other two and barged into the previously sealed room, frantically looking around for the pup that he had heard. He wanted to make sure that they were okay, that the trio hadn't arrived too late to offer salvation to such a young one. He was also concerned that such a violent entry might have caused injury to the small frame, and if that happened, then maybe it would have been better to not get in. Still, what was a better death? A quick one from getting crushed, or a slow and painful starvation?

He decided that a quick death would be better, since he had experienced the hunger pains of starvation and he knew that he hadn't been close to dying from it when he was out on the streets. So, either way, whether they saved or killed their goal, it would be better than the fate that was still waiting within this foul room. And foul was right. The stench of death had been bad outside of the door, but once inside, Rex felt his eyes water with how thick it was in the air. How long had the bodies been left to decay? How could anyone have survived in such a disgusting place for days, let alone weeks?

"Hey, you okay?" he asked, ignoring the desire to sneeze and cough to try and not deal with the scent. They could get out of here soon enough. And once free, it'd be a bit easier to get some fresh air.​

@Pangoblin @Annyeong Bunny @DracoGale4
 
Akira: Blue German Shepherd




The Apartment




It was all so sudden. At first, she was laying with her nose pressed against the crack under the door, and the next, she was hearing a conversation between three different dogs. Akira's small heart began to beat faster as she heard their topic of conversation: her rescue and whether she was even still alive. The pup was about to howl as a way to show she was still in there, but was shocked as her nose was met with a scent of roses and cherries. It was such a calming scent that the blue shepherd wasn't sure how to react.

However, that thought changed when she heard the barking orders the fae then began to give out to both her and the other two dogs on the other side. Quickly skittering backwards away from the door, or as well as she could on the tile flooring, she backed toward the far wall and hid behind her male owner's old armchair.

Then loud ramming against the door scared Akira at first and she wasn't sure what to do. What if they were trying to get in, only to kill her? She was only a pup after all, and her thinking was either fight or flight... and flight was her only thought in that moment. However, as usual, there was no place to go, and the dogs on the other side seemed to be calling out to her. Whining a bit, the pup layed on the ground in a ball and pressed her ears back in slight apprehension, watching the door with cautious grey eyes. Her body began to shiver from the entire scenario because of how fast it all seemed to be happening. It was only in that moment that she finally looked over at the decaying bodies around her. Taking in their bodies in that moment, Akira knew that she was ready to leave. She wanted to get out.

And so, the door came crashing in.

Like an answer to the pup's prayers, she first saw a small speckled dog run in, seeing as the other's nose met with the smell of the room. Akira's own nose caught on to the scent of the small dog and whoever was with the fae. At being asked if she was okay, the shepherd pup wasn't sure how to respond. Slowly standing, with her tail tucked in fear, she slowly walked forward and made her appearance known. Her fur, that was still soft from being a pup, was slightly matted with dried blood and was dark in some places from caked dirt and debris. However, her grey eyes were filled with apprehension and curiosity once she looked upon the small dog in front of her. Akira was about the same size as the other, and as she looked outside of the door, she saw two much bigger dogs, who she assumed were the ones who had broken the door down.

"I-I'm okay... you all helped me?" the question was probably a stupid one, but Akira was dumb-stuck and her brain was on auto-pilot on what to say to her saviors. "I mean, thank you. I wasn't expecting to be helped, so it's a shock to see other dogs finally step in." she further explained in a quiet voice, her ears still flattened as she looked to the fae who smelled of roses, a large red dog with golden eyes. Then, there was another brute, who was black and white with icy blue eyes who smelled of gunpowder and iron. A small whine escaped the young pup's throat as she felt the gratitude of being saved wash over her. Finally, she was free.... but where did she go from there?




.


@Navuso @Pangoblin @DracoGale4
 
FFFFFFFF

Rose slammed her shoulder against the door, ran back towards the wall and repeated the action in a sort of rhythm with icy-eyed brute. The fae would have been surprised by the fact that the dog even heeded her orders, much more so the fact that they were working as a team, but as of right now, all she could think of was taking down this door to reach whoever was on the other side. The old wooden surface began to creak and groan, splintering and breaking till finally it broke down with one final force. The adrenaline that ran through her blood made her heart pound wildly, her breathing labored, tongue lolling from her jaws. She knew her shoulder was going to be sore, if not soon, definitely tomorrow, but thus wasn't the time to whine about her future aches.

Rose lifted her head towards the brute that had assisted her, "Thanks." her voice came in a short gruff tone. Before she could even set paw into the now open room, the smaller fuzzy brute went bounding inside, brave indeed, that or foolish, the line was always blurry with these words. Taking a few paw steps inside, the she-dog coiled back, the fur along her neck bristling at the pungent smell of death. The smell was nearly over powering and once she blinked her teary eyes, she could see why. Bodies, bodies of a dead pups, bony with cloudy unseeing eyes. They died a long time ago, she only hoped they didn't suffer, but something told her that wasn't the case. It could have been from starvation, but there was a sort of 'sickness' in the air that told her it was probably something more than just that. With a clenched jaw, she swiftly ripped her eyes away from the corpses to follow the speckled brute till she was lead to a small, frail frame of a pup.

Her coat was 'blue', a deep grey that reminded her of a storm cloud, and she was just about as plush as one as well, by the looks of it as she still had her puppy coat. Very young, too young to survive on her own. Rose came close, eyeing the dried blood that caked certain parts of the unknown pup's coat, without a word she loomed over the youngster taking a few sniffs. "This ain't yer blood is it?" she spoke rather bluntly, her head then lifting, scanning the rest of the room. It was a mess, food, or what was left of it, strewn everywhere, no other signs of life. "You the only one here?" came the next question. Perhaps she should have had more tact, as said question indirectly implied about the deceased siblings. She didn't mean it that way, she just genuinely wanted to know if there were any other survivors hiding away in this room.

In a situation like this, a pup's chances of survival were solely based off a guardian of some sort. Pups, those who were cute enough, would've been easily picked up by a human and cared for in a heart beat, but since The Vanishing, this pup's chance are practically none existent....


@DracoGale4 @Navuso @Annyeong Bunny
 


Tai M1-K9 03-573

Time: 100 hours, Mid-day
Warm, partially cloudy
Location: Apartment Complex
Scent: Dirty, unpleasant, trash, other dogs


Tai could hear the creaking of wood as the hinges began to give way from the force he and the red fae placed upon the wooden door as they slammed their weight into it with all their might. He was quite impressed with the strength she held within her. The red color of her pelt seemed fitting on the account she held a fire within her that burned brightly when the situation called for it. Not to mention the attitude right along with it. It was of no surprise that he could handle a situation such as this on the account of his training but he doubted this fae underwent any sort of training such as his, so the very fact she held such strength was a very pleasant surprise. He wasn't so sure he would have been able to handle this on his own.

At last the door came crashing down, the sound echoing down the hall and reverberating off the walls, like a trumpet blaring out success. Tai had his front paws planted firmly on the door panel, his sides heaving only slightly as he panted through his mouth, allowing his tongue to roll just slightly from his front teeth. Only to instantly regret it. He quickly pulled it back into his mouth and shut his jaws firmly tight, his eyes observing the room as the stench of death became overwhelming, his eyes soon landing on the pile of slowly decaying bodies of pups. He was used to such smells and ghastly sights, even those of his own dog brethren, so he had developed a sort of immunity to such sights. He self-consciously blocked his heart and mind from such situations and observed it as any other misgivings as though it were not such a huge and traumatic sight. In all honesty, he had seen far worse than this, had smelled worse than this, so it did not phase him. He had developed an iron stomach as well where such things did not make him easily queasy but it was still very unpleasant to smell.

He only just began to worry that they have possibly crushed the pup beneath the door if the pup hadn't moved, but luckily the other two canines discovered the pup within another room, where he could hear the three speaking. His ears perked towards them but seeing as the two had the situation handled and were discussing with the pup and checking to see if it was alright, he instead took guard at the door. Positioning himself at the doorway and where he faced both the hallway and within the interior of the room, keeping his back to the doorframe so that there was no possibility of a sneak attack. His head remained slightly turned towards the hallway, one ear perked to listen for any incoming guests that may become curious as to what all that racket was about, while his other ear remained perked towards the three dogs within the other room. He sat on his haunches but his muscled remained tense, ready to spring at a moment's notice, expression placid and focused. He saw no reason to approach the pup since it was already being checked upon by the other two and he felt that the pup may feel too crowded with so many strange dogs surrounding it, and Tai knew very well that he did not have the friendliest of faces.



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Rex the Australian Pom Mutt
The slightly smaller pup seemed completely baffled about what had just happened. Not that the brute could blame her, since it was obvious that nobody had been in this room since the vanishing. He pinned his ears down and kept his focus solely on the living form in front of him, rather than the decaying scent and vision of the other pups that hadn't made it.

"Come. We should get out of here, get some fresh air," he suggested, looking back to where they had broken in, only to pause when the red fae gave a few rather blunt and straightforward questions without letting them get out of this filthy habitat. Honestly, he figured that they could do damage control from somewhere more clean, maybe get the young one on up the stairs to where he could provide fresh water if she wanted it. It wasn't food, but it was still something, and probably better than anything her tiny paws could get a hold of in this space. Not that his own paws were any larger... If anything they were probably smaller, but he was older, wiser, and more cunning. He could figure out the best way to get to areas that were inaccessible otherwise. It used to both annoy and amuse his owner when she had saved him from the life on the streets. A life that felt like it'd be upon them again if nothing changed soon. There wasn't much holding this complex together at the moment, and with food running out, both inside and outside, he wasn't oblivious to how dangerous things would be getting. But... He didn't know how to handle this situation. He was no alpha, he could come up with things for himself, but leaving on his own... Even if he was able to scamper away and hide, he couldn't take care of himself with things as they were going.

"Is there anyone else here, little one? If not, I can take you back to my shelter. At least until the meeting," he offered, not thinking that such a thing was exactly a secret. Just because the pup had been locked away didn't mean that she shouldn't come along. And the brute outsider didn't seem like he'd be a real threat unless someone else started the problem first. So, there was no reason to exclude either of them from the usual ritual that they underwent. And some outside opinions might be salvation for this non-pack, since every meeting seemed to be the same thing every time. 'Should we stay? We always stay. We'd rather stay and die than get killed out there.' It was tiring, which is why Rex tended to just stay quiet and listen, but there was only so much that they could do without finding more resources...

But that would be for later. For now, the goal, the focus, the primary thing to handle, was getting somewhere that wasn't suffocating. Somewhere that the scent wouldn't be clinging to his body as if there was no salvation from that particular issue.​
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Akira: Blue German Shepherd




The Apartment




Though she was in the clear, Akira felt hesitant about the two much larger fae and brute before her. Though the brute outside of the door didn't seem to give her much thought, her gaze was caught on to the fiery red fur of the towering fae who now stood above her. The young pup drew her ears back in slight apprehension to the older fae's closeness, keeping her gaze to the side as she was sniffed. It was only when the unknown fae pulled away in order to ask her some blunt questions that the shepherd pup looked back to her, glancing at the small brute next to her.

With the whole overbearing situation, she was glad to see the small brute beside her, as it gave her a bit more confidence in responding to the red fae.

"Um... no. It's not mine. It's hard to avoid it when it's... everywhere." Akira explained softly as she kept her head low, risking a glance to the decaying corpses littering the floor. She hesitated a moment as a feeling of hurt stung her heart with the fae's second blunt question. Being a pup, she narrowed her eyes up at her and found a bit more of a bolder stance, though the other continued to loom over her.

"You don't see anybody else running around, do you?" Akira spoke in a bit of a sharper tone as she tried to become stronger in front of the taller fae and brute, though the latter seemed to have been preoccupied with watching outside of the door. Then, realizing her tone, the pup drew her ears back once more and tucked her tail, sitting her bottom against the floor. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude... I've just been in here too long."

The shepherd pup turned to look at the small brute and kept her ears low, occasionally glancing back at the fae. "I don't want to burden you by staying in your territory. After all, it meant a lot that you all even helped me." Akira spoke modestly with slightly saddened eyes to the small dog beside her before looking back to the cherry-scented fae before her.

"But, now that I'm out, what should I do?" the pup couldn't help as a small whine escaped her throat upon speaking the thought out loud. She hadn't been accustomed to living outside of the apartment at any point, and she knew that if she were to leave on her own, she might as well accept her death sentence.




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FFFFFFFF


Rose turned her attention to the smaller brute for a brief moment, his voice gentle as he spoke to the pup, even going as far as to offer his flat to the youngster. The fae had to admit, she hadn’t thought that far along, once the pup was saved… then what? She wasn’t the maternal type, that isn’t to say she couldn’t watch over the pup, but in terms of the long run, like raising the youth. She wouldn’t mind the pup staying with the speckled brute, but due to his size, how would he be able to protect her if they were attacked? Not to say the smaller dog couldn’t handle himself, he survived this long after all, but with a pup, a pup that will no doubt turn much larger…

The fae snapped out of her thoughts as her head whipped around at the pup’s sudden change in tone only for her cower once more and apologize. The pup appeared to somewhat share the fae’s thoughts and hearings the young dog whine so hopelessly, Rose couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt. She didn’t know why she felt guilty, maybe because she was hesitant to offer the pup a place to stay, in doing so might give the pup ideas that Rose would be her new guardian. But what chances did this youngster have, even with the speckled brute’s help?



“Hey,” Rose sniffed towards the smaller brute, “If ya plan on taking this one with you, let me stand as guard. We may all live in this building, but I trust the other dogs as far as I can throw them.” She fell silent for a moment before adding and pointing to the two brutes, “Aside from these two, maybe.” Didn’t even know these dog’s names, but she’d imagine they were far more honorable than any mutt that lived in this old structure. “We should get out of here, come on, the air might make us sick.” Once out in the hall way, the fae saw a small gathering of dogs all whispering among each other gawking at the scene of the broken down door. She supposes word spread, that and the noise undoubtedly attracted some attention. Holding her head high the fae barked, “What are you fools lookin’ at? Have plenty of time to gawk and not help I see.” With a snarl some of the crowd backed away, the red fae’s fur bristled, clearly agitated. Slowly she cast a look over her should to the two brutes and pup. Seeing the youngster’s gaunt form, thin, under fed, scared. There was lump in the fae’s throat, this wasn’t right, this pup could have died and these dogs would have looked the other way. All of them could have easily broken down the door, but only three dogs on this entire damn floor were the only ones who bothered to help. No one was looking out for each other, not even looking out for a single pup.

“Oi, what’s all your names.” The she-dog turned her body to full face the three dog’s. “Rose is mine and you pup, you’re welcomed to stay at my flat. That goes for you two as well.” She pointed her muzzle at the two brutes. “It’s not often I see dog’s worth a damn ‘round here.”​
 


Tai M1-K9 03-573

Time: 100 hours, Mid-day
Warm, partially cloudy
Location: Apartment Complex
Scent: Dirty, unpleasant, trash, other dogs


Tai kept to his post while the other three dogs talked amongst themselves. He had no particular thoughts on the situation since this was something he was used to dealing with on a daily bases, and the most use he could be right now was standing guard while the three talked. While he sat there he began to notice an increasing number of other dogs starting to gather outside of the apartment, and he began to tense while his fur bristled, watching them all with those sharp ice-blue eyes. None of them seemed too keen to venture inside of the room and make trouble, all of them simply curious as to what all the racket was about and came to investigate, though he wondered where that enthusiasm was when the pup had been crying at the door. He thought about alerting the others of their audience when the red fae made the first move, claiming that they should all leave to escape the smell, and Tai couldn't agree more. The stench was starting to make him sick and no doubt the pup had enough of it. He was worried that the pup may be ill, not just from the stench but also from being malnourished. In fact, there still may be all kinds of lasting problems on the pup they have yet to discover.

He let the others walk out first before following behind them, still able to smell traces of the stench out in the hallway but it wasn't nearly as bad. Tai kept guard at the rear, his eyes on the dogs that had gathered together, feeling incredibly uncomfortable and exposed. He was tense and had to resist the urge to growl at the other dogs to avoid any unnecessary confrontation, but there was certainly a more dangerous and tense air about him as he stared at the other dogs, as though daring them to even try to attack. Luckily none of the other dogs seemed too keen to do so, especially when the red fae barked at them, all of them beginning to disperse from the scene and avoiding confrontation. Tai began to relax as they retreated, obviously none too caring about what was going on or offering any sort of help.

Tai's attention went to the red fae as she addressed, his ears perked towards her. Well that was unexpectantly courteous of her to offer her flat to three strangers. The pup made sense and perhaps even the small speckled dog since both could easily be handled if they suddenly tried something, but him? She wouldn't really be able to take all of them so for her to be comfortable enough to allow them into her home was strangely kind and trusting of her, though Tai was sure she didn't entirely trust them and had ways to handle herself when it came down to it. He had no doubt in his mind that if they all did turn on her then she would have a way to escape. She seemed to be that kind of dog.

Honestly, Tai hadn't even thought about what he'd do afterward. He had expected to go on his way, to continue his journey to nowhere, with no set destination or plan. He had been a wanderer for a long while now, with no real home to call his own, sleeping in the strangest and most unsafe places. It would be nice to have an actual roof over his head, where he didn't need to constantly worry about being snuck up on in his sleep, to have others he might possibly be able to rely on. Of course, he didn't trust them completely, but from what he had seen, both the brute and fae were the good sort. The small brute had shown more bravery than he had seen in full-grown dogs bigger than him, and kindness to seek help from others in order to save another. The fae had a sense of authority about her and was quick to act, with a sense to help those in need that were too weak to do so on their own. Both dogs didn't seem like the kind to bite him in the back should the opportunity arise. And the pup was only a pup, uninfluenced by the evils of the world, though sadly she had gone through an experience that no pup should have to endure.

"That is very kind of you to offer." Tai responded to the fae. "I have had no place to go for quite some time. It would be an honor if I could stay here, at least for a while. I can only offer my skills in return for your hospitality."

Rose. So that was her name and what a fitting name it was. Rose like the red of her pelt. "My identification is Tai." Of course, he had also been referred to as 'Soldier' or 'Biter' or '03-573' or just '573' but he felt just Tai would suffice.



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