Finding Home || Stray Dog Roleplay || Open

[L.I.N.G.E.R]

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𝔹𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕜 𝕁𝕒𝕔𝕜
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⧼I'll scream it until my heart comes out of my chest⧽

Nickname: JackxxxAge: Five YearsxxxGender: MalexxxRank: Alphaxxx
Crush: NonexxxMate: NonexxxPups: Nonexxx
Location: Courthouse stepsxxxTags: Everyonexxx

⧼And leave it to the music to transcend the rest⧽
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Late in the night the ground had started to shake and a rumble filled the air, once silent and peaceful. This stirred the black husky from his slumber, blue eyes darting open in alarm and quickly he was to his paws jumping over the still sleeping form of his brother. The cool night air that swirled in from the open windows brought a dangerous scent with it, carried on the wind was the smell of humans and their machines. What were they doing here? Down the stairs Black Jack went, his paws skipping two stairs at a time as he jumped to the landing and rushed towards the door, it hung crooked on its hinges and remained permanently ajar, but none of the dogs seemed bothered by it. If anything it was a relief to have the door open, it made for an easy escape should the dogs ever need it. The door opened to the inn that most of the pack stayed in during the night, there were plenty of beds for the dogs to choose from and it made sleeping comfortable and warm.

As soon as Jack stepped through the threshold of the door the foul stench of the human machines assaulted his senses and he found himself growling. He crouched low and crawled down the three stairs on the street in front of the inn, his body turned fully to face the bright lights in the distance. Humans had such poor night vision that they needed artificial light to find their way, why were they coming in the night? Surely they couldn’t actually do anything until day time. A frown settled upon his muzzle, he settled in the shadows on the street watching as the lights got closer, their approach causing the ground to tremble and the fumes from the machines circulated through the air. What were they planning to do with their machines? It had been years since any humans occupied this town, that was why Jack chose this place to settle down, it seemed safe, but perhaps he had been wrong and the humans were just waiting for an opportune time to return and retake the town as their own.

Eventually the machines were close enough for Jack to make out their outlines, they were large and intimidating, but he couldn’t tell exactly what they were without getting closer. Right at the edge of the town they stopped and shut down, the trembling stopped, but the stench remained. Black Jack heard approaching paw steps, but didn’t look to see who it was, he knew it was Axiel even before his brother plopped down carelessly next to him. Axi surveyed the situation, but did not speak as he watched the figures of humans mill about their machines and slowly disappear to settle down for the rest of the night. The moon was high within the stars suggesting it was around midnight. A sigh coursed through Jack and he shifted to press against his brother and share warmth with him. He wasn’t planning on going back inside to sleep, he was going to stay up the rest of the night and keep an eye on the humans and their machines, it seemed that Axi had the same idea in mind. It wasn’t often that the brothers were far apart, Axiel always had Jack’s back.

The night passed without any further activity from the humans, but still Black Jack remained on guard, especially as the sun started to peak over the horizon to signal that dawn had arrived. The pack meeting would start soon and Black Jack would have to address this situation. Axiel stirred next to him and he looked over to watch his brother rise and shake his ruff before settling his multi colored eyes on Black Jack. His voice was the rougher of the two brothers, but held no hostility when speaking to Black Jack. “What do you plan to do?” He asked simply, Axiel was a fighter though he was the older and larger of the two, he did not see himself as alpha material. Jack wasn’t sure why, even he didn’t know what went on in Axiel’s head. “I don’t know, but the safety of the pack comes first, I will discuss with everybody about what should be done.” His response was clipped and his body tense as he rose, his muscles sore from being out here all night. Axiel watched with intrigue stepping around his younger brother, granted they were only a few minutes apart, and looked down main street towards where the machines sat in a state of sleep. Humans and their inventions. Axiel snorted at the lifeless creations before turning back towards his brother and giving him a nudge.

His inner thoughts told him to go chew some holes in those tires of the machines, the rubber would be quite tasty, and the chewing would feel good for his teeth. Humans were not safe though, Axiel always hated humans, he was thankful that him and Jack had been born to life on the streets, the cozy life of a house pet would not satisfy him. His first instinct was to remain and protect his home from the foul humans, take a few of them out of this world and feel their essence on his paws. He almost smirked at the thought, they would deserve such a fate, especially if they wanted to destroy this sanctuary. He was not in charge however, he had given that right to his brother, Axiel’s sanity was not properly intact though he did a brilliant job of hiding it outwardly. On the inside his thoughts were always stirring, wanting to find trouble, wanting to cause mayhem. Yet, his brother kept him grounded and that was why they remained close, without his brother Axiel would have been lost long ago, the trappings of his mind overcoming him with ease.

In a way he was grateful that nobody could see the horrors that found a home inside his head. He licked around his muzzle, his black and white fur starting to warm from the rays of the sun that were showing over the horizon. As Black Jack moved to the courthouse Axiel followed, his tail out behind him and his ears flicked back to listen and see if the humans were stirring yet. When the sun rose the humans did, the pack wouldn’t have much time to come to a decision before the humans started their day. Black Jack was focused on the steps in front of him, taking one step at a time as he made his way to the top, aware that Axiel stopped and sat at the bottom waiting for the rest of the pack to gather. Keeping his back to the street Jack looked up at the courthouse in front of him and then beyond to the lightening sky, golden light spilling through the darkness. He wished for luck for his pack to survive whatever strife may now come their way. A meeting happened each morning at dawn and each night before the pack headed off to sleep so it was only a matter of time before the pack gathered below him. Some might have been awoken in the night like he was, some could be just waking up to gather for the meeting.

He heard a soft grunt behind him calling him out of his thoughts and he turned to spot his brother gesturing to the gathering pack. Jack nodded gratefully to Axi and turned to face the pack, letting them settle and wake up a little bit, looking over them to eye the circle of machines at the edge of the town. How much time did they have? Deciding that they had a very limited amount of time Jack barked for attention, a loud sound that would quiet any talking so he held the attention of his subordinates. A heavy sigh carried through him and he took a seat at the top of the stairs, his fluffy black tail curling around his large paws. He took a moment to look at each pack member, study them, see if he could read them and know what they were thinking. He was a little lost in this moment, but when he looked at Axiel all of his fear vanished at the look of faith his older brother had. He sat a little straighter and puffed out his chest, there was no room for doubt in the mind of a leader so Jack had to have courage and strength to keep his pack united and working together in this time. Without further paused he spoke, his voice grave, but he had hope that the pack would get through this.

“As you may have noticed, humans have come with their machines in the night. They pose a threat to us and our way of life. I feel that they will try to reclaim this town from us, and I don’t know if they will do it in such a way as to cause us no harm.” He looked over the faces of his pack members as he spoke. He didn’t want to frighten any of them, but he wanted them to know the truth, only then could the pack truly come to a decision on what to do about the current situation. “I wish to hear the opinions of my pack mates and so I ask you all now. Do we fight or do we flee? If we fight we not only face the humans, but their machines as well and I do not know if we will survive such a fight, but if we flee we must decide which way we will go. There will be dangers along the way, but it might still be the safer option. The majority will decide our fate, please choose wisely my friends.” With that he cut himself off waiting for someone, anyone to speak their mind. The first to speak was Axiel, and Black Jack was hardly surprised by his answer.

“We should fight! This is our home!” He called out, Jack gave him a nod to signify that he heard him, but one opinion did not out voice the others, even if it was his brother. If most agree with Axiel then the pack would fight, but if they did not then the pack would flee. Running was Jack’s preferred option, he knew the destruction that the humans could cause and he wanted no part in it, but if the pack wanted to stay then he would lead them into battle and hope for the best. The risks were high either way, he just hoped that he could lead his pack well and at least keep most of them alive. An overwhelming feeling struck him as he realized how many lives he held in his paws, a feeling that nearly made him tremble. On the inside it momentarily consumed him though on the outside he remained calm. That feeling was on he had never known in his time here before. It had been so long that he had almost forgotten what it was. Now he remembered, and there was only one word to describe it, one fateful word, one disturbing emotion, that crashed down upon him. Fear.

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𝔸𝕩𝕚𝕖𝕝
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⧼We do it our own way⧽

Nickname: AxixxxAge: Five YearsxxxGender: MalexxxRank: Warriorxxx
Crush: NonexxxMate: NonexxxPups: Nonexxx
Location: Courthouse stepsxxxTags: Everyonexxx

⧼No matter what they try to say about it⧽
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His post is part of Black Jack's post, until they are separated or have separate characters tagged they will both remain under Black Jack.

[w0ah]

xx--- ( BEVERLY ) ---
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name beverly. age five and a half yrs.
gender fae. rank warrior. location c
ourthouse steps. tagged pack. -- ( ♕ )
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Exhausted from the day's tasks, the lean fae carefully stepped up the staircase leading to higher levels of the inn, where mostly all of the dogs slept away the night. There were rooms with carefully arranged furniture untouched, beside the beds with their sheets and all still intact. It was strange how the humans just abandoned the town, leaving it to crumble and fall. They left almost all their unwanted possessions behind. If you were to pull open a drawer from the main lobby desk downstairs, there would still be pens and other assortments of office supplies stored inside. Why leave all these items behind? Didn't it cost them so much just to build the place, let alone buy everything inside?

Beverly hoisted herself up off of the last step, tired eyes peeking inside the rooms as she walked by. All the beds seemed occupied, as she walked on to try and find a room with a bed, any bed, available. She stopped just at the door of a room farther off from the stairs, searching inside. There was a dog already there and sleeping, but being a room with two beds, just enough for a dog in each, there was still one available for her to take. She yawned and stepped inside, quiet as to not wake her pack-mate as they slept peacefully in the other bed across the room. She carefully jumped atop the bed and pawed at the sheets, as to reconfigure them to her comfort. She laid down, testing the spot, before standing and moving the sheets around with her nose. One satisfied, she plopped down on the spot and sighed in content, which then morphed into an exhausted yawn. She glanced back to the dog sleeping on the other bed, before shifting around until her back was to the door. She laid her heavy head upon the worn sheets and closed her eyes, shortly drifting off into a deep slumber.

Although her exhausted body kept her asleep through all the slightest sounds of the night, she couldn't keep herself asleep at the loud sounds that drew in at the dead of night. She shot awake suddenly, her head up in seconds as her eyes blinked to readjust. She yawned, before being interrupted by the same horrendous sounds that woke her from her sleep. Her ears flew back and she whined in fear, tail tucked between her legs. She was wide awake now, her eyes wide as she frantically searched the room. The dog on the other bed, a large, black, wolfish dog, also laid away, a look of shock upon their face. Beverly quickly stood, fighting through the exhaustion as she quickly made her way toward the shattered window in their room. She jumped up, front paws resting upon the ledge as she gazed out the window. The noise erupted out of nowhere once more and shook the whole inn building, the structure groaning and moaning. As some movement in the distance caught her eye, Beverly's expression morphed into one of pure terror.

Her breath caught in her throat and she froze, her whole frame trembling. There, heading toward the town, was a group of huge human working machines, a black smoke rising into the night air. As she finally took a breath, she stopped short as a burning sensation rose in her throat. She coughed, eyes tearing up. Her throat and nose burned, her face scrunched up in discomfort. She quickly hopped down from the window, coughing uncontrollably. The large black dog quickly jumped from their bed, coming to aid her as she wheezed and coughed. Breathing heavily, the coughing stopped, but the burning in her throat stayed. She looked up to the brute, blinking away the tears that formed in her eyes. "Look," She croaked, her voice hoarse. "Look out the window." The brute nodded before stepping away. She looked over her shoulder as she watched, noticing as his expression shifted into one of disgust and anger. Beverly looked away and her head drooped. The one thing she needed right now was water, to clear her burning throat.

Standing, her legs felt weak as she took shaky steps toward the door. She felt a swish of air as the brute rushed by her side, walking beside her as to give her support. "I need some water, badly." Beverly croaked. The brute shook his head, stepping in front of her as to block her from moving on. "No, it's too dangerous. We'll go in the morning, before the meeting." He spoke, his voice calm. "But for now, you need to get back to bed and rest. You look exhausted. I'll stay up, and I promise to wake you if anything happens." For some reason, Beverly found herself listening to him, nodding her head in defeat as she slowly made her way to the bed. The brute helped to hoist her up onto the bed before heading back toward the window. "Thank you." She sighed, before once again falling asleep, as the noises had stopped and the night was silent once more.

The sound of waking canines awoke the fae. She opened her tired eyes, her vision blurred. She blinked, glancing around the room as she spotted the large black brute sitting wide awake before the window. She shook her head and stood, before jumping down and going to stand by his side. He looked down to her, his eyes tired and he drooped in exhaustion. "Have you been up all night?" She woofed softly, a worried expression upon her face. The brute nodded, shaking his head as it drooped and he sighed. "The alphas been out all night, too." He said, his voice strained. Looking to the brute with a smile, she gestured for him to come along. "Come, there is a meeting we must attend. Maybe the alpha will know something about all this." She turned away and started to walk toward the door. She felt the brute come up and walk beside her, not having to look to know he was there. They headed together, exhausted, toward the meeting at the courthouse.

It was just the peak of dawn, the sun was rising ever so slightly and the sky started to morph into all different colors. The fae gazed upon the bright oranges and yellows that flooded into the sky, even a few shades of pink between. The brute had to nudge her shoulder to keep her going, snapping her back into reality. With a sigh, she nodded and followed the brute the rest of the way. The whole pack gathered just a few moments later, everyone murmuring together. There was a buzz of voices that hung over the gathering, their voices low and worried. They must all be talking about the happenings of last night. Looking over to the black brute beside her, the fae touched her nose to his shoulder in thanks. "Thank you for helping me last night." She barked, before pulling away just as the alpha, Black Jack, spoke up. His words made Beverly freeze and tremble in worry, but the brute beside her pressed up against her as to comfort her. She easily calmed, but her ears still stayed pricked and alert atop her head. Of course, Axiel spoke up first, barking for them to stay and fight.

In Beverly's mind, there was no possible way that a pack of dogs could fight off humans. She knew what they could do, and even if they could take down a few, more and more would come. They would bring there weapons and guns, so if even they had made it that far, they would never win that battle. If they were to take on one, they would be taking on all of the entire human race. That was not something the dogs could do. Their best option would be to flee. Although the trek for new territory might be dangerous, and they would never find anywhere just as special as this place, anywhere else would be safer than here at the moment. The dangers may just be as bad to face, but it would be better for the pack as a whole. Sighing. Beverly fixed her posture and held her head high, standing as she let out her opinion. "We cannot possibly fight those humans! She barked, her voice loud over the pack. "Even if we manage to take down a few, more and more will come. We must leave, flee from this place!" Having voiced her opinion to the whole pack, the fae sat back down, hoping her words may have been convincing enough.

[kay.]

||> Dublin <||

3 Years | Male | Great Dane | Healer | No Relationships | Location: Courthouse Steps | Tags: The Pack

The job of a healer: listen to this dog whining, the other getting wound up needlessly and snapping out, another crying that they think they're dying over a splinter being stuck in their pawpad. While the healers don't show their frustration, many do feel it. But for Dublin, the friendliest, happy-go-lucky chap it didn't cause much unhappiness. His easy to get along with personality put others at peace, and often he was put with the more aggressive dogs to calm them down - and because with his large size and power, they couldn't actually cause him much harm even if they did get physical. It was the perfect job for him, working with others and bettering their wellbeing, mood and health. Hardly any complaints came from him, only a beaming smile and wise words of advice. But even those good-natured dogs get tired at the end of a long day, so Dublin was relieved when everything had been cared for and he was free to return to the inn.

On the way there, he'd usually walk with a fellow healer, or at least catch the attention of some other pack member for a conversation. But tonight, even he felt... odd. Tense, however there wasn't a proper reason, and he knew he wasn't the only one who felt that way. All day, the patients were much more moody and short-tempered than usual. There seemed to be more small incidents caused by clumsiness or misfortune, only small ones like tripping up and grazing or cutting oneself, but still it was beginning to be a bit pathetic, some dogs coming in more than once. He had tried to make a light-hearted joke about it with the other healers, and while they enjoyed to have a bit of banter to make the job more enjoyable, even they had to force a smile or chuckle. He didn't blame them, though. He felt the same way, and not because they had more of a rush than normally. The whole atmosphere which hung in the air... He couldn't understand it let alone explain it. No one had dared mention it, maybe in case it would bring an immediate surge of bad luck, or make it more real, or they all hoped with him that it was just simply one of those offish days you can't wait to be over and done with. In any case, it felt like there was an elephant in the room which no one was willing to discuss, and even with his talkativeness he was not keen to begin it.

So he walked alone back to the inn that evening. As soon as he stepped through the threshold of the door, it was obvious that it wasn't just the healers feeling very much unsettled. It seemed that everyone was awaiting something bad. Hushed chattering bounced off the walls, though it wasn't like usual where there'd be laughing and certain groups being far too loud. Maybe suspicion was the word, but they all seemed to be scared of an unknown matter. He shook his head to try and pry his own negative thoughts out of his mind, and made his way to a free bed, stepping carefully over all the other dogs. Once he reached one of the two of his usual places, saved for him for the fact of his giant size, he flopped his massive body down and yawned, before resting his head on his front paws. He decided against joining in the nightly conversations, and it seemed to be a mutual feelings between the others. As more dogs finished and arrived from their respective jobs, the whisperings died down, until it was near silent. Though they probably already could assume there'd be little well-rested faces the next morning, they at least were generous enough to try give one another the chance to sleep. Dublin shut his eyes, but as expected he couldn't fall asleep for a while. Then, the sleep he got was uneasy, as he kept waking up due to thunderous noises. Sleepily, he tried to reason that it was just the weather or decaying buildings falling apart, convincing himself he really needed this rest. He always found it difficult to reason rationally when this exhausted.

- The next morning. -

Dublin's eyelids felt much heavier than usual upon being woken up by the Alpha's brother, Axiel, for a morning meeting. He didn't feel his free of worry normality, but he didn't utter a complaint true to himself. Also, he could presume that this meeting would give some sort of explanation to last night's strange events. So even though his muscles creaked and moaned in protest, he lifted himself up and made his way to the courthouse steps, where the dogs were gathered up. He was rather later, but definitely not the last one to appear. He sat down within a space in the crowd. He forced a smile at those around him, hoping they couldn't see right through it and instead saw the ordinary Dublin, always happy to see everyone.

As the Alpha began to speak, the Great Dane began to feel increasingly nauseous, and indeed, stressed. Very stressed, nervous and worried. Emotions he disliked and rarely felt, always maintaining a positive outlook on life. He was one of the minority who hadn't actually known that it was machines and humans causing the distress until now. Looking back, it made perfect sense. The air had been infected with the human's fumes. Perhaps he hadn't noticed it since he was born in as a prized house pet, bred for living alongside humans. Maybe he was used to those scents, but he knew a lot of the pack hadn't much experience with the two-leggeds. His own wasn't all bad admittedly, and his beliefs involved the fact there are good and bad humans, just like with dogs. But from this perspective, it didn't seem reasonable to 'give them a chance'. They obviously came to destroy, and they wouldn't be those kind humans who wanted to help the dogs. They'd destroy us, along with our town, if we stepped in their way.

When the Alpha allowed the crowd to vote, Dublin stared in disbelief as more dogs barked that they wanted to fight them. They couldn't fight humans - not their machines. And when there's one human, there will be a hundred more behind. They have methods of contact across countries, they have quick transport, there was no way of winning by fighting. We were outnumbered, and overpowered by far. Sure, we could fend off a small group of humans, but not when without being wounded. And when more groups come, each time we'd be weaker, while they'd have a brand new group of humans to fight us. And there was no way we could chew through the metal of their machinery, many times bigger than even my size. I rose to my paws. "We can't fight them. I'm sorry, but there is no way we can beat the hundreds, if not thousands, of humans coming from all directions. Not with their weapons and machinery, they could bring guns if needed. One shot and you're dead without even coming close a single human. I don't want to do this, but would you rather all of us be wiped out within a couple days or continue living elsewhere?" Dublin tried to control his bellowing voice, and he was left panting after his speech, looking at everyone around him. He didn't want to seem disrespectful to anyone, and they likely haven't even seen this side of him before, but he had to tell them how it'd be. Truthfully, he was scared. Very scared. Both options faced danger, and while staying and fighting may seem honorable, no one could be praised if everyone got killed. Dublin muttered a quick apology, attempting to get his breathing more even, before sitting back down, his gaze dropping to his paws and refusing to look up.

||> Jinx <||

4 Years | Female | LH Weimaraner | Huntress | No Relationships | Location: Courthouse Steps | Tags: The Pack

The cool concrete always oddly felt at least slightly damp underfoot during the night, even if it had not been raining for days previous. Jinx was well accustomed to this sensation, being it a habit to stray away from the majority of the pack unless it was needed to work together, for a hunt or meeting or some other compulsory gathering. The fae was just about tolerated by most, generally due to the fact she was somewhat of a social freak with her stubborn, difficult nature. She was often regarded as troublesome, or even rebellious, though in quite a queer manner - it's not that she committed some major crimes towards the pack, it was more that she had a mind of her own, and didn't allow anyone to alter it if she had some sort of plan or idea made up. Her habit of disappearing for often hours at a time with no notice definitely caused annoyance, especially to her authorities, but it was something she's always done since the pack found her half dead and took her in once she showed her useful skills. They had to learn to adjust with her strange ways, as confronting her rarely did much as she'd change subject in a clever tactic and then make another getaway. No one could ever find her, not unless she wanted them to, as she was the mistress of concealing herself.

This night wasn't supposed to be unlike any other. After completing all the duties she was required to do, she didn't head for the inn like most dogs did. First, she'd have her own sort of 'adventure' which she participated in every evening. She'd stalk around the many roads and alleys of the town, creeping in the shadows of decaying buildings. Breathing in the crisp air and expelling it in clouds of hazy mist, taking with it any worries or stress she had throughout the day. Fascinating teeny critters like moths would buzz around her in a dance, her solid grey eyes following their movement until they fluttered away. In reality, only she knew that only one eye could view the sight, for she was blind in the other. One of the scars left over from her unfortunate past, the less obvious one which she decided to keep a secret apart from to the Alpha. She didn't like to think it handicapped her, so she decided the best way was to not let others aware.

Tonight though, it was different. There was a peculiar atmosphere which Jinx couldn't figure out. Most nights were silent save the distant chatter from the pack, however today it was eerie and it made the fur on her scruff rise for an unknown reason. At every turn she reached, she'd cautiously check in both directions. Why was her heart beating when nothing out of the ordinary was going on? Usually she roamed these streets fearlessly, as she knew them to be safe. Her cocky nature also played a part - the belief she was invincible and could handle her own, as naive as it may appear to be in others' eyes. So why was she so jumpy and paranoid tonight?

Suddenly, some distant noise grabbed her attention. Ears perked up, her body stiffened to its full height and she lifted her nose to the sky. She didn't know how long she remained entirely still in that position for, but long enough to hear the noise repeat itself. This definitely didn't seem like anything she heard before, and it wasn't a sound which a dog could create. Now, most other rational dogs would return to inform their packmembers immediately, but Jinx wasn't that rational character. Instead, excited curiosity was sparked inside her chest, bringing boundless energy to her paws which instantly leaped forward in the direction of the noise. She was going to check it out, and since no one was ever aware of her location, no one would be able to stop her.

She ran on until she figured she was approaching the cause, and she halted to a steady standstill. She allowed her tongue to roll out of her mouth and have a breather, but she kept her body perfectly tense and her volume practically inaudible. A few seconds later, she had 'disappeared' into the shadows of some buildings, keeping herself nearly completely flat against the ground. Over the years, she had perfected this disappearing act, so whatever the thing was it was unlikely to glimpse her before she worked out what it was. Edging slowly closer, the noise occurred once again. Loudly. It was definitely very near to her, but instead of poking fear into her, it encouraged her to take another few steps forward. She peeped around the corner of a lonely building at the edge of the town, and there she saw it. Admittedly, she wasn't as close to it as she first assumed, but then she didn't know what 'it' was. Enormous beasts, it seemed like something out of a science-fiction film. Her eye widened in shock, but that was the only emotion she showed. The lights made it difficult to focus, but she could make out the outline of the machines against the dark night sky. They were still rather far, but way too close for comfort. Machines? Humans? What was going on? Another crash sounded, and Jinx was gone.

- The next morning. -

Jinx was no stranger to insomnia, so she didn't sleep any different to the ordinary night. Barely an hour of incredibly light sleep at a time, before waking up, spending a longer while trying to doze off again, and repeat until dawn. It was a miracle that she never appeared to be tired, never complained of it, never even thought let alone spoke about it. She could feel the tension of the situation between the pack members sleeping at the inn. It was pointless wondering if they knew about it - even if they didn't know what, it was safe to assume more or less all of them were unsettled due to sensing something happening. But was she scared herself? What did she feel when she saw the machines, in a far too close distance? She was likely the one to get nearest to them, yet while she felt surprise, she didn't know if she was afraid. Her feelings have always been messed up, she never showed any. Her expression always remained neatly monotone, her eyes an unchanging focused grey, her body stiff and ready for something at all times. No one could understand her, and truthfully she rarely understood herself, so it was difficult to work out what she felt upon seeing the humans' dirty work.

At the meeting, she didn't sit down until most of the pack members had gathered and settled, then she took a seat behind all of them where she wouldn't feel crowded and it was less likely anyone would bother her. She could assume the subject of the meeting, though she was curious as to what actions the Alpha would take. Through his words, she listened patiently with an unwavering expression and matching emotions. So predictable, she thought to herself. Immediately, the pack members began piping their opinions in one by one. Surprisingly, they seemed to have a split, some calling out about the humans being too powerful, others enthusing about their willingness to fight them. She felt the need to sigh and shake her head at them, they needed a better way to settle this dispute than to bark over each other at the Alpha. Nonetheless, she remained motionless.

Her opinion, you ask? She left it unvoiced thus far, deciding that whatever was shouted out now wouldn't benefit one in any way. If they wanted to know, they could ask her personally, but she never enjoyed being part of the crowd. But, if you were to ask her, she'd say to fight. While she loved to run, she didn't like to escape from existing problems. Avoid causing any by escaping them, yes, but the humans were already here. And this was their home. She wasn't pleased that the streets she roamed every night were being intruded by the two-legs, and with her stubborn personality she didn't want to let them get away with it by leaving. She'd give it her all, as she was sure the others would too. Often quick to snap, she wanted to snap right at them as she did whenever she felt someone needed to be punished or corrected.

[kleinerdrache]

♆ C ᴀ ɪ ɴ
-----Belgian Malinois || Warrior

Cain sat very still, watching and listening to the dogs around him. He, like everybody else, had heard the humans in the night. He had spent a lot of time learning to attack humans-- how to bite them, where to bite them, what to do to incapacitate them so his master was able to subdue them properly. He knew the ins and outs of fighting humans, but was most likely the only one. He didn't know of the other dogs, but based on the little he knew about them, he didn't believe any of them had received the human attack training that he had. So he definitely had something to say-- but first, listen. Listening was always more important. His thought process was interrupted when Dublin barked out, silencing the rest of the pack. What he had to say made the most sense to Cain-- these few, ragtag dogs, without proper training would have no way to defeat the humans. They would all be torn up by their machines-- if they were to survive, it was time for them to find a new home. Cain stood up, towering over the rest of the sitting dogs.

"I agree with Dublin," he rumbled, his deep voice cutting through the foray. "I agree with Dublin!" He barked loudly, in hopes the Alpha would hear. "As far as I know, I am the only one who was trained by humans on how to attack, subdue, and fight humans," He growled. "And there's no way we would make it. There would be none of us left," he finished, sitting down. He wasn't a dog of many words, and felt like he had adequately said his piece-- he knew what it took, and as a group, they didn't have it. Who knew how many humans were coming, and the dogs weren't strong enough. It wasn't fun to admit, but it was necessary. Cain wasn't one to submit to delusions, especially delusions that could get you hurt, or worse-- killed. And as a warrior, he had the entire pack to think about. He stood up again, feeling the need to speak.

"How many of us could truly fight this battle? Few of us are true warriors, battle-tested and hardened," he growled, looking around at the other dogs. "Fighting humans is not like fighting other dogs. They are more advanced, more prepared, and more vicious than other dogs could ever be!" He shook his head in dismay, hearing how many of the other dogs wanted to fight. "I for one know that fighting for our home is not the right choice. We need to find a new home, and soon-- before the humans take ours by force, halving our numbers, leaving the pack hopelessly crippled. This is not a fight for us to win, only to lose." He sat down again, tired of speaking. He had already said his piece, and if the Alpha were to take it into consideration, then that was his prerogative. He should, seeing that Cain knew what he was talking about, when it came to fighting humans.

But then again, where would they go? Cain had no idea. They were basically trapped on all sides. Even he wasn't going to be able to defeat the wolves, and being dogs on the city streets wasn't what he was looking for anymore. That was a rough, hard life, and what they had here was good. He didn't want to leave, don't get him wrong-- he just didn't see any other feasible option. The humans were much, much stronger than the dogs, and he cared too much about the pack to let them sentence themselves to death. He looked around for Kali, blinking-- if anything could clear his mind, it would be the beautiful Beta. He wasn't used to emotions, but there was definitely something about her that made him feel calmer. He shook his head, clearing away the pesty thoughts-- he didn't want to feel emotions about anybody, especially now.


❈ Z ᴀ ʀ ᴀ
-----Black Lab x German Shepherd || Lead Huntress
Zara padded over to the edge of the meeting, sitting down next to some other dogs. She perked her ears forward, eager to find out what was happening-- whatever it was, she was afraid, if she were being honest with herself. She knew everything about their home-- where everything was, the best places to hunt, the best hiding spots-- Zara knew it all. There was a reason she was the lead huntress. Listening to what everyone had to say, dismay and anger and fear-- an entire whirlwind of emotions, some unidentifiable -- tore apart Zara's insides. She was terrified, terrified of losing her home, terrified of staying, terrified of leaving-- she didn't know what to say, listening to the other dogs bark and fight over whether they should leave. She squeezed her eyes shut, breathing hard. She simply couldn't leave-- she couldn't lose her home, not again. She couldn't fathom losing her family again...

Zara stood up, barely poking above the rest of the dogs surrounding her as she reached her head as high as she could. "How can you even think of leaving?" She barked, her hair standing on end. "Where would we be able to find food? We would starve, not knowing the area!" She shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe you can even think of leaving, we have to fight! We have to!" She barked again, but slumped back down to sitting. That little surge of anger, of fear, had suddenly taken everything out of her. She didn't know how she was supposed to handle leaving her home-- being here was all she had ever known. She felt tears welling up in her eyes, thinking of the last time her family left her, how alone she would be. If they tried to stay, that could happen again. But if they left, where would they go?

She whined, sadness welling up inside her. They had an impossible decision before them-- no matter what they chose to do, they could all end up dead. And Zara didn't know if that was something she could handle-- she was Lead Huntress, in charge of finding and procuring food for the pack, and she did a very good job of it. But how would she do that somewhere else? She just wanted everything to go back to what it was, for the humans to go away and leave the pack alone, so that they could live in peace. What were they even harming, anyways? The humans abandoned this area. What gave them the right to take it back? Zara had no answer for her last question, and she doubted anyone else did, either. So she remained silent, praying that things would be okay.

[Alizei]

x🙔 R E N N A 🙒
▛ ▘▘▘▘▘▘▘▘▘▘▜
xxxaliases ; Ren, Reni
xxxsex ; female
xxxage ; two & a half
xxxrank ; lead healer
xxxcrush ; ⌀
xxxxxxxxxx🙝
▙▗▗▗▗▗▗▗▗▗▗ ▟

↬ tagged ; pack

↬ mentioned ; pack

↬ location ; courthouse

The night was like all the others for Renna. The healer, after collecting missing herbs, got back to an old car which was her 'base'. She stored all medical supplies there and enjoyed sleeping on comfortable backseats. Life was better for her without humans. Way better. The fae really hated them. They were the ones who used to chase her away from her shelters, yell at her for taking their food or giving her a disgusted look when she was walking by. But she never knew why they did this. Didn't they know that an old carton in front of their house was the only thing that kept her warm? Didn't they know that a piece of chicken she found in the garbage was keeping her from starving? They had plenty of food, so why was it so hard for them to share? They'd throw it away any way. And finally, didn't they know that she had feelings like them? It did hurt, seeing all of them avoid her. And all she did was for survival. She had nobody. After Renna's owner left her behind, she was on her own.

But everything changed when all humans moved. It happened so suddenly. Renna would never expect something like this happen. At first, she was afraid it spelled something bad. But as time was passing and nothing happened, she calmed down. She didn't know that it will bring the biggest and probably the best change in her life. Renna joined a dog pack which formed after humans' disappearance. They were like a family to her. She learnt what a pack bond is and how strong it can be. The border collie discovered a new way to live. A better way.

A noise dragged her out of her sleep. The fae jumped in shock on all her fours and hit the overhead. Renna's tail quickly found its way between her hindlegs when a familar stench drifted into her nostrils. Humans. The healer licked her nose and sniffed the air. The smell was everywhere. The merle dog leapt out through a car window and landed on a hard concrete. The stench was everywhere and it was much stronger here than inside her car. The noises startled Renna and she immediately thought about running away. Fur along her spine rose and her ears laid flattened to her cranium. She noticed some pack members come out of the buildings. Although the fae was scared, she felt slightly safer with them being close. There was no way she was going to spend the rest of the night alone. The border collie quickly trotted into one of the buildings, escaping from the terrifing noises and awful scent of the humans and fuel, which made their machines, like cars, run. She never missed their stench nor their loud, smelly vehicles. When she got inside the building, Renna went as far inside as possible and curled up in the corner, still shuddering in fear. She was never that scared of them. But this time they surprised her. The fae started worrying about her pack. Renna didn't know why they humans came back, but it wasn't good. And she didn't want anything happen to any of them. She couldn't wait for the meeting which was going to take place in the morning. The border collie wanted to know what they thought about this and what should they do.

Renna couldn't fall asleep that night. Although she relaxed when the machines went silent, thoughts and worries were circling in her mind like crazy, not letting her rest. The merle healer stood up when rays of the sun got into the building through the windows. The fae took a deep breath and stepped out of her shelter. Her ears shifted in different directions, searching for any sound that would be a sign of humans. As she glanced around, the fae could see forms of the machines on the horizon, surrounding the town. But they were silent. Unfortunately, the scent of humans was still in the air. It was weaker than few hours ago what meant that they didn't stay here for the night. Her silver eyes followed her pack members, which were heading to the courthouse for a dawn meeting. Renna joined them, trotting after them quickly, her ears still alert and nose busily checking the scents. When she got to the gathering, the healer sat with other pack members, patiently waiting for the alpha to speak. She could feel the atmosphere being tense. Finally, she heard the loud bark of the leader and perked her ears, listening to his words when he spoke. Renna sighed when he said that the humans might want to claim the town. Why were they taking their home from them? They don't want the town anyway! When Black Jack told them the choice they had, she thought that leaving was a better option. Both choices were risky, but in her opinion fighting the humans was impossible and would risk most lives in the pack. She heard some of the members bark that they should fight, and the others to flee. Renna didn't like seeing them becoming divided, but the decision had to be made. She never liked being in the spotlight, so she decided to remain silent. Renna just listened to her pack, turning her head to the ones who spoke.

[artemis,]

K A L I
female - 4 years - beta fae - voice (raksha) - crush/mate; none - tags; -

Kali padded down the dripping alleyway, crinkling her black nose at the unpleasant smell. The stench of human was nearly overwhelming. She neared the territory, however being that it was quite late, she decided to visit the old abandoned car part that was behind the fence. Using her claws, she dug through the damp dirt covering the hole, as she'd done every time she visited this place. She hummed in thought as she squeezed through the opening and quietly trotted to the thing. It was half a car, destroyed in some accident and nobody ever bothered to take it to a junkyard. Kali had yet to tell anyone about this, anyway. She leapt up onto the cool, cushiony padding and laid down, her head coming to rest on her large black paws. Her eyes darted towards the deep blue sky, and soon the black shepherd felt sleepy. Soon, she drifted off into a short slumber.

---

Kali had trouble sleeping most nights. That night was no different. She awoke, blinking the sleep out of her eyes. It had been a fitful night, so she decided to get up. Stretching out her long, large limbs, she jumped down from the seat. Squeezing tiredly through the hole, she padded to the camp. As she neared, she heard the familiar voices of Dublin and Cain. She flicked her ears, her expression was unreadable as she traveled across the camp and to the gathering. Hearing the argument, she piped up. Knowing it was her duty as beta to express an opinion, she did. Her posture stood dominant, her head was raised high, and her voice was powerful. "It would be foolish to attempt a battle against these humans." She said, pausing and letting her dark eyes scan the pack. "We've lost many lives against other packs alone, do you think it would be a logical decision to battle the humans? Especially with the machines they wield. It is not cowardice, merely common sense. I do agree, this is our home... but I do not believe it is worth the lives that we may lose over territory." She said, and sat down to show she was finished talking.

[/trainwreck/]

Cato

Male/Dogo Argentino/2.5 years

Cato lay curled up in his bed, the blankets tightly wrapped around his muscled, white body. His cropped ears twitched with anxiety as he struggled to sleep. He tried to close his eyes and lay very still, but that seemed useless. He would toss and turn, trying every thing he could think of to try to sleep. No matter what he did, it was not working. Groaning in frustration he jumped up onto his paws, standing unsteadily on his bed. He glanced out the window from there, looking at the ground below. It all seemed somewhat calm and peaceful. There shouldn't be any reason why he couldn't sleep. However, he wasn't exactly tired, either. With a sigh, the dogo dropped down off his bed and left his room, making his way down the stairs and padded through the crooked front door.

The moon wasn't quite yet risen as he walked down the street, the cool asphalt grazing his paw pads. He wasn't exactly sure where he wanted to go or what he wanted to do. He considered hunting, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to spend his time focused on animals camouflaged by the night. It felt pointless. Cato picked up his pace steadily, eventually breaking out into a full sprint. He panted heavily, figuring he could wear himself out if he did some vigorous cardio. He kept running until he could hear his heart pounding in his chest. Around this time, he slowed back down into a trot. His mouth was uncomfortably dry. He knew there wasn't any water where he currently was, so he decided to turn around and make his way back to the inn.

Passing some of the crumbling buildings on his way made him uncomfortable. Cato wasn't one to get intimidated easily as he was very outgoing and open minded. A fowl scent gently lingered in the air. Pausing, he sniffed around in the air, trying to locate where it was coming from. He determined it was coming from a building on his left. Cato stepped towards the building cautiously, slipping through a gaping hole in the wall. Stepping inside, something didn't feel right. The ground had begun to gently, and then violently shake under his paws. Pieces of brick began to fall from the building, dust raining down. Coughing, he turned around and leapt through the hole, catching his foot on a ledge as he made it through. He fell to the ground, landing heavily on his chin. Shaking himself off, Cato quickly dashed back to the inn, scared out of his mind.

He flew up the stairs, running past all of the rooms, unsure if anyone else was awake or not. He jumped up, placing both paws on the windowsill. He peered out and looked across the land, not being able to see anything but the lights of a human machine. He froze in his place and his fur prickled with anticipation.

-The Next Morning-

Cato awoke, stretched and leapt off his bed, trudging along and making his way downstairs for the pack's morning meeting. He sat down along the sides, not necessarily near anyone and listened intently, only losing his attention once or twice. He was exhausted and wanted to go back to sleep. He kept thinking about the ground shaking. He processed Jack's words through his mind and came to his own conclusion, "I think we should flee. Humans are terrible and disgusting creatures! They only use us for their enjoyment and they will kill us!" He snarled, rising to his feet with hostility.

Natalya/Spencer

Male/corgi/5 years
Female/Corgi/3.5 years

Startled by sudden rumbling, Natalya woke up from her deep slumber. She was in a state REM, despite having a horrible dream of her being cornered with her brother, seeing him slowly being ripped apart and eaten alive by an unknown creature. She was left helpless. Thankful to be awake, she panicked at the shaking. Some dust fell from the ceiling above, coating her bed and her brother who was still asleep. She stood up, nearly losing her balance. She tried to see out the window, but to no avail. It was too high for her short legs. Scared, she nudged Spencer awake.
"Spence! Wake up! There's an earthquake!" She whimpered. Spencer barely opened his eyes,
"Shut up, Natalya. Go back to sleep." He mumbled, turning his head to the side, away from Natalya. Hurt by his remarks, she pawed at one of his ears.
"Spencer, I'm serious!" She cried.
The dog raised his head, sitting up. He examined the situation, and then laid back down.
"I don't care, Natalya. Leave me alone!" He snapped.

Natalya's ear flattened back against her head as she lay back down, still very startled by the sudden shaking. This has never happened before and she was scared. It didn't help that Spencer didn't care, either. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and tried to fall back to sleep.

-The next morning-

Natalya woke up, dreariness clung heavily in her eyes. She let out a big yawn and hopped down from her bed, shaking dust off her pelt. Looking back, she saw that Spencer was already gone. Her heart sunk. Why washer brother acting more rude than usual? Shaking the thoughts away, she made her down stairs for the meeting, only to see her brother sitting in the front row, a snarl on his face.
"We need to fight!" He cried out, nearly looking ready to bite another dog. "I'm not standing to lose my home to this despicable creatures!"
Anxiety prickled through Natalya's pelt as she made her way over, figuring out what was going on.

"Brother, it's too dangerous to fight! Don't you see that?" She whined to Spencer. Spencer just looked at her dead in the eyes, not taking any of her crap.
"You're so foolish, Natalya. How do you expect us to survive anywhere else? We're lucky we even found this forsaken home." He snapped, baring his teeth at her. Natalya buffed out her chest, standing up to him.
"Forsaken home? Brother, it's becoming infested with humans! You think you can fight them?" She retorted.
Suddenly, a large dog stepped in.

Dakota

Female/Caucasian Ovtcharka/3 years

"I'd like to see you, take on a human...one on one." She snarled at Spencer. Dakota's fur was bristling, amazed by how insane this little dog seemed to be.
Spencer stood up on his paws, not willing to back down.
"Yeah, I can take 'em on! Just you watch!" He shot back. Dakota rolled her eyes, gently pushing him over.
"I'd like to see you try, shrimp. You're too small to even do something like that." She said, shaking her head. Dakota decided to sit down next to Natalya. "I'm not even sure if I can do something like that, and I was bred to hunt bears." She then muttered to herself, debating if she wanted to stay or not.
The thought of leaving made her heart feel heavy. This had been her true home ever since she left her master's house.
She stared at her paws, not entirely sure what to say.

[L.I.N.G.E.R]

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