╭ ✦. nevermore | a dog roleplay | closed!

[vertigo]

‛ＡＴＬＡＳ！

age. 3 years x for. the group x role. the ambivalent x words. 970
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space
the stiffness in his bones, the ache in his eyes, the dryness of his tongue━it was all the eurasier's mind could focus on as he opened his dark, amber eyes to curiously peer around his metal confinements. the narrow walls reverberated with an unforgiving, high-pitched hum, in which provided the large cream dog with no other choice but to tightly fold their ears against the sides of his head. a stern expression found itself plastered upon his stout face, and needless to say . . . atlas was not having a great time. the unfamiliar thumb-keepers in which had taken him in at least had the decency to provide him with a semi-decent, comfortable bed━it was acceptably soft and prevented him and his body from making contact with the chilled, uncomfortable and wiry floor . . . yet his muscles continued to scream at him with each and every slight movement he would make. and with that being said, for a few moments he simply did what he did best━stared in silence━with his bushy tail curled over his velvety grey nose. his gaze traveled through the mouth of his crate and into the open space of the plane, before trailing upwards to connect with the soft-pink face of several thumb-keepers. there was not very much that he could see due to his position, though with a gruff of effort, he hauled himself up onto a sitting position and ran his tongue nervously over his lips.
indentuh, where am i?━and where on earth am i going? . . . i can't help but wonder why i'm here. as a million thoughts swirled and twisted among the dog's already over-stimulated brain, he struggled to grasp hold of any sensible answers. wherever the answers were, if one thing was for sure, he knew that a large portion of him longed to be back at home with the content sighs and comforting sights of the acquainted watch dogs around him. and here he was, alone in a stone-cold cage with all but a friendly face aside him. it was not like him to despise the alone time as much as he currently did, but really, what else was there to do? it wasn't like he could change how he felt because it was not a matter of how he should feel. the ache in his back eventually told him to settle back down, and so he shook his head briefly, emitting a breathy, frustrated sigh.

indentadmittingly, he felt nervous━and it was an emotion that yes━although incredibly rare━he had experienced several times before. throughout the course of his life he had been trained to ignore fear, to ignore the sensation of his fur prickling against his spine, to ignore the instinctual sensation pulling him to lick his lips. you see, a watch dog was to be cautious━a wary sentry━though not a coward. and atlas, well he had been born to serve a purpose far from the title of a coward. that being said, he kept his eyes fixated━almost as if they were trained on some invisible spectre━his heavy eyelids a fraction too slow to blink, his irises too stationary. a thumb-keeper moved into his line of sight, before reaching down to tough the side of his cheek with their finger. atlas titled his head upward to face the being, his eyes sliding into focus, before he was met with the unexpected. he froze, the corners of his mouth rising in discontent━far different from it's usual softness━and his eyes widened in place . . . and before he could fully process what had been happening to him, a thumb-keeper grasped the leather band of his new collar, only to heave all 61 pounds of him into their embracing arms.
indentatlas had endured many, many things throughout the course of his training, and this was most certainly not one of them . . . it did not take him more than a few seconds to realize that he had been thrown from the belly of the plane, plunged directly into the night air beneath his paws. his feet were tingling━no, his entire body was tingling with the sting of panic . . . his heart lodged itself in his throat, and his stomach moved to sit at his feet; he was falling. the world surrounding him had grown into a never-ending source of swirling colors and oh, his face was growing ever so closer to the floor. he let out a yelp as he realized nothing was happening, while looking down to see nothing but a deep, dark abyss. the darkness reached out for him, its hands wrapped around him, pulling him down, beckoning him to crash. he gazed at the night sky above him━the only thing he could see━a shadow loomed and then disappeared. he closed his eyes, knowing his fate. the darkness welcomed him, smiling deviously. he was falling down, down, down, and down.
indent the expected thump of the ground did not come, no. instead he was still falling . . . only then, it was utterly black.

indent he wasn't sure of how long he had been knocked unconscious━a few seconds, maybe?━though when he awoke, he was greeted once again by a semi-unfamiliar group of eyes. slowly, he attempted to pull himself onto his limbs, biting his lip to prevent from crying out. a sharp, distinct pain lanced through his head and colorful spots flashed in front of his eyes; it felt as if his whole body had been beaten, and every movement encouraged a muscle or bone to ache. regardless, he needed to get himself together, needed to get up . . . and so he did, his eyes glazing over sternly with his rough movements. he observed as a few of the canines murmured among themselves, their scents intertwined with confusion.

[darwins]

(( ❝ ── K E N O !

age: five years. gender: male. role: the languished. location: desert, helicopter. tagged: the six.
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"Keno. Keno. Keno!," cried Amelia, her desperation transparent through her anguished screams, tears running down her soft, freckled face. He could feel her fear, the despair of her loss, his chest heaving, aching, burning with grief. Keno gazed somberly after her as the apparitions faded before him, his muscles tensing as he rose wearily, pacing forward. Keno groaned as he slammed into the cage that he'd been enclosed in, the unrelenting ache of having been confined in the crate finally beginning to wear on him. It was something he'd never grown used to, even during the time he'd spent with the others at the laboratory. Soft auburn eyes gazed up through furrowed brows, his blurred vision coming into focus as he attempted to ascertain his unfamiliar surroundings. The sounds were overbearing, the rickety clanking of the turbines, the metal grating as it was met with turbulence. All of it was foreign, this thing that he was stuck on, in─anything beyond the safety of his home, the fields, the porch, Amelia's bed was a transfixing thought. Keno panted, his nose wet, his ears pinned back as he sought out any semblance of comfort in the midst of the discourse. There seemed to be a lot of them─the humans in white coats, and others he didn't recognize at all─the way they seemed to watch him made him more uneasy than he'd other been, forcing him to retreat backwards as far as he could, the sturdy black bars that lined the crate providing the illusion of his protection from the world that stood just a few lengths away. The last bars he remembered were from the shelter, the coldness in large part the only remaining memory of the time he'd spent there. He recalled his mother, pasted against the wall as he seemed to be now, reluctant and petrified, though her life had not been as forgiving as his, and she'd been raised only to know how the rigid slap of a hand felt or the brunt of a boot striking her ribs─she wore many scars, many of which held stories he'd never know nor likely comprehend. Her fear consumed her, fear of the unknown─the inability to trust, Keno knew this better than he chose to admit.

The crates crashed into one another, the barring rattling as the floor beneath shook, throwing Keno side to side, as he sought to recoil each time. Metal clanking against the sides, the main rotor blades spinning ceaslessly─whoosh woosh woosh. Keno carefully regained his balance as he stood, wobbling ever so often with the helicopter's movement─he paced forward, leaning forward, his body cowering as he peered out the corner, catching a glimpse of the others that were pent up on either sides of him. Keno nosed the lining, straining as his eyes traced the outlines of those who sat before him, the chords and hooks swaying, and all at once, he felt the bitter air straining against his fur, his wide, terror-stricken golden eyes making a panicky dash towards the gaping hole in the middle of the metal contraption that they'd been placed in at dusk.

Suddenly the door before him was opened initially unbeknownst to Keno, petite, soft caring hands tracing the line of his neck, caressing his maw and easing a stocky leather band around his neck, tightening so as to ensure that it would not come undone but was still comfortable enough which seemed to be no easy feat considering the thickness of his nape. There was, however, something needlessly weighty and bulky about it─Keno strained a bit so as to determine what exactly had been strapped around him─he soon deduced that it was some sort of pack, it's purpose for which he knew not. He felt her touch leave him, an ache left in the place of the absence of her tender affection, her features melding into the dark background as she moved on to Atlas beside him, the only sound resonating as an indication of her departure being the clicking of the crate's door as it returned to its' former position. Keno's eyes resting on the darkness that stretched before him, dotted with stars that had served temporarily as their only source of light in the midst of the endless black, though the light began inching its' way upwards as dawn only gradually began to break the surface, though the inky dimness remained even as some unknown, coarse, rough hands reached for him from within the safety of his crate, pulling him forward so that he stood only millimeters from the edge of what he'd temporarily regarded as solid ground. The stranger urged him outward, though Keno pulled back, his claws scraping against the metal as he retreated towards the back, not at all intrigued by the obscure unknown that he'd been prompted to enter. He flailed as his legs came out from under him, his weight propelling him forward, panicky breaths ensuing as he hastily attempted to regather his footing, though failing as his hindquarters were met with the indelicate, scratchy palms of the stranger, shoving him forwards so that he was met with the insufferable grasp of nothingness as he began free-falling to the earth that lay below.

Keno fell for what seemed to be an improbably lengthy amount of time, a loud thud sounding out as his stocky body hit the unyielding, stony ground, dust scattering in his wake. He moaned, a stinging pain shooting up his side. His paws scraped against the red-orange rock as he gradually rose so that he lay upright, his previously white coat now painted in hues of orange, red, and brown. He had paid little mind to the others, though he now heard their scrambling as they sought after one another, his senses still dulled by the sound of the helicopter's rotors that rang in his ears, the wind beating down on them as it began in the opposite direction, leaving them wholly and completely alone in the middle of vast expanses of largely barren, arid plains lined with tall peaks, the only vegetation being cacti and some rather desolate looking shrubbery. Keno tensed, gathering himself so that he stood upright, his body shaking, still weary of the events that had just transpired. He looked about him, his eyes straining until they fell upon the somewhat distinct outlines of Dixie, Gunnery, and Riko with Andie only a few lengths away trekking towards the crowd of disoriented dogs. Keno turned, his paws and side still throbbing from the impact of the fall until his sullen gaze fell upon Atlas not but a few steps beyond them, his movements rigid as were the majority's. Keno's breath unexpectedly became raspy, onerous and forceful─distressed and perturbed, the sudden realization of the events that had materialized hitting him with a greater impact than that of the ground. He was terrified─dropped in an entirely remote location, left only with five others who were just as bemused and disorderly. Keno trudged forward sluggishly, making his way to the others so that he remain beside them, his voice hoarse as his muttered under his breath, "Andie...where are we?" he paused momentarily before finishing, "...why are we here?" He had so many questions running a muck in his mind, but he confined them, barely able to speak, only in breathy bits.

[deftonesly]

ＡＮＤＩＥ！

age. 3 yrs . role. the tenacious . where. desert . tags. keno, the six . words. 1017
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lol
the golden-red toller was still staring up at the fast-fading stars and dimly-glowing horizon when a deep, breathy voice sounded beside her. hazel eyes haunted and large, andie turned towards the voice, locking eyes with an approaching keno──a tall, burly, snowy-coated great pyrenees with large ears and big doe eyes. the noise of the metal bird still rang like sirens in her floppy ears, usurping her ability to think or remotely process his words. all andie could do was stare blankly with a mouth stitched together, inhaling dusty air and the heavy pants of the bigger canine. she blinked, knowing that there was nothing she could do about the metal bird or stacy or all of it. andie was a simple dog, and birds did not belong on the ground. she could do nothing about the strange abandonment, only pick up the pieces of herself and the others. the sun was peering over the horizon. andie had been in simulations with climates such as the one around her──flat, cracked, reddish-brown soil pockmarked by ditches, windblown shrubs, hillsides, and distant mountains. she knew that when the sun rose, this land would burn . . . and the dogs with it. the mystery of the humans could be mulled over when they were safe of their current enemies: time and the scorching sun. bellies were rumbling . . . the canines were scared . . . and andie needed to do everything she could to keep them safe and sound; she felt it in her bones. a need to survive had been borne within her at the sight of the metal bird flying away──and it could not be ignored.
indent the nimble dog shook her white-patched head of the lingering buzzing sounds inside it and wracked her brain for an answer to give keno until the words surfaced: "andie . . . where are we? . . . why are we here?" poor, sweet keno, staring down at andie like a pup, gears turning in his deep brown eyes but mind unable to provide answers to their questions. andie stepped forward, gaze somber and voice a croak from all the dust particles within her maw, "keno. i . . . i have no idea." normally andie was the dog with all the answers, the dog with all the ideas . . . and now she was empty other than this: they needed to live and stay together, no matter what. the great pryenese's panic was palpable and succeeded in affecting her; andie could feel nerves rising in the back of her throat like vomit when she turned her gaze about the lifeless landscape. they'd been left here on purpose. for what? "i have the same questions myself," she murmured, turning back to the big white dog, "but for now we need to rally. discussion is for a later time, my friend. come." she gave him a gentle nudge on the shoulder, attempting to comfort despite the fact that keno was older, and led him over to the others, devoting her attention to them and how they were faring.

indent it wasn't well. poor riko had injured her shoulder when she'd hit the earth, and old gunnery the german shepherd was leaning above her, paws on the bulging dislocation; with a yelp from the kishu ken and a twist of his paws, it was remedied. nef the pomeranian was getting to his feet, russet fur flopping with the force of his hacking, spluttering coughs and sneezes. atlas the eurasier remained still and silent as ever, eyes glassy──the watchdog he always was. the four others all looked beaten and different than usual. like they'd lost something. disorientation was on their faces and the reek of fear danced in the air. the dogs stilled when andie and keno padded over, the nova scotia duck tolling retriever taking a daunting step forward and coming to stand in the middle of them. five pairs of eyes glimmered in the receding darkness as andie looked at each of her companions, the companions that would now need to trust each other with their lives, with hardness and determination. the six needed to organize; they needed to go on. so many things could go wrong if they did not. the days here in this desert would be far more grueling than the simulations . . . food would be scarce and water even more so. those were mere commodities, however; what they really needed was shelter in this barren world. without further hesitation, andie began to speak; whether or not the others listened was in their paws now, but the retriever saw no reason to be silent. "dogs! i do not know where we are or why we have been left here, but we must find shelter, food, and water. when the sun is fully awake, we will need shade──our very Iives may depend on it." the golden-red female began to walk at a slow pace, away from the direction the metal bird had flown. something . . . tugged her away. and not just her gut──her leather collar was beeping softly at her, as if coaxing her in her chosen direction. was stacy listening? could she see her? andie shook the thought away, continuing to pad across the cracked, reddish-brown earth, hoping the others would take their cues and follow. "we will live if we stick together as we have been doing for the past months," andie told them over one glossy shoulder. "if you wish, follow me."

indent then, she picked up the pace, loping off at a considerable speed that everyone would be able to keep with. no dog would be left behind──not if it was up to the toller. and although andie could not force anyone to join her, she could do her best to persuade. for if there was one thing she had learned from the birds, chained up in her former owners' backyard, it was that they stuck together. so if they could climb the sky and rule it, then andie had not a single qualm with following their ideas.

[paper planets]

❁. ── ❝ ＲＩＫＯ ❞
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( 2 years ) ( female ) ( the clay ) ( scent: spruce & rain ) ( location: desert ) ( tags: the six )
❁. ── ❝ i fall in love, just a little bit, everyday with someone new !! ❞


Golden eyes glared judgementally into Riko's soft, white coat, she felt as if the fiery off were burning into her skin, scorching her skin and singeing her smooth fur. She watched as Gunnery's eyes shifted and they seemed to be transfixed on a point beyond her, not even an actual, physical thing, but more of something beyond her in time. A dug up memory from long ago. The old male's eyes had been hardened to a cold stone, but in a second they glazed over and the hard rooted ground shuddered and broke up into a million fragments. She could only stand there and stare in confusion until the blank look eventually faded away with a few confused blinks and a shake of his large head. Gunnery stepped forwards and spoke, his voice only slightly more welcoming than it had been before, but she welcomed the change wholeheartedly. At his command she lay down, carefully maneuvering her aching leg, careful to bend it as little as possible for, if she did, a sharp spike of pain would pierce her to her core. As she lay still she stared off at the other dogs, her soft brown eyes tracing the forms of Keno and Andie standing together and Dixie and Atlas off on their own, stoic in their own ways. She felt a soft paw brush over her fur and set her eyes as she saw the brave faces of her companions. Be brave, Riko... Just like everyone else, that's the right thing to do, it's what I have to do, she thought and, while she was captivated in her thoughts, she zoned out as a little chant formed in her mind Be brave... Be brave... Be bra- her thoughts cut off as a loud yelp escaped her maw. She struggled slightly to get to her paws. Gunnery had pressed against her injured shoulder so suddenly and she hadn't even seen it coming. So she stood, keeping her one front paw off the ground as she shivered away from the gruff male. Though, she noticed that the pain had subsided significantly and she gently tested out her leg by pressing her paw against the sandy ground. A soreness was still there, but she didn't need to limp anymore. She smiled gleefully and turned towards Gunnery, tail swaying back and forth quickly and her mouth opened wide to form a toothy, panting grin, "Thanks, Gunnery!" she woofed gratefully as she trotted up to his side, "Where'd you learn how to do that?" she questioned in awe, gazing at the experienced dog with her eyes wide. Before he could answer she had noticed his actions, nose to the ground and sniffing for something, anything. She tilted her head and then repeated her practiced chant again as she gazed around at her companions Be brave, help your friends.. she thought and before she even knew what she was doing it for, she began to sniff the air suspiciously, as if there was something to find in the barren landscape.

Riko pulled her head up from the ground as she heard Andie speak up, her twitchng pink nose covered in small grains of sand from when she'd been sniffing the sand. With a small snort through her nose and a swift shake of her head, she cleared most of the sand from her nose. She padded a little closer to the small circle that had formed, all of the dogs intently listening to Andie. She watched, ears perked upright as she made a little speech, her strong voice rising above the the eerily silent landscape and filling it with sound. As she stared on she saw the sky behind the golden-red roller lighting up. The black night sky was being flooded with a hint of light blue, purple and pink. The weak light formed a soft halo around the brave female who spoke before the group and Riko stared in wonder as the female began to walk. She was quick to follow along, without a second thought, holding tightly onto each and every word the leader spoke.

The white Kishu Ken followed the loping pace of Andie and glanced over her white shoulder, ignoring the small zing of pain that climbed up her leg each time her front paw hit the ground. One thing she had taken from the brave dogs around her was to power through. Power through pain, sadness and anything in between. While she sometimes forgot and let fear get the best of her, that was something that helped her get through the simulations back with the humans in the lab. She watched their confidence strides and stoic expressions before she puffed out her chest and faced her daily task. Whether it was a fear tactic, a physically draining task, an emotionally challenged task or even running to practice stamina or speed, she remembered how the other five had done it and she pushed on. Of course the nights were the hardest, all alone in her crate where her memories and flashbacks ate her alive. But, she tried to push through that as well, even though that left her with little sleep, she got through it. As Riko gazed before her to the red sands and rolling hills, then all the way to the peeking daylight that was slowing creeping across the vast sky, she felt a sense of belonging almost, if not just a sense of purpose as her paws, as well as the paws of the other five dogs, thundered over the sands.

[ataraxic_gone]

xxxxＧｕｎｎｅｒｙ
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xxxxxxxRiko buzzed like a bee at his side, seemingly recovered from her dislocated joint and bubbling like a spring with passion and vigour. Gunnery let out a sigh into the dusty floor, rolling his eyes as the rookie asked him questions regarding the relocation of her shoulder. She stood by his side chirping away like a finch beseeched by a stranger with bundles of seeds. His ears flicked away from her, a subtle sign that he wasn't listening- he was busy. The smell of explosives caused his eye lids to twitch slightly- the ever present scent bothering him since they landed. No matter how hard he scented he couldn't find the source in the ground around him and no matter how he moved the strength stayed relatively the same. He lifted his head from the ground, gazing over his shoulder at the kishu ken. He noted that she had lowered her nose to the earth, mimicking the actions of the Sargent. Deep in the cold abyss of his heart a spark of amusement fluttered to the surface of his being, amused by the actions of the rookie. He had no doubt that Riko had no clue as to what they were searching for and simply mimicked out of need to fit in. The sentiment was cut short by images and sounds flicking to mind as he scented the air in the general direction of the clay. The fur on his back raised, brown eyes fixating on the youth as she looked away from the task at hand and towards the self-assigned leader of the group. His eyes met with the collar of the dog before him and he wondered just for the briefest moment what was contained inside the steel structure that decorated their necks.

xxxxxxxHis attention was split halfway towards Andie's speech with his eyes focused else where. His ears remained trained on the speaker, his eyes dotting from one dog to another, one thought coming to mind. 'Gullible'. A low growl rumbled from deep inside his chest to accompany the thought in his mind. And just like that, one by one dogs took flight after their dear leader without a moment of consideration. Gunnery bid his time, an anxious feeling in his chest as he watched the group move off. He was waiting for the moment, the second when things would go from calm to terrible. Nothing happened- there was no sharp explosion or a cloud of dust erupting from an iud. A sense of relief washed over the old brute and he began to follow suite, desiring to catch up with his squad. His movements were messy at first, steps out of sync with one another as he remembered how to his body no worked. Running with only three legs did not aid the effort towards a speedy get away. It took some time but as he ran he slowly began to pick up a rhythm and with it gained momentum. He became a boulder rolling down a hillside, going faster and faster with no sign of stopping. He let out an annoyed grunt, starting would always be the easy part of running and in turn stopping would always cause the old bag of bones the most grief.

xxxxxxxClick, cl-click. His claws sounded against the earth as he ran, pace soon matching that of the early starters. He struggled to slow his pace, but after a few hiccups reduced his movement speed to fall in pace with Andie. A low growl erupted from his maw, "So what's the plan?" His voice echoed out with a mocking tone towards the tenacious. As they ran his eyes flicked forwards, his maw falling silent for a moment as he tracked the earth in front of them. He was looking for any sign of tracks or interference upon the cracked red earth. He made a silent mental note that the vegetation that laid across the surface of the earth was unfamiliar to his memory. He had never witnessed this kind of tufted grasses before and the tall tree like cacti that decorated the environment. He considered that the thought would have unnerved him if it wasn't for the knowledge that war was a problem that haunted all areas. He had heard of lands covered in snow, other's in forests and he had spent most of his life in deserts but all of them would carry the burden of war at one time or another. Human's seemed to start fights all the time over the silliest of things; he was just here to fight in those wars until his due was paid. Not much time has past before Gunnery returned his attention to Andie. "Are you planning on finding a house with humans in it or are you finally coming down to earth and seeing just how in over your head you are?" His voice was snide, poking at the retriever to see what reaction his actions would fetch.

xxxxxxxIt hadn't occurred to him at any point before but as the first strong rays of sunlight began to flood over the horizon he felt his skin warm. The bare patches of his skin in particular tickled with the warmth, his muscles relaxing into the heat. His ear tilted slightly in thought. It had been cold? The feeling of the sun heating the fur-less skin on his body spoke lengths to his question. Yes it had be cold. A cold breeze drifted across the plain and his skin pinched with annoyance. But just as the cold air flew by, so did the warmth. Cold puffs of smoke whisked from his maw as he ran, eyes roaming from the land ahead to the retriever beside him with precision and speed. What posture did the tenacious hold? What was the sunlight revealing of his surroundings- the faint scent of explosives. His eyes were wild for the briefest moment, continuing to scan the environment before settling down, content that nothing would come to harm with him just yet.

xxxx➸ ⇢ former solider⇢ sire ⇢ 10y ⇢ desert; the six, riko, andie ⇢ 1002 words

[vertigo]

‛ＡＴＬＡＳ！

age. 3 years x for. the six x role. the ambivalent x words. 929
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space
it had been a long night. one of those where the eurasier had been up for most of the moon's rise and descent just to end up here, right smack in the middle of an unrecognizable "nowhere". sure, what he had just witnessed had not been deadly, but no dog━no matter the level of pain tolerance━should have to suffer through the jump and crash he had just faced. now, the former watch dog and the rest of the group had shifted among themselves in smug confusion, all while andie's calculating gaze swept through each and every one of their pelts━likely sweeping for any sort of assistance they had to offer. with a pointed look at the sky, where the slightest sliver of soft, golden sunshine could be seen peaking over the horizon, atlas softly huffed. he turned his head, swiveling it on point without moving his body, to intently watch dixie━a dauntless female with a muscular physique and a coat splashed with red and white. teary-eyed, she rapidly blinked in the dozy morning half-light. their jump had been graceful but the landing was shoddy; poorly executed. atlas could say the same for himself, and quite frankly all of the others . . . and with that being said, the cream-colored eurasier shook his head, grimacing.
indent only then did a bright and energetic voice jolt him from what light and little solitude he had rationed, "dogs! i do not know where we are or why we have been left here, but we must find shelter, food, and water. when the sun is fully awake, we will need shade━our very Iives may depend on it." the desert at dawn appeared in the form of a vast, undulating sea; shadowy silhouettes of cactus shown in the never ending wasteland, dotting the sandy waves. with andie's confirmation, he imagined that when the sun finally rose to it's position in the sky, the cruel heat would beat, beat, and beat down━with all but a single wisp of cloud to soften it's harsh, malevolent rays. peering at andie through two, fixated and dark amber orbs, atlas couldn't push away his constantly ticking mind. perhaps it would be efficient for all to seek shelter in the shadow of rocks . . . where this sand is not hot enough to roast our paws. he sighed, the plume of his breath tingling hot against his chilled lips, before his mind continued to spit out silent ideas. on a second thought━i reckon there would be no shade large enough for the six of us. what would they do when each step turned into a wince of searing sand? what would happen when the air was to grow thick and hazy . . . unsettled, atlas felt the distinct pang worry wash over his paws. needless to say, the thick-furred brute was the not one who would be carrying out the decisions━let alone coming up with them. and nevertheless, he was thankful for andie's role of leadership which she displayed ever so confidently.
indenthe observed as the russet, white-splotched and floppy-eared female began to slowly stray off in the opposing direction. and with a sense of alertness, he instinctively felt his eyes trail down to her neck where a soft beep emitted from the leather band clasped around her throat. it did not take very long for him to put the pieces together . . . did the beep hold a meaning more significant than the calculating female could decipher? from his short span of knowing her, he had instantly grown aware that it was very rare that she did not hold the answers they sought out. andie continued to pace, her pawsteps light against the cracked earth, before she parted her jaws once more, "we will live if we stick together as we have been doing for the past months," a pause, as she turned to cast her hazel gaze over her shoulder. "if you wish, follow me." her voice echoed in the vast, open desert, and the strength which accompanied her words only assured atlas of what was so happen next.
indentandie broke off into a run━or more precisely a not-too-slow, nor too fast, considerate trot . . . and behind her followed the six of them, all eloping in an awe-striking unison, their paws thundering against the hardened, red earth.

indentthe remains of his injuries sent shockwaves directly up to his brain. ignore it, atlas. ignore it━you have faced worse. the eurasier thought to himself, grimly. his lungs heaved like the air was stale and every part of him felt like it would break if he didn't pause. but andie was right━they had to run away from the rising sun━and it was time to run like that was all his body knew how to do━no matter the sharp pangs that jolted his bones. he shifted his gaze to briefly meet the dark brown eyes of riko, who appeared to be caught in the same predicament, a slight limp in her step . . . to the greyed muzzle of gunnery, a sense of determination in his run and ferocity in his eyes.
indentfor a while, it may have seemed that all was going well━until atlas' already straining ears captured a raspy, venomous growl of the german shepherd. and despite the overwhelming urge to be at his leaders side. despite the overwhelming urge to snarl at the elder's unnecessary retort. despite the now numbed pain that provided him the chance to speed up to gunnery's pace . . .
indentatlas did what he did best said nothing.

[deftonesly]

ＡＮＤＩＥ！

age. 3 yrs . role. the tenacious . where. desert . tags. gunnery, the six . words. 540
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lol
the dogs followed andie's lead, to her delight. she glanced back to find all five of the others trailing after her, dust flying up from their pounding paws and tongues lolling. first came riko, of course, the lovable creature she was . . . then gunnery, who had finally lifted his head from whatever he'd been sniffing and begrudgingly tagged along . . . then the dutiful, quiet atlas, thick coat ruffled and big amber eyes dark and devoid of expression. keno and nef came after, bringing up the rear of the group. andie had always been confident in her decisions, but their compliance filled her with more hope, and also cemented her resolve in taking care of them. she turned her face towards the slowly lightening world ahead of them, leading the others on, golden-red ears flopping with the wind and limber, white-patched legs easily carrying her with assuredness over the dusty reddish-brown ground. her own shadows and those of the others stretched before them across the rough terrain, long and thin variations of their bodies.
indent they traveled in silence until gunnery broke it, picking up his pace to come alongside andie and jeer, "so what's the plan?" the mocking in the old dog's sharp voice couldn't be more palpable, but andie didn't mind, knowing that arguments and clashing opinions would arise just like they had back in the lab. it was no different here. she kept her hazel eyes glued ahead as she bounded over a patch of vegetation, still catching the german shepherd's snide words over the bustle of wind through her ears when he said, "are you planning on finding a house with humans in it or are you finally coming down to earth and seeing just how in over your head you are?"

indent naturally, the toller's first instinct, like any dog, was to meet the sly male's challenge. to say, "well maybe you'd know the plan if you'd been listening!" but, as her mind worked through his words, she knew that a reaction was just what the jealous shepherd was here for. wrestling with gunnery wouldn't help anything, and would serve no higher purpose; engaging meant less time to find shelter and sustenance. therefore, when andie turned to face the german shepherd, her tone was even and hazel eyes calm. she woofed, restating her idea but with no hint of malice, "the plan is to find shelter quickly, and if it's possible, water and food. cover from the sun must come first, however, at least until we can gauge how hot the sand will be during the daytime." the duck tolling retriever swiveled her narrow head forward, then, fixating her orbs on some far point in the distance but still speaking with passion and coolness, "in some ways, you're right, gunnery. i am in over my head, but when you think about it, aren't we all? i'm every bit as scared as everyone else, but someone has to do something about our situation. and if it has to be me, so be it." the golden-red beauty looked the brute in the eye when she added, "besides, if the only point in you following me was to challenge me and my decisions, then why do it in the first place?"

[vertigo]

‛ＡＴＬＡＳ！

age. 3 years x for. the six x role. the ambivalent x words. 929
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space
it had been a long night. one of those where the eurasier had been up for most of the moon's rise and descent just to end up here, right smack in the middle of an unrecognizable "nowhere". sure, what he had just witnessed had not been deadly, but no dog━no matter the level of pain tolerance━should have to suffer through the jump and crash he had just faced. now, the former watch dog and the rest of the group had shifted among themselves in smug confusion, all while andie's calculating gaze swept through each and every one of their pelts━likely sweeping for any sort of assistance they had to offer. with a pointed look at the sky, where the slightest sliver of soft, golden sunshine could be seen peaking over the horizon, atlas softly huffed. he turned his head, swiveling it on point without moving his body, to intently watch dixie━a dauntless female with a muscular physique and a coat splashed with red and white. teary-eyed, she rapidly blinked in the dozy morning half-light. their jump had been graceful but the landing was shoddy; poorly executed. atlas could say the same for himself, and quite frankly all of the others . . . and with that being said, the cream-colored eurasier shook his head, grimacing.
indent only then did a bright and energetic voice jolt him from what light and little solitude he had rationed, "dogs! i do not know where we are or why we have been left here, but we must find shelter, food, and water. when the sun is fully awake, we will need shade━our very Iives may depend on it." the desert at dawn appeared in the form of a vast, undulating sea; shadowy silhouettes of cactus shown in the never ending wasteland, dotting the sandy waves. with andie's confirmation, he imagined that when the sun finally rose to it's position in the sky, the cruel heat would beat, beat, and beat down━with all but a single wisp of cloud to soften it's harsh, malevolent rays. peering at andie through two, fixated and dark amber orbs, atlas couldn't push away his constantly ticking mind. perhaps it would be efficient for all to seek shelter in the shadow of rocks . . . where this sand is not hot enough to roast our paws. he sighed, the plume of his breath tingling hot against his chilled lips, before his mind continued to spit out silent ideas. on a second thought━i reckon there would be no shade large enough for the six of us. what would they do when each step turned into a wince of searing sand? what would happen when the air was to grow thick and hazy . . . unsettled, atlas felt the distinct pang worry wash over his paws. needless to say, the thick-furred brute was the not one who would be carrying out the decisions━let alone coming up with them. and nevertheless, he was thankful for andie's role of leadership which she displayed ever so confidently.
indenthe observed as the russet, white-splotched and floppy-eared female began to slowly stray off in the opposing direction. and with a sense of alertness, he instinctively felt his eyes trail down to her neck where a soft beep emitted from the leather band clasped around her throat. it did not take very long for him to put the pieces together . . . did the beep hold a meaning more significant than the calculating female could decipher? from his short span of knowing her, he had instantly grown aware that it was very rare that she did not hold the answers they sought out. andie continued to pace, her pawsteps light against the cracked earth, before she parted her jaws once more, "we will live if we stick together as we have been doing for the past months," a pause, as she turned to cast her hazel gaze over her shoulder. "if you wish, follow me." her voice echoed in the vast, open desert, and the strength which accompanied her words only assured atlas of what was so happen next.
indentandie broke off into a run━or more precisely a not-too-slow, nor too fast, considerate trot . . . and behind her followed the six of them, all eloping in an awe-striking unison, their paws thundering against the hardened, red earth.

indentthe remains of his injuries sent shockwaves directly up to his brain. ignore it, atlas. ignore it━you have faced worse. the eurasier thought to himself, grimly. his lungs heaved like the air was stale and every part of him felt like it would break if he didn't pause. but andie was right━they had to run away from the rising sun━and it was time to run like that was all his body knew how to do━no matter the sharp pangs that jolted his bones. he shifted his gaze to briefly meet the dark brown eyes of riko, who appeared to be caught in the same predicament, a slight limp in her step . . . to the greyed muzzle of gunnery, a sense of determination in his run and ferocity in his eyes.
indentfor a while, it may have seemed that all was going well━until atlas' already straining ears captured a raspy, venomous growl of the german shepherd. and despite the overwhelming urge to be at his leaders side. despite the overwhelming urge to snarl at the elder's unnecessary retort. despite the now numbed pain that provided him the chance to speed up to gunnery's pace . . .
indentatlas did what he did best said nothing.

[ataraxic_gone]

xxxxＧｕｎｎｅｒｙ
⇜───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────⇝

xxxxxxxGunnery's watchful eyes silently flickered to life with amusement as he watched the tenacious's face screw up with irritation. He had suspected it since they met, but this proved his growing theory; Andie still had room to grow. The amusement faded just as quickly as it had sparked to life, his jaw tightened shut- they all had room to grow. Behind him Atlas was quiet, reserved in his thinking and rational as always. It was a good quality until it went too far- if you couldn't stand up for others how could you stand up for yourself. Gunnery had seen it before, experienced it first hand how the quiet ones who suffered from self doubt often fell into potholes of hesitation. And well, hesitation, it ruined lives. If the eurasier could learn to take initiative and speak his mind without fear, he would be on the track towards bettering himself and his world view. Gunnery's ear twitched noticeably, they were all like this he supposed- scarred of scared to do certain things. A grin lay hidden deep within his toothy scowl, Andie seemed to have come to his senses and was opening up about his doubt for the first time.

xxxxxxxWith Andie's openness also followed weapons made of words. Were they all in over their head? Gunnery couldn't say for certain if it was such a daunting task for him. This all was, in a sense, normal to him. He had put all of his eggs into one basket from the age of a puppy and in turn the whole concept of his existence revolved around the idea of service and duty. Even once he retired he couldn't let it go, inside the stone walls of their home underground her would pave the halls endlessly. Protecting Laura from any threat that would to come to harm her at any cost. He remembered the biggest hurdle he had to leap back when he was still learning to let go of years of training because the only harm that could come to his dear Lauren was the demons inside his head. The first and last time he bit her was on accident; in a panicked rage after the sound of bombs in the distance set him off. He blacked out and when he came too the look of betrayal on Laura's face and the scuffing on her arms spoke volumes. He had spent so long trying to protect her from the outside that he failed to protect her from himself. Inside the bunker that was their home he made it his duty to become better. He snapped out of his daze, which had appeared like deep thought to most around him.

xxxxxxxHe locked eyes with the groups leader and looked away. Why was he following? The thought brought back so many memories of a younger gunnery asking himself the same thing, seeing the answers in others and following the advice of instructors. An empty laughter in his mind echoed out, 'I didn't survive the bomb alone, how could I survive this without a team'. The thought was bitter sweet but he wouldn't let it show. Instead he spoke as if he bit the air, "this is my job kid." His voice was low, not threatening just a tired and low drone of someone who had seen too many things.

xxxxxxxAnd then it hit him; a memory long forgotten of years that were almost ancient to him. The scene was so crystal clear. It was narrowing the end of his first month in training and he had finally worked up the courage to face Loki. Loki was a gruff wolf looking creature, some mixture between a husky and something that was terrifying in it's sights and mannerisms. He haunted the halls of the military training facility, specifically, the section devoted to training the canine units. He was scarred, cranky and nothing Gunnery ever expected to become. In fact Loki had been everything that he inspired to not to be, how cruel life had been. But that was now, in the past Gunnery had worked so hard for so long to do one thing; beat Loki in a fight. It had been a long and gruelling fight, one which the humans hadn't interfered in. Some called it a right of passage others called it madness but in the end Gunnery came out on top, but not by his own choices... Gunnery's eyes shifted uneasily at the old memory.

xxxx➸ ⇢ former solider⇢ sire ⇢ 10y ⇢ desert; the six, andie ⇢ 744 words

[darwins]

(( ❝ ── K E N O !

age: five years. gender: male. role: the languished. location: desert. tagged: the six, andie.
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Keno stood rigidly beside Andie as he awaited her answers, his breath quickening until the rapidness began to cause him to experience some lightheadedness that─coupled with the oncoming heat and his suddenly dry mouth, made for some considerable discomfort on his behalf. He found himself panting, his tongue lolling as it ran over his porcelain canines, searching for some semblance of moisture, but his mouth felt arid, dehydrated like the land that lay before them, seemingly entirely devoid of what he'd sought out, which seemed to be commonplace as of the present moment in lieu of their present circumstances. His ears perked, twitching as Andie's gentle voice sounded and her careful, but altogether mystified words met his floppy, white ears. Keno was nothing short of compassionate─he was empathetic and he desired nothing more than to provide Andie with some sort of comfort in the wake of her obvious confusion, though his own terror had overtaken him. It seemed as though just a moment ago he'd been resting blissfully in the company of his darling girl, Amelia, whom he'd grown with over the years. She'd picked him─he recalled the day as if it'd been yesterday, his aloof and clumsy self no more than ten pounds, clamoring about, just a ditzy ball of white fur, tripping over himself and rolling all over the kennel that he and his mother were confined to. Her soft hazel eyes gazed after him, smitten, freckles dotting her soft, rounded face. Three others trailed her in addition to the parents, two older and the other just an infant. These were those he'd grow to love and trust, their company providing the only solace he could ever find in the considerably overwhelming world that'd held the place which he'd called home for several years. He remembered her reaching out to him through the bars that separated their worlds, small, gentle hands desperately searching for him─her tender touch as she ran her fingers through his fur. He could feel her now, sweet-tempered, compassionate Amelia who knew nothing more than unconditional love. Amelia had a loving home, her siblings were good-natured as were her parents, though they seemed to be more often absent than not, while her brother and sisters had their own interests that did not concern her, and as a result, Keno remained her absolute best friend─the one with whom she'd spent all her time, gone on adventures with, and conquered her fears with─her protector, confidant, the one who loved her as much as she loved him─and without one, the other seemed irrecoverably lost. It was how Keno felt now, standing, unmoving and expressionless beside the others upon the arid far-stretching plains that laid before them.

Keno shifted uncomfortably, unsettled by his circumstances more than he'd previously been as he gradually came to grapple with the conditions of the present situation at hand. Though he assumed that with time, his uneasiness would fair to subside as seemed to be a prescribed result of his personality. His discomfort was heightened by Andie's unusual lack of certainty regarding the events that'd transpired what seemed to be just moments prior. Beyond that, Keno wasn't entirely sure how he felt, intermingling with complete and disastrous confusion was fear, dulled by a peculiar numbness that he was overcome with, more than likely resulting from his inability to cope let alone come to terms with the loss of that which he'd come to love and behold─his family, but more specifically, Amelia. Thick brown curls falling down to her shoulders, those piercing tawny eyes lined with striking greens and browns. The countless warm hugs she'd given him upon her arrival home, the sad goodbyes she'd said on her way out the door─the endless laughter─her childish innocence. There was something impossibly pure about her naivety, and Keno had a tendency to imagine life would be far more pleasant to live in the ignorance that accompanies youth. Whatever provided his escape from the place he'd been abandoned with the others.

His ears twitched, suddenly returning from the depths of his mind, retriever by Andie's voice, her words echoing, repeating themselves as they sounded out, "Dogs! I do not know where we are or why we have been left here, but we must find shelter, food, and water. When the sun is fully awake, we will need shade──our very Iives may depend on it." His eyes lain upon her, studying her, her final words barely gracing his ears. Months? How long had it been since he'd seen Amelia? The questions suddenly began to ring out, his surroundings falling away behind him and before him as he was restricted by his immediate dismay, his dread overcoming him entirely. He panted, choking as the air caught and his breathe seized in his throat, his stomach turning as he felt a weight in its' pit. He called out, barely audible and no louder than a whisper swept away in the wind, "Andie...," he begged, seeking out some semblance of comfort in the midst of his trepidation. He gaped at her, watching as she trekked away from him, heading off in the opposite direction, the others following shortly thereafter, the dust kicking up as did their pace. Keno couldn't move, as though his paws had set down roots and grown into the earth below him, like weeds tangled around him, slowly enveloping him as they grew tighter with each passing moment. But he stood still, allowing it to overwhelm him, conquering his frail, downtrodden soul. It took only a few moments longer before Keno realized that remaining as such would warrant his failure to return to Amelia as he long intended, his only option being to move forward, his instincts demanding he pace forward. His paws felt like cement as he moved one after the other gradually, the difficulty easing as he closed the space that had endured between he and the others, the distant, empty plains of his mind turning from the past towards what had convinced to be his immediate future.

Keno traipsed after him, reluctant to be at the front, however inclined to be near Andie, whom served as the only one he trusted at all as of the present moment, having interacted little with the others, and having little to no inclination to do so unless required of him. He grimaced, a desperate frown crawling across his maw as he loped after her, his ears flattening as his eyes grazed over Gunnery's figure, though he trudged along, his flank barely brushing against hers as he met her pace, unknowing of what was set before them.