skullclub

For @Scarlett ! And anyone else, perhaps ;D

It seemed, like some of the other dog's from the lab, that Reaper had lost the group following Dogmeat. After the altercation with the wolves at the Bypass to the east, the mutt had been unknowingly separated from the group, wandering away in a hungry and feverish daze. His mauled ear and the infected cut above his eye stung, though the pain was nothing compared to the hunger that twisted at his stomach.

He had been starved in his pit-fighting days as well as when he was in the lab, though it had been nothing like this. At least the humans occasionally fed him scraps and morsels, enough to at least keep him alive. The wild was not so forgiving.

With no hunting skills and his quickly degenerating condition, the mutt wasn't sure how long he was going to last without the group. Where they were, though, he had no idea. He really had no idea of anything. He wasn't even sure where he was. Glancing up at the towering peaks above him, Reaper gazed uninterestedly at them, before coming to a stop when he stepped foot into an icy lake. He quickly looked down, puzzled, before instincts overtook him and he began to lap at the water thirstily.

Backdated a bit, since I am unsure if Scarlett is kicked out or not. XD

Scarlett had just finished her daily run around the glacier. She really liked that, working on her stamina to have her fit at all times for hunting. For now she could do with a sip from meltwater lake. The female came from the trees and started drinking. Her tongue lapped up eager gulps from the cold water. In the beginning it always gave her headaches but now she was used to it. When her red eyes looked up she saw someone else on the other side of the lake. A soft frown came upon het face. She didn't know this individual.

The pale female raised her head and then started trotting towards this.. figure. At first she thought that Junkyard Dog had returned. Her ears picked up but then she realized it was someone else. Her ears flattened. "This is Duskfire territory! You shouldn't be here," she snapped though it still sounded kind in some way. The albino scanned the other creature across from her. Well he didn't look that at all. "Are you okay?"

Haha, all good :D

Reaper frantically lapped at the water, ignoring the pain that shot through his head and down his throat. He hadn't even realised how dehydrated he had been. The sting from the icy water was almost a relief, overpowering the gnawing hunger in his stomach and dull throbbing from his wounds — if only momentarily. He kept drinking and it seemed that he would continue indefinitely, but a sudden voice sounded and caused the beast to raise his head slowly.

His expression remained blank as he regarded the white-furred stranger. Though, as she came closer, his single ear pinned back and he lifted his lips in a warning snarl. His hunger was kept at bay for the moment thanks to the drink, so the thought of wanting to feast on the wolf was only fleeting. Her concern was met with a unconcerned grunt, before he went back to sampling from the glacier's fine lake.

Scarlett watched the dog that looked like Junkyard Dog. The light female carefully stepped closer to the injured dog. "I am talking to you," she returned. Scarlett found herself being quite bold by talking to the strange creature. She wanted to offer the other her help but if the other was rude she might as well go back to do more useful things. Although the kind female did want to help. She felt like that was the right thing to do.

The female tipped her head in curiosity. "Are you hungry? Do you want some food?," she asked softly. Maybe that would make the other talk.

She spoke again, this time slightly more forcefully, and Reaper looked up a second time, water falling from his jaws. He regarded her again, head tilting ever so slightly as she slowly moved closer. Her scent told him she belonged to this mountain though, in his current state, he couldn't care less about this being pack lands. It could even be seen as an act of mercy, if she (or the rest of the pack) were to kill him for trespassing. The dog was in a state that not even the finest healers could mend.

Food, however, would stave away death at least for the time being. Visibly tensing at the mention of food, the mutt pressed his one ear forward and fixed his blank stare upon the kind wolf. He was silent and unmoving for a few moments before suddenly taking a step towards the stranger, his lips twisting into a deranged grin. "Fr...food...?" he rumbled.

Scarlett nodded as the one repeated her words. "Okay.. stay!" The pale colored female rushed back to the borders and then dug up a rabbit from a cache. She had recently put it there. The cold ground kept the meat in a good state, only it might be a bit stale. The small female trotted back excitedly. This poor dog, it didn't look good for him. If only she could fix him up but she was no healer. Scarlett trotted up to him and placed the rabbit before his feet.

Scarlett didn't know that this wasn't what dogs ate. They liked kibble. Scarlett hadn't opened up the prey animal yet, only around its neck was blood. Would the dog know he could eat the meat under it. "Do you want me to help you? I can open it up," she offered, sometimes pups needed help with that too. 

She commanded him to stay and, all too familiar with that word, Reaper paused and watched as she turned and quickly trotted off. After a few moments, he sat, tongue lolling out of his mouth as he began to pant, waiting for the female to return. It didn't take long. Lifting his head, the dog's hungry gaze tracked her movements as she strode towards him, a bloodied rabbit swinging from her maw. Instantly, the fur on the back of his neck bristled with excitement and if he had a tail, it would be wagging fiercely.

The lithe wolf then dropped it at his feet with a small offer that Reaper barely registered. He stared at the meal as if it were a pot of gold. Suddenly, he then dived, teeth peeled back as he began to tear the flesh off the critter, making soft growling noises. Hurriedly — for the dog was much too used to eating quickly lest his meal be stolen — he sought out the organs and devoured them. He glanced up once in his frenzy, seeking the young female's own red eyes in a rare moment of gratitude, before turning back to a bone he now began to tug free from the prey.

Scarlett watched how the ravenous creature was starting to wolf down the rabbit. She was pleased to see him eating and taking her offer. Poor poor dog. She wished that she could do more. Would DFG accept a dog in their ranks? Who knows. A soft sigh came of her lips in worry. She couldn't baby this full grown dog as she did to the youngsters. Eventually they needed to let this one go. Would that mean the other's death? Would it be her fault the other died?

Scarlett worried for a moment. "Do you need anything else?,' she asked quietly when she got a grateful look from the other. "What is your name?" Scarlett was curious what the male had gone through to even end up here. Did those two legged do this to him?

Barely registering the other's words, Reaper continued trying to pry the bone free from the rabbit, tugging it with rough movements. With a gradual, sickening tearing sound, the tendons were severed and the dog let himself stumble back a few paces, a deep satisfied rumbling reverberating from his throat. Now free to move as he wished, he readjusted his grip on the bone (comically small within his thick jaws), before laying down with it between his paws.

Red eyes glanced up again at the worried female, staring at her interestedly as he gnawed on his snack. She was an unusual wolf, in both appearance and demeanour. Why was she helping him? He didn't dwell to much on the thought, having applied too much pressure on the bone and accidentally snapping it in two. Pausing for a moment, startled, Reaper glanced between the two pieces before picking one up and resuming chewing on it. "Rrrreeeaaaper," he replied at length in a breathless growl, glancing up at the curious girl once more.

Last post. You can archive it after your post <3

Scarlett was really bothered by the sound of the ripping tendons and muscles. Even then the male played with the bone and left nothing recognizable of the bunny Scarlett wasn't even fazed. She had seen worse carcasses. Especially when she herself was hungry. A pack of wolves could make a lot of sound when having a kill to eat. Her red eyes watched the other. Scarlett cutely tipped her head when the dog spoke something but she didn't really understand it. Behind her Duskfire echoed with howls. One she needed to respond. 

"I've been called. Take care," she returned quietly. She didn't really wanted to leave but this was the way nature goes. Dogs shouldn't be living in the wild. Scarlett unknowingly made the other suffer even more with this meal extending its life....

Derp, finally wrapping this up!

He continued gnawing on the bone, looking up at the female every so often, unwilling — unable — to speak further. His brain whirred though his actions very much relied on instinct and raw emotion, as they always had ever since he had been groomed into a fighter. Though, at the moment, he looked every bit a broken animal, desperately tearing away the bits of flesh that remained on the small bone. He didn't show it, but he was grateful for the meal, oblivious to the fact that it would still not stop the inevitable.

When the howls of other wolves echoed down from the glacier, Reaper froze, turning to the mountain before glancing back at the kindly female. She quietly took her leave with a soft-spoken farewell, heading towards where the howls had originated from. With a nervous growl, the dog righted himself and also hurried away from the scene with his precious bone, none to eager to encounter another pack of the wild beasts who called these lands home.