Pain is a Drug ;;TipsyxLynch;;

[Malfunction]

Ava placed a singular paw in the water, closing her eyes and breathing as she felt it cool her aching paw. She'd been hurt by a porcupine when she'd been attempting to get some food for once, and had ended up being attacked by a very angry mother. She glared at her paw, shaking her head at her own stupidity. Ava would not be going anywhere near her leader until this was over and done with. If the other pack members saw her like this, they would laugh for sure. She took a deep breath and widened her eyes, when had she started to care what the pack thought of her? When had she started to care what anyone had thought of her? She shook her head and rid herself of those crazy emotions. She didn't care what anyone thought of her, she knew that. If anyone cared what she did with herself they could shove it where the sun don't shine, she could care less. Ava was a person that had given up on other canines, she would not give that new part of herself up.

Sighing, she bent her slender neck and opened her maw, taking a long drag from the pool. She closed her eyes again, wishing that things were easier to understand. Why did she have to think so much? Thinking wasn't good, thinking wasn't fun. She really needed to quit thinking so much.

[/size]

[kane]

The two fighting dogs were sated. A few porcupine quills hung from their hungry muzzles, and one had the corpse hanging from her jaws. It was Lynch and Monsta', the boxer cross and the pit bull. They were in a relatively good mood. Lynch yawned, snapping her jaws together and looking at Ava, before she stretched and curled up.

So only Monsta' was awake.

[[BLECH. TIRED.]]

[»Rie]

Sunlight trickled through the thick trees of the forest falling across the loamy ground in a dappling pattern; the light was a cool mellow green-gold, the shadows a deep dark cool green. The low murmuring sounds of forest creatures echoed among the thick boles of the trees, moss clinging resiliently to bark, and rock. Decaying leaf matter rustled beneath the creeping wild life. A few spatters of faint blue sky peaked between the branches. Sunlight winked off the silken strands of spider webs like tiny ropes of spun silver. Delicate hair thin shadows spanned the openings on the ground creating a webbing of water like resplendence. The scents of natural plants curled on the air, accented by the drier taint of good weather. The leaves rustled plaintively, whispering their song of growth and straining toward the heavens.

The ground was soft under paw, molding perfectly to fit the pad and claw that sunk into it, allowing a nearly perfect depression to be left behind in the passing of the creature. The paw print was not deep, suggesting that the canine was moving at a fast clip, and it had an almost delicate width, suggesting a finely built creature. The leaf matter was disturbed around it, alluding to long trailing fur. Alongside the first set was a second set, wider and set deeper suggesting a heavier build and a slower pace. The sound of the runners was not loud, in fact despite their quick pace their paws fell with practiced silence, wending there way through the thick underbrush with surprising ease.

Between the deep shadows of the trees a flicker of luminescence could be seen flashing off a brilliantly pale coat of fur as the figure seemed to dance around the tree trunks. A secondary, darker figure ran alongside the primary pale one, his nose occasionally nudging against a silkily furred side. The reason would become apparent upon catching sight of the pale dog's head; scar tissue arced in silver pink lines from empty sockets, tracing partway down his muzzle: His muzzle was one of the long well built sorts like that of a borzois. His ears, fluttered behind him with his gait, silkily furred like an afghan. Long thin legs danced across the ground in a fluid gait. The darker one had the looks of a schnauzer in dark grays, darkening then silvering around the eyes and muzzle; though it was obviously not from age. His gait was more stiff, and had a sort of pride to it.

The pale dog slowed then came to a halt, the other stopping beside him head turned toward the blind male curiously. The long sloping muzzle of the first opened and a melodious voice spilled forth, "The grounds softening, wetter. We're nearing a water source."

The schnauzer tipped his head looking at the loamy earth beneath his paws, then expelled a breath causing the long fur about his nose to rustle, "Right, how much further til we arrive at this water source?"

The blind sight hound turned his head, pendulous ears twitching forward as he listened; faintly he could pick up the sound of a creature lapping at water, "Not much, we'll be there in a few quick paw lengths." Then without a further word he moved off again, his companion nudging his side to help him avoid a tree in his path. He pulled up short once again when he felt the open air of the on his face as the close growing trees fell away to the shore of the water source. Lifting his nose he breathed deeply, he could smell the other dogs and the coppery tang of blood. Hackles prickling he angled his head toward the other dog, waiting for his opinion on the matter.

Nudging the pale canine's shoulder Superbia signaled for him to go ahead, while he himself watched the female he could see on the shore with wary blue eyes. Luxuria moved to the waters edge, feeling his way by the give of the soil then lowered his head, pausing to make sure he was over water before his tongue flickered out. Superbia sat down to his left, wary eyes on their surroundings.

[Malfunction]

Her body tightened when she smelt the blood on the carcass of the porcupine. She'd failed to capture one and someone else had succeeded? She resisted the growl that begged to rise in her throat at the thought of someone else succeeding where she'd failt. Then again, maybe it was because she'd used her paw to roll the babe by its stomache and, judging by the looks of the two dogs, they'd used their maws. She shook her head, not understanding why someone would risk their maw for a fare so simple as that. She could find something much less painful as soon as her paw was better, which would be in a little bit. She sighed, turning her cranium to lick the injured paw. It burnt with the fire that could almost make her wince, almost but not quite. She noted the female going to sleep, taking away the risk factor if they decided to attack. She could take one of them, and get away relatively well but sustain injuries, but both at once and she would be doomed. Leave it to Ava to judge the outcome of a fight with someone upon sight. This was just how she did things, if she didn't, she wouldn't be here now. A lot of dogs attacked her without thinking, and she'd learned to just get ready right away. If she wasn't, she'd just be another mangled femme that wasn't going to move quickly at all. And that was not the way that Ava rolled. Her talent was speed, speed and cunning. She was smart on attack moves, and she was lithe. She could move so fast that it was dizzying sometimes.

The growl that she'd resisted before rose in her throat as the scent of yet two more dogs attacked her senses. One male was on her left all of a sudden, and judging by how hesitant he was something was wrong with him. She decided he had a disability, though she couldn't figure out which it was though. He could be deaf, but she'd heard them conversing earlier. Was he blind? Possibly, but he was not mute. As evidenced by the talking. She frowned to herself, she didn't like not knowing things. Not knowing things were horrid and she hated that. The other dog was on this ones left, and she watched it with such intensity that it could burn someone up. Ava didn't blink and she didn't look away. The Saluki was not backing down if something was going down between these two.[/size]




The male moved in with elegance. Demilo craved a drink, and he was prepared to move through anyone that stood in his drink. The doberman was cruel around males, never a good mix, and with females he was as gentle as a dove. So what was he around the mix? He had no idea, but he was about to find out. Tasting the air, he figured out that there were five canines already there. Two were females, the rest were male. His hair rose up on the back of his neck, and his lips automatically curled back. He needed to fight this. He would not attack. He would not attack. This was his mantra. He had to fight his instinct, the instinct to attack any and all males in the area. There were females present, even if one slumbered. He ignored all the canines, moving straight to the water and lowering his crown. He took a drink, keeping an eye on the males. The female wasn't his problem, he wouldn't be fighting her. He never fought females, it was his rule of thumb. If he ever fought a female...he might just commit suicide.

[kane]

One-nothing wrong with me

<sup>Her muzzle rose, a grumble emerging from her jaws. She wasn't used to other dogs, obviously. Or so it seemed. Lynch, the demon, opened her jaws and grinned a toothy grin, sitting up. The eyes of the demon seemed to carry a hungry taint to them. Her tongue lashed the side of her muzzle, then she looked at Ava. Her eyes seemed to be judging, a deep hunger to them that was definately not hunger for food. It was a bloodlust.

Monsta' recognized this, and the male walked to the female, bowed his head and murmured in her ear. The fellow's words were inaudible, but one was able to be heard. "Stop." The command garnered a glare from Lynch, but nothing else.

"So. I see I hav'ta make dem intraductions? Fine. I'm Lynch. This monsta here is Monsta'."

The male, Monsta' was glaring at Demilio. But it was not a glare you wanted. Rather,a hungry thing, and the hunger was indeed building up. He figured he had to go maul someone at the end of this. Hopefully some mouthy bitch-dog.

His pelt shook, and he grinned. "I'm hungry still." The grin he gave was something that ought to be joking, but wasn't. It seemed like a private joke between he and Lynch, because then her jaws parted and something like a chuckle emerged from within.</sup>

[»Rie]

Feeling a gaze boring into his hide Superbia turned his intensely blue eyes onto the female, she was built similarly to his comrade, but was obviously of a different breed. Her gaze was a hard one, as though she were trying to read him, he simply gave her a long blank look then turned his eyes away; surveying the area with an attention to detail that spoke of experience.

Luxuria lifted his head, listening, his paws shifting slightly to press deeper into the ground; the feel of movement rang in his bones as his hypersensitive toes dug deeper into the mud. His melodious tenor was soft, barely a breath on the air, "Another approaches." His long muzzled head tilted slightly, and Superbia immediately turned to gaze in that direction: Sure enough a male emerged and stalked to the waters edge. "Your turn, sir." The pale sight hound announced genially stepping back wards from the bank.

Snorting softly the scruffy schnauzer moved to the waters edge as Luxuria turned sitting with his back against his darker comrade. His scarred face turning eyeless sockets blindly toward the sound of rustling movement, and snarled words. His pendulous silky ears twitched slightly at the uncouth words that fouled the air. Almost as though sensing the sight hounds want to comment Superbia lifted his head and sent him a sharp look, and Luxuria sighed, saying nothing. Turning from the water Superbia sat down, back to back with the other dog; there was no point in leaving themselves open to possible hostility.

Blue eyes scanned the others occupying the area flickering over the male drinking at the waters edge, to the pair smiling vacuously at each other, and finally to the female who was regarding the duo warily; it was her he choose to address, "Forgive me, madam, we are new to the area. I hope we didn't give you to much of a start with our abrupt arrival."

Luxuria gave a soft, silvery laugh, "We were a bit parched, my dear. Manners seem to depart in the way of need."

[Malfunction]

Ava turned towards the newest canine, a male. She didn't want to feel bad for him, but she did. The two killers were regarding him as if he was their next meal, and she couldn't help but step closer to him, in a way of proving that if he didn't have any other allies, she was going to help. Ava was close to Demilo now, and she looked at him, frowning a bit. "I'm Ava. You, apparently, are lunch. Don't mess me up if we fight them." She told him, her voice low and only for his ears. The Doberman looked ready for a fight, though, and she doubted that he was inexperienced. She would help them if they had to fight, but she doubted that he needed it. If it had only been one of the killers that wanted him, she wasn't certain if she would have offered her help.

Ava now ignored the two males that proved no danger to her. When one apologized, she scantily turned her head and nodded. "Forgive me for my hostility. I don't trust easily. Your manners are fine. Theirs, now, theirs are not." She told them, turning back to the killers. Her eyes were cold and emotionless, and she wasted no time on show offy growls. Her growls were warnings to back down and to move away from her, these killers had earned no warning.

Demilo growled, turning around swiftly to face the killers. When the femme stepped close to him, he nodded to show that he'd heard him and that he would take her assistance. " I am Demilo. " He told everyone, giving Ava his name and introducing himself to the killers. " I will not get in your way, but don't make me have to check back and help you, I can't abide females getting hurt. " He told her, a simple thing about him. He turned back to the killers, not really having taken his eyes off them. He wouldn't give a quarter, and them having the advantage of him not watching was not in the game plan. " If you hunger, go seek your meal elsewhere, and stop your incessant staring at me so. " He snapped at the killers, fighting the urge to slip into his killers stance. One was female, he couldn't risk killing her.

[kane]

Lynch's muzzle opened for a smartass reply, but the head of Monsta' swung around to face her. "NO. See, we've gawn and offended these fine peeps. So, chicka, we's gon' apol-a-gize like civilized mutts." His voice was a whisper in the ear of Lynch, who grunted in annoyance. Once more, some hidden joke, perhaps, but this was no joke. The boxer cross raised her head and spoke, voice slight and almost-dare it be spoken-kind.

"Sorry, folks. We'm fighin' dawgs, usedtabe, any'ow. Nowz we'm strayz, folks, and we ain' propahly so-c-a-lyzed." Of course, her face was earnest. Thing was, it would take an expert to know this too, someone who was BORN reading minds, because nothing betrayed it, but she was going to go after one of them as soon as Monsta' said the keyword.

Her head tilted. "Si, amigoez."

Monsta' looked to the other two, and grinned. Superbia and Luxuria, and then he addressed them. "Whoz you all?"

His head swung around to the others. Monsta's eyes were now effectively bored. Although now he was plotting, and once something was figured he would redirect his attentions to the kill.

[»Rie]

The hostility in the air was palpable though it didn't seem to have any real affect on the duo as they sat back to back on the shore. Superbia faced the more aggressive duo so as to keep his eyes on them, his eyeless companion's ears twitching to catch every sound that came from the canines around them. It was, apparent, ever without being able to see that there was a possible fight brewing and Luxuria gave another soft laugh commenting in an airy tone that was more suited to pleasantries about the whether, "It seems we've walked right into another scuffle, makes me feel a bit nostalgic; almost like I'm home again." Superbia snorted softly at that, though he couldn't disagree. He was well used to his comrades levity in such situations, though it had irritated the other members of their squadron at time. "It's a shame 03 isn't here." The sight hound added in an off hand manner.

That got a response from Superbia, "We're lucky she isn't." He stated flatly. "Though you left with her."

Luxuria's lips twisted into a faint smile, causing the disfiguring scars marring his head to twist and wrinkle. 03, or rather, Ira was well known for her temper and her tendency to attack first; ask questions later. She was created to fight, to kill, and had no other purpose as far as she knew. He hoped she was able to find one some day, she deserved it. "Yes," he agreed with the schnauzer. "We got separated." Superbia gave another low snort at Luxuria's ability to state the obvious. It was then that the duo's banter was interrupted by the rough tones of the more aggressive male and female. Giving a slight moue of distaste the blind sight hound absently commented, "Quite the... unique... accent you've got there..."

Superbia gave a low guttural growl and bit out, "07, stop taunting the locals!"

Luxuria immediately stiffened his spine head snapping up, "Sorry, sir!" He responded voice taking on a flat monotone.

Superbia had never once taken his eyes off the group during the entire conversation, and he narrowed his blue eyes slightly beneath those bushy silvery brows of his, by way of introduction he said simply, "You may refer to me as Superbia, and my comrade Luxuria."

[Malfunction]

She snarled at the killers, her lips twisting into a scowl. "As I previously stated, I don't trust easily. And I'll state now, that I know a bad apple when I see one. You two do not have my trust." She bit out, glaring at them. She hoped Demilo would not make the mistake of believing them. She stared at the female as she apologized, and though the dogs façade was earnest, her tone apologetic, something was off to Ava. Ava was able to spot a liar a mile away, and she was having some difficulty figuring out just what this one was. She couldn't figure out what was wrong with the dog named Lynch, but something was setting her fur on edge. Why couldn't she decide to hate them for a reason? They rubbed her the wrong way and she had learned to trust her instinct on these things.

But for now, she'd feign politeness. She smiled at the two nice males, her face relaxing slightly. They didn't frighten her in the slightest, and though that could be bad, she didn't really care. "Comrade? Were you…fighters?" She frowned and tilted her head to the side slightly, she couldn't abide dogs fighting for no reason. Reason…now reason was ok with her. If a dog had taken something that belonged to you, insulted your pride, now then she was ok with fighting. And if one turned cannibal on you, then yes, she was perfectly fine with ruthlessly attacking.

Demilo crouched, the growl rising in his throat. Hackles rising, lip curling back to reveal vicious, dagger like teeth, he was ready to kill them. " Don't you dare to blame your previous life on your actions. I was raised to kill, taught no other life. I've killed more canines then any. I've destroyed more lives, crippled more dogs, and let the blood lust control me more times than any can count. I am the killer, I live above my old life. " He snapped at them, not trusting a word they said. He'd seen the way the male had looked at him before, and a simple innocent look from a female would not make him change his mind. He didn't waste time turning to the other two males, they were not a threat right now. As they were neither alliance nor threat, they did not command his immediate attention.