To say that they were interested in the alligators... was an understatement. They found the massive, lazy beasts interesting, and often, would steal away to admire the power and ferocity within their fat, scaley hides. They were smart enough to keep their distance, often scrabbling to higher grounds to watch from afar, out of reach of those massive jaws.

Today, was one such day. Bloodhound had spent quite a bit of the early morning hunting rabbits, for both them and their raven friends to eat. Between chasing rabbits and dodging traps, they could already feel exhaustion settling into their frame, especially as the days grew longer and hotter. They'd rested for some time beneath an old, dead tree, coughing and wheezing, trying to catch their breath. They could feel their asthma getting worse as time went on. While there was a relative lack of pollution in the air, they weren't sure if the radiation here, and the fact that the land itself seemed to be a human dumping ground, was exactly healthy.

They had been making their way to the swamp, with a couple rabbits on their back, when they had heard two familiar voices, bickering about... something. Bloodhound padded over, watching the scene. Their acquaintances were thankfully, immediately recognizable. Bloodhound stalks forward, a little smile hidden behind their mask. A few crows that had been following them, land in the trees around the three of them, watching Bloodhound intently, waiting for the rabbit corpse to fall.

"For a man who developed a corrosive gas, I thought that you would not mind a little blood, Doctor." Their tone is teasing. They are, however, interested to learn more about how exactly the two of them are coping with this new life. Neither of them had seemed to be previously accustomed to the wilds, to hunting and killing their own meals. And it became more apparent, the closer they came. It didn't take a genius to find out that neither of them laid a tooth or claw on the raccoon. No blood from its ears or nose... had they choked the poor thing out?

It was creative, they supposed. A bloodless kill. Eating it would not be so kind to their sensibilities, if blood was what they were avoiding. Feeling death between their teeth, a life pulsing away. It was something they would have to come to terms with, if they wanted to simply survive.

They move a ways away, towards the forest, and turn their head back, to nudge off one of the carcasses. They step away, towards the pair, as a number of crows erupt from the trees, beginning to tear apart the corpse behind them.

"Be proud of your kill, show respect for its life. For the strength that it gives you." They state, their gaze locking onto Caustic. "Know that a bear that bests you would not hesitate to feed."

safflower really had no reason to be lurking around tanglewood any longer than he already had, but the tabby was still curious about the place. its muggy, humid air was less than pleasant, but it was the fact there were actual living beings inhabiting it that interested him. he couldn't imagine anything living here by choice aside from the alligators or mutated swamp monsters that snapped at his ankles when he came through.

but there were beings here living voluntarily. milling about as if there weren't a billion other places that could provide a much more adequate home. safflower was cautious just to drink any water here. he could get worms or diseases, probably. he couldn't imagine how poor the food quality was either, even if some of the territory was decently salvageable, it was still suspicious.

he was curious when he had found two presumably tanglewood residents, keeping himself low and hidden. he used his earth elemental to cover himself with a dense shrub, watching as the wolf slapped the other into the mud. they're definitely fighting over a stringy raccoon. safflower thought, his expression souring as he thought of how gross and stringy the meat would be. raccoons ate too much garbage for him to enjoy, personally. made them taste and smell bad. he wouldn't be surprised if it was the only thing around, though.

when he began to creep closer he could start to catch what they were saying to each other. caustic didn't seem keen on actually attacking octane, but he could hear the stiffness in the wolf's voice. something similar to when his mother would warn him for his misbehavior.

the smell of bloodhounds kill had first hit his nose before actually seeing them, but remained hidden even when they began to pass. his mouth began to water at the scent of all the rabbits, but he quickly snapped himself out of it. instead he looked back at the pair a few meters ahead of him, keeping his pads flat against the ground as he felt the earth beneath him. he squinted his pale eyes, manipulating the roots of the trees underneath and silently propelling them toward caustic.

he wanted to have a little fun with the scientist, seeing him as an easy target.

the roots burst from below, inches from caustic's paws. safflower aimed for the roots to snatch away the raccoon and whip it toward bloodhound. if caustic's reflexes hadn't saved it, it would land perfectly in front of the hunter.

the tabby began to chuckle as he lifted his paws, the roots retracting with them and returning to their respective tree trunks.