GENERAL:
✧ VINCENT "MEMENTOMORI" | VINNY, MEME, ORI
✧ no former allegiances | memelord, pizza expert
✧ adult | 1 year physically/mentally | no aging ratio
✧ male, masculine [♂] | prefers masculine pronouns [he/him]
✧ snowbound / the ascendants | member
✧ no official titles
✧ heteroromantic demisexual | single | {0} crushes
✧ ½ of havana
✧ platonic relationships take a bit of effort and require patience, as he doesn't open up to people about his life or feelings right away. unless he takes a particular liking to someone, which is rare.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
✧ has relapsing insomnia (post-development)
✧ italian; born in an italian human family with his 2 siblings, but were abandoned after a few months along with their mother when the family moved away.
✧ lived on the streets of new york city most of his pre-teen through young adult age; has a scar on his left shoulder from a fight with a stray dog pack's alpha
✧ smokes occasionally; getting over an addiction
✧ self-proclaimed meme expert
✧ former caretaker of the raptors; knows some raptor speak, but not much
✧ main faceclaim and voiceclaim is vinny from vinesauce.
✧ other faceclaims include bolt from disney's bolt, poe dameron from star wars, arcanine from pokemon, and darbi from the webtoon darbi.

PHYSICALITY:
✧ BROWN HUSKY [MAIN / BIRTH] | HEALTH: 100%
✧ A handsome light brown husky with green eyes. Is often seen wearing a dark brown baseball cap with a yellow hidden block on the front.

PERSONALITY:
✧ ENTP | HUFFLEPUFF | DAUNTLESS | CHAOTIC GOOD
✧ CALM | CHARISMATIC | GOOD-NATURED | BRAVE
✧ CASUAL | SOMEWHAT IMPASSIVE | MELLOW | RESERVED
✧ AIRY | CARELESS | ODD | PHLEGMATIC

COMBAT & INTERACTION:
✧ sometimes antagonizes others | will start fights
✧ will give mercy | will not kill, unless his life is threatened | won't run away
✧ self-taught fighter; has experience from living on the streets
✧ does not use weapons
✧ physically hard, mentally difficult | overall hard
✧ has the ability of conjuration. can also shapeshift into a mallard duck and a 5 foot dire wolf x tiger hybrid, but cannot control this power yet.
✧ attack in bold #0AC92B

✧ layout of these tags can be credited to someone on feralfront. recoded for BoB by april.

It was a rather typical summer day in New York City. Or at least, that was Vincent had thought. Early morning clouds hung low in the sky, but would dissipate as soon as the sun rose high enough. It was such an awful tease, especially since they were going on a 3 week drought as of today. Because of this, it had been extremely hot, and it didn't seem like the heat was letting up anytime soon. Rain, that was all the needed. Even just a little would be enough... why did it have to be so goddamn dry?



Although he didn't want to go outside, he had promised his little brother, Leonardo, that they would spend some time together today and he wouldn't go back on his word. Leo and him were, well, they were inseparable, really. Not only were they both nearly identical (Compared to Vinny, Leo's brown fur was darker), but they had just about the same sense of humor- vulgar with a very small side of class. They were a great team as well- Vinny was the quickest of the group, and Leo was the "brawns", as Vinny called him. Together, they were pretty much unstoppable. Of course, Max, their older brother, had the best hearing of them all, but he didn't hang around with them too much, preferring to go off on his own. He was too serious anyway, never really appreciating Vinny and Leo's jokes.



Family roles aside however, the two brown huskies were wandering through the alleyways, not paying much attention to the sounds of the city or anyone they passed by.



"Hey Vin, do you think Maxi's been acting a little stranger than usual? Or is it just me?" Came the familiar chirpy voice of Leo beside him, causing Vinny to look over at his baseball cap wearing brother.



"He's always acting strange, Lee. I wouldn't think much of it." Vincent would respond, earning a chuckle from the younger husky. "No, I'm being serious. Like, he's been acting weirder than usual. Haven't you noticed?" "I mean, I guess. I suppose him and Mom have been a bit on edge because the Rouges have been entering our territory lately." Leo would nod, grunting. "True... those bastards- they're thick if they think they can take our part of the city without a fight!" Vinny would chuckle at this. Leo was always the hotheaded type, living up to the "lion" part of his name and acting all ferocious. "I don't Leo. There's only the three of us- not counting Mom since she can't fight." This made his younger brother whip around and stop before him, blocking Vinny's path up the alley. "Hey! Come on, have a bit of confidence! We could take em' all on if we wanted to." He said with an angry expression, which would soon soften as he uttered a sentence Vincent would not soon forget, the words that came from his younger brother's maw echoing in his mind for all eternity.




"Even if it was just you and me, Vinny. Us brothers will always have each others backs. We are a team after all, right?"





A smile would appear on Vincent's muzzle as he felt his heart swell at Leonardo's words, but just as he was about to respond to his dear brother, a loud howl echoed and bounced off of the brick walls of the buildings around them and what seemed like a thousand snarls suddenly came from the dumpsters nearby. Before either of them had time to react, a rottweiler shot out from a pile of garbage next to them and took Leonardo by the throat, it's large jaws easily snapping down around the young husky's neck and crushing his windpipe. With a weak sputter from the husky, Leo's blood quickly spilled onto the filthy city street, instantly killing him.




"LEO! NOO!" Came the tortured cry of Vincent as he watched his brother's limp body drop before him, body quivering in anguish. Around him, time seemed to slow down, the sounds of dogs rushing toward him muted. This couldn't be real. It couldn't be fucking real. This all had to be a dream, some twisted, fucked up dream and any minute now, he would wake up with Leo still beside him.



But it wasn't a dream. He was still here.



"You... YOU BASTARDS! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" The brown husky screeched, rage replacing his sadness. Rushing forward, he lept on dog after dog, ripping at their throats and grabbing whatever he could get his teeth on to throw them against the wall or bash their heads on the pavement. His rampage was interrupted, however, when a dobermann smashed into him, pinning him on the street. Even after Vinny had been pinned, he still thrashed about, snarling and yelling incoherent phrases of anger. "Hey... HEY! SHUT UP, YOU DUMB ASS KID!" Came the dobermann's rage filled bark, tightening his grip on Vinny's throat and causing the husky to choke slightly.



"That's better." He snarled. "Now that I have your attention... I have a proposition for you." The dobermann said with a sneer. "I'm the Alpha of the Rouges... our power greatly surpasses your pitiful family's, as you can see from your dead brother's body over there." Alpha would nod his head towards Leo's body, causing Vinny to struggle slightly under the other male's hold on his throat. "Heh... that bug you, kid? Are you upset that yer little brother's dead?" The dobermann would tease, causing the husky to let out a growl. A laugh erupted from the Alpha, as well as from the crowd of stray dogs behind him. "What a pussy... you disgust me, mutt." He would tease, giving Vincent a slap across the muzzle before continuing. "As I was saying before... I have a proposition for you. I have an enemy on these streets, one I'm sure you know. I want you to kill Lucius, the alpha of the Brooklyn Pack for me. Otherwise... I'll kill you and the rest of your family. How does that sound?" This made Vincent frown, ears flattening themselves against his head. "You agree then? Oh good."



With that, the dobermann, took Vinny by the scruff and threw him against the wall, causing him to let out a yelp. "Now go cry to your mama... and if you don't finish the job in three sunsets, I'll come find you and finish the job myself." Then, the Alpha and his pack were gone, leaving Vinny alone in the alley among the bodies of the Rouges he had killed. Scrambling to his feet, the husky, stumbled over to Leo's body, collapsing beside his brother. "Leo... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... I couldn't... I couldn't protect you... I'm sorry..." He sobbed, pressing his muzzle into Leo's cold, lifeless fur.



And for the first time in weeks, rain poured down from the sky...

From the shabby, worn down apartment they called home, Vinny could hear the frantic voice of his mother and the irritated tone of Max coming from beyond the walls, heart pounding in his ears as he stood outside of the front door. How would he tell them? How was he going to do this? Never in his life had he prepared for the moment he would be telling his brother and mother that his little brother, the one he was responsible for protecting, was dead, because he never expected it to happen. He had expected them all to grow old together, to always stick together and survive- all of them against the world. But that fantasy was shattered, all in a single day.



Breathe. Everything would be okay. Or so he thought.



Pushing his way through the door, he slowly made his way upstairs, the sounds growing louder as he drew close.



Then, as he entered the room, the voices of Violet and Max were muted through his own anxiety and grief. It was only when Max practically shouted at him that he finally snapped from his daze. "Vinny! Hey- what the fuck. What's the matter? Why do you have Leo's hat? And where is he?" Looking up into Max's confused brown eyes, his ears flattened and he looked from him to his mother, both waiting for him to answer. Finally, the silence was too much, and Vincent forced himself to croak out an answer.



"Leo is... dead."



Silence fell upon the room once again, shock and disbelief surfacing in his family's faces. Only after a minute passed did Max break the silence, a chuckle erupting from the gray husky's maw. "No... no way... it can't be true. Tell me... tell me you're lyin', Vincent." He said, gazing deep into the younger canine's green eyes with a dark glare. When Vinny didn't respond, Max's soft voice would change, filling with rage as he drew his face close. "Answer me, dammit! Tell me it ain't true!"



"Do you really think I'd fucking lie to you, Max!? Leo is gone! He's fucking dead!" Vincent barked back, snarling. "The Rouges... they ambushed us." Growling back at his brother, Max would curse under his breath, whipping around and turning his back on Vinny for a brief second. "I can't believe this... I can't fucking believe this... and I can't fucking believe YOU!" He would shout, body quivering with the older canine's rage. "You knew the Rouges have been closing in on us... you knew that, and you didn't think to keep an eye out for them!? To catch them before they sneak up on you!?"



"Shut the fuck up... shut the fuck up- you don't know a damn thing! You weren't there, don't act like you know!"



"Oh yes I do know. What do you think I've been doing all this time by spying on them and telling you to watch your brother's back because they're stealthy? Because I know Leo is too headstrong to realize he can't take them on by himself?"



"Are... are you saying this is my fault!?" This made Max spin back towards him, his expression having changed to become a terrible mixture of pain and rage.



"Yes. That's exactly what I'm saying. This... this is your fault. You were his older brother... and you failed. You failed Vinny."



As if a knife had been thrown into his chest, a sharp pain stabbed him deep into his heart, pure shock etching itself onto Vinny's face and taking the air out of his lungs. Desperately, he looked to his mother, seeking comfort or guidance, something... anything... but he found nothing but disappointment and sadness in her eyes.



"Leo's gone... and I suspect The Rouges will be closing in. There isn't enough of us to fend them off... so it's no longer safe for us here." Max said, turning away from Vincent to face his mother. "We have to go... and get as far away from this place as possible." Their mother said nothing, but he knew she wouldn't argue. Then, he turned back to Vinny once again, pure hatred in his eyes as he uttered the last words the brown husky would ever hear from him.



"As for you- don't you dare follow us... you've caused our family enough pain... and... you're no brother of mine, not anymore."



And with that, the two older huskies left, leaving Vincent alone. With only Leo's hat as his company, the brown husky allowed a few tears to drip his eyes and onto the brown, dusty fabric. This... this was all that was left of his family now. The only family that ever truly mattered. Staring at it for what seemed like ages, thoughts swirling inside his head, he slowly raised it to his head and slipped it on.



From that moment on, Vinny was on his own... but with his hat, he would never truly be alone. Of course, that didn't stop the loneliness and guilt that now consumed him.

After Max and his mother left, Vincent was left to deal with the Alpha alone. Although his family was no longer in danger, since there was nothing left of it, the husky could have done nothing. But something told him he had to keep going, to figure out exactly what was going on. Perhaps it was the desire to avenge his brother or perhaps it was the nagging feeling of something being extremely wrong driving him forward... he wasn't quite sure. Either way, Vinny had done as the Alpha told him to do- find Lucius.



It didn't take the husky very long to track the pack leader down. Of course, what he observed after finding Lucius was completely unexpected. Vincent had assumed, since the Alpha wanted the other dead, he was another ruthless leader, once that ruled by blood and the threat of death should one betray the pack, but that was far from the truth. No, what Vinny had observed was a kind, caring leader who took in injured or unhealthy strays, dogs he didn't even know, and gave them food, medical treatment, and a place to stay. It... was quite amazing, actually. In the end, the husky couldn't bring himself to do it. The guy was too nice... and the thought of killing a leader who had done nothing wrong... well, it wasn't right.



That was why Vincent had come to a conclusion. He had to stop the Alpha... for his brother... and for the innocent strays whose lives were clearly at stake should the doberman be allowed to live.



"ALPHA!" Came the furious bark of Vincent, the husky shoving his way through the crowd of rogues.



The doberman had been resting atop a dumpster, head whipping around at the husky's call. "Ah, you're back. I assume you've done your job then, boy?" He asked, standing up now.



"No."



"No? What do you mean, no?" He asked, frowning. "Why haven't you done it yet?"



"I haven't done it because I can't kill Lucius. He's saving dogs... I can't kill someone who clearly hasn't done anything wrong. Unlike you- who kills innocent people to get his way."



A growl came from the doberman's throat as he lept from his place on top of the dumpster, landing in front of Vinny. "You little shit- how dare you threaten me!? Do you remember what I did to your brother?"



"Of course I do, you fucking bastard! You fucking KILLED him!" The husky shouted back, ears pinned against his head. This caused the Alpha to snarl, the massive doberman jumping on top of Vinny and pinning him on the ground. "That's right. I'm stronger than you, and if you think you can talk to me that way without losing your life, you're FUCKING wrong! So you better choose your next words carefully, boy. What's it going to be?"



Hours seemed to pass before the husky finally spoke, lips peeling back in a snarl as he responded to the doberman. "I say YOU'RE wrong. You made a mistake that day you killed my brother and chose me to do your fucking dirty work... because I'm not like these dumbass sheep you call packmates. You can't control me... and I'm going to avenge my brother and the rest of the strays you've killed!" Vincent spat, proceeding to give the doberman a harsh kick that was strong enough to send him flying.



Once he had recovered, the Alpha shot forward with a snarl and the two would engage in a brawl that lasted for several minutes, fur flying and blood spewing as tooth and claw met flesh. In the beginning, it seemed as if the Alpha would win. At some point, The doberman managed to back Vincent against the alley wall, pinning the husky there with both paws as he dug one set of his claws deeply into the other male's left shoulder. Then, somehow, Vinny was able to grab hold of the doberman, throwing him off once again and lunging at the other. Jaws clamping down heavily on one of the Alpha's legs, a loud crack would echo off of the alley walls the the doberman's leg was snapped in two, a howl of pain soon following. Stunned from the shock, Vincent took this opportunity to pin him down. "This is what happens when you mess with my family, you bastard... I'm gonna make sure you never forget this day... right after I CLAW YOUR FUCKING EYE OUT!" The husky screeched. With that, he would dig his claws into the male's forehead and drag the down right into the doberman's right eye, causing the Alpha to let out an awful scream of pain before going limp.



Huffing, Vincent would let go, turning to face the rouges now. All of them remained still, not moving an inch until finally, one of them spoke. "The old Alpha is defeated... long live the new Alpha!" This caused cheers to erupt from the crowd, but they were soon silenced as a snarl erupted from Vinny. "Are all of you fucking braindead!? I'm not your FUCKING Alpha! You should all be ashamed for following this piece of shit you call an Alpha... and I refuse to lead a bunch of idiotic sheep who sat by and allowed people to DIE without thinking for a SECOND there was something SERIOUSLY FUCKING WRONG WITH THIS!" The husky shouted. At this, the doberman began to stir once more and Vinny would pick the male up and throw him roughly at the Rogues' paws. "Go. Leave the city and never come back- before I change my mind... and if I ever see ANY of your faces around here again, I'll rip your fucking throats out. YOU HEAR?" They hesitated, looking at each other in confusion. "GET OUT OF HERE!" Vincent barked. And with that, the pack was gone, along with their former Alpha.



Once again, Vinny was alone... and soon, the weight of it all hit him like a tidal wave and he began to sob... He may have won, but it didn't change the fact that Leo was gone... he had nothing.



...



He awoke with a start, almost forgetting where he was for a second until the cold wind reminded him he was still outside. Eyes shifting to the scar on his shoulder, he would stare at it for a few moments. Vincent wouldn’t easily forget that day, that was-



“Hmm, didn’t think I’d leave a mark on ya. That’s good though- makes sure the world knows who you belong to.”



That voice. That goddamn voice... it couldn’t be. Head turning, Memento’s eyes would narrow as he gazed upon the doberman who had appeared in front of him. The other male was just as ragged looking as he was, if not more. His fur was terribly unkempt and scars littered his body- but the most prominant one was the long, jagged scar that covered his right eye (which was glazed over- clearly, he was blind in it). Yup... that was him. "Alpha." Vinny would say, standing up shakily.



“You’ve grown- but you’re still an ugly duckling. Fucking christ, you look terrible...“



"I could say the same for you... how the hell did you find me?"



The doberman would chuckle, giving the husky a flash of his yellowing fangs. “You aren’t too hard to find. I’ve been tracking you for months... honestly, I’m surprised you haven’t caught me by now, especially since your friends kept going missing...“



No... no way. He... couldn’t have... "You... you were behind that? All this time?" Vincent said, his voice a mixture of confusion and anger.



“Oh yes! It was aaaalll me. It was ALWAYS me! You see, after my pack turned against me... I had no one. I wanted revenge... I NEEDED you to pay for what you did to me... so what did I do? I started with your friends. One by one... I picked them off, until you had absolutely NO ONE left!“ Alpha would taunt the husky, a deranged snicker leaving his muzzle. “Oh, and your best friend? I had lots of fun with him- but whoops! You wouldn’t remember him... would you? Not after your little flying accident... ”



The second part confused him the most, but the first part... oh, he was pissed now. have... "You... bastard... you... fucking bastard!” Memento would snarl. “I should have killed you when I had the chance... you took my friends and my brother!? What the fuck is wrong with you!?"



Another laugh escaped the former Alpha’s maw. “Ohh yes, that’s right... and if you really want to kill me, I’m right here... so come and get some.” The doberman growled, pawing the ground threateningly.



With a yell, Vincent would dash forward, both males rearing up on the hind paws and clashing together much like two stallions would when they fought. Despite both canines being in poor condition, they fought with high energy and were fueled on by their deep, burning hate and fiery rage. Fangs ripped into flesh, jaws grabbed at each other’s limbs, and claws scraped desperately at their oppenants figure. It didn’t take long for blood to start staining the snow beneath them a deep crimson. The question was, however, who did it belong to?



The answer was simple, of course. It was Vinny.



The husky was losing terribly at the moment. Even though only a few minutes had passed, he already had quite a few scratches and bites on his torso. Memento was being careless, it was true. Not only this, but he had almost no energy and could barely fight at the moment due to his insomnia. It was sad really. In end, he was pinned down in the snow, bleeding heavily from the various injuries that now covered his body.



“After all this time... I finally did it... I’m gonna rip your throat out... but before I do that, I’m gonna make you feel all of the pain I felt and MORE!” The doberman said, laughing hysterically. “GET FUCKED, YOU LITTLE PIECE OF SHIT!” He screeched, slamming the husky’s head against a tree. The force was enough to knock him out, his surroundings quickly fading into a murky blackness.



...



“Vinny...”



”Vinny!”



Blinking, Vincent would open his eyes, seeing nothing but an unending darkness. That voice... where was it coming from?



“Vinny! Hello?”



What? But.. wasn’t that.. Leo’s voice? "Leo?” Vinny would croak, looking around in confusion.



“Yes, it’s me... I’m here because... I’ve been watching you for a while now and... I need to tell you that my death was not your fault.”



"Wha... what do you mean ‘wasn’t my fault’? I didn’t protect you like I was supposed to... I failed.” The husky responded, frowning.



“No, it wasn’t your fault at all. You had nothing to do with me dying. Vinny... sometimes there are things in this world that simply cannot be prevented. My death was one of those things. No matter what, I was going to die that day... so that’s why I’m here- to tell you to stop blaming yourself. You did everything you could to protect me, and I’m not upset with you.”



While he wasn’t quite sure he understood it completely, hearing Leo tell him not to blame himself and that he wasn’t upset with him lifted a large weight of his shoulders. "You... aren’t mad?”



“No... never... I could never be mad at you. At least, not forever. As brothers, we have to forgive each other, right?”



A soft chuckle came from the husky. "True.”



There was a short pause between them when suddenly, Leo spoke again.



“Anyway, that wasn't the only reason I'm here... this isn't where your story ends, Vinny. I'm sorry I have to cut things short, but I'm afraid you'll die if I keep you any longer.”



Oh shit, he had almost forgotten... he was in the middle of a fight with Alpha. "Wait! Leo... is this really the last time I'll ever get to speak to you?”



"Nah, Vin... I may not always get to talk to you, but know I'm always there. Why do you think I gave you my hat?"



"Now go. You have a psychopathic asshole to kill."



...



Before the husky got the chance to answer, he had regained consciousness, Alpha holding him by both shoulders against the tree. Despite the weakness Vinny felt from the amount of blood he had lost thus far, he was overcome with a sudden feeling of immense strength and power. "This... is your last chance... let me go, and I'll let you live...” He croaked, staring intensely at the doberman, who simply laughed in response. "What do you mean!? I have you pinned, boy... you're leaking blood like the fountain in Central Park! You've lost... but don't worry- I'll give you a quick death... for the most part." Alpha said with a sneer before he began to lunge for Vinny's throat.



It was in this moment that the husky's entire form began to shift and change, his body tripling in size. His fur became longer, large tufts sprouting on the backs of his legs and what appeared to be a mane grew from his neck. The last part to change was his tail, his tiny dog tail replaced by a giant plume of fur. Once this was done, the paladin trainee's transformation was complete. With a single shove, Vincent threw the doberman off of him, giants paws landing on the ground with a large thud. Where a brown, critically injured husky would have been, a baseball cap wearing, 5 foot tall dire wolf and tiger hybrid stood in it's place, its green eyes blazing with fury as it stared down Alpha."I warned you, motherfucker.” It barked. "W-W-What the fuck!? W-Who are you!?" The doberman exclaimed, trying to scramble to his feet. "Your worst fucking nightmare.” Vinny said, taking a step forward. "Now, go to hell, you brother killing bastard!” With that, the hybrid lunged forward with a loud snarl and took Alpha by the throat, crushing his windpipe in a single bite, the doberman letting out one final awful choking noise before he going limp in Mementomori's jaws.



He was dead... he was finally fucking dead. Leo could finally rest in peace... and so could Vinny, knowing Alpha was finally gone.



Of course, the feeling of victory was short lived as Vinny suddenly felt large waves of pain wash over him, causing him to let out a yelp. Immediately, his hybrid form would melt away and the male became a husky once more, collapsing onto the snow beside his deceased tormentor. He was bleeding out.... oh god, he was bleeding out. "S-Shit...” The paladin trainee stuttered as he spotted the blood pooling under his torso. Attempting to stand, the male's legs were too weak and he instantly collapsed, huffing. He was loosing too much... but he couldn't move. There was nothing he could do... except hope that someone would find him out here and get help. Trying his best to remain conscious, he couldn't keep himself awake for long and would soon succumb to the blood loss, drifting off for the first time in weeks. Although this time, it could possibly be the end for him.

[Vincent later received treatment for his wounds and has since recovered.]

It had been exactly 2 weeks since he joined HawkClan. By now, Mike would have thought he would have found Vinny by now, but he was wrong. Oh, so very wrong. He had found nothing thus far- not even a single trace of the husky he once called his best friend. Mike wanted to be frustrated, to be mad that he couldn't find him... but instead, there was just disappointment and sadness. There were times when the lab's thoughts made him wonder if Vinny was even still alive, and it was these thoughts that drove him onward, the need to prove himself wrong bringing him a sliver of hope.

He had already been to several clans already and spoken to various groups of NPCs, who all gave him the same answer- they hadn't seen him. BlizzardClan was the last on his list of HawkClan's allies, so,feeling hopeful, the lab made his way to the top of the stairs, huffing with exhaustion. This better be worth his time... especially since he had to climb all the way up here. A random thought then squeezed it's way into his brain- in the small chance the husky was here... would he forgive him for what he did? Even if Mike hadn't done it of his own will? Heart beginning to pound with fear, the guard tried his best to tuck the thought away, clearing his throat. "Hello? Is this uh, Blizzard... Clan? I'd like to ask a couple questions."

…

The husky had been making his usual round by the border when he heard the lab call out, ears perking up as he made his way over. There was something familiar about that voice... but he didn't recognize the Hawkclanner. That bothered him... a lot. Perhaps they had met before? "Yeah, this is BlizzardClan. What's up?" Vinny would ask with a tip of his head, blinking his green eyes.

…

Well, this was certainly unexpected. As the paladin trainee approached, Mike would freeze, a mixture of emotions in his expression. Was this a dream? Was this actually happening? Was Vinny really there, standing in front of him? "V-Vinny?" The lab stammered, pausing. "No fuckin' way! It's you!" He exclaimed, his tail wagging as he practically jumped forwards so that he was closer to his best friend. "I-I can't believe... you're actually still alive! I thought... I thought maybe he had killed you already but..." He shook his head, smiling. "Whatever- all that matters is that you're alive. I missed you." But in his excitement, he hadn't even realized the fact that the husky hadn't recognized him.


"V-Vinny? No fuckin' way! It's you!... I missed you."

…

A frown formed on the husky's muzzle as he gazed at the lab in confusion, taking a step back as the guard came closer. "... Uh... I'm sorry- who are you?" Vincent would ask. Who was this guy, and why did he know his name? It sort of... freaked him out a little, enough to where he was uncomfortable. There was no reason this lab should even know his name- he had only visited HawkClan once after all, and this guy was acting like they were life long friends.

His ears would flatten and his imaginary brows would furrow as the Hawkclanner said his name, getting more confused with each word. "No... no I... I-I don't think we... we've ever even met. You must have me confused with someone el-" He shook his head at first, suddenly stopping himself mid-sentence as his green eyes grew wide.

Mike. It was Mike. His best friend. He remembered... the faint memories of the two of them spending time together coming back to him in a wave.

But then, he remembered the last time he had seen Mike, back when he had been trapped as a duck.

{ }

Alpha just couldn't leave him alone... not even for one moment. He had taken Mike to god knows where... and had probably killed him, just like he had done to Leo. Trapped in a duck body, there was nothing Vinny could do except flee and pray the doberman didn't track him down. He had flown for as long as far as he could manage, leaving New York behind. The mallard duck felt like he should be more upset over leaving the city... but he simply felt nothing- if anything, he was relieved. His life had been nothing but heartache there, after all.

When he could fly no longer, the former new yorker would land a bit roughly beside a lake, sliding to a stop on his stomach on the bank. Muttering to himself, he would slowly rise to his feet and dust himself off, shaking out his feathers. He was still growing used to this body and couldn't quite land correctly just yet. Vinny knew he would get there eventually, however... in time.

As he made his way to the water's edge, he would peer down at his reflection, only now realizing how awful he looked- and not just because he was a duck. The lonely, sad expression he had left New York with was stuck permanently on his face, the feelings of guilt over possibly leaving Mike behind to die still lingering. He could still be alive back there... and what he had done? He had ran away, like a dumb, feathery coward. A part of him wanted to ask "What choice did we have? There was no way we could fight him like this." but his other half argued that there had to have been something they could have done. That made him feel even worse- a defeated sigh escaping his beak. "What have I done...?" Vincent would ask his reflection. I'm safe... but at what cost?

But unbeknownst to the duck, he was not, in fact, safe. In the bushes behind him, a beast lurked, a beast that had once been known as the duck's friend.

A deep growl was what eventually pulled Vinny from his thoughts, causing him to spin around. "Who's there?" He would ask, green eyes narrowing. Before he could say anything else, the scarred lab leaped out of his hiding place with a snarl, pouncing on the duck, who let out several quacks of alarm. "Gah- what the fuck!?" Vinny would sputter as he flailed under the canine's grip. When he finally gave up his thrashing and was able to get a good look at his attacker, he realized who it was, his heart sinking and shattering into a million pieces all in a single moment.

It was Mike... but the lab's formerly kind, mischievous gaze was gone, replaced with wild, rabid eyes that sent a chill through his spine.

"M-Mike!? What the hell- what's wrong with you?" The duck asked him. All he got for an answer was a snap of the lab's jaws, which almost closed around his neck, had he not kicked Mike's muzzle with one of his webbed feet and scooted his way out from underneath him. "Mike, please... this isn't you! We're... best friends! This isn't like you..." Vinny continued to plea, watching the lab begin circling him. "Tell me you're still in there... give me a sign, anything... just... snap the fuck out of it!"

It was in that moment that Vinny swore he saw some flicker in the lab's eyes, a flicker of that familiar, playful gaze, but only lasted a second before disappearing once more. In his shock, the duck let his guard down, which gave the lab an opportunity to end it. And he did- leaping forward once more with an ugly snarl.

Before he lost consciousness, he could've sworn he caught the scent of Alpha on Mike's fur, followed by the doberman's familiar form appearing in the bushes just a few feet away. Then, everything went black.

{}

When the memory finally faded, a frown formed on the husky's muzzle, his ears going flat against his skull. "You..." Vinny would growl, claws sinking into the ground beneath him as his body began to shake with rage. "I TRUSTED YOU!" He screeched, green eyes ablaze with fury as he tackled the lab, pinning him against the snow covered ground. "WE WERE FRIENDS... I TRUSTED YOU! AND WHAT DID YOU DO!? YOU TRIED TO FUCKING KILL ME! YOU SIDED WITH THAT BASTARD, AND THEN YOU HAD THE NERVE TO COME HERE AND SEE ME!? AFTER WHAT YOU DID!?" The husky yelled, teeth barred as he stared at Mike. "WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU!? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" Never had the husky been so angry, his breaths coming in loud puffs of hot air as he stood over the Hawkclanner, waiting for an answer.


…

Luck was apparently not on his side today. As Vinny realized who he was, the lab could instantly feel the anger radiating from the husky, and as the paladin trainee screeched and lunged towards him, pinning him to the ground, the words pierced him like a knife.

“I TRUSTED YOU!”

“WE WERE FRIENDS... I TRUSTED YOU!... YOU TRIED TO FUCKING KILL ME! AND THEN YOU HAD THE NERVE TO COME HERE AND SEE ME!?”

“WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!?”

A hurt expression had made it’s way onto Mike’s face as he gazed upon Vinny, ears flat. "Vinny, please, just listen to me! They were controlling me! I... It wasn’t me that did that to you. You know I wouldn’t-"

…

"Bullshit." He snarled before the other male could finish. "You really think I’d believe that? What kind of half- assed excuse is that? I was THERE for fuck’s sake! I saw YOU attack ME!" Vinny said, not allowing the lab to answer before continuing. "And no- I don’t know. Hell, I’m starting to think I didn’t know you at all." The husky spat, tail lashing. "Were we even friends? Or was I just some fucking tool to you? Tell me, Mike."

…

As Vinny continued to speak, tearing into the lab, his sadness soon turned into anger. "Are you serious right now, Vin? Are you fucking serious?" The lab spat back, jaw clenched. "Do you really think I’d do something like that to you!? We’ve been best friends for ages now- I gave you a home, I showed you video games, we fought off your enemies together. You really think i’d try to fuckin’ kill you!? After all we’ve been through!?" Mike yelled back, tears pricking at the edges of his eyes. "You really are an asshole, Vinny... an asshole who’s so fuckin’ paranoid, he can’t even trust his own best friend." He snarled, quivering with rage. He couldn’t believe this... he couldn’t fucking believe this...

…

Vincent only half listened to what Mike said, too furious to even comprehend the point he was trying to make. Never had he felt so betrayed. Mementomori had been abandoned and stabbed in the back many times in his life- but this? This was by far the worse. Once the lab had finished, the husky let him go, backing away and waving him off with a paw. "Go." He said, glaring at the Hawkclanner. "Leave- and don’t you ever come back here. " With that, the paladin trainee would whip around and head in the direction of camp.

Once again, his life was falling apart. As if the memories of Leo and the insomnia weren't enough, he had recently found out Mike, his former best friend, had partnered with Alpha and tried to kill him when he was stuck as a duck.



He wanted to say that it didn't bother him now, but Vinny knew that wasn't true. Although he could barely remember what his time with Mike had been, the fact that his "best friend" (as the lab had claimed) had betrayed him like that... joining the one who had killed his brother... and then plotting to kill him...it filled him with an immense feeling of both anger and disappointment. Most of all, however, he shamed himself for trusting Mike. Their friendship was a mistake... and Vinny was a fool, blinded by the lab's friendly demeanor. But it would never happen again... never again... he wouldn't allow it.



Yet, even as the paladin trainee came to this conclusion, wanting to forget about the Hawkclanner for good, he couldn't stop thinking about it. Small bits of memories had been coming back to him over the past few days, painfully reminding him of how close they had been. Eventually, it became too much, leading the husky to abandon his hut and trudge out into the snowy wilderness. Mementomori walked for what seemed like miles, not stopping until he found himself by the lake where he had slain the Alpha. It was there that he collapsed by the water's edge, staring down at his reflection in the ice. Just when he was about to yell at himself for not allowing the incident with his best friend to fade into nothing more but a bad dream, he found that he could not do it, sadness taking a hold of him. "I dont understand... why... why do I care so much?" He asked, ears flattening as he felt tears pricking at the edges of his green eyes. "... Why did you do it, Mike? Why?"



"Boy, you're a miserable fucker if I ever saw one..."



A strange voice that almost resembled his own sounded in his ears, yet when he looked around, there was not a single person around. "Who said that?" Vincent would ask, frowning.



"Ah that's right, you can't see me. Allow me to fix that."



Suddenly, a chilled breeze blew around the husky as he felt a strange, paranormal force slam into him. Then, immediately after this happened, he would let out a choked scream as he felt something take a hold of his body, forcing him out of control. With no one in possession of his body, it collapsed onto the snow, appearing as if the the paladin trainee had simply passed out. But that was definitely not the case... something much more sinister was going on inside the husky's mind...



...



Vincent awoke to find himself in a void, with nothing but darkness surrounding him. As he looked down at himself, he was shocked to find that his body was a light blue color, and slightly transparent... what the fuck? Not only that, but there was no one around. Well, that is, until a bright blue flame flourished up out of nowhere in front of him. From the flame, a black husky appeared, his electric blue eyes piercing the essence of Vinny's soul (literally). Strangely, the black husky looked a lot like him, execept for the eyes of course. Before he could make any other observations, however, the entity spoke. "That's better. Now I can introduce myself. Name's V-Dub, motherfucker, and you must be... Vinny, right? What a lame name." It scoffed, rolling it's eyes. "I don't care, asshole- explain what the fuck you did to my body. Where am I!?" The other husky gave him a chuckle.



"What? You don't even recognize your own mindscape?" He asked, tipping his head. Before Vinny could say anything in response, however, V-Dub held up a paw to stop him. "Listen, I would explain shit to you if I had time but... I don't. So I'm just gonna cut to the chase... I'm what they call down in the underworld a "demon of suffering". I feed off of other people's suffering, blah, blah, blah... that shit's not important." He said, pausing. "Basically, I was scammed out of a physical form by that piece of shit underworld king and turned into a shitty demon. I needed a physical form, as well as a source of food I guess, and you were the closest, most miserable being. You understand now? Because I'm not repeating that again. "



"You... what?" Vinny said, imaginary eyebrows furrowing. "No- NO! So you think you can come and just... take my body from me? No- I'm not in the fucking mood for this. You wanna take it? Fight me for it." The husky growled,



V-Dub, giving him a somewhat amused glance, rolled his eyes. "Alright." Just as he said that, Mementomori would launch forward and pounce on the demon in an attempt to pin him. There was no way this could miss.



But it did- or rather, his attack was countered by V-Dub, who, with a single whack of his paw, sent the soul of Vinny flying backwards several feet and landing onto the nonexistant ground with a thump and a loud yelp.



"You're trying to use real world tactics against a demon? In a mindscape? Wow... you really don't know anything, do you?" The demon said, scoffing. "Pathetic." With that, he would suddenly teleport above the paladin trainee and pin him, shoving the brown husky's head down roughly against the ground with a one paw, causing Memento to let out a grunt. "Until you learn how to fight me for real, I'm taking your body. A loser like you doesn't deserve it... got that, asshole?" Vinny simply growled in response. "You won't... last long. They'll figure out... it's not me. Then? You're dead."



"Oh yeah? I'll bet they won't even notice. After all, you've barely got any friends. That's right- I've already been collecting some of your memories. You'd think by now, a guy like you who's been in the clan for what? Two months now? Would have more than two friends." He paused. "Oh wait- you've technically got three. But you aren't friends with him anymore, huh? A shame he had to go and stab you in back like that..."



That did it. The fighting spirit that had once been visible in the brown husky's eyes instantly disappeared, ears drooping. "Well, you won't have to worry about that now... not anymore." The demon started to step away now, smirking. "Goodbye, Vinny- and thanks for the body. Don't worry- I'll take good care of it... and trust me, you'll get used to hanging out here and being my power source for the rest of eternity... eventually." With that, V-Dub disappeared... leaving Mementomori alone in his prison of darkness.



...



Back in the real world, the husky's body began to stir, a grunt escaping the male's muzzle. Shakily, he got to his paws, stumbling a bit and doubling over suddenly as his pelt began to change. The familiar light brown color began to disappear, replaced by jet black fur. Once it was finished, the only thing that remained of Vinny's original appearance was his white patterning and characteristic scar. Huffing, the husky raised his head up, blinking open his eyes. No longer were they a soft, friendly green, but a piercing, electric blue, proving once and for all that Vinny was gone. V-Dub had won.