born of a bloodhound. | open

[BLOODHOUND.]

They remember their mother. Her loss still aches, an acute emptiness in their heart. By their side. They miss her, on nights when the moon is fullest. They remember her skill the skill of her people, passed down to them, from her. From her brother. They'd all lived at the edges of Talos, their homeland, cast to the mountains by ever-encroaching industry, the greed of others. They had not yet received their name, when it happened.

They remember the loss of their parents like they remember their name. Like they remember the loss of Artur, of Boone. It's all fresh in their mind, as they stare up at that great white moon, as its glow settles and shifts over their pale fur. They can almost feel their uncle's arms around them, feel his quiet tears upon their shoulder.

They remember how Bloth Hoondr was their mother's true name. That she had passed her abilities down to them, in life, and in death. Their eyes. Their ability to track their prey. Ferocity, in battle and in matters of the heart. Their uncle had granted them with their mother's name, tears in his eyes, his last breaths fading from his lips. Bloth Hoondr had meant everything to the both of them.

They remember Boone, reckless and bright. A friend to them, as they tried to navigate a modern world, a modern life. They had been close. They were the first, to name them Bloodhound. They'd found it easier to say, in their tongue. Boone had invited them to the Apex Games, barely more than twenty people fighting in an alley, at the time. They had tested their merit together, lived together, shared in their glory together.

Left the ring together, until they didn't.

They had held Boone in their arms, trembling, sobbing. Knowing their wounds were too great. There was only so much technology could do, only so much anyone could do. The game was not over, and many more had died previously. It was only a matter of time. Their companion, their félagi.

Bloodhound had won that game, and had walked victorious, but alone.

They had continued to play. Continued to win, or come back stronger than before. And the Games grew.

They find these memories painful, twisting at their heart. How they wished to have introduced Boone to Artur. To their parents. They find comfort, at the thought of meeting them all once more, in Valhalla. Of fighting together, with their mother, Bloth Hoondr and Bloodhound, when the wolf comes.

But for now, they rest beneath a tree, the cool night stretching ever onward, basking in the moonlight.

THE TRUE TEST IS BEFORE THE ALLFATHER.

[VIGENERE CIPHER.]

[glow=white,1,400]EVERY FEELING IN MY BONES TELLS ME TO LASH OUT AND TELL YOU TO FUCK OFF ! — ｡+ﾟ.[/glow]

If Vigenere could hear Bloodhound's thoughts, he would sympathize with the strange wolf. Both of them lost their parents in tragic ways - Bloodhound losing their mother in a noble fight, while Vigenere lost his pathetically. Both of his parents seemed to have accepted their fate when the flames surrounded their den - told him to safe himself and Atbash before the Dimension collapsed. Ironically enough, the person who flung them out of the Dimension was Caesar, the one who caused the flames, but obviously Vigenere had chased Caesar off.

The bastard really thought that he had a right to 'offer' them a place with him, when he just killed thousands - their parents included - over some petty bullshit. Vigenere rightfully had gotten pissed and chased Caesar away from him and Atbash, before they came to Earth. In grief, Vigenere had chased Atbash away too, angry at himself for not being able to save the ones he loved. He lost Athena, his fiance, his parents, and his home... All within the same month. It had been rough dealing with the loss and it made sense that Vigenere would feel like he was losing everything. Of course, that didn't excuse him shoving his littermate away, and Vigenere regretted doing so. He felt bad for chasing Atbash off... and now that he did, she had been left to lead Snowbound by herself and got horribly disfigured because of it.

"Bloodhound." Vigenere greeted the wolf in the darkness as he drew near, hoping not to startle him. It was strange; Vigenere found himself being reminded of his old days in the Guard with Bloodhound around - they were smart, and seemed to know how combat worked. It was admirable; not many did, nowadays. Vigenere respected them, and he hoped they returned the favor (but then again, they haven't known each other for long). "How are you settling in Tanglewood?" It's been far too chaotic for him to reach out to Bloodhound before, especially considering the tremors that happened.

Oh fuck, did he even thank them for that?[glow=COLOR,1,400] ━ ✧*:･ﾟ[/glow]

[BLOODHOUND.]

They hear Vigenere's soft approach long before his voice, and they are pulled from their thoughts, their ears turning back to listen for the other. Their name in his voice has them turning to face him, actively acknowledging him, now.

They remember, how fiercely the savannah jumped into combat, even with an injured paw. How he always seemed to be patrolling the borders, welcoming newcomers. They felt that he had a sense of duty, not unlike their own. They appreciated it, really. Respected him for it. They knew he had the heart of a warrior, from how natural he looked in combat, how quickly he seemed to step up to the plate. Bloodhound was willing to think that perhaps the two of them were more alike than either of them knew.

Kindred spirits, perhaps.

"Vigenere. It is nice to see you." They say simply, stepping closer. "I am doing well, here. I had hoped that perhaps, Doctor Caustic and Octane would have felt similarly." They were lost to the winds, as it were. Bloodhound had tried to visit them, but their home had seemed empty, with no fresh tracks leading out. Long gone, before any goodbyes could be said.

They wouldn't have stopped them, even if they could. It was not their choice to make. And it was not their reality to return to. But it did mean that Bloodhound no longer shared their... history, with anyone here. They were alone. Perhaps it was best.

"And your paw? I noticed that you were favouring it, not long ago." They inquire, letting their mind drift away from severed connections. "Has it been healing well?"

THE TRUE TEST IS BEFORE THE ALLFATHER.

[VIGENERE CIPHER.]

[glow=white,1,400]EVERY FEELING IN MY BONES TELLS ME TO LASH OUT AND TELL YOU TO FUCK OFF ! — ｡+ﾟ.[/glow]

Indeed, Bloodhound and Vigenere seemed to have a lot more in common than they realized - funny, considering Vigenere always believed that no one would be able to relate to him. It was one thing to lose family; it was another entirely to watch your loved ones die in front of you. Sure, the demon was used to death in a sense, considering he was technically a soldier - but they had all accepted their duty, they all knew that any day could have been their last. Vigenere didn't expect his position to be ripped away from him by merely being related to a troublemaker, though.

That would explain how he seemed to know combat well, of course. Vigenere was proud of that fact, though it was mostly because being apart of the King's Guard was considered a high honor back home. Perhaps not here on Earth - considering there wasn't really a "King's Guard", but it was something he was proud of nonetheless. "My paw has healed fine." Vigenere mused, recalling how Caustic and Aurum had been on him about getting it checked out. Perhaps it would have healed sooner than it did, but with some help from NPCs, he was able to get it healed up. That isn't to say, however, it wasn't going to brake easily now. "I'm glad Keter was there, they helped me walk during the tremors." God, fuck, he should really talk to Keter about that.

But bringing up Caustic and Octane did spark a little memory from Bloodhound's joining. Sitting down and wrapping his tail around his paws, Vigenere went on, "Speaking of Caustic and Octane, you seemed to know Caustic whenever you first joined. I take it you have been acquainted before?" Strange, considering Caustic seemed to like keeping to himself. Octane, though, not so much; he could believe that Octane probably made a name for himself somewhere out there.[glow=COLOR,1,400] ━ ✧*:･ﾟ[/glow]

[BLOODHOUND.]

Bloodhound themself, had been raised by a group of pagans, that lived on the outskirts of what remained of their home planet, Talos. Their family and creed had rejected all technology, claiming it was a symbol of greed and corruption. They were a group of warriors, that battled and hunted in Odin's name, their Allfather. They had learned everything through tales that had been passed down through generations, through song and dance and speech and the wisdom of their elders. Everything they knew, about hunting, tracking, trapping, it had all been exemplified, now that they were a wolf. Their senses heightened, their body and instincts developed for the kill.

They were pleased to hear that his paw had healed.

"That is good to hear." They admit, they had been concerned the sparring could have damaged it further. "I am glad, that you had help. There are a lot of kind people, here."

They stare out over the horizon, as they mull over how to respond to Vigenere's question. Caustic was no longer here to threaten them. And what did it matter, if they were not believed? This information they held, of their past occupation, the Games that they had fought in, did it really matter who knew?

They were as alone now, as they were as a human. Crows could only provide so much, by way of companionship. They deigned to tell Vigenere as much as the people in their dimension knew of them. If anything, it served to help Vigenere understand exactly what level Bloodhound operated on.

"Yes, we knew one another. He would not like me to tell you this, but he is not here, to force the words back with his teeth." They doubt he would have been able to follow through with the threat anyways.
But the venom in his jaws... Perhaps so. They pause, gathering their words. "We... were not from here. The three of us. We belonged to a different world, far in the future. Not as animals, but as humans."

They turn their head to look at Vigenere, judging his reaction so far, before continuing.

"Doctor Caustic and I met in the field of battle. He was exceptionally dangerous as a man. Not so much, here, as a wolf." He was clumsy, asphyxiating his prey instead of taking tooth and claw to it. They had long wished to teach the scientist how to kill his prey in this form. "We have killed one another many times over. It was bloodsport. His blood, his life, for my Gods. My blood, my life, for his experiments. We were not close, even here. But when together, we were fèlagi."

The two of them alone could see through the gas. Bloodhound was extraordinarily deadly, even within the toxic, corrosive fumes.

"Octane is the same. We were all combatants in this bloodsport."

THE TRUE TEST IS BEFORE THE ALLFATHER.

[wormwood.]

Death and loss were a pair of mistresses that Aurum was unfortunately well acquainted with. He, much like both Vig and Bloodhound, had been raised in a group. His group in particular had been a lion pride, with his father and mother as the "king and queen" of the entire thing. However, even with their supposed royal status to protect them, they couldn't be protected from the one thing that ultimately came for them all – death. His father had died when he was still fairly young, only an adolescent. It had been from a sickness that had infected a large amount of the pride, stripping them of their main leader. It had been a sad occasion, but at least Aurum had known his father had died after doing a great deal of good for his former home. His mother, on the other hand... he had never liked her. Their relationship was strained at best, and abusive at worst, with her working to make his life a living hell. Even so, when he had reached adulthood only to see her viciously slaughtered by his brother in self defense... it had torn a hole in the delicate surface of his heart, leaving blood and pain to gush out. Since then, he had suffered even more loss, and seen even more death, but having to see your parents pass... it stuck with you, and that was something that the angel could very much understand.

Nowadays, he had learned to deal with his past, both the good and the bad. He had finally been able to settle and complete his mourning, ane now he was right back to helping Tanglewood in any way he could – albeit with a few days of getting reacquainted to everything again. Bloodhound was one member he hadn't interacted much with before his leaving a month ago, but he had never exactly been offended by the other. Sure, the get up and the chatter about traditions and gods was kinda weird, but it was the same weirdness as anyone else around here. Aurum was fairly sure that if he had ever shared any of the traditions of his old pride to those within Tanglewood, they would think that he was the weird one. And nowadays? He wouldn't even blame them. However, the lion wasn't a huge fan of not knowing much about his fellow tangiers, so when the scent of Bloodhound reached his nose that day, he found himself pausing, intrigued. He didn't smell much prey nearby, nor did he hear the sound of sparring or fighting. All he could hear was quite voices in the direction of the other's scent, which was a good sign. Perhaps this would mean that he could learn a bit more about Bloodhound without needing to bother them out of their home, or while they were doing something important. With this in mind, he made his way over to the tree where Vig and Bloodhound were, moonlight shining down over his golden pelt.

He managed to arrive just in time to hear Vig's question, and he found his own ears perking up with curiosity. He had noticed the connection between Caustic and Bloodhound, but he had never really wanted to ask, too worried about Caustic going off on some tangent or just pushing the subject away. As such, the angel kept silent, just sitting down and curling his tail around in preparation to listen to Bloodhound's story. It was... surprising, to say the least. The human revelation wasn't as shocking, considering Aurum had heard of former humans ending up in their world, but the rest of it? It was enough to make the lion's guts twist up a bit, just the thought of participating in a blood sport making him queasy. Once Bloodhound was done, Aurum hesitated before clearing his throat to speak, "Hello, you two... that's... that's a hell of a story, Bloodhound. I suppose I should've known yours would be interesting, though. Caustic and Octane's, too, I guess..." He glanced down for a moment, seemingly processing, before he continued, "...How were the two of you so civil, after all of that? You and Caustic, I mean. Surely killing each other over and over again must've created... some bad feelings." He had killed Kydobi only for the other to return, and now the two of them were constantly at odds, waiting to make the next move on the other's life.

[glow=black,2,300]— ✘ —[/glow]

[VIGENERE CIPHER.]

[glow=white,1,400]EVERY FEELING IN MY BONES TELLS ME TO LASH OUT AND TELL YOU TO FUCK OFF ! — ｡+ﾟ.[/glow]

Vigenere could relate to Bloodhound's worries, in a sense; at least, in regards to whether or not they would be believed on coming from another dimension entirely. What surprised Vigenere though, was the fact that Bloodhound admitted that they - as well as Octane and Caustic - were formerly humans. That was the one thing Vigenere couldn't relate to; he had always been a feline, though other creatures did exist back home. Humans did not, surprisingly (or not, depending on your beliefs), so it was quite the shock to hear that Bloodhound, Caustic, and Octane were all formerly human.

Vigenere did chuckle at Bloodhound's comment regarding Caustic not being able come and kick their teeth in for revealing their past; Caustic probably would attempt to do so, wouldn't he? The savannah frowned as Bloodhound went on, detailing about their fights against and with Octane and Caustic, which was baffling to Vigenere. How could they be enemies during one battle, and then decide they were allies the next? That was completely idiotic to the General; what if they used information they had gained while being on your side against you? To say Vigenere expected Bloodhound to be a soldier of sorts was an understatement; obviously, the arctic wolf did have some sort of experience in the battlefield, as evident by the way they had scouted out Tanglewood's traps when they first joined. It was impressive, to say the least.

As Aurum came to join him and Bloodhound, Vigenere gave a small nod to the lion before turning his gaze back to Bloodhound. "I'm surprised none of you attempted anything." The demon agreed with Aurum's question regarding them being so civil with one another. Vigenere echoed that question, though obviously Bloodhound didn't need to hear it twice. "I'm glad you didn't, obviously. We don't want fighting among our clanmates here." Even though he was speaking as the General, he meant Tanglewood as a whole - he would have said the same even while he was a normal Tangler.[glow=COLOR,1,400] ━ ✧*:･ﾟ[/glow]

[BLOODHOUND.]

Aurum's approach did not deter their speech, but they did nod to him, as he drew near. They listened, as both Vigenere and Aurum voiced their opinions, their concerns. They were not hard for Bloodhound to understand. It had taken a while for the everyday masses to catch onto the sport, too.

"We worked together many times. We killed one another just as often. It was not personal. We held no grudges." They pause, looking from Vigenere to Aurum. "It was simply the nature of the sport. The thrill of the hunt. There was no use remaining opponents outside of battle. If paired with one you considered an enemy, there would not be time to overcome differences before battle struck."

Bloodhound sits, facing both of them, tail curled around their toes. A crow caws in the distance, and their ear turns to listen, but they don't move otherwise.

"There was at times, frustration. Beyond that, I try not to judge." They were not one for holding grudges. It was not their place to admonish the actions of another. Only the Gods, in their opinion, could pass such judgement.

"I am surprised he didn't kill me on sight." They admit, a laugh in their voice. Remembering the promise, their mask brushing against Caustic's throat. He may have been bigger, but they were more confident in their ability to kill, here. They were not afraid to taste hot blood on their tongue, or tear flesh with their teeth. "I would not blame him, if he had attempted on my life. But he would have met my teeth, as well."

They pause, looking up at the stars, the patterns of them entirely unfamiliar to them. It was odd, to look up at such a foreign sky, in it's lack of ships and nearby planets and multiple moons. The sky felt..... alone. Empty, even when overflowing with stars.

"I felt no ill will towards them. I am sure they felt similar. I am glad that it did not come to blows in the end, as well."

THE TRUE TEST IS BEFORE THE ALLFATHER.