ooc news FEB 15 Hey all! It's been a while, huh? We're still here, still kickin'. We're still closely monitoring board activity, and while we're happy to see a few new faces as well as old faces, activity is not yet where we want it to be to resume regular board functions. We'll keep you all posted should this (or anything) change in the coming month or so! Thanks for sticking with IF <3
DEC 13 For those of you that didn't see our announcement on Discord, we released an update regarding the slow activity of the board! Please read it HERE! Thank you.
NOV 27 Oop! December's Spotlight Polls are up /late. Let's blame the holidays! Find them in Contests!
NOV 13 A small Chronicle is up this month just touching base! Please find it below through the button!
OCT 07 October's Chronicle is live, and with it, come a couple of festivities! :D :D
about us This is Komorrah, a city full of people, corruption, and crime. While there's good and bad in every city, this one has dogs. A lot of stray dogs.
Set in a modern-day, fictionalized version of New York City, Komorrah has much to offer our gang dogs. Strays on the street feed from human negligence and thrive on the loopholes they can fit their snouts in. It's every dog for themselves
out there, though living with and having the support of a gang is helpful.
Tensions rise, enemies are made, but perhaps alliances are arranged. Only the strong survive this harsh hand the strays have been dealt. What will be your choice in Infidelis?
featured adoptable NERO • APP With a brooding face and a 'bad boy' sort of attitude, this misunderstood hound is a real piece of work. A dog with a lot on his mind and heart, he speaks his complicated thoughts and estranged emotions with the only way he knows how; his teeth.
Named for the way that the buildings in this area are colored like desert rocks, Red Rock City boasts a lot of old-age features. In fact, it actually is the oldest part of Komorrah; with its unique aesthetic, its structures are uniquely made of sandstone, uncut stone, clay bricks, and even wood, instead of concrete or other modern building materials. You'll find small, cramped pulley elevators (if any at all) in these buildings with stoic, stony gargoyles perched to keep watch outside.
Compared to the towering skyscrapers of San Angelo, Red Rock City is a bit more mellow in its aesthetic. Most of the structures that make up this area are residential housing or smaller two-to-three-story buildings, however, many of the structures that could afford to get an upgrade did in the past few years. This is especially true in the industrial areas where modern technology is the key to efficiency.
After a historical earthquake ravaged the city of Komorrah some years prior, Red Rock City never did fully recover. A lot of its history was lost when so many of its buildings collapsed because of the damage. Many areas of Kessir and Palatine are still blocked off to the public, either officially condemned or so dilapidated that a trespasser couldn’t get in even if they wanted to.
Flora
There is an abundance of Pear Trees found throughout the city, decorating city sidewalks and bearing fruit to whoever will take it. Oak trees populate everywhere else they are allowed, which are only in parks and open lots. Dandelions and other weed species can be found growing through the cracks in the concrete in many places, usually at the corners of buildings.
Fauna
rodents, birds, snakes, and other small mammals
For more detail and specific fauna, please visit the Red Rock City page!
CLICK FOR PERMABANS
Limits and Bans do not count towards adoptions of any kind. If you see a character that you want to adopt in the wanted ads, adoption board, faceclaim adopts, or anywhere else, you may claim it regardless of breed, color, gang or rank status.
The smell of cooking meat permeated the air, wafting between the small margins of buildings and alleyways; beckoning him to seek out this sultry mistress of temptation, a ghost had made his way carefully through the city's back streets. Over discarded wooden pallets, through dark alleyways, and past unfamiliar buildings. The steady sound of pawsteps echoed off the walls of the nearby buildings before fading into nothing as this phantom made his way towards what one could only describe as noise near the Mamosa Mall. The crescendo of humans clapping and screaming clashed violently with the stream of meaningless notes that penetrated his ears and vibrated the very ground he walked upon.
Ignoring the waves of noise that threatened to sweep him away, Razor lifted his nose towards the darkening sky as the faint twinkle of a few stars began to sleepily peek out from behind the veil of day. Hunger had driven him to come this far out of hiding, but he was far from carefree about this excursion. In fact, he almost felt sorry for any who were dumb enough to try and challenge him. He was ready to pounce on any threat that may present itself, ears working even while his nose worked to sort through the many different scents of humans, dogs, and other animals that had passed through recently. A scowl crossed over his features and he clicked his tongue in frustration as he lowered his head. Damn humans. There were just too many of them for his liking. Their perfumes and natural scents was making finding the source of the smell much more difficult than he'd like to admit.
"Damn it all. These damn humans make everything so much more difficult," he muttered aloud, pacing ever so slightly on the precipice of an alleyway and open sidewalk.
Dusk has set along the firmament, elegant hues that gave way for night and allowed the primrose moon to take up residence within the sky. A blanket of stars had begun to form but through the artificial lights that surrounded her in Little Kiryat, they could barley be seen. Her steps were quick along the sidewalk, taking care to avoid the plethora of humans that gathered here late at night. Viceroy was mostly ignored and for this she was thankful. The last thing she needed or wanted right now was the interference of humans. The girl continued, sure-footed steps that lead her toward the mall, a place of festivities even late in the evening. The people gathered here, singing and dancing to their hearts content and annoying the already frustrated Viceroy. Their presence wasn’t unwarranted, Viceroy knew she’d run into people and yet even still when she came across them she could feel her heart begin to palpitate and her brows grow into a firm line. Even still, the mottled female did her best to ignore them and dipped in behind the back of the structure, pressing herself against the brick walls and using the darkness to her advantage. The mixture of her ginger and ivory coat did nothing to hide her, she was a pock-mark against the brown brick building but she attempted none the less, taking slow and meaningful steps towards her destination. At this point in time she had been wandering but the smell of food had captured her attention now, pulling Viceroy ever forward.
This could be a dangerous situation for the Australian Shepherd, for the scent of goodies would surely bring others with similar intent to her own but Viceroy wasn’t about to fight anyone this evening. Perhaps she would get lucky and be left alone but if she was to find another she wouldn’t be challenging them. It had only been a few weeks since she joined the Dodgers and even still she thought back to her initiation. While Corona was rather gentle during their scuffle she could still feel the bruises in and around her limbs, a forming delicate lump along her throat where the dog had pressed against her windpipe. It wasn’t for naught however as Juno had allowed her admittance to the Dodgers and introduced her to the family. Even still, Viceroy was tentative. The gang seemed welcoming enough, save for a few individuals she could mention, but something about them seemed off and in contrast to what she was used to. Maybe it was simply taking her some time to get used to gang life...or maybe there was something Juno and Corona weren’t telling her about the Dodgers.
The mottled girl sighed softly, the expression touching her lips and then falling flat to the ground. She supposed that it didn’t matter now because she was in the thick of it whether she wanted to be or not.
Viceroy pressed forward and rounded the corner to her left, following the scent trail of food that wafted deeply into her nostrils. It smells of cooked chicken and the aroma was near intoxicating. The girl opened her mouth to allow her tongue to loll from her salmon lips, the tip of the pink extension dripping drool along the pavement.
”Perhaps today is my lucky day...” She offered to the silence around her, picking up her pace and following the aromas that fell all about her. As she followed it she came to the break of an alleyway and along the cusp, the scent grew stronger her. The female hurried her pace, wandering ever forward with little regard to any threats that may have been around her. Blue eyes were downcast as she reached the precipice of the alley, just shy of another whose immediate aroma shocked her into inertia. Viceroy’s ears immediately laid back against her skull, her tassel tucked in and beyond her legs and her limbs began to quake as she looked upward to spy another. Not just any other, but a ghost in corporal form. As white as the stars forming above her head, and larger than her by a few centimetres at least. Tall and lithe, muscled in all the places she was not and pacing back and forth in perusal of the alley. Viceroy didn’t know what to do, from the smell of him she’d could imagine he was not a Dodger but perhaps she didn’t know him yet? The girl was still getting used to all the scents the dogs had on them, to recognize those of her own kin and separating them from the other gangs that roamed the area. To quell the anxiety that had risen in and along her breast, Viceroy stood up as straight as her spine would allow and attempted to arrange herself in a amicable fashion. There was no way she was getting into another fight, not here, not now and not again.
”Sorry to interrupt...” She threw her soft timbre in his direction but her eyes were focused on the alley before him, the epicentre for the decadent aroma and the exact place Viceroy wanted to be. With any luck, the Doberman would let her pass and be on her way but Viceroy was anything but lucky.
Annoyed with both the sound of humans and his inability to track scents properly, the ghost of a beast walked the small line that divided the alley from the sidewalk. It was almost as if it were his duty to guard the small divide, almost as though it were a gate that stood between the humans and the dogs themselves. Though if that were true, Razor was certain to be the beast of myth which guarded the gates of hell. A dog such as himself was no angel and he very well understood that he was, in fact, damned.
The roar of the crowd across the street pulled the ivory coated canine from his thoughts, earning a pause in his pacing as he turned his attention once again towards the source of the sounds. Humans were always so noisy. Why any of his fellow animals would want to be a house pet always escaped him. There was always a motive behind humans giving them a home and food. Always. Why others were too blind to see it, he never understood. His opinions on the humans didn't matter to most because they always wrote him off as some bitter fool. Granted, they weren't entirely wrong.
A sudden lapse in the roar of the crowds of humans gave the Doberman a brief moment of peace. It didn't last long, however, as he heard the soft voice of another canine. His moment of peace was shattered in that instant as he whirled around to meet whoever it was that had spoken to him. Ivory colored fur bristled and icy blue hues settled upon a slightly smaller female. Poised for offense, a low warning bubbled its way up from his breast. Though his teeth weren't bared, his nose wrinkled nonetheless.
"You sure are brave girly," he said, his voice a rough and deep contrast to the pretty little thing that wandered too close. "But you can piss off. I don't deal with pretty little pooches like you."
What was with this town? Why did it seem every creature she came across immediately wanted to kill her or scare her off? It was beginning to become tiresome, the constant back and forth of aggression and hubris that these dogs leaked and thus Viceroy couldn’t help the roll of her eyes. It may have been the worst possible thing she could do in this scenario but she could hardly take it back now. She steeled her optics upon the ivory brute, furrowed her brows together and laid the tips of her ears back against her skull. She knew she couldn’t handle him in a fight, Viceroy was well aware of the advantages he had over her and yet the girl was not willing to back down. Not this time. Perhaps he would think her too stupid to fight and be on his way but from the wrinkles that appeared across his muzzle and the words that fell from his lips, Viceroy very much doubted that he would be the one retreating this evening. He spat the nickname at her, venom that slapped her sure across the face but what was she to do about it? He clearly had her in size and muscle, it was apparent from his appearance alone that he’d fought before and Viceroy was nothing but a street rat. His reaction to her sent a shiver throughout her spine but again the girl would not be backing down.
”Pretty little pooches...” Viceroy mimicked his tone, the gruff timbre had much less of an effort from her own mouth than it had from his. She attempted to throw the words in his direction but they fell flat, even still Viceroy continued.
”I have a name you know...” The sarcastic female had a death wish it would seem and that was becoming more and more apparent as she stayed in her spot and refused to move even an iota. Viceroy was tired of running away and tonight she would prove that to all of the dogs...or, very likely, die trying. She’d just joined the Dodgers and here she was, challenging that of a much larger, much more aggressive dog. Juno would be so proud...or she’d be fuming at the prospect of her newest member thrusting herself headlong into danger. Viceroy was unsure of what the leader would think of her at this current moment but her mind had been made. Fight or no fight, Viceroy wouldn’t be going anywhere, not on his command, anyways.
She wanted to say much more, versions of sentences were perched along her tongue but the girl lacked the proper components to speak them. Her mouth felt suspiciously dry and her heart had leapt to her throat, constricting any and all air flow. All the while it palpitated as well, thrumming against her windpipe. His scent flowed in the wind, crossing her nostrils and reminding the girl of how stupid she was for not immediately turning tail and running back directly where she’d come from.
Viceroy swallowed hard, gulping all the words that she’d thought she had and returning her steely blue eyes toward the ivory Doberman, the one with icy azure eyes and a stare that might kill her on the spot.
Though the female seemed brave, he could see it written all over her; tail tucked, ears pinned to her head, the small quick breaths. It was clear to Razor that this pretty little female was in over her head, but was putting up a front. How cute. To think a dog like her who was silly enough to put on a brave face still existed. Though, he supposed there still had to be bait dogs out there in the world somewhere. The mottled female would have been a perfect bait dog. A sick little smile spread across his features at the fleeting thought, though the change of expression didn't last long as he narrowed his eyes.
Clearly this blue-eyed little girl was looking to die. That was the only way one could explain her eagerness to antagonize him with her mimicry. Another low growl bubbled its way up from his breast, this time more pronounced and audible. She was pushing her luck, and she had to be aware of that. Surely the other canine wasn't so stupid to think that he was okay with being mocked. Although that was quickly called into question again with the next sentence spoken.
"How cute. You think I actually care." His retort was enough to match her sarcasm, he was sure. Feeling the need to assert himself, the pale canine took a few steps forward. His posture made it clear that he wasn't willing to back down just because she threw a few little words and an eye roll his way. Now his lips had curled back to reveal the rows of pearly whites he had so graciously kept hidden in the beginning of their meeting. "I never asked for the names of the other bait. I won't be starting now."
"speaking" | tags: Razor @viceroy | Fire has all the snark.
Day had come and gone and evening was already nearing its end. Night was falling swiftly, the pale moon climbing to claim the skies from the sun. Stars twinkled as the last of the suns rays began to dip below the horizon, threatening to plunge the world in darkness. But in the city there was never true darkness. Humans continued to live through the night, their lights and noises carrying on when other creatures had long gone to bed. It was a curious feature of the humans that Fire held no true hatred for. She was distrustful after being stolen from her home and her future, but instinct told her that not all humans were bad.
Thanks to some help from a kindly rottweiler a few days ago, Fire was getting the hang of navigating the Labyrinth, home to the Dodgers. As a Lookout, it was her job to help make sure the borders were kept safe, and she was willing to put in the work to prove herself to the gang. She might miss her old life, but she knew it was long gone. And so she was patrolling Little Kiryat, the borders in mind. As she approached Mamosa Mall the scent of food tantalized her, but she stayed her course. Her stomach rumbled a little, and she thought better of avoiding the market altogether. It wouldn't hurt to investigate a little. There was always the chance that someone not welcome near Dodger territory had wandered in, hoping for food.
It wasn't long before she picked up a scent that was vaguely familiar. And if it was familiar then it was probably the scent of another gang member. She couldn't place it, however, so she warily followed the trail, ears erect and listening for anything that might be picked up within the din of the noise from the mall. She saw before she heard; a mottled colored dog that she knew she had seen at least once before. If memory served her, this was one of the newer members of the Dodgers - newer even than Fire, who had only been around a month or two. She moved closer, wondering why the dog was standing at the entrance to the alleyway. And then she heard it; another voice, mocking and angry. A growl started to rise in her throat for no real reason. She had no idea what was going on, but already she was ready to fight.
"I have a name you know..." claimed a voice, defiant in the face of the malice that Fire had heard just before. The sarcastic replies from the unknown voice were just as venomous as before, and Fire found herself trotting forward aggressively, her tail held up high behind her in a clear show of dominance. This was too close to home for anyone to be pushing a Dodger around. She wouldn't allow it.
She stepped up beside the mottled dog, who was a couple of inches shorter than herself, and found that they were looking down the alleyway at a tall doberman who was as pale as the moon hanging in the night sky. He was scarred and muscular, his eyes blue just as Fire's were. She glanced sidelong at her sudden companion, and recognized her as a dog that had joined fairly recently. Fire hoped she wouldn't mind the intrusion, or that she hadn't startled the female. Hopefully she would at least recognize Fire as another member of the gang.
"You've got a lotta talk for a dog that's practically trespassing," she growled, standing tall. She could tell the female was a little nervous, and the doberman was significantly larger than either of them. Fire wasn't afraid. Unlike the shepherd beside her, she had a good amount of muscle in some of the right places from her years of training as a sled dog. She might not be a fighter like the doberman clearly was, but she would give him something to think about before coming here again.
"What's your problem, huh?" she continued, her voice mocking. "Get beat up in the ring so you gotta find someone smaller to pick on to boost your ego?" Fire smirked, her blue eyes flashing dangerously. "The Doger's aren't gonna tolerate you coming around here for that. Go pick on someone your own size. Like a chihuahua."
The bristling of the male had her entire body on edge, had her limbs trembling as he took a few steps forward to solidify his aggression. Viceroy did not move backward but she was tempted. It seemed her legs were cemented in place while her heart thrummed a beat against her chest, a harmonizing strum that accompanied the boiling of her blood. With her tail tucked between her legs and the dog advancing, Viceroy figured this was the end and she nearly closed her eyes in the wake of it. She thought he might pounce upon her, bear his fangs and rip her throat clean out but in place of his presence another was found and Viceroy nearly screamed. She didn’t, she held the sound at the cusp of her mouth as another joined the party and inserted herself along the throes of danger. The smell that wafted forth was that of another Dodger and Viceroy could do nothing but breathe an exaggerated sigh of relief. She appeared as if divine intervention, spitting venom toward the white dog like a pit viper. Her aggressive tones washed all around Viceroy’s ears but the words were not directed toward her and in the presence of another, stronger individual, Viceroy found her limbs and stood to her full height. She was smaller than both dogs but still it would seem the the female beside her gave her an iota of strength.
She managed to looked beside her, toward the Siberian Husky who’s muscles perhaps matched the brute before them. Her russet and ivory coat glimmered in the artificial lights that shone over them and her eyes were a vivid color of blue, both alive and very dangerous. A streak of admiration and thankfulness washed about the Shepherd, fell about her very form and loosened the rigidity of her spine. While she wanted to show her appreciation for the sudden interjection, Viceroy remained silent in the eyes of this new stranger. From the scent that rolled off her, Viceroy could tell she was a Dodger but she’d never met her before. Alas she was still grateful for the intrusion, anything to keep the ivory Doberman from stilling her where she stood.
She wondered though, how this red female would handle her opponent. This created another string of thought wherein Viceroy wondered what would happen to her if the fire female before her perished in battle. Surely the Doberman wouldn’t hesitate to take out the both of them if he deemed it fit but Viceroy would be willing to fight tooth and nail to prevent that from happening. She wouldn’t win and would likely bleed out on the streets but she would fight regardless.
The length of her dark tail slipped from beneath her and stood erect beyond her. Viceroy mimicked the stranger’s stance so as to appear more opposing to the Doberman but she could not convey the same strength as the other did. She tried though and maybe there was some respect to be found in that.
Viceroy planted her blue eyes forward but glanced at the russet dog in her peripherals.
”I’m so glad you’re here...” She whispered the words but they could have been lost upon the wind for how low they were and Viceroy wasn’t about to repeat herself, not while the dog across from them stared her down with daggers inside of his eyes.
Sure footed and dominant, Razor had began his advance upon the younger shepherd. If not to fight her, than to simply scare her and force her to back off. While it was true he had an advantage over the female, he hadn't fully intended on wasting his time on her unless he needed to fight. All the creamy coated male had wanted was to be left alone so he could go find some food for the night, but instead all he ended up finding was trouble. Typical for this cursed place.
As if to accentuate his thoughts on the matter, a fiery husky revealed herself and stood beside the shepherd. "You've got a lotta talk for a dog that's practically trespassing." Though she spat venom in his face, the Doberman didn't back down. Her growl was met with the same from Razor as he glanced over the husky's frame. She was stronger than the shepherd, but it was obvious that she was no fighter. Her lack of true fighting experience was punctuated by her words. Though she may have thought them simply scathing remarks to try and emotionally wound the phantom, they were clear evidence of her ignorance of the world.
Though he had to admit, the words served their purpose as he snarled at the sled dog. "Dogs like you think you're so clever. Prancing around and spouting off about shit they don't know anything about," he spat the words as if they were daggers aimed at her head. Angry was, perhaps, the best definition one could use to describe Razor. Beaten and scarred from his years in the ring, he was bitter and angry with the world; angry that everyone and everything had failed to save him as a young pup, angry that he had been taken from his home and his mother- the list went on and on. "Half of you pampered pooches wouldn't survive the training, let alone your first real fight."
He snorted he the mention of a gang. The name meant little to him. None of them did. "The Dodgers can kiss my ass."
Fire thought maybe she had startled the girl, but whatever the case she seemed to have recovered and even seemed stronger with someone there to back her up. Truthfully, Fire wasn't sure they could handle the muscular doberman on their own, but she figured that two was a whole lot better than one, and she was willing to be someone like this wouldn't be so quick to take on two. He was a fighter, she could tell. Probably a bit like the Saints she had run into with her brothers some time back. Ring fighters, the lot of them. Ring fights were typically one-on-one, controlled by humans. With luck he wasn't accustomed to two opponents.
She flicked her ears in the mottled shepherds direction and smiled. "We gotta stick together," she muttered just as softly as Viceroy had whispered her words. The white brute was still too far off to have heard the words, though he might have seen them speak. Her attention shifted fully back to him again rather quickly, knowing full well that he was dangerous. That wasn't going to stop her from needling away at the brute, though.
"And dogs like you think you're so much better than the world," she spat back, a sneer on her face. "Been in the ring a few times, survived, and now you're better than all the rest of us." She rolled her eyes, having heard all this before from those who thought their experiences meant they knew things better than she did. She might have been new as a stray, but she wasn't a pushover. She doubted that his training was anything like the training that she had undergone, and it would probably kill him just as fast as he seemed to think his training would have killed her. With that white fur and pink skin he would have died quickly in the arctic trying to pull a sled.
"You seem to think living on the streets is like being a pet," she snorted, half laughing at him. "You don't know much yourself, do ya? Maybe you should go meet the Saints, get taught a lesson about what real fighting dogs are like." The Saints, as many knew, had been a part of a large fighting ring. That was over now, but many of those dogs were old survivors from that time, including their leader. She'd heard enough - and seen as much when they had attacked her - to know that if you wanted to know what a fighting dog was you found the Saints.
She gave him a nasty smirk and a spark of bright blue eyes. "For someone who thinks so highly of his own skills, you sure have a death wish," she called out to him. "All it takes is a short call and I can have every security dog from the gang here. And then we won't just kiss your ass. We'll tear you a new asshole right along with it." She was bluffing, really. She had no idea where the other Lookouts and security job dogs were at right now. Maybe one or two were nearby, with home base so close by, but that was unlikely. But a good bluff was always a useful tool, and nothing on her face gave away her secret knowledge.
The two were neck and neck, two halves of a whole beast that Viceroy would never be able to comprehend. She was nothing like these two creatures, all talk and no action but both the Phantom and the Firefly had their eyes locked on one another and Viceroy had half a mind to slink away. She couldn’t though. She couldn’t leave that of another Dodger alone to face the white Doberman despite how little help she’d actually be in a fight. The Shepherd would readily fight tooth and nail to help but she could guarantee no actual assistance in the process. Even still, she listened to their back and forth, venom that sloshed from both mouths and centred in on the pavement between them. As they continued to lash at one another with their words, Viceroy attempted to pick up the pieces of scattered information they left. She’d never interacted with the Saint’s before but from what the Fire Husky said in response, she’d didn’t want too anyways. Viceroy had clearly missed the nuances that would lead them to believe the phantom was a fighting dog. She’d never seen them in action before and up until this point, she never thought she would. In the grand scheme of things, Viceroy did have it relatively easy, she supposed. Part of her heart even went out to the Doberman, he was clearly like this for a reason. It was obvious that he’d been through the ringer and back again and having survived something like that well... you don’t come out unscathed.
Viceroy nodded to her protector, caught the words as she spoke them and stood ground with her despite feeling very unconfident in their win. It was when she spoke of others in the distance that her ears perked. Was their really other Dodgers around that could help them or was this a bluff to get the white canine to back off? Viceroy was uncertain but if she was unaware than perhaps their opponent would be as well. The female decided to let the two hash it out. If she was needed than she would do whatever she could but in the meantime neither her words nor her actions would be favoured and thus, Viceroy clamped her mouth shut and attempted to look as menacing as possible. It was a difficult task considering her small stature and fluffy mottled coat but she tried and perhaps that was commendable in and of itself.
Anger, the bitter wine that Razor had tasted his entire life, rolled off of him in waves, permeating the very air he breathed in. Icy eyes narrowed at the russet husky's words, at her very presence. She knew nothing of him, nothing about what any of the fighters went through since puppyhood. It was sickening, having her spout off about things she could never fathom in her tiny little world.
"If I thought I was better than everyone, I'd still be some prissy little pooch!" He spat the words like acid, hoping they'd land on the strangers and eat away at their flesh. He was beyond annoyed and unamused with the husky and her words. What did she know about a dog like him? If she had a single glimpse into his life, he was sure she'd run away with her tail between her legs.
Growing weary of the waste of energy the husky was becoming, he sighed. Constant anger with an empty stomach was exhausting. "Real fighting is a fight to the death," he said. The words, even to him, sounded sad and lonely. He quickly shook his head and continued on. "Real fighting, is pitting three dogs against one and only one of them comes out alive. Don't talk to me about real fighting until you've been the champion and had to feel the life drain from another dog while they're writhing in your jaws!"
He had seen death, had been its harbinger for so long. Standing here in front of someone who knew nothing- it angered him. Perhaps it was envy, or perhaps it was something else that drove his emotions to such a peak. Whatever it was, he was certain that if he came across this husky again, she'd stir these feelings up in him once more.
Another sigh left him and he couldn't help but shrug his shoulders at her threats. Empty or not, he didn't care. "If it'll make you happy, call them. I don't care anymore."
The doberman was far enough off that the husky could whisper a few words to the shepherd without too much risk of him overhearing, though she wasn't sure how sharp the ears of the white dog were. Torn as they were, maybe he had lost some of the hearing with the damage. It was hard to say. "I'm Fire," she said softly to the shepherd. "You joined recently, yeah?" Though she kept her head facing forward, she allowed herself a glance in the direction of her companion and the upturned corner of her mouth as a smile. "Couldn't let him talk that way to another Dodger. We're family." She never once hinted that she thought the other Dodger needed the help, or that she wasn't capable in a fight. Just the simple understanding that she was gang, and the gang stuck together. Fire needed the gang. She lived for it.
"You're wrong," she said louder, for the doberman to hear. Her eyes had narrowed and her voice didn't hold the taunting that it did before. "Real fighting is about survival. Sometimes it comes to death, but out here, you fight to live." The husky was good at throwing words and insults around, but there was no ignoring the seriousness in her voice now. To some extent the words were fore Viceroy, too. "What you did was nothing more than sport for humans." It might have been an insult to the doberman, but she didn't care. It was the truth, after all. Humans ran the fighting rings. Any dog knew that. They did it for entertainment, the same way they ran horses or showed other animals.
"Coming out here and being an ass to everyone you find is a sure way to get yourself killed," she growled, referring to how he had treated Viceroy when the shepherd had happened upon him. She had come in late, but she doubted the shepherd had done much to anger someone like this. "There are plenty of dogs here that'll catch you unaware in a dark alley. Plenty who don't fight fair. At least in the ring you had the chance to meet the danger head on." And wasn't it true? The Yardies and the Saints weren't above using underhanded tricks and spying to get their way. She'd heard the stories and rumors. If he acted like this to everyone sooner or later he would make himself the kind of enemy that would use some of those tricks.
"Out here your real fighting doesn't mean much," she growled again, anger welling up in her. "Our whole lives are one big fight. That's why we don't go around picking fights with every stranger." She glanced down at Viceroy again, her eyes soft. She would always looks out for her packmates. They were in this together. "Hell," she said, glancing back to him. "If you'd been a bit nicer, we coulda all worked together to fill our stomachs."
Viceroy could feel herself bristling, her temper rising as the white Doberman continued, throwing forth his venom as if they were affected but Fire wasn’t backing down and thus Viceroy would not either. The very thought of her appearing weak not only in front of her new friend but this ivory colored dog, well, it made her stomach hurt. There was no way she would be permitting that to happen today. She stood at her full height, which was still much smaller than both the other dogs around her but it made her feel better to stand straight, to feel as if perhaps she was more authoritative than she gave herself credit for. Her azure eyes were fixated on that of the Doberman, blue optics that found nothing else in their approach and she wasn’t sure why she was challenging him so readily. It seemed like such a bad idea a moment ago but now, with someone to have her back, she felt a bit more ready to take on the canine in front of them. Obviously, she was still hoping it did not come to that in the end but really Viceroy had little choice in the matter now. Thrust into this situation she had been and to the end she would see it.
“I’m Fire.” Viceroy removed her gaze just long enough to smile at the Husky, to take in the deep russets of her coat and watch her lips move with the rhythm of her words. Fire seemed like such an applicable name for her given her coloring and the brightness of her gaze. It was name she would have no trouble remembering, that much was apparent.
”I’m Viceroy, it’s nice to meet you.” Viceroy had returned her gaze to the Doberman but she moved a simple step closer to Fire in order for her words to be heard. They were low as they advanced from her mouth, nearly muted but still there. She very much wanted to converse with Fire, so many questions were primed upon her lips but this was hardly the time for a rundown of her family history. Perhaps they would get a chance later to engage in conversation that is…if they made it out of here alive. Fire’s next words caught her off guard, not for any negative connotations that may have been attached to them but because the word ‘family’ seemed to reply on loop inside her head the moment she spoke it. An elegant rehashing of the same sentiment over and over again until Fire stole her focus back again. She supposed that they were a family now and they would be for the rest of her life. It was such a welcomed realization that Viceroy could not help the span of a smile that hopped to her lips.
“Family…yeah…thank you.” It may have been apparent that Viceroy was not used to interactions like this yet but she recovered as quickly as she could to face that of the white Doberman and Fire’s defensive words. She imagined that there was only one way this could end this evening but if anyone could talk the Doberman off the ledge, then it would have to be Fire. It didn’t matter that Viceroy had only met the female mere moments ago, Viceroy had full faith in the abilities of the red Husky beside her.
At Fire’s next statement she could only nod in agreement.
"If you'd been a bit nicer, we coulda all worked together to fill our stomachs." Lord wasn’t that the truth. That had been her intention all along, finding some food to soften the anger bubbling in along her stomach, a constant reminder that she was starving. Surely, if he’d been a bit nicer, they could be strolling down the alleyway together in search of food but alas, the dog was deemed aggressive and had the humans been around then no doubt they would call the dog catcher on his ass.
“She’s right, you know. All I wanted was some food, I could have even helped you if you didn’t immediately decide that you wanted to fight me.” She was feeling much more confident around Fire and these words had no trouble finding their way from her mouth.
“That ship had sailed, bucko.” She nodded the last sentiment in afterthought but it seemed like a good way to bounce back from the timid creature she’d been only moments ago.
Razor had stood there, taking it all in as the females both spoke their peace. The words, though they likely weren't meant to become weapons, struck at Razor like daggers as the russet female spoke. Ivory fur riddled with scars tremored as his anger shook his whole frame. Again, these dogs knew nothing. Pampered pooches with rose colored glasses on. It was enough to make even the calmest dog upset. Icy hues flashed red in a tiny sliver of light that peeked through a crack in a curtain of one of the buildings.
"You think that none of us weren't fighting for survival in that hell?" The question, to his surprise, came easily and without warning. "You think that we weren't fighting to live?" He asked the second question with less malice, but the anger he felt, the bitter taste on his tongue wouldn't go away. Not today at least.
For a brief moment, his anger fell as he looked at the two who stood before him. "None of us asked to be there!" Their words, their idealism was painful to the Doberman. He envied them. If only he could still believe in those ideas.
"If you'd been a bit nicer, we coulda all worked together to fill our stomachs." With those words, the brief lapse in his anger was gone. "Nice?" he snorted at the hilarity of such a comment. "You two clearly are missing the memo, so let me inform you," he said as he cocked his head to the side. "I was taught to see an enemy in everyone. I don't play nice. Where I'm from, nice gets you killed."
"speaking" | Fire , @viceroy | Not my best, but I tried!
"speaking" | tags: Razor @viceroy | Fire has a lot to say today
Fire flicked her ears towards Viceroy in acknowledgement, her eyes remaining on the white doberman for the moment. She had only been with the gang a short while and didn't know very many of the other dogs in the gang personally. She made a mental note to take the time to get to know Viceroy on that level. After all, she knew what it was like to be brand new to the gang and Viceroy could probably use a friend to help her adjust. Sometimes it felt like there were more dogs ready to rip your throat out than there were ones willing to help you learn the ropes. Corona would be an excellent friend, too, and Fire wondered if they had met already.
The lightest of smiles touched Fire's lips. Having a pack again was a wonderful feeling, even if it was made up of dogs that weren't her siblings. Having others to rely on for friendship, help, and backup was always something to ease the mind, in her opinion. She felt Viceroy was on the same page as herself, but this trespasser seemed to have different thoughts.
"I didn't say you weren't fighting to survive," she retorted, but her voice came out in a slightly kinder tone, lacking the venom of before. "Surviving the cruelty of humans is one thing, surviving the world outside is something bigger." She wasn't trying to downplay whatever he had been through before this. He wasn't the only dog in the city that had escaped the fighting rings and there were plenty of stories and whispers that she had heard. She could at least start to imagine what he had been through, and there was no way in hell she would wish that on anyone. But she would have thought that one free of the fighting rings, with such venom in his voice while speaking of it, would want to change.
"Look," she said with a sigh, her demeanor changing to something less threatening. "None of us wants a fight, right?" She assumed that Viceroy didn't want to fight, and she figured the white mutt just wanted them to disappear forever. "But I'm also not gonna let you be an ass to my pack on our own territory."
She glanced down at Viceroy, checking on the smaller female to see how she was doing. Fire wouldn't have blamed her for running off, and she was grateful that she hadn't. But the doberman's words snapped her back to the situation at hand, and Fire tilted her head for a moment, considering things before speaking again.
"Do you think I asked to be stolen from my home and dumped in the city?" she asked calmly, no scorn or hate in her words. "None of us ask for the things we've been through. The difference between you and me is I lost a good life for a shitty one and you lost a shitty life for a slightly less shitty one." She gave him a hard stare, but nothing in her gaze held the same sarcasm or venom as before. "Seems to me you should be trying to change your life now that you're in control, instead of living like you're still in the old one."
She gave him a strange smile, tilting her head again. "If you treat everyone as an enemy you're just gonna wind up dead in an alley, never making anything of yourself." She gave a dog-like shrug. "In this city you'd do better to find allies than make enemies everywhere you go. But hey, what do I know? I just live here."
Fire decided that was enough to do with the white doberman for the time being. This wasn't going anywhere. He was just going to keep being an asshole, living in his past rather than taking charge of the future he was given, despite his origins. "C'mon Viceroy," she said, loud enough for the antagonistic brute to hear as well. "We'll give the rest of the security dogs a heads up about Mr. Grumpy here. Our Sentinel will want to know, as well."
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