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A pup without a pack was a dead pup. Everyone knows this but Puppy found this pack quite problematic in the result of none of them cared for each other aside from the one with the sharpest ears. That one said he was Dracula. Puppy could settle for just Dracula’s attentiveness if not for how much the giant would hover.
Others weren’t too taken with him and his ‘new’ state of mind, but they weren’t too mocking about it, Pup didn’t think. Just curiously nipping at the heels of the newest thing in view. Often, he remembered seeing it from a wolf pack when a leopard somehow made its way to their territory. Thinking back, he decided it wasn’t too strange that animals were one of the only forms of knowledge that he had kept considering how kind Pup had found them to be.
One of the bigger packmates in this ‘castle’, the one with vibrant fire hair and leaf skin, was an odd minder that would follow him around when Dracula was off with the tall packmates. The fire-haired one wouldn’t speak to him but observe with a voice that would ward off any birds in the area and keen eyes that would make any prey run. Pup felt much like that prey but not. The fire-hair had yet to do anything provoking other than the following.
He had a strange way of speaking too from the others but then again it wasn’t as though any of them would talk to Pup. They liked to talk about him, or around him. Almost as though they thought he couldn’t understand them.
Pup could but also didn’t. They liked to use strange words but other than that yes, he understood them. Not that he would say so if they didn’t ask. Be to not assume, best to be Quiet.
“HEY,” the fire-haired one yelled out in the hall. Pup guessed someone bumped into him and the fire-hair wanted something from the transgression. “Hey, you.” Or not.
Pup continued walking, wondering to whom the fire-hair was possibly trying to talk to. He was probably the most interesting one to watch interacting with the other packmates.
“OY,” fire-hair tried again, “don’t ignore me, Forgemaster.” Forgemster? Ah, must be trying to catch the patient bald one’s attention. Pup had to admit that that one was of the prettiest here in the halls in the same way that moonlight was. Wait
That forgemaster was in the same place as Dracula. That means he’s not here in the halls. Why was the Fire-hair trying to catch the attention of someone not there? Unless
Pup turned around with bright curious eyes and pointed at himself. Are you talking to me?
“Yes, YOU,” the fire-hair looked tired in the face. Fire-hair did seem happy with the attention though unlike the others whenever Pup looked at them. Then he pointed the ground in front of him. “Come here, Forgemaster.”
Me? Come to you? Yes, I can do that. Pup smiled up at the fire-hair as he trotted up to the bigger packmate. Do you need help? How do I help someone big and strong like you?
Fire-hair put his hand over Pup’s eyes quickly after. “Hell fucking damnit don’t look at me like that.” Pup smiled, happy just to be spoken to as he listened on. “I think I liked you better before this change, less problematic some-fucking-how.”
Pup tilted his head in askance. How was he a problem? Was there any way for him to stop and help? Fire-hair had yet to remove his hand even with the movement. He was quite heavy.
“What did I fucking say you,” fire-hair sighed with a strange groan after. “Stick with me or whatever. You don’t know what the fuck up is from down, do you? Not a damnable memory stuck in that little head of yours. How the fucking hell did you survive this far is a fucking mystery.”
Pup nodded slowly, mindful of the hand on him. His smile never left his lips. The big green man was only concerned with his health and safety after all.
“Good.” The leaf-colored hand left him for Pup to see the loud giant once more before he started to walk away, “come with me, human.”
Pup startled at the new descriptor. He wasn’t used to being considered a human by anyone before. Nonetheless over his shock, Pup followed along brightly as a moon beam behind the packmate undisturbed by any of the other inhabitants of the halls.
Pup’s gait was as spry as a newly born fawn’s first hours alive in the world. His steps were unsteady on the cobbled stones even as they were. Feeling as though he were in a stranger’s clothes in his newer form. Was he sad here, once before his sickness? From how others would stare or how the sharp eared giant would hover, Pup supposed he was.
The giant’s tight smiles when Pup would faithfully follow in his steps. Bumping into the dark one wasn’t fun when Pup followed him even if the dark one was more tolerant than the other pack members in the den. Still neither saw Pup as something that was normal. Was he not happy when they met the first time?
A strong back felt much like a wall when he stumbled into it.
The smell of food was stronger when the fire-haired stopped. Pup wondered if he was going to get any scraps for him to eat. Would fire-hair eat with him or was it that his scraps were to be Pup’s food? As long as Pup was able to eat at the end, he supposed it didn’t much matter.
His smile dimmed in the same way one’s vibrant bonfire would die out hours after with no wooden food. Perhaps it would be best if Pup didn’t get his hopes up about this packmate. Fire-hair might not know that it was nice to feed others, even if it is just scraps.
Fire-hair scratched at his pointy beard as he looked down to Pup. His face screw up in a way Pup hadn’t seen on any of his other packmates. “I guess in all the excitement, you haven’t had your human food, have you.”
Pup tilted his head to the side as he looked up to the fire-hair. His smile was a dim ember. Eyes wide and innocent. ‘If you could ever be so kind and have known kindness, Feed me, please’
“For fucking,” fire-hair turned away from Pup to storm off. Pup faithfully followed the larger packmate’s footsteps. “Stop that, you fuck dumbass! Go and eat something. Whatever the fuck you want, just don’t follow me!”
‘So, no scraps? I wanted to eat.’ Pup continued to follow the fire hair around. Pup supposed that fire-hair didn’t know any better than him on what to do from here on. It must had been for that reason that fire hair so swiftly turned around the corner.
The fire hair one brought him to the source of the good food smell and had walked in with all the merriment of a tired farmer. With all the enthusiasm of an executioner, fire hair set down a bowl of colorful food and although Pup knew that beggars can’t afford to be choosy with what they eat, he was not so fond of the brown meat inside. Too much alike to what he’s seen people look like.
Perhaps Pup should be thankful for the rule of no eating whole food. He would hate to have to eat all of the ingredients in the bowl. Usually, he would be annoyed about now being allowed such a small thing but then again aren’t there more people with less than him? Plenty of people must’ve have had it worse than he ever did.
A huge hand slammed the table. “Fucking eat, Dumbass,” shouted the giant he’d been following. Pup looked up imploringly at the much larger man in front of him. Why was the trap so obvious? He’s definitely not eat this here. Or that was the spirit of it until the hand rose against him.
“Godbrand,” spoke a voice layered with many unfamiliar things, “what exactly are you doing with Hector?” The voice, Pup had found when he twisted around, came with a sturdy body with tattoos. Not as tall as the Godbrand nor as full of hair but none of that subtracted from how handsome one could find him.
Pup wanted to run. Run far far away but also come to him and know more of those unfamiliar things. His voice sounded as though he knew all the unknown things Pup felt. But Pup couldn’t run away, he was told to sit and good dogs did as they were told.
“ I’m fucking feeding this fucking bloodbag.” The Godbrand declared with no remorse, “don’t look at me like that. He can’t think, can’t take care of a damn thing, hell, I’ll bet that he can’t even fucking Forge a goddamn creature anymore.”
The man glared at the giant as he stalked closer to them. “So, the only other use you’ve deemed him for was as a personal bloodbag, on your own authority.”
The room was quiet. When Pup looked around, he found that everyone else had somewhat vanished or were currently scurrying out of the room. He gripped the seat's edge with the small wish of being anywhere not here.
Godbrand gestured dramatically at him. “Look at that, not a fucking thought in his empty fucking head, Isaac.”
Pup smiled up at him with the sincere hope that Godbrand could go eat shit and die painfully in a true unspoken and shameful fashion.
“Be that as it may, it does not mean that Hector is free to be taken advantage of, Godbrand,” Isaac had stopped at the right side of Pup’s chair. A dark hand held the back of his chair in place as Isaac leered over Pup towards Godbrand with the expressed order of “ get out.”
The giant rumbled out a growl that wasn’t so much unlike that of a starving hound in front of a marked prey although unlike any starving hound he knew the giant left. And with that departure, Isaac briskly turned to Pup with a grim expectancy. “You will eat then I will take you to see your pets.”
Pup looked at Isaac curious. Pets? As in headpats or like him? Pup’s met other pets like him and none of them were kind. Perhaps the others were kind, and that hope was enough for him to start on the vegetables in his bowl. The meat was merely just a garnishment for him, to eat his own was a taboo Pup was not able to cross.
By the time Pup was finished, the man sighed with an air that belonged to the minders of his old orphanage. This one was kinder than those though. Only slightly fonder than the older children when they had told him goodbye and never to be seen again.
The bald man took his bowl from Pup and gestured for Pup to follow him. Time to meet the other pets now or apparently after dropping off the dish off at the average sized trough that floated on the wall. How curious that is. Was there a follower of Dionysus that thought this up?
Pup bent over the sink in wonderment. He wasn’t quiet about his curiosity over the wall bin. Were there others like him here? Not many would help him orient himself here without causing trouble. Also immediately, Pup felt faint with a carrol of maggots squirming their way out of him.
Short whines and hums were enough for the man to begin explaining its purpose. Pup found he didn’t much mind that the explanation was made as though he were stupid for not knowing. The man was kind enough to explain and that was enough to give Pup pause as the man began to walk away. He listened as he followed the man known as Isaac.