ORIGIN - choke yourself to sleep

all welcome

In a damp corner of the caves, a den had been carved out; thick with all variety of fungus. Small corpses of cave rats rotted among the masses, contributing to a distinct sense of sickness that soured away in a dark corner of the low, winding tunnel. The soft silt had been perfect to dig in, and many, many cycles ago, the wolf had made himself a den.

Nothing particularly tended to bother him; occasionally a curious new gembound, or a lesser, but the smell tended to deter most. He avoided company by sleeping, and ventured out to Eridanus to hunt when he knew his hunger would demand it. Small cave deer were dragged through the icy tunnel that connected Polaris and Pisces to the lush, green cavern where food was plentiful, and before long their corpses would find their home among the fungi, where they quickly rotted away to nothing if he did not eat them fast enough.

Bones... He buried the larger bones.

Sometimes he looked upon his small home, avarice gnawing at what could have been. He tended to his needs, occasionally retreating into his chrysalis when his prey fought back and infection took root. It did not change much. He was awake again, living and breathing spores that probably made it hard to breathe.

Today, Theta tended to the fungi. It never grew too far out from his den, preferring the dark and damp, but he encouraged it to grow all the same.

all welcome

The fungus did not spread quickly, even prodded by his old, weary magic... But it did grow, slowly and surely, spores releasing and settling into the loamy soil. Little buds popped out around his feet, and encouraged, he stepped out of his den, encouraging the spores to come further out. He knew he would never get the fungus to cover all of the tunnel-- as helpful as it would be to be able to keep tabs on his meager territory.

As he focused his magic, he could begin to feel where the fungi was thriving-- the pockets of life that bloomed around the fresh carcass of a cave rat he had caught a few days ago, the spots he had neglected that had eaten all the nutrients from the earth.

Most disturbingly, he could feel the fungus try to take hold upon him. The buds liked to try to grow in his fur, attracted to the filth and gore he sometimes forgot to clean off of his fur. He settled his rump upon the silky soil, reaching a hind foot up to kick off a mushroom that had festered in the scruff of his fur, kicking spores out around him.

... Ah, he was quite the mess. It was no wonder he was left to his own devices; he kept to himself, and everyone else avoided the stinking, rotting remains of what once had been a perfect whole.

all welcome

He pushed his senses further, getting to the root of his garden. He sometimes had trouble with this-- sensing the entirety of the mycelium that he had created. It was much easier to prod and get details from the fungi, using them as an extension of himself... Sensing the depth of his home was a bit more difficult.

However, sure enough, he felt the cavern expand around him. He could feel the entire section of his den, coated inch to inch with fungus that he had been cultivating. It was a tiny little den, barely peeking out of the entrance he had dug clean with his own paws. However, his efforts today had expanded the small section, and it was enough to make him...

Proud?

He took a deep breath, the rotting taste dizzying. He poked his head back into his den, reaching a paw to nudge the half-rotten corpse of the cave rat free from the fungus that had been devouring it eagerly, and tore off a sour chunk of flesh. It was only fair to share with his... colony.

This was the highlight of his days. He could hardly register how miserable his life was, but the company of strangers had never been satisfying. This was a purpose, full of busy work that never ended. Moreover, he would sooner tear out his fur than find solace in some random no one, and judging by the drawbacks associated with his habits (namely, the smell)... Well, it's not like anyone was dying to be his companion either.

ATTIKIAS
violence for violence
is the rule of the beasts

Something had driven Attikias to wander more than typical lately. Perhaps he was going stir-crazy, desperate for new experiences, or maybe he was just tired of all the lush green in his daily life. No- no, he just needed to get out and about more. See the sights. Smell the fresh air.

Except the air wasn't entirely fresh at the end of the tunnel. Attikias's face scrunched up when the buildup finally hit his senses. Instinct told him to move away, just avoid it all, but curiosity took control to see the end of this particularly damp tunnel. The closer he got, though, the more his eyes watered, the stronger the urge to cough and heave was. The rot smell was strong here- it was a wonder how it didn't infect the rest of the caves at this rate.

Thinking cautiously, the elf covered his mouth with a hand as his velvety skin tingled, having mind to try and prevent disease from infecting his system. It wouldn't do much, but it's the though that counted.

It wasn't long until he set eye on the festering garden blooming from a nook in the tunnel. Oh. Oh, that made sense now. The texture reminded him of the cooked meats he'd left out too long before. Okay, he was definitely risking something here. Bile threatened to rise in the back of his throat already as the smell set poorly against his tongue. How could anything even pass through here? How could anything even live here?

A grumble ran through his closed mouth as he squinted around and pulled magic from his gem-capped shoulder. He knew the spell- it was something he'd honed to make up for his lacking senses. A weak pulse of magic rolled off from him, echoing about the tunnel, searching for the existence of other beings alongside him.He didn't expect a response- he expected death in this sickening lair. Something was INSIDE there?

Swallowing his nausea, Attikias kept one hand on the strap holding his spear while the other tightened on his cheeks. If only he had his bag with him to cover his face right now. "Oh, hell," he mumbled to himself. "Hey, uh, are you okay?" For all he knew, the person in there could be dying. His rough voice was muffled by the thick skin of his hand over his mouth but he made sure to lift up the volume enough to call down the hall.

@Theta

@Attikias

A voice startled the wolf out of his routine, his ears pricking as he scattered backwards and proved to be a shell of the once proud and arrogant creature he had been. His golden eyes glittered from the back of the nook, peering out at the source of the sound. A stranger. Speak of the devil.

Though his colony, he felt the source of living tissue at the entrance of his den. It was warm and large, avoiding coming too close. Lowering his head, he stepped out from under the safety of his fungi encrusted den, lips raising to warily show off a scowl of sharp incisors.

The gaunt, once-white wolf crept out from the smell of death, fungi hanging off of his matted and disgusting fur. "... I am," he answered stiffly, eyeing the stranger as he warily approached. The creature was walking upon two strange, deer-skin covered legs, a deep blue in color. The wolf's hackles raised as it watched the svartálfr, the urge to protect his limited territory hard to ignore in comparison to his morbid curiosity. "What are you?" The canine asked, keeping a safe length of fungi between himself and the stranger.

ATTIKIAS
violence for violence
is the rule of the beasts

The echoing noise of scattering nails along the rock floor drove a jump through Attikias's muscles. Shit, there really was something in there. A cautious step back drove him away from the nook. Something was coming out- He tensed in place, his eyes intense as they rested on the wolf. The smell was coming from them.

He tried not to choke, he really tried, but a cough flooded out of his lungs after holding his breath wouldn't suffice. "You sure?" He added the words fast after the wolf's first, disgusted disbelief running across his face. This wasn't healthy. This couldn't be healthy. But, maybe he shouldn't judge, maybe this was healthy for a being like him. He shook his head, catching himself with a small "Sorry." He shouldn't've reacted like that.

It seemed they were both cautious of each other. At the question, Attikias steeled himself to remove his hand from his mouth and instead hold the spear's strap, knuckles lightening at the discomfort-fueled grip he held on it. The smell was just so pervasive in this area that there was barely any use to the motion. But, anyways- "I don't know." He really didn't- nothing was supplied to him in terms of his ingrained and unquestioned knowledge. He understood deer, canines, cats- those species came to him easily, but his own was a mystery he'd been scratching at for cycles.

Actually, no. He could answer this. Standing up straighter, his voice moved from a dejected tone to one of pride. "I'm a Hunter." There was a special emphasis on the last word. Just like the Overseer had all that time ago. "Not, for other people. Just- I hunt. I guess that's what I am." He cleared his throat awkwardly, glancing away before focusing back on the wolf.

But enough about him. The wolf already said he was okay, but Attikias doubted that. With a tiny sigh under his breath, he turned the conversation back off the awkwardness of his own lack of perceptible species. "Is this comfortable for you? Maybe... I can hunt for you? Or something?"

He didn't know why he asked that. In truth, he was a bit lonely- even with his newfound connection with the kirin twins, having that made him desperate for more, an innate desire for a community to be a part of. Not that he recognized that.

@Theta

@Attikias

It seemed that the stranger had an adverse reaction to the wolf and his den; this was not particularly unusual. The smell was a strong mark of territory intended as a deterrent, and while his hackles still bristled with uncertainty, the brief apology showed that the stranger was taken aback more than solidly offended.

Theta's ears pricked as the velvet-covered walker announced himself as a Hunter. This, if nothing else, the canine understood. The prickle of ego in their voice was familiar... Nostalgic, even. His tail raised slightly, the glint of multicolored stone catching in the faint light of the cavern... Beneath all of the matted fur and fungi.

"I am... also a Hunter," the wolf spoke with a cadence that echoed the other. "I hunt," he explained with a hint of smugness, "to feed the earth." With a bow of his head, he pointed his nose toward an indiscernible carcass that had been covered in spores and sprouts.

He looked back toward the stranger, squinting at him with curiosity. He was typically able to take down prey on his own, but he knew the benefits of having a companion to hunt with. It had been so long... But he had not forgotten. He could not forget.

How could this strange, two-legged beast hunt? Did it use that stick? Surely it could not bite effectively with a flat face, nor did it seem to have sharp claws. "You wear the flesh of other creatures," he noted with a sniff that sent a twitch through his muzzle. It was an apt comparison, he seemed to believe. Hunt for the fungus, hunt for the clothes. If one of them was strange, they both were.

He took another step forward, cautious and slow. They both had reason to be wary of another, it seemed. "My name is Theta. I would like to see how you hunt."

ATTIKIAS
violence for violence
is the rule of the beasts

Attikias seemed to rock from one foot to the other- although his body language may speak of an eagerness to leave, the man's curiosity overpowered it all in the moment. The glint of the wolf's tail caught his eye for the briefest moment. Was that... A weapon, they've affixed onto their tail? But it looked heavy. Not very effective. Maybe he could help replace it?

He stood up straighter when the wolf echoed his word back to him. Theta was proud- this much he could tell, and he squatted down as he gestured to the fungi. Oh- shit, that's a carcass? Even as his face drew together in minor disgust, he still pulled the spear from his back and reached and poked at the organic rot gently with the butt of his spear.

He glanced over when Theta mentioned another oddity of his. "Ah- yeah." He spoke low, his spear coming back to his side to rest perpendicular to the floor. "I don't have fur, so I kind of have to make my own." That was a... Good explanation, right? It was a little more complicated than that, yeah, but it just felt better to have something on him, even if it was the remains of other things.

Attikias stood his ground as Theta revealed more of himself. "I'm Attikias. And- sure?" His head cocked slightly to the left. "I can help feed your garden, if you want." He wasn't opposed to hunting, even if it wasn't what he came for, but it only seemed polite after barging in on this wolf. He used the spear to prop himself up in a practiced movement. It was a wonder, really, how he managed on two legs- but he seemed fine? His sense of balance was fairly fine, and it wasn't like he was gonna run around on all fours.

He stepped back, looking down opposite the way he came. "Are we close to the next cave, here? I haven't really hunted in anywhere 'cept the forest, so I'm not really..." He shrugged and laughed under his breath. "I don't really know where I'm going right now."

@Theta