Beowulf stood up and shood off the rubble his pelt had gathered from being curshed by Ran. He ran after her, tail wagging. Sure, she had just sneezed in his face, but he couldn't care less. He just brushed it off as if nothing had happeend, that's the way he always was and always would be.

"Good morning Ran!" He barked happily, standing beside her. His tail was now wagging faster, it followed his excitement. Man, she got me with the sneak attack this time. He thought. Yet he wasn't upset, he just was excited. She easily bested him in any form of combat or physical activities. It made him happy though, especally seeing the joy she got out of it.

"Hunting sounds awesome! Now?" He was now practically jumping around the female, excitement flowing through his veins. He lived for the small things like this, to be able to provide for his pack. He stopped for a split second, just taking on what was before him.

Am I really six years old and no mate? What am I doing with my life. Wait oh ya, I'm in a pack! Who needs a mate? He thought to himself, his optimism breaking through the brief second of doubt he had inside himself. Besides, I get to be partners with one of the best females in the pack. I mean wolves, the best wolves in the pack.

He shook his head, skipping in front of the female in order to start smelling around for some prey. He caught faint whisps of a few rabbits. It was a pretty old trail, probably from the early morning. It was possible the rabbits hadn't made it too far away in the 5 or so hours the trail had been from.

"I have a trail, it's kinda old though." He looked back at the female, ears perked up and tail wagging. He wanted to please her, to make her happy. A few rabbits would be worth it, right? He wondered, thinking about the pack and how much they usually consumed each day. He came to the decision it would definately help out, even if it wasn't the largest pray stash they'd caught before.

He watched the female for her reaction. This will be enough to impr- I mean intrest her I hope. He knew that she was usually game for anything, so she would hopefully be up for spending a few long hours hunting down two rabbits for the pack. He felt the heat blaring down around them, followed by a slight ocean breeze. He ignored the heat though, his excitement blocked out anything else that might prohibit or stall things he couldn't wait to do.

(This is kinda sloppy, sorry)

Torah

Male||5 years||Nomad||Mentions:Skadi, Ind-Packs

Lazing in the shade was a large mass of dark fur, tucked neatly beneath a low, silver car which offered an adequate amount of comfortability. But of course, it was less of a gleaming silver and more of a scratched and rusted grey; rested on cracked pavement where dainty sprouts established themselves. The heat today was merciless, vengeful even. He had scrambled beneath this dump of a vehicle just to get a break from the scorching fury that is the sun. The bottom of the car was warm, hot even. If he lifted his head a little too much he’d often jerk it back with a displeased exhale. And if his stretched legs neared too close to the thick flat tires, he’d lightly wince at the sting he’d earn. Today was definitely not his day. Being a thickly furred dog, he felt glued to the spot, unlikely to lift and travel for food or a measly puddle concealed in the depths of some crumbling building

He felt that way but it was not set in stone. He had things he needed to get done, dogs he needed to visit. Being a nomad, Torah had a peculiar but then again not-so peculiar lifestyle. Although he does keep to himself often, he still likes to exercise his hobbies, hobbies he commits himself to, day to day. It's about the only thing he fully goes through with. And now, while lounging beneath this car, he felt as if he was...missing out.

With a soft sigh, he’d crawl from beneath the raggedy vehicle, dipping his head down to examine his scruffy paws which lightly ached from his recent travels. He knew where he was. Well, kind of. Really, all that was of his concern was the whereabouts of pack two, a pack he’s been trailing behind for a while now. He’s been cautious, taking his precious time in scouting out his next conquest. He’s been careful of the pack males, often observing them from some low busted window; resting on the windowsill while they chat or squabble. It's rather entertaining, getting to watch as these pack members interact with each other. He could never. Imagine trying to get a peaceful slumber and your all-too happy packmate waltzes up to you and asks to play?

Scoffing softly at the thought, Torah would descend down the small incline of a road, hopping over spiny debris before loping over to where he last saw her. Her coat wasn’t hard to miss, neither her scent. It would be a good time to advance with her isolated. He made sure to rack his brain for this knowledge, as a little while ago he had noticed the leader and perhaps his little but not so little guard dog. Second in command? Right hand male? He didn’t bother to get such minor details straight. Torah allowed his tongue to lap at his dry jaws, ears pricked forward and commencing in a twitch on occasion, even the slightest sounds guiding him.

His claws would produce a clicking cacophony and with a raised head, he’d pause for a moment, focusing his sharp gaze on a figure in the near distance, or rather two figures. “They moved?” He thought while standing motionless, tilting his head forward just to organize their mingling scents. The leader and his guard dog. Last time he’d seen them they were apart. He’d draw back, gyrating swiftly and moving at a gentle canter, ensuring his cover behind a crimson red, dented car. The last thing he wanted was to be disturbed during his plans. Torah speculated as they conversed, actually rather incoherently to him. Would they gather everyone and hunt? Or were they just talking just to talk? Various thoughts swam through his head, but he’d later continue on; hopefully undetected.

Torah would let his tongue hang from his lips in a pant, his gait had increased in speed when her scent had become stronger, and on a familiar looking highway he finally saw her. She was of good status in his books. Pretty coat, nice eyes. And from his observations, she’s of the sweet but passive aggressive type. Nothing he couldn’t handle. As soon as he slowed to a leisurely pace, she seemed to dash straight for a crooked, tattered building. Tall in height and debris. Had something spooked her? Or did she see something she liked? Either way, Torah switched his direction as well, lathering his muzzle and nose in wet saliva in an attempt to keep himself cool.

He’d only decide to rest against a slim oak sapling once she had fully entered, getting herself into who knows what. Torah would watch for now, perhaps waiting for her later exit where his blank gaze could linger on her frame once more. Though, if she didn’t exit soon, he’d be the one entering. With a gentle exhale, the male would collapse on his side, sprawling his legs out and tilting his head upwards against the ground, just enough to keep an eye on the raggedy corpse of a once well maintained building. The sun glowed down on his dark pelt, blasting him with its unwanted warmth, but thankfully the small but tall sapling of a tree offered somewhat nice cover.

Although his stomach howled with hunger, he refrained from wandering further in the depths of the overgrown city in search of food. In fact, he was rather confident that he’d get a nice snack today. Most of his encounters, similar to this, consist of wooing the dame, and then feigning overbearing hunger and loss of strength so she’ll go and fetch something nice to eat. His elongated visits kept him busy, but at least the results were worth it. The company of an all-too willing female, and the destruction of crushing males hearts. It was amusing. And of course he’d always make sure to disperse before dawn on the last day, leaving behind whatever make-shift den the both of them encountered and off to journey on his own once again.

When she moved, so did he, readily lifting to his paws as her slim frame danced across the street, later slipping into some knocked over trailer which partially rested on a sturdy branch of an oak tree much larger than the sapling he was currently leaning against. With agile movements, he’d bound down from the small slope that once elevated him and his senses, instead making steady way towards the same trailer she had hopped into. His expression was yet to reveal any certain feelings, it was bland of excitement or nervousness, just the single beat of his tail against his hackles. Well he was eager, on the inside at least. But not the type of innocent eager. The type where you’re eager to see your friends or eager to eat a cookie. No, he was eager to put his deception into action.

“Hey sweetheart.” He spoke softly, going as far as to gently scrape the exterior of the large vehicle she was in just to assure his presence and her notice. Alarming her was the last thing he wanted to do, but he could smell the subtle scent of a recent kill and it caused his stomach to emit a low inaudible growl; urging him to pick up the pace

Dandelion

Male | 6 | Pack One | Deputy | Mentions: Pack One, Pack Two [ind] Eunice [dir].

Soft, grey-tinted blankets were hanging limply on the bedside that Dandelion couldn't quite remember. Everything in the room was nostalgic, but he couldn't quite realize why it was. A pale, fleshy arm dangled loosely off the tall bed, its fingers limply grazing against the wooden bed frame. Worry twisted in Dandelion's gut, but why? He edged near the pale fingers, his nose lightly nudging them. They were hard to budge but still moveable. The odd thing was, they were cold. A sickly smell riddled the room as if a mouse had died in the walls, sending a humid, wretched smell through the ventilation. Although, this smell wasn't a familiar one. It was dark, cloudy, and thickly coated with a certain sickly demeanor that Dandelion had never encountered before. Bright brown eyes shot open as Dandelion lazily woke up. His eyes fluttered from open to close multiple times before he managed to adjust to the afternoon heat. For being a small dog with not that much fur, he expected better of himself. All the sweat in his paw pads had matted the fur along his wrists.

He lifted his head, his eyes still somewhat adjusting to his surroundings. For a moment, he questioned what he was doing laying under what used to be a shop's overhang. Then, it clicked. He had taken a nap. Of course. Lazy Dandelion couldn't help but stop his duties as deputy to take his beauty sleep. How long was I out? Dandelion stood to what little of legs he had, his tail hanging limply by his haunches. Crawling out from under the shade of the shop, Dandelion squinted at the sun's position. About noon. He scoffed, slightly disappointed that he took multiple hours out of his day. Stretching his front paws out with his hind end in the air, he released a long, muffled grown as he managed to wake himself up. His jaws spread open, revealing small, yet real yellow-tinted ivory fangs. His pink tongue lolled and curled out slightly as he released the tension in his muzzles before he closed the yawn into a slightly open-mouthed position. There, he lightly panted, already being affected by the killer heat.

Observing his surroundings within moments, he began a quick trot toward the center of the pack. He believed that the scent hounds and gunners were on patrol already, meaning they should be back soon with something to report. He was a bit of a way away from the pack, but the strong scent markings of constant patrolling easily made its way over to Dandelion. He remembered just about every building in their territory, so even if the scents were foreign, he could easily remember his path back. The tall, lumbering buildings created bits and sections of shade, allowing Dandelion to have moments of relief before he was shot back into the deathly glare that the sun gave. His ears were relaxed by his head. Usually, he'd be alert, but he couldn't really give less of a shit. Only dogs with a death wish would wander into an obviously populated pack territory on a devilishly hot afternoon. Still, he supposed he could be more alert. The small dog weaved his way through small space, squeezing in and out through memorable tunnels before getting on the main street that headed toward the center of his pack.

He slowed his trot slightly, allowing himself to observe the distant figures of his packmates, trying to scope out Eunice. He was likely to get a backlash of snarky remarks for sleeping in, but he didn't mind that much. The only thing that somewhat irked him was the nickname "Little Lion" that Eunice had given him. He wouldn't mind being called a lion, but the fact that she demeaned him by putting 'little' in front of it was annoying. In all reality, Dandelion took the more humorous look at it, not really minding her nicknames. He was merely jealous that he couldn't come up with a nickname to get her back. Traveling through the metal tunnels of what used to be a rain-sewage system, Dandelion paused for a moment to look at a small puddle of last yesterday's downpour. The clacking noise that echoed throughout the tunnel stopped, indicating that Dandelion had come to a halt. The blinding light that came from the end of the tunnel managed to let the puddle have a clear enough reflection for Dandelion to examine himself.

"I really let myself go." His gruff voice sounded, sarcasm already finding himself within the moments of his wakening. Although, there was some truth to it. Dandelion wasn't as fit as he was pre-plague. Nor was he looking like he was in the prime of his life. Matted, twisted, and rugged fur made his appearance look... scruffy. The fur that pricked out from his brows dipped lowly with bits and clumps of dirt dragging them down, slightly over his big brown eyes. He didn't even want to look at his tail, but the curiosity of what a mess it was made him take a peek. As he thought, it held an abundance of brown, spikey furs that tangled itself in a heaping mess. His fawn-tan coloration was horribly discolored into an off-brown. He looked like an actual oversized sewer rat. It probably didn't help that he was in the sewers itself, but Dandelion decided to ignore that. It was a mere tunnel that connected into a chain of sewer tunnels that Dandelion liked to take. After all, it only held a slight stench. Most of the downpours had drained out what was in the sewers pre-plague, so the smell didn't bother him much. On the downside, he'd always come back with a slightly wretched smell. It masked his original smell, but it also made his pack members social distance from him.

The more Dandelion looked at himself in the puddle's reflection, the more life seemed to slap him in the face. Dandelion huffed, barely managing to pull his eyes off of his reflection as he broke out into a lazy trot toward the light of the tunnel. Once he exited the tunnel, he immediately caught sight of a semi-long furred female, with splotches of colors here and there. Her patterns were unmistakable. Dandelion made a beeline toward Eunice, his tail slightly wagging, revealing his pent-up joy to see her. Stopping just feet away from her, Dandelion plopped his rump onto the hot ground, drifting his brown eyes to meet her different colored irises. He stopped a few feet away to spare her the smell of him, although, with any dog's scent, they could probably have smelt him from several yards away. "I know what you're thinking," Dandelion rolled his eyes, obvious exaggeration taking place as he lifted a small paw up from the steaming cement. "You wish you could be more like me, looks, smell, size and all," Dandelion fed into his own ego, pulling things from thin air as the corner of his lip tugged into a slight smile. "But alas, I, cannot accept your offer to give you my secrets on how I tend to my pelt." Dandelion let out an exaggerated sigh, collapsing onto the cement half-heartedly as he let what he believed to be a growing potbelly bask in the hot rays of the sun. In all reality, Dandelion was very fit and muscled for his age and breed mixture, he simply engaged in more lazy activities during days that would melt your eyes out. "Anywho," Dandelion, feeling the burn of the sun on his stomach, skittered back up to a sitting position. "How are you doing on this, excruciatingly painful evening?"

Ai was resting her head on the hot ground, feeling miserable. The heat was getting to her and she couldn't take lying on the ground any longer. She rolled in the hot dirt, hoping the action would help to cool her down.

Yet it did the opposite. She felt like a fat useless glob of nothingness. She finally stopped rolling around and rested on her side. She hated the swelling in her abdomen, it was a constant reminder of the lies she had entered the pack with.

I don't deserve to be here. Why did they even take me in? Why me? While she was wandering through her thoughts she heard pawsteps from some wolves talking between themselves. She looked up and noticed the leader walking out from the deputy's den. Well... if they invited me into the pack then I need to pull my weight.

She pulled herself up into a laying position. She hated laying down, it was now mildly uncomfortable feeling the pressure underneath her stomach. I hope I can hide this... She glanced her side. No, I need to hide this.

They were now walking towards the exit of the small camp. She struggled to her feet, the heat practically smothering her. She stood on her feet for a few moments, stars appearing in her vision. She shook her head, the stars slowly disappearing.

She took a few small steps towards them, paws being burned by the blazing ground. She kept going though, nothing was going to keep her from helping her pack.

Both of the canines in front of her were strong dogs. They oozed confidence and stregnth with every movement. They were both experienced in battle and could handle themselves. Wait, I can handle myself too. Well... not like these guys.

She realized she was now standing in front of them and not doing or saying anything. She had been lost in thought like usual. Losing her happy-go-lucky attitude was a side effect of the blazing heat. She felt tired, thirsty and hungry. She needed a bath, some fresh water or some sort of liquid.

"You guys need any help?" She asked them, turning her head. Her ear flopped over when she turned her head, making her look less bothered by the heat. "I'm getting sort of antsy of lying around, so I thought... well you know." She said, getting mildly nervous. Her tongue rolled out of her mouth as she started panting again. Partally from her nerves, but also from the heat that was blanketing her.

I hate this long fur. She was so done with the heat, that she even would like to get rid of her coat if it meant showing her pregnancy to the other canines.

Hino's ears perked as he listened to the faint panting and paws hitting the ground in the distance. His black fur was caked with dirt and mud but he could care less as he'd finally found the perfect spot to get away from the devastating heat but he also began to look around and realized just how lonely he'd forgotten he was. At this point, the loneliness he experienced was a friend to him, but he rarely let that show - mainly because even though he was a overfriendly puppy of a dog and loved to bug his pack members the fact was that he tried his best not to be in anyone's way and stayed to himself -

Why did I just have to come here? He thought bitterly, standing up and huffing as he began to limp his way over to the building that shielded him from both his pack and the sun. He ignored the signs he was slowly hurting himself, with the way his limp made him seem to be jumping as he walked and the increasing pain in his left leg. He was embarrassed that he, being the size that he was and the age that he was, could ever possibly become disabled when there were others like Beowulf, and Dandelion who could bounce back from one little nibble on the leg effortlessly. And him? The clumsiest small-brained dog there was in this pack? Of course, when he got nibbled on the leg some he was left with a body that slowly was crippling under pressure.

" Useless, it's useless." He grumbled under his breath, snarling at nothing as he heaved himself over the rubble that blocked what looked to be an entrance of some sort. He didn't know why those human things would need it for though. He'd only seen one human in his entire life, and it was the reason he was here in the first place.

As he finally sprung over the broken pieces of cobblestone he whimpered and had to sit down again, but gritted his teeth and forced himself to continue moving, even though he had no destination to be at and was simply wandering territory the pack either hadn't seen before or had patrolled so many times that they deemed it safe. No, I'm Useless.

Dandelion was the deputy, who was confident always and nervous never. He was someone that Hino had tried to be at one point until he realized that he couldn't be like the male who could be in a crowd and not be terrified for even a second whilst here Hino was, wallowing in self-pity because to him everyone was better off where they were and he...

He would rather be in the unknown pack, one that he'd heard someone call pack two. That way, he could at least slowly retreat into himself and eventually fall apart from everyone and everything to be alone again, even though he knew well he couldn't function by himself for long periods of time. He'd miss his pack dearly, sure, but at least he would finally think that they were okay for once. So much for being helpful.

He let his thoughts run on as he limped to where the sound of activity was most clear, then simply plopped down and closed one of his eyes, watching from a distance yet staying to himself. He laid sideways, exposing his stomach to the world, and he was still muddy, but it was tiresome to think and even more tiresome to think the thoughts he did, so he laid right there in the sun and fell asleep.

Eunice

Female | 5 | Pack One | Leader | Mentions: Pack One ^[ind], Dandelion ^[dir]

The sun shone brilliantly down upon the female, the rays' blows softened by her pelt, yet the heat stayed close to her flesh. A calm expression blanketed her features, giving her a look of complete bliss of the heat. The star the humans had once called the sun rose to the peak of its daily cycle, its fiery heat directed below it. The life before the plague had been filled with the human's bloodlust against their own kinsmen. It was the year that the human's had finally died off when the two-legged creatures began turning on one another for supplies. It was to be expected, though. They were all self-centered, miserable creatures who quite enjoyed ruining each other's lives. They even had the audacity to destroy entire ecosystems and species, both for sport and due to the "competition" they claimed the other animals caused. Ridiculous, though. The only threat to their disastrous and modern existence was simply themselves. She glanced around before trotting into the shade of an abandoned building, just outside the center of the city in which Pack One’s territory lay. Eunice, though rather guarded and hard-headed, wasn’t the most aggressive and defensive member of the pack by far. If anything, she could be considered docile beside some of the others. The leader sat down, hiding away from the sun.

She shook her head to clear it of any useless thoughts, though the try was futile. The heat always got to her, fogging the thoughts attempting to process through her mind. Eunice wasn’t the most fond of the heat, but she still managed to get through it, feeling slight pity at the ones who had thinner coats, the sun striking their flesh and giving them heat rashes or heat strokes. But pity was for the week. That’s what she had always been told as she watched creature after creature be overcome by Mother Nature. What she had been told when her siblings had fallen from exhaustion. What she had been told when her previous human owners had forgotten about her and taken her family away. What she had told herself when she had found the remnants of the car ruined from plummeting off of the edge of the cliff and becoming mangled on the rocks below, both her family and owners never getting the chance to exit the vehicle.

The thought made the collar sitting at her throat begin to feel constricting and she pawed at the ragged thing, eyes narrowed in frustration. Eunice hadn’t had the ability to take it off the entire years of her life. The only good thing about the accessory was the fact that she had reached her fullest size potential, unable to continue growing into the choking collar. The frayed material of it scratched into her skin, itching and faint, reminding her of the legs of a spider. A scowl of resentment splashes across her features. The thoughts she can have always enjoy souring her quite rare and quite sunny mood. Eunice felt a breeze hit her spine, racking up shivers along her body. She stood up, deciding that she would either get to freeze in the shadows as a coward, or blister in the heat as if she were a stubborn mule. Like the stubborn canine she was, Eunice proudly wandered into the heat, plopping down onto the burning ground with a look as if to say, I’m going to regret this so much, but I’m not a coward, thank you very much.

And, using the incredible genius she possessed, Eunice began to regret her decision. Very, very much. Good idea Eunice. Let’s melt our pelt off so we look like a hairless beaver with a rat tail. She surveyed the pack members looking for the trusty Deputy who she had titled as her “Little Lion”. Most others also called the small terrier Lion, but any who would dare call him what she did would face her bottled irritation. Eunice shook her head around, flies buzzing near her dirty pelt. Heat rushed through her. Oh gods, how bad did she smell? Maybe she would go by a house and try to turn on their hose. Eunice would probably be able to accomplish it if Dandelion helped her. After all, however bad she smelled, he would probably equal it due to her constantly berating him for his opinion and “oh so great guidance”. She began contemplating the numerous ways she could clean herself. The duo could manage to sneak into a house or store and start their faucet, no? Or they could use the tools the humans had named “showers”. Her thoughts froze as she suspiciously gazed around. Where even was Dandelion. She had half a mind to call out her nickname for him when he finally showed up. Eunice worked to stop the warm grin from entering her face. Her tail worked its annoying, independent magic. Thumping up and down on the ground at the sight of the swaggering deputy.

He dropped his body onto the ground beside her, a few feet away as if trying to stay away from her. Eunice shifted as to be closer to her brotherly-figure, wrinkling her nose. He smelled a bit like sewer, but in all honesty, he didn’t smell the worst. There were other canines who smelled even more horrible. She knew that she couldn’t be talking, considering her own pelt was clumped together with tangled knots, the fur around her paws patted down with sweat. It felt hotter than 100 or so degrees in Fahrenheit, her tongue lolling out to allow the female to pant. His brown eyes seemed to sparkle with the mischievous personality only Dandelion could contain. His words immediately gave her cause to roll her own eyes in reflection to his. “What am I thinking Little Lion?” A smirk brightened her face. Trust Dandelion to give her a humorful look on life. The hot floor seemed to cook the two alive as he raised a paw exaggeratedly. Eunice laughed out loud, subsiding into a small snicker as she raised a brow at him in mock agreement. “You took the words right from my mouth. Your looks and short stature, flawless. Your smell, the aroma sends everyone crazy with happiness.”

She knew his ego deserved to be helped with some encouraging words at times, and she complied easily, knowing the time in which she could tease him would come soon. “Oh, truly? You wouldn’t tell me, you closest companion, how you keep that absolute glorious coat in its perfect state? Well how vile, Little Lion, I feel completely and utterly attacked that you wouldn’t tell me.” She snorted as he fell to the floor, the dramatic action rather entertaining. Eunice eyed him critically as he lay there on his back. The moment lasted shortly before he popped back up into a more comfortable sitting position beside her. “I was thinking we could expand the territory,” she muttered, apologetically blinking at him. Business matters between the two were never enjoyable. “And we could both use some pelt cleaning,” she added, eyeing both her pelt and his. Eunie yawned and stretched before letting her entire body stretch out on the burning hot ground, the pain subsiding after a few heartbeats. “That’s pretty much it, I do believe. How about you? You seem to be getting good sleep,” she teased, looking over her shoulder to see him, a joking smirk pulling at her face.

Dandelion

Male | 6 | Pack One | Deputy | Mentions: Pack One, Pack Two, Hino [ind] Eunice [dir].

The heat was blistering, but days like these only lasted for so long. Even if minutes felt like an eternity, the sun would soon lower over the horizon, allowing the coolness of night to take over. Dandelion took note of the often weather changes. One moment there would be a savage thunderstorm, while the next, a humid day like this. The air felt almost thick, but the salty breeze seemed to help thin it out. His mind traveled to the idea of the ocean. Perhaps he would visit it soon... it'd be far better than standing on degrading cement with bits of weeds and dirt scattered amongst itself. Although, the sand was likely to be extremely hot and untouched until they got closer to the lurching waves. The idea was convincing, but Dandelion managed to pull his attention back to Eunice as she willingly played along.

"Ah yes, It makes them so happy, that they can't help but keep at least 10 feet away from me," Dandelion let off a devious smirk as he lowered his head. His paw's kept shifting weights off of the blistering ground, trying to even out the stings of heat that occurred every time he put pressure on them. "Oh, don't take it personally," Dandelion rose a brow, his humor quickly taking a notch lower when she mentioned expanding the territory. He tore his eyes off of her as he looked at his surroundings. Many of the pack members were still lingering in shaded parts of the camp, while the others were likely out patrolling. It was hard, keeping up a large territory. And now Eunice wanted to expand even further? Sure, the more they expanded, the likelier they'll be able to sleep with full stomachs, but the weight and pressure of keeping their territory scents up to date would put a heavy burden on the gunners and scent hounds. Even then, they tend to spend most of their day patrolling and hunting.

Speaking of which... Dandelion glanced over to the arrival of Hino. He was a fairly sized dog, obviously exhausted from the heat that bore into him as he attempted to sleep. Just then, he forgot to reply back to Eunice's idea on expansion. Ideas often cluttered Dandelion, but he wouldn't stray from giving Eunice some advice. "With an expanded territory, there is bound to be trouble, Euni. The larger we get, the more nomads and packs we will encounter. And not every dog is cautious around a big pack like this. As we both know, some can be highly relentless and ambitious." Dandelion spoke somewhat softly during the last sentence. He had scars to prove it, and so did Eunice. "If we expand the territory, that means we need more members. And that we need to promote our slickers. I'm not too sure if I'm ready to trust some," Dandelion let out a sigh, begrudgingly trying to see all viewpoints. "Prey hasn't been plentiful lately, so I don't judge you for wanting to make this decision. Just the overall idea of expanding will put a burden on everyone in this pack. I just want you, and everyone here, to be ready for it," His words were sincere before he picked up on her next topic about their pelts. "Really? I haven't noticed." Dandelion sarcastically added, looking over his shoulder to eye the edge of his rump.

"We can try one of the houses with a backyard hose, hopefully, there is still some leftover. We'd be lucky to get some fresh water today," Dandelion's pelt ruffled slightly with a sudden stronger gust that erupted from the ocean. "If we are going to look for freshwater, we should take the pack with us too," Dandelion licked his dry lips before turning his attention to the direction of the ocean. It'd be a small trip to head to the ocean, but it'd be worth cooling off the anticipation and exhaustion that hung around the pack. "I remember there being a freshwater pool somewhere close to the beach. It's shaded under an oak tree, so I think yesterday's downpour should still be in it. We can wash off in the ocean and lead the pack to drink there. We'd have to take half at a time, though. We don't want anyone taking advantage of this situation." Dandelion offered the idea, obviously holding a grudge to the few interactions he had with a separating pack. One that he believed was growing at a rapid rate. Standing to his full height, which wasn't much, Dandelion rose his little, dark nose to the sky. He attempted to ignore Eunice's remark about his... elongated nap. But he couldn't help it. I just knew you were going to say something about it. "I need my beauty sleep, what can I say?" Dandelion huffed, puffing his shoulders in a begrudging manner before making a half-circle around Eunice. He plopped right back down in her shadow, which provided enough shade to cool off Dandelion.

"If we are going to go, we should fetch the rest of the pack and inform them. I won't be looking forward to walking out of your shade, though," Dandelion's words rolled smoothly off his tongue as he panted, his heart rate was above his normal rate, but it was lowering down to his average staying in her cool shadow. He could only guess how much the frigid ocean would do for the thicker packmates, such as Hino. The poor dog looked as though he was being baked alive, and Dandelion could only feel slight pity for him. Big dogs with thick coats did not mix well with Californian heatwaves. It had to be above 100 degrees today, so the ocean itself wouldn't actually be freezing, but it would still be plenty cool enough to give the pack some energy. The trip there and back would take until sundown, so they wouldn't have to sit back down with a wet coat that got baked in the sun when they returned.

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A slight shift in the wind brought the faint scent of fresh blood to his nose, intermingled with Hino's particular dust-wood-dirt smell. There weren't any noises of combat, no barks or growls, so Hino was fine. Bleeding, but hadn't he gotten hurt a while back? Kzall didn't know the specifics, other than that it was a leg injury and recent. "If he wants to walk on a bad leg, let him. Some dogs just feel like laming themselves. Don't get it, but that's fine. Do whatever, I guess..." His voice trailed off on various tangents and the occasional break to look at interesting piles. This section of the city seemed mostly dead, at least right now. "So either overhunted, or something bigger is skulking around." Skulking was a good word for it. Probably hiding inside one of those big tower ruins, if it existed at all. But he wouldn't be checking those out, nope. Let someone else do it, who won't freeze at the first sound of settling stone and creaking wood. He'd be less than helpful anywhere like that. Time to move on, see what else was around.

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Eventually Kzall came across a large overgrown mound nestled between some of the smaller buildings. Looked like one of the larger places had totally collapsed a while back. After circling the rubble for a while, Kzall mapped out a mostly-probably safe path to climb. There was no roof over his head, all he was risking was a few cuts and maybe a twisted leg. He stepped from chunk to chunk of concrete, and finally made it to the top of the artificial hill. It wasn't particularly tall, but it was quite wide. Kzall could see for quite a ways down the streets, and was pretty safe from attack up here. Only problem was that he was also very visible to any passersby. "Wonder if someone'd get stationed up here someday? Maybe, not now though. Kind of a waste of a dog. Only'd happen if the camp moved here. So, actually not. Not unless some other dog decides to live up here. Why though? Not too sheltered, and there isn't a lot of food around. Not unless there were a bunch of rabbits or mice hiding inside the rubble. Even then, seems like more effort than 's worth to dig 'em out, much less actually grab what you spook out." Kzall kicked a smaller hunk of wood off of the top into the street below, where it landed with a splintering crack. "Ooh, old and rotted. Gross. Don't walk on that, splinters suck. Ow, I'm getting sympathy pain already. Nope, nope, not thinking about that." A vigorous shake of his head is enough to dislodge that uncomfortable thought.