All our times have come

With a roar the beast emerged from the snow. Bursting through the thick snow that covered his body as he stood to observe his new surroundings. The beast has awoken once more, and this time, in a land he was not familiar with at all. Where was he? Why was he here? The chill in the air barely cut through the thick pelt caked with oils and grime of what could possibly be old blood. The snow where he once laid was nothing but a grimy coffin that he glanced over just once before shifting his attention onto something more.

Wherever he was.

With a snort, a plume of white erupted from his nostrils as he forcefully cleared them, clearing his narins to take in the new scents of these strange lands. His body still felt like it was waking up. Limbs felt heavier than they normally were, even his joints felt as if they were locked into place... not painful by any means, but definitely annoying to the behemoth as he glared out into the drifting snow carried by the soft breeze.

Deciding that any direction is as good as the next, the creature pushed his limbs to move in a stubborn attempt to regain their proper use and begin his journey to familiarize himself with this place...

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Snow and ice, a harsh contrast to the firey male who stalked the tundra. He had woken up amidst the frozen valleys marveling at the rock that tore through the ground and rose to the sky, for the mountains seemed to be the only obvious contrast to all the white aside from some trees that seemed to dot the distance. Aries wasn't sure how exactly he ended up here, though knowing him it was his own damn fault. This wasn't the first time he awoke in a foreign place, and hell would not freeze before he did it again.

Surely his brother was laughing somewhere right now, wherever he was. In his time awake, Aries had recalled memories of his family, though it had only been he and his brother for some time. To his knowledge, he had no pack waiting on him, no reason to rush, no reason to return...yet he always found his way back eventually. For now, he wandered, simply letting his paws take him where they willed until a horrid stench slapped him across the face. Curiosity got the best of him, for whatever laid in wait would either be amusing or a meal. What he wasn't expecting was the behemoth of a man who seemed to shake the snow from his pelt before aimlessly wandering in a direction of his own. Odd...had they both awoken here?

Aries followed from afar, at least for a moment while he passed the rotten grave the other had risen from. The grime that remained was almost enough to make him believe the other truly had risen from the dead, but that was just ridiculous. The dead were dead after all. With a short trot, he followed with the intent of closing some of the distance between the two. “Hey big guy, somethin' crawl up your ass 'n die or is that how your buddies find you?”

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Groggy, confused, lost, aggravated -- hungry. A feral tint in his ruby eyes overshadowed the former feelings as that growing pit in his stomach took the forefront of his attention. He was hungry. Saliva oozed at the corners of his maw, stringing down in a thick strand as he wondered what he would find first to fill that void that just seemed to keep growing. This emptiness and desire to feed gave him strength, an instinctive power that was meant for one thing and one thing only - to hunt and feed.

And eventually, an unfortunate man came trotting by with a cheeky greeting.

Now, Vengeance had his own twisted, sick sense of humour that would shine through on the strangest of days when the mood would hit him; was today one of those days? His movements were sluggish, but Herculean, they had meaning behind every position as he twisted his head and shoulders just enough to look at the man in the eyes.

With a twisted grin, yellowing teeth glimmering in the dim sun's light, horrid breath letting loose tendrils of white as he exhaled slowly with purpose before speaking. “How does a venus fly trap lure its prey?” He drawled in a low humm, eyes sweeping across the man's physique as if he was sizing him up... 

He was sizing him up.

Even Vengeance knew this guy didn't seem like the type to go down easily and digested into a pile of shit later. What a pain. The cogs within his mind turned, pushing off the rust they seemed to have built up over his what felt like an eternal slumber and tried to decide if this one was worth the effort. Worth the risk.

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The burly man barely turned, though it was just enough for him to see his face. A stare much like his own pierced back as a heavy breath clouded the air. Somehow he almost swore he could smell a rancid breath from where he stood, though surely that was imagined along with the stinky lines he believed were strong enough to be seen.

"How does a venus fly trap lure its prey?"

Aries snorted, accompanied by a half roll of his eyes. This guy was certainly a character and one that most strangers likely knew it would be better if they ran. Unfortunately, or perhaps, fortunately, Aries was not like most wolves. A ruby gaze scanned him, sized him up, offering a silent threat, though to him it was nothing more than a challenge. It was a game.

“Sweet perfume and tempting looks.” A smirk dawned his features content with his answer as he stood unphased, “Now maybe I'm wrong, but it seems like you may have mixed up a few points or your nose is dead. If you want though I'll pull that skunk out of your ass. It will probably feed you more than your flies.”

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“Mmm...” A low rumble purred in his throat, a sickly sound, unlike any pleased feline. “And yet you came to investigate.” He teased. Unbothered by the insults of how he smelled. The gargoyle of a man had more on his plate to deal with than wasting his time bathing, only to get filthy again in no time. Time is a precious thing and he had none to waste doing petty, delicate, feminine, things, such as keeping up with appearances and smelling pleasing to others.

Behind him, his tail flicked as he pondered still... was this one worth the possible effort? Even a warmonger like Vengeance had to think about how much energy he would put into a meal as opposed to fighting for the sheet fuck of it all. Without a pack to help keep him fed with little to no energy on his part, he had to be certain to keep up with every ounce of it he could for his own safety.

That didn't mean if this one let his guard down even a little, for just a brief moment, that Vengeance wouldn't strike and take the opportunity should it be handed to him. Already he could imagine how chewy this one would be, all muscle unlike a young dame who had such delicate meat... but food was food. One couldn't be picky in times like these.

“If you wish, come and take a tug.” He grinned, perhaps if the guy was serious about coming around he would be close enough, just in position for a quick snap at the neck.

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The fire-born man couldn't help but snort, a half-grin curling his features as he dared step closer, “Maybe I like a little thrill. What kind of life would it be if you ignored life's mysteries or whatever bull shit you want to believe in” Behind him, his tail flicked almost as if he was trying to shoo his words away and before long he would cross whatever borders of sanity remained as he snapped his jaws forward, aiming for the air just behind the man's haunches.

Regardless of rather or not he responded, Aries would be quick to pull his head back, hopefully avoiding any outlash in response to his jest. “Mmmmm, you seem like fun. What's your game, you from around here? S'not like I have anything else that needs my attention right now.” The last part had been muttered under his breath with a roll of his eyes, though soon enough that red stare would be back on Vengeance with some shit-eating grin.

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“I'm quite exciting, I assure you that.” He cooed deeply, words rolling like distant thunder announcing the storm that would soon come to show its ugly head. Like a snapping gator, a flurry of teeth snapped in the direction of the man who was so bold to do just what he said earlier. As the other pulled his head back anticipating the retaliation, Vengeance moved forward with every intent to invade this guy's space and try to make contact with his snapping jaws.

If he wanted a thrill, who was Vengeance to not deliver?

“No. You're the first face I see.” And what a situation to wake up to. Normally one doesn't just chitchat after teeth began clashing, but this guy seemed to be more antagonistic than anything else... nothing but just trying to get a rise out of the chocolate-coated behemoth. “What's your story hmm? Just going around tryig to bite asses?”

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“I'm quite exciting, I assure you that.”

Well he would certainly be the judge of that, though his advance was met with a sharp snap of the other's teeth. He had only poked in jest, even sparing the other of his own fangs, though that did not spare him. A blazing line cut along the side of his maw, and with it a buzz of excitement. Red beads formed before rolling down to drops staining the white snow beneath him. Yet neither seemed to move after.

A rolling voice followed as he was questioned for his own motives. Aries's tongue rolled out, swiping at the fresh mark along his face where he could reach before he finally gave his response, “A guy can't have a little fun? I'm tired of usual filler for prods of information or pleasantries, just jump straight to the meat of it. 

Wouldn't you agree?”

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^^

A small victory left the brute with the iron taste on his tongue. Barely anything to taste and yet it was there none-the-less. That unmistakable delicious taste lingered on his lips only to be swiped away with that fleshy muscle that soaked it up with greedy glee. “And what meat is it that you want?” If he wasn't mistaken, it was this guy who approached in with inquiries about his stench - if getting to the meat of some kind of conversation, then it was at a loss to the man who had only so recently popped out of the snow.

Maybe the meat of all this was to just exchange bites, but at this moment, the rancid man wasn't one to think all too clearly or make much sense of what a guy like this would want from him. He slithered into position, ready for what he assumed was a face-off if his assumptions were correct. That this firebrand was only looking for some kind of scuffle.

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Aries watched silently, red eyes glinting before he straightened out his posture with a hum. “Just sampling right now, Chief. Don't sweat over it, not your taste that's fine.” He took another moment to lick at his wound, tilting his head to each side like he was cracking a kink out of his neck before spinning on his heels. “Maybe I'll see ya around~” The firebranded man flicked his tail, almost as if giving a wave or salute to the other as he trotted off into the snowy wasteland.

leaving here unless stopped!

---

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^^

Having no energy to pursue this guy, the moment the strange man turns tail and says his goodbyes, Vengeance continued on his previous path. Happy to leave the flame-licked man behind and focus on whatever this place was... figure out why he found himself here, in the snow and away from anyone familiar.

Did he even know anyone who could be familiar to him? Did those ghosts mean anything to him at all? Only time would tell... for now, he had to go and find something less troublesome to eat so he can think with a more leveled head.

^^
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