The running rivers of blood that the bear had down his jawline was something that normally he would enjoy time and time again. But the crack of something caught his attention and the baleful eyes that were more focused on the meal swerved about. Trying to locate the sound until it focused in on kupo. The youth had been there only for a moment. Before he could even register what the youth was doing they shot off like a bullet. Much faster and much more like prey than he could even properly register. He felt something in the back of his head tickle at his beastial urges and with a growl he’d toss his head back, the bear’s body tumbling down his gullet.

One meal was often more than not enough for him a day. Especially if it was big. But this small prey thing was a curiosity. That speed could be useful to him. It could find him other food things and help him expend his hunting grounds. There was no way that he could just let it get away without some questions. He was no where near as fast as it; but it was leaving it’s scent everywhere as it ran.

It was easy to track and even though it was much faster than he. He wasn’t going to give up. He was a hunter that out endured that which he chased. His intent for this was marginally less aggressive than the things he normally hunted. Passing by some of the spots that the scent was heavier his eyes locked onto the little droplets of red that either spattered on the branches or on the forest grounds. This being was likely human right? A mutant quirker like himself? He scratched his head with a forepaw, the claw digging deep and he’d huff.

Slowly moving after kupo; knowing that he could follow the scent to the edge of the forest if he needed to. But something that fast often not didn’t have the endurance like he did to hold them to that speed. Growling a bit; a low rumble that was more like a word. A single word that rumbled throughout the forest.

”Wait.”

There was an air of command to it; an air of posterity. But there was a deep underlying threat to it that painted that this was not something that you often got king to say. Something that not even many preythings got.

The city goers always seemed to be encroaching on his territory one way or another. From trips out into his turf to slowly claiming mile after mile of home he could use to hunt or rest. It was a frustrating slow death of his home that he could do very little about on his own. His presence often not beggetted caution by those that liked to encroach. From fleeing to outright deciding never to come back. But this time? Metal fences, warding tape, guards and quite a heavy city presence was enough to make him reconsider.

Baleful green eyes watched the destruction of one of his favored hunting grounds. The utter hatred of the people beyond made it easy for him to consider attacking as he was clearly in the wrong. But the weakest chain in the link was hard to find here; everything was going smoothly and he was keeping an eye on it from beyond the metal fencing.

However one such evening made itself known to him, his ears perked during his lamenting as a human, no a quirker of sorts that seemed to be wrapped in chains. Something he could get behind even if it wasn’t a natural formation. They were tearing into trailers and breaking up the pace. His face split into a devilish grin and the enourmous beast could see himself moving forward without a second thought.

Attacking a place on your own took guts and you’d quickly find yourself under the wrath of the guards. But two? Oh that made it much more difficult. While he was as close as you could get to a dumb beast there was a fierce and unrelenting intelligence underneath that didn’t match up with his size. Crashing through the underbrush and slamming himself against both the warding tape and metal fencing the unholy screeching followed by the support poles ripping out of the dirt made his presence properly known.

The vocal cords he possessed let loose a roar of anger, following suit of the first beings cry. Though hers was much more intelligible. While he wasn’t fast his mere weight and strength collapsed against a different trailer, smashing into the side of it with both strength and weight.

His baleful eyes were the next thing that slowly rose out of the wreckage, he was a good story taller than the trailer, even if it was lofted off the ground a bit. Shaking his head to toss the roofing away he’d growl marvelously and shoot a respectful glance at Junko. Probably one of the most evil grins you could get from a beast of his size followed suit. A low rumbling chuckle came out of it and he’d point with one of his foreclaws at her.

”I like you human.”

The water was one of the few places untouched around here, the fish were fat and stupid. Lazy and carefree. Easy hunting for someone like him who could float through the water and chomp up a fish that wasn’t paying attention. But today he was more like a gator floating through the water, enjoying the pressure and the sensation of the water against his scales. His eyes were closed and he was using his ears to gentle steer his body along by pointing his head this way or that.

But the silence of this lake and the stupid fish was interrupted by a voice that cut through the area like a knife to him. His eyes slightly cracked open and his head slowly lifted to the crest of the water. Peeking out of the water he was gifted with the sight of… A younger human woman. He’d exhale slightly from his nostrils.

She wasn’t in his territory, hell he wasn’t even in his territory technically. The lake was just a mix for everyone. Plenty of animals came here to rest or to drink; hell even he was here to do one or the other. Deciding that she wasn’t worth his time unless she decided to make herself a problem king slowly found his entire body cresting at the top of the water, making him look like a really strange log.

What was it with humans coming so deep into the forest lately?

The green eyes bored into the individual in front of him, while there was a semblance of intelligence, there was not as much patience and irritation was starting to show. There was many words that he was struggling to follow and the amount of words being tossed in his direction earned him a low rumbling growl. Why were people so chatty?

”Forest. Is. Home. They………… Don’t.”

He struggled to find the word he was looking for and eventually just let an irritated snarl escape from his throat. Practically unsure and eventually the woman looked back towards where the city lay. More words, many many many more words. He’d cock his head to one side, the accordian of cracks along his neck that followed suit was a mix of his bones adjusting and his scales clacking along with one another A symphony of snaps if you will.

”....So. Talk. To… Them.”

He’d struggle to find the word. It was there. Deep down inside, another growling huff and he’d scratch at his head. It was clear that he was trying to follow the conversation but damn if it wasn’t hard. He wasn’t the chattiest sort and… Well this was definitely the longest conversation he had had in… well over two decades.

”Negotiation?”

His tone was curious, his voice cracked several times when he spoke; it was the longest word that he had used without having to separate it and it seemed very genuine from such a large individual.

The lack of self preservation wasn’t lost on King, there was a strangeness to the being in front of him that made it so that he wasn’t feeling like he should attack them. That it was… unwise somehow? It’d bring trouble. Maybe in a different venue than others. His teeth clacked somewhat when he adjusted and the slight ends of them stuck out from his lips when he fully closed them. The lack of fear especially from after a successful hunt was something he wasn’t used to either; many prey things would run away.

With his head so close to this strange individual he had to wonder a multitude of things; what they were doing here, why they were in his territory, why they looked… so out of place? You’d think someone meaning to be in the forest would be dressed for it. The silence that came after his question was to be expected; but the eloquence that the strange man spoke with caught King somewhat off guard. Slow blinking and a decidedly neutral response followed suit.

His answer wasn’t so much confusing as long to him, a simple no would suffice at the very least but… Adventurer. Was definitely not a term he heard very frequently if not ever; he had to actually pause and think about it. Finding words that linked up with it was hard in the scrambled mess that was his instinct fueled brain. Eventually it clicked and there was a slow, stiff nod. If he wasn’t lost and was merely poking around King could live with that. He didn’t get the idea that he was here to infringe on his territory if being an adventurer meant to explore.

Pulling back a bit so to set his weight back in the riverbed, his ear flicked and and his green eyes adjusted to stare at the man as he called for his attention. Was he human? A mutant? King looked to where his hunt had ended for the night and let out a low rumbling answer.

”Barely. You?”

He didn’t consider himself human, not anymore. That right had been struck from him, he was more akin to a wild animal even if his genetic make up was that of a human. A heavily mutated human to the point of where he was practically a beast. Something clicked in his head and he’d lowly rumble.

”Monster. Is. Better. Than. Human.”

The crushing nature of his body against that of the forest was definitely something that called attention to him. From prey to predator they always seemed to foolishly treat him as though he was just another human. Not quite wild, not quite tame. But a foolhardy mistake to either. Thinking that they could stand against him off of their instincts alone.

It had taken them to a river, one of his favorite places to lounge and further still one to hunt. He was very partial to some of the river fish that came along; but that meal was saved for a different time. He felt the bucking of the bear against him as he pulled away from it. Growling low as it kicked at his chest.

It was a mess in comparison to him and had fought him every step of the way. Biting onto one portion of it’s body he’d pull back, relishing in the roar of pain that came from it. Maybe another minute… or two? Two. He’d find that it stopped moving. Kind of hard to move when you were missing so much of yourself.

It’d take some time to make this meal into anything useful he felt; they were always so chewy. Gamey? Gamey he thought was the word. He’d place one of his forelegs onto it and pull back, a sickening crunch as he succeeded in furthering his meal.

It wasn’t the adjustment of footing that had caught his attention so much as the stone splashing in the water. He froze mid pull, his eyes and ears searching. Straining… And when it arrived at the conclusion that he wasn’t alone his head slowly came about to face where the stone had fallen.

His head followed up a little bit and… The slow blinking that followed instead of coming with that obvious hostility he had with some. Blatant curiosity played across his features and he’d push the result of his hunt down against the water. His eyes found… something incredibly curious. Clearly a mutant type quirker. Much like himself. But… he reeked of the city and must have come from downwind. Either by mistake or design. The former meaning it wasn’t looking for him and the latter giving him an ample amount of respect.

But the stone? Was that cast by hand? The stature of the being gave him the thought that it must have fallen. The large brow furrowed and he’d swallow forcefully; the bear could wait. His body posture screamed that he was defensive, ready to coil and strike if need be. Taking a single step forward, that familiar rumble through the area that the doctor would have heard before.

Wordlessly, he’d approach. Slow ponderous steps; a layer of cruel intelligence in those large green and dull eyes. There was a low growl, a curious headtilt and slowly he’d hoist himself up a bit. If they didn’t scramble away the doctor would find themselves face to face with the beast that was just tearing into a bear. The low rumbling question, a single word that was so heavily laced with curiosity that it was unmistakable. But how did something like him… talk?

”...Lost?”

He could smell it.

It had rained not too long ago and the sensation of that water rippling across his scales wasn’t lost on him. The tickling motions of the droplets had also lain the groundwork to his hunt. Many animals around here gave off different scents if they got wet. A defense mechanism meant to scare off or attract certain groups. The larger and more pungent the smell usually was meant to scare away predators. “There are many” is what they would say.

To him that was exactly what he wanted; that there would be many. His footsteps brought with it the crushing weight behind them, a soft rumbling in the forest as he made his way towards where his nose led him. He was glad the scent of the city was far off, a bus had come and gone through here and nearly made him gag. It spitting out the scent of carbon, concrete and hundreds if not thousands of other stenches.

The crunch of a log underfoot brought him to reality again and his head turned this way or that. He could smell the fear of small creatures; the ones that didn’t even register as a snack to him. What he was really looking for… was a family of deer. He could smell the older ones, designed in such a way to let the youth survive were they to perish.

His eyes dragged around the area and he eventually found what he was looking for. A pair of deer and a single child that were all frozen in terror. Staring at him. The youth shot away while the parents seemed to try to figure out what he was doing. Growling a bit he’d move forward.

The male tried to stand and fight him, much to his mirth. The horns of the buck barely even scratching his scales. Fight or flight and flight would win out on the female deer. He had already dedicated a little bit of effort here. Setting a limb on it’s back and pushing down hard. He felt the bones crack underneath his weight and strength. Gritting his teeth and setting forward to enjoying his kill.

Many beasts here felt to challenge him regardless of his size, it made hunting easy sometimes. You’d think that since he was nearly two stories tall and well over seventy some feet long that natural creatures would get the warning signs. But it was because he still ‘felt’ human to them. When he was so far removed from the fact that he might as well be a wild animal now…