Hound

An independent RPG and ASK blog for the character Hound (Chuck) from the Motorcity fanfiction Artificial Nocturne.

[livelivefastfree]

sketched out some possible future SaHRaD content, for the sake of glowing and lizard-eyes.

have i drawn Mike being dragony before?  Yes.  Will I continue to do so??? Also yes.

[artificialhound]

The Packs

[artificialhound]

armyofou:

artificialhound:

“Real dogs…” Hound muttered. “Real actual dogs. Not mutations…” He stood up and took his staff from Thunder’s flank.

Tesshin is tense and glaring, teeth bared though he doubts very seriously they could do anything to these creatures. They were huge and made entirely of metal, something he’d never seen before. The other four stand their ground with him, still growling and tense as if ready to lunge when given the order to.Though attention promptly drifts to the three that run up with tire iron clamped in between them, acting little more than like puppies. It confuses the group of Ohu canines.

What were these things? Why did they act so much like dogs and yet look nothing like them except in the vaguest of manners? They look at one another in an unsure way as the first one barks at them, raspy and robotic but clearly a bark. And it didn’t seem to be threatening, only curious.

“Tesshin… orders?” one of the other Koga mutter, glancing to his Leader. This leaves them in a bit of a bind.

“Back away… slowly, do not attack,” he doubts very seriously they could do anything to the hulking metal bodies of these creatures. They’d only end up breaking their fangs. Slowly, the group of dogs begin to carefully back away in order to try and leave.

Behind the group of wild dogs came two more of the artificial ones. Two robots with their eyes shining blue and tails swaying slowly much like the on ahead of Tesshin. The two new comers had circled around when their shared com link had fed the information of the dogs. One of them, with half of its face charred with black and welted spots where repairs had been done up its front legs, put its nose to the ground and examined the tracks that the pack from Ohu had left. 

These were not capable of speech. Their voices only what they had in their programming, curious high pitched barks that echoed through the machinery was their way of greeting. The blackened one lifted its head and tried that now. A short friendly bark as a greeting.

When one of them had started the others joined in. Even the group of playful ones dropped their tire iron and perked their heads up to see what would happen.

That was until a tremendous thundering howl shut them all up at once. as one the pack of robots began to move, circling around and giving space. Letting past one of their own. One who was larger, more bent and twisted by years of repairs and one faithful encounter with a booster fueled weapon. Thunder had always been bigger than the others, but his eyes shone just as blue and walking next to him was the human with his face hooded and the metal staff in his hand. His other hand rested on Thunder’s shoulder as the big dog lead the way. They stopped a safe distance from the Ohu dogs. “Wow...”

[artificialhound]

The Packs

[artificialhound]

armyofou:

artificialhound:

It took Hound a few seconds. Then he sat up and listened closer.

@armyofou

This place was not what they were used to. It was dark and the air was musky and smelt of the vehicles the humans used to get around. There was no sky and definitely no mountains. There was barely any grass, only sparse plant life that rustled under their paws, weeds mostly. A group of five wandered through the towers of metal sniffing around and frowning slightly when they did not catch even a whiff of the others or Gajou on the air. Where was this place and how did they get out?

The apparent leader of the group, a Koga dog with a mohawk like tuft of fur on the top of his head, twitched. Every so often he heard the scraping of metal and loud huffing sounds. Almost like a machine moving around. Something about it put him on edge and put his group on edge. This wasn’t right. The noises were definitely not normal. Something that proves true when was looks like a huge metal dog appears suddenly from around one of the junk mounds, startling the closest dog and the Koga as well.

“Roshi, get away from it!” thankfully the other dog obeys and scrambles back to them, all five turning and growling at the beast lowly. They wouldn’t attack yet, they didn’t know if this thing was actually dangerous or not. It wasn’t worth risking their lives on uncertainty. The question was whether or not this… thing would come after them.

The HOUND bot that had been trotting along the mound of scrap had registered the noise of organic animals. Yet it was not prepared to round the heap and find five dogs scrambling back and growling at it. The robotic canine was as much of a dog as any human could have programmed it to be. Aggressive and dangerous, loaded with weapons from how Kane had created it. Then reprogrammed and reformed with a tail of coiled wires, by Hound’s own hands. Yet it was not familiar with the real animals that it had been made to look like.

It was supposed to growl to threaten. It was supposed to observe intruders. It knew how to play with its own kind. Were these its own kind? Slowly the robot began to sway its tail back and forth, twitching slightly and a curious whir vibrating through its voice box. The single blue eyes rotated with a hum and flickered back and forth over the group of dogs. 

A bit behind this robot three more came bounding across a clearing, a tire iron trapped between their jaws and pulling it from three directions. They were playing like if they were mere puppies. 

Immediately the one that had run into the Koga, perked its head up and gave a short metallic bark. The three frozen where they were, eyes peering over but their plaything still stuck between them. Up on top of a scrap heap the silhouette of one of the robots stood up, one small blue light shining in the distance. Then it turned it’s head and gave out a long sequence of computerized noise and the presence of the dog of Ohu had definitely been noticed.

Out of sight the only human among the group held a hand in front of his hooded face. A scrap of black cloth barely visible among blond locks. Thunder held his head high and was looking towards the dog that had acted as sentry. “Real dogs...” Hound muttered. “Real actual dogs. Not mutations...” He stood up and took his staff from Thunder’s flank.

[gimlisdad]

mike chilton penis and then drives faster.png

[immersedhowls]

“Don’t say things you don’t mean…”

[artificialhound]

“I really MEAN that you are not all that impressive. So you got a tail? Big deal.”

[artificialhound]

The Packs

It was an ordinary day with ordinary tasks and ordinary boredom. There hadn’t been a bot attack in a long time now and the burners had been no-shows. Good thing that Hound could take care of himself. Himself and a pack of repurposed mechanical dogs. Who with a bit of tweaking acted like regular dogs. That carried missiles... and jet boosters... and lashing metal tongues that could carve through steel... There was nothing regular about these dogs. 

At least they were easy enough to live with. 

The hooded young man sat with his back against Thunder. As the first and oldest of the H.O.U.N.D bots his casing was worn and patched, deep groves ran along the metal mask of his face. For now his one cyclops eyes was closed. A group of five of the other bots rushing around and playing not far from the two and an additional pair of the dog robots were perched on a hill of scrap to keep watch over the area. 

Hound himself listened to the quiet sounds of the city. It was very quiet today. It was weird. The only thing he could hear was the metallic whir of the dogs, their barks hollow in their cabled chests and definitely coming from sound boxes, metal snouts clanging against each other, metal claws scraping the ground, normal dogs growling in the distance.

It took Hound a few seconds. Then he sat up and listened closer.

@armyofou

[artificialhound]

trollsofthezodiac :

@artificialhound

There’s very little that a grub can make out at this early a stage in their life outside of what was close and how they felt. One little grub recalls that he had climbed onto something sturdy and firm and thought it a good place to cling and maybe have a small nap.  That is until the seemingly nice spot begins to move and do so way too quickly for him to hop off. Whining loudly, the little grub digs his little clawed legs into the surface and just waits. There’s no getting off until whatever this is stops running.

Lucky for the grub the robot dog he has climbed onto doesn’t notice him at all. 

Tucked in underneath metallic armor and in a nook in strangely organic looking fiber cables, the grub does not risk falling off the running dog like robot. The bots having gone far out of their regular territory to explore. Shifting in the air had made them lay low for a while. Giving any unsuspecting little grub time to climb up and hide.

Now they were heading back. Running at top speed and avoiding detection until the air shifted again. The muddy ground being replaced by solid concrete and metal. The run was long, even wild as the robots pounced and swerved to avoid obstacles and cross gaping crevices that were so deep that there was no visible bottom. A screech of a howl met them as they joined in with a bunch of other robots.

They all began to slow down and pour into an open area in front of an old warehouse. The robot dogs bumped against each other and barked as they relaxed and began to play. The one large robot that the grub was cling on to made its way to the warehouse and slipped inside by bumping the door with its snout. They entered the large dark room, the ancient computer glowing faintly blue in the corner and the crates stacked high. 

A steady clacking of keys on a keyboard was the only thing making a sound. The old scratched up HOUND bot made his way up to the chair by the computer and sat down, laying his head in the lap of the young man that was sitting there.

[blondchiroptera]

⚠

The blood trail leads a ways. Down an empty alley, cutting sharply around a corner. It comes to a halt to the bat, curled up against the wall and simply staring at the floor. His arm has been sliced open and is bleeding rather profusely but he just doesn’t seem to take notice.

[artificialhound]

blondchiroptera:

artificialhound:

It stuck its snout out and sniffed at the bat while its tail wagged furiously.

The bat can’t help but look up as the small dog trots over, ears swiveling and a confused look on his face. Though he can’t really help but jump as a metal snout soon presses against his furred stomach and inhales, the bot’s tail furiously wagging back and forth. Oh… uh… friendly one, wasn’t it?

Chuck hesitates a moment, having recalled many encounters with nasty HOUND bots like this one. Still… it seemed friendly enough, didn’t it? Least it wasn’t tearing him to pieces.

Slowly, the bat moves clawed hands out and begins to run them over the dog’s chassis, clicking curiously.

The dog preens and twists around so Chuck can scratch it on the butt. Tail wagging and long cable tongue hanging out as it mock pants happily. Yes, the furry one could scratch this bot all day long. The dog even whirred with excitement and pleasure.

All was as it should be. 

Hound moved from his spot. Walking along the outer edge of the pack of dogs. A large and worn down HOUND bot on his tail and his staff softly clicking over the floor. “Come on, Jazz. Give him something nicer to scratch than you butt.” The hooded young man went over to the giant computer and sat down on a chair that he swiveled around to face the keyboard.

[artificialhound]

tagged by: @blondchiroptera tagging: @burnercaprichilton @amazonian-fox @cadet-jenzen @protreasonprotag

MUSE AESTHETIC.

       REMEMBER TO REPOST & NOT REBLOG.                FEEL FREE TO ADD TO THE LIST

bold the aesthetic for your muse italicize what can be taken 2 ways.

the softest palms that never want to touch you until after a bottle of wine. / “just braid your hair if you won’t brush it, at least, you useless girl.” / pulling on your skirt with one hand as you shuffle away. / “you’ll get it done before the day is up.” / guilt that isn’t yours to have./ it’s a crooked game, but it’s the only one in town. / chains. / “how could you do this to me?” /the sharp sting of guilt. / you feel something even though you’re paid to do the opposite./ the family you never had. / falling backwards through time. / quicksand. /drowning, but you don’t save yourself. / “you’re getting better.” / “they smile like a snake.” / you’re the stars and the sky. / there’s a part of you that couldn’t stay away even if you were forced to. /they are your wings, there’s no doubt there. / “let’s take off somewhere. let’s fly.” / you edge a bit too close to the sun. / another ghost to take your place after every stumble. / deep roots in the ground slashed open in the sun. / rock candy melting in water. / waves rise and leave the foam behind. / the precipice you call home has a tip you’ll reach eventually. / happiness is the best front a man can take. / “i’ve never seen someone as beautiful as you before.” / you disagree; they’re more beautiful. / discomfort at the tiniest of touches. / the sky opens up when you see them. /rain comes down. / poppy fields. / your sanity hanging by a thread. / “oh god, what have you done?” / roommates weren’t supposed to be the smartest ones of all. / they’ve got a devil on their shoulder and an angel in their mind. / you try to help, but it only got worse. / now they’re dead, it’s all your fault. / adam & eve in the garden. / a temptress in crisp button-downs./ “fuck, you’ve gone off the deep end, haven’t you?” / they lie so perfectly you almost forget yourself. / the spark that lit the kindling on your funeral pyre. / sugar and spice and a taste for the dark side. / yes saint laurent black opium on your pillow, a scented cloud drifting behind you like a cape. / crisp green apples piled up on the table. / your shoes are sharp, but your wit is even sharper. / what a pretty one, they say. / you laugh without humor. / a soft, hollow spot sits in your chest. /there’s a place you’ll never leave no matter who tries to stop you. / the seat of power fits like a glove. / heavy is the head that wears the crown. / you share a space, but not a mind. /they think you are weak; you are, maybe. / “what are you going to do with all of these pills?” /an empty bird’s nest. / broken pencil tips. / there’s an empty paper in front of you that you’ll never fill. / “we want you to succeed. i hope you can grasp that.” / “they weren’t there when it happened.” / corruption. / there’s a red string tying you together. / the scent of whiskey on the horizon. / “you’re the best friend i’ve ever had.” / pink tipped fingers lock in secrecy. / 99 red balloons drifting through a hazy sky. / you try to lift your head up, but it’s so much effort. / always walking on sunshine. / there’s a million reasons to come down from the clouds, but you can’t be bothered. / hair twisted up with glitter butterfly clips like a haphazard mobile. / you drift, but you know where you’re going. / no one has any dirt on you because you’re infinitely spotless. / the empty side of your bed they crawled into when they were nine. / court hearings. / “I miss you.” / siblings are a funny thing. / they point out every family-shaped hole in every picture on the mantelpiece. / blackbird screaming / wake in nightmares / are you an illusion? / I don’t feel real. / who is in control? / a violent fall. / they know better. / the crack of knuckles. / an abyss where your morals rot. / you awake with a devil on your back. / this is what you live for.

[revvedupmutt-blog]

@artificialhound

continued (x)

[~=💀] It didn’t take very long for him to arrive over at Hound’s warehouse at a rather record breaking speed, but it was pretty obvious that he had ended up getting attention from the H.O.U.N.D bots that were usually there to protect the one who had invited him out there… seems they found their usual play mate had come back to play.

“I got here earlier than I should have… let’s play.” He offered a grin and picked up speed, allowing the bots to follow after him as they were heading towards the spot where he had to meet up with the blond.

[artificialhound]

The dogs howl in delight and throws themselves into the chase wholeheartedly.  They jump and pounce and bound along with the green muscle car. Every step of the way they go for Mike, snapping  their jaws to clamp down on Mutt and “catch” her. 

One big bot with sparks flying off it’s right flank just barely miss the antennae at Mutt’s back as it leaps clean from one end of the road to the other.

There was no way that these dog robots would hurt Mike or get his car severely damaged. They still play a little too rough for any regular person to be comfortable. Mike Chilton was no regular person. HE was the leader of the Burners!

In the mean time, Hound stands outside the big building that he calls home and waits. He even bounces a bit on his feet, not used to having to rely on another to get him around. Even the old battered HOUND bit, Thunder, seemed impatient as he paced back and forth. He did that for as long as Hound felt anxious. Right now Hound was VERY emotional,

[revvedupmutt-blog]

[Text] Think you could swing by the warehouse later? Important.

@artificialhound

[~=💀] He looked over his messages in order to see that he had something from Hound, as he pulled up the screen, bringing it away from his car window’s view in order look it over.

Important, huh? It must be if the other was adding that last word in just by itself. Acting as quickly as he could, he typed into the screen in order to reply to the other.

[txt]: I’m over at Antonio’s, should be there in a couple minutes, or quicker if I speed.

Revving up the engine rather loudly, he pressed his foot down on the pedal, and headed off to the other’s workshop

[artificialhound]

[txt]: Don’t you always?

The message had probably sent after Mike had gotten into the car. Hound didn’t get any response at all until he noticed the sensors at the outer skirts of the territory went off. 

Hound got up from his chair and lowered his head.

Outside the warehouse a group of five H.O.U.N.D bots sprung up on their paws and rushed off.

As Mutt came rushing closer to the warehouse the dogs came towards the big green car. They rushed ahead onto the road and barked and bounced before they swiftly turned as the car drove by. All five of the bots gave chase after their green road bound play mate.

[livelivefastfree]

“All I want is to be left alone. No KaneCo, no one laughing at me, no crazy people in flashy cars, just me and the Dogs, alright?”

*shows up four years late* hi my name’s splickedy and I enjoyed Artificial Nocturne and I hope whatever fandoms the author is writing for now they are enjoying themselves and their skin is clear and their sleep is good 

I couldn’t remember if Hound’s left arm was artificial but in the author’s ref it looked like it so I rolled with it, many apologies to @ickaimp if I hecked anything up.

[ickaimp]

*wipes eyes* I’m not crying, you’re crying

[livelivefastfree]

#both of his arms are artificial

oh nnNOOOOO I can totally see that in the ref now??? <:C  

WELL NOW WE’RE BOTH CRYING so THAT’S COOL, I LOVE TO SUFFER

((Bonus Mike b/c i realized while drawing this I had no place to put his missing right arm))

[artificialhound]

[blondchiroptera]

⚠

The blood trail leads a ways. Down an empty alley, cutting sharply around a corner. It comes to a halt to the bat, curled up against the wall and simply staring at the floor. His arm has been sliced open and is bleeding rather profusely but he just doesn’t seem to take notice.

[artificialhound]

With the dog like robots all around it was a bad idea to come attacking the old warehouse.

[blondchiroptera]

Chuck blinks at that. Leave? Yeah, he could leave… but he doesn’t. Some burning curiosity keeps the bat in place. Instead of heading toward the doors, Chuck instead curiously moves among the hounds on the floor and pauses at one of the smaller ones. He’s never really been able to see these things up close unless they were trying to tear his head off or drag him back up to Deluxe.

There is an itch to inspect, to take apart but he refrains. It’s not his bot to fiddle with. So instead he just sits there and tilts his head, tail flicking back and forth.

[artificialhound]

The small dog immediately perks its head up and starts to wag its tail. It sniffs the air and its one blue eye whir when it focuses on the bat. Its body is tense, waiting to pounce at Chuck if it get’s the permission.

When the experiment sits down the dog shifts its head to look over at Hound.

Hound has scooted out to the edge of the crate he was sitting on. Now he made a none committed motion with his hand.

As soon as the dog saw that it let its jaw hang open slightly and scrambled up on six paws to trot over to Chuck. It stuck its snout out and sniffed at the bat while its tail wagged furiously.

[blondchiroptera]

⚠

The blood trail leads a ways. Down an empty alley, cutting sharply around a corner. It comes to a halt to the bat, curled up against the wall and simply staring at the floor. His arm has been sliced open and is bleeding rather profusely but he just doesn’t seem to take notice.

[artificialhound]

“Good morning.”

[blondchiroptera]

“Krrrr….” the only answer is a short burst of clicks, green eyes watching curiously. There were so many odd things about this. The stranger who clearly made this warehouse home, the H.O.U.N.D bots strewn about the floor without a seemingly single care in the world. It was still unnerving to be near them but they didn’t seem intent on doing anything. Sliding off the mattress, talons scratching the floor as he does so, Chuck sniffs the air.

It smelt okay and nothing set him on edge. 

What in the world was going on?

[artificialhound]

No response. How bad was the bat injured really? Had he hit his head too? At least the arm was wrapped up nice and tight. Hound had seen to it himself. “Not feeling very chatty?”

The fabric of his hood slid forward slightly as he lowered his head to keep his face out of sight. “Me neither.” He rolled his staff between his fingers and pointed vaguely in the direction of the doors. “You can leave if you want. Not gonna stop you. Or you can rest some more if you feel like it. It isn’t like anything is gonna get you in here.” With the dog like robots all around it was a bad idea to come attacking the old warehouse.

[blondchiroptera]

⚠

The blood trail leads a ways. Down an empty alley, cutting sharply around a corner. It comes to a halt to the bat, curled up against the wall and simply staring at the floor. His arm has been sliced open and is bleeding rather profusely but he just doesn’t seem to take notice.

[artificialhound]

The inhabitant of the warehouse was sitting cross legged on top of a pile of crates, his metal staff in his lap and a few of the H.O.U.N.D bots strewn on the floor.

[blondchiroptera]

Chuck lays prone on the old mattress while silently taking in everything around him, still a little woozy from the previous bloodloss. Everything was dim or dark here, that was a bonus and sweet relief. There were many sorts of smells. Ozone, metal, oil and wood being the main pieces of information that made it to his brain. Slowly and with only minor difficulty he manages to sit up, one hand rubbing carefully at his head.

Slowly attention is turned to the occupant of the warehouse and the many H.O.U.N.D bots that lay about the floor. Normally he would flee at the sight of them but the lack of any aggression on their part keeps such a thing from occurring. Instead, Chuck tilts his head back and lets out a small burst of sonar. It takes a minute to come back, his ears twitching and synapses firing as they paint the image the sound produced for him.

Interesting. 

How long had this place been here?

[artificialhound]

When Chuck stirred some of the robots raised their heads to look in his direction. One of them clicked a little with it’s jaw before placing its head back down again.

The inhabitant of the warehouse twitched slightly as the bat let out the sonar call. Hound sighed and settled back down again, grip tightening slightly upon his staff. He wasn’t sure if he should speak or not. At least he didn’t hear the other blond hissing or growling. So far so good.

“Good morning.”

[blondchiroptera]

⚠

The blood trail leads a ways. Down an empty alley, cutting sharply around a corner. It comes to a halt to the bat, curled up against the wall and simply staring at the floor. His arm has been sliced open and is bleeding rather profusely but he just doesn’t seem to take notice.

[artificialhound]

“I’m not gonna hurt you. I just want to help. Is that okay? Can we pick you up?”

[blondchiroptera]

Once again the bat lifts his head. It’s easy enough to take in the look of the stranger and the bots behind him. There were many options here but, honestly, Chuck is just too tired for that. So a little huff is given and he slowly gives a slow nod in answer.

Anything would be better than bleeding out in a dark alley.

[artificialhound]

“Right…” Hound turned his head around and whistled for his robotic companions to come closer. Hound reach out and grabbed on to Chuck’s unharmed arm. He eased the bat closer to himself and turned him so that Thunder could scoop his head in underneath. The old worn dog waited patiently for his master to tug the bat up fully on his back. The two stood up in unison and then they wandered back the way they had appeared from.

———————————————————–

When Chuck woke up he would found himself on a tattered old mattress on the floor of an old warehouse. His arm bound with clean bandages. Wooden crates stacked in piles around the large room and a computer as tall as the building itself in the corner. Looking more like a living growing tree of cables and consoles than an actual machine.

Every window high up by the roof was fully open. The doors to the old place ajar and the cargo doors pulled fully open. If he wanted to escape he could just do so. 

The inhabitant of the warehouse was sitting cross legged on top of a pile of crates, his metal staff in his lap and a few of the H.O.U.N.D bots strewn on the floor.

[blondchiroptera]

⚠

The blood trail leads a ways. Down an empty alley, cutting sharply around a corner. It comes to a halt to the bat, curled up against the wall and simply staring at the floor. His arm has been sliced open and is bleeding rather profusely but he just doesn’t seem to take notice.

[artificialhound]

“Hey? Do you know what happened? Do you remember?” Of course not. “Can you move?”

[blondchiroptera]

There’s no real answer other than the bat lifting his head to look at Hound, blinking sluggishly. Any other time he would have flipped out and tried to run but there just wasn’t enough energy for that. Instead the bat just offers up a quiet sigh and tries to get onto his feet.

Obviously, he isn’t that stable and only succeeds in slumping back down with a soft groan.

[artificialhound]

Hound sighs slowly. He moves into the alley with his robotic pets behind him. There was no question about it. He needed to help.

Hound got down on one knees next to Chuck and let his hand hover in the air. “I’m not gonna hurt you. I just want to help. Is that okay? Can we pick you up?”