Inspired by the song And the Hound by yaelokre
What a feast. Small, thin, clawed hands grip the bark of the tree that Sukuna settled behind. The wet noise of the wolf’s teeth gnashing on the deer’s flesh grated on the boy’s nerves. He can barely see the bloody carcass with the way the canopy above is obscuring the moonlight above. Glints of red sparkled as a rare beam of light penetrated from the forest roof. All he can make out is the sickening crunch of bones between the wolf's jaws. It sounded disgusting... Sukuna *craved* it.
That was supposed to be *his*. *His* meal. He’s been stalking the deer all night—hours of wrestling with his cursed energy to behave for once. It was always too noticeable, too unrefined. Constantly fighting to control it to even have the semblance of a meal. He knew his presence terrified the creatures around him—they always ran if they feel an inkling of his existence.
Except for the wolf, of course. That damn cheating wolf. Right when Sukuna was finally able to corner the deer, the wolf shot into the clearing, jaws clamping around its neck. It stole Sukuna’s goddamn meal for the week. Again.
What a feast, huh? Sukuna thought bitterly, glaring at the flashes of red dripping from the wolf's maw. He squeezed his eyes shut as he gripped the tree tight enough to dig his claws in, forehead pressed onto the bark. All he had this week were the nuts and berries he was able to scavenge. Plants never ran from him. Yet it wasn't enough. It was never enough for something like him. A creature. A monster. He could try to steal from a nearby village, but he couldn't risk getting caught again. The deep lashing on his back from his last failed excursion healed fast enough with how severe his wounds were, only leaving gnarly scars that Sukuna bears as a reminder that he's not human. Not like them. Tonight? He won't be able to escape like last time with how his stomach was trying digest itself currently.
Sukuna curled tighter into himself, it was pathetic. The mouth that split his stomach in lieu of a navel gave a pathetic grumbling whine, breaking through the noise of the wolf’s meal.
Sukuna froze. The wolf’s eyes bore through him; the moon’s light reflected in its retinas, making it glow an eerie red color. It stood deathly still, the only movement was the blood dripping from its soaked fur. Sukuna watched it's steady dead eyes move, scanning him. Sukuna subconsciously pulled back his two lower arms that protrude below his upper ones to appear somehow normal. What was he doing? It's a wolf. It doesn't care if he looked abnormal, not like how humans do. They were both creatures, separate beings from humans.
It wasn’t alarmed, strangely. It wasn’t afraid, Sukuna could tell—its hackles weren’t raised. It was just… looking at him.
Strange. It somehow makes sense that it wasn’t afraid—shit, to have the audacity to poach Sukuna's prey? It either had the biggest balls or just plain stupid.
Or desperate enough for a meal.
Sukuna stared back. The wolf was large enough to be able to make eye contact with him—which is not much, to be honest. Sukuna was too small for his age; his malnourished body barely had the nutrition to function, only still pushing through with the sheer force of will. He needed to eat tonight. Sukuna was reminded of the dull persisting pain in stomach. The louder his stomach growled, the more mocking the wolf’s expression was in Sukuna's eyes.
Like it was reading his thoughts, the wolf tilted its head, then went back to gnaw at the deer’s thigh.
It kept eating, like Sukuna wasn’t there at all! He’s absolutely offended. Humans usually screamed and ran—or tried to kill him—but this? He's not used to creatures treating him like he's not a threat. Why? Is it that hungry to try to keep filling its stomach than to pay any attention to him?
Sukuna snarled. He should kill it. He *could* kill it. He could cleave it's head from it's neck easily. Why hasn’t he? The surprise? Its audacity? He could kill it. He *will*.
The boy—no, the four armed creature stepped forward into the clearing. Dried leaves crunched under his bare feet, like a warning. Still, the wolf continued to feast. Sukuna's brows met. Why isn’t it running? Or fighting to keep the meat to itself?
The wolf kept eating as Sukuna approached it. He tilted his head at its... Ignorance? Idiocy? Sukuna was clearly a threat, preparing a cleave, wrangling unrestrained cursed energy into his fingertips. The familiar surge was rather comforting enough to ease his hunger for a second. He'll be able to eat after this. Raising his hand, to unleash his technique, the wolf suddenly moved.
It moved aside, like it was making space for Sukuna beside the carcass. What?
His hand dropped to his side, cleave forgotten in his confusion. Sukuna stared blankly at the space that the wolf provided.
The mouth on his stomach growled for the second time that night, like it was urging him to take his place next to it. The dull aching pain telling him to go to it *now*. Sukuna took another step towards the deer carcass.
The wolf kept eating as Sukuna dropped to his knees beside it, leaning down to rip a piece of the deer’s flesh with his teeth.
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