Potato Pup

Origins Part 1

Large padded paws sprinted through the forest, cracking twigs and leaving deep indents in the soft soil beneath. Darker crimson blotches decorated his already red fur, the heavy wind and rain barely affecting it. His ears twitched at the howls and cries of his packmates, but he didn't hear them.

Away. He had to get away. That was the only thing he could focus on at the moment. He couldn't return to his pack, not after what had happened. 

He ran. Even after he no longer heard his pack—his former pack—he ran. While his body ached with exhaustion, he ran. He needed to get as far away as possible from his pa—from his former pack.

Only after he was truly out of energy and his legs finally gave in did he stop running. His body crashed to the ground with a loud thud.

I need to get away. I need to run.

He attempted to force himself to get up, but his body refused to obey him, leaving him lying on the forest floor.

~🥔Potato Pup🐶~

Gijoo Seol awakened to the familiar warmth of sunlight on his fur. His fur was heavy, drenched with rain and covered in dirt, twigs, and leaves. He stood up, wincing slightly as he agitated his wounds from the night before, and shook most of the moisture and debris from his coat.

"Amaroq?" At first, he was confused as to why he was alone and not with his pack, but the memories from the previous night quickly came rushing back. I left the pack.

He stood sill and silent, allowing his ears to listen for any approaching wolves. He lifted his nose into the air and caught no scent of any of his former pack members nearby.

I got away. They either lost my scent trail, or they gave up due to the storm and the losses I had caused. I'm alone.

He licked at his wounds, and was fortunate that none of them were serious enough to have a lasting effect on his health. He only had minor bites and scratches from the fight.

I can't go back, he started to walk, but paused with hesitation. Guilt weighed down his chest and wanted him to turn around and run back to his pa—former pack—to his home—but he resisted the urge and forced himself to take a few steps. because there's only one direction I can move from now on: forward.

~🥔Potato Pup🐶~

After hours of walking, Gijoo found himself standing on the border between the forest and human civilization. His nose wrinkled at the numerous disgusting scents that reached his nose. How can humans stand all of these smells? 

He could smell rotting trash, smoke from cars, perfumes and colognes, as well as several other scents from the city. He gagged, and briefly thought about turning around, but immediately banished the thought.

I can't go back to living in the forest. My pack—former pack— will eventually find me if I stay. They would never dare to venture into the humans' territory.

Gijoo was no fool. He knew that he had to avoid any interactions with humans and stuck to the shadows of the alleys. He found a nice dark spot in a dead end alley and curled up to nap. There were too many humans out and about at the moment, so he had to wait until it was later in the day and the humans were less active.

Before he could even fall asleep, frantic movements attracted his attention to the dumpster. Standing on his hind legs, the red-furred wolf looked inside.

A baby raccoon had gotten itself trapped, unable to scale the tall walls of the dumpster. 

Gijoo's tail gently swished from side to side and drool dripped from his watering maw. Prey. He hadn't eaten the entire day and yesterday, so his hunger was clawing at his stomach.

The kit pressed his self into a corner to back as far away from the hungry wolf as possible. His wide black eyes were filled with fear.

Gijoo lunged forward, but the kit had managed to jump into the air just in time, and Gijoo's jaws clamped down onto empty air. The kit landed on Gijoo's head and, without any hesitation, scampered up Gijoo's body to use him as a ramp out of the dumpster. 

Grape the Raccoon had successfully escaped death.

Gijoo exited the dumpster and growled. He had failed to secure a meal. The hunger pangs grew more intense. 

He spotted a large puddle and leapt at it, lapping up the water to fill his empty stomach. It worked to satisfy his thirst, but it barely did anything to quench his hunger.

He looked up at the sky. It's getting dark soon. The humans will return to their dens once night comes. I'll be able to move more freely and hunt. I need to be patient.

~🥔Potato Pup🐶~

Sleep not only restored some of his depleted energy, but it also provided as a way to pass time until nightfall. 

Gijoo stretched his limbs upon awakening, and began to journey further into the city. He had no destination, and his only thought was to continue moving further away from the forest. 

Upon reaching the Han River, he stopped to stare at his reflection. He growled in anger and frustration when he spotted the dried blood still clinging to his fur. Wanting to rid himself of the feature, he dove into the river. 

As he bit and pawed at the dried blood, he saw the fish. Stomach still empty from his failed hunt earlier, he snapped his jaws at the nearby fish. His careless movements caused many fish to avoid him. Fortunately for Gijoo, he eventually caught a bass. He swam to the riverbank and dropped the fish down in order to catch his breath.

Finally, he took a large chunk out of the middle of the bass, and allowed the cold blood to dribble down his chin. He licked his lips earnestly before going for another bite, chewing on the fish's bones, muscles, and organs.

One fish was not enough to satisfy his hunger, so he dove in once again. He repeated his process of hunting and eating fish until his stomach was full. After finishing his final fish, he washed the blood from his face and continued walking with no set destination.

~🥔Potato Pup🐶~

Author's Note: The first two chapters are angst, but the Potato Pup AU will mainly be humor and about the funny shenanigans of Cheongang, who are the main characters of this fic. The story will focus on Changhui, Joowon, Doyoon, Gijoo, and Jaeryeong, with the occasional appearances of Janghyeok, Kenny, Jake, Eunchan, Timmy, Donald, Kingsley, and Naksung Fam.