Sink or Swim

He gulped down the water as if his life did indeed depend on it. He practically choked on the water and the ooze as they mixed, and the taste wasn't as refreshing as he expected it to be, but he didn't care right now. He was more concerned about the large crystals and shit growing on his body than he was about the taste of the water, after all. When he finished, he coughed and sputtered as he tried to free up what felt like a glob of ooze in his throat, and when he spit it up it dropped into the water with an audible plop. He was tired, hungry, and in no mood to even move. But when he heard a stranger's voice nearby, he tiredly picked up his head to look towards the stranger. It wasn't like any wolf he'd seen before. He looked more dog-like, and he wondered if this guy was even a wolf, or a hybrid, or just a full-on dog. He'd heard of their once domesticated cousins from his father, but he'd never actually seen one until now.

"Unfortunately," He replied as he tried to pick himself up. The crystals that lined his back and legs made it difficult to stand, but he refused to let himself lie down while in the company of a stranger. After all, he was an easier target on the ground, and he wasn't about to let someone try to take advantage of that. "The worlds gone to shit over the Winter, so I'm sure a lot of us predator and prey alike have been infected with this shit," Though it appeared the dog didn't seem to be affected at all...he squinted past the crystals in the corners of his eyes, noting how not sick the stranger looked. "You seem...fine...lucky you." He muttered darkly.

"Speech"