Well Mojito hated that! He was on his way to the new Armada lands to speak with the warlord about Nao when he'd heard the sounds of commotion and the barking of those familiars. Curiosity was probably his worst flaw considering all he'd been through but damn if he didn't still fall for it. He'd found himself wandering towards the plateau, enjoying the nice chill of the unseasonal autumn even if it unnerved him somewhat but he'd made the decision to give the statue of the giant wolf a hard pass. That seemed like it was just asking for a repeat of the long night. Still, some part of him couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from the whole scene so he hung back for a bit, watching and trying to fight off the feeling that something didn't want him here.



Speech

Art by Rivaah

Naiche had taken a breath, and then realized it was a breath on the mortal world.  Who knew?  Ghosts had been a lot more real than he had imagined before death.  Once again he was out of somnium.  Amusingly he’d eaten a great meal at a strange feast.  He was fairly certain it wasn’t where he’d last been in the mortal realm but, what did it really matter to the dead? Roaming the land, curious of what had brought him back this time, Naiche figured out quickly enough something strange was going on.  The changes in weather with but a step of the paw weren’t normal, though he doubted the living mind at all.  The autumn weather looked like he’d enjoy it were he alive and oddly after a bit he had left that magical autumn. He was back in the autumn now, and pools of blood, as well as weapons, were scattered about the ground.  There was a sense of detachment for concern for those living at this point.  They were no longer of his interest.  Well, there was a small number that was of value to him but they were not here.  Even as Naiche wandered through, someone he had feelings towards did come into sight.   In life he had kept his feelings controlled, acknowledged what had to be, and tried to understand from another’s perspective.  Naiche wasn’t alive anymore and didn’t give a damn about the why, he only acknowledged the wolf had been a trigger for Naiche losing a bit of life he’d loved and treasured.  That had been rare and precious, and Mojito had taken it from him. Naiche moved towards Mo, facing him, a low rumbled growl in his throat that in Naiche’s mind should have gotten a reaction, preferably fear.  Mo didn’t react at all.  Damn!  Back in the mortal world but not visible!?  Naiche looked at his paw and how when he stepped the dirt shifted about.  He could touch things. Time to say hi.  Naiche smiled grimly, eyeing a pool of blood.  Stepping closer, his paw dipped into the blood, then splashed it in the door in Mo’s direction.  In case that wasn’t enough, Naiche would dip his paw in blood and slowly stalk toward a wolf that he currently loathed. "Naiche"

Mojito shuffled as a chilly wind blew across the blood-soaked grounds, the prevalent scent of iron setting him on edge. It felt like conflict, like violence. Mojito was no stranger to fighting, he'd been fighting basically all his life both literally with tooth and claw and figuratively, a wolf who's very birth was considered a mistake by everyone but his parents. Conflict was something he'd never quite been able to get away from, even at his happiest times he'd been in conflict with others. All Mojito wanted was peace, all he wanted was to get to rest and feel content for a short period in his life. He tried not to hope too hard that Nao would be that for him, that maybe he'd finally get to feel what it felt like to be at peace, to not have to be fighting for a table scrap of attention... Especially since he wasn't certain he wasn't going to have to fight for the speckled man's freedom.

Mojito was stewing on those thoughts when he felt something splash against his face, Mojito flinched. His head ducking and eyes screwing shut. He was half expecting to open his eyes again to see a cousin having kicked mud in his face, spotting him as they were passing by but as he opened his eyes he could see nothing. Lifting a paw to his face he whipped at whatever was staining his cheeks, and swallowed hard when he realized it was blood. He glanced about, fighting down the rising panic, something was wrong, something was very wrong. He failed to notice the bloody pawprints coming his way.  

Speech

Art by Rivaah

Mo was a softy.  That was one thing Naiche remembered well enough and he watched for any sign the guy had changed.  What had Asla seen in this wimp anyway?  Naiche turned his head for a moment, ears leaning forward in the direction of the place he had called home.  The dens of the past both his initial and then Asla’s when he had stayed in it for a time. Memories distracted him for a moment from Mo.  The remainder of all that being gone had Naiche shake his head.  Naiche moved to stand in front of the small dog, one of the few members of the armada Naiche hadn’t been smaller than.  “Mooooo.” Naiche tried speaking and was more irritated that the guy wouldn’t hear. Well, he’d been able to splash the guy with blood at least. Bits of metal and clumps of dried dirt were about along with the blood.  Naiche slowly walked about the landscape looking for something to use.  It was frustrating, for some reason Naiche felt weak in a way that wasn’t tiredness or hard work but it would stop him from using the full strength Naiche felt he should have.   After a bit Naiche would find a small piece of metal to pick up, holding it by the edge and walking towards Mo.  It was just a way to make sure the guy knew someone was there and toying with him. It seemed unnerving the guy was the most he could do.  Naiche might get bored with this quicker than planned,  Hopefully floating items would give a good reaction. "Naiche"

If Naiche had thought Mojito weak he hadn't known the wolf-dog much at all.  Not that Mojio could know that of course, he'd respected the man, been jealous sure, and irritated that Naiche had insisted on getting to be part of Satira's life but had been pretty clearly upset with Mojito wanting to be in Arcturus'. Frankly, he was pretty tired of everyone getting to decide things about his daughter and never including him. But that was beside the point. He was certainly more open to vulnerability than many of the wolves around him but he'd learned pretty early that acting tougher than he sometimes felt got him nothing, but he was a warrior as much as he was a healer. Being willing to be vulnerable was more ballsy than any grandstanding about how strong someone was anyways, and he was a child no longer, he knew well enough he didn't deserve scorn or derision any more than anyone else. His desire to teach his daughter that she was worth more than others might tell you had admittedly rubbed off on him.

So as his unease settled into a background feeling, it was quickly surpassed by irritation. If someone or something was fucking with him then he didn't need to take that. He couldn't fight a god if what the familiars were talking about was even real of course, but he also didn't have to just lay down and take it. So as he spotted the floating metal instead of letting the flitting of panic take over he shoved it down, narrowing his eyes and stepping towards it, once, twice. Some part of him wanted to grandstand about how he wasn't just going to take someone fucking with him laying down but decided he didn't need to dignify whatever was happening here with his words. That was too good for them. He stepped right up to the floating metal piece, and with a confidence he would have lacked in his childhood years grabbed one end and, tossing his head, flung the metal piece as far as he could. Never once did the glare leave his eyes and he turned them back to where the metal had been a moment before, snorted with contempt, imagining some god's face right in front of him, and then marched away. He had things to take care of and he wasn't going to let himself be anyone's punching bag anymore.

-Exit Mojito-

Speech

Art by Rivaah

Scaring Mo was amusing at first but he wanted to do more.  It was so irritating that he couldn’t harm Mojita.  It’s not like he’d planned to seek out Mojito to harm him but Naiche didn’t know what the hell he was doing back here or where any he cared for was so this was at least something. He walked towards Mo with that bit of metal hoping to spook him.  Unfortunately, the guy didn’t do what Naiche had hoped.  Naiche watched Mo walk towards him, curious about what the dog's next action would be. Then the dog grabbed the metal from him and threw it away.  The little bastard glared at Naiche too. The wolf knew he couldn’t touch the guy or say anything but, for personal interest, Naiche bit the air that should have been Mo’s muzzle.  It didn’t offer any real satisfaction.  For one thing, his teeth didn’t connect and for another Naiche knew he was being petty.  That wouldn’t probably stop Naiche from being petty again but it didn’t add to his pleasure. “Damn you,” Naiche spoke as Mo glared at him before walking off.  “Well, got in my way when I was alive, and just annoying me when I’m dead.  Whatever.” The frustrated wolf turned around and started heading off, growling under his breath, “time to find my son.”   One of the few wolves that would make being semi-alive useful.  Hopefully, his child was doing well. "Naiche"