((Set right after Potential Breakup Song, chronologically shortly before Zee's return to the Armada))

Mojito's paws carried him over the border line and further and further away from the pack. He wasn't going to go so far that he couldn't hear a summon if he had to return home but the last thing he wanted right now was to return to that empty shack and Hoa's questioning gaze. Some part of him had wanted to see out his daughter, but he wasn't sure he could face her right now either. He wanted the friend he'd pushed away, the only friend he had in the whole fucking world and he'd shoved her away? And for what? Because his feelings were hurt? No... it hadn't been for reasons so petty... but then why did he feel like a piece of shit? Mojito finally stopped, the cold of the mist seeping into his being as he finally found his paws stopping. The dark of the forest felt thematic somehow, like the chill that settled into his fur was the cold he'd felt when Asla had gotten up and walked away. There was an eerie silence, all signs of life muffled by the unnatural fog. It was enough for him to finally vocalize! The sound that escaped him first was an anguished yell, the next things a string of expletives. He rammed his horns into the nearest tree, scrapping them back and forth until he'd stripped a section of the tree bare and only then did he finally draw silent. The strength leaving him and he slid down onto his haunches, horns still pressed to the unyielding flora and his shoulders shaking as he cried, jaw clenching and eyes screwed shut. Hed really fucked up this time. "Speech"

Image by Ulfeid3

Ru yawned into the dark night, surprised at how quickly the day had disappeared. He hadn’t intended to travel so far from home. Had he ever been this far out before? The teen keep saying how he would go out on a big adventure, and explore the world. Somehow, he kept putting it off, and the days had blurred together. He paused, rubbing a paw over his face, and squinting into the dark woods. The cold had kicked up a mist, and the chill of it confused his nose. Had he already passed that tree? They all looked so similar, that he wasn’t sure. Was he getting anywhere, or just walking in circles? Another shiver went through the young wolf, and he squinted in the dark. Was that movement! He whirled, his heart kicking up a beat in his chest. He was sure something had dashed between those tree covers, but he couldn’t see anything now. Was it just the mist, playing tricks on his eyes? He cautiously put his paw back down and started walking again. Moving through the trees in the opposite direction of whatever had spoked him. No, these trees looked different, right? He was definitely getting somewhere. He pushed on, picking up his speed a little. The feeling of goosebumps crawling up his spine. He wasn’t afraid! He was just being cautious. His pace picked up again, and he was almost running now. Sprinting past the trees, and… “AHHH!!” he screamed as he came across the white, ghostly wolf crying against the tree. He just about fell off his feet, coming to a halt so fast. He started to turn, but… “Ahhhh…” he said, much more quietly, as through testing out his screamer, and then cleared his throat. “You aren’t a ghost at all, are you?” "speak."| "You"

Art by ImagiNationArtsXD On deviant art, Code by Cloudy

Mojito was much less aware of his surroundings than the yearling, maybe understandably so but even wallowing in his emotions as he was it would have been hard to miss the scream that came from close by, his head lifting suddenly and pale blues quickly searching for the source even as they still burned with fresh tears. A young man, younger than himself dressed in mottled brown and black, and despite his age clearly already larger than Mojito. Not that that was anything new. He quickly rubbed at his eyes with his wrist and shook his head, slipping into dad mode somewhat as he offered the young man a reassuring smile and chuckled, even if his forced amicableness wasn't quite sincere enough. "No I can assure you I'm no ghost." He did his best to reassure the young man. "I've... Well I'm not having the best day and thought I was alone. I'm sorry if I startled you." "Speech"

Image by Ulfeid3

The ghostly white wolf - who, honestly was a startlingly white in a spooky, misty forest, what was he to think? - turned to him, rubbing his eyes. The man offered Ru a smile, even after the younger wolf had screamed at. Even despite whatever had brought those tears to his eyes. That was pretty impressive. “No, no it’s alright man. I just got a little turned around, you know? I’ve never been in these woods before” he explained. Not wanting Mo to think he was some sissy that jumped at screamed and everything. He paused, and then stepped closer to the stranger. A wolf after all wasn’t nearly as scary as a ghost. “Did you… want to talk about it, maybe?” he offered. "speak."| "You"

Art by ImagiNationArtsXD On deviant art, Code by Cloudy

Oh yes, the yearling was very brave and strong indeed, he chuckled again, this time a bit more genuine. Young though Mojito might be his early fatherhood had given him a bit of a soft spot for young wolves, not that he hadn't already been fond of pups... They rarely looked at him as of he were any different and when they did it was often more of a fascination than the disgust he'd been raised around. Children were not born with any notion of real differences. It probably also helped that the amusing diversion was at least, actually distracting him, though not for long... The unknown yearling asked if he wanted to talk about it and Mojito sighed, glancing back at the tree and the patch of bark he'd stripped away, he didn't know what he wanted. Taking his emotions out on the tree hadn't really helped much but the boy was a stranger, and one from a pack he did not know at that. Though that was not hard, He'd hardly ventured beyond the Empire's borders. "I guess I uh... " His voice faltered slightly, feeling the emotion settling back over him like a shroud. "I'm pretty sure I fu- I messed up my only real friendship." God nope, saying it out loud only made that feel more real! Mojito tipped his head back, trying not to start crying all over again. He blinked rapidly, voice still straining not to break as he tried to shift gears: "What are you doing out here?" "Speech"

Image by Ulfeid3

Sen followed the line of sight from Mo to the beaten up tree. That looked like some good therapy right there. He supposed he must have interrupted, though it had looked more like he was leaning on the tree then attacking it when Ru had walked by. Probably a good thing. If he’d seen a ghost tearing apart a tree, he probably wouldn’t have looked back long enough to realise that this ‘ghost’ wasn’t actually so bad.

The stranger looked back at him, and even oblivious Ru could hear the emotion in his voice when he spoke. “Oh, man” the Abaven wolf said. “That uh, that really sucks man” he said, scuffing a paw in the dirt for a moment. “Look. I’m going to come in for a hug, okay? So don’t go all incorporeal on me.” He warned before going forward to pull the man into an awkward hug. He wasn’t much of a hugger himself, but it seemed like the right thing to do. “Anyway. They weren’t your only friend, okay. Look, you have me too, you know? So, uh. What's your name, anyway?”

"Senryū Cavaliere-Klein"

Despite himself, despite the deep pain settling in his chest as the realization of just how alone he was started to really set in, he couldn't help but chuckle sadly as the boy warned that he was going to go in for a hug. "I'll try." It was admittedly awkward, the pair were still basically strangers but Mojito suddenly realized how long it had been since the last time he'd been held, even only the hour before when he'd been with Asla their contact had been minimal at best. A rattling breath moved through him and he unconsciously leaned into the hug a bit. The young man spoke and Mojito couldn't help the slight sob that escaped him. All his life, all his fucking life he'd had to fight. To make sure no one ever looked down on him again, to earn his place and make sure no one could ever doubt he belonged. And yet this total stranger was showing him kindness he wasn't used to. It felt like his world had shifted and stripped of all the walls he'd built up to protect himself he didn't know what to even do with himself, it was so much and he couldn't really keep himself from crying again. He pulled back not wanting to just weep into the young man's chest. "I- I'm Mojito." He said between rattling sobs. "Speech"

Image by Ulfeid3

When Mo didn’t pull away or resist, Sen pulled him in close and wrapped his paws about the other wolf. When his friend leaned into the hug, the Abaven wolf only held him all the tighter. When a sob escaped the other wolf, he awkwardly gave him a pat on the back of his head with one of the paws holding him.

When the other wolf pulled back, Sen didn’t stop him. In fact, Sen wasn’t really a touchy-feely wolf, but he’d tried to hide any awkwardness from his friend. “I’m Senryu, or you can call me Ru - my friends do.” He introduced himself. He shuffled his paws a little as the other man stifled sobs. “So, uh…” Ru said, stilling his shuffling paws. “Do you wanna…” Man, this comforting friend’s thing was hard, wasn’t it? “Get a bite to eat together or something?”


"Senryū Cavaliere-Klein"