[Jonas]

Repost/Continuation of Tiny Terror

Ghost

Please do not maim/kill. I understand there will be some consequence to this and I am okay with this. Also, if this is not okay it could be changed

Large paws pressed violently into the cool, muddy, earth beneath the stout and stubborn little creature as he fearlessly push on. The creature's pace having  dramatically slowed since his journey from the rugged marshes where Gaia and her inhabitants were left to perish. Yet, where exactly was he now? Honestly, he did not truly care as exhaustion, hunger, and dehydration gnawed at him from the inside out.  He grimaced before soon coming to a halt at the base of the rocky cliffs amid the darkness,his eerie glowing eyes gazing down below. A cool breeze billowed through his fur and carried with it a mixture of scents: the sea, other predators; however, more importantly?

Food.

The male's eyes closed after a moment to take in the scent of scent of carrion just over the horizon a through the marked borders. A forgotten kill of the predators who lived within the borders? Or would they be back to claim the prize with their young? Truthfully, he did not have time to pass off his luck when he required fuel for his survival.  After glancing about his surroundings, the spectral creature made a run for it and started down the cliffs and to the lands below. Carefully, he stumbled down the rocks until being able to make the ground where his prize resided: a mountain goat with meat still upon it. He backed himself up against the cliff side before his jowl grabbed at the carcass. The loud crunching of the bones from the carcass could be heard as the glutton tore into the remains of the carcass and filled his belly with the meat and bone until he would be able to eat his fill. Mere scraps of bone were left when he was through and he heaved a deep sigh.  His eyelids were heavy and the idea of sleep having coaxed him into staying. The wolverine curl up by the a boulder, a small mount of muscle and glowing fur, he fell asleep.

That was until he heard the snap of twigs jolting him awake, his head would peer up to look toward the newcomers.

[Jonas]

Akira

Her delicate paws once fumbled the grooves and slopes of the shrub lands, but now they moved in liquid precision, righting themselves over irritations and obstacles without an ounce of hesitation. The land her aunt had found (no matter what type of person she turned out to be) claimed them all in time, and a short amount of time at that. Her pack did not put down roots so much as the roots came up to meet them. It was... a sensation both invigorating and empowering, to know that you are precisely where you were meant to be, right that second, on this particular patch of Earth. It made her feel nostalgic for things that hadn't even happened yet.

She cast her eyes over the distant horizon and watched the clouds, thick and rolling as ever. That one looked like a duck. That one looked like three Jonases stacked on top of each other. And that one looked like a goat! She smiled.

Akira, King of Gemini, strolled along the lowlands with rosy eyes alight and a single, focused thought in her mind: that mountain goat I saved for lunch is gonna be so good.

Recounting her steps back to her catch, and showing no great hurry, she thought about how okay things were, finally. They restored the stone wall. They hung the remains of king-slayers, sightless sockets poised over the borderlands. The little female weird-bird chirped about a celebration, and she thought it was a great idea. She would have to talk to her mother, see what ideas...

The wind changed, just a little. But it only ever needs to be a little.

Mixed with the sweet, succulent scent of decomposing animal flesh was the ripe stank of a dream crusher.

Her heart skipped, then caught in her throat, and as her long legs flew over the grasses and baffled butterflies she thought to herself, the crown is a heavy burden because no goat is ever safe in the end.

Yes.

She knew what she would see even before coming upon the scene, this horror, this trauma unfolding on already bloodstained territory, this mild inconvenience. Akira stood over the... tiny... maybe-bear, glowering. An expression harkened back to her youth, when her littermates' true enemy hid in tiny hills in a marsh, darkened her face.

She drew a very long, very deep breath through flaring nostrils. She let her eyes close.

"I am not angry," she said angrily.

[Jonas]

Iaera

Why was she always out here? She was starting to feel like she was out here more than she was in the pack... Perhaps she didn't realize it was just the nature she'd adapted, to stay on the edge of big goings on, to survive. The nail that stuck out was hammered down, at least that was how it went as far back as she could remember. Living in the village, Iaera was the epitome of the Sesame Street game, "one of these things is not like the others". Staying at the edge of Gemini offered her peace and quiet, it offered her less opportunities to embarrass herself more than she already had, and it offered her the chance to be picky about who she let in. As much as she fretted while on the borders, and about the strangers, somewhere deep down in her, she enjoyed the idea of getting to choose. It was such a high power, whispering sweet nothings to a little narcissistic monster that slept deep in Iaera's heart.

She had such a deep want to be included, but she sabotaged herself constantly.

But at least things were getting done, even if she wasn't very good at them, they were getting done. Of course it was more in a haphazard, leaving-a-trail-of-destruction-behind sort of way... So far though, she was certain she hadn't made any major blunders while working the borders, though it was very clear from previous events that trespassers should be treated with a much more harsh greeting than she had originally given the first one she met. And of course, because Iaera's life was slowly becoming an example of Murphy's Law, the next one she met at the borders, would be trespassing. Beautiful. Just beautiful. God now she had to use her AUTHORITY IAERA VOICE and that voice was currently broken and sounded like a scratched record played backwards. What was even worse is that she had to use her AUTHORITY IAERA BODY LANGUAGE and that was hard to do when one is shaking like a washing machine off it's rhythm. Ghost was only half a foot shorter than her, and a mere fifteen pounds lighter but he certainly looked like the type of whatever that could tear her up in a fight.

And he was glowing, but surprisingly enough, after spending some time with Iridescent, that didn't seem to affect her as much as one would think. She didn't even notice the "freshly fed" look, or the small pile of bone scraps left, her eyes were locked on Ghost as he lifted his head to look at her. Violet eyes locked onto him and picked her head and ears up, puffing out a little bit (and feeling like a pompous old geezer in the process). Thankfully however, Iaera was suddenly not alone, UNTHANKFULLY HOWEVER, the arrival of the King unsettled her deeply. Whatever false, B.S. confidence she had managed to pull was now leaving her like water from a broken dam. If ever there was a time that Iaera was going to mess up being a super official border caregiver and watcher and Ranger thing it was now, in front of KING AKIRA. Words. Words. Words. Where were her words, violet eyes were wide like saucers. WORDS IAERA WORDS.

How do make sentence? For a moment she forgot all the English she learned as she looked at a very angry Akira. "You're also t-t-trespassing y-y-y'know!" Words came and words were loud. Words were un-Iaera and were awkwardly accented. Her sheer terror shifted to a feigned look of haughty superiority that eventually failed to a flat face. For such a sweet girl, Iaera really did have a resting bitch face. And she was uncomfortable with that, and with how hateful she felt she'd been when in reality she had sounded more like someone stepping on a squeaky toy so she tried to make it up for it, "I'm Iaera... by the way."

The course of this social interaction made sense, do it more often Iaera.

Internally she was face-palming.

[Jonas]

He follows, as he always has. Sometimes it is just a step behind. Sometimes he is only just within sight. He gives her as much space as he can while maintaining his own comfort—here beyond the wall, letting her roam where vagabonds and ill kept rats who lurked in shadows and forfeit honor. His was a mostly silent vigil, though less than it might have once been. Akira liked to talk, and, well, the odd thing was, he found that he liked to talk to her, too.

She’d been talking about the goat all day. In fact, she spoke of it in a way that seemed excessive to him, like it was all that occupied her mind. He knew that to be false, and so the way she dangled it before herself like something sweet on a stick gave him pause. Of course, he said nothing. It was not his place to question the Don. Still, he wondered what she was trying to distance herself from. It was… distracting. Being driven to distraction was DANGEROUS. He knew that better than anyone. Still, it rankled him like a tickle in the back of his throat. He’d swallowed more than he could handle and he DIDN’T LIKE IT.

Turns out he let himself be distracted, too. By what Akira was trying to distract herself from. The wind changes. He blinks slowly. And, as if in dreamy sunlit water, he notices through the motes of distraction shining in dazzling beams of light that SHE’S GONE. He blinks dust and its distractions from his eyes and scans the scrublands for her but in the end the only scrub to be found amongst the plains was HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM.

“Akira?” he whuffs, and when there is no immediate response because of course she is nowhere near you and is thinking about goats and not being anywhere near you. His whiskers fan out and his mane fluffs more than was dignified. He picks up his pace and with claws extended a little more than was necessary, he carries on in the direction he last saw her. He, of course, knew where she was going, and there was no cause for such alarm. He would find her in short order and this would be a long since forgotten thorn in his paw. Still, nervous energy surges through his muscles, ripples down his coat, and ends in a testy flick of his tail. That girl really knew how to get his goat. It was… frustrating.

Still, she was fresh on the wind. Some other things were, too. Distraction was no longer a problem. The unknown intertwined with the King was, though. Death, decay, friend, stranger. He takes off in the direction of her buried treasure and arrives with all the pomp and circumstance a bristling lion can. Despite his undeniable presence, he was far from the elephant in the room. He notices it immediately. Oh. Oh, no. The goat. Or what cracked bones remained. She’d been talking about it all day. She’d been talking in that confusing infuriating way and the goat was gone, and for just a moment he is taken back to a day that happened long ago and far away in which the last rib of the kill was stolen from him by a sister. He’d wanted it too. It hadn’t been fair. Sometimes that’s life.

“I will get you another one,” he hears himself say, because accepting that life was not fair was okay for him but a failing in those that served the Don. “It will be fatter.”

[Jonas]

Ghost

Oh, how he absolutely yearned for sleep.

Contented with a full belly, albeit exhausted, the wolverine clumsily made his way back towards the rocky landscape behind him from which he came. He slumped down into a particularly comfortable looking patch of grass and press his body up by the cool boulder. He inhaled a deep breath of the sea air through his nostrils before exhaling it slowly slipping away to the world of slumber when the sudden crunching of twigs called his awake. Alarmed, his cyan eyes snapped open and there standing before him and wearing the most outraged, ugly, expression anyone would ever potentially muster was the unknown predator. He groaned externally wanting absolutely nothing to do with this canine and would put his head back upon his paws rather undeterred. "If you're going to maim me at least do it after my beauty rest so I can go down good looking, yeah?" He sighed after a few moments and placed his head back down before. The wolverine lazily rolled onto his back, fluffy belly exposed and large paws resting over his chest. Lazy eyelids stare at her own after a few moments and he would soon utter in absolute distaste, "...please." He added after a moment's notice.

"I am not angry,"

Oh? That certainly was not quite the answer he was expecting to hear, however, he knew she was absolutely livid. Yet, unlike the wise whom he had once known: he certainly was not the most bright. His lips tugged upward as he eyed her cautiously before his expression was overtaken by toothy smirk. Clearing his throat he raised both brows for a moment before he chuckled,"You sure don't sound it, sweetie."He began, breaking the silence and losing what could have been his only opportune chance of escape. "You might need to convince yourself of it, sure, but I can tell you're full of shit." After a few moments he rolled back over onto his belly and started to his feet. He heaved a deep sigh, "Listen, I'm sorry my friend but I'm a weary traveler and it was left out in the open. It was fresh for the taking and I---"

His piss-poor excuse for an apology faded into silence as his attention shifted toward the newcomer that decided to step out into the open and join them. Violet eyes were locked with cyan for a brief moment as she started to make her way to the scene. He studied her in silence for a moment watching the change in her body language as she puff out and chest and carry her head high. He watched her approach and while the intimidation factor may have worked, certainly, it faded when the first words escaped her mouth and rather loudly. His nose soon crinkled after a moment in confusion.

"Do ya tell that to all the squirrels that come by too?" He said grinning like an idiot and focusing in on Iaera, "Not sure if you can tell, but uh, last I checked I'm nothing but a hungry scavenger whom found this mountain goat in the open and it was prime for the taking. After travelling for a few weeks I figured it'd be best to snatch it up, nap and get on with my life. Considering, I've accomplished only one of those thus far. I humbly request a small nap and I'll be back on my way and you'll forget I ever existed like the rest of those that have, yeah?" He said sourly before pushing past her and making his way back to the boulder. As he started to waltz back towards the rocky cliffs he paused and turned, "Oh, and Iaera was it? My name's Ghost. Pleasure."

He turned to start making his way out of the two of them foolish enough to turn his back on the both of them and prance on out of the lands; however, it was then he paused after running into a large set of paws that now stood before him. He closed his eyes for a moment and winced as his head smacked clear into it before soon looking up to meet the eyes of the large created. Oh, a lion. OH, Holy shit, a lion. Startled, the wolverine's fur started to stick out and he started to back up once again: Why the hell did it have to be a lion?? He stilled for a moment and was frozen staring up at the creature for a moment while singing the mantra 'please don't eat me' over and over in his head. He noticed the lion's eyes go behind him where the goat once lay dead before he uttered out his next words.

“I will get you another one. It will be fatter.”

His eyes widened after a few moments and his head soon whirled around to look back at Akira, "Y-y-you mean you're in charge here? Not, not him?" He said head gesturing toward the feline before a moment and he felt his mouth go dry at sudden realization how in trouble he must have been in now. "I...I'll help him and it can be not only fatter bu..but.. I can also fish. Do you like fish? I know I do and so do cats.. " He muttered and soon found himself attempting to weasel out of the situation he currently wound himself in so deeply in. "M-maybe I can make it up to ya. Do you need a wolverine here miss---" He paused struggling to use what formality he could, "I'm sorry, never caught your name.."

[Jonas]

The bones were broken and the wolves were upset. He knew that much to be true. The one responsible was clear—not the Don, for she had been with him dreaming of gamier things. Not the stuttering border guard ranging on today’s duties. Not him. So it must be this scurrying thing with claws like daggers and an irreverent look on his foolishly foolish face. The thing that proceeded to bump into his legs as if he was not there. But. BUT. He was. Ghost realized it in short order as well as the consort tucked his chin into his mane and looked down his nose at the offensive cause of this mess. He wanted rest? DON’T WE ALL? A fitting punishment would be having to listen to the King lust after her love lost, alas, poor goat, we hardly knew ye—but that wouldn’t be what the wolverine faced.

No, instead, he’d deal with the lion. Don’t worry, ladies. He’s got this under control.

“Yes,” he says simply, you got it in one, right after sucking the marrow from the King’s afternoon snack. “A fat goat and a pile of fish.” A feast for the three of them, because the wolverine wouldn’t be hungry anymore, WOULD HE????? Poor Ghost, all he wanted was his post-meal nap, but nothing quite got the blood pumping like the threat of imminent death, right? Wake up and smell the lion, mister! On your feet! His lips lift slightly and he smiles with a sliver of teeth, sidestepping out of the wolverine’s way and indicating with a twist of his head that it was little guys first. “Let us hunt.” ‘No’ was not an option.

He would fall in behind their house guest if the wolverine complied. “You may have her name when we are done,” if they got that far, “If she gives it to you.” The names of Dons and Kings were precious things, and like blue roses plucked from towers high, they were a GIFT. Given. Not taken. This was hardly his fault, but he took it personally—surely he could have guarded the Don’s kill better or otherwise prevented this from happening. If there were more of him, say, three Jonases stacked on top of each other, he was certain that Akira would not only be kept safe, but so too would her desires.

Alas, he was but one Jonas. So he had to make it count.

“I am Jonas,” he adds at length—his name was nothing special, but nevertheless, it had weight. Like the fat goat they were going to catch. “Until we are done, you do not worry about anyone but me.” Well, that was an unmistakable threat, wasn’t it? Hopefully they were out of Akira’s hearing, or she might take umbrage with that—he might even care. Still, if anyone here owed apologies, it was THIS strange creature—and he owed them in the form of several pounds of succulent flesh.

[.Ghost.]

Oh, he was absolutely in some deep trouble.

When the small, stocky creature ran into the massive lion with a small 'thud' was when the realization finally dawned upon him. He quickly backpedaled away from the giant beast to he was what he felt to be a comfortable distance and doing what anyone his size may have in that situation: grovel and plead. While he was rather confident he may be able to elude the wolves in the pack, a lion was certainly a much different story. His cyan eyes widened and his licked his blue lips for a moment searching for his lost voice before finally offering his proposition before the council before him. 

"Yes. A fat goat and a pile of fish. Let us hunt."

"Yes?" His racing thoughts came to an abrupt halt as the lion agreed to his case and in turn a sly smile crossed his lips with the thought of maybe slipping away once again; however, that quickly became scarce when he caught a glimpse of the lion's massive teeth. "I mean, yes, of course, sir." He said after a few moments lifting one paw and stepping back as the lion neared him: watching and waiting for him. Yet, at the same time he couldn't help but feel the challenge of hunting for a fatter goat and a pile of fish be a bit rewarding, let alone, an easy punishment. Obviously, there would be no slipping away from this one and honestly, perhaps it would be best he did not try. Not only due to the massive lion nearby threatening his life and the fact he was absolutely terrified: but the land was actually quite beautiful. 

But, honestly this massive lion was terrifying.


Ghost soon looked up and met eyes with the lion for a moment before giving one last glance to the remainder of the group who watched him angrily. He inhaled a deep breath of air through his nostrils before releasing a deep, dramatic, sigh. His cyan gaze met the lion whom watched him expectantly and in turn he started to take a few steps forward toward the direction of the valley in which he pointed and instead of arguing was silent.

“You may have her name when we are done, If she gives it to you. I am Jonas. Until we are done, you do not need to worry about anyone but me."

The wolverine felt the giant paws of the large creature behind him and before long he opened his mouth to speak, "Very well, Jonas." He said addressing the lion and not bothering to look back, "I'll show you what I'm made of." He said grinning defiantly before an idea hit him, "...maybe if I get you more, you'll let me stay?" He said after a few moments looking back to him, "What if we bring back what we owe you and then some?" He said after a few moments, "What say you Jonas? Two goats and several pounds of fish in exchange for letting me slide off of this problem and letting me stay?" He tried to reason.

After all, it's not too bad here.