Silver eyes squinted against the light of the morning sun. Reds, pinks,  golds and purples kissed the sky as the sun prepared for her day. Ikigai had peeked out of the den every day up until today. Today... they were allowed to venture out. She was ready to meet the world and she hoped the world was ready to meet her. Tentatively, the pale child stepped from the den. One step turned into two. Two turned into more. The girls long,  obsidian tail eventually snaked out of the doorway behind her. And just like that,  she was free. Free of the confines of the den, but free in another sense as well. Something within the girls heart began to soar. Closing her red rimmed eyes,  Ikigai inhaled deeply of the crisp morning air. She turned her little muzzle to the sky and sighed aloud. Iki was glad to be the first awake. It was as though this morning and this moment was just for her. Iki moved quietly through the wintery landscape, her pale coat helping her to blend in while her midnight spots made her stand out. There had been no discussion about how far they were allowed to go,  so Iki let the world direct her paws. In time she came to thre shrine and the glittering,  glimmering pool. Sliding down to lay on her belly,  Iki peered over the edge and gasped lightly at the glowing creatures swimming in the water. "Okiku Ikigai"

This had been a long time coming and Kuroki couldn't be more ready. His little sister Iki may have been the first to wake but he followed hot on her heels, toddling out of the palace hallways out into the light of day. He'd taken a peek or two at the world outside, it wasn't completely unknown to him as it ought to be, but the sudden shift of colours made his dark eyes squeeze tight as they adjusted to the change. He didn't really understand why today was so important, he didn't feel any different from yesterday or even the day before that, but he wasn't gonna complain either way. He lived and breathed in the here and now, letting the salty brine of the ocean fill his lungs as he cast a daring look over his shoulder. Surely no one would mind if he went to see what his sister was doing, right? He was doing his duty as a big brother, looking out for the littles.

With a bounce in his step he rushed after her, clumsy with short strides he almost bowled his sister over in his haste to be by her side. Whoops! He fumbled and landed in a messy heap, a tangle of limbs and too big paws as he rolled onto his back. The world looked even prettier from this angle, bright and shining, and he clicked his teeth shut as a shiver ran down his spine. The white stuff that coated the ground was far colder than he'd first thought, nothing at all like the soft plush furs that lined his Mama's den. Sticking out a leg he gave Iki a good poke or tow with his hind paw, he knew it was wishful thinking since she'd never shown much interest in rough housing but maybe that'd change since they were now allowed out. A boy could dream.

"Ikiiii." He sang as he scooted over on his belly, trying to grab a mouthful of her long tail.

He had worn out Viridis and Procella with their training and now that the two young snow leopards were napping in his den he gave himself the freedom to wander the pack's territory and see who he could find. One thing he had promised himself he would do was get more in tune with the rest of the pack and get to know more of its members. It seemed like a critical task if he wished to continue advancing in Ashen's ranks so once he decided he needed a break from his training he let his paws carry him toward the shrine. For once he had no real mission or destination, he just wanted to relax enough to let the world bring him what he needed. The sing song calling of a name pulled his attention as he drew closer to the shimmering pool at the center of the shrine, making his ears perk and a small smile pull onto his muzzle. He felt like he had failed to be a part of the lives of Toxicity's children when they were first introduced to the world, but he was determined to not make the same mistake twice. There was no longer a fear or worry holding him back from connecting with his family. Venom was incredibly dear to him and that same love was passed on to her children. He easily found Ikigai and Kuroki in an absolute tangle of puppy fluff near the edge of the shrine and he chuckled softly as a grin pulled at his lips, watching the boy go for his sister's elegant tail. All of the children were gorgeous - not that he expected anything less for his nieces and nephews. "Already getting into trouble, hm?" he joked, coming over to nose at the larger boy's side playfully. Plague | Viridis | Procella

"One, two, three, four," the long furred girl counted the little glowing fish that swam within the pool. The edges of the water were crusted with ice, but the centers were still unfrozen somehow. "Five, six, seven," Had she already counted that one? Behind her, the childs long, obsidian tail hissed over the ground as it wagged slowly back and forth. "Eight, nine, ten," A sound from behind sent one dark ear swiveling, but she couldn't stop counting now. She'd lose her place! "Eleven, twelve, thirteen." It was when she got to her thirteenth fish that she heard her brother's voice drawing out her name. Iki's ears tucked against her pale skull. Oki always meant trouble. A moment later, he had her tail in his mouth. Silver eyes going wide, Ikigai turned and tried pulling her tail away. "Oki, no!" He was going to cover her tail in spit! That wasn't very ladylike! Taking her tail within her strange, dexterous paws, Iki tried to pull her tail out of her brother's grasp. Iki gasped as Plague showed up. An adult! The small child pleaded with the man. She knew him to be her uncle. Family was important and she had been working hard to learn them all. "Oji san, make him stop." Iki didn't want her tail to be ruined and she didn't want to get hurt either. Oki was rough and the tiny lady was far from that.

Tails were good for chewing but apparently Iki was having none of it. Bummer. He pulled a face as she chided him, drawing the long tuft of fur out of his reach as he tried to shuffle after her, his jaws open expectantly as though she'd change her mind and give it back. He didn't think he was misbehaving nor was he overstepping any boundaries as far as he was concerned, but Iki was quick to cry wolf. It was only then he noticed his uncle's presence as he gave him a friendly prod with his nose, saving little Iki from Oki's focus as he lunged forward to playfully nip at the line of Plague's muzzle. He wasn't sure how rough was too rough with his sisters but he'd learn eventually, probably. In the meanwhile he's get a lot of scoldings from his Father no doubt, maybe other relatives too.

"Nuh uh." He was quick to deny, though his big toothy grin contradicted his words. That and his paw was still lazily reaching out to tangle itself within the strands of her dark tail."Just' wanna play! Do you wanna!" He rolled up onto his paws, quick as a flash as he focused on his new target, large and looming, lots of places to tackle and chew.

Plague grinned when Kuroki nipped at his muzzle and he leaned down to give the pup a couple in return, giving harmless nips and nibbles at the boy's cheek and shoulder. He was more than happy to pull the pup's attention away from his sister to keep him from chewing on her luxurious tail, giving Ikigai a glance and a quick wink to show he was here to answer her pleas. Kuroki was quick to deny the allegations and Plague gave his nephew a doubtful look in return though it was difficult to keep the smirk off of his lips from the big grin the boy wore. He was most certainly going to be trouble of the best kind, Plague could already tell. He could have given some sort of lecture about how important it was to treat his sisters kindly, but he also knew how incredibly young the pups still were and didn't want to discourage his play either. There would be plenty of time to instill some manners later - for now it was time for play. "Do you think you can beat me?" he questioned teasingly when Kuroki hopped to his paws in front of him, grinning at he hopped down into a play stance with his front half close to the ground and front paws spread. He grinned happily and gave a little nod toward Ikigai and added, "If you ask nicely maybe Ikigai will be a judge for us... We'll see who the best fighter is!" Plague | Viridis | Procella