There was a vague idea rattling around in his brain today that demanded his attention, and so the wiry yearling was combing the beach of Rekaru island. He wanted to pass the time with something worthwhile, and decided he would try his hand at crafting. Sigil charms would be relatively easy to etch, but the surrounding ornaments would present a greater challenge. Hallux was helping him, her keen eyes picking out small specs of colour or brightness on the dark sand. A small pile of sea glass and fish vertebrae had been growing slowly, located just far enough up the beach that the surf couldn't reclaim his prizes. He might have borrowed one of the sharp daggers that were kept in the Shrine's stores without asking his mother, but he was certain if he sharpened it again once he was home that it wouldn't upset Toxicity. It would be instrumental to carving his sisters' sigils into the stones he'd selected. "Hallux, do you think you could check further away for any lizard bones?" he called out, voice cracking with the effort to raise it beyond his normal soft tones. The young wraith wasn't certain when he'd last had to raise it beyond a murmur, he wasn't one for boisterousness. The parrot let out a screech of affirmation, before taking off further inland. While she was gone, he meandered closer to his pile of baubles to inspect them. The vertebrae would be easy enough to thread, and he'd made sure to loop some thin leather around his neck to use for exactly that. There had been rough twine in the stores, but he didn't think it would look quite as nice. Turning over the smooth, flat stones he'd brought from the shore nearest the shrine, he found himself frowning. What if he messed up? Perhaps he should test his mettle on a few others before making the final version. The nice stones were of a softer composition, Hallux had helpfully informed him that these were probably basalt chunks that had been smoothed over time by the tides. Pontifex hadn't even been aware that there were so many different kinds of rocks, beyond the typical gemstones he saw around the empire. Two toned gaze drifted to the translucent sea glass as he selected a small piece and trapped it beneath a single toe. He scratched it with his claw a few times, digging it into the same spot over and over with each pass. It scratched relatively easily, which left him reconsidering his options for engraving. Wouldn't it be neat to have the pendants made from the sea glass, with sigils only noticeable when the light hit just right? Oh, where was Hallux when he needed her advice? ((Word count: 458/1500) "speech" NOBODY HOME BEHIND THESE BLOODSHOT EYES

The long legged princess was very pensive as of late. When she wasn't learning, she often went off on her own, found somewhere secluded, and just thought. Today, she was considering her lot in life. Meeting with the strong and powerful Manea had opened the girl's eyes to the possibilities of living a life for herself rather than for her family. However, the thought of not honoring her family sickened Ikigai. How could she ever do anything other than the best for her family and her name?

The obsidian marked girl lay curled in the shade of a pair of trees at the edge of the beach, her silver gaze staring out to sea, though she was so deep in thought that she didn't even see it. Only the rushing wings of a passing parrot pulled her attention back to the present. The girl's neck curled as she looked after the bird as it flew off. She didn't mind that her train of thought had been broken. It was terribly easy to lose herself in the labyrinth of her own mind.

The crunch of paws on sand brought Iki's neck curling in the opposite direction. The colorful form of her cousin was picking its way down the beach. Rising from her place in the sand, Iki gave her long, glossy coat a shake, ridding it of clinging granules. She then began to move down the line of trees towards Pontifex. The girl's mellifluous tones, already cultured and smooth, called out to the purple hued boy. He was larger than she was, but she was used to large wolves. There was a smile on her face, the crimson corners of her almond shaped eyes lifting with the action. "Hello, Pontifex. What are you up to?" She gave her crown an inquisitive tilt, one black edged brow lifting.

The pair hadn't spent a considerable amount of time together other than sharing the same space while attending her aunts sermons. They knew one another, but it had never crossed Ikigai's mind to seek the boy out. She always assumed that everyone was busy simply because she was always busy. Spending time with her cousin today might end up being very interesting indeed. Especially if she could learn while doing it. Maybe he'd allow her to help with whatever he was doing.

"Speech"

WC- 388
Total- 846/1500

He nearly missed the sound of approaching paws, the soft shh, shh, shh, of shifting sand beneath careful steps was easily lost in the background with the lapping waves. However, once they were close enough he recognized the sound, and lifted his gaze. Oh, he knew who this was. The ever poised princess Ikigai, who he saw mostly at sermons. He matched her warm smile with a shier rendition, auds tipping back ever so slightly. Despite the difference in their age, she was so much more poised than he. Elegant and graceful and well mannered, everything he struggled to be in the presence of others. He tucked the sea glass under his paw, hoping the smooth motion of a charcoal paw went unnoticed against the dark sand. "Hello Ikigai," he murmured, dipping his head politely. It had taken him some time to adjust the movement to accommodate the long fangs that had grown in after he reached his second season, but the movement was well practiced now. When she questioned him on his activities, he glanced down at the small pile of stones and bones. "um," he loathed himself for hesitating, but he felt small in her presence. Her nobility and skill made him wary that perhaps she would think he was stupid for his lack of skill. He'd already promised himself to strengthen his ties to his cousins, though. "I was hoping to try my skill at making sigil pendants for my sisters." he finally said, gentle vocals directed more towards the pile at his paws than his cousin. "I have all the materials, I'm just not sure where to start." the charcoal and amethyst male admitted, lifting his two toned gaze to her mercurial one. There was a bit of a sheepish smile twisting his lips, tail sweeping against his heels a few times as he glanced between his cousin and his baubles. "Would you.. be interested in trying with me?" the inquiry was met with the folding of sharp joints, a smooth recline onto his haunches and a lift of his dark forepaw to reveal the sea glass he'd been hiding. A roughly rounded pebble, with a rough line carved down the middle where he'd tested its strength. "The sea glass seems easy enough to carve, if we wanted to bore holes or etch them." he followed up with a gesture to the thin blade that laid beside the small collection of vertebrae, shells, and pretty pebbles. She was more than welcome to decline, he wouldn't be surprised if the princess had better things to be doing. Hallux would return to help eventually. ((Word count: 455 / Total word count: 1301/1500)) "speech" DON'T BELIEVE IN HEAVEN, I DO BELIEVE IN HELL. IT'S DOWN THE STREET FROM HERE, WE BOTH LIVED THERE FOR YEARS

It bothered Ikigai that so many wolves felt uncomfortable around her because of her title and her bearing. She understood, but she still wanted to be treated like a normal pup sometimes. The girl's dark ears shifted backwards as she noted the hesitancy in Pontifex's tone and demeanor. Was he going to excuse himself and go away? It wouldn't be the first time.

Once Pontifex spoke again, Iki's ears perked once more. She directed her gaze towards the pile of treasure's that her cousin had accumulated and the girl's silver eyes widened with wonder. When he explained what he was doing, a small gasp pulled from Iki and she smiled again. "That's a lovely idea!" Family was so very important that the notion of Pontifex making gifts for his sisters warmed Ikigai's soul.

Dropping down to her slender white belly in the sand, Iki looked at the various items in the pile. "Your sisters will be so happy when you give them their gifts. I've made things for my siblings and they enjoyed them very much." Iki had crafted little stick and twine animals for them when she was younger. She'd moved on to painted rocks and other little knick-knacks. As she grew and worked harder, no doubt her skill would grow.

Iki was surprised and elated when he asked if she would help him. The girl's visage brightened and her lips parted, mouth hanging slightly agape. "You'd let me help?" Pushing her paws into the sand, Iki sat up once more, the smile never leaving her face. "I'd be honored to help you, Pontifex." She then looked to the sea glass that he'd kept concealed and another little gasp pulled from her. "That's beautiful," she spoke, her voice reduced to a whisper of complete awe. As the tools and the ease with which the glass was carved were mentioned, Ikigai nodded with confidence. "We'll figure it out together."

The girl eyed the various items, the gears in her mind pumping and churning as she considered the possibilities. You couldn't make a necklace without a chain to put it on. That was the first part. "I wonder," she mused aloud, her sterling gaze never leaving the pile, "If we could wrap soft leather around twine to make the chain extra strong." Her already resplendent gaze lit up as another thought struck. "Oh, or we could braid strips of leather together! I'm very good at braiding." Lifting one front paw, Ikigai spread her toes, showing off the graceful, dexterous digits complete with thumbs. Her paws were closer to that of an opossum than a wolf. They provided her with dexterity that wolves otherwise lacked. "I can do a lot with these, so just tell me how you want me to help!" The normally stoic and reserved girl beamed brightly. She was overjoyed at being offered a chance to help her cousin. Perhaps He'd feel more comfortable around her after this.

"Speech"

WC- 489
Total- 1790/1500

Despite his earlier concerns, Ikigai did not ridicule him for being unsure of himself. Instead, her expression lit up into a youthful display of delight. It was disarming, recognizing the same expressions on a face that had previously been so reserved. Auds tipped forward with excitement as she exclaimed her interest. The pallid girl dropped onto the sand gracefully, mentioning her own experience with crafting gifts. Oh good, he would have someone to give advice when he needed it. Bicoloured optics drifted to follow her movements as she examined the collection more closely, admiring the ease with which she moved and reacted. Could he absorb some of that effortless grace, just by spending time together? The young male was only a little surprised in the face of his cousins shock, not having anticipated her genuinely wanting to hang around and help him. It felt good to have someone want to be around him, not just out of necessity or requirement. Almost right away Ikigai seemed to set her mind at work, dreaming up ways to make the necklaces. Lavender eyes fixated on her strange paws as she lifted them, wondering how they'd escaped his notice at sermons thus far. That was super neat. An idea of his own struck, and his soft smile became brighter. "We could set the stones into the sections of the braids, and use that as a way to keep them spaced apart how we like?" he offered at the same time as he lifted his alabaster forepaw to the coiled leather around his neck and slipped it over his head. Once it was on the sand, he started to pluck away stones that caught his attention from the pile. Arranging a few of them into a small arc near the leather cord, he demonstrated what he was thinking of. "Does that seem alright?" he glanced over to his cousin, trying to read her expression for signs of what she might be thinking. He was getting quite good at reading others, despite his penchant for observing from the shadows. Then he scooted one of the basalt stones closer for Ikigai to see. "I brought these to carve the sigils into, but I think I like the sea glass better. Maybe when Hallux comes back we can ask her to find some bigger ones to carve?" he was genuinely enjoying the brainstorm session with his cousin, and he hadn't expected to find himself having so much fun with the craft he'd dreamt up that day. Narrowed gaze directed towards the overcast sky, he sought out the dark form of his parrot companion, but didn't see her. Obviously she found something very interesting out there. "speech" BURN BRIGHT LIKE THE MIDNIGHT SUN

Iki was relieved when her cousin began to settle. Once they got to work together, the tension and uncertainty drifted away and only the task at hand lay between them. The girl listened as her colorful cousin shared his ideas with her, removing the necklace from his own neck to show her. Ikigai gently took the necklace between her digits and inspected it, giving an affirmative nod. "I know I can braid like this." She was certain that she could do what he asked.

The next point of action was to choose the stones and the order that they went in. Again, Iki watched as Pontifex spaced the stones and bones to his wishes. Taking up the thin leather cording that he'd brought, the girl used the knife to split a section into three equal length pieces. Holding the edges between her teeth, Iki began to braid the leather into a tight cord. Periodically she would extend a paw, having Pontifex hand her whichever piece went into the necklace next.

Once they reached the middle of the necklace, she stopped. This was where the main stone would rest. "I do like the glass, but I also like these big stones. What do you think your sisters would like best?" The girl gave a little head tilt as she questioned her cousin.

"Speech"

Sure enough, the pair quickly began to establish an easy connection. Ikigai split the cord into three thinner strips, and held one end in her teeth while she braided it with her dexterous paws. As she worked, he would hand her the next bead as she held out a paw. In the gaps where she was carefully braiding, he used the point of the dagger to carefully bore a hole through the stones and glass he'd collected, ensuring one would be ready whenever she asked for it. It was a simple, peaceful rhythm. No sooner had they fallen into comfortable silence than the pallid youth paused what she was doing, leading him to stop in his tracks with the hilt of the dagger loosely held between his incisors. "I do like the glass, but I also like these big stones. What do you think your sisters would like best?" she was talking about the centrepiece stones, and he wasn't certain he had an answer yet. He found his thoughts drifting to his sisters as he focused on the stones at his paws. Faith was an elaborately decorated wolf, and so was Modesty. Modesty's confidence spoke for itself already, ironically. She wouldn't need any additional ornamentation to dazzle other wolves, so perhaps the basalt stone would be ideal for her. It would nearly blend with the darker hues of her fur, while standing in stark contrast to the spots of rich violet and magenta. Faith, with her gentle glow, sometimes needed some coercing to believe she was as glorious on the inside as her physical form appeared. The sea glass would refract some of her natural bioluminescence, and highlight the carved sigil. Yes, he had it figured out. "Let's do one of each, I think. I'll bore the holes for them, and carve the sigils later." he replied with an unusual degree of confidence in his gentle vocals. Once the pendants were set into their cords, and the steady rhythm of beadwork began again, he found himself drifting to thoughts of a different nature. Briefly pulling the hilt of the dagger from his maw, he glanced over at Ikigai to ask, "What's it like being a princess?" with a curious quirk of his brow. He didn't hold his gaze on her much longer, instead opting to return to the task at hand and await and answer. He was trying to be social, he just wasn't overly skilled at conversation yet. "speech" DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH LOVE IN YOUR HEART TO GO AND GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY?

Pontifex made his decision for his sisters necklaces and as he began working on the stones, Iki began braiding the second chain. Together the pair worked in silence for a time, each handling their own part of the craft. In time, Pontifex questioned her. The white and black child looked up from her braiding and took a moment to think about it. What was it like to be a princess?

Iki went back to braiding, carefully crisscrossing the strands of leather. "I suppose that depends on the princess." Iki pulled the threads upwards a bit, leaving space for the main stone. "I work hard to learn everything that I can. I want to make my family proud and bring honor to my house." A soft laugh pulled from the girl. "I'm really no different than you." She then moved on to talk about her brothers and sisters. "My siblings and I, we're all different. I work hard because I want to. My brother, Oki, he likes to goof off and play, but he's smart and he learns. Take doesn't speak, but he observes and learns. Kit is... distant. Sadly, I don't know her very well despite being sisters." A grin pulled back Ikigai's blackened lips and she leaned forward to whisper softly. "You're not supposed to have favorites, but Ike is my favorite. She's so sweet and we're always there for each other."

Now that she'd shared a bit with him, Ikigai was curious to learn from her cousin. "What's it like to be the son of the Omikuji?" Iki's aunt Toxicity was... frightening. She was intense and the girl didn't really like being around her. Something in her mind always screamed 'danger' when the religious woman was around. How then did Pontifex feel about his situation?

"Speech"

Something about the slow, steady rhythm of crafting the pendants brought a sense of ease to the godling that wasn't typical of him, a calm type of clarity that lent itself to speaking more than usual. He still listened to Ikigai as she talked about her day to day life, tall auds pointed her way while he sorted through bones and bored holes in delicate shards of seashell. "I work hard to learn everything that I can. I want to make my family proud and bring honor to my house." she admitted, and it struck a chord within the amethyst dappled boy- he was very much the same in that respect. her delicate laugh escaped in a gentle melody like silver bells, and she kept on talking. "I'm really no different than you." she added, though he could certainly find a few reasons why he may beg to differ. Regardless, he wasn't one to argue, and instead let the internal objection slide away from his focus in favour of listening to Ikigai's soft, lilting voice. "My siblings and I, we're all different. I work hard because I want to. My brother, Oki, he likes to goof off and play, but he's smart and he learns. Take doesn't speak, but he observes and learns. Kit is... distant. Sadly, I don't know her very well despite being sisters." she said, lending him insight into who his other cousins were outside of sermons. He hadn't seen all of them at the gatherings, and outside of glimpsing them during his nightly walks through the less travelled reaches of the pack lands, Pontifex couldn't say he knew too much about them at all. He was beginning to feel tightness in his shoulders from slouching towards the ground to keep using the dagger. Svelte bodice lowered to the sand with the gentle folding of delicate forelimbs, leaving his neck arched instead to hold the blade steady while he worked. It eased the tension in his muscles, and left him closer to his smaller cousin's eye level. In perfect timing too, as she leaned over to him and quietly whispered, "You're not supposed to have favorites, but Ike is my favorite. She's so sweet and we're always there for each other." to which the young wraith chuckled quietly. Nodding his head lightly, he let the hilt of the dagger free from his jaws and drop into the space between his wrists. "It's the same for Faith and I, we've always stuck close together, even when my other sisters are off doing their own things. We do a lot of chores around the shrine together, and help mother when Obi is busy." he replied, dark lips curving into a small smile at the knowledge that he wasn't alone in having a favourite sibling. "What's it like to be the son of the Omikuji?" Ikigai asked him, and he hesitated for a moment. He wasn't certain it was all that special, aside from the propriety placed upon him in his role as one of the hands of God through his mother's direction. Humming softly, he sought out the words to articulate his earlier days. "It's like you said before, I work hard to make mother proud, and to bring God's light with me wherever I go. We have our daily prayers, sometimes I have to clean up the shrine, or help mother tend to her duties, and there are lots of lessons about our duties as children of the Omikuji. Otherwise, I spend a lot of time by myself, or with Hallux." he lifted his gaze as though expecting the dark feathered bird to be swooping down from overhead just then. He thought he could see her flying towards him, low to the ground so she didn't get caught in the strange currents brought by the waves. He looked back down to the finished bead between his paws, and frowned. "I don't think the other wolves in Ashen like us very much, even though they don't say anything to us about it. I hear little comments, when they don't know I'm there, but I've never said anything to mother about it." he added, quieter than before. "speech" TIME TO SPEAK UP OR TIME FOR SORROW