Venom was still alight with excitement from formally releasing Hattori from their first contract and agreeing to enter into their second and final agreement. Thoughts of the future were enough to keep her occupied from everything that happened in the raid only a few days before. Still, what happened couldn’t be changed, they had to work with what they were given and Venom had every intention of rewarding the efforts of her members. They’d lost one in their ranks but it was minimal with the efforts of their more loyal members.

Promotions, Mentors and Apprentices, their next raid, and the engagement between herself and Hattori. They had much to discuss and it was more than time she, and her fiancé, brought the whole pack together. Venom made her way to the white forests that surrounded the shrine and found her mound of great boulders. Scaling the heights she took her place, and with a glance to her Shogun tilted back her head and called for the pack.


mandatory meeting!<3 the due date is 2 weeks from today on the 19th!

It was time. Following Venom's lead, he moved as her shadow as they passed through the pale trees and towards the Shrine. There was much to cover today and whilst he wasn't the spokesperson of Ashen he would interject if and when needed. He doubted any trouble would come from this, since it wasn't as though they were handing out any punishments, but on the slim chance someone had a problem he was not opposed to shooting them a dark look. And if that didn't work then telling them to mind their tongue or worse, something he hadn't done in a considerably long time.

He perched by her side, yet still a little behind. Their personal relationship may have changed but the pack dynamic had not. She was the Empress and he her Shogun. All was as it should be.

Word had been sent beforehand that there was to be a meeting. With Chimera and Siren closing to live at thre far reaches of the territory, it took a while to make their way to the shrine. The hulking, two toned young wolf was as sour looking as ever. As if the whole world was nothing but an annoyance. Ah, but here he was for her sake. For Sirens sake. She would never be homeless again. Not while he was alive.

Surprisingly the first to arrive, Chimera seated himself ar the edge of the clearing but close enough to his half sister to show his support, which he had promised. He was fairly certain that no one would have the balls to sit by him. Or at least he hoped.

"Speech" A new meeting was called for by her niece, and of course, she was prompt to approach. The only daimyo of Ashen had to make her presence as even if she wasnt as important as Venom nor the Hattori man, she still had the position to stand above others. A full-blooded Klein, always loyal to their believes and she was confident in her own value. Even though others, not even her own family would appreciate it. She made her way to the Shrine finding her nice, younger nephew and the man who quickly became the second alpha, something in her own opinion disliked but well she wouldn't bother to think to much about that. "Greetings," She said shortly before sitting down in her own place before the alpha pair.

The skies are my limit

Panic wasnt too far away from her mother's stroll toward the meeting her older cousin was starting, she walked as her mother did. Head high and regal walk she wanted to be like her, to be respected and feared for everyone. She would rise someday, she would stand tall and unchallenged despite what others could think of her.

She walked into the gathering with her prideful posture as she took a seat beside her mother, looking at the alphas ready to listen to whatever they would be saying today. She wasnt that eager to join boring meetings like this, she was better training and doing other stuff. But this was important, if someday she could be of high rank she needed to get used to this.

Will you stop me?

words | fire | ashes

Image and table made by Scarlet

Siren followed along with Chimera, swimming, climbing, loping, after word was sent to their island. Her island. The isle of tiny deer and them. Having the solitude and the protection of the pack was worth having to swim for a meeting. She was cold but her long fur was almost dry by the time the pair of them arrived. Venom sat upon her pedestal with a man Siren had yet to lay eyes on. Not that she cared about the inner workings of Ashen. She remained on her island and didn’t bother anyone and in turn no one bothered her.

She reclined next to Chimera, close enough that she could bask in the warmth of his heavy body. Hopefully all of the was done and over sooner rather than later so she could return to her warm den and blankets.

"Speech"

Malachai would be the next of his siblings to arrive, very shortly on his mother and sister's trail. He walked with all the posture of a young man who thought he was the shit, which he did believe as a point of fact. He didn't really have a mind to understand what things, if anything had changed for Ashen. He had no real notion of the pack's past and though he knew his family were the majority of the pack he had no notion that there had been such a drastic shift.

No, far as he was aware, things were as they had always been and he was afforded a small amount of privilege from his birth... and that's all that really mattered. So he approached the gathering of wolves and settled himself beside his sister, grinning at her mischievously and nudging her a little too roughly, though it was still playful.

Art by Skelle!

The sound of his Empress struck the air, and he rose from his spot. Carefully placing down the jaguar coat he had been working on. It was a task far below that of attending to his leaders. He could complete it later.

Knowing a small piece of what was to be said at this meeting, he made his way to the shrine territory of Ashen. Members of the pack were already entering the space and setting themselves. Many of whom were strangers to Lament, a fact he needed to remedy, and soon.

Glancing across the wolves with an expressionless muzzle, he made his way and sat near but not next to a two-toned wolf. Nodding to this stranger (Chimera) in respectful greeting, he let his gaze shift to Venom and Hattori. Waiting for the meeting to begin.

"Speech"

Raijin had, per usual, been working on restoring his house. With the help of the monkeys and now Asla, things were progressing much quicker than he’d thought. All the walls had been reinforced and insulated, making it much warmer in the cold of the night. The fireplace was kept well fed and he’d managed to pillfur a few warm pelts from the pack stock to pad a warm bed. There were still the holes in the floor to deal with, cleaning to be done, and it needed to be furbished, but it was beginning to feel like home, especially with the good company that he’d found in the small Armada princess. They were spending more time together than he’d anticipated but he couldn’t say he didn’t like it. She was charming and seemed to match his wit, their banter almost endless. Any jab he gave was given right back and he found himself relaxing around her, into whatever it was that they were forming.

When the call had rang out, Raij had given the woman a small bump with his shoulder and a thanks, letting her know she was welcome to stay and take advantage of the warmth of his bed in his absence before turning and heading off at a lope toward the shrine. He found himself ever grateful for the bridges that were suspended between the islands, allowing for easier passage. If not, he would have had to swim and in the frigid temperatures...well that wouldn’t have been pleasant at all.

The large, saber toothed man arrived later, certainly not the first but certainly not the last. His golden gaze fixed on his cousin and Venom, his form stopping briefly on his way across the clearing to bow to the Empress and give a wink to Hattori before situating himself a few feet from the others in the group. He noticed his shared apprentices, Panic and Malachai, and he offered them a grin as well before waiting for the meeting to begin.

Talking, Talking in Italics means he's speaking Japanese

Toxicity had already led the pups through their first prayers of the day and Tox and Obi had carefully groomed them as he did every day. Tox had cleaned them well before their first daily prayer. Sometime after that, their fur was brushed and held in place with waxes and sometimes a little extra wax for the rambunctious ones. They had been fed and all the good things, so when Venom called, Toxicity wasn't too put out. She figured they would finish before the next round of prayers was needed. She had taught her pups to wait for her cue before greeting the empress. She told them how important her rank was. She told them that while they were family to Venom, she was first their empress and thus she dictated what happened in the pack. She was the one who allowed them to live and worship inside the shrine. If not for this allowance, they would never be allowed to live in peace, always fighting for the rights to the shrine like her father did long ago. As Tox led the pups there, she told them EXACTLY what she expected and a list of punishments for any types of interruptions they may cause. Do no speak unless spoken to, do not run off, do not make faces, do not so much as whisper or touch one another until the meeting was over and they were led away. What was the reward if they behaved? Toxicity would find them a nice small animal to play with until it died and became dinner. It would be good for their practice in learning to hunt and being forced to share a kill would help them to devise a pecking order and teamwork- something her siblings only barely knew even in adulthood. They arrived and Toxicity scanned over the crowd with a small grimace. She neither knew, nor cared to know many of the faces in the pack. One that stood out was the man who looked similar in marking to Hattori. She pointed a look at Hattori, then at the mystery man with a quirk of her brow. If Hattori saw her expression, he should have been able to quickly gather the meaning, not that she demanded more information, but she was a little curious. She instructed each pup to stand before her and then cued them in on the bow and greeting as she did the same, "Hail Empress Venom." When she rose from her bow, she found a place a little distanced from everyone, but close enough that all of her pups could see. She directed them to sit before her so she could easily watch over them and snatch them up if they so much as thought about making a bad impression. ""

Faith Abraxas

Faith was, if nothing else, eager to please. She joined eagerly in on the daily prayers and sat patiently through all the grooming, and oils and washes and all the things that were part of the routine and she felt a deep welling of pride every time. Faith had grasped onto the routine like her life depended on it... and maybe it did to an extent. The routine and the surity of it helped when it came to ignoring the voices and now sometimes even images that plagued her. If it wasn't part of the routine she could just ignore it, it didn't matter in those times.

At least that was the theory now, but in truth, she'd just had a lot of practice ignoring things outside of the day to day routine. So the threats of not being disruptive did give her a nervous energy, but that didn't mean she wouldn't try her darndest to not be a disturbance. She trotted dutifully after her mother, watching with wide eyes as they approached, fighting the urge to gape at everyone else, there were even more wolves than at the last gathering she'd been too! Instead, she joined her mother in greeting her aunt and then settled herself in front of her mother, laying her tail over her paws and doing her very best not to shift to much.

my words | my thoughts | my story

Image and table made by Scarlet

As usual, Belladonna was hunting bugs when Venom's call rang out for everyone to gather. She was a bit aways from the den but hurried to try and catch up with her mother and siblings, although it appeared she would be the last to arrive. Spotting her mother and siblings seated ahead, Bella hurried and shoved herself between her brother and sister, flashing them each a toothy smirk. Maybe something fun was happening today, or maybe it was just another boring meeting. Either way, Bella planned on snagging one of her siblings for a wrestling match afterwards and was a bit too excited for the meeting to end now that the idea had been thought of. Now if only Venom would get on with it.

Lynvarr nursed the wounds he'd received from the raid. He much preferred to be on the attacking side than the defending side and he hoped his showing was good enough that Hattori did not regret allowing him to join. Of course, Lyn still needed to see the man out and inquire as to Sparrow's statements. He wouldn't put it pass the young pirate to lie and slander but he sensed she truly believed what she was saying and thus it would require further investigation. His ears stood at attention as he heard Venom call the Ashen wolves together for a meeting. Getting to his feet he headed toward the source of the call. There were already a number of wolves and pups gathered but he knew very few of them yet. However, he did recognize several faces from the raid. He settled down a bit outside the crowd and waited for the meeting to begin.

And so the next meeting began. Calamity arrived in a timely fashion for once, trailing after Toxicity and her brood. She spent time praying in the shrine of late, connecting more deeply with her faith than she ever had before. It was quiet there and the silence gave her thoughts room to stretch out and become limber once more. After the birth had come a blessed time of contemplation and watching Toxicity raise her children struck a chord within Calamity. All seemed right with the world. Bringing up the rear guard was a formality - Tox's children were mild and well behaved, if only because they knew their mother made good on her threats. Nevertheless, Cala's head was lowered in a casual herding motion, keeping her antlers forward and all pups abreast of her. Upon arrival she settled next to her sister, noting quite a new face that resembled Hattori in distant relations. Hm. Were they collecting them now? Calamity peered at Toxicity and noted the similar curiosity growing. Good. She wasn't quite so out of the loop that her sister knew before she did. The shrine had a particular way of isolating you if you let it, and admittedly Calamity had fully surrendered to it. Cloistering had been good for her soul. When Toxicity hailed their sister-Empress, Calamity dipped her crown of antlers low and deep in respect. Hattori had spoken briefly of their goals and now that the raid had finished she was eager to hear Venom speak of the pack's direction. "calamity ordains you unworthy"

The routine of being well groomed had become just as much a part of his identity as his name, if not more. Bath from mother, then waxes and oils from Obi. The bristles of the brush and the gentleness of the monkey's fingers in his fur- he didn't get whacked with the brush very often for being naughty- they were things he enjoyed starting his day with. Morning prayers were already coming smoothly to him, muscle memory rather than something he needed to use his sleep fogged brain to recite. By the time there was a chance for free time in the day, there was a resounding call through the shrine. Their aunt was summoning everyone! As the four children trudged along through the snow behind their mother, she made a point to outline in detail what constituted best behaviour. He wasn't eager to have Obi drag him away by his ear, or have his mother leave him on a high branch for the eagles, so he would be sure to stay still and silent for the entire meeting. Keeping all of his limbs was in his best interest, and in the event something tempted him to break in his manners, he just had to remember how much he liked having all of his toes. Amongst the bodies gathered to attend the meeting, shades of charcoal and soot seemed prominent. It made the pale forms stand out, even against the snow. In particular, the tiny, pale bodice of a wolf he'd never seen before, sitting at the flank of a titanic male who'd been split down the middle between those opposing shades. He did his best not to stare, and instead let his dual toned gaze roam over the assembled wolves. He recognized a few, the orange and black man from his naming, and his aunt, namely. The more he looked, the more he was certain that he had no idea just how many wolves shared the lands with him and his family. He glanced behind him, where his aunt Calamity had been herding them along in their orderly line, hoping her features might offer him guidance in the face of such a crowd. They filed before their aunt, and the familiar address tumbled from his jaws, just as his mother had taught him. "Hail Empress Venom." he said softly, gazing up at her and the mountain of a male at her side. Off they went yet again, padding through the snow until their mother found an appropriate place to sit. He settled in with a sister on either side, and arranged himself carefully. Shoulders back, chin up, tail wrapped neatly around his paws to avoid the urge to fidget. Now, the task at hand was to sit still, be silent, and pay attention. It was important to know the state of things, in order to best serve the empire and Abraxas. "speech" BURN BRIGHT LIKE THE MIDNIGHT SUN

Viper was still getting used to pack life but so far wasn’t doing too bad at it. Still she wished to impress Hattori most, though Venom was also beginning to fill that need from her as well. It was weird she never felt this way before Jupiter, and now in a pack she was finding more reasons to want others to like her. She used to be so independent and self serving. Not so much any more.

She came to venoms call and took a seat in the back of the accumulated wolves. She wouldn’t address anyone around, only wait for what was to be announced. Only then would she get back to her usual duties, after she was dismissed of course.

An odd mix of relief and worry carried him through his days as he doubled down and refocused on the pack and his training to distract himself. Every day he waited to hear Void's call again and every night that went past without him was harder on him. He would be patient - he had promised his man that much - but it was oh so difficult. When he did his patrols he took longer than necessary just to look for any sign of him and leave more opportunities for him to hear any distant howls. He was confident that Void would return. It wasn't that he was concerned that he wouldn't. It was merely the fact that he was finally ready to fully live out his life how he truly wanted it to be, but that would be on hold until all of the pieces finally fell into place. A call for a meeting broke up his thoughts and pulled him away from his patrol, bringing him from the far edges of the island archipelago back to the pale trees that surrounded the shrine. When he arrived he quickly realized he was one of the last to show, but he filed in along side some of the last wolves to appear so he could at least take solace in the fact that they weren't necessarily waiting for him alone. He found a place somewhat near his sisters and squarely among all those that had gathered - a strong contrast from the position he had taken at the ceremony for Toxicity's children. He felt determined and focused as he looked up at Venom with a slight smile at the corner of his lips. Talk

She should have left when Chimera had to make it to the meeting in a timely manner, but she had been helping Siren with a project and hadn't wanted to leave part way through. Now she was paying the price and had to rush to make it before the meeting began. When she got close she slowed and tried to slip in quietly so she wouldn't draw too much attention. Even though Chimera didn't look as if he really wanted company, he was near the edge and easy enough to linger by. She slipped out from behind one of the last sections of trees between her and where the meeting was being held and settled onto her haunches a couple of feet from Chimera. Breathing a quiet sigh of relief that she made it before the meeting began, she cast a quick glance toward the male beside her before focusing her attention on Venom. "Speech"

Venom watched as the members of the pack answered her call, regal head held high as she sat proudly with Hattori. She had great pride in her members, especially now. They were swift to answer her call for a meeting or raid, a commendation to the effort all of them showed since the turn of the Empire. Silence reigned as everyone took their place, but Venom reserved a special smile and appreciative nod to Toxicity and little Pontifex. Venom gave the boy a wink as he and his mother took their place for the meeting.

Meeting the gaze of those who looked up to her Venom began the meeting. ”Good evening.” She started softly, drawing herself up to stand at the edge of the stone. ”Thank you for being here tonight. Much has happened since we last gathered together.” She looked to their new members, and the young children at Toxicity’s paws. She wanted to begin on a positive note. "I'd like to congratulate Toxicity again on the birth of her four healthy children." She grinned and gestured to the perfect puppies sat before her. However, there was good and bad news to be shared and after a moment she shifted gears. ”Fireside raid.” Her expression grew dark. ”Though we might not have prevailed I take pride in the effort I observed against our enemy.” Seeing Pestilence and feeling the teeth of her fellows solidified her feelings toward the pack. One day they would have their resources returned.

"Chimera." She began, her eyes shifting to her half brother's split form. "For your loyalty and eager efforts in the raid, I'd like to offer you the position of Kage." She didn't know if he would accept the added responsibility, but she would offer him the loftier position. For his actions now and her promise when he'd bartered with her life.

”Plague, Raijin, Lament, and Viper.” She said their names and gestured for them to step forward. ”You have shown your loyalty and earned your new rank as Samurai. Raijin, welcome to the Chunin.” She gave them each a quick nod and gaze before moving on. ”Malachai, Panic, Belladonna, and Faith.” She looked to her young cousins but her gaze lingered on her own little apprentice niece. ”Welcome to the rank of apprentice. Learn well, give your lessons all of your effort and grow well.” She said proudly. The next generation would not be squandered like happened in the previous rule.

”I will end on a more personal note,” her voice shifted to a softer tone as sunset gaze returned to Hattori. ”My Shogun Hattori has shown his unending loyalty to the Empire, and to me. He has become my partner in leadership, and I wish to take him as my partner in life as well. He is my co alpha, but also will be my mate.” She tried to tone down the way her lips pulled back into a grin. He was so much more than a partner in leadership, he completed her. There were few decisions that came easy to her, but this was one she had her full confidence in.

Hattori's gaze swept over the gathering crowd, most were accounted for and thus he had saw no reason not to move things on. Venom was quick to get the meeting underway, promoting those who had earned their keep and granting the pups the new rank of apprentice. A sure sign that they were just children no longer, with plenty of room to grow and succeed in life. It was all fairly standard stuff and Venom covered the bases well enough that he felt no need to interject or add anything else of note. And then she moved onto more personal matters, whether it came as a surprise to anyone was irrelevant, nor did he care if anyone objected to this change. Their relationship was their own, Venom was simply showing them the courtesy of keeping them in the loop. They could dislike it as much as they wanted, as long as their kept their opinions to themselves. He imagined one wolf in particular would have thoughts.

Regardless. He shifted a little, bringing himself to the forefront of the meeting for a moment. There was even more to discuss.

"I am in the process of organising a test raid against The Hallows. I need four volunteers. If you are interested come speak to me after this meeting." He would explain more later, there was no need to slow the flow of discussion here and now.