Take had decided to spend the day tending to his father’s bamboo on Rekaru Island while the Shogun was out doing his duties. It was work that, of his siblings, Take was really the only one who had patience for it. Oki and Kit always wanted to explore, Iki was busy with her Geisha lessons with Baba, and Ike did what Ike did. Plus, it was nice and quiet and made him feel like he was actually helping with something.

The Prince picked away at the weeds that littered the roots of the large, closely grouped, treelike grasses, making sure that nothing took away the valuable nutrients that they required. He’d leave them at the base to eventually decay and act as fertilizer, enriching the soil even further. At that moment he was hauling water across the island from the well, the handle to the bucket clasped in his jaws. Once he made it to the patch he wanted to water, he set it down and gave his neck a stretch. His ram’s horns were continuously growing, weighing his cranium down by roughly 10 pounds. His neck had slowly gotten used to them, strengthening in the necessary fashion to keep his head up, but he still felt a bit of soreness from time to time. A yawn gaped his jaws, the bioluminescence located there making it seem as though he was about to spit fire before they closed with a click.

"Thoughts/expression intention"

Once Chimera had returned home for a short interlude before he had to leave again, Aliana took advantage of having the bridge restored to venture to some of the other nearby islands to gather some herbs not native to Ibon Isle. She had the beehive set up in order to help cultivate the plants they currently had, but it would be nice to expand Siren's herb garden with a wider variety of useful plants. That way they would be virtually self-sustaining and never have to leave the island for anything. Something told her Chimera would appreciate that effort. So she ventured out, mostly interested in medicines for common ailments, pain relief, pregnancy aids for Viper, and contraceptives. Everything a young, virile brute like Chimera could ever require them to need.

Ali meandered across Rekaru Island bound for Inu and the mainland, mentally running through a checklist of things she needed to get while she was out. She would only have a short period of time for which to shop before Chimera would lose patience with her and come looking for her, no doubt with violence in mind. Despite her status as an indentured servant to him, fleeing in this rare moment of freedom never even crossed the young woman's mind. She had long since accepted the fact that Chimera would hunt her down and kill her if she tried to leave. But why would she? He cared for her, and aside from the few healing bite marks and scars he'd left on her in her few months of service to him, he treated her well enough. Dainty white paws carried her almost silently across the arid terrain, noting all of the strange lizards about the place. The only greenery on the island also seemed to come from a cluster of young bamboo, all bunched together as if it had been planted there manually. Ali silently wondered if this was where Chimera had gotten the materials for her beehive from.

Walking past the bamboo, Aliana noticed another wolf amongst the green stalks. He was youthful, close to about her size, though clearly still a puppy and would no doubt grow into a massive wolf. He was a striking black against the bright green, adorned with fiery scales and glowing eyes. Atop the boy's crown grew a set of young, curling ram horns, black like his coat. Ali's gait slowed, taking in the sight of the wolf with awe. She'd never seen a being quite like him before! Judging by his scent, he was one of the pack as well. It was impossible for her to not stop and watch as the boy pruned some weeds from around the bamboo, tending to the garden with a proficiency that made her wonder if the pup was a healer in training or just a dedicated gardener.

Oh, but she mustn't address him! Chimera had warned her about talking to any of the other wolves in the pack unless approached first. Despite how intrigued she was, Ali was dutiful to a fault, and instead averted her eyes and bowed her head while she continued past him, not wanting him to notice her gawking at his splendor and mistake it for a challenge.

"Aliana"

As her mate, Chimera may enter any thread Aliana is in.
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The boy was diligent in his care, so diligent that he almost missed the wolf walking past. However, the crunch of the dry dirt gave her away and his head rose, auds perking forward in alertness as his attention turned toward her. He had never seen the woman before he noted, but she bore the scent of Ashen so he knew she belonged in some form. She was quite petite, being around the same height as he was even though he was nearing 7 months of age. Her pelt was silver, overcast with grey and dappled in lighter grey and white hues that made her seem like she was walking through patchy trees even though they were out in the sun. Her eyes, though downturned, were colored a bright aquamarine. She was pretty in an ordinary way, which may have seemed like an insult to anyone else, but coming from a boy who came from a very unordinary family, it was indeed a compliment. It was different.

He noted her expression and manner of walking, which felt like she was trying to get down to business, and Take wasn’t going to stop her. His siblings, ever the chatterbugs, did all the talking for him most of the time (largely because he physically couldn’t) and he wasn’t much of a socialite anyhow. But, he noted one important detail: with her eyes focused so hard on the ground, she wasn’t seeing the sled he used to transport large items to and from the worksite. His gaze widened and he let out a sharp bark of warning.

"Thoughts/expression intention"

Ali had been so lost in her focus of following her master's orders that she hadn't been paying any attention to where she was going, walking straight for a sled of gardening supplies the boy had brought with him. The only thing that prevented her from colliding right into it was an abrupt bark that got her to look up with a start. Ali froze, mere moments from colliding with the heavy sled, blinking in stunned surprise. She glanced back at the boy who had alerted her, noticing the wide-eyed look on his face. Well, she'd attracted his attention, but he had saved her from getting hurt by doing so. Her ears folded back to her skull, head lowering in submission to the unknown boy. Despite his youth, he was a free member of Ashen and she was still a slave at the end of the day. Decorum had to be followed and formality observed. If word got back to Chimera about her being disobedient...

"Thank you for warning me," she said to the boy, appreciation sincere in her soft, mellifluous voice. She offered him a small smile, but kept her eyes diverted down while she spoke to him. She wondered why he hadn't called out to her, but the bark had been effective nonetheless. "Is this your bamboo?" She glanced up at the growing stalks he had been tending to, briefly wondering if she should apologize for indirectly pilfering some, but decided against it as it would incriminate Chimera too. "It appears to be growing well. You must be tending to it very well."

"Aliana"

As her mate, Chimera may enter any thread Aliana is in.
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It was moments like these that really made the glowing boy wish he were normal. As soon as the bark left his mouth, the girl folded in submission, clearly frightened by his beastly manner of communication that he was left with. She offered him thanks, her voice soft and melodious in a way that reminded him of his Geisha sister, Ike. A part of him hoped that she would leave it at thanks and be on her way. He couldn’t uphold a conversation anyhow, damn his defective tongue, but he also secretly hoped she’d stick around. If anything for the company.

His ladder wish seemed to be the one granted as she asked about the bamboo, asking if it was his and commending him for its upkeep. He paused, hesitating before shaking his head. It wasn’t his bamboo, it was his father’s and he certainly couldn’t take any of the credit. The Shogun had started tending to the crop even before he and his siblings had been a thought in his parents’ minds. But he had no way of conveying this...unless....

The boy extended a paw and, in the dry, barren dirt between them, he wrote ”I can’t take the credit, my father tends to it most often. I apologize if I scared you,” in common tongue script. He knew there weren’t a lot of wolves who understood writing, even fewer who would understand if he wrote in the Kanji on his family’s native tongue, but perhaps she would pleasantly surprise him.

"Thoughts/expression intention"

Frustration was painted all over the young wolf's face while she spoke to him, and at first, Ali didn't know what had caused it. Had it been her questions? Was she prying too much? Did he think she was just some condescending adult making conversation with him? An apology had been on her lips—though for what, she was unsure—when the boy began to write on the dirt with an outstretched paw. Aliana tilted her head curiously, but watched as he wrote out a full sentence, reading each word silently to herself as it was inscribed in the earth. Aqua eyes turned up to the amazing iridescent boy as realization dawned on her. He was mute. Aliana blushed and lowered her ears to her head, embarrassment on her face. She hadn't realized! Being confined to Chimera's island didn't afford her many opportunities to interact with the other wolves of Ashen, otherwise she might have known about his condition.

"Well, it certainly appears healthy and growing well," she said, hoping that by not drawing attention to the fact that she hadn't known he couldn't speak, he wouldn't feel embarrassed. She gave him a little shy smile, still in awe that a wolf such as himself could exist! All of the wolves she'd been enslaved with had been so mundane and normal, like herself. Here, everyone looked beautiful and radiant and unique. It made her feel very out of place—ah, but that was why she wasn't a true member of the pack, wasn't it? She was a servant; property to be used and nothing more. "Oh, no need to apologize, My Lord. You didn't scare me. You saved me from hurting myself, and I thank you for your kindness."

Another practiced dip of her head to the noble lad. She didn't know if talking to him as she was was considered rude, given he couldn't speak back, but Ali thought he might appreciate being treated like there was no barrier between them. At least, that's how she imagined she would like to be treated in his shoes. Given she was so far below him in rank, Ali was unsure of what he desired of her. She was but a simple servant, bound to one of his pack mates, and his wish would also be her demand. She could not leave until he dismissed her. Would he ask her to leave now, or keep her around for "conversation" or company?

"Aliana"

As her mate, Chimera may enter any thread Aliana is in.
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Takeshi could see the moment that the realisation about his condition dawned across her face, and he would be remiss to say he didn’t feel a stab of displeasure. It wasn’t a look of pity or disdain like he was used to, though, but rather a look of embarrassment. Embarrassment over what though? It wasn’t as though she could tell he was any odder than his general appearance. It certainly wasn’t her fault he was the way he was; rather, it was fate.

The look was quickly wiped from her face and she surprised him by replying in a manner that clearly indicated that she knew how to read. His brows rose in surprise, just barely, but a small grin curled on the edges of his mouth. Now that was exciting! Someone new to talk to instead of just staring awkwardly! She commended him on the growth of the bamboo, then assured him that he hadn’t scared her, which was a relief for him. He knew his appearance and rank could be intimidating, and that mixed with his generally stoic nature and inability to speak...well, nobody was flocking to fall for his witty charms.

The boy extended a paw and quickly wiped away his previous message to start with a clean slate, his tail giving a small wag behind his large frame. ”Good, I’m glad. My grandmother would have my horns if I let a lady run head first into a sled if I could help it,” he remarked good-naturedly. His paw swept quickly across the earth as he continued, ”My name is Takēshi Ani Ōritsu Abraxas, but just call me Takē. May I ask your name?” He couldn’t recall his parents mentioning any new wolves so he was a bit confused about her, but curious all the same.

"Thoughts/expression intention"

As rare as it may have been, Aliana's ability to read came from the strict regiment of trainings and brutal lessons the slavers had put her through as a puppy. "No use having a dumb bitch for a slave" they would tell her while the older slaves taught her what she needed to know. It wasn't a skill she practiced often, so it took her a few moments to comprehend what the young lord wrote, but she always got there eventually. The young boy looked surprised and excited to discover she could communicate with him, and he emphatically began to wipe the message away and write more for her. Ali watched with curious eyes as he scribbled out another message, noting the little grin and wag of his tail as he did. Was she the first wolf he'd communicated with for some time? She quietly wondered how many other wolves in the pack would be able to read his messages or interact with him in some other way. No wonder he was so excited!

She read his first message slowly, letting the words form and sound out in her head. A smile slowly formed over her face when she grasped the meaning, a soft giggle escaping her at the thought of his grandmother scolding him for not acting a gentleman. He wrote out another message, introducing himself by a name that spoke of highborn lineage and was entirely unpronounceable in her mind. She stared with stunned aqua eyes, reading his name again and again, but finding it no easier to enunciate. Her shoulders slumped and ears flattened; Ali didn't want to mispronounce the name of the young lord. How embarrassing that would be! "Takē," she said, speaking slow to make sure she voiced the syllables correctly. She glanced up to Takeshi, looking to him for approval that she was speaking correctly. "Takē. Is that right?"

He asked her name, and Aliana bowed her body before him in an elegant arch of her back, feeling it was much more necessary now given that he was a highborn wolf. "Of course, My Lord. My name is Aliana. You may address me by whatever your heart desires." As property, she had been called everything from her name, to Slave, to Girl, to some very unsavory words she dared not repeat in the presence of a minor. Whatever he deigned to call her, she would accept. That was the way of being a slave. Surely he would be able to recognize that in her, right? The qualities and traits of a wolf so far below his station that marked her as property and not a person.

"Aliana"

As her mate, Chimera may enter any thread Aliana is in.
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