Night fell around them as the stars twinkled above. A trail of blood leading up to the den was a sure sign someone was home. And indeed there was. Standing just inside the den's interior, the pallid splotched boy stood with a generously large piece of meat in his mouth. The rest of the carcass was tucked away for safe hiding until later. What he was planning to do with this piece now was to offer it to his brother. Lately, Mac had become his closest, no, his bestest friend, and Ghoul was feeling somewhat soft about it. It wasn't often that the pup could be tender, but it was time he showed his brother some appreciation. Dropping the hunk of meat gently on the rocky ground before him, he called out to Mac with a long and beckoning howl. Hopefully, his brother would come sooner than later. Knowing the bugs and rodents around here, they too were itching for a chance at a nice meal.

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TABLE & CODE © SKELLE 2021
"Speech!"
The wolves of Habari were doing nice things for each other, giving each other gifts and the like. It didn’t matter if the recipients were couples of a romantic nature, or even family or friends - everyone was having a good time sharing moments they’d cherish. Mac’s emotional range was stunted, for certain - he didn’t understand why such concepts of gift-giving were so important. He didn’t even share the idea of something deeper, like romantic feelings for other wolves, but that was something he wouldn’t need to dwell on until his older months, or years. For now, it seemed like a great time as any to present his brother, Ghoul, a gift of his own. The speckled child reflected on the tight bond he and his pink brother shared in particular as he stalked a snake, its dull scales contrasted with vivid dark striping, indicating it wasn’t a venemous creature and likely wouldn’t give off more than a pinprick bite. Though he loved all his siblings - well, even if he couldn’t necessarily feel love for others the same way his siblings might’ve, he still shared a closeness to Ghoul that almost rivaled that of Viscera and Ichor’s bonds to each other. Ins ome ways, he felt he and Ghoul were two halves of a whole, in their own polar opposite ways.

Upon leaping on the snake and delivering a swift, crunching blow to its neck, the reptile lay still. The boy’s silver eyes flashed with glee as he dragged the thing to asmall clearing, proceeding to use the blades on his bracers to carefully cut it open. Clearing out its contents - meat and organs and all - he’d soon created a strange, snake-shaped shell, hollowed out. He’d made sure the head was intact - he was planning to stuff this thing and preserve it, and it wouldn’t do for the snake to not have a head. After all was said and done, the snake dried out just enough for the boy to stuff it well with dead leaves and grasses, even finding some sweet-smelling lavender to make it have the slightest tinge of freshness. Not that it helped much, it wasn’t foul but it certainly didn’t smell dainty. He awkwardly managed to stitch it up with a string of thin leather and a sharpened porcupine quill, ensuring the stuffing wouldn’t fall out. At last, Mac stepped back to admire his work - the snake was clealry dead and stuffed with something, but it didn’t look comically bloated. You could be convinced it was alive if you squinted a bit. Happy with his goft for Ghoul, he grabbed it and headed towards their den, just as his brother’s familiar call rang out to him.

Pace quickening, the cow-spotted child reached the den, and upon seeing his blood-smeared brother and the equally bloodied den, his tail wagged eagerly. He grinned as he spotted and smelled the mouth-watering hunk of fresh meat the boy had dropped before him, basked in the moonlit glow that highlighted the den’s opening. He gently placed his own gift on the ground, marveling at Ghoul’s offering. "That piece of meat wouldn’t happen to be for me, would it?" He inquired, clearly excited to give Ghoul his gift just as much as his brother was excited to give him his.

Just as the night was beginning to lengthen over the mountain, Ghoul could feel the tremor of running paws against the slate beneath him. His brother's scent and something else wafted into his nose and he couldn't help but grin. He knew at heart that whenever he needed Mac, Mac would be there. Letting his shortened tail wiggle excitedly behind him, Ghoul took a moment to brush off any excess dirt from the meat at his paws. As his spotted brother approached, he took a seat and let his head tilt to the side. What in the world had Mac brought him? Peering closely at the long, skinny, and sort of weird-looking shape that his brother placed on the ground, he let out a chuckle.

"Perhaps it is," he rumbled as he looked up to Mac. Feeling the dirt rustle behind him as his tail wagged harder against the ground, he looked down once more at the snake. It was a snake, right? Dead, yes, but also not as dead appearing as Ghoul knew dead snakes to look. "And uh, is that for me?" The pup asked quizzically as his ruby eyes looked back up to the ivory and obsidian brother before him. "Please tell me it's not a snack," he said with a joking tone, his smile hesitant to grow bigger as he hoped Mac would explain what exactly the gift was.

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TABLE & CODE © SKELLE 2021
"Speech!"
Mac grinned widely as his speculation was right - the meat was, in fact, for him. And why wouldn’t it? He and Ghoul were thick as thieves, and certainly a formidable duo. Not only did they have to look out for each other, but they needed to give something back for all the spars and brawls they’d been through, too. He couldn’t wait to show Ghoul what he’d made for him - the meat looked fantastic, but he couldn’t help but spill his secrets about how he’d stuffed this snake.

When his brother asked if the snake was for him, he flashed an even wider smile towards the rose-pelted boy. "I’m glad you asked, and yes, it’s for you!" He gently pushed his pride and joy towards Ghoul, then adding, "It’s extra special because I killed the snake, gutted it, cleaned up the skin, and stuffed it with some lavender and crushed leaves so it won’t stink and maintain its shape." He giggled. "All by myself too! Even the stiching!" He mentioned, nodding towards the decent stotchwork on the snake’s underbelly. He wasn’t that dextrous or graceful, but it would do. Plus, it didn’t have a foul stench, so Ghoul could keep it in the den..or elsewhere. He didn’t mind. Now that he made this snake, he felt the carnal urge to make more of these stuffed creatures. This gift gave him ideas, and not all of them pleasant. Not pleasant for the prey animals he was planning to target, anyways.

Had his brother gone crazy already? Slaughtering animals was one thing. Skinning them was another. But this was a whole different level of what the fuck. Ghoul couldn't help but laugh at the prospect of stuffing a creature to keep as a token. It honestly was a brilliant idea. If it made his brother proud and happy then Ghoul would be the same. "You shouldn't have," he said with a cheerful grin as he reached out to bring the gift closer to him. While it wasn't the best looking thing he could imagine, the idea was cute and Ghoul would indeed keep it forever. "I know the perfect place for it," he mentioned, knowing full well he could place it somewhere in the den to scare their siblings.

"Maybe next time I'll have you stuff the head of a boar for me," Ghoul joked as he picked up at the poor snake who did indeed have a lovely scent of lavender in it. "It's quite cute actually," he murmured under his breath as he set it back down by his paws. "Don't forget about my gift for you. Don't want it to spoil now," his smile grew as he scooted the chunk of deer meat toward his brother. It was more than enough for even three wolves, but it appeared his brother had been hard at work and was most likely starving by now.

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