Toxicity was finally ready for the world to see her four pups and for her pups to be baptized under God and receive their names. The bundles had to have grown tired of running around the shrine by now, but the outside was still harsh and cold while the interior of the shrine was heated and safe. They had been groomed extra careful today, though by now they must be used to the mother-tongue bath then Obi brush and perfume wax their fur into place. Each pup was becoming strong both physically and in their faith. They by now were used to their three daily prayers, though since it was still early, they had only done the first today. Usually they were just to listen to Toxicity and Obi as they prayed aloud, but after being anointed and accepted by God, they too would be able to utter the powerful words in the language of the gods. Toxicity led each pup to a large fur rug in front of the shrine waters and were directed to sit still. Today they would meet the pack- friend and foe alike. They had been told they were godly beings within mortal shells and that many mortals lived among them, but to what extent they understood was still up in the air. Obi readied incense and an oiled, brightly pigmented mix of ochre which would mark the pups as their anointment. Lastly, he carried a vessel with a live crow for sacrificing and a small bowl to scoop water from the shrine. Once all the objects were lined up, he gave Toxicity the overhead. Tox blanketed each pup with a fur, telling them to stay down for a moment to keep warm until they were revealed. There was intentionally enough space for them to peek out, but not enough for the participants to see them until she was ready. With that taken care of, Toxicity howled for the pack, but made the religious intention clear- anyone who came to contest the beliefs of Abraxas would be tossed out without mercy and Tox trusted Venom and Hattori could handle that without her ceremony being interrupted. Now all there was to do was wait. ""

Patience, of course, was one of the pups that was most accustomed to the rituals of the day. She was playing her part, childish innocence leading her to believe that the Abraxas were gods in the mortal shells that they were confined to. She'd not heard or seen any other beings besides her mother and siblings. Patience'd never once had a step outside, preferring the warm and heated interior of the den and being quite proper when speaking if she did so at all. Patience wasn't one to ask many questions, rather to wait and see what would happen next. She wouldn't be a follower- only a leader and that's what her intentions will be from the moment she finds out about ranks and packs and the like.

The moment she was told that she was a goddess in a flesh body she wasn't too happy. She didn't entirely know what the term meant but it meant something to the extent of an all powerful being who rules a certain aspect of the Earth. Honestly this whole thing is kind of stupid... why must I be given a name when I am perfectly capable of thinking of one for myself? What's the point? Patience was having thoughts but by the time the blanket was placed over her the thoughts were gone and she was content to wait for the ceremony to begin- even though it meant being in the wintery snow once more.

She wouldn't be peeking out like her siblings, opting to stay in the comfort of the blanket rather than be a curious child. Curiosity killed the cat y'know.

DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH LOVE IN YOUR HEART While he was more than content to keep pestering his sisters within the confines of the shrine, the growing boy was beginning to wonder if there was more outside than the chilly powder that he had been able to investigate while Obi slipped in and out during the day. Just as the door shut, sometimes it brought some of the strange substance inside, and he could examine it. Until it melted. Mother had explained that it was called snow and it fell from the sky outside, but only when it was cold outside. Which it definitely was, since a cold breeze invaded the shrine every time the door slid open. The boy had been satisfied with this explanation, for a while. Perhaps mother had sensed it, and was letting them go outside today to sate his growing curiosity for now. Of course, after wake up time was bath time. Like the good boy he was, he sat still while mother carefully cleaned the sleep from his downy fur. Had the gentle bath made him sleepy? Maybe, but he tried his best to keep himself on his feet, though the musical hum that accompanied his bath couldn't be helped. It was so nice, he hoped mother would give him baths every day, forever. Once he was all clean, he plodded over to where Obi had set himself up with a collection of pots he'd seen briefly before. He wasn't fully familiar with them, so it must be a special 'going outside' thing. Sidling closer to Obi, he parked his little butt as neatly as he could in the spot obi directed him to. Obi's fingers in his fur was as familiar as his mother's tongue along his spine by now, he had never considered the gentle brushing and coaxing by the nimble hands to be a strange thing. Pale eyes slid closed again under the gentle ministrations, and his contented humming returned. Once Obi had tapped him lightly to signal his grooming was finished, he blinked a few times to clear the fog away from his brain. Rising carefully to his oversized paws, the boy playfully lunged forward and aimed to swipe his tongue over Obi's nose in an affectionate thanks. He settled down near the heart of the shrine while his sisters received the same care, watching his glowing sister's mystical fur move with mute fascination. He wasn't sure he'd ever stop being amazed by it. He'd listened to mother and Obi say the morning prayers, waking at the same time as always to arrange themselves in supplication at the heart of the shrine. He had been working hard to learn the words, even though sometimes his mind drifted elsewhere. the flicker of flames among the coals had a habit of drawing his attention, and holding it just long enough for him to lose his focus on what mother was saying. However, by now he'd gotten the words pretty well memorized. With a little prompting in the future, he could perfect the morning prayers quickly enough. The soft consonants and vowel heavy syllables were beginning to become as familiar as the common tongue to the boy. He'd watched his monochromatic sister, the one with the bobbed tail and the pink nose, and she followed along just as obediently with mother's lessons every day. Perhaps it was because she paid more attention to the lessons, or that she was the first one to dutifully rise and meet the day, that she was the first one to be led outside. He wondered what she was seeing out there, and part of him wondered what name mother, and to the same extent God, would bestow upon her. In the same vein, he considered the vast possibilities of what name mother would give him! Something cool he hoped, he didn't want to have a stupid name, even if it was what God wanted. What if God named him Poopy-Brain? That would be the worst. Finally, it was his turn to leave the cavernous, stone embrace of the shrine proper where he'd spent his entire life. Outside was bitterly cold, the snow made very strange crunching sounds under his charcoal paws. Regardless, the boy was awed by the world he saw around him. Washed of any darkness, even the trees seemed to match the starkness of the snow underfoot. Until, at least, he arrived at the massive glowing pool where mother directed him to sit on a soft rug. This was good, his toes were already getting really cold, a whole different sensation than the dull bite of the small drifts that wafted into the shrine proper. As he drew closer to the pool, he considered the reality of the water. Was this God, or did he live in there? He was fairly sure mother would be mad at him if he walked away to look into the pool. This was a very important day, she had told them all. They were to behave, or they would be in a lot of trouble. The young boy didn't want to be in big trouble with mother, or with Obi. He settled alongside the bob tailed sister on the plush rug, and was joined by his other sisters quicker than he expected. Time passed differently out here, he thought. There was so much to look at, and he wasn't sure he could properly absorb it all before he had to pay attention to the very important ceremony. Obi was doing a whole lot, setting aside some more of the little containers that were scattered throughout the shrine proper. There seemed to be a method to his movements, but the boy wasn't fully sure what the whole point was. No one had explained it to him, probably because he wasn't supposed to know yet. God hadn't accepted him yet, after all. The soft croaking of something dark in a container was added into the mix, and whatever it was, it was moving. Very weird. This was going to be an important day, and he hoped he didn't mess it all up. Just as he was beginning to get a grasp of his surroundings, become accustomed to the looming trees overhead, mother laid a fur over his head. Sit still, don't move until she said so, that was what they were supposed to do. So, the young boy waited, folded his thin limbs beneath himself to keep his toes warm. The gap beneath the edge of the fur left enough room for him to gawk at everything going on outside, but right now it was just mother's paws and Obi. Were his sisters excited too? Were they also nervous? Would God love him, like mother and Obi did? "talking" thinking actions TO GO AND GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY?

The girl was doing her very best not to shuffle around too much, imagining her siblings visibly wriggling around under their furs. But she could also imagine that there was a tiny leak of blue light coming out from the rim under hers, and the tiny hole she was peering keenly out of. The pelt had felt uncomfortable against the fur on the tips of her ears so she'd pulled them back, so the young girl was mostly an unmoving lump under the furs. There was a whisper behind her, a voice she didn't know in the language she heard her mother and Obi speaking, the same words she'd spent so much time already committing to memory, eager for when she'd be allowed to lift her voice in praise with them. The girl didn't move, she knew if she turned she'd not see anyone behind her... that no one was there. She didn't yet know what the voices were but they were growing stronger as each day went on. Unlike her sister the girl was eager for the ceremony, she was totally in love with the routine and the idea of ritual, grasping from her mother's behaviour that this was important and while she didn't quite yet grasp what it meant for her to be a goddess in a mortal body she understood at least that the rituals, the routine were vital to her understanding of herself and so the ritual was clearly important and that meant she cared. Though not about getting a name, she didn't really know what that meant either and once she did find out she'd not put to much stock in that... but that it had to happen was a given, and she was ready to absorb it all, hang off every single word. "Speech"

Plague laid his armor out on the ground in front of him, accessing the damage done to it by the man he had fought during the raid that had worn spiked armor of his own. The front piece that covered his chest was dented and dappled from the spikes, but he thought that perhaps he could smooth them back out rather than having to replace the whole piece. He had it laid out across a rock and had a smaller stone under his paw, pressing and smoothing the surface of the leather. He tried to keep his focus on the task at hand, but he was thinking about anything and everything other than the leather in his paws. He felt more disconnected and torn than ever, but now it was truly his own fault. His sister's howl cut through the air and disrupted his thoughts, pulling his eyes up from the ground to look toward the shrine where she called from. As much as he had been trying to avoid his family while he worked on deciphering his thoughts and emotions, he knew that his absence at such an event would be sorely noticed. He pulled himself to his paws and gave his pale coat a shake before carrying himself to answer Toxicity's call. He settled himself on his haunches a short distance away from his sister, picking a place where he would close enough to see and participate if needed, but not so close that there wasn't space for someone to sit in front of him if they wished. His expression was smooth with a small smile on his lips, very effective in hiding away the uncertain emotion churning just below the surface. Talk

The largest child scrunched her nose under the stuffy blanket. Recently, some of the fur along her neck had begun to harden into spikes, nestled among the thickest fur and trailing down towards her back. Growing quills was an itchy process, the incensed wax was suffocating within the little blanket fort and it was catching on her quills. Prayers had been said, baths had been had, it was time to play! So why were they cooped up out here in the cold? The child shuffled impatiently, wanting very much to make her mother proud, but excited to get this over with. Ceremony was important, and her eyes lit up with each new prayer or ritual, but there was a lot of sitting still involved, and younglings weren’t exactly well versed in stillness.

A dark nose crept towards the opening, dual toned eyes peeking out in time to see other grown ups approaching. A quiet gasp left her lips as she retreated back inside her hidey-hole, her butt wriggling excitedly as she sat on her tail to stop it from breaking free. It really wouldn’t do to be the one to ruin things by making her blanket slip, or flashing her brightly coloured tail to the world before time.

"speech".

heard you’re new in town

"Speech" OC- Hela pups may come but she expects them to behave well. Hela got the news of her niece had given birth and she was nonetheless interested in seeing what she had produced. She of course was aware of her different "costumes" from what the Klein did. Their father seemed to have poisoned their minds, especially this one. But either way, they were still family, and even though she despised the idea of gods or whatever. For her, that was invented shit, something taken from the weak minds of those who believed in that. But as she approached the gathering she just sat down saying nothing just looking at her nice and nephew Plague. They were so grown now. She waited with patience. She had told her own kids that if they wanted to come they could but they were expected to be quiet and have an excellent behavior.

Venom heard Toxicity’s call and knew the time had finally come that her sister’s children would be revealed. The young Empress felt a flare of excitement light up her veins as she crossed the sand bridge from the islands over into the mainland and the shrine. Knowing of Toxicity’s plan to bring them into the world, and of Hela’s somewhat recent litter, Venom hadn’t pursued her own brood last season. Her broken leg had been the ultimate sign that Ashen was not yet prepared for the children of the Empress.

These pups would be just as special, born into their own mortal vessels to continue the Abraxas line. More than that Venom hoped to see them grow and flourish in the Empire that she tended to. She wanted their childhood to be free of the disasters she and her own siblings faced. The thoughts were shook from her mind as she shook her pelt before emerging from the forest and to the shrine. Hela and Plage’s forms falling in line before Toxicity and her ceremony.

Venom grinned as her sunset gaze flashed over Tox and Obi before she took her place. Her silvery stripes fully developed now a sign that Archon was with her, as he certainly was with all of them now. Her thin frame settled close beside Plague but her gaze couldn’t be pulled from the little wiggling furs in front of Toxicity.

The Shogun slowed to a walk as Toxicity's howl reached his ears and frowned a little at the religious implication of her summons. Hattori was not a man of faith not did he ever wish to be, but this was an important day for Toxicity and Ashen and so as it's Shogun it was simply part of his duty to attend. Whether he liked it or not. He turned to his companions who flocked eagerly to his side and in his native tongue he ordered them to continue their patrol, before drawing away from the border. By the time the shrine came into view a trio of wolves had gathered, Plague, Hela and the Empress. No matter how tempting it was Hattori did not flock to Venom's side, instead he lingered beside the treeline with brows drawn. What were those markings that lined her coat? They had not been there when he'd spoken to her last and he was fairly certain such things did not grow in over night. No matter. Regardless of how strange he thought it to be, the colour of her coat was not his concern. Not really, not now. Stepping forward, Hattori sat himself at a respectful distance away from the others. Close enough that he could attend but far enough that it was clear he knew his place; he was neither blood nor kin. Looking ahead, Hattori's righted his frowny expression, turned his attention to Toxicity and offered her a silent nod in greeting and left it at that. As in most situations he would only speak when spoken to.

Calamity was late to the gathering, but this time because she was praying intensely. The third sister had been sequestered on the other side of the shrine, her eyes slightly unfocused as she peered into the waters and knit together a verse in her mind. This was a good sign. The strange aura of motherhood had overcome Toxicity and while that particular secret was still a mystery to her, she knew Tox would raise her children in a proper and god-honoring way. Perhaps this new litter would reunite them under god and in sisterhood. A new, different bond - reforged in mystic oil and steel. At the sound of Toxicity's call she finally roused from her reverie and took slow, deliberate steps around the pool of water until she came to sit a few yards away from Venom. This would be a memorable occasion. Lifting her antlers high to get a good look at the squirmy fur rugs, Calamity gave Toxicity a shy smile. Everything would be different now.

The pups were gathered and Toxicity only waited till the last of her family showed up- Hela and Hattori were of no consideration for her and held no sway in her mind nor heart. As Venom came towards her, Obi and Tox offered their steep bows, "Hail Empress Venom." After they rose, Toxicity looked out to her siblings and the two others that gathered, "Today you will bear witness to my children as they are anointed and accepted by Abraxas, earning their names both surname as one of Abraxas' own and their given name which will signify who they are and what they will become in the eyes of The Fallen God. Obi lit the incense and waved it over the pups as Toxicity prayed in the language of the gods out loud. Next came the holy water, sprinkled lightly over the furs before Obi came to stand behind the first pup. Toxicity hummed and closed her eyes, letting a feeling of holiness enter her body, her mind searching for the names for each pup. Obi's hand brushed over the fur and Toxicity spoke as he uncovered the first pup, "Abraxas gives his name and power to... Patience. Patience Abraxas!" The pup was sprinkled with holy water from the shrine and then Obi moved on to the next pup, "Abraxas gives his name and power to... Pontifex. Pontifex Abraxas!" Then the third pup was uncovered and sprinkled, "Abraxas gives his name and power to... Faith. Faith Abraxas!" And Obi followed suit with the last pup as Tox spoke, "Abraxas gives his name and power to... Modesty. Modesty Abraxas!" As the last pup was uncovered, Toxicity opened her eyes, "Now, together we will pray- the pups' first prayer out loud as they repeat after me. My family is urged to join- if they remember the prayer our father taught us so long ago." She led the prayer, giving pause every few words for her children to repeat after her, listening carefully for each and every one. "Now, from the other Abraxas, you may each make a statement to the pups, then they will be anointed and you will be allowed to meet them." ""

OOC: Posts due the 21! Attendees need not to post- only if you wish to offer sentiments to the pups (Abraxas only). Next post will anoint them and the ceremony will more or less conclude with a meet and greet.

Venom returned Obi and Tox’s greeting with a dignified smile and respectful nod of her own. Where she led the pack and the Empire Toxicity and Obi were the unchallenged leaders of their religion. Venom watched Hattori appear, and gave him a subtle grin before the ceremony began and the Empress turned all of her attention to her sister and the new Abraxas lives she would introduce to the Empire.

As each puppy was revealed Venom offered the appropriate amount of enthusiasm at each reveal. An odd excitement raced through her veins as each beautiful child was revealed. The Empress wasn’t sure she could feel more love than the emotion that filled her as sunset gaze took them in.

She didn’t often recite the prayer she used to say with Archon, but she would never forget the words that were instilled within her. She said them with her sister and the pups and felt the power as they invoked them. Finally though Toxicity opened the floor for them and Venom took a step forward to speak first.

”May you know the gifts of god, and feel the sun upon your face. May your victories display dignity, and your defeats grace. May you marvel with the wonders of nature and the earth. May you value education, and know your own true worth. May you live and love with honesty and do the thing that’s right. May you sleep in peace at night, may you thrive upon a challenge, and follow your own path.”

Venom grew silent and stepped back when she finished her words. Eager to know what her siblings might say, and even more so to meet the youth when all was done.

Patience, unfortunately, was the first one to be unveiled. She heard a name being called out, looking up at her mother she nodded with a fake sage nod. She knew her siblings would probably react differently than she did- besides her brother who was now deemed... Ponti... Pontifex? Yeah, that's how to pronounce it. She could tell the pup farthest from her- now dubbed as Modesty- was going to rump around before their mother could dub her... or maybe she would be able to contain herself... either way she had no faith in the other pup. When Toxicity lead them in a prayer Patience followed suit, only missing a couple of words.

When their aunty stepped forward to give them some sort of speech Patience had to refrain from rolling her eyes into the back of her skull to make her look like a demon... maybe she should, just to mess with them... nah, too risky. Might get disowned. Patience scrambled to her feet to sit tall and proud, not caring anymore if she got reprimanded for doing so. Everyone had been named, right? Right, so now she was allowed to stand up and y'know... do something fun. Well, not fun, but you get the gist.

DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH LOVE IN YOUR HEART Through the thin break between the fur and the ground, the boy could see many paws emerging from the pallid treeline. His two toned gaze widened in amazement. He was aware there were other wolves around, mother had mentioned them and given them brief lessons on the important figures that would feature in their lives. Not that he could tell who was who based on the outlines of their toes and the shades of fur below their ankles. That didn't stop him from wondering who was attending his emergence into the world of gods and kings. Were they important? There were so many other wolves, there had to be someone there that was high up in the hierarchy. He was practically vibrating with excitement, and had to consciously contain himself, stilling his tail when it attempted to wag in delight. He tucked it securely under his rump, and parked his hindquarters firmly against the ground just to be safe. "Hail Empress Venom," that was mother's voice, and Obi's. Oh wow, the Empress! He was a bit hazy on the lessons in his excitement, but he was fairly certain they were closely related. Of course she wanted to see him emerge in all his glory! His sisters too, probably, but in this moment the boy struggled to imagine this as anything less than his moment of veneration by those around him. "Today you will bear witness to my children as they are anointed and accepted by Abraxas, earning their names both surname as one of Abraxas' own and their given name which will signify who they are and what they will become in the eyes of The Fallen God."his mother sounded so much cooler when she was talking to everyone else. Important, holy. Would he sound like that one day? Like his words mattered, and everyone should listen to him? Forget that, his big moment was approaching, and he felt his heart hammering in his chest. The scent of sweet smoke soothed his nerves, familiarity lacing itself into the downy fur around his nostrils as he drew a deep breath in. Incense, like Obi often lit in the shrine halls. The imperceptible patter of water against the fur resting along his back, he only vaguely caught the sound over the thrum of his pulse in his ears. The snow crunched under feet that sounded just as small as his own. Obi- the boy rarely heeded any thought as to the size of the monkey that he'd grown up with, but it occurred to him suddenly that Obi wasn't much bigger than he was right now. Why was he thinking about this right now? "Abraxas gives his name and power to... Patience. Patience Abraxas!" the soft snap of a raised pelt from a small body. That must have been the sister that had arrived before him. Patience. A virtue he was rather well versed in already. That meant it was his turn ne- "Abraxas gives his name and power to... Pontifex. Pontifex Abraxas!" and the world was so bright all of the sudden, his pupils swallowed by the pale violet hues of his irises as he adjusted to the brilliant alabaster world around him yet again. The patter of holy water against his crown, his spine, sent a brief shiver racing through him. Was mother always so big? The wolves gathered around were also impossibly large, and he found himself fighting the urge to cower away from their immensity. Instead, he stared up at his mother with wide, baleful eyes and drank it all in. Always watching, always absorbing everything, this boy. The words began to settle into his bones, sinking through skin and muscle and cartilage, until they whorled in the core of him. Pontifex. Abraxas. That was him. That would always be him, from now until the death of everything. Should he thank her for the gift of a name? But she was already moved on to his next sister. No, it was Abraxas' doing. He was going to thank Abraxas soon, when the rest of his sisters were named. Their ancestor, their God. He glanced over at his bob-tailed sister. Patience. Her name was Patience. She was sitting so patiently, with her chest puffed out and her paws neatly arranged. Should he be sitting more proudly? He shifted his posture, attempting to work off of what his unveiled sibling was doing. Shoulders back, chin up, ears forward. He curled his tail around mismatched forepaws. Attention drifted to his other sisters, still veiled from the world and the eyes of Abraxas. "Abraxas gives his name and power to... Faith. Faith Abraxas!" and then she was there, his sister who glowed. Faith. A critical pillar of their lives, and one of the most holy virtues. She looked.. he wasn't sure how she looked. Her little tufted ears and softly luminescent markings drew his eye, as they always did. How was she feeling right now? How were any of his sisters feeling right now? Was he the only one that was feeling itchy under all these eyes that roved over him and the ceremony? "Abraxas gives his name and power to... Modesty. Modesty Abraxas!" Finally, his last sister was unveiled. She was far darker than he was, and it really showed in the light of day, accompanied by the starkness of pale snow all around. Her markings stood out far more intensely than his own. Modesty was her name, perhaps God was aiming to curb any hubris that she might develop over her beautiful coat? But then, why not Faith, with her glowing pelt? It dawned on him, that his name stood out against theirs. Why was his different? Did it mean he was special to God, or that he wasn't good enough? A prickling sensation tripped down his narrow spine. What did this all mean? Everything was so overwhelming. He held himself high and mighty as mother had taught him, doing his best not to betray an ounce of weakness or anxiety to the onlookers. After all, he was a divine creature now, in all his glory. "Now, together we will pray- the pups' first prayer out loud as they repeat after me. My family is urged to join- if they remember the prayer our father taught us so long ago." his mother's somber vocals rang out across the clearing with a new tone, a gravitas that reminded him of what he was doing here. It was time to pray, finally. Give thanks to Abraxas. Carefully, he inclined his muzzle towards the earth in supplication of their God. The soft consonants and heavy vowels of the divine tongue did not come naturally to him, when he was finally allowed to utter them with his own lips. He stumbled here and there, despite his practice. Idiot! He sought to apply his fervour to give thanks to their divine ancestor as penance for his difficulty in wrapping his tongue around the words, words that he would get better at with practice. The gentle ebb and flow of the words as he sought to follow his mother's lead began to form a gentle hymn with the many overlapping voices around him. Was this what it meant to be part of something bigger? It was beautiful. As the tail end of their prayer faded away, he found himself calm again. The tautness of his muscles had softened into a lax, easy posture as he rejoiced in the sounds of the holy language. His mother spoke up again. "Now, from the other Abraxas, you may each make a statement to the pups, then they will be anointed and you will be allowed to meet them." she announced, and the boy found himself scanning the assembled wolves for the familiar mottling of his mother's coat. There were many who bore it in attendance, and many of those were blessed by Abraxas with strange and wonderful adornments. Part of the boy felt a pang of sorrow that he had not developed the blessings of his relatives, or his littermate. There was still time, Obi had assured him, but he felt sure that he would notice something by now. A tall femme, marked in charcoal and alabaster, not unlike himself, stepped forward. The boy stared up at her in wonder, recognition finally igniting behind his bicoloured eyes. This was Empress Venom, his aunty. She was beautiful, and regal. She carried herself over the snow as though she was gliding on the air itself. He wondered what she might have to say to them, under the gaze of Abraxas himself. ”May you know the gifts of god, and feel the sun upon your face. May your victories display dignity, and your defeats grace. May you marvel with the wonders of nature and the earth. May you value education, and know your own true worth. May you live and love with honesty and do the thing that’s right. May you sleep in peace at night, may you thrive upon a challenge, and follow your own path.” she said to them all, and something stirred in his chest, though he wasn't sure what. Conviction? Excitement? There was so much to see, know, and feel right now. Should he give thanks for her blessing, or remain silent? Patience said nothing- she hardly seemed to move at all, in fact, aside from righting herself to sit even taller before the eyes of the Empress. The young shadow opted to seek out her gaze, if he could garner her attention for a moment, and bob his head gently in thanks. Couldn't get in trouble for speaking out of turn if he didn't speak, right? "talking" thinking actions TO GO AND GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY?

The only thing that had stopped the young girl turning her back to the crack in her blanket was the entanglement of her spines in the fibres of her covering. She could have pulled them free, but it would have meant having her temporary tent pool about her toes no doubt, and despite the dark space muffling much sound beyond her own raging heart and the gasp of her increasing rate of breath... So close, She didn’t like the way the blanket seemed to pull tighter, and tighter until...

There was an audible rattle to the girl as the blanket covering her finally pulled free. With her heart in her throat and her lungs full of air she froze, eyes squinting against the sudden light and lungs burning with her first intake of frigid air. Her mothers voice was washing over her, naming her Modesty. Her nose wrinkled, air leaving her lungs in a relieved whoosh, before her next intake of breath bought a sneeze. She did love the incensed air of the temple, it smelled like home, but the further perfumed oil was unexpected. Her eyes wanted to water but she did her best to shake it off, focusing instead on the words of the prayer they had been taught since the day they were born.

Relief flooded the girl when she got all the words right. Speaking to others may not yet be her forte but the prayer language she treated as her mother tongue. Those words came easier to her than the others.

But the formalities weren’t over yet. When the Empress herself came forward to offer them words, a face splitting grin came to her face, all upright ears and waving tail, which only increased when she noticed the fur around the other woman’s neck. They were the same! Her feet shifted impatiently as she waited for the formalities to be over. This really was eating into her usual play time, and small children always had energy to burn.

"speech".

heard you’re new in town

The girl wanted so badly to peek at her siblings as she heard their names announced aloud, feeling her own stomach flip with anticipation as she waited for her turn. Blinking against the sudden light of the winter sun and reflection off the snow, the glowing of the pool. The holy water that anointed her was cool, adding to the sudden chill that flowed into her body now that the fur was removed from her frame. Still, she clung desperately to the words her mother spoke, her name was to be faith... Faith, it sent a thrill of satisfaction through her. Faith was the one thing she'd strived to embody since she was old enough to understand her mother's and Obi's stories... sermons. She cast a glance out of the corners of each of her eyes to glance at which of her siblings were on either side of her, attempting to commit each of their new names to memory. Then it was time for them to repeat the prayer she'd spent so long memorizing, she feared she'd trip over the words but they flowed from her like water from a font, a testament of her effort and, pleasingly, faith. Then the floor was opened for the others of her blood to offer their words, perhaps even their blessings. Faith turned her mismatched gaze up towards the empress as she approached, eyes wide as she looked up at her... she had quills like her sister, Modesty she reminded herself. For a moment Faith flicked her eyes to glance at the other gathered wolves, wondering if any of them had the same tufts of fur on their ears... or the light constant glowing she did. None that she could see... Her attention snapped back to her aunt as she spoke, her ears twitching as she hung off every word, willing the words to imprint themselves on her brain, desperate to live up to the standards being laid out before her. "Speech"

Tox gave enough time for anyone who wanted to say anything to speak. She was glad that Venom stepped up. After the words were done, Toxicity had no doubt the kids would be quite restless. "Finally, it is time to anoint each of the new Abraxas. They are the newest to enter into Abraxas' embrace, coming to the mortal plane to be his eyes and fangs. May he protect their mortal flesh as long as our hearts beat in one with his." Toxicity moved pup to pup, her tongue running over their foreheads. She took a moment of pause with each of them to look into their eyes and say their name to them before Obi dripped sweet pressed oil over their freshly cleaned fur. When she was finished, she pulled back, a genuine smile on her maw no matter how much she tried to calm it down. "The New Age Abraxas. Feel free to go play in the snow and meet the other pack members for a while before we head in for afternoon prayer. I'll be here watching." ""

OOC: No post order! Play around and tidy up the thread when yall are ready to leave! Also If you post again you should be able to claim ceremony points?

Just a little bit longer now, she just had to be good for a few more minutes! She watched as her mother and Obi moved along the line, waiting for her turn and beaming at them both as her name was reaffirmed. Modesty. She wasn’t really sure what it meant yet, but she was sure she’d figure it out eventually. When mother declared they could go play in the snow her heart about leapt out of her throat. It was over! And she’d only wriggled a tiny bit! A huge achievement for one so young.

With permission given, she flung herself from her little stand, hitting the ground with a thud. Her chin touched the ground but she brushed it off as no matter, quickly darting from one adult to the next and giving them each a good sniff to commit the scent and face to memory. She would do her best with the names, but it was an awful lot to take in.

"speech".

heard you’re new in town

None of his sisters seemed to say anything back to the Empress, so he was glad he hadn't been the first to break the silence. That might have been embarrassing. His shoulders were beginning to feel stiff from the carefully held pose on his plush fur, but he wouldn't dare complain to his mother right now. He looked around, but no one else came forward to speak to them. Not to worry, because mother was quick to step in to resume the ceremony. "Finally, it is time to anoint each of the new Abraxas. They are the newest to enter into Abraxas' embrace, coming to the mortal plane to be his eyes and fangs. May he protect their mortal flesh as long as our hearts beat in one with his." she announced with the clear, bell like tone that he still wasn't sure he'd ever be able to match. Even now, he never could yell at quite the same volume as his sisters when they chased each other around the shrine proper giggling and squealing. Then, before he knew it, mother was standing before him again, her warm tongue smoothing over the fur of his forehead. "Pontifex," she said to him, soft but still audible to anyone paying attention. It felt like something was flailing about within the confines of his ribs, straining to be free. He was real now, a named thing with a chance to serve Abraxas just like his mother. The sickly sweet aroma of the cool oil as it dripped onto his fur nearly overwhelmed him, and certainly made his mouth water. The boy swallowed lightly, trying to avoid making himself look a fool by drooling openly during his first meeting with the pack. Two toned gaze trailed after his mother's dark form as she moved along to each of his sisters, and performed the same small ritual upon each of them. Even though they all had the same treatment, he felt special nonetheless to have had that small moment with his mother, feeling like she was truly paying attention to only him for just a few scant moments. Then, just as suddenly as the ceremony had begun, it was over. Their mother spoke one more time, and there was pride in her voice. A small smile on her dark lips. Pontifex felt as though he had done well, and made her happy. Had he made Abraxas happy too? "The New Age Abraxas. Feel free to go play in the snow and meet the other pack members for a while before we head in for afternoon prayer. I'll be here watching." she said. Before there was any time for him to react, the purple sister- Modesty, he reminded himself, was off like a shot. Moving up close to each of the wolves gathered, familiarizing herself with them. She was so friendly, so self assured. Hesitantly, he drew one leg forth, dark limb extending until his paw touched the snow. What should he do? Baleful gaze drifted over the crowd assembled, and he felt so terribly small again. Without consciously choosing to, he drifted closer to his mother. A sea of faces, many of them bearing the mottled patterns that he'd learned to associate with his family, and some that looked very strange indeed. He bumped up against one of Toxicity's forelegs, and his attention moved up to her warm features. Perhaps he could just settle down here, and watch his sisters from afar. Something about being close to all of those strangers stirred up the flailing thing in his chest again, but not in the same way as when his mother had said his name and anointed him. It was a staccato beating of limbs against the confines of his chest, and he didn't like it. Lowering his haunches to the ground, he sought to keep himself close enough to feel the warmth of Toxicity's body. "Do you know everyone that's here, mother?" he whispered, looking up at her. "speech" BURN BRIGHT LIKE THE MIDNIGHT SUN

Watching as her siblings went off to play definitely was not something that Patience has the patience to do right now. At this current moment she was craving a nap, a yawn escaping her despite her efforts to keep it down. She glanced at their mother, eyes pleading as she pondered on asking to go take a nap while they wait to do afternoon prayer. Regardless of what her mother said she would do it anyways. Patience made a break for the shrine, skidding in before anyone could think to check on her. Perhaps she would get away with this, perhaps she wouldn't. Regardless, she would wait a couple of minutes to see if she could take her nap peacefully or if she would get dragged back outside by her tail.