Manea approached the border of the pack that she knew belonged to the parents of Ikigai - the girl she had thought of often the day they met. Such a wise girl for her age, so beautiful and special... She didn't want to make the assumption that the ancient spirits had drawn them together for a reason the same reason she and Alastor had landed in the same place at the same time, but it was hard to deny the evidence. If all of her siblings and her parents had the same gifts as Ikigai then she might even be convinced that they were a long lost branch of her family, but she didn't let herself consider that thought too deeply. There were plenty of wolves around these parts it seemed that had something interesting about them. It was far more common than it had been in her homeland at least.

She glanced over at her husband, a grin pulling at her lips as she leaned into his side for a moment, nipping his cheek teasingly. "Behave yourself," she reminded him with a flick of her tail across his thigh. She had gotten the first set of her dreams fulfilled in finding her soul mate and now she was carrying their children. Her body had just begun to change to show this fact, the subtle swell of her stomach not completely obvious if it wasn't pointed out or being looked for. Now she was free to let her mind explore bigger, more grand plans and wishes, all the more empowered to go after them with how everything was falling into place. In this moment she felt on top of the world, as if anything was possible. Now she just needed to continue to line up these pieces to open up this world she had never imagined wanting for herself and her family.

Manea lifted her head, letting out a howl for Ikigai and the Empress that the girl had spoken of, though if any other of their family appeared she certainly wouldn't complain. The more she learned about this family and the pack they owned the better if her plans were to pan out how she wanted. She settled back onto her haunches with her tail gracefully sweeping across her paws to wait for them to arrive. If nothing else she was eager to see the girl that had captured her attention so.

Manea | Temno | Ciemny

The massive black and red brute stalked alongside his mate while she led the way to the borders of the pack she had become fascinated with. Whatever had occurred or whoever she had met here had left such a lasting impression on the purple galactic fae that most of their conversations about the future revolved around this pack's involvement in some way, shape, or form. Alastor didn't know what was so special about them—there was certainly nothing outstanding about the scents he detected as the two came to rest just outside the invisible perimeter—but they had taken Manea's interest by storm. He glanced around at the odd white, skeletal-like trees surrounding them when Manea nipped at his cheek, tearing his focus away from the foliage and back to his ravishing mate.

Manea teased him with a flick of her silken tail across his thigh, then reminded him to behave himself. At her words, Alastor's mouth dropped open in an overly dramatic gasp, black eyes wide with offense. He glanced around, then raised a paw to his chest as if silently asking "Me?!". "Darling, behave myself?! Have you such little faith in me? Why, I never...!" he remarked with a big, toothy grin. Although as his eyes roamed down her body, taking in the subtle womanly curves and dips of her form accented by the subtle swelling around her belly where their children grew, he knew she had a fair concern. He certainly hadn't behaved when he'd help make the little treasures growing inside her womb presently—not that anyone would ever know what their escapades had involved. Still, she should trust him more than to do something rash or embarrass her in front of anyone.

While Manea called for their hosts, Alastor sat down beside his mate, giving her cheek and neck the occasional little nuzzle or nibble or lick. He didn't mind being outwardly affectionate with his wife; after all, they had gotten married for their unending love! The demon wolf waited, waited to see who would arrive and why they had fascinated his darling so.


"Alastor"

Warning: Alastor is an explicitly mature character for violent and sexual content. Read his threads with caution.
As his mate, Manea may enter any of Alastor's threads not marked Private.
____________________

When the call for an audience came, Ikigai was close. Closer than her mother and father might be, having been taking a walk around the borders of Ashen lands. Normally she wouldn't answer a call, but she recognized the voice that had made it. Ikigai rather liked Manea, so the pale child adjusted her course and made her way towards the border.

Ikigai had been feeling unsure of herself as of late, and remembering the praise that Manea had given her was one thing that had kept her grounded. For those kind words, the leggy, horned girl would always look positively upon the giant, purple woman. She had been so kind to her and had shared a look into the world that she had come from. Iki was a sponge for knowledge, so she eagerly absorbed the woman's words.

Reaching the border, the slender princess smiled, the corners of her red rimmed, silver eyes lifting. Iki's long, lustrous tail snaked across the leaf litter as she drew close. She dipped her crown in a delicate bow to the plum colored fae. "Manea-sama, it's good to see you again. The Empress and Shogun should be along soon." Her mercuric gaze then drifted to the massive black brute beside her. Again, the girl dipped her head in a regal bow. "Kon'nichiwa," she spoke in mellifluous tones, using the greeting from her father's land. "I am Okiku Ikigai Ōritsu Abraxas. You are Manea-sama's Husband?" Ikigai's crown gave the slightest of tilts as she questioned him. The act made her look both young and wise all at once.

"X"

Venom didn’t often get calls at the border, the last was from Ulric with a mission from the Hallows. Right before the summer tournament and festival. It was honestly impeccable timing. This one did not sound like it was from one of her peers, and even more surprising was the call for Ikigai. Her daughter was both innocent and wise beyond her years. A testament to her breeding.

The Empress arrived with Anko in tow, Poison was in the trees, keeping his distance as he did these days. He was still upset with her for accepting the dog, but he knew who truly had her heart. Sunset gaze fell on her daughter as she greeted a pair of impressive wolves awaiting her at the border. Her expression curious at most, Venom approached to stand beside her eloquent daughter. She did not hide the way her eyes slid over their mirrored forms, she was no stranger to massive blessed wolves. A Klein smirk slipped through her indifferent visage and she offered a slight nod. A sign of reverence not often given to complete strangers.

”Greetings, you’ve summoned the Empress Venom Abraxas,” She didn’t use her Klein name any longer. ”What brought you to my border today?” The woman asked with a slight tilt of her head the curiosity continued to dance in her eyes.

She hadn’t been called so the girl was a little uncertain with the steps her massive paws made. She was already very close to the border, maybe trailing Ikigai, when she heard the call from the strangers. When the young princess realized her sister was heading that way she followed along cautiously. Not that caution could save her from the way she tripped over her own paws, broke sticks she’d seen and intended to avoid underpaw. Ike wasn’t graceful nor was she any sort of stealthy, so when she wandered too close she knew it wiser to just reveal herself.

She tried to walk with decorum but it felt like she didn’t even know how to use her own paws as she approached. Shuriken tried to stay behind her mother but couldn’t help the curious peeks she gave both wolves. She took a little too much time looking and tripped really bad, falling over herself and into her mother.

Venom barely flinched, and was a soft landing for the clumsy princess. The damage was done though, and the young leggy girl blushed a bright rosey red as she tried to save face and sat back firmly on her haunches. Her dual toned gaze firmly averted from their guests so she didn’t screw anything else up.

"Kiyohime Shuriken Ōritsu Abraxas"

Dealing with Kuroki was a task Hattori could not say he enjoyed. It seemed as though the boy went out of his way to irk his sire, to do and say things he should not. By the time The Shogun heeded the call it was evident his wife had already beaten him to the punch and was speaking to the guests, handling social affairs far better than he ever could. He lingered in the tree line, eying the forms of his daughters and wondering why they were here as well. He supposed it would be a good lesson for them, to be able to apply what they'd learned out in the wild, so to speak. But as he watched he got a growing sense that little Ikigai was already familiar with the loners, speaking with them as if they'd met before. Yet respectful still, as she ought to be. As he drew up, standing a little back and to the side of his Empress, his unblinking gaze lingered on the two visitors. They were about as tall as him, with coats of vivid, eye-catching colours. The female had bone crests atop her brow, a mutation he hadn't seen before, whilst the male did not. Perhaps a hint of his lesser breeding? Not that Hattori cared to linger on such things, it was a mere observation before his mind moved on, a single drop in a rolling ocean. "Hattori. Shogun of Ashen." He kept it short, a rumbled interjection as he held back, content to let his wife hold the floor.

She fixed her husband with a stern look at his feigned exasperation, though she couldn't keep the smirk off of her lips. "You're a calamitous individual on a good day. So pardon me for not having faith that you'll behave," she teased with a chuckle, tapping his chin with her nose to pull his attention back once his obsidian gaze began to drift down her body. She gave him a look that held a promise that he'd get to have his paws all over her again soon enough. For now though her attention returned to the territory that spread out in front of them while she waited for the wolves of Ashen to answer her call. To her delight, the girl that had sparked this interest arrived first, greeting her with much of the same poised grace that she had held the first time they spoke. She smiled at the Ashen princess happily, dipping her head in return. "A pleasure to see you again as well, miss Ikigai." She glanced at Alastor with amusement glittering in her aqua gaze as Ikigai addressed him, curious to see how he would react to the little darling. "This is the young lady I was telling you about," she told him, her tail wagging gently. "Isn't she beautiful?" She knew how much Alastor loved children so she was all too excited to see his reaction.

As she turned her gaze back toward the trees she saw a lovely black and white patterned woman emerge, a bit shorter than herself and covered an in interesting pattern of feathered stripes with delicate eye markings framing richly colored eyes. Her mutations were not as strikingly obvious as Ikigai's, but when she spoke she caught the flick of a serpent like tongue and the shift of her fur on her back seemed to suggest something was hidden among her scruff. She also noticed a few moments later that she didn't catch the usual look of claws on her toes and assumed hers were retractable like her own. It was all incredibly interesting to her, seeing these wonderful traits show up in these wolves she had only happened to cross paths with. It was hard to deny the coincidence in how these things fell into place, but for now she kept her attention focused on the here and now.

She gave Venom a smile as she introduced herself, dipping her head politely to the Empress. "A pleasure to finally meet you, Empress. Your daughter-" Before she could get further than that, she spotted a bit of movement behind the Empress and she paused, tipping her head to spot the speckled princess that had crept into their meeting while she wasn't paying attention, glancing her way just in time to see her fall into her mother as she tripped over her overly large paws. Not just too large for her current size, but tipped with talons it looked like. She smiled warmly to the flushed girl as she took a seat by her mother, lifting her large, feline paw to wave the girl closer. "It's alright, little one. I certainly know the feeling. Adjusting to these when I was your age wasn't much better." She gave a little grin and wiggled the toes of her tiger-like paw at the sweet child, glancing up at Venom again and telling her, "Your children are stunning, Empress."

Her gaze turned to look at the man that had approached in the mean time. It appeared it was a family affair to meet her and Alastor at the border, not that she minded in the slightest. The more of them she met, the easier it was for her to make an opinion of them as a whole rather than just judging off of her very high regard for the princess that brought her here. The Shogun was perhaps the most striking of the bunch with a black pelt splattered with vibrant shades of orange with a set of hour horns rising from his skull and talons on each toe like his daughter. Manea dipped her head to Hattori as well, offering him a smile as well. "A pleasure." She silently wondered how many more children the pair of them had, glancing at the two girls again. She was so used to the singular pups from her family's litters that seeing large litters was still a rare occurrence for her.

"Thank you for coming to meet with me, Empress, Shogun," she said said to them both once they were all gathered and it appeared no one else was going to appear. "And of course both of you, princesses," she added, giving Ikigai and the girl she had yet to be introduced to a grin. "My name is Manea Mendacium. This is my husband, Alastor." She glanced toward her mate, letting him greet them as well while her tail brushed his hip. "Ikigai and I crossed paths recently and I just had to meet the parents of this intelligent young woman. I knew someone as stunning as her had to come from an equally impressive family and I am certainly not disappointed."

She shifted on her haunches as she considered the family in front of her for a moment, curiosity in her aqua gaze. "I won't take up too much of your time, but I wanted to start building more connections. I intend to establish a pack for myself and my family once our children are born and weaned - whether that is by gathering followers of my own or by force I haven't yet decided." Her eyes shifted from the Empress to the Shogun and back again, accessing their reactions. "If there are perhaps any packs that you might have issue with or might want to one day see reformed into something new... I'd be interested to hear." She was straight to the point, but she couldn't imagine that an Empress and her family would want to sit around chatting about the weather.

Manea | Temno | Ciemny

Alastor couldn't help the chuckle that came from him when Manea shot him that teasing look that held many familiar promises of what they'd do to each other once they'd finished their business here. It wasn't long before someone began to approach to answer their call for an audience—but it was not anyone the dire brute had expected to arrive. Instead of some reigning king or queen, a little girl came padding up to them, her long, luxurious fur flowing gracefully behind her with every smooth step. Despite being such a small, dainty thing that couldn't have been older than a couple of seasons, she carried herself with such confidence and spoke with a maturity the likes of which Alastor had never seen before. The girl was astoundingly gorgeous, with clean whites and blacks accented by red. But what Alastor knew Manea had valued the most were her mutations: a small set of nubs that would grow to be horns and occasionally catching the flick of a forked serpent tongue when she spoke. All at once, Alastor knew why Manea had wanted to be in the graces of this family.

The girl introduced herself in a long chain of syllables he could only barely understand, using words and dialects that left him reeling. He stared at the pup, obsidian eyes wide and mouth slack, trying to collect his thoughts enough to give her a coherent sentence. That proved to be quite difficult when he'd only understood every other word out of her mouth at best. Was that gibberish? Was she speaking gibberish to him? Oh boy, Alastor, think on your feet! She's greeting you, right? That makes sense. "Hello, little darling! My, aren't you a well-spoken young lady!" he said with his usual enthusiasm and zeal. He dipped his crown to her while Manea informed him that this was the special little girl she had spoken to him about. "I am. My name is Alastor, and it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance! My wife is quite taken with you, my dear, and I can see why!"

Shortly after Ikigai's arrival, Alastor spotted two more wolves approaching: a sizable fae and another daughter that looked more akin to a wobbly fawn with those long legs and strange horns and whiskers. The other daughter brought about a bright smile from Al, who rejoiced in the presence of puppies and found her clumsiness the most endearing thing ever. The woman, while beautiful and a clear herald of where the two girls had gotten their looks from, didn't strike Alastor as anything special—until she greeted them as Venom Abraxas, the empress, and Alastor saw the serpentine tongue that Ikigai possessed within her mother's maw as well. One by one Alastor began to put the pieces together. This was a family of mutants, and that was why Manea valued their company so highly.

Lastly came who Alastor assumed was the sire: massive, black and orange, curt in his words and dour in his expression. He introduced himself as Hattori, then remained silent, watching the two newcomers the way a warden would watch an inmate. Alastor shared a respectful dip of his head to the man, but let Manea hold the delegations as she saw fit. She was to be the Matriarch of their family, so he would give her that freedom and power to bloom on her own. Manea introduced them both, the dark brute exchanging his unending grin with his wife while subtly glancing his tail across her hip when hers brushed over his. He would behave, but he also wasn't one to not show affection back to his mate. Manea explained their intentions for the meeting, as well as their future plans and ambitions. Alastor silently watched the Ashen wolves, appraising them and keeping a general watchful eye on them. He didn't assume them to be threats, and normally couldn't have cared less if they had intended violence, but he had more to think about than just the fun of spilling blood, as was evident by the slight swelling of his mate's belly. He had more to live for now.

Manea did not mince words; she got to the topic at hand. They were starting a family. They desired land and power. Whether it came from a sharp tongue or sharp fangs, Alastor would give his beloved wife the world she deserved. "Or if there's any packs you simply think would be fun to watch burn, we can work with that," he added to the end of Manea's pitch. The grin on his face never faded, though the friendly connotations did shift toward more sinister intents as he spoke. "My wife is very taken with what you've accomplished so far, Your Grace. She's spoken of little the past week other than our children and establishing a pack worthy of a union with your empire. And believe me when I say she's dedicated and tenacious when she sees something she wants." That had certainly been the case with him. Manea had wanted him and a family with him, and now she was thoroughly pregnant and happy as a clam.


"Alastor"

Warning: Alastor is an explicitly mature character for violent and sexual content. Read his threads with caution.
As his mate, Manea may enter any of Alastor's threads not marked Private.
____________________

As Manea greeted her, Ikigai's maw split in a sweet little smile. She truly liked the purple woman. As Manea's mate, Alastor, complimented her, the child dipped her head in thanks, her metallic eyes downcast respectfully for but a moment. It was all about appearances with royalty and Ikigai had learned from the best. All eyes were on those of noble blood and those eyes deserved a show.

Moments later her mother arrived and Ikigai took a step to the side, allowing the matriarch of Ashen to take the lead in the conversation. It was good that Iki stepped aside. Ike came crashing onto the scene and Iki wasted no time in hurrying to her sister's side to make sure that she was okay. Though a lady, she would never put a situation above her family. The pallid child helped to dust her now larger sister off before sitting beside her in a show of support and just because she loved Ike.

Their father arrived next and gave his name. Then the real reason behind the visit from Manea an Alastor came to light. Ikigai listened with intense intrigue. They wanted a union with Ashen? Manea would have to establish a pack first, this the girl knew. Any sort of alliance would be beneficial to Ashen as long as the pack in question was strong and reliable. Perhaps she was a bit naive due to her age, but Ikigai believed that Manea and whatever pack she developed would be a good match with Ashen.

Once the adults had spoken their introductions and intents, Ikigai lifted her own delicate tones. "Manea was very kind to me. She told me stories of the world outside of Ashen. Stories from the land that she hails from." Ikigai wanted it to be known that the plum colored fae had her trust. In a sense, she was vouching for the woman.

"X"

Shuriken made quite the entrance, but her clumsiness was really no surprise, her poor daughter was certainly taking her time in gaining control of her long limbs. Venom could see that one day the girl would have her grace. Brown lifted with interest as the impressive woman looked her over and swiftly began to use her time with the Empress in discussion. Manea was obviously the leader of this partnership, much like herself and Hattori. Venom was the Empress and he was her Shogun, her support and right hand. Ike’s entrance did not only garner her mother’s attention but their guests as well. The woman and her mate understood, obviously endeared as Venom was with her clumsy daughter.

As the ruling class of the Ashen Empire gathered together the royal purple woman was swift to begin their meeting. Venom knew instinctively that these were a pair of powerful wolves, unlike anything that had come before her to date. Ulric and Artorias were a close second, but even the two of them couldn’t compare to the impressive wolves before her. Massive, colorful, obviously blessed. And smitten with her daughter Ikigai, Kiyohime as well but Iki had created a lasting impression. Manea tried to encourage Ike, mentioning her own similar experience while young. Venom smiled softly, proudly glancing at her beautiful children as the woman complimented the both of them.

”Thank you,” she returned with a small nod. Venom was well aware of the beauty of her children, but she accepted the compliment humbly. All of their royal children were impressive in their own right, but Iki and Ike were an excellent example for their guests. Ikigai had indeed already met this woman before, and she had left quite the impression. Venom grinned at her daughter, but her attention was fully on Manea and her husband. They were not quite peers yet, but Manea had quite the plan beneath her belt. Iki had created such an impression the woman wanted to meet with her first, and glean what information she could. ”It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” She offered the both of them with a respectful nod. It wasn’t difficult to see the power behind this couple. They couldn’t prove themselves at this moment, but the potential was glaringly obvious.

Venom was already much more impressed with this mysterious couple than she was with many of the leaders in Boreas. Manea was direct in her reasonings for meeting her now. She wanted to start creating a relationship, she wanted Venom’s opinion on where her attention should be placed. Power attracted power, as Alastor made obvious as he revealed his wife’s desire. They wanted to prove their efforts to a future relationship by targeting the packs Venom saw to be her biggest threat or enemy. Really, Ashen had no equal. Their sister packs, the packs collected within the Empire were the only ones to rival their power, and they were loyal to her.

Before she could speak Ikigai spoke once more from Ike’s side. She was such a great sister to her siblings, Venom smiled at her as she vouched for the couple before them. If Iki had been any of her other children her opinion might not have been held in such high regard. Venom lifted her brows curiously, allowing the possibilities to flourish in her mind instead of dismissing the wolves until they could prove their loyalty outright. Venom could be convinced to give them a chance, especially with Ikigai’s plea.
”I can not make any promises as we sit together right now,” she warned as sunset gaze shifted from the matriarch and back to her mate. She glanced at Hattori as well before she went on. ”I have no doubt you can prove the words you say,” they were obviously impressive and both had a mind to grasp what they wanted. ”With my daughter’s endorsement I will entertain the potential relationship. The pack to the North, I know it as Winterfell but I believe it has changed hands since their transgression against me. My sources tell me the pack has been quiet, perhaps even without a leader right now.” She told them with obvious interest. ”If you can indeed take them by force you would certainly win my loyalty.”

The tall princess fell forward, but reliably Ikigai was there to catch her. Shuriken relied heavily on her sister, for the comfort of lifting her back to her paws and the reassurance that she could get back up. This wasn’t the first time she tripped and unfortunately it wouldn’t be the last. Surprisingly Iki was not the only one to offer their support and her silber and baby pink eye lifted to the vibrant violet colored woman. Ike smiled politely as she looked up to her, hopeful what she said was true. Her mother the Empress was tall and graceful, everything Ike wanted to be. Sometimes it just felt like she would never grow into her massive paws. Looking at Manea’s gave Ike a bit of hope. She was practiced in her movements, despite possessing large tiger-like paws.

The young princess leaned into her sister’s side for support, despite being bigger she was much less confident and mature than her demure sister. She held to her child like innocence and capability. One day she would begin to really mature, but she was a vulnerable young babe. She watched the interaction between the adults with interest. She had little desire to be anyone’s voice, but especially a pack. Honestly she hadn’t thought much at all about her future beyond learning as much as she could to one day possess half the same grace and honor her mother or sister bore.

"Kiyohime Shuriken Ōritsu Abraxas"

Whilst Hattori would not outwardly speak against his wife, he couldn't say he agreed with her assertion. Was she simply being polite? Diplomatic in ways Hattori cared not to be, paying lip service whilst keeping her true thoughts and intentions hidden away. Perhaps, it was hard for him to know for sure. In situations like this, and Hattori had partook in many, wolves were often all talk, tending to go on and on about how reliable they were and why they ought to be trusted. As a man who was all action and little talk he found it very difficult to accept their words at face value and even if he did, why did Ashen need a pair of loners to do their dirty work? In Hattori's mind it would undermine the Empire's strength, imply they were not strong enough or willing to deal with matters alone.

But perhaps it was too soon to be checking for chasing shadows, the more packs indebted to the Empire the better, perhaps Venom had sensed this from the start.

He pursed his lips and side eyed Ikigai, his glazed silver gaze taking in the daintiness of her form, how she held herself so perfectly it made Kiyohime seem as though she was slouching.  She seemed fond of them, but that meant little to the Shogun, after all she was still just a child and polite enough to always try and see the best in others.

"If indeed." Was all Hattori said.

She glanced toward Alastor with a grin as he gave his vote of confidence for her and her ambitions, chuckling softly as she leaned over to give his cheek a grateful kiss. Of course she wouldn't expect her biggest cheerleader to say anything less, but it still meant quite a lot to have his support in an endeavor that was beyond his usual desires. If she had told him she wanted to do nothing more than kill and hunt and fuck for the rest of their days he would have done it happily. Pushing him into supporting her in her desire for power and prestige was probably not the path he would have picked for himself, but he went along with her anyway and she loved him for it. She turned her aqua gaze back toward Ikigai as she spoke up to give her approval for her as well as she gave the young girl a warm smile. She was such a bright child and so well spoken for her age. She was absolutely smitten with the girl and hearing her now made her tail wag gently behind her.

Bringing her gaze back to the Empress as she spoke, Manea smiled and gave a small, understanding not as she prefaced her words with the reminder that she couldn't make any promises right in this moment. It was a reasonable statement and Manea appreciated that rational thinking far more than someone who just caved at the first sign of strength in someone else. As Venom continued and described a pack in the north that sounded unimpressive at best and pitiful at worst a grin pulled across her lips with a chuckle. All she had really needed was a point in the right direction to keep herself from accidentally trying to lay claim to a pack that the Empress favored. A friendship with Venom and her pack would certainly be a benefit for her future conquests, but her biggest goal for this meeting was finding a target and Venom had done that for her excellently.

The Shogun's simple addition to the conversation drew an amused glance from her as she smirked, her aqua gaze shifting back toward Venom once more as she spoke. "So it will be done," she replied simply, chuckling again as she rose to her paws. "I won't take any more of your time, Empress. I appreciate you allowing me to meet with you today. If it's alright with you I would like to return once my children here so that they might meet your lovely family. Your children would be a wonderful influence for them." With that arrangement made and a new plan on the horizon she dipped her head respectfully to the Ashen rulers and began to depart, returning back to their temporary home with a wicked grin on her lips.

Manea | Temno | Ciemny