Takeshi had been practicing day in and day out for weeks trying to get his voice just right. Well, it was still a bit scratchy and it tended to jump up and down in pitch at random times, but it wasn’t much different than a normal adolescent’s voice he imagined. Well, if Kuroki’s voice was anything to say about it. He couldn’t stand to hide it from his family for much longer. He wanted to share with them the joy he’d acquired by obtaining his voice, something he knew he would be forever thankful to the Firefly God for. The boy had essentially become an entirely new wolf, and now it was time for his family to take part in it. So, he raised his head and called for them.

"Speech"

Surprise was the first thing that trailed up Ikigai's spine like tingling little tendrils. Never had she heard this voice, but somehow she knew. The message called to her family. Their family. She would not leave the caller waiting. Placing her instruments away with care, the pallid princess cut through Ashen lands, making a beeline for the shrine. She felt a sense of wonder and her mercuric gaze was wide as she came upon the form of Takeshi. A smile crinkled the corners of her metallic gaze and she moved, stepping up on tip-toe to nuzzle into one dark, cheek. "Brother," she greeted sweetly before taking a step back and seating herself, curling her long, obsidian paint brush of a tail around her slender hips. Together, they would wait for the remainder of their family to arrive.

"X"

The voice she heard was entirely unfamiliar despite the love she held for its owner. Curious and stunned Ike crawled from the dark of her room and crept towards her brother’s call. She had to put aside her self loathing for a few minutes. She had already gone and ruined her relationship with Iki, she couldn’t with Take too.

Said hurt sister had already arrived at their brother’s side. Ike didn’t know weather to feel awful or amazed. Her brother, her mute brother, had called her here and yet all she could think about was her own shame when she saw Iki, which only compounded her guilt. Mismatched ears fell to her skull as she approached sheepishly, her expression guilty and apologetic all at the same time as she looked towards Iki. Now wasn’t the time but she still whispered, "Iki, I’m so sorry.” Her brows furrowed in shame as she tore her gaze away and looked back at her brother.

Amazement filled her features then as she tried to shake her selfish emotions and she went to hug her brother.


"Speech"

Kiyo had been washing some dirty pelts on the sea shore when her grandson’s call had rang out, summoning his family to him. She paused in her menstrations, as well as her macaque next to her who had been helping. It wasn’t often that the silent giant called for them, but there was no urgency in his voice which calmed her. Looking to her companion, the macaque bowed to her and took the pelt and soap from her paws to take over the cleaning for her. The ghostly woman got to her paws, giving herself a shake to rid herself of the sand that clung to her before heading in the direction of the shrine, where the call had originated. It wasn’t long before she reached him, noting the presence of Ikigai as well. The woman smiled, pressing a kiss to Takeshi’s forehead and another to the pale princess’ cheek before sitting next to her, her should pressed against her granddaughter’s affectionately as they waited for the rest of the family.

"Hattori Kiyo"

Plague had hardly left the room he shared with his little family since their children were born, too amazed at this miracle they were given to miss a single moment of it. He laid there with Rava and Void, playing with their sweet pups as they rolled around on the bed of soft furs, his toes tickling their soft bellies and pulling giggles from each of them. However, when he heard a call for their family he wouldn't deny it—even though it did cross his mind to. He reluctantly got up, giving Rava and Void each a kiss on his way out, and hurried to go find who had called for him and the rest of their tight knit group. When he arrived he found Takeshi, Ikigai, Shuriken, and Kiyo waiting. For a moment he didn't quite register what that meant, but when he didn't see anyone else there and made the realization that the voice hadn't belonged to any of the women—which left only Takeshi as the possible source. He looked with surprise to his normally silent nephew, giving him a grin before he settled down on his haunches to eagerly await the others, not wanting to get his hopes up for his nephew too soon. With as much darkness and pain as they had all experienced in the last several months, he had been clinging to any piece of good news he had been able to get his paws on and no doubt this would give him more happiness to look forward to.

Plague | Viridis | Procella

It wasn't everyday that everyone gathered like one big 'ole happy family, but if Take wanted his big brother there then Kuroki wasn't gonna disappoint him. Making his way through the trees with long-leggy strides, Oki was a bit late on the scene but...not later than dad. He'd count that as a win, thank you very much.

First Kuroki made his way over to little Iki and gave her tail a playful, though notably gentle tug with his teeth before he moved onto harass his other sister Ike. When the hell had she gotten so tall? Filled out to match the rest of her dire siblings, it was only natural he gave her a shoulder shove before giving Grammy a gentle headboop to her shoulder in turn. As for uncle plague, congratulations were in order apparently. How many nieces and nephews did he have now? Oki was starting to lose count.

"Grats on having sex, uncle." He offered him a big and beaming grin before he finally flopped down onto the floor, legs spread as he turned his attention to his littlest brother.

"So bro what's goin' on? What's all the fuss about?"

If looks could kill Kuroki would be dead and rotting in the ground right now. Hattori padded his way through the group, offering polite head nods to those who deserved it and outright ignoring Kuroki in favour of scolding him later. He had not been social as of late, still getting used to being back within the pack, but this was not an event he intended to let pass by.

Settling near his (favoured)children, Hattori sat with square shoulders as he waited expectantly for whatever was to come next. Perhaps he had plans for the future he wished to share...but how? The boy could not speak, a fact that often frustrated the Shogun more than he cared to admit.

"speech."

She wasn’t sure she believed it when an unfamiliar voice rang out within their borders, gathering their family. Venom wasn’t sure she wanted to believe her mother’s intuition, a fact she was uncertain of until her thin frame appeared from ivory trees and her sunset gaze landed on Takeshi. Oki was lucky that she didn’t hear him compliment his uncle as she appeared to be one of the last to show up. She gave Hattori a loving nuzzle to his cheek before nudging Plague’s shoulder and offering him a knowing grin. She bowed her head to Kiyo before all of her attention remained on her children.

Age brought them far from childhood at this point and each of them were growing into the wolves they were supposed to be. Venom huddled next to them and looked up to her once silent son. Could it be?

First to arrive was his regal Geisha sister, Ikigai. She always seemed to move with a grace that astounded him, like the gentle trickle of a stream, and it reminded him much of their grandmother. The smaller yearling struggled to reach his cheek and the massive, scaled boy lowered his head to obligue her, returning her nuzzle with one of his own. A soft grin settled on his featured and his white flecked tail gave a flicker behind his frame.

His glowing red gaze rose upward to see his black and white mottled sister arrive, though there seemed to be a strange tension between her and Ikigai. His grin faltered, concern surrounding his heart. Had the two gotten into a fight that he didn’t know about? Normally his sisters came to him for everything, tittering in his ear over crafts or cuddles as he offered a listening ear, but as of late he felt that they were all growing apart. It tore him, to be honest, as he loved his family with every shred of his being. Fighting amongst them was foreign to them, and he made a note to talk to her about it. The girl offered him a hug, and this time he didn’t need to lean down to reciprocate. His sister had grown up and into her height, which did push a glimmer of pride past his concern. A finely muscled foreleg rose up to wrap around her, squeezing as he returned the hug.

His grandmother arrived next, ever the picture of grace and beauty, and she offered a kiss to his forehead, which he leaned down to condone. His pallid uncle arrived shortly after, offering him a grin as he took his spot and Takeshi offered him a bow of his head in greeting in return. He knew the man had just had a litter with his partners and he so wished to offer him words of greeting, but the time wasn’t right just yet. He needed to wait for the rest of the family, and so he left it a wordless greeting.

Oki arrived, always the reverse image of prim and proper with his remark that made Takeshi bite his tongue to keep from snorting. It was so inappropriate, but so his brother at the same time and he couldn’t imagine it any other way. His father, however, as he arrived, cast his sibling a glance that told him he didn’t appreciate it either way. The Ashen Dragon went slightly stiff at the arrival of the Shogun, his bow deep and proper in respect to his sire’s rank, and he stayed that way as his mother arrived, showing her the same respect. Kitsune was last on scene, fashionably late as ever, but he didn’t mind it a bit. He simply offered her the same appreciative glance, noticing the curiosity that brimmed in her bright eyes that always seemed to be present. It was good to know some things never changed.

Then, everyone was present and he felt his heart begin to hammer in his chest. His tongue felt thick and suddenly he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to get the words out. Gods, how embarrassing would it be if he called them all there just to fizzle out? No, it couldn’t happen. It wouldn’t happen. The glowing yearling took a deep breath, licking his lips and steadying himself. He opened his mouth and began. “About a season ago, I think I was visited by a…a God. In return for some of my scales, he blessed me with my voice. I didn’t mean to hide it from you all, but it’s been…a bit of a work in progress. But I wanted to show you, because you’re the most precious wolves in the world to me and I wanted one of the first words from my mouth to you to be thank you. Thank you for loving me and caring for me, even when I was lacking and incomplete. I hope, going forward, I can be a more fitting son, brother, nephew and heir to Ashen.” The yearling’s voice was a tenor rumble, not quite a booming base but still soothing to the ears all the same. It was the most he’d ever said at once, and toward the end his voice broke, either from being overworked or from emotion, he wasn’t quite sure.

His large body moved, long, dark legs extending forward in his sitting position and body arching as he bend his head in a deep, reverent bow to the wolves in front of him who had helped turn him into the wolf he was.

"Thoughts/expression intention"

Woops! She didn’t mean to be late, but somehow it just seemed to happen. She was still recovering from the disease, and the terrible, unspeakable accident that had happened to her during it. It made her a little more subdued, a little more sheepish. But she still came and joined her family. Eyes roving across each member of it with a feeling of love in her heart.

Her sheepishness wasn’t enough to drown out her curiosity however. Take seemed to take central point of this meeting, and that was unusual for him. More than that, she wasn’t sure exactly who had called on his behalf. It hadn’t been a voice she had recognised. So, what was going on? Did he have an outside friend too that he wanted to introduce to them all?

She yelped in surprise when he began to speak, and then settled won, ducking her head in embarrassment. Her eyes, when they returned to Take, were brimming with surprise and joy as she let him tell his story in peace.

“You’ve never been lesser, you goose” she said, coming forward to kiss her brother's nose. “I love you, speech or no speech.”


"Kitsune"

After kissing Take's cheek, Iki tilted her head to see the approaching form of Ike. The pallid fae's ears tucked for a moment, but she forced a smile. Iki was more than a little surprised to hear the whisper come from her sister and a warmth of relief flooded through her. Iki gave a single nod then moved back a bit so her grandmother could greet Take.

With Kiyo sitting beside her. Iki leaned into her grandmother for a moment, head on the silver woman's shoulder in a half embrace. Other members of the family began filing in, the most rambunctious of which was Oki of course. His words to their uncle brought an involuntary snort from Ikigai which she attempted to cover up with a light cough, one paw rising to hide the humor on her features. She was never so... unladylike. He'd simply caught her off guard. The girl took a moment to compose herself, but shot daggers at her brother with a look.

Once everyone was assembled... Take began to speak. Ikigai's brows rose and she found herself standing, her attention completely for her horned sibling. His words made her shake her head. Had he always felt as though he was less because he couldn't speak? It hurt the girl to her core. She never wanted any of them to feel as though they weren't enough. Never.

Kitsune arrived and was the first to reply to their brothers words. Ikigai took a step forward, giving a firm nod. "You've never been less, Takeshi." Suddenly, she couldn't help herself. The smallest of them rushed her giant brother, standing on hind paws so that she could wrap her slender forelegs around his neck. Into his ear she whispered, "I'm glad he visited you too," before placing a kiss on his cheek, giving him a wink, and stepping back so others might be able to congratulate him as well.

"X"

Shuriken felt heavy all encompassing guilt over her actions towards her sister and she hadn’t told anyone about it. She was too ashamed to even come to their quiet brother. Just because he couldn’t admonish her with his voice she could see his thoughts in his expression and she couldn’t stand the look of disappointment from him. She didn’t miss his curious look as she offered her quiet apology to her sister. Iki gave her a tiny nod of acceptance, both of them understanding this was neither the time nor the place, but the words seemed to smooth everything. The anxiety left her and Shuriken was able to sit back and give her brother all of her attention as he deserved.

Her dual toned eyes remained on her sibling as he greeted the whole of their family. None of them having any idea this would be the final time all of them gathered in one place. Ike would solidify this moment in her memory, as the peak of their relationship. All of the wolves that she loved the most right here, celebrating Take and the development and blessing he wanted to show them.

Then he was talking, really talking. Her mouth dropped and adoration showed in her features as happiness for her brother swelled in her heart. He was whole. "Take…” She was frozen for a moment, but as Ikigai rushed forward she followed after swiftly, wrapping her own awkward arms around her siblings. She let the relief, the happiness, the bliss to fill and overwhelm her.

"Speech"