He lets out a big yawn. Well, big for his age. Imp tumbles out of the den but remained by the entrance. He blinks beady little pup eyes, looking at the big old world out there. Glancing around, he squeaks for anything - anyone - to entertain him. The boy is already demanding but does not cry. Perhaps he'd regret anyone bothering him in due time, but right now he is a child. He needs attention, requires it... "Ma?" He squeaks, looking around for his ever-present mother. Imp blinks again, his duo-colored eyes reflecting the harsh light of the outside. "Ma" he demands again "Ma!" He squeals this time, his voice rising. Nobody had ever left him alone before! He is both scared and annoyed. Obviously, someone has to be around! They wouldn't just leave him here, would they? Unless there was something wrong with him. Something... Terribly wrong. "MA!" he yells, surprised at his own voice. Imp stumbles backward from the yell, rolling onto his back and kicking his feet into the air. He squeaks again, kicking wildly.

Things were... Weird. Ichor hadn't really had a relationship with any of his older siblings, so he didn't really feel any deep sadness over the passing of his elder sister but there was a sort of general sadness? Probably because he could see how badly it was affecting his mother, but at the same time he had new siblings, which should have been a good thing... Right? Honestly, Ichor wasn't really sure how to handle the whiplash. He was a social sponge and right now he was just soaking in the confusion.

The young Klein, smallest of all his siblings was meandering his way up the mountain, he'd left his stinking nest at dusk with every intention of trying to find some more rocks to add to his collection when he'd heard the wailing. It was coming from just beyond the mouth of his mother's den and the young man laid eyes on what he had to assume was one of his new brothers. "Jeez keep that up kid and soon enough you'll wake the dead." He said as he approached, his tone wasn't threatening, teasing even but he wasn't about to blunt his words for his younger brother. No doubt soon one of the kid's parents would show up to rescue him, Ichor had no doubt that his mother was probably even more protective than usual right now, but hey, might as well get to know one of the new siblings right?

"Ichor Klein"

Art by yo-stta

Wake the dead? Now that was interesting. Imp blinked up at the other boy, the much bigger one, with wide eyes. He stopped flailing and stopped screaming, more out of a need to feel himself scream than actually demanding his mother's attention. He gave a massive oof and rolled onto his side, then picked himself up on wobbly legs. "Who you?" he asked, frowning at the bigger kid. Wait, remember what he said... "I can wake dead?!" he barked, unaware of his older sister's passing at the moment "I wanna!" Imp proclaimed "then... then we have army of people who can't die again!" Habari would be so great then, wouldn't it? Conquering the entire world, bringing folks to their knees, and... yep. He was probably high off the stories Ma and Da were telling his litter about kingdoms and stuff "Habby-ri be the best pack ever!" An army, and a general leading the dead. He launched himself at the boy, taking nips of the air around his ankles. It was clear Imp just wanted to play fight - nothing serious, else he'd actually take a nibble. He bounced around the other kid, rump wiggling and tail wagging.

TABLE & CODE © SKELLE 2021
"Speech!"
Oh, goody. Fresh meat. He didn’t realize his little siblings were up and about already, and he wondered how his mother was faring considering his older sister had suddenly died. He should’ve felt for her, supported her through her grief, but his emotions didn’t work like that. He had very little to no ability to feel sorry, or sad, or upset. In that same vein, he lacked quite a bit of empathy and sympathy for others, a trait that would only continue to harden within the core of his personality. Besides his littermates and his mother, those outside that circle didn’t receice much of the same genuine emotion and affection he had for them. Thus, the death of Kali, though he had to try and feel sad for her, left little of a mark on him. It seemed strange, off..not normal. Something he was finding out was a common trait within him. Not normal. And certainly not stable. Still, he had an obligation to look out for these pups, did he not?

The spotted male was awoken to the sound of wailing. No doubt his little sibling, crying out for their mother. With a groan, Mac decided to forgo the sleep he had just settled into - the strange pattern of being awake half the night and asleep half the day - and trot towards the commotion. His brother Ichor was already there, and that little grey and white child that clearly had Recluse’s coat genes embeded into his fur. The spotted boy tilted his head, looking at the child’s eyes, almost staring quite creepily as his silver gaze shone even at the emergence of dusk. A wide, toothy smile cracked his lips, twisting them upwards like a gnarled tree branch. It was his signsture grin, but to a little child, it would probsbly look a little strange. If not utterly terrifying. Either way, he’d crack up at the kid’s reaction. "It’s good you know Habari’s the best pack out there, even at your age," Mac said, his tone of voice softened for talking to a child, but barely concealing his ususal strangeness. No doubt he wasn’t goong to be the best older sibling, but like Ichor, he wasn’t harmful. But like his small brother, he wasn’t about to sugercoat his words, either. Kids have to grow up at some point, rather sooner than later.

Ichor had to give it to the kid, he had the spirit at least but as he began to yell Ichor winced, remembering that this topic was probably in pretty poor taste right now. He popped a forepaw out to place on the kid's head. "Shh don't go shouting it, Habari's all about secrecy, don't want other packs learning we got this power right?" He wasn't sure he was equipped to even begin to explain death to the kid and why it wasn't a great look be shouting about it right now. Macabre walked up beside him and Ichor glanced up at his litter mate. Mac's eyes were probably pretty unnerving to most wolves, and even he couldn't help the shiver that went down his spine when it was paired with that smile of his, but he'd learned to get used to it. After all they'd been born during a weird time, they'd all thought the world as it had been during the long night had been normal. Which meant that his tolerance for weirdness was pretty fucking high.

Their younger brother began to play fight at his ankles and after a glance up at Mac again Ichor decided someone better play along. He groaned loudly and rolled over onto his back, legs stiff and he rolled his forked tongue out of his mouth. "Please no more!" He wailed melodramatically.

"Ichor Klein"

Art by yo-stta

To his credit, he did shut up. Somewhat. Imp's jaw opened and closed wordlessly a few times, eyes in awe. He flinched, closing his pinkish-red eye when one of the older boys popped a paw on his skull. A salmon tongue poked from his lips. "Oooh, okay" so it was a Habari secret? "so, like, anyone can do it? Or just royals cause we're more awesome?" He assumed this, even if the others were jesting with him. Putting up with, was more like, but Imp didn't think long on it. Hell, he really didn't think long on much.

Da and Ma told him once he was a prince, the future of the pack. Imp took this as a sign Habari was awesome but also he was awesome. This only fueled his ego when the older boy rolled over, admitting defeat. "Never!" he cried out, abandoning Ichor's ankles and giving a great leap, landing squarely on his belly instead. His little rear wiggled with excitement, not at all caring the other boy wasn't joining in "for Habari!" Against another Habarian? Well, whatever floated his boat.

"he speaks"