Viper was simple put, a Hobo. Her whole life she slept in caves or right out under the stars. Occasionally if she had to she could find an old, dug out, crumbling den to call it a night. But she never had roots anywhere specific and she never thought highly of making a dug in den herself. She was born in the caves of Waterfall Peak, and when she was enslaved in Ruina, her den was already dug out. She hid in the mountains of the north after that, and then once she traveled in the southern lands, it was where ever she laid her head at night. But being in Ashen was hard. The only mountain caves she could have resided in were claimed by Hattori and Venom, and she definitely wasn't going to just jump in and shack up with them. She spent a lot of her nights sleeping by the shrine. It was still awfully cold, but it seemed there was something magical about the shrine that kept it at least not entirely frozen. The fish still swam at the bottom, so maybe the ground underneath them had some kind of warmth source. Tonight was not a good night though, and Viper found herself losing sleep over the bitter cold. She shuddered as she tried to go back to sleep, thinking that if she could just sleep through the night it would be a new day and over with. She lingered on the in and out of sleep for a good long while, and when she was just too annoyed to try anymore, she found her thoughts drifting to the warmth Chimera had given her. Yeah, the sex was great and all. But her mind lingered on the warmth of his body against hers. She made her way across the land bridge that he had built, standing on his island. She had given him privacy among their everyday pack life, and honestly she was a little worried about bothering him. Especially in the middle of the night like it was now. She stood there pondering whether or not to turn back and go to the shrine to be by herself again. She felt silly just standing on the beach of his island, not even moving forward to meet him. She stood there for a few minutes, turning as if she was going to go back to the shrine. But Chimera's warmth far outweighed what insecurities she had. And soon she would find herself tracking exactly where he had his den. It wasn't hard, given where the most amount of traffic went through. And by the time she laid eyes on his den, she figured it was too late to stop now. She went to step quietly into the entrance, knowing others lived on the island but didn't necessarily know they all shared the same den. The three of their scents inside, she lingered again, not sure if it was such a good idea to just jump into their house. But she didn't want to announce her presence and wake everyone else up either. She took a few quiet steps in, follow Chimera's scent off to the side. Hopefully he wouldn't be too upset she just broke into his entire island. "Chimera" -- "Viper"

The night was unnaturally cold. So cold that Chimera had stabbed a hole in the ceiling and built a fire in the middle of the den. He never would have dreamed that they'd be forced to start a fire inside, which was the reason that there wasn't some sort of fireplace. The smoke trailed up through the hole in the roof of the den so they wouldn't all die from smoke inhalation. The furs were tucked tightly against the doorways. In the shell chamber, Siren and her slave slept quietly, nestled in a mountain of furs. The black and white dire wolf slept alone in his own, though he was also curled up in a mountain of furs. They were easy to come by when you hunted as much as he did. With the den warm and comfortable, Chimera was sleeping well. Curled up on his side with a bison fur blanket pulled over him, the warmth had lulled him in a dream-filled sleep. Mint colored eyes turned up at the corners as someone smiled upon him. Chimera and the other wolf raced over the plains like the wind, prey animals falling at their paws with every flying leap that they made. Blood flew in rivers as the teeth and claws of the pair ripped into the animals around them. Hunters as great as they were could not be stopped. They would not be stopped. Not until everything was dead and the world ran red with blood. A low growl sounded and the dream instantly ended. Mismatched eyes opened and Chimera sat up. The mastiffs were warning him of a presence. An intruder. Rolling to his paws, the brutes black and white pelt bristled. Pushing the fur covering away from his chamber door, Chimera stepped out into the den. The light from the flickering fire illuminated a small form on the far side of the fire. Only the lack of action from Gem and Meg kept him from leaping the fire to attack. Both mastiffs were still curled up in their own fur piles and didn't seem alarmed. Coming around the fire so that his sensitive vision could adjust, Chimera's brow furrowed to see the shivering woman standing there. His nose wrinkled slightly as he noted that there was actually ice clinging to her black and russet pelt. What in the hell was she doing out in weather like this? She should have been home in her den, waiting out the storm. He took another step towards her. "Viper, what are you doing?" His tone was slightly accusatory and gruff, but it was still somewhat soft so that he didn't wake the dens other two occupants. "Chimera" -- "Viper"

Chimera laid eyes on her, and his gruff voice made her feel like she may have done something wrong. But her face did little to reflect it. Instead she stood there a few seconds, her gaze flicked to the scents of the other two women inside the den. Her jaw opened slightly like she was about to explain, but she remained silent. Instead she moved forward towards Chimera, maybe a little too eager, but she wanted to push her head into his warm chest, rubbing gently much like a cat. Her intent was not in a sexual nature, her little shivers could have shown that she was needing some much needed thawing. If Chimera and her hadn’t gotten along like they had, she would still be at the shrine freezing her ass off. But it was also not something she wasn’t used to. Somehow the universe must have wanted her to survive, her strive or her will must have been strong enough. She didn’t know the answers. Viper was typically not a creature that understood or cared about the boundaries of others. And while her time in Fireside may have changed some of that, she was still the same just careful. Being beside Chimera made her on edge, but she was growing to learn with every touch they made, it was filling the loss inside of her that she tended to ignore. But finding that comfort in him was way better than burying the feelings. "Chimera" -- "Viper"

Rather than answer him, Viper came at him, pressing her chilled form into his warm body. Chimera's ears tucked back against his skull for a moment before he sighed. "Why aren't you asleep in your den?" She really was a strange one. The woman had still only spoken one word to him and that word had been his own name. Yes, Chi liked the quiet, but Viper was too quiet. He didn't read minds so he had no idea what she was thinking or feeling. What he did know was that he wouldn't let her stay there and freeze. Pulling away from the icy fae, Chimera padded towards his chamber and pulled the fur aside. With a jerk of his nose, he motioned for Viper to go inside. The prospect of curling up with her during the coldest snowy night so far wasn't a bad one. He just wished she'd have asked to come stay with him before he'd already fallen asleep. Once Viper was inside with him, Chi dropped the fur that covered the doorway. There were gaps at the bottom and sides of the skin that he didn't bother tucking in. This allowed the orange glow of the fire to illuminate the space ever so slightly. The large dug out room was covered with tons of furs. The ceiling was high so that the giant brute didn't bump his head or even brush his ears across the top. The floor and walls had been packed tightly and covered with clay which had hardened to provide yet another layer between the occupant and the earth around him. The space was large enough for several wolves, but Chi was the only one that entered here. Before now, that was. "Chimera" -- "Viper"

Chimera pulled away before she could even speak, mostly because she was indulging in his warm body. She only watched for the moment as he prepared for Viper to join him. Her head lowered as she gladly, and silently put herself where Chimera set her up. She made herself comfortable, not hesitating to push her own tiny body into his as she rolled. She gave him a smile like all of this was normal. Like she wasn't freezing to death, or that she just belonged right there next to him. Looking up to him with her chest facing inward to his body, she'd finally let out a quiet tone, "I don' have a den." it must have been polite to answer his question or whatever, not that she was really thinking about that. But her eyes had wandered around his den that had a fire, and numerous pelts from their kills. Viper hadn't thought of keeping any of the pelts for herself. she left everything for the stores. It wasn't like she had anywhere to store her own things. Viper had almost forgotten what it was like to lay beside someone, whether it was someone like Chimera or her mother. She spent a lot of lonely nights out in the barren northern lands. There wasn't much she did other than hunt, eat, and sleep. Only surviving. She almost didn't need the social interaction that other's needed. And had Chimera chose to leave her behind she wouldn't have been that hurt about it, or at least she would know how to move on. "Chimera" -- "Viper"

The brute's brow furrowed, his nose wrinkling, as Viper admitted to not having a den. Well where in the hell did she sleep then? Just out on the ground somewhere? Didn't she know that she was small and that things could eat her or at least hurt her? She was a dummy. A stupid, cold dummy. Chimera would dig her a den as soon as the weather let up. If he had to make her sleep in the damn thing, he very well would. How had no one ever noticed that she was just out sleeping in the middle of nowhere? It may not have been too bad in the summer months, but this was an extended winter. No. She needed a den. She was cold and she was wet now that the ice was melting off of her coat. It was far from comfortable, but Chimera would get through it. Viper pressed herself against him like she belonged there and he wouldn't push her away despite the nastiness of the water soaking into his formerly warm, dry coat. With a rumble, he licked the top of her head once then settled down in the furs. Pulling one of the various furs over the woman for extra warmth, Chi placed his head back on the plush pile and promptly went back to sleep. He had to admit... it wasn't too bad falling asleep with someone curled up beside him. -Time skip- "Chimera" -- "Viper"

Viper wouldn't hug Chimera or anything like that. It somehow didn't exactly feel like the right thing to do for now, not that she would have rejected the feeling. But throughout the night her back or chest would rest comfortably on his own body, enjoying the extra, natural warmth that radiated off of him. She slept like a baby which she would have outside if it hadn't been one of the coldest nights of the Nor'easter or whatever was happening around them. Insomnia had never plagued Viper, and so when morning came she wouldn't be aware that Chimera and even the others had left the den. When she woke, curled into the pelt that Chimera had covered her in, her body rolled slowly to view his side of the bed discovering his absence. She wouldn't sulk over it though, he had things to do. She had uh, training or something to do. She slipped out of the pelt not caring to put them neatly anywhere or the sort. And she would exit the enormous den while it was empty, bracing the still cold temperatures outside. It made her shudder as she adjusted, being in such a cozy environment prior. She didn't intend to go out and find Chimera, but she had caught his scent a little further into the island. She felt like maybe she should thank him or something? Maybe. Viper after all hadn't known what proper manners were. She was a pretty oblivious creature. She came across him as he was digging in the tough ground, her head crooked she just stood and watched. She knew he was making a den, she had just sucked at making ones herself. But she didn't think he was making a den for her. She stayed silently behind him, most creepily, not wanting to interrupt his work. "Chimera" -- "Viper"

Morning soon arrived and rather than stay in bed like Viper seemed content to do, Chimera was up and ready to work. Out of the den he moved, turning up his nose at the snow that had fallen. He was tired of it. Tired of the cold. He wanted one day where he could sprawl out on the beach and let the sun warm the dark side of his coat. Just one day. Was it too much to ask? Across the bridge he went, reaching Dove Island in good time. It was the closest island to his own. Chi sniffed around for a while, looking for a decent place to start his project. It was always a project. He was always doing something. Today, he was digging a den for the dummy sleeping in his furs. Who didn't have a den? Scoffing inwardly, Chimera set to work. Wide paws and dulled claws pulled sandy earth up and away. He'd chosen a spot nestled between several snow covered palms. It looked as though the tropical plants were having just as hard of a time in the snow as all of Ashen was. Again and again he scraped his paws through the ground, pulling away great furrows of earth. Soon there was the semblance of a den mouth, then he went deeper and deeper. Then only his rump was exposed to the cold winter air. The brutes eyes adjusted to the darkness within the hold and his body went into autopilot. He dug mindlessly. The space didn't have to be terribly large. Viper was small, after all. He'd been considerate in his choice of location. The stand of trees would block the winter winds and the angle of her den would point straight towards his own across the water. If he tried hard enough, maybe he could see her from his island. A little selfish on his part, but she obviously wasn't capable of taking care of herself. Chi didn't even notice when Viper showed up. He just continued working and chipping away at the den that he was crafting for a woman who probably wouldn't even say thank you. "Chimera" -- "Viper"

Chimera continued digging while Viper observed quietly, as per usual. His logically thinking was beyond her, the spot between the trees, facing his island. She was more focused on the digging part, seeing how he positioned the dirt and what angles he went under at. Though she would probably never need to dig another den herself if Chimera was digging this one for her. She still stood a while, watching their surroundings and his working, but finally she would, "I’ve never needed a den before. I don’ know how." She managed without one at least. Why dig a den if you were just going to pick up the next morning and be on your way? Minus the part she just didn’t want to make one because she sucked at it. Her rump was seated in the sands as she still watched, "Thanks." Her tail wagged slightly to his hospitality, though now she was seeing Chimera as a part of her life and she wouldn’t imagine that he would leave, or turn out like Jupiter. Not that she wouldn’t manage that too. "Chimera" -- "Viper"

Deep in mindlessness, the voice sounded from behind him startled the brute, bringing his thoughts back to the present. He thumped his head against the top of the den and growled at the pain. Casting a look over his shoulder, he spied Viper sitting in the sand, looking pleased as punch. "No one ever taught you how to dig? You didn't figure it out on your own?" She was such a dummy. How had she stayed alive for as long as she did? Though she was a good hunter, Viper was lacking in other areas. She was inept in many things. Why then did he like her? Viper thanked him for his efforts and Chi grunted in response before motioning with one paw for her to come forward. "All you have to do is find a place with hard packed dirt, then start digging a hole. Make it big enough for your body or whatever body you think is going to be in it, then start digging straight back until you make a room." It would be obvious that he'd made the doorway big enough to fit his own massive frame within. Really, how else was he supposed to dig? "Take the dirt out and throw it somewhere else. I like to keep it nearby in case I need to patch up a wall or build something else." Not that Viper would probably build anything or think that she needed to patch a wall... Having given her the basics, Chi continued to work. His paws moved quickly, scraping the dirt away until the den was big enough for him to turn around in. They could make it bigger later, but for now he needed a break. Moving back out onto the sand, Chimera settled down on the snow spattered beach, sprawling out on his stomach since it was his favorite way to lay. Hind legs stretched out behind and his tail settled between them on the sand. Up above, the sun was peeking out from behind the clouds in spurts. He would take what he could get of the sunlight today even though it bothered his pale pink eye. "Chimera" -- "Viper"

Wow had Chimera never spoken as much before. That was okay though, Viper didn’t mind, she wasn’t like him. He explained well but she still pondered the logistics of it. Packed dirt, keeping it around. She wouldn’t ignore the teachings, but she didn’t fully get it. She’d still much rather go find a cave to live in. Chimera stepped back for a break, and Viper followed him to the shore side. He stretched himself out, soaking in what little sun there was. The day was better than the night had been for sure, at least seeing that Viper was no longer covered in ice and shivering. She laid beside Chimers, her paws reached out to lay over his own. Her eyes went to meet up at his with a smile. She was enjoying their time together wether they were out slaughtering or just sitting here on the snowy beach. "Chimera" -- "Viper"

As Chimera lay sprawled on the sand, Viper came to lay beside him. She placed her paws upon his and the brutes tail thumped once in the sand. It seemed that she was sentimental or something. Chi didn't really mind. He was getting more and more accustomed to having her near and having her touch him. It was an interesting development. He and Siren had essentially been abandoned by their parents. They'd raised one another. No one had touched him aside from Siren. Now here was this woman, touching him freely and he enjoyed it. Was he growing up? Possibly. Maybe it was just Viper. He couldn't imagine allowing another wolf to lay paws on him so freely. The pair lay there in silence for a time as the hard working brute rested his bones. After a while, he extracted his paws from hers and moved back towards the hole. He would have a den dug for her today. It wouldn't be extravagant or anything, but she would be out of the elements. There would be no excuse for freezing to death. He'd have to supply her with furs too since she obviously had nothing to her name. Casting his pale pink eye towards her, Chi rumbled. "Take Meg and Gem. Go back to my den and collect whatever furs you want for your den." He was being quite generous. In time, they could expand on the den, making it something large and spacious. Something to be proud of. For now, it would just be a simple sleeping space. "Chimera" -- "Viper"

Viper wouldn't go chasing after his paws as he pulled them away, she wasn't as delicate at least on the outside if Chimera left her for the day or whatever. Not that she wouldn't miss his presence or the sort. He would move back to the den he was making for her though, she would rise taking gentle steps behind him. He would insist though to go back to the den and pick out a few pelts. She wouldn't refuse, but she didn't really want to take Chimera's things either. Couldn't they just wait until they went out on a hunting mission again? She went back to the island, entering the den and going directly into Chimera's side room. Meg and Gem followed her in, waiting for her to pick out what she wanted. She was actually looking for something that would remind her of one of the times her and Chimera were out together, but most of their kills had been on the smaller, large herd size. She came across on oxen pelt which she gladly grabbed before making her way out of the den. Gem and Meg just grabbed another pelt each while Viper was only set on the one she wanted. The mastiffs would make sure they took more per Chimera's order. She returned back to Chimera as he was working again, dropping her pelt to the ground behind him, "I wanna bear pelt." Er, this was why she didn't speak. It would have been better to just take Chimera out and find a bear that way, she didn't like the tone in her voice or how unintelligent she sounded. Or maybe it was rude or something. But she was generally inviting Chimera out for a future outing, for none other than a bear which wasn't entirely easy. If he had any bear pelts back in his den, she didn't want that one. She wanted one that they hunted together. "Chimera" -- "Viper"

While Viper and the dogs went back to his den, Chimera continued to work. Wide paws smoothed out the ceiling and the floor. It wasn't anything spectacular, but the dirt wouldn't be dripping down on Viper while she slept. Eventually he would help her to shape the den. They could dig shelving and different rooms. The whole thing could be coated in clay so that it would harden and she wouldn't be sleeping in filth. In time, Viper returned with a fur between her jaws. She'd chosen an oxen pelt. Just one. Chi raised a brow. Most women would have chosen dozens, right? One fur would hardly keep her warm. Thankfully Meg and Gem deposited a few more furs. It was a start. If winter continued, Viper might need quite a few more furs. Taking one of the furs that the dogs had brought, Chi used it to create a door flap. It would keep the wind and snow out of the den. The two-toned man used two sharp sticks to pierce the skin and stake into the packed dirt at the top of the doorway. Once he made sure that the skin was secure, he took the other furs and placed them within the den, making a sort of nest with the giant oxen fur. The other few furs would serve as blankets and padding. Back outside, Viper confessed that she wanted a bear fur. Chi huffed softly and one brow raised in amusement. She never asked for anything, so asking him for a bear pelt was... nice? "If that's what you want, we'll get you one." Moving around the side, he nudged Viper towards her new den with a muzzle bump to her rump. "Go see if you like it." "Chimera" -- "Viper"

The den had been completed, not that Viper had noticed. Chimera put the finishing touches with the cover on the doorway and placed the rest of the pelts comfortably inside. Once he was finished, he poked his nose at her pushing her to go inside and check it out. She wouldn't disagree. As much as this may not have been perfect in the eyes of it's maker, or like Chimera's den, it could have been almost magical to Viper. She hadn't had a home since... Since she was only but a season old. But home was wrapped up in Rain and Aranea, home was having that wolf beside her and around her keeping her warm. Not a den or a cave that she resided in. Her thoughts weren't running to Chimera in that sense, but she did know his presence was always welcome. She didn't tie her lost feelings on family to him, at least not yet. Viper wasn't emotional, she had never cried in her life. And she wasn't now, but had she been a sad little lost princess, she would have cried now. She wouldn't have much to say when she left the den. She pondered before leaving, not wanting Chimera's efforts to go unnoticed. She didn't really know how to repay him. She found comfort in Chimera, especially when he wanted to. But she knew nothing about love, the meaning behind sex, and the like. She just knew what they did made them both feel good and, well, happy. Her immature mind drawing a line in the mud to where their possibilities could go. She exited the den, making sure the pelt on the door went back to it's normal positioning and finally looked back to Chimera with a crooked smile, "Big." Chimera after all had fit himself in it to make it. But she wasn't just saying it was too big for her, it was almost like she wanted someone to share it with. Chimera specifically, not that she would say that out loud. "Chimera" -- "Viper"

Viper walked into the den and gave it a cursory glance. He could see, just by the way her eyes wandered that she was trying hard to look over all of it. Chimera gave a snort of amusement and pulled his head back out of the den. When she returned, she decided that the best descriptor was its size. Another snort left the man and he gave his head a shake. She was certainly an odd one. "Don't sleep out in the cold anymore," he ordered. All he needed was to find her frozen to the ground, dead and lifeless. It wasn't a pleasing thought. She needed a babysitter. He couldn't spare Meg and Gem, so an idea was slowly forming. He'd just have to get her a babysitter. Snuffling the top of Viper's head, Chimera pointed at the den again. "Sleep in there. I'm serious. I'll be back." He had a bit of a journey to make, but it would be worth it. Rising, Chimera moved away from the freshly dug den and out of Ashen lands. There was a certain vendor that he needed to see. "Chimera" -- "Viper"