Snare crafting post 1/3

The day was quickly approaching the late evening hours and Take had ventured back into the palace. His heavy paws thumped unceremoniously on the stone floors, his bioluminescent scales flickered red light off of the walls as he went, prepared to head to bed for another early morning the next day. However, as he passed the Great Room, he noticed his mother snuggled up by the fire on one of the large furs. She had a large pile of long, dried prairie grasses in front of her, several of which she was rolling together to form a strong rope, likely for snares. In the winter, when prey was less abundant, it was easier for them to set up snares than go hunting constantly like they could in the summer. The weather was just too inhospitable.

The boy turned and made his way inside, walking up to the Empress and pressing a kiss to her temple with a rumble of greeting. Then, he turned and grabbed a few pieces of paper off of a nearby table and a quill and laid down on the other side of the pile, picking up a few blades of the grass before beginning to roll them together between his paws to form the rope. The paper was so that he could respond to her, knowing she'd like want to ask about his day and the usual things.

"Thoughts/expression intention"

Rain poured outside the palace walls, one reason that Venom was working here inside instead of out and about in the pack. There were only two points that Toxicity made that lingered in the Empress’s mind. One was a lie, but something that she had always struggled with, and that was living here in the palace propped up with servants and luxuries. Most of the time she ordered the dogs away, but they were talented and prepared whatever they intended long before she arrived. Clean halls, fresh supplies, a fire in the hearth… they even had raw materials for the twine she was making now long before she knew she would be here doing this.

Venom shook her head at the thought and continued to roll the fibers between her paws and the stone floor as they bound together to make rope. Twine for probably snares to set around the island. The pups were all big enough and smart enough to avoid them, or get out of them if they stumbled across one on accident. Her attention was grabbed by the sound of paws at the entrance of the hall. Sunset gaze looked up to find Take shuffling forward to give her a kiss.

”Prince Takeshi.” She greeted him warmly in return as he lowered himself to his belly and began to help her. By now they had all accepted that the boy would likely never say a word. It was easy enough to live with here in Ashen, but she still worried for his ability to become a negotiator or a leader without vocals. ”Here, add to the end of this one. We can go set them when we’re done.” She suggested, offering the nearly finished snare towards him.

Snare crafting post 2/3

His mother’s warm voice greeted him as he settled, a small smile lifting the corners of his lips as he began his musings. With recent events, such as his aunt’s departure and Hela’s abandonment of her children, he found himself ever more grateful to have the love, support, and presence of two elegant and powerful matriarchs such as his mother and grandmother. He was coming to the realization that many in Boreas didn’t have the same luxuries as him, so he tried to spend as much time with her as he could when time allowed. With his increase in training, that time had become less and less and while it wasn’t a bad thing, after all, he was training to become stronger to protect them, it still tugged at his heart.

She nudged a nearly finished snare toward him, the end still slightly frayed in order for him to attach his own twine to it. He pulled it close to him, plugging the two together before beginning to roll it against the stone beneath. Once connected, he pulled his paper and quill to him, jotting down a note before sliding it toward his mother. It read, ”How are you?”. It was a simple enough question, but also held a lot of meaning. His mother had been through a lot of disappointment recently, and being the big, glowing softy he was, he wanted to make sure she knew he was there for her. She’d done her part to raise him thus far, it was his turn to help her.

"Thoughts/expression intention"

Venom offered her sweet boy a quick smile as he basked within her presence. She could see a grateful look in his eye, but for what she might never know. He hadn’t said a single word his whole life and Venom had no doubt that fact would not change for the rest of his life. Sometimes she wished that she could read the minds of those she loved, maybe that would make this moment so much different than it was, in the palace and throughout all of Ashen’s quiet borders. But that was not the way things were, and she would simply enjoy her son’s presence and his willingness to offer his assistance in her work.

In honesty though, Venom didn’t mind the silence that settled easily between her and Takeshi. He was a sweet boy, even if he couldn’t vocally show that quality. She caught him finishing his work out of the corner of his eye before he took a moment to write her a love note. ”I am well, dear prince.” She assured him softly as her sunset gaze lifted to the boy’s glowing features. ”Alright, make sure you get the knot correct.” She focused his attention back on the ropes before him. ”There’s no need to worry about me,” Venom went on softly, watching his work. ”I just need you to keep growing up sweet and strong like you are.” By the time she was their age she had already lost her father, they were already at an advantage over even her at nearing a year old.

Snare crafting post 3/3

His mother assured him she was fine, earning a side-eye from him in suspicion. He supposed even if she wasn’t okay, she wouldn’t tell him quite yet. Maybe she was still processing, or maybe he thought he was too young. The boy couldn’t even speak to offer words of comfort, but where he lacked in words he excelled in physical comfort and a shoulder to lean on. It was often that his sisters would curl against him and tell him stories of their day before slithering off to their own caves to sleep and he always listened with rapt attention, laughing in his odd, huffy breathing sort of way or frowning when something was wrong. When his family was hurt or happy, he was hurt or happy. It was as simple as that.

She refocused him on the task at hand, which had become tying the rope into a slipknot so that when the prey animal stepped inside or stuck their head in, it would snap up and capture them. He created a loop by twisting the middle of the rope across itself, then he laid it across the end of a strand. Leaning down, he grasped the strand in the middle of the loop and pulled it through then held it down with his paw. His teeth grasped the end of the other strand and pulled, tightening the loop until it formed a slip knot. He slid it up and down the rope to make sure it acted properly before tossing it over the pile his mother had already started.

The Empress pulled at his heart strings when she told him to just grow up sweet and strong. He swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded, pulling the paper and quill to him. “I promise I will, Mother. I’ll grow up and get strong enough to protect everyone. I’ll make you and Father proud,” he promised, his expression solemn.

"Thoughts/expression intention"

Venom raised her silver brows as her son offered her a side eye, very obviously doubting her words. Her doubts and insecurities were not for him to hear, not yet. He had not quite reached the status of peer, and it was inappropriate for a mother to so burden their son. Those words were meant for Plague, or perhaps Hattori. One day she had no doubt that Take would enter her inner circle, but for now he remained solely her son and pupil.

The snares were easily finished, with the winter scarcity they would be even more useful as the lean times came on. Venom nodded in approval, they were ready to go out and begin their setting them. Before she stood though, Take took the quill and began furiously writing until he offered up his promise to her. ”I know you will, my sweet boy.” Venom lifted her paw to his cheek and gave him an affectionate smile before leaning forward to kiss his forehead.

She pulled away, feeling pride rise in her chest before she put them back to the task at hand. ”Come now, lets set the snares around the island.”