Isn't that she, or am I just going crazy, dear?

Impromptu pack meeting for those currently a part of Shiroshika! @Rainier @Hotaru @Izumi @Stark @Tiberius

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^^

Coming back to the mountain with Rainier in tow, Reiko was beginning to grow anxious over introducing her to everyone else. Rainier was a rather large feline like thing, but she seemed friendly by the very definition. Lost and in need, it would simply be against their beliefs to turn her away due to her appearances.

As they walked, every chance Reiko could get to give the child something to eat - she would. A quick little meal here and there to keep her energy up, a little nibbling for the wolf as well to keep her own energy up as they approached home. Before crossing over into the homelands, she turns to the young feline with a smile in hopes to calm any nervous energy. “Remain near me, I must introduce you to the others, okay?”

It would be wrong to try to explain why the others might be nervous around her - that they needed to know that Rainier was a welcomed guest for as long as she needed to be with them. To help raise her, and not treat her like an outcast out of fear. With a quick caress, brushing herself against the feline to share their smell as one - she was off to the centre of the lands, keeping pace with the feline to make sure they travelled together.

Once at the heart of their lands, Reiko let out a song to summon the others to come and greet their new companion.

^^

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+1 discovery point

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Hotaru had been spending the day exploring the higher reaches of the mountain when the song rang into the clouds. There was no mistaking her mother's voice, she knew it well by now though she had no clue what reason she had to call all of them down. Perhaps she wished to finalize their move with a name or some sort of meeting, or—

She dared not get her hopes up. Wouldn't he call too had he returned? The young princess would take swift strides down from her path, the pounding of her heart fueling her legs until it came to a dead stop and dropped to her stomach. It wasn't Haruki that stood at her mother's side. No, she wasn't sure what it even was— a beast? Had her mother even noticed the creature behind her?

“Mother—” Any further warning just caught in her throat, though her eyes would say enough.

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+1 discovery point

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^^Despite not knowing how well this was going to pan out, Tiberius was not in the game of bailing on something without putting his all into it. So here he was, in the midst of a snow terrain, with tense shoulders and restless bones. It was obvious that this was not going to be like the Dominion, yet he knew he was needed; he could offer them what they lacked and they could offer him... a place where he need not worry about being changed to fit a criterion and be just like everyone else. So far, so good, he supposed, yet he could not help the rolling of his belly as he wondered if he'd made a huge fucking mistake.

In all of the things he had taken into consideration, Iceling returning with a feline was not one of them. He was a few paces behind the young girl who spoke to her mother in caution, in warning, and Tiberius could tell by the womans body language that this was no mistake. It was a situation that was meant to be, and he released a slightly stressed breath; of course the vibrant woman would find a feline to bring home with her. He didn't need to know her for 10 years to understand that she was a kindly creature who likely had a heart bigger than her chest could manage to cage. "Iceling," he greeted as his fiery gaze eyed the feline who, judging by its features, didn't seem to be... too old. Not a child, but he could be wrong. He'd only ever heard of the beasts, never having seeing one in reality. Despite his realisation that Reiko had meant for this, he could not help but stand to attention in his protective nature and stand half around the younger girl if she did not seek to approach her mother further.

Reiko may have meant for this, but he had not faced a beast such as this and without knowing their behaviour, he would take no risk. It was frustrating that he could not place himself between Iceling and the feline, despite knowing that there was little to no danger. "Ya got yaself a friend, luv," his golden gaze drifted to that of the cat companion, and he lifted his chin though appeared to not give a judgemental stare. There were others to come, he supposed. "Guess it's too early fer introductions, yeah?" he rolled his shoulders, trying his best to not appear to be uneasy, but how could he not when his instincts drove him to change the situation?

His tongue slid from behind his teeth and over his scarred lips as he watched the Iceling and her companion, a brief glance to the younger girl was cast, though he wondered what was racing through her mind. For a moment, she made him miss Lana. Tiberius' features grew void of emotion and his ears stood tall, silence befalling him as he watched.

"^^

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+1 discovery point

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The towers of Tsukiishi were slowly but surely starting to feel like somewhere to call "home". Their numbers were close-knit, but growing nonetheless, and soon were the days where Izumi could finally feel like a part of something again -- as much as she failed to show such enthusiasm outwardly. 

Hearing the dove's distinct call, the ink-crafted dame came slinking down the mountains, cold air of its altitudes pinching her skin through a silken fur dress as the wind picked up motion. She was getting much better at this mountain climbing business. Her long limbs made the journey too clumsy for her liking, but the crane’s feet were getting more accustomed to the feeling of snow and pebbles beneath their pads over time. Dark stilts leaped from one final rock until she approached behind both a small light shape and a stocky dark shape. The tail-end of the snowy shape obviously belonged to Hotaru, but the ebony one was unfamiliar to Izu....at least, she thought until she actually came to join them.

"Tib.....erius?" What in the world was he doing here?

Well, it wasn't as if seeing the shadow titan here was a bad thing, but it's been so long since they'd last encountered each other that she couldn't help feeling surprised -- especially since Reiko's scent lingered off of him. When had they even met? That wasn't the only strange thing about this meeting however, as Reiko stood idly beside a large cat. Wait, Khun was here as well?

Ah, no. It wasn't him.

The large tom she'd met in the Everfrost was the only beefy orange striped cougar Izu knew, but she could tell this one wasn't him. Smaller, younger, female -- who though?

"Who is this, Reiko?" the crane asked after some silence, taking her attention off of Tib for a moment and tilting her head. Fear would've etched the instinctual muscles of Izumi's mind if it wasn't for curiosity from experience coming to replace it. For now, calmed neutrality was all that crossed the fae.

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+1 discovery point

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 A small whimper of a sound would escape the child’s maw as they neared the edge of a ridiculously overbearing mountain range, the many mountains around her towering over her head without a hint of remorse as the winter wind blew through her soft, coarse fur in a defiant manner. "Yes ma’am," she chirped, now with a decently filled stomach and able to control her emotions to a point. Instead of following at a steady pace, she padded behind the small creature as a small barrier between anyone that wished to harm the paw that had fed and supported her up until this point.
 "What are their names, Mam?" she piped up, a whisper escaping her jaws as she gazed upon those that arrived, bewildered and amazed at the many shapes and colors of these creatures that stood before her. The only one that happened to tower over her was a black titan, who seemed to distrust her immensely, but kept it to himself… as far as she could tell, he seemed to like her. But that was just her own thought process, and not relating to anyone else in the group. Everyone else seemed to think of her as a freak, a beast. She recoiled at the thought.

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Stark was not prepared for what came his way. He was already awkward enough being around so many wolves he barely knew, but when he approached the gang and saw the feline, he froze completely in his tracks and stared. Stark had seen mountain lions before, seen his family fight them. He had come into contact with the dangerous beings. But he had never seen one like this before.

As he stared and watched, he noticed she was young, and yet she was already the size of an adult mountain lion. Or at least- Stark believed she was? He could not really remember the size of such a creature. The claws, the teeth. But especially the claws startled him.

Would she grow to be bigger than she was now? Who was she? What was she? And why had Reiko brought her here? They smelled of one another, and the feline was not making any dangerous movies. In fact, she looked even more awkward than Stark and the other wolves did, almost hiding behind Reiko.

That gave Stark some more courage to get closer.

‘’Uhhhh- hi?’’ Smooth Stark introduction™.

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^^

It was strange to have someone who could most likely easily take down most of the wolves here hide behind the small Empress. It would take time for Reiko to get accustomed to it, but perhaps it would come easier than she had originally anticipated. The feline needed her after all, needed all of them to help her flourish and survive. Without a family of her own, the way Rainier was found... well, Reiko simply didn't want to think of it. This time she was at the right place at the right time for a child, and that was what mattered.

Making sure she remained near Rainier as the others approached, showing no fear for their new companion and instead absolute comfort. A warm smile found its way to her face as the first to approach them with the call fading in the mountains was her daughter. “Hotaru.” Twisting her head around to catch Rainier's eyes. “She is my daughter.” A quick introduction before turning her attention back to Hotaru, as Tiberius was the second to swiftly arrive and already do his duties as a protector. 
 
“And our guardian Tiberius.” Dipping her head in greeting as he spoke, she would not chastise any of them for being weary. Even she was afraid at first, naturally so when encountering something so large and imposing - well, at least until she knew they were a mere child in need. So as one by one approached, Reiko ignored their initial fright and hoped that her easy-going presence with the feline at her side would calm them in time.

“The lovely crane Izumi.” was next to arrive, more surprised by Tiberius than the feline, which was honestly enough to make the Empress smile as she tried to fight back a giggle as the two shared glances. “It seems you two are already familiar with one another, how lovely~” It meant it was easier for everyone to mingle without needing Reiko herself to break the ice at all times. What a relief!

And finally, as the final and only second of their males arrived. “Greetings Stark, he with Izumi are the two adults who stayed with me for a while now.” Even he tried to get comfortable with the feline in their midsts, which was a good sign to see as he was the most... difficult of them to keep comfortable - but not impossible as she had learned. Only a hard nut to crack.

Now that everyone was here, she kept her eyes panning over them one by one as she sat down comfortably to face the small group. “Now that we are all here, I can begin with some introductions of our new friend.” Leaning over to Rainier, letting her shoulder fall onto the child in hopes of comforting her as well. As nervous as they were with Rainier here, she too must be just as afraid with all these new faces afraid and uneasy with her presence. “I have found Rainier in the Everfrost, she is in need of a home. She seems well now with some food we found along the way, but she is a child without a guardian, and we are a home.” She paused, waiting long enough for them all to digest her words before continuing.
 
“She asked to come home with me, to stay with us, and with that I ask all of you to welcome her among us. Please help me keep her safe, fed, and raise her just as any child needs support from a society to flourish. What do you all say?” Now is where her nerves would begin to quiver. As she sat there with a warm smile and as solid as she could be - already she found herself nervous for their response. Hoping they would show that Shiroshika was a welcoming place for all, and not just their own kind when in need.

^^
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 Her eyes would shift from the titan to the male that spoke— to her? Was he really talking to her? Oh what wonders being awkward did for the girl as she flattened her ears and looked at her long lashes up at the other, before stuttering over her own name. "… a-and yours?" she stumbled forwards as she lost her balance, an accident really, but she ended up knocking into Reiko as she did it, potentially knocking the other woman over before rolling onto her side, dizzy.
 What the hell?

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One by one more arrived, each dawning a similar expression to her own as they laid eyes on the creature. If she hadn't been confused before though...she would be soon. Reiko took the time to introduce them all, one by one until she turned to the cat giving her own. She would listen as her mother spoke, her words mentioning that she would be joining them.

The wariness from her features would slowly fade, still unsure of her mother's decision, but it was one that had already been made. At long last she would finish, her words opening the floor to the rest who had gathered for their input. One way or another this...thing was going to be one of them. She seemed...well...friendly enough, and even as she opened her mouth she did little to pose as a danger as the girl ended up tripping on her own paws.

As she rolled in the snow, the young princess's ears would tilt back. Maybe her mother was right. “Um...It's— nice to meet you. Rainier, Was it?” Something inside her still felt wrong, like this shouldn't happen, but the only thing she could do was show her support and hope that she was wrong. Besides...a girl her age could be nice? Even if she was...whatever she is.

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^^Well, wouldya fuckin' look at that? The Elegant Bird was not to arrive, Tiberius' golden gaze roved over to her when his name left her mouth -- surprised and slow. Lazily he smirked at her, "Izumi." He supposed he wasn't entirely surprised to know that Reiko and Izumi were in cahoots. He wasn't annoyed about it; call him pleasantly surprised. Tiberius found that it was easier to dislike someone than like them, wanting to guard who he was to ensure that no one had the ability to ruin him like many others had tried -- yet he hadn't hated these two. Izumi had been strange, certainly, given that she spoke of drowning him. Okay, okay, that was a bit unfair -- totally out of context but it was the same thing, really. "Fancy seein' ya 'ere," he drawled easily, quirking a brow at her before his attention was snapped momentarily by a man.

He seemed awkward, Tiberius noted and let his golden gaze observe him quietly as his tail twitched behind him. He knew no one but Izumi and Reiko; not even the little young wolf who seemed both cautious and curious of the situation. He'd been a part of a Pack before, two, actually, and both had ended up fairly large. So it wasn't the number of bodies that made him uncomfortable... but he didn't know what it was. Perhaps it was how different it all was from the Dominion. Tiberius was able to adapt to situations; he was a survivor. The man knew this situation would be no different. Quitting and failing was not in his nature, kids.

Reiko introduced them all and Tiberius supposed he could do nothing more other than say fuck it, they'd have a fuckin' Tiger. He eyed the girl known as Rainer and he wondered if the cat would be interested in training with him. Thick paws and what he had heard should be an agile body; that'd be useful. Especially for a Pack that pretty much just had... him, as a fighter. Even though he was fucking brilliant, Tiberius knew they needed more than him. He supposed... maybe not, given how clumsy the striped beast was. "Gonna 'ave ta get used ta them paws o'yours, doll," Tiberius mused to the cat before he flicked an ear, noting the amusement in Reiko's smile at Izumi's surprise.

He rolled his shoulders as he appraised them both and though he thought maybe they'd have to do more now that they'd have a cats scent in their midsts -- or maybe not, he wondered if other predators would be put off by the scent of wolf and cat together? Either way, the man gave a short, sharp nod. "Ain't got no complaints from me," he rumbled, though he knew that he'd have to keep an eye on the feline -- clumsy or not, she was a cat and their claws weren't dull. If she shifted suddenly, he'd be the only one who'd have a chance at removing her. Though he doubted that Reiko had the ability to recruit a member who would turn on them, Tiberius would prepare for every possibility.

^^

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They were adopting a massive feline. One that wasn’t even done growing just yet since she was young. But Reiko wanted her within the pack. Stark was… not really okay with this. Even if she seemed nice- the man did not have good interactions with felines in the past and he really did not feel certain about any of this. He didn’t necessarily hate this feline – apparently her name was Rainier – but dear god did he feel dread and fear seeping in. What if she decided to go feral at night and chew on his head and gobble him up? Mountain lions had tried to eat him before when he was a kid. Whatever type of feline she was- he was pretty sure that he was the plumpest here, with the most meat on his bones. He would definitely be eaten first.

But… she was clumsy, clearly. Still growing into that body her paws seemed a little too big for her. At this moment, she almost seemed harmless and innocent. Maybe she even was innocent. Maybe Stark was too scared to not be able to see that clearly, but she in fact… was very innocent. She even seemed scared of them, while these wolves clearly should have been scared of her.

The big black coated brute didn’t seem to have an issue with Rainier being here. Hotaru seemed just as awkward as Stark but was willing to have a conversation with the creature. Stark found himself speaking, too. ‘’What uh- what kind of feline are you?’’ The words had already left his mouth before he even considered they could be rude or harmful. But afterwards, he did kind of cringe, mostly at himself and how he’d worded it. ‘’Uh, sorry.’’

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One by one, the snow empress took her time in introducing each and every one of them. Princess Hotaru -- who seemed rather nervous despite her words, Tiberius -- who'd apparently been recruited as their guardian recently, and Stark -- the man they’d been traveling with that Izu had yet to learn much about. She supposed it was rather rude not to speak with him after all this time, so she took note to try and run into the sire sometime later.

With introductions out of the way, the willowy fae slowly stepped closer to the feline and delicately bowed her crown in formal greeting. “Rainer, a pleasure to meet you, and...j….just Izumi will be fine…” The crane introduced to the young tigress, taking note of the adoring name Reiko had given Izumi that caused a rosy heat to form in her pale cheeks with embarrassment. She cleared her throat. “I apologize for my directness earlier, I was just a bit surprised at first. Even so, I have no qualms with you settling in with us if Reiko trust you.” In actuality, that surprise was reserved for a particular dark giant’s presence, but that was not to be concerned about at a time like this. The she-wolf would make sure to pull him aside herself at a later time, but for now, she was more focused on making their new guest feel comfortable. “Welcome to Shiroshi--”

Ah, she fell.

Rather suddenly in a way that could provoke something comedic, but worrying at the same time. So the princess would sweep over to the fallen girl's side to see if she was okay...

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^^

There she stood awkwardly waiting for them to respond to her little announcement. Little, but heavy. It was a hard thing to trust such a massive creature like this, but she was so young - and there was no way they could simply turn their noses at her and force the youthful feline to wander back out into the wilderness alone. Not while remembering just how fragile she seemed the moment the empress and the feline met. With painful beats, her heart thudded heavily in her chest while a sickly feeling began to claw its way into her belly.

Then one by one they spoke up, hesitantly, and her eyes followed as each spoke their turn. Smiling to dismiss Stark's question for now as they will find out together later once Rainier was settled (if Rainier didn't answer herself lol). Only once the final voice was heard did she sigh with relief, feeling a heavy burden being lifted from her shoulders as she suddenly felt a couple feet taller already. She smiles at each member, thankful for their acceptance and trust that they would all share in this new experience together - lingering just a little longer on Izumi as she speaks the longest.

Only for her to be cut off - and Reiko to be tossed to the side while Rainier fell over, toppling the easily pounds lighter empress no problem. There was no pain when she hit the snow, a flurry of white flew up into the air as she giggled in both surprise, and relief that everyone had so easily accepted their new unconventional packmate. “Thank you everyone.” Turning to eye Rainer as she laid on the ground, obviously dizzy.

She could feel her heart swell. Rainier could not replace Haruki, but she could certainly help that pain, the empty void until the prince would return home. “Shall we show her caches and where we sleep?” They would do so together.

^^

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Feel free to write out your character! The meeting doesn't have to be long <3

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So….this was really happening. Everything about it felt wrong, but the pack had spoken. They had all agreed…and so she would force a smile. Even if Rainier was harmless, her clumsiness was a tad concerning. It only took one accident to hurt someone, but at the very least they seemed to have many healers.

Hotaru’s thoughts drifted briefly to her brother, wishing that he was here to see this so that she may ask for his opinion. Haruki was not here though, and the pale girl was beginning to wonder if he ever would be. Resisting the urge to sigh, the princess would turn to leave figuring the rest of the group would follow suit soon enough to show their new member around.

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