Damask sighed, composing herself. Maybe Ash shouldn't have asked... But, the raptor answered with a fierce determination bearing down on Ashtoreth, and she could only blink in response. She felt like her bones were filled with lead, as she acknowledged the signing with a nod.

She knew as clear as day what Dammy meant. It was something that came from inside of them; she had picked a name for herself, too. Giggle pointed such out. Most gembound did. Giggle had, Aza'zel too... Ashtoreth felt strange, out of place-- othered, not that it was anyone's fault. Maybe the guilty, melancholy feeling stemmed from the gentle, almost forgotten voice of her father that burned through her ears at the memory. Ash had not the pleasure, not the opportunity, to speak a name from her own heart, and did she feel cheated of the chance? It was too treacherous, too damning to her late father's own grave, and she couldn't begin to seperate the honey sweet feeling from the word-- 'little star', precious little fang.

Ashtoreth stood at the edge of gathered 'bound, feeling more and more like she should've dipped out sooner. The rattling of bones clattering as Giggle tossed them set off some nerve that sent her pelt twitching uncomfortably. 'Avi' was cooing after everyone but her, and her dark eyes stared down at the babbling infant. Like, what, was she not good enough for them? It was a stupid feeling and an even stupider thought.

She continued to stare at 'Avi' as Giggle dramatically stole the room with her voice, crooning about family, home, and belonging.

If they asked the bones, she couldn't imagine the slough of damnations they would have put on offer for her disaster of a life. Who cared what the bones said, anyway? Their king (hah, what a nerd) said she was welcome, so fuck them. In the few fleeting seconds she was lost in her own thoughts and personal pity party, Damask had suddenly excused herself and took wing.

The noodle glanced after her, feathery mane puffing up. Hey, what about me? You can't just ditch me-- She thought, unable to truly be angry at Dammy; hell, the whole situation was getting more awkward by the second. The kid ate rocks? She glanced back at the child, the proud father, and their seer with a paw raised, trying to decide if it would be more awkward to scoot out now, or if she could just wait for a minute and sneak out when both of them were too preoccupied with the kiddo.

@Giggle @Eythan figured i may as well tag both of you since the posting order is a lil loosey goosey

Giggle watched the child with happy interest, content in this moment of family. Even Damask's constant frigidity couldn't put her off; she'd accepted it as fact with her by this point, a lack of warmth seemingly reflected by her grim lack of color. It was Eythan's slightly baffled dad's face that she briefly focused on, amused--'what now' was certainly... a question.

"Now-? Now you're a dad. Show 'em around--Avi, is it?" and here a knowing nod, mischief in her eyes, was sent the child's way. "Show 'em home. Tell them how to hunt, sure. How to use magic, who family is. It's all up to you how to raise them," she added, with a nod. And then, suddenly, she was shifting her attention to Ash'toreth.

Ash'toreth, one of the oldest among them, one she'd only met herself the slightest handful of times. Couldn't speak, if Giggle remembered right, though she'd never found out why. Still basking in the warmth of family, and with genuine concern for the near-stranger who was some of her oldest 'family,' Giggle focused for a moment.

She reached for a cautious link, careful not to eavesdrop or project too much--instead speaking aloud first: "How've you been?" with a swiftly-followed thought: You can talk to me like this, if you like.

And then, as an afterthought, she glanced up again at Eythan. "There's some clean water in the trees in that grove in the middle of the cave, if you want to show them."

rain stock: D Sharon Pruitt wiki commons; hyena Benjamin Hollis on flickr