Ouroboros Spine salapkiksruk

He woke to the sight of his wife, reborn again. To be told by Asivaq that she was shedding her name, which to his people was akin to shedding a marriage, a family, a life —

He stormed from the ulaq and away from the sleeping places. Needing time to process this, to see that she was only trying to reintegrate among her people.

But at what cost? Could they not exist together? He could not understand why his ways were not welcome here. He had done no wrong and yet he was being punished.

When he returned again to the ulaq it was a few hours passed, and he was carrying a freshly killed grouse. He lay this down for the children to investigate and otherwise busied himself with them, as their father, rather than face his wife.

He did not understand either.

His mother was both these names, and they were only sounds. He hears a third name too, whispered by the wind - Tlatehiin.

Father left; he was a gathering storm, and in his wake Sisamat sought @Ariadne for comfort, confused by what he saw.

Aapa go? He asked, knowing the answer - he asked for a different reason but could not articulate. Would he go to Pinasut? Would he come back?

He listened, staring at the mouth of the ulaq until Kigipigak returned; but he listened for that whispered name, and found there was none offered for his father.

anânsiak blossomed upon the footpath which led to the home of ariadne.

@Ariadne. her daughter had come to her in the night, radiant and joyous. in hushed murmurs they had spoken of the shed name, and at last kukutux told ariadne the way of spirit names, and whispered to her: tlatehiin. shining water.

it was long overdue.

now, heedless of the late morning, kukutux called out cheerfully to those in the ulaq, emboldened by her own child's return to the sunshine ways; "the anaa of your anaa has come to share words with you!"

Kigipigak had not taken the news well. He'd promptly stormed out of the den, leaving his family behind. While the air was still ripe with strife, Ariadne tended to the children and kept calm for their sake. While she was hurt—she couldn't get over how selfish her husband was being! especially after everything she'd sacrificed for him! after shedding her beliefs for him! aya!—she tried not to focus on their conversation for too long, as it only upset her.

He returned around the same time that Kukutux had, and seeing her mother made her worries disappear. She rushed over, greeting her with an embrace. Children, come! she encouraged, ignoring her husband for now. Your anaa's anaa is waiting!

She turned to her mother then, her eyes bright. I think that it is time to give these children real names, she said, inspired by her own personal development.

Hearing the voice of Kukutux at the door only served to flare his emotions. He swallowed them well enough, and gave a defeated sigh as Asivaq tried to ferry the children to the door. He was adamant that they learn of their own culture and be kept safe from the influence of Kukutux, a fear he had not explained in depth to his wife (for how could he? When she was so glad to be home with her again).

Asivaq did not realize her blunder in mentioning the rite of naming; it wasn't that Kukutux could not be present, only that Kigipigak had grown possessive of his own culture and demonized enough because of it, he did not wish to share it with the woman there.

I must fetch some more things before we can start, he mentions, and seeks a bone lodged in the back of the ulaq, and a bolt of fur from another spot, and a piece of the bird he had brought for the children - a feather with a splattering of faint blood staining it.

As he emerged behind his family he gave Kukutux a passing look, and stepped away to orient these items on the earth in a line.

Atausiq, come. Kigipigak waited for the child to move, urging them with a look. What would they choose of the items? This would have little true bearing on the naming, but he had told Kukutux the day before it was a ritual and so he made it look the part.

His mother didn't have an answer for him, but father was returned to them and Sisamat let his worry slide away.

They were ushered out of the ulaq and in to the waiting company of the loud woman who had come, and who mother appeared happy to see. Their father was busy in their sleeping place for a bit, and when he presented them with these items in a line Sisamat looked to them, to father, to the women, and then to Atausiq as they moved.

Their choice was to grab the bone, and not just that, but to seek the feather and sit almost atop it, as if to claim both.

Sisamat hummed, and sought @Malguk for comfort as that was such a common thing for him to do. He nosed at her as if to urge her forward next, while he watched and remained skeptical.

Atausiq ruined the pretty that Goo wanted. She stared from close to Aaka's feet, with her head ducked down just enough to get a good view of her sisters neck! Why, she did not know why she now felt such destructive things, but she wanted to do to Atausiq what Aapa did to their snacks! Then, Aaka would be very disappointed in her to do such horrific things, and she nuzzled her nose deep into the neckfur of Siba.

Pressed for and close to him, and rubbing her head into him to feel better again! She wanted it, she wanted it, she wanted it! He nudged her, as if to tell her, Goo, your turn! But Goo didn't want to go until Atausiq moved her big hiny out of the way.

It would only be afterwards that she flopped her way over to the now wrinkled feather that smelled like booty. But there was red upon its branches and vibrancy across it, with a beautiful smell that had Goo written all over it. She could do so many things with this! Like tickle Aaka's toes! And she wanted to look through the lines broken between it and see how light bended through it. If Atausiq could make her feather smell like booty, Goo could make it smell like double booty. The extra booty, her booty, she placed on the feather and plopped very, very still. But Siba was supposed to go as well, and so.. Siba could have booty feather too, if he wanted it. That was enough to make Goo move. 

Kigipigak fetched the items needed for the naming ceremony. While he was gone, Ariadne kept an eye on the children. Your aapa will be right back, she assured them. He is getting something exciting for you! Playthings! And you will each pick your favorite one.

@Atausiq went first and claimed two items, and Ariadne shook her head and laughed. My daughter! What a choice, she spared a glance at her husband. You will be Akmaaksi—my fire starter daughter!

@Malguk was next, and she picked the feather that Akmaaski had. She smiled softly, the corners of her mouth growing. My other daughter—good choice! You will be Nutuyikruk—my lynx daughter!

With that, only one child was left to decide, and Ariadne looked at him with warm eyes. You've got this, my son, she said, her voice soft.

The boy was reluctant.

He saw the bone filigree'd with the barest light, as if the sun winked down at it, but it sat wedged in Atausiq's mouth with the light at her back; it shimmered green as Malguk approached the items—and as one girl was removed from the collection, it was the ruddy girl that then made her choice. Sisamat did not know what he saw when she took the feather. He knew it was a dark thing, that it was stained. His ears turned towards his sister briefly; he thought he heard a whisper.

( Little brother, are you there? — Why didn't anyone else hear them? )

Mother spoke—and one by one his sisters were made anew.
One became Akmaaksi; Two became Nutuyikruk.

It was the boy's turn, and he did not want to go! Ariadne urged him softly, and he looked to her, then to his father—and Kigipigak's stern expression impressed upon Sisamat that he needed to do this thing. So, he followed the path of both his sisters and neared the items.

( The ice calls you home. )

The bone earned a look. The feather, a sniff. The fur, ignored completely. Something else held his attention up among the green of the trees, as the light shafted through the piecemeal of the boughs. He blinked and squinted, and showed no interest in the ritual or in the toys—and after a few moments, tried to harmonize with murmurs and shy notes, as if to commune with something not seen.

When he was finished with his song, Sisamat remained fixated on something far away, up above.

Kigipigak watched as Atausiq made her choice, as first born she would be first to have her name; and with some urging there went Malguk as well. He could not help but think back to when Akkuma and Kivaluk were their age, doing the same ritual and finding their paths—they were given Tartok names, which they still held to. He was proud then, and he was proud now in seeing this new generation following in tradition. If this was to be one of the rare moments that his way was accepted, he would make the most of it.

However, it was the final child that was slow to move. When it was Sisamat's turn the boy did not seem as eager as his earlier sister, or as possessive as the first. He only moved after urging from both of his parents, and even then he did not seek any of the items outright—there was interest in them which might've been enough for a name, Kigipigak thought at first—and then the boy was distracted, watching the trees and singing to himself. It was a ridiculous display.

With his feelings swallowed down, Kigipigak moved to intercede. He saw how the boy continued to look forlorn towards the trees and the sky, and knew the ritual was at an end. Kigipigak moved to shepherd the boy away from the items and towards his sisters.

Sisamat no longer—little Tautukpik.

in this way was kukutux offered a glimpse of what it meant to be a child of tartok.

atausiq became akmaaksi, and her grandmother's ears flicked with surprise to hear sakhmet's own quiet title now among them.

malguk became nutuyikruk, and kukutux smiled, seeing a good omen in how a totemic spirit of nuiruk would now follow the girl.

sisamat became tautukpik. but unlike the others, the boy did not seem so fixed upon the rite, singing quietly to something no one else could see.

and in sunshine ways, in protection of these children she loved, kukutux would later and silently devote akmaaksi to sedna as ikualiaktuk, nutuyikruk as nasittuk, and tautukpik as nalunaitchuk.

tartok names. sunshine souls. it was her furthest compromise.