Blackjack was hesitant to fully accept his newfound position as a Skald, or any high position in a clan, for that matter. His very existence in the Pitt went against the individualistic values he was born and raised with, and holding a position of power? Forget about it. But times were changing, and Blackjack's reasoning for being here was that he needed a more or less permanent home. If he wanted to stay here, he would have to work for it. This world did not take kindly to freeloaders, after all.

After his promotion, he deliberated on what his first order of business would be. He had stated his explicit interest in assisting in the construction of the aviary that Olalla had mentioned in their most recent meeting, but until then, there were other matters to attend to. Jackie had noticed the influx of members completing their Blooding, bringing back pieces of bone to be used for weapons and their personal coat of armor in the future. His own bone piece had still been collecting dust in his treehouse for a while, and rather than stare at the disfigured coyote skull and risk bringing back the unpleasant memories he associated with it, he wanted to make good use of it and act on the Pittian tradition the piece was required for in the first place. And with so many people having recently done their Blooding as well, why not make it a group effort? He was far from a social person, but when there was work to be done, he could accept it.

After being given the go-ahead by Vale, the horned jaguar had moved into the plaza as the sun shone high in the blue sky, bringing his own Blooding bones with him along with a few sharp knives and other tools to be used for the carving process. Blackjack had also sought out flowers and other sources of dyes to create paint in a variety of colors, sorted in small wooden bowls he had found deserted around the ravaged jungle, which he would leave for the recently promoted members to dip their traditional teeth in. A larger wooden bowl was set out as well, filled with deep red water taken from the Crimson Nile, left for those who had just finished their Blooding. All of this he had set out before him on this afternoon, conveniently timed so that the painted bones and teeth would be able to dry in the scorching hot climate.

As some Pittians began to gather, Blackjack took the opportunity to explain. "With all of the newcomers finishing their Blooding and the new promotions at the last meeting, I've decided to set out some tools and paints for the armor and secondary teeth," he spoke, flicking a reptilian tongue across his lips. "Do as you will with them." He wasn't sure if Skalds were permitted to run events like these on their own, but Vale had mentioned it would be alright, and he figured that some higher position would stop by anyway to supervise and intervene should something go wrong. And what would?

And just like that, people were coming in, ready to start. First was Arfur, who bounded over at the premise of being able to paint. Artsy fellow, eh? Blackjack hadn't known that about the pup until now, but he found the enthusiasm adorable. "Alright, Arfur. You can be my helper," he offered to the child along with a hospitable smile, perhaps the warmest one he had upon his maw since joining the Pitt. He couldn't ever be rude to a child — maybe the hunter had a bit of a soft spot. He nudged the bowls of paint a little bit closer to Arfur, pointing to them as he instructed the child further. "The newly-Blooded members get the red paint, and the Bonecollectors get the white one. You can try your hand at the copper-colored wrapping for the Marauders if you'd like, too. As for the teeth that need carving, don't worry about them. Just leave that to the grown-ups, okay?" Truthfully he didn't care if Arfur did attempt to join in on the carving, but if something happened, he wanted to ensure that he had at least given the pup a fair warning against it in the first place.

Lifting an obsidian paw to his neck, the horned jaguar removed the silver cord that contained his own secondary tooth, bringing it to his jaws to produce a chip at the top of the tooth — the symbol of a Skald. He then set the tooth down next to Arfur. "Here, try starting with mine. You'll need the red paint for this one." He figured that the instructions he gave the child were simple enough, and it allowed him to test his knowledge on Pittian traditions and hierarchy. So far, everything he said seemed right.

Blackjack looked up and nodded in acknowledgment to Kold, who had made her way over with her own Blooding materials. A Marauder, good. "Knock yourself out," he said to the canine, sliding a few sharp tools over to assist her with carving.