Expanding One’s Education [Lykos]

[Hilana Chenzira]

85 Frost, Year 123

[Closed - Lykos]

Hilana had considered taking Lia to her father in Tertium to acquire the Rune of Negation, but after some discussion back and forth, avoiding direct family however possible would be preferable. Their sisters and their families would show up, and it might lead to probing questions. The similarities could be hidden somewhat with cosmetics and disguise; but it would make things far more complicated than they had to be. Lykos… Rickter… had offered before, and since he was somewhat settled and situated, this was perhaps a good time to do it. It might have been better to accomplish some seasons back; but this was as good a time as any. Especially now that he had his memories back.

Hauling a basket along with her trusty rucksack, Hilana led the way along the streets to Adira’s Promenade, heading for the manor that belonged to the House of Waves. It was far too cold for Hilana to bring her pets, even inside a negated pouch or one that used Elementalism to keep the temperature just so. This was about Lia, and while Athalia had gotten used to her pythons, she would vastly prefer that she had more distance from the snakes. Until they moved house next season, she was going to have to make do. But it was only a few days longer, and then they would have another proper bedroom while the sisters considered their next steps. Hilana could buy property, and possibly convince their father to aid in the purchase… but doing so opened their home to the possibility of Lebaoth thinking he and the rest of them could freely come and go… and while Lia might like it, Hilana sure as anything would not.

The sisters came to a stop before the large double doors, and Hilana lifted her hand to knock, giving it a solid two thumps. She imagined that they were expected, and the two of them did like to be prompt and on time.

[Rickter]

Expanding One’s Education
85th of Frost, 123rd Year, A.o.S.

You know... I still think about that moment a lot. Reliving it over and over again, waiting in hopes that something would change. Except it only repeats, and yet somehow... You were the light at the end of that dark and twisting tunnel.

Nearly two whole months had passed since he had officially regained that which made him who he was. Rather... who he used to be. Lykos had been caught up in a whirlwind of things going on since then, mainly the continuous cycle that many called life of course. He did well to keep in touch with others as often as possible, as there were those like Hilana and Athalia who were still important to him. Even so, that did not make the adjustment back into his former life as easy as it could've. At least... not for Lykos himself anyway.

Regaining his memories had been an infinite blessing and yet, Lykos had never found himself fully acclimating to the life he'd left behind. If only because of the fact he felt like a stranger to it, in comparison to the fact that Rickter was truly the one who belonged within it. Duality. A concept that never seemed to stop rearing itself at him, and the dichotomy between his former and present self was nothing different of the sort. Still, today was a day he had looked forward to more than most, only because the dear friends that helped bring him to regain his former life would be visiting.

Much of the family would remain a bit busier due to the things that were going on, such as the shipping business his father's family remained focused on, and of course, his uncle still served among the ranks of the Dawnmartyrs. In reality, the vast majority of the family was somewhere in the house itself, but of course, the ones that would only really be tending to their guests today would be Lykos... Rickter himself, rather, and then his would-be beloved who had been a godsent since he found her back at his side.

So when the gentle clicks on the wooden structure to the entryway signaled the arrival of company, it did not take but a second for the servants to carry out their duties. A middle-aged woman with dark hair and weary brown eyes was first to greet the pair waiting at the doorstep, her porcelain skin decorated with a bit of blush to accentuate her supple complexion. "Go aisatsu!" The lady would greet with a very generous bow, one not unfamiliar to the Vastiana sisters as they'd seen it demonstrated time and time again. When she straightened up the servant proceeded to check her robe and make sure everything remained lined in place, without ever diverting her attention from the guests that had stood before her.

Guests that were only slightly taller than her. "Such beautiful young ladies, you've returned for another visit with Kozoku Maze, no doubt?" The servant inquired with an amused tone, a brief step aside to allow them inside with a suggestive lean for the doorway. "He said to be expecting you, if you'd like I can escort you to the meeting room. The Kozoku himself will undoubtedly be preparing for your arrival." The servant explained with a polite tone of voice, patiently waiting for the sisters to enter so that they could be tended to properly once inside.

[Hilana Chenzira]

"Good afternoon, Idrika," Hilana greeted the serva. They'd seen her before, and Hilana, at least, kept names to faces. "How have you been? We're here to see Kozoku Maze, yes." Lykos, her brain told her. Rickter, another part insisted. But they would honour the titles that he had here as a noble, especially with his staff. It was only proper, and the Vastian sisters understood hierarchy and adherence to it. They could use his name when they were with him. They could take their cloaks off when they got up there, but they did shake them off and dust the snow off of their boots before they went inside. That was much better. "We would appreciate it, thank you." Hilana beamed at her with her usual ebullience.

They hadn't needed to exert any aether with Elementalism because of the chill thanks to the wards that Lykos had woven into the garments, and if all went well today... Athalia would surely learn to do so in time. The young women followed Idrika inside, and would take off their cloaks and slip out of their boots. They would slip into the house shoes that were kept for the sisters, and their elementalism could do the rest if need be. But the house temperature was comfortable enough - colder than what they were used to, but not so bad that they were stressing about it. Athalia's Arche kept her warm consistently, and Hilana was comfortable as she was, having been used to nights in the desert in Frost.

Hilana was still hauling the big picnic basket and her rucksack; but one could well guess that she had loaded it with things for Rickter and his family. It wasn't necessary, obviously, what with how well off this place was, but Lykos-Rickter was family now, and that would not change. His northern family, by extension, counted as well. There had been some back and forth between the sisters about whether or not visiting so much was good for Rickter and Lykos reintegrating, but truth be told, they did miss the big Rathari, and it wasn't the same without him there. Hilana's long skirts was a patchwork blend of every colour of the rainbow, and her usual blouse was as short as ever, even here. Her hair was bound up in a messy bun with a number of driftwood forks that had been carved and sanded down. Athalia, as usual, wore one of her longer caftans, a deep navy that was tie-dyed with stretches of white. She had a scarf tied around her hips, giving some form and definition to her, and her mid-back length hair was tied back with a blue ribbon, and draped over one shoulder.

[Rickter]

Idrika would soon be accompanied by another couple of members from the house staff, now that the Vastiana sisters had been welcomed into the premises of the wolf's home. They were honored guests who had protected the Lord of Frost after all, so it was only fitting they were acquitted with the utmost treatment during their visit. Their shoes were placed in a shelving unit for when they would return for them later, and the cloaks hung up within the foyer as well as Idrika herself would soon guide the pair down the hall of the Eastern Wing.

"Kozoku Maze was just having tea with his beloved," Idrika pointed out as she sauntered down the hall of the wing to lead them to the room, "he's ever so busy making arrangements since his return." They passed the stairwell and moved along several doors down the corridor, before they reached a room near the end with the door remaining ajar with the scent of rosemary and tea wafting from the room. "Kozoku," the lady then addressed as she stood in the doorway, "your honored guests have come to visit!"

It was then with a graciously courteous bow, one that Hilana and Athalia certainly weren't unfamiliar with, that Idrika stood aside to allow their view to pierce into the room. Pillows and cushions were arranged around a hearth centered within, the room itself decorated with vases of frost lilies and paintings of a Kalzasern-built ship riding the waves of the sea. Immediately from within the room, there were four figures present to greet them, the most obvious of them being the very man they had come to visit, and the mother of his two children Telion who had quickly grown endeared to the sisters.

Unexpectedly, yet not unsurprisingly though, were the two young and rambunctious boys that looked just like their father. Kendrick and Isaac both possessed the eyes, nose, and even the ears of Rickter except there were noticeable differences between them now. Kendrick whose eye color resembled that of his mother but with the dark hair of his father, and then Isaac who bore his father's eyes and the golden locks of his mother's hair. Both were noisily babbling to one another, as they were only over two winters old now and hadn't quite perfected the art of speaking yet.

Yet they could wrestle playfully with one another now, and while their parents did their best to keep them from getting rough, it was never easy when the children themselves would grow rather fussy. But the news from Idrika had garnered all the attention, so much so that there rose newfound excitement in the glee that both parents shared with their young ones. "Well, well, look who it is." He mused with a thoughtful glance to Idrika while she still lingered close to the sisters. "Thank you kindly, miss Idrika."

"Of course, my lord!" Accepting his praise humbly she briefly curtsied once more, before starting off to resume her task of managing the staff duties once more.

"Such a pleasure to see you again!" Telion greeted as she rose from sitting on her knees, sparing Lykos an expecting glance as he quickly checked the boys to make sure they didn't reach for the steeping tea on a whim. They were distracted though, by the arrival of the sisters from the south, given the fact that their mother greeted them as warmly as ever with cheerful hugs. "Will you be staying long? Or just perhaps over some tea?" The invitation was quite clear and even Lykos couldn't help but quietly chuckle to himself, then again, it came as no surprise to him since Telion knew just how important they remained to him.

Still, he rather hoped they would visit for quite a while yet.

[Hilana Chenzira]

They followed along, boots traded for house shoes and cloaks hung up, and off they went into the large house. They had gotten used to the temperatures better, especially as the bite of cold was less prevalent indoors than outside. They may have been used to a scorching heat, but Lia was Arche to fire and it stayed with her to keep her warm, and Hilana was adaptable, perhaps more than most. "That sounds about right. He has surely been very busy these days." She didn't doubt it, really - he'd been away for nearly three seasons, and he was still needing to get into the swing of things and getting back to business. When she showed them in, the younger woman beamed at her. "Thank you, Miss Idrika," Hilana inclined her head to the serving woman, and Athalia echoed the sentiment. No matter how many times they were in here, it never ceased to impress her. It was enormous, really - Lia may have been used to the family compound in Tertium, but there was something to be said for the Maze Manor.

Earlier in the season with their visits, the titles had taken some getting used to. Hilana kept an ear out for the language, and while Lia was less inclined to multiple languages beyond Vastian and Common, she was going to do what she could to learn the tongue here. Both of the Vastian women were all smiles as they were greeted by Rickter-Lykos, Telion, Isaac, and Kendrick, returning the hugs. Hilana did set down the basket in order to hug Telion properly, and they would hug Rykos, too. If the twins were up to it... then they might also be scooped up and hugged. And if they weren't, well, there were gifts in the basket for them.

"The night, if that doesn't interrupt plans for you," Lia smiled at them. They had talked about the initiation, and with luck, they would get to it tonight, but if something had come up, something had come up. "We brought you all some things from the nomad festival back home." Hilana would take her cue to offer the twins some bone figurines that had been shaped to resemble camels and some rather pudgy-looking lizards. She had considered getting them drums... but she could only imagine how much that would vex their parents, and it would not be a welcome gift. For their parents, though... there was a large, beautifully woven blanket that showed the sunrise and sunset over desert landscape. She had brought packets of tea and spice mixes for soup blends as well, but those she would keep in the basket for the time being. There was also a tin of ghraybeh cookies, each of them with half an almond pressed into it. They were incredibly soft cookies that melted in the mouth, and she figured that the family would enjoy them.

"How have you both been?" Hilana wanted to know with a smile. "Things have been going well?"

[Rickter]

There was an immediate grin that Telion beamed as she quickly contained her overjoy, as she loved to have such important guests over no matter their length of stay. "Well, of course!" She cheered in response to the answer Athalia gave regarding their stay. "We've already asked Idrika to prepare a room, or two if needed, for the both of you to be comfortably accommodated with." The mother assured them as she guided Hilana and Athalia into the heart of the room, while the twin boys began their own curious snooping of the pair that joined them. It was evident to the pups that these were close friends of their parents, so their intent on investigation varied on their own engagements. Kendrick took the more adventurous approach and rushed up to the sisters, happily chuckling toward them from the positive attention he received.

Isaac remained closer to his parents with the look of a wondered spectator from afar, using his father's knee as a safety perch while his nose crinkled a few times in observation. It was no surprise to Lykos that he was the more timid type, prone to observe the world with a curious mind more than interacting with things head-on. "Uh oh, you brought home more goodies for us." The wolf chimed in with a lightly playful tone, already detecting the same smell of treats that his miniature spawn noticed himself. Of course, Hilana and Athalia were always bringing something delicious with them every visit, and when they got extra things for the twins or even their parents; well, that was certainly an adoring bonus for the pair.

When Hilana asked about their health, Lykos and Telion both were quick to smile altogether, though, the Lupine Draegir wore his a bit more practiced than natural. "Very well, all things considered." The mother answered honestly with a thoughtful glance to the wolf, who reciprocated the look with another soft grin. "I knew it would be a bit of a readjustment for him, but Rickter's actually settled back into things quickly now that he's back."

"The family business may have stagnated a bit due to the Eclipse, but things were not as dire as I remembered them to be." Such an offputting statement for Lykos to admit, given where he came from prior til now, but it was admittedly the truth since he'd regained his former identity. "I've more or less devoted my time to reconnecting with others as we await the coming Glade." There was a hint of optimism in that statement, as Lykos had felt the peak of his divine power gradually wane with the passage of Frost. Not that it dismayed him in the slightest, he knew with the coming springtime, warmth would gradually grace the Northlands eventually.

A much-needed warmth at that. Isaac's nose continued to crinkle and Lykos realized something tickled his nostrils, as the toddler's face contorted a couple of times before he started to bend his head forward. In the moment Isaac dropped his head forward to sneeze, a high-pitched squeal briefly came out from his mouth and nose before the reaction stirred him into motion. In just the blink of an eye, the boy's facial features developed a thin layer of hair along his jawline, and his puppy canines jutted a bit more promptly out from his lips when he opened his intensive blue eyes. "Goodness!" The mother teased heartily with a laugh before leaning down to get eye-level with Isaac.

"Genki ni," Lykos remarked to the child with his own low chuckle, "which is to wish good health in our native tongue." He then advised not just for the Vastiana sisters but for the twins as well, seeing as how they were young and curious minds eager to learn. But now that left another fun little obstacle for one of them to deal with, as Isaac now displayed his Rathari Lycan features early on. At only age two no less!

"Imagine you being like that at his age." The mother then jested toward Lykos as he near chuckled again, except the thought suddenly prompted him to remember the earliest point he could. The youngest Rickter ever remembered displaying signs was around... ten Ashes? And it wasn't as enlightening or entertaining as the wolf would've liked it to be. That mattered little, of course, as Lykos could only find pride in his sons. They both carried more than just his Rathari genes after all, they were his descended, and would remain a very centered part of his precious pack.

"I'm just curious how quickly he'll figure it out, control over the shapeshifting could take a while." He remarked as the heat of the tea started to whistle lowly from the kettle. "Please, get comfy! We were just about to have tea, and the house staff are likely going to whip up another warm meal for us in a bit." The wolf ushered for the sisters to accompany him near the hearth, as Telion guided them both to take a seat on whatever pillows they desired.

"How are things down south? Anything we might be able to help with?" The mother inquired fondly as she knelt on her pillow, already welcoming Isaac into her embrace, as the fussy boy was already grimacing at the discomfort of his sharpened teeth. Kendrick though was as virtuously energetic as ever, playing with the length of Hilana's skirts sheepishly due to their patterned hues, while sometimes babbling nearly half-coherent phrases to either sister that paid him any attention.

[Hilana Chenzira]

Hilana and Lia were fine with sharing a room. They shared the apartment in the Luxium now, since Lykos... Rickter... had began reintegrating into his old life in Kalzasi. And in the off-hand chance that Lia received her Initiation in Negation, Hilana would have spent the night watching her anyway to be sure and be safe. Like Semblance, Negation was largely safe in terms of what could go wrong, and she had watched enough initiations to be there and supervise the aftermath, especially with her having Semblance now.

True, there was only so much one could do if they were going to be craft-fallen, but she was determined not to lose a patient, and while realistically somewhere, it would happen... not on her watch. Not if she could help it.

"Always," Hilana was cheerful. "We had the big Frost Festival a few days ago... the largest annual gathering of nomadic Vastii. So we picked up a few things for you all there." Among other things that they had brought from the southern continent, at least, but that was how the herbalist rolled.

The sisters would sit on pillows as well, bags tucked aside for the moment, aside from offering a container of salted caramels to their hosts, each of them wrapped in little squares of waxed paper, to enjoy now. "I'm glad that you're settling in well, that everyone is adapting again. I imagine with the uncertainty from the eclipse, it's made shipping and travelling that much more difficult and harder, depending on the way you operate," Lia told him. While Hilana had been the one who had gone back and forth since she had her work in the city that she couldn't just take a leave of absence from for a few seasons, Athalia had been in the Citadel with Lykos for nearly the entire time, and she had been the most worried about his getting re-oriented with his old life. Hilana had had faith in the Lord of Frost, Athalia had worried silently.

When the little one sneezed and changed, the sisters had to stifle their laughter, though their amusement was plain on their faces. "Genki ni," Hilana echoed, and Athalia kept her lips pursed to keep the giggles in until she straightened her face again. "That would have been something," she grinned when Telion said to imagine what Rickter was like at that age. The sisters shared a glance, and both of them remembered the time he'd woken up as a wolf and startled a couple of servii. And the snuggles and pets that had happened until he'd figured out the changing back bit.

"Maybe another sneeze?" Lia suggested thoughtfully. "Though I imagine that might make him into a full cub... that could go either way, couldn't it?"

Tea would be lovely, and both of them would enjoy it. Hilana was always curious to see and taste the blends up here, especially considering her determination to perfectly recreate Daemon's favourite rose milk tea, though she had come pretty close. She was going to get her hands on the recipe somewhere up here and then surprise the Avialae with it one day. Granted, she could probably ask around, but that took part of the challenge out of it. "Thank you," both accepted cups, content on the pillows. Hilana's skirts, naturally were just about everywhere, and she tucked them considering the sheer amount of fabric she wore.

When they were asked about what was going on down south, Athalia and Hilana shared a glance, and shook their heads. "The political climate is about to be very interesting. And that isn't something any of us can poke about with. It is best to leave that to the Re'hyaeans, as is their birthright." Lia was pensive.

"For us more common folk, things continue as usual. Taxes get paid, jobs get done, life goes on. We will see if a civil war threatens, but I can't imagine Sol'Zalkyrion allowing that to happen," Hilana shook her head. "It is both a blessing and a curse to live in interesting times, isn't it?"