Fable had scampered off into the crowd after they'd played their games, ooh-ing and aah-ing over the carnival fare, leaving her alone as evening began to fall in earnest. Rich smells wafted through the crowded plaza and everywhere Theory seemed to look, couples walked together. They leaned companionably into each other, soaking up warmth and affection as they went. She averted her eyes from darkened corners where some seemed to think things were a fair bit more private than they really were. It was all a little... nauseating. There was nothing quite like being dreadfully single at a festival meant to celebrate love. Sure, yes - love existed in all forms! But now that the parents and doting children had cleared out and stars had begun to twinkle in the sky, only one very particular kind of love remained. Grumbling to herself, Theory stopped at a stall and bartered quickly for a few flagons of mead. Fable was old enough to get along home on her own, so she considered herself free of auntly obligations. Dragging her beverages off to the side of the main thoroughfare, Theory picked a particularly well-lit area by a fire that was just being stoked to life. Best not to have anyone thinking she was ducking into dark corners, looking for goodness knows what. Nope. Only brightly lit, pitiable spinsters here in plain sight. "Speech"

Hattori was unsure what to do with himself as he waited for the tournament to be organised. There were plenty of faces he recognised in the crowd, some who acknowledged him and others that did not, but he wasn't here to mingle. Not really. Tojo was far removed from the outside world and that was the point, so moving from the quiet to this hustle and bustle strained the Kaicho far more than he'd like to admit. Moving to the fringes of the carnival, where the crowds frayed at the edges, Hattori was quick to spot Theory. Though she was an acquaintance at best, Hattori had assumed she was far more social than himself, so what she was doing here? Seemingly making a point of keeping to herself, watching a campfire flicker and dance as though she wished she could be anywhere else.

Whatever was on her mind was none of his business. He would not ask.

Instead, he moved to the other side of the fire, claiming the space as his own as he reclined back haughtily on his haunches.

"Theory." He greeted, amiable enough but content to leave it at that.

She was caught mid swig when the familiar bulk of a male settled across the flames from her. Theory choked it down best as she could, trying to mask her surprise. Her eyes watered fiercely as the liquor burned its way down her throat, half down the wrong pipe from her surprise mid-gulp. There had to be a reason that so many wolves seemed to like drinking. Ah. The pleasant warmth spread from her throat, down into her gut, and then tingled down her legs all the way to the tips of her toes. Feeling as if she was lit from within by a bonfire, Theo finally regarded him completely. "Shogun," she said, trying to maintain an air of professional courtesy even as the drink warmed her from the inside out.

"And where is the lovely Empress tonight?" It was the LOVE Carnival, after all. Such a man wouldn't come alone, unless he was looking for trouble. Of that, there was plenty to be found. Shapes moved away from the midway, flitting towards the shadows and the surrounding forests like moths drawn to some distant other flame. It didn't occur to her that his relationship would ever be in flux - the Ashen Empress had seemed unlikely to let anything she deemed "hers" out of her clutches. Theo had gotten the distinct impression that sharing was not in the Empire's vocabularly.

Hattori's ear flicked at the title he used to go by. It felt stifling, like clothes that fit too snugly, pinched in all the wrong places. He knew Theory didn't know any better and thus did not take offence, but he wasn't here to talk about his lovely ex-wife. Even after all was said and done it was a conversation he still had trouble grasping, putting his words into sentences that made things right evaded him. Like a hare that was too light on its paws, too agile and swift to be caught. He stared at the flames a moment longer, the fire reflecting in the pale of his eyes.

When he finally raised his gaze to look at the headmistress, he noted the obvious slump in her mood. She was friendly enough, never wasn't, but she lacked the chipper edge that somehow always managed to steer away from being too much. Too jovial.

"It is Kaicho now. I lead a pack of my own down in Auster. Tojo-kai." That was the short of it, she could infer the rest as he wasn't quite in the mood to go into details.

And yet, as lovely and warm and drunk as she was, of course the finer details flowed past her like the warm amber liquor she was nursing. "Kaicho? You and the Empress moved... and changed titles?" she said, her words slow and thick. The fire spat and flickered between them, making the spattered markings on his body writhe with light and shadow; it looked as if they moved along his fur with a mind of their own. "That's awfully strange," Theory added, now thinking almost completely out loud. "The rest of the Empire is on the mainland. Why would you travel so far from your allies? Your area of control?" It was true, it felt like every time she turned around there was another splinter pack from Ashen. They had become the great hydra of Boreas, each head reporting to the Empress. It would take a man of a true, singular desire to turn his back on that. To have nearly the entire continent within his grasp and turn away. "Or is the change of name because you've both retired now? Eh? A tropical retreat? Have you become snowbirds, south for the winter?" She laughed at her own not-quite-joke. Oh, it was all over her head.

"Would you like a drink?" she added, rather abruptly. Theory stood, pleased that she wasn't swaying, and stepped aside to reveal the other four decanters she'd bartered for. "I have plenty to share." He may be alone, but he was spoken for. A safe bet. It wasn't like he'd ever shown a flicker of emotion in her presence. Theory would pay something precious to see a kernel of something in his expression. It just wasn't natural to be so... flat. If he ever smiled, she'd be completely bowled over. Maybe he would loosen up with a drink or two.