After the trauma Magnus had suffered by regaining his memories had surfaced and he’d been given permission by Sirius to leave the Armada, Kiyo and the man had decided to take a trip away from Boreas. Both had incurred a heavy blow, the white woman with her son suddenly decided to leave Ashen and strike out in search of something else, leaving her to scramble to try and decide if she wanted to stay with her grandchildren and the woman she had come to consider a daughter, or follow her only child, and Magnus with his confusion on what was real and what wasn’t. Their relationship had still been on unstable legs, unsure of what it was exactly, platonic or romantic, but one thing they both knew was that they found comfort in the presence of the other.

Thus, they had traveled to a tropical island roughly one week’s travel from Boreas and Auster and had settled there for several months. They pair had helped to nurse each other emotionally, and while their relationship wasn’t perfect, it was the healthiest that Kiyo had ever experienced. She had come to find that she could no longer imagine a life without him, wherever that life led her, and after talking it over, the pair had decided that that life needed to be with the son she had nearly lost with his 7 other siblings at birth, the one who she had thought dead for over a year and grieved for, only to find out he was alive and well, the son who didn’t need her nearly as much as she needed him.
It was also the fact that she knew Magnus didn’t like Hanzo much, but was willing to sacrifice that for her that made her appreciate him even more.

So, they landed on the sand of the Shimmering Shores, paying the boatman in fine meat and drink and offloading Magnus’ wheelchair before taking a moment to settle. The pale woman turned to look at her companion, a gentle smile on her delicate features, “Are you ready for another adventure?” she asked, amusement in her voice.

Speech

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Was he exactly excited about being back to the place that caused him so many painful memories? Not really; but would he do it for Kiyo? Absolutely. He wouldn't stop her from whatever she wanted to do, and after having her all to himself for months he was happy to return home with her. While he wasn't exactly thrilled about what the man had done, he had to admit that is was much better than if she wanted to return to Ashen. He could shove his distaste for the mans actions down, but he probably couldn't take whatever glances Venom would throw his way for what he had done to her mother. Although, he would argue and say that his actions weren't intentional unlike Hanzo's, but he kept his opinion to himself. Kiyo knew how he felt, but for her sake he wouldn't let it sway her decision to return. He loved her and wanted her to be happy, and he was far too old to let what another man did with his own wife and children bother him.

His smile matched Kiyo as they settled, his gaze soft as he looked over her timeless figure. "Only as long as you're by my side," he smiled still, leaning forward to nuzzle her cheek gently. She was lucky in a way, as Magnus had already started to grey in places that clearly showed his age. One would probably even argue that he looked older than he was, but life hadn't been too easy on the man. He was happy to say that things were easier now, even with all his memories returned to him.

"Speech!"

The look Magnus gave her sent pleasant tingles down her spine and she felt her face heat at his words, leaning into his touch to her cheek with closed eyes. She had felt this way for only the first few weeks during her marriage to Hideki, when it had been new and exciting and he hadn’t yet shown his true colors. Then, the yelling and the cheating and the real abuse had started, and those feelings had been torn asunder. It was nice, albeit weird, to feel like a teenager in love again, and she reveled in it.

“You tease,” she jibbed, but her voice was full of affection as she gently bumped her shoulder against his. Then, they began to walk forward. It was always a bit of a struggle getting Magnus’ wheelchair across sand. The thinner wheels tended to slid through the bigger drifts and get him stuck, and then she’d have to give his back end a shove to get him out of it. It was slow going, but once they reached more level ground it was smooth sailing.

Getting used to the wheelchair had been a journey for both of them, resulting in a few fights and some tears, but in the end Magnus’ mobility was greatly improved compared to before, and it took a lot of pressure off of his back hip, which had begun to develop arthritis due to carrying more weight. His shoulders were beginning to show signs of it, too, but it was nowhere near as advanced and debilitating as it was in his hind leg. With medication and physical therapy that she’d been performing with him, Kiyo had been pleased to see his movements becoming easier and less painful.

“The map the boatman gave us says the Bamboo Maze should be to the South East along the coast. So if we cut across toward the south then follow the coast, that might be the easiest route for us. What do you think?” she asked, squinting at the map of Auster that they’d bought from the boatman and that her monkey companion was currently holding up for them.

"Hattori Kiyo"

"Your tease," he reminded her against her cheek, his voice deep as he smirked. While he may be an old man on the outside (and the inside if you think about it), his mentals were still mostly about him. He certainly hadn't lost his dirty mind with all the other things he'd lost over the years, anyway.

There were a lot of things he was nervous about. Nervous probably wasn't even the right word to describe it, but Magnus wasn't good with words really. While for Kiyo it was as simple as returning home, even if it was a home she'd never lived in before. It was still her family, just settled somewhere new, and while he was happy for Kiyo and wanted what she wanted, it was something completely new for him. He seldom visited Auster and now he was going to be living here in a maze full of wolves he didn't know. While Kiyo had done everything she could to reassure him of being welcomed, he still had his doubts and as they traveled and wrestled his wheelchair out of the sand along the way, he mulled them over but kept his thoughts to himself. He certainly didn't want her to think he was having second thoughts, he was just worried that her son wouldn't accept him and that was the last thing he wanted to burden her with.

Kiyo talked directions and Magnus turned his thoughts to the monkey holding the map and followed along the route she suggested. "Looks good to me," he said as he smiled and looked over at her. "Are you ready to go home?"

CODE © SKELLE 2021

"Speech!"