Time was a funny and fickle thing. It seemed to pass by far too quickly, and though the Mendacium woman still had much to learn in her life, it felt like she was not learning it fast enough. The truth of that frustrated her, though she had decided to not dwell on such things as she made her way back to the lands she had last seen her aunt. In the end, she would always have one thing in her life: Blood. The blood of her kin, of fellow Mendacium wolves. She had visited Elysium at one point, familiarizing herself with the lands from a distance for the most part. She had briefly met with her aunt’s suitor but she barely remembered the encounter now. All she knew was he had been a dark wolf with red… a striking contrast that oddly worked well with her aunt.

Nirvana had decided that her trials of life as a loner were through. She had survived, though she had yet to find the one she was to be coupled with. That did not bother her, however. It was not a race to extend their bloodline, so long as she found the right one to do so with. Until then her body would remain a pure temple for pups to be born from at a later date. The thought of one day becoming a mother sent a shiver down her spine. Her own mother had died in childbirth, giving birth to her. Would she also perish when that time came? If so, she’d do it with as much honor as she could muster.

Coming to the edge of the lake’s territory, a lake she knew to belong to Elysium, Nirvana slowed, her red gaze narrowing thoughtfully. This was the pack her aunt held. This was where the future of their family lived. Where she too, wanted to live. Was it not part of her fate to return back to the Mendaciums in time? As all of them should? She tilted her head to the side as if considering this before she tilted her head back and called for her aunt specifically. If the man she chose to father her children showed as well then Nirvana would meet with him as well. It would do her good to see either of them, if not both.

There were many strands of her family that seemed to be lost to the winds, some of them more recently lost than others. Merrick gone with his mate to return to his life of voyaging for a time, Poe and Naraca gone on their own way as well, her aunt here so briefly before vanishing once more. Still, there was no one that had left her life that she thought about more often than her niece. Nirvana had been her daughter in every sense besides blood, though she had never tried to claim the title. She owed it to her sister to have her live on in Nirvana's mind as her mother, but Manea had proudly taken up the mantle of the girl's aunt and had raised her as her own. She wondered about her niece often and now as she started to feel the symptoms and effects of carrying her third litter she thought about her again, wondering how she was doing now and if she was getting on alright in the world on her own.

As if fate was reading her mind, a call from a familiar voice caught her ears and made her head pop up with surprise across her features. A grin quickly followed and she left her work to hurry toward the border to greet the very topic of her thoughts. It was a quick trip across the land bridge that connected the island to the main land and she cut across to the area around Firefly Lake. That's where she found the albino girl that had grown into a beautiful woman. It felt like just yesterday she was traveling with a very young Nirvana as they tried to find a home for themselves. That's how she had ended up finding Alastor and that had set the direction for the rest of her life. "Nirvana!" she called happily with a wide grin as she got closer, her tail wagging gently behind her. Without hesitation she came up to embrace her niece, giving her a warm squeeze before she took a step back to look her over. "You look well," she praised, clearly relieved to see her healthy and well. "It's been far too long, my darling. How have you been?"

"Manea Mendacium"

Nirvana’s gaze swept the landscape of the lake beyond where she waited. The day was overcast, but for Nirvana the day had never shown brighter. This was the day she had been waiting for, coming back to Elysium and slipping into the ranks of her family. Despite her coming back to Elysium, however, there was much to be done. Work that she would need to focus on, especially when it came to bettering herself. She had been raised by her aunt, and she would be damned if she became a blemish on their family name. She was raised in greatness, and proud of the lineage she held. Weakness would not be allowed.

The albino dame was not left waiting long. Her deep red hues caught sight of her purple-furred aunt hurying across Elysium lands towards her, and Nirvana allowed a warm grin to grace her lips as she watched her aunt draw close. Her aunt was exactly what she would expect of a matriarch, a strong womanly figure with a side of beauty and grace. Nirvana could not help herself, allowing herself to be pulled into Manea’s embrace and returning it in kind. “Aunt Manea.” She greeted warmly, feeling happiness radiating within her chest.

“Far too long. I should have stayed in Elysium the last time I was here, but I’m afraid I didn’t feel ready.” Her gaze became apologetic. “I wanted to bring the best of myself to Elysium, and I felt the only way I could do that was to stay on my own a bit longer.” Nirvana’s gaze held a light to them. “I am sure there is more for me to learn, but, I am ready, ready to tackle everything that I need to, and continue to grow here, with my family. If you’ll have me that is.” Not that there was any reason for her aunt to deny her. There was more to talk about and catch up on as well, though Nirvana knew everything would come in due time.

Manea was quick to give a dismissive shake of her head as Nirvana spoke of her regret for being away too long and how she hadn't felt that she was ready when she had come around Elysium the first time. There was no hard feelings or concerns from Manea's side of things for the absence her niece had taken. It certainly wasn't uncommon for the younger wolves of their family to strike out on their own to find their place in the world, even if it seemed that tradition might fade away now that they had a permanent residence here in Elysium. She was more than happy to give Nirvana whatever space she felt like she needed until she decided she was ready to rejoin their family. Luckily, it seemed like that day was today. Nirvana spoke of how she felt that she was ready now, ready to grow with their family, and Manea's grin grew more proud as she went on. Nirvana really had grown up from the young girl that she had raised and in a way that made her wistful, but at the same time she was proud of her the same way she was proud to see her own children grow and come into their own.

"Of course I will," she replied with a chuckle when Nirvana asked if she'd have her. "That's should never be a a question in your mind, dear." She nodded for Nirvana to follow, bringing the pale woman across the border and into the pack lands proper as she started to lead her around the edge of the lake and toward the path that would bring them to the island on the other side. As they walked she looked to Nirvana, asking, "Did your travels bring you anywhere interesting? Or to anyone interesting?" She had to imagine if Nirvana found anyone worthy of capturing her attention then she would have brought them with her, but she didn't know if perhaps her potential mate would be waiting for her to let them know it was a good time for them to follow her into Elysium. There was certainly no pressure from her to find a good match—after all, it was far better to take her time than settle. Still, Manea wanted to get up to speed on her niece's life.

"Manea Mendacium"

Her aunt's response came naturally, a chuckle leaving Manea’s lips as Nirvana asked if she’d still have her. It shouldn’t have been a question in her mind, but there was a bit of guilt on Nirvana’s end, even if there didn’t need to be. It wasn’t uncommon for their family to branch off and find their own path, but Nirvana had to admit the idea of being near her kin, and working alongside them for a brighter future was what had drawn her back to Elysium. She was strong enough to stand on her own, but why should she when she could stand with a pack, a pack that would mirror her own ideals? The ideals that her family had? Perhaps she was overthinking things. It didn’t matter - she was here now, and here she would stay. Nirvana padded along after the purple-furred dame as Manea began to lead her back into the lands of Elysium. Her red gaze wandered, taking in the beauty of one of the territories her family called home. “There was a place outside of Boreas and Auster I visited a short while. A continent by the name of Lyenne.” Nirvana told her aunt. “It was similar to Boreas in a way, at least from what I could tell. Packs scattered about. I interacted loosely with a couple of members of them, however… it seemed many of the wolves that lived there did not have the skills to back up their claims. They were weak overall.” Nirvana frowned, furrowing her brow. “Certainly not suitable for a mate in any sense… It has been disappointing, to say the least… at least in that regard.” Nirvana shook her head. “There were some rather pretty lands though. Perhaps if I had searched more, I might have found someone. I don’t think I’m being too critical though…” Nirvana shifted her gaze back to Manea. “How did you know when you found your soulmate?” She asked, turning her attention to her aunt. “I had hoped that by wandering through different lands I might find them, but…” There was no hiding the discouraged tone in her voice. She didn’t want to become a disappointment to the Mendacium line after all. "Talk," 'Think.'

Manea listened curiously as Nirvana began to tell her about some of her adventures, mentioning a land called Lyenne and the similarities it held to Boreas. Of course it was always a bit of a disappointment to put in time toward something and not come up with a result, but she was proud of Nirvana for not settling for anything less than she deserved. If the wolves of that land were lacking then she would rather Nirvana come home alone than with a weak mate at her side. Manea gave a small shake of her head when Nirvana mentioned how she didn't think she was being too critical and replied, "No, you can never be too critical when you're deciding on something as important as your soul mate. It's one of the few decisions we can't take back so be as critical as you want. Of course no one is without flaws, but there are plenty out there that have positives that far outweigh their negatives."

As they walked, Nirvana turned the conversation to asking for advice and Manea gave her niece a small, encouraging smile when she noticed the obvious discouragement in her tone. She gently nudged Nirvana's shoulder with her own, saying, "You'll find them," with certainty before she went on to talk about her own experience of finding her soul mate. Perhaps the search had been harder than her niece would have wanted, but Manea had no doubt that the Ancients had crafted someone special for her just as they had for all of them. She had learned that the way to finding that soul mate was not always easy, as she had witnessed with Deimos and Ikigai quite recently, but they were out there for each of them one way or another.

Thinking back to when she met Alastor, Manea's gaze turned off toward the path in front of them and a small, wistful smirk played on her features. "Well... I know it's not all that helpful to simply say you'll know when you find them, but... It's true. From the first moment that I saw Alastor and I saw his strength in a fight and experienced his passion and his humor... There wasn't a doubt in my mind that he was who the Ancients had made to be in my life." She chuckled softly, glancing back toward Nirvana again, "And now here we are, leading a pack together with three children and hopefully more to come should we be so lucky." She paused as she considered it for a moment, trying to find some nugget of actual advice for her niece, and she added, "In my experience, the one you're looking for always shows up when you aren't even looking for them. I wasn't looking for my soul mate when I met Alastor, I just happened to cross paths with him. You uncle Deimos met his new mate right when he had entirely given up his own search. Don't focus so much on the search. When the time is right someone will walk into your life that will fit what you desire."

"Manea Mendacium"

Nirvana might have been disappointed and discouraged with her progress, especially her search for her soulmate, but her aunt was there to reassure her. She wasn’t being too critical, especially with a decision that she couldn’t take back. It was an important decision in her life, and Nirvana wanted to make the right one. Wanted to be happy… and wanted her family to continue to thrive. If she became a weak link among them, then how could she claim she was a Mendacium? But that criticalness there was one of her strengths. She wouldn’t make the decision lightly, and though she might not find someone the definition of perfect, finding someone whose strengths outweighed their flaws would be the most ideal. As they walked and talked Nirvana took in the sight of the lake they were passing by. Fireflies dotted the surface and thick plant life grew at the edges. She only took it on for a moment though as Manea reassured her that she would find her soulmate, and Nirvana offered her aunt a small smile. It might take more time, but her aunt was right. The ancients would not forsake her. That knowledge, and the reassurance, gave Nirvana a renewed sense of hope. She would not interrupt the purple dame, however, as her aunt recalled when she had met Alastor. Nirvana noticed the wistful smirk that appeared on her aunt's lips, and it brought a slight smile to her own as she listened. “I’m sure that your family with him will continue to grow, and the Mendacium line will continue to gain strength.” Nirvana said. Her aunt already had three children, and with a mate as strong as Alastor there was no reason they shouldn’t have more. Her aunt had already proven herself capable as a leader, and now that Nirvana had come to Elysium, she was excited to see her aunt’s leadership now that she was an adult. “If that is the case for finding them then I suppose it will be best to work on my skills and contribute to Elysium then. Perhaps in doing that, I will find them in time.” Nirvana’s smile widened into a bit of a grin. “What part of the lands are dens typically made in?” She asked. She wanted to be near everyone else. At least while resting. She would definitely need to poke around the rest of the lands in full later on though. "Talk," 'Think.'

Manea smiled as Nirvana mentioned her assuredness that her family and the Mendacium line would continue to gain strength with Alastor at her side. She appreciated her niece's confidence and nodded in agreement. Finding Alastor and bringing him into their family had only opened the doors to more than she could have ever imagined and she did not doubt that there would only be even more wonderful things to come in their future. She was glad that she was able to reassure her niece as they spoke of soul mates and the difficult search to find the right individual. She did hope that Nirvana eventually found what she was looking for, but in the mean time she was excited to have her niece back with their family once more, this time hopefully for good.

They continued on past the lake that dominated this portion of the territory and eventually Nirvana asked where they typically made their dens. Manea looked up at the path ahead of them toward the looming, mountainous island that could be seen in the distance off of the coast of the mainland. She pointed it out, replying, "Alias Island has been the center point of the pack since it's founding so that is where a majority of the pack makes their dens. I do believe there is at least a couple of wolves that prefer to be out here on the mainland and you are of course more than welcome to set up your den wherever you'd like within our borders." Bringing her gaze back to Nirvana, she smiled and added, "We have frequent patrol routes along the border around this lake and the neighboring Rock Garden so it's quite safe whether you decide to be on the island with us or out here with a bit more privacy."

"Manea Mendacium"