It was strange to see the home he'd lived in for so long in disarray. In his absence, the building that had been constructed to house those living at the shrine had been partially dismantled. Used for storage. Somewhere in his chest, there was a tightness that wouldn't go away. If the pack wanted storage.. he would make them storage. His home would not be a communal stomping ground to put half treated pelts or odds and ends. So, off the young godling went. He started collecting branches and downed trees. As he practiced the art of battle, his muscles had begun to strengthen. He was still a dainty and frail looking creature, but there was a smooth pull of sinew beneath his pelt with each stride now. So he was able to haul those oversized logs towards the familiar structure of the shrine, and pile them haphazardly in the mid-afternoon sun. It would take a while for the plans that were stewing in his head to come to fruition, and for now he was content to sleep in the open. The forest itself was home enough, and he was content with that.

Hallux was out scouting for more fallen logs, so that he wouldn't have to keep wandering aimlessly in search of them. In the close crowded maze of alabaster trunks, the parrot was well suited to sweeping through boughs and sparse canopies to survey the landscape. While the godling awaited her return, he sorted through the materials he'd collected. Binding of some sort would be the next order of business, either mud and clay mixtures or a far more tedious process of using ropes. Mud would insulate better, and keep the contents of the building from being damaged by rain or snow. Was there anywhere nearby that would offer up some clay? There might be a trip in order, off to one of the riverbeds nearby to see what kind of mudbrick he could construct... The wraith stooped over the pale branches and toppled saplings he'd gathered, trying to construct some kind of plan for himself.

"Pontifex" || "Hallux" || "others"

Sadness had become Ikigai's norm. Confusion was a close second. After the neverending night that had almost killed some of them, she imagined that her family would have drawn together and become stronger, but it was quite the opposite. Her father had left and had taken pack wolves with him. He hadn't even said goodbye. Now her mother was upset and all of the rules and morals that she'd grown to embrace had been trampled underpaw in the mud. Ikigai didn't know what to think anymore.

The pale princess had been spending a lot of time in the old shrine simply because no one bothered to go there anymore. She'd placed a pile of furs beside the missing wall, but back far enough that they wouldn't get wet. This was where she spent most of her days. She hadn't touched an instrument since her father's departure, nor had she gone to the building that he'd constructed for her. She didn't want to remember him. The gifts meant nothing because his word and bond meant nothing. She'd almost broken her instruments, but couldn't bring herself to do it.

Nearing the old shrine, Ikigai was surprised to see someone emptying the space and stacking things in various piles. Brows furrowed, the young lady came up to the entrance of the shrine and looked within. She was surprised to see Pontifex there. He had been allowed back? When their gaze met, she lowered her mercuric pools to the floor beneath their paws, not wanting him to see the sadness within. "Pontifex, it's you," Perhaps not the best greeting, but it was all that she could manage to say.

"V"

Dainty paws approached, he only barely caught the sound of susurrating grasses underpaw as they neared him. The wind was not in the godlings favour, so he wasn't certain who it was. Not many had come to visit the shrine since his arrival, except perhaps to nab some of their belongings when he'd stepped away. It didn't bother him much, it felt much like what life had been like when he'd been younger. Before the Fall. The dark furred yearling did, however, recognize the soft voice that spoke up just behind him. He spun about with a smile on his face, only to find Ikigai looking far worse for wear than he had expected. Hadn't she been getting better since the plague? Concern pinched his painted brows, tall ears drooped to either side of his slender skull as he lowered his chin and took a few hesitant steps closer.

"You don't seem pleased to see me," he crooned gently, drawing scant few inches away from his cousin and trying to search her downturned features for some clue to the source of her melancholy disposition. "is everything alright?" gentle lyrics offered up the question rather tentatively, wary of the response he might garner from his beloved cousin. He had assumed she would be overjoyed to see him back, and so he was completely thrown off by this reaction.

"Pontifex" || "Hallux" || "others"

Pontifex drew towards her, his words meeting tall, tasseled ears. The young wolf gasped lightly and brought her mercuric gaze up to meet his quickly. "No! No, it's not that at all." Iki shook her head vehemently and took a step towards her cousin. He then asked if everything was alright and the Klein princess felt the rise of emotion well up within her. Iki bit her lower lip to keep from crying and shook her head again. Though she didn't sob, she could feel the tightness in her throat and her eyes swam with liquid.

Iki tried to think of anything other than the pain that stabbed her through the heart. She smiled, the ruby corners of her eyes lifting. The action sent tears cascading down pale cheeks. "I'm glad that you're home," she admitted aloud. She truly was. There were very few family members that she cared for that she was certain cared for her in turn. Pontifex was one of them and she held him dear.

Raising one paw, Iki wiped the tears from one cheek. "My fath..."
She stopped herself. "Hattori left the pack. He didn't even say goodbye. He just left my mother and disappeared." The obsidian and snow girl was still so very, very hurt by this. She had loved her father. Revered him. For him to have abandoned her and the rest of her family... it was unforgivable.

"I'm sorry," she spoke on a soft sob. "I don't want to heap my troubles on you, I just haven't talked to anyone about this." The opposite paw raised to futilely wipe the tears from her other cheek and then she just stood there, not knowing what else to do.

"X"

With a rapid shake of her delicate tiara, the dainty girl pulled forward and finally met his gaze. He could see the glassiness of her eyes as they began to brim with unshed tears, and the concern upon his face only grew. And then his cousin forced a smile onto her face, and forced the welling tears to cascade soundlessly down the pale fur of her cheeks. She reassured him that she was glad to have him home, and lifted a delicate paw to wipe away the dampness from her cheek. She started to say something, and then paused to rephrase it. In the short time between his acceptance and this day, the shogun had left the pack. And without a farewell to his children? That felt as though it were rather out of the blue, and it came as just as great a shock to the godling as it might have to his children. What had been going on in the royal palace during his exile? Something must have prompted the breakup of the royal family, right?

Ikigai apologized quietly, her voice breaking as she did. The amethyst dappled yearling shook his head mutely, lifted a slender forelimb and sought to wrap it around his cousin's dainty shoulders and pull her towards his narrow chest. She tried to wave away her turmoil, to apologize for her suffering. He snorted softly, and shook his head as he aimed to tuck her crown against the downy charcoal fur of his chest. "Nonsense, Iki." he crooned gently, letting out a slow sigh as he gathered his thoughts. "I was about to take a break as it was, so come sit with me. I believe there's a few more bottles of my last batch of wine, so let's have a drink." he offered with a half-hearted smile pulling at his lips. Loosening his grip about her frail shoulders, the young wraith pulled away to look into her eyes for a moment. "It tastes more like vinegar than wine, but it will do for the night, I think." he was aiming for a joking tone, but he was still rattled by this revelation, and the mirthful expression didn't quite reach his eyes.

Slender limbs pulled the phantom male through the mess that he'd created while he reorganized, keen eyes searching for the familiar bottles of dark liquid. There were a few loose furs scattered about, good enough to rest on and pour out one's woes for the evening. By the time they were to drunk to be properly sad anymore, then they could sleep on the old furs just as easily. He kicked a few of them into loose piles, and directed his pallid cousin towards one of them with a wave of his paw. "Make yourself comfortable," he offered lightly, still scanning through the odds and ends for the drinks.

"Pontifex" || "Hallux" || "Pollux"

Iki went easily into her cousin's embrace, pressing herself against the dark fur of his chest. His big frame was comforting. She felt safe with him. "I'm sorry," she whispered again. The little princess was sorry about a lot. Sorry that her father left. Sorry that Pontifex and his family had been banished. Sorry that she hadn't been more excited to see him. It seemed like all of the regret that she'd been harboring was regurgitated at once. Like the kind soul that he was, Pontifex just took it all in stride, comforting the fae as she needed.

When the pair parted, Ponti offered Ikigai some wine. Lynx pointed ears tipped backwards for a moment. She'd never had alcohol before and admitted as much, not being shy about the fact. She was a princess, afterall. She wasn't supposed to get drunk. Then again, her father wasn't supposed to leave her either. "I've never had alcohol before," she spoke softly. "I'll try it though. Will you... make sure that I'm okay?" Mercuric eyes tilted upwards as she searched her cousins face. Surely he would look after her, but those eyes were still filled with an innocent, pleading look. She didn't want to embarrass herself if she did this.

As they parted, Pontifex told her to make herself comfortable. "I've been here a lot since you left," she admitted. "No one really comes here anymore." Iki settled herself upon the furs and waited.

"Ikigai"