It wasn't often that she found herself alone these days. Between spending time with Kuroki, hunting for the pack, teaching lessons, whatever have you, Celeste was busy. Her new title was welcoming and she embraced it with pride. Though it was tiring from time to time. Late one afternoon as the call of local birds began to die down, she stole herself away for a stroll. Her ivory-gloved paws carried her over dewy grass as she watched her surroundings. White barked trees, low-hanging vines, and an eerie purple glow in the distance, she knew the woods surrounding the shrine well by now. Keeping a slow pace with her head at shoulder level, Celeste hummed quietly under her breath. Eyes in a slight daze, she didn't notice someone else nearby. Had she gone this far into the shrine's territory? Old buildings began to peek through the trees, enticing her to come closer. A scent of rotting wood and strong incense muted her senses as she approached a rather dark entrance. Curiosity would surely kill her if a large predator lurked inside. From what she could tell, only wolves had been here recently. "Hello?" Celeste called out quietly as she pressed her ears forward and lifted her chin slightly. Letting her lengthened tail fall closer to the ground, she stood upon the dusty stoop. "Anyone home?" Her tone is light, curious, and gentle. Not wanting to scare animals away, she waited with slight hesitation to see if she'd receive an answer before she went inside.

The wraith had been keeping to himself for several seasons now. Perhaps he was disappointing his legacy, but all he really cared for was maintaining the shrine and doing his best to maintain his link to God. The days all passed in a blur, a mixture of gardening and brewing and communion. So when a voice called out from the entrance to the shrine proper, his head snapped up. Tall auds shoved forwards, keenly focused on the sound of the latent echo that bounced from the earthen walls. A quick glance to the small tamarin sent the primate skittering towards the entrance, and he bid Hallux remain on her perch above the sparsely furnished apothecary. Slow, deliberate strides brought the titan from the darkened depths of the outbuilding, two toned gaze lingering on the silhouette that hardly filled the doorway. The scent of a fae, near his age, who was very much so a member of the empire.

The subtle jingling of metal adornments across his slender form punctuated the susurrating of his pawpads skimming over the stone floor. "It's so rare that I get a visitor," he crooned softly, pausing as he came astride with the tiny primate that had come to greet their guest. A subtle smile crossed his features for a brief moment. "What can I do for you?" he asked with a tilt of his dainty cranium, tail sweeping over his heels passively.

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

Standing rather precariously on the stoop leading up to the building, Celeste waited patiently to be answered. There was indeed a lingering scent hidden behind the incense and she wondered who resided here in the darkness. Or was she imagining things? A minute or so passed when a small monkey approached in a rushed manner. One brow raised and ears flicking backward toward her curling horns, Celeste lowered her muzzle to get a better look at the companion. What she was not expecting was the towering man to slink from the shadows. Stumbling back a step as she stared wide-eyed at the thin frame and bright eyes, she was at a loss of words. Unsure if he really was a wolf or some being from a different dimension, the girl cleared her throat. His demeanor was pleasant though and the jingle of his jewelry was most likely the noise that had really drawn her to this dwelling. "Apologies, I don't normally startle so easily," she spoke in response, her own lips curling into a friendly smile as she righted herself. Giving her fur a light shake to settle the sudden bundle of nerves she felt, Celeste looked up at him. "I was exploring the shrine and had not been in this area before. Perhaps you can give me a tour?" Celeste lilts her head gently to the side as her elongated tail brushed the ground in small sweeps. A gesture of potential friendship given if the man really was a wolf and not a spirit.

The way the petite fae balked just a hair brought a pang of perverse delight somewhere in his chest, though he knew it shouldn't have. The apology that followed, and the assurance that she wasn't one to startle easily, was met with a dip of his muzzle in understanding. Oh yes, of course not. Strangers in old buildings were just one of those things that never failed to inspire a little bit of primal fear. Perhaps it was part of why he still lingered in the building, and was so slow to restore it to its original glory. Perhaps. She asked if he'd be willing to give a little tour of the hidden building that she'd so readily overlooked, and he couldn't help but grin. "Of course, I would be delighted to." he murmured, lifting a slender paw to beckon her over the threshold and into the dimly lit corridor. Two toned gaze flicked to the dark furred primate by his feet. "Pollux, would you put the kettle on for when the tour is finished?" he asked softly, watching the tiny animal scurry back into the heart of the shrine proper. It would take a little while to give a tour of the shrine, just enough time to brew some tea with tiny monkey paws.

"Would you like some of the history of the building, or just the tour?" he questioned, awaiting the petite fae to draw closer before he set off down the hall at a leisurely pace. From where he'd been standing, it would be easier for the fae to notice the flickering light of the candles that were once again settled into their alcoves along the walls, and the hearth in the heart of the shrine that was always well stoked. Not quite the same as sunlight, but it was comforting enough. He led the way towards the heart of the shrine, claws clicking on the warm stone floors as he went. He was going to leave the main antechamber for last, but they would pass it to head towards the back portions of the building.

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