Sanctuary

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Olivia stood outside the gate to her home, nearly bouncing on her feet with excitement as she awaited the arrival of her old and newest friend. When they'd asked to visit the Inari residence, she had been beside herself with joy, not unlike she was now. The midday sun hung above her, sky blue and bright, the perfect day for something like this. She checked her watch, knowing that the pair should arrive shortly.

Gwen held Lumi's hand, as they walked down the street, walls on either side as they passed the different residences, all with large gates with different symbols. Despite the neighborhood looking familiar, they were actually quite a ways from the Vroman mansion, the Inari's living on the edge of the city closer to the forest that cupped the northern part of the country's capital. "It's nice... to get out of the house a bit," Gwen spoke nonchalantly as they walked, knowing they were in no hurry as they'd arrive on time even at this pace."I'm sure Olivia will show you those foxes you wanted to see."

Lumi was beyond happy. To be able to openly walk the streets of the city, hand in hand. A week ago now things had really taken a turn for the better in their relationship. They had become a bit more open with one another and progressed at a fine pace. "It is. I am glad to be able to spend more time with you." She said, raising her hand wrapped around Gwen's before lowering it again to a more resting state. "I look forward to meet with Olivia again. She was quite a joy to spend time with, even if her choice of films are a bit of an... odd taste." She joked. Her tail flicked to and fro with excitement as they neared the estate. Soon enough, the residence of the Inari family came into view, seeing Olivia standing there, she waved her hand as to catch her attention.

Olivia saw Lumi raise her hand, noticing her other hand help in Gwen's. As a result, she waved back to them with ferocity. "Hey! Hey! It's good to see you both!" She said as they reached her, a wide and beaming smile on her face. She'd known through talking to Gwen on the phone that she and Lumi had grown closer but seeing as how Gwen hadn't given any details to what she meant, Olivia was completely in the dark until just now. However, she'd overstepped her bounds before and so she wouldn't point things out unless they addressed them first. "I was thinking that I could show you all around the place. But before that, how have you all been?! I know it hasn't been that long but still!"

"We are doing good, I think." Lumi said with a bright smile, clutching to Gwen's hand just a slight bit tighter. "I am glad to see you again, Olivia! I've looked forward to this ever since we first met, and while I am adoring the idea to see your home a bit closer, I will not lie and say that I don't adore the idea of seeing the foxes even more." She said with a joking tone and a flicking tail.

Olivia nodded her head, "I thought so! Don't worry you'll get to see the foxes soon enough. Maybe even sooner if they're out and about." She explained before opening the gate to the homestead, "Oh, Osmund is supposed to be somewhere around here today as well. So don't be surprised to see him here." Olivia continued before leading them through the gate. Unlike the Vroman manor, the Inari estate appeared quite humble, a large two-story wooden compound with several visible trees both in front of and behind the manor. The yips of foxes could be heard now and again from all directions. The entire inside of the homestead looking far different from the modern road and many of the other places they'd walked by to get here. "I know Gwen has been here before so I'm sorry if the tour ends up boring you. But we gotta do it for Lumi, right?" Olivia said, getting a shrug followed quickly by a nod out of the girl before Olivia smiled widely and continued down the road toward the estate. "This house has been in my family for generations, built long before anyone still alive here was born. That's why it looks a lot like some of the older buildings in Hylion. It was built in the traditional style at the time before outside cultures began to influence infrastructure and architectural design." She explained, going up the steps and leading them down the side path of the house. "Still, despite its age, it isn't any worse for wear. I mean, it is our home after all." She giggled as they rounded the side of building to see that the backyard was a large open field with a large pond and an island in the middle. All around were torii gates and Inari shrines that young foxes ran around. "What do you think, pretty?"

"Its gorgeous..." Lumi spoke in awe. The construction was indeed humble by most standards, but it wasn't unheard of in her homeland about wooden citadels and castles. "Is there something special about the foxes? Most of the ones I've encountered are feral and a bit unsafe to be around on an ordianry day. Are they maybe extra intelligent or something?" Lumi asked curiously about the "wildlife" that was so freely wandering the area.

"Oh? That's a bit rude to say, Lumi." Olivia asked, a mix of both genuine and feigned offense at the way that she described the foxes she'd encountered. "Foxes share an important role in the culture of Hylion as bringers of good fortune. They symbolize cunning and great intellect, and some can even shapeshift into humans." Olivia explained, "These foxes have seen generations go by in the care of our family. We are to them what a mother is to a child, family. They live and we live and we share our resources and knowledge with one another. They are our protectors, and we are theirs in return." She said, the fox from last time they'd met appearing on her shoulders. "Isn't that right, Tomoe?"

"Of course, Milady, our service to the Inari family is eternal." The fox spoke without moving its mouth, the smaller foxes began to run around Olivia's feet in excitement at the presence of the older fox spirit.

Lumi giggled. "Sorry, I didn't know that. Hello Tomoe, a pleasure to see you again. Sorry if I offended you and your kin." Lumi apologized with a slight bow. "It's just a bit rare for me to find such intelligent 'wildlife' outside of my realm. I didn't know my better, but now I do at least... I think you mentioned that your family had a rite they did when they reach maturity? I don't remember too well, but did the foxes hold a part of that rite?"

"The pleasure is mine, Frost one," Tomoe said, the foxes tail flicking toward the girl before wrapping around Olivia's neck like a scarf to which Olivia lifted her hand and began to stroke it.

"They do, once a child of Inari blood has reached a certain level of proficiency in their training they will be bounded with an Inari fox, a companion for life and perhaps even long after we've been freed from our mortal coil. Tomoe was the fox I summoned and we are bonded together by blood. Each and every fox spirit is unique and different. Specializing in their own forms of magic. My aunt and mother's specialize in fire, mine specializes in wind magic." Olivia explained, continuing to stroke the foxtail around her neck as Tomoe spoke quietly into Olivia's ear, catching the girl's attention but ignoring it. "I would offer to show you the rite at some point but we don't currently have anyone nearing that point any time soon. But if we do, I'll be sure to invite you." She said, walking them over to the pond, the foxes at her feet moving deftly between her feet with skill and precision to avoid being stepped on. "This is the koi pond, the foxes don't bother then too much so the Koi are rather friendly. We use this as a spot to relax and reflect on things. It helps clear the mind, the sound of running water that is."

"I much prefer the roar of a waterfall, but yes, this is quite soothing as well." Lumi teased. "What do you tend to ponder in these circumstances? Something worldbreaking perhaps?`Man's cruelty towards man? The effects of technology being the doom of man or its savior? Does objective reality exist? Or maybe, just maybe, you think about dinner?" She said before letting go of Gwen's hand to sit herself down on beside the pond as to not force her dear to sit down with her, as it is something she knows she is less than fond of.

"I doubt it's anything like that, Lumi." Gwen spoke up at her friend's question.

Olivia responded with a giggle, "Mostly about life, our current issues, our struggles both internal and external. It's meant to build discipline and character within us. Are those the sort of things that you ponder about, Lumi?"

"Meh. I've thought about such things before, yeah, but I've ultimately made up my mind on those topics. I mostly just wonder whether I am a good person or not by now." Lumi said as a mere reaction while looking at the koi circling the pond. It was only a few seconds later until she realized what she had just said. She flinched without looking back at them. "Did I do another bad?"

They both raised an eyebrow at her question, but Gwen was the first to speak up. "It's a normal question to ask yourself as far as I can tell. I ask myself the same question more often than I probably should. I still don't know if I have an answer or not." Gwen spoke, crossing her arms.

Olivia let out an awkward giggle at the situation they were put into. "Eh, well, for whatever its worth, I think you're both good people. I mean, you've been my friend for a while, Gwen. And I might not have known Lumi long but I know she couldn't have gotten through your shell without a big heart and a lot of kindness." She playfully smacked Gwen on the back, the fox sliding down off of Olivia's neck and snaking its way to the ground before coming to stand beside Lumi.

"Oh? So it's true that pretty faces worry their beauty is only skin deep? How amusing." Tomoe said before Olivia scolded the fox.

Lumi chuckled and smiled while looking at the fox at her side. "You've got quite the sassy mouth on you, don't you Tomoe?" Lumi replied before looking back to the school of koi. "At least I know for a fact now that I am pretty if even foxes go about and compliment it." She joked. She looked around at Gwen and Olivia. "Thank you for your confidence Olivia. And Gwen, for what it is worth, I think you are a great person. A bit hard to get through, but ultimately a very great individual!" She said with a bright smile.

Gwen's lips cracked into a smile, though it was Olivia that sat down beside the blue-skinned girl. "I'm sorry about Tomoe, she's a bit more opinionated than most foxes. You learn to take the things she says with a grain of salt, even if you shouldn't have to." She said, shooting another glare at the fox who simply glared back unphased by the scolding. "But hey, we can't really control who we end up loving, right?" She chuckled, knowing that Gwen herself was difficult to get along with at times. "I know I doubt know you very well, but I have to say that I feel a bit of a kinship with you," Olivia said holding her hand out in front of Lumi, a cold crackling lightning arcing between her fingers. "We ice buddies gotta stick together, right?"

*In more ways than you might expect.* Lumi thought with a conflicted mind, but she put on a big smile all the same. She brought up her own palm and in it she created a little fox of blue frost and snow that ran on the spot in her palm. "Through hot and cold." She playfully replied. "And don't worry, Olivia, it takes more than the sass of a wee fox to offend me. As for kinship, a thought struck me: Do you have anything divine in you? Your mother does, right? Have you inherited any of that? I do through my Loa Spirit, so maybe there is some sort of connection in that regard too?"

Olivia nodded her head, "Sorta? I'd say that I'm closer to Gwen, but my magic is blessed. So... like, a Dragon God sort of deal? I'm not entirely sure. But I do know that I feel something in me, something that I haven't quite tapped into yet." She explained, holding her hand over her heart. "But who knows? Could just be my imagination. Still, my magic is unique though. The appearance and speed of lightning, the freezing capabilities of ice. My teachers used to call it rather terrifying." Olivia explained, standing up and pointing to a training dummy someone had left out across the pond. Pointing the hand that had been on her heart over at it, ice crystals refracting light around the dummy before a lightning bolt shot down from the sky and encased it in a block of ice. She let out an exhale before turning to Lumi, looking down at he little ice fox in Lumi's hand. "But I wish that I could do those little things like you can. Mold it, play with it. Things like that."

"It is a bit liberating to be able to do the little things with it, yes." Lumi replied, feeling content with just looking at the little fox. "But yours is equally impressive. I have never heard of a magic that can freeze something with a lightning strike. But what makes you think that you cannot do the 'little things' with your magic? Is it that unadaptable for such things? Would be a pity if that is really the case." Lumi said in regards to Olivia's final statement. She had the idea of maybe striking a bargain to see if something could be done, but the more she thought of it, the more she disregarded the idea. "Dragon god though... That sounds like such an incredible concept."

Olivia's lips curled, "It does, but it's not as impressive as it sounds. Like I just showed you, its a magic centered around pure and raw power. Molding, shaping, it's beyond me as far as I can tell. To freeze as quickly as the lighting strikes is my only ability. But I suppose that's all I really need. It wouldn't exactly be very grateful of me to ask for even more, would I?" She chuckled, her eyes locked on the little fox in Lumi's hand as she spoke. Shaking he head, she moved her gaze up to Lumi's eyes. "I'm told you possess incredible gifts as well. Magics never even heard of before, how could someone become so skilled at such a young age?"

Lumi pondered how to answer that one without letting on her true age. She soon enough found her answer. With a bit of shame in her tone, she replied, looking back into Olivia's rather pretty eyes. "Would you refer to cheating as being skilled? You see... When you are touched by a Loa Spirit, you rather quickly just gain a surge of power and knowledge. I had the... I don't know whether to call it luck or misfortune by now, but I had the chance to be in tune with a Loa Spirit known by the name Lunallia, a Loa of dreams, heritage and the night. Had you been born where I am from, your fascinating magic would have been attributed to the blessings of my spirit. So yeah, me getting strong because of as spirit just doesn't seem like genuine growth in my eyes."

Gwen's ears twitched at a familiar name, her attention moving from the fox on her shoulder to Lumi and Olivia's conversation. However, she remained silent, her mind trying to place the odd name in her head.

Olivia shook her head, "Cheating? No, no, I'm sure that you had to earn it. Sure, maybe it gave you a boost at the end of the day but for a God to have blessed you they had to have been something special about you, Lumi." Olivia said with a wide smile.

"I don't feel particularly special about it." Lumi said with a shrug. "But I am still grateful, Olivia. Your words warm this literally frozen heart of mine." She joked. "It wasn't anything really that special. I just burst out of a big block of ice better than my competition. I was also a bit... Arrogant back in the day. Felt ever so superior to everyone. But everyone needs to take a taste of that humble pie sooner or later, right?"

"Yeah, I wish I could say I was speaking from experience but my mothers have always been kind and humble. But my mother, the one blessed by a Goddess, claims she was quite the hothead when she was younger. Imagine that, a hotheaded ice mage?" Olivia chuckled, looking up toward her home.

"Lunallia was from your book, isn't that right, Lumi?" Gwen asked, stepping into the conversation after placing the familiar name. "Yes, I do think that's right. The 'bitch' as you referred to her or something of the sort. I wasn't aware that she was your Loa." Gwen said, shooing away Tomoe from her shoulder.

Lumi mentally flinched at that, berating herself for not having thought her words through. But now it was in the open, and she had to roll with it. "Yes, Lunallia is the name of my Loa Spirit. I don't much favor that, but sadly it is... Out of my control. For many reasons, I am just stuck with that one. The culture of my home does not really approve of Loa shifts. Not impossible, but when someone is picked by a Loa, you are essentially stuck with them forever and always. Sometimes the Loa don't really like the idea of their servants dying, so they keep them from doing so." Lumi explained, her tail curling a slight bit.

Gwen didn't even get the chance to speak before Olivia piped up, "L-like zombies?" She asked, in reference to Lumi's comment about the undying servants.

Lumi almost laughed at her remark, humorously commenting in turn. "Ah yes, we all come back as rotting servants to do their bidding in the most grotesque of ways." She spoke with a giggle. "No, they essentially make them reincarnate, you know, be reborn to do their work again. It is not unheard of for some of those chosen to have actively made themselves be less useful servants so that they can finally be put to rest."

"That doesn't sound like any way to live..." Gwen spoke with hesitance, as though the concept disturbed her.

"That... does sound a bit off-putting in its own way," Olivia said, keeping up her tone even if it lost most of the cheer.

"Something like that won't happen to you, will it?" Gwen asked, as though it had only crossed her mind now. "I mean..." She started but fell silent, not wanting to continue.

"No. It won't. I won't allow it. I have come to know too many amazing people in this life of mine. I don't want to leave that behind." Lumi said with a firm and confident voice, still laced with happiness. "Even if all the Loa curse me for it, I don't want to leave this. I don't want to leave any of you... But this is no time for such deep thoughts, now is it?" Lumi suddenly exclaimed happily, getting back up on her feet. "We are supposed to have fun today and maybe talk some religion if time allows for it, right?"

Olivia tilted her head, "We weren't talking religion just now?" Olivia asked, a tone of curiosity in her voice before she shook her head and let a smile appear on her lips. "But yeah, let's move on." She said, turning and pointing back toward the house. "Most of the outside facing doors lead to bedrooms. The ones that lead to the outside can be locked but the ones on the inside can't be. It comes from the idea that the convenience of others should come before the convenience of oneself. So, there are no locks on any of the doors inside the house besides the bathroom for obvious reasons. Still, it makes you think twice before doing anything you wouldn't want to be caught doing." Olivia gave on awkward chuckle before clearing her throat. "On the southern side of the house, we have the servent's quarters where they live when not on duty. It's just as old as the main house and equally well maintained. After all, we couldn't very well ask them to pledge loyalty to our family if we didn't return their kindness and respect now could we?" She asked rhetorically.

"Well, yes, but it got a bit heavier than I bargained for so soon." She explained as Olivia kept describing the purpose of the building's design. Lumi giggled. "I'd like to say that it sounds silly, but considering all the strange customs of my people, I don't think I have the right to say that." She said jokingly. "I understand the sentiment, but I can't help but think of it as something of an inconvenience. But then again, the convenience of others probably makes it as intended." Lumi thought out loud to no one in particular. "You have quite the homestead, Olivia. Beautiful and rustic. I like it!"

"I'm glad you like it, I'd love for you and Gwen to spend a night here some time. Since we're so close to being outside the city limits, you can see the stars almost perfectly out here at night." Olivia said with a wide smile on her face.

"That sounds wonderful, Olivia. Lumi and I might discuss it another time. Lumi enjoys botany, perhaps we can show her he garden?" Gwen suggested, her mind still preoccupied even as things seemed to move on from other topics.

"Oh! That's right! She does, you mentioned that before." Olivia said, pointing to a path not far from them that led over a hill none of them could see over from where they were standing. "We have a really pretty garden, I'm sure you'll love it, Lumi!" Olivia said, moving to walk down the path with a hop, skip, and a step.

Gwen moved to follow, turning to back to Lumi and shrugging her shoulders as if unsure what Olivia's pep was all about. The two followed behind, up the small hill that Olivia had stopped near the top over. Both reached the top, which gave them a good view of a luxurious garden of many sections separated by color with a large tree in the center surrounded by four small fountains. A large red animal of some kind seemed to sit under the tree, sleeping soundly but its presence didn't seem to bother either Gwen or Olivia.

"See! I told you, it's really pretty!" Olivia boasted, hands on her hips and chest puffed out like she'd just done something amazing.

When reaching the top of the hill, Lumi was in awe, much similar to when they had visited the city garden. Their collection of flora was spectacular. She had to do everything in her power to not rush down and inspect each and every petal. A feeling ever so familiar from before. Then she noticed the red sleeping animal underneath the tree, and she hesitated. "Um... What- I mean, who might that be?" Lumi asked, feeling inclined to ask who as of now rather than what ever since her encounter with the foxes.

"Artorias," Gwen stated as though it was a name Lumi should recognize. But it wasn't, she'd never seen the creature before. However, she had met its owner. "If he's here, then Osmund must not be too far away. The thing never leaves his side whether you see it or not." Gwen continued.

"Yep, I told you he'd be here today. But I expected him to be training or something. I don't know what Artorias is doing in the garden." Olivia said, leading the other two down the path, opening up the wooden gate to the garden. The large, polar bear sized creature stirred at the sound but did not bother to awaken from its slumber, of which they could tell as its loud snores could now be heard throughout the garden. Another figure could now also be recognized, resting beside the creature and using its expanding and retracting side like a pillow. Unlike the behemoth, Lumi would likely recognize this figure to be none other than Osmund himself napping under the shade of the midday sun.

"Perhaps he tuckered himself out? I hear being an annoying little prick is quite the energy waster." Gwen said, approaching the body with the intention to wake him up. However, as she approached, the beast stirred again. This time lifting its head with sleepy eyes. The Lion-dog stared for a moment before seeming to recognize her. Extending its neck and using its giant tongue to lick all the way up her front and coating her in its saliva much to her dismay.

Feeling the movement of the creature, Osmund's eyes slowly opened, clearly not ready to have been awoken from his nap. He held up a hand to block the sun that shone through the leaves as his eyes adjusted to the new light. He quickly saw the three figures around him, his hand almost reaching for the cleaver-like sword beside him before he seemed to recognize them.

"This doesn't look like training to me. Is that not what you told Mom and aunty Alice you would be doing today?" Olivia spoke in a teasing tone to the boy who responded to her with a wave as if to tell her to be quiet.

Osmund got to his feet, rubbing the sleep from his eyes before he noticed Gwen covered in a clear sticky substance. "Ah, good boy, Artorias. You didn't let her get too close." He spoke, betting the shisa on the head before he turned to Lumi. "Oh, Miss Au Raza. It's good to see you again, I apologize you had to see me in this state. Had I known you were coming, I might have prepared a picnic or something of the like." He spoke, a playfully flirty undertone to his voice.

Lumi smiled at his playfulness, answering in kind. "Yes, and once upon a time I might have taken you up on that offer of yours. However, I seem to be preoccupied these days." She teased while sticking close to Gwen. She then looked up to the woman who was currently trying to get the saliva off of her body. "Let me." She said softly before waving a hand which caused the saliva to get cold and partially freeze on the surface, keeping the cold away from Gwen to the best of her ability, and once it had reached that state, she waved her hand once more, flicking the saliva off of Gwen's body. "Better?" She asked her before moving up towards the animal, inspecting it with admiration. "He is quite a beauty. Would you mind introducing me?"

Gwen nodded at Lumi's question, giving her thanks even as she shivered just a bit from the cold that couldn't be avoided.

"Oh, you're interested in Artorias?" He asked, turning toward the creature that upon standing on its feet was still an entire head taller than his owner. He reached up both of his hands to playfully take his fangs into his hands and making the beast tilt its head from side to side. "This is Artorias, he's a Komainu. A guardian spirit that protects shrines from evil and he's my best friend. Isn't that right?" He asked to which the beast let out a muffled roar in response before giving Osmund the same treatment it had given Gwen. "I know he looks scary, but he's a big fluff ball when you're on his side. Want to get up top? I'm sure he'll let you ride him." He asked, a smirk on his face before he continued, "He's a sucker for pretty girls. That's why he won't let Gwen on." He jested, turning his head to Gwen to gauge her reaction.

"It's I who refuses to get on that thing, not the other way around." Gwen retorted with an unamused tone.

Lumi giggled at Gwen's response, finding either reasoning equally entertaining. She walked up to the big lion dog, reaching out and petting its mane. "He is incredible." She let out in a soft tone. "I wouldn't mind giving it a try, but I don't know what the others would think, considering what I am really here for. Besides, I am not much of a rider." She spoke, walking around the animal and reaching to the opposite side, now standing beside Osmund. "Is he like the Foxes? A companion of a similar sense? We have some clans who specialize in animal handling back home, but it is considered... Primitive in most circles of Ungmar. Your family would not have been liked back there. No offense meant. Me on the other hand..." She trailed off as she tried to lean her cheek against the big red creature, feeling its breath and heartbeat against her ear. "This is just the best."

"Like the foxes? Well, I guess that depends on what you mean. He can't talk, not in our language or any that I recognize, but he's smart. Even smarter than some people you might meet. He has his ways of telling me what it is he wants me to know." Osmund said, watching the girl sink into the bright red fur of the beast that responded by rubbing its cheek against her shoulder in its own form of affection. "I think he likes you, maybe Gwen has some competition? I can vouch for Artorias, I promise he's a good guy, loves cuddles." Osmund jested, crossing his arms.

"I think she's quite happy with her current partner," Gwen responded curtly to Osmund, who clearly knew how to press Gwen's buttons better than anyone else in the family.

Osmund raised an eyebrow and looked back over to Lumi who still leaned against the Komainu. "Yeah, I can see that she is."

Lumi couldn't help but giggle at their bickering, finding it very cute and funny. "Very nice of you to play the wingman, but I am good. I much prefer my scales before fur anyway." She made in reference to Gwen's dragon scales while passing her a wink. Leaning bhack and placing a final pat to his furry side, she got up and walked back to Gwen and Olivia. "So, tell me Osmund, is this was constitutes as training in your country? Quite the interesting method." She teased the man, her tail flicking as she felt quite content with the moment.

"Aww, not you too, Miss Au Raza." Osmund feigned disappointment at being called out for not training by yet another of the three. "When one is tasked day in and day out with both advancing their skills as well as learning how to manage a very prominent family, one must find the time between the hustle and bustle to relax. You wouldn't want poor ole me to go dropping from exhaustion would you, Miss Au Raza?"

Lumi shrugged humorously. She didn't want to be rude, but the opening he presented was jsut way too good to let up on. "I don't know, my lord. I quite enjoy the sight of men on their knees." She joked ever so slightly grimly. "Jokes aside, I can appreciate a rest as much as the next person. Gotta have some time for oneself after all."

Osmund brought a hand up to his chin, a curious look on his face. "Oh, and here I would have thought it would've been the sight of women on their knees that excited you." He quipped back with a silver tongue before he smirked.

"Perhaps if you spent less time sharpening that tongue more women would prefer you on your knees before them, Osmund." Gwen snapped back with a bite in her tone.

"Hey now, I was only joking with our friend here, Gwen. No need to hit a man where it hurts." He held his hands up in surrender before turning back to Lumi. "I apologize if I offended, I swear that wasn't my intention. Tell me, how're you enjoying the estate. You know, my mother was originally in line to take over the position of Inari family head before she stepped down to pursue her own goals. Could you imagine, me having to run both families? Jeez, I'd need a little more than a nap to keep my sanity."

She shook her head. "It is hard to offend me, trust me on that." Lumi sympathized with the man. She knew all too well the weight of rulership and what that could do to you. In more ways than one. "Look at it from the bright side, the fact that they want you to lead both would imply a great amount of respect and confidence, wouldn't you say?" She suggested, trying to sound chipper and supportive. "All the same, the estate is beyond lovely. An abode worthy of a god I'd dare to say. A not-so-picky god, but a god still." She spoke, praising the home to the high heavens. "I would pay anything to live in a place like this..."

Osmund chuckled, "Those are some pretty high praises. Did you hear that, Olivia? Miss Au Raza loves the home. I bet grandfather would be ecstatic to hear something like that."

Olivia nodded, a smile of pride on her face at Lumi's comments about their home. "I'm glad that you like it. And that you think a God might like it as well, even if its only because they aren't picky." She finished with a chuckle.

"I've never heard of God that isn't picky. Another of the Loa?" Gwen asked, turning her head to face Lumi, a look of curiosity hidden behind a stoic expression on the woman's face.

"There are Loa for everything back home." Lumi said casually. "The Loa of the Wilds would adore nothing more than to live in a place like this. Kukulman might love to make this into his personal abode for reasons I will not disclose, but I will hint towards the un-lockable doors as an explanation. Then there is Janai, the trash god and loa of the poor, who would frankly just give this home to her homeless followers so that they could live warmly for once in their lives. There are the bastards of the Loakind, but there are also those who would prefer a more humble way of life... So long as it garners them followers, of course."

"That sounds interesting, having Gods for all manner of things. Though, with so many of them, I suppose that it would make sense for some of them to choose unconventional means to gain followings." Olivia said, more in reference to the trash God than any of the others.

"A humble God? I'm sorry to say I find that hard to believe." Gwen responded with a shrug.

"Eh, I don't see why not. You can turn into a dragon. Maybe you should keep an open mind?" Osmund shot back at Gwen. "Your people seem to have very interesting Gods. How do your people handle the concept of things like Evil? Do you have something similar to Demons in your culture? Or perhaps simple spirits like our foxes and Artorias?"

"We... Have our equivalent of the devil. A Black Bear God known as the Nightmare Child. A spawn of war that is believed to have been born during the age of strife in Ungmar. He is called Rawq'ool, with all manner of titles to follow. He is told to have been close to bringing ruin to Ungmar during its great war in which he was born. He is believed to be evil incarnate. And all the same... he is worshipped. In part to keep him at bay, but also that they follow a philosophy of challenges and adversity. They think that if there is conflict and adversity, we will learn to rise above them and become better for it. So... Rawq'ool does not represent only evil. He is evil and is all the horrros and terrors of war incarnate into a being, but he also represents mans ability to overcome those evils." Lumi explained about the beast known as the Nightmare Child. "Before him there was a simple concept about Ungmar: 'Ungmar is a place of purity and good, and there shall be no evil within it, 'lest man bring evil with him.' There are humble ones, though they are certainly in a minority."

Osmund seemed to tense at the explanation, having expected something a little less serious despite the nature of his question. Especially considering how nonchalant Lumi had been when speaking about them before. "You... certainly know your stuff. As far as I can tell at least, I guess you could be lying through your teeth and I wouldn't know the difference." He let out an awkward chuckle.

"Yes, Lumi is quite the historian from what I can tell. She's written an entire book about the legends and Loa of her homeland." Gwen said, placing a hand on Lumi's shoulder. "I can only imagine what other legends and myths she knows by memory," Gwen spoke, praising Lumi's ability to remember and recall all of that knowledge so quickly.

"It is quite impressive. Did you study it all on your own or was it part of your duties?" Olivia chimed in with a question of her own.

"Heh, sorry... Guess I got a bit carried away. And, um... I didn't learn it in any church or study room. I... The realm I can travel in is a realm of memories, experience and dreams. I once tapped into the ancient memories of those who participated in the war. Man and Loa alike. It was... Quite traumatic. Enlightening but horrifying. Hard to forget something like that." Lumi said, placing her own hand over Gwen's. She then tried to wave the whole thing off after a moment of silence. "I don't want to burden you all with war stories. Gwen has to go through enough of that with the book already." She joked. "Anything else you want to show me, Olivia?"

Olivia held up two fingers, "Yep! Yep! Two more places, next we'll head to the training grounds." She said, turning back to Osmund and using those same two fingers to shoot a peace sign at him.

"You ladies and Gwen enjoy your time. I think I'll go back to what I was doing." Osmund responded in kind to Olivia's gesture before giving the others a wave as he sat back down under the tree.

As the three left the garden, Gwen spoke up. "He really pisses me off..." She said, not speaking to either of the other two in particular as much as she was just speaking in general.

"Yeah, he certainly seems to know how to rile you up." Lumi said as she followed the two girls tracks, keeping pace with Gwen specifically. "I hope it is nothing too serious though? Like, just some friendly family jabbing, right?" She suggested, hoping that such was the case. She did not like the idea of family being angry with eachother. Turning to Olivia she decided to ask about their next destination. "So! The training ground! Anything special about it?"

"He doesn't know how to mind his own business."

"Oz likes teasing Gwen because as far he knows, he's the only one who can do it. But I don't think he means anything by it, nothing harmful anyhow. He speaks fondly of her in private, but I'm not supposed to tell you that." Olivia spoke, not even bothering to turn around as she spoke to them. "As for the training grounds, well, not really." She continued as they walked down a path that was quickly becoming forested. "The Inari family can be quite strict about their training though. Every member of the family begins their training at the age of five. We practice different martial arts, swordsmanship, and magics. The Inari family specializes in Lightning magic, but while that's what we're most known for, I would say the most important is our beast summoning magic. Which is what allows us to summon the Great Fox mother, who will then gift the Inari family member going through their coming of age ceremony, one of her children who will act as a companion for life." Olivia explained as they came to a clearing in the forest, the dirt path giving way to a field surrounded on all sides by trees. Targets, dummies, and other training equipment could be seen in different sections of the fields.

"This is where I was expecting us to find Osmund." She jested, motioning toward the fields.

Lumi looked over the fields, feeling almost a slight bit underwhelmed by the sight of the almost too humble training grounds. "This fox mother sounds like a fascinating entity. Is she like a spirit? A god? Just a very powerful creature overall?" Lumi asked as they wandered down towards the training grounds. As she got a bit more thorough look at the fields, she couldn't help but feel like it had far more potential than this. Nonchalantly and unknowingly voicing it, she spoke what was on her mind as she looked over it. "Give me a couple of minutes and I could really spiff this place up a bit."

Olivia brought the back of her hand under her chin, curious about what Lumi might have meant by her final words. "I'm not actually sure about the fox mother. I know the children are spirits, but I don't know if the mother herself is a God..." Olivia stated with hesitance, never having really thought too hard about the whole thing now that she was asked about it. "As for the training grounds, what do you mean?"

"Hm?" Lumi replied thoughtlessly as if she didn't anticipate a question. Then it struck her of how she had actually spoken out loud. "Oh! Sorry, really sorry. I meant no disrespect." Lumi went on to apologise. "I was just thinking that, with the right circumstances and so forth, I could, however temporarily, really make something incredible off of this field. A couple of battle-mannequins there, some sharp and rotating beams over there and maybe some hoops over there and possibly a danger-tower here in the center." She went on to explain the different ideas she had in her head about what could be in it. She seemed the most enthusiastic over the idea of the danger-tower, an obstacle course that consisted of a tower that constantly tried to knock you off of it as you climbed. "I think it could really be something. A bit more dangerous maybe but, you know, something."

Olivia's face faltered a bit, her smile becoming an awkward and forced one as she tried to think of a gentle way to let Lumi down. "Eh, well, that sounds really neat and cool..." She started, bringing her hands together in front of her almost as though she were in prayer. "But our the grounds have been like this for generations. Sure, some of the equipment has had to be replaced over the years but the training grounds have remained unchanged for some time. Besides that, it does sound rather dangerous. The Inari family begins training our children from the day after they reach the age of five. I don't know if parents would want their children near something so... uh, treacherous..." She tried to explain, her voice soft and understanding despite the look on her face.

Gwen spoke up next, "Is that what training grounds are like back in your home country, Lumi?"

Lumi did not take offense to any of that, but rather chose to laugh it off and pull a grim joke. "I think you are forgetting that the people of Ungmar do everything from dropping people into ice water and lava and more. What do you think our training looks like after that?" She giggled before turning back to Olivia. "I am grateful that you are trying to let me down easy, but there is no need. I just reflected on what would be in my kind of gym back home, so to speak. I wouldn't dare to dream of taking away your traditions of training nor impose something so dangerous to a place where you train the lil' ones. I get to experience enough garbage from deities and their followers as it is, don't want to pile that onto the small ones now do I?" Lumi said before taking one more look at the grounds. "You said that there isn't really anything more to here, so maybe you can show me the last spot? Then we can have a bit of a chat with some tea or cakes or something?"

"Sure, that sounds lovely," Olivia responded, unsure of what Lumi's hurry was about. But she would entertain her nonetheless. "Yep, just one last spot, and then we can head back to the house." She continued, leading them through the training field to a path located near the side of the field. The path wasn't dissimilar to the one they'd taken to get to the training fields but as they continued to walk, the path twisted and began to rise in an incline that led them up a steep hill. Reaching the top of the hill, there was a shrine temple at the top, two Komainu statues guarding the torii gates that led onto the sacred grounds. Directly in front of the shrine was a fox statue, gold with blue flames ending each of its nine tails. "This is the place where the Inari family holds its coming of age ceremony. Where the fox mother is summoned by the head of the family and if an Inari child is deemed worthy, will receive their fox companion."

Lumi was once more dumbfounded by the sight of the shrine, but also a bit concerned. "Are you sure that it is not a god or god-like spirit? Shrines and all that stuff." She tried to joke it off, even as she felt a bit annoyed by the thought. She had come to not really favor things like gods during her lifetime, and she did not know how to feel about a creature that may or may not be a deity and not have its followers clear on that. "All the same..." She said, spinning around to look over all of it. "This place is beautiful. The statue, the shrine, everything is astounding... You are lucky to live here, Olivia."

"I'm not really sure..." Olivia said, seeming a bit embarrassed to not know more about their traditions. "I suppose since it's just been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, I never really took the time to sit down and ask questions. Just took them as givens, like how we know the sun will rise in the morning and set in the evening. It isn't something we think too much about..." She said, looking up toward the fox statue. "I don't know if she is a God, but the fox mother is certainly God-like." Olivia continued.

"Either way, seeing how it has proved benevolent and done good by your for so long, can't exactly be a bad being, now can she?" She playfully suggested, taking a good look at the statue again. "That is something I haven't seen before however..." She said as she pointed to the nine tails. "We have foxes back home, but nothing like that. Not even in myth. Do the tails represent something?"

Olivia nodded her head at the question, "The more tails a fox has the longer that it has been alive. As such, the more tails a fox has, the older and wiser it is. To reach the age in which one can have nine tails is the goal of all foxes. Though, few ever make it beyond their single tail, unfortunately. The fox mother is the only one I've seen to have all nine." She explained, her eyes following Lumi's to the statue.

"How do they become that old?" Lumi inquired, feeling quite curious about the topic. "I thought Foxes had pretty short lifespans. How old do they manage to become old enough to gain these tails?." She reached up a hand, wanting to touch the statue, feel its texture 'neath her fingertips, but quickly pulled them back. While interested, she found it wrong, almost offensive to clamor to a deified creature. The fact that it was she herself who was doing it made it all the worse.

"Yes, most foxes live short lives. But those blessed by Inari, the God of rice from which our family name derives, are blessed to continue living long beyond their years. All foxes are messengers of Inari. That is why I am unsure if the fox mother is a Goddess or simply a favored pupil of the Rice God." Olivia explained, "Inari is the only fox said to have ten tails. So his or her age is far beyond any living fox in existence."

And with that, Lumi's expression fell from a smile to a momentary scowl. She didn't like the idea of a family taking on the name of a deity for several reasons. Breathing out she put on her smile once more, not under the pretention that they hadn't noticed her expression shift, she turned from the statue and smiled at her two friends. "An interesting concept. So, Inari is a god of foxes, or at the very least, a fox god of rice? A funny combination to say the least." She said with a slightly forced giggle. "Sorry, I don't mean to spoil any fun."

"Yes, Inari is a God of cultivation and harvest, and the patron deity of swordsmiths," Olivia explained, having noticed the scowl that disappeared as quickly as it had arrived. It had caught her off guard, to see Lumi's mood drop so quickly, and the fact that it had returned just as fast told her that she was hiding her feelings, negative ones at that. "I know it sounds a bit silly, but there is a lot of culture and history behind it. If you stay in Hylion then I hope that you might take an interest in learning more about us."

Gwen hadn't noticed the scowl, but Lumi's slight change in demeanor and tone of voice was more than enough to tell Gwen something was off even if she hadn't already started to gain an understanding of the girl. "Perhaps we should head back to the house for snacks and tea?" Gwen said, wanting to defuse whatever situation might be boiling from what was going on. Still, Gwen couldn't help but feel uneasy, the words Olivia's fox had whispered into her ears had her on edge.

"Yes, that sounds good. I think we've wondered around enough for one day." Olivia said with a cheerful expression.

**...**
They arrived back at the house, Olivia approaching one of the maids and saying something to them before they bowed to one another and they went their separate ways. Olivia led them to a large room with a table and cushions for them to sit on. "We'll be served shortly, do let them know if there is anything you'd prefer," Olivia said, taking her place across from Gwen at the table. "So... Have either of you figured out what to do with the... uh, lamp?" She continued, becoming a bit more hesitant and careful with her words given the topic of conversation.

Lumi sat herself beside Gwen, breathing a sigh of comfort as she took her seat on the cushion. Taking a small moment to relax on the spot, she then answered Olivia. "We... Are not so sure yet. We have talked to Alice about it, but in the end it will be up to her to decide what happens with it. I am not going to do something against her will, at the risk of what that and its usage might entail." Lumi explained. "We want to be sure to do things right."

Olivia nodded her head, "Right, that's understandable. Smart too, but I can't help but worry about leaving it in Alice's hands. Don't get me wrong, her expertise will be invaluable and I don't think her intentions are ill-willed. But I just worry... you know?" She said as the door to the room slid open and the maid from before walked in with a tray. Sitting the tray down, it could be seen to contain three cups of still steaming tea and several small snack cakes of various colors and flavors.

Lumi thought a bit about it as the maid entered and left. "I always seem to get to hear the worst things about lady Alice... All the same I don't intend to be overturned by her in terms of what we get to ask for. This is my gift and while I'll honor her wishes and suggestions, it won't mean me just letting her decide what it gets used for. I want to do good by Gwen. I want to do good by the Vromans. But I would still like some input on what is asked of it." Lumi said quite confidently. "Would be a bit sad if they were to ask something of it that writes me out of the picture, you know?"

Olivia shook her head, "No, please. I meant no disrespect toward Lady Alice, I swear it. I just don't like the idea of anyone having that kind of power. Lady Alice is intelligent, unrivaled in that regard, but she places that Vroman's above all else. I just don't know what she might want to use that sort of power for..." Olivia explained, waving her hands in front of her as though to fan away any negative misunderstandings.

"Glad to hear that. I think the promise of knowledge and learning is something that might be sufficient to her interests. Some tome of long forgotten knowledge maybe." Lumi shrugged. "But we shouldn't overreach. As of what I hear, those things are deceitful enough to turn something harmless into quite the predicament... If I could make it strike a bargain with me then I could probably keep it from deceiving anyone. The problem would of course be whether I could make it do it to begin with." Lumi thought out loud.

"Would your Loa even want to try such a thing? Would it not be dangerous for a God to go trying to control another God-like being? Fallen or not, Djinn are not creatures to make enemies out of for obvious reasons." Gwen quizzically asked Lumi before blowing on the still steaming tea in her hands.

"Djinn are not as powerful as fully blooded Gods, so perhaps it is possible? I don't know much about the Loa or their abilities. But if they are indeed Gods then exerting their will over the Djinn shouldn't be too difficult a task. But whether they will allow such a thing, I do not know." Olivia chipped in before biting into one of the small cakes.

"My Loa spirit is quite powerful. Even if the Djinn were to be more powerful, bargains allow a Loa and its champions to reach beyond their ordinary realm of power in order to fulfill the pact." Lumi explained, dipping a cookie in her tea before taking a bite. "If I can somehow make the Djinn accept a bargain, it shouldn't be a problem. My Loa Spirit more or less owes many a favor."

"I don't know how your bargains work necessarily, but if it's possible to do so then maybe we should approach this from a more... 'fight fire with fire' state of mind? What if we tricked the Djinn into accepting a bargain?" Gwen asked, tossing out the idea before raising the cup of tea to her lips.

"Tricking a trickster might not be too easy though. But I like the way you're thinking, kinda dangerous, but smart at the same time. Is such a thing even possible, Lumi" Olivia asked.

"It is not impossible. If I can trick it into a bargain, the rest should be easy. Neither of us can really be deceptive, lie or cheat when bracing hands. So I'll have to be clever before the bargain and provide the Djinn something in turn for the wishes that is not too great. Loa can give lesser rewards than what they pay for, which is what we should draw favor from." Lumi explained, crumbling her sugar cookie into her tea before sipping on it, enjoying the extra sweet taste of it. "I am confident that if I reach that point, I can get the wishes out of it quite safely."

"So then, the issue comes down to offering it something that it wants?" Olivia asked rhetorically with a tilt of her head as if to think.

"Kinda hard to offer something to someone who can grant wishes already..." Gwen spoke up, unamused by the idea now that she thought about it.

"Well, you said can't lie... but maybe be dishonest about what you're offering? I don't know, like, make it seem like a far bigger prize than it is?" Olivia did her best to give ideas but she was obviously reaching. "Sorry, I guess I'm not really helping..."

"That would work so long as it does not start asking questions about the intricacies of the deal that is made... Now that I think of it, I don't think there is anything I can give it that would not be outright detrimental to us." Lumi said disheartedly. "I guess that only means that we will need to carefully word everything... Hey, girls, if you had the chance to flawlessly wish for anything you wanted from the Djinn, what would you wish for?"

"I'd wish to know what to wish for," Gwen answered without any hesitation before biting into one of the snack cakes. Whether she was joking or serious was left wholly up to the other two girls to decide for themselves.

Olivia chuckled at Gwen's response, "Wouldn't that only leave you feeling stupid for not wishing for that thing instead?" Letting out a content sigh, Olivia gave her answer, "Man, that's a tough question. I could do a lot of things, especially with a flawless wish... If I was trying to altruistic, I could wish for world peace. But... if I wanted to be selfish, I'd wish for a never-ending bowl of ice cream that would never melt and I'd be sure to add that it would be whatever flavor I crave at any given time. But what about you, Lumi?"

Lumi pondered the question for quite a bit. Biting down on a cheesecake, she truly wondered whether there was something she could wish for that wouldn't screw so many things over. So then she went for a very simple wish. "That I don't have to leave any of you behind. I... I love this company too much to see it gone over a potentially botched arrangement."

Her answer caught Gwen's attention, her thin brow-raising upon hearing the wish that Lumi wanted. Letting her right-hand slide across the soft matted floor to gently poke against the other girl's leg, a silent sign of affection and agreement with her wish.

"Oh, I don't think you'll be going anywhere any time soon, Lumi. And even if you did have to go back home for whatever reason, you could visit whenever you'd like. Isn't that right, Gwen?" Olivia asked, leaning forward with both her elbows on the table.

"Right indeed."

Lumi smiled softly at that response, a mixture of sadness and joy plastered there. "Thank you... I am so blessed to have friends like the two of you... At times I feel like I don't deserve to have you in my life. But deserving or not... I would not trade you for anything." She spoke softly, sipping on her tea. A part of her wanted Gwen to give a more attentive touch, but as she knew all too well, she might be a bit uneasy to be so blatant with her affections near others. Either way, the fact that she offered her comfort and affection was enough to know that she was not alone. She looked up to Olivia, grinning. "You are both fantastic."

"Don't deserve us? What could you possibly mean by that?" Gwen asked, wondering where the odd spell of insecurity in Lumi seemed to come from. And if not a spell, she wondered why it is that she hadn't noticed it before.

"Yeah, Lumi, you're great. If anyone out of all of us is fantastic it's you." Olivia added, wanting to reassure Lumi that she felt they all deserved each other quite well enough.

Lumi nodded again. "Thanks again. I don't feel that fantastic, but maybe that is just insecurity." She joked, trying to remain chipper. "I... I am saying that I feel undeserving because... Well, I haven't exactly been a saint in the past. And my Loa Spirit doesn't really have a spot free past, as you have read, Gwen. Actually, she is... She is quite vile. I wish I didn't have to be connected to that. I feel like that is tainting me just by mere association and worse." She spoke, her face speaking one thing, but her anxious, curling tail speaking another.

"Why serve that Loa then? I know you don't speak highly of them, but surely there is on better than Lunalia? You've spoken of more humble Loa spirts, surely they would enjoy such a devoted follower?" Gwen asked a question that she'd been thinking about for some time. But she'd simply assumed that there was a reason for it.

Her tail kept curling as she kept up the smile, a smile that was slowly turning sad. She racked her brain, trying to figure out a good way to answer this question without giving everything away. "It is not that easy. I am bound to the Loa Spirit, quite extensively. What's more, remember how I said that there are Loa who will keep their servants from dying in a more permanent manner? There are Loa who would likely outright kill their princes or princesses if they were to try and leave them. Far from every Loa, but Lunalia has done so in the past, which is quite a horrific thing." She said, hoping that her answer would dissuade them from pushing further down this uncomfortable rabbit hole. The truth was lingering on her tongue while not fully released.

"I certainly wouldn't want any harm to befall you, but I'm sure there must be some way to get out of it. I mean, living a life serving a God you carry a great distaste for? I can only imagine that's torture in its own way." Olivia spoke up with a concerned tone to her voice.

"Lumi's concerns are not lost on me. The idea of standing up to a power like a God is no doubt a frighting one to people such as us. However, you did say earlier that you would make sure that you are not resurrected. I did not ask how you could prevent that as simply the idea of you being able to do it at all brought me some degree of comfort. But if you can somehow overrule Lunalia in that regard then perhaps you can get with a similar loophole? If not, is there not another Loa that would grant you safety and shelter if there is no other option?" Gwen asked, hesitance in her voice as though just asking the questions themselves were enough to put her on edge.

Lumi hoped to be able to snake out of this one in a fashion that might fall into Gwen's interests, and so she tried. "I... Revealing as to why I can't, or any Prince or Princess for that matter, that falls into spoiler territory. I was just thinking-"

"Spoilers be damned. Something is distressing you, Lumi, and I'd like to know why." Gwen replied with a level of fierceness born from a want to get to the bottom of all this.

Lumi sighed, acting it off as a bit of relief when in reality it was a case of her feeling distressed that it hadn't worked. "Well, you see... The idea of a prince or princess being able to change their Loa as they like is something of a... Outdated practice so to speak. In that, it is not even possible anymore. Not after Lunalia sealed away all the Loa in the Other Side towards the end of the war. You know how I once said that I was the 'best' of all the princes and princesses? That is just about the reason. Lunalia is the only Loa left who is part of the world and can properly influence it." She said, her tail now fully curled together. "That was the reason as to why the Au Raza family sought you and the other families out. We are not popular back home, and they wanted new allies. It was still my choice who, but that is technically the reason why I am here."

"I see. I thought it was Alice who wanted to gain a powerful new ally but it seems that my assumption was mistaken. I can't imagine anything good would come from releasing the Lao into the world either. But is it not of grave concern to everyone else outside of your family that Lunalia is the one who still has influence over the world?" Gwen asked, now even more curious about Lumi's society.

"My Loa Spirit doesn't influence the world that thoroughly. Lunalia was given the title as Loa of Heritage, Dreams and the Night. If it isn't those things, the loa cannot really do anything beyond that in the world. And yes, it is quite concerning for them. As far as they are concerned, the Raza's are unreliable, much like the god they worship. But the people still offer tribute and offerings to Lunalia... Though much more out of fearful compliance than any form of reverence."

"To have influence over the night and dreams alone is scary enough as it is," Gwen stated.

"Then why not perhaps another God from a different pantheon? A stronger one? Or perhaps even just one that you agree with that just so happens to be well protected?" Olivia butted in with her own question, knowing that there existed countless gods and goddesses nestled within the realms resting within the branches of the world tree.

"Still, the question of how you could overrule Lunalia when it comes to your resurrection remains unanswered. If you have some sort of choice or if there are perhaps loopholes in whatever contract your people have with Lunalia, perhaps that is something you can use to your advantage?"

Lumi felt awful. Not just for what she was saying, but for what was being said to her as well. "If only it was that simple... Even if departing from Lunalia was even remotely possible, the treatment my family would go through would make their current situation look like a kid whining over a papercut." Lumi muttered, still trying to keep up a more cheerful demeanour, but it was consistently becoming harder and harder. "I am kind of stuck as I am. However, if I wanted to I could make Lunalia so hated by the community that no one would ever touch her or her subjects with a five miles pole for the rest of eternity. I suppose that could technically be my trumpcard in that manner? If a subject could hold such a card against their Loa, then they would likely be in on anything. I would be the exception to this rule however, as reaching that kind of point would be very damn difficult."

"Why is that? I can't imagine her being very fond of someone who hates her guts... or whatever it is the gods keep inside of themselves." Gwen asked, curious as to why making her Lao hate her would be so difficult if she were purposefully trying to do so.

"Maybe we're grilling her a bit too hard? I'm curious as to how we might help as well... but we don't want to make you uncomfortable, Lumi." Olivia spoke up before Lumi could respond, noticing the girl's body language was much different from how she normally seemed.

Lumi smiled softly. "It is okay, Olivia. I am okay. Just been a while since I talked about this topic... It is true, I hate Lunalia and everything she has stood for. But if I were to reject her power, I would not only cause great harm to those I call family, not only would I lose my title of princess and thus and reason for this pairing... I don't know what that would do to me honestly. I've heard tales of such things from Apocrypha and... Canon or not, it did not paint a pretty picture."

"Apocrypha? What's that?" Gwen quizzically spoke up, the word sounding familiar yet somehow escaping her.

"They're parts of a religious text that is considered non-canon by a group of worshippers. They could be removed because they contradict other parts or are found to be not of the God's truth." Olivia explained.

"But how can they tell what is and isn't true? Are which of the contradictory parts to take out? Ask the God's themselves?" She asked no on in particular. "What does the Apocrypha say? Besides, if it isn't true then why does it worry you?" She now asked Lumi directly.

"This... Has kind of been rejected as a true concept as it would go against the idea of the gods' benevolence to their chosen, as well as making their chosen start to find a way to circumvent this issue, or just outright accepting the option. The option is to reject their Loa's powers and, by proxy, everything the champion is. The result of this is... Termination of the persons very soul. Everything you've ever been, everything you could ever be... Gone in a flash." Lumi explained with caution and sadness. It was clearly something that weighed on her mind. "Few would contemplate the option. Fewer still to accept its consequences. There would be nothing left. No reincarnations. No afterlives. Just... Gone. It is even believed that doing so may just delete you from the consciousness of those who knew you. This... Is a point of debate bigger than the rest though. I don't really know of anyone that would accept this. The option of this is... frightening to me."

"Sounds like tieing yourself down to a deity is a lot more trouble than it's worth," Gwen commented, unsure of exactly what to say at the revelation but not wanting to leave the air open for an awkward silence to drift in.

"Not all Gods are like that, Gwen. But some don't like to let go of what they think is theirs." Olivia spoke up, partially to rebut Gwen but truthfully Olivia couldn't help but agree with Gwen in Lumi's case. Why anyone would affiliate themselves with such a deity was beyond her understanding. But for all she knew, maybe Lumi didn't have a choice.

Gwen wasn't sure how to comfort Lumi, she knew that backing off would be a good start. But the whispers of Tomoe echoed in her head. Gwen felt stupid, letting the words of some nosey fox get her to question Lumi in such a way. But curiosity gnawed at her as it so often did, overruling logic and emotion in most cases. Besides, what harm could come from a single uncomfortable chat? A single awkward conversation to satisfy her curiosity and get the voice of that damn fox out of her head.

"Don't worry, that won't happen," Gwen spoke without really thinking. After all, she no right to make such a promise and certainly not the ability to back it up if ever such a thing did come to pass. However, she hoped the confident, matter-of-fact tone in her promise would be a comfort in and of itself. "So, if you can't reject her power, then perhaps using it to your own benefit would suffice? I mean, if Lunalia could use her power to trap the other Loa could you not do something similar with a little help? I'm simply saying... we do have a Djinn."

Lumi looked down at her tea cup, and then back up at Olivia and lastly Gwen. She smiled. A genuine if not saddened smile, but a smile all the same. "Sorry, but..." She trailed off before shuffling closer to Gwen before leaning her head against her shoulder. She was careful as to not intrude too harshly and was ready to move in case that Gwen felt uncomfortable. She found great comfort in Gwen's presence, and instinctively her tail began to uncurl ever so slowly. "And yes... We do... Maybe it can help in some regard..."

Gwen did not move as Lumi approached, allowing the girl to rest her head against her shoulder in hope that it might provide her some solace even if her words had failed to do so. Reaching over with the opposite hand, she stroked Lumi's cheek and then proceeded to brush a strand of hair from the girl's face. *" The fox was wrong, the damn thing is always so mischievous. I'm so sorry for doubting you, Lumi..."* Gwen thought to herself, enjoying the cool feeling of the girl against her through the fabric of her clothes.

Olivia was silent for a short bit, beginning to feel like a bit of a third wheel. She didn't want to speak up or say anything further, to simply let Gwen be happy as she so rarely ever seemed to be. But Tomoe had spoken to her and as mischievous as the sly little fox always acted, Olivia knew that her fox would not lie to her. Especially not about something like this. "How much power does your deity, Lunalia, give you? To be capable of the things Gwen says you're capable of is far beyond any blessing I've witnessed." She spoke, her tone was a bit more serious than she would have liked for it to come off as.

"Olivia, perhaps we've asked enough questions? We came here to visit a friend after all, not to interrogate our guest." Gwen warned Olivia to back off, a bit of irony not lost on Gwen given the shoe was on the other foot not too long ago.

"She said she was fine answering questions, Gwen. You of all people can't blame me for wishing to indulge in my curiosity, right?"

Lumi still felt quite comfortable sitting beside Gwen, so she didn't see any harm in answering her question. "A prince or princess' Loa gives them the ability to tap into the power that they themselves possess. So you are essentially borrowing from the Loa. So, by being chosen you are more or less given an outright boost, but after that it is just hard work like with any magic." She replied, looking to Olivia, smiling as to ensure her that she wasn't bothered by her questions quite yet.

Olivia nodded, "I see, so theoretically, you could weaken your Loa spirit by using up a great deal of that power? Though, I imagine there is a contingency in place for such an event? Or are they simply powerful enough that nothing you could do would be enough?"

"Depends on the Loa, I suppose. There are three categories of Loa: Lesser, Prime, and Wild King, in ascending order. My Loa Spirit became a Wild King in the aftermath of the war." Lumi explained first before proceeding to the next point. "Theoretically one could, yes, but that would also be followed by the Loa being more than aware of everything you do with that magic, allowing them to essentially shut your supply of power. So, there is the contingency. Your force of will would have to be greater than the Loa in order to force out more power from it."

"Well, to have broken through Gwen's walls I can't help but imagine that you have quite the will of your own. Perhaps even enough to rival a God indeed." Olivia teased, looking over to Gwen who sat silently as though simply listening in on the conversation but not quite looking to participate just yet. "I know you dislike her, but it must still have been quite the honor to have been chosen by the only Loa still connected with this realm, right? Do you have any idea of why it was that you were chosen?"

Lumi didn't know quite how to answer that one. "Honor? I felt disgraced. From the very moment of realizing what my Loa Spirit had done, I just felt bad... Horrible. To be even remotely connected in any capacity to what the spirit had done was... Horrific."

Olivia nodded, not fully understanding the context but sure there had to be some reason for Lumi to hate Lunalia as much as she did. "You would think that Lunalia would choose people more likely to agree with her way of doing things. Yet from what I've seen and been told you're quite the sweetheart even if you have a more mischievous side. Why do you think your Loa would choose to grant power to someone who was sure to hate her?"

She didn't like where this was going. Things felt calculated now to some extent. As if Olivia was trying to pry something out of her. Something specific. But what was that? She couldn't tell. "A bond. Predetermined before my very birth. It is not unknown nor unheard of for parents to dedicate their children to a god before they are even birthed. Not that such was the matter in my case... I had hoped to not tell this for some time longer, but... Remember how I said that I don't want to be reborn?" Lumi asked into the air, not particularly directed at anyone. It was clear that she felt ill at ease with the idea of telling what was about to be said. But that wouldn't stop her. "I don't want to do that anymore, true, but... It doesn't change that it has happened in the past. This... Me, that you see in front of you is just one incarnation of many lifetimes. I didn't much care about it in the past. I didn't have much reason to cling to one or another of my lives. Nothing there to keep me put. That has changed. Your friendships and the bonds I have formed here matter to me. I don't want to lose that... Not ever."

Olivia's eyes shot open, surprised by the revelation but at the same time, she felt a sense of ease washing over her. Perhaps due to the fact that whatever Tomoe had been feeling was far better than the worse case scenarios that Olivia herself had thought up. Even so, it wasn't how she felt that mattered at the moment. She looked over to Gwen, the look on her friends face being a mixture of shock and deep thought, as though trying to piece together a puzzle that had suddenly appeared in front of her.

Gwen blinked when she heard Lumi's voice speak beside her. It had been a comforting sound at first before the words began to register in her head. At first, she was frozen stiff as she tried to find meaning in Lumi's words, a meaning different from the obvious. She tried to pretend she'd simply misheard but rearranging the words did little more than turn it all into a grabbled mess. Gwen's leg began to bounce in the crosslegged way she sat, trying to process her feelings and emotions. She felt so many and as they clashed she found herself wanting nothing more than to escape from it all. So, with little care as to the fact that Lumi rested her head against her shoulder, Gwen bolted up from her sitting position and excused herself to the restroom before leaving without another word.

"I-uh... I'm sure she's fine." Olivia tried to comfort Lumi, though, Olivia herself still felt a great deal of disbelief as well. That the girl in front of them was likely far older than either of them combined, yet they'd never caught on to too much being amiss until Tomoe had given them the advice to press her for information.

"And I'm really sure that she is not." Lumi replied, her face speaking a world of concern. "Forgive me, Olivia, but I need to check on her." Lumi said as she got up and bowed to her friend. Rushing off, she soon enough caught up to Gwen. She didn't quite know what to say from there, but she knew for a fact that she couldn't let her just walk away. She could feel the turmoil within her, and she wanted to rectify it however she could. "Gwen!" She called out to the woman whom had begun to claim her heart. "Please, don't just leave like that." She begged when she was close enough to her.

Gwen's eyes remained forward, cold and distant from the girl who was now walking beside her. The outside was a far cry from how she was feeling inside or was it? There were so many different emotions swarming around inside her that it felt like she was feeling everything and nothing all at once. Like a mind that knew it should feel something, *needed* to feel something, but didn't know for sure exactly what. She didn't stop until she'd reached a door. But it was not the bathroom door or any other indoor leading door. No, it was the front door, the exit to the house. It was there, in the small rectangular room where coats and shoes of the other house dwellers rested that Gwen finally stopped. But it was clear she didn't want to. No, what stopped her was not that she was done running away but rather a hesitance to leave. As though leaving Lumi behind here would mean leaving her behind for good. "How old are you? Don't lie to me this time, Lumi... Oh, wait, I forgot that isn't your real name either. Is there anything else about you that isn't real? Perhaps that tail of yours is just a fake as well?" Gwen's words were sharp and cold. Yet they carried a hurt hidden within them, found on the back of each word as it exited her throat.

The pain Gwen was feeling did not go Lumi unnoticed. She wanted to find the right words, to excuse herself, but she knew that would only further drive her away. She needed to be thoroughly honest now. Well... For better or for worse, here she goes. "Yes, my name is not truly Lumi, but it is the name I chose for myself, and that's real enough for me." She said confidently, though her eyes reflected a pain similar to Gwen's, only not subdued in any capacity. "I have more or less stopped counting the years, but I'd still wager around two-thousand-three-hundred to five-hundred years..." Lumi explained. "When I said I was as young as I claimed, I meant as in this life of mine. Total would prove somewhere around that number. I could probably figure out a more accurate number if I tapped into Arboreali. And yes, my tail is real. Give it a cut and it will bleed like any other part of me."

Gwen's brow furrowed as Lumi tried to excuse lying about her age, gritting her teeth to keep herself from snapping at her for daring to make an excuse here and now. She still might have had it not been for what Lumi continued to say. When she spoke of the Arboreali, remembering the word from before when she, Lumi, and her mother had spoken in the hall. "The Arboreali. The Argent Arboreali, you can go there because you've died before, correct?"

"No, that is not it..." Lumi said, trying to explain this as best as she could without revealing the last and most important bit about herself. The most disgusting and dreaded part. "My connection to the Loa Spirit is what allows me to traverse it at free will. Princes and Princesses can all traverse their god's realm freely by proxy of being their champions, regardless of reincarnation or no. People are not supposed to enter and leave haphazardly. The royalty are the exception."

"I see..." Gwen stated, her eyes still looking toward the door, the decision of what to do still weighing in her mind. "Why?" She stated, "Why would you lie to me? I trusted you... How am I supposed to believe anything you say anymore?" Gwen asked, the question as genuine as could be. She didn't know how she could believe anything that came from Lumi's mouth anymore. The lies bothered her much more than the fact that Lumi was far other than she'd thought, however, that brought about its own fair share of concerns. But right now, it was the lie that hurt the most. The violation of trust, the thought of what else Lumi could be hiding.

Lumi saw how Gwen appeared to be on the verge of making the choice to leave her behind, and the thought terrified her. But she had to press on. She would not lose her now. She couldn't bear it. "Because I wanted you to see me... I didn't want you to see the ancient freak of nature that is unwillingly tied to the legacy of a sadistic goddess. I wanted you to see me for who I am... Or, at the very least, who I want to be. My old name doesn't matter to me. Lumi is who I want to be, and whom I intend to be." Lumi explained with as heartfelt a tone as she possibly could through the shaky emotions. "I do not want to be connected to that vile history, but I am forced to. I know I have put a distance between us with this, but I feared that I would outright scare you off if you knew everything from the get go... I am not trying to excuse myself, I am just telling how I felt and my reasoning back then... I used to be a reflection of Lunalia's legacy. I didn't want to be that anymore. I wanted to distance myself from that. My name held many memories I would have preferred forgotten. So I picked Lumi. That would be my legacy. My own legacy... I can't tell you to trust me. I want you to, but I can't ask that of you. I just want to be with you, as a friend if nothing else... I didn't want to scare you away on hour one, and the further I came to care for you, the more scared I felt to push you away with the truth, especially the full one..." Lumi spoke, her emotions threatening to welling over, but she tried to keep a straight face as to not make it seem manipulative. "Please... I didn't-... I don't want to lose you..."

The expression etched onto Gwen's face was doleful and downcast, her eyes moving away from the door to the ground. In truth, Gwen did not want to lose Lumi either and that's what frightened her, that she was worried about losing a facade, someone who didn't even truly exist. "You had no faith in me and you lied. You lied and tried to build a relationship off of that. I put my trust in you, defended you from my mother's nagging questions, but perhaps she was right to interrogate you. Maybe she really did know what was for the best. I put my faith in you and you couldn't do the same for me." She spoke, crossing her arms as she still refused to look over to Lumi. "I'm not going to stand here and pretend that I don't care about the things you just revealed to me. You've lived nearly millennia and am I to stand here and just pretend that I am the first and only to have ever earned your heart? Am I to believe you've spent all that time alone and for whatever reason it's only now that you've opened up your heart? How am I to know that you aren't just saying that? That you haven't said it hundreds of times before?"

Lumi understood the reasoning to her questions, and they made sense without compare. "No... You wouldn't have been the first that I had tried to give my heart to. There are others that I have proclaimed my love for. But no matter my attempts, it always ended in disaster. I was too quick with revealing myself, or it was just as simple as me misjudging my partners intentions and affections, causing both ache for the body and heart..." Lumi spoke, hoping that this would not be it for them. She steeled her nerves to the best of her abilities, but she was still close to waivering. And yet, the truth had to be told. "I wanted you to love the person. Who I am and want to be. My last real relationship ended a millenia ago. I couldn't bare the thought of going through all that pain anymore. Anytime I was meant to be paired I would traverse Arboreali to gain a glimpse into the person's being and future. Remember what I told you and Morgan? You broke my endless cycle of emotional rejections when I saw you. Your more humble position on that pedestal made me feel something special for the first time in aeons. I thought and believed in that you could be the one to fill the void in my heart once and for all. I believe in that you wouldn't reject me out of fear, you wouldn't abuse me for what i was, nor would you feel the connection of reverence that festers in my homeland. You always had my trust. From the very start I felt like I could trust you in some capacity, even as we were strangers. I just thought that I needed to take my time with revelations. I intended to tell you everything once you had finished the book, like that deal we made. I thought that was for the best. To leave the bigger bits for after you had more context to everything. My name, my past, my everything was meant to be put before you once the deal was fulfilled... But... I see that was a faulty mindset... I am sorry Gwen... I kept more from you than I should have. You are not the first I've wanted to give my heart to... But I want you to be the last."

Gwen's fingers gripped her own arms tightly, turning her body for face Lumi now. "I never cared about all this 'Loa' stuff or your position in your homeland. I never gave a damn about any of it and if I'm completely honest, at first, I didn't give a damn about you either. I was doing this because I was asked to, because its what was expected of me as the future head of the Vroman branch family. But it wasn't long before I began to feel something, something different than anything I've felt before. I desired to care about you, not out of obligation but because you made me feel happy. Like I was more than just... this!" She said, uncrossing her arms and motioning toward herself but what exactly she meant by that was for Lumi to figure out. "But even as I pulled you closer you kept me at arm's length." Gwen shook her head, not at Lumi but simply in disbelief.

"I like you, I wanted to love you, and I wanted to feel the things they say one is supposed to feel when they meet the person they want to spend their life with. But now all I feel is confusion, anger, and sadness... confliction in every bone in my body. My heart and mind pulling me in completely opposite directions. I need time. Time to think, time to process all of this. I'm going home... but later... we need to talk." Gwen said, her eyes falling away from Lumi as she turned and left the house.

Lumi had more she wanted to say. She was ready to answer anything she had to ask. But that would have to wait for another time it seemed. Lumi nodded, a gesture which was not seen by Gwen from their current angle. As she left, Lumi remained stiff like stone, her face contorted in sorrow as tears fell from her eyes.

## We'll name it later

The evening summer's breeze carried on it the fragrant scent of garden flowers as the burning orange hue of the setting sun breathed its last goodbyes as it slowly drifted below the horizon. The twinkling light of stars just beginning their nightly shine high above them in the dark sea that was consuming the sky. However, despite its beauty, despite its fragrance, Gwen cared for none of it as she sat out on the deck. Her elbows propped up on the table, fingers woven together as she rested her forehead onto them. An anxious look in her eyes as she waited, a deep sense of regret like a pit ever growing in her stomach. Lumi would arrive soon and she would need to speak with her. But what she would say, what she would do, she still did not know.

Lumi walked up the steps of the mansion towards the deck that Gwen and her had used as a meeting spot many times before. She wandered through the hallways, her stomach contorting in sadness and anxiety. One hand over her stomach as if the act would soothe her turmoiling insides, and the other over her opposite shoulder. This was the moment of truth. The hour that would decide the rest of their journey together. She brought her hand from her shoulder to her forehead, wiping off the anxious sweat that was building there. Lumi came around the bend which led to the deck, and there she was, her back turned to her on the seat. Knocking on the entry frame, Lumi announced her presence to Gwen. "You wanted to speak." She said hesitantly, already fearing the worst.

Gwen's ears twitched at the knocks on the door behind her, not moving or lifting her head to turn around. She knew who it was, the only person it could be. Gwen drew in a deep breath through her nose, inviting the warm summer air into her lungs before letting it out through her mouth in a long, drawn-out exhale that made her entire body shutter. "You are correct..." Gwen spoke, inviting Lumi to join her on the deck. This place, this wooden and stone porch where they had spent so many mornings, afternoons, and evenings simply enjoying the company of one another. She might have even considered it a safe haven at one point, a sanctuary for the both of them. But tonight it was far from hallowed ground, as Gwen felt more vulnerable than ever in this place she always used to escape from her troubles. She motioned for Lumi to sit with a wave of her hand before she herself leaning back in her seat. A red spot on her forehead from how long she'd been sitting the way she had in deep, reflective thought.

"The first thing I would like to do is apologize. When we spoke at the Inari estate I was irrational and my words were cruel and harsh. However, mind you that I do not regret what was said so much as how it was that I said them. In such an accusatory manner ill befitting of speaking to someone that I had claimed to care for." Gwen apologized but made clear that she was only sorry for how she'd spoken to Lumi rather than the general nature of what she meant with those words. Still, her words were monotone and hollow, uncaring, and overly formal in the way she had spoken when they'd first met. Though, it now lacked the teasing and attempt at charm that she had used before when trying to learn more about the girl. "You said that you wanted me to see you not as who you are... or were but rather who it is that you would like to be. So why not start there? Tell me, what is the difference between the two? Who were you and who are you now?"

Lumi felt the coolness, and it was not from the air. She sat herself down beside her, taking the words Gwen threw her way with stoic features plastered on her face. She didn't want to appear sad at the risk of appearing as if she was trying to emotionally manipulate and thus drive her further away. With a deep breath, she began her reply, her finger entwined in her lap. "The difference...? Pride. Arrogance. Outright sadism... I told you that I was a reflection of Lunalia's being. Eventually, I began to view things from a different perspective, but the memories of those times still haunt me, as they rightfully should... I hate her, the creature that I was. I just wanted to change. I want to be different from that. I rejected my name, my heritage and would reject my power and connection if I could. The power and experiences of Lunalia drove me, but I was the one who chose to let it happen back then."

Lumi trailed off a bit at that, but didn't stop, as she had so far only started to answer the question. Half done. One half left. "And now? I can't say too much about who I am, but who I want to be? Humble. Funny. Caring. Loving. Passionate. Benevolent. I want to move away from all those things of the past. I want to stop being a deified mortal and just be that. Mortal. A young girl. I just want to be a woman. I don't want that long lifespan, and I don't want to relive life over and over. I don't want to be anything less than a person. But I am bound to this power. I'd like to think that I am caring, loving, passionate and benevolent, but I can't say for sure about the first two."

Lumi's voice carried her regret and sadness, no matter how much she tried to fight the latter. Her eyes betrayed her quite severely, thus she didn't look at Gwen. "In shorter terms; I'd say the difference between who I was and who I am now is compassion. I try to live by a code of ethics and morals that I and many others deem right. I want to be someone unbound by the weight of history and former actions. I want to move on."

Gwen could not relate to Lumi's plight or the journey she has taken but she understood. Or at the very least she would like to think she understood. The desire to simply be the person that you wanted to be. It was a common goal in life, but few could speak of such a desire from the same perspective as Lumi did. Gwen listened, noting the unwillingness of Lumi to meet her gaze, something she could not fault the girl for as she herself had done the same. When Lumi finished her story Gwen sat in silence for a short while, putting together her feelings, organizing them in a way that made sense to her. After some time she looked over to Lumi, leaning forward in her seat as to get closer to the girl. To shorten the distance between them if only a half foot at the most. "I forgive you... for keeping things from me. I... I can't imagine how difficult it must be to try and figure out when the right time to tell something like that must be. I still care about you, Lumi, my feelings have not changed even if I am shaken by the revelations that have been made today. I care for you, and I will continue to care for you." She started, giving a nod before continuing on with what she had to say.

"However, I do not wish for those feelings to be built upon lies and falsehoods. I do not wish to care for someone I do not understand, someone that I cannot trust. So, if there is any other secrets you wish to divulge, anything else of importance that you have kept hidden from me... Now is the time to tell me. No matter what it might be, no matter how horrible, if it is something I should know I would like to know it. No matter what you have done in the past, I will accept this new you, disconnected from whatever sins you committed long ago." Gwen appealed to Lumi's desire to move forward, wanting to give her the chance to do so while still remaining truthful to her.

"That said, know that if you remain silent now that I will assume that you have told me all that needs to be said, that you no longer have secrets I need to know about." Gwen's tone became a bit more serious this time, her eyes locking onto Lumi with a sharpness to match daggers. "I want to love you, Lumi. But lie to me again and that door will be closed forever..." She offered the ultimatum to her. Gwen knew that it might seem cruel or unfair but the fear of being lied to, of being manipulated, of being played like a game by someone she cared for outweighed the sense of guilt she felt for asking Lumi to adhere to her dogmatic request.

Lumi felt conflicted. On the one hand, she felt exstatic, happy beyond measures that she forgave her and was willing to move on. But then came the request, nay, the demand. No more lies. No more secrets. None. She didn't want to keep them, she wanted to reveal them, but then again, she felt almost compelled to not reveal this part just yet. She had been in this position before. The reveal and then the abandonment and betrayal. The broken hearts. SHe didn't want to end up there again. But if she kept it, then it was fully possible that she would do so all the same. "I..." She began before trailing off, scared to utter the words. She steeled her nerves and turned to look at Gwen for the first time this evening. "I didn't want to hurt you, Gwen. I was just scared of history repeating itself. But... Your words... I feel that I can trust them. You've never hidden anything from me, so why should I keep this from you?" She spoke out loud, almost more to herself than Gwen herself. She reached her hand forward to clutch Gwen's hand in her own, her two palms cupping Gwen's, in an attempt to find comfort in the woman before her as she hardened her resolve to the best of her abilities. "I... I am not a woman... Not trully. I am not even mortal. And not due to the reincarnations. That is the least of the issues on my mind... I... I know I can trust you... I know it. If you consent, I would like to keep the name secret just a little bit longer, but if you desire it, I shall give it... But above all... I... I am... I am not a person. I am a Loa." She finally forced out, on the verge of tears from the fear and anxiety of what might come next. She prayed, something she hadn't done for aeons, that Gwen wouldn't press further, but all the same, she was ready to answer her in earnest now too.

It was not anger or fear that etched itself into Gwen's features, no, rather a mix of confusion and disbelief at what it is that Lumi had said. The raven-haired girl cocked her head, looking to Lumi as if searching for some sign that she was joking or simply messing with her in this most inappropriate of times. "I-I don't understand what you mean by that? Not a person? A Loa? What's that even supposed to mean?" Gwen asked, ready to snap at the girl if she was indeed not taking the situation seriously. However, Gwen saw the look of genuine fear in her eyes, the tears welling in their corners. Gwen began to slowly shake her head, leaning back in her seat with mouth opening and closing as she seemed to be trying to find the right words to say.

"A Loa? A...A God... Goddess? Whatever?" Gwen spoke, words catching in her throat as she tried to make sense of what she was being told. "It just doesn't make sense... How could you be a Loa... the book... you didn't study the history did you?"

Lumi feared this, but she didn't think hope lost quite yet. "I did study it. But from the mortal perspective. To see how they perceived the war and what transpired. I also then pulled from my own knowledge of the war as... As someone who was there..." She spoke, her hands clutching tighter around Gwen's own while still keeping it delicate. "I was afraid what you'd say to this knowledge. Even before I started talking crap about the Loa you seemed very opposed to the idea of the supernatural. I was just so afraid that you'd toss me aside. That you'd reject me based on that alone." She explained, terrified of what this revelation might mean for them. What it might do to them. And what it would mean to Gwen. She had felt hesitant about it before, but she knew now, at this moment, that she was not just starting to care for Gwen, but she was steadily progressing to loving her. And she didn't want to lose that. More than anything, she didn't want to lose it.

Gwen did her best to remain calm, to try to figure out the most appropriate way to handle the situation. She wouldn't do what she'd done before and she wouldn't treat Lumi cruelly simply because she'd become privy to new knowledge. Still, when she'd told her to tell the truth she hadn't expected this in the least. She'd expected all manner of horrible things, slavery, genocide, torture. But not that the woman... the God sitting across from her was indeed a God of any kind. Gwen brought her hand over her mouth and her leg began to bounce as her body tried to contain the feelings inside of her. "It just... it doesn't make sense to me." Gwen thought out loud, feeling butterflies in her stomach. "You're nothing like the Gods I've read about, heard about... You're... plain, normal... a little bluer than most but..." She mumbled, still holding Lumi's hand in her own. The cold skin prickling at the flesh of her own hands but whether it was uncomfortable or comforting she didn't quite know at the moment. "Then... what about all that talk about being bound to Lunalia? Is the story about your family wanting you to marry a lie as well?"

Lumi shook her head. "No. My new family wanted me to marry someone for the sake of their heritage. It isn't the first time the nobles of the Au Raza's have wanted to wed me away. I never considered it a problem for the last millennia or so because I didn't take such things seriously. I would wed, I would be faithful, and I more or less stopped there. They wanted me to marry someone. I chose you, and that choice proved right, for I actually started to develop feelings for you. I believed in that you would accept me, I just thought it would come later than sooner." Lumi explained on the second point, making no note of how she had just called her plain. The first question was a bit more tricky though. "Lunalia's fate is mine as well. Should she succumb in any fashion, so would I. A certain Loa called Lunalia bestowed me her power and crowned me as a Loa. I cannot escape that bond. If I reject the power by this point, it would mean my existence."

Gwen crossed her legs, her mind clearly troubled by all the information that she was being given at once. Processing it all as quickly as she could before the next bombshell was dropped. She'd still not fully come to terms with what Lumi was saying about being a Loa before she told her that Lunalia's fate was tied with hers. "This is just... a lot to take in..." Gwen muttered, not wanting silence to fall between them as breaking that would be difficult once it had the time to settle in. "Why do... any of this? Listen to the Raza's? Bother with marrying? You're a God... Even if you weren't always that. Why bother with all of this? You could do anything, be anything."

Lumi nodded softly, her hands still clutching to Gwen's, as if the act of letting go would throw her into the void, far away from Gwen. "You are right. I could. I could do anything I want. I could become anything I want to be." She said, looking into Gwen's eyes from the peripheral of them. "And I chose mortality. A Loa does not know the simple joys and beauty of life. They know not the wonders of the little things. The miracles of birth. Love, death, birth, sorrow, joy, and dismay... I want that. I've gotten a taste of these things, but mostly just the negatives, and the few good things have been ripped from me before they managed to culminate into something truly beautiful." Lumi explained with a slightly shaky voice. "I want a more simple life. I've tasted the wonders of this world through mortal eyes and senses. Things I couldn't even comprehend as a Loa. The best way I can describe it as follows: A loa can bring the gifts of birth and love and life, but ultimately it is just that: Gifts. Rarely do you know the beauty and wonder of your gifts when you are not the one to receive and indulge. I want to enjoy all that comes with mortality. As for why I bother with marrying? Because I need to keep up appearances to my family, but I also still hold out hope for love. True and earnest love. And I have been hoping that you can be the one for me."

Gwen's eyes flickered to the table as the night air began to come to life with the sounds of the nocturnal insects awakening from their slumber, magical torches illuminating the deck and the garden below them. Lumi's words spoke to her heart just as Lumi's words were of the heart. It was time for Gwen to decide what she would do now, how she would move forward. She thought little of the Gods and held a great distaste for them. Though, these feelings were truly only the mask she wore to hide the fear she felt at the idea of beings far beyond her understanding. However, Lumi wasn't like that. Not as far as she could tell, she had feelings, she had flaws, and Gwen could understand her to some extent. Far different from the Gods she'd read about, heard about. But even so, did that really change what she was? Gwen pulled her hand away from Lumi's, slowly sliding it back across the table and placing both of her hands into her lap. There, for at least a full minute, they sat in unbroken silence. That is until Gwen's eyes looked over to the girl, "Lumi..." Gwen started before going quiet again for a moment, "I accept you as you are. One day, I would like to love you. But for now, I hope you will accept what little affections I can give."

Lumi's tail uncurled, her emotions settling and her tears halting, her cheeks still wet. She looked to Gwen and nodded, the chill in her body slowly lifting as if her heart was warming up the cold within her. Nodding, she spoke only after drying off her cheeks. "Yes... I accept them... I am... I am just happy that you didn't throw me out headfirst." She said with a halfhearted chuckle. "I'll take what I can... Hopefully I can prove myself to you anew."

Gwen shook her head, "You're fine the way you are... and I understand why it is that you kept this from me. Even if it hurts to know that secrets were being hidden, even more than the ones I knew you were hiding, I know that it must not be easy to tell someone these things." Gwen explained, crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't know how I might have reacted if you'd told me all of this when we had first met. So perhaps your fear of being thrown out is not completely unwarranted. However, I am not heartless, it is too late for me to cast you aside so easily even if I do find some of these newly revealed truths to be somewhat troubling. But alas, perhaps that is a talk for another time. For now, I apologize if I made you feel cornered or trapped. I didn't mean to upset you, even if I knew my tone and words would likely lead to that outcome. I only wanted the truth, for both of our sakes."

She nodded. Lumi understood entirely. She was still ever so happy that she did not press her for the name however. "I know. It was painful to hear, but I am glad that we could talk out about it. I would have told you eventually but... I think it is better to have it done with now. I am sorry for keeping it for so long." Lumi said, wanting to take Gwen's hand in her own, but she admitted to herself that it might be pushing it right now. "I care for you, Gwen. I'll take what I can get from you." She said, her smile still plastered with lingering sadness, but it is quickly coming to her usual happy self.

Gwen shook her head, "If we simply sit here apologizing back and forth we'll be here all night." Gwen said as she stood up and rounded the table to where Lumi sat. "The time for apologies has passed, now is the time that we atone for our mistakes and become better people as to never hurt one another like this again." She placed her hands onto Lumi's shoulders, a firm but soft grip as though she intended to massage them. But she did not and instead leaned down and placed a chaste kiss upon Lumi's cheek. A single peck, "Tears sully a pretty face. It doesn't suit you, Icecube." She spoke in a quiet and teasing tone before letting go. Stepping away from the girl, she turned back to her. "Goodnight, Lumi. Shall we meet for breakfast here in the morning?"

"I wouldn't miss it. Good night, Gwen." Lumi said with a smile as she sat still, waiting behind as Gwen took her leave. She was happy with the results. There was more to be built now, but that relationship building would now take place on a far more stable foundation. And that was good by her.