little ways.

Curious as to what Nova and the kids found, he held out his hand and took the frame, pulling it closer so he could see, though his eyes were on Nova as the other spoke. Then, when Nova was done speaking, he looked down -

And his eyes widened. A pained look crossed his features, his shoulders sagging, his face paling, an open-mouthed frown replacing his smile. No. I’m not ready for this.

Hands starting to shake, the Warden slowly put the frame face down on his desk. Taking several deep breaths, almost starting to panic, he covered the frame and turned away from it, a hand covering his face. He tried to speak, tried to explain, but failed, the lump in his throat keeping him from breathing properly and speaking at all. His stomach twisted, tightened, threatening to rebel and throw up his lunch.

The shaking spread from his hands to his arms, traveling up to his shoulders, before he finally took several shaking breaths to get control. To ground himself. To find something, anything, to keep himself from panicking. Nails bit into his palms, using that as an anchor. Taking more calming breaths, he focused on the smells - earth, ink, papers, sweat, Nova. Slow and steady, he returned to himself. He swallowed the bile threatening to spill, swallowed the panic, swallowed the fear. 

What will Nova think? What should I tell him? I can’t risk him ever becoming…

Carefully, he turned his eyes to Nova, and croaked out, “That’s… my brother… and my old mentor they… they died... in that war…”

It wasn’t all a lie. His mentor had died, and Valentin was as good as dead. A standing warrant for his arrest and execution for so many crimes.

He realizes the mistake the moment it is made, Korick’s eyes fall on the face in the frame and his heart leaps into his throat, closing tight.  Everything that registers across his features is a dagger in him-- fear, sorrow, panic-- and he takes to steadying himself and Nova has already moved to stand beside him, closer, but unsure if he should touch- 

( He’d hug him if only he were more confident in Korick’s reaction. ) 

He reaches to touch only when Korick speaks, one hand laid over the Warden’s own ( and though the trembling has mostly subsided from them by then, the remaining shivers don’t go unnoticed to him. )  

“ I am so sorry. “  And the expression is sincere, coming from a well of deep regret-- God, how insensitive could he be to have brought this to him in the first place?  He should have known.  Korick never mentioned a mentor or family, never mentioned anyone that it could possibly have been.  “ I should...I should have been more careful-- “ 

G o d. 

“ Are you alright?  Do...you need me to leave?  Or...something? “  He was never good with panic.  Never good with facing it, in his students or recruits.  He’d been half a terrible leader && half a brilliant warrior.  He was not made to ease ills.  Has hardly ever tried, but here he wishes he knew better how.  Wishes he knew what to say to make this stop.  “ Do you want to go outside?  Fresh air? “ 

After giving Nova and a group of children the task of cleaning the attic, Korick returned to his office to attempt to get a handle on the paperwork piling up on his desk. Not only did he need to approve the transfer of three teenagers to his care, but he also had to update the list of students here, the teachers assigned to their care, and the few adult caretakers on the grounds. Since his last update, two had left for one reason or another, and the older students had moved on to shared homes or out on their own. 

He was just a Wayhouse, after all. Many people come and go.

Once the list was updated and he’d submitted the signed and approved paperwork to the Council, he started in on the rest of the piles, doing his best to get through as much as possible. There was so much to do for his Warden duties, including selecting new trainees and approving transfers or assignments. A request for a new Warden at the Center for Endangered and Threatened Magical Creatures caught his eye and he frowned. He’d never liked facility. It seemed cruel to keep creatures in enclosures like that. 

But it was approved by the Council, so he shook his head and assigned one of his less experienced Wardens. Someone who wouldn’t put the creatures in jeopardy.

After he put that on his “OUT” box stack, he stretched, leaning back in his chair. He’d just shut his eyes for a moment to take a break when he heard the knock on his door. Turning his chair, he smiled at Nova.

“Of course. Come on in, have a seat. What can I do for you?”

An appreciative eye lingers on handsome features for a moment, admires the smile he’s given, though the tug of interest in the portrait carefully hidden reminds him it isn’t so EASYGOING as the one seen there.

“ I found something intriguing while we were cleaning, it got me curious.  Did you know this was up there? “  And kindly, Nova had taken the time to properly clean the glass when he produces the photo-- holds it out with a smile.  “ I’ve never heard you speak of these people-- But it looks important. “  He never thinks for a single moment that perhaps it might be a memory better left buried.  That it might be painful-- Korick has never spoken of it and in hindsight he will wonder how he could not have assumed as much.

The attic is half between silence && laughter, lulls into quiet when they concentrate and then into conversation where they can-- the smaller children clean surfaces of dust, some of the olders are sorting through boxes and Nova has been moving boxes back and forth all afternoon in their wake, preferring to do the heavy lifting where he can. 

Stumbling across the photo had been an accident-- one of the kids tries to pick up a box just a bit too big for them && Nova just barely manages to grapple at it before it comes down off the shelf on them.  ( Ah, but the portrait falls from the high shelf and nails him right in the head.  Ouch. ) 

It hits the floor with a clatter and summons his attention-- there’s a call of “ Nova, are you okay? “  Which he dismisses with a breezy smile and stoops to gather the dusty picture frame.  “ Yeah I’m fine, just make sure you’re not trying to lift anything heavy from the high--- ...shelves... “  Idle, he’d cleared the dust from the frame while speaking and looks upon the familiar features of their resident warden. 

Hardly recognizable for the easy && wild smile on his face.  Happy and youthful, just a bit older than many of the students here.  Just a CHILD.  Ah...and two others-- an older gentleman, a stately owl perched upon his shoulder, and another boy with an equally delighted smile.  A serpent is just visible about his neck, tail curled against his collar.  

      -- “ Nova? “  One of the children calls for his attention and Nova starts, blinking away the confusion.  

“ Sorry-- I’m okay. “  He puts the photo back atop the box and sets it down by the stairs, to take down later.  Which he does--  Brings it down to Korick’s office once they’ve finished for the day.  He raps a quick knock and leans against the door frame in comfortable posture, the picture hidden behind his back.

@tragoid

        “ THAT’S ALRIGHT, I can get it. “  && he does.  Mathias brushes against him as he reaches for the kettle.  “ What sounds good?  Tabris keeps a lot of different tea in the cupboard there– why don’t you check? “  

It all turns out to be a rather smooth ploy of distraction when he presses against Diar from behind with wandering hands down his sides as he reaches up into the cupboard to explore.  Hands that find his hips, fingers hitching up the hem of the irishman’s shirt to play against warm skin. 

“Ah - not really? I’ve lived in the area my whole life, just… never stopped in here before,” Lei admitted with a little smile. “I usually go straight home after I’m done with classes, but… well, a friend of mine told me about this place.” 

And how the proprietor was hot as fuck. And totally my type. Gaaah. 

“S-So I wanted to come in and check it out.” Check you out. “My name’s Lei - Chiang Lei.”

More low laughter deep in his chest.  “ Glad you found your way here, Lei. “  Comes the simple answer.  The gravity of name is not lost on him, the sound of it familiar-- it’s the name of a divine, isn’t it?  Ah, he’ll have to ask Tabris about it later.  He knows he’s heard it before... 

“Well, the good news is, you don’t need to be dressed by one of the Cats… you already dress like them,” the Dragon said with a chuckle as he started towards the door of his office. “Come. You’ll start in the lounge tonight. I’ll introduce you to a few of the Cats.”

With that, he strode out the door, assuming that Luca would follow. He strode down the long hall and up to the lounge, where a few of the Cats sat around talking and preparing for the night.

“Listen up, Cats-” the dragon began. All eyes turned to Hei, his voice one of command. “-you have a new Cat joining you tonight. I expect you all to take care of him and jump in if necessary. This is Luca.”

Then the Dragon pointed to each Cat in turn, introducing them. “Lei, Jori, Connor, Lily, Eli, Choi…” Hei turned to Luca. “If you have any questions, ask your fellow Cats.”

&& there is a certain grace when he moves, flows from step to step and carries himself with shoulders squared and chin lifted-- but the expression and sass he’d shown Hei in the office is nowhere to be seen.  He greets the Cats with a bright eyed smile, violet eyes DANCING.  Exuberant and charismatic, drawing like FIRE.

“ I’m glad to meet you all! “  he replies, enthusiastic and delighted.  ( His bangles give a jingle in answer when he raises a hand to wave. )  && With that he looks around the lounge and admires the opulent decor-- reminds him of home, even.  Just a bit.  There’s a certain understated and subtle elegance that he can say without reserve that his HOME is lacking.  Ugh, the king of Kaleida is ostentatious and as such is his taste. 

   "I’m not a kid. I’m 23 years old thank you.“ Yes, he has been told so many times that he looked like a young teen. Most are always surprised whenever he says that he wasn’t. Hell, even his brother told him that it looked as if he hasn’t aged a bit from when he was eighteen. 

   Well, at least he got something to distract him for a moment away from the sweets in the window beside him. God, he needed to get away from the shop as soon as he could. Though he soon gave a nod of his head a few times. Yeah, he was fine he was glad that he didn’t fall on his ass at least. 

   "Yes, I’m fine. Just fine. I’m not hurt…um. Well, it seems that we both weren’t really paying attention. Sorry about that… mister." 

“ Oh, sorry-- “  He responds with an awkward cadence, laughter floats deep in his throat and is offered in apology.  “ you’re about the same age as my kid, so it just slipped out-- “  Three years difference between this one and Luca.  Valiant himself is 43 years old, anyone under the age of 25 is ‘kid’ to him.  Oops. 

“No, the Council didn’t help - they’ve shoved their heads into the sand the last two decades after… well, you know that battle I mentioned? The one responsible… the Council trusted him, protected him, taught him. They … practically adopted him, same time as me.” His twin. Gods of the Earth, that brought a foul taste to his mouth. 

“After the battle… well, the Council decided to ignore every renegade, to ignore every orphan or endangered child for their own survival. That only made my job as a Warden harder because there were more incidents, more untrained witches running around with untamed power…” A sigh passed through his lips and he shook his head. 

“So I founded the Phoenix Wayhouse as a way to teach, train, house, and feed witches and familiars who had no where else to go. I’ve seen a lot of promising witches pass through my doors, and a few have even left bonded with a familiar.” He smiled at that, remembering a few young familiars who bonded with older witches, or older familiars who came looking for a young mind to help. 

“Thankfully, the Council is now led by a much more responsible, mature witch who knows what’s what, and isn’t afraid of his own shadow.”

Then Claire asks the two of them to help take the food to the table. “Come on. We’ll talk more about this later. The kids will get restless if dinner is late.”

Korick smiled and grabbed oven mitts, taking the main course and the hottest, heaviest dish to the table in the other room. About sixteen children of varying ranges sat at the large square table set up in the dinning room. It was a table of Korick’s own making, literally grown out of an oak tree, with the Green Mother to guide his hands. Around the table were benches, all grown from the same tree. The benches did not move, and neither did the table - everything was made stable and immovable to prevent any accidents.

Nova listens, attentive to every detail.  Every ounce of history he learns is cataloged away-- he’s always loved to learn, and this world holds many mysteries still to him, many mysteries still to unravel.  He smiles fond when Korick picks up one of the pans, and takes one himself ( barehanded and without fear of the heat. ) and follows him into the other room.  

Ah, and the table does call his attention, one reverent hand runs across the wood in admiration and feels the heartbeat and pulse of magic beneath his touch.  How lovely.  One of the children requests that he sits beside them, with a wide smile and gentle tug at his free hand upon setting the dish down and so Nova gives Korick a wave and takes the offered seat among a throng of younger students.