Blacktail Deer Plateau netjer

  open! during her stay!

her quarters here would be excavated by the fellahin that might stay the duration of her trip with her, or else decorated by them should the Dreadfather have selected them Himself.
and in that time, Toula sought to learn of this place as best as she could! tired though she was from Her own journey, the amiirad knew there was much to do. she hoped to build a place of worship here for Her Gods, if allowed; but she also wished to learn of this place, and its own culture—oh! and know its people!
it was a cold day, but Toula was flushed with excitement.

i couldn't resist snagging this! slight pp of syrax, tag for reference!

with the deathbringer sent out to scout, ingram tends to the borders with @Syrax for a few hours before splitting off to see how their esteemed guest is settling. no doubt, the plateau and basilica as a whole, is an entirely different setting than she was used to.

ingram, not wishing to overwhelm the girl, was not inclined to shadow.

princess toula, ingram greets as their paths finally cross, voice a low rumble of whiskey steeped in smoke. how are you settling thus far?

the Dreadfather came to Her.
He was something to behold! and perhaps it had been Her own exhaustion that She had not noted it then, but She did now. He was Divine, was he not? and She wondered at His divinity.
quite well, thank you, Dreadfather, and here she quieted, one charcoal-rimmed ear twitching as she considered. I had hoped I might be able to build an altar to Osiris, here, She dared to push the dream of the thought into the world before Them, to make it reality if He might allow it. and She hoped that He might ask to hear of Him—Osiris.
something about this place felt right for it; and perhaps it was Iset whispering such things in her ear, to make her think of Him. but Toula thoughtfully adds, unless... it would be an insult, to You and Yours, for She would never aspire to such a terrible thing!
information to learn, though, that would be helpful in her navigation of Basilica. she wanted to do right by her divine Mother and Father, but she equally wanted to do right by the Dreadfather now as well.

she wished to build an alter! to a presumed god. she called it osiris.

there is something about the name that lures him; a siren song to a weary sailor. a flame to a moth. a small swoop in his stomach, like the flutter of a butterflies' wings.

perhaps it is the unknown of this god that excites him; despite how he has not acknowledged ash paw's beargods beyond allowing their alters to be built near his own.

we welcome many deities here. we are of many faiths. if two could be considered many.

tell me of this ...osiris. the dreadfather invites, purling the name, testing it on his tongue; delighted.

Toula had never before considered the existence of any other deities before hearing of Dreadfather Himself. and what She knew, even then, was so limited! and so when He spoke of faiths, Toula was swift to latch onto the opportunity. I would so love to hear of these faiths, she coaxed, I am your guest. it would be rude to ignore that which also exists here, even if They are not My own,
there was a sense of that otherworldly presence! the protective eye of Ra, the loving gaze of Iset—but more, too, all around them!
but first, Osiris. He is Brother-husband to my patron Goddess, Iset. Our God and Lord of Death, she started, and Rebirth, it was strange to feel the eyes of Osiris, heavy but not in the way that meant ones heel was upon your back. but She believed that She felt Him looking upon Them—perhaps the Dreadfather had gained His attention, for this approval... or perhaps it was something else!
but He looks after many things! fertility, agriculture, the afterlife, the dead, resurrection, life, and vegetation—to name each of them! She recited, remembering much of @Senmut and his teaching. the young Toula studies the face of the handsome Dreadfather, to see if She had His interest before continuing. Toula did not wish to bore him! although She was spirited in the way that She spoke, perhaps He did not share in this interest... though She hoped—girlishly, mortally!—that He would!

i cannot instruct when it comes to the beargods, ingram admits in a soft rasp. for teachings of them, seek ash paw, but tread carefully. she is carrying cubs and might be ...temperamental. more so than she usually was — though perhaps those mercurial moods were reserved just for him.

osiris. brotherhusband to iset. lord of death and rebirth.

to consider these two opposing things in one deity was ...interesting; despite how connected they were. new life could only prosper because of death.

they were intimately intwined.

but suddenly, he understands why the name fills him with such things. there is similarities.

osiris is a busy god. ingram observes in a low murmur; a soft chuckle passing betwixt his lips. he likes saying the name. likes thinking it. osiris. he can feel the creeping roots of obsession threatening to take hold. ingram has a tendency of taking things he likes. of what calls to him.

how does the deathlord tend to all of these things at once? he inquires; holding to her words raptly.

ash paw. Toula takes his warning, and nods slowly; considers. a mother to be! Toula would gift to her things of Tawaret, and then ask of these bear gods if the woman had the patience for it. that way, She could also gift to the woman something more close to their own pantheon.
I would still love to hear of Yours, Dreadfather—if They would permit your sharing, she looks around Them, her voice reverent.
but first They would speak of Osiris!
He is! she agrees with a delighted laugh at his observation. and it is as though I feel His eyes upon You now. perhaps He is with Us, she breathed, wind stirring at Their furs. Deathlord, Dreadfather calls Him; a name that would surely please Him, even if it did not encompass his other duties.
much of Death and Rebirth go hand in hand. a flood can destroy, but its waters carry with it seeds of life even as it wreaks its devastation. Death is benign, she hums, His hand is in it all because Death is renewal. do You see? Toula did not worry after such things, but rather embraced them—it was all one brilliant, beautiful cycle. Death would someday claim Her, and She would not be afraid.

in time, ingram promises; he was all too happy to speak of sithis, the immortal soul his flesh and bone mortal body played host to, of the void and the voidwraiths and commanders of the past that whispered things in his ear. today, though, i am your student, princess toula.

because he could feel the sweeping presence of obsession for her deathlord osiris taking hold.

fighting it, ingram knew, was useless.

it was like fighting his love for his nightwife, despite how she flickers in and out of his life like a flame.

yes, i understand. ingram assures her with a low chuckle. for there to be life, there must be death. it is useless to fear it when the end is really not even the end.

perhaps a haughty outlook granted to ingram by the illusion of being a god in mortal fleshbone. but even praimfaya's culture believed in reincarnation: a very speculation that he was one such incarnation, perhaps believed even to her dying breath.

and what of your patron goddess, iset? ingram inquires.

He, Her student!
She smiled at the thought, and then laughed richly, happily! the young amiirad was thrilled to be His teacher, but had never thought of Herself as such. it was sweet, and it warmed Her to consider that They had much to learn from one Another.
the amiirad found herself happy to be here. indeed, You are, she answered in pleasant rejoinder, the corners of her eyes still crinkled with delight. the respect of the divine girl grew all the more for the Dreadfather.
so You do see, Toula breathed back in response, marveling at his ability to understand. You seem to know it well, upon it being explained, Toula commended him then, hoping He might appreciate the praise. you know, He might appreciate you visiting His altar. I will begin my work today, she determines. perhaps They two could leave offerings together, or perhaps He might not wish to! but the place would still be sacred.
Iset! the lotus brightened at the mention of her name. healing, and magic. She is the protector of women; some believe She has a hand in fate itself, a thought that stirred her! and did She Herself believe it? indeed! for all of Her prayers had always been heard. Makono, home safe; Pharaoh and her Mother, in good health; her dearest and most beloved Brother, growing strong! and now, here She was, on a journey she had shared with Iset in this dream of a life. how could She not have a hand in it?
she hesitated, before asking, I would like to build a place for Her too, Dreadfather. I spoke with her daily, at the place I built in Akashingo, and still She would here! but there was power in places, Toula knew. would the Dreadfather mind?

perhaps i shall, ingram murmurs to her suggestion of visiting osiris' altar. perhaps, even, he would take his threadbones to it to do a reading, to see if the deathlord would speak to him through them.

his attention only strays for a moment before she begins to tell him of osiris' sisterwife and toula's patron goddess. of healing and magick, protector of women and possibly weaver of fates.

of course, murmurs ingram in approval. you may build whatever you wish here. for basilica was a safe place for it, he believes. and even when princess toula returned home he would tend to the altars she built; unknowing that this bonedeep knowledge was rooted in a knot of his own fate thread, branching off in a very different direction than the one he thought he walked.

eagerly, ingram listens to what toula has to tell him, offering tidbits of his own as the hours toiled away.