Northstar Vale home is wherever i'm with you

Ibis had not been curious as to why the brothers lingered near — only grateful. She knew to be cautious of Takeshi because she knew what he was capable of; or rather, she trusted Reiko, who had shared plenty of things to warrant such apprehension. To hear that the meeting had gone poorly was of little consequence now. If there had been lasting upset, Ibis had been too preoccupied to notice any changes.

That doesn't surprise me. Reiko has told me a few things about that man that make me very uncomfortable. For him to hold all the power now... I worry for everyone, but especially for her. And for our girls. She averts her gaze from them as they play, watching the dirt.

Akavir's continued commentary is met with silence. The woman is listening, and her face is pinched with concern - then a deep fondness, and then shock, as her husband expressed his true desire. Leaving was always an option — but Ibis was so focused on keeping everyone together, and not losing anyone else in her life (especially Reiko) that she had not yet entertained the idea aside from the occasional fantasy.

As important as Reiko was to her, the Empress was the only thing truly tying Ibis to this place. It was supposed to be a safe place for their family though, and at this point Ibis' anxieties were exacerbated by the changing dynamic of the little family. She could not ignore Akavir's plea, but was it right to break her promise to her best friend and Empress? And where could they go?

Don't be sorry. She sighs against him, tugging at his coat, breathing him in.

I've spent so long trying to piece together a family, and for a while that worked. I had friends, I built relationships with strangers, kept them safe through the winter — and inevitably that failed, but it was alright because I still had Reiko. Together we could rebuild. The concern on Ibis' face melted away as she spoke, replaced with a thin smile, a shine to her eye as she remembered the hike to Kaistleoki and visiting the edge of the vale with Vespera.

Then I met you. We made them— She motions with a nod towards the two girls playing rambunctiously nearby, utterly lost in their own little world. And everything changed again. I finally have my family. I know that Reiko is struggling here, and I feel bad for not being much help to her, but she has an entire empire built of friends. Maybe its time for us to focus on our next life — and build it together.

As frazzled as her husband seemed upon making the proposal, Ibis took it in stride; it was an inevitability with the maturation of their daughters and the increasingly tense atmosphere around them. To keep the girls safe and ensure a lasting legacy, they had to do something. As Ibis draws in a measured breath she leans against Akavir, murmuring to him: Got anywhere in mind?