After the battle and the medical exams, the group is split apart again. There are many things Umeko now has to deal with, including arranging a ceremony honoring those who fell in battle, to seeing to the survivors and listening to the reports of the field commanders. So, this has left Lilac alone in Umeko's bedroom. It's as spartan as always, save for Autumn Harvest, resting upon their display stand, and the peculiar mirror mask of Hakuu's.

So, once again Lilac is alone. Umeko has been gone all morning dealing with some issue of governance. Unexpectedly, though, the door opens and Umeko steps through quietly. She doesn't say a word, figuring Lilac is asleep as she's usually been. In her arms is a small bundle and a scroll of parchment. She goes over to the desk. There she sets the package down just before she spreads the scroll out and tacks it down.

The covers of the bed suddenly stir, a lump rising from the center. The lump moves left, then right, then wiggles until the covers fall away, and a canine head pops out from beneath them. Lilac's ears perk, and behind her, her tail wags at Umeko's return.

"You should go onto the deck. The sun is shining and for once, the day seems a little brighter than it has in a long time," Umeko comments as she unrolls the small bundle. She sets out a collection off colorful 'sticks', as well as several shallow clay bowls and a couple brushes. "And if you keep busy, it helps keep your mind from dwelling on things past."

Lilac's ears go askew, her head tilting to the side in that confused canine manner. Seconds later, she dips back under the overs, and more wiggling sheets ensue.

Umeko can't help but glance backwards towards Lilac for a moment. She shakes her head with a small, amused, smile, then returns to the work on her desk. With a delicate roll of her fingers, the Kiriga selects a black stick. She rolls it slowly in the ceramic cup, crumbling the tip into fine dust. When about half an inch has been ground, she sets it aside and pours a small bit of water into the cup, then stirs it slowly with one of the brushes.

About a minute later, Lilac, in her human form, emerges from beneath the bed sheets and stretches. "It may be a big fuzzy violent monster," she says, her voice strained from the stretching, "but it is very comfortable!" She pushes the sheets aside, then scoots her way to the end of the bed. "More governess work, Kinny?"

"This? No. This is … a goodbye for someone," Umeko answers. She lifts the brush up, fingertips delicately clutching the end. With a graceful roll of her wrist, the Kiriga starts drawing delicate lines and curves onto the scroll. "I have some time before the memorial ceremony and this is … calming."

"Calming?" Lilac's ears perk, the connection between her human and animal forms a fluid thing. "Oh, is this about spotty cat?"

"Someone I wish I could take with us, yes. But, this is his home," Umeko answers as her wrist delicately twists and the brush dances. "He always make me feel that I do not have to be the noble, or know what to do. I can just be … and he's content with that. I will miss him."

After swinging her legs over to hang off the edge of the bed, Lilac nods. "I don't know what that must be like, but I'm glad you found someone that makes you happy. I wish he could come with us, but even I'm not so silly as to think a Savanite would be happy in the center of the Empire. Maybe you can come back some day, or maybe this will change. If you become the real governess of this region, you can see him whenever you want! Even appoint him," the woman offers.

"I know. There is much I still must do. It is not just the journey to Nagai City, but we have to still deal with the Cinder's activities in Sylvania," Umeko notes as her hand continues to dance over the page. "It just meant a lot to have known someone who did not care what I was and shared so freely. If this will be the last time I see him, I want to give him something to remember me."

"Well, I don't care what you are, and I'm still here! Of course, that's probably not the same, I know," the human woman offers. She leans forward, balancing on the edge of the bed. "You're handling this so much better than I would. I can't even talk to Gibson after what happened. And, you're right, there's still so much to do. The Aspect Orb of Void is still out there, and maybe more."

"Do you want to know how to find the courage to speak to Gibson?" Umeko inquires as she sets aside her brush allow the scroll to dry for a moment.

Lilac shakes her head slowly. "No. I mean, I do appreciate the offer, but it's something I need to do on my own. Just like you writing that letter. If I wrote it, it wouldn't be the same, would it? It's like that," the bardess explains.

There's a light knocking at the door, followed by a rabbity voice asking, "Umeko?"

"Just keep in mind life is fleeting. People can leave your life in an instant, so do not wait to tell someone how you feel because of fear. Otherwise … all you will know is regret," Umeko offers as she selects a yellowish stick this time. "And you know, Xander is a lot like you in that respect. He's afraid to act on much," she continues as she grinds a bit of yellow powder into a ceramic cup. She pauses, then looks to the door. "And speaking of Xander … Yes, you may enter," she calls out to the closed door.

The door cracks open, and the Fire Mage sticks his head through. "Just wanted to let you know I've sent off the message to the Burning Sands tribe," Xander says, looking tired.

"I'm not as afraid as I used to be. More … sad now, I think," Lilac tells Umeko before Xander enters. She sits back, taking a moment to adjust her loose black outfit. It looks like she pilfered another commando uniform, cutting it to fit her human body, as well as her quadruped one. Very baggy, all in all. "Hello Xander!"

"You look tired. Come in and rest a bit?" Umeko offers. She flicks her tail tip towards the bed, where Lilac sits.

Xander closes the door behind and trudges over to the bed. Sitting down, he gives Lilac a wan smile, and says, "You should use the visit to the capital to upgrade your wardrobe a bit, Lilac."

Umeko tilts her head a bit, then selects a clean brush. "You look a bit sad, Xander. Is something troubling you?" she asks before she resumes her work on the scroll before her.

"I should – if I had any shekels to my name," Lilac laments. She picks at her commando outfit, shaking her head. "This really isn't what a bard should be wearing, but at least the troops stopped asking me who I was and what I was doing here. Now I'm 'the Governess's agent.' It's like I'm some sort of Imperial spy, or something!"

Xander blinks and turns to Umeko. "Oh," he says, "I'm just… worn out. There's always this big adrenalin crash after battle, and sending the message took a lot out of me as well. I'm right about where you were a few hours ago."

"I don't know if I've said this lately to either of you … but thank you for staying with me. You've both been true friends and I'm not sure I can ever repay you," Umeko says. Her eyes shift to the scroll again. She dips her brush lightly into the yellowish ink, then resumes her work. "And for not fearing me after I became … that Naga thing."

"I'll admit to a little bit of fear while you where that thing," Xander says. "And a lot of fear when I realized Anisa had control of it… and what she might do to me if I upset her."

"She would never hurt you," Umeko comments. She pauses in her brushwork, then asks, "If I had stayed like that … would you have left me?"

"I don't know if I ever said this before, Kinny, but you saved me, you helped me find myself again and gave me somewhere where I felt I belonged. I didn't have that before you – I felt like I was living in a dream I couldn't quite wake up from," says Lilac, her ears splaying. "And, well, I just like being around you." She shrugs a little, smiling, and adds, "I'm the last person who's going to be afraid of you because you turned into something else. I'm always here to talk about that problem."

"I don't know, Umeko," Xander admits. "It depends on if you had its urges under control or not. I don't think I'd stop trying to get you back to normal though."

"You can tame your urges, or at least learn to live with them," Lilac offers, hopefully. "I did."

"I never had an urge to devour you, if that was what you were fearing," Umeko comments as she resumes work. "It was still me on the inside, just my trappings were different. Was I … ugly? It's sad and ironic in a way … when Hakuu died, he was happy. He called me 'glorious'. He got his dream in the end. I thought I would feel happy with him gone … but I don't."

Xander flops back onto the bed, and says, "Well… You looked like a dragon, with all the frills and such. It was pretty, in a fearsome sort of way."

"I thought you found me fearsome before?" Umeko has to ask. To Lilac, she says, "I don't know if I will never be completely the way I was. The doctor said while I looked normally, something was different. It's a little scary."

"Yes, but you're also cuddly," Xander notes. "The other form… wasn't so cuddly."

"How do you know? You didn't try cuddling it," Umeko notes. She looks over her shoulder and flashes a grin to the Lapi.

"I haven't tried cuddling Lilac's other form either," Xander says. "It wouldn't be fair, since the alternates are never as good as the originals."

"Flattery could get you everywhere," Umeko comments. Her tail flicks back and tickles against Xander's foot. "Including the attention of my father… "

"I should flatter him?" Xander asks. "I'm sure he'll be dreading the meeting as it is without me making him uncomfortable."

"We're never really the same when we do anything, isn't that right, Kinny? I think that whole battle changed us all, and for you, it was just a little more physical than the rest of us. But, you seem fine! And if you're not, well, I'll still be here for you – whatever happens," Lilac assures Umeko. At the mention of Umeko's father, her ears wilt. "Eeee, Kinny's father is scary in his own way. I'm dreading seeing him again. I was there when Kinny left home, I even helped, he might blame me."

"My father, dreading a meeting? More that he will be prepared to tear down everything I have done. I disobeyed him. My actions could have dishonored him. I … " Umeko explains, then pauses for a moment. She looks to the timber ceiling, lost in thought. "In truth, I do not know if he ever really loved me. I cannot remember a single time he ever said he was proud of me. I always said it never bothered me, but that's never been quite honest. It hurt. It still hurts."

"You don't understand," Xander notes. "He isn't going to be seeing his wayward, defiant daughter. He's going to be meeting the new head of the clan. Umeko has led armies to victory twice now, and held an Imperial appointment. She's the most prominent member of the Tsuguri family now. Her father will have to… accept that."

"Oh, Kinny," Lilac whines. She stands up and walks over to the woman, offering her a hug. "It's awful. He has no idea how great you are. If, if he … he says that … I'm going to … to give him … a piece of my mind!"

"I'm still his daughter. I don't care about a title; my status. I just … I want to be accepted. Just once, I'd like to know he cared," Umeko says with a short shake of her head before she accepts the hug from Lilac. "Because I love him. Even after everything, I love him."

Lilac just sighs a little, giving Umeko a hug and laying her ears back. "He should be proud of you. You've done enough to make the Emperor take notice. Maybe he's the one who has lost sight of what it means to be a member of your family."

With an almost wry smile, Umeko notes, "And that is probably why Xander says he will dread this meeting."

"I'm afraid he's going to blame, me. That if he does you … You might believe it. I mean, I had to go on about adventure, and traveling, and about finding your path in life. I even helped you leave. It is kind of my fault – but I don't regret it!" Lilac nods, laying her head on Umeko's shoulder.

"Plus, you can do a lot better than Hakuu for a husband now," Xander points out.

"I don't think he would approve of the choices I would make for a husband if I had to choose one," Umeko notes, "Because currently, they're mammals."

"Well… wait… they?" Xander asks, sitting upright.

Lilac's ears shoot up, as well. "They? It's not me is it!?"

Umeko pats Lilac's back while she continues to hug her. "I do not blame you for anything. The choice was mine," she says. From this angle Lilac can actually see what Umeko was working on. It's not a letter; it's an ink paining. It's only partially finished, but Lilac can make out the two main figures in the picture. The Kiriga in it bears a marked resemblance to Umeko. She's curled back against the stylized and strong form of a Savanite. Their hands intertwine and though expression is somewhat hard to define in the picture, the two look at each other fondness.

"What? There are people in my life I would consider, but for separate reasons," Umeko answers as she looks between the two. "And no, it is not you, Lilac. That would be strange."

Eyes wandering, Lilac can't help but look at the picture. "Awwwww," she murmurs, before covering her mouth and looking guilty. When Umeko says it isn't her, she breathes a sigh of relief. "Well, that's good, I think. I'm not sure how that would work, anyway."

"Well… it would make it easier to raise the… uh… children," Xander notes, and pointedly does not reach out to pat Lilac's tummy.

Umeko waves her brush at Xander, noting, "You would be one I would consider, for example. Even with such silly comments."

Lilac looks down at her tummy, and pats it herself. "The children. I'm still finding it hard to believe I'm going to be a mommy. Not to mention the, um, other parts of why this is hard to believe," she admits.

Head cocking to the side, Lilac wonders aloud, "Does that make the orb my aunt? Stepmother?" She rubs her head, as if it suddenly hurt.

Xander blushes and hides his ears.

"And now you are being silly," Umeko tells Lilac as she releases the human. The Kiriga sets her brush down for the moment and rubs the bridge of her nose between two of the small horns. "You have made me realize, though, that it is possible I may be courted in Nagai City. Particularly if they learn I am single. Aspiring nobles may wish to use my current standing to better theirs," she comments, looking as if she's about to get a headache.

"Just tell them they'd have to come tromping through Sylvanian swamps with you first," Xander offers. "Sylvania is chilly for a reptile."

"Depends on the reptile. Cold doesn't bother me so much," Umeko points out.

"And if you want, I can always look into them for you, Kinny. If I can sneak through Hakuu's creepy manor, I can sneak through anywhere," offers the human.

"And, hm. I will have to be sure to tell them that you were not brought to be a snack for the Emperor," the Kiriga adds as an afterthought and casts Xander a glance.

After a suitable squeak of alarm, Xander asks, "Come to think of it… since Hakuu was your fiancee, does that mean you get all of his property still?"

"Truthfully, I have no idea. I doubt I would receive any of it, unless the Emperor deemed that it should be awarded to the one who uncovered his treachery," Umeko says after a moment of thought. "Which means … that handmaiden may end up 'mine'."

"I'm sure she can be deprogrammed, especially once that mask is off for awhile and she gets used to reality again," Xander notes.

"I could give her to you," Umeko teases Xander.

"But being a bit serious on the matter … I would be happy if she would just tell me her name," Umeko notes.

"We're not going to have to share a room, are we? Because I think I have senior Kinny friend and agent status, here," Lilac insists.

"She is in the, ah, brig, right now, Lilac," Umeko tells the human. "I do not expect we'll know much about her until we reach the capitol."

"Maybe you could groom her to be a stand-in someday," Xander suggests. "To handle of the dull courtly-stuff while you and I go off on a romantic holiday to Abu Dhabi… "

"Well, um, I guess I hope she's okay. I mean, I could have tried to save them when I first found them, but, well, they could have just beat me up too," the bardess considers. "I suppose if she's not out to get us or avenge Hakuu, I don't mind, her. But if she gets all killy on us, I'm going to bite her!"

Umeko's brow ridge arches a bit. "Xander," she says, "That is twice now that you have flirted with me."

Kin nods to Lilac, then draws a slow breath. "I just hope she will find happiness some day. I can understand if she would never forgive me, though," she says.

"Was that flirting?" Xander asks, looking a bit confused. "Would you like to take a romantic holiday in Abu Dhabi?"

"Yes?" Umeko answers. "I have never seen that city, though I have heard stories."

"They seemed very devoted, I just don't know if it was forced on them, or if they really cared about him," Lilac says. "If it's the latter, then she might be almost impossible to change. I mean, I went berserk when I thought you died, Kinny! If I was her, I'd be out to get us."

"Lilac and Gibson can come along too if they like," Xander offers. "My family has a big place."

"After we save the world," Umeko tells Xander.

Lilac's ears flatten. "Umm," is all she can say to a holiday in Abu Dabi with Gibson.

"Ah, really?" Xander asks, perking up. "I knew there was a good reason for saving the world!"

"Yes, have to save the world," Lilac agrees. Then she pauses, blinking, and ears going askew. "I can't believe we're actually saving the world. It's almost cliche – but it'll make a great epic!"