The long table in the dining room centred just as ostentatious an array of decorations as other rooms in the manor. Gleaming polished silverware and candelabras reflected sparkles into the darker areas of the walls and ceiling. Harald had set up cutlery, crockery, and everything surrounding eating for each of them near one end of the table. Everything but the food.

Remus slumped into his seat at the end of the table. Aeramina was waiting with impeccable posture in the seat next to him, her hands folded in her lap. Janius took a seat between Remus and Kaleeth, staring down memories that flooded back with the setting. The cushions on the seats were never something that he thought would feel strange until he sat upon them again. Aurana, in contrast, found her seat on the other side of the table next to Aeramina, still holding some of the anger in her face from before.

Janius sighed. As usual, there were at least three sets each of knives, forks, and spoons in front of him. The complexities to high dining was certainly not something he missed.

"Harald will have the cooks make us something special, to welcome you home, Janius," Aeramina said with a broad smile. "And to welcome you here, Kaleeth-Rei, Kaj-Sulan." She leant forward, placing a hand on the table. "You cannot imagine my excitement! A daughter-in-law and a grandchild! Oh!"

Aeramina's oblivious manner of speaking extended to her mispronunciation of Julan's name.

[hr]
"Thank you," Lunise said, angling her head up. "Having searched for the clans for so long, I would trust a lycan to provide a hiding place."

Lunise, now calming down from Meesei's werewolf form, did not appear perturbed by Meesei's tacit refusal to dress. It was the invitation to swim with her that put her at a loss for a moment. Her upturned head glanced at the water. "A swim?" She peered down at her uniform. "...I...am afraid I did not anticipate bringing the appropriate clothing."

The deadpan words did not sound so absurd to Lunise until she spoke them in front of Meesei.