[Citadel, Tayseri, Eight Street Temple] Another Day in Paradise

"Lagyega, pay attention," Hadas said seriously to the 6 year old, the three others immediately quieted down as well.

"BUuuuut Seeeer, we already know that story, you told two times already." Lagyega, was the ringleader, the kid was smart as well, and about as headstrong as another brown drell he knew.

"The ascension of Kheel is important enough to tell speak the words thousand times a thousand times." The light flickered in small classroom, another hand raised in the air, the boy's name was coincidentally Kheel.

"That's my name," the boy had, over the course of the story, several times informed Hadas about that fact.

"Yes I know you share a name. The story is almost over."

"But then you just talk about the story again, over and over," Lagyega said, "you always say the same thing."

"That's because it's important not just to remember a story but think about it and find it's meaning."

"But it's a boring story..." now she had her hands on her side, a sure sign he was at losing side of the argument. He had to do something so he brought in his secret weapon.

"That's because it's not the whole story..." he hinted, as he closed to "officially" approved, heavily sanitized, - let us not shock any aliens - 'doctrines of the faith' and instead opened bent over and took an older book out of the a locked cabinet.

"Okay, you know the deal, this is the good stuff," he said in a hushed voice, the irony being that the book he had taken to contain 'the good stuff' was still sanitized to be age appropriate, but it kept closer to the original material. They kept quiet as he recited the passages, the story became a lot more interesting when instead of the hero felling the creature of the dawn with one fell swoop he actually had a real fight on his hands.

It was just done telling the story when the service for the grown-ups was done. Hadas stretched as they ran towards their parents, no doubt telling all about it. There had been exactly one complaint about his use of 'ancient' material, his reply was simply that he was a traditionalist.

After clean-up he sat in his small office/library in the basement, he was slowly piecing together one of the many salvaged but damaged books of the old temple. His document forging skills were rather well suited to help restore the books.

Actually, there had been exactly two complaints.

"No telling these stories before my martial arts class!" Kayana dropped the bag of equipment by the door, closing it behind her. "Reenactments, Haddas. I know what chapter you're on by how my students try and kill each other."

"I think I tired them out enough to send home safely. It took a lot of push-ups." She rested her hands on her knees, catching her breath. "The Ascension of Kheel? Where he jumps off the cliff with the monster clutched in both hands? How can you do this to your wife?"

She was grinning, and her shoulders shook with suppressed laughter.

"Yes be glad I didn't get to the part where he fights the monster's mother. Next week I'll talk about the courtship of Keh'vel, there's nothing violent in there or dirty, so it should be safe, they might even be asleep by the end of it."

He finished fixing the finally piece of paper in place and finally looked up to smile. "Hi, how was your day? I've almost finished this," it had taken a long time, when he started the book was but a large heap of scraps. "still need to work on some of the calligraphy but the text is readable."

"It's a courtship. How can there be nothing dirty?" She pulled up a chair, sitting down. She flipped through her omni-tool messages, waiting for him to finish. "Long? Holy day or not, Krios Memorial needed their servers fixed, but I made it here in time for everything, right? Now we can..."

Something in the messages made her scowl, then press her eyes shut. "Shit. Tell me why I went off my anti-anxiety meds again?"

They slowed her down, she was hardly having nightmares anymore, and who were they to say there was nothing for her to worry about?

"Sanjin's mother had a stroke. This letter is far too chipper. And it turns out there's something worse than Rabbas not answering my mail. It's it being returned to me, address no longer valid! Fucker." She exhaled through her teeth. "You know what's going to happen to Naban if they can't look after her."

This particular panic attack was not unknown to Haddas.

Hadas had a coy smile on his face, "Well they kept to good stuff for the follow-up, maybe we could read it to–"

Then he saw Kay's face change as she read her messages and shut his mouth as he listened. Bye the time she had done explaining the situation he was next to her one hand her shoulder the other offering her a bag to help manage her breathing.

"I'm here for you," he said softly, "just keep breathing calmly, we'll fix this."

"Why does nobody ever listen to me?" She threw up her hands. "Testing to see if the blood clot came from-some pulmonary bullshit I can't pronounce right now? Why have these people not moved? It's not like their daughter got Kepral's syndrome at fucking 24!"

She got up, paced around the room, and sat back down. "I'm being a giant baby."

"...How am I supposed to fix it? Losing Sanjin like, broke Rabbas. All the Challos family is compact, I think Sanjin is the only one in three generations who wasn't. Nobody even sees why I have a problem."

"I never thought of it before, because we were tied up but isn't there anything we can do with lawyers?"

"He was born on the Citadel after all... so maybe you could ask protective custody for him?"

"...Nothing has actually happened yet." Kayanna kicked at the floor.

"It'd be a long fight, and we'd probably lose. She's a primacy citizen too, and I'm only the foster sister. And...I don't know, I've never asked you if you'd be okay with that. I'd probably have to quit school."

Hadas stood beside her, his gaze cast downwards, "don't hurt my floor, it hasn't done anything... and if you really wanted to do that I wouldn't be able to talk you out of it. Like you said nothing has happened yet, so it gives us time."

"I would really want you to finish school first, I understand it would be hard but I think it would give us more of a chance if you do eventually decide to undertake something. Maybe you could invite her over to stay with us for a while or something?"

She kicked the ground again, then pressed herself against Haddas' side, shoving a little so he'd wrap an arm around her. "I could offer. To take her while her grandmother's...sick. Who knows if they'll say yes, though."

"I'm doing the best I can here, I just don't think I can take on that much more...It's why we don't have our own kids yet, right?"

He was quick to wraps his arms around her holding her close.

"It couldn't do any harm to ask, even if they said we wouldn't have lost anything."

"It woun't take that long for you to graduate, and afterwards you'll have so much free time, for now you just have to pick your targets, and focus your efforts. I promise you this though, once we can afford kids, you had better get ready to deal with those kids, and their doting father... maybe Azure can help, he'll not be practicing his current occupation and I think he might actually make a good nanny... don't tell him that or he'll offer to wear a uniform, I just know that."

"Pfft. Two only-child boys. You're going to be so much help." She was smiling though, squeezing him a little tighter.

"I will protect them from everything. From Reapers and Fevers and hanar that don't think they have souls."

"I know you will." Hadas smiled back at her.

"You'll be an awesome mom, and I'll be barely managing da. What would a hanar know about souls, they are so enthralled in their doctrine some would believe their head huncho if he told them the planets were flat. I f only we could use that to our advantage."

"...I'm going to light a candle for Sanjin." She slowly untangled herself.

"What'd you mean earlier, about Azure? Last I spoke to him he was still working quite a few nights. Is he finally cutting back?"

"Well I assume he would have cut back by then, I mean it's like they deactivate your implant today, and you give birth to half-a-dozen kids the very next day..."

He gave her a final hug before letting her go completely.

"besides he did say he would take a few winter classes so assumed he would start to cut back there." He shook his head and opened a closet to the side, "I'll be right with you, let me just change so I can give it a proper blessing."

"Nothing the nice enkindled woman would have disapproved of." She smirked, giving him a playful swat as he pulled away.

"I know I'm not allowed to worry about him. That was the deal."

"I think," Hadas said as he put his robe on, "if he really wanted to be left alone he wouldn't hang around as much. So much so that I think we should just offer him a room at our place, it would be easier for all of us and the gods know we have room to spare."

"and I'm sure he wouldn't mind more opportunities to accidently run into the bathroom while I'm drying myself. Hold that thought." He whispered and sat down before a small shrine, he spoke words unchanged from the first time they were said back on Rakhana, while bowed his head. There was a pause and he stood back up.

"Let's light that candle."

"As long as he doesn't bring work home." She stretched out. "...If any client laid a finger on him, they'd be finding them in like, three separate dumpsters. What?...It's nice to know someone worries about you."

There was a shrine for the war dead, of course. She dropped a credit chit into the slot, picked up the candle, and bowed her head in prayer.

"Well obviously, I would expect him to leave his work at the door, anyway I think we should seriously think and talk about it, he's part of us now. With all the baggage including a motherly figure who can kick-ass when irked. "

They entered the temple proper, he stepped towards the pulpit while Kay did her thing. He waited until the candle was lit. He bowed deeply before the statue and spoke the words.

"Kalahira, mistress of inscrutable depth, hear me, for I, priest of this temple, will speak to you."
"Kalahira, whose waves wear down stone and sand, whose seas stretch beyond the oceans and time, who rules and protects all who died, hear my petion for Sanjin Challos."
"Kalahira, her heart was pure, guide her along your shores."
"May she never tire."
"May she never grow hungry."
"May she never be lonely."
"Kalahira, stand by her and she shall stand by you, unwavering in death as in life."
"Kalahira, as Priest of this Temple, as Hierophant, as Haruspex, as Walker of the Ember Path, As Keeper of Rites, Guardian of Souls, as Husband to her Daughter, hear my plea, my petition and my authority, my sincerity, to keep her soul safe like she kept others safe."

He followed up with another bow and stepped away, keeping himself to the side until Kay had done.

"Please don't tell me that the beautiful boys see me as maternal. That's the kiss of death."

She bowed her head, whispering the prayer along with him. She placed the candle on the altar, watching it burn down. "I sometimes imagine what would have happened, if she had lived. I don't get very far. She wouldn't have left the Citadel."