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At 2 AM Mark landed with Isoko in the center courtyard of the massive compound that was Wandering Castle. The place was different from before, emotionally. It was late, for one, so the whole place was on night crew, which meant only a few people were awake. It was also a few days after breaking the blockade, after the fighting. More importantly, Mark had Skilled Chimiko, Isoko's Mother, with Healthy Body a few days ago. That seemed to make a world of difference in everything that happened from that moment forward.

Mark was present for the series of events that happened after they landed, but he was not the focus, which was a little strange for him but also a welcome reprieve. Aeri Kanno woke with a start when Isoko touched down, Wandering Sage's vector flickering through the sky and sending a tiny breeze through the main courtyard. A pair of guys responded to that flicker, coming out of a side building, both of them known to Isoko, but they weren't fully Japanese.

They had sand-brown hair and one was a bit older than the other. Mark imagined they were partially Daihoonian. Isoko introduced them, saying, "Mark, this is Naozane and Nicholas."" Howdy, Mark! You can call me Nick," Nick said. Naozane said to Mark, "A pleasure to meet you, and to know that our cousin is safe with you."" Not too safe!" Isoko said, grinning a little— Her face fell.

"Oh. Mom's up, too, huh?" Nick excitedly said, "Aunt Chimiko is different, Isoko." Isoko put on a pleasant face.

"I am glad to be home, for as much as time would allow."" Oh please," Nick said, almost scoffing.

"She got back into sushi and she's been prepping for you to come back home for days now."" What?" Isoko asked, more surprised than actually asking a question.

"She's making sushi again?" Naozane said, "She has prime cuts on storage, waiting for you to— Ah. Here's grandmother." Aeri Kanno settled down from the sky, onto the stone of the courtyard, smiling brightly, white hair in a quick bun. Bits of white hair stuck out of her bun while her nightgown flowed around her like ethereal mist as she rushed Isoko and took her into her arms, speaking soft joys in quiet ways.

Isoko responded similarly quietly, first with disbelief, and then with questions that were answered with similar disbelief, but in positive ways. And then Isoko's mother appeared beyond a large, open doorway, wearing an apron over her outfit, her vector as warm as the sun as she said, "If you two are not hungry right now, I can save it for later, but I dearly wish to make you a nice meal." Isoko briefly looked to Mark—" I can eat," Mark said.

With happy confusion, Isoko told her mother, "We would be delighted, Mother." Aeri Kanno rapidly told the cousins Nick and Naozane, "Help Mark get some clothes. Show him around, and to the baths. Just a clean up." She told Mark, "The meal will be ready in an hour." Mark decided to go along with it. Soon Mark had taken a neat shower and then he relaxed into a nice spring, hot water flowing into shallow pools, shooting the shit with Naozane and Nick, who were 25 and 28, and brothers.

Small fountains burbled heated water down rocky surfaces. The air was steamy, and the sky overhead was open to the brilliant night. The two sand-hair cousins spoke of how they were from Rocktower, with the other half of the family that ended up on Daihoon, as descended from Aeri's father, Nori Kanno, and how they were technically low nobility." Oraka is our family name," Nick said, lounging in the hot baths near Mark."

Rather distant from the Rocktowers and the Stoners, but the Stoners are our neighbors down the road," Naozane said, and then he corrected himself, " Were our neighbors. Father likely still rolls in those circles, but we haven't been on Daihoon in years."" We were discharged from the army due to injury. Had to come to New Tokyo to get a proper healer, and we stayed." Naozane showed off his left leg, and there was a scar like a spread of long-healed cuts down his entire left side.

"It was a monster called a glasser, an obsidian variety. We lost four guys to the crystallization."" That's a serious injury if they didn't have healers capable of removing the issue," Mark said.

"Mind if I try healing it?" Naozane suddenly sat back down in the waters, saying, "No no. Thank you, but no."" You can try healing mine!" Nick said, smirking at his brother. Naozane quietly snipped at Nick, "Don't be a bother."" It's no bother at all," Mark said, Unioning with Good and Bad, to start, black veins pumping into the air around him, and into the water. He threaded it all into Elsewhere, though, like normal, so the water remained clean.

"We'll start with this." The brothers relaxed a little, feeling Mark doing something. Mark continued to heal them as he made small talk, asking, "Do you guys know Devo Stone? Or is that a different family?"" We heard about him…" Nick paused a little, relaxing a bit more, and then he grinned a bit. He was feeling better.

"That feels better than the bath."" Thank you, Mark," Naozane said, glaring at Nick very slightly as though in warning, and then he answered, "We heard about General Stone. Newly promoted. The Stoners are not the Stones, though. The Stones were a nuanced family of Strategists; which was the backbone of their noble obligation. So they've been leaders in wartime for 200 years. Devout Imperialists, too."" They're not that Imperialist," Nick countered." They're Imperialist now," Naozane said.

Mark smiled a little bit, saying, "They're with Walaria, for sure, so they're probably as Imperialist as they get." Nick laughed.

"It's so cool that you're so famous! Pedro said you were a cool guy, and you are!" Naozane added, "Have you been to Rocktower yet? I know Pedro and Joey invited you there, but they would smack me if I didn't reiterate the invitation."" I almost saw them at the Winter Ball, but then stuff happened. I think Isoko and the others got to visit them when they were there." Nick and Naozane were a little serious at the mention of the Winter Ball. Naozane asked, "It was bad?"

Mark said, "Jessie was there able to Resurrect people, so it wasn't that bad. But yes, it was bad."" The elders always spoke of how Okuana was before the Reveal," Naozane said, "They spoke of treacherous evils, and how all of his people were Mind Controlled into subservience. How true is the Mind Control?"" Vaguely true, as far as I've seen," Mark said, switching through his Unions of full healing as he spoke.

He had already gone from Cardio Health and Decay to Bone Integrity and Decay, for Decay was a rather great secondary option for general unwelcome bad health, and now he was all the way up to the musculoskeletal systems, starting with Marrow Health and Decay, heading into Bone Integrity and Decay.

As he did that, Mark said, "Mind Control doesn't last forever, though, but what does last forever is upbringing, and so Dominant employs Mind Control strategically in his troops, making sure the whole organization moves in proper ways, while using propaganda broadcasts and reports to control most of the normal populace in his cities.

I actually pulled out a Mind Control from someone in the blockade, along with a bunch of other heavily restricted Powers, so the blockade was absolutely being goaded into doing what they did. They still did it, though." Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Nick and Naozane both paled a little. Nick changed the subject, asking, "Do you go to tournaments? Neither Naozane or I are in the army anymore, but we still sign up for the tournaments in our weight classes.""

They have Brawny Battle Tuesdays at Dawncoast," Mark said, smiling.

"Those are always fun. I used to go to them and get knocked out at the beginning, back before I evolved my Healthy Body. What weight class were you guys in?" Nick got all enthusiastic about the tournaments around here and they talked for a good half hour about the 'low tier battles' because they were 'always so much more interesting than the high tier battles'." I like the mid tiers the best," Mark said, "That way you get to see people do stuff instead of just watching two guys pummel each other.""

But the pummeling is all technique and learning! It's not just one guy getting in a lucky punch in a good way."" That always happens, though. At the mid tier they can take a few good punches." They would have gotten into it deeper but Isoko's father, Hokichi, stepped out onto the deck beside the hot springs, saying, "Dinner is about ready. I have gathered clothes for you, since I believe my nephews forgot."" Oh shit," Naozane said, standing up, flushed with embarrassment.

"We lost track of…" He paused and looked at his left side, which was completely healed.

"Oh. It doesn't catch anymore."" Look at how white you are!" Nick said, laughing." You're white, too," Naozane said, looking down at Nick. Nick paused, and then he stood up, looked down at himself, and laughed.

"Now I know why you're also so white, Mark, even though you're fighting nude out there all the time!" Mark smiled a little, standing up as he said, "Sometimes I miss my tan." And then they rinsed off, the cousins marveling at their healed bodies, talking about how it should have taken a soulhealer to fix them, but Mark had healed them anyway. Mark put on a nice robe, saying how with enough nuanced healing, most bodies healed just fine. The soul would catch up later, and it probably already had.

Dinner was more like a very early breakfast, taken at 4 AM and in a cozy room with a long table and pillows on the floor, beside the table. Everyone who could be awake was awake, meaning about 15 people. Isoko was at the middle of the table, happily sitting next to her mother before the meal got served, and telling Mark to sit next to her.

Chimiko's pleasant face was like a balm on Isoko's heart, and especially when she got up and started placing plates of sushi on the table and telling everyone not to be so formal about it. It was a large family gathering of 15 people, and she said she was still rusty at all of this. But from what Mark was looking at, from all the little bits of fresh, red fish, and white rice, and green seaweed, all cut and arranged in neat little rows, Mark would have said that they had ordered catering.

But no; this was a home made meal." I hope my meager skills are adequate to the moment," Chimiko said, as she sat down across from Mark and Isoko. Her husband, Hokichi, sat next to her and softly replied, "I know they are." There was a real love there. Isoko reached over and grabbed Mark's hand, holding him tight for just a moment. Mark got to sit near the middle of the long table with Isoko, with everyone talking about a whole lot of stuff, all around them. Nick spoke of a tournament happening in a week.

Isoko's aunt Ome spoke of a new Hero/Villain Program venture with Isoko and the Wandering Clan, now that she wasn't blacklisted from the HVP, and then Aeri announced that they were thinking of unbanning her, too." For true, Mother?" Chimiko said. Ome asked, "They're really going to allow it?" Aeri smiled a little, looking at Isoko, saying, "Apparently, our little Isoko here got to talk with Councilor Umeda directly today, so it might be happening. The whole Clan including our Daihoon cousins might get a show soon."

With the attitude of a diva, showing Mark where Isoko got it from, Aeri added, "But I will have it center around me, of course." Gasps and exclamations of surprise and congratulations echoed in the dining room. And then Aeri told them all, "Ach! Enough about this old woman. Let's talk about Isoko's look right after the blockade. Tit cups and a strapless thong is quite provocative, young lady." Isoko's face turned a little red, but she rapidly decided, "It was a good look!"

Hokichi did not approve, saying, "It was too much, Isoko." Isoko tossed her hair and exaggeratedly said, "I've already got a figurine deal lined up. I bet they're going to sell out within a day." Chimiko laughed, and everyone was surprised at that, at the true joy in her mirth. Hokichi said, "We're not putting that one in the display room." This only caused Chimiko to laugh more. It was a fantastic meal, and even better company.

Sake was the drink of choice, and it got passed around a lot, while the whole family ate through all of the sushi. Chimiko readily spoke of having more she could make, so she made some more to order, asking first what Mark liked. Mark said, "I liked the spicy tuna."" Always a good choice! That's one of the most popular ones overseas, but not so much here." Nick teased, "At least you didn't say ' California roll'." Chimiko happily countered, "I can make those, too!" It was a really good meal. It was a good night.

With the sun having risen on the eastern horizon and all the world bright with a new day, Mark lay down with Isoko in her bed, but not too close. Just beside her. Birds tweeted outside, and her cats mosied on in to lay between them. Mark and Isoko faced each other, at first, with Isoko smiling a lot, and Mark also feeling something like true joy. The cats started purring as they curled up with Isoko. She petted one of them; Mark didn't recall the name. Isoko said, "Healthy Body worked for Mom.

It might work for Lola, too." Mark felt tears in his eyes that Isoko was thinking about him, even though he was thinking about her. Mark softly said, "I didn't think it would but… I'm glad it did."" She actively didn't accept it though, right?"" I think the trauma was too close but… That's the best time to heal it. I'm not sure why she didn't want me to help her… I don't know— Oh. Uh. Can you tell your cousins that I'll Skill them if they want it?

I think they were either afraid to ask or they were forbidden from asking. We didn't talk about Powers at all, but we got close… What are their Powers?" Isoko smirked.

"Grandma told them not to ask you for Powers but I'm surprised they actually followed that ruling. Nick especially. But I'll tell them."" Okay, good," Mark said. Isoko grinned a little, happy. Something weighed on her mind; probably a hundred different things. Mostly, though, she was happy. … But something weighed on Mark's mind, and so he had to ask, "Do you think it's the right decision to try to go slow with the war?"

"… Oh, uh…" Isoko blanked, and then she decided to say, "I don't know. The General and others would know better, and it's going to be an evolving situation, right? All I know is that I don't want to be in a war like that ever again… But I think I will be, and so I have to be ready for it." She had expected a different topic. Mark had no idea what that other topic was, but… Mark said, "Same." Silence. Staring. And then Isoko said, "I love you, Mark. Good night!"

And then she rapidly turned away and pretended to sleep, disturbing the cats just a little. They mewed. Isoko added, "Now knock us out! I need my beauty sleep for the camera." Mark felt all sorts of amazing. He softly replied, "I love you too, Isoko." And then he Unioned with Sleepiness and Wakefulness, and both of them drifted off to slumber.