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Arian wasn’t sure why he had decided to head to the park, but he’d wanted to go somewhere to go and think–

And in that he guessed the park as good a place as any.

He’d bought some pencils and one of the sketch books that he used when trying to come up with jewellery ideas for the Etsy shop along with him, as he found his feet taking him towards the grassy knoll that he’d found himself frequenting during that time when he’d briefly found himself a cat over a decade ago.

Had it really been so long?

He frowned slightly as he made the climb, sketchbook and pencils next to him as he looked over the park.

Because yes it really had been that long.

Arian fished out a cookie, from the bag of them that he had brought along, part of a batch that he had baked earlier that morning and absently started nibbling on it.

Because he was still able to somehow see youma whilst unpowered and wasn’t sure what to make of it–

Or how it had even come about.

Arian finished the cookie and absently half reached out for another, before realising that he’d left the bag of cookies in his rucksack.

A part of him acknowledged that he probably wasn’t going to somehow clear up the mystery behind his sudden ability to sense youma today, and it was the same part that was able to acknowledge that it was likely some sort of magic–

Because things like this was generally down to some sort of magic.

It didn’t make it any less puzzling though, especially as Arian had no idea why this - whatever this was - had decided to suddenly manifest now.

He’d set his rucksack down somewhat a little behind his sketchbook, which meant that he’d had to half-twist round so as to reach inside–

Only for him to find himself pausing, arm still outstretched as a green shimmer caught his eye.

It had been faint - faint enough that at first Arian had thought that he’d imagined it–

But then another flicker of said green shimmer caught his eyes again, almost as if it - whatever it was - was heading upwards.

As it happened, it was the slight shimmer of green that had had Arian frozen, similar to the slight shimmer that he had somehow started to see around youma–

Only the shimmer around youma had been a faint purple, rather than green, and the figure that popped into view was very much not a youma.

He’d been still frozen and trying to process as the scottish fold cat clambered into view and called out in a soft set of mrrows, but it had been more along the fact that it had somewhat started to slowly dawn that perhaps this whole thing wasn’t just a youma thing–

Because as it happened he had met this particular scottish fold cat with the golden forehead star before - or to give the term the proper name - the scottish fold mauvian. Or rather Athene had.

Arian had managed to recover somewhat, as the mauvian padded over to settle down by his side, to the point where he at least had stopped trying to resemble some sort of statue.

"I…" he started somewhat awkwardly and then gave a wry sigh "I um sorry about that" he said quietly as he turned to better look at the mauvian "We’ve actually met."

He hesitated for a moment before adding "Although I wasn’t like this at the time."

Arian paused as he thought back to when he (or rather Athene), Ida and Selinur had helped Alastor with his homeworld, because he was pretty sure that this was the same mauvian that was Ida’s friend before asking softly "You’re Illyria right?"

Arian's lips quirked up in a small but genuine smile "Of course" he said quietly "You're welcome to help yourself to more than just one if you want - as many as you like."

There was more than enough in the bag for the two of them to share–

And even if there hadn't been there was more still back at the apartment.

For a moment Arian considered that he may have overdone it a little on the baking front, but the thought was a fleeting one–

After all it was hardly the first time and was far from being the last time.

"And I do know what you're are" he continued quietly as as he fished the cookie bag from out of his rucksack and held it out in offering to the mauvian, "Although if it helps we've only met just the once."

He waited for Illyria to help herself to what she wanted from the contents of the bag before taking another cookie for himself "We met back on Alastor" he added quietly and hesitated before adding even more quietly "You're one of Ida's friends."