It was, of course, Jigano who looked up at the sound of the door creaking inward. Jigano, his hair like a river of moonlight even in this underground place, whose voice rang of joyous familiarity. Jigano, in so many ways the same: nimble and full of thought, quick to spring for the teapot, eager to welcome an old friend.
A slow smile unfurls across Seiji's features, crinkling the corners of his dark eyes. He recognizes now the trepidation he felt before, but he sees it only as it falls away. All worry banished in a flurry of moments, the familiar offer of a warm drink, a chat between friends. So they are still friends (of course they are). And the guild hall looks the same, smells the same, feels the same, its cool darkness now a balm against the stifling heat. "Please." Seiji responds with a nod to the offer of tea, and of conversation both. He moves in just enough to shut the door behind him, his eyes flicking from Jigano to study the room.
It is as Seiji remembers. The walls of books, the desks stalwart under their coverings of paper and sprawled volumes. Seiji's eyes catch on the griffin and linger there, something sparking in their depths, though he makes no comment. He recognizes her, though perhaps he only recognizes her kind. He has other, more important thoughts vying to a place on the tip of his tongue, and so this one will have to wait.
"No," Seiji says, smiling and shaking his head. "You need no forgiveness from me." He is, truthfully, delighted by the warm welcome. Seiji makes no effort to hide it as he strides across the space, his presence soft as always. "It is good to see you again." So much has happened since their last meeting. To find the guild hall like this, steadfast, is a greater balm than Seiji could even have imagined.
He pauses now, his expression faltering just a hair. The shadow of a frown draws taut between his brows. "So much is happening," he says. "The Spire and... everything. I'm glad you are well." Briefly the smile returns, emphatic. "I thought the Loreseekers might know... better than me... how things are changing these days."
A slow smile unfurls across Seiji's features, crinkling the corners of his dark eyes. He recognizes now the trepidation he felt before, but he sees it only as it falls away. All worry banished in a flurry of moments, the familiar offer of a warm drink, a chat between friends. So they are still friends (of course they are). And the guild hall looks the same, smells the same, feels the same, its cool darkness now a balm against the stifling heat. "Please." Seiji responds with a nod to the offer of tea, and of conversation both. He moves in just enough to shut the door behind him, his eyes flicking from Jigano to study the room.
It is as Seiji remembers. The walls of books, the desks stalwart under their coverings of paper and sprawled volumes. Seiji's eyes catch on the griffin and linger there, something sparking in their depths, though he makes no comment. He recognizes her, though perhaps he only recognizes her kind. He has other, more important thoughts vying to a place on the tip of his tongue, and so this one will have to wait.
"No," Seiji says, smiling and shaking his head. "You need no forgiveness from me." He is, truthfully, delighted by the warm welcome. Seiji makes no effort to hide it as he strides across the space, his presence soft as always. "It is good to see you again." So much has happened since their last meeting. To find the guild hall like this, steadfast, is a greater balm than Seiji could even have imagined.
He pauses now, his expression faltering just a hair. The shadow of a frown draws taut between his brows. "So much is happening," he says. "The Spire and... everything. I'm glad you are well." Briefly the smile returns, emphatic. "I thought the Loreseekers might know... better than me... how things are changing these days."
