Irisa knocked on the Tarr door. Alak answered and blinked as a fur was shoved at him. "Uh... thanks?"
"It's for Bear. It might help keep him warm."
Before she could even turn Alak chuckled, "Irisa, come in."
Irisa sighed and did so and Alak led her to the dining room, wrinkling her nose as what she figured he was getting at.
"Andina made a great dinner but she seems to have forgotten my parents are no longer here." He pulled out a chair, "Please! I haven't had company for dinner in a long time and Andina looks uncomfortable sitting with me. I think Stahma and Datak grilled her station into her." His own nose wrinkled at the idea.
Irisa sat and Andina served her a plate and cup. Irisa sniffed the cup and sipped, but didn't eat.
Alak chuckled, "Come on! Eat!"
Irisa glared at him and he blinked his smile away. He was too giddy to have company, he'd forgotten who his company was. He nodded and put his hands up, "Or don't. Up to you." At that moment, he heard Luke fussing and Andina cooing to try to settle him.
Irisa looked at Alak and shook her head as she walked into the nursery and without warning took Luke from Andina and rocked him and brought him toward Alak, putting him in his arms. "He's your son."
Alak looked at Irisa, "Are you telling me how to raise my son?"
"I'm telling you that you SHOULD raise your son." She sat back down and began eating.
Alak looked at Irisa and gave Luke back to Andina who looked confused and scared. "I raise my son how my people raise their children."
"Just why I wasn't wanting to give him back to them. At least your his father and it makes sense, but if you don't care for him, what's the point."
He huffed and leaned back, "Irisa. Having a nanny doesn't take me away from my son. Trust me. I spend plenty of time with him."
"Teaching him Castithan ways."
"He IS Castithan!"
"And human."
"And I'll teach him those ways as well. But Irisa, no part of him is Irathiant. So why do you give a damn?"
"I saved him."
Both of their faces softened and he shook his head, "Look, you can come visit anytime. Just don't critique my parenting, alright? I escaped that when my parents ran away."
Irisa sighed, "Seems we're better off without them."
Sensing she was done being crazy bitch number four he'd spent time with this past year, he sat down, "It wouldn't hurt him to learn all the ways, actually. That was one thing Christi and I agreed on. We didn't want to conform to any one way. We wanted to choose our own path. Our own ways of doing things. Her and my culture intermingled but not strangling either."
Irisa nodded, "I'm sorry that she's gone."
He smiled proudly, "She did it to save Luke."
"Tommy died because he was an idiot."
Alak, unknowing that was Irisa's inside code, replied, "You mean he died because he loved you."
Irisa simply nodded, "For some reason I thought saving Bear would help redeem me. That's why I had a hard time giving him over. If he died or became evil because I let him go that night, then more blood is on my hands."
"I'll teach him to fight for Defiance and for his family and for right. He won't hurt people to get their money or bully people or sacrifice others to save his own skin. He'll learn of his mother's sacrifice and be influenced by it." After a moment, he looked down and added, almost bashfully, "And he'll be influenced by you."
He looked up at Irisa's confusion, "Seriously, Irisa, I want you in his life. I don't know what all you went through, but you seem to hold life in much more respect than before. It's something I need Luke to know and learn."
"Ok..." Irisa was up and out the door before Alak could form a word. He just shook his head and took another bite.