Katherine and Nightlight had been back for a month, mostly resting and getting used to the world as it was now. So much had changed in five hundred years, it was going to take more than a month to take it all in.
For Katherine, that meant a lot of time spent in North's library, since the one at Stanoff Claussen, while vast, was a bit old and focused primarily on magics.
The magic on the library at the Pole, the spells that protected the books and kept them up to date, helped North to have the most up to date information in his library and near at hand, also needed a bit of brushing up, but once brought to North's attention, he and Katherine had it up and running in little time at all. Still, using North's library meant being at the Pole and around North, so...
There were people at Santoff Claussen, yes, but they weren't her Spice. They weren't the people she'd missed the most during the long voyage, despite needing the time, the space, to heal. They weren't the people she wanted to surround herself with, to cuddle and wrap herself in the much missed feel of fur and sand and feathers and warm skin.
And in a way, she was a bit grateful they were all taking things slow, not only with Jack, but with each other. Much as she missed some of the physical aspects of their relationship, it was very nice to be courted again, to have the snuck kisses and sweet gestures she'd missed while she and Nightlight were gone.
Katherine was also trying to find a time to go and see Ombric, her informally adoptive father. But for someone who had taken the role of Father Time, he had a very lose grasp on it these days, and it was difficult to find a time when he was here in the present.
But right now...even more than her father figure, she wanted her Spice. She glanced up from behind her book at North, who was sitting in his own chair nearer the fireplace, his own book laid out on the small table in front of him.
If the yeti she'd overheard weren't exaggerating, it was about time he spent some time relaxing like this, doing something other than creating Christmas wonder. All well and good to love your job, but one needed something outside of that.
Speaking of outside...
"Hey, Nicky," Katherine said, one of the few who would – or could – call him that, closing her book. North glanced up from his book, looking for a moment closer then usual to the illustrations of him than he normally did. "We've been back a month, but we still really left the Pole or Santoff Claussen. How long do you think it would take to get everyone together and take a bit of a tour? The stories have changed, I want to see how the world's changed with them."
North perked, slipping off the half moon glasses he had been using to read which had contributed so strongly to the earlier image. "With everyone?" he said, eagerly. The monthly meeting was still a week away, and with all of them worried about sliding back into old behaviors... "Had been trying to let you become re-accustomed to being around so many again."
Katherine smiled, soft and already fond. "Because Jack got you to think of things like that?"
North's return smile was just as fond. "Yes, took much time for Jack to get used to having others to see and speak to. Still has to take breaks from Pole. Have spent much time with him yet?"
"I...I'm not sure if Jack likes me," Katherine said, toying with the edge of her book. "He hasn't really spoken to me yet."
"Seems like that at first," North agreed. "But...you did not hear from me, yes? But think Jack is bit intimidated. Much history, between all of us, and was very afraid for awhile of no longer being wanted once he had helped us. Has apparently happened before."
