Dear Ginyami (01/12/2022) PV

At the double raps upon his window, Ginyami looked up from the plants he was watering and went to open it. The white bird he found perched outside was unfamiliar to him, as was the sigil that marked the white wax on the scroll it carried. Nevertheless, he allowed the bird inside if it chose to come in and offered it a bit of dried meat he kept by his window especially for visiting owls.

The sigil stamped on the beeswax seal appeared to be that of a three-headed creature with a quidditch ball in each mouth - a snitch a bludger, and a quaffle. Breaking the seal to open the scroll of sky blue parchment, Ginyami quickly unfurled it and started to read. By the time he finished, he found himself beaming warmly and noticed that the owl had also been carrying a middle eastern style cloth bag. In that was a Bulgarian Quidditch Team scarf.

He put it to his face, breathing in the scent of it before wrapping it about his neck. Then, wondering if the white owl would stay long enough to carry an answering message back to its owner, Ginyami sat himself down at his desk and began to write a reply.

December 2, 2022

Dear Valentin,

Thank you so much for your letter as well as your thoughtful Christmas gift. As it so happens, we do celebrate this holiday, but for us in Japan, it is more of a holiday for couples and lovers than anything else - similar to another Valentine's Day. I would have sent you a Christmas gift in return, but I would hate to burden your owl with what I would like to send and I think it might be better given to you in person. With luck, that will be soon - especially as I would be honored to accompany you to the Yule Ball on the 24th. Thank you, also, for inviting me. To be able to see you on that day would have been gift enough.

Yes, it is very cold here around this time of year, so your extremely thoughtful gift arrived just in time. I will happily think of you whenever I wear it. Are you a fan of the Bulgarian Quidditch Team?

I would like you to know that I care about and miss you very much as well. There is no one I would rather spend Christmas with. I look forward to seeing you on the 24th. But I noticed you said that it is not just that this time of year is hard on you. May I ask why? If it is too personal a subject or you would rather not tell me for other reasons, feel free to ignore my brazen question.

Talk to you soon,

Ginyami

P.S. May I also ask the owl's name? It seems very well-trained. I'm surprised at the speed with which your letter reached me. Hopefully this one reaches you just as quick.

Amet was more than happy to come in and partake of Ginyami’s treat. Valentin had trained all of his birds to be courteous and await further correspondence while resting in preparation for a return journey. Just so, Amet repeated this ritual with just as much grace as during his first visit. Bearing only a letter this time, the white Ural owl arrived faster – in fact, startlingly fast considering the distance it had just travelled. What, were Valentin’s race owls capable of travelling the floo network or something? Certainly there was an unusual spark of intelligence in Amet’s eyes, as if he knew more than his quiet visitations suggested.

December 2nd, 2022

Ginyami,

Thank you for your kind treatment of this Ural owl, Amet, whose name means “most praiseworthy” in Tatar. I am glad his speed and training pleases you, as he is my favorite among our current extended family of 87 owls. You see, at my house in Kazan we have a building specifically for their care. It’s a silly hobby, really, but I’m trying to raise a new generation of race owls to beat out all others. This also provides one of the various streams of income that support operations out of Kazan, as we sell and trade the ones we don’t wish to breed. Apparently even our weakest owls are quite in demand. Unless they’re sick, the owls hunt for themselves in the gardens and wilderness– except for old fat Çäkçäk, but she has since retired and deserves the luxury after years of devoted service to my parents; she’s even older than I am. Anyway, Amet may not be my fastest, but I just adore his devoted personality.

I look forward to seeing you on the 24th; please find the respective UK address enclosed.

As for the scarf, the Bulgarian national team often ends up with Durmstrang graduates in its ranks and Bulgaria is a stronghold for Turkic culture. My family's Tatar heritage was very important to my mother, Zinoviya, who was a descendant of several Turkic bloodlines. If you visit my place one day, I can introduce you to the owls and you can get to know a bit about the local culture. Our Kazan is a homeland for Volga Tatar people, who are said to originate from the Bulgars – the nomadic people which founded the first Bulgarian Empire. So you see, I cheer for the Bulgarian team both to support Durmstrang alumni as well as to celebrate the cultural heritage my mother really wanted me to appreciate.

Christmas was more important to my German father, who was taken from me on the 25th of December, 2020, shortly after the death of my mother. Please don’t hold back any questions, however brazen you think they may be. I am a straightforward person and prefer to cut to the chase. Besides, I welcome your questions because I want us to know each other very well. Please take to heart my sincere wish that you never go easy on me. Anyway, this time of year reminds me of what happened to my family. Also, during winter vacation when I return to Kazan and my Durmstrang friends scatter to the four winds, Russia is cold without the company of blood relatives. I have only the staff and estate animals to talk to then, and as much as I try to bear my heart to Amet, the conversation never gets far. You know what’s funny – it seems like every Christmas something bad happens to me, too. It’s like I’m cursed. That’s just nonsense, of course. It’s never so bad that I haven’t survived, at least not yet!

Thank you for your letter; writing with you brings me great cheer. I wish I knew more about your family and heritage. Would you tell me?

Warm wishes,

Valentin

Impressed and charmed by Amet's pleasant manners, high speed, and well-trained discipline, Ginyami began to want to spoil the bird. The next time the white Ural owl came by, there were two whole dead mice waiting for him, though maybe that wasn't spoiling him so much as giving him his due. He had to get his energy from somewhere, after all, and Ginyami could only imagine the immense distance he had to travel in such a short time in who knew what kind of weather.

This time, the Japanese boy waited a little longer to write his letter, both to give time for Amet to recover and to think more deeply on his response. When he was finished, he sealed the letter with hot wax stamped with his own personal emblem: a fox and a ginkgo leaf.

December 3rd, 2022

Valentin,

I was so thoughtless before; I probably did not feed Amet enough the last time he came by. I hope I remedied the problem this time. I know owls can hunt for their food, but yours is so fast, I wonder if he even bothers to eat while delivering letters - especially if he takes after his owner. I hope I am not straining him having him send you a letter back almost as soon as he gets here. If I am, let me know and I will use one of my family's owls, though I fear they are nowhere near as quick with their deliveries.

His name sounds like it suits him well. I think I can already tell why he is your favorite among 87 owls. And I do not think the hobby of raising race owls is silly; in fact, I find it to be very clever. Not only are you finding a way to exchange correspondence faster, but you have a whole new source of income. Not to mention you seem to enjoy it. Thank you for telling me about Amet, Çäkçäk, and the others. It is a delight to learn of them and to learn that much more about you.

It would be an honor to visit you at your home one day. I also hope that you will be able to visit me at mine. It is fascinating to find out more about your background and cultural heritage. I admit I myself am a fan of the Toyohashi Tengu for reasons similar to why you support the Bulgarian quidditch team.

Thank you for allowing my questions. I have so many.
Likewise, if you have any questions for me, please feel free to ask at any time and I will do my best to answer. I also look forward to us getting to know each other very well. Speaking of questions, there was a name or a word you used to call me more than once during our time at Hogwarts. Ka-der-lem? May I ask what that means?

I am sorry your winter vacation seems so bleak. It sounds as though this Yule Ball occurs at just the right time for you, then, since you will surly have more people to talk to there. In the meantime, I hope these letters will help relieve you of some of your loneliness. I know they relieve me of mine.

How terrible to hear that your Christmases are ruined every year! Do you think that perhaps this year might be better? I am certainly glad that you have survived so far, but your joking 'at least not yet' makes me nervous. Please take care, especially during this time of year when it is cold and everyone is busy so things are more likely to go wrong.

Just as you are grateful for my letter, I was and am very much grateful for yours. I would tell you about my family and heritage, but I am not sure what you would care to know. I live in Tokyo, Japan with my parents and grandparents but am an only child. We are a pureblood family that owns a chain of shops which sell magical plants, herbs, and ingredients and we do rather well. It may not be as exciting as raising racing owls, but it has its advantages.

My parents were very pleased to hear that I made a friend who had the connections to be invited to the Sato Yule Ball, which it seems they have heard of. I am curious, though - if the Satos are hosting the ball and you said your friend, Kim Aoki is hosting it, how can that be? Is he related to the Sato family?

Hoping you're eating well,

Ginyami

A loud FLOMP announced an owl’s collision into Ginyami’s window. A series of hisses greeted him as he opened the glass pane, but they fizzled out as quickly as the boy would let the old snowy owl in. Wobbling its way in, the fat bird’s personality transformed once inside and out of the howling wind. Leaping into a blob of feathers right onto Ginyami’s chest, its finely-manicured talons would neither scratch nor tear clothing despite the hefty bird trying to work its way up to the boy’s shoulder or otherwise tuck into some warm corner of his body. A letter would be found tied to one scaly, ancient-looking leg, a departure from Val’s owls’ usual behavior of carrying correspondence in their talons.

December 4nd, 2022

Ginyami,

Meet Çäkçäk, who is coming up on her 30th birthday this year. Amet has been pestering me lately and I wonder if it’s not because he wants me to hurry up and write to you again. However you’ve been handling him, he seems to want more of you. Overworking little Amet is a feat I have yet to accomplish, as it seems his endurance is as limitless as his eagerness to serve. I was about to indulge him in sending him back to you when Çäkçäk flew onto my head and worked her way deep into my hair. She just wouldn’t be moved until I sent Amet out for a hunt – it seems for Çäkçäk, retirement only means more opportunities to get doted on despite constantly getting in trouble. Other than Çäkçäk, I try to maintain the flock like the athletes they are, like my second team. Yet, Sergei tells me I’m spoiling them all and would make a terrible father – just wait, though, I bet in less than 24 hours he’ll be on me again about finding someone to have children with.

Anyway, I wanted to mention how lovely your personal sigel is. Is that a family emblem, or one of your own choosing? Please don’t be shy about firing off as many questions as you could possibly want. It’s my great pleasure that we are learning more about each other, and my curiosity about you is bottomless, as is my wish to reciprocate. Any time you might wish to visit Kazan please just let me know, and as you know, I look forward to meeting your family one day at your convenience. As for the Toyohashi Tengu, I’ll be sure to cheer for them in their games too, like extended family.

To answer your question, kaderlem is a Tatar term of endearment meaning “dear one.” It can be used on family, close friends, or lovers. I learned Tatar from my mother as a child as part of the important traditions she wanted me to carry into the future. After studying a few languages I’ve decided that Tatar must have the most intense terms of affection I’ve seen. I’m sure with time you’ll be hearing more of them, so thank you for slowing me down when an explanation is needed.

Don’t worry, I’m sure what I said about the “Christmas curse” was just a string of coincidences. After all, there’s no way it can’t be a cheery holiday when I’ll be able to see you on the 24th. I’ll try to be extra careful, though, as you asked.

Thank you for telling me more about your family. I will admit to having done a bit of research on you for fun – nothing too invasive, surely – and it made me wonder if you were planning on continuing your family’s botanical operations. It’s good to hear I’m making a good impression on your parents so far. The situation with Kim’s family is a bit complicated, but long story short, he has used both the surnames Aoki and Sato in the past. I think he may be a bit like me and doesn’t wish to flaunt his family’s wealth and status if not entirely necessary.


Affectionately,

Valentin

P.S. Please don’t let Çäkçäk eat you out of house and home. I’ll be sure to spoil her plenty when she gets back.

Ginyami hurried to the window at the sound of the collision, alarmed and concerned for the poor bird who had made it. He was surprised to see an unfamiliar owl but opened the window nevertheless, blinking at the hisses until they died down. Once the creature was indoors and the window shut against the cold, he was startled to find it leaping onto his chest and quickly spread his arms to catch it.

The Japanese boy was grateful that the bird of prey's talons were manicured and allowed it to clamber up onto his shoulder. It was then he managed to reach up and untie the letter that was fastened to its leg, curiosity driving him into swift action. As he read, he moved to give the mice he had saved for Amet to the newcomer instead.

December 5th, 2022

Valentin,

Thank you for telling me about Amet and explaining about Çäkçäk. I feared something must have happened to Amet for you to send a different owl in his place, but I am happy to know that was not the case. Çäkçäk has quite an interesting personality. What does the name 'Çäkçäk' mean and how do you pronounce it aloud? Also, it sounds as though Sergei likes to pester about the same thing my mother does. If I may be so bold, is it your wish to have children, or only Sergei's wish for you?

I appreciate your compliment of my personal sigil. It happens to be one of my own choosing, but is also rather plain. May I ask if the one you seal your letters with is yours or your family's? It is quite elaborate and I was curious as to the story behind it if there is one. Also, I hope you don't regret allowing me to 'fire off' as many questions as I could want because I fear I have so many that they may rival those of your greatest fan and you may grow tired of answering them. But yes, I too am glad that we have this chance to learn more about each other as our time together was too short. Thank you for your invitation to visit Kazan and I hope you will also let me know whenever you wish to come visit my family in Japan so that we may adequately prepare for your arrival and, if you so choose, your stay. Also, thank you for your support of my favorite quidditch team. I will be sure to support yours and think of you when I see them as well.

Speaking of quidditch teams, you mentioned once that your friends Yefim and Mikael had left yours. Did they ever return to it? When they left, were you team captain? Was it one of them who saved your life and told you to take something for yourself, or was that someone else? And, if I may, what was the one thing that you wanted most that that person shot you down for?

Thank you for the explanation regarding your Tatar term of endearment. I am flattered that you would consider me worthy of its use. You must be quite good with languages to use so many. How many do you know? I'm afraid I only know English and Japanese.

It is funny you should mention having done research on me because I have done a fair bit of research on you as well. It was quite fun to read about your varied reputations. In response to your question about continuing my family's operations, yes, I planned to take over for them eventually. Do you have any future aspirations? Becoming a professional quidditch player, perhaps, or a professional musician like your parents? On the subject of your family, they were obviously very wealthy and successful people, but out of curiosity, would you happen to be a pureblood?

If any of my questions offend or are difficult to answer, please feel free to ignore them. I understand I can be a little too nosy for my own good.

Best regards,

Ginyami

A quiet chink was Ginyami’s only warning before his window latch fell open, allowing a small pitch-black owl to show itself inside. A small twig fell from behind, evidence of the owl’s tool use that would be all too easy to overlook if ever found again.

Hopping twice before flying over to the piece of furniture nearest to Ginyami, the Ural owl opened both wings and bowed with considerable swagger. Releasing a scroll from her dainty claw directly into Ginyami’s hand when ready, the bird was too specifically trained to put it anywhere else.

December 6, 2022

Ginyami,

This owl is my dear Karakuş. You may have already noticed her incredible talent for opening windows. I hope you will take this behavior not as rudeness on her behalf, but on mine for training her. You see, I wanted you to consider the utility of such an owl firsthand. I believe that sometimes a message must be delivered with such urgency that etiquette must be discarded for a greater good.

Now that you have met three of my top owls, I was hoping you could answer a question for me as well. Please open your imagination wide and consider even the impossible or ridiculous and answer: what kind of owl would you consider the best match for you, personally? Then, while we’re here… what kind of person might make the most perfect match for you?

Now, back to your questions.

You may have noticed that Çäkçäk is twice as old as I am. My mother named her, and I’m told she transported a lot of love letters between my parents back when they were just getting acquainted. Coincidentally, “çäkçäk” is also the name of my favorite food (pronounced “chak chak”). As you’ve seen yourself, rumors about the White Immortal never needing to eat are overblown. Anyways, çäkçäk are balls of fried dough that get stacked up and drenched in honey. Some people fry them in cognac or other alcohols, which makes them extra crispy. Tatars eat them at celebrations or when a traveler arrives, and in Tatarstan they are what’s used instead of wedding cake (but those ones are a bit bigger than usual). They go really well with tea, which we make in a special brass kettle called a samovar. Point is, when Çäkçäk was born she looked like a fluffy round ball with honey-yellow eyes, which is how she got her name. Thank you again for treating Çäkçäk kindly, as she can be a bit effusive and physical, but really she’s just as sweet as her namesake.

As for Sergei’s insistence that I have children… he likes to tell me that it’s not simply his wish, but the great will of my parents, especially my mother’s. He thinks it is a sacred duty they assigned to him to get me to have proper kids, and without them around, he never lets me forget it. As much as I hate how controlling he can be, I also really value the gifts my mother wanted me to pass down. I trust Karakuş, but I can only explain a few such details by owl. Please ask me again in private, in person, at your earliest convenience, but I will say what I can here.

My mother was of a unique magical lineage that kept a highly… structured… bloodline. In the past, her ancestors were only allowed to have a single daughter each, and this heir would enter service as a sort of priestess. As you might guess, these heirs were guarded with substantial force to ensure the bloodline would remain strong and never end. Why was only one heir allowed at a time? It’s said that our ancestral magic was simply too dangerous to be allowed to propagate. I believe this also relates to why they committed infanticide on any would-be male heirs, in favor of maintaining a matriarchal lineage.

As you have probably noticed, I am male and yet very much alive. I credit this to my parents thinking of themselves as “modern” and believing in my ability to responsibly continue propagating their bloodlines regardless of my anatomy. So you see, there is great pressure on me to have children, lest my sacred inheritance be lost forever and its rare magic go extinct. On the one hand, I don’t want to fail my ancestors and become responsible for destroying arcana that were guarded for centuries. On the other hand… well… I’m not attracted to women and it kills me inside to think of being intimate with anyone other than my chosen partner. Long story short, I’m deeply conflicted and in pain about the issue. What do you think I should do?

Now, about your sigel – I happen to find charm in its simplicity. There’s a quote that says, “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away,” and I do appreciate that kind of beauty: elegance. I believe that the most important truths come out when we are challenged to reduce things to their purest essence. Now, compared to your emblem, mine is needlessly complicated. In fact, I have an entire system of wax seals used for different recipients. This is done for the sake of my mail handlers, who know which speed of owl to dispatch depending on the sigel used. For fan mail, I use an emblem of a snitch whose wings frame an infinity symbol, and those seals always pair with gold wax. When I use the Yilbegän seal, it means that I sent it by owl myself to a close associate without it ever passing through the mail room. A lot of correspondence gets shuffled around, so this helps me keep my papers organized as well.

I selected each of my mail emblems personally, including the one you see here, depicting a Siberian hydra (Yilbegän) with the three traditional quidditch balls. Earlier this year, before my team became whole again, Durmstrang paired with Koldovstoretz as we battled Hogwarts at the summer championship. Because we were a two-headed team combining our schools, we took the team name of Yilbegän, both emphasizing the broad regional connection we have with our Russian-speaking brethren at Koldovstoretz as well as the draconic theme favored by my teams at Durmstrang. Similarly, our team went by the name “Hydra” for essentially the same reason the year before. The yilbegän is actually of Turkic origin, like me, and I have many thoughts about it.

To sum up, the yilbegän is a dragon with many heads (often 3, 7, or 9 of them) and has legendary intellect and wisdom. They say that the yilbegän sometimes chews stars in its mouth, breaking them into pieces and spitting them out – it’s said that when the yilbegän comes, the stars run away from it in the sky. There’s actually several interesting stories about shooting stars and comets among my people I’d love to tell you about sometime. Anyway, the yilbegän is said to be so powerful that it is responsible for eclipses; during lunar eclipses, it is said that the yilbegän is eating the moon. There’s more of course, but to sum up, there are many virtues of the yilbegän that I hope to remember and for my quidditch team to take inspiration from – thus, with the inclusion of the three balls, each head of the yilbegän showcases three aspects of quidditch.

As for Yefim and Mikael, alas, they never did return to quidditch… but I have continued to hold them dear nonetheless. Before they left, a boy named Hanzo was captain, and he had a special relationship with his co-captain, Romeo. All of them left when the team collapsed, but it was then in 2020, right before the loss of my parents, when I became team captain. I have been rebuilding the team back stronger ever since, but even when we were but shattered remnants of the past, Durmstrang’s team was always my greatest pride and joy.

While rebuilding the team I asked Romeo to come back, but no longer as a keeper – he is now #4, a beater, as well as reclaiming his position as co-captain. It was in fact Romeo who saved my life, with the assistance of my friend Charles, #3 – a chaser who joined Hexiwizard but left both teams. Now, to actually answer your question... The one thing I wanted, and continue to want, more than any other… is true love. I was a fool of course, as I still am. When I finally tried to get what I wanted for myself, I declared my love to Romeo, but he was not interested. We continue to serve our teams professionally and I consider him a close friend, but it seems I have never meant anything special to him. I gave up on any other kind of future with him, especially after you and I met again at the Bash.

For your next question, my parents raised me to natively speak Tatar, Russian, and German. I also learned English for practical reasons and have developed conversational Italian. Have you guessed already? – I am beginning to learn introductory Japanese in the hopes of speaking with you in your native tongue one day. Would you be so kind as to practice with me sometimes? If so, that would make my current total reach 6 languages – I think Charles knows just as many, if not more.

I’m charmed that you’ve found me interesting enough to do your own research. I hope the information you’ve been finding is accurate, as there is a fair bit of misinformation and strange rumors going around as well… Are there any things you learned about you would like more information on?

Regarding my future aspirations, I do have them… but they are not to become a professional quidditch player nor musician. I can’t be dishonest with you, Ginyami. I don’t like to talk about it, but at some point the truth must come out. Due to my parents’ royalties and the genius with which my father set up income streams for the family, I could never work a day in my life and remain independently wealthy in perpetuity. Yet, it feels wrong to hoard all of this to myself. It is my dream to use much of what I have to set up an orphanage, if not a string of them. I figure I can use my working hours to make those a success. In addition, I want to complete my father’s research into my mother’s ancestral magic and restore its long-lost method – that ancient magic I was telling you about earlier will be lost to time without my dedication to its cause. I have to at least write it down for posterity, whether I bear a descendant one day or not.

As for my blood status, it depends on how one defines “pureblood.” It’s actually quite complicated. My father’s line follows European norms of high-profile pureblood lineages, but my mother’s ancestry is… pureblood in the eyes of some, and impure according to others. What if we spent some dedicated time after the Yule Ball discussing it in detail? As you know, there is only so much I feel comfortable putting into an owl regarding my matrilineal inheritance.

Warmly,

Valentin

Ginyami had barely noticed the flurry of activity at the window before he heard the chink of the window latch falling open along with his mouth. "Now, how did you manage that?" he uttered, turning toward the small black owl and finding himself further astonished by its grand bow.

"It is an honor to meet you, too," he replied with a grin, bowing back before accepting the scroll from the bird's claw. Before he opened the scroll to read it, he went to fetch the mice he had prepared to feed the visitors he had come to expect pretty regularly now. Once he was sure his guest was satisfied with their meal, he seated himself at the table by his window and began to read. After that, he started eagerly on a new response.

December 7th, 2022

Valentin,

How clever of you to not only raise owls for their speed, but to teach them such tricks that, when you put it that way, do indeed seem necessary for the delivery of urgent messages. I should have known you would have thought of every way to increase the haste of message delivery. You do so seem to love your speed. That said, I feel as though Karakuş makes up for whatever rudeness that might be thought of by her intrusion with her magnificent manners regarding her beautiful bow and her method of giving her recipient their message directly.

As to your question of what kind of owl I would consider the best match for me, that is truly a difficult question. I have been spoiled by the speed of your feathered friends and I do admire that trait of theirs. I also really find their intelligence and etiquette to be extraordinarily impressive and charming. So perhaps a quick, smart, and polite owl might be the best match for me. When it comes to people, I value many of the same things, but my taste is a lot more...complex. Intelligence and etiquette naturally take on different forms with people than they do with birds and I would much prefer to hold a stimulating conversation with a person more than I would enjoy watching them open the latch of my window from the outside.

Thank you for telling me so much about Çäkçäk (as well as your favorite food). What a wonderful and rich history she has. Needless to say, I must ask the same questions about Karakuş. What does her name mean and how is that one pronounced? Thank you, also, for answering my other questions to the best of your ability by owl. I will be sure to ask you again in private and in person about the one you requested.

I am sorry to hear about the pressure on you to have children. That is quite a dilemma indeed. I don't suppose the magic of your ancestors is something that can be taught, is it? Are you really the last of your line or is it possible that your mother might have had more "modern" parents as you have had and that there might be others with your unique gifts? It sounds as though a lot of what your ancestors held sacred is already lost to time if it is so difficult for you to figure out certain things about them, so I would not call you responsible for destroying what was guarded for centuries if a great deal of it is already gone. After all, your mother wasn't a priestess, was she?

I am flattered you are charmed by my sigil. I also very much like the quote you brought up and agree with the philosophy about when the most important truths are revealed. It is fascinating, however, that you have so many different wax seals and that you send so much mail to so many different recipients. I suppose I should have expected no less from someone as talented and famous as you. I am honored to have been sent mail directly from you with the Yilbegän seal. It is also intriguing to learn the origin behind such a seal. It sounds as though the yilbegän hungers just like you do. I hope to learn more about your stories, including those about shooting stars and comets, in the near future.

Thank you again for answering my questions however personal they might be. I can hardly imagine the courage it must have taken to declare the one thing you desired to another, let alone love. I am sorry he was not interested. I do not understand how that could have been given what I know of the sort of person you are. Perhaps it is insensible of me to say this, but it seems I am lucky he was not.

What a linguist you are! I am amazed you know so many languages and still continue to learn yet another, especially to converse with me. It would be both my honor and pleasure to practice conversing with you at any time.

Regarding information on you, do not worry. I am making sure to verify what I learn with you before I jump to any conclusions. Such as, in example, your blood status. I am sorry to bring up subjects you don't like to talk about, but I appreciate your honesty and directness nevertheless. What admirable ambitions you have! The opening of orphanages sounds very much like you, given your magnanimous and kind nature. And I do hope you are able to complete that research your father started on your mother's ancestral magic. It would truly be a shame for it to be lost forever.

I would very much look forward to discussing your lineage with you in more detail at the Yule Ball. Thank you again for answering what you can in your letters.

Wishing you well,

Ginyami

Two pecks at Ginyami’s window at Amet’s usual cadence announced the white Ural owl’s arrival. When let in, Amet bobbed his head affectionately and stared up into Ginyami’s eyes with its pitch black gaze. Extending Val’s standard blue scroll held in one relaxed talon, Amet’s head moved in a circle as if in thought. If the boy rewarded him with a mouse, Amet cooed with enjoyment and downed the prize in a single toss of his head. Then, bumping his head against Ginyami’s hand, Amet clacked his beak together thrice in rapid succession. It seemed Amet had grown to like the Japanese boy quite a bit.

December 7th, 2022

Dear Ginyami,

Amet has really grown attached to you. It’s like he’s watching, waiting for your response to arrive – he always seems to find his way to my room only seconds after your correspondence reaches me, volunteering to be next.

Thank you for so faithfully answering my questions. While it seems you prefer stimulating conversation from someone over them unlatching your window from the outside, I must admit I like the sound of doing both myself. Would you like that?

As for Karakuş, her name is pronounced “cara-koosh” with the ‘a’ sounding like the English word “air” and the “sh” sound at the end very softly hissing – much lighter than if read as English. Karakuş is a common Turkic name that literally means “black bird,” but it is related to “Karakuş Han,” legendary lord of all birds. In Turkic mythology, the sky spirit is the most revered, called “Tengri” or sometimes “Ülgen,” which can be written as “𐰈𐰞𐰏𐰅𐰣” in Old Turkic. Ülgen is limitless, without beginning nor end, and is said to control the movement of stars and atmospheric events. They say Ülgen created not just heaven and earth, but all living beings, and his son is Karakuş Han – he who embodies the spirit of birds. Since all of this mythos is shamanistic rather than from an organized religion, these might be better described as forces rather than gods. It depends whom you ask, really. As you can see, Karakuş the owl is a black bird as her name implies – the darkest of all my flock. I find her to be one of our most beautiful owls, and she acts like one of your Japanese ninja since she can be both stealthy and inventive. Amet is just eager to be called into constant duty… Even now he is staring at me.

As for the weightier questions… I have been told since childhood that my mother’s magical inheritance will be lost forever if I don’t have children and that it could never be taught to people outside the bloodline effectively, even back when it was well understood within the priestess profession. I don’t know if that’s true, but that’s what I was told ad nauseum. Not only do I not have siblings nor cousins, but my predecessors all seem to have taken heir traditions seriously to the point that I’m the only one left from my mother’s line at all. Even controversial decisions were not made lightly about our bloodline, and Sergei never lets me forget that I truly am the last of my mother’s kind. Still, I’m not even sure if I can perform the old magic as a male, given the centuries of gender constraints, but I have to try. Even if what I can reconstruct is only a fragment, I owe my life and gifts to my ancestors. I shouldn’t deprive the future of whatever it was that they left me, right? I just… I just… You know I don’t want to be selfish, but… if only I understood what was so important about my mother’s line. I still don’t understand. I have to do more research. I need the books in my father’s tower, so I plan on going back up there when I return home for winter break.

Speaking of selfishness, about what I said to my co-captain… It’s fine that he wasn’t interested. What’s more important is for him to find happiness. All of this is irrelevant now because I finally comprehend that I am not the one who can give him what he wants. Besides, it is already a high privilege to learn what I can do to bring you joy, and I feel it is me who is the lucky one to enjoy your companionship. Thank you for sharing your world with me, and every day I come up with more questions I want to ask about you and your life. I hope to send more of these in my next letter, as Amet has begun to jump on my arm and I just need to send him to you already so that I can have enough peace to write you again.

You’re never far from my mind.

-Valentin