Though the hour was so early that the morning mist had yet to abate, Rabrandt "Enigma" Cyanis stood by his dresser drawer, fresh from his shower and almost fully dressed. The final button on his vest slid into place, and with a practiced, singular motion, his cape billowed behind him, effortlessly snapped into the golden ornament keeping it in place.

Today was a special occasion. The wolfkin, golden eyes focused onto the mirror as he made a number of microadjustments, gave himself a smile. In one hour, he would be welcoming his apprentice Edmund, and Edmund’s boyfriend Mortimer, back from their month-long beachside vacation. Tempting as might have been to rush his morning ritual and bolt out of his apartment, letting the excitement take over, Enigma had already planned out his morning, as he planned out most mornings, and knew that one hour was still plenty of time. Getting there too early wouldn’t make the Teleport staff work any faster.

And yet, it also would be rude to show up late, thus the mentalist sat near the fountain plaza just outside the Teleport terminal, arriving exactly ten minutes before the appointed time, as he intended. Though he disliked waiting, even for such a short period, he wanted to be there for the young couple. Edmund had gone through a lot during their investigation into the Titan Syndicate, and he needed to make sure that the tigerkin was working through it.

The teleport process is nearly silent, and no one could reasonably see it through the walls of the terminal. However, Enigma could pinpoint the precise moment that his protege and a handful of other vacationers arrived back into Magistrum City. He had spent so much time personally instructing Edmund in the ways of magic that the exact makeup of his mental activity was immediately recognizable as it sprung into existence within the range of his psionic abilities.

The young tigerkin had been troubled before he left, unsure of himself after learning that the “natural” strength he had prided himself on was anything but. And even without scrying directly into his mind, Enigma’s powers and sense of perception made it all the more obvious. But as the couple approached him, holding hands, he knew that their time away, together, was a resounding success. Even if he couldn’t feel it, the smiles on their faces said everything he needed to hear.

Shirtless as ever, exposing his impressive, striped musculature, Edmund held their combined luggage over his shoulder with ease. But it was Mortimer, the young rabbitkin, who was quick to vigorously greet their Professor with a huge wave. In that instant, Enigma thought to himself that both of them were strong positive influences on each other. He has watched both as Mortimer gave Edmund the comfort and solace he needed to be at his best, while Edmund in turns stoked and cultivated the confidence in Mortimer to take risks and realize his full potential. Even this simple greeting was yet further proof of that, as he remembered how sheepish the hare used to be when approaching him during office hours.

“Welcome home, you two!”

Enigma was the first to break the silence, opening the sluice gate so that the conversation could begin to flow.

“Thanks, Professor! It’s good to be back!” Mortimer’s ears began to relax a little as the energy holding them in place was dispersed through his waving and the movement of his vocal chords.

“So how was your trip? Did you both have a good time?” Enigma prompted the couple.

“Sure did, Teach. Hotel was awesome, view was gorgeous, and I couldn’t have picked a better partner to go wid.” It warmed the mind mage’s heart to see his student’s earnest enthusiasm return as he outlined his trip.

“I’m glad to hear it. Let me walk you both back to your flat. Do you need any help with your bags, Ed?” The mind mage knew the absurdity of the question, but he had to offer all the same.

“Teach. Ya know who yer askin’, right?” All three of them chuckled together.

“True enough. You’re the one who spends the most time in the Fitness Center, after all. After you.”

Graciously allowing his students to take the lead, Enigma followed them as they walked home. Along the way, passing through the calm streets of Magistrum City as its citizens roused from their slumber, Edmund chose to say what he felt he needed to.

“By the way, I wanted to thank you, Teach.”

Enigma tilted his head slightly, a puzzled expression on his face, “For what?”

“For settin’ us up with the VIP treatment.”

Hearing that, Mortimer looked to Edmund, then to Enigma. His ears shot up as he processed the exchange. “Wait. You’re the reason we were set up in the penthouse!? But that room is so expensive! How’d you do it?”

Enigma sighed audibly. He knew it was possible that his apprentice would figure it out, but he was hoping that they’d be too caught up in the excitement to put everything together. “Magistrum staff get preferential treatment. And the manager of that particular hotel owes me a few favors. I cashed them in so I could use my PTO to book your vacation. But you already know that, don’t you, Ed.”

Edmund’s smile turned into a toothy grin as his mentor addressed him. “Sorry, Teach. Manager folded like paper when I asked a few questions.”

“Of course he did. That fool always had loose lips.” Despite being caught, Enigma simply shrugged his shoulders and reframed the reveal. “When did you become a detective, anyway?”

A laugh escaped through Edmund’s proud smirk. “I learned from the best.”

Shaking his head, Enigma returned a wry grin. “I can’t exactly argue against that, can I?”

“Nope!”

With perfect timing, their discussion ended just as the trio made it to student housing. The mind mage took his moment to split off from the group.

“I had best leave you both to unpack. I may have been caught, but I’m glad my little scheme was a resounding success all the same.”

Mortimer gently grabbed the bracer on his forearm. “Are you sure you don’t want to visit, Professor? Especially since you spent your own vacation time on us?”

He made eye contact with the young rabbitkin before replying. “I appreciate it, Mortimer, but I’ll be fine. I get more time off than most of the staff thanks to the planeswalking. And besides, your peers don’t want a teacher bothering them in their own homes.”

That last comment prompted a chuckle from Morty. “Okay, but thanks for everything.”

“My pleasure.”

---

At last, we bring Edmund and Mortimer's Summer Vacation to a conclusion. They're rested, relaxed, and finally back home.

Thanks to  LittleBadWolf for this beautiful piece.

Art by  LittleBadWolf
Edmund, Enigma, Mortimer, and story are all from me.