[PQ] Ashes and dust

your battle worn tongue doesn't say the truth anymore;
/// that you are ruined ///

She doesn’t trust anyone, and she’s survived thus far in doing exactly that. And while yes, the reasoning was there, Kiada drifts back toward the storage to collect the writing supplies, returning with an arm laden of them while she starts to set up the desk, listening to Tal’s explanation. It’s true, she doesn’t know the courier, but as he elaborates Kiada’s own nose wrinkles a little and she’s thankful for the way her back is to the courier while she places quills down and organizes the ink pots. “Fae or Mer didn’t have the same… History, I suppose. I was captured by the Fae a long while ago.” And that had been standard, normal. Nobody looked at the Fae differently for protecting what was theirs.

It was just assumed and she had trespassed. And been sacrificed to their Tulminhar.

Either way, she draws silent again, setting paper down and listening. Maea chimes in and the harpy does glance her way with agreement blooming across her face, even as her jaw is set a little tight at the understanding. And Tal starts to grow a little bit more personal and Kiada turns now that she’s finished up setting up the writing instruments, tilting her head as her iceberg gaze focuses on the courier, her hip pressing against the desk. “The war is over, yes, but we had to sacrifice so much in order to be here. I’m sure we both understand what’s at stake with the new threat, but, back then?” She takes a deep breath and huffs out a small sigh. “Voice shrines, which sustained us, were getting destroyed all over the place. I had to abandon my home in Halo because I couldn’t trust anyone but my father and knew he couldn’t save me from the hatred either.” It’s easier to just say father than it is to over elaborate, especially while she has a point she’s trying to make.

Gesturing toward Maea, she continues. “Look, all I’m saying is that the Grounds isn’t exactly the ideal destination spot. We ended up back here because it’s safe and what we know. It’s full of people that have suffered and died and been reborn only to suffer again, before we carved out this space once again. You'll have to forgive me for being protective of it.” The space had been carved out for them by Dantalion, thankfully. And while the Maverick hadn’t died as far as she was aware, the courier was standing here talking to two women who had done the very same thing. Been normal, attuned and abandoned, died and returned as Ascended, hid away during the war to try and survive it, only to become something else that people weren’t too sure about either.

“I won’t say I didn’t give enough to help the gods. I literally died trying to save Tanau.” She shrugs casually as if she hadn’t just dropped that large bomb. “I just want to be sure that it’s not the start of something that will try to kill me again.” Unfortunately, half of Kiada’s life spent on Caido was spent being hunted to a degree. “Ultimately though, I'd say it's Dantalion's opinion that matters most. I'm just... Wary.”

---

Kiada finishes up her task!

kiada

and you wonder why he lets you, the butcher ///
touch him, the sun ///

Down and out, and out of luck, we're spinning but the needle's stuck

Hugging an armful of books tighter to the chest, Maea flinched at Tal's tone. She tried to keep it at arm's length, tried to remain rational - he was probably right, and they should open up more - but it was impossible not to feel attacked by the implication that she was endagering everyone by not moving on fast enough.

Tension settled in creases around her eyes. Turning her back to stack the books, Kiada's voice buoyed her and eased the helpless ache in her chest - for two people who had barely crossed paths they sure had much in common - and by the time she finished, Maea had her emotions in enough control that she trusted herself to speak.

"Dantalion is the one who brought me back from stone. He is the ruler of this region. If he says it's okay for you to build the shrine even though you don't live here, then I'll accept it. That is my answer." Was it a coward's answer? Maybe. The truth was, Maea didn't know what to think. Logical reasoning told her that Tal had a point, but also that outsiders shouldn't be able to do whatever they wanted in a place they didn't live in. And emotionally, she feared the complications that might come with accepting all the gods on the same land. Would Safrin curse them again, like she had the Ascended? Would Ludo accept their ghosts? And beyond them, would the Hollowed Grounds become a frontline in the game between Caido and Dygra?

Change is everything, the goddess of Entropy had said, but all Maea wanted in this moment was at least one place to return to that wasn't thrown into turmoil. Someplace where she could heal, and rebuild, and discover who she had become on this her third chance at life.
This office was one part of that. Looking around, she saw the rooms around her looking fresh and clean, ready for use; attaching the sign to the outside of the door was the final touch.

"That's the last of it," she said to the two of them. "Thank you so much for helping me, I truly appreciate it."

---

Completed! Thank you for helping out! Feel free to wrap up however you like. <3

Maea

He wasn’t quite sure where Kiada was going with the weird segue, or the history comment, but he bit his lip against asking what she meant. He’d been getting the sense that most of the Ancients were born or non-Ascended before they’d changed, but she and Maea seemed to have different perspectives on things based on where they’d been during the War, and he was trying to see their side of things.

It was hard, though. Glacier gaze met iceberg as Tal shoved his hands into his pockets and listened to Kiada’s reasons. He caught his tongue between his teeth, biting down on it to stop himself from interrupting, though he blinked and gave a little shake of his head at her mention of Tanau, unsure whether he’d heard her correctly. How many times did some people die and tell Mort to fuck off, then…?

Maea’s answer was short and to the point, and he could at least understand it.

But it reminded him that he’d been… well. Overly optimistic, certainly. Pushy, probably. And not doing his cause a whole lot of good, because he’d always been better at pissing people off than not. Not many people could fit both feet in their mouths, after all. It was his one talent, and he wished he wasn’t so damn good at it.

”I… look. I know I’m fuckin' this up, an' I'm sorry for puttin' it all on you at once.” He grimaced and retrieved a hand to scrub the back of his neck. ”I asked th’old gods if they even wanted a shrine here, an’, well… Frey said they wouldn’t bless one unless everyone who lived here agreed to it. Consented to it,” he added, struggling to try and find clarity in the spirit of the quest. ”So I think it’s gotta be… more’n not ‘no.’ An’ more’n lettin’ someone else make th’decision for you.” He took a deep breath, forcing himself to drop his hand. ”What I’m askin’ is… is take some time an’ think about it, at least. An’ if it turns out y’really hate the idea, then… I guess that’ll be that. Either way, if it’s a yes or a no, just… just shoot me a letter an’ let me know. An’ if y’want to ask me any more questions, I’ll come meet wherever y’want.”

your battle worn tongue doesn't say the truth anymore;
/// that you are ruined ///

Finishing up everything, Kiada flashes Maea a small smile – not having wanted to derail everything in the segue she’s gone down, but she’d thought that explaining the situation would be the easiest way to get Tal to understand. But, it seems that it doesn’t matter in the long run. The fact was that the courier wasn’t from here and didn’t intend to live here, even if he traveled here for deliveries and the like.

But she remains silent while he explains and she nods, figuring that to be the best result, one that would allow some time to think about it other than be a gut impulse decision. “I’ll think about it.” She confirms, flashing Tal an apologetic smile even if her reservations still kept her from agreeing to it outright. She wanted time.

She shifts her attention to Maea, making a plan to meet up shortly after so they could discuss work, before she slips away and out of the building, content to let Talyson and Maea talk about whatever else they wanted to for the time being until Kiada met back up with the pale woman.

- FIN <33

kiada

and you wonder why he lets you, the butcher ///
touch him, the sun ///