my lucky #3

It’s the next day after her venture into the cold to test the limits of the jacket, and since then she had spent most of the rest of the night curled up by the fire (if not partially in it at various points), but it was enough to ensure that she hadn’t turned to stone and she could be a functioning person again. That, and the comfort of the spare bed Deimos and Evie have was quite perfect, given the roaring fire in the fireplace as well. Now, one last little trek into the depths of the cold for a ningo – one that with Deimos’ help would ensure that she doesn’t fall victim to trying to become a statue again. She’s happy and vibrant in the morning when she arrives downstairs, put together and nestled in the coat as if preparing for the adventure, seeking out Deimos or Belial, or even Evie should she be around. k i a d a

Deimos

The fortitude of Deimos’ magic, and the threshold of the home, had ensured each and every fire remained stoked and lit, infernal and constant, for Kiada’s health, shelter, and sanctity. Uncertain how long it would take her to restore energy, especially after the way the chill had altered her so swiftly, he’d gone back and forth between duties; checking in during the sweeping morning hours before the sun rose, committing to missives, ensuring Evie was fine in the wake of looming labor in days near, and promising skirmishes thereafter.

Upon his second return, while he toiled over breakfast, and the aroma of bacon, eggs, and toast filled the air, he heard her springing down the stairs. He had to snort, surprised by the lively appearance after yesterday, but pleased for it, nonetheless. “Morning,” he rumbled with the familiar arch of his brow. “Figured we would need more fuel for the next venture.” Belial, wicked as ever, sat as close as possible to the Sword’s ankles, tiny deer tail wagging. "You recover well?"

it's not the waking, it's the rising
It's the fire it ignites

“Morning!” Kiada chimes, full of a surprising amount of energy for everything they’d gone through last night. Given the great food and the immediate warmth (and perhaps sticking parts of her arms and legs in the fireplace upstairs), she’d rebounded quite well given the circumstances, eager to get ready for the next stage of the quest she’d been given. The scent of food in the air is a very welcome one, and she follows it to round around the corner and see him tinkering about in the kitchen. “I will never say no to food.” Kiada offers with a bright grin, sidling up beside him to help where she can, and hopefully avoid stepping on Belial in the process. “And I did. Between the heat and the fire, anything that was too cold I just stuck in the fireplace and we managed from there. The bed is very comfortable.” She offers with a playful grin. k i a d a

Deimos

The energetic echo made him smile, as he stirred the eggs around to scramble. A few additional portions of shredded cheese were added, and then he maneuvered the utensil around, permitting the heat to catch at the morsels. He was content to hear about the comforts they’d provided too – always insistent upon a home that was open to their broad range of family. Welcome and inviting, rather than cold and aloof, indifferent or piercing, or simply gone and nonexistent. “Good,” he mustered, shaking his head at picturing her simply placing her feet within the hearth.

He passed her the skillet with the frying bacon, so she could contend with the meat this time, listening to the sizzle, crackle, and pop, Belial adjusting his stance to sit in between them. A very restful ease; something they hadn’t had in years, and he was fine with relaxing into the fold of it for a moment, while they schemed and meandered. “What were your plans with the ningo?” Deimos, as always, had multitudes. Belial could flush a flock her way, the Sword could compel any nearby; the possibilities were open and wide, but it being her sojourn and quest, the notions had to coincide with the Harpy.

it's not the waking, it's the rising
It's the fire it ignites

They’ve done a great job at managing it, despite the cold and intense temperatures that Halo had to offer. The Ignatius household was full of warmth and love and comfort, and Kiada finds it adds to her bolstered mood. So much so that she’s more than content to cook the bacon, likely because it was easier for her given that she couldn’t burn. But rather than be weird about it, she does use a utensil to flip the bacon when it’s time, listening to the popping and sizzling as it cooks more. “I’m supposed to catch one and butcher it, taking the meat and feathers back with me to turn it in.” She offers as she considers it, realizing that they’ll need to create a little miniature icebox to carry with her to make sure that it doesn’t spoil the contents of the meat. Which, she’s sure she can manage. At least now she knows how long she can last outside without any close flame. k i a d a

Deimos

“Should be plenty of them around.” Easily done and dealt with, her circumstances not extenuating. No matter how often Belial snatched and clawed at them, the birds were a plentiful lot; stupefying and defeating the odds when one considered the struggles of survival. Perhaps they simply remained within Halo on whims, caprice, and rampant population counts – continuing to feed multitudes of predators and people within the Citadel. “Easy to store and take home too,” though he considered thoughtfully, as he swirled the utensil around some more, catching at the eggs and watching them resolve into scrambled bits. “Will you be able to carry something cold?”

His brows furrowed, contemplating how many layers he’d have to contort amongst and amidst gloves. The other portions of hunting down live flora had been relatively simple, but they had taken the structure from its habitat, alive and whole, rather than something butchered.

it's not the waking, it's the rising
It's the fire it ignites

“I know Chuy had put a lot of work in the farm.” She comments with a touch of nostalgia, biting it back as she stares down at the bacon, nibbling at her lower lip in contemplation. Regardless of what had happened, she is happy now with Fox, and she hopes the best for Chuy and Auni, wherever they were. As for the question, though, she nods as she flips the bacon again, sensing that they’re fine before she removes them from the skillet to add a few more pieces to start sizzling up, looking over to him with a soft smile. “I figured if they were in a bag it would be okay. Far enough away from the hands to not turn them into stone.” Flashing a smile as though she’d thought it through, all it would need were the proper cold pack procedures, held in a bag by the bag’s handles to keep it from causing problems. k i a d a

Deimos

He hadn’t expected a mention of Chuy – and while those motions are long since passed, he nodded just the same. “He did. And they thrive now too.” Watching her for a moment, to ensure or see if the nostalgia notched a little too far in, he finished with the round of scrambled eggs, turning his portion of the stove off and lifting the pan away. Beginning to place them on plates for themselves, and Evie alike when she had the opportunity to hasten back for breakfast, he listened to the rest.

“Okay,” came along easy agreement at any modifications or developments. Icy portions could rest at the bottom of the bag, giving her a wide berth between cool proportions and the necessity of warmth for an Ancient. To alter the subject entirely, since they had a modest plan in place, he placed the pan down, waiting for her bacon to finish, and snagging at the toast. “Will you be going to the tournament in Torchline?” Once Deepfrost started – presuming she’d be interested at all.

it's not the waking, it's the rising
It's the fire it ignites

“Good.” She says softly, because she knows he’d be overjoyed to hear that they would be thriving even after his departure. It had been his dream and goal after all. But the Harpy doesn’t dwell on it, not as food is made and the subject of just how she intended to carry the items that needed to remain cold would go, and with her plan already in place she offers it willingly with a soft little smile, replacing the sorrowful nostalgia. His agreement comes at the time she finishes up the bacon and sets the pan to the side to cool, bringing the plate over so Deimos can make Evie’s plate before they dive in on their own – careful to step around Belial in the process. The subject of the Torchline tournament has her smiling softly and a hint apologetically, though. “No, unfortunately.” She says with a soft frown, tilting her head as she starts to make her plate. “Maea and Danta are going, though, so I figure I should stay and keep tabs on everything.” Unaware that that’s where Fox is going, for a question he has yet to ask her, Kiada lifts her gaze to Deimos with a brighter smile. “You’ll have to tell me how you do, if I don’t find out from the others first.” She teases with a grin, but with all the confidence in the world that he would do great. k i a d a

Deimos

He finished Evie’s plate, supplying it with bacon and cording it off with some wrapping to maintain some of its heat, before doing the same for the both of them. Snagging at the toast and butter, he repeated the motions and movements from the previous evening’s dinner, ensuring chairs were pulled and food was at the ready. Juice, water, tea, and coffee could be easily rectified too, and while she could snag at any drink she wanted, he turned to feed some proportions to Belial, mostly to keep him busy and distracted instead of pleading.

The news gave him a light laugh, an arch of his brow. “Oh? Too busy?” There’d once been a time where she’d been a brave participant in such fields – but he could understand any notions as to why she avoided it for now. The statement had been enough to rattle her chain, and he was content with less people watching – never an overt participant or yearning for attention. “Of course. I do not have much for high hopes,” not when he was likely facing multiple demigods. “But we will see.”

it's not the waking, it's the rising
It's the fire it ignites

She quickly finds her way to the table, collecting her drinks (water and coffee), before she takes her plate to start layering it with the options of food, before following his movement in adding butter to her toast as well, huffing her own little laugh at his question before she shakes her head. “Unlike when I almost won leadership of the Greatwood, I don’t think I can keep up with the likes of you and the demigods, dad.” She childishly – and similarly to him in enough ways – sticks her tongue out at him in a completely juvenile motion. As for him not having high hopes, she takes a bite of her toast and stops chewing precisely to pin him with her iceberg gaze, head tilting slightly as she chews the bread, waiting to speak until she’s swallowed it down. “Why’s that? Because Remi and Ronin will be there?” She asks out of curiosity, wondering where he thought his shortfalls came from. As far as she was concerned, even if he didn’t win them, he’d put up one hell of a fight. k i a d a

Deimos

A huff of amusement followed on her response – recollection of days where the Greatwood had craved a guardian. Nowadays it simply withered into monstrous shapes and void enhanced dirges, gone to the Fae and Starfall reaches specifically; and he hadn’t any intention of remaining within while they determined who stayed victorious. Coating his toast with butter, and finally joining her at the table, he snagged at a piece of the dried bread before continuing. “I meant to watch, if you did not feel like competing.” He hadn’t made up the details or jurisdiction, that had come from Remi, but there’d been scores of younger demigods and others to make the rest of the lineup.

She could stare at him all she wanted; he merely arched his brow in return. The Sword had always been more of the self-deprecating type, more prone to underestimating his abilities when compared to demis and godlike beacons, rather than presuming himself far more capable. It had been instilled within since his childhood years – for one never knew their opponents entirely. He’d prefer the risk of speculating Ronin, Remi, Sunjata, and others alike, contained infinite prowess. He’d been amidst their power and prestige for a while – during relic hunts and wars. “Essentially.” Taking a slab of bacon, he munched on that too, gaze flickering elsewhere, quiet and considering. Altering the subject, because he could feel some fickle melancholy brewing, he shrugged. “It will be nice to see what the others can do too.” Ru, with her new powers, Seren upon her return, Noah, despite his flair for overbearing tactics lately…squaring off to counter and strike.

it's not the waking, it's the rising
It's the fire it ignites

Chewing on her bite of toast, she swallows it down as she snickers a light laugh. “I know, I was just teasing you.” She says with a little wave of her hand, gesturing a little bit more openly – so much similar to how she had been as an Attuned when she was in a good mood. She has many more of them these days than not. A vibrance that’s seen in her every day movements, her reactions, her conversations. “But, someone has to ensure that the Grounds is still working. Though, I heard Fox is going so I figured I would meet him to go the rest of the way back with him.” She offers with a small little shrug. He'd need all the help he could while she continued to figure out the issue of motion sickness for him. But he talks in his self deprecating manner and Kiada’s attention lingers on him as she continues to clear her plate, pausing to sip from her coffee and relishing in the warmth it offers her. “It’s kind of exciting, honestly. It’s been so long since we’ve done anything like it.” She wonders how long it might be until they do it again, too, or if it were solely to see how they would face against the Family that strange voice kept talking about. k i a d a

Deimos

“Fair enough,” he offered with a shrug of his shoulders. He figured he and Evie could leave the rest of Halo alone for a day without it completely falling down around them; perhaps it’d be a test of the soldiers and guards. He’d always regarded their world as incredibly self-sufficient; and he presumed they’d prove the case time and time again. If not, there would be multitudes to work upon.

Snagging at several slabs of bacon at once, his head tilted, listening as he chewed and swallowed. Deimos wasn’t certain he’d coin it as ‘exciting’, but interesting nonetheless. He knew most of Noah and Sah’s abilities, but Ru’s was bound to be something compelling, along with the changes Remi had gone through. “True. Perhaps someone will make it an annual thing.” His nose wrinkled, pondering if they’d change parameters or not, if that was to be the case.

it's not the waking, it's the rising
It's the fire it ignites