[SE] and so much more

Lena

hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul

Another trip to Torchline had ensured some more wares she couldn’t have found in Stormbreak, and a moment or two to not wallow in the section of their failures. Time and effort didn’t quite elude, and while a host of information had begun to take shape, what to do about everything was still an exhausting, uphill battle, and the notions of actions had yet to fully form.

So for now, she took a breath, and extended gratitude where she could.

The Rainbow Road opened up before her, impossibly and impeccably beautiful – an ornate system and work of geysers and hues, vibrant colors that almost made her cry with relief and magnificence. The locals had described the place, but she hadn’t understood just how opulent and wondrous it was, until finally setting her sights on it.

So she made her way around the charming pool, tiptoeing lightly, in reverence and awe, before kneeling alongside the shrine. With a long, full breath, she bowed her head, beginning to whisper and pray.

and sings the tune without the words
and never stops at all

I can't control their fear, only my own.

His mouth hung open in wonder as he made his way across the watery rock surface. Each explosion of the geysers had the rainbows rising from the ground into the air, his head following until he nearly fell on his back. Zavien had no idea so many colors could be in one spot. Not only were they present, but they were vibrant, glittering shades with the depths of magnificent gemstones. He let his hand drift up to disrupt the mists, sending the colors rippling. A small smile played across his lips joyously.

Zavien's feet stepped across the stone, causing more disruption of the rainbow, as he made his way towards the shrine. He hadn't come to pray - the rumors of the Road had been reason enough to visit - but being so close, he figured he might as well stop by and say hello. However, he hadn't expected to see another person by the pool's sparkling water. And was he mistaken, or was that Lena's brown hair?

Not wanting to interrupt her prayer, Zavien sat nearby, peering at the shimmering surface in content silence. In the meantime, he sent up his own prayer of gratitude for having the ability to enjoy such incredible images of beauty.

Zavien

Lena

hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul

The acknowledgments were numerous, silently woven and contorted through her Attuned measures. Thank you Frey, for everything you have given to Caido. For the flora and fauna, for the role she presided, loved, and cherished, for perseverance that kept her going even within the darkest and most incredulous of days. Thank you Rae, for your wondrous creations, she began again, stringing the notions together like a second nature, humming a tune lightly through her chest, airy, while she kept her eyes closed, forming other sonnets and sentiments.

And when she opened her eyes, she found she wasn’t alone.

There was a quick gasp and a rapid movement in surprise, until she realized she knew the individual sitting nearby. “Zavien,” she laughed, shaking her head, reeling away from her crouch and digging through her bag for a set of offerings. “What brings you here?” For a moment she wondered about the proposed plan between the Dragoon and the Tidebreaker, hoping none of their words had been shared, at least with Hadama, from latest sentiments with their gathered trio in the Celestine gardens.

and sings the tune without the words
and never stops at all

I can't control their fear, only my own.

The soft melody of Lena's humming made Zavien smile, adding her singing talent to his list of reasons to be thankful. He had been told by a lot a few people that he didn't possess such gifts, but he didn't hear what they were talking about. He thought he sounded great. Even if the animals didn't seem to like him as much when he sang. With that in mind, Zavien kept his mouth shut, too ensnared to risk breaking the spell.  

By the time she stopped, Zavien had prayed a thousand times over in thanks and gratitude for the ability to enjoy such simple pleasures in life. As long as he could, life would always be worth the fight.

Cracking the happy bubble of thoughts, he grimaced at Lena's startled response, quick to apologize profusely before she had a chance to speak. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to scare you. It seemed rude to interrupt, so I tried to respect your prayers with silence. Please forgive me. I can go if you'd prefer." Blushing enough to match the reds in the rainbows around them, he ran his hand through his hair. Zavien wondered if it had been a mistake to approach. Should he have turned around when he noticed her? That seemed even more impolite. Standing back would have been creepy. No matter how he thought about it, he wasn't quite sure how he should have proceeded, but he knew that he regretted his decision.  

Concerned that he may have caused her such anxiety, Zavien stood and stepped further away from the pool. A thin, pained smile appeared as he retreated. "I only came to see the Rainbow Road while on my way to renegotiate with Hadama. Now that I have, I'll just leave. I apologize again for disturbing you." Horrified beyond belief that he had made anyone feel unsafe, he wanted to crawl in the nearest hole. Zavien turned around to hide his scarlet face as he moved to walk away.

Zavien

Lena

hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul

She took his apology with a range of emotions – though eventually the bewilderment eventually faded to shock, and she was already waving her hand, heart not beating quite so rapidly. “It’s all right.” Then she turned back into her bag, retrieving the oranges, apples, pineapple, and mango she’d acquired from Torchline’s markets, rifling through again as he spoke and explained.

While she snagged a bowl to place all the fruit within, she inclined back into a smile, attempting reassurance. There’d been no harm done – and it seemed he’d only been exploring rather than standing there oddly – timing had been a coincidence. “You don’t need to leave,” she insisted. “Enjoy this place. Isn’t it beautiful?” Arranging her offering neatly, she procured some cream too, placing a decent amount upon the nourishments and leaving them there for whenever Frey craved the sweet things.

and sings the tune without the words
and never stops at all

I can't control their fear, only my own.

Although Lena protested his departure, Zavien paused uncertainly. "Um... yeah..." The sparkling pool was definitely beautiful, even when he had trouble pulling his mind back from his embarrassment. Trying to wipe the blush from his face before she noticed, he watched her set the offerings out with quiet observation. The assortment was sweet and fresh. Its fragrant selection reminding him of spring.

The careful adjustment to each piece made him smile in appreciation for her attentive consideration. "I didn't realize the gods liked cream." It made him think of kittens and hot chocolate. He wouldn't initially think about the gods enjoying the sweet milky substance. Not that he had met any gods.

Still feeling a little uncomfortable, Zavien put his hands in his pockets to make his large form slightly smaller. "Did you just come to Torchline to pray? I figured you'd have easy access to the Celestine's shrine." It wasn't accusatory, but just a curious observation to dispel some of his anxiety.

Zavien

Lena

hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul

“Frey does,” she hummed, stepping back to observe the offerings, before deciding they were worthy enough, and leaving them alone. Instead, she wound her way towards one of the larger rocks nearby, intending to do some observations or maybe sketch the Rainbow Road itself.

Trying to assuage Zavien’s discomfort and apprehension by being her usual calm, composed self, her brow arched at his inquiry. “I was in the Torchline markets and thought I’d come see,” considering how often she’d heard about it – and now she could understand why so many had waxed poetical about the beautiful portion of land. Not forgetting prior points of conversation, she grabbed hold of her charcoal and opened her journal in one fell swoop, flipping through until she found an empty page. “Were you going to talk to Hadama about the whole…information thing?”

and sings the tune without the words
and never stops at all

I can't control their fear, only my own.

His eyebrows raised in surprise. "It sounds like you know them well. Do you always pray to Frey?" He usually found himself praying to Vi because of their connection with life, but he didn't really have 'favorites' amongst the gods. However, Lena appeared to speak about Frey with familiar fondness that had him curious.

Zavien felt himself starting to relax, his shoulders releasing their tension and his face softening. He settled beside the pool again to gaze into its depths once more. "I see. Did you get what you came for?" Her bag looked full and the offerings fresh, so he assumed that she had. It was more a distracted question as he spotted the different gems sitting beneath the water's surface, casting the surrounding rocks in continued rainbows. He picked up a green gem just outside the water, tilting it in his hand to catch the light.

The topic of Hadama made him nervous of Lena's opinion, which he valued very much at this point. With reluctance, he said, "Yeah... I think we just need to clarify our... arrangement."

Zavien

Lena

hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul

“Mm, usually.” She nodded; Frey’s Nature aspect had always been her favored – but she’d show her compliments and regards to all of them. “They’re all important, but Frey is my favorite.” But given her vocation, and how she’d received such an occupation, it wouldn’t take much to contemplate why. Crossing her legs underneath her, she jotted down several notes about the Rainbow Road itself, before she started to make big arches underneath; some figrure and drawing of the landscape. Humming lightly again, her head tilted, eyes flickering back to Zavien as he seemed to settle a little more. “Do you have one you always pray to?”

The markets had been plentiful despite everything going on; and it’d been mildly comforting to see Torchline still kept its wits about it, even if there was a looming and damned isle floating nearby. “I did,” she smiled, studying the hues around once more. “And I think that’s a good idea.” Pausing, wondering if she’d made too big of a deal about the arrangements, her brows furrowed with vague uncertainty, and the need for clarification. “I only spoke up because I didn’t want you taken advantage of. I think it’s brave that you’re willing, but the setup didn’t seem fair.”

and sings the tune without the words
and never stops at all

I can't control their fear, only my own.

He laughed at Lena's comment. "I'm sure, since they appointed you as Caregiver." Zavien smiled at her, remembering how much she loved the Celestine and being able to help nurture its residents. He still needed to stop by for a visit at some point. Perhaps when he got back.

Watching her hand move across the page with confident strokes, he wondered what she may be sketching as he cocked his head in curiosity. He would have to ask her later. Until then, Zavien chuckled lightly at her question. "I've only really prayed to Vi so far. The other gods haven't really resonated with me, but I also don't know them. I've only heard passing comments about personalities or interactions. None of which make me especially inclined to pray to them." He shrugged his shoulders, not sure what else to say about the matter. His prayers hadn't been answered yet, but that didn't mean he was going to pray to a god that didn't align with his beliefs.

Lena's calming demeanor and clarification helped ease his anxiety about the Hadama situation. "I get that." He really did understand her reasoning. She'd made valid points at the meeting that had set him thinking. It was possible that he'd agreed too quickly.

Shifting slightly so that he leaned back on one hand, he continued, "And I appreciate your concern. It's nice to have someone worried about me for once." He smiled at her before looking down again at the green gem in his hand. "I just want to help. Even if that means that I have to start at the bottom as a meager fly absorbing information, I'm willing to do that." Zavien didn't have the standing or abilities to do much more than that at the moment. 'Fair' didn't seem like something he could afford when he had nothing to give. Trying to reassure both Lena and himself, he gave her a determined look. "I'll make sure to stay out of the spotlight and watch for trouble. I won't continue if things look too dangerous." He couldn't guarantee his safety, but he could promise to try.

Zavien

Lena

hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul

Grinning and nodding at the apt assessment, she added a few more strokes of the colorful waterways, before digging through her pencils and rifling through to see if she could find any distinct hues. It would be difficult to portray the picture in anything other than the bright landscape – charcoal alone couldn’t do it justice.

Meanwhile though, his sentiments about the gods surprised her – but the Attuned had been raised since birth to believe in the holy sanctity of the Old Gods – in faith, in allegiance, in naught but the highest esteem. “Oh? Why is that?” Curious, but not incriminating (for she wasn’t her parents), to hear reverence for Vi but no one else had her intrigued.

Then there were the other matters at hand, and once she’d found a blue, she settled in quick dashes across the page, listening as he explained. She wouldn’t remark about worrying over someone (she did often to those in Stormbreak, and every animal she ever came across) – but the other distinctions were understandable, a working comprehension of everything they’d been meandering through. She wasn’t certain she had a good answer for the complexities either; every time they’d tried to help or study or influence, it seemed to backfire. “It would be nice to have a direction – at least, for now, you’ve found one.” And if that became a worthwhile purpose, then so be it.

The promise of not running into trouble would be enough, and she drew her gaze back to him with a simple nod, and maybe the hint of a smile again. “Okay.”

and sings the tune without the words
and never stops at all

I can't control their fear, only my own.

Her surprise had him considering whether he was going about his prayers in the wrong way and Zavien thought deeply about his answer. He didn't know if there was a specific reason he didn't pray to the other gods. They just didn't seem to stand out in his mind. Trying to give his emotions words, he slowly worked his way through a moderate explanation. "I guess... maybe it has to do with what they represent? Death is a touchy subject because it makes me think of my mom and how she was taken too soon. I don't relish the idea of 'praising' the end of her life. I respect nature and have always thought it powerful, but I don't distinctly think of 'nature' when I see a sunset or a bird. I think of life and the beginning of each day or the pure love of a smiling face, shining like the sun." His own smile appeared at the thought and he looked to Lena, pausing to think about how to further articulate. "I respect them all equally. They are all essential parts of the world, allowing the cycle to continue and evolve to make life worth living. Perhaps one day, I will be more inclined to embrace how change improves people or how death's embrace is welcome. However, for now, I choose to focus on life and the joy that it brings every day when I take a breath or greet a friend." Feeling that he was rambling too much in comparison to her short question, he ran a hand through his hair, disrupting the golden strands. It was odd and sappy, something he didn't think she wanted to hear more of.

As her face flashed through emotions, he wondered how Lena had the capacity to worry so much about anyone and everything. Yet despite knowing that he was one of many, Zavien cherished the warmth that came from knowing that someone was thinking about his well-being even when he wasn't. Not many people had done that for him in some time. After his mother passed, a straggler or two took him under their wing, but very few of them truly cared whether he chose to put himself in danger. He was just another street kid they felt obligated to care for. And since becoming an adult, they had even less mental space to offer him. It just reminded him of what it was like to have family or friends who might miss him if something ever happened.

Her final agreeance with his chosen path was one that brought him more relief than he expected. Maybe Zavien had been expecting an argument or another disappointed glance, but that wasn't Lena. That was just his insecurity about his decision. But it still felt good to hear her - 'approval' wasn't the right word -'acceptance'(?) of his reasoning. It was enough to have him sagging further back against his hand. He also hadn't noticed how he was clutching the gem, causing an imprint in his palm that tingled as he relaxed. "Thank you." Zavien wasn't sure what he was thanking her for, but the words naturally rolled off his tongue.

Zavien

Lena

hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul

Death was a difficult subject, and part of her wanted to object and say all the lovely, wonderful things lingering in Mort’s realm – but portions of her also understood the heavy and traumatic weight of it all. Sera was in a much better place, but had suffered to get there in a long, laborious, and painful facet, and one could argue that she’d still want to be with her family.

Nature was hers because it gave her some happiness, some hope, some aspects in the change and alteration of the world. There were cycles and seasons and growth and loss – far easier for her to parse through than some other portions of the world.

But his notions left her smiling, and she nodded along, the understanding and comprehension dawning. “We all have our own experiences to go along with these teachings. And if yours pulls you in the direction of life, no need to fight it.” She grinned again, calm and composed, unbothered by any long-winded stances. She could wax poetical on animals all day, and no one ever seemed inclined to stop her. “I think we must understand that the gods have hopes, dreams, and personalities too.”

Unaware of his other thoughts, she resumed humming, taking a red pencil and dashing a few lines across the page, and then filling it in with the more vivid hues.

and sings the tune without the words
and never stops at all

I can't control their fear, only my own.

Lena's validation of his rationales had him smiling in appreciation for her words. It helped to know that he wasn't wrong to feel this way. Not that he thought Lena would ever call him out for having specific emotions. She was too caring and understanding. His uncertainty dissipated into recognition of his own experiences and how they influenced his partiality for specific gods. As long as he didn't lose sight of that, he didn't think the gods would fault him. At least not all of them.

Zavien's relaxation led him to lay back against the stones, placing his hand behind to support his head. He enjoyed the solid sensation grounding him to the world as he admired the glittering rainbows that somehow managed to stretch even to the skies. When he raised the gem up, it blinded him with its green brilliance. With his mind still on the gods varied personalities, he asked Lena, "What is Frey like?" He knew the herald had given Lena much, but he didn't know what they were like other than what Talyson had told him. It would be interesting to see how her observations compared.

He also took a second to listen to the scratches of her pencils, curiosity prompting him to ask, "Do you often draw?"

Zavien