[SE] the portals of the night

"I think I know what we can use," Amhran had told Noah upon realising they were both searching for celestial-related materials that might please Safrin. And with that remark cast out like a fishing line, the willowy demigod had beckoned the Sentinel along with him through the streets of the Citadel, hurriedly turning his collar up against the morning chill. It isn't long before the familiar dome of the greenhouse comes into view, and as always, Amhran feels something within him settle to behold it. He smiles over his shoulder at Noah. "I'm sure we have a good collection of stargazer lilies in here, and they are in full bloom," he explains. "Do they seem like the sort of things Safrin would like, or consider... related to her stars?" The Raeling knows only the very basics about Deimos's patron, caring more for the earth than the skyward world above, but he's no less curious for it. amhran amhran

Noah

Don't the best of them bleed it out?
While the rest of them peter out

Noah had been making for the gates of the Citadel when the voice found him, light and certain, cutting through the early-morning hush. The words hooked to Sentinel, and before Noah could continue toward the tundra and its wide, white silence, he found himself falling into step beside the willowy demigod as they moved through the frosted streets.

The greenhouse rose ahead of them, its domed glass catching the dawn like a held breath. Noah felt the subtle shift in the air, warmth and life pressing softly against the cold. The attuned considered the question, gaze turning towards the plants as they pressed through the entrance. Flowers named for the heavens, reaching upward even in Halo’s harshness? They seemed fitting in his mind. He hadn't considered them before (mostly because he didn't know they existed), so they weren't on his list he had given to Marcus. "Do they reach for the sky, trying to grow toward her light? That’s probably right up her alley." His gaze slid back to the Raeling. "Marcus and a few others went out to search for moonshrooms."

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"They do," Amhran confirms with a smile, heading up to the doors of the greenhouse and pushing them open, holding them ajar for Noah to follow. They'll immediately be hit by the warmth and humidity within the dome, the smell of fresh soil and greenery, the sweetness of ripening fruit and herbs. "I mean, all plants do. But these can grow quite tall, depending on how they are cultivated. And the inside looks as if they are flecked with stars as well."  That should hopefully be celestial enough for the lady of the stars, he hopes, the Raeling spending a few moments peering through the rows and planters before he spots what he's after, beckoning for the Sentinel to follow. "I thought we could replant some into pots, and press a few of the petals as well?" he suggests. He's more a fan of living things, naturally, but there's no telling how the lilies will fare once they've left the safety of the greenhouse. amhran amhran

Noah

Don't the best of them bleed it out?
While the rest of them peter out

Noah stepped inside after him, the doors closing softly at his back, and paused despite himself. The warmth hit like a slow exhale, curling around his shoulders and easing the tension he almost always held between his shoulder blades. He had been here hundreds and hundred of times from its inception and raising, yet each time he found himself looking through the rows of verdant color with awe.

Noah made a humming noise of interest and attention as Amhran spoke, following the Raeling to where he led to the plants. Up close, the petals really did catch the light beautifully, pale specks scattered through them like a muted night sky. The Sentinel lifted his eyebrows as Amhran made his suggestions, a bouncy set of nods following. "I think that's great." Noah couldn't see any reason that idea wouldn't work, so he was ready and happy to execute it with the young man. 

Shedding his jacket to better acclimate to the interior of the greenhouse (and later prepare himself for going back out in the Citadel's cold), Noah took it to a shelf. He set it down, and then started his task. He searched for empty pots, shuffling through items on the shelves until he found what he was looking for. "Are these deep enough?" He asked, holding them up for the man to inspect. Noah was better with ice and frost, and wasn't sure how deep the roots went for these lillies.

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Feeling his shoulders relax to hear that the stargazers will be a suitable celestial offering, Amhran smiles cheerfully over his shoulder to Noah and follows the other man's lead in unbuttoning his jacket. He hooks it and his scarf and mittens onto a nearby rack before returning to the lilies, already sinking readily to his knees to inspect the flowers. By the time the Sentinel returns, in fact, he's already donned a pair of gloves and has delicately clipped away a lily or two that doesn't seem as if it's doing so well. Perfect for petal pressing, he thinks.  "Oh, I think those should work fine," he says upon turning to inspect the pots, nodding approvingly. "We'll put one plant per pot to make sure they don't overcrowd, and that way they should also have enough room to grow and acclimatise," he says, putting the deadheaded flowers carefully aside and rising to his feet. "There is a trowel there if you want to start unearthing them. I will go and get some more potting soil." amhran amhran

Noah

Don't the best of them bleed it out?
While the rest of them peter out

Noah nodded once at Amhran's approval, the hunter moved back towards the area where the lillies were, setting the pots down in a neat row.  He spotted the trowel where Amhran had indicated and picked it up, turning it once in his hand like he might a knife.

Then, stepping up to the tabe, the Sentinel eased the blade into the soil well outside the stem. He worked slowly, careful not to lever too hard, loosening the earth instead of tearing through it. The greenhouse soil behaved nothing like frozen ground; it gave way easily, rich and dark, releasing a damp, living scent. He knew he could easily catch the roots of the plant and it wouldn't surive the transfer, so he was careful. 

He set the trowel aside and used his hands to widen the gap, lifting the root cluster with both palms. "Huh, he breathed. Mostly intact. Cradling it, he transferred the lily to one of the waiting pots, then worked on the next until Amhran returned.

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Amhran isn't long, the Raeling moving through the greenhouse as though he lives there - which isn't untrue he supposes. He had been 'born' in the Ignatius greenhouse after all, and this heart of the Citadel's agriculture is where he likes to spend a good deal of his time. By the time he returns with the burlap sack of potting soil, Noah has already successfully unearthed one of the lilies, and he smiles his fresh approval. "That looks good," he tells him. "Have you worked with plants much before?" As they chat he moves to scoop some soil into the pots, filling each halfway (and carefully adjusting the lily Noah has already freed from its bed) before making a small hole with his hand. For this first lily - and with all the others to come - he replants it with delicate care, ensuring the roots are adequately covered and that it is embedded deeply enough to stand alone, before adding more soil and firmly but gently pressing it down. "It isn't unusual for them to look as if they are wilting for a few days after replanting. It's the shock of it - but usually they perk right back up." Just in case Noah is worried that their contributions to the quest might be dying off. amhran amhran

Noah

Don't the best of them bleed it out?
While the rest of them peter out

Noah laughed a bit at the question, already reaching for the next lily to free from its bed. "Only the part where they end up on a plate." he admitted. "Tracking which berries won’t kill you. Figuring out which roots store well through Deepfrost. That kind of expertise." He worked the trowel back into the soil, motions steadier now that he’d found the feel for it. "Most of what I know about plants is survival math. Calories in, poison out." The Sentinel glanced up, giving a little shrug but not unkind. 

He watched Amhran’s hands as he replanted the first lily—careful, precise, almost reverent. It reminded him of setting a splint or packing a wound, the same quiet intention behind each movement.
Amhran seemed to know how to keep the plants happy, and Noah wan't surprised the Raeling held such a skill. "Good to know." he added, nodding at the warning about wilting. "I would’ve assumed I killed it." He guided the next root cluster into its pot, steadying the stem while he pulled soil in around it. "Guess a little shock makes sense." he inferred.

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"Ah, arguably the most important part," Amhran agrees with a gentle laugh. "Everything else is rather a nice to have when you consider how important it is to know what will and won't harm you. Lilies can be toxic, for example. Lethal to some animals, but even for us, they can make us sick." Not that he'd want to put such a beautiful flower into his mouth - and if he thinks about it, the flecks within the petals that look like stars do also sort of scream warning, too. Replanting another of the flowers with soil dirtying his gloves and a smear of it on his cheek, Amhran is nevertheless in his element, as Noah has rightly surmised. "It's a bit like us when we go somewhere new, right?" he says of the shock to the plants. "It takes a bit of time for us to get our bearings, know where we're going and where we're comfortable." amhran amhran

Noah

Don't the best of them bleed it out?
While the rest of them peter out

Noah agreed, looking again at the speckled petals. "Pretty doesn’t mean harmless. Learned that one early." His tone was easy, but certain, with the kind of lessons earned outdoors rather than from books. He brushed loose soil from the rim of a pot with his thumb and reached for the next plant.

He worked in a steady rhythm now: loosen, lift, check the roots, transfer. Each lily made the journey from bed to pot with less hesitation than the last. His big hands stayed careful despite their size, packing soil in gradually, pressing it down just enough to support without suffocating.

"New ground, new rules." he said, nodding at Amhran’s comparison. The last lily settled into place, and Noah added the final scoop of soil, tamping it gently. He straightened, rolling his shoulders, and surveyed the neat line of potted stargazers, pale blooms open and reaching even beneath glass towards Safrin's sky.

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"An important lesson," Amhran agrees with a light chuckle as he continues to add fresh potting soil to the transplanted lilies. "Especially in a place like Halo." The snow and ice are gorgeous, particularly on sunny Longheat days (much like this one), but the cold is forever deceiving; it has bitten the Raeling a few times in his naivete, but he's proud to say he's learned better since then. The last lily reaches its new home and, almost subconsciously, Amhran straightens beside Noah, a quietly satisfied smile on his face. "These are looking good," he determines, departing for a brief, few steps to grab a nearby watering can. "I'll give them a drink, and then I think they are ready for wherever they're needed next." So saying, he reaches over the pots with the can and lets a steady sprinkle of water soak into the fresh soil, which drinks it up greedily. "Thanks for your help with all of this." amhran amhran

Noah

Don't the best of them bleed it out?
While the rest of them peter out

Noah nodded, a deep sound of agreement rumbling from his chest up his throat. "Halo teaches fast." he said. "Usually the hard way." He turned his glacier eyes sidelong towards Amhran, wondering how the Raeling would take such a thought. He knew Deimos had kept the demigod under the safety of his wings. While his own father was protective in his own way, there was a stark difference to how Amhran was raised versus how Noah had been.

At Amhran’s thanks, he waved a gloved hand it off. "Happy to help. This was better than what I had in mind, anyway." Amhran's thorough knowledge of what grew in the greenhouse kept him from searching for moon and star touched things on the white and endless tundra. "Do you still want to press some of the petals?"

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"Mm, I have heard as much. I think I have been quite lucky in that respect," Amhran admits freely. He's learned enough about the region and has understood his own upbringing enough to appreciate the privilege of even such things as warmth and safety - and even then, he'd had a few lessons of his own to learn in that regard. "Halo might have been a harsh teacher otherwise, especially since I was born in a greenhouse." Not as grand as this, but to this day he adores Evie's little greenhouse and its quiet sanctity. "Oh, I'm sure you would have ended up with something that would please Safrin either way," he says, smiling and tugging off his gardening gloves now that they are finished. "I do want to press the petals, but I think I will need some paper towel and a heavy book, so it might have to wait until I'm home." There is a shortage of at least one of those things here, he imagines. "Will the planted lilies do for now?" amhran amhran

Noah

Don't the best of them bleed it out?
While the rest of them peter out

Noah gave an easy nod, glancing back over the row of potted lilies as if confirming it for himself as much as for Amhran. "They’ll do." He said. More than do, he thought. The lillies were alive, reaching, twinkling with all the brilliance of the herald herself.

"We can press petals later, if we want to." he continued, unconcerned. "No rush if the main offering’s ready. Sometimes simple and sincere lands better anyway. Thanks again for the idea," he added, a genuine smile breaking over his face. "Saved me a long walk and probably a lot of digging."

With that, Noah reached for the nearest pot, and worked with Amhran to place the lillies somewhere safe until it was time to take them to Safrin. He brushed the last of the soil from his hands, retrieving his jacket from the shelf and shrugging it back on, then with a departing wave and salutations to the Raeling, the hunter headed back into the cold of Halo proper.

FIN

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