Oh, you say you have to fall apart to really be someone
From Halo, she assumed he was about to say. A person who had left his place of birth, then, and still tried adjust and reinvent himself. If things had gone differently they might have met earlier; if Maea had stayed in Halo, if she hadn't died, if...If never solved anything. A slow sigh escaped her without a sound, and her horned head dipped in quiet acknowledgement. "Well met," came the subdued reply. It certainly had been well, until ghosts twisted the narrative and Maea spoke too much.
Boreal's weight pressing into her legs gave the Ancient some solidity to focus on. The pleading eyes lured out a faint smile and she obliged the dragon with scratches around the horns, tickled by the newfound appreciation of just how good it felt. Not that she would put her own head in anyones reach any time soon, but... The thought had occurred a few times.
"No problem. I hope you didn't scratch yourself too badly. If you want to, I could look at it..?" Dragging air deep into her lungs, Maea made a concerted effort of shrugging off the gloom, and returned her focus to the task at hand. Unstopping the waterskin had water spilling over into the hole, dampening the soil. About half of the contents she set aside for later. Kneeling by the upturned earth she waited for Tal to put the rose down, ready to help push the sod and clay back around the roots, and pack it in. Not too tightly, just enough to hold the plant securely.
"Can I tell you one more thing?" Still not quite looking at the courier, Maea sat back on her heels, elbows resting on her knees as she gently prodded a swelling rose bud. "I don't think I make a very good Ancient. Care too much about... many things. But it's better than being Ascended."
Boreal's weight pressing into her legs gave the Ancient some solidity to focus on. The pleading eyes lured out a faint smile and she obliged the dragon with scratches around the horns, tickled by the newfound appreciation of just how good it felt. Not that she would put her own head in anyones reach any time soon, but... The thought had occurred a few times.
"No problem. I hope you didn't scratch yourself too badly. If you want to, I could look at it..?" Dragging air deep into her lungs, Maea made a concerted effort of shrugging off the gloom, and returned her focus to the task at hand. Unstopping the waterskin had water spilling over into the hole, dampening the soil. About half of the contents she set aside for later. Kneeling by the upturned earth she waited for Tal to put the rose down, ready to help push the sod and clay back around the roots, and pack it in. Not too tightly, just enough to hold the plant securely.
"Can I tell you one more thing?" Still not quite looking at the courier, Maea sat back on her heels, elbows resting on her knees as she gently prodded a swelling rose bud. "I don't think I make a very good Ancient. Care too much about... many things. But it's better than being Ascended."
