[SE] good things come

the harder the rain, honey, the sweeter the sun

"Thank you for coming out here with me," Amhran is saying, wiping the sweat from his brow as they head through The Climb towards the place he's heard is called Frey's Breath. It feels strange to be out of his furs and layers given that Halo is still relatively close by, but with the new magic awakening in his veins, he feels as though he ought to use it where it is intended. And for Rae's Lilies, that appears to be here.

Forced to duck beneath a rocky outcrop thanks to his height, the raeling wafts some steam from his face and blinks at the hotsprings as they come into view. "Ah," he says. "I understand the name now." Smiling over his shoulder to Deimos, he gestures further into the springs. "Perhaps I should plant it where it is less likely to be trampled by visitors?" he suggests.

Deimos “You are welcome,” he nodded in response; entirely unbothered with roaming into Frey’s Breath again. This place held multiple distinctions in the Sword’s mind; and its current hub as the only area to find Rae’s Lilies was enough of a motivation – escorting Amhran into its depths was another. Protective and guarded, his eyes flickered around the area, pinpointing different locations, where the ground had been worn smooth due to recent, and likely increased, comings and goings. Tossing his hair back into a hasty bun, and all the more understanding of Amhran’s role, he paused, before intentionally steering their traversings away from a large group nearby. Also ducking under the same outcrop, he nodded at the insinuations. “That would be wise.” Jutting his jawline towards an area in the back that seemed less crowded at the moment, his long strides started meandering in that direction. “Want to try over here?” Pondering over the circumstances, especially in the array of the demigod’s incantations, he extended his inquiries. “Do you need any specific soil?” Out of sight and out of mind Make everything alright So let the sky and sea collide Just not in our lifetime

the harder the rain, honey, the sweeter the sun

Not having added doing his hair to his meagre list of skills just yet, Amhran's messy locks remain about his shoulders, through he brushes them back from his face as he follows Deimos further into the hotsprings, shifting the bag he holds to his other hand. "That looks like as good an area as any," he confirms with a nod, wandering in the Sword's wake until they reach the secluded spot that might make a good nursery for his new magic.

"I do not think so, but I have brought some from the greenhouse just in case," he says, kneeling down and removing a package of said soil from the bag, as well as a few plant pots. (Just in case he sees a specimen worth taking home, you understand). The warm stone seems rather unforgiving for something as pure as Rae's Lily to grow, but Amhran easily finds a fissure large enough to begin, carefully packing it with soil.

"I learned a game with plant pots recently," he says conversationally.

Deimos With the confirmation, Deimos stood as guard while Amhran kneeled, removing said soil. He quickly grinned; half-amused at any number of things, eyes flickering upwards, ghosting and gazing about at the surroundings. Narrowed at some points, the notions had simply been to spy upon anything flower-like – hoping to catch a glimpse of petals nestled elsewhere, hidden in the further reaches, tucked away but not forgotten. One more would be all that was necessary for the Greatwood…and thereafter would remain to be seen. Only when the demigod had taken out plant pots, and mentioned a diversion as well, did his full focus return to the younger man; head tilting in that canine and feline way all at once. His juvenile smile remained, eternally hastened by the prospects of challenges and distractions, pondering if this was something Evie had taught or he’d learned himself. “What is the game?” Out of sight and out of mind Make everything alright So let the sky and sea collide Just not in our lifetime

the harder the rain, honey, the sweeter the sun

Using a long finger to gently divet the soil he's packed into the fissure, Amhran sits back and examines the plot, considering it for a few moments before nodding. "I think this will work," he says, clasping his dirty hands together as if cupping something within them, and closing his eyes. An inner light flares between his fingers a moment later, and when he opens his palms, a perfect little seed sits within them. "Good luck," he tells the would-be lily, dropping it into the soil and covering it over, patting it down.

With that done, he tips his head back to smile up at Deimos. "Some children in the greenhouse taught me," he says. "I put a stone or something similar under one of the pots, move them around, and you have to guess which one it is in." As if to demonstrate, Amhran separates three plant pots and turns them upside down, tucks a little pebble beneath one, and begins to move them in slow circles. "Ludo quite likes games, doesn't it? I think I heard that from someone."

Deimos The Warden took his eyes off the surroundings, for a moment, to witness Amhran’s magic unfurl. Demigods always seemed to hold a unique edge from their promised patrons and heralds, and so his curiosity remained, brow arching as the infusion of light emanated along dark stone and snagged soil. Well wishes made him smile though, adjusting his gaze thereafter to glance over the scenery again; content to see the rest of the springs’ occupants remained ensconced where they’d left them. “And it will take a year?” An inquiry to ensure he understood the parameters, and marking it down in his mind. The game though caused a small, low rumble of laughter, shaking his head. A common amusement, that perhaps he should’ve predicted. “That can be tricky,” especially if one’s attention wandered, or they had somewhat of a jester doing the movements. His eyes followed and tracked the motions though, coming down from his great height to crouch nearby, always beheld by any sort of competition, ridiculous or not. “It does. We once had a massive game of hide and seek.” Rampaging across the beach – and not doing well at catching the indistinct or overt instances of the god. After watching Amhran move them for a time, the Sword touched the middle plant pot. “That one.” Out of sight and out of mind Make everything alright So let the sky and sea collide Just not in our lifetime

the harder the rain, honey, the sweeter the sun

"I believe so, yes," Amhran says of the planted lily, smiling at it over his shoulder where it sits beneath the innocuous patch of dirt. "I have a feeling as my power grows, I may be able to plant more seeds, or it will not take as long." But only time will tell on that front. For now they have one lily guaranteed, even if it will take a while to come to fruition.

And with that done, the raeling turns his attention back to the game at hand. Amhran is no jester, but he has played enough with the children that his long fingers are fluid in their movements, even if the rough stone makes things slightly more difficult. "Hide and seek with a god?" He grins - it sounds so different to their offerings to Frey and the somewhat serious nature of that visit to the shrine. "Was it fun? I have heard Ludo can be quite tricky itself."

Sitting back for Deimos to select the plant pot, even Amhran has forgotten which one he had hidden the stone beneath (as the Sword predicted of those who often play such games), and as he lifts it, revealing the pebble, it's with a bright smile of surprise. "You are very good at this!"

Deimos He gave half a smile, intending to be encouraging at the prospects of strength and fortitude, nodding along. The offer had always been there in support and assistance with any of it; and some of it would likely solely have to be up to Amhran. The guarantee for the future was enough to settle him for now – gaze going back and forth along the walls of the cavern, hoping to another lily they wouldn’t have to wait for. “We only need one more for the Greatwood,” he uttered with a shrug; the other options always being a fight to reclaim it, or a regional exploit from one of the Big Gods. The game kept him occupied too, though the answering grin from the young demigod prompted a laugh. “It was amusing, yes, and very difficult.” Chasing after rags and illusions; but mostly everyone had kept their spirits up in the wake of diverting chaos, rather than bedlam and strife. Maintaining his crouch for the other ensuing entertainment, and thus studying the prospects of the moving plant pots, he was still surprised to find his guess had been exactly it. “Strong observation skills,” he quipped with a wink and a wrinkle of his nose, pretending it had been those insinuations rather than mere fortune and happenstance. “Your turn.” Motioning the pebble underneath a different pot, Deimos began to rotate them through – maneuvering them in a variety of directions until ultimately stopping after six or so revolutions. Out of sight and out of mind Make everything alright So let the sky and sea collide Just not in our lifetime

the harder the rain, honey, the sweeter the sun

"That's good news," Amhran says of the Greatwood, his excitement near palpable as he smiles down at their plant pot game. "I have heard a lot about it. I would quite like to visit, when it's safe to go there again." Unsurprising, really, given his very nature. All the better if they might open the path back into the region without bloodshed, but then Amhran is in no position to decide on such matters yet either way. For now, it's seeds and pots.

Tilting his head and seeming warmed by the tale of the trickster deity causing amusement rather than fear, Amhran settles further on the ground to get comfortable. "Perhaps we might see it again this season. Leafchange is supposed to be a favourite time for it, or so I've heard." Not that he imagines Ludo would be so boring as to play hide and seek a second time, but another game, maybe?

Speaking of which, whilst Amhran is surprised to see Deimos taking over, he's more than happy to participate, soil-soft eyes watching as keenly as they can as the pebble is hidden and manoeuvred about. "That one," he decides when they finally come to a halt, pointing to the leftmost plant pot.

Deimos He could imagine Amhran enjoying the Greatwood too – with labyrinthine multitudes of forests, plants, and rivers to explore. “It is nice,” he mentioned – always a little biased towards the snow-covered range of his home, but capable of acknowledging favored portions and places he visited. “Especially the Stonesong.” Rushing rivers and gallivanting turns, twists of enigmatic degrees; not a wholly unpleasant place to be lost within. That it had been consumed by the void was another irritation, but hopefully one soon nullified. He couldn’t tell if the demigod was hoping to see Ludo or not, but his brow quirked and his grin matched amusement just the same, moving the pots around before ultimately stopping them. “There is always the Festival of Lights too.” The herald usually showed up to choose from those clustered amidst their lanterns, himself included, hoping to see their friends and family again. A bittersweet proportion. Once Amhran chose though, he lifted the pot of the leftmost to find the pebble contained. A much more juvenile pose struck his grin, a softening of all those chiseled lines of scars and wars. “Well done.” Perhaps both of them were fortunate and observant. Then he passed the pots and rock back over to the youth, implying another round. Out of sight and out of mind Make everything alright So let the sky and sea collide Just not in our lifetime

the harder the rain, honey, the sweeter the sun

"The river, right?" he says of the Stone Symphony, smiling at the idea of its music and what it might be like to sit along its banks for an afternoon. Perhaps soon he might be able to do more than simply imagine it; for now, though, Frey's Breath is lovely enough, if not as fiendishly hot and humid as Halo is cold. 

"I read about the festival - it sounds like a wonderful way to honour those who have passed on." Not that Amhran has anyone to honour, not with his limited time on Caido and with his mind still unfurling like a blossoming flower. "Do you think I can still attend, even if I don't have a lantern to bring?"

Amhran is more surprised than anything to find that he has selected the right plant pot, expression lighting up to discover as much. "I am getting better at this. I couldn't find the pebble at all at first," he says, a hint of pride in his voice as he gathers the pots, moving them more fluidly this time to give Deimos a chance to prove his observation skills.

Deimos Deimos nodded in response; figuring at one point or another Amhran would be able to see it for himself. The festival of lights seemed to pique more intrigue though, and he tore his gaze away from the pebbles and pots to arch his brow back at the demigod – wondering if he thought himself unwelcome. “Of course,” he uttered without pause. “You can come with us.” They certainly had enough lanterns between all of them; the infant not included. If anything, it would be nice for him to experience a gathering of multitudes, rather than their miniature ones scattered amidst Halo, and not surrounding something overbearing like politics or flashing magic at an orb. The Sword kept his laugh in check at the youth’s expression of surprise – and hoping his own measures hadn’t been a fluke either. Narrowing his gaze, he attempted to follow the line of movements again as the pots rotated through over and over, before finally selecting the one in the middle. “That one.” Out of sight and out of mind Make everything alright So let the sky and sea collide Just not in our lifetime

the harder the rain, honey, the sweeter the sun

"I would like that a lot," Amhran says with a warm smile, a look of relief flickering across his face. Curious as he is about everything Caido has to offer, festivals and customs included, of course the demigod is too polite to stray where he's not needed or wanted. And it had been a difficult feeling to wrangle, to simultaneously hope to one day attend the Festival of Lights but also never want a cause to do so.

With the matter settled, though, he turns his attention back to their game, doing his best to keep his movements quick and fluid as he manoeuvres the plant pots. When he finally pauses and Deimos makes his selection, this time Amhran sneakily tips the middle pot up to peek underneath, and it's with an exaggerated shake of his head (his poker face is terrible and he'll never be a liar) that he smirks at Deimos. "Not that one, sorry," he says, before immediately revealing the pebble that, indeed, lays beneath the middle pot.

"I think I will end on a high, though. I will probably get it wrong if I try again." He chuckles.

Deimos To the Sword, no one needed to experience the hardships of death, their friends and family perishing, to participate in the Festival of Lights. If Amhran gained anything at all, it would be knowledge and understanding – of how even the most searing of wounds could be abated for a few snippets of time. So he nodded at the demigod’s agreement, keeping it in the back of his mind for the later portion of the seasons. Momentarily surprised (a brief widening of his eyes, before reality hit) by the demigod’s trickery, he snorted, permitting a laugh to filter through at the mild deceit. “That is all right. We can clean up and head out.” He shook his head, amused, as they collected their things. With the planting completed, they’d be able to return to this exact spot in a year’s time; with hopefully a lily rising from the ground. [FIN] Out of sight and out of mind Make everything alright So let the sky and sea collide Just not in our lifetime