over and over again

M  A   E    A I talked to God to no avail Said, "If you won't save me, please don't waste my time." Maea allowed the touch, the aid, the consideration. There was not much of a choice in that. Even if she had objected, he was bigger and stronger than her, and obviously quite a bit faster. Truth be told, she didn't mind. There had been so little of all that in her life, and now... she needed it. Even if she admitted it only reluctantly. There was a stupid sort of pride to being independent and making her own way... pride that she couldn't afford at the moment. So she swallowed. Nodded. Bit back the urge to pester him for more specifics - was it days, weeks, months? - and focused instead on maintaining what little composure she had left. Paying more attention to Amun helped; the cockiness of his mannerism would have grated on her at any other time, but right now it was oddly reassuring. Confidence had it's charm, and when he all but shouted aloud with fists slapping against the chest that she could rely on him... then why the heck not. Go ahead, take charge. Take responsibility. "Thank you" she replied, and managed a weak smile. "But I don't think... it had anything to do with me. I've never... never even heard of something like this happening before. A year... I've been gone a whole year! No stamina in the world explains surviving that." As far as she knew, no gods were involved in it. Stray magic, then? Or... well. In the end it hardly mattered. Only that she was here, now, and that she'd been fortunate enough to land in a place where help had not been long in arriving. Remembering that he'd asked about the Spire, Maea thought back to the event, the time that to her seemed so much closer than it apparently was. A year? Felt more like weeks. "The Spire.... it was... bad. People died. In the end, it felt like we were all puppets on a string, dancing to the will of the Core all along. Or perhaps the Voice. I don't know... if it was right or wrong, in the end. But the barrier came down. Now... I don't know." She glanced up at Amun. "You tell me. What has changed since then? If we're in Halo now... how many other areas have been connected to the Hollow Grounds since I... disappeared?"

my whole life is mine, but whoever says so will deprive me,

for it is infinite.

Thankfully, Maea allowed Amun to slide a hand behind her back. He used it to gently press her forward. The stretch of the long road was visible in front of them, even through the occasional flurry that Halo always seemed to kick up at the most inopportune times.

Grinning, he shot her a wink. ”Or maybe you’re just being modest and selling yourself short, icy.” As she spoke of the Spire, however, his grin slipped away. He just nodded at her retelling. "I see." Although his eyes were bright, he kept his mouth shut.

For a long moment, he was silent in the face of her question. ”I think, perhaps, given the shock telling you how long you were gone, perhaps we should wait until you are warm and safe before I tell you more.” He smirked. "Besides, I am hardly know more than you do, icy."

by being moved I exert my empire,

making the dreams of night real

AMUN

M  A   E    A I talked to God to no avail Said, "If you won't save me, please don't waste my time." More shocking than finding out that she'd been timeslipped and dumped on the freezing tundra? That was hardly reassuring to hear, but Maea didn't argue. She was in no condition to waste energy, not inclined to risk having the only person around dump her to get lost for real on her lonesome. So she smiled on, nodded again, and kept her mind on placing one foot in front of the other. "So, where are you from if not from here?" she asked, once the silence grew too heavy. "The Hollow? Or... somewhere else?" It was becoming easier to speak. The rust faded from her vocal cords, a bit more with each word, until she began to recognize herself again. Soft, rather than ragged, quiet, as opposed to the forced loudness brought on by the wind and tumbling emotions. Not quite ready to sing an aria, yet... she was grateful for the little things.

my whole life is mine, but whoever says so will deprive me,

for it is infinite.

They finally reached the path proper, and Amun helped Maea step over the large drift of snow that had built up at its side before stepping over himself. Although he was pretty sure of the direction, he shaded his eyes and squinted into the distance. Nodding when he saw the marker, he turned to start walking along the slightly easier terrain.

Glancing at her, he dropped his hand from her back. "Somewhere else, though I suppose I hail from the Hollow now, as you call it." Tilting his head, he grinned a bit wickedly at her. "So when you're not getting lost in time and space, what do you like to do, icy?"

by being moved I exert my empire,

making the dreams of night real

AMUN

M  A   E    A I talked to God to no avail Said, "If you won't save me, please don't waste my time." Clambering over the snowdrift, Maea skidded down the other side and found herself standing on something that resembled a path. It wasn't easy to spot in the haze, not as the marker was all but drowned in snow and resembled nothing so much as another pile of snow in this whiteout. If she hadn't been alerted to it, she would never have found it on her own, and once again she had to thank luck - or whatever power that resided over her fortunes, good or bad - that Amun had found her when he did. Throwing a sidelong glance at him as he dodged her question, the young woman shrugged. "Fine, be secretive. I suppose that means you're an outsider? I'm not going to judge you for that, in case that's why you won't say." Managing herself better now, she nodded a thanks as he pulled away. Maea let Amun take the lead on the path onward, and rolled her eyes at the return question. He was none too shy about asking, but not too happy to answer questions himself? It was a game she would have been happy to play, but when seated. In a chair, before a roaring fire. With a cup of tea in hand. Or better yet, a plate of food. Right now? Well, talking staved off the boredom of plodding along, at least. She sighed. "I used to be a farmer" she said. "Lived with my brother, and his family, until..." She paused, swallowed a lump in the throat; that was a painful subject, and better left for another time. Maea went on; "Then the Lorekeepers invited me in. Now... I don't know. If I've been missing for a year, who knows if the farm is still standing? The others... probably think I'm dead." The thought was painful. To cause such anguish and worry for her friends as she had felt herself when her family died... it was not something she would have wished on anyone, let alone those who had been kind to her. "What were you doing out here, all on your own?"

my whole life is mine, but whoever says so will deprive me,

for it is infinite.

Amun grinned, not at all perturbed by Maea's comment. "Maybe as an Outlander I've realized that talking about the world I've come from is pointless. Plus I've seen how you Naturals treat outsiders, icy." Waggling his eyebrows at her, he walked around a slightly collapsed snow drift.

He glanced back at her as she began explaining her life. However, he couldn't help smirking at the mention of the Loreseekers. "Oh don't tell me you're one of those silly sages." His tone was gently teasing. "Nothing to do about it until you get back. I'm sure they'll be thrilled to see you alive and kicking."

Chuckling, he couldn't resist winking at her. "Asks the woman mysteriously wandering the snow drifts." Turning forward, he continued forging the way down the road. "Just seeing what's out there. And good thing I was, right?" His eyes scanned what little of the horizon he could see for threats.

by being moved I exert my empire,

making the dreams of night real

AMUN

M  A   E    A I talked to God to no avail Said, "If you won't save me, please don't waste my time." Fair enough, Maea knew the attitude as well. Foreigners, meddlers, pack up and leave, you... outsiders!  Well. Couldn't blame the Naturals for grumbling when their world was turned head over heels, but nor could she fault the newcomers for trying to make sense of a place they neither chose to enter nor could escape. "Not everyone is like that" she repeated, but didn't press him. Maybe he didn't want to tell her, which was fine... and what difference would it make? He would never see it again. Not if the information she had received was correct. Studying Amun from the corner of her eyes, Maea sucked on her teeth, wondering if she should tell him what he was. Ask if he knew, if anyone had figured it out yet. Surely they had, in all that time? But then... again, what difference would it make? Better wait until he too could sit down for that particular conversation. Instead she simply shrugged as he poked fun at her guild, choosing not to take offense at the jibe. "What can I say?" she replied. "I like books. And Jigano was kind to me when no one else was. It's not a bad thing, to spend your time studying the world. You never know what secrets one might drag up into the light... I'm sure there are things I know about that you don't. Aside from the way home, of course." This time it was her eyebrows that wiggled, in the first small sign of humor she had attempted thus far. Perhaps she was recovering from the shock... or the jester of a man simply lured out what buried cache of humor she had hidden so far.

my whole life is mine, but whoever says so will deprive me,

for it is infinite.

At Maea's comment, Amun turned to face her fully. For once his eyes had lost their luster. "Maybe. But they're not nearly as vocal as the ones who fear change just because it is different. Perhaps they're more afraid of what their fellow Naturals might think of them than of doing what they think is right." His tone was low.

Then all the seriousness was gone, and the grinning happy-go-lucky potter was back. He chuckled at her explanation. "I prefer seeing the world and everything it has to offer to studying it in musty old tomes." Winking, he turned back to the road, leading them down the path to the portal. Still, he had to give her an approving nod in response to her eyebrow wriggle.

by being moved I exert my empire,

making the dreams of night real

AMUN

M  A   E    A I talked to God to no avail Said, "If you won't save me, please don't waste my time." Well now. So there was some thought behind that foolishly cheerful facade. Interesting... Maea could find no reason to object to the accusation. Indeed, she felt the remark sting quite a bit, striking home more than she would have liked to admit. Because had she not been very quick to defend her own in other debates? She too had tried to stay mellow, instead of standing up to those of the Naturals who had been overtly vocal. Hadn't she suggested the middle road herself? The compromising route, the 'all hold hands and stay calm' path? Because it was what she preferred herself. Conflict was not in her nature, and to seek it out would be to question everything she believed. It was... not a lesson she was quite ready for yet. In her own opinon. "Keeping your head down has been a matter of survival for most of us" she reflected softly. "But you are right, of course. It's far easier to agree with the majority than to risk everything and stand up. Even when it is the right thing to do." She considered him, openly this time. Pale eyes took in everything, from his expression to the clothes he wore and the easy way he moved across the landscape, even in the snow and wind left behind by the receding storm. The cocky smile, as much a shield as any she had seen before, and the hands-on approach he seemed to prefer over books and learning. "I think... you're just braver than most people" she concluded, and smiled warmly. "It's a good thing too, or I would have been done for."

my whole life is mine, but whoever says so will deprive me,

for it is infinite.

Amun grinned at Maea’s quiet admission. ”I know I’m right.” Then his grin and his voice gained more than a bit of a wicked edge. ”Survival is all well and good. But the world is a different place, now, and there's no going back." Then he chuckled, the sound dark and low. "And sometimes the things in life worth having aren’t going to be easy, icy. That’s coming from me, the king of keeping his head down and taking the easy way out, so you better believe it.” He winked.

As she openly considered him, he raised his eyebrows. Then he appraised her right back, eyes roaming over her rags, her dress, her pale features and hair and eyes. Finally he turned fully forward, though a smirk appeared on his lips at her compliment. "Again, I think you're being modest. Fair warning, I'll be the first to tell you that I'm a coward, and you'll get laughed at in the Hollow if you call me brave." His voice was cheerfully bright.

by being moved I exert my empire,

making the dreams of night real

AMUN

M  A   E    A I talked to God to no avail Said, "If you won't save me, please don't waste my time." It was weird, being regarded so closely. The way he smirked as he turned his eyes away made her wonder what he had made of what he saw... but Maea didn't ask. Probably better not to know. She might not like the answer. "Perhaps. Or maybe you're the one being modest and selling yourself short, this time? Though I suppose you won't gain any favors from being seen around me either, so... your loss?" Maea shrugged as she smiled back. Though she was lost and tired, and further away from home than she had ever been, she found herself not at all sorry to be there in Amun's company. He was pleasant to be around, cheerful in a heartening way that made her troubles seem smaller, the kind she could shrug off and deal with some other time. Going home was still important, but until then... at least she would be in good hands.

my whole life is mine, but whoever says so will deprive me,

for it is infinite.

Amun grinned a bit mischievously at Maea's comment. "Nah, not modest. Bravery gets people killed. I prefer living, thank you very much" Chuckling, the sound dark and low, he shot her a wink.

Eyes glittering as she told him that she was bad news too, he glanced back at her. "Oh? Is that so, icy?" His grin turned into a smirk. "Good thing I like disreputable people then." Facing front once more, he continued to pick his way through the drifts, going around as necessary and breaking them down where possible.

"So what's your deep dark secret?" The potter's tone was perhaps a bit too casual given the question.

by being moved I exert my empire,

making the dreams of night real

AMUN

M  A   E    A I talked to God to no avail Said, "If you won't save me, please don't waste my time." She laughed at that. Now, she could have pointed out that bravery and stupidity was different things. That a brave man walked up to a stranger and offered to show the way home, while a fool would have tried to tell the stranger where home was and dragged them along without listening. But they were telling jokes now, so Maea kept the serious words to herself. It was far easier to play along. To grin back, spin a tale with just enough truth to be on the moral side of lying, and be prepared to shrug off any questions with the same ease as Amun did. "I invited Ludo to the Fiat Lux this... last.. year. Turns out they're a wonderful dancer" she offered. Laughter played in her eyes as she recalled the look on people's faces as she walked the festival with the spooky apparition hovering about. It had been wonderful; the best company she'd had in many years. She did not doubt Ludo had appreciated the festival far more than she usually did herself. "And you? What's your secret, Amun? Don't you dare try to dodge this one."

my whole life is mine, but whoever says so will deprive me,

for it is infinite.

Grinning in response to Maea's laughter, Amun tipped an imaginary hat at her. When she admitted her own reasons for being a pariah, the potter chuckled, though his eyes weren't entirely mirthful. "I'm sure you were the talk of the festival, icy. Not sure why you think people would still be or ever were upset about that." However, at that, he turned to face the front again, gazed trained on the road ahead. "Are you a devotee of Ludo, then?" His tone was casual.

Smirking, though she couldn't see it from behind, he shrugged. "Don't really have any. I'm new here, remember? Haven't nearly had time to accumulate secrets or scandals, more's the pity." Voice wickedly cheerful, he winked at her over his shoulder.

by being moved I exert my empire,

making the dreams of night real

AMUN