She looked up at Jigano, and actually looked, as if it was the first time. Truthfully, it might as well have been. For the better part of the time she'd known him, the Sage had been little more than a blur of colors in her eyes, a tall shape of whites and greens and a hint of golden brown where face and hands showed. It was sometimes very easy to forget about Ludo's most precious gift, because she'd gotten used to it so quickly. But now, realizing that she could actually see the face of her friend? She thanked the dark herald all over again, and gave Jigano a wide grin in response.
"It's a mystery even to me" she confessed, but didn't stop smiling - even the strange topic of her whereabouts couldn't put a damper on the joy she felt in that moment. "You know I was sick for a while, when my... project ran out in the sand? It seemed to get better after, but after a time the fevers got worse again. I was probably rather delirious. Saw things, heard voices... for a moment I swear I talked to Noah. My brother. Then I remember walking in the Greatwoods, and being caught in a storm. It felt like I was walking for days. Then, all of a sudden the storm cleared and I was standing in snow. Out on the tundra, in Halo. I was found there, and they told me it'd been a lot more than a few days since... since I left home."
The grin faltered a bit. She'd only just been at the farm, and found it left abandoned. Empty, open to the wind and rain, damaged beyond repair. And here, on the festival grounds... She looked away, gaze sweeping over the ground, the shambled remnants of what should have been the happiest of celebrations. Something red caught her eye and Maea quickly looked away. Didn't want to see. Didn't want to know, not just yet, what it was.
"It's... a bit confusing" she admitted. Returning her focus to Jigano was a relief, a safe place to rest her eyes. Even if he did look tired, and worn. Exhausted, actually. The girl frowned and reached for one of his hands - if touching still was allowed, she wasn't sure.
"Are you alright?"
"It's a mystery even to me" she confessed, but didn't stop smiling - even the strange topic of her whereabouts couldn't put a damper on the joy she felt in that moment. "You know I was sick for a while, when my... project ran out in the sand? It seemed to get better after, but after a time the fevers got worse again. I was probably rather delirious. Saw things, heard voices... for a moment I swear I talked to Noah. My brother. Then I remember walking in the Greatwoods, and being caught in a storm. It felt like I was walking for days. Then, all of a sudden the storm cleared and I was standing in snow. Out on the tundra, in Halo. I was found there, and they told me it'd been a lot more than a few days since... since I left home."
The grin faltered a bit. She'd only just been at the farm, and found it left abandoned. Empty, open to the wind and rain, damaged beyond repair. And here, on the festival grounds... She looked away, gaze sweeping over the ground, the shambled remnants of what should have been the happiest of celebrations. Something red caught her eye and Maea quickly looked away. Didn't want to see. Didn't want to know, not just yet, what it was.
"It's... a bit confusing" she admitted. Returning her focus to Jigano was a relief, a safe place to rest her eyes. Even if he did look tired, and worn. Exhausted, actually. The girl frowned and reached for one of his hands - if touching still was allowed, she wasn't sure.
"Are you alright?"
