[SE] and I will sing no more

Maea

And time it waits for no one
It heals them when you die

Exchanging the warm sun and blue sea of Torchline for the snowcovered mountains and plains of Halo was always jarring. It took a little adjustment to get used to the biting winds and the drifting snow. To how pale the light was. How colorless the world seemed.

It felt even more gray than usual this time. Maea felt as though she had left all the colors behind her in a tropical paradise, in the hands of a man she didn't know when she would see next. Their parting had been bittersweet. Not so much a farewell, because they would see each other again. Not was it quite a goodbye, because... none of them really wanted to be apart. So what she had been left with was a vague 'until next time' and the taste of their last kiss on her tongue, and as she slowly made her way along the road from the Fangs to the Citadel, Maea couldn't stop thinking.

She was dragging her feet. Knew she should hurry; a storm was brewing overhead, and even she would have trouble making it if caught in a blizzard. Yet every step felt like her feet was weighed down by led, and she hugged the ragged black shawl close to her face. Breathing in deeply, as she imagined she could still smell Sunjata there within the pitch-dark folds.

Shii was still and silent where it perched in the crook of her neck; its blue glow was subdued. Almost pensive. An unusual mood for the self-centered little wisp, but the question she sent down the bond was met with the equivalent of a mental shrug.  

None of them knew what to say.

And soon you are forgotten
A whisper within a sigh

OLIVER

Bundled to the brim with clothes, Oliver's mind wandered as his feet crunched the snow beneath them. While he knew that many people in Halo had no care for art, he still wanted to try his best, which is why he brought along some pouches that he had decorated with paint and other details. They were big enough to hold three apples, but clearly not large enough to serve a major purpose. The small bags were placed within his large travel bag. Hopefully people would be willing to at least trade him something, his main goal to acquire some things he couldn't normally get: possibly something to test for pigments or hopefully help him do art better.

Taking a few steps forward, he saw a girl with hair that matched the snow and...some sort of thing with her. He had learned that if someone was with an unknown creature, it was their companion, no mater how strange the thing may seem to be. Seeing as he had already most likely caught her attention, he walked up to her. "Hello...would you mind helping me out for a moment?" His voice was soft, but a small bit hoarse due to the dry air around him.

Isn't it amazing

How we can never tell

Who is in an identical hell

Maea

And time it waits for no one
It heals them when you die

A figure appeared on the horizon, and grew steadily larger. Travelers were scarce out here but not unheard of, and Maea would have been content to let them pass her by without acknowledgement. Small talk was something she avoided even in the best of times, and right now...

But no such luck. The figure turned out to be a young man, or possibly a boy, young looking and not at all as tall as the men she usually was surrounded by. He caught her attention rather politely, and for that alone Maea paused, and looked at him.

"Possibly... depends on what you need," she said. Her voice was quiet, a little rough too, but more like she had been crying a lot, or perhaps screaming... or both, if her red eyes was any indication.

And soon you are forgotten
A whisper within a sigh

OLIVER

The moment he gets up close to her, he notices something is off. Not off in a sense that she is rude or bad or malicious, more like there is an emotional imbalance going on. He isn't sure what it is, but it isn't a pleasant feeling to experience. So much so that his eyebrows furrow and if she were attuned, he most likely would've been projecting far too much.

What he received as a response was vague, but seeing as she didn't seem to be doing alright, he was going to work with it. "I have somethings I want to trade...would you like to see? They're little bags used for carrying stuff, but they're fancy. I decorated them so that they're unique and you know...colorful." He offered her a faint smile, attempting to use his awkwardness to boost the mood a small bit. Maybe she found joy in seeing a loser talk.

Isn't it amazing

How we can never tell

Who is in an identical hell

Maea

And time it waits for no one
It heals them when you die

Her head tilted slightly, eyes narrowing, then widened again as she took him in. It was a curiously feline gesture, catlike and curious, but rather cautious too. Sensing a fluctuation in her mood, the will-o-wisp rose from its nest on her shoulder and floated soundlessly towards the young man, its small light bluish and pulsing, somehow managing to convey interest, for all that there were no arms or legs, hands or even eyes. Only a ball of fluttering light, no bigger than a fist.

"I see. I suppose... if you have them with you, I could have a look at least." A peddler, then? Or perhaps an artisan looking to hawk his wares. Sample interest, or spread goods to get more bidders. Either way, her thoughts went to Amun, to his pottery and the effort he put into his work. If this boy was half as diligent, it might be worth the time.

"Fair warning though, I'm not carrying much in the way of trade goods," she told him. "I might not be able to meet your price, even if I am interested." Not something she would usually admit, in case haggling would take place, but... Maea wasn't really in the mood for longwinded purchases anyway.

And soon you are forgotten
A whisper within a sigh

OLIVER

His eyes wandered away from the girl ever so slightly, watching as the blue orb approached him slowly. Never had he seen something quite like it. The creature er- light thing reminded him much of the spirit he had once seen. What was this? It felt rude to ask and it would also make him seem uneducated, something he knew not to let slip. Oliver had learned that those who seemed the most innocent or kind were often the most likely to manipulate, thus meaning he should not put any trust into this girl until he knew she was safe. His track record of meeting people from the foreign lands hadn't exactly been the greatest, only one was a positive interactions.

Once more, he turned to look at the girl. The last time he offered his goods, he got into a fight with another person, but she didn't seem like she could hurt him as she was clearly even smaller than him. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out one of the small sacks and held it in his palms, showing off the artwork. "I've started to try and decorate bags... since it's a nice feeling to have your own, personalized bag. Makes you feel like you have something special. You know?" It was still just as useful, it just was a tad bit more colorful than normal.

"If you'd like, I'd be willing to trade a lot of stuff. Honestly, I'm mostly looking for things I cant find in the Hollowed Grounds, so if you have any spices or pigments or really anything special to Halo, I'd be willing to possibly barter." He offered her a faint smile, trying to show that he wasn't going to be stuck up or hard about this. Really, he'd willingly take almost anything she offered, especially when she could always spread good word of his products. Maybe if one person saw the bag and admired it, they'd come to him for even more.

Isn't it amazing

How we can never tell

Who is in an identical hell

Maea

And time it waits for no one
It heals them when you die

Perhaps one day Oliver would come to realize that size had nothing to do with the threat level of a person. Luckily for him, Maea wasn't one to pick fights with people she didn't know, and had been given no reason so far to be angry with the youth.

She leaned in to take a closer look at the artwork on the bags. They seemed small and utilitarian in nature, something to carry even smaller items in. Fit for simple errands, quick purchases, or merely to keep things organized.

"They are quite nice," she admitted. "You have some skill." Pursing her lips, she picked one of the bags and took it, to turn it over in her hands and have a closer look.

"Unfortunately for you, I've just come back from Torchline. I do have some seeds from a flower I found there, if that might be of interest..?" Maea looked up, to see how he might take this. Shii came floating back to hover over her shoulder, casting additional light over the merchandise.

And soon you are forgotten
A whisper within a sigh

OLIVER

His eyes watched her with intense searching eyes as she examined his work. While she clearly didn't have anything all that great on her, Oliver was always willing to barter for more unique things. After all, materials would only go so far.

She showed this to him by explaining that she, unfortunately, didn't have anything to really trade despite finding his work to be pretty great. That much earned a smile and a hint of blush on his cheeks as he filled with pride. Wow. Someone from Halo actually thought he did something great? He'd certainly have to remember that for a while.

"Unfortunately, I do have enough from Torchline... but I would be willing to trade something other than materials." No, Oliver wasn't about to do that but he did have something else in mind. "Would you be willing to give me a tour of Halo? That much should be worthy of you receiving a bag, at least in my eyes. I haven't gotten the chance to really explore and it only seems fit that someone who lives here give me a proper tour." His eyebrows raise as he waits, hoping that she'd be willing to take up his offer.

Isn't it amazing

How we can never tell

Who is in an identical hell

Maea

And time it waits for no one
It heals them when you die

He wasn't interested in her seeds, and honestly, Maea was quite relieved at that. She wanted to keep them for herself, to try and grow them. See if she could make the vines grow here in Halo, in a pot perhaps... so that she could keep those pretty purple flowers that had grown around the house she'd almost called home.

His counter was certainly interesting enough. A bag for a tour? He seemed to think she was a natural born Halovian, which amused her slightly. Maea considered it, biting the inside of her cheek as she looked the young man over. Trying to assess the potential threat he might be, whether she could put up with the company of anyone for any extended time.

"Maybe. Where would you like to go? I'm on my way back to the Citadel now. You don't look equipped for any trips to Whitebrim... So if it's not there, I'd be willing." She cocked her head to the side, sincerely hoping the kid didn't want to go look for cannibals. They would likely be more interested in him than his colorful bags.

And soon you are forgotten
A whisper within a sigh

OLIVER

It came as a massive surprise that she was willing to take him up on his offer. Now, he was a tad bit wary, seeing as the last time he had given someone his products, they simply walked off with it. She didn't seem to be the sort to do that and she was still talking to him, so maybe things would be okay.

Shaking his head, Oliver left out a huff of laughter. "Don't worry, I have no interest in going there anytime soon." Oliver really didn't want to do anything risky today even if he was prepared for such a thing. "I'm fine with seeing the Citadel. Anything you want to show me is fine." Oliver did want to ask for a couple of specific things, but he also didn't want to seem needy and could always ask her questions throughout the tour. "Lead the way." There was a look of surprise on his face before he smiled. Oh yeah.

Holding out his hand, he offered her a nod. "I'm Oliver, guess we should do introductions if you're going to be giving me a tour?"

Isn't it amazing

How we can never tell

Who is in an identical hell

Maea

And I hope that you don't suffer
But take the pain

Maea was headed back towards the Citadel anyway, so it was no problem for her to bring another person along. Perhaps company was just what she needed in the end, to lighten her mood and make the journey shorter.

She took the offered hand and shook it, with a slightly softer smile offered as he introduced himself. "Nice to meet you, Oliver. I'm Maea Valair. From the Hollowed Ground, now Academy student." If his Attuned senses were keen enough for such things, perhaps he might pick up a scent of ink and parchment drifting from her. Of lavender flowers, and ocean salt... and perhaps even the barest hint of whiskey and cigarette smoke, left behind on her skin from Sunjata.

And if he asked, perhaps she would confirm that she had seen him recently. But none of the argument would slip past her lips, only proffessions of love for the Flood, and hopes to see him again soon. But perhaps the conversation would only linger on small things. Like the weather, and the customs and traditions of Halo.

Maea would give Oliver the tour, and by the end of it, her mood had brigthened enough to offer him a genuine smile, warm and heartfelt. Before they parted, she would accept his little bag, and in time it would find its way to her small room at the dormitory, another small keepsake to be found in days to come, when her absence had become long enough to take note of.

"It was nice to meet you, Oliver," she said, before they parted. "Thank you, for keeping me company. It was just what I needed."

And with a wave of her hand, she turned and walked off, with the bobbing light of her companion hoving over one shoulder. Her white hair drifting freely on a wind, that bothered her not at all.

-----

- FIN <3

Hope if everybody runs
You choose to stay