curiosity always did kill the cat -- and satisfaction always brought it back
As much as it would probably rock him emotionally at first, he actually looked forward to the prospect. Having grown up on a family farm, surrounded by his parents, with cousins and aunts and uncles frequently visiting, he was quite aware of what was missing in the life he was building here. Kiada had filled a large part of that aspect, had made him feel complete - it still hurt, to think about it, but he forced himself to swallow it away, to focus on the kindness his friend was offering.
"She sounds terrifyingly wholesome," he quipped with a smirk, raising a brow again. In all truth, he could believe everything Hester said about her mother too - it would take quite a family to raise a woman like Hester. While she had the token marks of a Halovian to her, she also had a certain zest that he now thought to identify as the 'Mac Girr An Adhastair Factor'.
He appreciated every second she took to tell him the lore, clinging to every word, following her forward, his gaze flicking between her and the view of the pillar. And it was a tale that seemed to describe Halo itself - beautiful, but harsh and truly the definition of 'survival of the fittest'. That the Eirachi had that much to do with the formation of the Halo they resided in now shouldn't have surprised him as much as it did, but the more he thought about it, the more it fit - the spirit of winter, harsh and beautiful and utterly merciless at the same time.
He accepted the token she offered with a revered nod, handling it with as much care as he might a newly hatched ningo that needed extra care. He waited back while she stepped across the threshold, watching carefully as she made her offering, listening to her instructions and taking a moment to think through what he had to do before following. And when he was ready, he stepped forward and held the parcel close to his chest, peering up at the looming chimney with quiet reverie.
Lifting the token to the level of his lips, he blew his hot breath over it, before releasing it into the chimney as Hester had done.
A few quiet moments passed, as they stood before the pillar together, simply being. Chuy found himself reaching for his friend's hand, to hold it and gently squeeze it - he couldn't bring himself to speak, for everything she had done today meant so much to him, and that she would bring him here and tell him the lore as she had, as she might to a young Halovian… the implications were not lost on him. His eyes were damp, and while there was sorrow on his face, there was also an unmistakable happiness and gratitude, at being accepted.
"Thanks Hester," he managed, softly against the singing valleys of the mountains around them.
"She sounds terrifyingly wholesome," he quipped with a smirk, raising a brow again. In all truth, he could believe everything Hester said about her mother too - it would take quite a family to raise a woman like Hester. While she had the token marks of a Halovian to her, she also had a certain zest that he now thought to identify as the 'Mac Girr An Adhastair Factor'.
He appreciated every second she took to tell him the lore, clinging to every word, following her forward, his gaze flicking between her and the view of the pillar. And it was a tale that seemed to describe Halo itself - beautiful, but harsh and truly the definition of 'survival of the fittest'. That the Eirachi had that much to do with the formation of the Halo they resided in now shouldn't have surprised him as much as it did, but the more he thought about it, the more it fit - the spirit of winter, harsh and beautiful and utterly merciless at the same time.
He accepted the token she offered with a revered nod, handling it with as much care as he might a newly hatched ningo that needed extra care. He waited back while she stepped across the threshold, watching carefully as she made her offering, listening to her instructions and taking a moment to think through what he had to do before following. And when he was ready, he stepped forward and held the parcel close to his chest, peering up at the looming chimney with quiet reverie.
Lifting the token to the level of his lips, he blew his hot breath over it, before releasing it into the chimney as Hester had done.
A few quiet moments passed, as they stood before the pillar together, simply being. Chuy found himself reaching for his friend's hand, to hold it and gently squeeze it - he couldn't bring himself to speak, for everything she had done today meant so much to him, and that she would bring him here and tell him the lore as she had, as she might to a young Halovian… the implications were not lost on him. His eyes were damp, and while there was sorrow on his face, there was also an unmistakable happiness and gratitude, at being accepted.
"Thanks Hester," he managed, softly against the singing valleys of the mountains around them.
CHULANE
