[se] learning to name the sky

Melita

they should have checked the ashes
of the women they burned alive

Melita, as per the usual rounds of winter preparation, gathered wood. In previous years, especially when the Eirachi shrine hadn’t been decimated, it’d been strictly about survival, for Torchline had been ill-used to the way the cold snaked and ran through its beaches. But LongNight had its own rituals and demands, like drunken caterwauling along the sands, bonfires lit as far as the eye could see, and never imagining monsters touching down upon the sediments.

The stretch of morning and the glory of the salty sea air sprayed against her; she raised her chin in defiance and merriment, springing down along the earth with bare feet and her dress knotted along the side. It didn’t take long to start assembling piles – there was enough driftwood from leagues of waves and currents sending it to land – and Fangorn followed, eager little tendrils whipping about, while Sila surveyed from the air, sometimes coasting downward to breeze over segments before snagging a thermal.

Peaceful. Content.

She reached for another set of vacant timber, humming under her breath, and could barely make out someone else along the horizon, further ahead still.

because it takes a single wild ember
to bring a whole wildfire to life

Evie

Evie had planned this outing to Torchline well in advance, leaving plenty of time for not only bartering and purchasing of the things she could not find in Halo - namely plants and spices - but also for visiting friends such as Hadama. Staying at the inn nearby, she had enjoyed the slight increase in warmth as much as any fair-skinned ginger could, which meant being endlessly grateful it was still winter.

Even so, Evie would not slack on her normal exercise even on a loose, handwavey vacation. It also kept her mind off missing Deimos, or mourning her empty bed. Wrestling her way free of the strangely thin sheets, she had slipped on her running shoes and headed out for her normal early morning jog, taking in the strange sights as she went.

She is winding down towards the end of her run when she spots another bright head of hair. An undeniably familiar one that immediately has her puffing, dwindling energy returning in a rush of exuberance. "Melita!" she calls, a little breathless, and reluctantly increases her speed to jog further down towards the other woman, ponytail bouncing. "I didn't think I'd find you this soon! I was actually going to ask around for your address today." Slowing as she comes close enough to warrant a non-shouted conversation, the Evergreen perches her hands on her hips to help stabilize her breathing faster, beaming and pink-cheeked. "How are you?"

I'll be with you each and every night
Chasing that horizon in your eyes

Melita

they should have checked the ashes
of the women they burned alive

There were always Torchline citizens scuttling about in the mornings – some loading up ships upon the docks, some peeling away the protective coverings of their kiosks in the market, and some drunken walking down the sand, until they succumbed in a patch of sunlight until the hangover was upon them. So she didn’t think much of it when the other lingered along the horizon line, until her name hastened over the sea breeze.

Sila went higher, circumventing along the air as if she were a bird, and Fangorn turned just as Melita’s head raised, arms loaded with the hollowed sticks. The crimson hair was nearly as familiar as her own, and though surprised to see the winter Warden here, she didn’t mind, greeting her with a smile. “What brings you all the way to Torchline?” Unceremoniously dropping the kindling into a pile for future burning, she picked off a few slabs of broken bits and pieces of bark off her long sleeves, before hastening attention back to Evie.

“I’m all right. You?” She’d been busy winding along strength and weaponry, along with whatever Torchline diplomacy dictated nowadays. “Been a lot of change here lately, so figured I’d do something familiar.” A shrug of her shoulders followed, before she glanced down at Fangorn, watching the gourd wave his vines at the fellow ginger. “I live by the lighthouse. Big house in the rocks.”

because it takes a single wild ember
to bring a whole wildfire to life

Evie

The spiraling dragon overhead draws her eye for a moment, but Fangorn's waving tendrils are far closer and more companionable, so she laughs a little breathlessly and waves her fingers cheerily at the little gourd. Eyes then drawn naturally to the sticks that fall at Melita's feet, it's hard to focus on the woman's words for a moment, so plentiful are the external stimuli. Delayed but no less enthusiastic, Evie grabs her shirt and pulls it away from her chest to flutter it, trying to cool off. Gods, Torchline is still so hot even in the winter,I or maybe Evie had forgotten how strong the Academy blessing could be. "Need to restock on non-native plants, and took a few extra days to visit people!"

Change was an understatement. Evie hasn't visited Torchline almost at all in the year since the war, and though she'd heard of the environmental changes, seeing them in person is still disorienting. "Yeah? More than just the floating islands?" Intrigue clear in her voice, old gossiping tendencies always happy to rear their heads. "I'm doing good, which feels weird to say, yeah? Felt like half my life was spent waiting on war." And now, well...it's over. And there's nothing left to hang over their heads. Some things still remain of course, and Evie can assume Melita is preparing for LongNight by the materials at her feet. "You want some help with that?" The least she could do was assist with her arms and magic alike if she was going to be interrupting the Honeybee's day.

I'll be with you each and every night
Chasing that horizon in your eyes

Melita

they should have checked the ashes
of the women they burned alive

Not one for inspecting much vegetation or plantlife, unless it could kill her or she could use it as a weapon, Melita shrugged her shoulders. “Yeah. There’s another weird island,” and she lifted one arm to point in the direction of the Metacarpal one – wherever the fuck that had come from. “Had bones and shit in the roots of its plants.” Maybe the Evergreen would be intrigued; and the Honeybee had been, in her own way – pondering the hows and whys and the enigmas settled in between crimson layers. But she’d also been hoping one of the carnivorous features would simply get rid of Talyson for her, so. “Leadership changed too.”

The burden of war lifting away from their shoulders, and pondering what was left in the interim, caused another furrowing of her brows. Not at Evie, but at the notion – because that’s where she’d been stuck too. “Yeah. Almost like…not sure what to do now.” Continue growing, changing, becoming better and stronger – but for what?

But giving admittance to that didn’t settle well on her, so she nodded. “If you want. We usually have bonfires and get drunk out here during LongNight.” A far cry from the devilish ministrations of the Hollowed Grounds’ shitstorm. “Figured I’d help set some of them up,” and she gestured to a couple other piles already formed, wandering immediately back out to snag at a piece of driftwood nearby, as if it meant to escape and wouldn’t be leaving her clutches.

because it takes a single wild ember
to bring a whole wildfire to life

As Melita moves the chunk of driftwood a snippet of something brown catches her eye. It's a bit of paper, quite pulpy and wet. No sooner has the Honeybee lifted away the wood than the breeze catches it, flinging it into the air and toward the ocean.

Evie

Bones in the roots? "I wonder if the plants are carnivorous," she muses aloud, no small degree of excitement plainly audible in the words. There aren't many in Caido, but Evie has always found them fascinating proponents of the circle of life. Inspirational, even. Deceptive on the outside, as benign and frail as any normal plant, but with the desire and ability to kill.

Unfortunately, she's torn from her thoughts on murderous foliage by politics. "Really? I haven't heard anything about it. I...is everyone...okay?" The polite way to ask if anyone had suddenly croaked. That was Halo's normal experience with the changing of the guard so to speak. Maybe Torchline has better luck.

Normally she would try to comfort anyone expressing the kind of directionlessness that Melita does, but the girl doesn't seem the type to appreciate it, and she's far more familiarly devilish as she brings up the bonfires and drunken escapes so Evie lets the topic slide away for now. Instead choosing to amble closer as her breathing returns to normal. "I've never felt jealous of anyone's LongNight plans before now, I'll have you know," she groans disappointedly, knowing she'll be squarely in Halo the entire time. When Melita moves a bit of driftwood something comes flying out of it, and Evie makes a startled noise, reaching out for it with her telekinesis to try and slow its path so the Honeybee might catch it. "Woah, what-?" is all that sputters free in the meantime, magic more useful than her confused word spaghetti.

I'll be with you each and every night
Chasing that horizon in your eyes

Evie is indeed able to slow the movements of the parchment, catching and stilling it as if it were trying to float through honey

Melita

they should have checked the ashes
of the women they burned alive

"Seemed to be,” the youth answered, shifting a bit more of her newfound bundle before plunking it down in another spot – farther from the last, but still in a good range for inebriated stupidity. “The whole lot of them.” She’d been half-hoping one would reach out and devour Talyson and save her the trouble of eventual murder, but such was life.

Frowning slightly, brows furrowing as she concentrated on a log, inspecting it for potential, she glanced back up at the Warden. “I think so. Maeve stepped down. Something about her kid disappearing.” And while Melita wouldn’t begrudge the woman of needing to be there, seeking and searching for her flesh and blood, it’d still left them without a human ruler. She could only imagine Jack in the high-esteem position, and the notions made her shudder. Maybe Ray or Harper, with better heads on their shoulders. “We have Hadama ruling both land and sea right now.” Which she wouldn’t wish on anyone.

Deciding the timber was fit for future infernos, she kicked at it with her feet, intending to roll it along the sand. She was only momentarily distracted by Evie’s tones. “You guys don’t get drunk in Halo? Though I suppose you don’t have much for beaches.” Humming under her breath, unbothered by the semblances, she shrugged her shoulders, offering her wayward, chaotic advice. “Could just use the streets.”

And then the notions were gone – because of a piece of wet paper flying through the air, momentarily stilled by Evie’s incantations, filling the youth’s eyes with incandescent wonder. The possibilities were endless, and some part of her hoped this was some longlost treasure map or ancient lore or –

“Get it Sila!” She blurted, and the little dragon strived to do just that, diving from the air and mouth outstretched, intending to snag the mass in her teeth.

because it takes a single wild ember
to bring a whole wildfire to life

Chomp! So long as there isn't too much dragon drool on it, Melita will find the following:



What she chooses to do with this information (and with who) is up to her (Or Evie, if Evie steals it). IF she is going to attempt to follow this map, post the corresponding thread in the admin-replies-needed channel.

Evie

It’s a lot of information to tuck away; carnivorous plants on floating islands, missing kids, leadership changes - especially leadership of someone she knows. Mentally noting that she should visit Hadama soon, the Evergreen instead focuses on question of bonfires and drunkenness with a laugh. “We definitely get drunk, but mostly in the bar. Too cold otherwise, especially when alcohol makes you feel warm.” Even with the Citadel barrier keeping things warmer, no alcoholic was stupid enough to risk wandering off and passing out in the street. Especially when it was currently the dead of winter. “But bonfires…I’ll have to steal that idea.” Surely Deimos would jump at the chance to set something massive ablaze.

Most of that is also forgotten as both redheads and a singular dragon all aim to snag at the parchment they’d unearthed. Sila manages to secure it, and the Evergreen maneuvers closer with clear curiosity, content to allow Melita to wield it so long as her curiosity was also sated. “What is it?” Hopefully nothing as boring as a shopping list.

I'll be with you each and every night
Chasing that horizon in your eyes

Melita

they should have checked the ashes
of the women they burned alive

Used to unfurling any amount of chaos in her wake, the notions of too many alterations and changes flung towards the Evergreen went unnoticed. Encouragement of infernos seemed to be the most satisfying juncture, and she gave a toothy grin at the semblances. “Yeah! You guys like fires anyway.” What with that whole ‘never let one go out’ stigma they seemed to have. Whatever – Melita would be all for it there too.

Besides, there were other matters to resolve.

Sila’s ability to snag caused the Honeybee to grant the dragonling a little whoop of triumph, a pat on the head, and some treats lingering in her pockets. Thereafter though, even as Fangorn’s vines began snaking around her ankles (clearly curious as well), she unfurled the paper. Expectations would’ve been something mundane, like something once held at the docks. Instead, her eyes widened, holding it out so Evie could read it over too. “It looks like…a map?”

because it takes a single wild ember
to bring a whole wildfire to life

Evie

Evie watches the exchange between the two bonded souls with a smile, wondering at their connection the same way she does with Deimos. Something she can't understand, but finds no small amount of comfort in witnessing. Refraining from congratulating the dragonling given her previous flightiness, Evie edges in as Melita shifts the paper for her own eyes, which widen immediately.

It is indeed a map, one with a prominently marked trail at that. Immediately ensnared by the thought of adventure and mystery, the Evergreen turns her grinning face to Melita immediately. "Wanna follow it?" Nearly vibrating with the sudden desire to abandon their efforts (well, Melita's efforts, but still) and pursue this strange mystery with no further delay.

I'll be with you each and every night
Chasing that horizon in your eyes

Melita

they should have checked the ashes
of the women they burned alive

Melita wouldn’t have to be told twice – curious, daring, and seditious natures be damned – but she’d been looking for another adventure since the war had ceased. Hopefully one without ruin or bloodshed, but eh, if it became vehement and violent, she was already well-armed. She figured Evie was too, in her own way. “Fuck yeah,” came on a vicious little grin.

From there, the Honeybee settled her pursuits with the sticks and wood, content with the amount spread across the beach. Besides, if the drunkards needed more, they always knew where to find it (even if they were stumbling around in the dark). Hitching her bag along her shoulder, and ensuring her companions were tucked closely behind, the youth nodded. “Let’s go.”

Map safely clasped in her hands, of course.

{FIN}

because it takes a single wild ember
to bring a whole wildfire to life