[Training] (SE) eyes like anvils and storms for lungs

when you learn that the road to hell
is paved with more than just good intentions;

Despite having been here before, she’s still used to the way the Bone Bridges looked before the war happened. Back when there was only the one that you had to traverse, and not this maze of different bridges spanning across the broken earth of the Hollowed Ground. And while she imagined she’d hate coming back here, the changes have made it… Comfortable, almost. Like living in a new place with bits and pieces of the past.

And she’d looked for Chulane, now that she’s realized she intends to spend a bit more time here (totally not because of a certain someone, cough cough), she’s found that he’s moved away from the dreariness the Grounds had. And with that comes another breath of fresh air. It’s easier for her to walk around without the worry that she might stumble across him and have to explain, and it’s necessary too for her to be able to focus on getting her life back on some kind of track.

It's snowing and the bridges are chilled and slick thanks to the water beneath them, and Kiada’s still cold as hell despite having the jacket Deimos has made her. She keeps it tight around her, standing on one end of the bridge, peering down the length of it as if debating if it were empty enough for her to start training in the hopes of upping her body temperature. For now, though, she stands there sluggish and slow, hair pulled up and clean and free of any odd blemishes except the dark bruised bite mark on the side of her neck opposite to the scarred X, essentially jogging in place to try and raise her heartbeat and blood pressure.

KIADA

you are not heads or tails;
you are the coin

DEIMOS

ache first, but then let the cuts close
spit out the blood

Conversations with the Forsaken had manifested all those primordial wakes of wandering amidst the Grounds – to see what else had altered and changed, or simply remained. More than once he passed great scars in the earth, made either by lightning or fire, ashes long since collected and taken away in the wind. Then he kept walking, down by the routes where there’d been glades and rivers, where they’d dug underground to escape streaks of the elements, where they’d torn apart layers of soil to try and survive, to find ways to harvest and distribute. In all of it he stored the silence into his lungs, lifting his chin to take the frigid breeze, to miss the sting of Halo’s, and to wonder where they’d all falter and flicker next.

Footfalls and patterns took him to the Bone Bridges eventually, but where they’d once been one towering above fog and mist, shrouds of stories of kappas and monsters below, more of the bleached proportions lingered. Branching, cording off to other sections of islands, though he half-expected some to be dead ends, dropping off in their fragility, until someone washed ashore.

And certainly not a familiar face amongst them – the crimson darts of the jacket he’d created, and then the entity he’d always know. “Kiada,” he rumbled from a few yards away, hands buried in his pockets, narrowing his eyes only slightly to study the surroundings again. Watching her jog was somewhat amusing, and could probably taunt him out of his melancholy, so he half-tilted his head, intending to slide a tease between his teeth because he didn’t want to murmur much else. “What are you doing?”

watch your body pull itself back together
then let your soul do the same

when you learn that the road to hell
is paved with more than just good intentions;

She doesn’t expect to hear a familiar voice amongst her very embarrassing attempts to keep warm and to keep from turning to stone despite the jacket he’s fitted her with. Her upper half is perfectly fine, but its her extremities and her legs that seem to harbor most of the problem, so much so that while she jogs in place and hears his voice, she stutters in the steps, nearly slipping on the ice as she turns to face him, arms tight across her chest to keep her all warm and content. “Trying to warm up.” She offers him with a soft laugh, already stepping away from the edge of the bone bridge to approach his side.

And she’s becoming a bit of a menace with how she completely invades his space, pressing up against him as if she can leech the warmth from him and his own bundles of coats and furs. “I think that if I get too cold I might literally turn to stone.” She huffs a clouded breath of annoyance before she peers up at him curiously. “Why are you in the Grounds?” It’s ironically the last place she expected to see him.

KIADA

you are not heads or tails;
you are the coin

DEIMOS

ache first, but then let the cuts close
spit out the blood

Any of the harsher nostalgia warped away as Kiada stumbled out of her inclinations, leaving only a slight smirk behind. In turn though, he did offer himself freely – opening his arms so she could slide amidst his warm wake, and his hands extending another pair of gloves. “You do not have to be here,” he rumbled – picturing her amidst Torchline or the Climb in the bitter proportions of winter.

Though, neither did he, probably, but given the latest turn of events, it’d been an inevitable march across the melancholic void. His grin shifted into furrowed brows and a barely hidden frown, head shaking, a long sigh to follow. “Noah has been…chained in the Grounds for the time being, by Vi. I came to see why.” And all the other frustrating particulars. “How are you?”

watch your body pull itself back together
then let your soul do the same

when you learn that the road to hell
is paved with more than just good intentions;

“Well, I thought I might stick around a bit longer.” She admits, flashing him a small fanged smile. If she thinks about it too long, she absolutely would agree that she’d be better suited in Torchline and away from the snow, and yet there’s a certain hazel eyed Ancient walking around this place she hopes to stumble across again.

At the very least, his arm being open and offering her a spot has her immediately diving into it like a moth to flame, easily taking up the space offered and soaking in the warmth with a breath of relief as she presses in against his side trying to get as much of it as she can. “I’m doing just fine.” She assures him before she goes onto more pressing matters. “What’s happening with Noah?” She asks, obviously having heard that he’d be here in the Grounds, and while it might have worried her had she been Ascended, that ship has sailed. So now, pure and unfettered curiosity lingers in its wake, wondering why on earth Vi would have forced his demigod to stay amongst this place.

Which has certainly gone downhill lately, might she add.

KIADA

you are not heads or tails;
you are the coin

DEIMOS

ache first, but then let the cuts close
spit out the blood

His brows furrowed at the response, and if it were anyone else, save for perhaps Ru or Evie, he might have withheld the inquisition. But given their dynamic, she’d have his unrelenting ability to simply dive straight into the heart of matters. “Why?” Unaware of any recent leadership alterations, and simply knowing the Grounds for what it had been for years now, the Sword couldn’t quite fathom what would keep her tied or rooted here; unless it was the waves of nostalgia, and already he’d found those melancholic voids an irritation down his spine.

At least she was fine, and given how many circumstances were intermingling nowadays, he’d take those notions into threads he wouldn’t have to worry about. Noah – on the other hand…

The Sword sighed again, pressing her in and starting to meander his way along one of the bone bridge paths, taking the right trail. “He had a duty from Vi to help restore the Grounds for some time now. Apparently Vi thought he was taking too long.” There was little Deimos could do on the matter but listen, shake his head, or be bewildered by the mess of Noah’s own creation; so he shrugged. So there the demi would stay – amidst the emblems of his own choices.

watch your body pull itself back together
then let your soul do the same

when you learn that the road to hell
is paved with more than just good intentions;

She certainly doesn’t intend to lie to him – not does she think that telling the truth to him would bring any outward judgement. So at his question, she shrugs a shoulder that she’s sure he can feel as she peers up at him with a small playful smile. “It’s a bit of nostalgia… But I’ve met another Ancient here and we have a lot in common and I want to get to know him better.” She admits, letting her smile twist a little crookedly, as much like a young girl with a school crush as she allows herself to be.

But talk shifts toward Noah and her curiosity knows no bounds, and while yeah it certainly sucked for Noah, Kiada can’t help the surprised laughter that leaves her, walking with him pressed against his side as he guides them along. “So… Vi cursed him?” Because that’s the only thing that makes sense to her, right? Was that if a god forced you into doing things that you didn’t want to do, chances were you were cursed.

At the very least, though, there’s worse ways to be cursed. She recalls a few detrimental and annoying curses from people through the years.

KIADA

you are not heads or tails;
you are the coin

DEIMOS

ache first, but then let the cuts close
spit out the blood

He'd have known if she was lying anyway – so when nothing sparked against the emblem hanging above his chest, he took the notions for what they were worth. Though the statement unfurled widened eyes, followed by a loud snort – given their discussion about Chulane in seasons past. “Really,” he offered in a deep, rumbling drawl, with the lightest curl of a smirk in the corner of his mouth. Praying internally that it wasn’t Danta, he persisted, the teasing measures the same as she’d willingly commit to him. “And who might that be?”

The trails conducted from the splitting of bridges didn’t seem any different – which was bizarre too – but he let that point meander around his skull for other machinations; god inclinations and mortal choices. “Sounds that way. So he will stay here until he has completed his tasks.” The Sword wouldn’t offer the layers of shame bestowed and shorn, nor the selfishness embittered throughout the discussion with the Forsaken; Kiada would understand those nuances well, without the bold, intrepid lines. “There have been other alterations with the heralds lately too.” Presuming, unless the newfound leader had already ensured his citizens were aware, that Kiada hadn’t heard the news.

watch your body pull itself back together
then let your soul do the same

when you learn that the road to hell
is paved with more than just good intentions;

There’s that almost playful, skeptical really? that leaves Deimos that has Kiada humming a note of agreement as they walk, still pressed against his side. And as the Sword asks who it might be, well, he doesn’t need to worry about it potentially being Dantalion. While she might end up working with him in the future, she’s found someone who’s company she dearly enjoys, even after only meeting him once. (So far, that is). “His name is Fox.” She murmurs, glancing up at him with a raised eyebrow as if awaiting to see what his thoughts were, if he even knew the man.

It is an interesting thought, truth be told, that Noah is essentially trapped in the Grounds until he fixes the mess that got him into it in the first place. So she nods in understanding while they walk, keeping her more inner thoughts to herself as she focuses on the next thing that spills from Deimos’ lips.

Her brows pinch and she looks back up at him, confusion clearly wrought on her face. “What’re they upset about now?”

KIADA

you are not heads or tails;
you are the coin

DEIMOS

ache first, but then let the cuts close
spit out the blood

The brow remained firmly arched, and the smirk still embedded there, as she gave her answer – though his eyes widened slightly, perhaps mildly surprised by the name given. “Ah. I have met him. He joined the Monster Hunters Guild.” Seemed like a nice, decent fellow – though he didn’t know much else about the Grounder, save for he and Kiada’s similar stories from times of Ascended, and alterations into Ancients. That they would have some familiarity with one another, given the circumstances, didn’t surprise him.

Long strides swept along the pathway of the bridge, and the subject matter changed again into herald aspects, and since this was been amidst the many iterations of telling the tale, though without a large crowd, he did offer a long sigh. It filtered and flickered away into warm puffs of air before dissipating, and the monolith shook his head. “Safrin came to Ronin and I in a dream before Leafchange started. Said she would be leaving Caido, to try and prevent some impending threat.”

watch your body pull itself back together
then let your soul do the same

when you learn that the road to hell
is paved with more than just good intentions;

Oh she notices the way his eyes widen – as if he wasn’t expecting the name that falls from her lips. So it’s her turn to give him a knowing smile, a roll of her shoulder despite how she remains pressed in against him. “That’s not surprising.” She murmurs, given their tendency to both have been a part of that guild once upon a time. But there were more connections, more close ties that had her surprised time and time again that such a thing was possible, which made being in his company far more comforting than she’d like to admit.

Regardless, she asks about the gods as they traverse the bone bridges, her attention wholly focused on Deimos’ face, sure that he won’t guide her to step wrong, even as his words have her wanting to trip. “She’s just… Leaving Caido?” She asks with pure confusion and a bit of disbelief, as if saying wow she can just do that?? “Did she say what kind of threat?” She’s both invested and concerned, shoulders tensing as she tries to push away the last war’s memory.

KIADA

you are not heads or tails;
you are the coin

DEIMOS

ache first, but then let the cuts close
spit out the blood

When no more came forth about Fox, other than the lack of shock based on his notions to join the Guild, Deimos persisted in raising his brow suspiciously, but gave naught more. He’d wheedle something else out of her eventually, or she’d choose to keep antics relatively private; it was enough to know she’d found someone that intrigued and interested. He prospered nothing on Chulance either, figuring that had been broken off or faded at some point, as she’d promised.

Long strides continued to sweep them along the right portion of the bridges, though he could feel her falter, his strong arm prevented her from peeling straight into the ground. Ensuring she was upright again with a casual shrug, he ushered forth another long sigh and a shake of his head. “No. Not really. It could be nothing at all, but she had her doubts.” The ominous quality of it all, accompanied with the information gathering, still managed to immerse itself down the lengths of his spine in modicums of dread. “For now, we have let leaders and demigods know. So they could prepare.” Their people...their lands, and everything else notched within.

watch your body pull itself back together
then let your soul do the same

when you learn that the road to hell
is paved with more than just good intentions;

She might expand the second she knows more – but for right now she doesn’t want to commit to anything. After all, it could have simply been a far more connected one night stand than either of them were anticipating. And how awkward would that be if Fox wasn’t interested in her the way that she was interested in him, having him work with Deimos in the Monster Hunter’s Guild? Perhaps she’s said something too soon – and that anxiety starts to eat at her stomach.

Thankful for the comment of Safrin, even if it was worrying and exhausting, she regains her balance and stands upright with his help as she continues to soak up the warmth he has to offer, looking back up at him with pinched brows. “How do we even start to prepare? Is it going to be like… Last time?” She asks, the confusion clear in her voice of where she could even start to begin figuring this out. Where any of them could.

KIADA

you are not heads or tails;
you are the coin

DEIMOS

ache first, but then let the cuts close
spit out the blood

His nose wrinkled slightly at the inquiry, because he and the others had gone along with the same inquiries. But did preparation signify and mean? What could be done, when they weren’t certain what the threat was? “Several demigods are consulting with their heralds,” and extending the information pipeline, so to speak, to see if there was any other sagacity to be garnered or known. “But otherwise, I think the regions should prepare defensively and offensively.” Halo had its weaponry, but his machinations were already steering towards more defensive procedures, intending to seek out Frey with Evie soon and get those events into motion.

Then he shrugged his shoulders, not at a loss, but more into the simplistic ventures of it all. “And training, of course.” Powerful, potent, strong, capable, and enduring, for whatever deigned to head their way this time. “I believe they will be reopening the Refuge as well.”

watch your body pull itself back together
then let your soul do the same