{se} the perfect antidote to cure a heart of stone

Evie

For you are made of nebulas and novas and night sky
You're made of memories you bury

Evie is outside the Citadel walls, still within sight of the doors but a lone figure out on the shallow waters and soaked tundra. Armed with a large bag, she is a solitary flame amidst the mud and debris, hair still in the topknot she’d thrown it into the night of the impact. Neither she nor Deimos have slept, and any sleep has been in small snatches of unwilling capitulation when leaned up against one of the infirmary walls or inside the greenhouse. It doesn’t stop her from marching through the mud, sprinkling seeds and using her magic to grow them immediately.

Like a ribbon of color, a swathe of new growth stretches out in a curved line marking where Evie has passed. Ferns, creeping phlox, juniper, violets, catmint. Anything low to the ground that won’t impede visuals from the top of the wall that can burrow deep and aid in reversing any erosion sits in her giant bag, ready to be utilized. Sweat gathers on her brow, and she wipes it away idly between growth periods, stubbornly making her way around the walls. She doubts she’ll make it as far as she wants to, but the tundra isn’t used to flood periods, and she needs to start working on erosion control now. As she works she evaporates what water she can with that limb of her magic, not wanting the new sprouts to be waterlogged and either before they can achieve what she has planned for them.

Or memories you live by

Alys

Alys was glad, in a way, that she'd been in Halo when the meteor hit. As much as it hurt to see her home devastated and destroyed, it would have been worse to hear about it secondhand and not be able to do anything about it. Ever since the impact and the resulting flood, the seer had worked tirelessly alongside her fellows, lending her healing magic wherever she could. It wasn't enough, but it was the most she could do, and there was a quiet pride in her ability to do anything at all when, not so long ago, she'd have had nothing and no way to contribute.

She hadn't seen much of her friends in the aftermath - only enough to assure herself that they were alright. But as she exited the shop with a basket of natural remedies on her arm, headed back to the infirmary, a figure caught her eye. It was Evie, and she was growing things. For a few moments, Alys could only watch in awe as greenery and flowers blossomed where previously only snow and mud had been. Then she made her way to her friend.

The seer didn't bother to offer a smile, but who could blame her? What they had witnessed, what they had been called to endure... it was exhausting, in more ways than one. Instead, she held out a flask of water to the Evergreen. When she spoke, though, her voice was gentle. "Water," she said by way of greeting. "Drink. You'll need it."

funny how it all works out in the end
you dance with the devil and you lose your head

Evie

For you are made of nebulas and novas and night sky
You're made of memories you bury

With Micah safe at home just in case any other harm comes to Halo, Evie has nobody to look out for her or alert her of any companions, and her exhaustion is a cloud that keeps her senses dulled. As such, Alys' arrival makes her jump, though she doesn't have the energy for more than a jerk of her head and shoulders followed by the sag of relief to discover it's only her friend.

Turning, Evie spares a chagrined grin and reaches for the flask, properly chastised. "Thank you," she murmurs before tilting the flask back, taking a few long swallows before handing it back, careful not to take too much. "I'm trying to control the erosion and mark a path through the mud for anyone coming from other lands," she explains, taking a moment and the slight refreshment from the water to use her magic on herself, healing fatigue and scraped hands alike from hours of toiling away. It chips away at her faltering stamina ever more, but there's nothing to be done about that.

"How are you holding up?" Evie swipes away one of many strands of hair stuck to her clammy forehead, unable to stop being more concerned for others. These are her people, even if not everyone is close enough to be called a friend the way Alys is. She has to know how she can help, what more she can do, even if what she can do dwindles by the hour.

Or memories you live by

Alys

Alys watched with satisfaction as Evie took a few long swallows from the flask. She was sure that the Evergreen - like everyone else in Halo - was feeling the effects of all of the work they'd put in during the time since the flood. And with no one else to take care of their Wardens, Alys couldn't help but feel that the responsibility for her friends' well-being fell to her. At the very least, she could see that they stayed hydrated. It would be even better if they could stop for food, but alas, Alys had not brought any snacks with her today. Maybe she could convince Evie to stop for a meal once this portion of work was complete...

"How can I help?" asked the seer, replacing the flask of water on her belt and rolling up her sleeves in preparation. She was already dirty, so what was a little gardening? As for how she was holding up, Alys winced. "It's difficult to see Halo like this," she admitted quietly. It had always felt like Halo was untouchable, like they were so far removed from the drama of the rest of the world that nothing could touch them. To see how easily one natural disaster had shredded their peace... Alys shook her head. "I feel like I've been lucky, all things considered. So many of the people lost everything."

funny how it all works out in the end
you dance with the devil and you lose your head

Evie

For you are made of nebulas and novas and night sky
You're made of memories you bury

Evie smiles lethargically, grateful for the steadfast offer of aid even if Alys understandably could not magically grow seeds the same way she could. "There's some infected frostblooms that need to be pulled out, I don't know if they can infect the other plants but I don't want to chance it." And with this being the marked pathway into the Citadel, she doesn't want what had happened to Deimos to happen to any of the people coming to their aid.

Reaching out, Evie squeezes the seer's elbow, trying to muster up her energy into a comforting smile. "This too shall pass. Us being lucky just means we have more energy and time to devote to helping those who were not so blessed." Unaware that Alys had moved just before the impact, whether she'd been in Halo or not, Evie can only assume she means the shop and her loved ones are all okay. "We have seasons yet to rebuild, right? Though it's hard not to try and do it all immediately." Her grin turns sheepish, aware she and Deimos are running themselves into the ground trying to do exactly that.

Turning, she uses her magic to carefully extract the infected frostblooms from the untouched portions of greenery. “Be careful not to get too close or to touch them,” she warns, remembering how they had effected Deimos. It’s certainly strange to weed them out from afar, but it would be good practice for Alys to use her magic if nothing else. Right now, Academy training was the least of Evie’s concerns. As they meander down the side of the well-trodden path to the gates, weeding out infected variants, Evie takes a moment to be grateful for Alys’ friendship and having been sought out. It makes her efforts much easier to bear.

- Fin!

Or memories you live by