pink skies

it's 2am and i took 17 shots of vodka trying to forget your name
but the only name i forgot was mine. and sober —

Oh it takes a lot for the Harpy to muster the strength to show up at the shrine for Dygra. Why, you might ask? Well, because before she’d died, she tried to get close to Ludo, had tried to fulfill a quest to get her lover back from the clutches of the LongNight monsters, only to fail so horribly that she couldn’t face the herald again. Flash forward to the attempts in the Climb to rescue Tanau from his fiery, terrible molten metal prison, and…

She crashed and burned, literally. She died, and Tanau had been the last face she’d seen as she succumbed to the flames.

Then, she’d returned as an Ascended, refused to go and see the Voice and yet still got teleported to the Grounds for a fight she wanted no part in. And then she’d hidden herself away during the war, to survive, to change to an Ancient with Dygra’s help, and since then? She’d been trying to stay under the radar.

But circumstances now lead her back to this spot, to stand before a shrine as she wars with herself internally (mainly the thought that why would Dygra even give her time to someone that had failed time and time again?) She supposes if her expectations are low then she can’t be disappointed.

Holding the red jacket that Deimos had made her to help her get into Halo without turning immediately to stone, the Harpy stands there stiff as a board, tail curled around her leg and her head held high, horns mirroring the ruby clusters with the veins set inside. She takes a deep breath, pricks her finger, drops the blood wherever needed, and as she works her jaw tries to come up with what to say. “Dygra, I… Haven’t spoken to a god in a long, long time… But I was wondering if perhaps you might spare a moment to talk with me?” She asks, her voice quiet, uncertain.

KIADA

— or drunk, you're the only thing on my mind

Dygra

Better late than never, right?

SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY

The blood soaks eagerly into the rubies, which seem to take on a light source of their own, and with a sound not unlike a gentle sigh, Kiada will simply know she stands in the presence of a goddess. Her goddess, arguably, for the life of an Ancient is something the harpy would have had to have chosen.

Yet, that might still be up for debate.

"Sweet, dark child," Dygra purrs, her voice low and sensual, the shadows crimson and shifting by the ruby light. "I can spare a thousand moments for you, if that is what you wish. Speak your mind."

Table coding by Sky <3

it's 2am and i took 17 shots of vodka trying to forget your name
but the only name i forgot was mine. and sober —

Her track record has never been great with gods, so in full anticipation of getting no response while she sits there and holds her coat that Deimos had made, she works her jaw as she tries to not get her hopes up. Only, if there were a time to get them up now would likely be it – something that has her sucking in a breath of surprise, blinking as she feels the sensation of being in Dygra’s presence, a feeling unlike anything else and so long since she had felt so…

Seen.

Her goddess’ words soften the anxieties lingering in Kiada’s chest, loosening the tension like snapping ties. A small smile blooms and she lifts up the coat in her arms as if to show it. “I have this coat that alleviates the cold enough for me to get in and out of Halo without immediately turning to stone. I was wondering if it would be possible to make it so I could get a little bit more time out of it so I could be there for longer periods of time?” She pauses, realizing perhaps she needed to elaborate. “My father figure is the warden of Halo and he created it for me to come and visit but right now I have to cling to torches and fires to warm up before continuing until I can get inside.” She isn’t looking for the option to live there, but perhaps a stroll down the street without feeling sluggish and slow like any second she’d become the next gargoyle would be nice.

And if not, well, at least she’s tried.

---

She's asking to upgrade the sustaining times of this:

Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Basic
Little Red Riding Jacket | This red and gold embossed coat, lined with fur and heavily hooded, can sustain an Ancient in the cold for 15 minutes below 0C, 10 minutes below -10C, and 5 minutes below -5C. (Made by Deimos)

KIADA

— or drunk, you're the only thing on my mind

Dygra

"Ah, Halo." Dygra sighs, amusement and understanding in the voice that thrums around the cavern. And while the goddess shows no limbs to inspect the coat that Kiada brings, nonetheless the harpy might feel as much in her arms; a presence gazing, perusing, checking the garment over. "Such a feat is not easily performed for those like us. But you have friends in high places." High, cold places.

"I think what you seek may be possible. I will need a few things to complete the task, though."

---

Kiada has received a quest from Dygra to upgrade her Little Red Riding Jacket! She must:

1. Complete a thread bathing in the Lava Pits in The Climb, ensuring the jacket is nearby to soak up the heat. (Don't actually put it in the lava though, wow).

2. Complete a thread catching and butchering a Ningo. Bring the meat and the feathers to the shrine on completion of the quest.

3. Complete a thread collecting the sap from a Blood Birch tree. Bring the sap to the shrine on completion of the quest.

4. Complete a thread wearing the Little Red Riding Jacket at the coldest temperatures it can withstand for as long as the jacket allows.


The Upgraded jacket will have the following description:

Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Upgraded
Little Red Riding Jacket | This red and gold embossed coat, lined with fur and feathers and heavily hooded, can sustain an Ancient in the cold for 30 minutes below 0C, 15 minutes below -10C, and 10 minutes below -5C.

Table coding by Sky <3

it's 2am and i took 17 shots of vodka trying to forget your name
but the only name i forgot was mine. and sober —

Halo, indeed.

There’s no arms to inspect, Kiada gets the sense of something inspecting the coat, and she pulls it a little bit from her chest so that her goddess can inspect it more fully – slowly loosening the tension within her with each breath as she listens, nodding her understanding. She does, and it would be nice to be able to come and visit without so much fear, but she’s also understanding if such a thing isn’t possible.

Luckily for her, though, Dygra’s voice seems to fill her with newfound belonging, not turned away or turned down or scorned. Potential. And with it, a quest – something the Harpy admittedly has not had in a very long time.

The smile blooms warmly across her face, her horned head dipping in her appreciation. “Of course. Thank you.” The tasks and completions are mentally jotted down, and Kiada already has a starting point to go off of and hopefully something to surprise Deimos with when she completes it.

Her body seems to exude her excitement though, practically vibrating with the opportunity. And with it, a parting thank you again with the jacket tucked against her chest again, departing from the shrine with a newfound hope. And with it, the brushing off of previous fears.

- FIN <333

KIADA

— or drunk, you're the only thing on my mind