These beautiful things that we've got

You woke a fire inside of me

After saying goodbye to Tal, Maea left her new office only to return an hour later with a basket on her arm. Given the chance to spend a moment alone in the rooms, she had yet to gain any real sense of propriety over them. It did help to empty the contents of the carrier along her meandering path though.

A pot of flowers to brighten up the study, and a few sticks of sealing wax in different colors. Cushions for the chairs in the archive, a small first aid kit in case of paper cuts - plus a pack of mothballs, to prevent any pests from going at the new books. And in the common room, she started up a fire, placed a pot of water over the crackling flames and lined a selection of tea and cups on a sidetable, along with a tray of fresh cookies.

When all had been set up as comfortably as the could make it, Maea sank into an armchair by the fire with a deep sigh. The furniture groaned under her, old leather creaking and stretching - a dull ache in her neck began to work its way up to her head, and she was unusually glad to have only one more thing on the agenda for the day. As soon as Kiada returned.

Until then, she closed her eyes and curled up in her seat, stealing a catnap while basking in the warmth that took the damp chill out of the air.

Maea

i am made of bullets; shrapnel /// you are solar flares and soft lips
better creatures could love you i know ///

Kiada had been equally busy – though not for grabbing finishing touches for the Loreseekers. No, she’s had to return back to the office at the Dusklight in order to water the plant and make sure that stupid terrible dread raven had something to eat so that it would survive until the quest was completed. It had also allowed her a moment to take a moment for herself to grab a bite, finishing it up quickly before she’s rounding back toward the Loreseekers, feeling a bit better since the whole ordeal with Talyson.

She steps in and spots Maea sleeping on the seat by the fireplace, and she steps in with a light knock on the entrance, not wanting to frighten her by her approach, trying to give as much space as possible before she steps in when Maea’s fully aware she’s there. Clearing her throat, she speaks. “I didn’t mean to be so… Harsh, earlier.” She offers by means of a slight apology, seeing as she’d gotten the impression that Tal and Maea had a history of some kind.

kiada

/// but now they'll have to get through me
my love should wear a warning sign, damn right i remember you

You woke a fire inside of me

Few people had reason to visit the lower levels of the Aetheneum, and Maea was a light sleeper at the best of times. She heard Kiada return and dragged herself back to wakefulness, appreciative of the gentle approach. Offering the woman a smile, she gestured for her to have a seat.
"I am kind of glad you were. Or I might have been. In all honesty, if it had been anyone else asking for the same thing, I would have refused point blank."  

The kettle had begun to rattle and steam as the water came to a boil. Hauling herself gingerly from the armchair, Maea reached for a cup and looked through the selection of teas for something that would wake her up. "Would you like some tea? I'm not much for strong drinks, or I would offer something else." Perhaps a bottle of wine wouldn't be amiss - she might add that at a later date.

"I'm not sure if Danta has talked to you yet, but I asked him for a job a while back. 'Opening letters or dealing with people he didn't like' was his offer, and I'll admit I quite enjoy being nosey." She shot a wry smile at Kiada. "In the end we settled on Ambassador, and he suggested that I talk to you about how to best divide the work. The way I see it, it would be good if we could work together."

Maea

i am made of bullets; shrapnel /// you are solar flares and soft lips
better creatures could love you i know ///

Kiada has always had a bit of difficulty when it comes to trusting people – especially more so since the War happened. And while she’d tried to ignore it and pretend as though people might have changed, there’s a part of her deep within that rises its ugly head to the surface, continuing that sentiment of distrust time and time again.

The Harpy takes a seat, though, when offered and crosses one leg over the other as her attention drifts momentarily to the screaming teakettle, nodding. “I would love some tea.” She murmurs, flashing a small fanged smile to the pale woman as she continues to listen.

She isn’t sure what’s considered a while back, but she hums a little sound. “We will have to divide it up, I think. I’m the Registrar, so, my whole focus has been on dealing with the letters and paperwork thus far.” She doesn’t have a problem with working together, though it seems as though the intention of their work overlapped in the entirety over the letter situation, one that she tries to figure out the way to work through it.

“So I guess it depends on what exactly you want to do out of it? It sounds like our positions right now are pretty much the same.” Which wouldn’t do, as far as the Harpy was concerned.

kiada

/// but now they'll have to get through me
my love should wear a warning sign, damn right i remember you

You woke a fire inside of me

From what Maea had overheard during the discussion with Talyson, she and Kiada had a lot in common. The lack of trust towards others being one, and a double edged love-hate relation to the Hollowed Grounds being the most prominent. If anything, Maea thought she might be a little bit better at hiding that distrust - which was for better or worse, honestly.

Adding tea leaf and water to two cups, she brought one for Kiada and kept the second for herself as she eased back down into the chair.

"Well. As Ambassador, I would need to know what goes on in the other regions as well as here, so I can do my job properly. I would be perfectly happy to go to you for updates whenever necessary - my only concern is that there would be a time delay, and that we might have different ideas on what is considered urgent."

Pausing to sip the hot drink, the flush of heat down her throat brought some color back to her cheeks.

"Danta... well. I don't know him. I think he cares about a lot of things, but paperwork and diplomacy might not be at the top of his list. But what about you? What do you care about, when it comes to all this?" Gesturing vagely to indicate the region, its people, life in general - Maea leaned back with her hands wrapped around her mug, watching her guest with bright interest.

Maea

i am made of bullets; shrapnel /// you are solar flares and soft lips
better creatures could love you i know ///

Kiada considers the thoughts that Maea lets out, taking the cup and cradling it easily while the gears work and spin in her head. Perhaps if they designated it a bit more half and half – if Maea was dead set on being someone who was involved with the other regions, perhaps Kiada’s could focus on the Grounds itself.

“Would you prefer to focus on interactions with the other regions?” She asks, gleaning that tidbit of information from the term Ambassador. Something that Kiada had experience with herself, though lately her connection has been strongest with Halo of all places.

She takes a sip while she listens to Maea’s explanation, and when she swallows down and flashes the other Ancient a toothy smile, sharp-edged. “I told him I wanted to help however he needed it.” She shrugs lightly. “So it's been a bit varied as of late. Ultimately, though, my focus has been on the Grounds and answering correspondence when necessary. And taking care of the void creatures that have been collected so far.” And wearing skimpy clothes just to taunt their handsome leader.

kiada

/// but now they'll have to get through me
my love should wear a warning sign, damn right i remember you

You woke a fire inside of me

Maea nodded, needing no time to consider. "I would be happy with that. Like I told Danta, I enjoy traveling." Even if Halo would prove a difficult journey at the best of times, it was a challenge she was happy to take on.

Kiada's response to her question of 'caring' was not quite what Maea had wanted to know. Shifting in her seat, she searched for a different way of asking.
"I was thinking more about what you care about... on a personal level. For example, I am very interested in the problem with the Void infestation, and I hate the way some people roll their eyes when they talk about the way Danta does things. I don't really give a damn about the 'general public' and their daily lives, but if someone tried to meddle in their affairs I would still defend them. Above all I care about our reputation as a region; that we're not looked down on, or overlooked. That's what I meant by different cares..."

She watched Kiada while speaking to make sure she followed, wanting to make sure that they were on the same page. "Would you be willing to pass along anything that deals with such matters to me? Void matters in particular."

Maea

i am made of bullets; shrapnel /// you are solar flares and soft lips
better creatures could love you i know ///

She wouldn’t need to worry about Halo, truth be told. Kiada’s ties there and her jacket made it relatively easy for her to traverse there for however little stints were needed. It was the only way she was able to collect the frostbloom from the Fangs, after all. The jacket and Deimos’ incredible help.

So she nods, taking a sip of the tea again until Maea continues and prompts a question that Kiada hasn’t particularly thought about. Her entire goal was to help, nothing… More specific than that. But she remains silent while the pale Ancient expands on the idea, explaining what kind of differences she meant between their duties in that regard. “Personally, I tend to focus more on the day to day interim of things.. I was a monster hunter a long time ago in Halo when I took the guild over from Ronin. And now I’m with a man who’s job is a monster hunter as well. I’ve just lost my spark and interest in it as time passed.” Which is perhaps where Maea could come in, if it came down to the void creatures. “I prefer to stay closer to home now and bettering the Grounds itself.” It’s why she’d been so active in creating the bonfire here, so active in helping out to collect the creatures required, going so far as to offer her services for the Maverick.

She puffs out a little sigh and tilts her head as she regards Maea with a small twist of her lips. “How about… If there’s any correspondence for the void creatures and such, that can go to you? I can handle the day to day things that involve the Grounds?” And for added bonus, she flashes an easy smile. “I can also handle Halo. I have connections and items to make it so I can venture there without turning to stone.”

kiada

/// but now they'll have to get through me
my love should wear a warning sign, damn right i remember you

You woke a fire inside of me

Turning her head to watch the fire, Maea pursed her lips in thought. "It sounds like we complement each other well enough. I have nothing to object against that division of labor you suggested."

Was she quietly disappointed that she wouldn't be going to Halo after all? Yes. Was it for the better that she closed that chapter once and for all? Also yes. There were better things for her to occupy herself with than decorating some snowdrift because she was too stubborn to admit her weaknesses. No matter how badly she longed to see the frozen vista again.

"Ultimately we do work together, of course, so if you need me to do something, or would like to help with anything I do, I hope you speak up. It's not a competition after all."

Emptying her mug and rising to refill it, she brought back the tray with sweets as she resettled.

"Did you happen to see a sketch of a woman somewhere in the letters to Danta? It would be good if we could add it to the Notice Board. I am working on compliling everything that has been discovered about thr Void infestation so far, and I gathered that she is a key piece in all of this."

Extending the tray, she offered Kiada a cookie.

Maea

i am made of bullets; shrapnel /// you are solar flares and soft lips
better creatures could love you i know ///

With no objections, Kiada nods and drains the rest of her tea, making a mental note to figure out how she was going to separate the piles to ensure that she could get every piece sent over to Maea that she’s requested. At the next comment, though, the Harpy hums an agreement, eyes a bit hazy as she remains a bit distracted on how she intended on reorganizing the back rooms for it.

“Of course. I’ve collected two void creatures already that are in the back rooms of the Dusklight. If you want to take over feeding and watering them while we collect more, it would be helpful.” Gods knew she’d dealt with the terrible raven more than enough. Her stomach could use the break.

At the sketch, though, she hums thoughtfully, looking back toward Maea with the tray and reaches up to collect a cookie with a soft little “thank you” while she thinks. After a few moments and a bite from the treat, she nods. “I think I did see one, actually. It’s in one of the piles I was working on getting through. You’re more than welcome to post it up and the warning to not approach her.” Pieces gleaned from the message now that it’s coming back to her.

kiada

/// but now they'll have to get through me
my love should wear a warning sign, damn right i remember you

You woke a fire inside of me

Want was a strong word when it came to dealing with the void collection. Maea's nose wrinkled automatically just thinking about it. But it did come with the job, soooo...

"Alright. Consider yourself relieved of duty," she agreed. Then shuddered and let off a huff of laughter. "Gods, I can't imagine a whole room full if them. Do we have all we need yet? Aside from mine - I'll be headed for the Greatwood within the next few days." Because timelines

Relaxing with a sigh, as the difficult part of the meeting was taken care of, she lolled her head in a nod against the backrest. "Thank you. Have you had any experiences you would like to add to my report? Deimos sent me a list of those he had come across, and I talked to the caretaker of the Celestine last season... which reminds me that I need to write to her soon. See if she's found anything new..."

Rubbing her eyes, then reaching for a cookie, Maea began to feel the workload she had taken on like a solid weight clamping down on her head. Snapping a piece off and crunching on the sweet did make her feel better, but it was a temporary relief. Maybe a trip was just what she needed. A trip and then some dedicated days of actually working on her many tasks.

Maea

i am made of bullets; shrapnel /// you are solar flares and soft lips
better creatures could love you i know ///

“We’re still missing some, but they’re already planned as far as I can tell.” She offers with her own soft little huff of a laugh, shrugging lightly. She’d already accomplished her own, and with it she intends to keep well out of the way. Twice was two times too many for her, if she’s being completely honest.

Shaking her head to Maea’s question, she flashes a smaller smile, taking another bite of the cookie before she speaks. “Deimos has been cataloguing everything very well. Everything I’ve heard of or seen, he’s had a record of it.” She would know, the amount of times they talked about it over these past couple of months. “We caught the dread raven in the Celestine, though I’m not sure if the caretaker knows that they’ve been infiltrating it or not.” A small shrug of a slender shoulder before she reaches up to rub at the large and deep X scar on the side of her neck, as if contemplating.

kiada

/// but now they'll have to get through me
my love should wear a warning sign, damn right i remember you

You woke a fire inside of me

Quietly pleased, Maea nodded her understanding. No more reports felt like a good thing right now. A letter to Lena would not be difficult, and the points she had wanted to discuss were checked off.

"I'll make sure to ask about it," Maea promised. "I'll write up a report about everything we know so far, too. After that I plan to try some experiments on a few of the critters - not the ones we're collecting - and see what can be learned, if anything. Where would be a good place for it, you think? The Spire?" It was away from mist traveled paths, and hardly anyone went there that she knew of.

Maea

i am made of bullets; shrapnel /// you are solar flares and soft lips
better creatures could love you i know ///

She nibbles from the cookie and listens as Maea says that she’ll ask about it, nodding about the report – unsure of whether it would be a Grounds thing or an overall thing, knowing that Deimos had started on one. As for experiments, she’s contemplative as she cocks her head lightly, thinking over where such experiments could go.

Truthfully, the further from them the better, in her opinion.

“The Spire should work. I’m pretty sure nobody is using it now.” And rightfully so, after all. The thought of it gives her a light shiver, hating the inside of that obsidian monstrosity and the reminder it brings of being Ascended. But that’s neither here nor there. “Stormbreak sells very nice cages of all different kinds if we don’t have anything up to par here that you’re looking for.” The cage the dread raven is currently residing in is one such item, one that has done well to restrain the awful feathered beast.

kiada

/// but now they'll have to get through me
my love should wear a warning sign, damn right i remember you