The conversation with Ipomoea came so easily. It was something she didn’t have to force out or spend too much time thinking about. It simply flowed from her brain to her lips and returned in that same circular neurologic pattern. It was a conversation that brought her away from her hunt for the relic, wanting to protect the relic from those who might do harm to Denocte. It was funny, perhaps, that she had even paused to talk at all. Normally she was focused and determined. But today, something was different. Something about this island made her speak and act differently than she was used to.
They speak of her mother, a topic she has so rarely spoken of. Her mother had been a kind a gentle soul, wanting nothing more than to contribute to her own monarchy in the only way she had known how. She was not a fighter, but one who hoped for a better future. Katniss had been the better future, at least in her eyes. “I don’t know if she would call herself a scholar. But she always had her kingdom’s interest at heart, followed closely by my own. She was a dreamer of peace, hoping to one day see a time when warriors were no longer needed. But until that day came, she was always yearning for more. So yes, I suppose she was a scholar.” She may not have called herself a scholar by label, but if Katniss had to think back on her mother’s actions, they certainly felt like scholar od diplomat might apply.
They trail from her mother to her own pursuit of knowledge and Katniss asked Ipomoea if she might be welcome in Delumine in order to spend a few days in their library. While she had never read a book before, just the thought they a book contained so much information for her to learn and put away was exciting. Just knowing that there was such a wealth of knowledge only a days walk away was almost too good to be true. And when Ipomoea gives her permission to visit and spend some time in their library, Katniss cannot help the smile that tugs at the corners of her lips. “Thank you. I will make the trip in the near future.” She was not sure when she would find the time, but she would try to make the effort to visit. After all, to ignore the wealth of knowledge just waiting to be explored would be a missed opportunity.
And then Ipomoea brings the conversation back into the here and now. It is a sobering thought that they must stop their pleasantries in order to try and hunt down the relic. She knows that they both seek it for scholarly reasons. It’s nothing that she knows with any sort of proof, but it’s just a feeling she has. “I suppose you are right.” And when he turns to trot off, she follows him, at least for a little bit. “Thank you for giving me something to hope for.” She is sincere. She is thankful for their conversation, the hope that it brings.
But then she pauses at a fork in the beach. She has a choice to make and she knows that Ipomoea will have the same choice. Will she continue to seek this relic on her own, or stay with him. She is quiet for a moment of contemplation before she looks back at him. “Good luck on your search. My the odds be ever in your favor.” And then she turns, taking the path he is not destined to follow. Only one can find the relic. While the company has been nice, she knows she is here for reasons that go beyond what she has said. She needs to go on this journey alone, to seek something only she can find. Perhaps this wasn’t really about a relic at all, but about finding out something about herself, something only she can journey to find.
@Ipomoea - A little closer for you <3
