It was calm atop the highest tier of the hanging gardens. Water flowed over the edges, the soft rush of which only soothed him more as he stayed seated in his small patch of grass. Throughout the day there had been many visitors. Some were simply visiting the attraction for pure tourist motivation, but there had also been plenty of couples. That of course came as no surprise since this place had such a reputation for being a destination for all things romantic. Even he had come here with his own wife while she had still been pregnant. That seemed like ages ago, but really had only been about four years. It was strange how time could seemingly go by in a blink, while also dragging painfully slow. He preferred the latter.

Even though he was dressed in casual attire, some people had recognized him. A few had been followers of his temple, others simply knew who he was by sight. All had been greeted with a warm smile and gentle nod. Despite being a deity, he was still in an unassuming position: sitting on the ground with his work set up around him. Anyone else might have thought him to be a student with all of the notebooks, tomes, and his ink smudged hands. He’d been there since early morning, getting everything set up, and now he was waiting patiently for the sun to dip down.

From here there was a clear view of the heavens, and while his own mountain top home had a breathtaking arch of sky, anyone that studied the stars knew that certain constellations were only available from certain places. It went along with those that believed the world to be round, and Naota was one such person. Drae hadn’t had any opposition to him paying a visit to The Occulus, but he didn’t want to trouble him with something so simple this go around. That and he didn’t want to pester him and make too frequent of visits.

Tracking by stars was no new thing as sailors and airship captains alike used them for navigation regularly, but he found himself chasing a particular constellation. So to speak. If his prediction was correct then this could open a whole avenue of possibilities when it came to keeping track of time. Who knew what else was out there in space? There were many interesting things he had read in books and old journals, but something that had caught his attention recently were the writings of men and women from different corners of the world.

All of them had written about a particular star system, and despite how they were all from different countries, the alignment they described all seemed like the same one. How was that possible? It was intriguing to say the least, and if his calculations were correct then he would be able to see it from the hanging gardens tonight. A few stars were already appearing in the sky, scarce but there since the sun had not fully set yet. The sky was awash in shades of orange, purple, and rimmed with a crimson so deep he could almost taste it.

Soon the sky would be dusted in the twinkling lights, and some that never flashed at all. He still wasn’t entirely sure what those solid lights in the sky were, and being the deity of such a force left him a little disgruntled at not knowing. Ah well, one thing at a time. For now, he looked down at the band around his wrist. A swirling design of deep purple and blue made up the color of the band, and on it were gently glowing specks of light: representations of the stars themselves. It wasn’t nightfall yet, so the north star had yet to reveal itself, but as his eyes lifted to the sky he tried to predict where it might be. All in due time, for now he enjoyed the hushed tones of visitors that came with the setting sun. The entire mood had switched from jovial to intimate, but he was just happy to enjoy the peace of it all.

The darker it became, the more apparent the glow of the white markings on his skin became, and he hoped he wouldn’t be a distraction to anyone that came here for privacy. He’d done well to be in an area not commonly visited, both so he could work and also so that others were able to go about their business without losing focus. Either way he knew he’d end up laying on his back and gazing up at the stars. It was so easy to get lost in them, and his body felt even more at peace when he was able to bask both in their light as well as that of the moon.

Hopelessness. The very word it's self resonated with Valendra's being. Again she had done the immature and foolish prospect of having hope, Now it was all swept away again like many times before. Being a urchin on the streets had taught her to grab at any opportunity, Unfortunately that very philosophy was the very reason she was on the run. Having passed by a shady alleyway on her way to her usual stomping grounds Valendra spied a foot sticking out from piles of trash. Usually she would have avoided such a unpleasent scene however the fine make of the shoe and similar size to her own caught her eye. Valendra approached cautiously softly kicking the pertruding foot, There was no response clearing piles of trash it became clear to her that the foot belonged to a Gnome. The smell trash and Stale blood was now pungent in the alleyway, Ripping some of her rags she proceeded to tie them over her mouth and nose dried sweat by far more agreeable to the rest of the pungent smells surrounding her. Valendra looked down at her now ripped and dirty cloths maybe her luck was changing she hoped with the clothes from this gnome maybe she wont be turned away at the stalls. The thought of fresh apples and food urged her forward as she proceeded to strip the gnome of everything he had. This gnome had a lot and now it was hers, Valendra changed into the pungent clothing of the gnome thankful for his small frameFully dressed from head to toe and with a new bloodstained cloak Valendra went to her Alley. However on her way home Valendra gained a bad feeling not just from the stench of her clothes either a feeling one gets by having spent there short life fending for themselves, She ran. She ran until she got to her ally way and scooped up her toy her only friend, surely it was just paranoia right? she thought, i'm safe here, The arrow barely missing her head and in-bedding into the wall next to her said otherwise. Now fleeing for her life Valendra cursed her belief that she had any form of hope or luck there were only two constants in her life hopelessness and her toy,Running thru the crowds Valendra knew she had to get out of the immediate area a place secluded and quite. Running Valendra ducked thru crowds in the late night seeking shelter as it happened her blind run had led her to the hanging gardens. Avoiding the looks of of disgust from passersby Valendra sat her self down in the Gardens Staring at the night sky and the radiance above the increasing cold of the night paling in comparison to the cold in her heart. 

The sun slowly sank below the horizon and he breathed out a slow breath of relief. Now he could get to work, and pulled one of the many pads of parchment into his lap and began to sketch and graph the night sky above him. Soft whispers passed through the cool grass, some of them the words of lover to lover, others just talking to themselves or with a friend. Either way, the atmosphere was much more intimate and serene now, and that along with the soft scratch of his non-feathered quill had him nice and relaxed. Soon he’d have to bring Echo back here, now that their children were born she would be able to run around to her heart’s content.

And then there was something unexpected: a snicker. The metal tip of his quill paused and he listened out, though he kept his eyes down on his notes. It was a hushed sound, as if someone were trying to hide it but not doing their best at it. He wasn’t used to something so negative and mean spirited here, and lifted his eyes up: scanning the area around him for what it could be. His eyes landed on a couple that were eyeing a young girl as she walked through the garden. By her garb alone he could tell she was wanting for money, which made her stick out like a sore thumb. Even so, she was a child, and most people here were at least in their adolescent years. They should have known better than to be so cruel.

She sat herself somewhere out of the way, just as he had, and continued to only look up at the sky. It was hard to see someone so young be so upset and so obviously underfed and without care…In her face he saw the eyes of his own children, and he promptly set his things back down. His hand waved, putting protection over everything he had here so that they wouldn’t be stolen, though he doubted anyone would try to swipe something from a deity that was so close by in the first place.

Trying not to draw too much attention to himself, he stood up from his seated spot in the grass and moved through silently to her. He didn’t want to make her nervous, especially since he was always glowing, and sat down a safe ten lengths away from her: close enough to speak, but well out of arm’s reach. His eyes softened and his voice matched his expression as he quietly spoke to her, “Hello…What brings you here so late at night?” Despite how she looked, there was no indication on his face that he’d even taken notice of such things. If nothing else he’d be sure to get her something good to eat, though he knew that no matter what he’d offer her a room to stay in at his temple.