an empire in a golden age

SOHALIA

But you're untouchable, burning brighter than the sun

Sohalia was nervous.

She always was when it came to Koa, but today, she was doubly so, if only because of the topic she'd asked him here to discuss. As they left the Citadel and wandered out into the tundra, Soh had to ask herself if she was making a mistake. She didn't want to draw anyone else into her plans - especially not someone for whom her feelings were so complicated - but she also knew that she'd never be able to bring her plans to fruition alone.

Tarak soared overhead, grumpy about being in the cold and having decided that movement was probably better than sitting still on Soh's shoulder. From above, he kept an eye on the snow, watching for anything and anyone who might seek to overhear his bonded's conversation.

"This should be far enough to talk safely, don't you think?" she asked Koa finally, as they came to the frozen inland sea that was called the Sea of Glass. Hopefully they would be safe to talk freely with only the wind and ice to hear them.

And now that you're close I feel like coming undone

A joy hard-learned in winter was the warming of the bed
You'd shake for minutes there and move your legs

Koa hates the cold.

Bundled in boots and scarf and hat and the largest greatcoat he could fine, Koa strikes a pensive figure as he stares across the frozen sea. Only copper eyes gleam from the shadows of his shrouded face, tracking faint lines on a horizon almost fully washed out by ice and snow. Above him the shriek of a dragon echoes; Pip, unlike the rest of them, is thriving in this weather, eagerly circling through flurries and banks as she too stands sentinel over the frozen wastes.

Why did he suggest Halo, if he loathes it so much? Because if there is one place he cannot imagine their enemies finding them, it's here, out in the furthest reaches of Caido, far from Starfall's looming gaze. Yet even here he feels uneasy, tense and insecure in the wintry light. While normally he loves the ocean, there's something eerie about this sea, something beyond the biting cold and distant groans of shifting ice. It makes him feel small and vulnerable. Too obvious.

Exposed.

Soh's voice is nearly snatched by the wind, but the young man hears her well enough. Reaching a gloved hand to his face, Koa pulls down his scarf just far enough to free his rosy lips. "'Safe' is relative, when they can send messages directly into our minds," he points out wryly, still staring out across the sea. The borrowed ring upon on his finger sits quiet and chill; at least he has that reassurance, that she isn't one of them. "What did you want to talk about?" Koa asks, though the question is likely unnecessary. He's fairly confident he knows what's on her mind. It's the same thing that's been on his.

Koa Carpenter

Wrap the blanket over you and keep your head within
Let your breath heat the air until you'd feel it getting thin

SOHALIA

But you're untouchable, burning brighter than the sun

There was something new about Koa, something that Soh couldn't quite put her finger on. He was a far cry from the flirtatious, carefree young man who had once courted her. No, now there was something entirely too serious about his countenance, and though she understood - the past seasons had been hard on the Dragoon, even if she knew very little about his exact activities - she couldn't help but mourn the boy who had been before.

It was like looking in a mirror. She'd been naive and innocent and filled with joy once, before she'd shouldered the responsibility for an entire nation. And now... now, there was nothing that could ease the burden that sometimes threatened to pull her under.

Nothing except, perhaps, sharing it.

She hummed her agreement that safe was indeed relative, clasping her hands together before her to keep from wringing them nervously. Last time she'd done something reckless, Koa had taken her to task for it and then refused to leave her side. This plan was decidedly more dangerous, and she wasn't sure how he'd react. If he didn't agree to help her... well, she wasn't sure that she could do this alone, as much as she might want to. But Koa had seen the darkest parts of her, and perhaps... perhaps he had seen, and found her character wanting. Perhaps he wouldn't support her, and that fear tied her tongue for more than a moment as she tried to find her voice.

"I want to retake Stormbreak," she said finally, deciding on blunt honesty. Who was there out here to hear them, anyway? Better to have a frank discussion now than have to speak in code later. "And I can't do it alone. I want - I need - help. And I can't think of anyone better suited than you."

And now that you're close I feel like coming undone