reflection of my heart

It seems unfair that when she's trying to enjoy herself, self-conscious thoughts have to intrude. She's just sitting in the hot water, bright pink bathing suit poking out from beneath it, but rather than giggle and splash around in the hot springs with her mother's namesake, admiring all the water that looks like pools of starlight, Nova sits quietly watching as her fingers make gentle ripples on the surface.

A small pout plays on her lips as the questions spin in her head. Is she too much? Her mom and siblings say she's perfect just the way she is, but there have been times that people flinch in her presence or complain about her volume or number of questions or the amount of glitter she uses... 

The complaints slowly build, become a mountain of reasons she's annoying or obnoxious or too much. It has her magic trembling beneath her skin, the ripples threatening to crystalize in ice, the blue of her eyes shining with moisture, all the feelings spiraling in the silence.

Nova

Cause I got that sunshine in my pocket,
got that good song in my feet.

I don't want to wonder if this is a blunder

Whelp, guess we live in Halo for now.

After everything that happened, Koa found the idea of a warm soak for his weary bones marvelous indeed. He'd managed to scrounge up some swim trunks (snowflake patterned, appropriately) as well as a warm, exquisitely fluffy robe, which he wears wrapped tightly around himself as he makes his way out to the springs. Even in the peak of Longheat his breath condenses in the air; he shivers as he picks his way toward the water, drawn ever closer by the allure of steam.

It's a cloudy day, the sky obscured by a thick layer of vog which blows in from fires of the Climb, and Koa finds himself coughing slightly as he shrugs out of his robe. Immediately shivering, he is quick to slip into the glittering water, a warm sigh of relief curling through the steam as warmth envelops his weary body, his eyes fluttering shut as he basks in the heat. "That's the stuff," he murmurs contentedly to Pipsqueak, the long noodle having settled nearby to bask on warm stone.

He's not the only one who's decided on a soak, and as Koa opens his eyes a familiar face appears in the steam. Eyebrows furrowing, he scoots a little closer to where she sits, uncharacteristically quiet, her features somewhat obscured. "Nova?" Koa asks, brightening as a puff of breeze dispels the steam enough to confirm the Dragoon's suspicions. "I thought that was you!"

Koa

When I kiss your lips I want to sink down to the bottom of the sea

Nova feels like the glum weather is matching her mood - no magic necessary. The smoke obscures some of the sunlight wanting to battle the icy environment, the pollution of the air making people nearly as miserable as her. Maybe that's why the glitter of the water doesn't seem as bright, the ripples almost sluggish as her fingers move through them. Tucking her legs to her chest, she sets her chin on her knees to watch, wondering if the water might wash away the questions trying to suffocate her more than the smoke overhead. 

A voice filters through the rampant run of doubts and questions. "Hm?" She raises her moist blue gaze, the usual twisting of a galaxy looking oddly still, like a reflection of something darker, farther out than the stars. The man her eyes land on is familiar, faint memories of laughter and dancing echoing in the back of her mind, but she doesn't brighten, doesn't immediately rejoice at his presence when she's still overwhelmed by the current of her thoughts. However, her hand pauses in its teasing of the water's surface, the crystal flecks of ice melting without her continuous attention. "Oh. Hi Koa." It's soft and flat, failing to chime the way it usually does.

Nova

Cause I got that sunshine in my pocket,
got that good song in my feet.

I don't want to wonder if this is a blunder

Ash from the distant fires and smoke dances like snowflakes in the heavy steam; Koa extends his hand out to one, catching it on his palm. Almost immediately it dissolves into a gritty puddle, leaving a streak of gray upon his skin as he wipes it away with his thumb.

Nova's voice is as broody and gray as the skies above, a far cry from the infectiously vibrant character Koa has come to know. It has the young man faltering, his eyebrows furrowing in mild concern. "Uh... how you been?" he asks, a little uncertain, though his manner remains light and easy, his head tilted toward her in friendly invitation. "Managing to stir up trouble?" He winks playfully at her, remembering fondly their whirlwind dance.

Koa

When I kiss your lips I want to sink down to the bottom of the sea

Her eyes don't stay on Koa long, passing over just briefly enough to recognize and communicate before falling back to movement of her fingers. They switch from an elegant pattern of rhythmic rise and fall to that of tapping, the ripples turning fast as they push away what ash falls onto the surface of the water. 

She purses her lips at the question. Never having been one to hide her feelings or present anything other than her truest self, Nova doesn't hide the thoughts plaguing her. "Apparently I've been 'loud' and 'rude' and someone people don't want to put up with." Whether that might be considered 'trouble' - intentional or not - is something Koa can decide, but she doesn't like the feelings it gives her, shifting a little lower in the water like the warmth might give her comfort, a distant hug from her mom.

Nova

Cause I got that sunshine in my pocket,
got that good song in my feet.

I don't want to wonder if this is a blunder

Oh,  Nova. She doesn't even react to his playful wink, instead sinking deeper into the steamy water like a turtle trying to escape notice. Koa takes it in with a bittersweet sympathy, the brotherly instincts of him unable to avoid drawing parallels between the dejected Nova and another girl he knows well.

"You are loud." What could be an insult is softened and reformed by his fond smile, his playful, guileless laugh. "And bright, and brilliant, and chaotic." And young, so young, so fragile and new to the word. Again as he looks at her he imagines a similar scene with a similar girl, her dark hair a veil and her copper eyes briefly and tragically dimmed. Like Nova, Noe had been known to burn those around her with her sunshine-hot brilliance, and Koa had always loved her for it.

Koa runs his hands on the surface of the water, cupping it in his palm. "You're like a firecracker, Nova. And sometimes people are overwhelmed by firecrackers. Especially when they pop off!" Shifting suddenly, he aims his hand toward her and squeezes shut, sending a spout of water hurtling toward her face.

Koa

When I kiss your lips I want to sink down to the bottom of the sea

Despite the softness of his words, Nova's pout deepens, hurt flashing in her eyes as she looks to him, finally staying on him. "Hey!" He's not supposed to agree with the mean comment, and she takes a quick breath to prepare for retaliation when Koa continues, his laughter sounding too bright to be cruel. Her lips still curve down, but her eyes gain emotion again, their flat blue beginning to swirl with annoyance and indignation that shifts the more he talks. 

Bright. Brilliant. Chaotic. These are adjectives she prefers. They're familiar and warm. They relight the spark in her chest, reminding her of the fire she often carries, the blinding light that she cherishes in herself. She likes feeling that way, embracing life and the sparkles that come with it. It makes life fun and vibrant and entirely her in a way that's too colorful and too loud for some people - like a firecracker. Koa sees that, her siblings see that, her mom sees that. Why does she care if Calla doesn't?

Tension releases its hold, the concerns and self-doubts beginning to melt like permafrost from a flower in the safety of spring. She sighs, letting her shoulders fall just in time for water to slap her in the face. 

Like the crack of a whip, she comes alive, a sharp gasp snapping through the steam. "Rude!" But there's a smile on her face, mischief gleaming in her eyes that should certainly frighten Koa. She straightens, the curl of her body unfurling in a tiny spasm of action, ripples pressing out from where she stands. The water still reaches to her abdomen, but the top of her neon pink and glitter bikini is revealed as she slaps her hands down. "I'll show you firecracker!" She hasn't the faintest clue what that means, but it sounds right, and Nova bursts into action.

Magic flows from her fingertips, a giant wave cresting between them to fall over his head, surprisingly cold for the temperature of the springs. Through the falling of water, he'll be able to see the grin accented with starlit freckles, wild blonde curls, and the promise of further chaos.

Nova

Cause I got that sunshine in my pocket,
got that good song in my feet.