filling in the missing planks

If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense

In her tide jaguar form, Nova sprinted into the clearing before the bridge, gasping to see the mists that curled around the valley it spanned across. She'd seen it from above, but it was much smaller up close, long but narrow. It made her slow to a trot, head tilting as she inspected the structure. I think our tide jaguars are too heavy for the bridge.

Without another word, her figure shrank down to that of a particularly colorful petite blonde that Soh might recognize. Her hair had a streak of neon pink, and her oversized green jacket flapped in the breeze along with her purple scarf as she turned to Soh. Nova's smile was blinding when she bounced towards the bridge, a giggle bubbling up from her chest.

Nova

you gotta get bruised before you get mad
you gotta fall down before you fight back

Nova had left Soh sunning herself at the Leap of Faith before she quite knew that the other girl was gone, leaving her to leap to her feet and chase after her. Nova was sweet, but gods if she wasn’t impulsive, and Soh wasn’t keen to leave her to her own devices. They arrived at the Brittlebone Bridge before Nova slowed, and Soh came to a halt beside her.

She, too, shifted, and after a moment she was standing before a girl about her age, pink streak in her blonde hair, who looked oddly familiar. Suddenly realizing where she’d seen her before, Soh quirked a corner of her mouth upwards. ”So… are you really a fortune teller, Madam Marin?” she asked, her voice teasing. Perhaps she should have been angry, or upset, or something, but all she could find it in herself to be was amused. Perhaps Nova just had that effect on people.

was feeling so weak but baby i'm strong
little did i know i'm a champion

Sohalia

If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense

Turning to see Soh, she processed the question with a tilt of her head. "Hmm? Oh!" Finally understanding that the woman was only just recognizing Nova as the magnificent 'Madam Marin.' She had to let out a delighted giggle at the discovery, shrugging her shoulders. "I guess you'll never know." Although her glittering wink hinted at the truth.

She recalled the interaction with amusement, trying to remember what Vespy had hinted at. The part that had interested her the most was the 'romance' portion of it, and Nova glanced over her shoulder as she stepped onto the bridge. "Although, out of curiosity, how did things work out with the boys?" The 'J' and 'K' names, or course.

Nova

you gotta get bruised before you get mad
you gotta fall down before you fight back

Soh couldn’t even be mad - she chuckled at Nova’s wink, shaking her head ruefully. And she’d been so taken in that she hadn’t even questioned the fortune teller’s legitimacy. Well, the more fool her.

She blinked at Nova’s question, a flush suddenly heating her face. ”That’s a long story,” she hedged, unsure how much she wanted to divulge to someone she didn’t know all that well. ”But I’m not with either of them now, so…” She shrugged. The memory of her actions still haunted her when it came to Jude and Koa; she regretted it all bitterly, and if she could turn back time to change what she’d done and how she’d done it, she would.

was feeling so weak but baby i'm strong
little did i know i'm a champion

Sohalia

If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense

Unfamiliar with etiquette or boundaries, Nova just looked at Soh with bright, innocent eyes. "Well, I don't have anywhere to be." She couldn't imagine what kind of drama might have occurred to make the woman so hesitant, but she was more than happy to sip the tea. Drama and chaos might as well be her middle names. 

Shrugging her shoulders, she leaped over a gap in the bridge with feline grace. "Although it's probably for the best. I didn't get good vibes from them." Not that she'd ever met the two men, but the emotions around them in Soh had been so complex that it only made sense that nothing good could come from being with them. That didn't mean there weren't others. 

Nova shot her a teasing look as she asked, "Anyone new?"

Nova

you gotta get bruised before you get mad
you gotta fall down before you fight back

Nova was nothing if not persistent, it appeared, and Soh looked at her with a bemused expression for a moment. They were practically strangers, and yet here she was, digging for a story that Soh had only ever told the best of her friends. ”I tried to date them both at once,” Soh said finally, her mouth twisting bitterly as she felt the familiar creep of guilt and shame. ”It didn’t go well.” It wasn’t much of a story, she supposed, but it was the most she would reveal at the present time.

As for whether or not there was someone new, Soh laughed - a genuine, giggling thing that was as foreign as the idea of love to the Luminary these days. ”I’ve sworn off men,” she told Nova. ”It’s not worth the hassle.” Not entirely true, of course (looking at you, Koa, with a pit stop named Ace), but it sounded good at the time.

was feeling so weak but baby i'm strong
little did i know i'm a champion

Sohalia

If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense

Pausing in her progression over the bridge, she turned to look at Soh, her eyebrows high with surprise. "Oooh. Did they catch you?" That seemed the only reason to her that things could turn out badly, but she also didn't have any much dating experience to base her understanding off of. Out of her siblings, Vesper was the most 'experienced,' although she didn't even want to know how much. 

Nova rolled her eyes in agreeance with Soh's proclamation. "Boys can be annoying, my brother in particular." There was a smirk on her face despite the words, more than happy to deal with Vespy's overprotectiveness or stoic nature. After all, she couldn't imagine life without him. Which was why she added, "Buuuut, they can be pretty useful sometimes." She preferred to make them do her 'work,' whether that was cleaning, cutting, building, moving, breaking, fighting, - honestly, anything manual labor. Just a bat of her pretty lashes and they were flocking to assist.

Nova

you gotta get bruised before you get mad
you gotta fall down before you fight back

"Yyyyyeahhhhh, something like that," Soh said drily, memories of her abysmal attempts at honesty with the boys floating behind her eyes. If anything, it might have been better to have simply dated them both and called it a day - but no, she'd tried to tell them about each other and see if they would be fine with it. It was more complex than that, of course, but it was also in the past. Where she very much hoped it would stay.

As for Nova's brother, he'd seemed nice enough to Soh the few times they'd met. "Oh, yeah, Vesper, right?" she asked tilting her head to one side. She remembered running into him on the beach one day searching for shells, and then thought of the way he'd acted as protector during Nova's 'Madam Marin' at. "He seems nice."

was feeling so weak but baby i'm strong
little did i know i'm a champion

Sohalia

If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense

Although disappointed that Soh was refusing to tell her all the juicy details, Nova spun back around, leaning heavily on the rope railing as she looked down into the valley below. "Well, that sucks, but if that bothered them so much then they're wimps." She was under the misguided impression that men should fight for a woman - even over the dead bodies of their adversaries - in order to claim their love!

Although she got the sinking feeling that her brother wouldn't be one of those, and she giggled at the thought of her shadowy sibling. "He's the best. Very broody, but he's got a soft heart." At least for her. Other people? Not so much. Not that she was bothered by it. Glancing up from the plants below, she looked to Soh curiously. "I didn't know you knew each other."

Nova

you gotta get bruised before you get mad
you gotta fall down before you fight back

Nova’s opinion was refreshing, even if Soh thought she was wrong. The boys hadn’t been wimps - they’d been rightfully angry, and she deserving of their ire. If she had been in either of their positions, she’d have felt so betrayed. It was no wonder that things were still a disaster, when all she wanted was to mend her bridges.

Vesper was a safer topic, considering that Soh hadn’t dated him, and she smiled at Nova as she came to stand with the girl at the edge of the bridge. ”We met on the beach - just in passing, really. He was looking for seashells.” And then, of course, he’d been the ‘protector’ of Madam Marin, but he hadn’t given her away to Nova then.

was feeling so weak but baby i'm strong
little did i know i'm a champion

Sohalia

If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense

Leaning back, she pulled against the rope of the railing, a laugh bubbling out. "Oh! Is that where he got those?!" He'd just come home one day with a bundle of shells. It was very strange, but she hadn't complained, more than happy to find a use for the items. Tilting her head, she said thoughtfully, "I think I made those into earrings..." They were probably somewhere in the house. 

She'd most likely forget about the accessories again before she made it home, especially as she was suddenly pointing to the other end of the canyon. "Look! I think I see a colorful bird! I'll race you across the bridge!" A playful giggle echoes through the space, most likely scaring whatever she'd spotted, but Nova didn't stop, her feet light and fast as she sprinted over the wooden planks.

[FIN]

Nova