Neither right nor wrong

It did not seem to be a well-traveled route into Stormbreak. Not anymore, at least.

Hadama stood at the top of the Righteous Climb and looked down the steep, staggered chunks of landscape that connected - more or less - to the ground far below. An anchor, of sorts, to keep the city from floating off even higher into the sky? A last line of connection between it and the rest of Caido. At least in the metaphysical sense. The skyport would allow travel even if the Righteous Climb were to be severed... so long as the port remained open.

Though looking back to the gates directly behind them, he could see how Stormbreak had something of a history of controlling who could come and go. A useful advantage, perhaps, if one ever wished to limit the flow of people into and out of a region.

Not that it had been tested since the Ascended War.

"Do many still make the climb?" he asked Noe curiously, turning to his tour guide with genuine interest in the spectacle laid out before - and below- them.

NOE

So it's gonna be forever
Or it's gonna go down in flames

Noe stood nearby in an easy, comfortable silence as Hadama studied the Righteous Climb. An errant breeze plucked at her dark waves, and the girl tucked them behind her ears to attempt to keep the tendrils from her face. It was a beautiful day, perfect for sightseeing, and it had been some time since she’d come all the way out past the city gates to see the climb.

Mika had extricated herself from Noe’s hair to flit about the rocky staircase, exploring this way and that without ever straying too far from her bonded. The little mata mata brought a smile to Noe’s face, as she often did, and before long came flitting back with a happy hiss. Some days, it felt like Mika was the only one who really understood her anymore.

”No,” she said. ”Not that I know of, anyway. I think the Dragoons use it for training exercises, sometimes, but almost everyone comes through the skyport.”

You can tell me when it's over
If the high was worth the pain

Silence from Noe seemed an unusual occurrence, but Hadama appreciated the time she gave him to absorb the view. He looked out and down over the world below, far higher than Haulani's floating suburbs, and contemplated the last time he had been to the Leap of Faith. The view there had been different, but the perspective was similar. At least the Righteous Climb provided a somewhat safer method of reaching the ground - the surface? - from the city, though the lack of safety ropes, or safety measures of any kind, meant that any mistakes in footing would be just as fatal.

Mika's antics finally drew his attention back to the little mata mata and to his young friend, and the corners of his eyes crinkled at the sight of companion and girl enjoying each other's company. "Mmh. I can see why. Have you made the climb since the War?" Emerald eyes twinkled in the afternoon light, even as the breeze tugged fruitlessly at the braid that remained firmly tucked down the back of his coat. "Perhaps the route would be more welcoming if an engineer were hired to install some... hmm. Some way to make it safer. Ropes, perhaps, or rails?"

Was he teasing her? Perhaps. The sunlight was doing him good, too.

NOE

So it's gonna be forever
Or it's gonna go down in flames

Mika floated merrily around Hadama's head, enjoying the attention, before flitting back to Noe, who reached out a hand for the little snake to twine around. The girl giggled at the mata mata, wrinkling her nose playfully before turning her attention back to Hadama. "Oh, Gods no!" she said with a laugh. "You couldn't pay me to climb it now. Why make things harder than they need to be?"

Although the suggestion that someone might could make it safer had merit, and Noe pondered the trail anew, her eyes lighting with interest in the challenge her friend had set her. "Rails might be too solid - metal doesn't tend to bend with the wind, at least not in the form it'd need to be for railings. Ropes might work, although they'd need to be magicked to withstand the elements. I'd hate to have to replace them every time a rock fell or the wind blew."

You can tell me when it's over
If the high was worth the pain

He almost smiled at her laugh, the crinkles around his eyes growing deeper and the corners of his mouth twitching in a suspiciously upward direction. "Indeed? Then I will not suggest a walk down them today." Yes, he was definitely teasing her now, but the way she focused down and lit up with interest at his suggestion of engineering improvements to the path made him glad that he had mentioned it.

"Mmh. Not normal ropes, then, but cables?" he suggested thoughtfully. "Like those used on ships? Or..." A faint furrow appeared between his brows as he considered the problem alongside the young engineer. "Something between the two? Could metal be used to make a rope?" He had no experience with whether such a thing was possible, and so he turned to the professional engineer to educate him on the limits - and potential - inherent in the materials under discussion.

NOE

So it's gonna be forever
Or it's gonna go down in flames

"That is definitely appreciated," Noe said, eyes twinkling mischievously. "I mean, can you imagine trying to climb down in these shoes?" Indeed, the girl was not wearing an outfit that was meant for the Righteous Climb - set on sightseeing, she'd elected something far more cute than it was pragmatic. And her shoes were perhaps the epitome of this notion - brightly colored sandals, with thin, strappy segments more geared towards the sands of Torchline than the rocky steps that descended below.

But fortunately, they would not be testing out her footwear - only the mental gymnastics required to consider improvements to the Climb. "Oh, sure, you can totally get metal cables! It's actually a super interesting process. A pain to do, but they end up being really strong!" And so the girl launched into a brief, and probably far too technical, description of how one might go about making said cables. In the end, she added, "That could definitely work for something like this!"

You can tell me when it's over
If the high was worth the pain

"I cannot imagine it in any shoes," he admitted. The fact that his own rather large feet were encased in proper footwear was a testament to his consummate disguise skills - or at least, his willingness to try to stand out a little less while he was visiting Stormbreak's various landmarks and famous place. But that did not mean that he was entirely comfortable in them, no matter how well they fit. He preferred to feel the ground beneath his soles - and any water to be found upon it to be able to touch his skin.

Talk turned to safety considerations after that - more pragmatic than cute, as it turned out - and Hadama was perfectly content to listen and nod at appropriate intervals as Noe explained the manufacture and tensile strength of such cables. He looked quietly interested throughout, though he did not try to interject until the young woman wound down and gave his idle suggestion the official seal of approval.

"Mmh. Then I am glad we came." The view alone would have been worth it, but if he could inspire his young friend, all the better. "But perhaps it is time to find somewhere with less wind. Would Mika care to lead the way?" he asked, looking to the little companion with silent humor twinkling in his eyes, willing to follow the little mata mata to their next adventure.

~Fin