[SE] Tis better to give

He listened quietly as he continued to work, soldering the rest of the settings to the tiara and then buffing the metal smooth once more with sandpaper so that the whole appeared seamless once more. "...I am glad that he is smiling again," the King rumbled at last, a quiet sincerity in his voice that hid layers of pain and a still-tender scar.

He looked over occasionally while Maea worked to check on her progress and answer any questions on technique. Steely brows rose in appreciation when she used her own fire to heat the ring, rumbling a quiet: "useful," with an admiring nod. If he was surprised that she suddenly began to slice the ring apart he said nothing, content to wait and see her plan before he commented.

Given that the scars on his own body had been mended with gold he did not seem particularly concerned when she pursued a similar aesthetic. There was catharsis in accepting imperfection and moving forward in spite of it. "Mmmh. No," he admitted slowly as he began to fit sea glass and gemstones into the settings with a delicate pair of pliers. "Not anymore. Once, he was my best friend." His co-ruler and confidante, and someone that the Tidebreaker had trusted with his life - and, more importantly, his people. "Since he... left... we have only exchanged a few letters." A tactful way to refer to the Stalwart's sudden abdication.

Down and out, and out of luck, we're spinning but the needle's stuck

Laying the finishing touches to the ring, Maea listened and hummed softly in sympathy. Fraying friendships were painful enough, crumbling alliances must be even more confusing. She wondered why it was that Harper could talk to her but not Hadama. What did he see when looking at either of them, that made him run from one and not the other?

"I see. At least he's written. That's something."

Blasting the ring with a final lick of fire, she set it down to cool. Hunching down to gaze at it from an angle, Maea still wasn't sure she liked the final result. Rather, it didn't really give her Harper vibes. The silver and gold with rippling blueish accents whispered of ocean waves and starlight, though not half as fancy as it could have been.

"I think this one is yours," Maes decided. Making sure the metal had cooled enough to be handled, she plucked it from the table and offered it to Hadama with a faint smile. "As a thank you for teaching me."

Maea

Hadama could guess at some of the reasons, but without speaking to the Stalwart he could not be sure. The pressures of leadership, his own tendency to shoulder as much of the burden as he could, the fracturing of Harper's home life during his stint as King... No one thing had been responsible, but many things striking at once. But the result had been a rift between them that the Tidebreaker would not push until Harper was ready.

The Stalwart had left. Hadama had written to tell him that they were still friends, but it would be up to the Stalwart to return when and if he was ever ready to. Until then, the former-Mer would wait for him.

"Indeed," was all he said in quiet response.

They finished their projects around the same time, Hadama giving the stones their final polish with a soft cloth while Maea let the ring cool. They each examined their creations with critical eyes, but it was the Ancient who surprised the demigod as she offered the ring with its coruscating colors of metal. Hadama accepted it with a blink of surprise followed by a slow, warm smile. "Thank you, Maea," he murmured, taking the ring with careful hands and turning it around to admire it. "It is beautiful." It had been sized for Harper's finger, but Hadama found it slid comfortably onto his pinky and sat snugly gleaming against his brown skin. "Please let me know when you want to make another." Perhaps the next ring would suit the Stalwart better.

Down and out, and out of luck, we're spinning but the needle's stuck

For a moment she felt a prick of guilt, that she would give him only what had not been deemed suitable for another. But the look of surprise on Hadama's face had her suppressing that line of thought. It really wasn't why she gave it to him instead, nor would she ever do that to a friend.
"Of course, I'll do that." Smiling she offered him a pat on the shoulder, before heading to a bucket where she could rinse soot off her hands.

"I'll be headed for the Climb after the ball," she told him over the slosh and scrubbing. "We'll see if I have any luck finding the flowers... I'll let you know either way how it goes." For now, she had too much to do. Pamphlets to pin, events to organize and research to complete - not that she was complaining. The only thing she lamented was the need to break up from seeing her friends. Perhaps later, when the seasons changed, there would be more time to simply talk and think about companionable nothings for a while.


{Fin} <3

Maea