[SE] lightning in my bottle

Thalassa

Thal flicks her tail, looking up into the dark miasma of ash and smoke always hanging over the Climb, worsened by the eruption of a nearby valve. Lightning cracks in tiny rivets across the sky, breaking through thinner portions of the clouds so it illuminates the rocky environment in a purplish light that clashes with the constant glow of the lava rivers. Energy permeates the heat of the air, her dark hair trying to raise from around her horns. 

The volcanic storm rumbles as another crackle of electricity strikes out, and Thal raises an eyebrow at Colt. "Good thing we're heading in." She steps into the tunnel that leads to Frey's Breath, but she turns back to look out at the display, a greedy glow to her eyes as she watches it, feeling as if the magic already thrums in her veins. There's less fear than exhilaration in her stance as she reluctantly turns away. 

Leather boots tap quietly against the stone floors, leading them deeper into the system of caves and tunnels. "Please tell me we have enough time to actually enjoy the springs. It's been unbearably cold in the Grounds."

Never been the type to
Let someone see right through

COLT

Usually, I ain't the type to stay up all damn night
Thinkin' 'bout someone else
It's hard to be fine when your heart's on the line
And the truth is I'm goin' through hell

Pulling her quiver into better position on her shoulders, Colt glances up at the storm with something of a frown. Always one to watch nature's teeth set to the world, and greedy for the weather now that she's in Hak Etme, this display of lightning and volcanic cloud feels like it means to trap them here for the night. What she hoped would be a quick venture might be getting an extended timeframe.

"Yeah, that storm looks like it means to eat," she remarks, all too aware of the way her hairs are on end at the base of her neck and rippling down her arms. They're responding to the charge in the air, heavy with every enroaching break of light and bellowing breath of the sky. Giving the storm one last look, for now, Colt slips into the rocky shelter of Frey's Breath with Thal.

The soft glow of the little fires dotting the space, coupled with lines of moonlight that fight through the rocky cover and the clouds, gives the area a serene quality quite at odds with the fire and brimstone just outside. The next peal of thunder and lightning sounds quite close, its echo booming down into the cavern with an erratic bounce of noise before it fades.

"I think we better unless we want to get fried out there," Colt says with a grunt as she kneels by the surface of the pool. Pulling a small flash out of her coat's inner pocket, she dips the empty container into the spring waters. Bubbles glug up as the flask fills, another peal tearing the sky in hald above them. Some outlets in the stone allow the sight to be seen, a touch of rain streaking down and hissing against the warm water. "Y'know where it doesn't get too cold?" Colt probes as she lifts up her filled flask, tucking it in her coat again.

I keep it dark, I keep it quiet
But then you come around and light me up
Takin' up space like a hyphen
You're on my mind and I can't fight it

Thalassa

Nodding her head in agreeance, she casts a final look out at the sky just as another bolt slices a jagged path through the air. The sound follows shortly after, roaring and rumbling into her chest like a wild beast. A smirk quirks at the corner of her lips as she takes them into the system of tunnels. 

The atmosphere quickly shifts to something calm and ethereal, the lighting turning to a mix of low lanterns and echoing moonlight broken by purple crackles. Steam rises to a near stifling point, thick and warm against their skin. For Thal, it's a comfortable embrace, her muscles immediately releasing some of the tension brought on by the Deepfrost cold, and when the pools of water come into sight, she's already pulling off her cloak. 

More thunder echoes through the space as Colt confirms staying until the storm passes. "Good. Then I'm getting in." Thal drapes her black cloak over a large stone, stripping farther down while the rancher gathers water into a bottle. She's already half undressed by the time Colt turns back to her, pants thrown over her cloak and fingers poised at the bottom of her shirt when she pauses to raise a brow at the question. It sounds like a trick question or a setup to a joke and there's a glint of amusement in her eyes as she gives permission to continue with a melodic "Hm?" and playful flick of her tail, fully prepared to roll her eyes.

Never been the type to
Let someone see right through

COLT

Usually, I ain't the type to stay up all damn night
Thinkin' 'bout someone else
It's hard to be fine when your heart's on the line
And the truth is I'm goin' through hell

The flask is nearly burning in her hand, the metal heated significantly by the warmth her god ever delivers. Her jacket keeps it just fine, but that in and of itself is rapidly becoming a stifling thing. The steaming, humid air here is thick enough for her to put her teeth around it, and she's ever grateful for the mild relief of her cooling hat. Even so, she's shucking layers before long, especially once they deem they'll be staying here.

"Hak Etme," Colt answers with the faintest twist of amusement to her lips as she glances over at the undressing ancient. Colt's jacket has already made a lump across a rock, and now she's kicking off her boots beside it. "I'm just saying," she says, a touch of sing-song entering her tone. "Don't really have to fight with Deepfrost out there. Not the snowy parts of it, anyway." The desert still has its colder moments, and it's certainly no Climb, but it is an expanse of heat that feels made for her friend.

I keep it dark, I keep it quiet
But then you come around and light me up
Takin' up space like a hyphen
You're on my mind and I can't fight it

Thalassa

As expected, Thal rolls her eyes at Colt's answer, pulling her shirt over her head in a familiar way that keeps it from catching on her horns. By the time her face is revealed, she's throwing a jokingly exasperated look at the rancher. "Is this your way of asking me to do more work for you this season?"

She throws aside her shirt, standing confidently in her underwear as she stares down the woman. Scars scatter across her body. Although few, all of them are associated with a particular lesson she'd learned the first time, including the brighter pink slashes stretching from her left arm across her back. 

Unashamed of them - or her body - Thal discards the last of her clothes so that she stands naked, tail weaving a quick rhythm behind her as she moves gracefully towards the warm water. "My labor ain't cheap, you know. Might cost you a few more favors." Her eyes glitter with wicked amusement, wondering what else Colt could possibly need help with and whether she'd find her pricing worth it.

Never been the type to
Let someone see right through

COLT

Usually, I ain't the type to stay up all damn night
Thinkin' 'bout someone else
It's hard to be fine when your heart's on the line
And the truth is I'm goin' through hell

An easy laugh spills out as Colt shakes her head, gaze glinting in the low light as it fires back towards Thal. "Oh I know," she reassures, in regards to Thal not being cheap. Perhaps the more expensive offer she'd made, in terms of risk, at least if her hair has any say in the matter. She certainly could have offered something lower stakes, but as Thal had been one of the first, Colt had been so certain of rebuke she'd set her stakes high. In the end, Jack would probably be the one to cost her the most, but she rather thinks he'll make her the most too, so that seems fair enough to tally it so.

"No more favors," she groans, eyes rolling faintly as she shimmies out of her bottoms and all their accompanying fabrics. "It's bad enough having the other one held over my head, I'll not be adding more nooses to my neck." The glare she shoots Thal is entirely playful, jeans smacking the rock alongside her jacket. "Any notion when you're gonna cash that in?" she prods, hat tipping off her head and into her hand, just for now.

Because Thal had already seen it, there's no sense in hiding her saved head, so in a rare, public setting, Colt tugs her wig free. The scalp beneath has long since been regrowing her yellow hair, but it's rather short still, looking like a men's cut. With more care than her other things, Colt sets the wig down carefully. "I meant, maybe there's more than work for you in Hak Etme. Wasn't sure if you considered it." Colt keeps it light, mindful that she doesn't step in the same pile of dogshit twice. "Just, pointing out that it could be a fine place for ancients especially." She pulls her shirt off then removes her hat, her bra soon unfastening with as much ceremony as Thal.

I keep it dark, I keep it quiet
But then you come around and light me up
Takin' up space like a hyphen
You're on my mind and I can't fight it

Thalassa

Chuckling, Thal tilts her head, dark hair sliding down her bare back as she casts Colt a mischievous glance. "Oh, don't you worry, I'll think of something." There's a sharpness to her smile, but her fangs don't quite flash, because Thal has no plans to be cruel to her new friend - no matter how much she might pretend the payment day will be torture for the rancher. 

With her back to Colt, her half-fish tattoo is on full display, catching in the low light just before she dives headfirst into the deep center of the pool. She breaks through the surface, slicing like an elegant dagger through silk into its warm depths with barely a splash. Just as quick, her head reappears, blue eyes blinking playfully at Colt while she smooths her dark hair from her face. She doesn't tease or comment on the short blonde hair, paying more attention to the words she says - the invitation behind them. 

Thal swims back towards the edge of the water, fluid and graceful as one who was born in the ocean. Her thoughts aren't as smooth, the sudden opportunity rippling through her mind, serious options and various considerations flickering beneath the teasing expression she wears. It honestly wasn't something she'd thought about. Despite how her life has begun to stagnate, there's also a rhythm to it, a reason that she's structured it this way. From the ports she uses to the secluded corner of Levinsward that she's carved out, Thal has chosen everything with intention, and moving to Hak Etme doesn't yet pose the same benefits as living in the Grounds. 

Her skin steams as she props her arms on stony edge, shrugging when she admits, "Most of my business is in the Grounds or Torchline." Pirating can really be done anywhere, but she's known in those ports, and her connections have already been properly intimidated trained. 

Grinning, she adds, "Plus, unless the bars are hiding in the middle of the desert, I don't think there's enough alcohol in Hak Etme for me or my crew." Her blue-black spade tail flicks just under the surface of the water, teasing curiosity glowing in her eyes. "What brought this on? Feeling lonely already?"

Never been the type to
Let someone see right through

COLT

Usually, I ain't the type to stay up all damn night
Thinkin' 'bout someone else
It's hard to be fine when your heart's on the line
And the truth is I'm goin' through hell

"That's one of the few things I'm not worried about," Colt grumbles back, breath huffing with the resignation of still having to wait and see what the favor would be. Thal's creativity is not something Colt could ever doubt again after their bar night. Although, there's no keeping back the grin that lights up her features as she catches sight of the fucked up fish on the Ancient just before she slices into the pool. They both can be creative.

While Thal dives in, Colt finishes her undressing and pads over to the edge of the steaming pool, hat placed back on her head to combat the heat a touch more. With a more measured approach, Colt crouches down and slides first one foot in, then the other, letting the warmth crawl up her limbs and hold her with the promise of easing a few things for the time being. Frey has always been good at that.

Thal pops up near her, leaning onto her arms, and Colt peers down with the quiet understanding of the no buried in the explanation. If she's disappointed, she neatly keeps that inside the smile she presses on. "Drink like a fish is just a saying you know," she says with a flick of water from her hands towards Thal, choosing teasing over letting anything real attempt to sting and settle. Being called out so bluntly, especially for something as embarassing as being lonely, isn't something she'd be meeting head on, not even in her own company.

"Just tired of hearing you bitch about the cold this time of year is all," Colt sighs like it's obvious and very taxing, rolling her eyes as she slides deeper into the water. Her elbows brace back behind her on the ledge, and the liquid swarms up to her tits, lapping against them like two pale lily pads. "If you're going to drink me out of my home though, then by all means, don't come near it," she laughs faintly, shooting Thal a fond look. "Although I do hope the suggestion doesn't land as poaching you and next thing you'll be doing is telling your Theocrat how terrible I am."

I keep it dark, I keep it quiet
But then you come around and light me up
Takin' up space like a hyphen
You're on my mind and I can't fight it

Thalassa

It's easy to tease about something she can recognize, and all the easier to bury the truth in humor. Thal laughs, the sound light despite its low timbre. "Sailors take it as a challenge." Similar to how 'drown your sorrows' is just a metaphorical phrase that sailors treat as literal, practically waterboarding themselves with alcohol to suffocate the feeling. And with little else to do at sea, most sailors have built a tolerance that will put any alcoholic to shame. 

Splashing lightly back with a roll of her eyes, Thal turns so that she's propped with her back on the stones. "You'd be bitching too if it could turn you to stone." She doubts she liked the cold much before transitioning, but when she can feel her blood turning to cement in her veins every time she steps into the snow, she thinks she has a right to complain about it. 

A flash of lightning glows overhead, the faint echo of it rumbling with Thal's laughter as she leans her head back and sinks further into the water. "One: I doubt Danta would notice or care if I left." She'd categorize the Theocrat as a 'friend,' but they don't see enough of each other for him to feel her absence should she leave. In fact, she finds it hard to believe he would care at all, so it seems stupid that she would tell him anything. She wishes the thought didn't sting as much as it did, but she shoves it down with all the other feelings she likes to ignore. 

Cracking open her eyes, she raises a brow at Colt, full of questions and quiet curiosity. "Two: That's an oddly specific scenario." And word for that matter. So Thal stays silent, waiting patiently for the rancher to elaborate.

Never been the type to
Let someone see right through

COLT

Usually, I ain't the type to stay up all damn night
Thinkin' 'bout someone else
It's hard to be fine when your heart's on the line
And the truth is I'm goin' through hell

A deep set smirk presses into Colt's cheeks. "I find a way to bitch even without turning to stone." She, of course, is allowed to bitch about anything and everything, but anyone else who does just needs to grow a pair. Such are the rules, she didn't design them. All in all though, fuck the cold.

Water sings with a soft, tinkling sound every time one of their arms moves and droplets scatter like jewels over tile. There's a repetitive, hollow echo where it laps up against the edges, small waves cast into sound with each disturbance from them. The wet slap of skin on skin or stone carries the beat with a punctuating drum once in a while. Through it all, breath comes out heavy, fighting the steam for enough air and finding the relief to finally let go of things tightly wound. "Mm, so not his best friend then. Guess I'll be in the clear." Colt's head rolls against her shoulder, watching Thal through the haze of heat with the puckering look of more to say. She had promised to, after all.

"Well, would hate to be told I don't learn from my mistakes." The couple she does have to keep learning over and over she isn't fond of, and she'd rather not add more to that list. As if drawn by the thought, her head tips back too and she slides down to the tops of her shoulders. It allows an easy slide of her gaze to the opening in the cavern, attempting briefly to bore through the stormclouds to catch a glimpse of the stars. A quiet theft that she pretends to hide from herself, casting it off as nothing more than casual happenstance.

"Remember Sohalia and her man, Zavien, from the Festival of Lights?" Colt doesn't glance away from Thal, content to watch the flicker of the sky through the gap as lightning comes and goes. "I invited both of them to be on my council in Hak Etme," Colt explains simply, fingers playing with the tension just beneath the surface of the water as she talks, retracing steps that've become familiar to her by now. "Both of them had past experience leading Stormbreak, and both of them I figured didn't give up their home willingly, so might be interested in a different option and a chance to step back into politics." Colt sighs long and low, as if willing a warning long overdue to someone too far back in time to hear it. "Well, neither of them knew for sure, understandably. The desert's a lot of work and little guarantee, but both said they'd think about it and help where they could. And they did, help." Colt's lips twitch, frustration still threading itself into the tale in small ways. "Seems Soh didn't take well to it though, because she went and talked with Flora. Told her that she wouldn't be moving there, and that I was trying to poach her."

I keep it dark, I keep it quiet
But then you come around and light me up
Takin' up space like a hyphen
You're on my mind and I can't fight it

Thalassa

Danta might not care much if she leaves, but Thal still laughs, hoping she knows her real best friend well enough when she says, "Just don't tell Asta." He'd be the supportive kind who let her leave even if he might be slightly upset with her departure. At least Colt shouldn't be worried about retaliation of any kind. 

Sinking deeper into the water, she lets out a small hum of confirmation. The Festival wasn't that long ago and she'd been intrigued enough to remember the names for later. To find out that Colt had invited them to her council makes it all the more interesting, and Thal perks just enough that her head angles towards the woman.

Why anyone wants to be burdened by politics is a mystery to her beyond the power it gives people. Although she supposes it can't be that much different than being captain. She enjoys it most days, but there are the days where she wishes she could escape the idiots she's in charge of. At least she doesn't have to deal with the boring side of actual politics, only those of the dark underbellies of the pirating network. 

The heavy sigh would be a spoiler even if Thal didn't already know things were sour between them, but she's somewhat disappointed by the bland drama Colt unveils. She'd expected sparks and fighting and real drama, but it all boils down to petty complaints, and she can't help the diminished excitement of it all. "So she bitched to a friend about you trying to steal her?" Thal furrows her brows, head angling more as she tries to piece through what little information she's been given. "Was she on the council in Torchline?"

Never been the type to
Let someone see right through

COLT

Usually, I ain't the type to stay up all damn night
Thinkin' 'bout someone else
It's hard to be fine when your heart's on the line
And the truth is I'm goin' through hell

A nod answers well before her voice does, though her tongue clicks with a subtle correction to what Thal so swiftly glossed over. "A bestfriend, who happens to be the ruler of a very capable region." Though she doubts Thal needs the lesson on Caido's noteworthy figureheads, especially being a captain that'd make port often in Torchline if she had to guess, she thinks it bears laying it out plain so none of the details get lost. Much like arranging a puzzle so that all the images face up, and the edge pieces get collected together to lay the foundation.

Colt draws her hands out of the water and smudges the warm and the wet of them beneath her eyes and out over her cheeks, pulling down the sides of her neck with the patience needed to steadily craft the shitshow for Thal. "No, but with a long history together, Soh's opinion carried a lot of weight, and with nothing good to say about the situation, well..." Colt's fingertips trail over the water, and her gaze drops from the flash of lightning cutting above them back to Thal. "Flora approached me at her birthday party on less than friendly terms. Slung around some accusations, told me Soh had no intention of coming with me, which was the first I'd heard of it, and suffice to say I was no longer welcome." Colt's features have dropped from the stray smile that built up faintly. A knowing thing, more than amused, recognizing the strain and bending it into something more pleasing for a time. Now though, it's a much more grim shape that takes hold of her. The reality of navigating something she's still sorting out in full.

"Not a good start to a new region, upsetting one of the bigger ones." Nevermind the alliances already wrapped up in Torchline and Flora alike, the extent of which Colt doesn't fully know, not having had to mind government much beyond King's and trading cattle. "So I told Soh she was no longer welcome on the council. Seeing her with Zavien at the festival, meant I lost him too. Which, I confirmed after confronting them, and Soh admitted to saying all those things. Just, I was never meant to know about them." Colt's teeth set on the distaste of it as she grimaces. She appreciated the truth, but it didn't make it any easier to swallow to hear that someone she'd considered a friend, someone she thought worthy of putting by her side, instead was talking poorly of her behind her back.

I keep it dark, I keep it quiet
But then you come around and light me up
Takin' up space like a hyphen
You're on my mind and I can't fight it

Thalassa

Scoffing, Thal's tail flicks below the water. "What a coward. She'd rather hide behind her powerful" she pauses to emphasize "bestfriend than tell you no." Granting a wicked grin, she makes a sound that might have been a snicker, eyes gleaming. "Maybe you should be flattered." Thal wouldn't call Colt 'intimidating,' but maybe her confidence could come off too strong for someone with such a delicate countenance. 

She listens patiently as Colt lays out the rest of the scenario, unsurprised to hear that Flora chose to confront her at the party. The woman has a penchant for drama as everyone in Torchline knows. Thal might have joked or laughed about it if the rancher didn't look so down about it, and as the brunt of the repercussions are spoken, she can't really blame her. 

Pursing her lips, Thal chews on the words and waits until Colt's done talking. She looks more at the ceiling than the woman next to her, piecing through the facts with a seriousness that sharpens her features, the low light framing her words as she encourages, "Sounds like your council will be stronger without them." It's unfortunate that Zavien had turned out to be with Sohalia, but it's probably for the best if he was willing to support a woman like that - although Thal doesn't know who else that leaves for Hak Etme's council. 

The other negative is the more serious of the two, and she tries to lighten it with a bit of teasing in her tone, even if her expression lacks the same levity. "Sucks about Flora though. She's not an enemy you want to have, even if her drama is very fun to hear about." It's another thing to be in the drama, and Thal has no doubt that the powerful leader will make Colt's life very difficult if she wants to. It could leave the new region isolated and with more enemies than allies. 

Her eyes find the woman's, something deep and unspoken in her gaze as she asks, "What are you gonna to do now?"

Never been the type to
Let someone see right through

COLT

Usually, I ain't the type to stay up all damn night
Thinkin' 'bout someone else
It's hard to be fine when your heart's on the line
And the truth is I'm goin' through hell

A snort answers Thal swiftly at the idea of being flattered by any of this, a sidelong glance thrown her way for extra measure. Though, an edge of Colt's lips betray her by tugging upward on one side. "Certainly showed me some truths I needed to have when assembling my council," Colt agrees, in so many words, with the idea of this in the long run being no loss for the desert's political structure. Not on the inside at least, just the external pressures of it all. "Maybe should've been apparent I made a bad call from the start, picking up people who's city literally fell out of the sky and which was weak enough to be overrun by the Family." A far too simplified version of the events, but they make her poor decision-making sit easier in her chest for the time being.

Sighing with the weight of it all, Colt slides deeper into the water, keeping her arms in the warmth and letting the surface lap just at the edge of her chin. "No, no she isn't," Colt agrees, rolling a part of her lower lip between her teeth with the consideration of it all. Her stare lifts to find Thalassa, holding the unspoken truth the ancient keeps there as the moment of fuck passes between them clearly. "I'm trying to work out how I could apologize to her." The great sigh Colt heaves flutters the surface of the water with a small ripple.

"I don't make a habit of it, so I've been trying to think of how to approach her with one she'd actually accept." Colt herself is no fan of the shitty, hollow versions of I'm sorry that feel more like routine than anything substantial. It has to be more than just a thing she says, it has to be felt, and acted on. Proven, in some way. "I don't think a pat on the shoulder and a beer will cut it this time." Her go-to on the ranch when she'd been a particular bitch the day before. She also doubts a nicely assembled gift basket like she'd given Thorn would go over well. While her gifts had been genuine for him, each one chosen with deliberate care and meaning, she doesn't actually know Flora well enough to pull off something similar, and she doubts it'd land the same even if she could. This apology doesn't require a wicker basket. Worse, it requires her to swallow her pride.

I keep it dark, I keep it quiet
But then you come around and light me up
Takin' up space like a hyphen
You're on my mind and I can't fight it