[SE] get the matches

Draw the cat eye, sharp enough to kill a man
You did some bad things, but I'm the worst of them

Kuali'i Isles were certainly fascinating.

Ever-changing and forever melding into one another, islands of all sizes ranged through the open sea. Some were large enough to host small mountains, while others were merely small enough for a single person to sit. Noe had chosen one of middling size for her outing today, kayaking across the calm seas until she found just the right place for a picnic.

It was a beautiful Flowerbirth day, and Noe had dressed accordingly: a bikini top in bright pink and a sarong slung across her hips in a matching color, patterned with large white flowers. She'd tied her hair up off her neck, where Mika was contentedly sunbathing. Now that Noe had selected an island, she was inclined to join the mata mata. The temperature was just right, and a nap in the sun sounded divine.

Strangely, though, out of all the islands available in the Kuali'i Isles, this one was apparently already occupied. And, perhaps even more oddly, by a familiar face.

Sohalia fucking Lumaris. Perfect.

Sometimes I wonder which one will be your last lie
They say looks can kill and I might try

Noe

Got no plans and I've got no money
Gone are the days of milk and honey

Sohalia had not been expecting company on this particular Flowerbirth day, and certainly not from Noe Carpenter.

Arguably, the other girl could have found another island - any island - to set up camp. After all, Sohalia had been here first on a mapping expedition. She'd seen the kayak approaching and, in a moment of vague curiosity, had made her way to the shore to try and see if it was anyone she knew. Much to her dismay, it was - while she had no quarrel with Noe, the other girl had never liked her. Not after everything that had happened with Koa and Jude. Still, it seemed rude not to say hello now. And maybe everything that had happened could be water under the bridge.

Tarak soared overhead, squawking a hello of his own as he made his way down the beach towards Noe. Soh followed on foot, wondering if this was, perhaps, a mistake. "Hi, Noe," she called as she approaching, her timid voice catching on the sound of the waves. "How's it going?"

Green eyes and a head of gold
I'll give you two dollars if you save my soul

Sohalia

Draw the cat eye, sharp enough to kill a man
You did some bad things, but I'm the worst of them

Noe was less than pleased for her solitary picnic to be interrupted, particularly by Sohalia, of all people. So she scowled up at the blonde from her position upon the sand, her eyes narrowing menacingly. ”It was going better before you showed up,” she said frankly, scanning Sohalia up and down. ”What are you even doing here, anyway?” This was Torchline, and Noe had made it clear upon her last meeting with Sohalia that the Luminary wasn’t wanted or welcomed. Not that she had control over an entire region, but still.

More importantly, though, what did Sohalia want? They weren’t friends. They weren’t even acquaintances, really. Noe wasn’t quite sure if they were enemies, but she’d never made her dislike of the blonde a secret. Not after what she’d done to Koa. And then there was Jude, who Noe was fiercely protective of. So why had Sohalia stopped to talk to her when there were what felt like hundreds of other islands to go explore?

Sometimes I wonder which one will be your last lie
They say looks can kill and I might try

Noe

Got no plans and I've got no money
Gone are the days of milk and honey

Perhaps, after all this time, Sohalia had assumed that Noe’s dislike of her might have faded. That with the threat of the Family and the Void hanging over them all, the girl might have learned some level of forgiveness.

As it turned out, she had assumed wrong.

Noe’s vehemence drove the breath from Soh’s lungs as she struggled against the urge to take a step back. The Luminary bit her lip, then said softly, ”I was just looking around. I’ve never been to the Isles before.” Somewhere beneath her trepidation, though, anger surfaced - because whatever she’d done, it had never been to Noe directly, and she didn’t feel deserving of the girl’s fury. ”I’m sorry to have disturbed you. Surely there’s enough space for both of us here.”

Green eyes and a head of gold
I'll give you two dollars if you save my soul

Sohalia

Draw the cat eye, sharp enough to kill a man
You did some bad things, but I'm the worst of them

The thing about Noe was that someone could insult her or hurt her or endanger her in a million different ways, and she would probably forgive them. But hurt the people she cared about? Well, that was an entirely different story.

”Just… exploring?” Noe repeated dumbly, staring at the Luminary with all the hatred she could muster. She wasn’t sure why this made her quite as angry as it did, but something about Sohalia just out here having what appeared to be a vacation grated on her nerves. She laughed, the sound harsh and cruel. ”Go explore somewhere else.”

Sometimes I wonder which one will be your last lie
They say looks can kill and I might try

Noe

Got no plans and I've got no money
Gone are the days of milk and honey

”Why?”

The question was out of her mouth before she fully realized what she was doing, and she found herself glaring at Noe, her arms crossed defensively over her chest. This wasn’t fair. She’d been through more than the girl could ever dream possible, and yet she still had the audacity to hold Soh’s past sins against her? Things that she’d done when she was younger and naive, and still new to the ways of love and life?

Emboldened by the rising tide of her anger, Sohalia forced herself to uncross her arms, clenching her hands into fists at her side. ”I was here first,” she said. ”And I don’t see why we can’t share space. I never did anything to you, Noe. Can’t we just… peacefully coexist?”

Green eyes and a head of gold
I'll give you two dollars if you save my soul

Sohalia

Draw the cat eye, sharp enough to kill a man
You did some bad things, but I'm the worst of them

At the first sign that the Luminary was actually going to fight her on this, Noe saw red. She scrambled to her feet, ignoring the sand that stuck to the backs of her legs and her palms. Her normally pretty face contorted in anger, and she faced Sohalia down as though she were a foot taller. Glaring up at the blonde, she sneered, ”Yeah, sure, you just fucked with Koa, and that’s so much worse. Do you even know that you destroy everyone you touch?”

And it wasn’t just about Koa - it was about Jude, too. And if there was a kernel of guilt that she’d essentially stolen Sohalia’s best friend and turned him against her, well, she buried that down deep. Koa and Jude were better off - they were all better off - without her. ”You know, I’m glad you’re gone from Stormbreak. We’re doing much better without you around.”

Sometimes I wonder which one will be your last lie
They say looks can kill and I might try

Noe

Got no plans and I've got no money
Gone are the days of milk and honey

And just like that, all the fight went out of Sohalia.

She stared at Noe. ”You’re - what?” she asked, feeling as though she’d been drenched in ice water. She’d been proud to have been the Heart of Stormbreak, proud of what she’d accomplished in her brief time as leader. But if they were truly better off, if the Family takeover had been seen as an improvement… and what if it wasn’t only Noe that felt that way?

Taking a step back, Sohalia started to tremble, and tried to hide it behind a look of feigned nonchalance. ”You know what? Fine. You want this beach? Great. I’ll go.” She readied herself to depart, wading into the shallows. But she couldn’t help but toss over her shoulder. ”I wish you the best, Noe. If the Family is what they seem to be, you’re going to need it.”

fin

Green eyes and a head of gold
I'll give you two dollars if you save my soul

Sohalia