we are young supernovas

Koa

I don't want to wonder if this is a blunder

What's a nice, normal, safe activity for friends to do?

The answer is almost certainly not stargaze, and yet here we are. In Koa's defense, he hadn't planned on stargazing with Sohalia. The date hang had started with some very tame activities: they'd met up for coffee, which led to hunting through the Bodega for gifts, which progressed logically to grabbing some street food, and then the light started fading, and one of them had commented on what a clear evening it was shaping up to be, and, well, it would have been a waste at that point to not go admire the stars.

You can't blame Koa for having a good time and wanting to keep those good vibes going, and if he'd grabbed a bottle of wine on the way up, I mean... look. This is still normal friend activities. Everything is fine.

"I just think it's such a testament to Safrin," Koa's saying as they trudge toward the mountainous tree that houses the Observatory in its heights, "That no matter where you go in Caido, you still see the same stars. There's something comforting about it, y'know? Like, no matter how far from home you get, the stars will still be there." From her position on his shoulder Pipsqueak purrs her agreement, sliding her serpentine body around to peer into the sky.

When I kiss your lips I want to sink down to the bottom of the sea

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Cheer up and dry your damp eyes and tell me when it rains
And I'll blend up that rainbow above you and shoot it through your veins

This is fine. This is totally normal and fine.

At least, that's what Soh told herself as they climbed the steps of the Observatory. They'd gotten coffee, roamed the Bodega, and gotten something to eat - and by then, night was falling, and it was such a clear, beautiful night that they just had to go stargazing. And stargazing, as we all know, is totally a thing that people who have dated in the past and are now just friends do.

Of the two of them, Koa seemed to be the most comfortable, and Soh was content to let him do the talking as they wound higher and higher up the stairs. "I never really thought about it that way before," Soh said thoughtfully, shifting the blanket and pillows she'd stolen borrowed from her room at the inn in her arms. "But, yeah. I guess it is. I know I always liked to look at the stars, no matter where I went." Even if she didn't have a particular relationship with Safrin, she could still appreciate the night sky.

"Have you met Safrin a lot?" she asked as they crested the staircase. Glass arched above them, forming a half-sphere, with a telescope in the middle that was available for anyone to use. Soh spread out a blanket and set about laying some pillows artfully around it. That way, if they chose, they could lay down and look up rather than craning their necks to see better.

the Luminary

'Cause your heart has a lack of colour and we should've known
That we'd grow up sooner or later 'cause we wasted all our free time alone

code stolen from sky who stole it from odd

Koa

I don't want to wonder if this is a blunder

"I imagine they're useful, with cartography?" Koa knows little about mapmaking itself, but he'd learned some of the basics of navigating by stars - as a soldier sent frequently on remote deployments, he'd needed at least some training on how to avoid getting hopelessly lost. "I hear sailors use them to figure out where they are, out on the open ocean with no landmarks."

The last stair is a little taller than the other; Koa places a hand on Soh's lower back, steading her as he follows behind. The question of Safrin brightens him considerably; "She's my patroness," he declares with no small pride, his admiration of the goddess swelling in his chest. "She's always believed in me, and has gifted me with more than I deserve." Not least of all her affection, which he prizes above all else.

He enters the Observatory with an appreciative whistle, eyes wide and searching as he takes in the magnificent space. He'd been here before - spoken to Safrin here, in fact - but never had he really stopped to take in the expansive beauty, to let himself admire the intricate architecture that blended seamlessly into the natural curve of the tree.

"It's so fucking beautiful," Koa exhales in admiration, his smile widening as he turns back to find Sohalia constructing them a little nest. "Well, this is cozy," the Dragoon remarks, trying to ignore the flutter of his treacherous heart. Pip has long since alighted to go investigate the dome further; now Koa kneels down at the edge of the blanket, pulling the wine bottle from his coat. "I, uh, I don't suppose you picked up glasses?" he asks Soh hopefully, a little embarrassed; the boy had of course completely overlooked that necessity to sharing a civilized drink.

When I kiss your lips I want to sink down to the bottom of the sea

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Cheer up and dry your damp eyes and tell me when it rains
And I'll blend up that rainbow above you and shoot it through your veins

”Mm, they can be,” Soh agreed with a flash of a smile. ”My maps are more about topography than anything, but I know several of my clients keep star charts in addition. If you do any nighttime travel you have to know the stars.” She herself had a rudimentary understanding of it, and had always intended to learn more, back when she was primarily a cartographer and not a queen. ”Tal probably knows more about navigating that way than I do, though.”

Koa’s touch on her lower back set Soh’s heart to fluttering, and she silently scolded herself. Friends, she reminded herself. That was what Koa wanted, and she’d be damned if she allowed her own selfishness to ruin things for them again.

Of Safrin, Soh had always had mixed feelings, but Koa was so proud that she couldn’t help but grin. ”That’s wonderful!” she said. ”I only met her once, when we were working to allow Abandoned into Stormbreak. But I’ve heard she takes care of her own.” And smote those who crossed her, but Soh wasn’t about to open that can of worms with Koa.

She set about constructing their nest, and by the time Koa turned from admiring the view, Soh had settled onto the blanket and propped herself up with a few pillows. ”Its the best way to stargaze,” she explained. ”Otherwise your neck starts to hurt after a while.” She wondered if she should have brought snacks to go along with their little date outing, but before she could offer to go find something, Koa produced a bottle of wine. ”Oh! No, but I don’t mind sharing if you don’t.” After all, they’d already kissed. It wasn’t like sharing a drink was that different in terms of germs. ”Or I can run down and grab some real quick.” Because that’s what a friend would do, right?

the Luminary

'Cause your heart has a lack of colour and we should've known
That we'd grow up sooner or later 'cause we wasted all our free time alone

code stolen from sky who stole it from odd

Koa

I don't want to wonder if this is a blunder

Oh Soh, don't worry: Koa's heard it all. Sunjata had warned him against Safrin, as had others, but for his part Koa has had nothing except positive experiences with the goddess. "She does," he agrees, still full of reverent ardor. "I guess she sees something worthwhile in me. I can only try to live up to it."

Gods know he's had a hard time lately, seeing that in himself.

Sohalia wastes no time in settling onto the blankets, leaving Koa hesitating, a little bit bemused. The sight of her snuggled and propped among the pillows does something unwelcome to his stomach; she paints a picture of youthful nonchalant, but damn if it doesn't sting a little, how unperturbed she seems to be. She must be really beyond all attraction, he thinks with a wry smile.

Koa, for his own part, feels staggeringly awkward as he scoots his way into the nest, painfully conscious of their proximity to each other, the points where their bodies inevitably touch. "Sharing it is," the young Dragoon chuckles, swatting down any mischievous thoughts of an indirect kiss. Sitting cross-legged upon the blanket, he produces a small blade from his belt; he stabs it into the cork with a level of confidence only attainable by young people with too much time on their hands and a tendency towards bad choices, expertly twisting the iron handle and pulling the stopper out with a pop.

"Ladies first," Koa declares gallantly, extending the bottle out to Soh. Affecting a tone of erudition, he carries on playfully: "You will find, madame, that this is the finest vintage the Greatwood has to offer. The grapes were grown on ashen field in Ludo's Woods, watered only on the blood moon, and finished in an ancient trunk, thus giving the wine an oaky and earthy timbre, with hints of haunting in the nose." He winks, mischief brightening his eyes.

It's none of those things, of course. Or maybe it is - Koa has no idea. All he could really say with certainty is that the bottle was cheap, and the wine is red.

When I kiss your lips I want to sink down to the bottom of the sea

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Cheer up and dry your damp eyes and tell me when it rains
And I'll blend up that rainbow above you and shoot it through your veins

Maybe Soh was comfortable because this wasn't her first time stargazing here. In fact, she'd done it fairly recently after running into Maea on the stairs. That meeting had been strange, but not unwelcome - at least, until the Ancient had started waxing philosophical about what real happiness was. Even after a lengthy conversation about it, Soh wasn't really sure where she stood - or how to get where she wanted to go.

Hyperaware of all the places where their bodies touched, Soh swallowed hard, doing her best to ignore the fluttering in her stomach but also knowing there was nothing she could do to hide the heat she could feel creeping into her cheeks. She looked up, gazing at the stars above instead of meeting Koa's copper gaze. They really were beautiful, so bright that she could almost reach out to touch them.

Koa expertly opening the bottle of wine shouldn't have been the turn on that it was, but Soh repeated her silent mantra of just friends over and over until he playfully offered a history of the supposedly vintage wine that he'd procured. "Why, thank you, good sir. I'm sure I've never had any wine so fine," she teased back, accepting the bottle and taking a healthy swig. It wasn't the best wine she'd ever tasted, but nor was it the worst, and the company in which she drank it made it decidedly better than it might have been alone.

She offered the bottle to Koa, nestling down into her pillows (and if she accidentally ended up a touch closer to the dragoon, then oops). "What's your favorite constellation?"

the Luminary

'Cause your heart has a lack of colour and we should've known
That we'd grow up sooner or later 'cause we wasted all our free time alone

code stolen from sky who stole it from odd

Koa

I don't want to wonder if this is a blunder

Koa's grin widens at her reception of the wine, his eyes following the bottle down to her lips, the angle of her jaw, the curve of her- nope. Tearing himself swiftly away, he turns his gaze studiously toward anything but Sohalia. Wine will help, Koa tells himself, and he grabs the offered bottle gratefully, pouring perhaps an overly healthy amount down his waiting throat.

Fortified with liquid courage, Koa nestles the bottle in the cushions between them, easily accessible should they need. He tries and fails not to glance sidelong at Soh as she settles more comfortably into the pillows; for his own part Koa remains sitting, though his body is easy and relaxed.

Leaning onto his palms behind him, Koa tilts his face up toward the sky, copper eyes gleaming in the distant starlight. "Hmm... probably the warrior and the dragon." Predictable, maybe, but the boy's got a theme. "You can see it there, on the horizon - see the curve of the tail, and then the three bright stars that make the warrior's sword?" He points toward where the stars hang low, glancing back at Sohalia to verify that she's made out the shape.

When I kiss your lips I want to sink down to the bottom of the sea

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Cheer up and dry your damp eyes and tell me when it rains
And I'll blend up that rainbow above you and shoot it through your veins

Liquid courage was exactly what Sohalia needed, and so when Koa nestled the bottle in between them, she propped herself up on an elbow to take another sip. Maybe, with just a little bit more, she could relax into this clearly-not-a-date and stop wondering what it would be like to kiss Koa beneath the stars.

Tilting her head back and leaning in to more easily follow Koa's gesture towards the horizon, Soh nodded. "Ooo, yup, I see them!" Three bright stars, exactly where Koa was pointing. For her part, Soh followed the stars up and up, until she'd found a cluster more towards the apex of the sky. She pointed to it, her voice softer the closer she got to Koa. "I always liked the phoenix. See the four there, in sort of a square-ish shape? And then to each side, wings." She'd always liked the idea of rebirth and second chances, never more so than now.

Realizing just how close she'd gotten to Koa, she plopped back on the pillows with what she hoped sounded like a contented sigh, but was really just frustration. Why was this so much harder than she'd imagined it would be?

the Luminary

'Cause your heart has a lack of colour and we should've known
That we'd grow up sooner or later 'cause we wasted all our free time alone

code stolen from sky who stole it from odd

Koa

I don't want to wonder if this is a blunder

"There?" Koa queries, following Sohalia's eyes and finger, his arm raised up alongside her own. Copper eyes narrow, his lips pursing- and then a smile breaks out like sunlight, delight as he figures out the trick. "Oh, yup, I see it!" Boyish in his enthusiasm, Koa all but bounces in his seat, head tilting toward Sohalia as he visualizes the fiery bird, its crimson wings outspread.

He turns more fully toward the Luminary as she falls back with a sigh, smile fond and a little indulgent in the dim candlelight. "Is there a story to that one?" the soldier asks curiously, lifting a dark brow. There's a good chance, of course, he's already heard it - but whether because he's forgetful or because he finds great pleasure in listening to Soh talk, the young man presents an eager audience, burnished eyes glowing boyishly as he awaits story time.

When I kiss your lips I want to sink down to the bottom of the sea

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Cheer up and dry your damp eyes and tell me when it rains
And I'll blend up that rainbow above you and shoot it through your veins

Soh grinned in response to Koa's enthusiasm, her expression fond as he practically bounced in place. It was such a simple thing, but it was so good to see a smile on his face that she found herself forgetting all of her own complex emotions for a moment. Like Soh, Koa had been through a lot, especially recently, and if she could do anything to take his mind off of things while she sought out solutions, then she would.

"Hmm," she hummed thoughtfully. "In mythology, the phoenix was supposed to be a great, flaming bird that carried the sun up into the sky each morning. It's said that whenever it grew old, it would burst into flames and the world would go dark while it was reborn from the ashes. I think it's supposed to explain eclipses." Perhaps not the story that Koa was anticipating, but Soh hadn't grown up with fairy tales; her mythological knowledge was limited.

She glanced sidelong at the dragoon. "I always liked the sound of being reborn anew. Like anything would be possible with another chance at life." Her eyes lifted back to the constellation, tracing the shape of its wings. "And being able to fly was always appealing, too." And that, at least, she could do.

the Luminary

'Cause your heart has a lack of colour and we should've known
That we'd grow up sooner or later 'cause we wasted all our free time alone

code stolen from sky who stole it from odd

Koa

I don't want to wonder if this is a blunder

Koa listens with rapt attention at Sohalia's thoughtful tale, taking another sip of wine as the explanation comes forth. Offering her the bottle back, he lets his head tilt playfully. "So where does it go at nighttime, then? Back to its nest? Is there a Missus Phoenix, or does he have to live these infinite lives alone?" The questions are pressed lightly enough, not particularly seriously. It was an old habit from when his mother would tell him stories, and then when he'd tell Noe: the asking after frivolous hypotheticals, to be answered with increasingly amusing and far-flung explanations, until either storyteller or audience gave up.

Leaning back onto his elbows, Koa hums agreement. "I like that, too. Getting a fresh start." He smiles, pushing past the wistfulness. "And flying, of course. I'd fucking love to be able to fly. Almost thought about Attuning, but, well... Pipsqueak came along." Copper eyes flit to where Pip's tail can be seen poking out from among the rafters. Chuckling fondly, he turns toward Soh, voice lowered conspiratorially. "Don't tell her I said this, but I wouldn't give up that damn catsnake for all the wings in the world."

When I kiss your lips I want to sink down to the bottom of the sea

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Cheer up and dry your damp eyes and tell me when it rains
And I'll blend up that rainbow above you and shoot it through your veins

Koa's questions startled a laugh from Soh, who hadn't expected to have to come up with additional lore that she didn't really know. She accepted the bottle and took a drink, thinking as she tucked it back between them. "Oh, now that is a tale I'm not sure you're ready for," she said seriously. "The phoenix's mate is the roc, a legendary bird of calm waters. They say that the roc controls the moon and the tides, so they rarely have the opportunity to spend time in their nest." It probably said something about Soh that her story turned into something sad, but she'd already started now. "But when the phoenix is reborn, it has the length of the eclipse to spend as it desires."

Suddenly self-conscious - she'd never thought herself much of a storyteller - Soh was glad when the conversation shifted to flight. That, she could talk about. "It's amazing," she admitted, watching Pip poking about among the rafters with a smile. "I wonder if there's a way to like... share the experience, somehow?" Maybe it was something the gods could do. "Anyway, I won't tell. Your secret's safe with me," she added with a wink.

the Luminary

'Cause your heart has a lack of colour and we should've known
That we'd grow up sooner or later 'cause we wasted all our free time alone

code stolen from sky who stole it from odd

Koa

I don't want to wonder if this is a blunder

"If I were a phoenix, I'd be sad to only see my mate on eclipses. Though I guess that explains why the moon is sometimes out during the day - it's the roc visiting its lover." Koa says this with a serious tone, nodding in thoughtful emphasis; only the mischievous gleam of his eyes betrays the playfulness behind it all. He doesn't push further, as she's already risen admirably to the task. Next time the back and forth can go longer.

The thought of it makes him smile.

Cheeks warming slightly (because of the wine, not the wink), Koa rumbles a deep chuckle, meeting Sohalia's smile. "Good - it would make her absolutely insufferable." As for sharing the experience? Koa's lips purse in thought. "Anyway, I dunno - we're able to share flashes of feeling or images, but it's not exactly the same. Or I imagine it isn't." He shrugs, shoulders bobbing near his ears. "Sunjata carried me while shifted before, so that was pretty close. But still, I'd love the chance to really fly, if only once."

When I kiss your lips I want to sink down to the bottom of the sea

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Cheer up and dry your damp eyes and tell me when it rains
And I'll blend up that rainbow above you and shoot it through your veins

Koa responded seriously to her story, though his eyes danced with mirth. Soh grinned in response. This was a fun game, and one that she'd never played before. It set her mind at ease. See, they could totally do this whole 'friendship' thing. Look at them, being all mature about it!

As for flying, Soh hummed in agreement. "Yeah, I can't imagine that being carried would be exactly the same as actually flying. Oh, but you know what's close?" she asked suddenly, bouncing up with excitement. "You know the Leap of Faith, in the Oerwoud? Well, I'm not suggesting that you do this because it would end very poorly, but if you jump off - there's a moment of free fall, and it feels exactly like diving as a bird. I bet we could find a cliff or something somewhere in Torchline to jump off of, if you ever wanted to try that."

the Luminary

'Cause your heart has a lack of colour and we should've known
That we'd grow up sooner or later 'cause we wasted all our free time alone

code stolen from sky who stole it from odd