[o] [SE] everything that we should be

To kiss in cars and downtown bars
Was all we needed

It was incredible, really, how quickly Stormbreak became a hive of activity after its cleansing was completed. Pacifist Plaza, in particular, recovered almost before Sohalia's eyes, its merchants returning to offer their wares from shop windows and outdoor stalls and even the occasional cart and donkey. She might have enjoyed the city's revitalization, had she not been burdened with Tarak's death - every day now was a challenge to get through - but she was determined that it wouldn't stop her from doing what needed to be done.

So she'd set out this morning on an errand to gather fabric: one piece for the armor she was working on for Frey, and one piece for the Ludo costume that apparently was going to be all the rage this season. There was a merchant she knew from the old days in Stormbreak, back before everything had gone to shit, and she was hoping they were still where she remembered them being.

The Luminary made her way through the plaza towards a storefront on the north side, pausing at a stall to purchase an apple fritter. Pausing to sit on a bench and eat her breakfast, her silver gaze roamed over the crowds that littered the Plaza even this early in the day.

You drew stars around my scars
But now I'm bleedin'

Sohalia

Maea

I see you when you chase
All the dreams inside your head

Following the stream of locals that spilled off the skyship and spread like a tidal wave through the streets, Maea too noticed the difference. Despite being a stranger to this city with it's arrow straight roads and polished facades, something in the air had changed since the Family disappeared. Like an unwelcome guest had finally taken the hint and left, the citizens all but sighed a collective breath of relief. The volume of conversation on street corners and shopping streets was increasing, children could be seen moving along without anxious parents hovering over them - and there were smiles appearing every now and then. Laughter.

Dropping a handful of loose change into the hat before a blind old fellow playing his lute on a street corner, Maea continued out onto the Plaza. Bundled up against the raw damp of the ever present wind, she scanned the shop signs for a fabric store when a familiar face snagged her attention; with a bright smile she waved at Sohalia to catch her attention, and approached the bench where she was seated.

"Hey there! Long time no see. How are you?" It seemed like only yesterday they'd been sprawled out on the Observatory floor, stargazing and trading stories. Thee young queen had been forlorn, her land occupied and overcome - and seeing her here now, Maea could only hope that her fortunes were improving.

I see you when you laugh
And when you love until the bitter end

Table by Skylark

To kiss in cars and downtown bars
Was all we needed

It was strangely lonely for Sohalia, even though she was surrounded by people. For all that she'd once been their queen, it almost seemed like no one remembered her. Here, now, she was just another face in the crowd - even more so, perhaps, without her companion at her side. Tarak had been unique, brilliantly colored and opinionated even at the best of times. It was at times like this, when she was sitting in silence, bypassed by shoppers and feeling very much alone, that she missed him the most.

Well, that and at night, when she was trying to sleep, and she saw his death play over and over again behind closed eyes.

Shuddering at the thought, Soh was about to rise and make her way towards her favored fabric shop when a wave and a familiar voice had her turning. "Oh, Maea! Hey," Soh said. She offered a smile to the Ancient, but it didn't quite cover up the sorrow that laced through her eyes, and her countenance was relatively subdued compared to other times they'd met. "I'm - hanging in there." Which was, arguably, the best she could do under the circumstances. "How about you?"

You drew stars around my scars
But now I'm bleedin'

Sohalia

Maea

I see you when you chase
All the dreams inside your head

At a glance Sohalia seemed just fine, but her smile didn't light her up the way Maea had expected it to. Putting a lid on her own exuberance, it felt strange to talk about all the good things that were happening in her life while she didn't know what weighed on the other woman. "I'm good," she admitted at least, because anything else would be a lie. "Feels like things are falling in place, like the work I've put in is starting to pay off... and the Family is gone." That alone would be enough to raise anyone's spirits.

"But you said 'hanging on'... did something happen?" They hadn't spoken for a while so there could be a myriad things that caused the young woman's wearied expression. Hovering uncertainly, undecided if she should sit down or not, support arrived in form of the wispy light of her companion. Shii didn't seem put off by Sohalia's downcast demeanor. They simply drifted around her, muttering half-intelligible words in a tone somewhere between soft and sympathetic. Perhaps understanding something Maea had yet to realize.

I see you when you laugh
And when you love until the bitter end

Table by Skylark

To kiss in cars and downtown bars
Was all we needed

Sohalia was glad to hear that things were going well for Maea - the Ancient deserved it, she thought, and she managed a small but genuine smile for her friend. "That's great, Maea. Truly!" Perhaps this was what Soh should hold onto - joy for other people, even if she couldn't manage to find any for herself. Perhaps that was what her life boiled down to, in the end.

That morose thought had her face falling as Maea asked her what had happened, and Soh looked down at the cobblestones beneath her feet, toying with one of her sleeves with the opposite hand. Suddenly, a whispering light appeared, startling the Luminary into looking up, dropping her hands into her lap as she regarded the Will-o-Wisp. "Oh, hello," Soh said, smiling crookedly as her heart panged in her chest.

Then she turned her attention to Maea. "I lost my companion," she said softly, her mourning clear. "When we came to retake Stormbreak. There was a Void dragon, and it - it -" She shook her head. "I've been... struggling, ever since."

You drew stars around my scars
But now I'm bleedin'

Sohalia

Maea

I see you when you chase
All the dreams inside your head

The fond smile drawn to her lips by Shii's antics fell alongside Sohalia's, and Maea sobered with a sinking sensation in her gut. The wisp too seemed to understand what was being said; it settled upon the Luminary's palm, a subtle fluttering warmth that murmured wistful condolences only for her to hear.
"I'm so sorry," the ancient sighed, empathy pulling sharply on her heartstrings. "I know what it's like. We've been separated too, Shii here and I... I wish I could say it gets easier." But the wound a severed bond left on a soul went too deep for true healing. You either learned to live with the grief, or found that it devoured you day by day.

Reaching up to rub a hand over her neck, unconsciously mirroring a gesture Liam often made, Maea didn't quite know what more to say. She could listen to the girl's sorrows, to be sure, and explain how she'd gotten Shii back after too many years of trying to live without it... or she'd offer what distractions she could, to at least for a moment spare Sohalia the pain of remembering.
"I'm... going to look for some cloth, for Ludo's masque," she said softly. "Would you care to join me? We can talk, or not - whatever you prefer."

I see you when you laugh
And when you love until the bitter end

Table by Skylark

To kiss in cars and downtown bars
Was all we needed

Grief was something with which Sohalia was intimately familiar. Sometimes it seemed that everyone who had ever loved her was dead now - her parents, her guardian, her companion. As the only common factor between them all, it was easy for Soh to imagine that she was the bad luck charm that brought about their untimely demise, no matter how silly a notion that might have been. But grief was also something that Soh had long since learned to live with. It was the broken bond that haunted her: the part of her soul that had been cleaved from her chest, leaving only the tattered remains of a heart that no longer seemed to work quite like how it used to.

Shii rested upon her palm, and Soh didn't know what to do. Did one pet a will-o-wisp? Or was there some other sign of affection that she could offer the creature that was more light than substance, whispering its condolences in a language both unknown and fully understood? "I'm glad you're together again," she whispered. "I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy."

Maea's distraction was a welcome one. Gently releasing Shii, Soh rose from the bench. "I was just on my way to my favorite fabric store," she replied. "I need fabric for Ludo's masque, and for a quest. I'd love some company. It's... easier, if I have other things to think about." Anything to keep the memories at bay. "So, tell me what's going on with you. Are you still in the Greatwood?"

You drew stars around my scars
But now I'm bleedin'

Sohalia

Maea

And I hope that you don't suffer
But take the pain

The wisp seemed perfectly content with the simple desire to give back, attuned to the fluctuating emotions of those around. If she had hesitated, Shii might have tried to coax her a bit with sweet temptations, to lure her along on the kind of mischievous adventure it had embarked on so many times in the past. But it wasn't necessary in the end. Sohalia rose from her seat, and the blue-toned flame swerved up into the air, brightening with excitement over going together.

For her part, Maea took the cue to change the topic and offered Soh an arm - like a proper gentleman might - as she considered. "Well," she began, "I am, yes. Not likely to leave either, as I started seeing someone who lives there. I don't know if you've ever met Liam Dawson? He's from here, originally, used to be a dragoon... We've been searching for roses together, and one thing led to another..." She couldn't help but smile; just talking about him left her feeling giddy, like it brought him closer to her even when they were apart. "I've decided to study mending, partially through books but also by apprenticing, down the line... and Liam and I have been working on improving some locations in the Sidhe Village that we use often. Training grounds, that sort of thing. It feels good - to think about ordinary things like that, simply building without worrying whether it will be taken over."

She didn't mention the Family; knew she didn't have to. Traces of their invasion lingered at the back of every mind, like purple bruising slow to fade. Even now as they roamed the Plaza, looking for a good store, the bustle of the crowd served as a reminder that it hadn't been like this a season ago. This peace was still fragile, and something worth protecting.

Hope if everybody runs
You choose to stay

To kiss in cars and downtown bars
Was all we needed

At any other time, Shii's antics might have gotten a giggle from the Luminary; today, though, the young woman merely managed a small smile. The will-o-wisp was certainly lively and playful, which Soh supposed was to be expected. Tarak had never really been either of those things: regal and proud, he'd rarely partaken in frisking about simply for the joy of it. She wondered, now, if that had been because of her, or if it had simply been what he preferred.

Soh took Maea's arm, linking hers through it companionably, and began to steer the Ancient towards the fabric shop as she listened. It seemed like her friend was having quite a good time in life, and Soh squeezed her arm lightly to encourage her to keep talking. Even if things were hard for Soh right now, that didn't mean that she wasn't happy for Maea. "I think I met Liam once or twice, but by the time I became Stormbreak's Heart, he was already gone from the dragoons. I don't know him well, but it's good to see you happy." And with a softness to her that Soh couldn't quite remember having seen before. It was always nice to see someone in love.

And busy, as it turned out, with her studies and future apprenticeship. "That's so exciting, Maea! You'll have to check out the Collegium while you're here. I'm sure there are some interesting books there that could help you. Do you know who you're wanting to apprentice with yet?"

The Ancient's plans for the Greatwood were interesting, to be sure, and as the Luminary guided her friend towards the door of the fabric shop, she glanced over at Maea. "I always liked the Greatwood," she said. "If I hadn't fallen in love with Stormbreak, I might have settled there myself. It was the first place I went when I left the Grounds. I'm glad that it has people who care for it still."

You drew stars around my scars
But now I'm bleedin'

Sohalia

Maea

And I hope that you don't suffer
But take the pain

If she could, she would have shared her fortunes with the other woman. It seemed so unfair that the liberation of the city had to come at the expense of Sohalia's suffering, and no small part of Maea felt guilty for flaunting her happiness like this. The interest in her studies seemed genuine enough to keep her talking however, and as she pushed open the door to the shop, she let the merry ring of the bell set the tone of the conversation. "I'm receiving instruction from a herbalist in King's End right now, " she revealed lightly, "and I've considered asking the Remedy if I get the chance...  but it would be more practical if I found someone in the Village." Travelling was nice, but the intensity of a true apprenticeship made commuting across continents rather inconvenient. "It's funny... after the barrier fell, I have this hole in my memory. I still don't recall how it happened, but I must have spent that time in the Greatwood. It certainly is an enchanting place... I never expected feeling so at home there. Not after going years without being able to set foot there."

Inhaling the scent of dye, dust and the heady perfume of the merchant behind the counter, Maea released Sohalia and wandered off among the shelves. Pale fingers ran over bolts of silk and velvet, sturdy wool and linen so fine it seemed impossible for mortal hands to have woven it. From plain weaves to gorgeous brocade, colors danced before her eyes in a sea of possibility - making it much harder to settle on a choice than she had expected.

"Have you thought about how you're going to make the costume?" she asked the other woman idly, and stopped for a closer look at a bolt of dark satin that shimmered like a raven's wing under the light, iridescent in blue and purple.

Hope if everybody runs
You choose to stay

To kiss in cars and downtown bars
Was all we needed

Studying with an herbalist and setting up an apprenticeship sounded... nice. After everything Sohalia had been through in the past few years, after everything she'd endured, it was enticing to consider something simple. Not that Maea's path wouldn't come with challenges - far from it, she was sure - but to know what she wanted and how to get it... Soh would give anything to have that kind of clarity right about now.

Still, she didn't begrudge her friend the happiness, and she listened with a soft smile as Maea continued on. Eventually, they began to look through bits of fabric, and talk turned to their costumes. "I've thought about it," Soh replied, holding up a black silk that shimmered faintly in the light. Upon closer inspection, Soh found bits of silver thread woven in, and she made a mental note of the bolt's location in case she decided to go with that one. "But I've never met Ludo, so I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking for." Frey? Sure. Safrin? Yep. Ludo? Not so much.

You drew stars around my scars
But now I'm bleedin'

Sohalia

Maea

And I hope that you don't suffer
But take the pain

Finding her path had not been easy, nor was the goal of becoming a mender one she had arrived upon one Maea took lightly. It was a point she had reached after too many years of being lost and aimless, existing just to spite and fumbling for a purpose. Even now she couldn't say with any certainty that it was the best option, or what she wished to spend the rest of her life doing... but it served her as a new starting point, and for now that was enough.

"That would make things more difficult," she agreed in a half laugh. "How to describe it... Most often Ludo appears covered in dark rags. They're thin and wispy, drifting on the wind - so light you barely feel them, but warm. And they wear a mask - porcelain, I think. The expression can change but it's usually white." If she'd still been in possession of the shawl she'd once been given this masquerade would be a dance on roses. Now, Maea was struggling to decide on whether it was easier to make the costume from one garment or several layers of them. And whether to keep the mask plain or make something more elaborate.

Moving along to consider all options, she eventually turned to the merchant and asked to see what scraps they might have. Perhaps the answer to the question lay in patches, in actual rags to be sewn together... A big box of material was set out before her, and with a pleased hum the ancient began to rifle through the contents. "Places like these always bring out the crow in me," she chatted idly. "So many pretty colors and lovely patterns - I'd just bring them all home and stare at them if I had thr space." Alas, her treehouse was not big enough for that kind of hoard.

Hope if everybody runs
You choose to stay

To kiss in cars and downtown bars
Was all we needed

Dark rags was a description that had Soh reluctantly leaving her shimmering silk behind. Instead, she made her way to a stack of velvet and began to sort through the various bolts, discarding this and that for one reason or other. "I wonder if we could get away with Ludo-inspired costumes," she mused. "I'd be much more comfortable in a dark-rag-dress, I think." A porcelain mask, she could probably find somewhere - but the actual clothes were what gave her pause.

In any case, she ended up with a couple of options to choose from, all in black: linen, cotton, chiffon. Maybe she would have a chat with Nova soon, see what her friend could come up with for putting it all together. She laughed lightly at Maea's crow-like tendencies, peeking over the Ancient's shoulder to find myriad scraps of this and that, all of which were lovely but none of which she knew what to do with. "They are pretty, I'll say that."

With the Ludo costume at least partially sorted out, Soh meandered to other colors and fabrics. Something in grey or silver might work for her vest, she thought - not too light or dark, not too bright and colorful. Something, maybe, to match her eyes. "What kind of fabric would make a good base for an armored vest?" she wondered aloud, glancing over at Maea. "I'm trying to make one, but I'm no seamstress."

You drew stars around my scars
But now I'm bleedin'

Sohalia

Maea

And I hope that you don't suffer
But take the pain

Maea's expression brightened at the soft musing. "Ah, you're onto something there. Maybe if we focus on rags and a mask, we can get away with whatever color. I know someone who definitely won't turn up in black - unless it's so smothered in glitter you can't make out the base color." The idea of a raggedy dress wasn't bad either. Perhaps if she made a robe with wide sleeves as a base, and then added patches that tapered off at the ends, singed it all with fire to make the edges uneven... yes, she could work with that.

Humming happily as she bounced back to the silk she'd been palming before, Sohalia's question didn't keep her from bringing her favorite fabrics up to the counter to be measured out, cut and folded into a bag growing heavier with each addition.
"Neither am I... Do you intend to wear it all the time? My dress is armored, and it's velvet lined with silk - but it's also enchanted, so I suppose it depends." Which was thoroughly unhelpful as far as answers went.

Hope if everybody runs
You choose to stay