the palm of your freezing hand

Sohalia

Sohalia wandered Snowcloak, her cheeks pink in the chill Deepfrost air. She was alone today; Tarak had elected to stay in the nice, warm inn. Soh got the impression that the griffin thought her rather mad for venturing out into the snow for fun, but that was neither here nor there. Fortunately, her bonded was perfectly capable of taking care of himself.

Soh, on the other hand... well, her ability to take care of herself left something to be desired.

Not that she needed to take care of herself today. Snowcloak was arguably one of the safest cities in Caido. Or at least that was what Soh assumed, what with Deimos in charge and all. As such, she'd left the glaive she now carried in the Wilds at the inn with Tarak. It too big and unwieldy for a street fight, anyway. She'd have better luck with one of her shifts, if it came to that - which she very much hoped it did not.

No, today was a day for exploring, and the Luminary roamed the main streets of Snowcloak with wide eyes. It was strange to see such activity in such a cold place. The streets were lined with vendors and merchants. People filled the roads, milling here and there, no doubt taking care of some errand or other. Soh mostly tried to stay out of their way. She wasn't really looking for anything in particular, after all.

Until, of course, she got hungry. Spotting a nearby Shield, Soh hurried over. "Excuse me," she said. The Shield was a gorgeous, dark-skinned young woman with tight braids tied back from her face. "I'm sorry to bother you. Do you have any recommendations for where to get lunch?"

am i right side up or upside down

Rhiannon

All I know is this could either break my heart
or bring it back to life

Deepfrost was the slow season, or so it seemed to Rhiannon.

Tourists, after all, tended to come to Halo in the spring and summer, taking advantage of the milder temperatures of the tundra in bloom. During Deepfrost, the crowds thinned until it was only Halovian citizens. Or at least it was usually only Halovian citizens.

Which this young woman most definitely was not.

If her question hadn't given her away, Rhiannon thought, her appearance certainly would have. She was dressed in more snow gear than Rhi would have thought possible: a huge winter coat, no doubt covering even more layers beneath; thick pants that bulged as though more pants were worn underneath; boots that looked brand new; and a hat that covered her ears. Rhiannon, on the other hand, was dressed in her winter uniform, which consisted of a medium-weight jacket over a plain top, dark pants that hugged her curves, and well-worn combat boots. Sheathed at her side was a sword; the opposite held a dagger.

Rhi's brows knit together at the stranger's question, annoyance rising in her chest. What did she look like, a tour guide? Still, when she was in uniform, she tried her best to behave herself; after all, her actions reflected on Halo as a whole, and Deimos would have her hide if she acted a fool. (Although, if she'd known his feelings about Sohalia, she'd probably have been able to get away with telling the fool woman off.)

"Sure," Rhiannon said, her tone a little brusque. "Place around the corner. The Tundra House. Can't miss it."

Got a feelin' your electric touch
could fill this ghost town up with life

Sohalia

It didn’t take much for Soh to realize that she’d messed up.

The woman’s eyes narrowed as she sized her up, and Soh shifted uncomfortably beneath that keen gaze. When the soldier spoke, it was with short, clipped words that sounded like they were meant to be polite, but with an edge - an edge that she had no doubt put there. Trying to hide her wince, she looked in the direction indicated by the soldier. ”Thanks,” she said softly, a flush creeping into her cheeks.

She made to leave, but then she turned back. ”I’m sorry to have bothered you,” she offered. She wasn’t sure why it mattered. After all, she’d likely never see this particular soldier again, and yet… ”I’m sure that giving directions isn’t really a part of your job description. I just… didn’t know who else to ask. So, um… yeah. I appreciate it.”

am i right side up or upside down

Rhiannon

All I know is this could either break my heart
or bring it back to life

Rhiannon watched the stranger through narrowed eyes - the only hint of her displeasure save for her brusque tone - as the other woman flushed a pretty pink, thanking her and then stepping away. The soldier had all but put the tourist out of her mind when she stopped and turned back, further distracting Rhi with... an apology? Rhiannon's brows knit in confusion. If the woman was really sorry, then why was she continuing to distract a soldier who was clearly on duty?

"It's fine," Rhi responded, her voice a little less dismissive. It was a ridiculous interaction, really, but at least the woman was trying. The hybrid paused, checking the time. "You know, I'm actually about to be off duty. I could show you the way, if you wanted?" She honestly wasn't sure if she wanted the stranger to accept or not - but Rhi would be headed to get food anyway once her shift ended, and she might as well make sure the poor woman didn't get lost.

Got a feelin' your electric touch
could fill this ghost town up with life

Sohalia

Thankfully, her apology seemed to work, and Soh smiled with relief as the soldier seemed to soften. The woman surprised her by offering to show her the way, and Soh hesitated, clearly torn. The soldier had been irritated with her only a moment before, unless she'd read that wrong - so why, then, was she now being kind? Unless she was offering out of obligation, in which case Soh really didn't want to impose.

"Oh, you don't have to do that," she said almost automatically, shaking her head. "But I'd be happy to buy you lunch, if you wanted to join me?" Then she flushed. Gods, now she sounded like this was all some kind of cheesy attempt to pick up the other woman! "Er, you know, actually - just forget it. Thanks for your help." And she turned as though to leave, her cheeks flaming red.

am i right side up or upside down

Rhiannon

All I know is this could either break my heart
or bring it back to life

The woman hesitated, and Rhi raised an eyebrow rather impatiently. Whether or not the woman accepted her offer, she'd better decide quickly. The hybrid had better things to do than wait for -

Whatever she had been expecting, it wasn't for the woman to stumble through what certainly seemed like a sorry attempt at asking her out, and as the stranger turned beet red and tried to retreat, Rhiannon laughed. "Hey, wait up," she said, catching up to the woman in a few strides. "Don't run off. Things were just getting good," she added teasingly, tossing a flirtatious wink towards the blonde. Gods, if the woman was this easy to fluster, maybe lunch together would at least be entertaining.

"I'm Rhiannon Cassidy," she offered, gesturing towards a nearby street to indicate they should turn there. "I take it you're new to Halo?"

Got a feelin' your electric touch
could fill this ghost town up with life

Sohalia

Sohalia was mortified. Not only had she interrupted a soldier on duty, but then she’d unintentionally asked her out. Gods, hadn’t she had enough of romance and its pitfalls to last her a lifetime?

She tried to slink away, her metaphorical tail between her legs, but the soldier - Rhiannon - caught up to her, laughing and teasing, and Sohalia realized that she was completely outmatched. The other woman was gorgeous, and confident, and all the things that Soh was not, and ohgodsnowshewantstohavelunch -

”Sohalia Lumaris,” she offered, her voice faint and her cheeks still flushed. This was going so well. ”I, um - is it that obvious?” She was no snowbird, that was for sure, but she hadn’t realized just how badly she stuck out like a sore thumb.

am i right side up or upside down

Rhiannon

All I know is this could either break my heart
or bring it back to life

”Just a bit,” Rhiannon replied, her lips lifting in a wide grin. Now that she was a no longer quite so irritated, she had to admit that the blushing blonde - Sohalia - was kind of cute. At the very least, she’d had worse company for lunch, and so as long as she could keep flirting with - and flustering - Sohalia, this promised to at least be fun.

The Tundra House appeared on their left, and Rhiannon jumped ahead to hold the door open, ushering the blonde inside. ”Welcome to the Tundra House,” she said over the din that immediately assaulted them. A hostess came to take them to a table, and they were fortunate to be given one in the back, out of the way of the most raucous customers.

Once they were seated and with drinks in hand - Rhi with an ale, and Soh with a water - the soldier leaned back in her seat, regarding the Luminary with a raised brow. ”So, you’re not from here, and you’re not here often. First time?”

Got a feelin' your electric touch
could fill this ghost town up with life

Sohalia

The Tundra House was a cozy pub, and Sohalia entered with a word of thanks to her new friend. Now that a few minutes had passed, she’d managed to get a hold of herself, and her cheeks had faded from flushed pink back to their usual pale ivory. Looking around, she noted that the pub was busy, which she thought must be a good sign. Surely this many people wouldn’t cram into a restaurant that wasn’t at least decent.

The two women settled at a table near the back of the pub, thankfully away from some of the louder patrons. When the waiter came by, Soh ordered a water and perused the menu before settling on a bowl of stew. She couldn’t imagine anything better to warm her after her wandering through the snow.

”It’s not my first time,” she protested, raising her brows at Rhiannon, then smiling ruefully. ”But I haven’t exactly been very often, I’ll admit. Mostly I come to visit friends and follow them around.” Or to make alliances, but that seemed like the kind of thing she should keep to herself for now.

am i right side up or upside down

Rhiannon

All I know is this could either break my heart
or bring it back to life

Sohalia ordered a bowl of stew, and Rhiannon seconded the notion. The waiter scurried away with their order, leaving the two women to their own devices as their meal was prepared. Stew, fortunately, was the kind of thing that took only moments to ladle into a bowl, and it took no longer than that to be delivered to their little table. The stew was piping hot, steam rising from the surface, and Rhi turned her attention to the blonde as she waited for the meal to cool.

That the Luminary was not a frequent visitor was a surprise to absolutely no one, and Rhiannon grinned at the woman's admission. "Hence the exploring today, I take it?" she asked. If she were a betting woman, she would guess that Sohalia had tired of waiting around for friends to show her the way and taken it upon herself to make her own path in Halo. "Careful; the tundra might grow on you."

Got a feelin' your electric touch
could fill this ghost town up with life

Sohalia

Their stew arrived, and Sohalia noted the steam rising from her bowl, deciding that she should wait a few minutes for it to cool lest she burn her mouth. She peered across at Rhiannon, who seemed to be doing the same thing, and smiled. "Exactly," she agreed. "I seem to be visiting more often, so I thought I should figure out where some things are for myself."

As for the tundra growing on her, Sohalia made a face and stirred her stew, hoping to dispel some of the lingering heat. "I'm not one for this kind of cold," she admitted. "I can handle what's in the Citadel, but anything beyond that..." She shrugged. Winter had never been her favorite season, and that sentiment was only amplified this far north. "I'll stick with warmer climates, I think."

am i right side up or upside down

Rhiannon

All I know is this could either break my heart
or bring it back to life

”That’s a shame,” Rhiannon said, fluttering her lashes at the other woman. ”And here I was thinking I might get to see more of you.” A shameless flirt, Rhi offered Sohalia a grin before lifting her spoon, blowing on the stew, and trying a mouthful. Perfect.

There were plenty of innuendos she could think of involving keeping the Luminary warm, but given how easily Sohalia had been flustered out on the street, Rhiannon decided to keep those in her pocket for now. Instead, she observed the woman’s pale skin and silver eyes, noting the way the former flushed pink once more and the latter avoided eye contact. Rhi’s grin turned wicked. This was going to be more fun than she’d thought.

Got a feelin' your electric touch
could fill this ghost town up with life

Sohalia

Sohalia watched as Rhiannon fluttered her lashes, clearly flirting with her over their shared bowls of stew. The Luminary blushed, looking away, unsure what to do with the attention. Surely the woman was teasing her - after all, they hardly knew one another. Maybe she was just a natural flirt. It probably didn’t mean anything, and that was fine.

Right?

Suddenly, Sohalia was annoyed. Why was she getting so flustered just because some Halovian soldier - however pretty she may be - was giving her a hard time? She was a queen, for goodness’ sake. Surely she could handle a little witty banter.

So she forced her gaze up, meeting Rhiannon’s squarely. ”On second thought,” she said, tapping her chin with a finger. ”If all of Halo’s soldiers are as lovely as you, perhaps I’ll make it a habit to visit more often.”

am i right side up or upside down

Rhiannon

All I know is this could either break my heart
or bring it back to life

Oh, the blonde did have some fight in her. It was almost a relief to see Sohalia gather herself up, meet Rhiannon's gaze, and offer her own flirtation in return. She was even admirably bold about it, broadening Rhi's grin as the soldier sat back in her chair. Good. It wouldn't be as fun if she didn't have to work at flustering the poor girl.

So Rhiannon laughed, stirring her stew idly. "Oh, none of the other Shields are as lovely as me," she informed her new friend airily. "But I'm worth the trip, I promise." And then she winked. How far could she push Sohalia now that she seemed to be growing bolder?

Got a feelin' your electric touch
could fill this ghost town up with life