Tour de force

He had thought long and hard before sending his letters. But in the end he had sent them to each of his friends who called Stormbreak home. LongNight had brought with it many losses throughout the Caido, and if he needed reassurance that his friends in the heart of the storm were safe with his own eyes, so be it.

He had steered his course clear of the floating city for too long. And if he was keeping his eyes open for blond heads and bright blue eyes? Well. There were plenty of those in Stormbreak, as luck would have it.

Even if those he had seen on his way from the skyport did not belong to the one he sought.

So now he sat in the White Hart, sipping a glass of light beer that was mostly untouched as he awaited Noe 's arrival. He had asked her to meet him here, in the famous tavern - a landmark he had felt confident of being able to find - to begin their tour of her hometown. A chance to see Stormbreak as only a local could.

A chance to see what had changed in the last year and a half, since he had last walked its streets beneath the full moon.

Noe was living her best life, aside from the recent spat with her brother, and she waltzed into the White Hart as though she owned the place. Vibrant and happy, she made her way over to where Hadama waited and slipped into the chair across from him. ”Hey you!” she chirped, eyes flicking over to the waiter, who hurried over to take her order. ”I’ll have what he’s having,” she told the man, who nodded and left to get her beer.

”I’m so glad to see you!” Noe said warmly. She toyed with a loose strand of hair that had fallen from her messy updo. It was always nice to spend time with a friend, and maybe he wouldn’t prove as judgmental as her family seemed to have been lately. ”How have you been?”

Was feeling so weak but baby I'm strong
Little did I know I'm a champion

Noe

There was a quiet relief in emerald eyes as he caught sight of a now-familiar dark head and glowing smile at the door. He was easy enough to spot and Noe made a beeline for him. Though he remained seated he leaned forward in his chair as she plopped down across from him, relieved to see that she was, in fact, whole and hale. Not merely well but cheerful and almost unexpectedly bright after the unrelentingly grim news of recent days.

"Noe. It is good to see you, too." His rumbling voice was warm with relief and welcome both, and some of the hidden tension that he had held in his shoulders eased. "Mmh. I have been... well. A pause, thoughtful as he turned over the word. It was, perhaps, an untruth, but he had no wish to ruin Noe's good mood with a weight that was not hers to bear. "Yourself?" The waiter returned with a light beer for the Breaker and it was too late to do anything other than nod appreciatively and give the hoppy beverage a courteous - but small - sip.

He was, indeed, trying not to judge. Not until he had more information on which to base his decisions.

Yes, yes, the news of recent days wasn't great. Noe had heard rumors about deaths over LongNight, which was, of course, tragic. But up here in the clouds, everything had been fine, and she couldn't bring herself to worry too much about people she didn't even know. It was sad, but it didn't affect her, and so bright and cheerful she remained.

"Oh, I'm fine," she replied easily, sipping her beer. "I've been getting some work come in for some building projects. Nothing major yet, but every little bit helps build up my name!" She grinned, practically bouncing in her seat with excitement. She hadn't been in business very long, but she was already seeing results, and it was, in her opinion, certainly something to be proud of.

Was feeling so weak but baby I'm strong
Little did I know I'm a champion

Noe

"That is excellent news." Hadama's voice was warm with respect at Noe's report. She was forging ahead with her dreams, and even if she had chosen to pursue them in Stormbreak instead of Torchline he would still cheer her on.

For a given definition of 'cheer,' of course. Perhaps 'radiate quiet approval from the sidelines' was more accurate?

He took another sip of his beer and then set the glass aside, discretely ignoring it henceforth. Spreading his hand flat on the table between them, he nudged the paper that slipped from his sleeve to appear beneath his fingers towards Noe with a curious tilt of his head. "Have you thought about where we should start the tour?"

Hadama's support and approval buoyed the girl's spirits, and she grinned at her friend over her beer. She had worked rather hard, and even if a certain someone (looking at you, Koa) seemed determined to ignore all the good that had happened in the past few seasons, it was nice to know that she had someone in her corner.

In any case, Noe tilted her head to the side, raising a hand to tap a finger against her cheek thoughtfully. "Wellllll," she said. "There's the area around the City Gates, if you're up for a bit of a hike. The skyport is down that way, too, so we could hit that and the Righteous Climb and the Dragon's Nest all in one go. Or, if you're feeling more into academics, we could see about going to the Collegium and Judgement's Needle. Or if you want better drinks than this," she said, holding up her beer and glancing towards Hadama's discreetly discarded beverage, eyes dancing with laughter. "We can go down to the Silk Houses. It's known for the brothels, but the secret is that it has the best food and drink anywhere in Stormbreak."

Was feeling so weak but baby I'm strong
Little did I know I'm a champion

Noe

"I have become quite good at walking," he assured his young friend, his voice solemn and his face serene but with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "I would like to see the Gates and where the Dragoons train." He paused, a flicker of amused surprise causing the corner of his mouth to twitch upwards briefly. "And... I have never actually used the skyport to visit Stormbreak." An unexpected revelation that was interesting in its connotations. Always before he had teleported into the city limits. As a Mer, he had come via the hot spring in the Eye of Stormbreak. Since becoming a demigod he had Moon Warped when he needed to travel between regions.

Skyships were... interesting contraptions. But he was not certain that he trusted them. Strange enough to have earth under his feet instead of water supporting all around him.

He followed her gaze to his beer and inclined his head in wry acknowledgment of her sharp eyes. "Mmh. Perhaps we can end the day there," he agreed. "If there is a place known for its drinks, in particular, I would appreciate the opportunity to research." He eyed the map thoughtfully and then tapped the square marked Mother Molly's. "Would this place serve?"

Noe grinned at her friend, noting the mischievous twinkle in his eyes. Hadama was often a stoic person, but Noe had come to find that he had a sense of humor, too, even if it wasn't as pronounced as other people's. "Mmmmkay, that all sounds good!" she said, delighted to spend the day playing tour guide. Making a mental map of all the places they would try to visit today, she glanced down at the map and brightened.

"Oh, Mother Molly's?" she asked with a raised brow and a wicked glint in her eyes. "I mean, yeah, but, it's, ah... well, how comfortable are you with people in various states of undress...?"

Once their route was decided upon, Noe happily led the way to their first destination, intrigued to see what her friend would think of her home upon closer inspection.

fin

Was feeling so weak but baby I'm strong
Little did I know I'm a champion

Noe