[o] Shine on, you crazy diamond

All the joy had gone out of Tal's life with the turning of the season. He still made his deliveries around Stormbreak, sure, but with the Family gone he felt... adrift. Abandoned. Lost, even, and directionless. He needed to catch a skyship back to King's End, but--

But Stormbreak just felt like home now, and besides it was the last place he had seen Pierce and Vox. He couldn't help but hope that if he turned the right corner or walked into the right bar that they'd still be there, offering him easy smiles (in Vox's case, several of them at once) and belonging, different than what he had with his sisters or Alys, but still powerful.

It was the end of the day and he had made his way up to the Spyglass to sit at the edge of the island and dangle his feet over the edge. He turned a piece of sparkling seaglass from the Boondocks over and over in his fingers, whistling half-heartedly towards a passel of nearby Cloud Wyrms darting about in the changing light of sunset. One had caught the flash reflecting from the glass and was wriggling closer and then away again coyly. Every time it retreated it went a little less far, and every time it wiggled closer it came a little nearer, bright eyes fixed on the small treasure that its friends had not yet noticed.

Burning down Neverland, scatter the ashes
White lines, black tar, the matches

The Spyglass was one of Liam's favorite places in Stormbreak, but every time he visited, he was reminded that he should thank the gods every day that he didn't have a fear of heights. This particular evening, he was climbing towards the top, hoping to look out across Caido and admire the view, which was truly spectacular from the zenith - but he was interrupted by the sight of a figure surrounded by cloud wyrms, one of which was wriggling closer and closer as time went on.

Intrigued, and perhaps a little concerned by how close the person was to the edge of the island, he made his way instead towards the stranger. As he neared, however, he realized that he recognized them - barely, perhaps, but all the same. If Liam remembered correctly, the man's name was Talyson, and he had once delivered a parcel to Liam in the Greatwood.

"Excuse me," Liam rumbled as he approached. "But the cloud wyrm will be your friend for life if you let it have that." He jutted his chin towards the seaglass. "You'll never get rid of it, after."

Is this another dead by misadventure?
Tell me what you got, what you really got, hey, hey

Liam

Tal flinched a little at the mostly-unfamiliar voice behind him. Not everyone in Stormbreak was a Friend anymore and that knowledge stole the easy trust and laughter he had been able to greet total strangers with just a few short days ago. But there didn't seem to be any malice to the words, and the courier looked over his shoulder to see who had come over to bother him--

"Oh! Hey, Liam," he called, relaxing a little as he pulled the face and its name from his memory for clients. "Y'really think? I don't really need a cloud wyrm followin' me around, but I was s'posed t'do it for Frey an'... well, Boreal's been barely around lately." Strange, that. The dragon stayed near enough to keep an eye on him but no amount of treats or threats could get her to stick around for more than a couple of horn scritches since they'd come to Stormbreak. Tal shrugged in helpless confusion and the gesture sent the light sparking off the glass again. The little cloud wyrm darted forward almost to his fingers before changing her mind and coiling back, just out of reach as Tal turned to look at her again.

"What brings y'up here tonight, anyways?" Liam, at least, was still a Friend, Tal thought. Or at least, he had been the last time the courier had seen him at the Pool Party, and around Stormbreak before...

Before.

Burning down Neverland, scatter the ashes
White lines, black tar, the matches

Liam halted behind the courier, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched the cloud wyrm inch closer. "Well, if it's for Frey..." Liam said, kneeling to sit beside Talyson, swinging his legs over the edge of the island and settling in to watch the interaction. "Don't let me stop you. But you might end up with a new shadow, after." Maybe it would be welcome company, for all Liam knew.

The soldier leaned back on his hands, nodding out across the city. "The view," he said companionably. "This used to be where I came when I needed to think, back in the day." Back when he was still a Dragoon, back before the war. Things had changed a lot since then, but at least he could still look out over the city and watch the color fade from the sky.

Is this another dead by misadventure?
Tell me what you got, what you really got, hey, hey

Liam

The courier bit his lip, nose wrinkling in deep thought as he considered the little Wyrm and her movements. When he looked over to Liam as the other man sat beside him, the Cloud Wyrm darted forward again and did a little spin around his hand until he glanced back at the sudden movement caught in the corner of his eye. She slipped away as he tried to move the glass into her paws and then his eyes widened in understanding.

"Guess it wouldn't be th'worst thing t'ever happen t'me," he admitted wryly, turning his full attention back to the ex-Dragoon and only watching the Cloud Wyrm obliquely. He turned his hand palm-up, holding the polished sea glass out to her but not looking at her directly while he spoke. "Boreal'd probably love it, an' I'm sure Alys wouldn't mind. But Sascha might get jealous..." He sighed heavily, and that was when he felt a gentle tug at his fingers. The Wyrm had grasped the shiny 'stone' and he let it slip through his fingers and into her grasp. She puffed a quick cloud around herself as she did a little spin of victory--

Just as her siblings realized that something shiny had been claimed. The rest of the swarm darted towards them and the first Cloud Wyrm slipped between Tal and Liam, using them as human shields as the men were suddenly in the middle of a family game of chase.

Tal couldn't help but laugh for the first time since the Family had left, holding his hands up to show that they were now empty. "Dunno how much thinkin' we'll get done now!"

Burning down Neverland, scatter the ashes
White lines, black tar, the matches

The Cloud Wyrm was kind of cute, with a certain joie de vivre that was infectious. Liam smiled as he watched her inch ever closer, darting here and there as she considered the seaglass. "There are definitely worse creatures to attract," he agreed with a laugh. Then the Wyrm grabbed the seaglass and spun adorably in victory, just in time for the remaining horde to realize that their sister had found something that they had not.

The swarm darted closer, surrounding Liam and Tal and flitting in between them in a sudden flurry of activity that had Liam laughing again. "They're fast, aren't they?" he asked, watching as the little creatures darted here and there. He'd always wanted a dragon as a companion, but now, for the first time, he could see himself adopting a Cloud Wyrm. Maybe he could find one to take home as a pet - though he wasn't sure how well one would get on in the Greatwood, separated from its brethren.

One Wyrm poked its head beneath his arm, and Liam lifted it obligingly as another gave chase. "Fearless, too," Liam added admiringly.

Is this another dead by misadventure?
Tell me what you got, what you really got, hey, hey

Liam

"Ain't that the truth!" Way worse creatures. Like cloud spiders, or glotters! Tal agreed wholeheartedly with the sentiment and then had his breath stolen by laughter as they found themselves surrounded by adorable cloud wyrms puffing clouds and zipping over, around, and sometimes under them. Liam's laugh helped ease some of the longing ache in Tal's chest for his partner, feeling the kinship of having a Friend beside him to chase away the loneliness.

"Faster'n Boreal," the courier agreed with a chuckle. "But don't tell 'er I said that!" One of the Cloud Wyrms tried to make a snag for the purple star charm that dangled from the Goggles around his neck and he put a hand over it protectively, laughing. "Hey, now! Maybe a little fear wouldn't be so bad, yeah?" It blew a puff of cloud at him and went to spiral around Liam instead, seeking any potential treasures that the ex-Dragoon might have on him.

The first Cloud Wyrm took a chance amidst the chaos to dart off towards the roof of the Spyglass and a few moments later her siblings realized that they had gotten so caught up in chasing each other that their initial target was getting away! With various peeps, cheeps, and whistles of excitement they broke off from the two men and headed after her once more, leaving Tal to straighten his vest and shake his head, still chuckling. "Well, guess that'll count for Frey's task. Y'want t'stay up here a little longer? Otherwise you're welcome t'join me for a drink back in town, Friend."

Burning down Neverland, scatter the ashes
White lines, black tar, the matches

As much as Liam treasured his time in the Greatwood, it was nice, sometimes, to get out and about and remind himself that he was capable of making new friends. The Cloud Wyrms were charming, and Talyson's company refreshing. The soldier laughed heartily as one of the Wyrms circled him, seeking out any potential treasures that might be hiding on his person. Holding up his hands in surrender, he said, "Sorry, nothing today. Maybe next time." And off the Wyrm went to pout.

With the Cloud Wyrms dispersing, that apparently meant that Tal was leaving, or preparing to, anyway. While it was true that Liam had come up here to enjoy the view, it was also true that he could use some time with a Friend, given that he and Maea didn't exactly see eye to eye on the whole Family affair. "A drink sounds great," he agreed. "Did you have somewhere in mind? There's a place I'd been meaning to try down in the Silk Houses..."

fin

Is this another dead by misadventure?
Tell me what you got, what you really got, hey, hey

Liam