[SE] Passacaglia in sea minor

After the announcement of Stormbreak's intentions towards the Abandoned humans, Hadama had requested a meeting with Sohalia. Though it was an official discussion between leaders it was not intended to be overly formal (though the mermanta knew he could come off as such), and he had taken care to make things more at ease for the young Heart. He had proposed meeting down at the Port beside the merfolk statue that served as Ludo's shrine rather than in the Court of Stars, for one thing. For another, he had bartered for the materials used in making lanterns for the upcoming Festival at the end of Leafchange.

He had secured two small glass fishing buoys for himself, and several small pots of enamel paints as he rested his elbows on the side of the canal and studied the shiny, dark red surface of his first 'canvas.' After long contemplation he finally lifted a brush and began to stroke a few simple, clean black lines onto the glass. Beside him were other materials, more suitable to a land dweller's lantern, but there were plenty of nearby vendors in the port who sold various odds and ends in case the ones he had chosen didn't suit his new colleague's taste.

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

When she'd received a request for a meeting from Hadama, Soh had been pleased to accept. It had been some time since she'd seen the mermanta in a one-on-one setting, and she was certain that spending time with him would be calming. He just had that kind of presence.

So she set out for the agreed upon meeting place, carrying a few bits and bobs that she thought might be appropriate for lantern-decorating. She was a little surprised that Hadama had wanted to meet at Ludo's shrine rather than the Court of the Stars (and perhaps a little disappointed - she'd wanted to see the Court) - but she supposed that she understood. She didn't like to host all of her own meetings in the Tower, preferring to be out and about in the midst of her people.

In any case, she arrived with a sweet smile for the mermanta. "Hello, Hadama!" she trilled. "How are you?"

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

The warm, friendly voice of the young woman who had become Stormbreak's leader rose above the general murmur and hubbub of the nearby docks and Hadama finished the stroke of his brush before looking up. His expression held its usual serene stoicism, but his emerald eyes were warm and welcoming as he inclined his head in greeting. "Welcome, Sohalia," he rumbled back to her, his voice as deep and soothing as distant summer thunder. "Thank you for coming."

He nodded towards the other supplies he'd gathered, inviting the young woman to join him at the base of the statue. "I am doing well. Torchline prospers in these peaceful days. How are you, and how is Stormbreak?'

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 had liked Hadama on the occasions that she'd met him previously, and she had no reason to change that opinion now. Though he exuded a certain stoicism, his eyes were warm and welcoming, and she smiled sweetly as she joined him, sitting cross-legged with her lantern-making supplies within easy reach. 'Of course," she said. "I am glad of the chance to speak with you. I wasn't sure if you'd have time." She wasn't planning to stay long, after all; there was plenty to do in Stormbreak, and she intended to return fairly quickly this time.

Picking up her lantern and selecting some blue paint, Soh began to paint her lantern with careful strokes. She was thinking a blue base, accented with gold, with some sparkly bits and bobs to be added on for a little extra oomph. "Stormbreak is well," Soh said. "It is, as you say, peaceful. I'm excited about our efforts to allow Abandoned into the city. It'll be a welcome change for most of our residents, and for the Abandoned, I hope."

As for herself, things were going well. "As for me, I'm adjusting to leadership," she said with a chuckle. "It's certainly different from what I'm used to. A lot less travel, a lot more paperwork."

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

He understood the shortness of her visit to his waters. Though travel was important, both for diplomacy and perspective, as a leader he never felt comfortable leaving his region for long. Though he, at least, had the comfort of knowing he had a strong and able co-leader who could make decisions in his absences... and the magic to teleport swiftly home if some emergency arose.

As Sohalia began to work on her own lantern, Hadama went back to applying the minimalist brushstrokes to his own, simple lines that hinted at undulating seaweed and the broad-winged grace of a manta ray. "I am glad you are pursuing this," he assured her at the mention of the Abandoned. It had been the topic of the day's meeting, but he was pleased with her answers as much as by her intentions. "With the Voice gone perhaps the old wounds will finally close." It had taken the genocide of an entire race to come to this peace. The Mer King had no wish to see another in his lifetime.

He glanced up from his work at her chuckle, and his eyes gleamed brightly with amusement. A warm pulse of understanding filled the Attuned bond between them. "Yes. It was a surprise to me as well." He had not been much of a traveler in his youth, but he had enjoyed solitude. As King he had had to abandon such antisocial tendencies as indulgences he could not afford, and instead spent long hours in meetings with his advisors and council. "But there is some travel. For diplomacy, and establishing ties with other regions." He inclined his head to her in acknowledgment, then added a few more brush strokes to his lantern.

"Such as trade negotiations. If Stormbreak would be interested in trading with Torchline?"

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's lantern slowly began to take on life and color beneath her careful strokes, and she set it aside momentarily to allow the paint on one side to dry before she began painting the other. In the meantime, she began to string small, sparkling beads onto a length of clear fishing line. "I hope so," she said of the Abandoned. Her news had been received more warmly in Torchline than it had been in Halo, where people were understandably slow to trust. Still, she hoped that, with time, she and her region could prove welcoming to the Abandoned who braved their lands.

As understanding filled the Attuned bond, Soh smiled at her fellow ruler, pleased that he understood so well what she was going through as she adjusted to her new role. Her beaded line taking shape beneath her fingertips, she tied one off and set it aside, only to begin work on another. "We would certainly be interested in trading with Torchline," she said. There were, after all, plenty of reasons for her to maintain good relations with Torchline; her boyfriend and her surrogate father both lived here, after all, and those ties were strong, meaning a great deal to the young Heart.

Still, it was one thing to think about trade in an abstract sense and another to actually negotiate it, and she felt her heartbeat quicken at the prospect of negotiating poorly. Still, she did not feel that Hadama would be one to try to purposefully take advantage. "What kinds of things does Torchline have to offer?"

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

Hadama noted Soh's use of the beads with curiosity at first, and then a pulse of admiration through the Attuned bond. "I have never thought of that before," he admitted, but the effect was quite lovely and even in the water the weight of the beads would help to keep them below a lantern. As for her hopes for the future he simply nodded silently, sharing them and choosing quiet optimism for the direction Soh was leading Stormbreak.

A more welcoming and peaceful future for them all, if her intentions came to fruition.

And perhaps a more lucrative one, now that the city above the clouds was finding new stability. He held up the first fishing buoy, examining the paint on it with a critical eye before setting it aside to dry and picking up the second. It was a light teal and he let it rest in his large hands for a long moment as he considered how to decorate it.

And how to open negotiations with the Heart of Stormbreak.

"We already trade fresh fruit and fish," he began; the usual goods from Torchline that rode on airships to the other regions. "Now we are willing to offer Tumseashells. In exchange for items of similar value." He raised his emerald gaze to meet Sohalia's, calmly confident in the value of what he suggested. "They are magical, and bring luck to whatever they are used to craft." He tilted his head at his colleague in rulership invitingly. "Does this interest Stormbreak?"

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

As Soh continued to decorate her lantern, adding strokes of paint or bits and bobs that sparkled, she eyed Hadama's with interest. He held a light teal fishing buoy as though considering how to decorate it. Soh turned her attention back to her own ministrations, content for the moment with her work.

Of course, her contentment turned to scarcely contained nerves when talk turned to trade.

She considered Hadama's offer, and she nodded. "Certainly," she said. "They sound very valuable. I must be honest, though: Stormbreak has been without leadership for too long, and our focus for now is on rebuilding our infrastructure. We would be very interested in trading, but I'm afraid that we may not have much to offer until next season. Would it be acceptable to return then and negotiate more specific terms?"

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

He dipped the brush into one of the enamel paint pots and began to decorate his buoy, though his strokes were more tentative this time as he sketched in the loose, stylized lines of a playful otter. He glanced aside occasionally to admire Sohalia's progress as well, intrigued by her choice of colors and charms for the beads.

He listened as well as watched, and though her answer was not, perhaps, all that he had hoped for Torchline's sake he still nodded in understanding, a quiet pulse of respect ebbing through the Attuned bond. "Indeed. Torchline is also using this season to improve our docks," he rumbled agreeably. "But we will spend Deepfrost gathering more shells. And we are always open to negotiation." Stormbreak was their ally after all, and Sohalia was dear to his co-ruler. They would always have a space for her at their table while they ruled the coast.

He held up his second lantern to the light, checking his lines with a critical eye before nodding in satisfaction and setting it aside to dry with its companion. "And I have heard it is more pleasant here in Deepfrost than Stormbreak," he added, a sly twinkle in his eyes. "If you return for negotiations then."

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

An otter was beginning to take shape on Hadama's lantern, and Soh smiled softly at its appearance. She'd always liked the idea of otters, though she'd yet to see any for herself. They were supposed to be playful and energetic, though; and with that, the young Heart could relate.

"I would be pleased to return in Deepfrost. I think you're right; it may be more pleasant here than in Stormbreak," she added with a laugh. 'In fact, I look forward to it." She cared deeply for Torchline; it was home to some of her most loved friends and family. She was, perhaps, not entirely impartial, which would probably make negotiations more difficult - for her, anyway - but she couldn't help it. She was still young and naive, after all, not entirely able to separate her personal life from the professional.

In any case, her lanterns were nearly finished, and the rest of her time with Hadama passed easily enough. The king was kind and polite, and she greatly admired his steady presence. She hoped that she could embody that same calm benevolence one day.

-FIN-

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