[Training] [SE] Windy warriors

Flowerbirth had brought both waves and wind to the shores of Torchline, and though the monsoons sent their rains to bathe the tropical islands on many warm spring days, there were also days of sun and playful breezes.

And on those days the fighting kites were dusted off and brought to the shoreline to battle it out; a riot of colors and designs that bloomed like a garden of rice paper and bamboo in the blue sky above the beach.

Hadama watched the day's matches from a tide pool in the shallows, fascinated by the dance of such delicate constructions even as glass-coated lines ruthlessly cut their competitors down. Some of the more skilled opponents were able to capture their falling prey before the kites crashed into sand or surf, keeping them as trophies or ransoming them back. Most of the others were lost when they fell, damaged beyond repair.

Several kite sellers and builders were doing a brisk business along the beach, trading their wares to those drawn to the spectacle and wanting to give it a try. Hadama had been watching them in between the battles taking place overhead and was seriously contemplating the worth of his kingly dignity against the chance to try flying one of the elegant contraptions himself. Looking around, he tried to spot someone who might arrange a trade for him...

Noe

Noe

Best believe I'm still bejeweled
When I walk in the room, I can still make the whole place shimmer

Unlike our dear King of the Merfolk, the young woman walking along the beach had no qualms about kingly dignity as she watched the kite battles with interest. She'd taken a skyship over to Torchline that morning to get away from the endless storms that seemed to be plaguing Stormbreak, and she was as pleased as punch with her decision as she sashayed across the sunny sands. At home, she'd been bundled up in rain gear every time she walked out the door. Here, though, she had shed all but a bikini top and shorts, exposing her tan skin to the sun for the first time this Flowerbirth.

Intrigued by the spectacle of the fighting kites and eager to learn more, the young engineer looked around for the closest person to ask. That just so happened to be a mermanta in a tide pool nearby, and Noe sauntered up to him with an impish smile. "Do they do this all the time?" she asked. "Or is today a special occasion?"

And when I meet the band, they ask, "Do you have a man?"
I can still say, "I don't remember"

The girl was unknown to him, but that was hardly unusual in Flowerbirth. Many travelers came to Torchline's beaches to shrug off the cold of Deepfrost, and he inclined his head in greeting to her. She looked to be around Soleil's age, with some of that fierce young woman's easy confidence and bearing.

"No," he said, serenely calm but with emerald eyes sparkling. "And yes. Special in that it is not raining." Which, given the Flowerbirth monsoons, was indeed a reason to celebrate.

"I would like to try it, too," he continued. "If you would trade this for a pair of kites?" He offered a small pearl, pretty enough though nothing stunning. Given the fairly cheap construction of the kites, however, it was more than enough to buy a pair, and possibly drinks as well.

Noe

Best believe I'm still bejeweled
When I walk in the room, I can still make the whole place shimmer

She liked the mermanta. He seemed calm and stoic, but she didn't miss the way his emerald eyes sparkled. So she leaned down to take the little pearl. "Sure. Be right back." And she sauntered to the stalls, haggled over prices, and returned a few moments later with a few fighter kites and a few drinks. Noe set the kites gently aside, keeping an eye on them to make sure they didn't blow away, and offered her new friend a drink. "I don't know what you like, but I got a few kinds of juice," she said, an apologetic smile finding its way to her lips. "I hope that's okay."

Then she plopped down on the sand, sitting cross legged with one knee holding their precious kites against the winds. "I'm Noe, by the way," she said breezily, selecting whichever drink Hadama had not taken (if he'd taken any at all). "Noe Carpenter. I'm visiting from Stormbreak. It's been super stormy this Flowerbirth, so I'm loving the sun."

And when I meet the band, they ask, "Do you have a man?"
I can still say, "I don't remember"

She could have taken the pearl and run. But with so many other Torchers around it seemed unlikely, even if she did not know who he was. Besides, he hoped he had a sense for people, and this young woman seemed wise enough to keep her word with the trinket.

Indeed, she returned in good time with both kites and beverages, and Hadama selected the mango juice after careful thought. He sipped it and gave a grateful nod as the human - Noe - settled herself on the dry sand nearby. "Thank you. This is a good choice." Carpenter, now... there was a name that rang a bell, but the Tidebreaker held his curiosity on check for the moment. "I am Hadama. A pleasure to meet you, Noe Carpenter of Stormbreak." He took another refreshing sip, gaze turning to watch another kite battle in progress overhead, the fleet constructions of paper and bamboo dancing with lethal beauty in the sky. "Is this your first visit to Torchline?"

Noe

Best believe I'm still bejeweled
When I walk in the room, I can still make the whole place shimmer

It never occurred to Noe to take the pearl and run, but then, she'd been raised in a household of Dragoons. Even if she hadn't ever intended to follow in her mother's footsteps, she'd been taught from a young age to respect the law all the same. Even now, so long after their mother's death, Koa had upheld that standard, and Noe was damned if she was going to bring shame down on her family by making poor choices of her own.

She took a sip of her own juice - a blend of peach, pineapple, and mango - and nearly choked when the mermanta introduced himself. "Like, King Hadama?" she asked, eyes round. Gods, how was she supposed to act around royalty? She'd never been prepared for this, what with Stormbreak's leadership being a shitshow. "It's, um, really nice to meet you, too, sir." Answering questions, though, was easier, and Noe shook her head, dark hair bouncing where it was bundled into a bun atop her head. "No, I came last year with my brother," she said. "I've always liked the beach, but this is my first time coming alone."

And when I meet the band, they ask, "Do you have a man?"
I can still say, "I don't remember"

Ah, so she did know him. Hadama pretended not to notice her surprise as he gave a bland nod and sipped at his juice. "Yes. Like him," he confirmed, eyes on the sky though he was, perhaps, surreptitiously watching his new companion out of the corner of them. Of his vices, this one never seemed to get old.

Respect, he enjoyed. But awe was simply too much. Torchline simply wasn't that kind of place.

He inclined his head as Noe returned the courtesies, but when she answered his question it seemed as though his initial hunch had been on the right track. Though his last meeting with Koa had been difficult for all involved, he held the young man no ill will. Perhaps he could send a gift home with Noe to give him some assurance.

And if he had guessed wrong, a gift would still not go amiss.

"I hope you will enjoy your stay," he offered, quiet sincerity in his deep voice. "Is there anything you want to do or see this time?"

Noe

Best believe I'm still bejeweled
When I walk in the room, I can still make the whole place shimmer

Unaware of the confirmations she was providing to the merking, Noe settled into a bemused sort of conversation. Whatever she had expected a king to act like, it certainly wasn't this: lying on a beach sipping mango juice with a stranger from another land, watching kite battles in the clear blue sky overhead. "Thank you," she said, still respectful but perhaps a bit less awestruck as her attention shifted. "I don't think there's anything in particular, no. I just wanted a break from the storms back home. It's been wild this season."

She took a sip of her drink, then hummed thoughtfully. "Actually, you wanted to try the kites, right?" she asked, tilting her head to one side. "If you wouldn't mind, I could be your partner."

And when I meet the band, they ask, "Do you have a man?"
I can still say, "I don't remember"

It had been quite some time since any of the regions had been ruled by one of their hereditary lines, though at the moment Hadama was perhaps the only ruler who had actually been born in the region he now led. Still, few enough outside of Torchline knew of his non-noble beginnings, so in a way he might have become something of a fairytale King - or rather, a Mer-tailed one.

It all boiled down to paperwork in the end, however, and whoever had the greatest patience for dealing with it.

"Hmm. There are reports of strange weather from around Caido," he murmured thoughtfully. The letters between the rulers had revealed that much, though he was still on the hunt for the odd flora Deimos had mentioned. "The tides here are much higher than usual. The surfers are pleased." Ecstatic might have been a better word, but Hadama had never been accused of overstatement before. Either way it would have been better than storms, if he wasn't growing a bit worried about how much of the beaches were beginning to wash away.

It was something to bring up with Harper the next time he saw his co-leader. For the time being, it was just as crucial to welcome Torchline's seasonal visitors and make them feel at home on the sunny islands.

"I would be honored," he agreed solemnly, setting his glass aside in a nearby dip in the rocks that functioned like a cupholder. He reached for one of the kites, careful to grasp the handle so as not to cut his fingers on the crushed glass that coated the string near the kite itself. A puff of gentle wind blew past him and caught his kite (courtesy of a surreptitious touch of magic), lifting it up high enough for the natural breeze to catch it and begin spooling it out as it rose above them to dance in the sky.

The image on it, he noted with some amusement, was a loosely-drawn shark.

Noe

Best believe I'm still bejeweled
When I walk in the room, I can still make the whole place shimmer

Noe set aside her juice on a flat rock out of reach of the waves, then stood, dusting sand from her shorts and grabbing the remaining kite. Hers, as it turned out, held the image of a lionfish. Personally, she thought that in a battle between the two, the shark was likely to be the winner, but then, perhaps she was underestimating the lionfish's sting. At any rate, she certainly wasn't one to be underestimated, even if this was her first time flying a fighting kite.

The gentle breeze caught her kite as she lifted the kite and loosened her string, allowing it to spool out as the kite rose higher and higher into the clear sky above. Noe stepped back from the king, keeping her kite at a distance from his, until they were fully raised into the sky and she was a fair distance away. "How does this work?" she called. "Do we just try to knock each other out of the sky?"

And when I meet the band, they ask, "Do you have a man?"
I can still say, "I don't remember"

It was never wise to underestimate a lionfish, Hadama could have assured his young companion of that, and not all sharks were particularly dangerous hunters. Still, in this contest the 'shark' would indeed do its best to earn its reputation at the top of the food chain. Even if this was also the Tidebreaker's first attempt at flying a kite, much less fighting with one!

"The goal is to cut the string of your opponent's kite," he explained, tugging experimentally on his own string to see how his kite would respond. "There is crushed glass along the far end of our strings." He managed to get his kite to pull towards Noa's and then tried to coax it away, seeing if he could steer a retreat. "We must try to bring the strings together. To drag yours up or down against mine, like a saw blade." Using muscle power to pull down, or wind power to cut upwards. "Are you ready?"

Noe

Best believe I'm still bejeweled
When I walk in the room, I can still make the whole place shimmer

As Hadama experimented with his own kite, so, too, did Noe experiment with hers. She tugged on the string, finding that a gentle tug was more effective than a sharper one - unless she needed a burst of speed. But it was harder to control the faster she moved, and her estimation of the kite fighters on the beach rose as she realized just how hard they had to work for their victories. She steered the kite back and forth, side to side, and tried to see if she could get a few circles each direction. After the explanation, she nodded. "Got it," she called, readying her kite. "I'm ready!"

Once she had Hadama's agreement, she attacked, lunging forward with her arm outstretched. Her kite dipped sharply and dove towards Hadama's as she aimed to cut in below his kite and knock it off kilter. If she was successful, she could try to cut his string as he attempted to get his shark back under control.

And when I meet the band, they ask, "Do you have a man?"
I can still say, "I don't remember"

And ready she was! Noe moved on to the attack with a zeal that reminded Hadama of some of his other young friends, and the mermanta held his facade of calm serenity only from long practice as he stifled the urge to crack a smile.

That same experience with those other individuals had prepared him well for such swift attacks, however. He was ready for the dip and lunge--

But his unfamiliarity with just how to wield the string to get the results he desired made it difficult to respond in time. He tugged on the string he had wrapped around his hand and the shark dove away from the lionfish but a stray breeze caught it and it twisted back, barely missing an unplanned collision with his opponent. "Apologies," he rumbled instinctively as he wrestled his chosen weapon around and gave a sharp pull as he attempted to send it cutting sideways across the sky - and diagonally across Noe's kite's string to weaken it, even if the angle was wrong for a true cut.

Noe

Best believe I'm still bejeweled
When I walk in the room, I can still make the whole place shimmer

Noe grinned as she attacked, emboldened, for the moment, by the sight her kite made cutting across the windy skies. The moment ended too soon, however, as the girl's blow missed; a stray breeze caught Hadama's kite instead, sending it on a collision course with Noe's lionfish. It was only the quick work of mer and girl that kept the kites separated, and Noe was so intent on regaining control of her fluttering kite that she almost missed the king's next attack.

When it came, she overcorrected, yanking instinctively on her line rather than giving a gentle tug as she'd practiced, and her kite flailed haphazardly in the air for a moment, leaving Noe struggling to keep it in the air. Fortunately, another errant gust caught beneath the kite's wings, lifting it and giving the girl enough time to stabilize the fragile creation. The merking's attack may have missed, but Noe's flailing had also given him enough time to prepare for her next onslaught. She attacked more carefully this time, aiming to dip her kite beneath his and catch the broken glass on his line.

And when I meet the band, they ask, "Do you have a man?"
I can still say, "I don't remember"