[SE] One quiet day

They all deserved one.

Mysterious LongNight lights, creepy craters, weird weather, fucked up flora...

It was enough to give anyone anxiety. And if someone already had anxiety, it was enough to make one's skin itch on the inside, where no amount of scratching could reach it.

So before the shit really hit the propellers, Tal was determined to have one nice, quiet day. A day with a friend, who also needed a break, because things hadn't gotten any less stressful since Deepfrost. He'd had Boreal kidnap (re: deliver a slightly-slobbery note requesting the Heart's presence) Sohalia to the Peregrine on a mission of utmost importance to the security of Stormbreak.

And now here they were, in King's End, just not too close to where those lights had come down because this wasn't about them today.

Today was about trying to untangle the kite string he had so carefully wrapped into a perfect ball when the kites had been stowed, but which had somehow turned into a total rat's nest in transit. Sitting on the bottom step of the ruined staircase, the courier swore under his breath and scowled fiercely down at the cotton line in his fingers as he tried to get their picnic off to a good fucking start.

"Sorry, Soh. Just gimme another - you fuckin' piece of-- - two minutes an' I'll have it - gods damn it, you sonuva-- all sorted out!"

Late nights, all entwined
Made a promise to never say goodbye

When Soh had first received Tal's message, she had been a bit concerned. After last season's run-in with a giant mothman, Safrin's disappearance, and Deimos's recent note that the bracelet he'd been given had started to glow, she had been particularly concerned with Stormbreak's security. But when she'd followed Boreal back to the Peregrine, Tarak in tow, she'd found that her worries were for naught, and she'd agreed to go with him to King's End for a bit of a holiday. Gods knew she could use one.

Today, fortunately, was about kites. Soh couldn't remember the last time she'd flown one, and so she joined Tal in trying to untangle the strings with a sort of giddy excitement that she hadn't felt in seasons. "Here, let me help," she said, trying not to laugh as the courier made the tangles worse. With nimble fingers, she began to gently coax the strings apart.

I replay it in the back of my mind
Over and over again

Sohalia

His scowl deepened as the string continued to mock him with its wicked wiles, but Sohalia reached over to help with fingers that had a gentler touch than his own. There was a time and a place for brute strength and a time and a place for subtlety, and this was definitely a time for the latter. In the end Tal found himself holding the strings like a cat's cradle, keeping them under light tension and holding them up for Sohalia's defter skills.

"Yeah... thanks," he mumbled with awkward gratitude, doing his best to be helpful and not make things worse. "You're pretty good at unsnaggin' these knots. Prob'ly get a lotta practice at it, leadin' like y'do, huh?" His scowl finally melted to a brief flash of a wry grin as the tangle fell away into two looping lines and he was finally able to retrieve their sticks, beginning to wind one of them carefully in preparation for launching the kites and leaving the other to Soh.

Late nights, all entwined
Made a promise to never say goodbye

Soh's light touch and deft fingers made quick work of the unruly strings, a small smile on her face as she accepted her friend's awkward thanks. Things had always been that way between the two of them: Tal a little gruff, a little awkward, and Soh, ignoring all of that to get to know the man beneath the grouch.

At the mention of unsnagging knots, though, Soh winced. The strings separated, and Soh began to wind hers carefully in preparation for launch. "I wish I'd had more practice," she said ruefully, thinking of what Deimos had said about Koa. As if it wouldn't have been hard enough confronting just another soldier about - how had he put it? - 'acting as a militia in other lands,' it had to be Koa. Soh waved the thought away. "But today, I'm not a leader, I'm just me," she announced, picking up her kite. "And we are just going to have fun."

I replay it in the back of my mind
Over and over again

Sohalia

There weren't many with the patience to get beneath his rough exterior, and Tal didn't know what he'd done to earn the half dozen or so that he'd found in recent years. Sohalia would always be a little special, though. She'd taught him to swim, after all, and probably saved his life with those lessons!

He saw her wince but it was too late to unsay the words. After their last conversation over lanterns he couldn't help but be curious about how things were going, but at her firm end to the topic he nodded, giving her a sheepish grin. "Yeah, sorry. Just... y'can talk to me, if y'need t'let some steam out. But since we're not talkin' about that t'day..." He rose beside her as they got their kites in hand and he checked the wind direction. "How's life with Tarak goin'?" he asked with a grin, glad that his own scaly companion was off hunting blink hares through the flowers beneath the old staircase.

Taking his kite, he tossed it in the air with a whoop and started to run, letting the string spool out behind him as the wind caught the sail and the diamond of paper and light wood rose unsteadily in fits and jerks into the sky.

Late nights, all entwined
Made a promise to never say goodbye

"Thanks, Tal," she said with a smile as she finished rolling up her string. "I appreciate it." Truth be told, she might should talk to him about it, given that she had escaped what could very well turn into a political nightmare for the day. But she just couldn't bring herself to share how royally messed up things were, and that once again, her personal life was getting in her way. So instead she shoved all thoughts of politics and militias and boys from her mind. "It's interesting," Soh admitted with a laugh. "Sometimes I think he likes to do things just to be difficult, but he's always there for me when I need him. He's a part of me. I don't know what I'd do without him."

When Tal began to run, Soh tossed her kite into the air and ran with him, laughing aloud as the wind caught the kite and pulled it jerkingly into the sky. It dipped and bobbed as she ran (she wasn't very good at flying kites) but eventually, it stabilized high above them in the clear blue sky. "Is flying a kite like flying a skyboat? Soh called, curious.

I replay it in the back of my mind
Over and over again

Sohalia

You could lead a dragon to water, but you couldn't make it take a bath if it really didn't want to, so Tal didn't push any further. He'd made his offer and the rest was up to Soh. He knew a thing or two about wrestling with frustrations that he couldn't quite admit to his closest friends; things that were too personal, or too painful, or just too embarrassing to tell another living soul.

At least not while sober.

So he changed the subject, grinning in complete understanding of having a part of his soul that lived for mischief and bringing a little extra chaos into his life in the most joyful way possible. "Yeah, that's the way it is. I guess some people have companions who're well-behaved? Anju does, at least. But, well... you've met Boreal," he pointed out, laughter in his voice. "So y'can't say y'weren't warned!"

And then they were off, trying not to trip in the tall grass of the meadow as they got their kites in the air with a little trial and error and were able to come to a stop and let the wind do the work. Tal tugged gently at his string, tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth as he worked on remembering how to make it dance without spilling it out of the sky. "Mmmm... kind of?" His upward gaze was intent on the angle of his kite as he worked it through a few dips and rises, its tail fluttering behind it like a snake's. "But not really? In a skyboat you're usually tackin' into th'wind, zig-zaggin' from side-t'side t'keep th'sails fillled. Flyin' a kite's just..." He took a hand off his control stick to wave expansively and then hurried to grab it again as the string began to unwind willy-nilly. "Ah, fuck. It's just bein' pushed downwind."

He glanced over to see how Soh's kite was faring under the Heart's gentle touch. "Did y'ever get t'do this when you were a kid? With your guardian?"

Late nights, all entwined
Made a promise to never say goodbye

Maybe later, when she was ready to shoulder her responsibilities again, the young Heart would tell Tal more about her leadership woes, or share more about her relationship - or lack thereof, as it were - but for now, she was content to be just a girl, on a trip with a friend, flying a kite. Nothing more, nothing less.

So she ran after Tal with a whoop, until their kites floated high above in the sky, gliding on the afternoon breeze as easily as breathing. Or, at least, easily for a moment. It was much harder to keep a kite afloat than the Luminary had anticipated, and she stuck her tongue out in concentration as she tugged a bit here and pulled a bit there, trying to figure out exactly what she needed to do in order to gain control over the errant thing. Still, it stayed in the sky, so she counted that as a win.

"No, not really," she said, squeaking with surprise as her kite took a sudden dip. "I don't remember trying to fly a kite with Auden, anyway. What about you?"

I replay it in the back of my mind
Over and over again

Sohalia

The whole point of 'kidnapping' Soh had been to encourage her to relax, and Tal grinned as she bounded over the meadow with a whoop. His plan was working perfectly! Plus, the weather in King's End sure beat whatever the hail was going on in Stormbreak this season. The gentle Flowerbirth breezes here were currently dry and teasing the warmth of the rejuvenating world, and Tal had shed his jacket, comfortable in a long-sleeved shirt without multiple layers.

It definitely made it easier to wrangle his kite! He might not have had the time or temperament to fly one in a while, but he found the childhood instincts coming back as he teased the string lightly, trying not to jerk it too hard. He risked a glance over at his friend and his grin flashed momentarily bright and gleeful to see her tongue sticking out - blissfully oblivious that his own had been doing the same just a moment before.

"Yeah, with my sisters, mostly," he admitted, practically cheerful. "An' once with my dad. Not very often; th'winds in Halo are usually too strong for it. But every once in awhile. Y'can really get one up easy if you're ridin' a sled an' toss it up just as you're takin' off down a hill!" His laugh was rusty but warm as he began to slowly work the string back and forth coaxing his kite into a little jig high above them. "So, what did y'do for fun as a kid?" If she wasn't flying kites, that was.

Late nights, all entwined
Made a promise to never say goodbye

Gods, but it was nice to feel the sun! Soh had almost forgotten what it felt like, with the weather back home being what it was. As her kite stabilized above her, she turned her face into the light, tossing her head back and enjoying the warmth on her cheeks. It had been far too long since she'd been able to just be what she was: a teenager. For a few blissful moments, she could pretend that she was just a nobody from the Hollowed Grounds again. Not the Heart of Stormbreak. Not the Luminary. Just Sohalia.

If she thought about it too hard, her mood would come crashing down, so she shoved all thoughts of just who Sohalia was anymore to the back of her mind in favor of chatting with Tal. "Ooooh, that sounds fun!" she laughed with delight, picturing Tal sledding down a hill and tossing a kite into the air as he did. With his almost cheerful disposition today, it was easy to imagine a younger Tal playing with his sisters in the snows of Halo.

"I had a few friends, but there weren't many people my age around, so it was mostly just me and Auden. We went swimming a lot," Soh recalled, tilting her head to one side as her kite floated happily above. "I made a lot of artwork. Auden insisted on keeping everything I did, so our house was covered in terrible drawings and paintings. They got better as I got older, but every time I'd see the old ones, I'd cringe a little." Soh laughed at the memory. It was strange; for so long, talking about Auden had hurt, but now it was easier to look back with fondness. Her guardian hadn't been perfect, but they'd been what she needed at the time, and Soh wouldn't change a thing.

I replay it in the back of my mind
Over and over again

Sohalia

He allowed himself to savor his smug success at Soh's laughter, figuring that he could probably listen to it all day, especially after how things had been going the previous year. He wasn't as starved for the sun as she was, but his brown skin gleamed warmly under its light, even as his Cuff kept the lingering nip of Deepfrost in the air from being a bother.

"It is! Mebbe next Deepfrost y'can come an' try it out." It was always nice to have one of his friends visit his home, especially the ones who lived so far away. Stormbreak might have gotten snow and ice the same as Halo did in the winter, but sledding seemed like a potentially dangerous proposition when you could end up sliding all the way over the edge of the floating island!

Feeling his confidence returning, Tal began to pull his kite into a slow, broad figure-eight, teasing his string as he re-learned how much tension was just enough and how much was too much - or little - to hold the little craft's position. He kept the rest of his attention on Soh, however, wrinkling his nose at the idea of swimming for fun and then grinning in surprise at the revelation of art. "Yeah? What kinda things did y'like t'draw?" he asked, genuinely curious to learn more about his friend. "An' d'you still do it?"

Late nights, all entwined
Made a promise to never say goodbye

"I'd love to come, if I can," she said, tugging on her string to keep her kite aloft. It was a little early to commit to such a thing, especially if things continued to be as busy as they had been in Stormbreak. Still, a girl could dream, and for now, it was easier to push all thoughts of responsibility from her mind. "I can't remember the last time I went sledding." It was probably well before Auden's death, back when she was still young and carefree.

Tal began to trace figure eights with his kite, but Soh was content to simply keep hers in the sky. Every now and then, it wobbled and wavered, and she would tease teh string until it leveled out again. "Mostly nature," she admitted. "Landscapes, animals, plants. And yes, I still draw - less so, now that I'm the Heart, but as much as I can. It's what makes my maps so popular. There are sketches of plants and animals native to each region on all of my maps. But I sell drawings and paintings as standalone art pieces, too."

I replay it in the back of my mind
Over and over again

Sohalia

"I mean, usually I'd say it's never th'wrong season for sleddin' in Halo," Tal said wryly, pulling his string far to the right to make the kite do a zooming dip before releasing it back to center before it could stall out and crash. "But Flowerbirth's been weird this year. All warm an' muddy an'... stuff." He managed to correct himself in time, keeping a lid on his casual swearing for once as they kept the topics more light than not. "Not that it's a bad thing! Gods know we need a thaw. But it's takin' some gettin' used to." And he didn't envy his sister Alexia on this year's dogsled run across the Tundra!

For all that Tal had a fair hand for drafting, he'd never been inspired to draw for art's sake. Carving wood or scrimshaw, sure, but sketching or painting something that wasn't a blueprint for building a better sled or improvements to the Peregrine? It had never really occurred to him, and he listened avidly to Soh's description of her own creations. "Your maps are pretty amazin'," he agreed. "Didn't realize y'sold the plants an' animals separate, though. That's pretty neat. Hail, I've got a friend in Halo who does art, too. Been tryin' t'convince her t'sell some o' her paintin's. Maybe y'could go into business t'gether," he suggested with a cheeky grin. "What's your best-sellin' piece?"

Late nights, all entwined
Made a promise to never say goodbye

The news about the weather made her blood run cold. "Stormbreak's been weird, too," she said. "I know it's supposed to be stormy, but this year... it's been nonstop lightning. You saw, when you picked me up. It's even making travel difficult." She frowned up at her kite, which floated almost effortlessly in the sky above. Almost effortlessly. She still felt like it was taking entirely too much of her concentration to keep it afloat. "Everything I've read and everyone I've asked has said it's not normal. And Deimos sent out a missive that there's been weird weather everywhere. I can't help but wonder..." If it's related to Safrin's disappearance.

She shook herself. She didn't want to worry about that today, even if the concern lingered at the edges of her consciousness. Today was a day for fun.

And her artwork was certainly fun - or, at least, a great deal more so than worrying about the weather. She'd always been artistic, especially since she'd spent so much of her childhood alone. "Thank you," she said, flushing at Tal's praise. She'd grown quite proud of her maps in the time since she'd started making them, and to hear others appreciate them always made her happy. Then she tilted her head to one side. "Oh? What kind of art does she do? She's more than welcome to put a few pieces up in the shop, if she's got an interest in selling in Stormbreak."

The kite dipped and soared overhead as Soh began to gain a better understanding of how to control it, and her silver eyes stayed fixed above as she hummed thoughtfully. "I'm not sure," she admitted. "It's rare that I do reproductions; I usually hang new pieces instead of copying old ones. But there is one from the Oerwoud - a painting - that's bright and colorful. It's one of my favorites, so I've kept the original, but sometimes I get requests to copy that one."

I replay it in the back of my mind
Over and over again

Sohalia