[SE] One quiet day

He nodded slowly, having seen the weird weather around Caido first-hand for himself on his deliveries. But when Sohalia trailed off, the courier had to come to his own conclusions, which didn't run down quite the same track. "Yeah... it's like a low-key version of how everything got shook up during the War, isn't it? Maybe somethin's still wrong with Caido," the god, not the world, though the two were one in the same, "or that Dygra goddess is finally makin' a move?" She'd been suspiciously quiet since she'd woken up after the War. Tal was still waiting for the other shoe to drop there.

His kite took a dangerous curve as he pulled too hard on the string and it threatened to drop. Frantically releasing tension and then pulling it hard again to try and get it back into the wind, he missed Soh's blush but not her words. He couldn't answer until his kite was safely back in the sky, however, and then he focused on letting it fly normally, without so many fancy maneuvers. "Oh, uh, it's kinda..." His hands were too full to gesture so he tried to scrunch his nose communicatively instead. "Symbolic? Like, metaphors an' stuff. But it's really pretty! She can do people an' animals, too." He beamed at Soh's offer, looking forward to sharing with Alys the next time he saw her.

He risked a glance over at her, trusting his kite to stay up for a few seconds without his full attention. 'Oh yeah? That sounds real nice. Have y'ever done one of Halo?"

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

Sohalia blinked. She hadn't considered that something could be wrong with Caido, or that Dygra could be involved. She'd only met a few Ancients - or was it only the one? - and, in her limited experience, they seemed nice enough. Maybe she was just naive, but she preferred to see the good in others, at least until they gave her a very good reason not to. Even, sometimes, beyond that point.

Soh chuckled as Tal struggled to keep his kite in the air, only to have the smile wiped from her face as her own took a dangerous dip. "It sounds - interesting," she said, distracted by her kite's haphazard maneuvers. "But, definitely, any friend of yours is a friend of mine." The kite leveled out, and Soh breathed a sigh of relief. "You can deliver some pieces, and maybe we'll even cut you in on the deal," she added with a wink.

As for Halo, Soh sighed. "I tried to when I came to visit, but I, er, got interrupted." She thought of Hotaru, swooping in to save her from the angry ursur, and winced. She probably hadn't done much for her reputation in Halo that day. "Next time, though."

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

Sohalia

Tal had met at least three Ancients, and while they'd all been fine individually, one of them had warned him of their bloodlust and he'd seen the bloody offerings the other had made to their goddess with his own eyes. It hadn't exactly inspired a great deal of comfort with the new-old goddess, upon further reflection, and just because she wasn't an enemy of Caido's that didn't mean she was its friend, either.

But it was a vague sense of unease rather than anything as specific as the Voice's misbegotten schemes, and his fight with his kite quickly distracted the courier from such weighty considerations.

Especially when, after regaining control of his kite, Soh offered him the compliment of her trust and the surly courier puffed his narrow chest out proudly. "Yeah, it's worth a shot, at least," he agreed to the idea of the art store. "If she's willin' t'sell her stuff. An' I'll even deliver the first batch for free if she agrees. Once you guys become a success I'll have t'start chargin', o'course," he teased right back.

Dark eyebrows rose in surprise at hearing that her painting of his home had been interrupted. It was vague enough that he wasn't sure whether or not he should push, but her promise brought the grin back to his face. "When y'do, I'd like t'buy it off you," he proclaimed grandly - right before a muffled oh, fuck escaped his lips and he turned his attention hurriedly back to his kite as it dipped and rose choppily. A little judicious winding of his string steadied it before he was able to speak again. "Somethin' t'go on th'wall o' my room in th'courier station," he added, a touch sheepishly.

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

Soh laughed at Tal's teasing. Later, she would be grateful to him for bringing her out here, for getting her out of her head for a day. For now, though, it was enough to simply enjoy. The weather was beautiful, the temperature perfect. Her only complaint was not having tied her hair back; the wind was sweeping her hair into her face, making it more challenging than it needed to be to keep her kite in flight.

Her brows raised at Tal's proclamation, but a broad grin split her face. "It's a deal," she said, although she had no intention of letting him pay her. She'd done quite well for herself since opening her shop and ascending to leadership. She had no real need of money. It would be quite enough for her to simply gift him the portrait, but she knew that he would protest if she said as much - so for now, she kept quiet. "I'll let you know when I plan to head that way next. What's your favorite season, and your favorite place?" That way, she could tailor the portrait to his liking.

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

Sohalia

Hail, Tal had needed the little vacation as much as Soh, but he would never have let himself take it if not for wanting to take care of her. Even if he didn't consciously realize it, he was as grateful to her for the excuse to step aside from his work delivering packages and setting up new courier stations in the regional capitals, not to mention worrying about Safrin's absence and the weird plants he kept getting tangled up with.

And packing up his belongings in Snowcloak, what few there were that would need to come with him given his already half-nomadic lifestyle.

He answered her grin with his own, looking entirely smug at having made a deal that made them both happy - and blissfully oblivious to Soh's plans to refuse payment when the time came. He was so busy feeling proud of himself that he almost lost his kite to an errant breeze, but he managed to rescue it from its sudden jerky fall with a quick pull-and-release of the tension on his string, getting it back up to flying smoothly by the time Soh turned the question back around on him.

"Leafchange," he said promptly. "On th'Sea o' Glass. That's where I found Boreal's egg," he added, his grin turning fond. "I spent a lot o' time there, back before th'Portals opened." Looking for the ruins of the old harbor family legend had placed there, back when the Sea was still connected to the ocean, before it had frozen over. Now... well. Things were different now. But that place would always hold a special place in his heart.

The weather remained cool but clear and they flew their kites until they got tired of the sport and Tal hauled out the picnic basket. They'd be back in the Peregrine by nightfall and on their way back to Stormbreak the next morning, but all in all it was a welcome respite from the worries of the world, for at least one day.

~Fin~