{SE} Like a dream we're living in

I count your heartbeats before you sleep
I bite my fingernails to bone

Evie had not intended to meet Hadama on such a macabre island, but she had never ventured to its shores, and had only known it by name. Strangely, it is less off-putting now compared to the void entities spawning throughout Caido, so perhaps now is the perfect time to visit.

Evie is often early to most things, so she is accustomed to bringing things along to occupy herself in the time between. She sits on the minimal shoreline the island has on the southern side, comfortably cross-legged as she whittles and carves at a piece of wood in her hands. It's not her strongest skill, but it's a gift for one of the doctors at the infirmary who had bemoaned breaking her hair comb after her hair had grown tangled from so much overtime helping the injured after the impact. Given she has more reason to travel outside Halo, she'd been able to source a much hardier wood, and it's comforting to sit and make progress on the project while she waits for Hadama to arrive.

And now I crawl back under the stairwell
To a place I call my home

Evie

Hadama had once been early as well, such that they had often shown up to their meetings within minutes of each other. That had been before the Void had come to Torchline and the sky had fallen down upon their heads. Before the meteor had made its new home in his ocean, crouching with malevolent menace on a horizon that was cracked and bleeding violet light that corrupted what it touched.

'Early' was an indulgence that had been washed away with Kaiholo Port, along with sleep, smiles, and peace of mind.

But even so, the mermanta knew his limits, and the importance of caring for himself so that he could continue to care for his people. Scheduling time to spend with his dearest friend was an important aspect of that care, and at least on Metacarpal Island they were less likely to run into the void-touched that plagued the rest of Caido.

The Island had a way of taking care of itself.

The King arrived on time, at least. He had brought his trident, but also swam with the unwieldy burden of a large net bag filled with a particularly tough and fibrous kelp. "Evie," he called in greeting, rising to the surface a short distance from her and swimming to the shore. "Have you been well?"

I count your heartbeats before you sleep
I bite my fingernails to bone

It's hard not to notice when the Tidebreaker is approaching; the calming of seas, the omnipresent trident, not to mention his striking appearance. Still, so absorbed is she in the creation of her comb, Evie does not truly take notice until he calls her name. Looking up, Evie smiles and follows the motion by standing and walking into the foam of the shallows until easy lapping of water against the shore tickles at her ankles.

She recognizes the weight on his shoulders as the same on her own, and her smile softens with understanding. "About as well as you, I suspect. I'm sorry it's taken this long for us to meet after everything." It may be for understandable reasons, but she regrets it all the same. In fact, she hasn't seen him since the private moment on the Sea of Glass the morning of her wedding. Curious despite herself, Evie tilts her chin toward the materials he carries with him. "What do you have there?"

And now I crawl back under the stairwell
To a place I call my home

Evie

He let his burden fall into the shallows as he drew the water up beneath him, raising himself high enough to stretch out his arms and off his friend a hug. He had not realized how much he was missing her until the ache was suddenly absent from his heart, and the Tidebreaker exhaled a soft sigh as some of the weight that pressed down upon his shoulders lifted away.

"I have missed you," he rumbled quietly, a simple but profound truth as they parted and he lowered himself back into the shallow surf at her feet. "But Halo has had its own troubles." A sober statement, made with understanding. He had been to the northern region; once to ask for Deimos's aid in hunting monsters, and again to retrieve a flower for Torchline's quest to protect itself. But the timing never seemed to work out for a meeting with the Evergreen.

As he settled himself more comfortably, Hadama reached into the net bag and pulled out a length of... stringy brown kelp? He began to methodically strip the leaves and fibers, twisting them as he went. "Many fishing nets were lost when the meteor fell," he explained. "I am making replacements." Keeping his hands busy while they spoke, knowing that neither of them did well with being idle when people depended on them. "What are you making?" He had seen the knife and wood in her hands, though he had been too far away to clearly see what she was shaping.

As a wave receded the beach next to the Tidebreaker grew curiously dry, and though the next gentle wave of Longheat washed up to cover the mermanta's tail and an area of the beach farther away, it was abruptly low tide directly beside him.

I count your heartbeats before you sleep
I bite my fingernails to bone

Evie walks into his hug readily, arms open and tired smile brightening. She squeezes him firmly, heedless of any dampness. Nothing that can't be fixed with a bit of magic. If she lingers a little longer than normal, it's because it has been so long, and she is ever so grateful that he had made it through the devastation physically unharmed.

"I've missed you too," she admits readily as she rocks back more solidly on her heels after their hug. It feels too somber to discuss the damages to their given lands; her smile goes a bit thin, agreeing silently without deigning to share. It equally feels inappropriate to air their struggles when they are so similar yet so different.

Kneeling in the shallows so they can both comfortably luxuriate for a moment, Evie curiously looks over the fibers in his hands as he explains their utility. "If you want me to reinforce them, I'm happy to lend my magic." She would be able to knit and weave the fibers more tightly than any hands possibly could, though she would happily wait until the nets were finished so that he could busy himself with his hands. Retrieving her own project, nearly finished now, Evie spins the comb lightly in her fingertips. "The infirmary manager broke her hair comb during the span of high patient intake after the impact. I decided to make her something sturdier as an expression of gratitude." As she speaks she returns to sanding it, wanting every tine and carved detail to be perfectly smooth.

And now I crawl back under the stairwell
To a place I call my home

Evie

Though many might take the mermanta's serene stoicism as aloofness, he was not averse to hugs. He made no move to pull away as Evie lingered, instead holding her close and appreciating the reassurance her presence brought him after so long apart. They had both endured much in the aftermath of Starfall, and who knew how long it would be before they could meet again.

"Your blessing is welcome," he assured the Evergreen with solemn sincerity and a crinkling at the corners of his eyes as a smile threatened to mar his calm expression. He was content to wait until her own project was done, however, and as she went back to work, so did he.

The explanation was one that had him nodding in understanding as strong fingers stripped leaves and twisted fibers with a deft touch. "Our healers were overwhelmed, as well," he confirmed, sobering. "But things are settling now. Though the plants and animals touched by the void remain a danger." An obvious statement, and one he was aware she knew all too well. He drew a breath, considered his words, and then exhaled without speaking them. There was much that they should probably discuss as leaders of affected regions, but there was a time to set his crown aside and be a friend instead of a king.

"I appreciate your letters. But I would like to hear about the wedding." His invitation was made with a small smile as he glanced at her, fingers never ceasing their net-making. It was one thing to read about the happy day from the remove of ink and paper, and quite another to be able to see his friend's happy expressions and the light in her eyes as she described her joyous day.

I count your heartbeats before you sleep
I bite my fingernails to bone

"You always have such grand ways of phrasing things," she compliments, laughing lightly at the idea of her magical aid being a blessing. Perhaps it's underselling herself and her talents, but it feels quite exaggerated.

Considering she follows Nature Frey, Evie has mixed feelings about the infected variants now flourish eerily through the regions, and she sighs softly at the arrival of the topic. "I'm surprised we haven't heard more from Frey or Rae. Part of me hopes, no matter how stupidly, that they are like any other more dangerous plant or animal found in Caido." Like dragons and dream cacti. She doubts they will be that lucky, but she recalls when Vi had asked them all to plant his roses, and wonders why such a moment has not come about again.

Luckily, Hadama does not seem keen on dwelling on these topics, even if their stations would normally encourage it. Evie's smile returns fast and bright as he opens up the floor for her, utilizing a prompt she'll never turn down. As their hands busy themselves with combs and nets alike, Evie regales him with talk of the ceremony, the reception, and the parts of the honeymoon that are safe for the ears of friends. Glowing all the while, the project in her hands is swiftly completed without her dwelling on the crawling passage of time that such tasks would normally prompt. Instead, it feels as if every minute slips by in a second as she fills in her dear friend on the happiness that had transpired just before Starfall.

- Fin <3

And now I crawl back under the stairwell
To a place I call my home

Evie