[Training] a pocket full of mumbles

"Mmm. Look at me go." The alchemist grunts through the still-ebbing pain. Luckily the close quarters of the two means that Sunjata's punch doesn't have time to gain much momentum, which is lucky for Remi. Ooofing beneath his breath, the alchemist swings a fist wildly. Given Sunjata's height and dropped stance, if it connects at all it would likely be near his stomach. Truthfully though he's just flailing at this point. Remi has no idea what to do in close quarters like this as it is. R E M I I followed your ashes into outer space

SUNJATA

The wild fist Remi throws back is one that seems to follow the floods own throw — too close for true damaging punches but enough to connect with skin — and despite the way Sunjata tries to adjust his stance in the middle of it to dodge it, to offer a defense of his own as he swings his arm up, he can feel Remi’s fist connect with his stomach. A hum of a growl leaves him with it, but he hadn’t been fast enough to dodge it.

He’s still impressed though, stepping back and breathing a bit heavier from the exertion, he gives a smirk to Remi as he drops his fists and begins to unwrap them. “Not bad.” Of course a bit more pinpointed strikes would do the Alchemist some good, but for his first fist fight in a ring like this? He’s surprised and pleased despite the red marks along his skin beginning to show, bruises appearing. “Care for a drink?” He asks, already ducking below the rope toward where he’s hidden away the bottles and glasses.

i no longer know if i wish to drown myself
in love, vodka, or the sea

The alchemist raises a brow, surprised that it's over. Ronin had come home looking like all hell, but then, he knew what he was doing. "Ahh, it's been a while since I"ve been able to bask in the glow of such praise." Remi shot back with a smirk. "Please." He heartily agrees, following Sunjata's example and unwrapping his hands. It feels strange for his fingers to move again, and he cracks each joint with a satisfying pop. "So you're all settled in here then?" The alchemist asks, nosing towards the interior of the ring where Ronin has told him the flood has been living. Remi isn't one to judge of course, and it's a far shout nicer than the wagon he and the hunter have found themselves in anyways. R E M I I followed your ashes into outer space

SUNJATA

“Same.” Sunjata offers with a chuckle. “Always nice to preen feathers though.” He adds with a wink sent toward the Alchemist, before he’s stepping toward the bottles, grabbing two glasses and his favored whiskey, a pack of smokes, and the lighter Libbs had made him. And when he returns he offers a glass to the other man, uncorking the bottle to pour his glass. Then, he pours some into his own, hearing the question that’s raised.

He sets the bottle down, smirking lightly before shaking his head. “For the most part. Though Maea and I found a couple abandoned homes up by the lighthouse in Aumakua. I’m converting the main one into a more permanent residence.” He pulls out a cigarette, offering one to Remi should he want one. Then proceeds to light his own with the makeshift lighter. “I prefer to keep business away from home.” He chuckles lightly to that.

i no longer know if i wish to drown myself
in love, vodka, or the sea

The alchemist snorts at that, settling down easily. With a hand against his ribs and an uncomfortable grunt, Remi realizes just how sore he's going to be in the morning. "You know, you're pretty good at that." He remarks, making himself comfortable and grinning at Sunjata's back as he grabs the alcohol and glasses. Whether he means the boxing or the preening is anyone's call; why not both? 'Ooh abandoned homes. How romantic.' He chuckles. Once a proper romantic, now Remi just takes what little respite there is to be with Ronin and forsakes the rest. Still, it sounds rather lovely. "That's still going on then?" There had been Phoebe and Lusea, Nate (whom he didn't know about of course), and now Maea. All evidence Remi had of the flood was that he didn't stay settled for very long. Taking the cigarette and grinning at the lighter (he'd made something similar once), he placed the smoke between his lips before leaning forward for Sunjata to light it. "Mmm." Remi hums as he inhales, holding the smoke in the back of his throat for a moment before exhaling. "I can certainly see why." R E M I I followed your ashes into outer space

SUNJATA

A chuckle is given to the Alchemist at the comment, preferring to take it in terms of preening. But he returns to find Remi getting comfortable, taking the drink and smoke as he sinks down beside him. The comment of his and Maea’s relationship still ongoing has him nodding, for the most part. “We’re on a bit of a break right now. I’ve got some things to work through. As always.” He snorts but drags deeply on the cigarette as if he’s trying to hide some sort of uncomfortable comment. “I haven’t heard from her lately, though.”

Instead, he focuses on the house and keeping work away from play, and Sunjata settles a bit more, swirling the whiskey in the glass before lifting it to his lips to sip from. “I do like both occasionally.” He offers with a chuckle but ultimately shakes his head. “We’ll see what happens. How are things with you and your dark star?” A raise of his brow over the rim of the glass, steel seeking sea glass.

i no longer know if i wish to drown myself
in love, vodka, or the sea

'Don't we all.' Remi comments, cheersing the air to their continued improvement as men, partners, and everything else. He doesn't know Maea well enough to comment on where she's been during this break; certainly not enough to say something meaningless like bet she's giving you space! and so he simply remains silent. Snorting a laugh into his glass, Remi shoots the flood a look over the rim before letting some of the whiskey flow over his tongue. Considering Sunjata's question, the alchemist lets the liquid slowly burn down his throat before chasing it with a drag. "It's like...once you really know you'll always be together, it's hard to answer that, you know?" But maybe he didn't, so Remi just shrugged. "Things haven't been easy for us for a while, but thats just become the new normal. If it isn't one thing, it's another. Something he's done, something I have, or something entirely out of our control. At the end of the day though, we always find each other again." R E M I I followed your ashes into outer space

SUNJATA

The look Remi gives him has a small smirk crossing Sunjata’s face as he settles in, pulling a drag from the cigarette and letting the smoke curl from his nose when he goes to exhale. His gaze remains on the Alchemist’s face, watching and waiting for what kind of response he’d get. And the first part of the answer is one that Sunjata does understand. With Lusea, the only one that it’d ever been like that.

Still feels like it, part of the reason for the whole break with Maea as well. Can’t quite get over the fact that she’s gone again.

So instead he hums a quiet agreement to that, a quiet chuckle offered as he goes to lift the glass to his lips again. Swallowing and relishing the burn, he taps his fingers along the glass. “It takes work. Both sides, really. I’m glad for you two though, that you have each other.” He says, and through the attuned bond, Remi would feel that Sunjata did truly mean it. “I had a similar thing with Lusea before everything. But now?” His gaze drifts from the Alchemist to somewhere, somewhere other than the man before him, pausing as he figures out the right word for it. “I’ve got a few commitment issues.” He offers, lifting the cigarette to his lips again.

i no longer know if i wish to drown myself
in love, vodka, or the sea

"I wish I'd had the chance to meet her." Unfortunately as it was now, the vague memory Remi had created of the vivacious woman was darkly coloured by thoughts of Loren drunkenly pawing at her. The image made the alchemist's stomach flop as if smelling something foul. 'Have you now?' Remi quips with a bright smile, his feigned skepticism holding for just a moment before he takes another sip of the whiskey. "Well, I'm sure it doesn't help anyone at all that everyone seems to have different views on what a relationship should be. Those of us from Northaven have an entirely different notion than the Grounders...and here in Torchline? Monogamy seems to be a joke." Again, Remi shrugs lightly. "Even what Ronin and I consider off-limits has changed." R E M I I followed your ashes into outer space

SUNJATA

A nod is granted to the comment about Lusea, having wished that more people had gotten to see the flame that had changed his life. As it stood right now, the few that did simply were witnesses in Sunjata’s explanation that yes she had been real. And that was that. But a knowing look is sent toward the Alchemist as he announces he has commitment issues and the comment Remi gives. He can’t help but to snort.

The term Northaven has him shrugging lightly, leaning back to drag from the cigarette with a quiet sigh. “Phoebe’s view on marriage and relationships were similar to Korofi.” He explains with a curl of his lip in distaste. “Though for us nobles it was arranged so it was a bit different than what she thinks on it. ’To make the strongest offspring and continue the bloodline.’” There’s a roll of his eyes to that. But he focuses on Remi instead, at the idea of his and Ronin’s off limits changing.

“And what did you consider off limits before?” He lifts the glass to his lips, watching curiously.

i no longer know if i wish to drown myself
in love, vodka, or the sea

'How romantic.' Remi agrees, his fingers shifting the cigarette between them that the smoke might create errant patterns as it softly smoulders. The alchemist is rather shit at sitting still. 'But I can see the difference. Northaven was quantity over quality to be sure.' The alchemist smirks at this, meeting Sunjata's gaze. He knows what he'll say next carries certain implications, but he mentally shrugs them off. "Sexual polygamy, I suppose. The thought of Ronin wanting anyone else was devastating to me back then." Waving a hand towards the roar of the ocean outside and all it implied for his life, the alchemist places his cigarette in the corner of his mouth. "And then Aoife died and we were deposited here by a fickle bitch of a goddess and I went a bit mad. It put things into perspective if nothing else. Now Ronin can do what he likes, with whomever he likes. Just so long as it's me that he returns to." R E M I I followed your ashes into outer space

SUNJATA

A snort leaves Sunjata to that, a shake of his head and a slight clenching of his jaw. “Only allowed one boy or girl, if you had more they were shipped off and orphaned.” He leans back and inhales the smoke from the cigarette, flicking the ash into the sand beside him. But his gaze finds Remi when he lifts the glass to his lips – curious on what this change within their relationship had been. And he’s not that surprised.

The smirk that meets him is granted with a nod of understanding – the way it might be terrifying to let someone else go with someone just on the off chance they never came back. But he lowers the glass, watching the Alchemist while he continues, head tilting avian-like at the mention of Ronin doing whatever he likes, with whomever. “And what about you? Does the same apply?” A raise of his brow in interest.

“That actually sort of started the break with Maea and I.” He explains with a quiet breathy chuckle – able to find amusement within it now that it had been some time and they’d shared that night in the home by the lighthouse.

i no longer know if i wish to drown myself
in love, vodka, or the sea

"No, I don't think so." It wasn't hypocritical of Ronin to have no reciprocated the alchemist's offer, at least not in Remi's mind. What each of them needed was different. What Remi needed was the stability of Ronin stumbling home to him, regardless of what the day had brought. If what Ronin needed was the company of a man, woman, or a combination therein, it was an easy enough trade to make. Whether the Star and Flood ended up together, all tired muscles and whiskey-tongues after a boxing match was still yet to be seen. {asy}'Oh ho." Remi chuckled, raising a brow. "I'm going to go out on a limb here and say it wasn't Maea who wanted to keep things more...open ?" There was no judgement in the alchemist's wayward amusement, just general mischief. R E M I I followed your ashes into outer space

SUNJATA

“Hmm.” Is really the only response Sunjata has to that realization. A tilt of his head in quiet consideration, thoughtfulness. Perhaps it wasn’t something Remi wanted, or perhaps something he hadn’t wanted to bring up. It wasn’t a big deal in the end, he finds, everyone had their preferences and from what Sunjata knew of Remi, he believed the other man would bring it up if it were truly a subject and thought he had.

Still, it was interesting to say the least.

But as Remi chuckles, Sunjata can’t help the slight smirk that crosses his face. “Oh, you’re good at these guessing games.” He teases Remi easily, flashing the man a wider smirk and a wink for good measure before settling in again. “She said she might be willing to try last time we spoke, a bit calmer after the whole argument the first time. We’ll see.” We won’t see. Still, he swirls the drink in his glass before downing the rest of it.

“I still have those random urges for Ascended bites.” He offers, as if it’s as good of an explanation as the rest of it.

i no longer know if i wish to drown myself
in love, vodka, or the sea