[Training] first class

daydream about me, and i know that you hate the nights without me

It’s all bittersweet, if he’s being honest. But there are some reminders that’ll remain after Ronin and his family have left. Specifically, the bruise he can feel forming on his shoulder, red and puffy as is the side of his jaw. But it wouldn’t last, neither would the realization that his regular go-to that wasn't Nate, would be leaving him. Maybe part of him let’s Ronin get a few solid punches in if only to add to the memory of it.

Likely it’s because he hasn’t trained or sparred much since being sick, and things were rusty.

He likes to think of the latter, specifically as Ronin latches onto him and he curses his shitty ability to get out of the way. “Do you fucking mind?” He barks out to Ronin, a slight laugh of both surprise and frustration leaving him, aiming to entangle his leg around Ronin’s to try and get him to loosen up his grip.

SUNJATA

RONIN

the dark star

It feels good to be doing something so normal, something Ronin has grown so used to, and it's only the realisation that he won't have it any more than makes him realise how much he leans on it. But this is a day to forget all that, so Ronin focuses more on the bruise sure to shine out on his cheekbone and the way his arm has come to lock around Sunjata's neck in a headlock. "Actually, I really don't." He's laughing breathlessly in response to the other man's cursing, leaning his weight on Jata to try and get him on his knees (eyyy).

"Oi, quit it!" Ronin scoffs and tries to keep his balance, but Sunjata has legs for days and he finds himself overbalancing, sending them both tumbling to the ground. Flailing an arm out, the Star tries to shove Jata away - if he doesn't, he knows all too well by now that the Flood will fucking pin him down.

i'll get over it
i just gotta be dramatic first

daydream about me, and i know that you hate the nights without me

“Of course you don’t — Hey!” It’s a bit of a protest, Ronin’s arm trapping him in a headlock, Ronin’s weight thrown over his side. It does bring him down to one knee, a bark of laughter leaving him despite his struggles to get loose. His leg just out, trying to bring the Star down, and breathes a bit of relief when it works, even if it tosses him back down into the sand with him.

Ronin’s attempts to push Sunjata away fail spectacularly as the Flood moves quick enough to send some sand into the air, moving on the opportunity granted to pin Ronin to the sand — quite contently sitting on him at this point. “You promised me a shiner, if memory serves.” A crooked grin is shot Ronin’s way, nostrils flaring with his heavy breathing. “Come on Roniiiiiin.” It’s rough and singsong as it leaves his lips, teasing and taunting the Star as much as he could before the backlash arises.

SUNJATA

RONIN

the dark star

Squinting against the sand and struggling to move quickly enough to get out from under the Flood, Ronin does indeed find himself pinned beneath the larger man's weight. He blames the fact that he's laughing too hard to do much else about it, swiping at his eyes to clear his vision and narrowing them up at Jata. "Y'know I really did promise you a shiner, didn't I?" He chuckles, chest heaving as he fights for breath as well. "Actually, I remember you saying that you were looking forward to Nate doting over you. I wouldn't want to disappoint."

On the last syllable of the word the Star's left had comes up in an unexpected hook - completely without finesse, because it's not his dominant hand, but packed with one hell of a punch when it connects with Jata's cheek. Ronin throws his whole shoulder into it as well, trying to lurch to the side to reverse their positions - or at the very least get the other man the fuck off him. "There!" he announces, shaking out his sore knuckles. "You are so welcome."

i'll get over it
i just gotta be dramatic first

daydream about me, and i know that you hate the nights without me

His playful steel meets Ronin’s blues, a grin spread across Sunjata’s face in a bit of triumph at having Ronin pinned just so. Lips part to speak once Ronin’s finished, but he doesn’t quite make it that far. He flashes a wink down at the Star, one that’s precisely met with a fist at the mention of ‘disappoint’, his head jerking to the side, already feeling the pull of blood rising to the surface beneath the punch, reddening the skin there. He spits into the sand as he careens a bit, losing his hold on Ronin.

It throws him off balance, a hiss of both pain and amusement leaving him as their roles are reversed, Sunjata letting go of Ronin in time for the Star to shuffle his way to pin him down. There’s a light scrape against his cheek just under his eye, a small bit of blood bubbling to the surface. “What would I do without you?” He rumbles, a bit of amusement and annoyance with it.

He had asked for it, after all. But he gives Ronin little time, taking a sharp inhale, arms moving to try and push Ronin off of him.

SUNJATA

RONIN

the dark star

"Gods, I don't even know. I'd say that I'd imagine your life would be terribly boring without me, but honestly, I've seen the shit you get up to Jata. I don't think it would be." With a grin that might be misconstrued as sweet under the right circumstances, Ronin reaches out as if to affectionately pat the other man's good cheek, but it's much less pat and more practically a slap - oh well. He is still trying to catch his breath when the Flood lurches to try and shove him away, and Ronin grumbles out a curse as he's sent sprawling back into the sand.

Covered in blood and bruises and dirt, the Star finds his feet again, fists up as if to indicate he's ready for Jata as soon as his brains unscramble. It's a lie, of course - when does he ever wait for Sunjata to be ready? Darting forward as soon as the Flood makes it off the floor, his leg is sweeping to try and send him down again.

i'll get over it
i just gotta be dramatic first

daydream about me, and i know that you hate the nights without me

“Who’ll I have to talk to about the bullshittery?” He replies, the pat turning into a slap that has Sunjata snorting and struggling under the weight and pressure of Ronin. Thankfully, though, his wiggling and shoving works, Ronin sprawled back in the sand, Sunjata trying to sit up among the pain that shoots through the side of his head and his chest and arms.

But he stands, after catching his breath, only for Ronin to question with simply a look if he’s ready and completely ignores the part about waiting. He hasn’t even brought his fists up before Ronin’s darting toward him, Sunjata floundering when Ronin’s leg sweeps his leg out, back pressed against the ropes of the boxing ring with enough force that it knocks the air out of him. “You fucker.” He wheezes, half laughs, sinking to his knees.

Of course it doesn’t end there, Sunjata lunging out for Ronin’s legs, to try and knock the man down again and entangle his own legs in with Ronin’s to try and fling the Star to the ground.

SUNJATA

RONIN

the dark star

"I really am," Ronin drawls with a sense of pride as he's called a fucker, and of course that means he's far too busy bragging and feeling good about himself to realise that Sunjata and his fucking spider legs are coming after him again. "Whoa--!" He goes down, of course, like a sack of shit, his legs entangled with the Flood's, but it doesn't stop his fits of laughter as he tries to reach out and club Jata in the side of the head as payback. You're a fucker," he wheezes, trying to get his elbows under him so he can properly kick out at the other man.

"Who the fuck gave you permission to get his tall anyway?" he demands, the smile more than audible in his voice, and if that alone wasn't an indication that the Star is enjoying himself, the way he literally radiates light might just do the trick. "I recall you being pocket-sized when I met you in dreamland."

i'll get over it
i just gotta be dramatic first

daydream about me, and i know that you hate the nights without me

He latched on, ignoring Ronin’s boasting to bring the star down to his level. And it works, Sunjata admitting a triumphant cheer as soon as Ronin’s hit the ground. But now that he’s there, legs kick out at him and he releases Ronin, feeling properly pleased with himself, pleased with the throbbing redness to his right eye. “Lucky genetics.” Sunjata retorts, sticking his tongue out at Ronin, managing to scoot himself away from him in the sand, arms braced behind the Attuned as he catches his breath. Blood, sweat, and dirt spanning his scarred and tattooed chest as he peers back at Ronin.

He squints against the light, a huff of a sound leaving him in protest. “I was six!” Of course he’d be small in comparison to now. “I broke my leg a few years after that and they thought I’d end up your height.” He wrinkles his nose as the thinks about it, unable to not poke fun at his best friend. “It would have been a travesty, Ronin. Can you imagine?” For the extra dramatics, he flops back into the sand, still catching his breath.

SUNJATA

RONIN

the dark star

"Is that what they call it when you aren't born with charisma, so they stretch you instead?" Ronin bounces his eyebrows at Sunjata, though he's happy to concede to a break, especially given that his chest hurts more from laughing now than their sparring match. Staying where he's sprawled out as well, he gets his elbows under him so he can gaze across at his friend - and swat a handful of sand at him for good measure.

They're both little more than tattooed slabs of scar tissue at this point, and he swears that if he'd ended up with a younger brother, Sunjata would make a good fit. "I wAs SiX," he shoots back in a high-pitched mockery of the other man's voice, though of course his own accent makes a warped mess of Sunjata's. "Gods, wouldn't it be a travesty? Some people can pull off being just tall enough, but you? I reckon you'd get a complex about it," he says with a grin, eventually pushing himself up to sit.

"Reckon you gave me a concussion," he says with no small hint of pride, rubbing at the back of his head and wincing. "You been practising that? If you have, it's paying off."

i'll get over it
i just gotta be dramatic first

daydream about me, and i know that you hate the nights without me

A whine of a sound leaves Sunjata, a huff of laughter, hand moving to bat away the sand that flies his way. “Yeah, sure, whatever.” He grumbles, reaching up to poke at the tenderness of his cheek where the red swirls to a puffy purple, brows raising toward Ronin as he mocks him, however playfully it is. He kicks some sand back the Star’s way, rolling his eyes.

The next comment though arises a bark of laughter to leave him, sprawled out on the sand. “Everything can be a complex if you’re proud of it.” He shoots back, sitting up just enough to spit into the sand, before his steel meets Ronin’s face again. “Besides, isn’t it you who affectionately refers to me as a beanstalk? Am I the one with a complex here?” A grin spreads across his face, chin jutting toward the sprawled out length of him, a brow raising.

“I have! Thank you for noticing!” It’s another playful tone. He hasn’t been practicing it, though. He hasn’t been practicing much at all lately. Ronin doesn’t need to know that. He pushes up a bit more, trying to get his feet under him. “You thirsty?”

SUNJATA

RONIN

the dark star

Ronin ends up with a mouthful of sand, which is entirely his own fault for grinning like an idiot at Sunjata when he kicks it all his way. Spluttering and spitting into the sand as well, he wipes at his face and lets himself sit and breathe for a moment, only to scoff out a laugh at the beanstalk comment. "Oh, I absolutely do," he drawls. "When everyone around you is taller, you can't help but inherit a complex about it. I'm proud of it though, if that helps."

Chuckling, he finds Sunjata's playfulness naturally contagious, rolling himself over so he can push off the ground as well. Concussion or no, he still finds himself on his feet before his friend, padding over to offer him a hand up. The sparring is over, so the Flood doesn't have to worry he'll be dropped or shoved this time, Ronin drawing him up until they're both standing. "Always," he says of being thirsty. "Especially after having you punch the shit out of me. Better get some ice for that shiner too."

i'll get over it
i just gotta be dramatic first

daydream about me, and i know that you hate the nights without me

“It does help.” Sunjata rumbles, flashing a wink back at the Star. So long as one could admit to it, he supposes it’s less of a problem and more of an observation at the end of the day. Regardless, the Flood moves to stand, muscles flexing in his back as he tries to push himself up, slipping in the sand a bit. Luckily for him, however, Ronin approaches, a hand offered that Sunjata latches onto – accepting the help to stand back on his two feet. His face is red and sore, a bit of blood drying to his cheekbone now.

But he throws an arm over Ronin’s shoulders, tugging the Star with him under the ropes and to the small kitchenette where he finally releases Ronin. “I probably should.” He agrees with a huff of laughter, pulling a couple of glasses out, pouring water into them and a bit of ice, before taking some more ice and putting it into a small makeshift bag. He slides the glass toward Ronin before taking a sip of his own glass and puts the icepack over his eye. “Give yourself some credit though, a shiner and a few solid bruises. Probably last a few weeks.” The grin he shoots toward Ronin is amused.

SUNJATA

RONIN

the dark star

They're both more than a bit of a state; Ronin's cheekbone is puffy and will give quite a delightful bruise when the swelling goes down, and beneath the scruff of his stubble the sand has left a lovely graze on his chin. Combined with all the other knocks and marks and soon-to-be bruises, they've given each other quite the parting gift. The Star ducks under the ropes with Sunjata, following dutifully to the little kitchenette and accepting his water and ice gratefully.

"Yeah, you'll not forget me for a little while at least," Ronin remarks with a wink, knocking back his water and letting the cold tumbler rest on his cheek while he watches the Flood ice his budding black eye. "We're heading to the Greatwood first, but I'm not sure where we'll go from there. Even if it's the old fashioned way, I'll send a message to you when we know where we're travelling next."

i'll get over it
i just gotta be dramatic first