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+---- Thread: [SE] the art of friendship (/showthread.php?tid=12841)
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the art of friendship - Zavien - 05-11-2026
Zavien purses his lips, inspecting the bells displayed across the table. Each is unique and extravagantly made, ranging from a simple metal orb to a carved glass structure that catches in the light. Some are painted with designs while others sport engravings or gems secured in the materials. His eyes dart across them, completely overwhelmed and uncertain about which to pick for the Festival later this season.
He lifts one up to inspect it: a golden bell with a sun engraved on it. As he raises it with a small chime, Zavien hears a small chirp from Sol, who rushes to greet the friend they've been waiting for. Setting aside the bell, he's close on his companion's heels. [say]"Thorn!"[/say] He grins bright and warm as he pulls the man into a tight hug, releasing him to look at him squarely. [say]"Geez. I swear our schedules have not matched up."[/say] Chuckling, he shakes his head, stepping back to let Sol finish his own hellos with excited chirps and wagging tail. [say]"How have you been? Anything crazy?"[/say] Gods know he has so much to catch his friend up on, but maybe the same can be said for Thorn, and he waits with open anticipation to hear how the courtesan has been.
RE: the art of friendship - Hawthorn - 05-11-2026
He, too, is in search for a bell – and a few other things for his room on the rare and occasional day off the courtesan gets. It’s as he’s approaching the booth that he first spies the dragon and the chirp, a smile finding his face as he goes to greet the dragon when he’s immediately snagged into a tight hug by Sol’s bonded – his arms rising sluggishly with a bark of laughter to wrap around his friend in turn. “[say]Zav! Hey.[/say]” He chimes his greeting before he straightens up a little once he’s released.
It gives him time to bend down to scritch the dragon and offer him attention as he glances up at the Risen Sun. “[say]Gods, right? S’been crazy.[/say]” He whines a little dramatically, and as the question is turned toward him he peers up at Zavien with bright eyes and a shake of his head. “[say]I’m good! Nothin’ crazy on my end, really. ‘Cept I did end up havin’ a client that wanted t'fuck in a giant ribcage.[/say]” His brows pinch together before he shakes the memory off and straightens to look at his friend more fully. “[say]What’ve you been up to? I got time now if ya wanna catch up? I was just gonna grab a bell and prolly somethin’ to eat.[/say]”
RE: the art of friendship - Zavien - 05-11-2026
Sol accepts the scritches with a grumbling purr-like sound, angling his head as his golden eyes flutter shut. His tail is still wagging when Thorn straightens, his tongue falling out to loll like a dog as he watches the men.
Green eyes blink in shock at the first admission. [say]"Wh - "[/say] He shakes his head as the word cuts off in a laugh. Although unsure how that would work or the why of having sex in a ribcage, Zavien has always been one to leave people to their peculiarities. Instead, he thrown Thorn a playful smile, another chuckle falling from his lips as he says, [say]"I get the feeling that's not the strangest request you've received."[/say]
He brightens when their plans finally seem to align, nodding towards the path of stalls and shops. [say]"That's great! I was doing the same thing so we can walk together while we catch up."[/say] Starting to walk, he lifts his head to the sky, exasperated as he tries to think on when he and Thorn last spoke, suddenly overwhelmed by the abundance of information. Laughing, he shakes his head, sliding a sheepish look at his friend. [say]"Do you want the long or the short story? Because there's a lot."[/say]
RE: the art of friendship - Hawthorn - 05-11-2026
Seeing the surprise on Zavien’s face, Thorn can’t help but to shrug his shoulders with a warm laugh. “[say]Nope.[/say]” He admits, wincing a little playfully before he shakes his head and straightens up, stretching out his arms, the light glinting on his wrist tattoos, the ivy that circles his flesh in shackles.
But as their plans begin to fall into place, Thorn starts to head down the path of stalls and shops, looking over at Zavien as he speaks. “[say]Easy.[/say]” The courtesan decides, nodding his head as they head toward one of the merchants stalls that harbors the bells within its confines. “[say]Uhm, well, I guess the long one?[/say]” He asks, laughing and completely unaware of everything the Risen Sun has been up to.
RE: the art of friendship - Zavien - 05-11-2026
Strolling casually through the open pathway, Zavien tilts his head like someone analyzing a battle map rather than a conversation. [say]"Okay, well, let's start with what happened last year."[/say] Gods, had it really been that long since they last spoke? Other than rebuilding the Tower, he remembers every embarrassing detail of their conversation before that. Luckily, he only turns a light shade of pink as he recalls it.
[say]"You gave me some great advice that I really appreciated,"[/say] he shoots Thorn a smile that darkens when he continues with a more somber tone, [say]"but I didn't have a lot of opportunity to use it before - "[/say] Zavien pauses. He'd thought it would be easier to say - having told so many people now, with how much time has passed, given his new feelings for Soh - but he swallows back a tightness, a flicker of heavy sadness crossing his features as he steps up to a vendor, just far enough away to have some privacy as he says, [say]"Lena was attacked by a Sea Panther in the Celestine during LongNight."[/say] Looking briefly at Thorn, he adds, [say]"She didn't make it."[/say] There's depth there, a guilt mixed with long hours spent in grief, a vague glimpse at the memories that still haunt him.
Shaking his head of the emotions that cloud his vision, Zavien steps up to the stall, absently admiring the different bell designs as he continues on the long list of life events he needs to catch his friend up on. [say]"Then Stormbreak fell - as I'm sure you know."[/say] He picks up a wooden bell, rattling it experimentally to hear the strange chime of the material, explaining quickly, [say]"I moved here to make sure everyone got settled and ended up staying myself."[/say] His shoulders come up in a shrug. Whether he'll continue to stay isn't something he's certain about, but Zavien doesn't really have any place he's rushing off to.
He sets down the odd wooden bell, a sheepish smile on his face as he admits, [say]"That's when I stumbled into something."[/say]
RE: the art of friendship - Hawthorn - 05-12-2026
Last year is a surprise for the courtesan just as much as it was a surprise for the other man, and for what it’s worth the small smile that blooms on his face only grows a touch brighter about the news only to find out that it didn’t really matter in the end because he hadn’t had a chance to use it. Thinking over the fact they might have broken up rather than anything worse, he pauses at the bell stand to hear the last words drop within the privacy of the cover.
The smile vanishes, his head snapping to Zavien with concern and shock. “[say]Fuckin’ Frey, Zav. That’s terrible. I’m so sorry.[/say]” He feels a bit at a loss of what else to say, not really one that was great when it came to sympathies or shared sorrows, never knowing what to say or do. But he does reach up to snag Zavien’s shoulder, squeezing it gently before he turns his attention to the bells as he wraps his mind around everything that’s happened. Lena’s death, Stormbreak falling, everything that happened thereafter.
He snags an oil slick bell, etched with fun little designs of flowers onto the sides, nodding a little numbly at hearing that Stormbreak fell. But it’s only when he glances back over at his friend does he hear the follow up sentence, the sheepish smile. “[say]Stumbled into what?[/say]” He asks, turning the bell in his hands a couple of times to hear the ring and also to have something to do with his hands as he listens.
RE: the art of friendship - Zavien - 05-12-2026
He feels the shock like it's his own, trying not to wince as he smiles and accepts the clasp on his shoulder. Taking a deep breath, he admits softly, [say]"It was hard. I spent a lot of the time focusing on Stormbreak afterwards."[/say] Hence why he's had such little time to really process until recent months, even as he reassures Thorn with another smile directed his way. Still, he appreciates the comfort, feeling another piece of his grief loosen its hold.
Looking very closely at another bell, Zavien lifts it up, his emotions whipping quickly to the opposite side of the spectrum. He rotates it in his fingers, the dull silver catching in the sunlight as he half mumbles, [say]"I kind of... slept with a friend, started dating her, and now she's pregnant."[/say] The blush from earlier turns deep and bright along his ears, unable to look at Thorn in case the smile he's smothering breaks out too wide.
RE: the art of friendship - Hawthorn - 05-14-2026
Nodding despite the shock that leaves him about what happened to Lena, Thorn internally winces despite all of it because it looks like his friend is doing okay. And as he spins the bell in question that he’s been eyeing, the rainbow hues of the metal glint against the dim light. “[say]Yeah, makes sense.[/say]” Diving into work – after all, that’s what he did after his incident. It helped to distract you from the bad things that happened.
But he glances over in time to see Zavien talk about this friend, and it’s a fucking bombshell. And he’s glad that Zavien isn’t looking at him with the way his mouth falls open, seafoam gaze focused on the Risen Sun like it might answer a few of the questions that initially come to mind. But he gets his emotions back under control, a whoosh of air leaving his lips as he blinks and looks back down at the same bell. “[say]Oh my gods? Congrats, Zav.[/say]” He says at first, before a light trickle of a laugh leaves him and he leans in toward Zavien. “[say]When I gave ya those pointers I wasn’t tryin’ to help ya get someone pregnant.[/say]” He admits sheepishly, like he thinks maybe he’s to blame for some of it for the advice he’d given.
RE: the art of friendship - Zavien - 05-14-2026
Zavien cracks into a bit of laughter, the sheepish smile finally breaking out across his face when he looks at his friend. [say]"Thanks."[/say] Whether Thorn is congratulating him on part or all of the news, he feels lighter for having shared it, excitement bubbling in his chest with how real it's starting to feel.
More laughter breaks out with Thorn's other comment, and he leans closer to reassure the man, [say]"I'm pretty sure you gave tips on how not to, but those quickly went out the window in the heat of the moment."[/say] His blush turns a little deeper to admit how little thought he'd put into it and he straightens a touch to set aside the bell in his hand. [say]"She was smart enough to take precautions, but they weren't enough, soooo....."[/say] he shrugs, green eyes shining bright when he says, [say]"I guess I'm gonna be a dad."[/say] For a moment, he basks in that fact, genuinely eager to embrace this next phase in his life.
Unimpressed with the first stall, Zavien moves them towards the second, continuing the conversation. [say]"It's been chaos though. I don't really get along with her friends, and I worry that our relationship might ruin those friendships for her."[/say] There's also the fear that Soh might regret this happy accident, but she's made it abundantly clear that she has no plans to let negativity fester.
RE: the art of friendship - Hawthorn - 05-16-2026
The reassurance does wonders for the courtesan, enough that he exhales a puff of breath akin to relief as a soft laugh leaves him. “[say]Alright, that’s fair.[/say]” Thorn murmurs – glad that he’d at least gotten the point across and it was ignored in the heat of the moment rather than it being a failing on his part. But to hear that she had at least taken some, even if it hadn’t been 100 percent was something Thorn nods in understanding. “[say]Are you excited?[/say]” He asks, about being a dad.
Before they meander away from the stall, though, Thorn pays for the oil slick bell before pocketing it and returning to the conversation, following along the Risen Sun to the next stall as he continues his search and continues the conversation. He glances at him sidelong as he explains, though, brows pinching slightly as Zavien explains. “[say]I mean.. D’ya have to get along with ‘em?[/say]” He asks, shrugging lightly. “[say]Is she gonna stop seein’ ‘em because y’all are together?[/say]” Is perhaps a better question to ask as he waits for the answer.
RE: the art of friendship - Zavien - 05-16-2026
Grinning at Thorn's relieved sigh, Zavien gives another chuckle, the sound warm and almost giddy despite the cold. [say]"Very excited. I love kids, and I've always wanted to be a dad, but..."[/say] He runs a hand through his hair, the smile on his face shrinking slightly with the weight of reality and other emotions. [say]"It's also terrifying. I didn't have a good father figure growing up, so I have no clue what I'm doing,"[/say] he admits openly with a hint of humor in his eyes. There's no sadness or overwhelming darkness to diminish his joy, only a gentle awareness of where he may be lacking and a quiet willingness to address those shortcomings. He doesn't shrink from it but brings it into the light where it can't sneak up on him.
Zavien pauses as Thorn buys his bell, nodding at the choice, his head transitioning into a wary shake. [say]"No, but one is her best friend and I don't want to make group gatherings awkward to the point she can't truly enjoy them. Soh's the kind of person to put other people's comfort above her happiness."[/say] It's one of the many things he loves about her, but he still lets out a sigh, looking to his friend with a concerned expression. [say]"Her taking my side is straining those relationships. Even if she wants to keep seeing them... it's draining."[/say] Tiptoeing around topics, defending him, muting her own emotions so they can't be scrutinized.
Sighing, Zavien shakes his head and lifts another gold bell, longing in his eyes. [say]"I wish we could just clear the air and start over so she didn't get stuck in the middle."[/say]
RE: the art of friendship - Hawthorn - 05-17-2026
That makes one of them, at least. Thorn wasn’t one for kids – not that he hated them or didn’t want anything to do with them. He just wasn’t really dad material. He was so busy trying to keep figuring out his own life let alone trying to raise another, so he nods as Zavien explains a brief snippet of his upbringing – something that Thorn snorts at and nods in agreement. “[say]That just means y’know what not to do.[/say]” Shooting a small lopsided smile at his friend. “[say]My dad was also pretty shitty so.[/say]” He’d decided that if he ever, somehow, ended up as a father, his own would be a blueprint of What Not To Do.
But he buys his bell and they move on and Thorn gives Zavien his full attention – gaze lifting back up to his friend as he starts to put two and two together. “[say]Oh.[/say]” The courtesan says unhelpfully, shoving his hands into his pockets as his brows pinch and he takes a few moments to think about it. “[say]Well.. Is that somethin’ you can do? Get everyone all together ‘n try t’start over?[/say]” He asks, quietly grateful to not be in the middle of the drama but also hoping that his friend could find a way out of it unharmed.
RE: the art of friendship - Zavien - 05-17-2026
Zavien shoots Thorn a crooked grin back, commenting on 'what not to do' with an amused glint in his eyes. [say]"So don't leave. Sounds pretty easy."[/say] He hadn't planned on it to begin with, but it also leaves his own bar pretty low and he has no intent of stopping at the bare minimum of earning the 'father' title.
Noting Thorn's second comment, he looks at his friend from the side. It's not surprising to hear. Good parents are hard to come by in Caido, and the courtesan's never mentioned his family, so Zavien has always worked under the assumption it wasn't a good environment. Still, he feels sad for Thorn and himself and all the other people of Caido who have had to grow up in spite of their parents - or lack thereof. It sits like a heavy weight in his soul, a constant reminder that sits with him.
He offers another smile at Thorn, open and receptive in its warmth. [say]"I'll take any other advice if you think of it."[/say] It's an opportunity should his friend ever want to share more, but an otherwise genuine request for guidance with his own inexperience.
Standing at the other stall, Zavien purses his lips, focus intent on the glint of gold as he considers the question of whether a fresh start is possible between him and Flora and Kai. [say]"We're set to have a double date with them soon, but..."[/say] He sighs, voicing his main fear when it comes to reconciliation. [say]"Well, her best friend's husband said some really hurtful things about Lena, and I don't think I can get along with him if he's going to continue disrespecting her memory like that."[/say] He can put up with a lot, but Zavien will never allow someone to threaten or dishonor the people he cares about.
RE: the art of friendship - Hawthorn - 05-18-2026
A grin is shot over at Zavien as he mentions the so don’t leave. “[say]See? Easy.[/say]” Even though Thorn’s father had stayed and it had still been a nightmare. But that’s not the point, here. Not as they talk about Zavien’s ability to be a father. He still offers the little tidbit of his own history, though, and is a touch surprised when the other man mentions that he’ll take more advice. And while Thorn wasn’t really a fan of talking about his own history all that often, this is his friend.
So he peers down at the bells they look at with this new merchant and the bells they carry. “[say]Jus’ be there for ‘em. Even if they do somethin’ you don’t want ‘em to.[/say]” He decides, looking up and flashing the Risen Sun an easier smile.
He settles in to listen as Zavien explains the situation some more. As he listens to the explanation, his brows pinch together and he finds it relatively hard someone would actively go out of their way to bring up a painful memory for someone else – especially when they’re supposed to be friendly. “[say]Ohh.[/say]” He pauses, chewing on the inside of his cheek. “[say]Do ya think he meant to say those things? An’ did you tell him that it bothered ya?[/say]” He asks, just trying to figure out the general situation.