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+---- Thread: you crazy-assed cosmonaut (/showthread.php?tid=9594)
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you crazy-assed cosmonaut - Koa - 06-03-2024
The first minute of the journey? Terrifying.
The rest? Incredible.
[say]"This is the coolest thing I've ever done!"[/say] Koa has to shout to be heard over the wind rushing past him, but he doesn't mind at all. Flurries of snow dance around them as the world streaks past underneath; Koa's eyes move as quickly as the snowflakes, eagerly chasing every sight and sound. [say]"I don't know why you don't fly all the time!"[/say] Dangling as he is from Sunjata's arms, he ought to be terrified - there are so many ways this could go wrong.
But even if he slips Flood's embrace and crashes to his doom below, Koa thinks he would die happy. He's reached the ultimate high, after all. What better way to go?
RE: you crazy-assed cosmonaut - Sunjata - 06-03-2024
He’s strong enough to barely even feel the strain of carrying Pemota and the Dragoon through the snowy skies of King’s End. And while he hates snow and everything to do with it, the Flood has learned to live with it (even if his attire seems to suggest anything but). It’s fine, he’s sure Hotaru will give him the lecture the second he gets home. For now, more important matters are at hand, like making sure that Koa doesn’t freeze to death out in the middle of nowhere amongst the other graves.
Chuckling over the wind at Koa’s shout, a crooked smile blooms on the Flood’s face. “[say]I do fly all the time! I just prefer my full shift if I am![/say]” He calls back over the wind at precisely the time that the House of Midnight comes into view. Feathered wings start to slow their beating a fraction, lowering him in a controlled way to the ground before it until his feet hit the cushion of snow, and Sunjata folds them back when he’s confident there’s going to be no chance of losing his grip on the Dragoon or Petronella, as well as making sure he doesn’t lose his own balance. “[say]Flight is definitely the best mode of travel.[/say]” He offers as he sets Koa down to orient himself back to standing on the ground, but at least now it’s within the covered awning of the House of Midnight, where snow has been carefully swept away from the steps leading up.
Stepping over to open the door and share some of the warmth that leaks from inside, Sunjata lets Koa step in first – before he follows after, shaking out snow from his hair and wings before he steps in completely.
RE: you crazy-assed cosmonaut - Koa - 06-03-2024
[say]"How many flying shifts do you have?"[/say] The jealousy in his tone is stolen by the wind, but it's certainly felt. Koa can't regret not becoming Attuned, because it means he never would have bound to Pip, but a part of him will always wonder what it might have been. Would he have gotten a great eagle shift? A sea panther? A dragon?
(More likely a cloud wyrm, but we won't tell him that).
The House of Midnight yawns before them, and Koa finds himself looking around with boyish enthusiasm as he pads through the door. There are parts about it that are familiar, the boy having spent much of his formative years in communal living habitats (the Heart, Molly's...). But at the same time it's all quite new, a unique creation that glitters with magic and radiates comforting warmth.
[say]"I've heard a lot about the House of Midnight, but it truly exceeds expectations,"[/say] Koa announces, gesturing to their surroundings as he turns back to his host. [say]"Though... I don't suppose you have any, er, lost-and-found on the premeses? Maybe featuring shoes?"[/say] He grimaces down at his shredded socks, wiggling his toes for emphasis.
RE: you crazy-assed cosmonaut - Sunjata - 06-08-2024
“[say]Quite a few.[/say]” Sunjata offers with a soft laugh, opening the door so that Koa can slip into the House of Midnight’s comfortable warmth. “[say]A macaw, a fox, a bat, my dragon, and my pegasus shift.[/say]” He lists them out on his fingers, before holding the hand up for all five to be visible that he wags playfully. “[say]I choose the pegasus or the dragon depending on my mood, but, for you with the wings I chose the pegasus one.[/say]” For obvious reasons, they were so much more soft and easy to deal with in the winter landscape.
Allowing Koa to look around and take in the sights, the Flood steps forward to mention to his front desk about the subject of getting some new clothes and something warm for Koa to drink, flashing a knowing and cocky look at the mention of the reputation it harbors. “[say]It’s quite homey.[/say]” He admits, especially in regards to the blue and copper that feed through each of the communal spaces. Petronella gets the hint they’re home and hops off his shoulders to go and peruse and chase after any rats, content to remain mostly hidden as her dark pantheresque body was best utilized for, even without the water.
At the mention of clothes, though, Sunjata steps forward and wraps an arm around Koa’s shoulders, guiding him to a quieter part of the main living spaces, where they can settle into a booth nearby the bar (and close to the bathroom should Koa decide to change). “[say]I have a new set of clothes coming for you and shoes along with it.[/say]” Something warm for the dragoon to get out of his chilled clothes, and a multitude of varying pairs of shoes that may or may not fit depending, all arriving shortly on the end of his sentence.
Two drinks are also set in front of them, steaming from their warmth.
RE: you crazy-assed cosmonaut - Koa - 06-19-2024
They begin to settle in, Petronella heading off in predatory pursuits and Pipsqueak puffing plaitively with the desire to join in. She's nervous about leaving Koa alone, something he senses and soothes through the bond, reassuring his dragonling that his death is not imminent. A final gentle nudge is all it takes, Pipsqueak squawking as she scurries off in pursuit of the panther, ready to show off the "superior" hunting skills afforded to her by age.
Koa watches indulgently. [Say]"She's gotten so big,"[/say] he remarks of Petronella, remembering her as a tiny kit. Following Jata, he's relieved and touched as the clothes come out, and wastes no time snatching up some suitable attire to replace his own damp clothes. [Say]"God's, you're a lifesaver,"[/say] Koa all but moans, turning around to strip off his layers. Shameless, perhaps, but he's a soldier in a whorehouse. Shame has no real place here.
Finally clad, Koa sinks down into the couch with a contented groan. He's chosen a knit green jumper, soft brown pants, and the fluffiest woolen socks on offer, foregoing shoes for now. With his palms wrapped around the comforting warmth of his hot toddy, he's begun to feel human again. [Say]"Oh, this is awesome,"[/say] the Dragoon sighs happily, casting Jata a grateful look. [Say]"Seriously, where were you when I was stuck in the Wilds for a season?"[/say] He laughs, but there's a edge to it, the memory bitter in his mouth.
RE: you crazy-assed cosmonaut - Sunjata - 06-20-2024
“[say]Hasn’t she?[/say]” Sunjata asks, fondly looking over at the disappearance of Petronella and Pip. It’s a nice change, though, since the day Petronella had become his companion and poor Koa had to be there to witness the panic and upset. Now, in lieu of all of that, comfort clings to his face even as his attention returns to the dragoon, humming a laugh and thanking the worker that had brought the clothes. “[say]I’m not really a fan of the cold myself, either.[/say]” He doesn’t mind that Koa immediately strips down and gets into the clean, warm clothes – this is a brothel, after all.
The drinks are set and they steam on the table and the Flood leans forward to take his mug and look across the surface toward the other man. “[say]You’re welcome.[/say]” He says softly, before his head tilts curiously at the final comment, the edge in the laughter that immediately captures Sunjata’s mind. “[say]Was that where you were?[/say]” He asks, brows pinching as he waits for an answer before he continues.
RE: you crazy-assed cosmonaut - Koa - 06-24-2024
Koa takes another sip, nodding through the steam in his cup. Yes, that's where he was: stuck unceremoniously in the mud, trying to figure out how to get home. [say]"The Wilds, and then Torchline."[/say]
And now here.
Pensive, the Dragoon stares at the swirls of steam that dance upon his drink. [say]"I got cast out of Stormbreak,"[/say] he explains quietly, though a part of him wonders if Sunjata already knows. At least it stings less to talk about, with distance between himself and the event. [say]"It was right when Dahlia took over. I... found one of them,"[/say] meaning the Family, [say]"Kidnapping Sohalia. I tried to stop him, but..."[/say] A bitter sigh; a shake of the head. Even now, it's a hard pill to swallow. [say]"Before I really knew what was happening, I was just... gone. Lost, somewhere in the Wilds. Took me weeks to find my way back."[/say] At least he hadn't been alone. He'd had Pipsqueak, and that had given him the hope to power through.
He glances back up to the Flood, weariness in his copper gaze. [say]"By the time I got out, Sohalia was gone, and Dahlia - the Reaper - had taken over Stormbreak. I've been lying low in Torchline ever since."[/say] Until, y'know, he'd wound up concussed and shoeless in a winter maze.
RE: you crazy-assed cosmonaut - Sunjata - 06-26-2024
Listening as Koa clarifies the Wilds and then Torchline, Sunjata nods even if confusion flares. So much so that the continued story of kidnappings and overtaking reach his ears and his dark brow rises. It doesn’t sound like Dahlia to have any of that, in his mind at least, and if she had he assumes it was for a good reason. So he sips lightly from his glass, letting the warmth chill his bones from the cold only and nothing else, head tilting slightly as he looks back at Koa.
“[say]Lying low?[/say]” He asks curiously with a raise of his brow. “[say]You think Dahlia’s gonna do something to you?[/say]” The question ends with a slight huff of a laugh, like he can’t fathom the idea of it. And he can’t, because the only thing he can imagine the Reaper doing is doting on everyone. Either way, Koa seems stressed about it even though the Flood can’t fathom it, and so he offers the dragoon an easy and crooked smile. “[say]I’m glad you’re here.[/say]” In lieu of anything else.
RE: you crazy-assed cosmonaut - Koa - 07-01-2024
Koa, in a classic Koa move, misreads the messaging behind Sunjata's laugh. Instead of You think Dahlia's gonna do something to you? he hears You think Dahlia's gonna do something to you?, and feels some heat rise to his cheeks at the open dismissal of his inflated self-importance.
He gives a bashful chuckle of his own in response, hoping the sting doesn't make it too hoarse. [say]"Yeah, I guess you're right,"[/say] Koa acquiesces, rubbing a palm on the back of his neck. [say]"If she was gonna do anything, I'm sure she would have already. They probably don't even know I was the one who saw them take Sohalia - or that I'm even alive."[/say] A blip on their radar, a speck of dust in the eye of a god.
RE: you crazy-assed cosmonaut - Sunjata - 07-01-2024
Tilting his head as he sees that flush – and tries to determine if it’s the alcohol or something else, Sunjata’s steel gaze zeroes in on the Dragoon in a small amount of confusion and curiosity. “[say]I mean what makes you think she’ll do anything at all?[/say]” He asks, fully tilting his head now in an avian move, brows lifting a second after as if to continue to explain it further.
“[say]Dahlia’s quite lovely to speak to when you don’t treat her like an overblown threat.[/say]” Sunjata starts to say, waggling his fingers a little around the mug as it sits on the table between them. “[say]I was shitty to people when they all treated me like some kind of villain. Doesn’t mean I was one.[/say]” That’s all he’s trying to say, all he’s trying to get across. And maybe it hits the mark, maybe it doesn’t. But Sunjata can’t realistically imagine Dahlia being this great big terror that everyone has made her out to be.
Misunderstood, was more like it.
RE: you crazy-assed cosmonaut - Koa - 07-05-2024
Koa. Is. Confused.
[say]"I mean, they already did?"[/say] He can't help the lilt at the end of the sentence, slightly bewildered because he thought he'd made it clear. Swallowing the dryness in his throat, Koa clarifies: [say]"I saw a man kidnapping Sohalia. And when I tried to stop him, he yeeted me into the Wilds. It's like... a miracle I'm not dead, probably."[/say] Maybe an over exaggeration, but trauma is always a little overblown in retrospect.
But Sunjata goes on, and Koa's confusion only deepens as he tries to defend Dahlia. The Dragoon finds he has to take a steadying pull from his drink, his mind flailing to come up with a response to make sense of what's happening. [say]"Sure, she was pleasant when I met her too, but... didn't she try to murder Remi?"[/say] Which, yes, Remi tried to murder Sunjata once, but that's less important to Koa just now. [say]"And with the Void everywhere and the voice in our heads... I guess I don't understand how they could be anything but evil."[/say]
RE: you crazy-assed cosmonaut - Sunjata - 07-05-2024
“[say]Right, right, right.[/say]” Sunjata says in a way that seems to try and alleviate the confusion, even if he isn’t sure whether or not Koa is following. It’s not that he doesn’t believe the dragoon, but he finds it difficult to believe that Dahlia would find a reason to seek out the dragoon to… what? Teach him a lesson? Throw him back into the Wilds? The idea of it is laughable to the Flood, even as Sunjata refrains from letting those thoughts out into the open. “[say]But the man that did that wasn’t Dahlia, is what I’m trying to say.[/say]” He doesn’t know whether or not it's gotten across into that cute little brain of Koa’s, but perhaps it’s worth a shot.
As for Dahlia herself, though, he does notice the way the mug is drained and Sunjata sips lightly from his as he regards the other man before glancing over toward the bar where a few people have just come in to shake off the snow. “[say]I’m not one to trust what Remi has to say.[/say]” He flashes a crooked and apologetic smile to Koa. “[say]Sorry.[/say]” In his experience, Remi had an uncanny ability to tell everyone what was going on and they just… Believed him, because he was strong and powerful. Sunjata had seen the other side, the one faced with decisions the other demigod had made, and while they were on decent enough terms now, Sunjata was hard pressed to trust him.
Shrugging at the mention of the voice in their heads, he scrunches his nose a little and snorts. “[say]It’s definitely weird.[/say]” He agrees, looking back to Koa with another apologetic smile. “[say]But Frey isn’t all that concerned about it right now.[/say]” And hadn’t been each and every time Sunjata had asked previously. And so for the sake of keeping his own sanity, Sunjata isn't all that concerned either.
RE: you crazy-assed cosmonaut - Koa - 07-08-2024
[say]"I... guess that's true,"[/say] Koa accedes, still openly bemused. Clearly unconvinced by the logic that Dahlia =/= evil, he nevertheless is making a valiant effort to understand. And then there's the lack of faith in Remi, which, their history aside, are we really believing an evil space dictator over a demigod? [say]"It's not like she's denied it, though, right?"[/say] Unless Koa has missed something, which seems quite possible. Thus far, though, aside from making a stir at the winter ball, Dahlia doesn't seem to have done much of anything at all.
Koa's not sure if that's better or worse.
Thoroughly thrown off his moorings, the young Dragoon finds he's frowning deeper into his drink. [say]"But Sa- the other gods seem to be,"[/say] Koa responds, catching himself before he can say the Lady of Stars' full name. [say]"If Dahlia really isn't that bad, shouldn't she be trying to prove it? Instead of making herself Queen of somewhere that doesn't belong to her? Even if she wasn't behind Sohalia's kidnapping, you gotta admit she and her Family have only made things worse since they showed up."[/say]
RE: you crazy-assed cosmonaut - Sunjata - 07-09-2024
“[say]She didn’t really say anything about it..?[/say]” Sunjata starts to say, his smile apologetic as he aims it at the Dragoon. “[say]We’ve never talked about Sohalia.[/say]” He muses suddenly – a thought that’s never occurred to him to even have, because from his understanding Sohalia had needed some kind of break and just… Left. But with Koa speaking on kidnapping and what not, he wonders if it’s just some elaborate, crazy plan.
But he knows he won’t get further with the Dragoon with his mind set, so he simply nods at the mention of the other gods. “[say]Sure they are. They were deeply invested in the war, too, and Frey wasn’t so much.[/say]” So it wasn’t surprising to Sunjata that as another seemed to be ramping up, the gods began to act just as they had before. Shrugging a shoulder at it until Koa mentions the Family being bad news, something of which Sunjata does not feel, he simply smiles across at Koa and drains the rest of his mug.
“[say]I think that it’s not my job to worry about what other people do. But I get it, its your region. I’d be upset about it too.[/say]” He sighs despite the twist of a crooked smile remaining. “[say]Are you feeling warmer now? I can getcha a room if you want. Company, too, maybe?[/say]” Bouncing a brow suggestively, even as he’s already running through potential workers in his mind should Koa like to warm up and forget about things for a night.