[ME] dreams in darkness

so is there any treason in the tricky little price I pay?

i can't open up to you

Nodding in agreement to Alys’ comment about LongNight and its usual bad reputation, he shoots her an easier smile as she settles into her seat and the flames of the bonfire in front of them illuminates in a sapphire blue this time. He hadn’t exactly been the best at changing the reputation until now, more often than not preferring to stay behind closed doors in case the monsters made another showing.

But this year it felt safer, more okay. And if other regions could do it, why couldn’t they? “Yeah, that’s what I was hoping for.” He agrees after a moment of consideration. But then the Fateweaver grows quiet, contemplative, and when she speaks next it drags his attention away from the bonfire entirely to look at her in quiet surprise, as if he can’t figure out why she might want to apologize.

He doesn’t interrupt her, though, not until she’s done and he can offer her probably the softest, most genuine smile in response. “Oh, Alys, there’s no hard feelings about it, honestly.” He starts off, shifting in his seat a bit to face her better. “I get it. I left ruling Torchline pretty abruptly too, so, you don’t have to explain anything you don’t want to. So long as you and Tal are doing well, that’s all I care about.” He’d been able to manage it on his own, anyway, even if it was a little more work. But he’d needed the additional work with everything that’s happened.

me and my friends are lonely

i always figured i'd be the one to die alone

SUNJATA

Alys

Sapphire blue illuminated the immediate area, casting them both in the brilliant hue. The colorful fire added a nice flare to the festivities, Alys had to admit, and she smiled softly to herself as the partygoers whooped in excitement. She'd always been one for a quiet LongNight, herself, but she had to admit that this made for a nice change from cowering at home, waiting for something bad to happen.

Sunjata's surprise flared in the wake of her apology, followed by a genuine understanding that the seer wasn't sure she deserved. Even if the Archon meant every word - and her magic assured her that he did - she still felt that she had handled the situation poorly. "We are doing well," she told him, a small smile lighting her face as she basked in Sunjata's forgiveness. "Although... I've been a little unsettled, lately. I think I've been sequestered away for long enough," she added with a little laugh. "We may start traveling again in the new year - so if there's ever anything you need, please let us know."

funny how it all works out in the end
you dance with the devil and you lose your head

Nova

Here's to alcohol,

Nova isn't hiding, she's working. She just happens to be sequestered behind the colorful booth of the Sunbean, passing out drinks and snacks where very few people can see her. That includes a particular rancher she's spotted in the crowd. 

It's not like she has any reason to minimize herself or feel ashamed for being at the party, but she doesn't really want to invite Colt to berate her on why the exuberant drinks or the frilly layers of her dress are 'childish.' She'd much rather push aside thoughts of 'growing up' with smiles and giggles, particularly when people try the explosion of peppermint bark hot chocolate or the sweetgrass lattes. They've been quite the hit so far, and she's kept busy babbling on about how amazing their shop is, adding an abundance of edible glitter on top of the whipped cream. They even have glow-in-the-dark cups with little star designs to really brighten things up.

However, when a lull finally comes between customers, she's pleased to find more friendly faces in the crowd, almost relieved. She leans out over the booth, waving excitedly at Jack and The Ark. If they're in conversation, she doesn't notice, plastering a vibrant smile on her face. "Hi! Do you guys want a drink? They're really good!"

the rose-colored glasses of life.

// you're everything i'm thinking of //

She’s also working behind the stall with her sister – happy to be the main face so Nova can avoid whomever she wants to. She takes note of Colt in the crowd, but finds its easy to ignore her as she steams the milk for a peppermint bark hot chocolate, hearing the scream of the steam in the metal cup. Drink after drink is passed out to visitors, cheery little small talk to make the night that much easier.

Caly’s stepped out to snag a few extra supplies from the Sunbean, returning to the stall about the time that her sister’s leaning out of the stall to greet Jack and The Ark, and Caly slips back behind the stall to deposit the extra syrups for the drinks and leans across as well. “I’ve got some extra spice I can add if ya haven’t brought your own!” She chimes, shooting a grin and a bounce of her brows, the metal flask hiding the contents of some dark cinnamon kind of rum to add to the hot cocoa.

Calypso

// from time to time and dust to dust //

// and all my flowers grew back as thorns //

Happy to be the support for the both of them, if she requires it, Thorn’s excitement isn’t dissuaded by Colt’s quieter demeanor. If anything, he’s boisterous enough for the both of them, snickering lightly in agreement that it was a better way to wait out the dawn. “Mean’s I’m less busy too, so we can do more stuff if ya want?” He asks, grinning vibrantly over her way. The more things there were to do around the city without the House being the main focus, the more available Thorn was for everything else.

The trinkets are a good distraction, though, and he focuses on the dark hoops that he starts to collect while she scans a pair of blue topaz teardrop earrings. “Guess I got a good eye?” He says, looking over at her with his seafoam gaze, punctuating his point with a wink. With all the dark hoops collected in his hands, he turns to peruse the necklaces next, sticking on a choker that’s the same dark material but broken up with bits of silver.

“Oh yeah?” He asks, glancing over at her with an easier smile as he starts to think about it. “Whatcha gonna put in the town first?” He asks, wondering what might be the first order of business for her to add to the desert townscape.

THORN

so is there any treason in the tricky little price I pay?

i can't open up to you

His smile grows more lopsided, almost more relieved as Alys confirms that they are doing well. And honestly, that’s kind of all that mattered to Sunjata, regardless of what occurred in the past. Gods knew the Heartless wasn’t the best at his own rises and falls from power, the way he’d left Torchline had been swift and succinct. But he listens as she continues, explaining that she wanted to go traveling again, and while Sunjata nods, the gears in his head start working.

“I might need some more help with finishing the regional quest to finish the healing river.” Sunjata murmurs thoughtfully, considering as he regards her. “How do you feel about helping corral unicorns or helping purify the area with healing?” He asks, his own soft laugh accompanying her own, lightening the mood even more as the bonfire starts to flicker in greens and deep reds and pinks again.

me and my friends are lonely

i always figured i'd be the one to die alone

SUNJATA

Alys

Alys could sense the gears start turning in Sunjata's mind as his emotions shifted from a certain relief at her wellbeing to almost calculating - something that she had almost expected as she'd offered her help. What kind of leader would he be if he weren't willing to use every tool at his disposal for the betterment of his region, after all? And what kind of civilian would she be if she weren't ready and willing to do her part?

As the bonfire flickered in various colors and hues, Alys considered. "I'd be happy to help with either," she said. "Though I might be more well-suited to purifying with my healing magic." She hadn't spent much time around unicorns, but healing, she was well accustomed to. "Just tell me when and where, and I'll be there." For either or both tasks; wherever she could be of use, she would go.

funny how it all works out in the end
you dance with the devil and you lose your head

// You could be lonely, or heartbroken—Or hungover from the night before //

Hawthorn 's words sweep in with the same quality of light pouring over a darkened corner, adamant and altering. The prospect that they'll get more time together, as opposed to idling her time in the House bar while he finishes his increased workload, causes an immediate gush of delight. "That's the best reason for this I've heard yet." She turns her smile his way, each of their grins traded for a moment.

As they browse the stall, she occasionally stops to properly scan the wares, fingertips reaching out to brush a pair of dangling opal earrings, lift up a sapphire speckled ring, or turn over a silver charm bracelet. "You should spread the wealth," she mutters playfully, a put on sigh soon following suit. "Some of us got bad eyes and terrible taste." Her thoughts have strayed off jewelry by this point, though her gaze lifts to assess his choker try-on with a smile flashing out in approval.

"Once everyone has houses and basic necessities," Colt hums of the desert, lifting up a diamond necklace for a moment. "A gambling den." She offers the answers with no alteration to her tone, as if it's as ordinary a consideration as a rookery for mail. "Out in the Boneyard, to keep the debauchery from spilling over into the main town. Allows people a sense of seclusion as well." The diamond necklace returns to its display on the rack, and Colt fists her hands in her coat pockets as she scans the other stalls for interest. "We'll need the income, and the attraction to pull the business and the trade. There might be gambling halls all around Caido, but this one's gonna be bigger and better."

COLT

// Turn that frown into a smile real quick—There ain't nothin' that a beer can't fix //

so is there any treason in the tricky little price I pay?

i can't open up to you

Blooming a little visually to hear that Alys would be willing to help with either, it offers some amount of relief to Sunjata to try and figure out how he was going to manage the regional quest with so many people coming and going these days. “Alright, perfect. I’ll let you know when the purifying happens.” He shoots her a brighter, easier smile.

But as he starts to think a little more, Sunjata’s head tilts slightly. “I know we need at least four of us to wrangle unicorns, and for now I’ve got Thorn, myself, and Colt helping.. But she’s not an Ender anymore, so we’d need two more.” Which was proving to be a little more difficult given the situation. “So I might put you down for that too, just to get the numbers up if that’s okay?” Ignoring the next flare of pink in the bonfire, he looks over at Alys curiously.

me and my friends are lonely

i always figured i'd be the one to die alone

SUNJATA

// and all my flowers grew back as thorns //

“Oy, if I share the wealth then what good ‘m I?” He points out, shooting a bright smile over at Colt. “Always happy t’help ya, though. You know that.” Thorn bounces his brows playfully, already sliding the earrings to the side to purchase. While he asks Colt his questions about Hak Etme, he’s quietly calculating, fingers running over a turquoise necklace on a chain that looked durable while the turquoise seemed understated enough to not stand out too much in spite of it.

He adds it to his pile of purchases when she isn’t looking, pays while the items are bagged up, and shoots her an amused smile. “A gamblin’ den sounds fun.” And it has the gears working in his head for how he might fit in to a space like that, if he’s serious about moving, that is. He hasn’t been, but things have been dull without Colt around, and while he doesn’t want to do too much in the desert when he might die of heatstroke, he’s definitely curious about what it might be like to expand his horizons again.

So he considers it for a moment longer, nudging her over toward a stall that’s got furs and leathers on display. “You gonna have a brothel too or?” He asks, raising a brow over at her with his bright seafoam gaze scanning her face.

THORN

// You could be lonely, or heartbroken—Or hungover from the night before //

The fondest sigh passes her lips as she rolls the expression over to Hawthorn with her eyes. "Oh I know, but that's gotten much harder with you so far away now." Not so easy as walking down the road and asking to see his closet, or leaving him word to swing by her house so they could shoot the shit all into the night, including all her terrible thoughts about boys and men. She's aware of exactly who made that choice though, to build distance, because she's always had a knack for that in some shape or another.

"Just means I have to channel my inner Thorn more often," she simpers, hands shifting in her pockets as she rolls the ache of missing old comforts out into the fabric, not about to let it drag her away from the present moment of enjoying him. "And lucky for me, I have a talent for just that." The channeling at least, although given who she'd just called upon, she could do with more practice still.

Her grin widens over any doubts, swallowing them up in place of readily accepting his agreement for the choice. "I thought you might appreciate it." Not that he's so well known for his gambling, but that he's got a nose for business at the very least, and no strict code that'd bar the indulgence found between dice and cards.

With Thorn's purchases complete, she happily follows his lead towards the newest stall. "Who do you take me for?" she accuses, her head poking around a leather vest to narrow him with a put on offense. "Of course there'll be a brothel. People will find a way to fuck, might as well give them a nice and safe place to do it and be fed by the profit." She pauses though, taking in his look with an arched brow. "Why, you want to try your hand at designing it?" Which she definitely wouldn't turn down. He could pair his expertise with his old passion.

COLT

// Turn that frown into a smile real quick—There ain't nothin' that a beer can't fix //

// and all my flowers grew back as thorns //

Maybe not for long. Thorn wants to say but he bites his tongue behind a bright and charming smile aimed Colt’s way. If anything, he grows a little more flamboyant and dramatic in the process of his swanning, one that only increases as he hears her say she needs to channel her inner Thorn more often. Pointing at her with a playful seriousness and a glint in his gaze, he laughs. “See? Lookit that.” He teases her.

Though, thorn wasn’t a demigod, so it was unlikely Colt could channel him in anything actually dangerous or playful. She’d have to stick with her imagination, for now at least.

He does appreciate it, more than he thought he would actually the more he thinks about it, and when he finishes the purchases and guides her to the stall with leathers and furs, he looks over at her as she accuses him and he barks a laugh and rolls his eyes. They don’t last long in the dramatics, though, as she asks him a perfectly surprisingly serious question that actually has him stilling and pinning her with a look that seems like he’s trying to see if she’s lying or just gassing him up.

When he doesn’t see it (and why would he, she’s his best friend?) He actually lets his apprehension melt into something a little shier – a shade of himself not many have seen before as he runs his fingers along a fringe of a jacket. “Well uh, I mean yeah. I’d love to design it.. But I was thinkin’..” He purses his lips slightly, head tilting before he huffs a laugh. “Maybe when we’re done with the regional quest here, I was thinkin’ maybe I could come ‘n join ya in the desert... If you'd have me.” He studies her face when it finally slips out, fingers still toying with the fringe as if he's anxious about her reaction even if deep down he knows he doesn't need to be.

THORN

Alys

Sunjata's visible shift as Alys agreed to help mirrored his emotions, and the seer was suddenly ashamed that it had taken her this long to make the offer. She wished that the Archon knew that he could still call upon her in times of need, but then again, she had done little in recent seasons to cement that notion in his mind. The fault was hers, and she was keen to make it up to him.

With that in mind, Alys nodded along to Sunjata's musings. "I can help with the unicorns, too. Just let me know where and when." Shooting what she hoped was a comforting smile Sunjata's direction, she added, "And for any future needs, consider me available, too. I want to help where I can."

funny how it all works out in the end
you dance with the devil and you lose your head

// You could be lonely, or heartbroken—Or hungover from the night before //

It is not often she can render Hawthorn speechless. He's seen a lot, after all, and heard even more. So it gives her no undue amount of pleasure to have his tongue so thoroughly snatched for once, especially for such a wholesome reason. That he comes out of it with the slowest creep of confidence she's ever seen him wear, only widens the smile settling into place on her lips. She knows the face of uncertainty well, she's just used to seeing it on her.

"Great," she says, quickly snatching up his approval. She has a certain assumption he considers himself too unworthy or unprepared for the task, and she's ready to bully him into thinking otherwise. The but sounds like something leading to a shrug, but instead she's the one rendered speechless now.

It doesn't last long. Just enough for her breath to catch sharp and sudden in her throat, for her eyes to widen, her mouth to pop open. Then she's upon him. "Thorn!" A girlish squeal of excitement rises unbidden as she throws herself into a hug around him, one that threatens both their balance. "Absolutely, yes!"

COLT

// Turn that frown into a smile real quick—There ain't nothin' that a beer can't fix //