staying still

the first cut was the deepest, but it healed up whole

He’d promised he’d be there when Niki landed from the Skyport – and while he knows that the necromancer might find it strange that he’d try his best to keep to that promise (reminded again and again the more he speaks with Niki that he likely should be a busier demigod than he is), Sunjata settles nearby one of the stalls as the flurry of people step off the skyport and through the little museum-like entrance he’d put together with Tal forever ago.

Then, as people begin to filter out, he spots Niki seemingly following one of the groups toward wherever it was they were heading, and the Heartless pushes off the edge of the stall and slips over toward the other man with a bright smile. “You made it!” He chimes. “Want me to carry anything for you?” He asks shortly after, ready to use his demigod strength however Niki might need him to, and more than happy to do it.

the flood

and the next one was a soft touch, but i bled out below

totally sniped from odd ilu

NIKI

Niki is trying very hard not to think about his cat today.

And yes, that might seem strange given that today is the day he's lifting and shifting his entire life to a new region, but given the feline's incredibly prickly demeanour, the dead magpie, and the incredibly weird note left on his kitchen table, suffice to say that the necromancer has been chewing it over all day. It's much easier to put it to the back of his mind now that the skyship has landed, granted, and he steps off and murmurs his thanks to those he'd hired to place his belongings into a cart for him.

He's just glancing around for... gods, he doesn't know what (a carriage, a tour guide, a welcome party, a messenger?) when his eyes land on Sunjata, and the relief that floods through him is the warmth of a familiar face in a comparatively unfamiliar place. "I did," he agrees with a nod. "Do not say you came to wait for me?"

Trying and failing not to be a little charmed by that, Niki glances back to the cart of his various cases and boxes and winces shrugging his shoulders. "I was going to see if someone would attach this to a carriage, but then I realised I did not know where I was going. I do not suppose you have the directions to my new house, do you?" And he tries not to sound too hopeful about there being a new house, as the Heartless had said there would.

my body's on the line now, I can't fight this time now
I can feel the light shine on my face

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

the first cut was the deepest, but it healed up whole

He does see the relief that blooms through Niki, though he’s wise enough to ignore it as the next comment comes and he can’t hide the way his lips quirk slightly into a smirk. “Alright. I did not come to wait for you.” He drawls, almost entirely deadpan, giving away the fact that he absolutely did come to wait for him to ensure he got to the new home with as little issue as possible.

Amused, though, he takes note of the carriage and steps over to snag the handles. “I do, actually. And it isn’t too far away from here, even.” Bouncing his brows playfully, Sunjata looks forward toward the gilded road that leads to the heart of New Haven and one of the side roads that would branch out toward the particular sector of the ever growing town that he plans on guiding Niki to. At least there’s no chaos forest magic to move everything around, so Niki would find his house in the same spot every single day.

“Straight down that road until you reach the first street, then hang a right and it’s right at the intersection of the next street.” The instructions are super simple, and with a little bit of finagling, Sunjata manages to get the cart moving with relative ease. "So how was the trip over?" He asks, unknowing about the thoughts of his cat that Niki's been plagued with.

the flood

and the next one was a soft touch, but i bled out below

totally sniped from odd ilu

NIKI

Narrowing his eyes at that, the expression on Niki's face nevertheless falls somewhere between impressed and pleased; evidently he enjoys the brand of humour he inflicts on others in equal measure. "Good," he replies, taking a few steps further out into the street so as not to block the rest of the skyship passengers from getting out and going along their way.

"Oh, you do not have to--" But it's too late, and the demigod is already grabbing up the cart of his belongings like it's absolutely nothing, leaving him walking beside Sunjata with both gratitude and chastisement burning on his tongue. "Thank you," he settles on at last, the steady tap of his cane on the stone a marked difference from the dirt and occasional cobbles of the Greatwood.

Quietly memorising the instructions and assigning visual markers as they make their way to their destination, he glances sidelong to Sunjata with a small smile. "Quiet, but long," he confesses. "I cannot deny that, come Deepfrost, I am looking forward to not having to travel the length of the continent to visit friends. How have things been here?"

my body's on the line now, I can't fight this time now
I can feel the light shine on my face

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

the first cut was the deepest, but it healed up whole

He knows he doesn’t have to, but he wants to and that’s the clear difference. He wants to see the unadulterated reaction on Niki’s face when he guides him to the spot he thinks will be perfect for everything he might need. The way that it backs up against the gravemarkers, open but still a part of the town, where he could sit in the front window and watch people walk by sipping his coffee if he wanted, and could venture out into the wilder areas behind to find whatever items he needed. “You’re welcome.” He says chipperly, starting to walk and guide Niki toward the house in question he’s given the rough directions for.

The click of Niki’s cane is nearly drowned out by the townfolk moving around, making little conversation here and there that makes it feel lively, and all the while there is the occasional one that nods hello to Sunjata as he walks beside Niki that he returns with a nod and a smile of his own as he focuses in on what Niki’s saying. “It’s nice here in Deepfrost. Everyone makes sure the cobblestones aren’t too slippery and icy.” A bit of companionship among those in the new city, he’s realized. “Things are good here. Working on the healing river, so I’m hoping to have that done soonish. And I have some ideas for other future quests that I think will be fun.” But offering Niki an almost smaller smile, he glances the necromancer’s way. “I spent some time with Frey recently, so I’ve had some time to reflect and re-evaluate what I want to do for myself and here.” Based off their previous conversation, where drunk!Niki had been his therapist, though he isn’t sure the necromancer remembers much from that night.

the flood

and the next one was a soft touch, but i bled out below

totally sniped from odd ilu

NIKI

Niki seems to settle as they walk together, doing his best to keep up a decent pace so that Sunjata doesn't have to pull his belongings for too long, however little his demigodly constitution might be affected. The people who weave around them draw his attention in a different way than they had previously; these are no longer strangers in a city he doesn't know, but potential neighbours or regular acquaintances, and he has to continually check back on Sunjata to make sure he hasn't started to wander off.

"It certainly seems as though everyone is busy," he agrees, smiling. "It is good to see, especially with Deepfrost on the way. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help with the river?" He isn't great at physical labour, but he can summon up something that could help if necessary, he thinks.

Smiling warmly to hear that the Heartless had spent some time with Frey, and that he seems better for it, Niki clearly remembers only the very basics of what he'd ramblingly discussed with the other man while drunk. "I am glad to hear it," he says regardless, because he is. "I look forward to hearing what other ideas you have."

my body's on the line now, I can't fight this time now
I can feel the light shine on my face

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

the first cut was the deepest, but it healed up whole

Luckily for Niki, Sunjata is never far – and he matches his own pace so as to not zip away from the other man. It’s an easy stroll they take as they slip down the main gilded glittering road until they reach the street to take a right on. Turning and ensuring Niki is with him when he does, he nods to the offer. “Right now we’ve got to start digging down the river and relocating trees, wrangling unicorns, and purifying.” He winces as he mentions the unicorn wrangling, because that might be some of the most challenging parts for the Heartless not having Colt around anymore.

As for what Niki might be able to help with, the options are there if there’s one he chooses, though he wouldn’t blame him if none of those seemed to appeal to him. They were mostly manual labor or riding horses all day, so, it’d probably get pretty difficult after a while – so he imagines. “But if those don’t work, we’ve got other stuff to work on starting in Deepfrost.” Like prepping for the festival he’s definitely going to do in Flowerbirth that he’s put off while his life fell apart.

Instead, he smiles while they pass by another crowd – though on this street the people have thinned out some. “I’m pretty excited about them.” He doesn’t want to give any of it away just yet, though, in case they aren’t feasible for now. But thankfully, the house itself comes into view. It’s painted dark on the exterior, with windows adorning the front section with a green door and a brass doorknob and knocker. Only one floor, but from here the space seems vast. It has neighbors, of course, but they aren’t on top of one another – with space to do whatever he’d like out front, the sides, and once they get into it and he can see the back, he’ll see the vastness of the backyard awaiting him. “Well, we’re here. Home sweet home, I hope.” He stops the cart just outside the front door, the front of the house meeting up with that second street he’d told him about, but the traffic here isn’t too busy at this time of day.

Snagging the keys from his pocket, he opens up the door and lets Niki in first, gaze focused almost like a laser on the necromancer’s attention. Inside, the space is empty and awaiting his touches. The interior features walls that could be painted should he wish them to be, but the cabinetry within the kitchen areas and everything else are made of a dark wood, homey but featuring that almost kind of dark academia vibe that Sunjata had picked up on in Niki’s funeral parlour in the Greatwood.

the flood

and the next one was a soft touch, but i bled out below

totally sniped from odd ilu

NIKI

"Hm," Niki says ponderingly, brows knitting together in a soft frown. "Well I can tell you for nothing that I would be terrible at digging and at wrangling unicorns, but I may be able to assist with relocating some flora if you are desperate. Otherwise perhaps the next addition to King's End can be something that requires a degree of admin work?" Smiling now, and nodding too at the offer of other work throughout Deepfrost, he's already starting to feel more like a part of things.

But then Sunjata stops and gestures to a house that Niki swears could have been made for him, and his mouth falls softly open. He can do little more than blink and follow the Heartless up to the front door, his expression one of boyish confusion, though he does manage to mumble a thanks as the other man lets him step inside first. The space is cozy without being stifling, with enough space and light to offset the nooks and crannies the necromancer will, of course, want to fill with his own touches.

The fact that it's one storey is still sinking in, Niki gazing out of a few windows and listening to the soft, muted tap of his cane on the wood floors. "...You picked this out for me?" he blurts out in the end, a hand resting on a dark countertop, his blue eyes warm with unexpected gratitude as he glances back towards Sunjata. "This is... I... nobody else wanted it?"

my body's on the line now, I can't fight this time now
I can feel the light shine on my face

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

the first cut was the deepest, but it healed up whole

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Sunjata reassures Niki, shooting him a small but easier smile somehow, lopsided and boyish as he guides him the rest of the way to the house in question. And of course, he’s absolutely intent in watching for Niki’s reaction. The way the necromancer’s mouth falls open, the surprise lingering in the sharp, nearly gaunt panes of his face.

The mumbled thanks has him nodding, letting Niki take a step in to see it first. The space is wide, a relatively open concept vibe for the majority of the home where it mattered, able to fit whatever Niki wanted it to (but also prevent any accidents regarding the sleepwalking adventures, probably). The door closes behind them and Sunjata lingers at the edge of the counter as he lets Niki take it all in. “Sure did.” He says of whether he picked it out for him. He’d made some of the adjustments, too, when Niki had been serious about moving.

But when it comes to whether or not no one else wanted it, Sunjata shakes his head and shoots an easy smile over toward him. “Not this particular one. I think it’s because it backs up against a line of graves and most people are trying to avoid that lately.” But for Niki, Sunjata’s fairly certain that won’t be a problem. And as if to prove it to him, he steps past the necromancer toward the backyard area of the house, with the variety of windows, where there’s a surprisingly large amount of headstones that pop up in the back expanse of the home/workshop combination. "I didn't think you'd mind that too much, though." He could be wrong, of course, but he thinks he knows him well enough to make these judgements.

the flood

and the next one was a soft touch, but i bled out below

totally sniped from odd ilu

NIKI

Why? Niki nearly blurts, managing to keep his own etiquette in check and swallowing down the other questions threatening to burn a hole in his tongue, instead forcing himself to look around at everything again. At least the line of graves makes things slot into place a little better, but even that has him shooting a look at Sunjata that combines wry amusement with his still fading shock. "Are you serious?" he asks, trying not to sound too keen as he follows the Heartless towards the back of the house.

And there the yard sits, the graves popping up like a crooked line of soldiers right towards the back where house meets headstones. Unable to help himself, Niki starts to laugh softly, shaking his head and glancing back over his shoulder towards the interior of the house. "I cannot possibly accept this. Not just for moving to the region," he says quietly, though it's clear that he desperately wants to. "It is too much, Sunjata. The place is beautiful, and it would suit me... better than you know. But I could never pay you back for it."

my body's on the line now, I can't fight this time now
I can feel the light shine on my face

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

the first cut was the deepest, but it healed up whole

“As a heartattack.” Sunjata flashes a lopsided grin over at Niki with a shrug of his shoulders – as if that was explanation enough as he leads Niki in further to get a better view of the graves that dot the backyard of the empty home just waiting for the necromancer’s touch. He leans against the doorframe to the doors that lead out to it, looking back at the other man when the laugh starts to softly fill the empty space.

His brows lift when the refusal starts to come, though, it doesn’t remove the smile still tugging there. “We’re a budding region, Niki. All I ask of my people are to find something they love doing and if you can profit off of it, the better.” He shrugs. “There’s room for a workshop or a mortuary or whatever you need. I’m sure the people here would appreciate whatever you do as much as I have.” The box that Niki had remade for him was still in his room, a center piece of a reminder that even if he did feel alone, he wasn’t.

“Plus, it’s empty and nobody wants it. I’d rather someone take it than let it sit.” Maybe that’s more palatable for the necromancer to accept. Less of a gift and more like Niki would be doing him a favor by taking it and making it into something.

the flood

and the next one was a soft touch, but i bled out below

totally sniped from odd ilu

NIKI

"You say that, but I once prepared a funeral for a man who died of a heartattack after laughing too hard," Niki says dryly, the implication being that it can't be all that serious if such things are possible. It doesn't take away from the enormity of what Sunjata is offering, though - and what the necromancer is almost definitely going to accept, he realises as the other man continues to speak. "I..."

Letting out a long sigh as if to stop any further refusal from automatically springing to his lips, Niki laughs again, the sound boyish and disbelieving this time as he turns to regard the house once again. "I have never had anywhere to call my own," he confesses. "The parlour in the Greatwood belonged to the man I was apprenticed to - I just took it over after he died. This is... thank you, Sunjata. I do not have the words to tell you what this means to me."

He does have something, though, the realisation hitting him suddenly as he glances back through the house to the cart outside the front door. "One moment," he says, heading back out to where his belongings are neatly stacked and ready to bring inside. Fussing with one of the bags, Niki returns to the house after a minute or two with a small wooden box in hand, the necromancer holding it out to Sunjata.

"It is late, but Happy Birthday," he says, smiling a little. "I told you that I got you something."

Within are a set of carefully crafted silver cufflinks formed into the shape of cresting waves, evidently made by Niki's own hand. "I know you are not known as the Flood any longer, but I thought it could be an homage to that."

my body's on the line now, I can't fight this time now
I can feel the light shine on my face

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

the first cut was the deepest, but it healed up whole

“Oh, well..” He pauses at the comment of the heart attack – because honestly? It still seemed serious if the man died. But either way, he lets that slide with a soft huff, sure that he could get away with laughing too hard provided he wasn’t in a body of water. He’d probably make it. Probably..

But the sigh that leaves Niki’s lips is one that Sunjata lingers on as much as he pretends he isn’t. The hEARs aren’t super needed in the quiet echo of the empty home, but he utilizes them all the same like he might be able to hear the necormancer’s thoughts if he tried hard enough. But he gets a little history lesson instead, and gods if Sunjata can’t relate to that little bit of information. Up until Caido, he’d never really had his own place either. He’d either been a pawn of his fathers, a soldier in a war, or an exile on the run.

But before he has a chance to say much more than “You’re welcome –” Niki’s already stepping out toward the cart to retrieve something. He stays precisely where he is, though, lingering by the back window where the backdrop of graves flank out the grasses and flowers, turning to Niki as he returns. “Oh, you didn’t have to.” He says again, the easy denial on the tip of his tongue even as he takes the gift. It’s the only birthday gift he’s received this season, though only because of his own choices to kind of drift away from everything else.

He knows well enough that Niki won’t ask for it back, though, and would be just as insistent as he is for the house he’s offered him, and so with a softer smile of just how touched he was by this, he opens the box to see the cufflinks there, adorned in a roaring crest of a wave that’s beautiful and surprises him more than he’d like to admit. “I’d prefer to still be the Flood, honestly. The Heartless just has everyone in my business.” He admits softly with a gentle laugh, finally pulling his steel gaze from the cufflinks to Niki. “These are amazing, Niki. Thank you.” There’s something tender in his gaze, there for a few moments before he blinks them away and closes the box so he doesn’t lose the cufflinks by accident. He's terrible at receiving gifts, though, not sure what all to say but if Niki looked at his body language he'd likely notice the way he seems to covet them already.

the flood

and the next one was a soft touch, but i bled out below

totally sniped from odd ilu

NIKI

"Of course I did not have to," Niki says, evidently having gained his confidence back now that Sunjata is the one awkwardly accepting a gift. "But that is the point of a birthday present, is it not?" He smiles, half to himself, and finds a nice spot out the window of the (his) yard to admire instead of openly watching the other man open his gift. His thumb brushes the top of his cane where the moth has been painstakingly carved into the wood, and he only glances back at Sunjata when he speaks.

His smile growing a little more to see that he likes the gift, however much he tries to play it down, the necromancer shrugs his shoulders. "Then they can be your reminder," he says. "Until you get your heart back and decide not to be the Heartless any more." If and when he chooses to do it, anyway. "I am glad you like them." He means it too; this had been the last thing he'd made before packing up his workshop, and so the last thing that had come from his life in the Greatwood.

He supposes, then, that it makes sense for Sunjata to offer him this bit of King's End in return. (Though he will never argue that cufflinks are of equal value to an entire house). "Fine," he says softly after a few beats, with an air of one happily defeated by persuasion. "I would be very happy to stay here, Sunjata. You will have to drop by once I have gotten everything unpacked."

my body's on the line now, I can't fight this time now
I can feel the light shine on my face

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!