let's call it a knight

Melita

Eating fire is your ambition
to swallow the flame down

Every intention had been to snag a quick snack for Iskra, herself, and their band of animals and companions, then hasten back towards where they were meeting. The Honeybee hadn’t anticipated the absolute gaggle of people in line though, and more than once she peered over shoulders with a narrowed brow and huff of impatience, trying to see what the holdup had been.

Maybe there was some new food or drink? She’d already asked a few around her, but they were just as confused, all of them shrugging their shoulders and glancing at her warily (it wasn’t like she’d try something on them, yeesh). Eventually though, she could make her way through the crowd and place the order. Now all she had to do was hover around and drum her fingers on the counter, eyes flickering in various directions, mind half-occupied by a hangry haze threatening to descend, and the other upon things she needed to do once the eternal evening ended.

to be lit up from within, vein by vein
to be the sun

RONIN

Ronin arrives at just the right time, which could be put down to divine providence, only the divine is out of office for Longnight, so it's got to be dumb luck instead. Either way, the result has him able to head straight to the bar to order a cocktail for himself and Remi (he'd left his husband by one of the larger bonfires to try in vain to keep an eye on their twins and whatever shenanigans they're engaged in), and as he waits for them to arrive, it's only a small glance to the right to spot Melita.

His eyes widen a touch, because he'd intended to reach out to the Honeybee the moment the sun returned, but with her right before him, it would seem their paths are destined to cross sooner rather than later. "Hey, Mel. How's Longnight treating you so far?" he asks with a friendly smile that warps into a wince as he recognises (from personal experience) the tell-tale signs of hangriness.

"Or should I ask again in a few minutes once you've eaten?" he hazards through a laugh. "Sorry to hear about Ludo, by the way - Vi told me no one has been able to track it down. Have you had any leads...?"

soft spoken with a broken jaw
we step outside, but not to brawl

Melita

Eating fire is your ambition
to swallow the flame down

The pout grew as the wait dragged, and her thoughts had begun to form one of those maddening vibes where one could stare into the distance and see nothing but a haze of crimson. Her stomach rumbled, and she grew cross about that, because perhaps she shouldn’t have taken her sweet time getting down here –

And then suddenly Ronin appeared.

Her eyes widened and her head shook like she hadn’t realized he’d been there, too caught up in the stewing bits of rage. “Oh hey – pretty good, minus the -,” and then she cast a hand at the gaggle of people either ordering or praying for their food to be done. “I’m about ready to gnaw off a part of the bar,” and then she quirked a smile. “Yours?”

The reality of the Ludo predicament wasn’t something she thought she’d be talking about today, or here, and her gaze sharpened momentarily, before dropping, along with her voice to a whisper. “Yeah, Mort talked to me about it. I feel bad, because I had no idea-” and if she’d gone sooner, could things have transpired that much quicker? She loosened a breath from her chest, and it came out a frustrated sigh. “He said to talk to Safrin, which I’ll do after LongNight. Did Vi mention anything else?”

to be lit up from within, vein by vein
to be the sun

RONIN

Ronin's laughter is as close to brotherly as it gets, because the gods know that he and Melita are cut from the same cloth when it comes to being very unreasonable when hungry. "Want me to send myself back there and see what the hold up might be?" he offers; what good is an astral projection if not used for occasional shenanigans? "And oh, you know. Fairly regular - my twins are trying to eat bioluminescent seaweed and I'm trying to decide if Kai will break a leg riding on an encantado."

All in all, could be worse honestly.

Turning to accept his cocktails (and looking appropriately apologetic as Mel's wait continues), Ronin listens carefully as she explains the further situation. "Not about Ludo," he confesses. "I did speak to him about the strange stuff happening in the Oerwoud, and about a creature that was rampaging through the desert. He seemed to think it might be one of Rae's experiments, which... not great, but not The Family, so..." He shrugs.

"Do you want me to come with you when you see Safrin?" he offers. "Did Mort say why he thought she'd know where Ludo was?"

soft spoken with a broken jaw
we step outside, but not to brawl

Melita

Eating fire is your ambition
to swallow the flame down

She quirked a grin at the question, glancing around surreptitiously before her eyes turned back to his with her usual air of mischief. “If you promise to bully them. Or bring something back.” She was about ready to go to the next table and steal someone’s fries off their plate. To hear of his twins had her head tilting, not bothering to hide the snort at his description of said ruffians. “I’d like to meet these wayward souls.” If only to continue encouraging ridiculous behavior. “And if Kai does, I’m sure he’ll make the most of it.” Garnering sympathy from Flora, before being hoisted into the healing fountain to deter any of the whining.

Jokes aside, and pouting as his cocktails arrived (where the fuck were hers?), any hope of more information seemed lost, and there was more she had to offer on those semblances. “Oh, the Peepholes. I had a strange dream in there. I didn’t hear about the desert stuff though. What happened?” Watching as several ahead of her got there orders (there was some hope yet curling through her loudly, roaring stomach), she sighed once more. “I asked about any connections between Ludo and the Oerwoud stuff, but Mort said to potentially take it up with the Rae demi, but that we might not get anywhere there either.”

His sudden offer took her by surprise, stare widening, features twisting into slight shock – though perhaps she shouldn’t have been. That was who Ronin was. She just didn’t want him to be making sacrifices or drawing hard lines for her sake. “Only if you want,” given how many perilous situations the goddess had put him through, she could understand why he wouldn’t want to join. She was prepared, at least physically, to withstand her disdain, and give him an escape path. “Mort figured she always kept tabs on Ludo, so she might know where it is well before the rest of us.”

to be lit up from within, vein by vein
to be the sun

RONIN

"It isn't the right season for bullying, I'm afraid," Ronin says apologetically; that's more of a Leafchange activity, sorry Mel. "I'm pretty sure I can bring something back though. Might not be what you ordered yet, but..." But all's fair in Longnight and dinnertime, right? As they continue to speak a second Ronin pops up behind the bar, immediately sweet-talking the (understandably) shocked bartender before sweeping away to the kitchens.

The OG Ronin scoffs a laugh to hear that the Honeybee wants to meet his twins on purpose, and he raises his eyebrows as if to say she's practically summoned them by merely admitting as much. "I'm sure you will," he says, "though I can't guarantee you'll expect it. Still, once you've eaten, if you wander the shore just look for two identical kids with glowing grins." Can't mistake that, right?

Mel's cocktails arrive at last - clearly Ronin's reminder to the barman has done the trick - and his projection swans out from the kitchens with a basket of tortilla chips and salsa. "Yours is next," he promises as he sets the basket down and disappears. "And in the meantime, chips."

Occupying himself by stealing a few as Mel explains about the Peepholes, he hums sudden agreement. "We were there as well," he declares. "Whatever was out there put Remi to sleep." Which, suffice to say, does not happen to the Bastion. "Vi didn't mention Rae's demigod, but where's the harm, right? Amhran could speak to Rae and see what's going on at least, maybe. And in the desert, I was only there for a few seconds - got channelled," he explains. Which, standard for Ronin, as Mel would be aware. "It was some hulking thing with too many eyes and a shadow that didn't seem to work right."

None of this exactly helps with their Ludo conundrum, though, and he laughs warmly at her visible surprise, waving a hand. "It's fine," he promises. "Safrin and I are on better terms now than we have been in a long time. So if you want me there, I'll come."

soft spoken with a broken jaw
we step outside, but not to brawl

Melita

Eating fire is your ambition
to swallow the flame down

“Ronin, it’s always the right season for bullying,” she reminded him, on virtue of being a shitty little demon herself. But understandably so, in his case, that the White Knight couldn’t be slandering his good name in the back kitchens of a bar – unless it was Leafchange. She granted him a cheeky smile just the same. “It is much appreciated,” and she’d gobble up whatever came out of there, eyes flicking briefly to the second Ronin appearing, charming, then turning into the kitchens.

Her eyes widened at the notion of said twins, snorting at the semblance of and mental image of ghoulish grins. “I could’ve used that for some earlier hauntings,” but noted for future references.

The cocktails, one for herself, one for Iskra, arrive and she properly gasped and applauded his efforts, sipping a portion of hers, then Iskra’s (if they were even he wouldn’t be able to tell, #Mellogic) then snagging at the chips and dipping it deep into the salsa well. “Bless you,” and fortunate for most gathered nearby, before she’d waged war on the next person who spoke too loudly.

As she chomped down, she listened, brows furrowing slightly and feeling some manner of clear thought materializing as the food descended into her stomach. “I heard Deimos did too. So we’re dealing with something pretty potent.” If it was knocking out herself, and a myriad of stronger, capable individuals, there was some cause for concern. Ronin’s agreement about Amhran made her nod, figuring if nothing came about it, at least they’d given it a try.

Hulking things with eyes sounded about right, and once she’d swallowed down another salsa-laden chip, her hands moved upwards, striving to explain hers. “Mine had a monster, but with a friend’s face? And there was sand everywhere – and then it swallowed everything around it.” Ominous and fucking weird. Though at least Ronin’s sounded fun to potentially blow up.

His promise of being all right and on better terms with Safrin was a relief, and more probably for her than Ronin would realize. With a long breath, and a deeper grin, she nodded. “Okay. I want you there.”

to be lit up from within, vein by vein
to be the sun