best of friends

OLIVER

There was an old saying: Opposites attract. Then again, there's also no saying the two ever would've gotten along if it weren't for their initial meeting and Oliver's feelings towards the other man. There were very few things he had to reflect on in his first couple of weeks in the Hollowed Grounds, except for that first meeting. It's awkward and weird for Oliver to admit, but that first meeting had meant everything to Oliver. It's done so much for him and might be one of the sole reasons the two continue to communicate.

There's a playful eyeroll and Oliver sighs. "You can do that if you'd like, personally I just wanna wear what makes me feel confident and comfortable so...I guess we're kinda the same with our styles in that way." Sunjata wore what he felt comfortable in, which isn't something others would call fashionable. Oliver thought it look nice, then again, Sunjata always looked nice. "Too bad I cant steal any of your clothes, they'd look gigantic on me." Did Oliver just somewhat admit he envies Sunjata's leather jackets? Kinda. Close enough, at least.

Sadly, his shoulder companion leaves him very quickly, but Oliver doesn't mind too much. It'll be fine, besides, she seems a little occupied with trying to kill those nasty, evil, laces.

Setting the box down in front of them, Oliver slowly opened in. Inside there was a decent variety of foods along with two cups and a small bottle of whiskey. The food consisted of freshly baked loaves of bread that had been nicely wrapped up, a few apples, and then finally some sweets. It wasn't much, but it was the most he could do considering that he had to bring it with them.

"Ta-da! I know this isn't exactly the best place for a picnic...but I thought it'd work out fine." The two had a fun time together in the Fields so surely, this should be a fun time as well?

I JUST WANT MY EXISTENCE
TO BE MORE THAN TREMBLING

you will not choke the divine from me

“Comfort is key.” He adds in response, shoulders rising and falling in a slight shrug. It had always been his choice in the end, the comfort of it all. But he was partial to fabrics and colors, fits and what not. All of those could be adjusted, fixed to fit him the best, and he relied on that to keep him looking at least mostly presentable. Some nobility habits still remained, and if there was one his father ingrained into him deeply, it was that one.

The mention of stealing his clothes however, Sunjata nods with a quiet snort. “You’d drown in them.” He agrees, glancing over the form and size of the other man before he turns his attention ahead to the clearing, the place that the surprise will take place. And he settles in, as Haai retreats under his leg to chew on his laces, much to his internal annoyance, though none of it flashes along his face. None of it is seen beneath the hardened exterior, a mask put back in place since the day he’d learned of Lusea and her second demise.

Still, he watches as Oliver pulls out a box and opens it. Food aplenty and some whiskey that Sunjata eyes with a curious gleam to his eye. “This is nice, Ollie.” He offers, reaching for the glasses and the alcohol first, steel eyes drifting up to meet Oliver’s gaze with the briefest of smiles crossing his own face. “Thank you.” As much as he wanted to thrive within his brooding, within his own self torture, at least the touch and care that Oliver had put into this was enough to break through a small amount of the ice he’s encased around himself.

sunjata

Coding base by Odd!

OLIVER

Comfort could mean multiple things and to Oliver: it was what made him feel confident and what he could personally wear for hours on end. While others tended to focus on the latter, he knew the first thing was just as important. Yeah, it's important to not fuck up your body, but it;s also important to remember that you should wear what makes you feel happy and good about yourself. That's what he cared about. "Okay, yeah, I'd be drowning, but it'd be worth it. You gotta hook me up with the place you get those jackets! They're stylish and I know I'd look great in them."

The small smile that formed on the other man's normally stoic expression earned a massive smile from Oliver, once that he simply couldn't hide no matter how hard he tried. "No problem. It's only the start of what I have planned." It isn't a surprise that Sunjata went for the alcohol first. Oliver knew to bring a small amount and to regulate how much the man drank. It'd be a nice companion to the food, hopefully. "Go ahead and poor me a glass." As he spoke, he took out one of the bread loaves and proceeded to rip it in half. It was placed down on a piece of paper to the side of the basket, available for Sunjata if he wanted to take it.

"You should really like the bread, it's fantastic! I mean, I haven't tried Amalia's, but this dude? He makes great bread." Surely Sunjata knew this Amalia. Everyone knew who Amalia was! At least, everyone but him. "The apples should be pretty damn good too. I don't have any meat to offer to Haai, unfortunately, but you and I can feast." As he spoke, he'd hold out the hand that didn't have bread in it to Haai, almost as though he were trying to call her over for some scratches.

I JUST WANT MY EXISTENCE
TO BE MORE THAN TREMBLING

you will not choke the divine from me

The comments of his jackets cause him to nod slightly, somewhat nostalgic. “Well, I came in with one from Korofi so I took it to the markets to show the people there what it was like to recreate some different versions.” He shrugs easily. “But Hotaru has set up her shop now, I’m sure she could outfit you with something you like.” Gods knew she’d be outfitting him with quite a bit of clothing that was definitely along his style.

His thank you is recurved with a bright smile as Sunjata sets out the glasses and pours enough for the both of them before setting the bottle between them and lifting the glass to settle in his hands. “Whiskey still is my favorite.” He rumbles thoughtfully, mulling it over before he looks to Oliver with a slight faint smile. “After my mother died, Lusea stole the best bottle of whiskey from her father’s liquor cabinet. I think I was still drunk two days later from it.” A quiet chuckle before he looks down to the glass and takes a small sip, hoping it puts the edge of the hangover away.

The mention of food has him focusing again, reaching for a piece of bread to break apart and decide whether he wants to eat it or not, how much it might upset his stomach if at all. “Amalia does a lot, from what it sounds like. I’ve never met her.” A baker, the Shield of Safrin, beloved by most. It’s a surprise to him he still hasn’t stumbled across her path yet, but he makes a note to stop by the bakery at some point perhaps when he’s feeling better to see what it’s all about, perhaps to even ask her of Safrin, but that’s for a later date.

sunjata

Coding base by Odd!

OLIVER

Huh. So they have a seamstress of sorts here. Oliver would have to remember her name for later use. "Could I say....commission her to make something for someone else? I mean, I'll absolutely go for myself since I love your jackets, but please just keep this one bit between us....I want to surprise this new guy with something...and I wanna see if she's able to make it." He had high doubts that Sunjata had met the dude. Harper had barely just arrived. It's not like Oliver was trying to impress him, more like he wanted Harper to feel comfortable and Sunjata had just offered to ticket to doing that.

Oliver picks up the glass and takes a sip from it, nodding along. It was clear that Sunjata really did love Lusea and surely, he must be saddened by the fact that she's gone missing. Oliver isn't sure if talking about it will make things worse or help him to grieve. In no way was he trained to deal with that intense of stuff, so all he could really do was try to offer some advice. "I can agree with you on that, whiskey is fantastic! It's hard to find a good bottle, though. I...I used to drink it back at home myself." That was another memory that just came back to him in the middle of speaking. There was a clear change, where his eyes widened and he devolved into his own mini story. It wasn't much, but it was more than he had before.

And hey! At least Oliver isn't the only person who hadn't met Amalia yet, that's nice to know. "Be sure to eat some, heard that bread helps you drink more alcohol." There was a shrug of his shoulders as he took a bite from his own bread. Plus, Oliver wasn't in the mood to take home ANY food, so they'd have to eat at least half of it for Oliver to feel satisfied.

I JUST WANT MY EXISTENCE
TO BE MORE THAN TREMBLING

you will not choke the divine from me

Oliver’s question distracts him from the other realities barring down on his soul, and he focuses on the blonde man briefly before he twitches his foot slightly to get Haai to quit chewing on the laces. “I’m sure she could make anything.” He rumbles thoughtfully, the hint of a smirk crossing his lips as he recalls her crafting magic, chaining one of his arms to the bed. “She’s got crafting magic, too. You’ll have to talk to her and find out.” He offers with a small shrug of his broad shoulders, settling in and giving Oliver a bit of a history tidbit about Lusea and him.

The comment of whiskey being fantastic causes him to smile lightly at it. “Getting some memories back, it sounds like?” He asks, tilting his head slightly toward Oliver before he lifts the glass to his lips and takes a slightly longer sip, feeling the burn of it in the back of his throat, following the burn down to his stomach and relishing in the way that it staves off the edges of a hangover in the back of his mind. Relieving, to say the least.

The mention of the bread, though, with alcohol causes a brow to lift. “Helps you not get as drunk as fast.” He leans back lightly to look toward the sky, peeking for the hint of the moon or some stars along the slightly cloudy skies despite the daylight warding it all away. “If the goal is to get absolutely shitfaced, as quick as humanly possible, drink on an empty stomach.” There’s a nod given Oliver’s way, knowing from experience that’s the way to do it.

Feel like shit after, but at the very least it’ll get you there faster.

sunjata

Coding base by Odd!

OLIVER

In an attempt to help free Sunjata's shoelaces from the little monster, Oliver sets down the glass of whiskey and tries to lure the little creature over, tapping his finger against the ground a small bit. Maybe, just maybe, it'd be able to catch her attention. Meanwhile, his eyes stayed focused on Sunjata. "Yeah, I guess I'll talk to her when I'm free again. I'll focus on getting Ha- the person the special item, then I'll worry about myself." No way did Sunjata even know Harper, but Oliver didn't wanna let anything on.

He set the bread down on the paper and moved to pick his whiskey glass back up, taking a sip. "Guess so, memories kinda come back weirdly, really. It's not important, like, knowing that I loved whiskey is totally going to be the answer to all my questions." There's a playful eye roll before he proceeds to take another sip.

Sunjata was able to clarify his understanding of food and alcohol. Looks like he was close enough, so Oliver would call that a success in his book. "In that case, I say you and I should enjoy this food. I mean, I wouldn't want it to all go to waste." Oliver would certainly remember that trick for a later date, seeing as wrong things happened often in his life and whiskey was always the solution! Totally.

"Unfortunately, I didn't even bring enough alcohol for us to truly get drunk." There's a shrug of his shoulders as he takes one final sip before setting the glass back down on the ground carefully. "So...tell me about this panther shift of yours. There's a mischievous look in Oliver's eyes, but also one of curiosity. He wants to see the panther up close, dammit.

I JUST WANT MY EXISTENCE
TO BE MORE THAN TREMBLING

you will not choke the divine from me

For a moment, Haai is distracted by the tapping that Oliver does, and she releases Sunjata’s laces to prowl along the ground, nose above the grasses as she weaves her way him and keeping herself low to the ground. She hunts him, quietly and as stealthily as she can, and when she reaches within striking distance, she pauses as her ears go flat and she focuses hard on the blonde man’s finger. Then she pounces, aiming to bite at his knuckles.

The mention of Oliver’s returning memories captures Sunjata’s attention as he internally chides his griffin for her antics, his gaze slipping over to him with a shrug. “Some is better than none.” He offers easily, wondering what kind of man he would’ve been like if he didn’t remember who he was, what he’d done. Would he have chosen the same path? Something different? And when the memories came back would he be surprised at the results of what he had once been versus what he is now?

Too many hypotheticals that keeps his mind spinning, that he focuses on the alcohol again. “Left overs are good too.” He offers, despite quietly taking bites of the bread that Oliver had offered and brought with, giving something for the whiskey to soak into as it reaches his stomach. At the mention of not bringing enough alcohol to get fully drunk, Sunjata shrugs once more to that, a quiet huff of a chuckle leaving him. “I’ve mostly been in a permanent state of either at least buzzed or hung over, so it’ll at least get me that far.” It was true – either he was attempting to black himself out, or woke with a raging hangover he only cured by drinking more.

Wasn’t healthy, but it is what it is.

The mention of the panther shift, however, distracts him and he pauses while he thinks about it. “I found out I had it when I helped Loren burn down the Rathskeller.” He admits, biting down on the inner part of his cheek as he thinks. “It’s nice to have something else other than the bird to work with.” He shrugs, realizing yet again he hadn’t quite gone to try and talk to Safrin about it. But that was for later, a separate time, when perhaps he was a bit more put together. If ever.

sunjata

Coding base by Odd!

OLIVER

Hopefully Sunjata wouldn't mind the little antics going on between him and Haai. It wasn't that bad since he would've warned her if her bites were deadly. Of course, he did see the attack coming, but he tried his best to not let it on for her sake. He kept his heart calm because, well, he really wasn't all that afraid, but he tried to act as though he was a prey. Oliver watched her out of the corner of his eye, smiling at her behavior. Slowly, she crept up and then...wham! She attacked! Oh the pain! His hand twitched as she bit down onto his knuckle. Using his free fingers, he attempted to scratch at her, both to distract her and so that he could have her attack his palm instead or something. That'd be nice.

It wasn't too hard to keep his conversation up with Sunjata. Multitasking was one of the many talents Oliver had been gracefully gifted with. "Yeah, honestly it's great. There's nothing I can really complain about, especially when I've come so far. Hell, you remember what it was like when I first arrived. I was awkward...and knew nothing." Oliver looked back on himself with embarrassment. He....he wasn't great. He really wasn't.

The faintest of frowns could be seen as Sunjata spoke about himself. He really and truly wasn't doing all that great. "Well...best eat up then, huh? It's probably for the better, that way your body doesn't totally give out on you. Be sure to invite me over one of the next times you're drinking." It'd take a while for the man to feel better again and Oliver could only keep the man in his thoughts, check in on him every so often. Sunjata was an adult and as much as Oliver wanted to stop him from doing this self-damaging behavior, there was so little he could do. Sunjata could just ignore him or stop him entirely.

Oliver notices the shift in attitude at the mention of the shift. Progress? Kinda. "Do you....do you wanna show me? I've never seen a panther in real life. I only read about 'em in books. Even then, all I saw were illustrations of 'em." Yes, Oliver was trying to get the man to change into a panther. That way, he would be distracted from the idea of drinking. It was perfect. Plus, it seemed to make the man happy. It'd hopefully help Sunjata to feel better, even if it was small. Any smile was a good sign.

I JUST WANT MY EXISTENCE
TO BE MORE THAN TREMBLING

you will not choke the divine from me

She falls for the bait, as Oliver’s other hand reaches over and starts to scratch her, she releases his finger and darts for his other hand, rolling onto her back in a plume of iridescent feathers spread along the grass and paws and talons kicking up at his other hand in amusement. Sunjata can feel it radiate from her, but it does little to drown out the feelings he has that outweigh them. At least he’s glad she’s having fun.

A swift nod is given to Oliver at the mention of what he was like when he arrived, a wry smile crossing his face. “Incredibly cold, shivering, no memories.” He replies gruffly, though the trace of a smile crosses his face. “Looked at Remi and I like you’d seen a ghost.” A quiet chuckle leaves him as he focuses on the liquor and the bread, leaning back on an arm briefly to stretch out his legs. His steel eyes drift up toward the blonde man as he mentions to eat and not let his body give out on him before he laughs softly at that. “Ollie, I’m the Flood of Korofi. I can handle my liquor better than most.” A wink is sent before he grows quiet again, thinking on it.

He’s pretty sure he had his first drink when he was twelve, but had only started to get into it when he turned seventeen, after the Trials, after he’d murdered all those other boys.

But his eyes drift back to the man as he asks if Sunjata can show him the panther form, and he nods quietly – shifting there on the blanket into the panther form – steel eyes shifting to meet Oliver’s from his broad dark head. In the main light that streams through the trees, there’s the faintest of spots that adorn his coat, hard to see unless you look for them. Along his nose and under his eye is a small scar that is pale in comparison to the rest of him, but his eyes are the same – steely and shadowed, though narrowed like a predator. His ears perk forward to Oliver, tail flicking up idly as he stretches out on the blanket with a soft sigh.

sunjata

Coding base by Odd!

OLIVER

While Sunjata may not feel the greatest, Oliver certainly felt extremely overjoyed. It was honestly super adorable to see how Haai behaved and attacked his hands. It did mildly hurt, but nothing that Oliver hadn't felt before. Oliver had memories of a cat and being scratched a couple of times and this didn't compare, not in the slightest.

The two are close enough for Oliver to feel comfortable making fun of a past version of himself. Then again, Sunjata absolutely wasn't wrong. "I probably almost blended into the snow, honestly. Seeing as my hair is practically white and my shirt was white." It's a lame attempt at a joke. "What ever would I have done with your furs? My poor legs, they would've been frozen stiff!" Oliver acts dramatic, placing a hand over his heart, but not without throwing in a wink at the very end. In all honesty, he kind of did owe his entire life to Remi and Sunjata, seeing as he would've frozen to death if it weren't for them helping him. He may have been able to walk a bit, but he doubts that he would make it to civilization.

"The Flood? What's that mean?" Oliver isn't afraid to admit that he knows jack shit...okay, sometimes he's afraid to admit it, but Sunjata is allowed to know it.

Despite having seen Sunjata change into a parrot before, it's still surprising to see him become a panther. It'll take a lot to get used to that, but it's still an amazing sight to behold. The blonde slowly reaches forward, hesitating. "May I....may I pet you? Uh....move your right paw if yes and your left paw if no?" He's clearly overwhelmed, super amazed to see a panther in front of him. While he knows it's Sunjata, he still views it as the closest chance he ever has to see a panther. Sunjata is simply gorgeous, maybe even prettier in this form than as a parrot.

I JUST WANT MY EXISTENCE
TO BE MORE THAN TREMBLING

you will not choke the divine from me

There’s another snort sent Oliver’s way at the dramatics, of being lost in the snow, at freezing to death. He finds it unlikely that the man beside him would do anything like that without having a chance to start — memories or not. When faced with the possibility of life or death, most tended to crave and do the impossible for life. “Just have to hobble your way to civilization.” He rumbles in response, though the thought does bring an amused smirk to his lip — that and the alcohol.

The question, however, does surprise him enough that his steel gaze flits to Oliver with a dark raised brow. He’d just assumed everyone had heard the term before. “It means…” He struggles to find the right words to say. “Like if you’re by a river when it rains and it overflows in the grounds and houses around it. It’s overwhelming, too much it can handle, consuming.” He finds them all to be accurate descriptions. “Lusea was the flame of Korofi. I was the flood. She burned and burned until she was snuffed out.” Snuffed out again and again. How did she think she could survive, a fire, among the winter winds? “I was the flood, which meant that despite her fire and brightness, her destruction, mine was a bit deeper. I wasn’t noticeable until it was too late, and by then I’d overtake them, overwhelm them, drown them.” He’d done it here, too, by being too much and yet not enough all the same.

But he shifts to a panther and he can’t add much more to the stories of him in Korofi, because Oliver can’t understand him aside from purrs and growls and roaring, but his whiskers flick at the understanding of Oliver’s question. To pet him? Move either paw? He snorts, a feline hum of a growl leaving his maw before he rolls to place his head along Oliver’s arm, a brush of his whiskers as though he’s telling him it’s fine to pet him, to touch the dark fur that lines his body. He’ll let the blonde man know when it’s too much.

sunjata

Coding base by Odd!

OLIVER

There's a sudden snicker coming from Oliver, as he thought of something brand new. It was like he was responding to a childish joke and honestly, it kind of was. "I would've been a penguin." Yes. That's what Oliver was laughing at. The fact that he was like a penguin. Again, penguins were one of the creatures Oliver had only read about, but never actually seen with his own eyes.

Once Sunjata starts explaining Oliver realizes something major: he messed up. His face darkens deeply as he realizes his mistake. It all makes sense now, totally, but he really should've asked his question much better. "Yeah....trust me, I know what a flood was...not your fault, of course. I just didn't know why they called you a flood....thanks for explaining it to me." He sounded super ashamed, as though someone had just whacked him with a newspaper. It was soooo embarrassing. Great job Ollie, messing up in front of Sunjata!

His mood was immediately brightened by the sight of a panther. Using his hand that was free, Oliver would reach forward to gently pet the side of Sunjata's head. His hand was slow and reluctant. The moment his hand made contact with the fur, his eyes widened and he couldn't help but smile faintly and soon, he was giving the panther delicate pets. Meanwhile, he'd attempt to free his other hand from Haai, shaking around his foot to try and attract her towards it. Hopefully, he'd be freed enough to give Sunjata some nice pets. Of course, it was a bit hard to pet Sunjata considering he was kind of upside down.

"Sorry if this is weird...but your fur is super soft." He laughs as he speaks, clearly a bit overwhelmed by this, but in a good way. It was amazing and....and he had no idea how much he needed it. Maybe it was him missing the feeling of having a pet, but it felt nice to have no worries. Just him and Sunjata as a cute panther.

I JUST WANT MY EXISTENCE
TO BE MORE THAN TREMBLING

you will not choke the divine from me

And that’s where they differ. While Oliver May have read about penguins, Sunjata doesn’t know what those are. He’s also never seen snow before arriving to Caido, but that came from living in a land where floods and monsoons were relatively common, and during the summer months long droughts spanned the country — a rise in scorpions and other creatures that could handle the high temperatures much better. But never snow, never penguins, not even tropical enough for any other kind of penguins. Still, she snorts and agrees, assuming it must be a creature that lives among the snow and ice.

Oliver soon pipes up and mentions that he knows what a flood is, but not why they had called him that and he nods in response. He hadn’t known that was what the blonde man meant, but he at least got his answer in the end. “Ah. Well you got your answer.” He rumbles with a sly smile before he’s a panther, before Oliver’s hands are running through the dark spotted fur Sunjata sports, while Haai loses complete interest and darts under Sunjata’s shoulder.

Oliver’s compliment reaches him and he parts his maw to give a toothy feline grin. He knows it’s soft, knew it all along. Taking a large paw with his claws still in, he aims to bat at Oliver’s hand playfully, a rumble of a growl leaving his throat in his amusement, though there’s nothing of malice within it.

sunjata

Coding base by Odd!