wedding bell blues

After seeing Phoebe, Loren had immediately left her home. His destination, the VlamVloed, wasn't too far. It wasn't too long before the tavern's unassuming looking facade came into view. Striding up to it, the summoner gripped the door firmly. Then he flung it open, letting light flood into the blue and bronze interior. "Sunjata! A word, please." It wasn't a question, and the Launceleyn stepped into the bar. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he let the door swing shut with a thump behind him. Then he stalked forward, his eyes peeled for any sign of the VlamVloed's proprietor. And, apparently, Phoebe's fiancé. LOREN Not quite an open book

SUNJATA

Of fucking course Loren arrives. The bar is completely empty, due to Fiat Lux events more than likely, and Sunjata can’t even waste the time by drinking — and he knows this conversation is not going to be a good one based on the way the summoner has opened the door, demanded a word. He sits along the backside of the bar on a bar stool, fingers tracing the box of the ring he had made for himself, pointedly not looking at Loren.

“Bar’s empty. Afraid if you’ve come looking for a fight, now’s not a good time.” He rumbles, though his voice is hoarse and the breath he takes after crackles with his sickness. Shadowed steel eyes finally lift to Loren — head tilting and horns remaining on display, unable to get them to leave. He doesn’t know if he wants them to, now, either.

i'll never be that me again

As Sunjata spoke up, Loren turned to face the bartender. The summoner crossed his arms as he waited for the other man to finally look up. ”Frankly, I don’t care what you think about timing, because yours is clearly fucking terrible.” Then the Launceleyn walked forward and leaned his hands on the bar, staring unflinchingly and unhesitatingly at Sunjata. "What the actual fuck is wrong with you? And I'm not just talking about your voice, or your appearance." Loren waved a hand vaguely at the horns before returning to leaning on the bar. "What in the world possessed you to go ahead with this engagement with Phoebe?" Voice low and eyes flashing, he found himself tapping a foot as he paused for the answer. LOREN Not quite an open book

SUNJATA

Ah, he always has terrible timing. But this wasn’t specifically on him for once. Regardless, he says nothing to it, instead swallowing hard before he lifts that steel gaze to meet the summoners stare, the stance he takes on the other side of the bar. “Me? Oh, what. Did she try to tell you how it’s somehow my fault?” He begins, feeling that old familiar churn of his gut.

“She picked the one thing she thought I wouldn’t do, to try and call my bluff. I did it back.” He snaps suddenly, not in the mood for any of this. “And here we are.” He stops fiddling with the ring box when he finally takes a moment to catch his breath, already short and panting from the beginnings of his argument.

i'll never be that me again

Loren’s nostrils flared. ”No. In fact she told me you were both doing this out of spite, and I told her that I thought that was a fucking awful reason to agree to marry someone, no matter how badly someone might want it.” Stabbing a finger into the wood of the bar, he leaned forward. "She is grieving for her dead nephews. What's your excuse for shitty judgment?" His voice came out coldly, despite the heated words. ”Oh don’t give me that bullshit. Don’t talk as if you had no choice here.” He pointed an accusatory finger at Sunjata, the same one the summoner had stabbed into the bar earlier. ”It takes two people to agree to get married, and frankly I don’t think either of you are in your right minds or in the place to be making a decision like this.” LOREN Not quite an open book

SUNJATA

Both out of spite? Well that was new. He shakes his head to that. “And I have told her time and time again that she shouldn’t want to get married to me.” He keeps his gaze on Loren, while the summoner stabs the bar. “And she asks, again and again, and finally just to get her to feel something again, I agreed. But that makes me the bad guy, doesn’t it?” He snaps his jaw shut, muscle clenching as Loren goes on.

“Good. Tell her that. She’s the one that started this mess.” He pauses, considering it with a tilt of his horned head. “I am giving her everything she wants, Loren. I offered everything she knows that I don’t want, have never wanted.” Teeth flash briefly. “And I get nothing in return other than calling it off and breaking my word of ‘not being able to give her what she wants’.” He scoffs, that terrible raspy sound. “But sure, go off.”

i'll never be that me again

As Sunjata argued back, Loren clenched his jaw. ”If you really believe that, then you wouldn't have agreed to this." Again, his tone was positively icy. His eyes narrowed as the bartender went on. "This isn't some fucking story, asshole. There are no heroes and villains here, no good guys or bad guys, just two traumatized souls making poor life decisions." Fingers digging into the wood of the bar so hard that the summoner was white-knuckled, he stared up at the other man. Then the Launceleyn shut his eyes briefly before they snapped open. "I did. But she's not in her right mind, and clearly you don't think that what she wants right now is what she needs, or what is best for her. Which is why I expected some common fucking sense from you." Even when he was trying to be reasonable, his tone had a hard edge to it. Granted, he wasn't trying that hard. "I'm sorry your fucking pride and masculinity will get hurt by you doing the right thing. Oh wait, no I'm fucking not." He scoffed right back. LOREN Not quite an open book

SUNJATA

He’s not sure why Loren is so upset about this, none of this has anything to do with him. But regardless, he lets the summoner go off, taking the words as they are — words. “I do believe she’s making a shit choice. But with how many times she’s asked it of me, I’m content to let her figure out why.” He snaps back.

“Since you have it so figured out, what does she need?” He stands from the stool to lean on his side of the bar, horns adding about an inch and a half more to his height. “She backed me into a corner. Don’t put the blame of this on me unless you do it for her too. She’s not the only one grieving.” Another flash of teeth this time, breath rasping as he fights to regain control over his lungs.

“Also, last time I checked, Loren, it’s none of your fucking business.”

i'll never be that me again

Loren took a deep breath. ”So let me get this straight. You’re maybe ruining both your lives just to make a point? Real classy.” Expression and tone unimpressed, he just stared Sunjata down. ”Time.” The answer came out swiftly and without hesitation, and the summoner’s voice was firm. He narrowed his eyes as the bartender. ”You seem perfectly capable of rational thought right now, even if you're an idiot. I'm not so sure the same can be said of her." Finally, the Launceleyn threw up his hands in disgust. ”She’s my friend. That makes it my business. And the other people who might have defended her aren't here anymore.” Crossing his arms, he glared at the other man. ”But fine. If you’re both committed to this disaster, then the least I can do is make sure it’s not a total shitshow.” Loren took a deep breath. "Which includes figuring out whatever the fuck is going on with your voice and your horns." LOREN Not quite an open book

SUNJATA

He shakes his head initially, lip curling slightly. “The only one ruining their life is me. I told her that she could literally do whatever she wanted, that I didn’t care. Things won’t be changing for her aside from me being there every night.” A clench to his jaw. “I have to change everything that I do, how I am. She doesn’t know about the advocates, she doesn’t know about half the things I do. She pretends like she knows me, and she doesn’t.” There it is, he’s sacrificing so much to keep her life the same, altering his almost completely.

The mention of time however causes a snort to leave him. “Ah yes, time for the next tragedy to strike?” But he can’t… sit there and pretend like he doesn’t get this feeling like Loren’s insinuating that he’ll hurt her, and a muscle clenches in his jaw as he shakes his head, leaning against the bar. “I gave her my terms and she denied them because she wants my presence. She’s forced me into a marriage, into giving her a child — both of which I’ve never wanted — but it doesn’t matter what I think, does it? So long as she gets her dream. So do not for one second think that I’m hurting her. I’m pissed, absolutely, because I am giving her everything and I get nothing in return. I’m literally only doing this for her. And she has the audacity to sit there and pretend like I’ve never done anything for her.” He sighs, raspy and rough, breaking into a small set of coughs.

The mention of his voice and horns and how Loren will continue to do it gets his shadowed steel eyes to return to the summoner once he catches his breath. “They’ll go away eventually. As for my voice? I’m sick. It’ll be like this for a few months before it’s gone. I already have it diagnosed.” He frowns, not sure how to get the horns to leave despite it. He leans back from the bar then, rubbing at his wrist. “What else do you need aside from walking in here and berating me?”

i'll never be that me again

Loren applauded sarcastically at the end of Sunjata’s speech. "Wow. Brilliant oratory, that." Words practically dripping derision, the summoner let his hands fall. "How very noble and self-sacrificing of you." Then he grinned, but it wasn't a happy expression. Quite the opposite in fact: there was something almost predatory about it. "Oh wait, we could've avoided this whole ridiculousness if you'd been willing to sacrifice one more thing: your stubborn pride." Letting out an annoyed huff, he grabbed a stool and plunked himself down on it. "Great, you have a diagnosis. Let me heal you." He drummed a hand on the wood of the bar for a moment before nodding decisively. "Fine. Since you both seem committed to this disaster, the least we can do for you, for her, for everyone really, is to make this wedding not suck." Peering at the bartender, the Launceleyn's eyes narrowed. "Do you have rings? A venue? A cake? An officiant? A suit? Vows? Are you planning on conducting the ceremony in the traditional Northaven style, your own world's style, or a mixture of both?" LOREN Not quite an open book

SUNJATA

His muscle clenches in his jaw as he sighs, shaking his head to the Launceleyn. “My pride and my word are all I have, Loren.” He grits out. If anything perhaps it’ll push him to find the ocean, find some place other than the disaster that is here. He doesn’t care anymore, it’s a point to be made that she can’t say he’d never given her anything when he gives her everything.

The mention of healing though causes him to shake his head. “You did before it happened. Perhaps instead of a miracle fix, let me suffer with it for a bit.” He thinks it’s the least he can do for the mud monster that attacked and murdered so many.

But at the narrowed eyes, Sunjata slips his ring box and the wedding band to Loren, sliding it along the top of the bar. “Rings are taken care of. She has her engagement ring already.” His gaze remains on the dark box they hide within, the roiling of his gut. “Phoebe is planning everything else, however she wants it. But I’m adding in a Korofi tradition if only for my mother.” He shakes his head, knowing Phoebe won’t expect it, likely won’t like it.

But that makes two of them.

i'll never be that me again

Loren sighed, suddenly, the tension draining out of him in a rush. ”No. They’re not.” Glancing away, he felt his foot tap against the floor. ”You have your friends. Your organization. A full community of people who want to support you.” Finally he looked back at Sunjata. ”Don’t lose that. Or lose sight of it.” The summoner’s voice was quiet. Clasping his hands in his lap, he bit his lip. ”The only person who wants you to suffer is you. And magic is only as good as the person wielding it.” There was a great deal of sorrow and exhaustion in his voice. ”If I know what’s wrong, I can help.” Foot still tapping, he finally stilled it. ”You should at least spare her from getting you a suit. And what tradition? I won’t stop it, I just want to make sure someone other than you is prepared when things go sideways.” The Launceleyn tilted his head and gave the bartender a pointed stare. LOREN Not quite an open book

SUNJATA

“Not for long.” He half mumbles, shifting his weight as he stares at the bar. “She’s already gone off about commitment, how will she feel knowing my second hand is a woman?” He shakes his head. It doesn’t mean it’ll stop him, but Phoebe knew quite little about the inner workings of his secret guild. She knew very little about him it felt like. But finally, he sighs a rasping sound and rubs at the bridge of his nose, akin to an effort of something like “I’ll try”.

The mention of suffering though, has his gaze rising again to tell Loren exactly what’s wrong. “My lungs are flooding with fluid. And every breath I take, I am drowning.” A brief pause to catch his breath as he shakes his head. “I’m being treated, it’s fine.” A sign of telling Loren to not worry about it, that if it kills him so be it. He doesn’t find it in him to care anymore.

“I can get the suit.” He finally concedes, pinching his nose again. “It’s some stupid tradition with my blood.” He waves the hand away from his face as though it didn’t matter, when his gaze finds Loren again. “I can do that part myself.” He’s already figured out how, recalled from the dusty parts of his mind the words he’s to say.

i'll never be that me again