nothing lasts forever, and it's fine

don't you know i'm no good for you?

Winding his way past the Glade and the Oasis – a place he was literally just married at not too many weeks before, has him averting his gaze from the waters that appear on the edge of his sight. But Haai has come with him, darting from circle to circle of stone as they approach the shrine in the middle, a small promise given to her before he couldn’t hear her speak again that he’d do better, try to be better. And he was trying.

Even if he was still sick and had absolutely overdone it lately in an attempt to get away for a bit – avoid responsibilities he’d been trapped within. He takes a break along the shrine, sitting among the grasses and warmth, letting the waning sun wash over freckles and tanned tattooed skin as Haai chases after a rat peeking from a crevice. He coughs for a moment, settling himself as he knows he's continuing to overexert himself with the adventures he's taking, and he sighs as he looks down to his Frey-blessed ring and chews on the inside of his cheek.

He’d prayed to Safrin a lot recently, since Fiat Lux. He’s not sure why. But something about it calms him, quells the feelings within him, and he never expects or wants a response. Just the ease of being able to talk it out, to figure things out, by himself or with Haai beside him. Sometimes that’s all it takes. He doesn't even know where to start this time.

i've learned to lose, you can't afford to

SUNJATA

Safrin whisper my name into the sky 'You know I'd say that I"m a bit upset I didn't receive an invite to your wedding, but something tells me it isn't long for this world." The goddess has nothing personally against Phoebe of course, but given that she seems to be one of Frey's chosen has soured the goddess against her. That, and surely Sunjata could do so much better. Blossoming into existence like a dark rose spreading its petals, the goddess appeared dainty and somehow still voluptuous before Sunjata. "Someone seems to have brought some storm clouds with him. Want to tell me what's on your mind, sugar?" & the heavens will bow

don't you know i'm no good for you?

She arrives, and he doesn’t know what to say to it. He has never expected her to show up – least of all when he’s a complete and utter wreck inside, and yet here she is. And of course, the first thing that falls from his goddess’ lips is about his wedding, enough that a rough, rattled huff of laughter leaves him in response, trying his best to quell the cough that threatens to appear. “Frey was there, I think you would have enjoyed it as much as I did.” He muses to her, offering Safrin a small smile to that.

Of course, he doesn’t exactly know where the sourness comes from toward Frey, but he does know he’s always preferred Safrin. And perhaps, Safrin might not have enchanted the rings that only complicated his life more. But he moves on from that thought, shifting as he sits along the grass at the bottom of the shrine and Haai abandons her hunt of mice to approach the goddess with a wagging tail and perked ears, tongue lolling out the side of her mouth as she lifts her wolfish head toward Safrin in all playfulness of a puppy.

As far as storm clouds and what’s on his mind? Well, a lot. A lot that he doesn’t think she needs to deal with among the other things she’s dealing with. “I just don’t understand how I keep trying to help and end up getting into the situations I do.” The wedding, the shit he’s gotten into with Hotaru, the idea that he keeps getting manipulated by the people he lets in, the disastrous trip to Halo. “Perhaps I really am as stupid as people think I am.” He says, ruffling a hand through his hair before he loses control of the partial shift and the horns appear beneath where rough calloused hands had been.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be complaining to you. I'm sure you have much more important things to do." He half says in a quiet rasp, the hand that ran through his hair grips along one of his horns, idly. “I heard about the temple.”

---

Using this to get the Temple PQ+ instructions!

i've learned to lose, you can't afford to

SUNJATA

Safrin whisper my name into the sky Of course she wrinkles her nose at the mention of Frey. "Ohh? Do tell." She all but purrs, clearly more than happy to hear this bit of gossip right from the horse's mouth. "Help." She muses with a slight roll of her eyes, letting her fingers work around Haii's ears with a distracted adoration for the creature. "Helping is overrated. We all have the things we're good at, why be bothered that helpfulness isn't one of yours?" Her shoulders roll with an elegant shrug. The mention of the temple has her jaw tightening and for a moment she looks away. "Mmm. Not the first time that temple has been assaulted. Though it is the first time its been assaulted by one of mine." There is anger in the nearly-invisible lines on her face, tension in the way her eyes tighten. Betrayel too, though it's harder to see. & the heavens will bow

don't you know i'm no good for you?

The wrinkling of her nose when it comes to Frey, does inspire some amusement within him – wondering what the reasoning for it is when it likely has a very long history. “Phoebe was crying, and seeing as she claims to be Frey’s best friend, they showed up. I’d hoped that’d be the end of it there since they basically said weddings didn’t matter in the end. But it wasn’t, they ended up officiating it.” He holds up his hand with his ring on it in some small amount of distaste. “Enchanted the rings too, I think.” His slate eyes lift to meet his goddess, wondering if that was the sort of gossip she’d wanted to hear.

He’s glad Safrin missed it, to be honest.

There’s a slight hum from Haai as Safrin scratches behind her ears, back talons thumping against the ground as Safrin finds a spot that’s certainly the best spot to be scratched at. Sunjata nearly ignores it completely to drink in Safrin’s words, a snort leaving his nose at the way she makes it fit in a way that makes sense. Why did he try? What was it worth? Just more frustration and pain in the end, he decides.

Talk of the temple, though, has his gaze lingering on her as she looks away and her jaw tightens, and a dark brow raises at the mention that it’d been attacked before. And he can understand how it might hurt, especially to have the one brought back from death, connected so intently to her, to be the one that destroyed it in the end. There’s a curl of his lip slightly at that before he nods. “So it happens relatively often?” He asks in idly curiosity, before the underlying thought hits him. “I want to rebuild it. With Amalia if she’s willing to. If you’d want that?” He has a few other people in mind, but Amalia is Safrin’s Shield… And in the end, Sunjata finds that despite Safrin’s Star having brought it down, if those that Safrin had blessed and helped in life could resurrect the shrine, perhaps it wouldn’t hurt quite so much.

i've learned to lose, you can't afford to

SUNJATA

Safrin whisper my name into the sky 'When is Phoebe not crying." Safrin mused as the tale went on. "They what? Ugh. How annoying." The goddess could only imagine Frey standing there, a tie or so tied around whatever genitalia they were sporting that day, going on and on about meaninglessness. Not a good look for a wedding. 'You think?" Somehow she doubted that. Subtly was not Frey's strong suit. Jaw feathering lightly, Safrin shrugs. In fact it didn't happen often, but she wasn't about to say so. It was embarrassing enough as it was without admitting that it was also quite the feat. 'Oh darling would you really? And with Amalia?" Her smile grows, palms reaching out to affectionately cup Sunjata's face. 'It will be a bit tricky though...but if you're up for it?" & the heavens will bow

don't you know i'm no good for you?

Safrin’s mused response ignites an amused response from the Attuned, and there’s a slight rumble of a chuckle along with it. It certainly felt like that. But when he tells her that Frey had officiated, his tattooed shoulders rise and fall in a small shrug. “I mean, I know that they are but I’m not sure the whole extent of it.” He certainly would find out though rip.

She doesn’t admit whether it happens often or not, and Sunjata knows the cue to leave it, to drop that particular subject in form of another question – a better one. To rebuild. It’s enough to cause a smile to cross Safrin’s face, reflected enough on his own. “She is your Shield, after all.” He replies briefly, before his face is cupped and he looks up to Safrin with bright steel. He’d typically nod, but her hands are cupping his face, and he appreciates that gesture far more than trying to mess with it.

“Of course I am. Anything for you.” He says softly. Anything for his goddess, the one thing that’s a constant – the one person that’d changed him entirely, and for the better.

i've learned to lose, you can't afford to

SUNJATA

Safrin whisper my name into the sky Her eyes narrow as if about to wink, but they remain adoring slits as she nods. "Just what I wanted to hear." Which of course, he knows. "To build a shrine...it isn't easy. I'll need something once alive now dead, something dead now alive. I will also need the heart of a rare creature. What it is, is up to you. The remaining piece I shall bring myself." Her fingers stroke the side of his jawline, a smile whispering on her lips. "Do you think you can do that?" Sunjata must bring 1. Something alive now dead (up to interpretation) 2. Something dead now alive (up to interpretation) 3. The heart of a creature marked as rare. This will be the actually PQ+ portion. Up to you what rare creature you try and go after! & the heavens will bow

don't you know i'm no good for you?

The look Safrin gives him fills him with something that satisfies the dark shadows within him, writhing them away for the stars. And he listens as she nods and tells him it’s what she wants to hear. Something he already knew, but he smiles to her nonetheless, a toothy pearly gesture before settling in like a good student to listen and take the mental notes of what’s required. Something once alive, now dead. Something once dead, now alive. A heart of a rare creature… He thinks they’re all things he can do, and he nods briefly with his head still in her hand.

She begins to stroke the side of his jawline, and he leans into it with a soft sigh before his steel gaze seeks out her own. If he thinks he can do it, he bypasses that comment to ensure that he will, he doesn’t intend on failing her with this, not when he’s brought it up. “Absolutely.” He agrees quietly, but with everything he has within him. He’ll rebuild it for her, the one constant ever since he’d become Attuned.

i've learned to lose, you can't afford to

SUNJATA

Safrin whisper my name into the sky "Well what are you waiting around for sugar? You've a temple to build." Her laughter would be musical and swaddling, wrapping around Sunjata's shoulders as any blanket might. With an adoring smile and last caress of his jawline, the goddess would disappear. The smell of fresh honeydew and lilacs would stir in her wake, and all physical and mental woes the Flood had been carrying with him would disappear just as she had. ~FIN & the heavens will bow