Sound the bugle, now

there's a bulletproof bond

'Alright then darlin', just a bit more." Sweet words from Remi's lips were reserved only for the mare, and sometimes for Ronin. For everyone else who knew Remi here he was a roguish asshole, but a useful one. Still, he was given a fairly wide berth which was precisely how he liked things.

Bare-chested and with a hand on the chestnut mare's neck, he coaxed her into continuing to pull their wagon up just a bit further, before tethering her to a tree surrounded by lush grass. The wagon was a far cry from what he'd once built, but the alchemist cared not one bit. The wagon and all its furnishings were for a life he no longer wanted; hard boards and rickety wheels suited him just fine now.

between me and you

Coding base by Sky!

i try to keep it in line, maybe i'm just not the one

He doesn’t know if it’s ironic or not, that the way life here is so different from the ocean of Korofi. But he does find it intriguing and unique in comparison. The ocean back home had been only an extension, but this place? Here? Had its own culture, its own vibe that Sunjata found interesting. Intriguing even.

He also finds his Macaw form fits in very well here, so much better than the navy plumes had in the Grounds.

He’s flying above the coast currently, spying from his height how far the water reaches, thriving and vibrating with the excitement of that alone, despite everything else that’s happened. And with the scout, he can’t help but to spot a wagon pulled by a relatively familiar man, even from this distance. So he swoops down, dives toward it, perching atop the wagon while Remi pats at the horse. New wagon, I see. He offers, tucking wings in tight.

but you know i would

SuNJATA

there's a bulletproof bond

Remi glances up at the bird, that might have been any other bird were it not for the strange accent suddenly filling his mind. "Nothing gets passed you." He noted dryly. Where once the alchemist's voice was nearly always coated with a bit of sunshiny-joy, now there was nothing. Not even his sea-scape eyes held any warmth, despite the heat and beauty of the world around them.

Giving the mare a final pat Remi moved to the back of the wagon, lifting up the canvas top to reveal a door and a wood box nestled at the foot of it. Opening the lid of the box (currently empty), the alchemist frowned at it for a moment before smirking. A pair of handcuffs appeared in his hands, which he deposited inside.

"You just here to perch or is there something you want?" He asked, glancing through his curls at the sapphire and golden bird.

---

Creation of

Restraint-cuffs | A magical pair of handcuffs that can restrain any creature with a STR of 30 or below.

between me and you

Coding base by Sky!

i try to keep it in line, maybe i'm just not the one

Gone is the boyish tones, the easy crooked smiles, the playfulness to tones and conversational topics. Which is fine, he supposes he doesn’t care that much in the end if Remi decides to pave a warpath of sorts. Hell, Sunjata can understand what that’s like. But he watches idly while Remi walks toward the door of the wagon, fiddling with something at the front, and Sunjata swoops down to shift into himself — horns and all.

“Don't want anything other than to check in on you.” He replies a bit stiffly, arms folding across his chest, imagining that Remi of all people likely didn’t want that right now — but Sunjata was trying, making an attempt, trying to see what the hell happened at Fist Lux and afternoon side from what he’d already heard.

Wondering if maybe Aoife’s death was all it took to flip the switch.

but you know i would

SuNJATA

there's a bulletproof bond

Utterly devoted to Ronin in this fresh hell he finds himself in, still he allows himself a glance towards the newly-horned man-beast at his side. "My, my. Aren't you quite the sight." Despite his raised brows, it isn't entirely clear if Remi means this as a compliment or an insult. There is very little that comes through the attuned bond now; just a grey landscape of softly burning anger. "I suppose you've already heard all the best jokes about you being horny by now."

That he was being checked on made Remi bark a laugh, turning towards the much taller man. "How very sweet of you." He said sarcastically. Reaching towards Sunjata's ear, Remi mimed surprise like any magician might, as he pulled a cup from thin air. 'And you've brought gifts! How thoughtful." Turning, Remi dropped the cup into the wooden box.

---

Creation of

Drinkable Sea-Cup | A cup that transmutes saltwater from the ocean into drinking water. Works one-cup at a time.

between me and you

Coding base by Sky!

i try to keep it in line, maybe i'm just not the one

The Alchemist looks him over, and Sunjata remains impassive toward it – nothing else other than what Remi’s already seen, though a few more scars do adorn him, horns and fangs as well, nothing compared to what the Alchemist bears as Sunjata gets a closer look as well. The comment, however, does ignite a brief snort, a shake of his horned head. “A few times.” He rumbles, eyeing Remi with some part precision, some part wariness.

The man is strong, and he’s not sure what he’d be able to do should the man slip and attack.

But Remi turns toward him then, and Sunjata’s steel gaze lingers on the man as he approaches, reaching toward his ear. He doesn’t move, but a part of him wants to – wondering if Remi can see that the earring in his ear is not just an earring, wondering if he’ll rip it from his ear. Because honestly? He doesn’t know what to expect from this. Instead, it’s a cup, and Sunjata’s brow raises as Remi drops the cup into the box.

He exhales, fiddling into a pocket to pull out the cigarettes he’s brought with, knowing it’ll do more harm than good. “So, what? You just make things and trade them off, now?” He asks, gesturing with his head toward the box, lighting a match to light the cigarette. “I have something of yours if you want it back.” A tilt to his head, watching, waiting.

but you know i would

SuNJATA

there's a bulletproof bond

"Bit cliche if you ask me." Remi returned with a shrug. "What with it being so easy and all." That said, he was sure he'd make some sort of pun about it sooner or later. That, or Ronin likely would.

Reaching out to clasp Sunjata briskly on the shoulder, the alchemist shakes his head. "You seem nervous Sunjata. You're at the beach for fuck's sake. Lighten up." All of this was darkly said however, Remi crossing his arms across his chest almost challengingly. "Trade, bribe, barter. Sure. Better than doing everything for free like I was before."

Looking actually a bit surprised by this, Remi tilts his head to the side in a decidedly avian gesture. "Of mine?" Not possible. He hadn't anything left these days.

between me and you

Coding base by Sky!

i try to keep it in line, maybe i'm just not the one

“Oh, I’m well aware.” He remarks somewhat dryly, shaking said horned head with some small part of amusement. But the Alchemist reaches out with a hand, clasping him on the shoulder and Sunjata focuses on that, focuses on Remi’s dark voice, before the man reaches back into his own space and crosses his arms.

Sunjata takes a deep drag of the cigarette, before a huff of amusement leaves his throat in a quiet hum. “Not used to this… You. It’s a good look though.” He offers, giving Remi a fanged smirk to that, listening on as the man talks about doing things for free as before. And he gets that, an understanding lingering within the unsaid words. Taken advantage of.

The question of something of his, Sunjata nods, leaving the cigarette between his lips as he reaches into his back pocket to pull out the piece of parchment before handing it to the Alchemist should he wish to inspect it. “Never got around to seeing what it did, but it seemed useful for you so I held onto it.” An indifferent shrug – he’s not sure how useful it would be here of all things, having not quite found the second half of it yet.

but you know i would

SuNJATA

there's a bulletproof bond

'And yet you keep them out, so..." The alchemist raised a brow. Apparently he was all out of sympathy for the day.

Remi did look good, if what you wanted in your men was unshaven mounds of tightly-wound muscle looking for a reason to fight. "Ohh Sunjata. Now, now. I'm a married man. You too, apparently." because what are timelines. The alchemist raised a questioning brow at this as his head tilted slightly, inviting Sunjata to fill in the unsaid details.

Glancing down at the parchment, Remi kept his arms crossed. "If memory serves, that was in my shop. How ever did you come across is?" Pausing just long enough for it to be clear the question was rhetorical, Remi shook his head. "Your wife has the other though. Maybe you can write each other adorable little poems. Ronin and I do it all the time. Ahem, stop me if you've this one. There once was a man from Nantucket..."

between me and you

Coding base by Sky!

i try to keep it in line, maybe i'm just not the one

“So…” Sunjata begins, shooting Remi his own raised brow. “Maybe I like the look?” A brief smirk crosses his face to that, shrugging lightly, and focusing on the next topic. One that he snorts at, takes another deep drag of his cigarette. “Oh, there’s morals in this story?” He asks with a slight smirk, before he snorts and shakes his head, exhaling a plume of smoke as he reaches into his pocket to offer the piece of parchment.

Remi doesn’t snatch it, however, and Sunjata leaves it outstretched for some amount of time before folding it up again. And when Remi continues, Sunjata’s laugh is a bit deep, a bit hoarse, and tired. “I’ll stop you right there.” He pauses, putting the paper back into his back pocket. “Ex-wife.” A dark raised brow and a look is leveled at Remi. Because this sorta makes the most sense if it was a return trip maybe idk what’s goin on.

“Good to know where the other piece is, at least. Though I’m going to assume I’m not welcome back.” A smokey rumble of a laugh leaves him. “You and Ronin though, I did meet him finally. I gotta say you were right.” Feels like forever ago when Remi had mentioned that Ronin was the best looking man in the Grounds. And if someone approves the look of exhausted, done with everyone's shit forever, Sunjata approves of it immensely.

but you know i would

SuNJATA

there's a bulletproof bond

"Wouldn't have thought unshowered and muscles were your thing, given Phoebe and all." Something about this was satisfying, though Remi couldn't quite put his finger on it. "Without morals how would we ever know when to ride around on our high horses?" He quipped back with an easy grin.

The awkwardness of the parchment between them doesn't seem to bother Remi, who simply inhales the sweet smell of the smoke snarling from Sunjata's lips and nose. "Ex-wife." He repeats, frowning with amusement. "Am I to assume from all of this that you've switched teams?" If anyone could turn a man gay, Remi wouldn't put it passed Phoebe.

"I'm right about a lot of things, you'll have to be more specific." The alchemist chuckled back, before raising a brow at Sunjata. "You seem like you might have been a bit of a thug once upon a time. If you were given a magical item as a bribe...what sorts of things d'you think you'd want?" He inclined his head towards the box with the handcuffs and cup, as if that made things more clear.

between me and you

Coding base by Sky!

i try to keep it in line, maybe i'm just not the one

“Really?” He hums in some small part of amusement, taking another drag. “Did you ever see Lusea? If anything, that’s more my style.” A crooked smirk of his lips at that, at how many times they’d sink into each other’s arms with nothing more than sweat, skin, ashes, blood.

But he places the parchment in his pocket and Remi questions the term, and Sunjata does emit a rough chuckle at it — reaching up thoughtfully to run a hand along his neck, along one of the bites. “I’m absolutely open to the idea now, at the very least.” A rise and fall of his shoulders. “Sort of what ended it anyway — those lovely Ascended bites.” Another chuckle leaves him and he shakes his head.

The conversation shifts to Ronin, and Sunjata gives him an amused look. “He’s definitely the best pick in the lot of the Grounds.” He says by way of explanation, turning a bit more fully toward Remi when he comments next, drawing a bit nearer to peer at the box. Turning his head back toward Remi, he raises his own dark brow. “Depends on the bribe, but the cuffs are up my alley.”

but you know i would

SuNJATA

there's a bulletproof bond

"I never did have the pleasure no. Then again, I do have to question the judgement of anyone who would have sex with Loren." He smirked, then shrugged. "Me included." Once the news of that threesome had been like a sucker punch. Now? It was laughable, for so many reasons.

Drawing in a slow and understanding inhale, the alchemist nodded. "Yes...My marriage luckily endured one of those, but only just." He said with an almost guilty shrug, though it fell away far too quickly to be genuine. "Those bites are certainly quite the thing. Nearly turned me, once upon a time."

Grinning at that, Remi cocked a brow. "Oh just in the Grounds, mmmm?" He snickered as if insulted. "Bet they are." The alchemist agreed. "I was thinking...shoes that were always silent...cigarettes that could serve as meals."

between me and you

Coding base by Sky!

i try to keep it in line, maybe i'm just not the one

Amusement lingers in the lines of Sunjata’s face as he brings up the threesome. “It was more of a revenge thing. She was going to fuck someone that night that wasn’t me, and I couldn’t not be involved.” A bit of a shrug, recalling internally having to try and boost Loren’s confidence with it. Felt like years ago, at this point.

“Ah, well, Frey enchanted the rings, so the minute I was bit I was fucked so.” He waves his hand as though it matters little. “I did consider it before I attuned, but it’s a bit off putting to not be able to get it up.” A rogue smirk crosses his face, shoulders rising and falling in a shrug. The mention of Ronin and the Grounds, however? “I haven’t been to Halo much, and only my second trip to Torchline so I’m afraid I don’t have the best amount of research to go off of.”

But he’s inspecting the box now, gaze slipping over to Remi as he pulls a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and offers the man some if he wants it. “These as a meal replacement would be certainly worth something.” He says in idle agreement. “Mmm, cloaks that can encase you in shadow?” He muses, looking away from the box to the wagon around them for some sort of inspiration. “Rings that can expand to cover your fingers with claws?” He wonders if he should be high to be of more use, more creative.

but you know i would

SuNJATA