you say you're okay, you're faking

i bank on the funeral

It felt great to be back in Torchline. With the sun overhead, the sand beneath his feet, skin bronzing beneath the constant exposure of it… It felt, peaceful, nice, and for once he didn’t hold as much guilt in his gut. He’d started up the boxing space, started to sort of try and figure out where to come and stay when he decides to now that the shrine and temple are completed… And much has happened since then, even if nothing truly notable.

Loren had mentioned he’d be leaving the Grounds, and after their conversation in Halo, he’s made it a point to try and reach out to the man to check in, make sure he was fine, to try and get together one way or another. And this time, he sends a note directly for the summoner, to meet him here on this day of all days, where there’s few clouds in the sky and the warmth is bright and golden as the sun treks across the sky.

He wasn’t here for the L’ma, wasn’t here for any other even that had happened, but he waits to see if the summoner shows up, dressed in nothing more than a pair of shorts, no new marks on his body aside from the marks Maea had given him recently. And with it, just the usual scars and tattoos on display, hard to miss if his height wasn’t already an indication enough.

'cause i learned all my lessons that way

SUNJATA

there's a fire starting in my heart

reaching a fever pitch

Loren had been honestly surprised to receive Sunjata's note. After all the promises from others that they wanted to be his friend, to be there for him, that had fallen through, he'd pretty much given up expecting hearing from people. Therefore, he'd been honestly touched to hear from the bartender, and a little bit of that bled through their bond as the Launceleyn approached.

Dressed in just shorts and sandals, he walked towards the pool with Astra by his side. She immediately trotted up to the other man. Letting out a little huff of laughter at the begging look she gave Sunjata, Loren gave the bartender a tentative smile. "Hey." It came out a little softly and hesitantly. "You wanted to meet?" The healer shaded his eyes against the sun as he walked closer to the pool and the other man.

and it's bringing me out the dark

LOREN

i bank on the funeral

He feels Loren through the bond a bit before he turns to look at the man, distracted by the luxere that looks up at him with pleading eyes. A quiet laugh leaves him as he kneels down among the warmth in the sand to greet the antlered creature, both hands reaching up to scratch around the scruff around her neck as well as behind her ears before he pauses and whistles for Haai to come out from whatever place she’d hidden herself in hunting more crabs.

As the griffin appears with a crab stuck to a wing feather, flicking it in annoyance, Sunjata focuses on Loren with a smile. “I did, yeah.” Sunjata begins, remaining kneeling in the sand for Haai to approach so he could remove the crab from her wing. “I thought maybe we could just… hang out for a bit and catch up.” He offers, pulling the crab from the wing and lifting his gaze to the summoner with a raised brow.

'cause i learned all my lessons that way

SUNJATA

there's a fire starting in my heart

reaching a fever pitch

Astra obviously enjoyed the attention from Sunjata, letting out a happy bleat. As Haai flew in with a crab, of all things, the luxere glanced up at the griffin. As the bartender removed the crab from his companion, Astra trotted over, excited to see her friend.

All this pulled an actual smile from Loren. However, he blinked, surprised, when the other man revealed that he really had just called the healer here to hang out. "Oh." Rubbing a nervous hand on his thigh, he nodded slowly. "Sure. That would be, ah, nice." Despite his awkward words, he sent a pulse of appreciation through the body.

Clasping his hands behind his back, he bit his lip. "I hear things are going well with Maea. That you both are moving to Torchline." There was a bit of a questioning tone in the Launceleyn's voice, since he'd only heard about it from Maea.

and it's bringing me out the dark

LOREN

i bank on the funeral

The Launcelyn smiles and Sunjata finds it reflected along his own face as he tosses the crab to the water in the pool to his side before standing. Despite the words, Sunjata feels the pulse of affection that comes from Loren and he simply shrugs, offering one of the same in return. “It’s a nice day for it anyway.” He snorts, glancing up to the bright blue sky before he focuses back on Loren, moving to go stand beside him as Haai focuses on Astra with all the yips and play bows she has in her.

The mention of Maea has a softer smile crossing his face, and he nods to the statement looking out over the water. “She wanted to get out of the Grounds… I thought it might be nice.” He says after a few moments. “Something to give her a place to come home to.” Something she doesn’t have to worry about. “A place I can keep an eye on her too.” There’s another snort that leaves him though through the bond Loren might feel a hint of protectiveness come over the Flood.

He turns his head to Loren however and focuses on the summoner. “What have you been up to, Grand Healer?”

'cause i learned all my lessons that way

SUNJATA

there's a fire starting in my heart

reaching a fever pitch

Astra obviously grew just as excited as Haai. Indeed, the luxere reached out to lay a gentle hoof on the griffin's side. Then Astra bounded off, bleating excitedly as if hoping Haai would play a bit. Loren's smile broadened at the sight, though it faltered a bit as Sunjata approached. It wasn't anything the bartender did, just the healer's inherent awkwardness around people these days reasserting itself.

Nodding at the other man's comment, the Launceleyn glanced up at the sky. "That it is." However, his gaze was drawn back to Sunjata as he spoke about his relationship. Humming in acknowledgement, Loren raised his eyebrows a bit. "So you are moving in together, then?" It came out a bit hesitantly, since Maea hadn't been certain so neither was he.

Shrugging at the bartender's question the healer looked at the pool. "Not much." Flushing slightly at his totally inadequate response, he kicked at the ground idly with one foot. "I hear you're opening a boxing ring."

and it's bringing me out the dark

LOREN

i bank on the funeral

Haai yips at the feeling of Astra’s hoof on her belly, but she hops up immediately to chase after the luxere – leaving sand in the wake of a flurry of paws and talons, wings flared to drag some of it with her, puffing out smoke in small howls of enjoyment. It’s a wonderful sight, and Sunjata can’t help the lightness he feels in his heart for it, the happiness of Haai from such a simple interaction of play.

But he’s finally standing beside the Launceleyn, speaking of moving in with Maea and Sunjata shrugs lightly as he focuses back on the summoner. “I figured as much.”  He says with all the confidence from Maea’s and Loren’s own worries. “Nothing concrete though, if she doesn’t want that. But she stays with me now, so how different is it when she just… Comes here instead of the bar when she’s back from classes?” A rise and fall of his shoulders, a small smile crossing his face as he continues. “I… Took your advice. Of telling her.” He admits, perhaps a bit sheepishly.

However, Sunjata focuses on the space that the summoner looks to as well – the pool, reflected with rainbow stones and soon the flood lifts his gaze to the summoner to see the flush. Smirking lightly he shrugs to that. “Well, what’s not much?” He tries to pry, but if Loren doesn’t want to share, Sunjata won’t push him. At the mention of a boxing ring, he nods and rubs a hand along his arm briefly. “I am, yeah. In Haulani.” He offers Loren a smile.

'cause i learned all my lessons that way

SUNJATA

there's a fire starting in my heart

reaching a fever pitch

Loren continued smiling as he watched the antics of the companions. Astra was bounding around like wild, trying to avoid Haai, though not so hard that they couldn't play tag properly. However, Sunjata's comment drew the healer's gaze to the bartender. "You might want to talk to her about it." The Launceleyn's suggested it softly and tentatively.

As the other man revealed that he'd told Maea he loved her, Loren blinked, surprised. Then a happy grin spread across his features. Reaching out he clasped Sunjata's shoulder. "Good. I'm glad you did, and happy for both of you." The healer, let his hand fall, though he soon found his fingers drumming a beat on his thigh. "How'd, ah, how'd she take it?"

Flush deepening, he was unable to meet the bartender's gaze. "I'm been working, and studying. Killed an Ursur." Slipping his hands in his pockets, he gazed steadfastly at the water. "I cut back on the drinking. And um, other...things." That last part came out in a mutter, almost under his breath.

Nodding at the news about where the boxing ring would be, the Launceleyn hesitated. Shifting his weight from side to side a little awkwardly, he finally sighed. "Maea wants you to put precautions in place, since she didn't realize how dangerous boxing could be." He gave the other man an apologetic look.

and it's bringing me out the dark

LOREN

i bank on the funeral

An awkward hum of amusement leaves him as he nods. “I should. We were a bit… Occupied at the time.” He doesn’t look at Loren as he focuses on the rainbow hues of the rocks within the pool, moving a small amount to focus on it, still beside the summoner. But Loren’s hand lifts to his shoulder to clasp him there and his head turns toward Loren with the question before a true rumbling laugh leaves him. “She cried.” Which he hadn’t expected, just another of those things he likely should have.

His gaze flies to Loren at the mention of killing an Ursur, and a grin spreads across his face at that. “Ooh, defense in Halo?” He tries to pry. Maea hadn’t told him of their tasks so far in school, too caught up with his reaction of her black and blue staggering into the bar. But the smile and look grow softer as he focuses on Loren then with the reality of what the summoner has been doing. Following the wishes Maea had of cutting back on the problematic ways to cope. And it seemed to be working. “I’m glad. How are you feeling now?” His head tilts curiously.

At least until Loren mentions after hesitating the precautions of the boxing ring and he considers the Launceleyn for a moment. “I have yet to figure out just how but that’s the plan, in the end.” He explains, but as for Maea not realizing how dangerous it was? Well, he had tried to explain it… But again they had been a bit occupied. “I thought she’d figure it out when I told her I’d been stabbed.” Granted that had been a cheating opponent, but the end goal had still been the same. Down your opponent the quickest you could.

Instinctively, his hand traces the scar by his hip briefly, before he moves to crouch by the pool and look along the waves that lapped idly by the edge of the shore. “Have you learned to swim yet?” A random thought, lifting his head to look at Loren curiously.

'cause i learned all my lessons that way

SUNJATA

there's a fire starting in my heart

reaching a fever pitch

Nodding understandingly, Loren's lips twitched with the slightest bit of amusement. "I'm hoping they were happy tears." It came out in a wry tone, though it was his attempt at gentle ribbing.

Letting out a huff of laughter at Sunjata's question, the healer shook his head. "No, uh, class. Zariah...set an Ursur on us." Giving the bartender a nervous grin, the Launceleyn tilted his head to one side. "Maea was there. Didn't she um, tell you?" Obviously the question came out tentatively.

Pausing, his brow furrowed as he considered how he felt. Finally, he nodded slowly. "Better. I think. Some days are...easier than others." He rubbed his elbow a bit self-consciously.

Shifting his weight awkwardly from side to side, he shrugged. "No she didn't...she wasn't paying much attention, it seemed?" He found himself studying the ground. "Also, I think the um, cells in the Hollowed Ground were enchanted. To prevent magic at least. Might be worth seeing if you could do something similar?" He rubbed the back of his head a bit sheepishly.

Glancing between the pool and the other man, Loren's blush deepened. "I had two lessons but...I didn't, um, learn much." Tone embarrassed, he bit his lip.

and it's bringing me out the dark

LOREN

i bank on the funeral

A brighter laugh leaves him as he nods. “They were.” Happy tears, that is. But he quiets as he questions Loren on the Ursur, heading the quiet laugh and the mention it was for class and that Maea had been there. He tilts his head toward Loren with that, some slight pulse of surprise slipping from the bond between them. “Ah, she didn’t.” He says quietly, focusing on the water once more. Perhaps it was because he had a less than stellar reaction to how she’d come home that she didn’t want to tell him about it. He’s not sure.

He nods, letting the topic drop that some days were better than others. He understood that too, knew what it was like to have it be fine one day and the next to want to rage at the world. So he focuses on the mention of the boxing ring instead, of enchantments. And he purses his lips in thought. “Thats a good idea. Or bracelets perhaps?” He suggests. “Some Attuned or Abandoned sparring might be fun for a night.” There’s a small snort, but he makes it a point to try and tell her the dangers of it regardless.

In the meantime, he fiddles with the bone necklace around his neck, crouching to the edge of the water. And when Loren flushes, Sunjata glances up with a raise of his brow with amusement. “Well, I could try my hand if you’re up for it.” A suggestion, a bright smile crossing his face.

'cause i learned all my lessons that way

SUNJATA

there's a fire starting in my heart

reaching a fever pitch

Grinning at Sunjata's laughter, Loren's joy faded a bit at the bartender's surprise. The healer shot the other man an apologetic smile, one accompanied by a similar feeling through their link. "It happened recently. And you've both been...busy." It was clearly a last second word swap. "I'm sure it just slipped her mind." Voice hopefully reassuring, the Launceleyn patted Sunjata's shoulder.

Loren shrugged at the bartender's idea. "It's your ring." Letting out a huff of laughter, the healer tilted his head to the side. "Though having Attuned fight while shifted or Abandoned slinging magic at each other probably won't alleviate Maea's concerns." His amusement was evident.

Nodding slowly at the other man's offer, the Launceleyn stepped up to the edge of the pool. "Sure. I'd like that." Giving Sunjata an almost shy smile, Loren took one more step so the water came up to his ankles.

and it's bringing me out the dark

LOREN

i bank on the funeral

There’s a shrug given toward Loren initially, and he manages a small half smile. “She might have wanted to wait to tell me about it. When I saw her after my trip to Halo, she’d been in Torchline and came home bruised nearly everywhere.” He contemplates, shrugging again. “I didn’t particularly react well at first.” Protective, and with the loss of Peter and Adam so fresh on his mind, he hadn’t been prepared for the sight of her to return so badly hurt.

The mention of the ring has him focusing on the summoner again, a hum of a laugh leaving him. “It probably won’t.” He concedes, but he wonders if Maea would truly wish to stop him from it – from the fighting, provided they had a healer to heal them when things got too rough, too bad. Something to think about for sure.

The mention of swimming, however, does grant him to smile and stand from his crouching position, shifting on his feet to approach the water as well. He wades far deeper, letting the water roll over his feet and calves, not tentative in the way he’d confidently charge into the water until he was at least waist deep, turning to glance to Loren with a wider smile – clear that this was his element, even if he weren’t Abandoned with it coursing through his veins. It was a part of him all the same. “So what do you know so far?”

'cause i learned all my lessons that way

SUNJATA

there's a fire starting in my heart

reaching a fever pitch

Nodding, Loren drummed his fingers against his thigh. "That makes sense." He gave Sunjata a relieved grin, though the healer's brows furrowed as well. "What happened in Torchline? Does she need healing?" Presumably either Maea or the bartender would've told the Launceleyn if that was the case.

Giving the other man an understanding look, Loren tilted his head to the side. "Feeling a bit overprotective?" There was a rueful and wry tone to his voice, since he certainly knew what that felt like.

"Uh, well." He smiled a bit sheepishly. "It's probably easier to show you." With that, he stepped further and further into the water. When his feet finally couldn't touch the bottom, he swam, slightly awkwardly, to the center, the strokes far from practiced. When he reached the middle, tread water for a bit. Then he leaned onto his back and just floated. Turning his head, he glanced at Sunjata.

and it's bringing me out the dark

LOREN