step into the open air

Seren

I am magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment
Destined to seek, destined to know

Was she mortal? Was she not? Even Seren wasn't sure. "Mama is Safrin," she told him, with no small amount of pride. "I am a demi-god!" At least she knew that much.

The explanation Loren came with was long and about as unhelpful as the instructions to go play somewhere else. She hung her head, poking her fingers into the ground to pick out pebbles out of the gravelly ground - the layer of soil wasn't very deep. "I just wanted to help," she mumbled, again with that pout.

It didn't get better when he told her not to talk to strangers. "Why not?" she asked, and shifted around until Astra could lie more comfortably, dividing her affection between them with a generosity that went straight to the little girl's heart. She petted the soft nose with small fingers, taking great care not to cause the animal discomfort. "I think you're nice..." she grumbled, cheeks puffing up in stubborn dismay.

I am a princess on the way to my throne
Destined to reign, destined to roam

At the mention that Safrin was Seren's mother, Loren gulped. "Oh. I see..." Voice trailing off, he examined her for some sign of her divine parentage. "And um, who is your father?" Suddenly nervous, he got his hands out from under Astra and ran a hand through his hair.

As the girl pouted, the healer bit his lip. "I know." Frowning slightly, he drummed his fingers on the ground. "But...sometimes wanting to help can actually hurt more than it helps." Taking a deep breath, he sighed. "Have you considered that going off to play is actually the best thing you could've done to help your dad? That not helping with the building is actually helping him?"

Astra, of course, let out a contented bleat as the child petted the luxere. Loren, though, pressed his lips together and glanced away from Seren. "Because sometimes people might want to hurt you." It came out more bluntly than he'd intended. Shaking his head slightly, he looked back at her. "That's very kind of you." However, his eyes were sadder now, and his voice was doubtful.

you are lost, hope is gone

but you must go on

Loren

Base Code by Sky!

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

She’d certainly strayed far. Add that to the pang of annoyance being around children brought. But still, things were going on at the houses, something to fix always popping up around the corner and just when it seemed like things were fine, another thing started to break. It was during this exhausting part that he realizes Seren’s gone, and poor Ronin having enough going on while Sunjata’s mostly just dealing with yet another hangover, takes the scout to find the adventurous child.

Navy wings are accompanied with a griffin of iridescent wings, spiraling from above as soon as the girl is found – and with a very familiar figure. He descends, to land behind the group, not particularly interested with the conversation at hand. “Seren, you have to stay closer to the house.” He rumbles with some hint of authority, cold and quiet as his gaze flickers from the girl to Loren – dark brow raised and bags beneath his own eyes.

“Loren.” He says by way of greeting, not much else. Not in the mood after seeking the girl out. Haai whines a greeting to Astra before moving toward Seren to try and herd her back toward the path closer to the house.

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

SUNJATA

Seren

I am magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment
Destined to seek, destined to know

Seren was just about to answer the all important question of her parentage, when the air was filled with the rush of flapping wings. Haai's shape was familiar, but the blue bird was not, and when it turned into Sunjata, the girl was left in awe of her hero all over again. In an instant she was on her feet, Astra gently deposited on the ground, and she rounded Loren to bound up to the new arrivals.

"I didn't go far, I wasn't even tired!" she told him, the chill in his gaze running off her like water from a goose. "Did you know? I tripped and scraped my knee and Loren used magic to heal me!"

Her eyes were all aglow with excitement at the adventure, now that the hurt was properly gone. If the lecture from just a moment ago had sunk in at all was difficult to say; much like an eager puppy the girl wriggled herself close to Sunjata, carefully not touching him but definitely violating his personal space all the same.

I am a princess on the way to my throne
Destined to reign, destined to roam

Astra, of course, was more than happy to see both Haai and Sunjata. The luxere sprang to her feet and bleated happily, trotting around the tall man and his griffin. For Loren, though, the sight of the bartender was like a punch to the gut. Grief welled up within the healer and spilled through their bond. "Sunjata." It came out quietly, and he glanced between Seren and the other man.

Swallowing, the Launceleyn rubbed his palms against his thighs. I'm so sorry about Maea. The thought was accompanied by his own sorrow, yes, but also as much comfort, understanding, and camaraderie as he could muster. Taking a deep breath, he let it out with a sigh. Seren's yours? His confusion was evident, but at least he manage to school his features into some semblance of a neutral, albeit sad, mask.

you are lost, hope is gone

but you must go on

Loren

Base Code by Sky!

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

“You should have told me you planned to come out here.” He replies back toward her as she springs to her feet and invades his space. At least she hasn’t reached for him, some small mercy. So he folds his arms along his chest, one arm tattooed clear to his wrist with whirls of waves and stars as he listens to Seren’s comment about the healing. “He’s healed me too.” He offers her before Loren’s words hit him and he can’t help the slight scoff of laughter and annoyance.

I don’t want to talk about it. He offers sharply, gaze narrowing. The last thing he wanted to do was bring that up when already he was having to deal with helping watch over a child that constantly got into everything. The annoyance, sorrow, and frustration is palpable in the bond between them. She’s my pain in the ass at the moment, yeah, if that’s what you’re asking. He sends back with another clench of the jaw. He hadn’t been there to hear the question of Seren’s parentage, and likely can’t find it in him to sift through what he might be fully asking.

“What are you doing out here?” He asks instead while Haai greets the luxere before settling in like a watchdog at Seren’s other side.

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

SUNJATA

Seren

I am magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment
Destined to seek, destined to know

When Sunjata didn't smile back at her, or wink, and then folded the big arms over his chest, some of the displeasure seemed to finally penetrate through Seren's breezy comfort. Her expression dimmed, and she clasped her arms behind the back, wriggled a little back and forth while her head fell down, obscured by a cascade of raven curls. All a tangle, as free and unbound as her spirit. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I will tell next time."

Meaning, of course, that she had every intention of coming back up here again.

This didn't seem to be the time to ask why Loren had healed her pirate friend, but the realization that they obviously knew each other was brought home by the comment. Seren looked between the two, even as Haai came to sit beside her; she wrapped tiny arms about the griffin's dark ruff and leaned her cheek against the big wolf's head. Utterly unafraid of her bestest friend.

"Are you two friends?" she asked, and somehow managed to keep her smile in check. Something told her it wasn't time for that either.

I am a princess on the way to my throne
Destined to reign, destined to roam

Remaining silent through Sunjata's conversation with Seren and his response about Maea, Loren simply nodded at the bartender's laughter, a stricken expression crossing the healer's face for a moment. I'm asking if she's your daughter. The grief made him less careful than he might've been, but he wasn't really in the mood for ambiguity. Still, he managed to tamp down on the instinctual flare of annoyance.

Seeing as the other man was in even more dire need than Loren was, Astra nuzzled against Sunjata's side. However, the healer's eyes flicked towards the demigod before returning to the bartender. "Yes." However, it came out softly, and lacked certainty.

you are lost, hope is gone

but you must go on

Loren

Base Code by Sky!

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

Seren begins to grow dimmed in a sense, and his gaze flickers down toward her at his side as the words come through – an apology at the very least. He’s half tempted to inform her that he doesn’t want to find out what Safrin might do to him, too, should he be the reason she gets lost again and potentially hurt. But he lets it die, instead, nodding toward the girl as his fingers tap against his arm and he can feel Astra brush against his side, though he makes no move to pet the Luxere.

Haai settles in, wrapping a wing around the girl while Sunjata’s gaze narrows on Loren’s question. His gaze flickers back toward Seren, wondering whether or not she’d even look like she could belong to him and not the Dark Star. There’s the dark hair, vibrant eyes that are certainly more like Ronin than his own steel greys, and freckles, similar ones splattered across his own face. Everything else is wrong, however, and he had hoped that despite the fact Sunjata had never wanted children, that if he did he wouldn’t be as cold toward his own as he is right now. So he replies to Seren’s question with another quiet nod. “At the moment.” He rumbles, though uncertainty lingers within himself as well.

Still, the grief that runs through him has him reacting differently toward the question that Loren gives – a clench of his jaw as his gaze narrows again. What makes you think that? He asks instead, head tilting avian-like. I might have kissed Safrin, doesn’t mean I did anything else. Gods knew he wouldn’t now, if a surprise like this was waiting for him in the stars.

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

SUNJATA

Seren

I am magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment
Destined to seek, destined to know

Children are not blind, or deaf, or indeed very stupid. They are just small people with limited attention spans. Even without attuned senses, the weight of emotion that passed through the air was heavy enough that Seren couldn't help but pick up on it, and the contrite expression on her face was slowly melting into worry as she gazed between Sunjata and Loren. Haai's wing was a warm, comfortable and safe place to snuggle into, and she did so, glad for the presence of at least one soul who wasn't upset.

The 'for now' attatchment to their friendship seemed very ominous. And just like every child ever, Seren automatically assumed responsibility for the current mood, with Sunjata's quiet reproach still there in his folded arms and hard expression. Even though it wasn't directed at her right now.

"I'm really sorry for coming here without telling. Do I have to go back to the house right away?" she asked anxiously, her gaze finally settling on Sunjata, as he was the one she had known longest, and the one who got to say how things were to be, when Father wasn't around.

I am a princess on the way to my throne
Destined to reign, destined to roam

When Sunjata responded to Seren's question as well, Loren opened his mouth to respond. Then he closed it, a worried expression crossing his features. However, he couldn't prevent the hurt from pulsing through his link to the bartender.

Perhaps that's why the healer found himself responding more tartly than he knew was wise. Well for starters, she told me her dad was working on her house and sent her to play, so her apology to you for running off too far lead me to think you're either her dad or you're working with him. Raising his eyebrows, he crossed his arms and stared at the other man expectantly.

However, the immediately lowered them at the girl's next apology. Looking guilty, he bit his lip. Astra trotted over to the girl and looked up at her with begging eyes.

you are lost, hope is gone

but you must go on

Loren

Base Code by Sky!

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

Unfortunately for Seren, she’d only met Sunjata when he was in a mood like this. So he personally thinks nothing of it when he replies back to her question, feeling the pang of hurt come from Loren. But as Loren’s words reach him mentally, he watches Loren wait expectantly. But Seren’s words cut through and he sighs quietly, glancing down to the girl with some hint of sadness to his gaze. He hadn’t meant it to seem like her fault.

So to answer both questions, he crouched in the grasses and rock beside Seren, steel gaze lifting to try and catch her gaze, his tattooed arm reaching out to try and catch her arm with a feather light touch. “We’ll talk later about it, okay?” He rumbles to her. “But you can keep playing in a little bit so long as you stay in my sight or take Haai with you.” He tilts his head as if to see if she’d choose to argue the point, before he lifts his gaze to Loren.

I told you before, I’m not exactly father material. I want to say I’m surprised you think I would be. He rumbles with a slight raise of his brow, another clench to his jaw. He stands and folds his arms along his chest again, gaze remaining on the summoner before him. “Seren, would you like to tell Loren here who I am to you?” Completely content to let her say it herself.

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

SUNJATA

Seren

I am magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment
Destined to seek, destined to know

It was the first time Sunjata took the initiative for any kind of contact with her, and that alone would have caught her attention. As it was, the gentle touch of his hand to her small arm made Seren look up enough to meet his gaze, searching it for signs that the anger might last. Whatever she saw, it did make her slight shoulders relax, and without thinking she reached up a hand, halfway towards touching his cheek before... ah, right. She wasn't allowed to.

Her arm fell down to her side again, a little helpless. Not sure how to reach that sadness in him to make it better. "Okay. I will stay here with you," she promised, small and soft and quiet; her smile returned, though perhaps more tentative than before.

The question as Sunjata stood, made Seren look at him with her head tilted in thought. Petting Astra, she considered. He wasn't Mother, and not Father, and he wasn't Remi. But he was important all the same.

"Sunjata is my mermaid pirate best friend in the world!" she announced gravely, as she turned back to Loren. Completely serious.

I am a princess on the way to my throne
Destined to reign, destined to roam

It was all Loren could do not to grit his teeth. Only the presence of Astra, Haai, and Seren prevented him from slugging Sunjata. As it stood, the healer managed to stand there with some semblance of patience as the bartender knelt to speak to the girl, and as she responded to him. Still, the Launceleyn's unhappiness wafted through his bond with the other man.

Just because you don't think you're father material doesn't mean you're not a father. Still, he managed to muster up a smile at the child's answer, though he raised inquiring eyebrows at Sunjata. "That's a very good friend indeed."

Then Loren copied the bartender's posture and knelt by Seren's side. The healer made no move to reach out to her though. "You didn't tell me who your dad is, by the way." It came out kindly, though his eyes had narrowed slightly.

you are lost, hope is gone

but you must go on

Loren

Base Code by Sky!