Do you remember when

we used to play outside when we were young & full of life & full of love

So it is a man! You knew it!

A fucking giant of a man at that. Why on earth the Gods decided some people needed to be this tall is beyond you. As you peer up at the man you raise a hand to your forehead, shielding the sun and exaggerating how high you have to tilt your head. "Think I liked ya better as a bird," you mutter, taking in the scars and tattoos and little amused huff.

Continuing your leisurely pace to shore, you turn away from the man, already feeling a crick in your neck. Now that he's a real boy again you're not really sure where to go from here: if there's something he wanted he hasn't made it clear, and if he's a spy he's doing a shit job of it. Though something about him is definitely familiar - you've seen him in Torchline before. Searching your brain for the memory, you blink when it comes to you at last. "Hey- ain't you the guy with the boxing ring? Sun-somethin'?"

zephyr

this heart is a cathedral. widows, ghosts, and lovers sit and sing in the dark arched marrow of me

A rogue smirk crosses his face at Zephyr’s comment, the rise and fall of shoulders accompanying it. “Worse or better to stack things on?” He quips, a hum of a chuckle leaving his throat at it – but he continues to walk beside the smuggler, aimlessly, really, with nothing quite in sight. Which is fine, Sunjata doesn’t have plans for the day – if he did, he wouldn’t have stumbled across Zephyr in the little coral structure, now would he?

He’s half tempted to ask what exactly the man was doing in the structure, but thinks better of it as the other man’s question hits him. “Yeah, that’s me.” He offers, looking past the smuggler to the waters. “Sunjata.” He explains, thanking the gods for Zephyr not saying ‘Sunny’ something. But he bites his tongue from mentioning anything about the Arbiter position, wondering what all Zephyr has heard about it. “I haven’t met you yet though, care to share your name?” A raise of his brow is offered with the question.

SUNJATA

we used to play outside when we were young & full of life & full of love

"Definitely worse." It would require you reaching his back, for one. You shove your hands into your pocket with a shrug, meandering along the sand bar and back toward the shore of the bay while he keeps pace with those long, long legs.

So he is Sun-something, boxing ring owner and - so you've heard - some sort of council member with a pretentious as fuck title. Arm-biter, something stupid like that. "Been meanin' to check that out," you remark casually. "Get these old bones back in fightin' shape." Not that they're really out of it, because even in your sort of endless fog of why the fuck am I still alive? you maintain your body in relatively ok shape.

"Zeph." It's not a name that should mean much to Sunjata, unless he's spent his time in very particular circles asking very particular questions, but you watch to see if there's any sort of reaction anyway. "So what brought ya t'Torchline, Birdy? Tired'a the gloom in the Grounds?"

zephyr

this heart is a cathedral. widows, ghosts, and lovers sit and sing in the dark arched marrow of me

A snort is given back toward Zephyr at the comment that it was worse. Honestly, Sunjata has to agree with that idea, shrugging off everything else to focus on walking with the man – though it’s relatively easy, seeing as Sunjata’s legs are quite long. So when he offers his name and Zephyr comments about the boxing ring, the korofian bobs his head a small amount in agreement. “It’s got whatever you might need.” He rumbles a bit offhandedly, including alcohol in that sentiment, though he doesn’t know Zephyr enough to know whether the other man might appreciate that sort of ‘joke’.

Instead, another nod is granted at the name given – giving the other man a quick scan and committing the name to memory even if it didn’t ring a bell. Not really, not yet anyway. The next question is aired and Sunjata turns his head to focus on the path they take, amusement lingering within him at it. “Nostalgia mostly.” A wink granted Zephyr’s way before he inhales. “And the Grounds are shit. Don’t know if you’ve ever been. Wouldn’t be missing out on much.”

SUNJATA

we used to play outside when we were young & full of life & full of love

"Nostalgia, eh?" Pausing a moment in your walking, you kneel down to collect a well-work piece of black volcanic rock before slipping it into your pocket. "Can't say I have. Or had the urge." The Grounds hold little to no appeal to you; why should they, when to all accounts they are objectively inferior to Torchline in every way?

Straightening back up, you squint toward the lighthouse that sits in the distance. "So yer from the Grounds... must know the new Guv'na pretty well. What's he like? I hear a little, but..." You trail off with a casual shrug, curious to see what tallman over here has to say.

zephyr

this heart is a cathedral. widows, ghosts, and lovers sit and sing in the dark arched marrow of me

“You’re not missing out on anything, to be honest.” Sunjata offers with a hum of a laugh, hand raising to run through his hair. Zephyr pauses to pick something up and Sunjata slows the steps he takes, half turning toward the other man as he squints toward the lighthouse while Sunjata pays it little attention until the next question is aired. Honestly? It’s one he has to think about, because while he knew Remi, did he really have an opinion on him?

He’d changed so much lately, it was hard to tell what things remained and what didn’t.

“Mm, well, what’ve you heard? I can confirm or deny.” He offers a rogue smirk back, because he’s certainly not in the business of outing everyone else’s business, least of all his boss of all people. And friend. But still, boss first at the very least. That and he’s almost positive Remi could murder him if he wanted to. It’s enough to keep Sunjata’s lips sealed, waiting to see what Zephyr’s heard.

SUNJATA

we used to play outside when we were young & full of life & full of love

"Heard he gets emotional. An' that he tries t'bribe people, like the smugglers." You shrug innocently, not divulging that you are one of those smugglers. Seems like it's not particularly relevant. "Heard he's comin' down on crime, which, good luck in a place like this." Glancing sidelong at Tall-Jata, you wonder how he'll respond to this less-than-stellar evaluation of his boss.

You squint toward the receding sun, low now in the sky. Maybe you put your foot in it this time, but you're curious, and this information is going to be important in keeping your line of work steady. "But like I said, just things I heard. Hard t'know what's the truth, y'know?"

zephyr

this heart is a cathedral. widows, ghosts, and lovers sit and sing in the dark arched marrow of me

“Nothing wrong with a bribe here and there.” Sunjata rumbles, bypassing the question and comment of Remi being emotional. Honestly? All he had to go off of were stories, aside from times where Remi truly needed to release some of that pent up frustration. And when it came to that, as far as Sunjata was aware, it was typically kept under wraps. Aside from their training in the boxing ring, Sunjata hadn’t noticed any spikes out in public. But, it was what it was.

Instead, he barks a quiet laugh at Zephyr’s comment of cutting back on crime. “Mm well, we’ll get there. A slow process of course but I think so long as people can walk around at night without worrying about what might happen to them, I’ll consider it done.” He shrugs to that, glancing over to Zeph to see how he takes it. “Maybe you should meet him, see what you get and see if that sways you one way over another.” A sort of… Not disagreement nor was it an agreement. A middle.

SUNJATA

we used to play outside when we were young & full of life & full of love

"Mm, sounds like a fair goal." If the man wants to play ring around the rosy with his words, well, fine. You can play too. You'll get the info out of Raz, anyway. And if the new governor and his bluebird do decide to try to stop smuggling, well... Best of luck to them.

"People keep tellin' me that. Gonna hafta look up his office hours." You're at the edge of the sandbar now, and the path will split: the lighthouse one way, the town another. "This is me. Best be headin' back. Maybe I'll see ya at the boxing ring, Birdy."

With a wave you turn to walk away, starting up a whistled tune as you head back to your home.

zephyr