Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
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Aurelia waited to answer his interjection until she was finished and, even then, she remained stubbornly silent. A stillness swept over her at the sharpened instincts which crept across his expression. It was hard to miss, especially since she'd revealed such a weighted truth - which had been weighing on her mind for a long moment now. Ever since her last discussion with Gideon, which hadn't exactly turned out to be favorable.. at all, for either of them. She'd, at first, thought him to be a friend and, perhaps, a figure whose advice she should heed.
Now, however, she wasn't so inclined to believe that. She had been a downright fool, and her willingness to trust him came as a surprise to her. But her mind fell into turmoil with much more than that, descending into possible solutions.
Finally, she broke free of the fruitless endeavor and her body braced with the sentiment that hesitated along her lips.
"I think neutrality will only lend itself in their favor, Sunjata," her gaze flashed up to his, over the purple and yellow spots along his jaw. "I know you have plenty to deal with, and you know more than I. So.. that's all I'll say. I trust your judgement, and I have no real advice to offer. But... I thought you should know..." She let her shoulders drop and a long breath exhaled from her nostrils, "His name is Gideon. He's a priest." For the Old Gods, obviously.
Turning to more fully face him, she reached out a hand to steady it on his broad shoulder. "If I knew then what I do now, I would've struck him down where he stood. I hope you know that." Her hand fell away from him then, but her gaze still levelled with his, should he meet it, "I know where my loyalties lie. Even if it gets complicated. Even if it gets fucked up. I'm here if you need me and I'll do whatever I can."
so put your faith in the devil and the deep blue sea put your trust in the light that you cannot see
There’s a moment when the silence overcomes them, when Sunjata’s stilling and at odds with the predators in his skin wishing to lash out in rage and upset. He quells them, swallowing hard against the sensation, watching her as she speaks. It’s an answer he doesn’t like, evident in the way the muscles feather in his jaw and he turns his head to look anywhere but at her. It isn’t her fault, he knows this, and yet how could he pick a side? In picking sides, he damns them all one way or another.
“I cannot pick sides.” He offers gruffly, a bit of that accented nobility shifting his tones again. His mind calculates and shifts, and it all ends up at the same. “Old gods versus the Voice? Nate… The Ascended… They’ll die without the Voice. And Safrin? Safrin made me into what I am.” A quick explanation, he thinks, even if it comes out stiff and sharp edged, even as he bites down on the barbs in his words.
Gideon is a name he has not heard of, however, and Sunjata turns his attention back toward her with a raise of his brow. “Gideon, hm?” A name he filters away for later, perhaps to try and glean some information on him someway or another. For now, he was useless with the name and position, so he chews on the inside of his cheek as her hand reaches for his shoulder, to steady him, and yet the muscles beneath her touch twitch and flinch.
“It’s not your fault.” He breathes to her, focused on her face again, trying to pass the honesty through even if he wars with himself internally. “You didn’t know.” Another brief pause, a sharp inhale of breath sucked in before he exhales in a sigh. “Perhaps you could help me set up eyes on the shrine, to take shifts and keep an eye out in case he returns.”
there's a darkness up ahead i will see you where the shadow ends
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
As it did most of the time, Aurelia's sadness and hurt would take on a different shape. Something angry. That feeling writhed against the fear that crippled her muscles and held her standing there like a useless imposter. She'd been taken for a lost pup and Gideon had manipulated her for it. Whether or not she played a huge role in the progress of the Order's plans, the fact remained that she had helped them at all. Self-disgust puckered the edges of her lips.
If I'm already a disappointment to you, you might as well get used to it. I disappoint everyone I care about... Whether I mean to or not.. The words sparked in Aurelia's mind and they were just as quick to try to leap from it. The thought threatened to blur her vision as it fought to rush out out like blood from a cut. Yet, she swallowed it down into the channels of a beaten heart.
"Like I said, I trust your judgement." She clarified once again, tone sharpened against the hitch of exhaustion that lingered in her breath. His explanation was simultaneously dismissed and understood. She was not so proud to expect she'd change his mind. In retrospect, she should've kept her own opinion to herself. He had enough to deal with. She knew that. I'm a child, she silently berated herself.
Gideon was almost like staring at herself in the mirror. Perhaps the reasons they did what they did were not the same but, their actions were. Killing innocents based merely on race or ability. How easy would it have been for her to fall into that familiar lifestyle again? Her shoulders braced at the thought that, in her old world, she would've killed someone like Sunjata without bothering to ask questions first. Or Saiden. Melita. Milo.
Her hand was greeted by guarded intensity, which she braced against in turn, the skin along her palm tightening around his shoulder. Then, she splayed her hand and let go although she still willed him to forgive her. The notion of it not being her fault prompted a nod from her. Something inside of her wanted to stand up against the blame she sought to place upon her shoulders. Her burdens were already too heavy, enough blame was placed there - enough wrongs she sought to right.
"No," her eyes swerved away and down from him as he acknowledged that she'd been too new to this world to have any damn clue. Though, the word came out much softer than all the others preceding it.
At Sunjata's next statement, though, her brows raised and she looked back up at him in surprise. It took her a moment to realize that she'd been bracing herself for far more backlash. To think he still trusted her word, for her to help rather than harm, made her simultaneously want to hug him for being a good friend and punch him right on the bruised part of his jaw for being so stupid.
I don't deserve all these chances I keep getting. Sunjata knows that, perhaps better than anyone else in all of Caido. But he also knows what it's like, and he knows what it's like to try to rise above what you were raised to think.. or be.
For a moment, confusion and gratitude clouded her gaze before it was blinked away. She nodded curtly. "I can do that. The Ark doesn't set sail until Flowerbirth, I think, so... I'll be around. If it helps you - and Nate - and everyone else... I'll do it." Now she had a few people she wanted to look out for, too, and she wanted to express more of that - but she sucked the words back in and stopped herself.
If Aurelia had to be the one to take the next step forward, to leave behind the woes of mistakes and the threat of war, so be it. She let things settle for a moment, of course, before she walked onward through the jungle. Her hand came up to wave him on, "Come on, let's go." She didn't know what else to say. 'Sorry I was a moron' didn't seem quite right.
So, for a while, they'd tread on in silence - unless Sunjata wanted to break it, of course, which she wouldn't be adverse to. The jungle was filled to the brim with tropical life, from fruits and nuts to macaws and colorful reptiles. None of them seemed of any concern, though, so Aurelia would pass and press on, searching for anything more... interesting, to say the least.
Aurelia was vaguely aware that a considerable amount of time had passed (perhaps an hour or two), and the path they walked had risen higher and higher as they went. She'd kept a relatively fast pace, no doubt that Sunjata could keep up. They'd covered a lot of ground, much of it the same.
A distant, thunderous sound began to echo in her ears. She could feel the air growing more humid, sweat and mist slicked across her skin and dampening her clothes. "I think there's a waterfall up ahead..." she remarked to Sunjata after a moment of deliberation, turning to look at him and see how he was faring, while adding, "We can rest there and turn back."
so put your faith in the devil and the deep blue sea put your trust in the light that you cannot see
She clarifies, even as he can see the frustration and anger that slips through her. He can’t see how deep it goes, how much it’s dredging up, but he can see the lines that alter her face, similar to the ones of exhaustion that deepen in his own. All he can truly offer is a slight nod, an agreement to let that part of the conversation die. And die it does, though it doesn’t die in his mind, working and distracted as he tries to filter it away for later, for more plans among others.
She says no, though it doesn’t change the Flood’s mind. He’s already made it up, decided that she wasn’t to blame for it, manipulated into it without realizing the true implications of what it would do. She hadn’t known. He doesn’t blame her for it. If Sunjata weren’t so standoffish, tried to avoid being manipulated as his upbringing had made him, he likely would’ve fallen for it too should he have arrived then without realizing what it meant.
So there is no blame, there is simply a nod from her, agreement to help. “It would certainly help me sleep at night.” He murmurs, still somewhat distractedly, moving only when she does as her feet take her deeper into the jungle. He shuffles the pack on his side, his head full of thought as silence overtakes them, for what feels like forever, until there’s a sound that begins to filter through the thoughts in his mind.
“It sounds like it.” He agrees softly, gaze slipping toward her and offering a soft smile. “I’m going to send a bird out.” He warns her, before he’s calling to a different type of bird, something akin to a toucan, before sending it out to find the location of the waterfall.
When he finds out where it is, Sunjata shifts to take the lead. “It’s this way.” Stepping lightly, he heads in the direction of the roaring, following a sudden stream that leads to a river that has to lead to the waterfall as the elevation rises. “I could definitely use a break when we get there.” He offers with a hint of amusement, some semblance of normalcy coming back to him now that he’s processed it all.
there's a darkness up ahead i will see you where the shadow ends
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
Aurelia could feel the sublte heave of her own chest as she came to a stop and looked at Sunjata. Her body resented the idea of starting off again now that she'd came to a halt, feeling an aching burn in the back of her calves. She shoved that aside until they reached the waterfall, the idea of splashing cool water on her face a small thing to look forward to.
Her distant gaze blinked, suddenly brought back when she laid her eyes upon his splotched face, at the small smile that he extended toward her. She heard the warning and nodded to him to show that she was fine with that. The bird he called out to had a lengthy beak, much different than the macaw he'd called earlier. She eyed it as it swooped up into the canopy, disappearing somewhere ahead of them. "Thanks for the heads up." Her gaze fell back to Sunjata, half-expectant as she awaited the bird's eventual return.
Didn't take long, and when he moved to take the lead, she fell into place behind him. They came upon a small river stream, which prompted a soft sigh from her lips. "Yeahhh, me too." She slouched down and let her arms dangle for a moment. Rubbing the sweat off the back of her neck, she straightened back up momentarily.
The air around them felt much cooler. Aurelia reveled in it for a moment before she stepped after Sunjata's tall frame. She gazed up at the back of his head, eyes narrowing and lip puckering with annoyance. He must be like.. a whole foot taller than me!
"You know something? Has anyone ever told you that you are fuckin' tall," she let slip, voice flat with amazed annoyance. A clever grin swept up into her countenance, though, and she added more jokingly, "If you ever get tired of the city, I'm sure you'll fit in real well with the giraffes." She looked around distractedly as the trees cleared, grin fading. The bird he had called sat propped along a branch nearby, and her eyes glanced over it as they passed, "..if there are any..."
The thick jungle foliage around their feet began to give way to soft, green grasses. The river widened out into a much larger pool, and the thunderous sound of the waterfall was no longer distant. It crashed down into the water before them.
Aurelia let out a whistle as she stepped up beside Sunjata, causing a pair of waterfowl to notice them and take up into the air. A half-smile made its way over her mouth as she watched them go, until they were out of sight, their calls echoing briefly before the falls drowned them out.
"Whew," she heaved one last heavy breath before she knelt down beside the water. Her gaze scanned it carefully for a moment. Determining there was nothing strange or lurking beneath the waves, she splashed handfuls of it over her face. It dripped down to her arms, where she wiped away the dirt that had slowly built up over their trek.
so put your faith in the devil and the deep blue sea put your trust in the light that you cannot see
He doesn’t respond immediately to her appreciation for the heads up. She had asked it of him, after all. But he offers her a nod of his head, a quiet ‘you’re welcome’ that’s heard in the silence. As for taking the lead, he does slow his pace just a bit to make it easier for her to catch up. “Wonder if there’s fish in the reservoir?” He murmurs thoughtfully, sure that he and Haai could likely catch something to snack on in the interim.
Her question, however, has him pausing – all the anxiety and frustration of before melding away. “If I had a dollar for every time I heard that I’d be a very rich man.” He says, casting a glance over his shoulder to her with a rogue smirk. “Believe it or not I was fairly average for Korofi standards. Was the tallest in my family, though.” A pause of consideration, head tilting this way and that. “My father was a couple inches shorter than me.” A rise and fall of a shrug with that, before he’s looking ahead toward the streams they come up upon. “If I’m being honest, I’m not sure I know what a… jeeraff…? is.” He pauses just enough for her to come up beside him, casting an expectant glance over her way.
Soon enough, however, the jungle parts for a roaring waterfall – the humidity in the air was palpable, speckling along his freckled face, and he slips closer toward the edge of the pool that the waterfall drops into. Haai is quick to arrive, to inspect it and lap up a fair amount of clean water. Sunjata, on the other hand, crouches by the edge, running his fingers through the cool water with a sigh of relief.
“I’m going to slip in and see if there’s any fish.” He offers to her, flashing her a small smirk, before he’s setting his pack and items down next to a rock where Haai resides, before he becomes his cobra shift and shrinks down. The length of him remains close to the same, though the black snake slips along the rockery, his hooded head peering back at Aurelia briefly, before he slinks into the cool water – relieving his exertion warm body, in search for fish.
there's a darkness up ahead i will see you where the shadow ends
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
Aurelia matched his retort, accompanied by that characteristic grin, with a smirk of her own. Her expression fell, though, as she listened to his recollection of being 'average' by Korofi standards. Weird way to brag about being freakishly tall, she thought - more of her sarcasm, but she let it be.
Sunjata's attempt at pronouncing the word 'giraffe' made her chuckle a little more than was necessary, letting the tension roll off of her shoulders and into the laughter. "Geer-aff, he says," she muttered as they stumbled upon the waterfall, grinning, "It's giraffe. You didn't have zoos in Korofi? Well... they're pretty tall. Herbivores. I don't know the exact measurements but, a great deal taller than you. Imagine a very, very long-limbed cow that's as tall as a two-story building.."
There was a fine sheet of mist that sprinkled around them, cast off by the crashing water. It cooled her skin and relaxed her as she cleaned her face and arms. Lifting her gaze, she looked at Haai as the beast lapped at the water. Playfully, Aurelia splashed in the companion's direction. Then, Sunjata drew her attention away from the moment. Right as she looked up at him, his form was shrinking, tightening, mighty morphing.
Aurelia's expression deepened into incredulous, disturbed, outright shock. Her lips parted, her eyes widened, and her brows furrowed so deep that it almost hurt. The snake that took her traveling buddy's place made alarm bells go off in her head but, she knew it was Sunjata. Still, in spite of that, she pulled back from the water's edge and picked up a small pebble. For a moment, she considered tossing it at him as payback for taking her by surprise. Then, she remembered his comment about fish.. So when the snake peered back at her, she merely nodded at him. She knew what he was trying to do.
So, in an attempt to help, she moved along the water's edge (with a small signal toward Sunjata) to where she thought she might've seen a glimmer or a flash, a disturbance in the surface of the water. It was hard to tell, given that the pool was already disrupted by the falls. Sneaking up along a large boulder jutting out of the water, she laid her stomach against it and tossed a pebble into the water.
A test, to see if the fish might go for it thinking it was a bug of some sort. The pebble fell a bit short, much to her disappointment, so she grappled for another along the side of the boulder and tossed that one in too.
A glimmer of scales and a flash of fins revealed that, yes, there were fish. It went for the small rock, though it would be quick to discern whether it was edible or not. The rest was up to Sunjata, who she searched for beneath the water to see if he was going for it.
so put your faith in the devil and the deep blue sea put your trust in the light that you cannot see
Her chuckle brings a crooked smirk to his face, a shrug of his shoulders. But as she elaborates, it falls away, his confusion evident in the way he peers back at her, as if she’s lying. “We had… Zoos of a sort, but nothing with one of those in there.” His brows pinch as he tries to imagine it. “That sounds fake, but okay.” He murmurs, humming a softer laugh, a grin that shows teeth. But he leaves her, stepping over toward the edge of the water, and shrinking down in shape to the cobra shift that lingers within his skin.
He peers back at her, hood flaring a small amount before he tucks it in again – his tongue flicking out toward her before he takes a deep breath and bobs his head in their quiet unspoken agreement. And then he’s slipping into the cool water, letting it cover his scales and cool him down, trying to be as smooth as possible in the water to not make the fish depart. So far, so good, however – approaching and coiling around to appear as small and nonthreatening as he could.
The rock breaks the surface and the fish dart for it – and it’s a perfect cover for him to strike out. And strike he does, launching himself like a bullet through the water to snatch the large fish, coiling around it and giving it a hefty bite, struggling with it until it goes limp. When it does, he keeps his maw around the fish, slithering his way toward the shore again and dragging it above it – shifting into himself after a moment, lifting the fish to wave it with a grin. “It should do for an energy boost, hm?” It wasn’t a big fish, but it should be enough for the three of them to have as a snack of sorts.
there's a darkness up ahead i will see you where the shadow ends
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
Giraffes did sound pretty fake. So did most things she'd known to be very real in her old life. At that, she dropped the subject and let him have his laugh, offering an amused smirk of her own in return. At least there was some semblences of normality between them again, even if it was shadowed by the subject of the Order and the giant fucking question mark that was... all of that.
As far as snakes go, Aurelia wasn't a big fan. The one Sunjata shifted into was incredibly unnerving, as well, with its flaring hood and slender, predatory face. So, when he went for one of the fish, she grimaced at how quickly and savagely the snake coiled around its target - and the fact that it wasn't just a snake; it was Sunjata. Attuned shifting was something she still had to wrap her head around, though she had to wonder if they ever risked losing their humanity in the transformation. Well, at least it worked, she shrugged, sliding down from the rock face.
Standing, she looked over at Sunjata's proud grin and laughed softly, "Yeah, I hope we don't have to eat it raw. You might be able to stomach that with your weird..." she waved her fingers at him, "attuned stuff, but, not me."
So, she set about to building a small pile of dried twigs and leaves and branches to start a fire with. It was set up near two small rocks that would do alright for seats, should Sunjata want to. Who knew? Maybe he'd transform into something like a cat and curl up on the ground. That was his choice, but, Aurelia settled on one of the rocks and dug into her pocket for matches.
Which sparked a memory in her mind and she lifted her chin up towards Sunjata as she held the match in her fingers. "Oh, yeah. I'm also an Abandoned," she let the declaration sink in before she explained, "Nate was able to tell me after I went to his clinic for.. something else. It's unimportant now. He's nice," she flashed a softer gaze up at Sunjata, "He helped..." she grimaced, eyes drifting as she thought about her breakdown, "soften the blow of it all, I guess. He's a good guy, I like him. You two seem good for each other," and she meant that, giving him a more genuine smile for a brief moment, even if it didn't entirely cover up her agitation.
"But, uh... you'll never guess what my abilities are," She raised unamused brows towards the object in her hand before she swiped it along the matchbox and tossed it into the bed of leaves she'd made. "Fire and air." She grumbled. As if to prove it, she swept her hand through the air in some kind of rising motion. The trickle of smoke suddenly burned and crackled, coaxed to life by her combined magics. She placed her chin in her hand, done, and gave Sunjata a look.
so put your faith in the devil and the deep blue sea put your trust in the light that you cannot see
“We won’t be eating it raw.” He confirms, snorting at the mention of stomaching it with his weird attuned stuff. Which, to be fair, is typically how he goes about things when Nate’s gone. Gods knew the man could barely cook something edible for himself, anyway. And so while she goes about making the fire, Sunjata sits along one of the rocks in the space she’s chosen, slipping a blade out from his boot to begin the process of cleaning the fish.
He listens while he works, slicing it up so that there’s essentially two filets for the both of them. Haai meanders back over as Aurelia works with the match, her emerald gaze watching the pile of sticks and kindling before lifting to Aurelia’s face. Sunjata, on the other hand, pauses to glance at her, brows furrowing – because he knows, she’s explained it to him, and he can’t help the way his jaw clenches or his lips purse slightly.
“He is a good guy.” He murmurs in quiet agreement. “Did he use his bite upgrade?” He asks, still cleaning the fish. It’s not like he particularly cares, but he knows that’s likely the way the Ascended had found out about the magic, after all. But his fingers pause as she starts the fire, explaining her abilities, and as if for emphasis adds more air to the fire and works it with her magic to create more of it. “That’s…” He pauses, setting the blade and the fish down from his intense workings at it to look up at her and give her his full attention. “That’s fucking shitty. I’m sorry, Aurelia.” And he means it, knowing how hard it must be to become the one thing you were supposed to hate, the one thing you had hated.
But perhaps it would give her the opening to learn to master it, to find that it’s nothing to be afraid of or eradicate. He picks up the fish again after a moment, cleaning up the last bits of it before Haai’s wanting to show off her fire too, her tail wagging as she looks at Aurelia and then turns her large fuzzy head toward the fire, maw parting and smoke curling around it as she breathes more fire onto it to warm it up quicker.
And now that the filets are clean, he sets them aside – thanking Haai and asking her to go find two sticks. The griffin offers a yawn of a whine before trotting off, in search of them.
there's a darkness up ahead i will see you where the shadow ends
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
Aurelia lifted her gaze hesitantly at his question of the bite, unable to help the sudden anxiety that pinched between her brows. But he wasn't even really looking at her, focused on the fish he was fileting. She understood the implication of being bitten by an Ascended; pleasure.
"Yeah, but it was strictly professional... and.. I punched him when he did..." she grimaced apologetically, but deep down she hoped that Sunjata wasn't bothered by it... any of it. With a lighter-hearted scoff, she added, "Instincts, I guess. I almost punched Milo, too." She suddenly paled. The words had practically tumbled out, and it was something she wasn't sure she was ready to talk about. So her gaze averted and, instead of extrapolating, she revealed her abilities to him with that dark look on her face.
It's only lightened when Haai comes wagging up to the fire. Aurelia's brows raise in surprise when suddenly the griffin is breathing fire. A small, scoffing laugh comes out automatically, and she gives Haai a pat on the head before the beast is trotting off.
"It's fine..." Aurelia sighed, looking back over at Sunjata and the fish meat. "Well, it's not? But it's no use trying to deny it anymore. I should've known even before Nate told me but, I was so wrapped up in... myself, what I thought would be best for me. I really hoped I could just... be normal. But none of us really are-"
Even if she was finished speaking, the tone in her voice cut off as she veered her head in the direction of the waterfall. A splash of water had snagged her attention, sounding bigger than what a jumping fish might make. What she saw made her stand upon her feet, legs going rigid, eyes widening, a hand coming out to get Sunjata's attention if it he was not already looking.
There, standing at the edges of the water, staring down at Haai (who had sticks in her mouth), was a white horse. It was quite beautiful, but something about it seemed... off. Its hide, if you just stared at it in one spot for long enough, appeared almost to ripple with each breath. It snorted down at the griffin, curious about it, before it lifted its head up sharply to stare at the two humans.
It begins to step through the water towards them.
"Sunjata..." Aurelia's guarded voice is low, and she's already picking up a piece of wood from the fire. A small flame edges along the tip of it, and she quickly coaxes it into more of a torch, holding it out. "Stay back!" She snapped, waving the flame in a threatening manner and putting a bit of her own magic into the motion. This only proved to startle it for a mere second before it... whinnied back at her? As if mocking her. Aurelia's brows furrowed incredulously and she looked over towards Sunjata with a question in her gaze. It didn't seem dangerous but, Aurelia's instincts knew better than to judge something just by how it looks. It was also quite bold for a wild horse...
The ceffyl dwyr has appeared! It is very interested in Aurelia and Sunjata! It looks like a mostly normal horse rn >.>
fire in the ground between my teeth, we're dancing on the poison in their graves at the end of the night, we'd all seen better days
If she thought he’d be jealous or upset, she’d be thinking wrong. Sunjata doesn’t particularly care – at the end of the day, the doctor comes home to him. Whatever else he does is his own. But his gaze does slip up to her when she mentions that it was professional and that she punched him when he did – dark brows raise, and an amused smirk crosses his face. “How’d he take that?” He questions with a quiet huff of a laugh, trying to imagine what a surprise that might have been for his husband. As far as he knew, though, Nate was fine. That’s all he could ask for really. But another name captures his attention, his gaze raising to her again from the fish he cleans. “Milo, huh?” A name somewhat familiar but with a completely unfamiliar face.
Haai arrives to help the flame, though, and Sunjata focuses back on his task and offers his apology – letting the somberness of their conversation glisten over him. There’s a nod given, a quiet inhale of breath as he considers it. “If you didn’t have it before, it’s hard to figure out where to start to determine if you do.” He rumbles with a shrug of his shoulder. “Took me some time after I attuned to figure out just how to feel for the shifts.” They were connected to the soul, after all.
But there’s a cut off to her voice, Sunjata not paying it much mind as he answers, until the woman is suddenly standing and going rigid, capturing the governor’s attention. Haai, on the other hand, peers up at the equine with wide emerald eyes, wings flaring in her surprise – completely dropping the sticks and darting back toward the duo.
Sunjata turns then, letting his gaze flicker back up at the creature and how… Different it seemed. So he reaches out with his attuned abilities, poking and tugging at the equine, feeling a sense of playfulness and enticement dripping from this horse who’s pelt seems to ripple and fog. “It’s okay.” He tells Aurelia – moving to stand as well and peer back at the creature, something within him wanting to reach out, to latch onto it.
It feels different, that little tether within him, and he reaches inwardly for it, feeling the ripple against his soul with it. “I’m gonna shift.” He informs Aurelia, softly, grasping onto that thread and tugging hard until he’s shifting into a completely new shape – a navy equine with tricolored blue wings, tucking in tight against his back – peering back up at the equine and stepping forward with a clattering sound of his hooves against the rockery. He offers his own whinny, letting this shift take over in an attempt to ward away the water equine.
i know you tried, i know you're cursed, i know your best was still your worst
SUNJATA
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
Sunjata's smirk was telling enough that he didn't see a problem in it, which helped relax her nerves. As far as how Nate had taken it? She laughed softly, "I think it hurt me more than it hurt him."
A smile softened her expression as she let her thoughts drift to Milo and nights spent with him. Although, she wasn't sure how to explain without being awkward, so she just nodded in affirmation and returned her attention to stoking the fire.
Sunjata's words of wisdom weren't entirely lost on her but, something more pressing took her attentions away from their conversation.
It's okay. The words stiffen her readied posture, and she spares a quizzical glance over at him as he stands up. Whatever he was thinking or feeling, Aurelia was not privvy to it. All she could see, was a creature that mysteriously manifested before them out of the shadows of the jungle that creeped in. It would take another step towards them, its eyes on the Attuned now. Some unspoken connection that Aurelia couldn't quite grasp.
"Sunjata?" Her voice broke through the silence, gaze shifting between the animal and her friend. But then he murmurs to her that he's going to shift, and she starts. "You're gonna what?!"
It doesn't matter; any protest she might have is lost to the misty air.
What Sunjata changes into takes her by surprise. All she knows he's capable of, is the macaw, the snake... this is entirely different. He becomes a horse, himself, as if copying the figure that jostles in its own surprise. Only, his shift is winged, and he airs his own equine voice to it.
Aurelia, keeping her fired up torch handy, steps toward them. She's prepared to make a difference should anything go awry.
The horse, as if challenged by Sunjata's shift, gives a slight buck in the water. Droplets spray around its hooves and Aurelia's muscles tense. Yet, no attack is made. It's as if this is a dance of sorts. Its eyes meet hers, and she pulls back slightly.
It drifts its nose toward her, taking small steps in her direction until there is barely any distance between them. Aurelia can only stand her ground, shocked that such a wild creature would so boldly approach burning fire. And then there's a moment shared between them. One in which she thrusts the fire forward, only for the horse to extend its lips to her hand, narrowly avoiding the flame. Its presence is cool and calming against her tempered skin. Coaxing, even. She drops the torch. Maybe it's out of surprise, maybe it's something else.
Regardless, it's for certain that something lulls her forth, some unknown pull, a unique sort of pressure. The idea that, perhaps, this is a rare opportunity. It's not quite the same tether that Sunjata feels, but... it's prominent. The horse dips its head and kneels its front legs to her, as if inviting her upon its back.
Aurelia's mind fogs, and she casts a confused glance toward Sunjata. "What do I do?" Her voice is barely above a whisper, and she realizes that it's unlikely that her and Sunjata can communicate through words while he's in such a form. Her fingers grasp at the horse, smoothing over its thin pelt. It's cold to the touch, something that strikes her as odd, but it whinnies softly as she does, as if approving.
"I'm gonna get on," Aurelia warns Sunjata, glancing toward him. Logic is fleeting. It's rare that such a wild beast would be so inviting. She's faced with the decision; does she pass up the opportunity, or does she take the chance?
Alas. Aurelia's a beast of her own and, as such, she's not always ruled by logic. So she mounts this unfamiliar horse, fingers grappling and flexing through its white mane. It lifts itself up, and she can feel the shift quite clearly echo through her own body. It doesn't stop there, though, and suddenly its cantering about in circles. Aurelia hooks her legs against its flanks, which feel oddly, but she doesn't have much time to regret her decision. The beast takes to the air, as if stepping up into it, as if soaring on invisible wings.
fire in the ground between my teeth, we're dancing on the poison in their graves at the end of the night, we'd all seen better days
He’s going to shift. And he doesn’t offer any further explanation as he turns into that equine shift of his, the wings flaring and his head tossing a multitoned mane as he tries to ward the creature to calm down, to back off – that they weren’t doing anything that required assistance. But Aurelia seems to have other plans – Sunjata’s steel eyes following the woman as she approaches – the water equine bucks lightly in the water which has Sunjata’s ears flickering as his gaze shoots back toward it – a black and ivory head swinging around back to it.
Surprise crosses him as the equine seems to be fine with Aurelia, in fact it seems to be inviting her. Sunjata’s ears pin and he stamps a foot as if to urge her not to. All he can do is flare his nostrils and watch as Aurelia runs her hands over its water coated skin. She tells him she’s going to get on and he wants to tell her how horrible of an idea that is – specifically when she had just said not to touch anything that they didn’t know what it did like the berries back in the pack by their fire.
But she does it anyway.
And Sunjata follows along and watches as the creature canters around. And then it takes off, and Sunjata’s scrambling, hooves slipping against the wet stone as he tries to follow suit – wings flaring and flapping a few times as he finally manages to follow behind Aurelia, trying to give into the instincts of this shift and let it guide the way.
i know you tried, i know you're cursed, i know your best was still your worst
SUNJATA
No permission needed for power play!
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
