funny you should ask

SUNJATA

the flood

(Set before the return to Torchline for consistency sake ;D)

Was it the day they left or the day before? Sunjata couldn’t entirely remember. What he does know, however, is that he’s focused entirely on trying to get the bar back into shape – sure that Neron would handle it while he’s gone, but at the very least he could certainly leave it clean. So the books are cleaned up, the bottles cleaned of dust, and at this moment he’s presently got a table flipped over, knelt upon the ground to screw in a new table leg to keep that one from wobbling so much (when had that started?)

It proves to be a bit more difficult than anticipated, a huff of a sigh leaving him as he sits back on his heels and glares at it, before removing the screw and rising to grab a nail and hammer instead. If it wouldn’t screw in, he’d absolutely make it fit.

He’s back at the table, moving to put the nail into it and hammer it in when someone slips through the entrance that he’s positive he’s seen before, but can’t put a name to, offering a nod of greeting before driving the nail into the table leg. It goes in smoothly and he wiggles it for good show, seeing that it’s essentially unmoveable at this point now, and he can’t help his smirk of accomplishment as he flips the table back over and draws his attention back toward Aamu. “Hey, what can I get for you?”

you ain't gotta hurt no more, didn't you hear? the war's over
just don't look behind that door, you don't wanna get that much closer

THE GHOST IN THE SHELL \\

He knows Sunjata isn't going to stay around the Grounds for much longer, so he needs to get on it if he wants to make use of the offer of a shift. And to be honest, he desperately needs it—he thinks he might kill himself otherwise, just by expecting to be able to do something he no longer can't.

He's passed the tavern a couple of times but never set foot in it. Supposedly it's really pretty but a little disorganized since its builders left. Standing outside its door now Aamu sighs, for no other reason other than that he feels like it. He wants to press pause, rewind, but time mercilessly flows on. LongNight is coming, and the monsters will be a novel thing for him.

So he flicks his braid over his shoulder and slips through the door, quiet and graceful as a cat. The rumors about the tavern's interior are true. It is a very pretty place.

Sunjata's inside, busy with an overturned table but aware enough to notice him. Aamu returns the nod of greeting and takes a few steps closer, where he stops to merely watch as the table leg, in no uncertain terms, gets told what its fucking job is.

Yourself he wants to blurt out in answer to the question, but he's not sure how the joke will be taken, so he refrains. Instead, he goes about it in his usual polite fashion. "I'm sorry to be so direct, but I suppose I am here on business. Sunjata, right? Nate said you were offering your shifts to us." And he smiles, apologetically, knowing full well what they both are offering.

SUNJATA

the flood

The table is flipped over and Sunjata’s steel gaze lands back on Aamu, a bit of pride and accomplishment fanning over his face as he asks what he can do for the man. And there’s a hint of surprise when the answer comes, the smile that’s apologetic has Sunjata shaking his head. “Oh, yes! That’s correct.”  He chimes, slipping over toward the bar now, gesturing for Aamu to take a seat or stand on the other side, while he fumbles around beneath the bar for a glass and a shot of something both to reward himself for fixing the table and to also smooth out everything that was about to happen.

“Out of curiosity, which one were you planning on using?” His head tilts toward Aamu as he pours a shot for himself, leaving it open in case Aamu wanted any. He knows it doesn’t affect Ascended, but some still enjoyed partaking in it. He throws the shot back, settling on the other side of the bar and letting his gaze dance along Aamu briefly before focusing on other things. If Aamu looked closely he’d absolutely see the threading of silvery scars along his neck, over tattoos, tucked down under his shirt, a few that dotted his wrist – the space Sunjata’d likely be offering, the most business of them all.

you ain't gotta hurt no more, didn't you hear? the war's over
just don't look behind that door, you don't wanna get that much closer

THE GHOST IN THE SHELL \\

If Nate seemed reluctant to offer up his husband, at least the husband himself seems to take it in stride. Aamu's not sure whether that's genuine or simply gathering momentum so as to not falter.

Aamu can't blame them—neither of them. He's wary himself, too. Before the war broke out he hadn't bitten a human (or Ascended, for the matter) in a very long time. The side effects are socially and emotionally complicated and the end result never quite worth it. So he merely nods, decisive, business-like, following Sunjata to the bar and sliding onto a stool. The idea of talking to him before biting him seems good. Nice. Right.

"I'm not quite sure," he admits, surprised to find himself slightly—hm.. anxious. It's not excitement, just the general doomsday feeling amplified by the intimacy violation that's about to happen. "I was hoping you could offer some insight, since they're your shifts, after all." It makes him wish the offered alcohol would do anything for him, but he has no choice but to just bear it.

SUNJATA

the flood

At the end of the day, it is entirely business. But where Nate’s possessiveness showed before, Sunjata’s simply just trying to ensure their ability to stay alive. So Aamu slides into a stool and Sunjata fixes up a drink for the both of them, before resting his hands on the bar, letting his steel gaze flicker along the other man’s face with the response he gets. “Ah, I can do that.” His accented tones rumble out, an easy smile crossing his face. So he starts easily, pulling out a scrap piece of paper and a pencil.

“What are you looking for out of it? Something stealthy? Powerful? Small?” He asks before he begins, his gaze dropping from Aamu to write out his shifts for Aamu to ask to see whichever one he wanted or more insight on it. Nate had left a few out, Sunjata still plans on leaving the dog shift out, but the rest of them are fair game. So he starts writing – macaw, panther, orca, nyala bull, bat, cobra, dragon, Pegasus.

He slips the paper over toward Aamu, to allow him a moment to read over them as he pours himself another drink.

you ain't gotta hurt no more, didn't you hear? the war's over
just don't look behind that door, you don't wanna get that much closer

THE GHOST IN THE SHELL \\

It's been a grand total of, what, three minutes? But Aamu decides he likes Sunjata. The man (like Nate) is absolutely massive in comparison to him—the wonders of getting to mature entirely. It's fine to look like a sapling when you're twenty, thirty, but when you're pushing fifty you might start to regret the vain decisions of your youth on equally vain grounds. "Thank you," he gets in there, watching with interest as Sunjata pulls out a piece of paper.

He considers the question for a moment, listening to the scratch of the pencil. "Something versatile, I think," he finally says, knowing it's a bit of a shit answer, but the best one he has.

The light reflects in the shifting scars as he writes. Small, silver pinpricks—wrists, Aamu's eyes slowly travel up his thick arms, neck, neck, neck. Aamu wants to laugh and joke that things are going well for them, but the words die in his mouth.

Doesn't know them well enough yet.

Then there's that scar down his neck which breaks the pattern... He wants to ask about it. Wants to ask about the tattoos too. There's so many of them.

He doesn't ask about any of it. Just gratefully takes the paper and starts reading down the list. Gets to the orca and can't help himself from laughing. "Ah, yes, I'll just transform into an orca and flop uselessly in the streets," he says with a chuckle; bright with amusement, and not a single scrap of judgment for the shift being included in the list. Dragon and Pegasus? This guy is powerful. Very powerful. It sobers Aamu for a moment, and he looks up. "What do the Gods think of one of their beloved colluding with Ascended?" he asks, soft.

SUNJATA

the flood

The idea of something versatile has him mulling over the options as he slides the paper toward the Ascended, pausing after filling his glass again to rub at the side of his cheek through some stubble. “Hmm, that’ll be tough.” Many of them were simply as is, simple animals aside from the dragon and the Pegasus, both having a bit of a magical power to them. The rest? They were as is.

The tattoos that swirl up his arms in the shape of waves, inked with starry galaxies. The stars shift ever so slightly, and if Aamu looks long enough he might spy a shooting star cross over the Attuned’s forearm. Sunjata pays it no mind, however, used to the subtle shift of the stars inked into his arms. “Don’t discredit the orca.” He murmurs with a playful grin spreading across his face. “I got swallowed up by a mud monster a couple of years ago and it did wonders to try and break me out from the inside.” His head dips in a knowing nod as he picks up his glass, a finger pointed at Aamu as if to prove the point, before he takes a sip.

He doesn’t anticipate the next question, one that has him sobering slightly as he considers it, huffing a quiet sigh and placing that amused smile back on his face. “I imagine Safrin isn’t thrilled.” But she had also not made him choose between them. “Truth be told I haven’t mentioned it much at all.” Whether he was afraid of the answer or what Safrin may think of it, it’s hard to say. It absolutely wasn’t a secret that he was in love and married to an Ascended. It was more of an internal secret of just how far that love would take him in the eyes of the Old Gods.

you ain't gotta hurt no more, didn't you hear? the war's over
just don't look behind that door, you don't wanna get that much closer

THE GHOST IN THE SHELL \\

"I yield," he says with a slight laugh when Sunjata points at him, throwing his slender hands into the air. It's not that he doubts the use of the shift (and besides, there's great allure in streaming through the ocean, sleek and graceful and deadly), merely its use on land, in winter, against creatures capable of tearing apart a grown human in an instant. "But I don't think I'll spend much time being swallowed whole this LongNight."

Still—sounds like quite the story. Aamu thinks he would quite like to spend an evening in the company of Jata and Nate, just listening to their stories.

He feels slightly guilty for the direction in which he steered the conversation, but as someone who received the short end of the Gods' stick he feels.. what, compelled to look out for someone else? Curious how quickly they'd turn upon one of their own beloved ones? "Perhaps wise," Aamu murmurs. "Why go looking for trouble?" He offers a small smile, before dropping his eyes back to the list. One of his fingers trace patterns around the names.

"I will admit I am intrigued by the dragon," he finally says. It's selfish, but a strong candidate. "I was hoping to stay in the shift as long as I can, which is why the orca would probably get quite uncomfortable. And, ideally, I'd be both quick and capable of doing harm."

SUNJATA

the flood

Aamu’s slight laugh brings a crooked smile to Sunjata’s face. “Mm, well, you never expect it. I certainly didn’t.” This is said with a hint of amusement as he lifts the glass to his lips again, before the conversation turns a bit more sour, a bit more worrisome the more Sunjata dwells on it. So he tries not to, offering as honest of an answer as he can, before his mind gets the better of him.

At least, Aamu agrees. A nod given to the pale haired man with a slightly relieved smile. “Exactly.” If he could avoid it for as long as he could, he absolutely would. No need to throw himself into the middle of trouble when trouble had no problem seeking him out, anyway. His attention is brought to the list again, however, as Aamu debates which one to go with. “It is probably the most versatile.” He agrees with an easy shrug.

“You’d also be able to fly with the dragon shift. And breathe lightning.” He murmurs – even if Sunjata couldn’t fly at the moment, the others could, and that’s enough to make it easier for him and his worries in the long run. “You’ll have them all to choose from if you decide to shift into something else as well. But I do think the dragon is a good idea, if I do say so myself.” A crooked smile is given Aamu’s way with that, passing over the awkward conversation of Safrin from before.

you ain't gotta hurt no more, didn't you hear? the war's over
just don't look behind that door, you don't wanna get that much closer

THE GHOST IN THE SHELL \\

He's not going to press the subject of Safrin (or of getting swallowed whole), though he'd admit in a heartbeat that he's curious about it. Of course, there were those of great power in Aamu's time as well, Acquired who could do wondrous things, but most were common folk—one shift, maybe two, a dash of magic. Not.. god, how many? He checks the list. Eight.

"Lightning would be useful," he says quietly, gently tapping a nail against the paper now. Fire's supposed to be their weapon of choice, after all. And flying? That's neat. Nimble. Part of him doesn't like how this is all playing into the dragon's hands, and part of him is really fucking excited. Getting to turn into a dragon? Hell yeah, that's cool.

"And I did come to you for advice. Do you, ah.. have any suggestions for how to best utilize the dragon?" And will I go insane from spending a week as one? Maybe he should actually ask that next.

SUNJATA

the flood

Eight so far, is what the inner voice constantly reminds Sunjata, that if he continues to be in good favor with Safrin and do well, then he truly would become Caido’s resident zoo. But he focuses on Aamu’s comments instead, lingering along the idea of the dragon, how the lightning would be useful – so much would be helpful from a shift like that with sharp teeth, sharp claws, wings to fly and lightning to blast.

The next question has him pausing, fingertips dancing along the glass as he considers what the best part of advice he might have. “You’ll want to not try and fight the dragon’s instincts.” He murmurs, head tilting slightly, his neck and the top part of his chest filling with dragon scales, plated armor that interlocks and tangles down – a bit of lightning scars etched into the right shoulder. “Don’t try to fight it, you might end up getting hurt. Most times, an animals instinct is correct.” This is said with a slightly crooked smile as his gaze lifts toward Aamu again with a small shrug.

you ain't gotta hurt no more, didn't you hear? the war's over
just don't look behind that door, you don't wanna get that much closer

THE GHOST IN THE SHELL \\

And there we go—Aamu wonders if he'd go insane, then. He's really ill-prepared for this. Hasn't spent nowhere near enough time shifted into powerful animals, even though he's always greatly enjoyed it. "Ah," he ends up saying, thinking he was going to ask about something else, but Sunjata's neck is shifting. The soft light catches on hard scales, and Aamu shamelessly leans across the bar to peer closely at them. "Neat," he breathes, before sitting back at a more respectable distance.

"So... how strong are these instincts? Even if I were to stay in it for, say, days, would I retain enough presence of mind to do what I meant to? What, uh, what does it eat?" Aamu doesn't need to, but a borrowed shift is not Ascended. It is flesh and blood, and requires sustenance. And somehow, he doesn't think a dragon would want things like boiled potatoes and salted pork.

SUNJATA

the flood

He reiterates the point twice just to get it across, not knowing what it would be like to do it without giving in anymore. It was his first lesson when he became attuned, the first lesson he gave Nate when the man had shifted into his panther shift and they went for a hunt. That’s basically what’s happening now – the Ascended with his shifts would be hunting monsters, but hunting all the same.

He shows off the plates of scales when Aamu leans in, lets them linger as the question reaches him and Sunjata’s attention remains on the pale haired man before him. “I imagine you should be able to.” Had he remained in a shift for that long by himself? He can’t recall. But he also had the ability to constantly change in and out of it without losing anything. As for what to eat, well, he offers a soft smile. “Cattle I imagine would do best. But it can get by on almost anything.” A shoulder rises and falls in a shrug. His chosen choice when hunting in his dragon form were Ramphires. He imagines Luxere and cattle worked well enough, chickens likely if they wanted something that didn’t take too much resources. The shift was large, after all.

you ain't gotta hurt no more, didn't you hear? the war's over
just don't look behind that door, you don't wanna get that much closer

THE GHOST IN THE SHELL \\

So there's hope for him after all. Aamu nods thoughtfully, his eyes falling down to the paper again. Dragon. He can't help but imagine what the Stormbreak Dragoons would say if they suddenly faced an Ascended army, all of them shifted into exactly that: dragons. Oh, that would've been so sweet.

"If I get too much trouble I'll just end the shift earlier than planned and not much harm done," he says quietly, looking up at Sunjata again for confirmation. Staying a whole week as a dragon feels a little.. pompous, almost. He hasn't decided yet if he wants to go dragon from the start, or save it for getting out of a pinch.

"I imagine I'll find something, then. Even smaller quantities of nutrition should be enough to get it by when it's just a few days, right?" Aamu has not felt hunger in a long time, and he's apprehensive about it now. Turning into a massive predator seems like a good way to get hungrier than he would like, and he suspects that if it comes to a certain point it would be a very powerful instinct—and eating the "monsters" would feel obscene.