took a fall from a windy height

it was me who wrote onto the wooden door your name

"I feel as though this would be easier if I could still be an octopus." Remi says thoughtfully, peering over the edge of the cliffs. He isn't concerned about falling of course, and in fact plans to jump any second. It's an entirely unnecessary way of getting down to the water, which is precisely why he's proposed it.

With a manta stone tucked under his shirt, Remi considers removing his clothing but decides against it. In all likelihood, he and Ronin won't end up back at the top of the cliffs after this adventure so there's no sense in making more work for himself.

"I forgot to mention." The alchemist murmurs, peeling his eyes away from the frothy spray below and reaching to cup Ronin's face softly in his hands. Delicately, he presses his lips against the Star's, though it's less of a kiss, and more just mumbled words. "..this is absolutely a race." So saying he gives his husband's shoulders a shove before turning and throwing himself off of the Falling.

it'll last there longer than in this body i can stay

I will fight the end

"You would say that about anything we were doing," Ronin remarks, smirking to his husband as they linger at the edge of the world - that's how it feels to him, anyway. The Falling is called the Falling for a reason, he is learning. A thick mist (or are they clouds?) hide the danger from view, but Ronin is certain that if he squints he'll be able to see the jagged rocks that peep through the fog. There are waves down there too, and deep, choppy water, but funnily enough that doesn't make him feel any better.

He has informed Remi that the price for this dive into the deep is actually going on the Star's comparatively fancy date, so with a manta stone at his throat, barefoot and prepared for this to go wrong in the best of ways, he's enamored enough to actually be drawn in by Remi's not-kiss. "Mm...?" He's already trying to reach for the Lullaby when he's shoved unceremoniously off the edge of a cliff, and for anyone watching, it might have seemed horrific.

Ronin, though? He's laughing and swearing all at once, and when he turns to face the wall of mist, he spreads his arms wide and shifts.

A phoenix is not some delicately sized songbird, as one might think - it's a formidable creature, even if not exactly a predator. Either way, a blaze of crimson and gold marks the way Ronin has taken, and the warbling trill that echoes along the cliffs speaks of secret promises and hidden beauty.

'til the end is here

Coding base by Sky!

it was me who wrote onto the wooden door your name

Down the men tumble toward adventure and danger both, with Ronin's fire burning away the mist and causing the air around him to hiss and steam. Never before have there been comparisons done on the relative flying speeds of hawks and phoenixes, and given the expertise of one of the birds' and the newness of the other, perhaps now isn't the time to start.

Like a sleek bullet of pale feathers Remi rockets towards the water. Normally he would pull up at this point, talons outstretched to catch whatever it was he had seen lingering beneath the surface. But this isn't the same sort of hunt, and so while his instincts aren't entirely sure about what he's asking his body to do, into the ocean he goes with nary a splash to be seen.

Allowing his momentum to carry him as far down as possible (he was fast, but he weighs nearly nothing in this form so he hasn't gained the depths he'd been hoping form), Remi eventually shifts back and begins adjusting the stone around his throat. Why hadn't he done that first? Why was he still wearing shoes? All good questions, with the same answer: he'd wanted to beat Ronin in this race and had become hopelessly sidetracked by it.

Did I win? Remi calls out, blinking his eyes to try and adjust seeing under water. I'm fairly certain I won.

it'll last there longer than in this body i can stay

I will fight the end

Oh, Remi has absolutely won. Mainly because Ronin is still caught by the joy of flying, and also phoenixes are categorically not hawks. He's soaring, blazing a trail of embers with his tail feathers, and as he nears the water he does pull up a bit, the waves hissing where he skims it. Like the utterly ridiculous man that he is, only then does Ronin shift back to himself, and he plops into the water like a fucking stone as a result.

You won the race, he informs his husband, blinking as well to start to focus, before navigating down into the deeper water, avoiding sharp and craggy rocks that loom up and around them. But I won at enjoying myself. And it's true - the Star's excitement all but rolls out of him and down the Attuned bond, only for the joy to quite suddenly snap into something a lot more sombre. Oh...

There are bodies in the water, down here. More than he can count - more than he cares to look at. Caught on the rocks or weighed down towards the sea floor, he can make out the bleached bones of their skeletons.

'til the end is here

Coding base by Sky!

it was me who wrote onto the wooden door your name

Oh, I wouldn't be so sure of that either. I got here so much faster, that I had time to thoroughly enjoy you as well. The pulse of affection through the bond they share is utterly playful and light; Remi is entirely lost in the nostalgia of what they're doing, it bearing such a resemblance to the sort of shenanigans they used to get up to.

Oh, what? The alchemist wonders, swimming closer. Unlike Ronin whose wings would likely cause an underwater tornado here, Remi unfurls his to help propel him forward. Only as he nears the Star does he see what his husband was looking at. Unlike Ronin though, the alchemist is struck by the beauty of it. Bleached from the sun as much as from animals eating away any trace of skin or muscle, Remi finds it much more appealing than any graveyard he's ever been too. Still, he can feel the roll of Ronin's emotions as clearly as the current around them. But anything Remi can think to say—How many do you think jumped? Do you think fish live in them? Can I bring one back for the store?—don't seem entirely appropriate.

I wonder what the mermaids think of this. Assuming they come up this far, from Torchline.

it'll last there longer than in this body i can stay

I will fight the end

Glad as Ronin is that his husband was given the chance to enjoy him enjoying himself, the mood has soured somewhat for the star. He has no wings to propel him forward, and so as he kicks about to look at the skeletons in more detail, Ronin looks as though he might be a fresh addition to this underwater graveyard. I'm not sure they would come up this far. The currents under here could easily dash them against the rocks, he tells his husband, resisting the urge to get too close to the bodies lest he disturb them. It feels disrespectful, somehow.

Anyway... you were here to find what, exactly? Rope, was it, from a shipwreck? Focusing completely on his husband for a moment - on the beauty of him in the water, like a drowned angel of mercy, on the way he can find something to enjoy, to research in a place like this... and of course, the Star begins to dazzle. It will provide good light underwater, though, so it's worth it.

'til the end is here

Coding base by Sky!

it was me who wrote onto the wooden door your name

I don't think that gives them enough credit. Remi counters. From his meeting with Maru and Delta, the alchemist thought the mermaids were probably the one ones able to navigate such waters. But it hardly mattered, not with Ronin's unease colouring his words like an oil slick.

Mhmmm. Whereas Ronin sees the Lullaby with a halo of curls and wide wings, Remi is lost in the strangest deja vu. It isn't of Ronin coming out of the water, and though the Star isn't naked now, the alchemist can't help but imagine that had that moment on the beach so long ago been reminded, that Ronin might have been shining in the water before emerging. Gods, look at you. The words can't be mumbled, mental though they are, and yet they still seem to slip unbidden from Remi's mind. Beating his wings to propel himself forward, he reaches out for the Star and then tugs him close. There is no one I would rather jump from a cliff with, only to find a graveyard of unclaimed bodies with. It's a stupid and strange thing to say, but such is their life, and he means every word of it. This adventure, born of a need to keep Remi from mercilessly invading the dreams (and bed) of another man, could only be shared with Ronin.

it'll last there longer than in this body i can stay

I will fight the end

You are probably quite right there, Ronin agrees about the merfolk, but it's as Remi says - it doesn't really matter in this moment. In fact, Ronin is busy looking at his husband when the Lullaby is suddenly propelling forward and tugging him close, coaxing a smile to the Star's lips. He leans in for that kiss that he was mostly denied when they were up on the rocks - and what a strange thing to do, kissing his husband in the depths of the ocean. I only look like this because of you, he informs Remi, slipping an arm around his waist.

A pulse of wry amusement makes its way through their bond - because weird as it is, it's still true, and Ronin can only agree. Don't you try to make this a date, he says sweetly, though the way he brushes his nose against Remi's suggests that it already might be. Come on. Let's find us a shipwreck, shall we? I've no idea where to start looking, so we'd better get to work.

'til the end is here

Coding base by Sky!

it was me who wrote onto the wooden door your name

The water is too cold for the warmth that Ronin's kiss inspires to do anything other than warm his belly. It's nice, actually, to know that no amount of stolen kisses beneath the surface of the water will lead them anywhere they shouldn't go. So it is that Remi tangles a hand in Ronin's hair, kissing him more deeply this time as his feet awkwardly pulse as if to keep them in place. They're sinking by degrees, but it hardly matters.

What? Me? No of course not. There's too much potential danger for this to be a date. Remi replies, grinning broadly at Ronin, before his lips twist into a positively shit-eating smirk.

Well...since you have more experience crashing ships than I do... He fully expects to be slapped for that, which explains why he's suddenly trying to swim away from Ronin as fast as he can. ...so you should lead the way!

it'll last there longer than in this body i can stay

I will fight the end

Of course Remi decides that now is a good time to try out his hand at taking things a little further, when the water is cold and they both know this won't lead anywhere. Ronin should be frustrated by this, but y'know what? He isn't. He lets his arms loop around the other man, the sweetness of their kiss mingling with the salt water, a smile already curling across his lips even as the Lullaby draws back. Oh, is tha so? I suppose the Cordillera is definitely out of the question, then.

He raises his eyebrows at Remi, and as he moves to swim away with the sass already on his lips, Ronin is trying to grab at his ankle. How dare you, sir! he barks out through laughter, flailing a bit before settling in to swim at a more ready pace. I will lead, clearly, because I am the bravest and most soldierly of the two of us. You just keep an eye out for shit that might kill us, okay?

'til the end is here

Coding base by Sky!

it was me who wrote onto the wooden door your name

Out of the question was just a fancy way of saying we'll do it later when it came to Remi and Ronin, and so it's with an easy shrug and kick of his feet that he tries to evade the Star.

Very easily Remi chuckles, gliding through the water with his wings outstretched to let Ronin take the lead. So if I were one of your dragoons, what would you have me be doing? The alchemist asks suddenly. He has very little idea what being a soldier actually entails, much less being a dragoon. Even less being one of Ronin's dragoons.

Not that Remi is actually concerned about things that might want to kill them (perhaps he should be, though), to his partial-shift he adds his reticulated tail. It acts like a rudder, letting him steer might more easily, and perhaps it might act as a deterrent to anything around, as well.

it'll last there longer than in this body i can stay

I will fight the end

Given that Ronin has so graciously decided to take the lead, he's missing sailboat Remi cutting through the water behind him, with his wings outstetched, his tail like a little deadly rudder. He doesn't expect the question either, honestly, Ronin humming his consideration as they swim out into deeper, darker water. It's called scouting. That's the official term for keeping an eye out for shit that might kill us. Since it's just the two of us, one should be pushing ahead, and the other should be watching for trouble, he explains.

Speaking of pushing ahead, the sand beneath them seems to drop off all of a sudden, like the world of Stormbreak is perched upon a ledge, and now it's just the great blue yonder. But with his dazzle lighting the way as it is, Ronin can also make out a jagged shape in the distance that is definitely not more rocks. Reckon that might be something worth looking at?

'til the end is here

Coding base by Sky!

it was me who wrote onto the wooden door your name

Oh I see. So what you're saying is that I am already an excellent dragoon. Remi chuckles in response, sounding quite proud of himself. Swimming with wings isn't quite like flying with them, but it also isn't, either. Neither as agile or swift as he normally is, still Remi is able to keep up with Ronin easily enough. What's difficult is trying to gauge how much room he's meant to leave between them, given that they're ScOuTinG.

Oooooh. Like a child, Remi is instantly swept away by the vast nothingness that sweeps around them. Ceasing the pulses of his wings so that he might descend, were it not for Ronin's question Remi might well have burst an eardrum in an effort to find the bottom of the ocean.

Mmm..wh? oh. With a smooth flutter of his wings, Remi swims back up and toward the dazzling man he'd married. And here I thought you were the only thing worth having a look at down here. But yes, lead on, captain.

it'll last there longer than in this body i can stay

I will fight the end

You are already an excellent dragoon, Ronin says, and though they're smiling and having quite a good time joking about it, the sincerity through the bond will give him away. If I were ever in a battle I'd want you in my corner, put it that way. Even if you're trying to swim away into the void, Remi. Ronin's mental voice is coloured by laughter, and he's currently treading water a good thirty feet above his husband, waiting expectantly for him to remember himself.

Grinning to see Remi return, the Star spends a good couple of moments simply admiring the other man. It's been a while since he could watch Remi lose himself to his curiosity, and he wants to wrap himself in it. Alas, there's a shipwreck to explore. Why don't we both lead for this bit? he suggests, reaching to take Remi's hand before descending a bit to swim towards the skeletal vessel.

'til the end is here

Coding base by Sky!