when regrets were nowhere to be found

SUNJATA

the flood

“Excuse me, Deepfrost is a long season.” Sunjata protests playfully. And besides, at home he could definitely get in the practice. It isn’t like he’ll be doing much else aside from that. He does lean in with the secret though, slipping toward Ronin as if it’s one of the most important secrets he’s about to be told. It isn’t, really, but it amuses him nonetheless, especially the innuendo. His nose wrinkles and he chuckles a bright sound, leaning back and shaking his head. “Yeah maybe.” He huffs with a roll of his eyes.

“Spice makers, I don’t know.” He says, meaning the mysterious they he’d mentioned. As for a good spot and making it himself he can only think of all the possibilities it would bring for far more delicious treats. Ronin has his attention now, the attuned shifting in his seat a bit as if he might be ready to go immediately. “Sign me up.” He beams at his friend and the dragonling. “I’ve been craving it lately.”

i can tell just what you want // you don't want to be alone

the measure of a man is what he does with power

"You know, you're right there. But I might want to spend some of it with my husband, instead of at a cookery class with you," Ronin points out with a cheerful smile that betrays his enthusiasm to spend more time with his friend away from the prospect of war. "Maybe? Perhaps I'll have to ask Nate," he says, sitting back and tipping a little more coffee into the saucer for Sugare before finishing his own.

"sPiCe MaKeRs," he repeats over the rim of his mug, blue eyes twinkling with mischief. But as Sunjata grows restless in his seat and Sugar finishes her second slurp of coffee, the dragonling swoops up to settle around the Flood's shoulders, clearly ready to go as well. "Come on, then," Ronin invites, rising to his feet. "But you can't tell anyone else about it, or I'll have none left for my own cravings."

Leading the way to the door to the little houseboat, Ronin doesn't bother to get himself dressed properly - he doesn't plan to be in this form anyway.

RONIN

SUNJATA

the flood

“Aw, no Huntsman at my beck and call?” He teases Ronin before a huff of laughter leaves him again. The smile grows wider at the joke but does fall a fraction short at the mention of asking Nate. “Maybe wait a bit until the whole…” His hand comes out to gesture weakly. “Maeve and Aurelia thing calms down.” That whole ordeal hadn’t thrilled either of them, but it was also part of the reason they were moving to the woods, to avoid it all.

As Ronin repeats spice makers Sunjata rolls his eyes again, reaching up to scratch at Sugar’s scales as he moves to stand. “Deal.” He agrees easily, another smile making its way onto his lips as he slips from the chair to the door, slipping through it and eagerly moves to follow Ronin toward the awaiting grove of peppermint bark.

i can tell just what you want // you don't want to be alone

RONIN

"I'll be at your beck and call, Sunjata, but there's a hierarchy to these sorts of things, you know. You can't jump the queue." Ronin wiggles a finger at his friend, flashing him a grin before his expresson fades to something a touch more serious. (And he should count himself lucky, because Ronin doesn't plan to be serious for the rest of the fucking day if he can help it). "Noted," he murmurs. "At least you don't have to think about Torchline unless it's to decide when to visit for a vacation."

Stepping out of the houseboat and leaving Sugar to get comfortable and receive all her fuss from Sunjata, Ronin hops onto the riverbank and promptly shifts into a luxere. His antlers cast a soft glow on the ground around them, and he tosses his head and paws at the ground before setting off at a pace best described as a prance. It's nothing compared to Deepfrost, but for now at the very least, Sunjata has caught his friend in a very good mood.

you'll find the cross only fits when your hands and feet are nailed to it

“Alright, alright. Stay in my lane.” Sunjata retorts, rolling his eyes but incapable of removing the grin from his face. A few moments later, though, and the smile is somber, and their shedding their skins. Not sure visiting for a vacation is in my near future. He comments offhandedly, shifting into his nyala shift, striped and deer-like yet not quite a deer at all. It still keeps the horns, though, a space for Sugar to remain should she wish to.

And then he’s trying to catch up beside his friend, his form smaller than Ronin’s and far flashier (aside from the glowing antlers, because Sunjata’s stripes and golden tipped horns are purely for show and nothing else) form. I’m not sure Aurelia and I are friends anymore, actually… He pauses, trotting toward wherever Ronin deems necessary. After she became Queen I invited her along to the Climb for Safrin’s quest and she, uh, kissed me. His ears waver with it and he glances sidelong at his luxere-friend.

SUNJATA

RONIN

Oh? Fine, we'll just have to go somewhere in the Wilds for a vacation. Hak Etme, maybe, or the Oerwoud. A pulse of warm amusement accompanies his words, and as the nyala falls into step beside him, Ronin turns his head to nose into Sunjata's ear. He's careful of his horns, of course - flashy they might be but he's sure they hurt just as much as his antlers do - and turns again once they're clear of the riverbank to trot away into the woods.

Amusement cools to something a good deal more uncertain when he says he and Aurelia aren't friends anymore, Ronin glancing over his shoulder. And then the bombs drops, the Huntsman falling to a halt in the trees. She what? he says, incredulous. I... what? How did... I mean, I imagine that didn't go well?

you'll find the cross only fits when your hands and feet are nailed to it

The Oerwoud is very nice. Sunjata agrees happily with a rumbling chirp from the Nyala’s throat, before Ronin’s nose is pressed into his ear. His large dished ears flicker and he snorts before shaking out his head, the mohawk of fur along his spine dancing back and forth with the movement. Excuse you. He jests, trotting along with Ronin toward their destination.

The conversation edges toward somber territory though as it was often prone to do and the nyala finds himself swallowing a bit hard, ears flickering back in his uncertainty, glancing sidelong at Ronin as he comes to a dead stop and Sunjata takes two steps forward before also stopping. No, not really. She thought we had some sort of connection like that, and maybe once back before everything happened I would’ve gone with it but… Now? With Kamaria and what I did to Nate and the fact she made it very clear where she stood when she arrived? A snort of disbelief leaves him. She’s our friend, mine and Nate’s and… I don’t know. It was tense after that, when I didn’t give in. If this shift could be frowning, it would be, but for now all he can do is send the awkwardness and sorrow at losing a friend down the bond toward Ronin.

SUNJATA

RONIN

Excuse me what? Ronin snorts and tosses his head, and whilst he can't grin in this form, the smug sense of entertainment that ripples through the Attuned bond is about as good as it gets. He picks up the pace through the woods once he's over the initial what-the-fuck of Aurelia kissing Sunjata, Ronin lowering his head to sniff at the dead leaves. Things are never simple, are they? he murmurs after a few moments, huffing out a sigh and nosing his way into a glade surrounded by spruce trees - the ones best for peppermint bark, in other words.

Maybe you just need to give it a little bit of time? he suggests. You could try and send her a letter in Deepfrost, see if you can open some communication there... anyway, this is where the best stuff is. Go ahead - but don't get too overzealous or I'll absolutely want to headbutt you. The warning sounds playful, but Ronin fucking means it.

SUNJATA

the flood

I wish. Sunjata replies with a small snort from his elongated muzzle. He shivers after a second, the mohawk along his spine shaking with the movement as he focuses on the path they take, taking in the entirety of the glade, figuring out where the peppermint bark therein lies, sure that Ronin would guide him to the space.

He follows diligently, however, and nods when he approaches the peppermint bark, using his teeth in this shift to tear off a small amount of them, before shifting back into himself to shove the bark into his pockets given that he doesn’t have room to carry it all otherwise. It isn’t a lot, enough to take of Sunjata’s hankering while leaving enough for Ronin to hopefully not headbutt him.

And when he’s done, he approaches Ronin with a bright grin, reaching up to scratch behind his ears with a playful wink. “I’ll give it a shot. We’ll see.” He assures his friend before he’s peering back down the path. “Well, hopefully that’s enough to keep you off my tail for a while. Let’s head back before Remi wonders where I’ve stolen you away to.” He teases, an amused laugh leaving him as he picks the trail back up toward the houseboat, content to spend a bit more time with his friend before departing back toward the in progress home of his in King’s End.

- FIN <333

i can tell just what you want // you don't want to be alone