if time is a river

Now the ashes of tomorrow sing your sad song

Meeting under a dark sky seemed appropriate somehow. From being a friend of a friend, to once nearly accidental lovers, to a dream murderer and victim, to now whatever the hell they were (forced teammates?), midnight seemed the only time of day that made any sense. So, surrounded by mist and a growing sense of dread, the Lullaby waits.

Though there's hardly any wind, the thick waves of fog roll and crash like some strange inland sea. Watching them with slightly narrowed eyes and tense shoulders, the alchemist sits on a large rock with one knee drawn up to his chest and his fingers (those that remained, anyways), interlocked together.

the lullaby

Styling stolen from Sky (obviously)

SUNJATA

i was never the sharp knife, but i was never the dull mind
i was somewhere in between, a thorn, an acquiescent

It’s a neutral place, the Oerwoud. It gives him a chance to stop in Torchline to get a few more supplies on his way back too. Sure, perhaps he’s started coping with everything he’s been through with an overabundance of gifts bought and given, that whenever he’s out he feels as though he needs to find something. Perhaps that’s just the dragon in him talking.

He’s a fraction on edge when he arrives, arms crossing his chest in his own inadvertent way of closing himself off, his gaze appraising Remi for a moment before he glances around the meeting spot. “Remi.” He greets, taking a deep breath as his gaze falls back on the Lullaby. “I still want to hear more about how this can benefit us both.” He keeps his distance, arms still folded, his steel gaze brighter than it has been when he looks at the other man expectantly.

so you said it was for me, when you tried to break me
well you can save your breath, i know, i'm not the kind you pray for

Now the ashes of tomorrow sing your sad song

Glancing up as Sunjata arrives, it strikes Remi again just how much has changed between them. Rather than rising to shake the man's hand or give him a hug, the Lullaby instead stays where he is, offering only a polite nod of greeting. Glancing down at his hands—his thumb pressing into his palm to create spots of white where the blood is forced away—Remi nods to himself before beginning.

"Though you might not have immortality yet...I take it Nate does, just as Ronin and I do. Lately though I realized...it is never certain how long we would be 'dead', for, should any of us find ourselves killed. A week? A month? A year?" Smiling without any amusement, Remi raises his pale gaze to Sunjata. "I suppose I do not need to tell you that living without Ronin for a long length of time would not be something I could endure easily." It was an understatement, but still, Remi didn't think he needed to elaborate.

"So I asked Ludo for an hourglass. It would be able to tell how long an immortal creature would be dead for, and I require your blood for it." That was the long and short of it, put as simply as Remi could think to articulate it. "Were you to die, I would let Nate use it, and vice-versa, should you help willingly."

the lullaby

Styling stolen from Sky (obviously)

SUNJATA

i was never the sharp knife, but i was never the dull mind
i was somewhere in between, a thorn, an acquiescent

There has been a lot that’s happened between them, a lot that still keeps Sunjata’s distance, Frey’s words lingering in the back of his mind that he does have the ability to deny people, that he doesn’t have to just agree without anything in it for himself. Call it selfish, call it whatever, but Sunjata’s arrived with more than one motivator for this meeting.

The information offered is a helpful one, the young demigod certainly doesn’t have immortality yet, and whether Nate does or doesn’t have it, Sunjata’s face is impassive. The offer is a helpful one, one that the Flood does take into consideration as he works his jaw a few seconds longer. “I’d be in the same boat.” He rumbles, backpedaling to the mention of not enduring the absence of their partners well.

But Sunjata regards Remi carefully, keeping his posture straight and that internal mask in place. “It sounds good, but, might I add another bargaining chip in it? Something a little more for me?” He asks as a small, sharp smirk starts to tug on his lips. “I have my own quest from Frey and I could use yours and Ronin’s help. Don’t worry, it’s nothing you two aren’t already doing I imagine.” He pauses for a moment, trying to gauge whether or not he should continue before he does. “I need to help people have sex, so, I could put something together for you and Ronin and all I’d need is you two to get each other off.” He rolls a shoulder, head tilting as he regards Remi. It’s an easy addition in Sunjata’s eyes, and if Remi agrees then sure, the blood could be his.

so you said it was for me, when you tried to break me
well you can save your breath, i know, i'm not the kind you pray for

Now the ashes of tomorrow sing your sad song

On the subject of being reckless and lost without their partners, Remi and Sunjata could agree. At the mention of needing more, the Lullaby finds himself holding his breath; the thumb previously pressed against his palm turns sharp and slices across the skin that Remi's mind might have something else to think about rather than simply taking what he wanted that he might be done with all of this.

"Oh?" Raising an eyebrow, the alchemist doesn't bother to hide his wariness where Frey was concerned. "You need..." None of what Sunjata says is what Remi expects to hear, and he blanks rather amusingly. "I am not sure what help we need from you.." He says after a moment, eyes narrowing with confusion. "But if all you need to do is toss a blanket down and give us the thumbs up, then..." Another pause. "Will that be the extent of your involvement?" Once upon a time a threesome might not have been out of the question.

Now though? In Leafchange? Well, let's just say that in Leafchange Remi was no longer the most dangerous creature in the Greatwood.

the lullaby

Styling stolen from Sky (obviously)

SUNJATA

i was never the sharp knife, but i was never the dull mind
i was somewhere in between, a thorn, an acquiescent

He notices the way Remi’s thumb slices open his palm, but he only lets his gaze lift to the seaglass stare of the Lullaby. The offer is out, and Sunjata’s lip twitches with a small smirk at the way the other man blanks for a moment. “I imagine you don’t, but,” trailing off with a hand that unfolds from his chest, he waves it up in the air as if it explains itself when it really doesn’t. He huffs a small laugh, regarding Remi as the questions fall. “Come on, I’d put something together a bit nicer than a blanket and a thumbs up if you’re willing. But if a blanket's all you need then…” Shoulders shrug briefly until his body stills with the mention of the extent of his involvement.

To this, he nods. “For you two? Yes.” And he pauses, sucking in a breath, chewing on the inside of his cheek before he cuts the Lullaby a charming grin. “I don’t think it wise if I joined in.” It’s not about dampening the mood, which, given everything that’s happened between the three of them? Sure, Ronin saved his life, but it wasn’t without forcing him to speak to Safrin. Remi? While Sunjata’s gotten over the dream death for the most part, they’re not exactly friends anymore.

This was purely a favor for a favor. A bit of blood for a couple orgasms. Easy.

so you said it was for me, when you tried to break me
well you can save your breath, i know, i'm not the kind you pray for

Now the ashes of tomorrow sing your sad song

Still regarding the other man with wary confusion, Remi's gaze slips from Sunjata's steely eyes to his lips and then back again, as if there might be some sort of revelation revealed between the two. "So you...just need to...what? Pour us some wine then and wait outside while we have sex?" It really didn't make sense, but if that was what it took to get Sunjata's blood without the need to spill more of it in the process—and it wasn't like Remi wasn't going to have sex with Ronin—this seemed an easy enough trade. "It is Leafchange now though. You know what that means for Ronin." It's all the warning Remi will give; either Sunjata would take his chances and tailor his words, or he could wait a season. It was up to him.

Rising but not advancing, the Lullaby nods. "Deal."

the lullaby

Styling stolen from Sky (obviously)

SUNJATA

i was never the sharp knife, but i was never the dull mind
i was somewhere in between, a thorn, an acquiescent

“Something like that.” Sunjata shrugs, still working on figuring out the specifics. So far, all he’s done is sleep with an ex, hardly putting on a date for anyone. He doesn’t miss the dip of Remi’s eyes though, nor does he miss the way that the offer was an easy one to agree on. Something Sunjata keeps in mind for any future conversations. Why give out everything for free when he could make his own little demands.

He hums a quiet sigh of understanding, a decisive nod as his smile falters a fraction. “I have time. I’m not looking to start another fight.” A shoulder shrugs at this, but it doesn’t stop him from moving to step toward Remi when he rises, offering his right arm that’s free of all the Safrin tattoos for the first time in years to the Lullaby – his steel gaze lingers on Remi curiously, though deep within sits a hint of apprehension.

so you said it was for me, when you tried to break me
well you can save your breath, i know, i'm not the kind you pray for

Now the ashes of tomorrow sing your sad song

Remi, not used to having to bargain, and certainly having never been in a position where having sex with his husband was a requirement to get what he needed, still looked unsure as he approached the taller man. Not wanting to touch Sunjata any more than was necessary lest his magic get the better of him and his more primal nature respond to the emotions he was sure lingered behind Sunjata's neutral expression, it was with the utmost care that Remi extended a claw. Opening a wound that would heal easily and probably wouldn't even scar, Remi produced a small vial to collect a few droplets of Sunjata's blood before taking an eager step backward.

"Probably best that you write before coming by, even if you do wait a season." Remi remarks as wings push from his shoulderblades. "But I will mention it to Ronin just the same, so it does not come as a surprise."

So saying and with nothing further between them, Remi dipped his head one last time before setting off towards the moonlit sky.

~FIN

the lullaby

Styling stolen from Sky (obviously)