sleepless paradise

SUNJATA

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

He doesn’t visit Torchline often. Nor does he visit those he’d seen back when he ruled here that often either, but a thought had occurred to him and with the silence of Maeve’s response on the subject of his gathering in Torchline, he still arrives in a range of quiet – keeping mostly to himself except for a letter sent to Ray hoping that she might join him at the Arclight Ocean. A bit of help gathering things for his quest from Frey, to catch up between them and how she and Torchline are faring, and perhaps asking if she’d be interested in helping him with his safe haven.

Either way, the letter is sent and Sunjata’s at the ocean, seeing the expanse of sand and waves that call to him deep down in his soul as it always had. It was like a missing piece each and every time he’d left the ocean’s side, the only thing in his youth that had any good light to it. And now? Well, now it was bittersweet. He wonders if he pokes around any further he might find something he doesn’t expect. (If he were to find his father’s body amongst the deep, he doesn’t know if it will be relief or fear).

Regardless, he stands there, a cigarette just recently put out but the air of smoke around him as he stares at the ocean and waits with a bag slung along his side.

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

Ray

Vibrancy is crucial
In life

The letter is a surprise for Ray, but not an unwelcome one. It's been a long while sine she's seen Sunjata or Nate, but she still thinks of them fondly. So, when Sunjata asked her for help, the herbalist saw no reason to deny him.

When she arrives, she sees the familiar silhouette of Sunjata and jogs up to him, "Hello! It's been forever. How have you and Nate been?" Ray hopes that they're both doing well in their new home. It still feels weird to not have them in Torchline.

The herbalist has her own bag thrown over her shoulder, filled with her usual med kid and other supplies. Adjusting the strap on her bag, Ray grins at her companion, "So what's the plan? Any particular kind of sand that we need?" The herbalist doesn't even really know if there are different forms of sand on a singular beach, but she wouldn't put it past Caido's gods.

In death
And in what comes after

SUNJATA

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

It truly has been forever – and as her voice fills the air between them, covering up the quiet roaring of the ocean waves, Sunjata turns to face her, a small smile of greeting picking up the corners of his lips. “Thanks for coming Ray.” He says at first, shoulders loosening as he focuses on her more fully, trying to shift his body language into being more welcoming instead of the tight draw of worry and anxiety that being out here with thoughts of his father filtering through his head. “We’ve been good.” Now that Nate was back from his death but not quite death, things had been better than expected, truthfully.

“Just some sand, really. In this jar here.” So saying, he pulls out the empty jar, opening the lid off of it and tucking it away as he nods his head down the beach a little, toward the drier parts of the Arclight. “How’s your apothecary doing?” He asks by means of interest – a space she had expanded on when he’d ruled Torchline. Of course he remembers it.

As he waits for her answer, he sinks to his knees in the sand, drawing back to look up at her as he gets the jar a little flat space in the sand before they can start filling it to the brim with the requested sand for Frey.

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

Ray

Vibrancy is crucial
In life

"Good to hear." Ray bends down and begins to help in the and collection of sand as she shoots Sunjata a brief grin. "It's been busy at the shop. Good, but busy. I've been stocking up on supplies and even completed a quest for Frey. They helped me obtain an item capable of healing minor wounds." The wand was an incredibly surprise for the herbalist. She'd been expecting something wonderful given the ingredients to create the time, but it had still blown away her expectations.

Noticing the jar filling quickly, Ray reaches over and pushes the sand down deeper into its container so she can add more. "But beyond that, same old same old. Orders and prescriptions, and the occasionally tea enthusiast." The latter were the most fun at times. They always got so excited about all of the dried herbs and spices available to craft tea with.

"Is there any news from Touchline that you'd like to catch up on? I hear all the gossip as you know." The comment is made with a teasing wink, but it's a genuine offer. If she had to leave, Ray imagines that she'd wonder about how her friends back home were doing, or what had changed.

In death
And in what comes after

SUNJATA

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

“Oh?” Sunjata pauses in scooping the sand into the jar that he’s brought, angling it so that she might be able to add her own that she’s gathering. The mention of Frey, however, is what gets his attention – head cocking toward her as he wonders belatedly if she knew his shift in allegiances. Yet, he knows word spreads quickly and from a place like Torchline that’s been set in Safrin’s chokehold for years now, how could she not have heard?

“I didn’t know you’ve met them.” He offers with a bit of amusement, a smile quirking the corner of his lips up. “What do you think of them?” He asks out of pure curiosity, not like it had been with Safrin in Sunjata’s attempts to learn just how much he could about the god he serves. Safrin’s had been more terrifying than interesting and following Frey has never made the Flood feel more free.

News of Torchline, though, has an almost somber nostalgic smile blooming on his face once they’ve filled the jar and he screws the cap on, sitting back on his heels to regard her. “Should be considered a gossip dealer among herbalists, hm?” He teases, his steel gaze sparking with light and amusement. “I suppose if anything interesting has happened. I miss it… But, given Safrin’s and my relationship now and her hatred of Nate I couldn’t stay. It wasn’t because I didn’t want to. I just…” He shrugs his shoulders helplessly, knowing that Ray would understand. She usually did.

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

Ray

Vibrancy is crucial
In life

As Sunjata suspects, Ray is well aware of the Demi-god's new position. The rumor mill as well as her information network had been particularly abuzz when that news made its way in. "I'm sworn to Rae, but I certainly like Frey. They're cheerful and I'm very grateful for their help. I also appreciate how clear they are about their expectations." In all of their interactions, the deity had been rather clear cut and avoided mind games. A fact that Ray found soothing.

Sunjata's teasing pulls a chuckle from the herbalist, and she throws him a wink, "You know it!" And the following somber words have a gentle smile stretching across her face. "I know. " As she scoops more sand in, she reaches over and gives his hand a gentle squeeze before returning to collecting sand.

Not wanting him to dwell on painful memories, Ray jumps into gossip as a distraction, "As or news? We have a healing fountain now, which is awesome and makes my job easier. Locke's supposedly dead sister is apparently alive and a pirate." That was one that she hadn't seen coming to say the least.

"Also, apparently Maeve has come home a few times looking especially happy so clearly something is going well in her life. The rumor mill has been trying to determine why. My favorite guesses are that she's seeing someone, that she has a fancy new magic item, or that she's discovered something important out in the Wilds."

Ray gives a small shrug and grins mischievously, "Sad thing is that I truly don't know what's true and what's just speculation on that front. I'm just glad that she's been happier."

In death
And in what comes after

SUNJATA

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

“And they stick with it.” Sunjata tacks on, a small flicker of amusement crossing his face in regards to Frey. They had told him that they wouldn’t get involved in his life in the way that Safrin had done – it had been what drew him to follow them alongside all of the promises given. But it had also been the backfiring fault when Safrin had brought him down so low that he had tried to call to them for help, that Ronin had been the one to take mercy on him and let him live for it because Frey didn’t show. They meant what they said and Sunjata couldn’t be upset with that.

Still, her wink and the chirp of her voice in amusement has him smiling a bit crookedly, even despite the somber talk – moving onto something of more interest. He hums his knowledge of the healing fountain, but quirks up as soon as the mention of Locke’s sister reaches his ears. “Seriously? That's not... At all what I expected truthfully. Are you sure?” He asks with a soft huff of a laugh, one that remains even as she speaks on Maeve.

And honestly? Sunjata doesn’t know what it could be. He knows that he’s spent a few nights with her – wonders if perhaps one of those nights had been a time after him. He also wonders if the rumors of just how alike Edmund looked to him still ran rampant in Torchline. But all he can do instead is hum a soft snort, corking the top of the jar full of sand, and flashes her an amused grin. “Could be a mix of all three, I suppose? Maybe the something important in the wilds is a lover with a fancy item, hm?” He smirks, before he breaks into a soft laugh.

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

Ray

Vibrancy is crucial
In life

Ray chuckles and gives a small shrug, "It's what one of my informants said. They said they'd accidently witnessed a very dramatic happy hug and caught snippets of 'sister', 'pirate', 'dead' etc. And another looked further into it and the women in question shares Locke's last name."

The herbalist hums in thought, "Time will tell if that theory is correct or not. But her name is apparently Alex."

Sunjata's theory on Maeve's mood makes Ray throw her head back with a laugh. "Oh of course! That must be it." She wiggles her eyebrows, "Must be some very fancy equipment if she's willing to go all the way out to the Wilds." The herbalist cackles at her own joke as Sunjata closes the lid on the jar.

Standing she holds a hand out for the man to take and pull himself up. "It was great to see you Sunjata. Is there anything else that I can do to help?"

In death
And in what comes after

SUNJATA

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

Surprise is easily written across his face as she elaborates, a soft huff of a laugh and a huh slipping past his scarred lips as he considers it. Last he’d heard of Locke, he’d disappeared again. Hopeful that nothing terrible had happened to him during his absence, of course, though it’s interesting the sister had recently arrived.

Of course, it’s all just standard dramatics that Sunjata isn’t wholly a part of anymore – he isn’t sure if he’s relieved or perhaps bittersweet about it. It certainly keeps things from getting too complicated these days, though.

Ray’s laugh sparks more of a smile to tug on his face, tilted and wrong where the scar bisects the corner of his mouth, but one quite genuine all the way. “Ray!” He gasps out of pure dramatics, his accented voice breaking down into a hum of his own laughter as he shakes his head. “It has to be, right?”

She helps him up though, his calloused hand easily slipping into her own and draws himself back up to his full height, shifting the bag around to his front so he can place the jar into it. “It’s always good to see you too.” He offers softly, every ounce of meaning in the words. He’d missed it here in Torchline. He’d missed those that had never doubted him. “I do have to work on making that safe haven more officially. Once Deepfrost is over, of course, but I could use an attuned’s help if you’re interested.” He asks, lifting his steel gaze from the jar of sand to her face.

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

Ray

Vibrancy is crucial
In life

Sunjata's dramatics pull another round of laughter from Ray. "Right! Or maybe she has something or someone at home that she's simply excited to get back to. Who knows?" Still chuckling, the herbalist lets the topic drop as the Demi-god answers her question.

And it's one of the easiest questions in her life to answer. "Of course! I'd be happy to help." A gentle smile comes to Ray's face, "I want to help as many people as I can in the coming days. Aiding in the construction of a safe haven is something that I'd love to do. Just say when and where, and I'll be there."

Her allegiance to the Old Gods would never change, her position in Torchline's council preventing true neutrality as well. But Ray was an herbalist, a healer. She would always jump at the chance to help the common people.

In death
And in what comes after

SUNJATA

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

Another hum of a laugh leaves him, coinciding with Ray’s own chuckle. “Whooo knows.” He chimes, still an air of dramatics that’s amusing to him that she luckily finds just as entertaining. It feels like a breath of fresh air, to be around another without any judgement or harsh looks – able to delve into the more fun and carefree version he’s turned into being, no longer afraid of Safrin’s repercussions.

His offer is accepted and his smile broadens on his face – still crooked given the scar, but still bright as can be. “I’ll send a letter when the time comes, then.” To the same place he’d sent this letter, he imagines. He knows it would find her one way or another. As it stands though, an offer is given for a drink at the Hanged Man before he heads back home to deposit the sand, and hopefully she takes him up on it.

It'll help him reminisce a little bit longer before going back to the snow covered earth of the Grounds.

- FIN <333

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