evermore

PHOEBE

The haven was beautiful, picturesque even. The sense of calm and peace was palpable, and the demigoddess could barely fathom such a place while the world outside was preparing for war. Frey's work was truly remarkable...but she knew it was only a matter of time before she ran into someone she'd rather not see.

But for the moment she decided to indulge in the beauty of the place. With Jude tucked away in their new home away from home, she set out to explore a bit more to get her bearings. She had a feeling she would be here for awhile after all, she may as well figure out where everything was.

It was in her wandering though that she happened on the said person she was hoping to avoid. Her lips pressed into a thin line. Might as well rip the bandage off. Years had passed now, and perhaps it was time to bury the hatchet. "Sunjata." she greeted softly from behind the Flood.

When the static clears

And all is said and done

I will realize that we all need someone

SUNJATA

at another place in time, you were infinitely mine
relatively alright, when berenstein was fine

The safe haven was in order, Sunjata had said his painful goodbye to his husband, corralled their twins and headed to the Barrows. It has been an adjustment, one that in its first day has taken a toll in his sleeping schedule. Dark bags sit under his eyes as he speaks with a tradesman within the little settlement they have, ensuring they have everything they need. The confirmation is given just moments before he hears his name.

He lifts his gaze, turns slightly and spies Phoebe, taking the moment to finish up everything before he pulls away from it to give the other Frey demi his full attention. “Phoebe.” He greets in an equal tone to match hers, taking a deep breath as he glances around the safe haven. “What do you think?”

at another place in time, only parallel to mine
the universe was alright, when berenstein was fine

PHOEBE

Something in her gut clenched as he said her name, residual hurts rising to the surface. But it is short lived, barely a flicker of candlelight in the face of the bonfire that was her pain over Harper. Perhaps in time that too would die out. Perhaps not. Love was cruel that way, and so too was the world they lived in. And despite the sanctuary she now stood in, she could not help but remember what Caido was truly like.

She glanced around briefly. "It's beautiful." she said, managing a small smile. Phoebe had never been a good liar so there was no point in saying anything otherwise. "I was surprised when I heard you had become one of Frey's" she said, raising a brow at him in question. His husband belonged to the Voice after all. How did he balance that tenuous line?

Though, come to think of it, Sunjata did seem to thrive in relationships eveloped in strife.

When the static clears

And all is said and done

I will realize that we all need someone

SUNJATA

at another place in time, you were infinitely mine
relatively alright, when berenstein was fine

A hum of acceptance and acknowledgement is met with the compliment, his steel gaze returning to his ex-wife. He’s done his best to turn this area into something peaceful, comforting, while war raged outside the walls of it. Even the fact that magic and abilities wouldn’t be used within, he’s optimistic that people will be able to get used to it for however long this takes.

Her comment, though, has him nodding, a soft huff of a chuckle leaving him that twists up the corner of his scarred cheek. “I was surprised too.” He agrees softly, straightening up slightly as he takes a deep breath. “They made a great offer for me. It was probably the best choice I’ve made.” And he wouldn’t have gotten an initial face to face with them if it hadn’t been for Phoebe in the first place.

So in an attempt to start over new, he heaves a soft breath in place of a sigh. “So thank you for introducing me to them so long ago.”

at another place in time, only parallel to mine
the universe was alright, when berenstein was fine

PHOEBE

Phoebe hoped the war wouldn't take long. Not that Sunjata hadn't made a lovely place, but it was mostly filled with children. And love them as she did, she still thought they could use more adult company besides each other. She doubted he wanted to spend more time with her than he had to either. Their breakup hadn't been exactly peaceful after all.

"What was the offer? Just to become a demigod?" she asked, curious what made it so great. Surely there had been more to it than just that.

But the thank you caught her off guard, and it showed on her face. It was certainly the last thing she expected to hear pass from his lips. "You're welcome. But you're the one that put in the work to get where you are." she said with a small smile. Being introduced to Frey and becoming close enough to the god for them to make one a demigod were two very different things.

When the static clears

And all is said and done

I will realize that we all need someone

SUNJATA

at another place in time, you were infinitely mine
relatively alright, when berenstein was fine

“Mm, not just that. I got to keep all my shifts and Frey told me I’d have the freedom away from Safrin to be able to work with the Ascended.” It was the perfect middle ground for the Flood, one that still hadn’t ended in ease. “Just took an undetermined amount of time for them to burn her out of me.” This comment is said with a slight shiver, hand rising to run through his short crop of hair, the earrings hanging in each ear dangle as he moves.

His gaze returns to her when she accepts the thank you, and surprise does cross the steel in his when she tells him he’d done all the work to get here. Truth be told, he didn’t think he had done that much — but perhaps Safrin had simply made it that much more difficult that it hadn’t taken nearly the toll it had taken to get him close enough to Safrin for her to ask. “Thank you.” He rumbles, arms falling to his sides awkwardly.

“I hope it doesn’t go on for too long.” The war, that is.

at another place in time, only parallel to mine
the universe was alright, when berenstein was fine

PHOEBE

Phoebe nodded slowly. It all made sense. "It is a tenuous line you toe." she commented - not meant as an insult but just an observation of his reality. No other Old God devotee spent time with the Ascended, much less maintained relationships with them. Yet it was very like Frey, she thought, to not care about who was what. But her brow furrowed at one of his statements. "Burn her out of you?" she said not sure what he meant by that.

Phoebe looked back in the general direction of the entrance to the sanctuary as he spoke of the war, her expression falling. "Me too. There are an awful lot of children here." she noted. It seemed she and Sunjata would become unsuspecting surrogate parents. And who knew how many would still have parents after all of this.

When the static clears

And all is said and done

I will realize that we all need someone

SUNJATA

at another place in time, you were infinitely mine
relatively alright, when berenstein was fine

“It always has been.” He rumbles, surprisingly taking no offense to the words. There’s truthfulness in the words even if it’s been a choice he’s made that has made things harder. As for the question? He shifts a little uncomfortably, arms rising to cross over his chest where she might notice one entire sleeve of tattoos for him are gone, only lightning scars remain. “She finished my tattoos and etched her name into my bones as being hers. It took a lot of work for Frey to get her out.” He hums, rolling a shoulder. “There was… A lot that happened after it too.” Things of which he didn’t want to go into detail with.

As for the amount of kids, Sunjata nods to that, turning slightly to look down the pathway where they run about. At least there were people who had moved themselves and their whole families here to help alleviate the strain. “I brought my twins. I don’t know where Kamaria is but I hope she’s up with her mother.” He remarks softly, glancing over at her to see how she takes it.

at another place in time, only parallel to mine
the universe was alright, when berenstein was fine

PHOEBE

Indeed it always has been. It had been the demise of their spite marriage, though it had only been held together by the finest of threads. She listened closely as he described the process he had undergone with both Safrin and Frey, glancing briefly at his scarred arm, before looking back up at him. It was clear there was more to the story, but he didn't want to speak of it. So she wouldn't pry. "It sounds like a painful experience." she said. Ascending to demigodhood had been blissfully uneventful as she slumbered straight through it in her little cocoon.

The Nightingale looked at the children then back to the Flood. She raised a brow at the mention of twins, not having known of them, but her expression softened as he mentioned his daughter. "I am sure Safrin is keeping her safe." she said in consolation. "I brought my son as well. Perhaps he will make friends with your twins." she said, still not knowing much about them or their age.

When the static clears

And all is said and done

I will realize that we all need someone

SUNJATA

at another place in time, you were infinitely mine
relatively alright, when berenstein was fine

A low rumbled hum leaves him in agreement over the experience, but she doesn’t push it much to his surprise and it’s with that that Sunjata thinks this could work. After all, he’d tried once before when it came to alleviating their past in order to make things easier. Perhaps now it will work.

As for the children, though, her comment of her own in the safe haven and even being potential friends with Romeo and Amadeus have his steel gaze slipping back to her. “Romeo and Amadeus are about… Five or six now I think. Nate and I adopted them.” After saving them from an attack not too far from this spot, actually. But that’s neither here nor there. “What’s your son’s name?” He asks after a moment.

at another place in time, only parallel to mine
the universe was alright, when berenstein was fine

PHOEBE

His hum of agreement was all she needed to know that he indeed suffered a much different experience than she did. For that she was grateful.

Five or six - how did he not know? - perhaps was a little young to be playmates with Jude, but there was still potential there. Jude was a very congenial kid. "Jude. He is eight." she said. "Harper is his father...but we aren't together anymore." she said, a sad expression overcoming her features. She knew Sunjata had played some role in she and Harper getting together in the first place, so he might understand how big of a break this was for the two of them.

When the static clears

And all is said and done

I will realize that we all need someone

SUNJATA

at another place in time, you were infinitely mine
relatively alright, when berenstein was fine

He doesn’t know because he doesn’t know the age of them when they’d saved them. Either four or five but with no way to actually know entirely when their birthdays were, he and Nate had had to pick one, hope it was right, since their parents were no longer around to tell them how old they were. But that’s neither here nor there.

“Congratulations.” He offers her about the child, pretty sure he has it on track in his mind that Harper was the father — Phoebe had never truly been the promiscuous type after all, and he knew how much Harper had worked to help change Phoebe’s outlook after their disaster of a marriage.

But the next news? His head tilts and a frown tugs at his face. “What?” He asks as if he hadn’t heard her, but he had. He shakes his head for a moment to clear any prior thoughts before clearing his throat to speak. “I’m sorry, Phoebe.” He wonders what happened, though he doesn’t make it a point of conversation. There’s simply just the reminder of those conversations Harper and he had in regards to his ex-wife and how this was the last thing he personally was expecting to hear about the two of them.

at another place in time, only parallel to mine
the universe was alright, when berenstein was fine

PHOEBE

"Thank you." she said with a small smile. Sunjata knew how desperately she had wanted a child. It had been a point of contention in their relationship after all. Jude was her greatest accomplishment and pride and joy. Nothing could shadow her love and gratefulness for him.

But his question brings up bad memories and she glanced at the ground briefly. "There was a magic garden I got trapped in. It felt like only a few hours but it was really a year. By the time I got out...Harper had moved on." she explained, keeping it as brief and to the point as she could. But she was surprised by his apology, a bit taken aback really. "It's alright. I just...wasn't enough or too much per the usual. Someone else was better." she said with a light laugh at self-deprecating humor.

When the static clears

And all is said and done

I will realize that we all need someone

SUNJATA

at another place in time, you were infinitely mine
relatively alright, when berenstein was fine

He can’t help but to slip back into the old version of him, the one from before they’d held the spire wedding, before he’d had a chance to think about the things he says to her before they slip out. “Oh fuck.” Surprise dances in the steel of his gaze, his jaw working as his brows furrow together as he stares at her. It had been a similar event when Safrin had been burned from him, the reverse of it where it had gone on for what felt like years and when he stepped out of the space, it had been as I’d no time had passed.

He grimaces slightly, arms unfolding from his chest as his hand rises to run through his hair. “I don’t think that’s necessarily true.” It hadn’t entirely been that Nate had been better, perhaps better for him and the lifestyle he wished to lead, but that didn’t mean that Phoebe was terrible and not good for anyone. Just meant she might need someone different.

at another place in time, only parallel to mine
the universe was alright, when berenstein was fine