(SE) wear your silver lining

i was raised as a scorpion
being pulled by the moon in a high tide

He hasn’t been back here since he’d left after Ronin had let him free from the jail. But it seems different – not only just from how the war had changed things, but from something more recent (the moth incident). Of course, being in King’s End as he is, he often doesn’t hear news until way later. Something he makes a point to try and fix eventually.

For now, though, he arrives on the wings of his Pegasus shift, the sea panther companion of his curled up in the bag wrapped around his neck beside the bag of holding for the items he intends to try and collect for LongNight back in the region he calls home. He figures the Pegasus would be much better received than the dragon, given the Ascended attack, and so far once he’s landed and shifted back, nobody’s wanted to interrogate him or throw him back into the jail cell. So… perks, right?

Still, his anxiety is at an all time high, though you wouldn’t be able to tell given the way Petronella clings to his neck, running from one shoulder to the other to try and take in all the sights. And Sunjata, awaiting Sohalia’s company, finds a seat at a little café with a cup of coffee, far more attentive than he likely needs to be, but appearing at a distance relaxed and carefree.

the flood

that's why i'm broken, yeah,
am i a villain or a saint?

Cheer up and dry your damp eyes and tell me when it rains
And I'll blend up that rainbow above you and shoot it through your veins

"Jata!"

The delighted cry came from behind Sunjata as Soh entered the little cafe to find that her friend had already arrived. Like Petronella clinging to Sunjata's neck, Tarak perched haphazardly on Soh's shoulder, no larger than a small house cat and just as finicky. Reading his bonded's joy, and not to be outdone, he squawked a greeting of his own before pouncing from Soh's shoulder onto the table, eyeing the Flood and his companion with interest.

Soh herself leaned over to wrap Sunjata in a one-armed hug before sliding into the chair across from him. "I hope you haven't been waiting long," she said apologetically. "I got stuck in a meeting, and then everyone seemed to need something on the way over from the Tower." Ever since she'd become the Heart, it seemed that more and more people stopped her in the street for one reason or other. "But anyway," she added, waving a hand through the air as though to wave away her worries. "How are you? How was your trip? And who's this?" she added, smiling at the little sea panther.

the Luminary

'Cause your heart has a lack of colour and we should've known
That we'd grow up sooner or later 'cause we wasted all our free time alone

code stolen from sky who stole it from odd

i was raised as a scorpion
being pulled by the moon in a high tide

The cry does surprise him, and unfortunately for Sunjata he does jump a little – hoping that she hadn’t seen the way he tenses in his surprise, covering it with a hum of a laugh of his own while Petronella’s bright slit gaze focuses hard on who had just surprised them so intensely. He leans forward in his seat, making it easier to give her a hug in return, the smile blooming lopsidedly on his face. “Hey Soh.” He murmurs in greeting, focusing on the griffin that both tugs at his stitched together heart and bolsters it with happiness for his friend to have found such a companion.

“I just got here, actually. So don’t worry, I know what it’s like to be a leader.” He reminds her playfully, shooting a wink her way before he sips from his coffee and sets it down. “I’m getting better by the day. The trip was easy, I had just left the Climb.” Which would explain the strange clothes choice – somewhere between bundled for snow and somewhere hotter than hell. Regardless, he’s warm enough.

As Petronella is referred to, though, the sea panther cub peers at Sohalia in clear confusion and almost wariness, before Sunjata picks her up to set her on the table so that the Luminary can get a closer look. “Petronella. I found her with Koa, actually.” A little side note to add in, before he’s nodding toward Tarak. “I see you’ve found yourself a griffin, though? Do tell.” He wonders how similar it was to how he’d found Haai once upon a time, but he refrains from getting too deep in that thought for now, waiting for her story to unfurl.

the flood

that's why i'm broken, yeah,
am i a villain or a saint?

Cheer up and dry your damp eyes and tell me when it rains
And I'll blend up that rainbow above you and shoot it through your veins

Soh was so absorbed in greeting her friend that she didn't notice how she'd surprised him - oops. Instead, she slid into the chair across from him, scooping Tarak towards her and into her lap - much to the griffin's displeasure. He grumbled faintly, but calmed as Soh began gently scratching between his wings, where he couldn't quite reach himself. "How wonderful!" she said. "Does the Climb stay as hot in the winter?" She'd only been the one time, herself, but it had been terribly warm then. She didn't imagine that it would change much with the seasons, but one never knew.

Petronella was introduced, and Soh offered her hand for the little sea panther to sniff if she wanted. "Hello, Petronella," Soh murmured. Koa's name had Soh's eyes jumping to Jata's face, a strange mixture of emotions suddenly flickering in her gaze: surprise, because what was Koa doing with Jata; jealousy, because he'd been with Koa and she hadn't; longing, because she didn't know if she'd be able to spend time with Koa again; guilt, because it was none of her business anyway... and the list went on and on. Still, she glanced down quickly in an effort to control herself - perhaps Jata didn't notice.

The topic of Tarak was easier, and she shoved all thoughts of Koa from her mind as she looked back up at her friend. "Oh, this is Tarak!" she said eagerly; the griffin poked his head up over the table and whistled another greeting. "I found him in the Oerwoud while I was mapping the Undergrove. He tried to claw my arm off," she recalled with a chuckle. "But I'm happy to say that he did not succeed. And, given how much he likes to be pet, I think he'd agree."

the Luminary

'Cause your heart has a lack of colour and we should've known
That we'd grow up sooner or later 'cause we wasted all our free time alone

code stolen from sky who stole it from odd

i was raised as a scorpion
being pulled by the moon in a high tide

“Oh yes.” Sunjata says without a moment of hesitation, a low rumble of a laugh breaking through any anxieties he might have as he continues. “I don’t know if it’s hotter because it is or because everywhere else is cold that it feels hotter.” One way or another, Sunjata certainly lost a few pounds of water weight walking around that open aired sauna.

Petronella, however, at the introduction, leans forward to sniff at her hand before her attention focuses intensely on the griffin as he makes a little whistle of greeting, and he’s helpless to try and stop her from scrambling over him to get onto the table to poke her head down over the edge of it to greet the griffin more formally – bright eyes focusing intensely on him.

“What is it with griffins?” Sunjata asks, flashing Sohalia an easy smile. “When Haai, my griffin companion, hatched, she bit my finger.” A nostalgic memory, one that launches a small pang of pain through him that he masks easily, even as Petronella doesn’t mask it as well – looking back at him curiously like he’s just plucked a scale off of her. All he can do is send her a little mental Sorry, Nella. That Sohalia will certainly hear.

the flood

that's why i'm broken, yeah,
am i a villain or a saint?

Cheer up and dry your damp eyes and tell me when it rains
And I'll blend up that rainbow above you and shoot it through your veins

Fortunately for Soh, Jata didn't seem to notice the way her heart leapt and her skin prickled at the mention of Koa, and they were able to easily slip through her momentary jolt of recognition on to safer topics. Griffins, for example.

Tarak peered up at Petronella from his place on Soh's lap, slitted pupils narrowing as he took in this new creature. While prickly at the best of times, he tended to latch on to other companions, particularly when in a playful mood. Just now, his tail lashed back and forth as he seemed to contemplate the best way to pounce on his newfound friend. Be nice, she chastised him silently. The little griffin looked up at her petulantly, clearly disappointed, and tucked his paws underneath him to begin to sulk.

Smothering a snort at the fickle nature of her companion, Soh smiled at Jata. She hadn't realized that he'd had a griffin companion, and she suspected that since he didn't anymore, there was probably a not-so-great reason why that was. Instead of asking, she ignored her piqued curiosity and Jata's quiet apology to Nella. "I think they just like being difficult for the sake of it, sometimes," she said wryly, scratching Tarak on the head. Just as quickly as he'd begun to pout, he was purring in her lap. "Tarak is definitely more catlike than birdlike."

the Luminary

'Cause your heart has a lack of colour and we should've known
That we'd grow up sooner or later 'cause we wasted all our free time alone

code stolen from sky who stole it from odd

i was raised as a scorpion
being pulled by the moon in a high tide

He doesn’t notice her shift in demeanor, likely too engrossed in making sure he doesn’t make a catastrophic mistake being here in Stormbreak. So for the moment, he’s fully fixated on making sure everything goes right, and the main thing keeping that in line was trying to make sure Petronella didn’t get too far into Tarak’s space where she found out just why one didn’t fuck with a griffin.

Despite the sulking Tarak does, Petronella is ignorant of Sunjata’s own quiet reminder to be nice, and instead takes the moment to curl toward the edge of the table to reach out with a paw to bat at Tarak’s flickering tail, as if trying to egg him onto a game.

“They truly do.” Sunjata says as a response to the idea of how much of a handful griffins were, and he keeps that easy smile on his face when she doesn’t delve in or probe about it. Instead, latching onto the fact that Tarak was more catlike than birdlike. “Haai was a dog type of griffin. She acted like a wolf and a magpie combination, which, is likely where the start of my grey hairs formed.” He offers gently, finding it easier to talk about it without delving in further, and with far less of those mental growing pains of bringing Petronella’s mood down, given that she’s so far focused on trying to get Tarak to play.

the flood

that's why i'm broken, yeah,
am i a villain or a saint?

Cheer up and dry your damp eyes and tell me when it rains
And I'll blend up that rainbow above you and shoot it through your veins

Tarak, used to being the youngest companion around, was unprepared for the young sea panther's antics. As his tail lashed petulantly back and forth, Nella batted at it from over the table. Soh could practically hear the griffin begging to be released for playtime, and, hiding a smile behind her hand, she gave her blessing. The young griffin pounced onto the table, wings splayed comically in the air for balance as he pawed playfully at Nella.

At the mention of Jata's grey hairs, Sohalia laughed. "Oh, come now, it's not as bad as all that," she said with a smile. "Or at least, it better not be. I'm too young for grey hairs." Silver eyes twinkled playfully as she teased, and for a moment, it was easy to forget her worries and simply relax in her friend's presence. At the very least, she felt safe with Jata, and she didn't share his unease at being in Stormbreak. As far as she was concerned, he had every right to be here, just like anyone else.

the Luminary

'Cause your heart has a lack of colour and we should've known
That we'd grow up sooner or later 'cause we wasted all our free time alone

code stolen from sky who stole it from odd

i was raised as a scorpion
being pulled by the moon in a high tide

Petronella would be entirely content to continue batting at Tarak’s tail even if Soh didn’t have the generosity to release the griffin’s hold over his manners to indulge in the play. But the second that she does and he pounces onto the table and paws at her, she rumbles a kind of squeak of a growl as she pounces on him playfully, no claws or sharp teeth, just battering paws and head butts.

Sunjata’s attention flickers from the two of them back to Sohalia when she speaks, snorting lightly. “Something tells me I have a few more things to contribute to the grey.” So saying, the lightning scarred hand lifts to rake through the dark hair, streaked with a few stripes and pieces of silver. “I wouldn’t worry too much on your account.” He shoots her a wink and huffs a laugh before shaking his head. “So, I didn’t come with accommodations in mind… I’m hoping your offer still stands?” To stay with her for the day or two that he’s there before he returns back to the House of Midnight.

the flood

that's why i'm broken, yeah,
am i a villain or a saint?

Cheer up and dry your damp eyes and tell me when it rains
And I'll blend up that rainbow above you and shoot it through your veins

While the companions played on the tabletop, drawing a look of dismay from a passing waiter, Soh grinned at her friend, eyes flicking briefly toward the waiter. If Jata followed her gaze, he, too, might find the poor man's expression amusing, as he didn't seem to know whether to laugh or to cry. In any case, Soh nodded cheerfully at Jata's question. "Of course!" she said. "Whenever we're finished here, we can head that direction. It's not much, but it's home," she added, trying not to think of how painfully lonely it had been of late, or of how ridiculously excited she was to have a friend come to stay. Perhaps that would chase away the doldrums for a while.

When the waiter appeared at their table, still looking vaguely pink around the ears, Soh gently extracted Tarak from the playful squabbling. "You'll have plenty of time to play later," she told him as he sulked. She gave her order to the waiter and, once Jata had given his, she returned her attention to the man across from her. What a strange pair they made, really, if only Soh knew Jata's history with Stormbreak. As it was, she was blissfully unaware, and she tilted her head to one side. "Remind me: you've been to Stormbreak before, right? I can't recall, but I've a list of places to visit if you're interested in playing the tourist."

the Luminary

'Cause your heart has a lack of colour and we should've known
That we'd grow up sooner or later 'cause we wasted all our free time alone

code stolen from sky who stole it from odd

i was raised as a scorpion
being pulled by the moon in a high tide

His gaze does follow hers as he looks toward the waiter, snorting his amusement while Sohalia answers his prior question over lodgings and where he could stay. It swings his attention back and he flashes her an assuring smile as he leans forward to collect Petronella from the table, hearing her mewls of protest as he tucks her into the warmth around his neck. “Doesn’t have to be much to be considered home, trust me on that one.” He’s lived in mansions and large enough buildings that the air seemed ripe with loneliness and often found the smaller, less put together places had a semblance of home that was something he could thrive with.

The waiter is there, however, and he waits patiently while Sohalia orders before he orders one of his own – a little espresso thing that he hopes is just as bitter and tasty as he’d experienced back home in Korofi. “I have. Admittedly not too many places, but, I visited the Celestine, the Falling, the… Judgement’s Needle.” He pauses as if shaking himself from that memory – visiting as a prisoner and not just a visitor. “And here. What did you have in mind, though?” He asks, his entire focus landing on the Luminary before him.

the flood

that's why i'm broken, yeah,
am i a villain or a saint?

Cheer up and dry your damp eyes and tell me when it rains
And I'll blend up that rainbow above you and shoot it through your veins

Sohalia shared a smile with her friend as he reassured her about her home. She loved her little apartment above her map shop, small though it may be, and she looked back on making it feel like home with a fondness that she couldn't quite describe. Jude had been there, when she'd moved in, working alongside she and Tal to get things just right, and the memory made her heart ache anew. Her fingers tightened almost imperceptibly in Taraks' fur, and the griffin settled in her lap, kneading on her knees in an effort to comfort his heartsick bonded.

Fortunately, she had other things to focus on just now, and she listened intently to Jata's list of places, checking a few off the list in her mind. "Well, there's the Eye of the Storm, for one. Hot springs, if you can believe it, not too far from the Celestine. It's my favorite place in the city. The Spyglass was nice, too, although it's currently, er, closed for renovations." She winced at the memory of the giant moth. Shaking it off, she pressed on. "There's the Archive, if you've an interest in books and such. I spend quite a bit of time there, myself. And then there's the Falling, out around the city proper; the views are stunning, and there are some wonderful little restaurants there." Another pang struck her as she remembered her first date with Koa. "Anyway, we can see any or none of them. It's completely up to you."

the Luminary

'Cause your heart has a lack of colour and we should've known
That we'd grow up sooner or later 'cause we wasted all our free time alone

code stolen from sky who stole it from odd

i was raised as a scorpion
being pulled by the moon in a high tide

She has his complete and undivided attention as she starts to list off the places she wants to go, and Sunjata waits until she’s completely finished listing them out before he responds – not wanting to interject or ruin the healthy list of places to visit that she’d brought up. So when she finishes, he mulls it over, having recalled the events he’d been the sole cause of at the Falling – the demigod revisits one of the earlier suggestions.

“I’m always a fan of hot springs.” So what if he had just been to Frey’s in the Climb? The more the merrier for his sore bones. “And if it’s your favorite place in the city, then we have to go.” He leans forward in his seat to readjust his long legs and flashes her a brighter smile, content and pleased with the choices she’d laid out to choose from – though he’s silently grateful for Safrin’s departure, unsure if the closer he got to the Celestine the more ready she’d have been to smite him where he stood.

the flood

that's why i'm broken, yeah,
am i a villain or a saint?

Cheer up and dry your damp eyes and tell me when it rains
And I'll blend up that rainbow above you and shoot it through your veins

It's not unusual for someone to give Soh their complete and undivided attention, but it usually set her teeth on edge because it was the result of someone viewing her as a superior. There were benefits to having her orders followed as Stormbreak's Heart, but it was also isolating to be viewed that way. With Jata, though, his attention was freely given, not because he felt that he had to, but because he wanted to. It made it easier to work her way through her list of potential tourist sites, which she realized as she spoke was quite extensive. She didn't even know how long he was staying, or what he'd planned to do with his time outside of visit with her. Perhaps she'd gone a little overboard.

"The Eye of the Storm, it is, then," Soh said upon hearing Jata's decision, flashing a brilliant smile towards her friend. It would be nice to just be Soh for a while instead of being the Luminary. It seemed that lately everyone who knew her as her was off doing other things, and it had been a bit lonely as a result, even without her twisted love triangle.

The waiter returned with their beverages. After thanking him, Soh took a sip of her hot chocolate. It was divine, as she'd known it would be. "So," she said, settling in with her hands wrapped around the warmth of the cup. "What else has been going on in King's End?"

the Luminary

'Cause your heart has a lack of colour and we should've known
That we'd grow up sooner or later 'cause we wasted all our free time alone

code stolen from sky who stole it from odd