[Training] Bound by noisy heartbeats

Jude

I'll still be here when the world slows down
And the sunbeams fade away

Pious child that he is, it's not unexpected to find Jude in Aumakua given the shrine at the top of the lighthouse. His prayers are already complete, but a restless energy hums beneath his skin in time to the thump of his feet down the metal staircase. Sunlight blinds him, one hand coming up to squint against the oppressiveness of Longheat's afternoon sun as he emerges from the lighthouse door.

He pauses there, eyes adjusting as he bites his lip and considers his options for potential outlets for the buzzing in his veins. Normally he would train with his father, but things are more than complicated with the man these days, and he has no dedicated weapon of his own. Still, maybe he could run or practice stances...?

Unaware he's blocking the way to the shrine, Jude frowns out over the sun-drenched horizon and idly begins to stretch his arms and shoulders, feeling stifled and useless.

Keeping time by a pendulum
as the fabric starts to fray

RONIN if there's one thing i'm good at, it's surviving One comes out and another approaches; Ronin hikes towards the Aumakua with his offerings in a small bag over his shoulder, his steps sure, his shoulders bare to the Longheat sun. It's been a long while since he could enjoy Torchline like this, with the season in full bloom and the islands showing off their untamed beauty. Granted, it looks a lot different than it did before the war, but some things never change. Take the lighthouse, for instance. The appearance of a figure in the doorway isn't necessarily uncommon, either, and it does fill Ronin with warmth to know that his lady of the stars receives so many visitors. Shifting his bag on his shoulder, he slows to a halt outside the shrine and offers the boy a friendly smile. "Are you on your way inside?" he asks, nodding to the shaded staircase behind him.

Jude

I'll still be here when the world slows down
And the sunbeams fade away

Jude is so far in his head he only registers the man as a passerby, not a visitor of the shrine he is blatantly blocking - something he becomes aware of all at once when he's unexpectedly spoken to. Jolting, fair cheeks flush immediately, but as his eyes travel up (and up) they go wide with surprise. "Ronin?" he blurts, and then shuffles quickly out of the way because that wasn't exactly an answer and he can't keep Safrin's demigod away from her shrine.

"Oh! No! I mean - I just came from there, actually. Sorry." Wincing slightly at the taste of foot firmly in his mouth, Jude considers simply continuing on his way. Except...well, this is the first time he's seen Ronin since he was a young boy at his mother's side. Oh, wait - "Um, it's Jude by the way. I know I look a little different." His sheepish smile aims past his shoulder as he turns halfway, torn between leaving the Supernova at peace and giving into his wide swathe of parental issues and hero worship.

Keeping time by a pendulum
as the fabric starts to fray

RONIN if there's one thing i'm good at, it's surviving "No need to apologise," Ronin says with a cheery enough smile, and whilst it's been some time since he lived in a region that didn't consist of himself, his husband, dragons and a few alpina, he's still used to people knowing him by name. Until, of course, the young man introduces himself as well, and the Nova's eyes widen a bit. "Jude! Gods, it's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry I didn't recognise you." Relaxing his shoulders and shrugging his offering bag (gently) onto the ground at his feet, he moves back into the doorway of the Aumakua - and if he realises they're both successfully blocking the way now, he doesn't show it. "How have you been? How is your mother?"

Jude

I'll still be here when the world slows down
And the sunbeams fade away

It’s a novel experience, catching a demigod (the demigod, in an Oscar-announcing-voice) by surprise, but Jude has the grace to only grin a little, still a touch bashful. Ronin is his mom’s friend, technically he didn’t need to remember Jude at all. “That’s okay, not much familiar to recognize huh?” One hand comes up to cup the back of his own neck mid-shrug, laughing quietly.

The ease of the moment dissipates immediately, and Jude stiffens in a way that makes his hand dropping back to his side look like a stop-motion ball jointed doll. “Um…I haven’t seen her in a season or two again. Frey stuff, I think,” he offers in excuse in her stead, soldiering past the hurt and bitterness in an effort not to come off as insulting to general demi-ness. “I’ve been better. I got a cool scar from the moon falling,” and immense PTSD, “but now I’m just focusing on trying to get stronger.” His arm pops back up to show his nonexistent bicep in a comical flex, but his grin is awkwardly slanted. Gods, socializing with a literal star is disorienting. Is this how people feel about his moms? “But um, how are you?”

Keeping time by a pendulum
as the fabric starts to fray

RONIN if there's one thing i'm good at, it's surviving "Growing up will do that to you," Ronin admits regarding the changes Jude has gone through. "If it helps, I did the same with my own son for a while after he visited Frey to become a man." He chuckles. Looking for a pre-teen only to find an adult had been jarring to say the least. The humour and light-heartedness of the situation dissipates, of course, at hearing of Phoebe's absence, and Ronin nods his gentle understanding. "It's hard," he says, having been on both sides of this particular coin. "For everyone involved. I'm sure she'll be back before you know it to fuss over you." Hopefully. Forcing himself not to shoulder any (more) secondhand guilt (because gods know Ronin has enough when it comes to his children), he seizes the change of subject despite the way it remains fairly grim. "Oh shit - I hope you're alright," he says automatically. "And I'm glad it hasn't dampened your motivation, at least. It can be difficult to pick yourself back up after something like that." As for Ronin? "Getting used to calling Torchline home again," he says with a smile. "It's strange, having both more and less time than before. Speaking of, if you ever want to run through some training stuff, I'm happy to help. It's been a hot second, but I never really grew out of it." It being military training.

Jude

I'll still be here when the world slows down
And the sunbeams fade away

"Mom didn't recognize me either when it first happened," he laughs, hoping to absolve Ronin of whatever parental guilt he might carry, if any. Jude often tries to fix wrongs that simply don't exist. Ronin seems to be doing the same, but talking about his mother is already becoming painful, so Jude merely smiles politely - if a little strained at the edges. "Hopefully," he echoes, tonality dull. Privately, he thinks they all deserve that guilt. That perhaps demigods simply shouldn't have children. But both his mortal parents had abandoned him too, so who is he to talk?

"Just a cool scar," he assures, patting his thigh awkwardly. Talking about himself makes him feel awkward - Ronin is a demigod - so he latches onto the topic of citizenship eagerly. "Oh really? Welcome back! Maybe I'll see you around more...?" His tongue thickens up before he can offer to visit. Woah there, daddy issues. Instead he jumps on the offer a little too quickly, waving a hand toward the sparse grass and sandy plateau beside the lighthouse. "Um...is now good? I know you were about to pray but - well, it's more fun than lifting weights." Or running, which is always a bitch on sand. Harper had raised him on exercising nearly daily, so it's already a part of his routine, and accomplishing it now would be far more fun than the mindlessness of his in-home routines.

Keeping time by a pendulum
as the fabric starts to fray

RONIN if there's one thing i'm good at, it's surviving "You just might - there's enough to do around Torchline these days, right?" Smiling somewhat sadly off towards the battered coastline, Ronin knows there's more than one house and business in need of a little TLC. "I'd say you might catch me in the Hanged Man, but it'll have to wait until it's back up and running." Rubbing at the back of his head and turning back to Jude, he follows the boy's gaze to the flat-ish ground nearby and the request made of him. Surprising himself with the warmth of his own expression, Ronin nods and gestures for them to walk out away from the lighthouse. "I can always pray afterwards," he says, carefully setting down his offerings and dusting off his hands. "What do you want to practice? Hand to hand?"

Jude

I'll still be here when the world slows down
And the sunbeams fade away

"So I'm sure you're in high demand," he agrees, aiming for a similar smile that doesn't quite hit the easy charm Ronin exudes but which is nevertheless sincere. Warmth creeps into his chest at the gift of knowledge that is readily supplied, something lonely and withered becoming plentifully watered with the smallest dregs of acknowledgment. "Oh! Let me know if you or Flora needs help with that. I don't have a lot going on right now." And, though she had initially intimidated him, he'd quite enjoyed his time with Melita and Flora last time.

Jude walks taller as he and Ronin maneuver over to the empty patch of sand and grass, and he doesn't let himself dwell on it as he begins stretching out his arms. "Yes, please. I don't have much familiarity with weapons." Maeve is the only parent with a reliably utilized weapon, so his only experience is with fighting - though luckily, he knows quite a few different styles because of it. The stance he slides into is reminiscent of boxing, with hands high to his face and tightly coiled. "Ready?" Gauging when Ronin is prepared, Jude strikes first with a dual-footed hop forward and a speedy right hook toward the demigod's head.

Keeping time by a pendulum
as the fabric starts to fray

RONIN if there's one thing i'm good at, it's surviving "Such is the downside of being well known," Ronin agrees with a soft laugh. "And I will, rest assured - more hands make lighter work and all that." And, as they have already established, there is no shortage of work when it comes to Torchline's shores. Rolling his shoulders and similarly stretching out his arms, his eyes light up somewhat at Jude's agreement. "I used to specialise in hand to hand combat," he admits with a grin. "You can't lose your weapons when they're attached to your arms. Though I always approve of a good set of bracers, or knuckle dusters." He follows Jude's lead, and since boxing is the flavour, Ronin's hands come up as well - though he doesn't quite expect the boy to dart forward so soon, forced to employ quite a bit of swiftness to duck out of the way. "You don't play around!" He chuckles. "The Flood and I used to spar like this." Circling the other man on deft feet, now it's Ronin's turn to try and duck in, aiming a flurry of body blows to Jude's abdomen.

Jude

I'll still be here when the world slows down
And the sunbeams fade away

“Used to?” Jude is not the prying type, but he is particularly curious about Remi and Ronin. His mother had told him stories abound in his youth, but those stories were as tangible as the ghosts they’d been in his life. He doesn’t hold any bitterness for that, but it leaves him in an awkward state of wanting to know who they really are.

Physically fighting him perhaps isn’t the best way to accomplish that, but it has a similar vibe to a kindly neighbor offering to toss the ball with the sad kid next-door, and Jude isn’t above taking scraps like that.

The buzz of noise in his head silences the second he throws his punch. It’s almost meditative for him, letting an otherwise buried confidence shine through. He tries to spin on his heels to keep Ronin in his sights, but the man is taller and faster, and gets beneath his guard quickly. Jude takes the first few hits to his stomach, which tenses to spread the impact properly and save the air in his lungs.

His own fists knock down toward Ronin’s forearms to knock the others off course as he bears the blows to afford himself the leverage of closeness to try and jab his bony elbow into Ronin’s side below the ribs. Only then does he hop nimbly backwards on both feet, rearranging his arms to tuck his elbows in protectively around his newly tenderized torso. Breathing a little heavier, Jude blinks a few times before words come back to him, pleased surprise shyly lighting his face at the compliment. “You probably only get the best sparring with each other, huh?” His grin is sheepish, but it’s clear he’s not quite selfless enough to apologize for taking up Ronin’s time with such child’s play.

Keeping time by a pendulum
as the fabric starts to fray

RONIN if there's one thing i'm good at, it's surviving "Mm, used to. We were very good friends, once. Time and the war changed things." Not to mention a number of very personal circumstances, but that isn't for every day conversation. (It isn't even for close conversation, in truth, and Ronin prefers not to dwell on it). "We have been speaking more lately, though." Not quite to the level of a playful spar, unfortunately, because there's still the chance it might develop into a real fight. Bracing against the blows to his forearm, Ronin is forced to twist out of the way of the oncoming elbow, and as Jude hops back he makes sure to press the offensive, ducking in to try and cheekily hook the boy's leg with his foot. "Ah, you'd think that, but any fight can surprise you," he says with a grin. "For the better or the worse. I always come out learning something new, so the best doesn't really matter."

Jude

I'll still be here when the world slows down
And the sunbeams fade away

He had meant to inquire as to how Ronin had once specialized in this form of combat, but Jude is equally intrigued by the bit of information he stumbles into unawares. Sunjata is a vague, conflicting shape in his memories; Phoebe's bitterness, his father's praise, Maeve's respect. "Do you think you'll ever fully make up? It...happened to me too, recently," he admits softly, grunting slightly as Ronin presses after him on the offensive.

Ronin slips his foot from under him, making him stumble in the sand and forcing him to spin away in a half-squat. He emerges from it from below, aiming for an uppercut to Ronin's Prince Charming chin instead of continuing to try for more space. "You should be a trainer," he pants, soaking up the advice like a sponge.

Keeping time by a pendulum
as the fabric starts to fray

RONIN if there's one thing i'm good at, it's surviving "I don't know yet, honestly," Ronin admits. His furrowed brow betrays his concentration as he moves after Jude in their little fight, but of course, his ability to still casually hold a conversation throughout is a testament to his status as a demigod. "Maybe this new conflict will have us working together more. You never know, right?" Smiling a touch, he darts back to give the boy space as he's forced into a half squat, preparing for whatever retaliation that comes. "Want to talk about it?" he offers, of Jude's similar situation, before he's forced to try and sidestep the blow to his jaw. It just glances off his chin, Ronin huffing out a laugh and trying to cuff Jude across the back of the head for good measure. "I'm glad you think so. I used to be one, once upon a time."