ashoney | PSL: Jailbird Rock

[ Aventurine selects a palm-sized fish with a long, colorful tail. Topaz will like this. And if not Topaz, specifically, then certainly one of the creatures running around in that menagerie she calls an apartment.

He's holding it between thumb and forefinger when Sunday stops behind him. Annoyance angles the bird's words to something almost sharp, and Aventurine can hardly fathom why. Had Sunday's words upset him? He's not actually sure -- not when mistrust is part and parcel of his day-to-day. He's simply learned to ignore it. It shouldn't matter, anyway. They have both been honest with each other. Aventurine fears him, but will work through his fear. Sunday looks and sees Preservation's dog, but hardly has his choice of traveling companions at the moment. They are not exactly poised for charming banter.

He turns, unsure of what to say until his jewel-tone eyes flick down on impulse and spot the glove back in place. (Thank goodness for that.) A crooked grin inches partway across his face. ]

Believe it or not, it's nothing you said, Mister Sunday. I'm not exactly unaccustomed to being thought untrustworthy.

[ No use in lying, but he decides there's not use in being totally serious, either. Aventurine holds the little green fish up in front of his face, wiggling it as he speaks in a slightly pitched-up voice. ]

It was your glove. So much skin, Mister Sunday. I was caught off guard. [ He lowers the fish, still smiling. ] Problem solved now, though, huh?

[Sunday's golden eyes flicker with annoyance, his feathers visibly ruffle.]

...If you refuse to be honest, please at least refrain from mocking me.

[The sharpness in his voice twists into a snarl, replacing his usual musical tones with ice. Whatever had actually bothered Aventurine seems to have passed, but Sunday refuses to believe it was the sight of his ungloved hand. The truth is, he knows, likely not important for any reason other than that it is the truth. One thing every experienced official knows is small lies add up over time into big ones.]

I do not trust you, but it would be easier for us both if I did. [He sighs, knowing that Aventurine will not elucidate this situation, not over a brief moment where he seemed anxious about something.]

...Well. I guess we should discuss more important matters, right? I will need bedclothes.

[ Disbelief, he expects. It's the lightning in Sunday's voice that catches him off guard. Smile still hanging on his face, Aventurine shifts his weight to the back foot, angling his body to put the arm clutching the bedding between himself and his lion.

Aventurine does not snap back. He just tucks the little fish under his arm with the bedding, trying his best to keep his heart from rattling up into his throat from the sudden rush of adrenaline. ]

Of course, Mister Sunday. There's another shop not far from here that should have what you need. If not on hand, then we can pick up the instructions for it for the ship synthesizer. Once we're done here, I'll show you.

[ There is no point in arguing, and he's certainly in no rush to agitate Sunday (and himself) further, so he pleasantly, attentively shows Sunday to the mattresses. Does not make any unasked for suggestions, does not try to press any bruises, just plays the part of affable host as he guides Sunday through the store, pays, and sets up delivery instructions.

It's not until they are back on the street that he slips, letting a bit too much personality in as he leads Sunday to the next shop over. ]

If you'd like to pick up a few day-to-day pieces, as well, feel free. You like blue, don't you? Great planet to land on for that.

[Sunday is grateful when Aventurine says nothing and slides back into the falsely pleasant, unctuous mannerisms he's become accustomed to. It at least makes the flow of conversation easier to predict. There will be no more awkward surprises between them. Not until they are back outside.

He examines the display of mattresses and nearly selects the cheapest one he can find, eager to be polite, but quickly reconsiders. Whether he wants it or not, the IPC will pay for his passage with Aventurine. As long as they don't expect to buy his obedience, he decides he's okay with wasting their money. They have enough of it. So he settles on a fluffy, silk-lined mattress instead.

Once they are outside, Aventurine speaks again, some of his amused chirp rising again in his voice.]

...More clothing isn't a bad idea. [Sunday admits.] I am a fugitive, after all. It might be wise to change up my appearance...

[He hesitates, then looks back at Aventurine with his wings hanging limply against his collarbone, an anxious thought having sapped all strength from them.]

...You mentioned the Nameless might be laying a new stretch of rail. I know what that means, Mister Aventurine. If they have gone where even Akivili has never been, they might not return for a long time. Waiting here for them will only get us killed. So, where do you intend to go?

[ With his wings like that, he looks like a flower, wilting. Ironic, considering they are surrounded by water and sunlight, but Aventurine does get the impression that Sunday is more an orchid than a dandelion. Unfortunate that Aventurine's luck has never extended to house plants. He suspects much the same here, incapable as he seems to be of not upsetting Sunday further.

Still, there's no use in lying when the truth so consistently beggars all belief for the former Bronze Melodia. He will go right on being mostly honest, he supposes. Maybe eventually it'll shake out in his favor.

He waits to answer until he's held open the door to an unusually modern clothing shop and the both of them have gone inside. Aventurine spares a look over his shoulder, then scans the show room before he responds. ]

I'm still part of the Strategic Investment Department. [ Despite his best efforts. ] And the IPC has no shortage of low performing assets that I personally need to audit and assess. With the Doctors of Chaos keeping me on partial administrative leave, I thought it a good time to start chipping away at that list.

[ In short: a road trip of sorts to a bunch of backwater worlds and stations. A near perpetual excuse to be on the move and out of reach, under the guise of the diligent work of a dedicated IPC manager. Sunday will probably not like it. But Sunday does not understand the full scope of Aventurine's role.

That said, he's not sure how much fly time they'll get out of a bluff like this. Surely enough to come up with a more sound plan. He hopes. ]

Wherever we are, I'm confident we'll hear from the Nameless just as soon as they're reachable.

[An ongoing voyage across the stars, one stop after another, until the Nameless reappear on the horizon of someone's radar. It's a sensible plan, one Aventurine has hinted at already, but an important question remains unanswered.]

Forgive me [Sunday looks around the clothes shop and pauses briefly when his eyes pass over a rack of comfortable looking bedclothes.] I should have been more specific. After Lushaka, where will we go?

[He gingerly steps over to the rack and examines a two-piece silk pajama set. The top leaves more of the upper chest exposed than Sunday prefers, but the material appears to be well made. He starts removing his rings, then remembers Aventurine's strange behavior only minutes before, and drops his hand back to his side with a defeated groan.]

Should I prepare for cold weather?

[ Aventurine does not respond right away. The truth will only serve to antagonize Sunday more, and the certainty with which that thought hits crashes over him like a wave of pure exhaustion. So, he watches, quiet, as Sunday peruses clothes, moves to remove his gloves once more, and then immediately thinks better of it. Oh, this little adventure of theirs is going to be a long one.

He crosses his arms over his chest and shrugs one shoulder, casual. ]

You should buy for cold and warm, humid and dry. [ Another reason the bird is better suited to Trailblaze. Whatever blessing still lingers on that train would make such matters moot for him. ] And before you get cross with me again, I'm not trying to be difficult. The less obvious our next destination for anyone who comes asking about you after we leave, the better. Which is why I don't know exactly where we're headed next, yet. It depends.

[ His gaze falls to Sunday's hands, acutely aware of how his little joke before the bed sheets has only made things infinitely more difficult. Particulars matter. The pretty bird needs a perfect habitat, not to put forward a particular image, but just to function.

Aventurine chews the inside of his cheek, biting down until the pain in his mouth is greater than the swirl of discomfort in his stomach. ]

I can wait by the entrance if you'd like to take your time browsing.

[Sunday draws a breath, feels a hiss ready itself on his tongue, then Aventurine admits to not knowing where their next stop will be. The Halovian deflates in mid-snarl.]

I do not intend to take long.

[Golden eyes shift to lock on to Aventurine's gaze and hold it fast.]

But I would like to feel the fabric. So, if the sight of my ungloved hand really is an affront to your sense of propriety, maybe you will be more comfortable standing away from me.

[ There is something to admire in how relentless Sunday is. Were Aventurine not on guard for the moment when the bird decides to reach into his mind and move things into a more pleasing shape again, he might be more forthcoming about how charming he finds Sunday's willingness to square up to any challenge. As it stands, though, he only stares back, unflinching, fearing any sign of weakness might provide an opening. ]

You should think more of your own comfort and worry less about what I'm feeling. [ He shoves his hands into his pockets. ] No one is going to pay you the same courtesy out here.

[ Outside of the Sweet Dream, he means. Even on Penacony, where Sunday was more than a king, the people surrounding him had been manipulative -- well, all of them save his sister. It is no different out here. The sooner he learns that, the better.

Just as soon as he commits to the thought, though, he rolls his shoulders and gives a heavy sigh. Honesty. It's the only way. Any lies will stack up, higher and higher, until they all eventually topple, and the two of them don't even have the foundation to fake a house of cards. ]

Your hands are fine. It was just... a surprise. I don't exactly have a lot of experience with clergy. Aren't you sacred or something? I doubt you want someone like me looking at you, and- [ A huff. ] It's- it's really just, you don't want to be comforted, I can tell. And even if you did, I don't know how to do it. It seemed more effective to keep moving. [ When in doubt, maximize productivity. Focus on goals. ] Alright?

[Sunday's eyes widen and he finds himself mutely staring at Aventurine for the second time in less than an hour.]

...Mister Aventurine, I am not asking for comfort, nor am I acting out of concern for the comfort of strangers-- [At the moment anyway. He has acted out of concern for strangers many times. His life's work, the one thing he has made his core ambition, his entire reason to keep living, is to ensure the happiness of people he will never meet. His wings fold back, and he casts his gaze demurely toward the floor.]

Not just now, anyway. [He looks back up, his eyes sharper now.] I am asking out of concern for your comfort. If we are going to travel together, it makes sense to be aware of each other's emotional states. If I am incorrect about that, please let me know.

[There was one more point, one more absurd thing Aventurine said that should be addressed.] And I am stripped of my blessings now. My body is no more sacrosanct than yours. You are permitted to gaze upon me. It is leering I dislike. If I catch you doing that, I will castigate you.

[ Cruelty would be so much easier to navigate and contempt more familiar to manage, but no, of course it must be more complicated than that. Of course Sunday would be the man Robin sees, unyielding, untrusting, but compassionate, paving that road to hell with overwhelmingly good intentions. How exhausting. Aventurine would almost prefer if the former priest still saw him as an evil spirit in need of exorcising. As it stands, he can't even feel satisfaction in taking advantage of kindness offered by a former enemy. Not when it feels like he's one of the sinful flock, now. Ick.

He pinches the bridge of his nose, barely registers Sunday's words until he starts speaking about gazes and leering. Aventurine blinks, hand falling to his side. There is the terrifying maestro who'd holed himself up in that oppressive little office in Dewlight Pavilion. Looking at him, Aventurine isn't sure what he feels -- fear, maybe, a jolt of something, certainly -- but what slips out of him is a snicker. His brows beetle, grin returning to his face. ]

Permitted to...? Spare the rod, Mister Sunday. You don't need to worry about me leering. Good instinct, though.

[ Aventurine can barely look at him -- fine features hidden behind the fluff of his hair, too expressive feathers always moving and giving him away -- without getting annoyed. All the same, he files that information away for later. Even without the halo, Sunday is jarringly handsome, and the ogling eyes of strangers will be unavoidable as they hop from world to world. Aventurine will have his work cut out for him, keeping unwanted attention at bay.

But, first things first. ]

Kind as it is for you to be so fussed with my comfort, right now, you're the one whose whole world has been turned upside down. [ Nevermind that he is still on leave, recovering from Harmony's brand, an Emanator's blade, and a walk through Nihility's sea. ] You don't trust me. That's to be expected. But it does complicate your concerns, you not believing half the things I say.

I'm not used to living in close quarters with someone else, let alone someone with our... shared history. It'll take some adjusting. There'll be plenty of little inconveniences. But, I... [ He doesn't quite wince, but a heaviness settles in his gaze as he stares into Sunday's face. The lines he's drawn between himself and Sunday are starting to take a more definitive shape. It feels like an elephant huddled in the back of his mind. A good thing Aventurine is good at ignoring things like that. ] ...setting aside the little things, I just don't want to see you shrink down, take up as little space as possible, and erase yourself because you think it'll make our lives easier. Okay?

[One wing twitches back slightly as he listens. Avnturine speaks evenly, cautiously, as if Sunday truly is a terrible lion of nightmares who may pounce at the slightest insult. At the end, the lion laughs. Is he really such a monster?]

The rod? Oh, Mister Aventurine, I would never resort to such barbaric methods of retribution. More likely, I would tune you so that you never see again.

[The notes of laughter in his voice fade quickly, but remain in his eyes. His expression is amused, not mocking.] ....If you are sure you don't want me to keep to myself, then I won't. However, I think it would be in both of our interests to establish some boundaries when we return to the ship. For example, I know the door to your bed chamber is a threshold I must never cross. I would appreciate it if you returned the favor. We wouldn't want you coming down my ladder unannounced after all. What if you saw me without my boots on? You might catch a glimpse of my ankle.

[ Sunday is laughing. Aventurine focuses on that, on the smile that lingers in his eyes even after the sound stops. It is a jest. Mostly a jest. Probably a jest. No cause for concern. He smiles through it, his characteristic sly grin holding steady, the only sign of discomfort an impatient, busy flex of his fingers.

Though tuning is a threat Aventurine cannot take lightly, Sunday has allowed himself to be more than an inconvenience, stronger than the meek, injured animal. It is too great a victory to let his own nonsense ruin things. If they are to spend weeks together, better a companion unafraid to show his true colors than one who pretends to be nothing at all. Aventurine knows how that sort of thing usually goes. ]

Well, much as I love consequences for my actions, I'd hate to disrupt my poker game, so I better be on my best behavior.

[ He manages a laugh, easy, warm sound. ]

Most wise of you, Mister Sunday. Could you imagine if I walked in on you preening your feathers? I might faint, then we'd be in real trouble. [ Aventurine fishes a card out of his pocket and offers it out. ] Consider the room below deck your domain until I get you where you need to go. Take this, buy whatever feels right for an eclectic journey. I'm going to go get us a couple of coffees.

[ And that violin. ]

You'll be alright on your own, yeah?

I did survive decades before I met you, Mister Aventurine. [Sunday says, the smile still evident in his voice as he accepts the card.]

I'll be fine.

...I prefer my coffee [with heavy cream, plenty of sugar] black. [The Oak Family Head does not indulge in sweets. Even clipped of his wings, Sunday finds some old habits hard to shake.

Once he is left alone, Sunday wanders around the shop and other nearby storefronts, perusing clothes and travel sacks. He selects silk sleepwear, the one with too much chest exposed for his liking, and a fluffy bathrobe with matching slippers to cover himself with. In a store with cold-weather wear, he purchases a sleek, fur-lined coat that hangs to his ankles and complements his frame. White, with blue trim. Everything he buys is stylish. After all, necessity doesn't mean he can't look his best.

Warm weather clothing is more difficult for him. Shirts show much more skin than he is accustomed to. After some fussing, he finally settles on a short-sleeved top and loose linen trousers.

By the time Aventurine returns, he is standing on the side of the road, gripping multiple overstuffed bags. A few passersby give him lingering glances that he mistakes for ogling at first, then he realizes he must look like a wealthy tourist preparing for a pan-galactic cruise.]

[ The look Aventurine levels at Sunday before parting is incredulous, teasing.

He takes his time, stopping at open air stalls they'd passed to browse wares and clear his head. It's a relief, he decides, that Sunday seems to be finding his footing. In lieu of something more cleanly cruel and monstrous, Aventurine will gladly take a bit of fire. Even if it does scare him more than the shrinking, injured bird he's been traveling with for the last day, poking a bear feels better than walking on eggshells. More real. (Not that he has any business wanting authenticity from anyone.)

It's a simple thing, popping into the music shop and procuring the violin. The merchant (husband of the woman who crafts most of the wooden pieces) recognizes him from their earlier stop. He clearly expects Aventurine to haggle, but he doesn't. However fine the instrument, the dent it puts in his bank account could be hammered out in one night at the right card table. He is, instead, generous with praise for the craftsmanship while the shopkeeper retrieves the piece and packs it into its case and wraps it all in brown paper, and laughs off a comment about the handsome young man he'd been by with earlier being "one lucky guy."

Next, the coffees. He orders from a spot he'd come to the first time he'd been to Lushaka. Back then, he'd been new to the Stonehearts, only recently inducted and unsure of how to behave himself in polite society. The little shop with the walk up window had been a reprieve. Still nicer than anything he'd ever experienced as a pit fighter, but a little more grounded in reality. The coffee is strong. The pastries better for being made in house. Aventurine purchases two cream puffs to go along with the two black coffees, and leisurely makes his way back, enjoying the feel of real sunlight baking his skin. (The bird probably needs sunscreen, he thinks off-handedly, when he notices what a warm day it is.)

When Sunday comes into view again, arms laden with bags from the shopping district's designer stores, Aventurine can't help but laugh. A bright bark of sound that he can't quite stifle with his own hands full. ]

I guess you really don't need my help to spend money.

[ He does a bit of juggling as he sidles up beside Sunday, large nondescript bag with the violin hoisted up onto one shoulder, coffees in carrier and pastries in paper sack moved over to one hand. He extends the other, open, to Sunday.

The delight at the sight of Sunday's many purchases is plain in his voice. ]

Slide some of those on my arm so you can take your drink, Mister Shopping Spree. Got us some pastries, too. The coffee's real strong, so I wanted something to balance it. Would you like to eat here on deck, or head back to my ship?

[Sunday glides forward, as effortlessly elegant in his movements as the birds wheeling overhead.]

The deck [He answers as he shifts the loops of his bags over Aventurine's arm. His now free hand accepts the coffee and he steps back with a grin that, this time, fails to reach his eyes.]

I would not mind looking out at the sea before we depart.

[ Though he does not outwardly react, Aventurine takes note of the half-fueled smile right away. Faking joy, pretending at comfort, feigning satisfaction, those had been the first things he'd learned once his life was more than just basic survival. Sunday will need to learn the same, but Aventurine finds himself in no rush to teach him.

He hoists the bags up onto his other shoulder and leads the way toward a spot he recalls being a fine place to sit and enjoy the scenery. They needn't walk far to find the intended destination -- the Hammer is dotted with little patches of green overlooking the endless blue. He brings them to a bench, wood planks set in carved coral overlooking the ocean, and shrugs the bags on his arm off onto the ground. ]

No one gave you too much fuss?

[ It's the closest he'll come to asking what's wrong outright. ]

[Sunday doesn't sit at first. He walks a few steps forward and gazes out at the waves, his expression distant and his wings tense.]

I'm fine. [He looks back at Aventurine with a sad smile.] I've read about oceans before, but I have never seen one. Now I am realizing there is so much I haven't seen.

[Once again, his gaze is pulled to the water. A horrible impulse stabs through him to run and leap from the side of the Hammer. It would correct many things that are currently wrong in the world. Since his sister, the Nameless, and even the IPC refuse to execute the greatest sinner of all, he could take on the burden himself. The Family has executed many sinners and heretics over the years in many ways. Drowning would do. In the black beneath the waves, everything would cease to matter, a major pawn would be removed from the game board of the Aeons, and the universe could wind on as if the creature named Sunday never existed.

It is a sweet, almost intoxicating thought. He hates himself now more than he has ever hated anyone. His own life feels like a terrible burden, a beautiful prize for sin that he doesn't deserve but must accept. ...And he wants to accept it. He wants to live. Despite everything, despite the immorality in his soul, he wants to live. Not just survive but one day truly live. That wish is exhilarating and terrifying.]

I want to live, Mister Aventurine. [He says softly.] I want to see more horizons like this one.

[Then, turning back to Aventurine, his grin warms and softens.]

On THEIR journey backward through time, Finality moved on either side of us and brought us together. I admit, I am not sure why, but... I think, even though I am afraid, I am excited...

[Maybe there has always been an ember within him, one he'd smothered throughout his adolescence, that looked skyward with longing.]

[ Ah, so the only one giving him any fuss is himself. That's not too surprising. The bird does seem to like making a cage of his own mind; a cage with a door that not even his own sister could fling open without the help of a thousand other souls. More, even. Sunday really is unspeakably dangerous, but then, isn't that the hallmark of the Nameless?

Aventurine watches, wordless, as it happens. He thinks he can almost see the moment of epiphany. Sunday takes in the planet-spanning sea that surrounds them, finally puts himself in the moment and sees the specific sort of freedom that's stretched out before him. Robin was right. Penacony's fallen king was stymied by his throne, diverted from a chance at a better Path. Trailblaze does not exactly set Aventurine at ease. He cannot look at those who wander without a touch of jealousy and a heap of fear, but at least he knows now that Akivili's blessed aren't all cold, hungry conquerors.

Which sort will Sunday be in the end?

He supposes it doesn't matter. His own fears aside, so long as he can deliver the bird to the Express, it'll be better for everyone. He's mulling over their options when Sunday turns and bathes him in a sunrise smile he isn't quite prepared for and talk of Terminus and shared destinies. Aventurine stares back, surprise flickering across his features, something jolting beneath his sternum, pulling his attention to the brown paper bag in his hands. ]

I don't know much about the goals or motivations of destiny...

[ Taking care not to get any powdered sugar on his gloves or clothes, Aventurine retrieves one of the puff pastries wrapped in wax paper and a napkin. His eyes linger on the cream puff, unable to bear the combined weight Sunday's bright new hope and his ridiculous, romantic notions about fate. Fate never orchestrates things with kindness in mind.

Someone like Robin, like the Express crew, like a damned Masked Fool would've been better for Sunday in this moment. Anyone but him, incapable of looking ahead and seeing anything but an end point, revenge and then death.

His eyes flick up from the pastry in his hand to settle on Sunday. Sunday, who believes in paradise, who seems finally willing to let go enough to chase it. Stars, he's going to need all the help he can get. And sunscreen. Aventurine reminds himself to buy him some sunscreen. ]

I can promise you plenty of horizons, though, and time enough to see them.

[ Not moving from his spot on the bench, he holds out the cream puff. ]

Plenty of horizons is all I can ask for.

[Sunday glides back to the bench, sits, and takes a sip of the coffee. Bitter. He drinks anyway.]

On Penacony, I wanted to gather all Paths into myself and crush them into nothingness. Over their ruins I would have built my Path of Philosophy, a Path created by and for humankind...

[His eyes skirt downward and he lifts a hand to rest against his heart.]

As King of Humankind, as their scorching sun, I would have taken on the burden of choice and maintained paradise alone until the end of the cosmos. It...would have been beautiful.

[A glorious, golden world of peace and harmony, where the weak are cared for. His paradise. His promised land. A world he will mourn until the day he finally dies.

With a steadying breath, Sunday closes his eyes, then says...]

But... I don't think a worldbearer is what humanity wants. I think, maybe, they want a world traveler. Someone who can meet them as one of them, share their pain, and guide them to happiness. If I want to be that person, then I need wisdom, knowledge, and experience. Ascetism alone will not be enough.

[Finally, he lowers his hand from his chest and opens his eyes to meet Aventurine's gaze.]

I must see those distant horizons and unfamiliar stars... [He laughs slightly and plucks the offered cream puff from Aventurine's hand.]

Ah, oops. I'm rambling again. Forgive me, I've been thinking a lot. The sea helps...put matters into perspective. I am finally understanding some things that have been bothering me since my fall.

[ Sunday still speaks with such conviction, still holds ideals that a number of people went to great lengths to prove were misplaced. Someone should probably hammer those thoughts out of him, but oddly, they don't bother Aventurine all that much. Calculation and control are things Aventurine understands well, and he, himself, holds little love for the Aeons past the benefits that can be reaped from working in their service. Sunday's perfect universe makes sense in a way; Aventurine wouldn't call it a paradise, himself -- it would be anything but for most people -- but he can see where such a vision would appeal to the person hoisting the whole of everything upon their shoulders.

But blessedly, he needn't pretend to be staunchly against the whole thing. Sunday has glimpsed the truth of things, or at least a piece of it. There's more to go, certainly, learning of humanity's penchant for sadness, for anger, for obstinance, for making no sense at all, but he's taking his first steps. (And Aventurine is thankful for that, because disagreeing with the man still feels a little like carrying a lit match into an abandoned mine.)

If anything, the surprise is in seeing him already committed to making the leap. ]

Wow. [ Aventurine leans back, crosses one leg over the other, and takes a sip of still hot coffee. He stares out at the water a moment before looking at Sunday once more, offering an impish grin. ] A risky endeavor, Mister Sunday. I'm impressed. Not surprised, but impressed.

[ Another drink, he drapes one arm over the back of the bench, away from Sunday. ]

I knew you had it in you.

[ The moment Robin tangled the two of them in the IPC's web, he'd known. She wouldn't've sent her brother out into a universe he could not handle. Sunday is more than the stone mannequins dotting Penacony's Grand Theater, not shattered by a fall. ]

You're going to grow callouses as you walk. Just remember not to let it all go rough. That perspective isn't the last one you'll gain. People are difficult and unpredictable. They teach you a lot. That's why they're fun.

[Sunday lifts the cream puff to his lips and reflexively folds his wings forward against his cheeks to block Aventurine's view of his chewing.]

Difficult and unpredictable? [How strange to be told this after his many years as Bronze Melodia. This observation is why he had wanted to force predictability upon people, to grab them by the hand and pull them along his Path. What he'll need to learn isn't that such people exist, but how to guide them gently. How to show them happiness and encourage them to walk toward it on their own.

His wings flutter.]

Maybe traveling with the Aventurine of Strategems will teach me more about that. [In all the world, he cannot think of a single soul more frustrating than Aventurine. Fascinating and admirable. But also incredibly frustrating.]

[ Hard to believe that a man who worries about the propriety of being seen eating is capable of the ruthlessness and subterfuge Aventurine had seen -- had experienced first hand -- on Penacony. Aventurine watches as Sunday takes his first bite, wings curling around to hide his face, like some fine high fashion winter collar.

It's very silly. The bird is very silly. And he can't help but grin about it, right up until he recalls the decree about leering, ogling, and other lascivious behavior, and looks away to avoid his amusement being misinterpreted.

Aventurine focuses on the other tourists strolling through the park, starts to brainstorm the to-do list he'll need to address when they're back on the ship -- hide the violin, report to Jade, announce Sunday's intention to stay on the move until the Express reemerges, get that bed set up, sleep for an hour or two, maybe, and then-

Sunday's words reach him, and he laughs. ]

Jumping right in to hard mode, huh, Mister Sunday? You must really think yourself lucky.

[ Aventurine points a delighted grin at the man who, weeks ago, wanted him dead or worse. He cannot help but think of Harmony's brand, that unnecessary bit of extra, final justice imposed on him. Being the focus of Sunday's attention is more than a little terrifying, but then again, what would he even find, given the time to ferret up Aventurine's secrets?

Nothing. There's nothing. That's the whole point.

An amused sigh escapes him, and he takes another drink. ]

I hope you like what you find, Mister Sunday. And even if not, there are at least no end to lovely horizons out there. Enjoying the pastry?

[Sunday eats in silence, aware of Aventurine seated beside him, watching tourists wander through the park with their bags and sun hats. Pointedly watching them, he realizes.]

You are permitted to look at me. [Sunday reminds him with a warm chuckle.] Believe it or not, I do know when someone is leering instead of looking.

[It is a difficult thing to explain, but he recognizes it when it happens. On Penacony, most people stared. Tourists from afar usually hadn't met a Halovian before. Some ogled him, eyes dark with sinful lust. Some saw him as a work of art. Most were simply awestruck by his beauty. The artists were strange, but rarely immoral with their gazes. Even when they compared him to a statue, an objectifying comparison to make, they did so with rhapsodic praise. To them, he was not someone to be wooed, but a beauty to be honored. It was not ogling.

This isn't either.

Aventurine has only looked at him with eager curiosity so far, watching him and studying him, in an attempt to understand and predict his behavior. He's never felt anything lecherous in the Stoneheart's eyes. Maybe Aventurine understands. With his history, he must know what it is like to be stared at in a way that makes one feel like an object, a commodity. Less than human.

Sunday finishes the cream puff, washes it down with a sip of coffee, then turns his head to return the grin.]

Thank you. The pastry was quite good.

...Once you are done with your drink, we can return to your ship. Unless you had something else you needed to do here on Lushaka?

Hm.

[ It seems, for the moment, that the lion is sated. He'll see how it goes when they are in close quarters, again. A tin can floating in the sea of stars is much less soothing than sunshine on an endless sea. Aventurine takes another drink, sinking a little into his seat, giving himself permission to enjoy a much needed hit of caffeine while relaxing muscles that have been tensed for hours. ]

Sounds like a plan. Since we already know the Express isn't headed this way, there're better places to be.

[ Relaxed as he seems, his mind is abuzz with work. There's a whole brigade of P25s here, eager to impress someone of his rank, who could be recruited to keep tabs on the comings and goings of Family on the Hammer's Reef, but that might be too obvious. He considers erasing their docking data entirely before they leave, though falsifying records at this juncture feels like too great a risk for comparatively small reward. Best, then, to pretend nothing was odd about this visit. Just let Lushaka be what it is, a pitstop on the way to a greater journey.

The only question left is, what next?

Another drink. ]

Where would you like to go, Mister Sunday? Somewhere snowy? Plains or mountains? Civilized or remote?

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cw: suicidal ideation

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