[PQ] (SE) we ain't going back

you must burn brighter than ever

The bat was freed; out of crimson locks and towards the window, the poor thing likely exhausted from its ventures. Melita scratched the top of Fangorn’s head for his continued, illustrious support, before settling back into what she’d come to do. Cleared out and cleaned, she rearranged some sanctions, standing back to look at it, a tilt of her head in both directions, surveying it from different distinctions. It will hold up well enough, and she shrugged, her eyes going back towards the exhausted creature. Maybe…

She tiptoed out toward Nate and Sunjata. “All done!” A triumphant air, half-mischief, half-mirth, and somewhere notched in between is a bit of foolishness they’d likely expect. “Also, can I keep a bat? And there’s a hole in the wall.” The former was fast and swift, and the latter blown off with a shrug (like she had no idea how it even happened); waiting approval of her latest companion acquiring.

Melita

Even when I look away, I’m still looking. He is inside his body, and I am inside my body, and it matters less and less

The crack about tetanus has Nate rolling his eyes, refusing to humour any real worry for it. "If you get tetanus I'll kick your ass." He warns, the growl in his voice more of a joke than anything else, especially combined with the easy grin. Everything else in the room follows the mattress out the window, the job feeling almost easy now that the excitement with the bats and blood is over with. And with everything out the window, they're done.

Nate lets himself be dragged down the stairs, settling back in the main room with his arm up on Sunjata's shoulder, the smile on his face a little smug. It slipped away quickly at the mention of more work, a sharp gaze thrown towards the attuned. "We'll handle something." He mumbled, rolling his eyes dramatically, and almost missing Sam and Kellan both sneaking away without a word.

Melita is not nearly so rude, coming out an nearly immediately bringing a smile back to Nate's face, her bubbly tone infectious, even if her words, her questions give him pause. "The upstairs is kind of a shithole, I'm surprised there's only one hole in the wall." He begins, glancing to Sunjata before fielding the bat question. "S'long as it wants to stay with you, and you don't get bit, I don't see an issue."

NATE

daydream about me, and i know that you hate the nights without me

“I’d expect nothing less.” He teases Nate back, completely unphased by the growl and threat to Nate’s voice. But everything gets cleaned up and out the window to be dealt with later, and travels down the stairs after inspecting each of the rooms for their use. It was good enough, simple enough, and Sunjata focuses on the group, thanking them for their help, before they unceremoniously depart. Which, honestly? Fine enough. Sam leaves almost like a dog with his tail between his legs, Kellan follows suit, and then there’s Melita bounding down the stairs in all her fiery air and charm.

He leans into Nate a bit as Melita’s words leave her and Nate replies back, a bright chuckle leaving him. “Look, they don’t need to be in good condition. Just… Useable. Y’know.” He says, edging his elbow out toward Nate’s side with a raised brow, before looking back to Melita with a small amused and crooked smile. “What Nate said.” He says before inclining his head a bit and chuckling lightly. “If it flies away I won’t compel it to stay with you…” He pauses before going to approach Melita and tug her along upstairs to look at said bat. “What do you want to name it?” He offers with a light chuckle, a glance over his shoulder toward Nate with a small shrug.

He wasn’t going to take care of the thing. If it somehow managed to disappear, Sunjata wouldn’t be there to keep it around if it absolutely wanted to depart.

- FIN <3

SUNJATA