forum the house across the river // O/O // Closed

Started July 25, 2021 by @MarDeColores this is not it kids

tune

"Muna, what are you doing here?" Jin asked, still not quite sure what was happening. "Why aren't you… trying to kill me?"
"I'm sorry, Hune. Lou geen hetsikuz." Muna's voice was barely a whisper. "Someone got into my head, juna. I could hardly think. Loume hainli."
"Cui hikama," Jin growled, squeezing his eyes shut for a second. The small gods had seemed to be meddling in his life even before he'd died. "Wait, did you say juna?"
"Iesa." Muna nodded, giving Jin the slightest smile. His attention quickly turned to the other two in the inn. "Who are these people? Did they do anything to you?" Muna leveled a fierce glare at Iro.
"Ahm, no. That's Iro, and that's Yeshvir. They're nice." It occurred to Jin that he should probably introduce them to Muna. "Iro, Yesvir, this is Rei Muna, my…"
"Xlis," Muna supplied.
"My xlis. He's… probably fine." Jin shrugged.
"Probably?"
"I mean, you did kill me a little while ago."
"I apologized for that already, juna," Muna grumbled, though Jin could tell he was probably a few words from breaking down in tears.

Iro observed the two as they conversed, yet what they were talking about, he couldn't say. He picked up bits and pieces in the common tongue alongside that word — xlis — but that, as well as the fact that he was only half-listening to begin with, didn't clue him in much on the situation.

He did notice how Muna sent a glare his way, and in response he sheepishly smiled.

"Iro Hollands," he replied, offering Jin's xlis a friendly wave of his hands. "It's nice to meet you. How'd you find us all the way out here?"

Yeshvir had taken to wiping the counter, keeping an eye on Jin and Muna as he worked. "If you've got the coin, I've got no problem serving up another meal."

"Huh," Muna grunted in response to Iro's introduction. "I used some flowers."
"The small gods didn't try to stop you?"
"I'd like to see them try," Muna growled, green eyes practically glowing with anger. Jin placed a hand on his shoulder. He was almost constantly angry, usually for no good reason.
"Muna…" Jin narrowed his eyes at Muna. Normally, one didn't want to face down Muna when he was glaring like that, but Jin had done this far too often. Though he normally had Rusi Uyel to back him up.
"Alright, fine. I've got money." Muna pulled a couple of coins. "Is tezei fine, or would you prefer I pay with jei?" He looked up at Yeshvir, waiting for the man to respond.
"Uh… you came, but where's Rusi?" Jin asked, leaning towards Muna slightly.
"He's still… entranced. And you know him." Muna shook his head, keeping his eyes on Yeshvir.

Yeshvir raised an eyebrow. "Is that your currency, or your words for common currency? We deal in platinum and gold coins here, and a meal's five gold."

Payment, right. Iro had almost forgotten to pay for his and Jin's meals. He shuffled through his satchel and procured his finances, shifting through silver, paper money of various currencies, Darchestran sol, salt, and gold until he retrieved ten gold pieces.

"For my and Jin's meals," he murmured as he slid the coins forward. Yeshvir picked up a coin and studied it keenly — checking its legitimacy — before nodding and sliding the coins into a pocket on his apron.

He had to admit, it felt a little weird now that Muna had joined the party. He casted the occasional side glance at the two as he reorganized his belongings, nothing but tentative curiosity in his gaze. He had questions — lots of them — but he felt it rude to pry into business that wasn't his.

"Platinum and gold?" Muna wrinkled his nose. "These are silver. Currency from Kito and the Opria-Malak-Seajun-Heanth area, respectivly." He let out an annoyed sigh and dropped the coins back into their pouch. "Nevermind, I don't need food."
"Is that because you're leaving again?" Jin asked softly. He wasn't sad about that fact… probably. The small gods weren't sad that Muna might be leaving, at least. He supposed he would like it if Muna stayed, but if he had to go, it was fine.
"I only came to see if you were actually alive. Otherwise, what would the point be of changing Rusi's mind?" Muna sighed, turning to Jin. "Don't worry, Hune. I know I can break the spell. Just stay alive until then."
"That's easy. I can't die even if I want to," Jin laughed, even though that really wasn't something to laugh about.
"What?" Muna's eyebrows drew together in concern. "What do you mean? What does he mean?" He continued, turning to glare at Iro and Yeshvir as if they were responsible.

Yeshvir shrugged. "Well, it was one of the first things he did when he entered my inn. Just… up and died, then came back to life. Had me worried sick, with the plague ravaging the place and all."

Iro nodded nervously, reaching his hand back to rub his neck. He'd thought he'd gotten used to being glared at after dealing with the Dadichuses for so long, but this was something else. "Well… we fought a bunch of bandits on the way here. I watched Jin get impaled — straight through the back, I'm telling you — then stand back up like nothing had happened. He can't die. It's a little freaky."

Partly because he felt bad seeing the frankly ridiculous prices turn someone away from food, partly because he wanted to make some kind of gesture to say he wasn't a bad guy here, he retrieved five more gold from his satchel and slid them towards Muna, giving him the option to take it or not.

"Listen, I'm a little out of the loop here, but I'm an ally," he murmured as he offered the gold. "If we work together, it might prove to be a little more efficient in solving Jin's dilemma. My mission isn't urgent, and based on the current state of affairs here it looks like I won't be doing a whole lot."

He frowned. "I don't know if we could be called friends just yet, but we've fought side by side and traveled together for a little while. He's someone who matters to me, and I'm willing to help if I can."

"He… you…" Muna glanced between Jin and the other two, eyes wide in shock. "I thought it was just a one-time miracle, but…" He stepped towards Jin, reaching down and cupping his cheek gently. "They've chosen you, haven't they? Jin. Hune." Muna's eyes were so sad, Jin almost wanted to burst into tears. He didn't, of course, but it was close.
"I mean… probably. But it's fine." Jin let out a nervous laugh. Muna glanced towards Iro as he offered the gold, his expression melting back into his usual resting I'm-going-to-kill-you face.
"Thanks." Muna snatched up the gold and offered it to Yeshvir with a slightly disgruntled expression. "Just give me whatever they had."
"You know what, that sounds like a great idea! Friends helping friends!" Jin quickly said, although he was pretty sure Iro's words had been meant for Muna. "Let's all stick together and not leave me again," he leveled a pointed look at Muna, who just barely managed to not roll his eyes, "and try to fight off the small gods!" As soon as the words left his mouth, Jin knew he'd messed up.
"Let's not do that, shall we?" These gods were the worst… how was he supposed to do anything?
"Wait, wait, don't do that– Muna, if I suddenly collapse, don't worry, it's fine–" Jin spoke as quickly as he could, not sure when the small gods would decide to kill him off for a few minutes.
"Cui hikama," Muna growled, pulling Jin towards him. He was already feeling a little like he was dying, but before he could do anything else, Muna was kissing him. He wasn't sure why, but he was not complaining. Both because this was something he'd been wanting to do for a long time, and because he no longer felt as though he was dying. "Does anyone have any sage?" Muna asked, pulling away from Jin. "Dry or fresh, it doesn't matter."

Iro flinched as Muna took the gold. He'd have to get used to that look.

Yeshvir had observed the entire exchange with a certain look of passive acceptance about him, as if he'd come to terms with the oddities of the patrons in his inn. He took the gold with a silent nod and disappeared into the kitchen behind him. No small gods or spontaneous invincibility would stop him from doing his job.

Iro ran a hand through his hair as the innkeeper left, taking a deep breath, and averting his gaze at the display of affection before him. When he retreated into his thoughts, he found his own heart yearning just a tad.

Aeolus would know what to do in situations like these. He could keep his cool and figure out what to do even in the strangest of circumstances. Or he'd take a step back altogether and simply be a pillar of support while Iro got his bearings, and…

… by the Trinity, he missed home. Missed Aeolus. Seeing Muna and Jin's reunion had reminded him of all that.

But Aeolus was counting on him. He wouldn't go home until his job was complete, even if it looked like he would have to put it on hold for a little while. He'd do his best.

When Muna asked for sage, Iro fumbled around in a certain pouch in his satchel before procuring fresh pineapple sage.

"I hope the kind of sage doesn't matter much," he replied as he offered some to Muna before picking out a bit of it for himself to consume. Something to ease his nerves.

"Mmm, no." Muna shook his head, plucking the sage out of Iro's hand. "Hold this." He shoved the sage into Jin's hands.
"Okay… why?" Jin looked at Muna in confusion. He was acting very strange. First, he kissed Jin out of nowhere– not that he was complaining– and then he was shoving sage in his face.
"You know my… my…" Muna reached up and untied the ribbon from his bun, "uneikuz?"
"Yes…" Jin glanced at Iro, wondering if he also had no idea what was going on. Actually, he probably didn't either. They were both screwed.
"It's sage. Unei. It let me break the small god's spell. So it could protect you from them too." Muna tied the ribbon around Jin's wrist. This was fine and all, but Muna then started to undo the buttons on his coat. "And then you could stop dying and you could talk– because apparently, they aren't even letting you speak!" Muna pulled his jacket off and draped it over Jin's shoulders. "Now, Iro." He turned his gaze to the man. "You say you want to help? What can you do? Can you do magic? Can you fight?"
"Muna, be nice." Jin smacked him on the head. Although his actions were extremely weird, Jin was slowly starting to feel more like… like himself. Maybe Muna knew what he was doing.

Iro, indeed, had absolutely no clue what was going on — the addition of more unfamiliar words left him a little further behind, as well. But it looked like Jin was willing to trust Muna, so Iro was content to do the same.

He swallowed the sage in his mouth as Muna addressed him, and he nodded.

"Both," he replied. "I can harness electricity, and I'm proficient with the staff. I'm, uhm, also a florist's son," he added tentatively, "so I'm versed in most things floral, if that's any good."

Yeshvir returned with the same rice meal as before, setting it down at the counter before occupying himself by tidying up the surrounding area, choosing to pay little mind to his patrons.

"Good," Muna nodded sharply. "Even better. I only know the basic battle yanew." He turned his attention to the food Yeshvir brought and started eating quickly.
"Um…" Jin peered at Muna, then slid over to Iro. "Thanks for putting up with Muna. And all the… continued weirdness that's happened since you've run into me." He let out a laugh. "I bet you never expected your trip to turn out like this, huh?"
"We should get going." Muna dropped his spoon into the empty bowl and stood. "Thank you for the meal," he continued, giving Yeshvir a quick nod.
"Going? Where are we going?" Jin frowned at Muna.
"Back to Kito. We have to find a more permanent solution than wearing my clothes." Muna glanced over at Jin. "Speaking of, you can put that on all the way, you know."
"Huh?" Jin glanced down to see Muna's jacket draped over his shoulders. "Oh, right." He quickly pulled the jacket on and buttoned it up. "Okay, I guess we're going. Thanks for the food, Yeshvir!" He waved at the innkeeper, then started towards the door.

Yanew. While he didn't have a literal translation, Iro was grateful that context clues gave him some insight into what Muna meant. He nodded as if he understood, which was a partially true statement. He was mostly just glad he could be of use.

As Jin slid over, Iro flashed a friendly smile, a chuckle of his own escaping him. "Hey, a little turn of events is always welcome. Breaks the routine of work, anyhow."

Yeshvir waved a hand dismissively — a move of
modesty more than apathy — a tired grin spreading across his face.

Iro stood as the others did, yet lingered at the counter for a few extra moments. He pulled out a small quill and paper, scribbled quickly, then tore off the section of paper he'd written on, handing it to Yeshvir.

"When your Lady is accessible, here's how you can contact me. The Brigade sends its regards, and hopes this plague eases eventually."

Yeshvir studied the paper with a raise of his eyebrow, then, amused, tucked it away.

"Alright, Ambassador. Safe travels."

Iro nodded his gratitude before turning to follow Jin and Muna. Yeshvir waved back at Jin before returning to his work once more.

Iro shifted his weight, grimacing at the thought of hauling his travel pack around again. Well, at least it was exercise.

"So, Kito," he began. "I take it you two know how to get there?"

"Good, good." Jin smiled at Iro. "And I have no idea how to get back there because I don't know how we got here in the first place."
"I know how to get to Kito." Muna sighed, giving Jin a tired look. "You're the same as ever, Hune."
"What can I say?" Jin grinned at Muna. "I'm not going to let death and a bunch of plants make me pay attention to my surroundings." Muna sighed heavily and held the door open for Jin and Iro.
"It'll take longer since we have to dodge all the armies instead of just most of them." Muna rubbed his forehead. "Of course all the sage shrines are in the city. And what did you do with your hair? You look like an old person."
"I don't actually know. I'm sure we'll be able to find something to dye it with on the way. It'll be fine." Muna narrowed his eyes at him, probably trying not to scream.
"Fine, fine." He turned his attention to Iro. "You stick out like a sore thumb. No one visits Kito."
"He'll be okay. Probably." Jin squinted at Iro. "We could stick him in a middle-class outfit and give him a hood or something. No one would look twice. How do you feel about a makeover?" Jin turned his attention to Iro, eyes wide and inquiring.

Iro nodded his gratitude to Muna as he held the door. He listened to the banter between Jin and Muna, not having much to offer in terms of his own two cents, but enjoying their company. At least someone knew what the plan was, because he sure didn't.

As Muna addressed him, he shrugged. "Nobody visits Kito? Nobody leaves Darchester, either. I'm a double enigma," he added with a chuckle, though the light in his eyes was more… well, sad, than humored. "When you say 'nobody visits Kito', is that 'Kito isn't an interesting tourist location' or 'nobody's allowed to visit Kito'?"

To Jin's question, Iro pursed his lips thoughtfully. "I've worn disguises before — kind of part of my job. Tell me what'll work, and I'll do my best."

"People are allowed to visit Kito, but not many people choose to. I think it has something to do with the constant fighting and all that." Jin explained, shrugging. "You could go as you are, but lots of people would stare and that's the last thing we need."
"Mmm. You're lucky I brought a lot of money in case I had to bribe people," Muna grumbled, though he didn't seem very angry. "You need new clothes too. These ones are too bloody."
"Oh, good!" Jin grinned and clapped his hands. "I love middle-class clothes. And you'll look so good in them, too." He gave Iro a thumbs up and a big grin.
"I'm glad you're having fun, Hune," Muna sighed heavily. "Anyway… The nearest town selling what we need should be about half an hour away. You two will stay hidden and out of sight while I buy the clothes." He was talking to both of them, but his gaze was on Jin. Jin made a face at him but nodded.
"Of course, Muna. I wouldn't dream of it." Jin patted Muna's shoulder. As long as the small gods stayed out of his head, he would be able to do as Muna asked. In other words, the smart thing.

Iro's expression had contorted into a thoughtful frown as he glanced down at his clothes. They were dark reddish-brown robes with loose pants and a decorative sash at the waist, its gentle white signaling to those who would understand so that he was serving the Brigade more diplomatically at the moment — but, as Muna had noted, his attire was rather bloodsoaked.

He grimaced, the implications of the state of his clothing suddenly becoming apparent to him, in addition to spilling blood on a Diplomat's Sash just being a surefire way to attract bad luck. He'd need to burn the sash when he got the chance. Superstition or not, the last thing he needed right now was bad luck.

Even so, he managed something like a smile as he returned Jin's thumbs up. A change of clothes wouldn't hurt, disguise or not.

"Oh, but what about… hm," he mumbled, his voice trailing along with his train of thought. "I'm guessing the sage is suppressing those small gods based on the fact that nothing's happened to Jin in a while?" he asked. "But even so, how long will it last?"

Muna nodded, then kept going. Jin followed, relishing the sensation of going for a walk and being able to appreciate it all.
"It is. And I don't know. My jacket should provide an extra line of defense against them, but it won't last forever. That's why we need to get to the city as quickly as possible." Muna sped up. "By the way, you said you know plants. Do you have any other herbs or flowers that could provide more protection for him?" While Muna was worrying, Jin was watching the road ahead of them. They were getting closer to the town, and he was starting to see more people around. They were just normal people so far, but he was keeping an eye out for warriors or bandits. They'd cause more problems for the group, and he was quite frankly done with problems.

Iro pursed his lips and dragged his satchel around, opening it and shuffling through his herb pouch. He had an assortment of herbs, most of them a form of medicine or flavoring for food, and wasn't sure what exactly would serve as protection other than sage. As Muna picked up the pace, Iro did his best to keep up, attention still mostly focused on the contents of his satchel.

"Do the small gods adhere to, uh, common herbal language, or do certain herbs have certain properties they don't like?" he inquired, inspecting a bundle of dandelion as he talked. "I've got herbs from pineapple sage to yarrow to sourgrass. Mostly medicinal herbs, but I've got stuff like bay leaves and dill in here, too. Tell me what'll work and I'll see if I can find it."

It did occurr to him that the group was reaching the town, and now his eyes lifted to study his new surroundings, slightly mesmerized by the scene before him. It wasn't often he left home, so most of this was all new to him. That beind said, he'd leave it to Muna to handle the situation here. He was the last person who needed to complicate things at the moment.

"I don't know," Muna said at the same time that Jin said, "Yeah, probably." The two glared at each other, though it was more playful than actually angry.
"The small gods probably have other small gods they don't like, but I have no idea about those relationships. I never really studied them all that much," Jin continued, frowning in concentration. "I think… I think dill and yarrow would help?"
"Alright, we're close enough. Too close, in my opinion." Muna suddenly stopped, grabbing Jin's arm with one hand and Iro's with another. "You two can talk about herbs and small gods over here, hidden." He pulled the two towards a rather large bush off the road. "Remember, Hune, do not call attention to yourself."
"Oh, please, heyl," Jin said, rolling his eyes. Muna spluttered for a second, thrown off by the pet name, then let out an indignant huff and turned away from them.
"Just… stay put. I'll be back soon." He pushed them both further behind the bush and marched back towards the road, muttering to himself.
"He's adorable," Jin sighed, tearing his eyes off Muna's retreating back to smirk at Iro. "Alright, then. Shower me in herbs, vynpa."

"Dill and yarrow," echoed Iro, mumbling the names to himself as he scavenged for them. He procured the herbs right as Muna grabbed him by the arm to stop him in his tracks — probably a good call, as Iro hadn't been paying attention to where he was walking.

He compared the size of the bush to the size of Jin and himself, then shrugged. It was off to the side of the road; hopefully nobody would have a dire need to look behind this specific bush anytime soon.

He pursed his lips. Probably best not to jinx it.

He seated himself behind the bush, crosslegged, satchel sitting in his lap. He handed his bundles of yarrow and dill out to Jin. "I'm assuming you'll know what to do with these, 'cause, uhm, I don't," he chuckled, returning his gaze to the contents of his satchel as he shuffled through more potentially helpful herbs.

"If you don't mind my asking," he murmured as he began spreading out and organizing his herbs, "you and Muna. How long have you two been a thing?"

(Sorry about the wait, I was on vacation :)
Jin took the herbs. He also didn't really know what to do with them either, but he figured tucking them into his pockets would work well enough. He really didn't want to eat them. He probably didn't need to eat them. Jin tucked a couple of extra sprigs into his boots and straightened up just in time to hear Iro's question. "Ah? I mean… I don't know. We've always been close. Well, not always close. When we first met, I punched him right in the face. But after that…" Jin shrugged, a slightly dreamy smile on his face. "We were so good. Me, Muna, and Rusi… oh, ele geen da yea." He sighed, smile turning melancholy. "Nothing had ever been official. Maybe it would have been, if I hadn't been killed, but… life had a different plan for us." Jin shook his head. Thinking about what could have been was making him sad. He had to focus on what was happening now. He had Muna back. And he would do everything he could to get Rusi back too.

(no problem!! been busy with school so my replies have been slowing down too lol, sorry about that)

Iro couldn't help but let an amused smile turn the edge of his lips.

"That's certainly a way to meet someone," he chuckled. "First time I met my dush'va, I was staring down the tip of his blade. If you told me he'd be the love of my life in a year, I'd have called you crazy."

He leaned back against the bush, a wisp of longing evident in his visage. Homesickness.

"Funny how things can change the way they do, for better or for worse. Keeps life interesting, I guess."

His gaze fell to the herbs scattered in front of them, and he was silent with his thoughts for a moment. His eyes lifted to Jin, and he spoke again.

"I do hope you can get all this small gods stuff sorted out soon. It was cruel of them to take your life from you like that. Maybe things won't be exactly the same, but I hope, at the very least, that they get better."

(You're good, I can understand completely :)
"Ah, well, he deserved it for underestimating me." Jin laughed, recalling the meeting. He'd been small as a child and when they'd been paired for some practice in hand-to-hand, Muna had made it very clear he thought it was going to be an easy win for him. Jin hadn't agreed with that all and taken the initiative to start the fight with a fist straight to the nose. Muna had been so surprised that Jin had won the fight. "Ha, that's an amazing first meeting. Just as good as mine, if not better!" Jin shook his head, noticing the expression on Iro's face. "By the way, you don't have to come with us the entire way. You can leave whenever you want to." Jin gave Iro a grin. The journey he and Muna were undertaking was most likely going to be dangerous. Even though it would be nice to have another person to help, he didn't want to make Iro do anything he didn't want to. He also didn't want Iro to get hurt in any way. "Oh, thank you. I don't think anything will ever be the same, but I'm hoping I'll at least stop being known as the traitor."

Iro snickered. "Nah, I'd say we're pretty on par. Apparently people fall in love with those who can kick their ass."

To Jin's suggestion, he shook his head. "Just not used to travelling, I guess."

He rightened his posture, eyes lifting to the sky, carefully studying the wispy white clouds above. He wondered if the weather was any different back home. He'd send a letter if it didn't risk compromising his mission.

"I won't go home until I finish my job, and my job is to establish foreign relations. I guess you could call our partnership part of my assignment," he added with a grin. "You won't get rid of me that easily."

His gaze dropped back down to Jin, and his brow furrowed. "Traitor? That's a new one."

"It would seem so," Jin agreed, laughing. Rusi had probably fallen the same way. They'd all been united by combat. It was a shame that was the same thing that had torn them apart. He let out a little sigh of relief at Iro's words. He was starting to like him–well, that was a lie. He'd liked him from the start. But he would have been sad if Iro left. "Ah, only a partnership? I thought I meant more to you than that, vynpa." Jin gave Iro a teasing smile, though it quickly faded away in the wake of his question. "Ah. Well. I'm not actually a traitor. Just… someone framed me. Made it look like I'd betrayed everyone. Given them up to the enemy." Jin sighed heavily, running a hand over his head. "It was a good trap. There was nothing I could do to get out of it. But I swear, I had nothing to do with it. If only I could find the insul person who did that–" Jin's rant was interrupted by a bundle of clothes being thrown in his face.
"Get changed. Quickly. We've got to move." Muna narrowed his eyes at Jin, then turned to Iro. "Here." He tossed the clothes slightly more gently at Iro, then crossed his arms impatiently.

As Iro listened to Jin, he hadn't expected to get worked up — but there was, without a doubt, a familiar burning clench in his chest that grew the more Jin recounted his story.

The world wasn't fair, and he knew that well. Even so, he couldn't help but feel frustrated by it. As far as he knew, Jin hadn't deserved what happened to him. Edenborough hadn't deserved a plague. Not that whether they deserved it or not mattered — fate was neither good nor evil, after all. It simply was.

He'd mostly come to terms with this a long time ago, when he'd first become an assassin and witnessed firsthand how cruel fate could be. But time and time again, it irked him.

Almost as if fate didn't want him to dwell on the idea for too long, a bundle of clothes being tossed his way snapped him out of his thoughts. He frowned, slightly bewildered, but took the clothes and slipped them over his blood-splattered robes. Not exactly the most comfortable fit, but he'd make do.

"Where now?" he asked.

Jin pulled the clothes from his face, his expression pained for one second before he quickly mustered a smile. "Alright, Muna, no need to be so aggressive." Jin quickly changed into the clothes, not sure how he felt about them. It was strange dressing in middle-class clothes again. He hadn't thought he would ever wear clothes like this again.
"First you two are going to pull your hoods up." Muna grabbed Jin's hood and pulled it over his head surprisingly gently. "I couldn't find anything to dye your hair, so you'll just have to do this until we find something." He paused, hand moving as though he wanted to cup Jin's cheek in his hand before he quickly turned away. "Alright, let's go. The next town might have what we're looking for." He started back towards the road, not checking to see if Jin or Iro were following. Jin sighed, adjusting his hood and glancing at Iro.
"Back on the road!" He let out a little laugh, then hurried after Muna.

Iro pulled his hood over his head and breathed a quiet sigh. Having something to obscure his face made him feel a little better.

He wasn't someone who normally desired to be so secretive, but over time his line of work had gradually made him one to find comfort in being unnoticed. Even his tall, bulky self would be someone nobody paid mind to in the right outfit, and he hoped that this outfit would do the job.

Iro frowned, noticing Muna's hesitation — though not entirely sure of the reason for it. He decided it wasn't much his business, but Muna taking off ahead of them didn't help his curiosity.

"We're burning so many calories," Iro mumbled in agreement, following after Jin and comfortably striding beside him.

After gauging whether or not Muna was within earshot, he leaned towards Jin, dropping his voice as low as it could go while still being audible.

"Muna's, uhm… an interesting character. Is the dynamic between you two always like this?"