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Wine & Ruins

Kanon paused and watched for a long moment as none other than Julian Solo made his way through the town's open-air marketplace. Julian seemed to be pausing at nearly every stall, looking no further than the goods in front of him, which meant he hadn't spotted Kanon yet. Kanon hadn't really attempted to disguise himself - he never did. There was no point and honestly, not many ways to go about it.

Wherever Julian was, however, Kanon was sure Sorrento also was. He wouldn't be far behind - possibly waylaid with haggling or finding a way to carry Julian's purchases. Still, Kanon hadn't expected to see them in this place. It was too close...

He hadn't actively looked for either of them and they didn't seem to be looking for him. Or if they were, Julian at least was doing a horrible job of it. Kanon wasn't even sure Julian would remember him. If so, what would he say? Kanon just hadn't really felt the need to continue making amends. They were made and obviously well enough that along with his twin, he'd been given another chance. At least his fourth of fifth, by his accounting.

The safest thing to do, Kanon knew, would be to turn and make his way back to Sanctuary. It would be a quick trip, and he could return later to finish his own business once it was likely safe. There wasn't much in the area - Julian wouldn't stay long. Sorrento...

It was not impossible that Sorrento had already talked to any number of Saints returned to the world. That meant his presence-- Sorrento would already know he was there and Kanon decided he might as well see if he could find Sorrento by feel if only to know that--

"Hello."

Sorrento had put on a couple of inches, but Kanon still found himself looking ever-so-slightly downward at his former companion.

"Sorrento."

"Kanon."

Kanon supposed they were nearly the same age now. Or at least Sorrento had done a fair job of catching up.

"You look well," Kanon managed. He did not think Sorrento wanted a fight, but he wasn't going to leave it out as a possibility.

"As do you, surprisingly," Sorrento replied. His tone was strangely calm though there was something beneath it that felt off. Kanon supposed it could be surprise, if nothing else, though honestly, they were so close to Sanctuary...

Kanon shrugged and glanced over to where Julian was apparently attempting to haggle with a merchant for some sort of pottery.

"Wasn't expecting to see you here."

"Wasn't my idea, but it has been a nice trip," Sorrento replied. There was a long pause. What else did they have to say to one another? Kanon had yet again managed to come out ahead despite his own best efforts. Sorrento seemed content as Julian's companion.

"Are you staying long?" Kanon asked just to fill the space. They both needed to just stop talking and go their own ways but they hadn't managed to do it.

"Just the rest of today," Sorrento replied. He reached to wipe his forehead and seemed a little annoyed to be sweating. "We're on our way back from--"

"Sorrento!" Julian had finally spotted them. Kanon wanted to sink back into the shadows. He had no idea what to say or how to say it, mostly because he didn't know what Julian might have remembered.

Sorrento seemed to go through a nearly-amusing range of emotions in the span of a second.

"Who's this?" Julian questioned with a little nod in Kanon's direction.

Kanon and Sorrento exchanged a quick glance and apparently decided on the safest possible answer.

"An old acquaintance," Sorrento said quickly.

"You seem familiar," Julian confirmed. He offered Kanon his hand. "Julian Solo. Have we met? I'm embarrassed if we have and I can't recall, but there were a couple of years in there that were a complete blur. If I hadn't had Sorrento with me, I don't know how I ever would have made it through."

Kanon smiled and shook Julian's hand firmly. He could feel the strength hidden in Julian's body but didn't comment. It seemed safer to neither confirm nor deny anything.

"Kanon," he said. "And Sorrento said you were just stopping through, so I'd best not keep you."

"Nonsense." Julian smiled a wide, friendly smile at him and Kanon knew he'd lost. "You're a local and should know all the things we should see while you're here. Let's start with lunch at the best kept secret, okay? My treat."

"Julian, are you sure--?" Sorrento began, only to have Julian handwave him into silence.

"It'll give you time to catch up," Julian added. Kanon wanted to add that they'd already caught up and no further catching up with Sorrento was ever necessary. Instead, because he was fairly sure lunch wouldn't hurt, he gestured that they should follow him through a maze of back streets to a tiny restaurant with some of the best food he'd ever accidentally stumbled across.

Before the meal was half over, Julian had explained his recent travels and started back towards the years that Kanon had missed. He felt himself torn over how he should feel. A lot of good had come of his lot of bad, but that wasn't really the credit he wanted to take. Sorrento was mostly quiet, except for filling in details when Julian looked to him for names, places and dates.

The more they ate, the more they also drank. Sorrento even tossed a comment in on how Julian's oft-refilled glass was not common grape juice, but Kanon contented himself to grin and watch. Even as Julian spoke of strange little memory lapses. Even as Julian got a little friendlier and reached over - more than once - to touch Kanon's hands and hair.

"Perhaps some fresh air?" Kanon suggested once the table had been cleared. "There are a lot of temple ruins in this area."

Sorrento gave Kanon a look that clearly suggested that was a bad, bad idea, but this time Kanon gave him a little handwave. Honestly, nothing was going to happen or it already would have. Instead, Julian had just gotten politely tipsy and definitely friendly.

A breeze was finally stirring through the city, for which Sorrento looked thankful. It seemed to sober Julian up a bit as well, though he still stayed close to Kanon. Kanon knew they were impossible to miss as they walked - he got enough stares on his own and he could only imagine that Julian and Sorrento were already being mistaken for Saints.

If he got a spare second alone with Sorrento, he'd really have to mention that just to see Sorrento's expression.

"Tell me more about the town," Julian said once they'd gotten to the walls of the first temple. Sanctuary was still well-hidden, if one didn't know where to look, but it was not far, either. "It seems so lively for the location."

"Unique geography," Kanon replied with a little shrug. That and its own goddess. "Other than that, it isn't anything special."

"I don't know. It seems to have some mystery..." Julian looked off at the sky and then turned back to the temple. "But whatever it is, it probably dates all the way back."

"I'm sure it does, Julian," Sorrento said quickly. "But we shouldn't linger for too long. We still need to get a few souvenirs and then head onward."

Julian nodded and then looked more at Kanon than Sorrento.

"I still feel bad that I don't remember you. I feel like the connection is right there and I just can't grab it."

"It's okay," Kanon replied. "Don't worry. We really just met briefly many years ago."

Sorrento led the way back down through the ruins, attempting to be a distraction by pointing out various flowers and asking what they were. Kanon didn't really know. He just knew the local names for them, from when he was young.

"We'll come again," Julian told him when they got back to the marketplace. "I'll have Sorrento schedule a special trip so we can stay longer."

"Julian, we really can't..."

"Yes we can," Julian replied. Kanon didn't say anything. It was almost like someone was laughing at him and he knew exactly who.

"You don't have to," Kanon finally managed.

"Nonsense. You and Sorrento barely had a chance to talk and I would like to see more of the area," Julian said firmly. "Kanon, we'll be back as soon as we can."

Kanon and Sorrento fumbled through a set of farewells with a heavy unspoken sentiment that they wished they could do a little more talking about not really wanting to do any more talking. But what would happen would happen. Kanon wasn't going to worry yet.

Instead he just made his way back to Sanctuary and wondered who would laugh the least at his story.

He really needed a drink. And not, necessarily, of water.