A line in the sand [reprise]

REMI The afternoon sun bleached out most of what Remi could see causing the alchemist to shade his eyes against the glare on the sand and the sea. But there was something about the lapping of the waves against the shore that was calming and helped him to think, and despite the fact that he had to squint constantly, Remi happily made his way down to the water. Rolling up the legs of his pants up to his knees, Remi lowered himself down to just above where the waves receded against the beach. He also removed his shoes, allowing his feet to sink into the soft sand and be lapped at gently by the waves. From the canvas bag he carried, the alchemist removed a small notebook bound on the side with bark. Inside was a piece of charcoal wrapped in cloth that he carefully unwound it and began to sketch inside the book. Anyone watching this would have thought that his quick strokes and seemingly incomprehensible notes were just gibberish, but they made perfect sense to the alchemist.   Sweat had begun to trickle down Remi’s neck and forehead, unfortunately falling onto the page he was currently working on, smudging the rather elaborate but small diagram he’d nearly just finished. The alchemist hissed in a breath as he immediately held the book up, shaking it slightly to see if anything might be salvaged. As he did so, the salty water merely dripped down the page, ruining more of what he had been working on. Closing his eyes and exhaling a condensed stream of frustrated air, he placed the book next to him on the sands and steepled his fingers in front of his eyes and nose. He took a few deep breaths trying to slowly dilute his inwardly-directed frustration. Not one to hang onto such negative emotions for long, Remi eventually allowed his palms to find the sand behind him, supporting his weight as he looked out across the sea, lost in thought.