Top of the World

"And here I thought she was a clever woman." Remi chimed back with a cheeky grin, the alcohol loosening his tongue considerably. But then, Ronin was certainly manly and brave, so he doubt his jab would actually hold much water with the hunter. Perhaps it was the news that both he and Ronin now shared a common lover or simply the alcohol, but Remi found himself startled by the shocking blue of Ronin's gaze and found it hard to think. "Why...?" He asked, the vowel-sound trailing on longer than it should have as if Remi meant to finish the question and then decided against it. "I do not know. I would say it is a weird feeling, but ... it feels like nothing. I remember it all but it doesn't..." Remi lifted a hand and then dropped it to the table, unsure what feeling he thought he was going to represent. "I used to feel things just at the thought of him. Now...now his face is just like that chair over there. It is but it doesn't do anything for me." R E M I I followed your ashes into outer space

"She is an exceptionally clever woman. One of us has to be the brains, and I already have the brawn covered." Ronin grinned, taking the other man's jibes with as much ease as ever. It felt good, in fact, to sit and drink and be at ease. It felt more like him, in a way he missed that he hadn't realised. Whilst Ronin could never shake off the responsibility he'd inherited in his climb through the Storm Guard, he definitely felt better for breaking those chains. Taking a long sip of his drink, he shrugged his shoulders in response to Remi's question. "I was just seeing Vanya when Loren and I were first together. We both told each other, Loren and I, that it wouldn't work out forever. Then I fell in love." Remi might not be able to feel it any longer, but he was sure the other man could remember what that was like. "Besides... I have always wanted a family of my own," he admitted. The alchemist's description of his feelings now towards the man he had loved was sad to say the least, and Ronin frowned into his mug. "I dunno," he mumbled, "that chair is pretty attractive in the right light." He couldn't help it, a smirk tugging at his lips. ronin begin again, as the storm

"I thought the point was that you didn't cover your brawn?" Remi grinned back with a wink. Listening as Ronin continued, Remi found himself both wanting the man to elaborate and being thankful for the fact that he was keeping things vague. It wasn't Rem's place to know any of the specifics of their relationship, and whatever curiosity he had did not stem from any sort of emotionally well-balanced place. That might have been understandable given all that he had been dealing with currently, but he'd not give in if he could help it. "Ahhh." The alchemist said with an understanding nod. A family. That did make sense, as did falling in love. Grinning, Remi glanced over at the chair as if considering it seriously for a moment. "I suppose it now goes without saying that I do like some well-put together wood." Oh yes. The alcohol was definitely in his bones now. R E M I I followed your ashes into outer space

"Sometimes covering the brawn makes for quite a spectacular surprise later." Ronin smirked, glancing at Remi as if seeing him for the first time now properly. Really speaking it should have been obvious, and Ronin berated himself for not realising it. Then again, it was testament to the other man's charade, he supposed. "Ahhhh." He agreed with a nod, the soft smile refusing to leave his face at the thought of Vanya and the life budding inside her. In fact, it was with a start that he realised he probably should have headed out some time ago now - his lady was at the guildhall alone, and that wouldn't do. Not when Ronin had so much brawn to bring home to her. "Shall I leave you and the magnificent wood alone, then? Or would you like to walk with me?" Ronin chuckled, rising to his feet and promptly sitting back down again as his legs refused to cooperate at first. "Sweet Safrin, Remi, what did you put in that drink?" ronin begin again, as the storm

"Ahh put quite a bit of thought into this, haven't you?" Remi chimed back. This felt like the first time the alchemist ever really had the permission to be himself. Not that he wasn't around those he'd cared for - Vai, Loren, Ianto - but this was in public, with someone who he didn't consider a maternal figure and someone who didn't fill his belly with heat. Well.... Catching himself as his mind wandered, Remi shook his head slightly. It was the alcohol and the combination of thinking of himself being with Loren and Ronin being with Loren that had done it. Surely. "Well I suppose that is up to you-" The alchemist began, meaning to say something about spectating or joining in as the hunter rose and promptly say back down. Grinning as if Ronin's inebriation was something to be proud of, Remi laughed heartily. "And here I thought a man of your brawn could handle himself." So saying, Remi leaned his hands heavily against the table to use it to stand. He didn't need to see Ronin naked to know the man was much stronger than he, and if Ronin had a hard time standing, it was likely the alchemist would as well. "Are you asking me to give up my secrets Ronin?" Not that he hadn't already. Managing to lift himself, he grinned. "I suppose that means I am walking you home." It also answered the question of where the alchemist would be sleeping tonight: shop it was. R E M I I followed your ashes into outer space

Ronin smiled sunnily up at the other man. "Of course I have," he said. "I might be the brawn but I've been told I'm one helluva tactician." He winked, though quite how that was an innuendo was rather beyond him at present. He watched Remi rise to his feet with no small amount of envy, before snorting and following suit, using the alchemist's method of bracing against the table to get himself upright. When he actually managed it - and let go of the table and everything - he cheered. "Oi, I can handle myself. It's everyone else who can't handle me," he informed the other man, flashing Remi a charming smile for his trouble and sidling out from the table (after draining the last of his mug, of course). "Uh, yes?" he told his friend - obviously he expected to hear all of Remi's secrets. Unless it involved more berry garnishes. Nudging Remi affectionately - and probably a bit harder than intended given his current state - Ronin tipped him a wink. "Walking me home, eh? Such a gentleman. Lead on, then. I don't remember where I live anyway." ronin begin again, as the storm

Rolling his eyes playfully, Remi tried on an unimpressed stare. "And who is telling you all of this? I'll have to have a word with them about bending the ear one so gullible as you." Not his best by any means, and likely the thickening of his accent wasn't helping his comedic case either. Though it hardly seemed to matter. As Ronin cheered, Remi offered one sarcastic clap before lowering his hands back to the table. So rude of the room to start spinning just as he was about to give Ronin a round of applause. "Ahh, so accompanying you is more of a public service, hmm? Well I live to serve, my lor-" Bowing and placing a hand near his heart and one on the small of his back as he'd been taught to do back in Northaven, Remi suddenly found the floor rising up to meet him. Scrambling the alchemist flailed his arms, grabbing onto to the closest thing to him to help steady himself. Which of course was Ronin. Having grabbed at whatever garment he'd be wearing, Remi sheepishly pulled himself up offering a wanton smile as an apology. Grinning and quickly removing his hands from the other man, Remi patted one of Ronin's shoulder as if this nearly-falling down display had been some sort of quality-assurance act. "Ohh I'll tell you my secretsss" Remi slurred, and then of course promptly forgot what it was they were talking about. Nodding confidentially, Remi pushed a curl from his eye and grinned. "Well. You definitely live passed the door, so lets start there." R E M I I followed your ashes into outer space

Ronin opened his mouth, not unlike a goldfish one might add, before promptly closing it again as he realised the other man's accent and his inebriated ears had swallowed up Remi's words. "What?" he said helpfully, like that would accomplish anything. Ah well, he probably wouldn't remember even if Remi repeated it. Instead, he grinned at the idea of the alchemist's company en route home being some act of public service. "Indeed," he said, chuckling and stepping back a fraction to let Remi bow so magnificently - only he ended up sort of wonkily catching him instead. "Hey, whoa!" Ronin stumbled too, and it was a damned miracle that they didn't end up on the floor. Patting Remi's shoulder back, the hunter smirked and nodded to the door. "Right you are. Let's go then! Bye bye Vaiiii." Ronin flapped a hand at the huntress (who had obviously been watching all of this with increasing amusement) before snagging Remi's hand and marching them outside. Where the air promptly hit him. "M'sorry, y'know," he slurred as they began to meander off towards the settlement. "Sounds like you've had a real... shitty time of it lately. With your mother, an' Loren, an' the sex-with-ladies-against-your-will-almost..." RONIN JUST WATCH ME

"mmm?" Remi intoned back, blinking with drunken admiration at his friend and having absolutely no idea what they were talking about anymore. "Mmm mmm Vaii." He almost childishly but more musically repeated after Ronin, trying to offer the elementalist a bow which was fortuitously blocked by Ronin's insistent tug of his hand. It was a nice hand as far as hands went. Inhaling sharply as fresh air threatened to sober him up, the alchemist pulled his coat up around his neck and glanced towards Ronin. Shrugging he nodded at the sentiment. "Yeah its been...and it was bad back in Northaven too and–" The words just wanted to pour from his lips. "Loren was mad and then Delphine was crazy and you all almost died out there because of her." Obviously Ronin would have been intricately aware of the contents of Remi's mind and would know exactly to what event he was referring to. "And then we were here but not everyone was here and ...Ronin," Running a hand through his curls, Remi exhaled loudly. "That thing really made me want to have sex with them and now there's probably more chance of me wanting that than wanting Loren and -" Staggering slightly into Ronin, Remi shrugged again. "-so a baby huh." R E M I I followed your ashes into outer space

Ronin's blue eyes darkened a fraction as they stumbled their way out of the Sanctuary, and he gave a solemn nod of agreement. Things had been bad back in Northaven. He knew all too well how bad, and what had happened out in the jungle had been only the tip of Ronin's crappy iceberg. "Yeah," he mumbled to him, ducking his head in a clumsy nod. "Yeah I don't... I have no idea what she was thinking, doing what she did. Loren was hurt, and he put everything he had into the fight." He glanced across at Remi, despite how it made him feel a little bit dizzy. "I haven't actually seen her, since we arrived..." he said suddenly. But then Remi was talking about that weird sex deity again and, like dominos, he staggered as well as the alchemist bonked into him, having to reach out for Remi so he could steady himself. He left his arm around the other man - together, he was sure, they would make it. "Yeah, a baby," he murmured, a simple and happy smile on his face. "My baby. I'ma have a baby." If he said it enough he might actually believe it. "Hey I mean... you said that god thing whatever, they said you couldn't have your feelings back until you brought them those feelings, right? What if they were someone else's?" RONIN JUST WATCH ME

"Loren only mentioned a bit and quicksand? And .. trees? And I didn't know you'd all gone and.." Wild eyed Remi shook his head, scouring the landscape as if demanding answers from unseen sources. Without even thinking Remi snaked his arm around Ronin as well. Four legs were better than 2. That was the saying, right? Whatever. This felt better anyways. Definitely more stable. Snorting, Remi grinned foolishly at Ronin, more than happy to siphon off some of the man's happiness about his unborn child. "Y'look really happy Ronin." Remi gushed with a lopsided smile. Actually it just felt good to feel something, even if it was probably caused by the alcohol sloshing around in his belly. "Uhhh." Remi frowned. That seemed like such a good question...and..the answer....was..... "...yeah but what if we're wrong? I mean ... I just asked it a question and this was what happened. I dunno anything about it and I don't know how to learn more about it. It said not to come back unless I was ready to face the consequences...I think...and..." Okay. Even Remi's drunken mind knew he was rambling. "I just don't want this to happen to anyone else y'know?" R E M I I followed your ashes into outer space

"You didn't know we'd gone...?" Ronin frowned at his friend, sounding bemused at that. From what he'd said about him and Loren, he would have assumed that the librarian would have warned the other man before gallivanting off into a jungle where he might actually die and never come back. "I'm sorry, Remi... but, yeah. There were tree monsters, and quicksand, and it was just... horrific." He wrinkled his nose, shaking away those shadows from his memories lest he tempt nightmares back. He'd had enough of those in Northaven. His grin only grew broader as Remi commented on how excited he was and how happy he looked, the hunter nodding to his friend. "I am," he said. "I knew I wanted to start a family, but I never thought it would feel this... right." He shrugged. As Remi explained about the deity again, Ronin sighed and glanced away. "Good point... but I mean, if you were giving them what they wanted, surely they couldn't punish you...? Consequences could mean a reward." RONIN JUST WATCH ME

Shaking his head, Remi sighed. "It was ... after Loren tried to kiss me ... and then I wrote him a letter and he came by and he tried to do it again and he didn't understand and he said I had to chose and he left and-" The words falling from his lips cocooned by his accent sounded like a great melodic mush. "-and then I tried to find him and the library was closed and he was gone." Actually, that had been one of the most uncertain and hardest times in Remi's life, and one of the times he thought that the Launceleyn had treated him the least fairly. Chuckling, Remi cast a sideways smirk at the hunter. "Yes. New land, new monsters, perfect timing." He nudged Ronin slightly, but his grin was genuine. "I did not think I'd be punished just for asking." Crinkling his nose unhappily, Remi considered. "The only reward I want is to just to feel something again." The alchemist confessed, vaguely steering he and Ronin towards the Settlement. "To finally feel like I was allowed to be who I was ... and to have it taken?" R E M I I followed your ashes into outer space

Ronin tried to make sense of what the hell Remi was saying to him - he really did. A small frown of concentration had even appeared on his face as he tried to separate the mire of words and accent, but it was no use. So he just blinked and smiled empathetically and gave the other man's shoulder a gentle pat where his arm was round him. Gone. He got that much at least. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. He was, too, even though it felt like he was apologising every other sentence. He agreed that the timing left something to be desired, but Ronin was still undeniably pleased with the turn of events. "We'll make it work," he murmured, sounding quietly confident. "Vanya and I will make sure of it. An' we won't be by ourselves either." The nudge combined with the steering had Ronin weaving off track for a few steps (and giggling as he did so), but he steadied himself in time to consider Remi's words seriously. "We'll fix it," he told the other man, falling to a wobbly halt and taking him by the shoulders to smile confidently at him. "We'll find a way, and you and Loren will be able to ride off into the sunset together. I promise." RONIN JUST WATCH ME