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+---- Thread: scene of the crime (/showthread.php?tid=10463)
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scene of the crime - Remi - 12-14-2024
Much as Remi hated to admit it, not only did he owe Jack his thanks for everything he'd done and tried to do for Flora in the Greatwood, very likely he owed the man an apology as well. The amount of cognitive dissonance it caused him had headaches forming behind his eyes so often that Ronin had all but shoved a pen and piece of parchment in his hand, forcing the Bastion to write to the captain so that they could TaLk. Begrudgingly, because Ronin wasn't wrong, Remi had.
At one of the outdoor tables of the Hanged Man, far away from where he might corner Jack in a small space, the Bastion sat gazing out at the sea with a bottle of Flora's best rum chilling in a bucket of ice on the table. Eyes narrowed, Remi drummed his fingers against the wood; had he known that Jack was a telepath he might have tried to distract himself, but alas if and when the captain deigned to arrive, he'd be treated once more to the spectacularly disapproving mind of Remi Taliesin.
RE: scene of the crime - Jack - 12-14-2024
Spectacularly disapproving or otherwise, that Jack had found the parchment waiting after his little training session with Flora (and their stroll around Haulani for information and gossip) is a surprise, and not an unpleasant one. Granted, he has no idea what the nature of the TaLk is going to be, and so he doesn't kid himself into thinking that he and Remi are about to find themselves on the same page. But he does deign to turn up on time and in fresh clothes.
The thicket of the Bastion's thoughts is almost a physical thing that Jack has to fight through, though he draws out his seat with ease, and any stiffness in his posture can likely be put down to lingering injuries. [say]"Remi,"[/say] he greets as he sits himself down, wearing something loose and linen with his hair still drying around his shoulders. [say]"D'you want to waste some time with small talk, or get right to it?"[/say]
RE: scene of the crime - Remi - 12-14-2024
Eyeing the captain as he arrives, Remi's gaze might once have only noticed the length of the man's hair and the blue of his eyes, though over the years he found his attention was pulled far less by handsome faces and instead was more often snagged on physical tells of strength or weakness. He saw in both in Jack.
[say]"Jack."[/say] Clearing his throat the Bastion turns his chair, reaching for the whiskey and pouring them each a healthy first glass, beginning with the cup in front of Jack. The captain would feel the words that Remi was reaching for locked behind a wall of ice erected by his own hand. With a sigh that had a tremor strong enough to topple the structure and loosen his tongue, the Bastion reached out a hand across the table. [say]"Thank you."[/say] The Bastion's sea glass stare was unyielding but not cold, even if his motives weren't entirely pure. Just as he'd done with Sunjata, touching Jack would give him a far better read on the captain than anything the man might have to say.
[say]"For being with Flora when it happened. For trying to save her."[/say]
RE: scene of the crime - Jack - 12-14-2024
There's certainly more weakness than strength in Jack for the time being, and he's going to be sore tomorrow as a result of trying to remind his body how to fight in ways that don't involve lances of ice or bolts of lightning, but it could be worse. He could be dead again. Inclining his head in thanks at the healthy measure of whiskey poured before him, the captain raises his glass for a grateful sip, the chill liquor turning into a slick and growing burn in his chest.
He eyes the Bastion's hand for a long few moments, feeling the cracks in the dam Remi had erected and observing it from behind his own fortress of tightly locked emotions. [say]"I didn't do it for your thanks,"[/say] he says, not that he isn't willing to accept it nonetheless. [say]"I didn't do it for you at all."[/say]
And, perhaps a surprise to them both, he reaches out to clasp the other man's hand in his own, releasing the tide of cold fury and murky guilt at all that had happened, all that he'd been unable to do and the ways he'd failed behind the barrier Pierce had thrown up. There's frustration taking root in that guilt, thorns of it burying deep and turning it sharp, though it pales in comparison to the love that he wields like a weapon, honed and ready to strike. Every one of Flora's screams, every tear shed, every minute of broken sleep will herald a retribution the likes of which Jack hasn't even let himself imagine yet.
[say]"You've got good taste in liquor,"[/say] he mutters, letting Remi's hand go and sitting back to nurse the rum in his glass anew.
RE: scene of the crime - Remi - 12-14-2024
The words that spill from Jack's lips don't surprise Remi. Cheap shots came far too easily between the pair, and though he's sure there's truth in the words, they're as unnecessary as they are predictable. The fact that the captain does reach for his hand has fractures of surprise shooting through Remi's thoughts, and as Jack's emotions surge forward, the fractures split open revealing chasms the likes of which the Bastion was entirely unprepared for.
What he feels...it, and gods help him for it, reminds him of Ronin; it reminds him of himself. The guilt and lingering feelings of failure that still plagued his husband, the relentless march towards retribution, and, all too familiar, the way love could be moulded into something too sharp and piercing. Releasing the captain's hand slowly, Remi eyes the other man silently, still reeling from the familiarity of his touch. His hatred of the captain now felt like a piece of cardboard placed in an empty window frame; entirely ineffective and good for nothing much more than being an eyesore.
Smirking, Remi lifts his eyebrows and gives his head a slight shake. [say]"Flora does."[/say] He counters with a shrug, leaning back in his chair and lifting the glass to his lips. [say]"Speaking of.."[/say] Says Remi Taliesin, the Segue King. [say]"..I don't want to fight with you, Jack. It's..."[/say] Pausing, he glances toward the sea and wrinkles his nose slightly. [say]"..possible that I overstepped with you and Flora, and now that I'm back on my side of things, I intend to stay here."[/say]
RE: scene of the crime - Jack - 12-14-2024
[say]"Mm, that she does,"[/say] Jack agrees, more than happy to give the credit for their current vintage to the absent Doubletake. He doesn't expect the whiplash of feeling from Remi to take the flavour of familiarity of all things, the captain using the bite of the rum as an excuse for the brief twist in his expression. His love is like a fresh wound, bleeding and stinging if handled too much, and that apparently includes examining it too closely.
But they aren't here to discuss that.
[say]"I'll drink to that,"[/say] he says readily enough to the rest of what the Bastion has to say, reaching across the table to clink his glass against the other man's. [say]"Suits me well enough as well - I was gonna reach out to you myself 'bout everythin' that happened up in the Greatwood."[/say] With a final sip of rum, Jack sets his glass slowly down onto the table.
[say]"The gods know I ain't strong enough to go toe to toe with that animal - not yet, anyway. An' especially not with that barrier he can pull up. But I'm not a man who can sit and do nothin'. Whatever you and your knight in shinin' armour have planned, if I can cause any trouble for The Family, count me in."[/say]
RE: scene of the crime - Remi - 12-14-2024
Careful to keep himself from smashing his glass inadvertently into Jack's for how shaky the receding tide of the captain's emotions had left him, Remi hums his response before downing nearly half of his rum in one swallow. No doubt once upon a time Jack could have drank him under the table and then some, but having probably 100lbs of muscle on the other man in addition to being a demigod, meant that although the liquor burned going down, it did little else.
[say]"Yeah?"[/say] Looking thoughtful for perhaps the first time in Jack's presence, Remi falls appreciably silent as Jack all but signs himself up for a war against Starfall. Itching at the stubble on one cheek, the Bastion bobs his head as he tries to gauge just how much he ought to tell Jack, before deciding fuck it. As a leader Flora would end up hearing the majority of their plans anyway, and whatever Flora knew, Remi assumed Jack knew as well.
[say]"The blade he had was originally mine. It was the relic I found before the war. I gave it to Ronin since he's far faster than I am, and that's what let us plant one of those flowers onto Starfall when we went before."[/say] Remi explains, refilling both of their glasses in an effort to keep his fingers from drumming annoyingly on the table. [say]"Pierce took it from him probably as easily as he was able to.."[/say] Still not able to bring himself to casually mention his daughter being murdered, Remi merely clears his throat and continues.
[say]"Ronin wants to go to Stormbreak and confront Dahlia there. That way at least we know that she can't readily call upon the dragons and other void creatures that linger on and around Starfall."[/say]
RE: scene of the crime - Jack - 12-15-2024
On the contrary - whatever Remi knows, Jack will know as well depending on how much he wants to think about during this conversation, but the fact that the Bastion decides to be candid is both a welcome surprise and an advantage when it comes to making any sorts of plans. With his rum abandoned now on the table, the captain sits up a fraction, and if anything some of the tension in his body melts away in the face of a common purpose, a shared enemy.
[say]"So I s'pose cornerin' this guy and takin' it back ain't an option?"[/say] He asks it rather than assumes it. [say]"I know your beau wears his honour like a cape, but you could always fight dirty."[/say] A group of demigods against one member of The Family is likely to cause at least a bit of trouble of Pierce, he thinks. [say]"Then again, I guess that hinges on him not callin' for reinforcements."[/say]
Which goes for Pierce and for Dahlia as it happens, given that she's the next subject of conversation. [say]"Even caught unawares, a woman like that will be ready for it,"[/say] Jack says slowly. [say]"Does his plan go much beyond confrontation? With respect, I just got murdered as a consequence of Flora doin' somethin' she disapproved of, so if it goes tits up, your family will be collateral."[/say]
RE: scene of the crime - Remi - 12-15-2024
[say]"If you have any leads on where to find him at any given point, I'd be happy to hear them."[/say] Remi mutters on the heels of a sigh before combing his fingers through his curls and reaching for his rum. [say]"Dahlia is the only one who keeps office hours, so short of just hoping he'd be part of the welcome wagon on Starfall, Stormbreak is our only real option."[/say] As for fighting dirty? Snorting a laugh into his glass as he takes another sip, Remi raises his eyebrows in agreement.
[say]"When it comes to dealing with this I don't intend to let anything get in the way."[/say] So saying, now it's Remi's turn to straighten, and as he sets down his glass, he eyes the captain for a long few moments before speaking. Of course for someone like Jack he won't be kept on tenterhooks waiting to find out what had caused the Bastion's pause, not with the way words and ideas form and reform in his mind. [say]"Which is why you can't come."[/say] He says eventually, sipping in what might almost be thought of as an apologetic breath, before exhaling softly.
[say]"Nothing the Family can do can kill me,"[/say] he explains. [say]"Which means I'd never hear the end of it from Flora if anything were to happen to you."[/say] The same couldn't quite be said for Ronin, but given their status as immortals, Remi doubted very much if anything short of having died as well would be justified in Flora's eyes if the Taliesins let harm befall the captain.
RE: scene of the crime - Jack - 12-16-2024
[say]"I'm good, but I haven't really found a means to keep tabs on The Family,"[/say] Jack admits, much as he hates to do so. [say]"I can keep tryin', though. I wonder if there's somethin' a god could make to show you where they are at any one time - like a Marauder's map."[/say] Itching at the scruff on his chin, as intriguing an idea as it might be he has no doubt that it would be difficult and dangerous to make, if it was possible at all.
Lifting his glass again in a toast - here's to fighting without morals, Remi - Jack takes a quick sip of his liquor and then sets it back down again, conveniently in time for the Bastion to drop his little bombshell. With a muscle feathering in his jaw and a you ain't my father so you can't ground me locked behind his teeth, it takes a beat or two for him to realise the reasoning behind his words, but he gets there.
[say]"Well, then,"[/say] he mutters. [say]"I guess I'll just have to settle for bein' the eyes and ears away from direct confrontation, then."[/say]
RE: scene of the crime - Remi - 12-16-2024
[say]"Is that a suggestion, or are you offering?"[/say] Raising his brows, Remi tilts his head slightly to the side. Regardless of the captain's answer, it was the sort of thing that would probably be best run by Ronin or Deimos; upgrading an item like that so that it would show the Family's movements all across Caido would take time. Time that they were running short on, but when it came to weighing options, Remi had never really been known for making the most strategic of decisions in the past.
Eyeing the man across from him, it didn't take a mind reader to see the tension ripple across Jack's face, though Remi's predatory senses home in on the way the skin across his jaw tightens and pulses with the clenching of his teeth. [say]"And Flora?"[/say] Much as he hated to admit it, no doubt the captain would know much better than Remi would about what his daughter did or didn't intend to do. [say]"Ronin...He doesn't have it in him to pull her back again. Not this year anyway, and I'm afraid I've run fresh out of Revivify feathers."[/say]
RE: scene of the crime - Jack - 12-16-2024
[say]"If I were any good at callin' down gods, I'd have a lot more magic items in my pockets,"[/say] Jack points out, the words honest even if they are rough. [say]"So just a suggestion, though I'll offer my services for anythin' needed to get it together."[/say] Unless it's to go and collect bits and pieces of The Family (which he imagines it very well will be), because that will put him in the exact position Remi has indicated he should not be in.
As for Flora, Jack rolls his shoulders and drums his fingers across the table as if to rid himself of the sudden tension, retrieving his glass before he speaks again. [say]"She's terrified,"[/say] he says quietly. [say]"She wants to see Pierce dead, don't get me wrong, but I don't think you gotta worry about seein' her on any front line. Especially if I'm not there."[/say] Just another reason for him to sit fucking tight, he supposes.
RE: scene of the crime - Remi - 12-16-2024
[say]"You've got more children with a god than anyone else I know."[/say] Remi points out. The captain was also branded with Safrin's star and her naked body jut out of the bow of his ship; call the Bastion a skeptic, but he thought it likely that Jack was capable of a lot when he put his mind to it.
What Jack says next has Remi's arms flinching as he pauses midway between reaching for the bottle of rum to refill Jack's glass. Whatever hold the Bastion manages over his physical response, his mental one is anything but restrained.
Then don't ever be there, Remi wants to say. Instead, he reaches for his glass, downing the entire measure he'd just poured. [say]"Letters always find Ronin and I wherever we are. So if you two ever do find yourselves nearing that front line, send word and we'll be there."[/say] It wasn't as fast as being channelled, but nor did it waste that resource either.
RE: scene of the crime - Jack - 12-16-2024
[say]"And yet,"[/say] Jack says with an easy shrug, turning out his empty pockets to show a veritable lack of magical items within them. [say]"I'll try, if that's what you're askin'. No guarantees, but I won't deny that havin' a map like that'll put a lot of minds at ease."[/say] A lot meaning Flora's, mainly, but they both know that without needing to say it out loud.
Biting at the inside of his cheek to keep his expression neutral as he's all but assaulted by the Bastion's mental response to what he says, Jack inhales slowly through his nose and tries not to pass comment, however tempting it might be to pretend he'd seen it written all over Remi's face. He's got nothing but admiration for the method, in truth - both men are aligned in how they'd like to treat Pierce given the chance, after all.
[say]"Noted,"[/say] Jack says instead, reaching for his glass as well and following suit, downing the liquor smoothly. [say]"And appreciated,"[/say] he adds quietly. [say]"As for you, I know you demigods reckon you got the be all and end all of the world on your shoulders. But if you need info, or work doin' that you got no time or resources for... you know where I am."[/say]