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+---- Thread: you've always got my shoulder (/showthread.php?tid=11738)
you've always got my shoulder - Remi - 07-17-2025
The evening has settled into something golden and alive. Torchline’s warmth clings sweetly to the skin, and laughter mingles with the scent of lavender and sea-brushed fruit. Stars are threatening to appear overhead, pale and blinking, but Remi only starts looking up when he can feel the press of time easing, when his arms are finally free of Aoife’s giddy weight and the crowd’s centre of gravity has shifted elsewhere.
That’s when he sees her. A glimpse across the sands—dark dress, sunset spun into her hair, sapphire eyes unmistakable even after all these years. Something twists in his chest, warm and aching. He smiles before he even means to, that boyish, lopsided grin he hasn’t worn quite like this in years, dimples creasing deeply as his gaze locks with hers. There's no pomp to the moment, no great fanfare. Just Remi, threading through the revelers with a kind of unthinking ease, drawn forward like the tide toward something he’s missed without even realising how much.
[say]"Hey,"[/say] he says, voice wrapped in sunlight and history as he reaches her. His arms don’t lift right away—he doesn’t pull her into a hug just yet—but it’s clear he wants to. Instead, his expression softens with something older, gentler in its way. [say]"I’m sorry I didn’t get to talk to you more at Kiada’s wedding,"[/say] he says, eyes shining as he takes her in properly now, [say]"but gods I’m glad you’re here."[/say]
And this time, he doesn’t hesitate. He leans in and gathers her into a hug that speaks of seasons past and friendships that didn’t fade even with death. [say]"I’ve missed you."[/say]
RE: you've always got my shoulder - Rexanna - 07-20-2025
It was everything and then some. Seeing old faces mingling about – ones that have grown and changed in so many vast ways that if Rex thought too much on it, it might make her head spin. So she remains content, saying hello and chatting with those she had not seen in far too long, until the man of the hour catches her gaze and she has zero qualms drifting back over toward him, meeting him easily in the space that separated them. “[say]Hey you.[/say]” She titters back, her smile wide and bright and just as happy to see him as he is to see her.
Her lips part to speak again in regards to the wedding and being here, but she hesitates when he finally goes in for the hug and she presses back in with adoration and appreciation, gratitude that lingers. Her head presses into his shoulder and she squeezes him tight as a soft laugh leaves her. “[say]Gods, I’ve missed you too.[/say]” She murmurs into his chest, keeping this connection as if worried for a moment that if she lets go that might be the only thing she gets to say to him. “[say]Congratulations, though. Ten years! I’m so happy for you.[/say]” She withdraws only enough to keep her arms on his forearms, hands squeezing as she peers up at him with all the glinting love for one of her oldest friends. “[say]How does it feel?[/say]” She probes playfully, beaming her smile back at him, still unwilling to let go of him.
RE: you've always got my shoulder - Remi - 07-23-2025
Remi laughs, the sound loose and sun-warmed, eyes crinkling at the corners as he leans back slightly to take her in again. [say]"You haven’t aged a day,"[/say] he teases fondly, the compliment coloured more by emotion than vanity. There’s grey now at his temples, silver scattered like ash through his curls, and a few more lines frame his eyes and mouth—but the boyishness of his smile hasn’t dulled in the slightest. If anything, it’s brighter for how long it’s lasted, though the appearance of it is far more rare than it had once been.
[say]"I’d half-expected you to show up with dick-fireworks again,"[/say] he adds with a mock-serious nod, his hand lifting briefly as if to mime some grand explosion. [say]"You know. Keep the theme consistent."[/say]
He laughs again, softer this time, the sound chased away by the hush of the ocean nearby and the pulse of lanternlight behind them. At her question, his grin falters—not in sadness, but in reflection—and he exhales through a smile that tilts a little crooked. [say]"It feels like...no time has passed at all,"[/say] he says, glancing toward the waves where the torches catch on their crests like stars. [say]"And like we’ve lived a thousand lives together."[/say] His eyes return to her, warm and earnest. [say]"And I think both are true, in their own way."[/say]
RE: you've always got my shoulder - Rexanna - 07-25-2025
“[say]It’s my secret.[/say]” She teases him back with a grin that blooms wide enough that her nose wrinkles with it. She could joke about how Mort’s Halls would do that to you, though she imagines he has a good understanding of it himself despite having not stepped foot in it. Instead, he looks like he’s lived lifetime after lifetime, and still some more. Still as handsome and sweet as she remembers, though, something that warms within her as her laughter trickles out of her.
She’ll never outlive the dick fireworks, it seems. “[say]Mm, unfortunately I didn’t get to bring my big box of tricks this time.[/say]” Placing her finger on her chin as she strikes a thoughtful pose, she tilts her head a little and her hand extends out, palm up toward the sky as warmth blossoms, glowing orange in her palm. She launches two small fireworks from her hand, sailing up into the sky just above them to explode in shimmering golds and reds, glittering as it trails into nothingness. “[say]I suppose that would have to do?[/say]”
But the amusement and playfulness softens and Roxanna twists to lean a little closer to him, following his gaze to the stars. “[say]Forgive me for saying it, but you do look like you’ve lived way more lives than you should have.[/say]” She hums softly, sneaking her arm into his to link them as she catches his handsome gaze. “[say]But each little lifetime has a chapter of highlights, even if things had been murky for a time.[/say]” She squeezes his arm. “[say]So, my handsome veteran, what’s been the highlights? The best things that happened since I left. The juicer the better.[/say]” Her voice drops to the playful gossip she was known to have, but her posture and glittering sapphire gaze is warm, hopeful that he has much he could recall that were good instead of bad.
He deserved it.
RE: you've always got my shoulder - Remi - 07-29-2025
Remi sighs dramatically, snapping his fingers with mock disappointment. [say]"Well, maybe for our twentieth anniversary, then,"[/say] he says, eyes gleaming with fond mischief. But as Rex lifts her hand and conjures her own glittering display, his expression softens into something adoring. Tilting his head, he watches the fireworks dance overhead, reds and golds spinning briefly into life before fading. [say]"You always did have more tricks up your sleeve than I ever gave you credit for,"[/say] he murmurs, tone touched with wonder and deep-seated affection.
When she comments on the many lives worn into his bones, he lets out a low, affectionate chuckle, boyish in its tilt. [say]"Mmh, maybe I’ll take my compliment back if this is how it’s going to be,"[/say] he teases, bumping her lightly with his shoulder before tucking his arm closer, drawing her gently against his side. The gesture is easy, familiar, like it’s never been years between them at all.
At her question, he inhales sharply, then exhales with a flutter of his lips that makes a strand of his hair sway. [say]"Well,"[/say] he begins, already wincing in mock preparation, [say]"if you want drama—my encounters with Frey haven’t improved since you left."[/say] He glances down the beach, toward where Flora and Enzo are half-lit by the torches and lanternlight. [say]"I had a run-in with Hotaru at a shrine. She was praying to Frey. One thing led to another..."[/say] He trails off with a sheepish shrug, lips curving. [say]"And...twins."[/say]
Turning back to Rex, he lifts his brows meaningfully. [say]"I love them, obviously. But gods, did it cause more than a little friction with Ronin. Took us a while to smooth it over."[/say] He pauses, then grins suddenly, a softer light blooming behind his eyes. [say]"We also went to live in the Cordillera for a little while, in a houseboat named after a sandwich, next to an upside-down waterfall."[/say] His voice hitches on a chuckle as he glances down at her.
RE: you've always got my shoulder - Rexanna - 07-29-2025
“[say]On your twentieth I will have the biggest display of dick fireworks that it’ll make your wedding look poor in comparison.[/say]” She proudly boasts, brows bouncing playfully before she’s showing off her little firework trick, twisting back toward him with a beaming smile. Her shoulders rise and fall as she twists a touch, a playful vision of a girl pleased to receive acknowledgement even if she wasn’t sure how to accept it. “[say]Thanks Remi.[/say]” Rex hums softer than her proclamation at the beginning had been.
But then as she’s teasing him about the new grey hairs and the wrinkles she’d not seen before in his youthful face, Rex’s laugh is a trickled chime even as she’s bumped and drawn back in, and she nestles in as if seeking his heat, peering up at him with her dark sapphire gaze in wonder, ready for the answer to the question of all these chapters she’d missed.
Chapters a part of her regrets having not been around to witness.
Mention of Frey has her nose wrinkling slightly, though, and she follows his glance. “[say]Hotaru’s always had the twin gene.[/say]” She murmurs thoughtfully, before realizing that Enzo wasn’t exactly living. Instead, brought here by the very same thing Rex herself is. Her expression softens. “[say]Gods, I can only imagine. They really have it out for you.[/say]” She murmurs, heaving a soft sigh before she’s meeting his seaglass gaze again. Her smile, hidden briefly, blooms into something bright and wide as he tells her about the houseboat in the Cordillera. “[say]Of course it was after a sandwich. Please tell me it was a good sandwich and not like…[/say]” she peers up at him with her amusement, thinking, lips quirking into a soft laugh. “[say]PB and J?[/say]”
RE: you've always got my shoulder - Remi - 07-30-2025
Remi laughs, the sound warm and easy, glancing down at Rexanna with a glint in his eye. [say]"I’ll hold you to that,"[/say] he murmurs, the promise of twenty years and dick fireworks somehow managing to sound sweet rather than absurd when it’s her saying it.
At her comment about Hotaru, he huffs out a dry breath, shoulders lifting in a helpless sort of shrug. [say]"Would’ve been nice to know that ahead of time,"[/say] he says, wry amusement colouring his tone. [say]"Not that it would’ve changed anything, really, but gods it was a shock and I think it hit Ronin all the harder for there being two."[/say] He rolls his eyes as if reliving it, the tension, the fallout. Shaking his head, he lets the breath go with a soft laugh. [say]"I’ve done my best to avoid them, and I plan to keep doing so. If only to make sure I actually reach our twentieth anniversary."[/say]
He looks down at her, smile softening into something quieter, more private. [say]"The houseboat,"[/say] he says, the words curling with fondness, [say]"was called The Tramezzino."[/say] One brow arches delicately, as if inviting her to guess what the word might mean, before filling in the details. [say]"Which is really just...any old sandwich. It doesn’t even mean anything special. It can be filled with anything. That’s the point."[/say] He laughs, the sound slipping out of him as if it’s been waiting there for years. [say]"We had this joke once,"[/say] he explains, [say]"about cutting sandwiches into triangles. It doesn’t even make sense anymore, but tramezzini usually are. So..."[/say]
He trails off with a slight shake of his head, eyes lingering on her face with a depth of affection that says more than anything he’s said aloud. [say]"Gods, I missed you. Would you...come down more often, if I called? Not just for weddings or anniversaries, but...just for tuesdays? or dinners?"[/say]
RE: you've always got my shoulder - Rexanna - 07-31-2025
“[say]You’d better.[/say]” Rex trills softly, mischief glittering in her gaze before it softens at the mention of Frey and their shrines and how neither of them particularly seemed too blessed by them. She had been, once upon a time, until she’d failed recovering the Sparkbird and things had gone south since then. If ever she came back to life again, she isn’t even sure who she’d follow. Perhaps no one. But those thoughts are for the impossible, and right now she doesn’t want to dwell on it when his face and demeanor seems to change slightly despite his soft laugh. The way he shakes his head to loosen the tension it’s brought has her squeezing his arm in companionable quiet. “[say]Yeah, that’s probably for the better.[/say]” She agrees, hoping that nothing else goes wrong or awry for them and everything Remi had dealt with up to this point.
As for the houseboat, though, she peers up at hi with eyes glittering and hungry for the answer. His brow lifts and she purses her lips briefly to consider it. “[say]Sounds like it has tomato.[/say]” She murmurs softly just before he begins to explain. And honestly? It couldn’t be a more perfect name — after all, it was loads better than pb&j or the close second she’d thought of as simply just the club sandwich.
Her smile grows fonder as he explains the triangle sandwiches and she does her best to imagine this little triangle sandwich that might have been given out at meetings and get togethers, paired with tea or little luncheon drinks. “[say]Tramezzini.[/say]” She repeats, as if placing it in her memory, fitting it with an accent of how Remi had said it with the touch of flare from how much time she’d spent with Bastien trying to learn the quirks of his language.
Satisfied, she peers up at him to spy the affection and the layers its made up of. And with his question she can’t help but to lean in and squeeze him tighter, her glee at being invited for even days that may seem mundane might give away her answer before she has a chance to verbalize it. “[say]I’ve missed you too. So much.[/say]” She breathes softly, before she props her head up to blink up at him. “[say]I’d gladly show up whenever you want me to. Whether or not there’s a big occasion.[/say]” And she means it, too, each and every word.
“[say]I do have a request, though. That there’s some triangle sandwiches the next time I see you.[/say]” She winks, her full lips quirking into a playful smirk.
RE: you've always got my shoulder - Remi - 08-01-2025
Remi’s laughter slips out, rich and easy, as he presses a hand to his chest in feigned gravity. [say]"More often than not, it does,"[/say] he assures her, and there’s something deeply pleased in the way his eyes shine at the sound of tramezzini in her voice—rounded with that hint of the travelling tongue, gentle and a little playful, as if it’s an inside joke only for them.
His smile softens into something crooked and boyish, dimples deepening, and for a moment he just beams at her as if he can’t quite believe this reunion is real. [say]"It’s a promise,"[/say] he murmurs, warmth curling beneath the words. [say]"Triangle sandwiches, tea, and as many Tuesdays as you can stand."[/say]
But even as he says it, there’s a mischief growing in his gaze—one that glances past her toward the makeshift dance floor where lanterns throw gold against the sand and laughter spins between the music. He tips his chin in that direction, curls mussed by the evening breeze, voice lowering in a conspiratorial lilt. [say]"But since I can’t offer you a proper tramezzino just now...could I offer you a danzare instead?"[/say] He extends his hand, palm open and inviting, an echo of so many past nights spun out under a different set of stars.
And as the music stirs the air, Remi waits, hope and affection written openly across his face, ready to pull her with him into the slipstream of old rhythms made new again.
RE: you've always got my shoulder - Rexanna - 08-08-2025
“[say]I knew it.[/say]” Rex hums in a confident whisper, like it’s just between them that she’d guessed correctly in the fact that it mostly came with tomato. A bolster of pride and amusement that glitters across her face like innocence and bliss before she snickers quietly to herself. His happiness is reflected, the dimples that bloom in his cheeks from his smile and the way Rex squeezes his arm lightly in agreement. “[say]Oh, I think you’ll find I can stand a whole lot of Tuesdays. You might get sick of me before I do.[/say]” Is it a playful threat?
It might be.
But mischief blooms in his gaze and it’s immediately mirrored by Roxanna’s own, trying to follow his gaze over toward the music and the dance floor where the lanterns flicker with light so vibrant and alive. His hand is offered and her delight is only just barely held back as she takes it easily, soaking in the warmth of someone who’s very much still alive and so, so real. “[say]Please do. It’s been ages.[/say]” Comes the drama as she squeezes his hand, already moving them with a vibrant grin over toward the makeshift dance floor, kicking up only a small amount of sand in her wake as she pulls him along.
RE: you've always got my shoulder - Remi - 08-18-2025
Remi laughs again, warm and adoring, the sound carried easily on the night air. Her playful threat lingers in his mind, and when she insists she could stand a whole lot of Tuesdays, he gazes down at her with a boyish affection that softens every line of his face. The corners of his lips tug upward, dimples creasing deeply as he murmurs, "[say]"Mmh. I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see who gets sick of the other first."[/say]
Before she can retort, she’s tugging him forward, and he goes willingly, laughter slipping loose again as he’s pulled toward the music. With a familiar ease, he sweeps an arm around her lower back, his other hand fitting naturally into hers. Whether she wants to lead or be led doesn’t matter—he matches her step for step, keeping her close as the lanterns flicker and the sand shifts beneath their feet.
Through fast songs, slow songs, and the kind of music that makes the crowd whoop and spin, he never strays far, never lets her go far from his side. It’s only after several songs, when sweat beads faintly at his temples and laughter has left his voice hoarse, that he finally leans close and murmurs a suggestion for a drink. His eyes are still gleaming, his smile unguarded and fond, the kind reserved only for those he’s carried in his heart across lifetimes.
And so the night folds them back into its rhythm—affectionate, familiar, and edged with that rare, unshakable intimacy of old friends who’ve managed to find one another again.
~FIN