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+---- Thread: Taking Different Roads (/showthread.php?tid=1179)
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Taking Different Roads - Samuel - 06-03-2019
It was a rather typical day in Sam's shop. He had sold a couple of books in the morning for some new tea and leather, had had some pleasant conversations; had also discovered a rather awful amount of dust hiding in a crack in the floorboards and had had to spend an hour clearing it with his finger wrapped in a handkerchief. By midday he was sat in the back of his shop with the door open letting in a pleasant breeze, the light not quite reaching the table he was seated at.
He looked up from the page he was working on (careful neat writing explaining the role of witches in Caido's ancient mythology) as he heard a noise outside, and saw the familiar silhouette of Remi walking to his shop next door.
Sam had meant to ask for some ink soon and it had been a little while since he had seen his friend, so he took a large book from the table to hold before him (and cast a shadow) and walked over to the door, leaning out. "Remi! Do you have a moment?"
RE: Taking Different Roads - Remi - 06-03-2019
The sound of Sam's voice made the alchemist abruptly stop. Isla was a few paces ahead, and it was only the mental tug he gave her that made her halt as well, and turn and look patiently over her shoulder.
Turning his head upwards, almost like a dog having caught a scent, Remi turned a blind gaze towards the sound of the bookmaker, his gaze falling above Sam considerably as his brows knitted together slightly.
[say]"Sam?"[/say] He asked, turning his body towards the sound and letting his ear point more towards the bookmaker to try and better gauge where he was.
RE: Taking Different Roads - Samuel - 06-03-2019
Immediately Sam could tell something was wrong, but not what. Remi seemed to not realise quite where he was, looked about as if lost; but he had come to this shop countless times, hadn't he? For an awful moment Sam thought perhaps yet another God had muddled with their memories, but Remi had addressed him by name...with a frown, he took one more step forward (but then stopped, for just a book could not protect him from full sunlight).
"Yes, it's me. Are you...quite alright? I was going to ask if you'd like to come in, but if it is a bad time..." He glanced up and down the man, the way he was turning his ear towards him, as if he could not see him...but why would that be the case?
RE: Taking Different Roads - Remi - 06-03-2019
[say]"Ahh.."[/say] He wasn't alright, but that wasn't really what Sam was asking. Taking a tentative step forward, Remi's hands came out defensively to alert him should he be able to walk into something. [say]"Keep talking—"[/say] Remi encouraged so that he could navigate by the sound of the bookmaker's voice.
As he neared, it would become quite clear if not by his mannerisms, but by the way his pale-eyes were now even more pale, that Remi was unable to see.
RE: Taking Different Roads - Samuel - 06-03-2019
As the moment went on and Remi continued to struggle, Sam's tossed away thought of blindness returned, suddenly with much more credibility. A cold shock hitting his chest, Sam stretched out an arm to try and reach and gently take Remi's hand to lead him towards the door. "This way, this way. Please, c-come in...Remi...Remi what..."
He was panicked already, his voice swelling with the threat of anxious tears, so he shook his head and tried to recover himself. "What happened?" Can it be reversed? Did it hurt? Is it my fault? Questions and alarm swimming in his head, he tried to pull Remi slowly into the door of his shop.
RE: Taking Different Roads - Remi - 06-03-2019
Flinching slightly as his hands suddenly met against flesh, Remi relaxed, his fingers wrapping around Sam's as he was lead inside. Truthfully it was a relief to be 'found' this way, to not have to navigate the world on his own anymore. It was exhausting to keep his senses so heightened, and so without any resistance at all, Remi allowed himself to be tugged along by the bookmaker.
[say]"I...did something thoughtless."[/say] The alchemist replied with a weary sigh. [say]"I meddled where perhaps I should not have and then was attacked. Isla was able to heal the actual gashes across my face, but my eyes..."[/say] Trailing off, he simply shook his head. Hand tightening around Sam, Remi squeezed gently, a sort of question. Where do I go now? Where are we?
RE: Taking Different Roads - Samuel - 06-03-2019
"Attacked?!" Sam could not help the horrified pitch to his voice, the way the hand holding Remi's tightened. Before he began to shake Sam walked Remi to the table at the back and placed his hand on the back of a chair, gently guiding him to sit down with a hand on his side. "Here. Um..y-you can sit here. We're in my shop, though you likely know that..."
As always in times of crisis Sam reached for the kettle, which lived in the fireplace next to the table. Old tea that was still perfectly servicable bubbled in the pot and he poured out two cups, slowly taking Remi's hand again to lead his fingers to the handle of the cup, then sitting down opposite the man with his hand still touching his knee, but now for comfort more than anything else.
"Please, tell me what happened. Maybe..maybe I can help somehow, if I know what happened." He did not have a lot of clout with the Gods, but if Sam could see a way to help Remi he would try his best to do it.
RE: Taking Different Roads - Remi - 06-03-2019
[say]"I am alive Sam. It is okay."[/say] Remi consoled, his own fingers gently gripping the bookmaker's gently. Using his free hand to feel for the back of the chair, and then the seat of it, Remi awkwardly half-fell into it, sighing at his clumsiness. Lacing his hands across the table to get his bearings, he took a breath and sighed.
Bristling slightly at the warmth of the cup, Remi soon relaxed, taking a long drink of it despite how hot it was. [say]"Thank you."[/say] He murmured appreciatively, cocking his head ever so slightly at the feeling of Sam's hand on his knee. Easily Remi could imagine the ascended's expression; some mixture of pity and horror, he thought.
[say]"It was Arduinna."[/say] Remi said, jaw set and voice nearly toneless. Hadn't he just got done telling Sam how dangerous the wild fae was? And now here he was, blinded by her own
RE: Taking Different Roads - Samuel - 06-03-2019
Sam stayed silent at Remi's reassurance but did not take any comfort from it; being alive was not in his opinion what was most important. He had been alive through all the worst parts of his life and had often wished he had been dead, had only come to appreciate the gift of living once he had seen that it did not have to be suffering.
He opened his mouth to speak a warning about the tea being hot but Remi drank it anyway and he shut his lips, frowning with more concern. But as he heard the name Arduinna his voice returned to him, Sam's hand leaving Remi's knee to come up in front of his mouth.
"Is this--how she asked for payment? I--how, what did you do? Oh, Remi, I'm so sorry." He was, but now there was another element to Sam's fear; the idea that Arduinna was not afraid to do such horrible things to those in her debt or distain, and he could well be in that group.
RE: Taking Different Roads - Remi - 06-03-2019
[say]"Mmm, no."[/say] Remi corrected with a gentle shake of his head. [say]"Ianto...I told you that was how I knew of her. He is indebted to her, as I warned you about. He wears a magical leather collar that he could not remove, but I could. I did not mean to suggest breaking his deal with Arduinna, merely removing the thing so that he could..."[/say] The alchemist trailed off. So that he could what? Pretend to be free? Be properly naked and intimate with Remi? The alchemist didn't even know anymore.
[say]"As the collar was removed she appeared, quite cross as I suppose I should have known. But I—"[/say] Touching his forehead gently, Remi swallowed down the words. I asked Ianto, and he said I could. [say]"It all happened so fast. Her fingers became talons and she mauled my face, and then she and Ianto disappeared, leaving me in the woods. Luckily I was found by Zariah and Amalia who brought me home."[/say]
RE: Taking Different Roads - Samuel - 06-03-2019
Sam was quiet as Remi told the story but his mind was busy trying to work out what his opinion was of the matter. Of course Remi had wanted to help Ianto, that was just in his nature, but...surely he must have realised that taking off the collar would have broken such a deal? Ianto must have tried to convince or trick him somehow, Sam figured.
As Remi reached the end of the tale he leaned forward with shocked eyes, forgetting Remi could not see his reactions. "He left you?! After you were attacked because of his deal??" His thoughts on Ianto went from a confused neutral to rather negative immediately. To leave Remi blind and bloody in the woods, run off with the woman who had caused the thing...
Without know half the details, Sam decided how he felt about the matter. "How awful of him. Were you very hurt?"
RE: Taking Different Roads - Remi - 06-03-2019
[say]"I do not think it was his choice. Arduinna disappeared and so did he. But I did not hear any rustling, no sound of movement. Ianto is an attuned, like me. Even though he is quiet as a fox, he could not have left without me hearing something."[/say] The alchemist said with a sad smile. He truly believed Arduinna had forced Ianto to leave. Though whether or not she forced him not to return...
[say]"I was bleeding quite badly, I have been told. My hair, my entire face was matted in blood. It took Ronin several minutes of scrubbing me in the shower to come clean. I made a bandage at the time to stop most of the bleeding, but...I do not believe I have ever been injured like that before. And to suddenly not be able to say...honestly, I think I was simply in shock for most of it."[/say]
RE: Taking Different Roads - Samuel - 06-03-2019
But Ianto had no choice, Remi insisted, and Sam could not be sure if he was listening to the truth or a desperate defense of the man Remi was involved with. The reasoning of him leaving silently was not that convincing. Clearly Ianto had something to do with Arduinna, could he not have learned to disappear as she did, or have asked her to whisk him away?
Hearing of the extent of Remi's injuries Sam breathed out a mortified sigh and shook his head, cupping his hands about his teacup. "I'm so sorry. I'm glad you had Ronin to help, though." Worrying at his lip, Sam looked up at the door, then back to Remi, deciding to say the words in his mind even though they could be risky.
{b]\"Are you sure...if he\'s involved with such things, that being with this Ianto fellow is such a good idea? When did this all happen? Have you seen him since? If he does not come to check on you...well.\"[/say} Sam made a face, his voice full of a surprising amount of disdain.
RE: Taking Different Roads - Remi - 06-03-2019
[say]"Mmmm,"[/say] Remi agreed with an immediate nod of his head. [say]"Me too."[/say] Without Ronin Remi probably would have just curled up and slept away the days, as he had done when the hunter had been killed.
Frowning ever so softly, Remi tried to turn to Sam, but of course had little idea of where to properly look. [say]"It is not his fault that he has this arrangement with her."[/say] The alchemist replied, only a shade defensively. [say]"It was only a few days ago, and he does not like to come into the city. "[/say] But even that justification sounded weak to Remi's ears. Ianto would have known that Remi would have returned to the guildhall...he knew where to find him, had he wanted to.