Court of the Fallen
Second Impressions - Printable Version

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Second Impressions - Peter - 11-07-2019

Seeking people out had never been something Peter tried to do, and yet, here he was, approaching the Artisans Guild in search of a person. There was clearly some trepidation in his stance, an anxiety that showed in the way he took a few steps, then paused, and looked around, as if his goal would somehow just appear, and save him the stress of the build up.

It was loud in the guildhall itself, though not as loud as the market outside of it. Peter looked around, taking in every tool, every work surface, and looking for some clue of where the man he was looking for might be. It was here where he stopped though, unwilling to move much further into the building without guidance, lest someone see him, his trepidation, and assume the worst. Whatever the worst could be. His mind supplied all kinds of spiraling worries.

[say]"Hello?"[/say] He called, deeper into the building. [say]"I.. I'm looking for... for Remi?"[/say] Now all he could do was wait for an answer, and try to not lose his nerve.


RE: Second Impressions - Remi - 11-07-2019

At the sound of his name the alchemist paused what he was doing and looked up. Some might be frustrated to be interrupted so deep in the midst of their work, but the smile on Remi's face was genuine and pleased, despite not yet knowing who it was who'd come to call. Seeing that it was Peter made his smile grow slightly crooked—the two men didn't know each other well—but that hardly mattered. Remi had committed himself to finding his way back to who he'd once been, or coming as close as he could. Darkness had nearly drowned him and it was only a few points of light that had kept him from losing himself entirely. Now that he'd found and held onto that light, he was determined not to let it go again. Not for all the Launceleyns in the world.

Putting down a few tools and standing up (various bits of wood in the shape of what looked to be quite large wheels around him), he wiped his hands on a cloth that materialized between them. He might as well have used his shirt for how dirty it was.

[say]"Hallo Peter."[/say] He said, accent thick and smile wide.


RE: Second Impressions - Peter - 11-07-2019

If anything, Peter seemed to grow more stricken when Remi actually appeared, his hands twisting together in knots. He tried offer back a smile, to demonstrate he was here for good reasons, but he could feel that the quirked motion on his lips wasn't really a smile. Maybe a grimace? It was hard to tell considering the speed with which it fell away again.

[say]"I um... hello, Remi."[/say] Peter moved like he was going to bow, then turned it into a nod, and stood up straight, shuffling his feet and looking anywhere but at the alchemist. It took him another moment to work up his nerve to force his (carefully practiced and repeated) words out. [say]"I am um... I'm here to... to apologize to you. For... for things I uh... did, or said, or... thought, while um... around you before."[/say]

With his piece said, he simply nodded again, standing rail straight, and doing his best to not look at the other man. He didn't think he'd ever apologized before, not like this, not where he'd had to actually think about it, and decide to do it himself.


RE: Second Impressions - Remi - 11-07-2019

The alchemist noted the unsettled mannerisms of the Launceleyn, but he'd learned his lesson from all those before Peter who bore the name that questioning them was rarely in his best interest.

Frowning with a boyish sort of amusement at the strange apology, Remi let his grin turn lopsided as his head cocked slightly to the side. [say]"I do not think anyone has ever apologized to me for things they have thought about me."[/say] He said, folding his arms across his chest and chuckling slightly.


RE: Second Impressions - Peter - 11-07-2019

The reaction Peter had imagined, built up in his head, never came, and it was easy to see how Remi's soft laughter both relaxed and confused him, though not as much as the words themselves. [say]"But... it, or um... I was wrong. Why wouldn't...?"[/say] He stopped, and shook his head again, moving past his own confusion to explain more.

[say]"When um... Zariah was around I... I was uh... jealous? And scared. And... maybe, er, no, not maybe... I was... not that good to you."[/say] Was this how apologies were supposed to go? Peter found himself searching Remi's face, as if he could glean the answer there.


RE: Second Impressions - Remi - 11-07-2019

Remi listened with his unique brand of cherub-like patience; brows furrowed slightly, eyes gentle, and lips crooked. He frowned slightly not knowing where Peter's jealousy was supposed to have stemmed from (surely not from him, given Zariah had nearly killed him twice), but nodding softly along as the man spoke.

[say]"Zariah...I think we all did things we are not proud of in her presence."[/say] Long ago Remi thought that the once-queen had magic that let her do this. He never had the chance to check nor did he particularly want it.

[say]"Launceleyn apologies are rare."[/say] He added with a chuckle. [say]"I am happy to accept yours. No hard feelings."[/say] So saying he extended his hand for the other man to shake, were he so inclined. If so, he'd find the alchemist's hands strong and calloused, but still relatively soft all things considered.


RE: Second Impressions - Peter - 11-08-2019

[say]”Yes. Yes we... we did.”[/say] Peter agrees softly, not wanting to think too hard on his easy it had been to slip back into that little safe obedient place, no matter the orders he was following. [say]”I don’t... I don’t wanna be like that. Not anymore.”[/say] It was why he was apologizing.

It was why he only hesitated a moment before reaching out and taking Remi’s hand, despite the anxious tremor in his fingers. The softness of the other mans hand only made Peter more self conscious of the bumpy map of scars on his own hands, but he didn’t pull away. [say]”Thank you.”[/say] He said sincerely, glad the other man forgave him.

Then Peter looked behind Remi, at the work he’d been doi before he’d Badges in. [say]”Did I... did I interrupt you?”[/say]


RE: Second Impressions - Remi - 11-08-2019

[say]"Mmmm."[/say] Remi offered Peter a sympathetic smile. From what he knew of the Launceleyns, one could not simply just stop being one. He had no idea that Peter in fact hadn't been one for long, but even so. The binds of the family ran deep. He'd seen it on more than a few occasions with Loren, and even more that he couldn't now remember.

[say]"Of course."[/say] Remi returned with an easy and bright smile, before glancing around at the mess around him. [say]"Ahh, well. Yes, I suppose. Not that I mind. If I am not interrupted I tend not to stop and forget to eat and so on."[/say] He replied with a laugh. Turning to look properly at the assembled bits of wood scattered around the floor, he pointed at four in particular. [say]"Wheels. Or they will be. I am trying to create a physical design that will work with the magic I put into them, so that they can roll easily over any terrain."[/say]


RE: Second Impressions - Peter - 11-08-2019

Yes, he had interrupted, but, the way Remi said it, it wasn't that bad. Peter supposed he even understood the work ethic, throwing oneself into work until there was no room for anything else. Though, the work he'd done had been less willing, less fun than what the alchemist seemed to be doing.

Peter leaned to the side, looking at the pieces, the wheels with quiet interest, familiar shapes jumping out at him. [say]"If um... if it's going over any terrain, wouldn't uh..."[/say] He swirled his finger in a circle, trying to remember the word. [say]"The chain, but... but wheels, um... Tread! Um, wouldn't that, tread, be... better?"[/say] The picture in his mind was clear, but who knew how well his words might carry over. Or if they'd even be appreciated.


RE: Second Impressions - Remi - 11-08-2019

Remi was certainly not one of those creators who disliked criticism or other inputs. For all of his new magical abilities, he was at heart just a simple boy from a simple land. There was so much that he didn't know. For instance: [say]"Tread?"[/say] He asked, smile turning crooked with eager interest.

The world the alchemist had come from had been a simple one, unlike Peter's. Their wagon wheels had been simply reinforced wood. The addition of smoothed and rounded metal inside as a frame was really the biggest advancement that had been made during Remi's life. Offering the Launceleyn a patient smile, not minding at all the strange cadence of his voice and the time it took him to formulate his ideas and words, he pushed forward a bit of parchment and a pen incase Peter was more visually inclined.


RE: Second Impressions - Peter - 11-08-2019

Remi seems to accept his idea, and Peter offers him a smile, small and shy, and a nod, excitement glinting in his eyes. It takes him a moment, and the paper being pushed towards him, for Peter to realize that the other man isn't actually sure what he's talking about. [say]"It's um..."[/say] He doesn't bother trying, and simply takes the pen, trying to draw what he remembers of the mechanism. He had spent enough time crawling around them in his old life, he should be able to illustrate how they work, but all he draws is circles, in two groups of three, connected by an oval around them.

It is not a good drawing. Peter can see that, and frowns at it, before shaking his head, and pulling shapes out of the air, thin cylinders with teeth like gears filling his hands, and a long, thin, flexible sheet. He puts the conjured pieces together, in a rough approximation of what he means, better than the drawing. [say]"Like this? Um... kind of. But uh... it's better over... over rough places."[/say]


RE: Second Impressions - Remi - 11-08-2019

Remi leans over Peter's shoulder as he sketches out his ideas. Once upon a time the alchemist couldn't be anywhere near other men for fear of giving himself away as being gay. He'd gotten over that eventually, but even so he never particularly knew how to be around other men. Not until Ronin anyways. Now though his manner was easy, and the tension that might once have stilted his movements was completely gone.

With a humble smile, Remi watched Peter create the items needed to demonstrate his thinking. [say]"Ah! I see."[/say] The alchemist breathed, clearly impressed and fascinated by this idea. [say]"And so when—"[/say] Holding up his hand the illusion of a rough and moist terrain appeared beneath Peter's conjured items. [say]"It would be able to move over them like so?"[/say]


RE: Second Impressions - Peter - 11-08-2019

There is a little bit of anxiety that comes with Remi hovering over him, Peter's shoulders coming up higher. For all the other may be at ease, Peter was not. For far different reasons than the alchemist had had, though whether that made it better or worse was a moot point.

It was strange for Peter to see the interest in the other man's eyes, to hear it in his voice. It makes him wonder, for a moment, if he's somehow being manipulated, before remembering he hadn't even come here tot talk about treads and wheels. Most people didn't have quite that level of foresight. (No one had that level of foresight). The terrain appearing gave him pause, but he nodded, responding to the question silently before reaching out to move his contraption. [say]"The tread um... it doesn't sink the same way. Like a... like a wheel."[/say]


RE: Second Impressions - Remi - 11-08-2019

[say]"Right, I see."[/say] The alchemist said nodding his head eagerly. Leaning down slightly to see the wheels as they 'moved' from another angle, he glanced towards Peter with a bright grin. [say]"This is fantastic. And these are used, where you come from?"[/say] Though Remi's accent had thickened with his excitement, he could still mostly be understood.

Standing and looking at the wheels that would now certainly have to be changed, he turned back towards Peter with a wide smile. [say]"I suppose it is a good thing that you thought you needed to apologize to me, or I would have built a wagon with wheels without tread."[/say]