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RE: one and only - Ronin - 04-15-2019
Ronin gazed across at Remi as he moved to face him fully, smiling and shifting Aoife so she could lounge against his shoulder and look around. Sugar trilled at her, more than comfortable draped around Ronin, some of the dragonling's broodiness lifting. [say]"Seconds, sometimes. Lifetimes, others. We watched you all, when you were out under the stars,"[/say] he said. [say]"But when we weren't watching... time passed strangely. I feel I've lived longer with Vanya than most have lived at all."[/say] He sighed.
[say]"Mm, now,"[/say] he repeated, smirking and kissing Aoife's curls as she gurgled her apparent agreement with Remi. [say]"Well, luckily for you, my friend, you've an extra pair of hands for the foreseeable future. Do you want to clean, or do you want to feed our gorgeous little monster?"[/say] He winked.
RE: one and only - Remi - 04-15-2019
Remi wondered what it was the guildmaster had seen, but felt too embarrassed to ask. Had he seen the way the alchemist had crumpled when Sam had left him? The way Roana had visited him with thoughts about the guild? Ashe and her painting? Had Ronin seen Remi and Aoife dancing together at the Fiat Lux festival?
[say]"That sounds rather lovely, actually."[/say] Remi said with a faint smile, relieved to hear that the guildmaster didn't sound heartbroken at having to leave his love up in the stars.
[say]"I want to go back to sleep."[/say] Remi countered with a grin, the mention of Aoife being their monster lifting a surprising weight off of his mind. [say]"But I suppose if I have to chose, I can clean."[/say] He said looking out across the sea of blankets and pillows but making no effort to actually stand just yet.
[say]"Ronin...Can I ask you something?"[/say]
RE: one and only - Ronin - 04-15-2019
[say]"It is lovely,"[/say] Ronin agreed, feeling warmth bloom and pulse in his chest even at the thought of Vanya. [say]"It doesn't really feel as though I have left her behind. She's right here with me, even more so when the sun goes down. Means she can see just what her baby grows up to be."[/say] He smiled to Aoife, tickling under her chin. [say]"And she gets to watch me totally flail around and fail at all this. What a cow, isn't that right little one?"[/say]
Laughing, he gazed at Remi and arched an eyebrow, though he couldn't help but scoff at his comment. [say]"Ah, yes. I suppose I did rudely awaken you. Well, if you insist on sleeping before we put this place to rights, I suppose I'll allow it,"[/say] he said, carefully rising to his feet just as the alchemist spoke again.
[say]"Hm? Sure. You hardly need to ask if you have to ask."[/say]
RE: one and only - Remi - 04-15-2019
Remi snorted laughter at the idea of Vanya watching Ronin make a mockery of fatherhood from the stars. Something about that idea just seemed so them, and though they were apart, it all seemed to slot together somehow.
[say]"I know, it is just.."[/say] Remi chewed his lip with a wry sort of bashfulness as he too stood. Eye to eye with Ronin, Remi slipped a hand into his pocket while the other combed uncomfortably through his hair. For a moment it seemed as though he was going to drop the guildmaster's gaze entirely and lose his resolve, until he rallied silently. [say]"Are you happy that you are back? Would you have preferred to stay where you were?"[/say]
RE: one and only - Ronin - 04-15-2019
Ronin seemed bemused as Remi rose to his feet, watching the alchemist curiously as if unsure what to expect from him. He smiled briefly as Aoife flailed her chubby little arms towards him, before she settled back to drool all over Ronin's collar. The question was simultaneously expected and surprising, the ex-captain's eyebrows raising as he regarded his friend, though his expression soon settled into a warm smile.
[say]"Yes,"[/say] he said softly. [say]"I'm exactly where I need to be, as far as I'm concerned."[/say] Vanya had all but sent him on his way, in fact, and he was planning to live as fiercely and burn as brightly as he ever had done. And then some. [say]"I've already missed so much. Of Aoife's life, of yours, of everyone else's. I'm happy here. Are you happy to have me...?"[/say]
RE: one and only - Remi - 04-15-2019
Remi listened intently. He wasn't used to reading between the lines, but still he very nearly almost cocked his head he was trying so hard to hear whatever it was Ronin might not be saying.
Where I need to be? But did he want to be here?
The alchemist's line of internal questions abruptly halted as Ronin posed the same question back to him. Immediately he nodded, head lolling slightly to the side as if he couldn't believe Ronin would ask that of him. Stupidly he took a step forward, lips twitching into an awkward smile as he halted. What was he going to do? Hug Ronin again? That felt too...too insincere. Not quite enough. But anything else seemed like a risk.
Remi had never worried about losing Ronin's friendship before. But then again he'd never worried about losing Ronin before either. Now that he had experienced what that sort of loss was like, Remi felt almost bound by his need to maintain it and keep it safe.
[say]"Of course. I might have been happier if you had come a bit later so I could have slept, but.."[/say] Grinning and shrugging casually, Remi glanced around the greatroom, exhaling a stream of air upwards that made one of his curls flop.
[say]"Well, shall we?"[/say]
RE: one and only - Ronin - 04-15-2019
[say]"It wasn't a trick question, was it?"[/say] Ronin said with a lopsided smile to Remi, unable not to notice the intensity with which he'd been listening. [say]"There's a reason I came here first, of all the places in the Hollowed Grounds. There's nowhere I'd rather have gone."[/say] He shrugged, like it should be that easy.
As the alchemist stepped forward Ronin smiled as well, lips parting to say something - to do something, maybe? - but before anything further could come of it they were awkwardly at a distance all over again. He smiled faintly, nodding at the other man's comments. [say]"Yes,"[/say] he said. [say]"We shall. You can listen to the beautiful siren song of this little one while I make it obvious that there's food on the way. Maybe we should start by... I don't know. Opening some windows? Letting some light in?"[/say]
RE: one and only - Remi - 04-15-2019
It is where your clothes are. Your daughter. Your dragon. Remi's mind countered uneasily, restlessly, though he said nothing and tried to take Ronin's words as reassuring, as they likely were intended to be. Still the unseen but definitely felt distance between them began to bloat again, and inwardly Remi wanted to claw at it with his talons and claws to make it go away for once and for all. Though something told him it wouldn't be violence that would put an end to this strangeness. Only time.
[say]"Oh."[/say] Remi said, following Ronin's gaze and glancing at the windows. Or rather, where the windows were, had they not all been drawn behind thick curtains. [say]"Right. Yes, of course. I just—"[/say] wanted to sulk? Never wanted to see the sunlight again? Wanted to pretend the world outside had stopped as well and was as miserable as I was?
[say]"Ready?"[/say] The alchemist cooed towards Aoife, running a finger along the bottom of one of her feet, before making a grand whooooooooshing sound and throwing his hands up. As he did and the tendrils of his magic reached out, he shook and magically pulled all the curtains loose so that they came down in one big woooooomph, bathing the room in light.
RE: one and only - Ronin - 04-15-2019
[say]"I understand,"[/say] Ronin said, not really needing Remi to explain more than that. He had all but holed himself up in the dark after Vanya's death, he knew the feeling well. Still, as the alchemist stepped back to dramatically fling down all of the curtains (Aoife squealed with delight), he couldn't drop the grin from blossoming across his face, turning this way and that to nod approvingly at the sight of the guildhall looking a little more like how he had remembered it.
[say]"Remi,"[/say] he said slowly, already moving towards the kitchen and glancing over his shoulder to the other man, as if wanting to get it settled before they committed to the day's tasks. [say]"...Once this place is sorted - upstairs and down, I mean... will you still live here, please?"[/say]
RE: one and only - Remi - 04-15-2019
Noticing just how dusty everything was now that the sun could reveal all the nooks and crannies the alchemist had been ignoring, he shivered slightly. This probably wasn't at all good for Aoife's lungs—or his, but that hardly mattered. No wonder Vai had been trying to get him to open the windows all the time.
Just as he was about to do just that, he glanced over his shoulder as Ronin spoke up. [say]"I mean, I am the guildmaster here after all."[/say] Remi joked with a grin, conjuring another pillow and threatening to throw it towards his friend. [say]"That is certainly a title you can have back.'[/say] He added happily, then let the smile disappear as he nodded more seriously. [say]"Yeah, I will."[/say] Remi agreed having already assumed that he would, but finding it...somehow reassuring to know that Ronin wanted him to as well.
RE: one and only - Ronin - 04-15-2019
Ronin had also noticed the state of the place, but now that he was home and Remi had more than just a grumpy dragon and a baby for company, he was confident that they could whip the guildhall back into shape. (And himself, at some point. He didn't know quite why he had come back as a weak little thing, but he was sure Safrin would be howling with laughter over it). He waited with baited breath for Remi's answer, laughing at the very enthusiastic return of his title and nodding to him.
[say]"Good,"[/say] he murmured. [say]"Then it's settled. I'll feed the monster, then I'll come and help out in here. Sugar can babysit."[/say] He winked, then disappeared off into the kitchen.
RE: one and only - Remi - 04-15-2019
[say]"Oh good. Day 1 back as a parent and already we are letting the dragon watch the baby."[/say] Remi echoed with a grin. Actually Sugar had proven to be a more than able watcher of Aoife, not that the alchemist had really let the girl out of his sight, save for when she was with Vai.
[say]"So, only Ashe and myself know that you are back?"[/say] Remi called, his voice wafting into the kitchen. [say]"You are going to send Vai into labour if she finds out that you are back."[/say]
RE: one and only - Ronin - 04-17-2019
[say]”If I recall,”[/say] Ronin remarked, his voice echoing in from the kitchen, [say]”you let the dragon watch over the baby when you were checking that I wasn’t some ghoul. If she’s good enough for you, she’s more than good enough for me.”[/say] He fell quiet for a few moments to potter about in the kitchen, trying to remember the place, to find everything and to make up the bottle for Aoife - his daughter, at least, did not seem at all averse to the attention, especially when it was providing her with food. By the time Remi called to him again he was on his way back into the greathall, Aoife cradled in his arms contently guzzling down her breakfast.
[say]”Only the two of you so far, yes. I’m not really sure of the protocol in this situation. Do we have a party or something? As for Vai, maybe it’s better she doesn’t know until she actually has her baby.”[/say] He grinned. Honestly, he hadn’t realised it had been that long. It dawned on him suddenly, Ronin smiling sadly down at his daughter.
RE: one and only - Remi - 04-17-2019
[say]"Yes well."[/say] Remi echoed, having absolutely nothing with which to defend himself, and so he merely let the words die away.
Tossing pillows and dusting as Ronin went about making a bottle, the alchemist couldn't get over how strangely comforting it was to have someone back in the house again, despite how bizarre it was. Everytime he heard Ronin make a sound part of him would jump and instinctively want to reach for Aoife, until he remembered himself and would start the process anew.
[say]"A party mm?"[/say] Remi murmured thoughtfully, glancing over his shoulder as Ronin returned. [say]"Someone else just came back from the dead as well...Bastien. And Wessex before that. People are going to start thinking it is a trend."[/say] He remarked with a laugh.