the crooked kind

The smell was both pleasing and terrifying. Remi had in fact been hoping that nothing would happen. Better he look ignorant and incorrect than have to face either Frey or Ludo again. But as the sweet smell filled his lungs and even tingled his tastebuds, Remi felt a cold thrill of dread course through him. Looking towards Rexanna with wide and uncertain eyes, the alchemist swallowed and inhaled a shaky breath. The appearance of Frey nearly prostrated in the grass stopped Remi's breath in his throat as well. Unable to draw his eyes away from Frey's form as he had been the last time, Remi waited for the insatiable and tantalizing thrust of pleasure and desire to wash through him, but it didn't. At least not as strongly as it did last time, which was a relief. As it was, Remi could feel adrenaline and raw want flush through his system and colour his cheeks. Even so, the alchemist was helpless to look away, finding in Frey's dazzling gaze a beatific shade of blue he'd recognize anywhere.  With none of his normal wit or charming humour, the alchemist merely stared at the deity, nodding his head in awkward agreement. Being called too polite for Frey's tastes was the least of his worries just now. Frey's appearance, both looking distinctly like Loren but also not, was unnerving, a complete turn-on, and an utter distraction all at the same time. Lowering his head slightly, Remi nodded stiffly, his pale gaze focused with burning intensity on the grass just below Frey. "It was not my choice. Ludo found me in the Woodlands and..." Swallowing down the bile that wanted to rush into the back of his throat, the alchemist felt his hands clenching and unclenching at the memory, his accent slipping into something less comprehendible for it. Glancing towards Rexanna as she leaned in, Remi felt the heat in his cheeks blaze at the implication of her words. Pale green eyes rose to her sapphire ones, looking both alarmed and submissive. It was certainly not Remi's first time either, but never once had the alchemist used sex before. Well. That wasn't true at all. Remi had used it as a narrative to keep his preferences a secret. Even so, Remi couldn't imagine sleeping with Rexanna purely to gain information. Such wasn't his way. But would he have a choice? "I–" Remi mumbled, the words dying on his lips as he summoned up the strongest mental image of Loren that he could manage. If this was going to happen in any manner similar to last time, let it at least happen with Loren being the only one he saw. Glancing towards Frey, Remi snaked a protective arm around Rexanna's waist, his chin raising slightly as he tried to steel his nerves. Against what he wasn't entirely sure, and though Remi was not a coward by any means, nor was he assertive enough for the type of confrontation that Frey would likely enjoy. "Is that what happens? You come and answer questions in exchange for–" Glancing towards Rexanna Remi swallowed again, his fingers tightening slightly around her waist. "–for sex?" remi Trying to teach my common sense to not waver with my confidence