Mending, maybe.

For a moment Remi reached out towards his own shoulder to still the suddenly shaky rag. It was a naive thing to do of course, but Remi's altruism was instinctive. [say]"So I have been told."[/say] Then, as if anticipating Ludo's next question he added, [say]"—Amalia mentioned part of what you had she and Jigano do."[/say]

Looking up into Ludo's mask the alchemist tried foolishly to imagine an expression there. [say]"I have no idea."[/say] Remi answered with an honest and bright laugh, before remembering where he was, and who had just been swaddled around him. Sobering appropriately, the alchemist cleared his throat, shrugging beneath Ludo's gaze. [say]"I know it will not be as simple as opened and unlocked doors. I cannot put everyone else at risk. That is why I want to start preparing now, so that there is time. Sometimes I think that having a place where only a few of us are, a few who are prepared can wait with doors unlocked.. We could make it known that any who are caught out in the darkness can come to us. But of course...what if they are too far away? Or get lost?"[/say] Biting his lip, the alchemist shook his head thoughtfully. [say]"And then I think perhaps each night I could search. Safrin bestowed lights—fish actually—to Phoebe and Ronin. If she would do the same, perhaps I could be a beacon and could shepherd any caught outside to safety?"[/say]

Ludo watched, and it listened, and it waited. Its presence was like that of a judge, jury and executioner, and when it spoke there was no small amount of distaste in its tone. [say]"You,"[/say] it all but drawled, [say]"a shepherd of lost souls."[/say] The mask seemed to laugh, for a flicker of a moment, before the expression smoothed once more to nothing.

[say]"Doors have keys,"[/say] it said, like Remi may have missed that. [say]"One has nothing to fear from a locked door when one has the key inside. Perhaps you could search, sweetling. But you will find no light from me. Petition Safrin for her baubles if you like - my question remains thus: why do you pray to tell me this? What favour is it that you intend to curry now? You are wasting your time."[/say]

The alchemist swallowed, though his gaze remained focused on the mask that revealed an enormity of nothingness. [say]"Oh, I do not know about that.."[/say] Remi said with a slight shake of his head. He couldn't tell if he was being mocked or spoke to sarcastically, but either way, he didn't think that his idea deserved such a title.

Blinking ignorantly and innocently up at Ludo, the alchemist bit back on his plea for clarification. Doors have keys? Did that mean they should just make keys for all the doors? Or did it mean that the monsters of LongNight might easily find them and then make their way inside?

[say]"No favour."[/say] Remi replied quickly, his thoughts blurring instantly in the wake of his need to explain himself. [say]"Only to let you know that I am sorry for what I did, or rather, did not do, by losing what you gave to me."[/say] His sincerity was obvious, but it couldn't erase the past after all. [say]"I only wanted to let you know that I will try and make up for it, even if I never can. Given who and what you are, and how horrible my first LongNight was...I thought it perhaps an appropriate place to begin."[/say]

Ludo would not clarify for Remi, the deity shaking its head softly as if to show the mortal before it that the answer was so pitifully simple that it needed no such explanation. It was what it was what it was. Still, it was drawn from its (undoubtedly) judgemental thoughts to regard Remi in full at hearing that he apparently did not want anything in return for a foolhardy and dangerous task. Made a change, Ludo supposed.

Remi had had his chance to make up for it, by finding the mask he had lost. But then Ludo had found it all by itself, and that had caused a whole host of new problems. [say]"Your words mean little,"[/say] it told the alchemist. [say]"Show me through your actions, and perhaps we shall have more to say to each other after LongNight."[/say]

Dipping his head, grateful that it seemed he would leave this conversation with his memories intact, Remi took a breath that was clearly to dispel nerves. He wouldn't try to hide his wariness from the god (he very much doubted he could anyhow), but Remi had found as of late he'd been quick to try and hide his feelings and that was very much not like him. And so he let his relief cause his cheeks to colour and he nodded earnestly.

[say]"After LongNight then. Thank you."[/say]

Thank you? [say]"I wouldn't,"[/say] Ludo muttered, seeming a touch taken aback by the change in Remi. It had seen him this way before, of course, but that had been when Ludo was barely getting its claws into the alchemist. To see him as he had once been - or close to it, at least - was... unexpected. Still, it didn't care enough (yet) to linger any longer.

So, without a farewell or an acknowledgement, the deity was gone. And Remi was alone once more, just the same as he had been before he'd prayed.

Well, not entirely alone, of course. At least not on the outside.

Ronin had watched the conversation unfold with his hands clasped in his lap, knuckles white with the force it had taken not to interfere. His throat burned with remarks he had not said, and he rose quietly to his feet when it was over, Sugar snuffling at the warm spot behind his ear in an attempt to soothe him.

[say]"Are you alright?"[/say] he asked Remi, his voice sounding suddenly and obnoxiously loud in the Temple. Ronin rose to his feet, drawing up beside his friend to glare at the space where the deity had once been. [say]"I can't say I'm its biggest fan,"[/say] he muttered.

But I would, the alchemist thought gently in response.  He let himself sit for a moment, feeling the strange absence of the god. It prickled on his skin like the tangible weight of a shadow; cold and senseless. Taking a deep breath, Remi stood, eyes searching the darkened rows for Ronin and Sugar, impressed that the dragonling had remained silent this entire time. He'd half expected her to try and snap at the god, or to steal his rags for her den.

[say]"Well. That went...."[/say] Pausing, Remi stared blankly, trying to think of what the word was but came up with absolutely nothing. [say]"...it went."[/say] He concluded lamely, shooting Ronin a relieved and shaky smile as colour flushed back into his cheeks. [say]"Yes I am fine."[/say] The alchemist answered, before glancing over Ronin's shoulder towards the door. [say]"Can we leave here though? I feel like I need sunshine all of a sudden."[/say]

Had Ronin known what Remi was thinking, he would have been able to tell him that yes, Sugar had been eyeing up Ludo's rags, and if it hadn't been for his own dark mood he had no doubt that she'd have been snapping at the deity then and there. Luckily for everyone involved, it hadn't been the case. Smiling gently to his friend, he nodded and reached out to touch a hand to his shoulder, ushering them towards the doors.

[say]"Of course,"[/say] he murmured. [say]"...So I guess you and I have a lot to plan for LongNight, huh."[/say] His smile was sly, but warm. [say]"I assume we're going to be using the guildhall as our base of operations. I'm happy to help, by the way. You never asked."[/say] He winked.

Smiling easily into the embrace, truthfully Ronin was about the only person who could touch him without sending a flare of anxiety through him, the alchemist nodded.

That Ronin just inserted himself into Remi's ridiculous plans was one of the oh-so many reasons why the alchemist cherished him so much. Instead of conveying this of course, Remi merely rolled his eyes and huffed. [say]"Well if you did not always talk so much I would have had the chance to ask you."[/say] He quipped back with a grin, throwing open the heavy and ornate doors to reveal the sunlight outside.

[say]"So much better."[/say] He whispered, eyes closed and face upturned into the light. It seemed to bleed away Ludo's touch (on his skin anyways). [say]"So on a scale from 1 to insane, how bad of a plan do you think this is?"[/say]

[say]"I have to talk this much, or you wouldn't let me get a word in edgeways!"[/say] Ronin retorted with an easy chuckle, grinning across at his friend and letting Sugar unfurl from his shoulders to leap into the sky as they exited the Temple; she could soar and warm her wings on the sun while they spoke. Giving Remi's shoulder a gentle squeeze, he smiled weakly to the alchemist, content to merely stand with him in the light for a few moments.

Still, he couldn't help but titter a bit at the other man's question. [say]"Well... ludicrous, haunting and deathwish are all words I could throw around in this situation,"[/say] he said slowly. [say]"...But your scale starts at insane and goes up from there. So all in all I think we've been through worse."[/say]

[say]"Ahh yes. I am known as the more talkative of the two of us."[/say] Remi said with a snort, watching as Sugar leaped easily into the sky, and remembering the days when gliding was still new for her.

Raising a brow at Ronin's initial choice of words, Remi broke out into a sunny smile nudging Ronin's shoulder with his own as he began to stroll back to the guildhall. [say]"If my scale starts at insane, I can only wonder where yours starts, Mr. back from the dead and raised by a goddess."[/say]

[say]"See? You even agree. I am practically silent in comparison,"[/say] Ronin said, the broad grin on his face telling just how much of a lie his statement was. He fell into comfortable step with the other man as they strolled through the sunshine towards the guildhall, Sugar a pale shape swooping and gliding overhead.

Snorting at the alchemist, Ronin straightened his back and fixed his step as if to walk like a proper noble (something he could do but decided not to). [say]"Me? Obviously mine starts at divine,"[/say] he said, chuckling. [say]"But you may have noticed, I have been much less reckless since my return. I have too much to lose."[/say]

Remi stopped with comically abruptness, a hand going over his heart. Though it was no longer golden-cuffed, the movement was just as it had been in Northaven. [say]"Divine."[/say] He breathed, bowing deeply before Ronin. Though as he rose, his expression was positively wicked with cheerful amusement, winking up at the demi-god.

[say]"I am sorry, did you just miss the part where you accompanied me to confront a god who has cursed me in the past and still hates me, while I made a promise to keep an entire city safe during a week full of horror that we know nothing about? That is your idea of being less reckless?"[/say]