Taking Different Roads

SAMUEL i am the ocean, crawling madly at your moon. and with one wanton whoop — 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. — i melt into a sycophantic soup, & all that's left to do, is giggle, fawn, and swoon.