Boundaries

for 1000 nights i've been a restless soul

Remi stood on the Hollowed Ground's side of the demarcated line that once was the barrier. Now the earth was simply dead and dusty regardless of the season, making the line of what was considered law-breaking and what was not, all too clear.

Already the alchemist had ventured out, though he hadn't intended to break the new Queen's laws, he'd just...forgotten. Forgotten that once again there was a wall, that permission was needed, that he was no longer free. It made sense, and above all else, the fae hadn't wanted them in the woods anyways but...Glancing down at the line, Remi felt feathers appear in his curls and down his neck as he took a breath.

Closing his eyes, the alchemist released his pent up frustration, wondering just what was at the heart of this sudden feeling of annoyance.

After his long, tiring conversation with Phoebe (however it had turned out), Emmett was drained. The kids were still at his neighbours for a couple of hours, and he had intended to do some work, pull up the last of the summer crops and plant something hardier for the upcoming cold months but...when he looked at the field before him he did something he very rarely did and slacked off, walking past the wall and up into the Outskirts.

He did not often come here, but he reckoned it would be quiet. A good place to think. And maybe, if he was feeling especially rebellious, run into the Greatwood yelling profanities about Zariah.

But as he walked he very quickly caught eyes on a figure in the distance, one he quickly recognised as Remi. Knowing the man to be blind he approached slowly, deliberately making noise with his footsteps. While he was a little anxious to talk to him, worried he somehow knew about him and Phoebe's fight already, he was actually happy to see the other man out and about despite his bad fortune.

"Hey! Y'not lost, are ya?" He asked, coming up by Remi's side.

Emmett

There'll be no value in the strength of walls that I have grown
There'll be no comfort in the shade of the shadows thrown
But I'd be yours if you'd be mine

for 1000 nights i've been a restless soul

Turning his head, the world a sea of blacks and greys, Remi squinted at the approaching farmer. It wasn't until Emmett was quite close that the alchemist was able to discern who it was. As soon as he could however, he offered the farmer an easy smile. "Lost? I wish. I would have to be somewhere new, to be lost." He replied with no small amount of bitterness in his usually bright-voice.

Glancing down, Remi kicked a rock over the scar of the once-barrier, and into the emerald green grasses beyond. It felt like an act of rebellion, however smile, and rather boyishly, Remi chuckled. "It was just like this in Northaven." He said with a sigh. "A wall around the city, permission needed to leave..."

Emmett was surprised by the downright bitter tone in Remi's voice, not having heard such a negative edge to him since he'd spoken in his mind at Fiat Lux. Even when he had been telling Emmett of his blindness he had not seemed all that angry about it.

He watched the stone bounce over the line where the barrier had once been, and when he listened to Remi's next words he suddenly got it. Oh, the same thing that was bothering him, then. "I mean..." He looked around and behind them. "You don' gotta ask. We could just go. Turn into animals if they come looking. No ones gonna arrest a lion or a donkey, right?"

Emmett

There'll be no value in the strength of walls that I have grown
There'll be no comfort in the shade of the shadows thrown
But I'd be yours if you'd be mine

for 1000 nights i've been a restless soul

Glancing at Emmett, for a moment the alchemist simply paused. He wanted to consider the man's words, wanted to believe in them, but...but he was Remi after all. A man who had followed the rules to his sexual detriment for over two decades back in Northaven.

"I..have never been much of a rulebreaker." He admitted with a small smile, running a hand down the back of his neck and leaving it there for a moment as he shifted his pale gaze back towards the greener grass on the opposing side of the dirt line.

Remi's confession surprised Emmett; admittedly he didn't know the Alchemist that well but he'd always seemed a brave hero sort. Usually those were the people to break the rules in a second for their friends, to damn the consequences if it seemed right or important.

"I think right now is a damn good time to start, honestly." He grumbled, then just to be petty (and satisfy the annoyance in him, just for a second) he walked over and stood on the other side of the barrier-line, firmly planting his feet into the grass of the beginning of the woods. "The rules are stupid, and Zariah ain' got any power over me. Or you, and you know it."

Emmett

There'll be no value in the strength of walls that I have grown
There'll be no comfort in the shade of the shadows thrown
But I'd be yours if you'd be mine

for 1000 nights i've been a restless soul

Raising a brow slightly, Remi tilted his head to the side. "Where I came from...disobedience was not really an option. The Storm Guard were everywhere. Any minor lawlessness was immediately dealt with. I..." Running a hand up the side of his arm, Remi winced slightly. "I suppose I never really developed a moral compass of my own. I followed the law even when it meant..." He swallowed, thinking of all the years—decades—he'd repressed who he was. "..I was unhappy."

With a boyish grin, Remi watched as the younger man defiantly stepped over the line. How easy it would be to follow...and yet the alchemist remained where he was, simply grinning. Hissing in a slight breath through his teeth, Remi shook his head disbelievingly. Ronin had been trying to convince him of the same, and yet, how could he believe it? He was no warrior. No fighter. He did not stand in defiance of a queen.

"She is quite powerful." Remi said in a low voice. "One of the strongest mages back...well, before."

Emmett could not comprehend doing what Remi described. Maybe because he hadn't been brought up in that enviroment, maybe because there was something inherent in him which kicked out against authority. Either way, he thought it was odd. That Remi could be so free in some ways but so trapped.

"Okay, so? I die tryin' if I gotta, but I ain' lettin' someone bully me just cos they got a chance a hurtin' me." He crossed his arms. "I just got done having this conversation with Phoebe. It feels like everyone in this place is goin' crazy."

Emmett

There'll be no value in the strength of walls that I have grown
There'll be no comfort in the shade of the shadows thrown
But I'd be yours if you'd be mine

for 1000 nights i've been a restless soul

Raising a brow, Remi hummed thoughtfully. "No I...I think you are right. I am just so used to the way things were, that is all I meant. What Zariah is doing..." Biting his lip and glancing around, as if expecting her soldiers to appear at any moment, Remi exhaled with a defeated sort of sigh. "Some things make sense I suppose, not going into the woods if the fae do not want us there...and maybe she has reasons for only wanting approved gatherings but...a notice? Why it was not a meeting or a conversation, I do not know.."

Tilting his head at the sudden change in Emmett, Remi blinked with thoughtful concern. "With Phoebe? What do you mean?"

Emmett nodded along with Remi, eager to encourage any dissent he could against their new imposed ruler. "And the gatherin' thing only makes sense if it's t'her advantage. To stop people risin' up against her. Can' organise a good movement with only a couple folk, right? Why else would she do it? There's nothin' wrong with havin' a party or whatever." He huffed and crossed his arms, obviously having practiced this little speech until he had a chance to get it out.

He paused as Remi asked, sighed. Did he want to talk about it? He knew Remi was friends with Phoebe, and he did not want to hurt their relationship. But he was hurt, and angry, and Remi had asked..Emmett tried to put it in the most diplomatic way he could. "We...had an argument, about alla this. She's fine with the new Queen n I'm not, basically. And I think tha's a pretty big deal, and I guess when we were talkin' to eachother and she kept sayin' what I meant wrong so it sounded dumb, I jus'...realised that we spend a lotta time fightin' or misunderstandin' each other. Like after Longnight...I still don' really get that either. I dunno." Emmett shrugged. "...I guess we broke up. I mean, yeah, we did. I left. I told her she could find me if she needed t'though....'cos I do care. I just...I can' be with someone so different. This kinda stuff matters."

Emmett hadn't expected to say so much. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked off. "Er...sorry. I didn' mean to go off like that. How're you doin' with your...uh...I know you got a...boy...friend...?" He asked, clearly reciting half-heard gossip.

Emmett

There'll be no value in the strength of walls that I have grown
There'll be no comfort in the shade of the shadows thrown
But I'd be yours if you'd be mine

for 1000 nights i've been a restless soul

Remi smirked slightly, biting the inside of his lip as he crinkled his nose. Ahh. Another rule he had broken, then. He'd forgotten about that. Glancing around, still expecting Zariah's men to somehow appear, perhaps all the moreso now that Emmett had quite literally crossed the line, Remi motioned for him to come closer. He whispered the words mentally, but still felt better about having the farmer close while he did it. ....I can let you know, if it happens again. He concluded with a wry smile.

Tilting his head softly as Emmett began to speak, Remi bit the inside of his cheek not wanting to interrupt. He nodded, gentle understanding colouring his expression as Emmett mentioned the fundamental differences. "I...have noticed the same myself. Coming from somewhere where a queen like Zariah was more or less commonplace, it skews things. And at the opposite end of the spectrum is you all, who have never had a ruler." He said with a shrug. But the part about Phoebe making Emmett out to sound dumb? Fighting? That didn't sound like Phoebe at all.

"...LongNight?" Remi interjected uncertainly.

But it was the man's final statement that caught the alchemist entirely off guard. Feeling a chill wash through him which made his stomach clench, Remi nodded with surprising empathy. "I know exactly what you mean." He said softly. Though he didn't have memories of Loren anymore, he'd been told enough to know that the librarian had wanted him to break away from some of his more foundational moral beliefs. He had done now, but it had been his choice and had taken time. Stupidly at the time Remi had been willing to bend for his first love, and seeing that Emmett hadn't made him both feel ashamed, but also rather proud of the farmer. "It does matter. I am so sorry to hear that."

Boyfriend?

No one knew about he and Ronin, as far as he was aware. Sam and Vai, really.

Oh.

Groaning slightly and offering the farmer a half-hearted smile, he realized he must have been speaking about Ianto. The two had kissed and held hands during the festival only a few weeks ago. "The merchant? No...we are..." He shook his head. "We are not together."

Emmett came closer when he was motioned, his eyes growing wide as Remi whispered a mental secret to him. He nodded and tapped his temple, then stepped back over the boundary line (just to be petty).

Remi was surprisingly understanding of his telling of his argument with Phoebe, something Emmett had not expected after the rather threatening tone he'd taken on about her at Fiat Lux. But he was glad to have someone to talk to, regardless.

"Uh..yeah, Longnight. Y'know what happened t'me and my family and stuff, right? I was only outta sorts for a little, but she did a lotta stuff for me and I said thank you a bunch and let her know I appreciated it, but she got upset I didn' wanna kiss and stuff...but my family had just died, and we were only jus' together. I didn'...have the energy. To do any of that stuff." He shrugged. "But she'd prolly tell you I have it wrong. This is what I mean. I don' think we...get each other."

It was awkward to hear that Remi had broken up with his boyfriend, and Emmett held up his hands apologetically. "Oh, uh, sorry. I guess everyone's breakin' up right now, huh? It's tha' kinda time I guess. Chaos n change always come together, that's what my Ma said. The Spire, this...Queen...the Fae..s'all a lot in less than a year."

Emmett

There'll be no value in the strength of walls that I have grown
There'll be no comfort in the shade of the shadows thrown
But I'd be yours if you'd be mine

for 1000 nights i've been a restless soul

The alchemist snorted with boyish approval watching the younger man continue to defy the laws.

Softly Remi shook his head. "I...remember you were brought in injured. I met Phoebe upstairs, still covered in your blood, but.." The alchemist shook his head, touching a finger beneath his eyes. It was during a time when many of his memories had been obfuscated. He didn't think Phoebe had gone into details, but perhaps she had, and it had merely been scattered away. He could piece together the story from what Emmett said, and even knowing that this was a one-sided retelling, he couldn't help but softly hiss in a breath.

Running a hand over his eyes, Remi sighed and nodded. "It...you are right. It does seem like you come at things very differently." He could imagine it; Phoebe with her lack of experience simply wanting to be close to the farmer. While Emmett had only wanted time to sort things through. That again was something Remi understood well, having experienced it himself with Sam. "I am truly sorry though...the differences, it does not make the ending any easier."

Pulling in a breath and holding it for a moment, Remi let it out with a smile. "Yes..Sometimes endings lead to better things though." He said vaguely, a boyish blush spreading across his nose.

"..Yeah, I think we've all got kinda funny memories around it. It was...a real bad Longnight, this year." Emmett sighed, holding himself for a moment and shaking his head. Longnight had always been a time of danger, of sadness, but it had seemed the last one had been especially taxing, not just for him but for everyone else who lost someone to the monsters.

Remi's words on endings were true enough. "Yeah. I do love her n..I wish her t'best, you know? I hope she gets someone who really understands her some day. She will." He nodded, sure of it. Looking up with a little questioning smile at Remi's moment of optimism, he asked: "Oh yeah? What happened?"

Emmett

There'll be no value in the strength of walls that I have grown
There'll be no comfort in the shade of the shadows thrown
But I'd be yours if you'd be mine