[God Quest] I'll bring you further roses, but it does you no good

remi there's a hole in my neighbourhood down which of late I cannot help but fall {ADMIN NOTICE: Odd has used 700MP to obtain a hybrid pass for Remi.} Dusk had all but fallen, and though it was a good deal darker in the woods than in the surrounding fields, Remi didn't mind at all. He could shift his eyes if he found it necessary, but given that his stroll was an aimless one, there didn't seem to be any particular need to ensure he was looking where he was going. If he got lost (barring a rain storm and the heroic timing of a certain huntress), Remi could just fly himself above the treetops and find his way back to his 'house' easily enough. Humming softly to himself, Remi ruminated on what had been almost a weeks worth of new experiences. Some had been wonderful and new, while others had been downright earth-quaking.  Others, had simply been lacking. Friends who were apparently not around–and even ones that were but had been mysteriously absent–weighed heavily on the alchemist's mind. Though this new world promised the opportunity to reinvent himself, Remi was finding that in the absence of so many of the people who mattered to him, it was difficult to know just who he should be.

ludo Braved the forests, braved the stone Braved the icy winds and fire Braved and beat them on my own Whisper. Hum. Whisper. Rosethorns and lilyblooms. Seasons change. Tick, tick. Tell a tale, spin a lie. All will be well. Face the quakes, the wind, the fire. Open my window, dear... Whisper. Hum. Remi. Remi. "Remi." In the dusk of dead leaves and skeletal trees, a lantern bobbed in the distance before the Attuned, leading away into the woods and carrying with it the woman's voice who had called his name. Should he continue to hum, a soft harmony would join him - if not, the tune would continue of its own accord. "Remi. Come, please. I have something to show you." The voice, warm. The accent, painful in its familiarity. It belonged to his mother.

remi there's a hole in my neighbourhood down which of late I cannot help but fall The light ahead quickly caught Remi's gaze, and he didn't need his hawk's eyes too see it given the stark contrast between the soft light and the darkness falling heavily around. It must just be someone wandering in the woods ahead–one of their own? Or a local? but then– –remi No one had said his name like for so long. Almost 14 years, in fact. He'd grown accustomed to the way his name rang from the lips of those who had grown up in Northwind proper, hearing it with the same melodic cadence that spoke of his childhood made something low in Remi's stomach grow watery and for a moment his legs felt weak. Remi. Come, please. I have something to show you. Without so much as a moments hesitation, Remi obeyed. Lips parted slightly and eyes wide, the young man trotted in his eagerness towards the sound.

ludo Braved the forests, braved the stone Braved the icy winds and fire Braved and beat them on my own The lantern bobbed and weaved and danced betwen the branches. Deeper, darker. No birdsong, no movement in trees as black and still as corpses. But still, the light invited. Until it went out entirely. The darkness collapsed in for a moment, then dispersed in a sudden eruption of glowing orbs. Fireflies, hundreds of them, settling in Remi's hair and in the crisp fall of leaves all around. Ahead, the lantern bloomed to life again. It sat aglow in the hands of a woman. Olive skinned, with a crown of curls as wild and untamed as the son she had given them to, she placed the lantern down at her feet and straightened once more to open her arms to him, a dazzling smile creasing the corners of green, green eyes. "Remi. My sweet boy, I'm here."

remi there's a hole in my neighbourhood down which of late I cannot help but fall Without any real sense of depth or distance, Remi wasn't sure just how long–or far–he'd traveled before the light suddenly went out. As if plummeted into a glacial sea, Remi's veins seemed to freeze and his stomach dropped low. The base of his spine grew cold as he gazed about the almost magical darkness. Just as he was about to try and peer through the curtain with his hawk-eyes, the world exploded around him. Dizzy and disorientating flits of light darted around him, and though he was unmistakably surprised, his joy at this display of nature beamed clearly across his face. The one light brighter than the rest however eventually pulled at his gaze, and for a painfully long moment the content and blissful expression remained locked on his lips and cheeks even as his eyes widened with fear and hope. A breath caught in Remi's chest as his smile fell away all together, replaced with a woefully young and lost expression. "Mother?" He whispered softly to himself, disbelieving. As she spoke Remi gasped, tears immediately obscuring his vision as a laugh bubbled upon the back of his throat. "How?" He half mumbled before realizing that he didn't care. Rushing forward, he would try and scoop the smaller woman into his arms, nuzzling against her neck and wild mane of curls just as he had done when he was younger.

ludo Braved the forests, braved the stone Braved the icy winds and fire Braved and beat them on my own the snare set yes "Yes." She nodded, a fae spectre among the fireflies and the warm gold from the lantern. "You needed me, Remi, so I'm here." said the spider to the fly There would be no trick or illusion as he rushed to scoop her into his arms. Warm, real, solid, she wound him into an embrace as familiar as it was foreign, made distant by the chasms of time. Her fingers worked through his mess of hair, her hand cupping his cheek to look him over with adoration and pride. "Look at you," she whispered, her lips brushing his forehead with a warm kiss. "I have something to show you, Remi." The phrase came out again, reverent, a mantra. "Will you come?"

remi there's a hole in my neighbourhood down which of late I cannot help but fall She smelled just as she always had; cinnamon and flour and lavender. There wasn't so much as a trace of the musty bed-ridden dryness that had settled on her in the last few months they had spent together. Of course Remi didn't even think to notice this. Instead he was entranced by the feeling of her against him. It should have felt strange but it didn't. This body had never held or been held by her. He'd been so young when she'd gone, standing hardly more than just above her shoulder. Now though as his strong arms tightened around her, he thought absolutely nothing of it. Green gazing into green, the alchemist's smile was one of unadulterated joy. Taking one of her hands, he pressed it against his lips, closing his eyes and revelling in the mere presence of her. And not questioning it. "Of course." He said immediately. Obediently. Willingly. He had never denied her anything before. Even here, in the woodlands of this strange wood, he was not going to start.

ludo Braved the forests, braved the stone Braved the icy winds and fire Braved and beat them on my own "Wonderful." Her green eyes brimmed with tears of joy as he agreed, giving his hand a warm squeeze and keeping it in her own, the other taking up the lantern once more so she could lead them away from the blanket of fireflies and deeper still into the woods. "You've been so alone." She spoke softly as they walked, leading him by the hand as if he was still a young boy. "My poor, sweet boy. I'm so sorry I left you all alone." The trees thinned after a few moments, and it soon became clear as to why - around them the earth began to grow soft and boggy. Her feet sank into it, and it was difficult to walk, but still she led them on. "Come, Remi. I'll never leave you again. Walk with me."

remi there's a hole in my neighbourhood down which of late I cannot help but fall Happily and easily his hand slid into hers. His fingers fit against hers, and as if to reassure himself that she truly was there, he gave her hand a small squeeze. Love and happiness bubbled brightly inside of his chest, pressing outwards and making him feel fit to burst. Her words, while sad, did not diminish the alchemist's adoration and unfettered joy at being with his mother again. "It is not your fault mother." He said sweetly, gazing over at her with eyes still hazy with tears. "You were with me always." Swallowing down the emotions that threatened to burst in happy sobs from his throat, the alchemist instead offered his mother a shaky smile. As the trees finally parted, Remi thought they might stop as the ground grew soft beneath their feet. However his mother continued, and Remi followed albeit with a confused look on his face. "The ground here..." He mumbled, not wanting to argue, merely to understanding. Vaguely his mind bleated at him to remember the time when she lost the ability to walk all together. Though even in her health, she would have never just wandered into such mud. "Mother surely it is better this way?" He implored, slowing slightly and pulling back on her hand ever so gently, his face a mask of confusion and concern.

ludo Braved the forests, braved the stone Braved the icy winds and fire Braved and beat them on my own "It's alright, son. I know the way through. I've got you." I've got you now. Walking was becoming increasingly difficult, and her footsteps were clumsy and awkward as they ploughed deeper into the bog. The trees were sparse here, and the branches that did poke out of the mud were nothing more than sad, flailing fingers. Much farther and it would be near treacherous for them to continue. Still she persisted, until he pulled against her hand. At his resistance she seemed to wither, almost, rather than tugging him further, letting out a soft oh and staggering. She put her free hand to her head, as if overcome by a wave of dizziness. "No, Remi. We must go this way." Her voice came out in a slight rasp, and as she turned to implore him her face was pale and wan, drawn with an illness he would recognise very well indeed.

remi there's a hole in my neighbourhood down which of late I cannot help but fall As she teetered as if suddenly on the brink of collapse, Remi was there in a heartbeat. Instinctively his hand pulled out of hers and he grasped both of her shoulders gently but firmly, drawing her close to him. When he was a boy, maintaining her balance for her was a challenge. As a man however, it was all too easy to simply pull her to his chest and hold her until her balance steadied. As she looked up at him, his breath caught sadly in his throat. The lines around her face had deepened, and the beautifully deep olive skin was now wan and waxy. She appeared both too fragile but also hard at the same time. The same anxious and painful waves of indecision that used to drown him as a boy now sloshed ferociously in his stomach. Again his legs felt weak once again, the boy who was trembling in the body of a man pulled his mother closer. Now it was his turn to kiss her curls and smooth away the dark and wild locks. The tears that had departed returned now in full force, though rather than trickling down his cheeks with the slow build of love and affection, now they burned and pricked at the back of his eyes, streaking down already rosy and patchy skin. "Alright." The alchemist gasped willingly. There was nothing this woman couldn't ask of him - save for looking or thinking too closely about this situation. The alchemist was fully enraptured by her mere presence, and his overwhelming love for her completed obfuscated any attempt at reason his mind may have been making. "Here-" He said, releasing her shoulder and splaying his arms. "Let me carry you. You can tell me the way."

ludo Braved the forests, braved the stone Braved the icy winds and fire Braved and beat them on my own She folded into his steadying grasp with all the strength of a ragdoll, gazing up at him with imploring green eyes, and it was only when he agreed to press on into the marsh that she seemed to rally. "You're a good boy," she said, reaching up to carefully brush away his tears, nodding at the suggestion that he carry her. Further, then. He walked and she spoke to him softly, melodically, her head lolling against his shoulder. She told him how proud he'd made her, how strong he'd grown up to be. How she'd missed him and how she was sorry. She was so, so sorry. She spoke until the mud was above his knees. She spoke until the lantern dimmed. Until he began to sink. "Here," she said softly, at last. "Just stand right here, Remi."

remi there's a hole in my neighbourhood down which of late I cannot help but fall As she spoke, Remi would bring her head towards his lips, gently nuzzling against her frailty and sighing softly. He told her that it wasn’t her fault–that it had never been her fault–and that he had thought of her every day. He spoke of Northwind and Northaven and the life he’d made for himself. Of his friends and the few successes he had (he left out some of the less savoury aspects, like losing the Tavern. There would be time for those details later, he was sure). “Mother, I...” A smile radiated across his face as he hugged the woman in his arms even more tightly to his chest. His heart thundered as unfettered joy bloomed in his eyes. “I’ve fallen in love.” Though Remi’s words were soft, they were heavy with emotion, laced with unequivocal certainty. It was only until the light all but died away and his body came to a standstill that Remi realized just how far he’d walked. Glancing over his shoulder, he frowned as he looked around. There was nothing out here, and this bog seemed to just stretch on. He’d imagined that the muck was only a temporary thing, but now that his movement was all but frustrated by its thickness, Remi grew concerned. “Here?” He whispered into her dark curls, wrapping his fingers gently around her as he readjusted his grip. “But there is nothing here?” Shifting slightly, Remi found that the muck seemed to simply envelop him more. “There must be another way across, I can’t–“ Again he struggled; ever the good son, always the obedient one. “Come, let me take you back to my home. We can have tea and I can tell you about all that has happened.”

ludo Braved the forests, braved the stone Braved the icy winds and fire Braved and beat them on my own "In love?" She gazed up at him, her green eyes puzzled, though her tone was as gentle and loving as ever. "My dear boy, that is wonderful. But you don't need it, not where we are going." Her smile was dazzling, even as he struggled and tried to get through the muck, only sinking further. "There are better things. I'm going to show you - just wait a little longer. We're going to meet someone." Her grip tightened on him and she leant up, pressing her lips against his ear to whisper to him, but when she spoke it wasn't with her voice. It was the voice of something old and dry and sick, struggling for air. And still they sank.