we can't make any promises now

The more the alchemist was around the librarian, the more the man reminded him of Sam. The subtle attempts to soothe himself, his inward posture, his fleeting gaze. Remi couldn't help but wonder what it was that had drawn them together, indeed, that had drawn Ronin and Loren together. The thought fluttered uncomfortably at the back of Remi's mind like some worrisome moth leaving dust-trails all over his thoughts. Remi could only offer the librarian an uncertain hum of acknowledgement; he knew precious little about the inner workings of the Launceleyns, save for the aggression and violence he'd witnessed from them first hand. "And dangerous too, perhaps. Your...niece?" The alchemist offered Loren a quizzical look, all raised brows and scrunched nose, unsure where in the Launceleyn tree the term 'family' became less about lineage and more about common upbringing. "Came to see me. She wanted..." Colour flushed brilliantly across Remi's nose and into the apples of his cheeks as he smiled crookedly. "..one of Edy's dildos to be magically enchanted." Nodding easily as if to say that this wasn't a surprise, the alchemist relaxed his grip on his arms slightly. "You were a duke, if I remember correctly. I do not believe the fae have that sort of hierarchy, but given that most of our interactions with them have consisted of them telling us to stay out of their woods, and us basically disobeying, whatever political tact you might have learned in Northaven would likely be far better than the measures we have used so far." Ronin was meant to be the face of the Hollowed Grounds, the diplomatic one, but blighted as he was, he was just as likely to start a war as broker any sort of understanding. Biting the inside of his lip, Remi regarded Loren with a soft and considered gaze for a moment. "Not that the manor is not a good plan...but...there is something to be said for the temple. The rathskeller has plenty of food, the infirmary can be reached without going outside, and the temple was able to accommodate the beds." Softly his teeth tugged at his lower lip as thoughts of, you were not here. You do not know what it was like sparked unnecessarily in his mind. Watching Loren ruffle a hand through his hair, a gesture that struck Remi as entirely whimsical given just how little the Launceleyn seemed to currently be focused on his appearance, he all but choked at the suggestion of a party. "A...party." He said, dimples deepening as he fought off the slow spread of his smile. "Well...there is a wedding coming up. Perhaps you could offer the manor for the reception. The couple are ascendeds and so do not feel the cold, but the rest of us surely will." REMI Loving you was sunshine, but then it poured & I lost so much more than my senses 'Cause loving you had consequences