back to normal, if it ever was
the Firebrand
Headmaster / Grand Healer

Age: 29 | Height: 5' 11' | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Halo
Level: 11 - Strg: 32 - Dext: 33 - Endr: 35 - Luck: 39 - Int:
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#43
LOREN
Yes, Loren was well aware that he hadn’t asked, hence his question. ”I’m asking now.” If they were going to be working together, as it seemed like they might be, Loren wanted to know what Remi’s new capabilities were; having worked with quite a few mages in his past and among his family, the summoner liked to think he knew how to compliment other Abandoned. Besides, the Launceleyn was genuinely curious to know more about the magic of Caido, and the alchemist’s magic in particular.

Coming from anyone else, maybe it would have sounded ominous. However, Loren still looked like a stiff breeze would knock him over. ”I hardly seem threatening, do I?” Seeing as he was still lying on the ground, limbs splayed out, he thought he made a more pitiful picture than a scary one. As for the fellow residents of the Hollowed Grounds, well, Loren couldn’t really be responsible for them. ”Maybe we should post a notice, or set up a designated area. ‘Here there be manticores and hydras.’” The Launceleyn chuckled briefly. ”In all seriousness, they don’t feel pain, so honestly if people attack them it will probably just be good practice for everyone involved and I can dismiss them before it gets out of hand.” The summoner probably should’ve been more worried about this possibility, but he couldn’t seem to be too worried about anything after that terrifying experience earlier.

However, the laughter obviously died down because, even though Remi might’ve come to terms with his blindness, Loren hadn’t. And not just because it was new to the Launceleyn: he was still saddened that his earlier attempt to heal the alchemist had failed, and more determined than ever to find a way to cure whatever affliction the witch had laid upon the other man. Curses were made to be broken, though the librarian was nothing like a prince or princess from a fairy tale. No, he was more like one of those dumb kids that got cooked in the witch's oven, not even the one that pushed her in at the end. Saying anything else seemed like it would just upset Remi, though, so Loren stayed silent.

The alchemist’s quip was fair, and Loren felt the corner of his mouth twitch in response. ”Well I did warn you to stay away. Or if I didn’t I should’ve. I think if you assume all contact with me involves a small chance of a manticore to the face you’ll be safe.” That was only half a joke on the summoner’s part, though hopefully the other man wouldn’t get all upset about it. Granted, it didn’t seem all that hard to get Remi flustered these days. At least that much had not changed.

Loren turned his head so that he could get a better look at the alchemist as he spoke about his magic. This was, after all the first they’d talked about it, and the librarian was eager to hear every detail. However, the other man was looking at the Launceleyn expectantly. Unfortunately the summoner had no idea why. ”Another neat trick, although this one seems a bit more useful than levitating a rock.” As Remi stared at Loren, he just stared back, growing more confused and uncomfortable with each passing moment. It was always awkward staring into someone's eyes, let alone the seemingly blind yet somehow still seeing eyes of a man that had been Loren’s former lover until he’d abandoned Remi for basically no reason and with no notice. Yeah, that would be real weird real quick.
A beggar's book
outworths
a noble's blood
Remi Taliesin
the Bastion


Age: 31 | Height: 5'11 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Torchline
Level: 15 - Strg: 68 - Dext: 60 - Endr: 100 - Luck: 93 - Int: 3
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#44
all our lives i watched you search beneath the fallen skies
Clearing his throat, Remi looked down at his fingers, splaying them outwards as if the answer to the summoner's question was somewhere in his palms. "Well..The creation magic. I...I can create quite a few magical items. I can transmute them, as well." By quite a few, he actually meant an unprecedented 12. "There's the telekinesis as well. And.." He felt so uncomfortable, having more to say. "I can compel animals to do the things I ask of them. Not companions or mythical creatures, but most others. And I am fairly good with the earth." Remi swallowed and looked away, his hands rubbing at his forearms as his eyes scoured the landscape, trying to decide. There was one another. Something new. Something he didn't entirely understand.

Giving Loren an incredulous look, Remi let a slow smile pull at his lips. "Am I losing my memories again, or did you not just nearly kill me?" He asked in a dry tone, though his pale eyes sparked wickedly with mirth. "Ahh yes. And perhaps, "..and whatever else Loren has been thinking of that day." Frowning softly, the alchemist tilted his head to the side. "They do not feel pain?" He repeated slowly. Perhaps it was simply his connection to the animal kingdom that made Loren's description seem so unnatural, but it made something inside of his body chill and contract at the thought.

"What point is a friendship without a little danger? Although I suppose next time I throw myself at you I will plan on being much larger." He said with an easy shrug, forcing his mind to rise swiftly above the lingering implications of what he'd said and grin through it. "It was going to be a lion you know, but I thought you would catch me better as a raccoon. How wrong I was." He lamented with a laugh.

"Judgey." Remi sniffed, as if offended. And as the silence stretched and Loren made no attempt to either accept or reject the implications of the alchemist's offer, he tilted his head with a brow raised as if encouraging the summoner to put the pieces together. "...and so if you are thinking what I think you are thinking, you would not need to be bit." Unless of course, like Remi had, the summoner would find (though wouldn't admit, as Remi had), that he liked being bit.
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
the Firebrand
Headmaster / Grand Healer

Age: 29 | Height: 5' 11' | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Halo
Level: 11 - Strg: 32 - Dext: 33 - Endr: 35 - Luck: 39 - Int:
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#45
LOREN
As Remi listed off quite an impressive list, Loren’s eyes widened. That was far more power than any mage the Launceleyn had ever met, and once upon a time his family had been regarded as the premiere mages of the land (though a few individuals boasted more power than the kin Loren knew well). ”Wow. That’s pretty incredible. Anything else?” Not that there had to be anything else, but the summoner could see how deeply uncomfortable the alchemist was, and it would be just like the other man to downplay his abilities. The librarian, however, was pretty good at annoying people into telling him things.

Loren gestured at his prone body, glasses knocked askew from his nose and lying on his chest, book thrown some distance away, and then stuck out his lip in a pout. See, pathetic. ”I thought I only would’ve knocked you unconscious. Can’t even do that much right though, can I?” Seeing as the other man had not acquiesced to Loren’s request not to talk about the almost dying thing—the Launceleyn was getting the impression that Remi’s mind had a bit of a tendency to forget information that the alchemist felt inconvenient—the librarian supposed he’d just have to make the most of it. ”We could sell tickets. ‘Loren’s Magnificent Menagerie! The only real monster is the man.’ Immediately, Loren regretted his choice of words: Remi probably wouldn’t enjoy the self-deprecating humor, and the other man is already looking disturbed at the summoner’s admission that his creatures weren’t really real, just accurate to life. ”I mean, not that I know of. They don’t exist, really, and don’t have any independent thought. They’re more like extensions of my mind than anything else, same as the items that you create.” Of course, the items had a permanence Loren’s summons never could.

Friendship wasn’t a subject the Launceleyn had much experience with, not that Remi remembered that. ”I wouldn’t know, really.” Although he knew the sadness in his voice would probably cause Remi to grow concerned and do something ridiculous, like, actually jump on the summoner as a lion, Loren couldn’t help it. Still, he recovered more quickly this time. ”Well if it’s size that concerns you, I can go way bigger than a lion, or even a manticore.” Indeed, all the way up to a giant, probably. And yes, Loren was fully aware of the innuendo, and trying his best to tease without letting his mind stray where it shouldn’t, which was hard with the alchemist hovering over the prone librarian as the other man was. ”Let’s just assume no catching, okay? If I fall, I’ll get up, and if you fall, you’ll turn into a hawk mid-air and fly off.”

Remi’s words caused Loren to smile for just a brief moment. ”Get us to it. Or don’t, up to you!” While it was true the Launceleyn had asked the other man here, it wasn’t as if the summoner was to blame for their current situation; rather, it had been the alchemist who wanted something more than a business partnership. Maybe even this friendship he’d mentioned earlier. Loren still wasn’t so sure it was a good idea, but Remi was persistent enough that it was easier to wait until the other man came to his senses or the Launceleyn inevitably disappointed again.

As the full meaning of the other man’s words became clear, Loren scooted out from under Remi—via a quite undignified and unattractive movement of his body—and sat up. ”Wait, really?” It came out in a hopeful breath, but Loren knew it couldn’t possibly be that easy. ”What’s the catch? Are there limitations to the amulet? Also, wait, didn’t you say there was a limited number of items you could create?” Wasting a magical item just to spare Loren some discomfort was at the core of who Remi was; Loren felt a pang in his chest, the first in a while. Still, if that was indeed the case, the Launceleyn would obviously refuse. Others needed such gifts far more than he.
A beggar's book
outworths
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Remi Taliesin
the Bastion


Age: 31 | Height: 5'11 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Torchline
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#46
all our lives i watched you search beneath the fallen skies
Remi seemed to wilt at the word incredible, looking for all the world as if he wanted to shake his head against the charge and disappear into himself. However as Loren did asked if there was anything else, the alchemist turned his gaze onto him again, holding it there cautiously. "Yes." He said, voice just above a whisper. But can I trust you? He silently wondered, eyes once again roaming a face he once knew so well, looking for something there other than words he found hard to believe.

The alchemist raised a brow, his gaze following Loren's gesture down the length of his body before snorting his disagreement. "No, I said I could not be killed while shifted. If you hurt me enough, I would be thrown back into this body with just as many injuries." Narrowing his eyes, he raised a hand, holding it precariously over Loren's sternum, though a good few feet up. "You say that, but if I lower my hand, I think I would find some summoned creature suddenly attached to it."

Retracting his hand with a wry shake of his head, Remi could only chuckle. "Ahh yes. The monstrous Launceleyn, hear his tales of woe and test your strength against his scrawny arms." At the further explanation of the summoned creatures, the alchemist merely twitched his lips thoughtfully and nodded. "I suppose that makes sense." He agreed vaguely, still feeling an intuitive connection with the creatures, as un-real as they allegedly were.

"Sure you would, you are friends with Ronin." The alchemist replied immediately. "My friendship with Ronin started out with a stabbing. I cannot imagine yours having been much longer, was without its dangers." Glancing towards Loren, so apparently ineffectual and weak as he'd tried to make himself seem, Remi narrowed one eye in a near half-wink and considered. "The real question though, is who is faster." And it was, innuendo or not. "Whether I could shift and pounce before you could summon and deflect." The alchemist raised a brow. He was game if Loren was.

"No catching? Honestly Loren, I need a quill and parchment to write down all the rules that go along being friends with you." This was said with a boyish grin that suggested he was anything but bothered by it.

The alchemist leaned back to allow Loren space to sit up, head tilted to the side. "Well..I suppose it functions the same way as being bit does, but without the need for...well, the side effects. Sexual ones aside, I.." Gods he hated this topic. Running a hand through his hair, he bit the inside of his cheek and forced himself to continue. "There was a cave-in and a large creature. During that battle Wessex had to bite me twice." The alchemist shivered at the memory. "For as strong as I am, it was hard to focus after and not just because of.." He looked away guiltily for a moment. "..blood loss is hard to push through. And it is disorienting." He added after a moment.

"Once the magic from the amulet is used, it can also work as a shield sort of. Magic cast at it is retained and can be reused. Theoretically..so long as your casting ability is higher than your quantity of blood, it would be a win."
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
the Firebrand
Headmaster / Grand Healer

Age: 29 | Height: 5' 11' | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Halo
Level: 11 - Strg: 32 - Dext: 33 - Endr: 35 - Luck: 39 - Int:
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#47
LOREN
Loren knew that Remi, despite everything the other man had said and done since the summoner’s return, really didn’t have any reason to trust the Launceleyn. He wouldn’t in the alchemist’s shoes. And the librarian was hardly the one to fault someone for wanting to keep secrets. If the information had been strictly necessary and not simply for Loren’s own self-interest, he would’ve pressed, but not pissing off Remi was more important than satisfying the curiosity that was slowly reawakening in the librarian. ”Alright then.” Seemed the discussion of the alchemist’s magic was over.

”Well, that’s a very important distinction.” So Remi had actually been way closer to dying from Loren’s idiocy than the alchemist had indicated earlier. The summoner had to swallow down the lump that caused in his throat. ”After all that healing I’m not sure I could summon a kitten. But I could try, if you really wanted a kitten.” Hey, the other man turned into a lion, so for all the summoner knew that would actually be appealing.

As the alchemist teased Loren about how weak and sad the prone man was, he just gazed up with a completely deadpan expression. ”Rawr.” Then the imagery got to be too much for him, and even he, dour as he is, cracked a grin at it. However, it once again faded at Remi’s seeming unease with the specifics of summoning; unfortunately, there wasn’t anything Loren could possibly do to make that better, and besides, it would be cruel to use real feeling animals in the way the summoner used his creatures.

Then the conversation swung into very fraught territory indeed. Of course the librarian assumed Remi had talked to Ronin about Loren’s return: there was probably no avoiding it. But he couldn’t possibly imagine what the two men had discussed, nor did he imagine the conversation went well for the librarian. Best to play it safe. ”I was friends with Ronin.” Was, not is, since the summoner was fully aware that the king wanted nothing to do with Launceleyn beyond what was absolutely necessary. ”It was.” Bar brawls, and drunken sex, and tree monsters, and pretty much everything in between, but that had been before the summoner left and ruined it all. Now Ronin was just a man Loren served and the Launceleyn was just a tool in the king’s arsenal. As it should be.

”I am happy to give you the title of faster.” Indeed, Remi could have both meanings of that particular phrase; Loren was under no illusions that, given the two men’s respective states, the alchemist could attack more swiftly. No comment on the other competition. ”Again, unless a kitten will deter you we’ll have to hold off on answering that particular question. No more pouncing for you today.” At least, Loren very much hoped not; he was in no state to stop Remi if the other man got it into his head that now would be the perfect time to strike.

”Hey, this is just the second day. There are many more ground rules to come. But if you can’t handle them, feel free to walk away now.” That was probably more true than Loren cared to admit, but if the alchemist did actually walk away, it would hurt now than when the other man did it later because, as the Launceleyn had repeatedly stressed, he could not keep friends for one reason or another.

The discussion about the battle and the biting sounded rough, and Loren made a sympathetic noise. However, he still wasn’t sure that the amulet made sense. ”I thought my healing magic could counteract the blood loss, but obviously there’s only one way to test that. But let me get this straight. The amulet stores one spell that is cast upon it from any source? That’s the only limitation? Anyone can use the amulet after that?” That did sound quite useful. However, the alchemist had ignored the summoner’s single most important question. ”Again, though, I have to ask whether this is the best use of your creation magic. Surely others need it more than I do just to avoid being bitten.” Loren was proud that his voice only wavered a little bit on the last word.
A beggar's book
outworths
a noble's blood
Remi Taliesin
the Bastion


Age: 31 | Height: 5'11 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Torchline
Level: 15 - Strg: 68 - Dext: 60 - Endr: 100 - Luck: 93 - Int: 3
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#48
all our lives i watched you search beneath the fallen skies
Remi was..surprised. Biting the inside of his lip he nodded weakly to the summoner, caught between disappointment that he hadn't been further pressed and thus his secret revealed, and proper relief at being able to hold that card to his chest a while longer. Had Ronin not been so...out of his mind, he would have said something already. But of course his husband's thoughts were not his own as of late.

"Really?" The alchemist tried not to sound as surprised as he felt, but it likely showed on his face. Remi's endurance had always been high (ayyo), and other than one instance with Zariah, he'd never not been in a position to push more. Given that Loren had been a mage his whole life, the alchemist just assumed his strengths were as nearly-limitless as Remi's were.

Mouth fully agape to hear the summoner speak so, Remi merely stared down at the man next to him. Amusement filled his eyes as his smile grew, breaking into a full laugh as Loren finally smiled. "Rawr indeed." He said crookedly.

"He...is not himself." Remi offered with a sad sigh, eyes lowering. His thumb rubbed the inside of his wedding band where he could feel his husband's erratic heartbeat. What Ronin was doing the alchemist had no idea, just as he didn't know where he was either.

The alchemist could only chuckle with feigned smugness, half-bowing his head. "Well, I suppose I would want a fair contest if one was to be had." Narrowing his eyes, he winked at the summoner. "Next time I will not shout a warning." He vowed/promised/threatened.

"More?" The alchemist whined panderingly. Huffing, he looked over his shoulder as if to consider walking away, before sighing and turning back. "No. I am already here. Walking away seems like an awful lot of work just now. You know, having been terribly wounded earlier." Now Remi did nudge Loren, forgetting himself. It was just with his foot against the summoners leg, which hopefully would only earn him a reprimand and another rule, rather than another attack.

"We have gone from hunting hidden doors to blood letting, have we? And you said your friendships weren't dangerous." Remi remarked slyly, before focusing his attention somewhat. "Mmhmm." He agreed with a nod. "Well...Unless I can think of a better use for it, I am not sure that is true. Technically so long as we remain inside, everyone will be safe. It is only when they go outside that there is a problem. At least this way anyone could go, not just the ascended. And.." Remi gave Loren an imploring look for a moment. "..after everything that has happened there is not much trust there just now."
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
the Firebrand
Headmaster / Grand Healer

Age: 29 | Height: 5' 11' | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Halo
Level: 11 - Strg: 32 - Dext: 33 - Endr: 35 - Luck: 39 - Int:
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#49
LOREN
Loren didn’t know exactly where Remi’s surprise came from, so the librarian just gave the man a puzzled look. ”Really.” While the summoner’s magic might be powerful, the summoner himself was not, barely able to sling a few spells around before needing to rest. It was unfortunate—and since coming back he’d been weaker than before, it seemed—but there was nothing he could do about it but build up his strength again.

There didn’t seem to be much point in continuing the joke, especially after they began speaking about Ronin. ”I know. And I’m sorry. I can’t even begin to imagine what that must be like for you.” Hesitating, Loren gave the other man an apologetic look. ”But even so, I don’t think he would’ve welcomed me back as a friend.” The blight might’ve been bad in Ronin, that much was true; however, the anger and indifference in the king was real enough, and entirely justified. ”If you...if you ever want to talk about anything…” The Launceleyn trailed off, turning his head away from the alchemist.

When Remi began to talk about a fair contest, Loren rolled his eyes. ”I don’t know how to break this to you, but you’ll be waiting quite a while if you want the contest to be fair. You are much more powerful than me at the moment, it sounds like, and I don’t see that changing any time soon given how slowly I pick up magic” Seeing as the Launceleyn didn’t want there to be a next time—yet knowing full well Remi would not drop this—the best he could hope for was putting it off for as long as possible.

The Launceleyn flinched when the other man’s foot poked the summoner’s leg; however, despite the panic that rose in his gut, he simply moved his legs into a cross-legged position to get them slightly farther away from Remi. Hopefully the other man would think the movement was natural. ”I healed you, you big baby.” Loren’s tone was more annoyed than teasing, but at least he hadn’t yelled or burst into tears at the contact. Yay, progress.

”Who said anything about you being the one to let my blood out? I might not have friends but I do know other people.” The summoner’s voice came out in a drawl that was becoming increasingly familiar to him. However, the alchemist’s points about why the amulet might be useful were hard to argue against. Indeed Remi might be right: giving others the ability to venture out safely might be incredibly useful. ”Wait, the Ascended can go outside during LongNight? No one had mentioned this to him yet, as far as he knew. ”Alright fine. Let’s wait to see if I can actually summon what we need, but if I can I will store the spells in as many amulets as you’d like. For other people.” Not for himself, because Loren would get over his issues with touch and pleasure for the greater good. ”It would be good to have one at the second location, at least, since pretty much everyone I’ve spoken to would rather take their chances outside than stay in the manor.” The Launceleyn’s voice turned bitter, and he realized just how much the dislike of the manor and, by extension, his family, was bothering him.
A beggar's book
outworths
a noble's blood
Remi Taliesin
the Bastion


Age: 31 | Height: 5'11 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Torchline
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#50
all our lives i watched you search beneath the fallen skies
"Oh." Remi hummed thoughtfully, giving Loren a curious look for a moment before nodding (more to himself) and letting the issue go.

Feathertrails of sadness whispered along the alchemist's expression. His smile not nearly as wide, only the corners of his lips tilting up. Ever-present warmth in his gaze, and yet his lashes fluttered far too often as if preemptively warding off tears. He looked for all the world like a man trying desperately to cling to optimism and happiness, despite having been in the shade long enough to shiver. "I do not know if that is true." And he didn't. The conversation about Loren had been short and to the point. As the summoner looked away, Remi watched him, finding it odd that the Launceleyn might simultaneously offer an ear while not being able to meet Remi's gaze. "There is not much to talk about..." He said with a defeated sigh. "Ronin is the worst of all who have the blight, whether because he has had it the longest or because of his relationship to Safrin, we are not sure...but.." Swallowing down a lump in his throat, the alchemist merely let his eyes grow unfocused, looking vaguely down at Loren but not properly seeing. "He..really is less himself."

With a light shake of his head, Remi tried on another grin. "Oh no. I only meant until you were rested." He protested with a crooked but weak smile. "Besides, they say it is not what you have, but how you use it after all." So saying, his smile continued to grow crooked as he snorted.

"Maybe I am still wounded, on the inside." The alchemist chuckled, placing a hand over his heart and fluttering his lashes at the Launceleyn as if to insinuate some horrific wrongdoing on the summoners part. Then again, he had nearly fed Remi to a manticore.

"Oh you know other people. Now I see why you do not want to be friends. You are already far too busy." He quipped. Running the palms of his hands against his eyes, Remi shook his head. "No..sorry. Well..." He began before pausing to collect his thoughts. "There is a theory that the monsters from LongNight are actually ascended. Or at least...use ascended tech." Remi explained, ignoring the timeline inconsistencies that his conversation would cause. "Last year Wessex was able to speak to one of the creatures and was left unharmed. This year, especially after all that they did in spreading the blight, I think Wessex meant to try and use them as a protective force."

With a sympathetic glance towards the summoner, Remi could only exhale slowly and nod. "Last year when we were not foolishly going outside, it was rather nice in the Rathskeller. Plenty of food and drink, games and conversations to be had." He said, trying to position it more that everyone simply preferred the Rathskeller, rather than actively avoiding the manor.
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
the Firebrand
Headmaster / Grand Healer

Age: 29 | Height: 5' 11' | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Halo
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#51
LOREN
Loren sighed and ran a hand through his hair. ”It doesn’t matter if it’s true or not. It doesn’t change the fact that Ronin is not my friend anymore.” And probably wouldn’t ever be the summoner’s friend again. However, the Launceleyn couldn’t blame the king: if Loren had been in Ronin’s shoes, well, the librarian liked to think he’d have been more understanding. However, he also knew that the other man couldn’t afford to be forgiving, not after everything he’d gone through. And that wasn't even getting into the whole blight thing. ”That certainly sounds like much to talk about to me. How’s Aoife handling all of it?” Perhaps bringing the two men’s daughter into this was a low blow, and not particularly well-thought out, but if Remi wouldn’t speak about his own problems, maybe Loren could get the alchemist to talk about his child’s.

If the Launceleyn needed to pretend to be weakened for a while, so be it; although he could already feel some energy returning to his limbs, it wouldn’t be hard to fend off the other man’s pounce for a while. ”I am still not recovered fully. And if admitting that I don’t know how to use it will keep you away, I will gladly do so.” At the feigned heartache, Loren just tilted his head. ”If you’re wounded on the inside, well, I can probably heal you, but it would delay our contest even further. So it’s entirely up to you.” The banter felt good, despite the subject matter and innuendo. Loren had forgotten what it was like just to tease back and forth like this.

Remi couldn’t possibly expect Loren just to sit around and wait for the alchemist to show up. Even the librarian wasn’t quite that pathetic. ”You’re right, I’m seeing other people, so I’m far too busy for the likes of you.” Maybe joking about other relationships should’ve been harder, but they had been talking for so long that it didn't even hurt. At the mention of the link to the Ascended, Loren frowned and his brow furrowed. ”Huh. Interesting. It’s just a theory though? And I imagine we can’t test it until LongNight?” Same as their other theories, then, which sucked. Still, at least Wessex was thinking about how to lower the tensions in the Hollowed Grounds.

”I see. And you think that there won’t be food and drinks and games and conversations at the manor? Because I can assure you, we'll have all that. Or you think it will not be rather nice even with all those things?” Despite the alchemist’s best efforts, Loren wasn’t going to let the other man wiggle out of this one. If Remi thought people would be uncomfortable at the manor—a fact that had already been communicated to the summoner by a few other people—then the alchemist was going to have to say that to the librarian’s face.
A beggar's book
outworths
a noble's blood
Remi Taliesin
the Bastion


Age: 31 | Height: 5'11 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Torchline
Level: 15 - Strg: 68 - Dext: 60 - Endr: 100 - Luck: 93 - Int: 3
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#52
all our lives i watched you search beneath the fallen skies
"Right now Ronin is not anyone's friend." The alchemist agreed bitterly. "I just meant...nothing to talk about that has not already been said. He will die soon if a solution is not found and until then? He will simply get worse. What more is there to say?" This wasn't said with the proceeding bitterness, but merely with dismal acceptance. Hearing Aoife's name spoken in Loren's non-accented voice made Remi swallow and pause. "She..." A sheen of tears sparkled across Remi's too-pale stare as a sad smile slipped onto his lips. Remi's smile, like a shield in battle, was like some sort of defense mechanism for the alchemist. "She has been without him once." He said in a voice just above a whisper. "She knows he will come back. Until then, we look at the stars." Lip trembling now, the alchemist's jaw feathered with tension as he pulled in a breath.

"I think we both know that is not true." Remi remarked dryly, raising a brow at the summoner. "That is true, I suppose..." Pretending to think it over, eventually the alchemist merely let his head roll to the side to fix Loren with a stare. "Or I could just...cheat?" So saying the alchemist flinched towards Loren, but only a few inches or so.

"I mean..I suppose we never said we were exclusive.." Remi interjected, doing his best to pout softly but finding far too much amusement in it. "Mmm, like so many of our theories, yes. The Spire Demon is gone, but apparently the Prince in the underground is an experiment too. But there is no way of knowing that what works on him, would work on the monsters."

Raising a brow Remi tilted his head to the side, narrowing his eyes and giving the Launceleyn a slight frown. "Oh you you will, will you. Rather than..oh, simply coming to a place that is made for drinks and merriment, rather than this place that seems more made for.." Glancing up and squinting at the manor, Remi could only shiver slightly. "..nightmares?"
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
the Firebrand
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#53
LOREN
There was a lot to talk about, but none of it was pleasant. That became incredibly clear to both of them when Remi spoke about Aoife; Loren’s heart went out to the child, especially because he knew a little bit about people he loved not being reliable. Granted, this was a completely different situation, and granted he’d done some abandoning of his own, but anyone with a soul would feel for the girl. ”I’m...I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.” The tears in the alchemist’s eyes are too much to bear: even the summoner, with his aversion to touch, couldn’t stand by and do nothing. So he reached out and clasped the other man’s shoulder for a brief, excruciating moment.

Loren held up his hand and made it shake. ”Do we? I’m as weak as the kitten I don’t know if I can summon.” It was better to respond to that comment than the innuendo about the librarian’s skills in bed; seeing as the Launceleyn hadn’t touched another person that way in almost a year, and seeing as he’d hardly been the most experienced before then, he seriously doubted he was any good at sex these days. ”I thought this was supposed to be a fair contest? Where I come from, cheating is not fair.” They were from the same place—although worlds apart within Northaven, given their histories and upbringings—so the concept of honor couldn’t be too foreign to the other man. But Remi didn’t know about the Launceleyn’s past anymore, and it was better to keep it that way. It would just upset the already distraught alchemist. Of course, then the other man went and feinted at the summoner. Instead of moving, however, the librarian just gave the Remi an unamused look.

It faded when Loren grinned at the exclusive comment. Finally he finally climbed to his feet; though he swayed for a moment, after the stars and dots cleared from his vision he was fine. If the alchemist was going to start pouncing again, the Launceleyn wanted to be able to move away more easily. ”So you absolutely cannot blame me for that, at least.” However, the conversation swung once again to more serious topics. At least Loren was getting used to all these changes. ”The Prince?” That was a new one for the Launceleyn. Then again, most of this was new to him.

Well, that was exactly what Loren had wanted to hear, and it was brutal. He spread his hands helplessly. ”I live here, Remi, along with two children and a man named Peter who flinches at his own shadow. Do you think we are the stuff of nightmares?” The Launceleyn gave the alchemist a legitimately hurt look.
A beggar's book
outworths
a noble's blood
Remi Taliesin
the Bastion


Age: 31 | Height: 5'11 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Torchline
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#54
all our lives i watched you search beneath the fallen skies
"No, it's fine." Remi said with an easy honestly. Loren's touch came as a surprise and the alchemist couldn't help but shiver slightly under the weight of it. His expression crumpled into a smile, eyes softly closing before the gesture of comfort was retracted. Perhaps Remi had no right to appreciate the gesture, nor Loren any right to give it. But as Remi's eyes re-opened there was a flash of unspoken gratitude there from a man entirely adrift.

"Maybe this is all some elaborate ploy." Remi mused, eyes narrowed at the shaking hand as if it might be an illusion. "Oh is that so?" Incredulity coated the alchemist's accented voice. "From what I remember, very little of it was fair. Even more so among your people." He added, crinkling his nose distastefully for effect.

Flashing the summoner a smile, Remi sat up straighter as if quite proud of himself. "See? Progress." He said with a boyish grin. Watching as Loren stood, Remi inclined his head slightly to the side for a moment without moving. "Is this you leaving me, or am I meant to follow?" Closing one eye to better see Loren with against the back-lit lighting he softly raised his brow. He had meant it as a joke, but with Loren he never could quite tell what was expected of him and what wasn't (even with the summoners instructions).

"MMmm, the creature that lives in the Underground?"

With a sigh, Remi bit the inside of his cheek and merely stared up solemnly at Loren. "You four? Perhaps not. But it has not been that way forever. Not even for long." The alchemist replied kindly, but sternly as well, trying to seek out Loren's gaze and hold it. Rising to his feet and moving towards Loren without being too close, Remi offered the man a sympathetic look. "You of all people know what Zariah is like. She took over Loren. She threw people in jail. I nearly died in there." He said with a frown. "You might have good intentions but...for all the new friends you may be making, that is still the Launceleyn manor. Still where Zariah formed her leadership."
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.
the Firebrand
Headmaster / Grand Healer

Age: 29 | Height: 5' 11' | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Halo
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#55
LOREN
It really wasn’t fine, which is why Loren had broken through his fear to offer Remi a simple touch. Still, the gratitude in the other man’s eyes both banished some of the darkness inside the Launceleyn and caused his heart to sink at the familiarity of it. So the summoner remained silent, not trusting his voice to speak. At least, not until later in the conversation. ”Do I look particularly capable of subterfuge?” He was practically stick-thin, still exhausted from his magic, and had dark circles under his eyes: not exactly the picture perfect spy. Then again, those were the best kind.

However, when the conversation drifted inevitably to Northaven, it stung to hear the alchemist speak of how it used to be. ”My people? You mean the ones who tortured me because I wasn’t strong or obedient enough? Or maybe you mean the ones who wouldn’t let me love who I wanted openly?” The bitterness in the summoner’s voice surprised him; it was also, completely and totally unfair to snap at the other man like that. ”I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.” The truth of the matter was, Loren didn’t have any people, not even the remaining members of his family. No he was terribly, completely alone, even in Remi’s presence. And it was his own damn fault.

The Launceleyn looked away, emotions still too raw to watch the other man. ”If standing is progress I shudder to think what you were used to before this.” It wasn’t really what the alchemist had meant and it was a weak attempt at humor, but it was all the summoner could muster at the moment. ”And this is me putting distance between us before you recklessly try to disregard my rules again. Or, maybe I’m just cold and want to go inside.” At the explanation about the Prince that was not an explanation at all, the Launceleyn rolled his eyes. ”What creature that lives in the Underground?”

Surprisingly enough, Loren met Remi’s gaze without wavering. ”Well she’s gone.” His voice came out bluntly, but he was getting a bit annoyed hearing that same old refrain everywhere he went. ”And I know it hasn’t been that long and I’m sorry for all the horrors she inflicted on everyone here, but I’m getting a bit sick and tired of everyone acting as though, if she comes back, which she might not, there’s absolutely nothing we can do to prevent it from happening all over again. I am planning to stand against her if she tries to take control again, or even if she returns, and I’m not exactly a pushover. And you, reluctant as you might be to fight, could probably take her on without breaking a sweat. Surely there are others, including this revolution you formed that just so happens to be, oh, I don’t know, in charge of the kingdom now?” That might’ve been too far, but Loren really was trying to rehabilitate his family, and it seemed very few were willing to give him that chance. Remi was just a convenient target for the summoner’s frustration. ”But, regardless, for now, she is not here. I am. My remaining family is. While everyone might dislike me, and with good reason, I am begging you not to take it out on the rest of them. They are innocent in all this, and if you don’t think Beatrix and Jace see and hear the way people react towards the Launceleyns and our home now, then you are sorely mistaken.” The librarian’s voice had softened, become almost pleading in the end. If he couldn’t break this reputation they had, there might not be any hope for them after all.
A beggar's book
outworths
a noble's blood
Remi Taliesin
the Bastion


Age: 31 | Height: 5'11 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Torchline
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#56
all our lives i watched you search beneath the fallen skies
"I thought the entire point was to look less capable." Remi countered, not that he was any expert. The alchemist was about as well versed in manipulation as the Launceleyn was in intimacy.

Looking slightly taken aback, his comment having been meant as a teasing jab rather than a proper criticism, simply blinked at the summoner with stunned silence for a moment. "If I remember correctly it was your people who made such rules." Remi replied, feeling a prickle of defensiveness itching in the back of his throat. "A blueblood would not have been sent to jail or killed for being with the wrong person." He retorted with equal amounts of bitterness, a line appearing between his eyebrows with the extent of his scowl. Launceleyn-complexities aside, whatever struggles and unfairness a duke might have experienced were nothing compared to what it was as not only a commoner, but a shapechanger as well. Or maybe the flare Remi felt had more to do with a past he didn't remember. It was one thing for Loren to say he hadn't been allowed to love who he'd wanted to openly, but from what Remi had heard, the Launceleyn hadn't loved anyone privately either. Specifically, him.

"I mean that you did not throw a manticore at me for moving at you." Remi corrected, before stopping himself. "I mean, throwing myself at you." He added with a grin. At being called reckless, the alchemist could merely shrug lightly. It wasn't the first time he'd been called such, and though he'd been hurt and offended by Jigano's sharp criticism of his behaviour a year or so ago, now he simply accepted that it was part of who he was.

"Cold mm? That is because you need to fatten up." Remi tittered, eyeing the billowing fabric around Loren's body.

"Why, the Prince!" The alchemist replied brightly with an innocence that in another world would have made the three stooges chuckle. "It is...sort of like a frog? But large. The size of you and I. Well." He flashed Loren a boyish smile. "Size of me, anyways. It can speak in its own way, but looked...mutated, almost. It has boils and all sorts of limbs that do not belong." The playfulness fell from Remi's lips as his description continued, replaced with genuine sorrow for the strange creature.

As Loren launched into his tirade, Remi raised his eyebrows. Softly he reached out very much wanting to take the Launceleyn by the shoulders; he'd refrain if the man flinched or moved back though, but if not, Loren would find his grip firm, but gentle. "Loren." He interrupted gently. "That is not what I meant, and I think you know that." If Loren had things he needed to get off of his chest he certainly could, but Remi wasn't about to sit and have this conversation redirected just so that Loren could continue to deflect his actual feelings.

"All I said was that there is a reason most do not want to stay at the manor, and that reason is Zariah and all the things she did before I did not say anything about Zariah's return, or what we might all do about it, nor did I say anything about taking it out on the rest of your family. " If he couldn't hold Loren with his hands, he'd try to do it as best he could with his eyes. "No one said you are a push over and from what you have said...no one dislikes you either." Ronin aside, but at the moment, that hardly counted. "If you want trust in the Launceleyns again...trying to force everyone into the manor is not the way to go about it. " He concluded with a soft sigh, biting the inside of his lip as he offered his maybe-friend an imploring look.

"Loren...you have only been back for a short while. Zariah was here for over a year. You cannot change things over night." Remi added softly.
Speaks with a thick Italian accent.
Force and magic can be used against Remi without permission.


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