this ain't for the best

& all we are is skin and bone, trained to get along

There was no way Remi was going to say no, if he even could or wanted it. It simply wasn't in his nature. Loren might have shucked off whatever it was that kept him bound and submissive for so long, but the alchemist likely never would. Only the more he learned about himself the more he thought it had nothing to do with the size of his heart, but merely the vastness that was his misplaced nativity. "Alright." This was the 3rd? 4th? Time they would have 'started over' in about as many weeks. Glancing up at Loren and looking at him properly now for the first time in the duration of their conversation, he nodded with a genuine smile. It would probably hurt him in the end, but what didn't?

'Oh, I absolutely do not plan on being part of this." Remi said with a hollow laugh. He nodded towards the chair across from him for Loren to sit, instead of hovering. "We are supposed to guard and watch and make sure the ascended do not use the portals are anything nefarious." Reaching into his pocket he pulled out what looked like a large marble filled with soft light. "I can feel the other three when I hold this. And...once it goes dark, that apparently means the ascended have activated another portal."

The white sheep of the family

As Remi gave Loren that last chance, the Launceleyn smiled. ”Thank you.” His voice was still quiet, but it carried a world of gratitude. Settling into the chair, the summoner tapped his foot. ”Nefarious like killing a bunch of Fae or a scaly guardian?” Though he tried to keep his voice level, there was a shocking amount of frustration in it. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Loren forced himself to calm down. His foot ceased its movements as he rested his arms on the table and leaned against them.

"I'm sorry that was asked of you." He bit his lip. ”Who are the other three?” Squinting, he peered at the orb. ”Who gave you this? The task and the sphere?” Sighing, he rubbed his temples again before returning his arms to the desk. ”How are you supposed to stop the Ascended?”

Will blood tell

Coding base by Sky!

& all we are is skin and bone, trained to get along

"I was more thinking like the blight, but those work too." He said with a dark smile. Once the anger was gone between the two of them, it was remarkably easy to fall back into easy and old patterns with Loren. Letting his chair rest level again, Remi merely sighed and nodded along at Loren's frustration, more than feeling it as well.

"Amalia, Jigano, and Phoebe." He replied, closing the book. "And presumably..the gods? It came to us all in a dream. We all had the same one, vaguely hearing a conversation among the old gods and waking with the rough knowledge of what we're supposed to do, as well as these orbs."

As Loren asked how, Remi shot his once-friend a steely stare, sea-glass gaze rolling slightly. "Ahh well of course that bit was not included."

The white sheep of the family

When he heard blight, the summoner sighed and nodded. ”That too. Lots to choose from.” Again, he couldn't keep the edge from creeping into his voice. As Remi listed the other three, Loren frowned. ”So there’s four of you. And you’re supposed to stand against the Ascended and The Voice? And they didn't tell you how. Nor did they ask you if you wanted this burden.” He pressed his lips together.

Once more, the Launceleyn’s fingers drummed a beat against the wood. Giving the alchemist an almost guilty look, Loren opened his mouth. Then closed it. Then opened it again. "Sorry." Once more, he bit his lip.

Will blood tell

Coding base by Sky!

& all we are is skin and bone, trained to get along

"Yes, yes, no, and no." Remi confirmed with a nod. Raising his fingers he pressed two of them against the bridge of his nose and pulled in a breath. It was a decidedly Ronin-gesture, one of frustration the alchemist had seen and apparently picked up on.

"Mm?" Raising his eyes and dropping his hand, missing Loren's fish-like movements of his lips, the alchemist tilted his head slightly unsure what it was the summoner was apologizing for. "What you said before, about someone impersonating your brother...I take it you met him then? What makes you think it is an impersonation?"

The white sheep of the family

As Remi pinched his nose, Loren rubbed his temples. ”Gods, what a mess.” Then he paused and gave the alchemist a guilty look.

As the other man asked his twin, the summoner bit his lip. ”Neron was my identical twin. And...this man had a different face.” He hesitated, foot tapping once more. "Still, he claimed to...know me. To be the actual Neron. But I didn't believe him." The anxiety in his voice was clear. "But...my instincts told me it was him. I didn't listen to them, but maybe I should have. I don't know if it would've help though..." His voice trailed off. Leaning forward, he rested his chin on his arms and closed his eyes. "I made a mess of that, too. Guess that's my special talent." There was absolutely no humor or mirth in the Launceleyn's voice.

Will blood tell

Coding base by Sky!

& all we are is skin and bone, trained to get along

"Mmmm." The alchemist agreed, his fingers spreading to rub at his eyes for a moment, before lowering down to the table as Loren explained.

Biting the inside of his lip, Remi didn't know why it had never occurred to him to think of Neron as a way of re-learning what Loren looked like. He didn't know the lawyer well, but he'd seen him often enough to have potentially not been so shocked when Loren walked into his shop that first and fateful day.

"Why not?" Remi asked, of Loren not trusting his instincts. There wasn't any judgement in his voice, just mere curiosity. "Don't forget burning things." The alchemist added with a dry smile. "Bridges, bars..." His grin widened slightly.

The white sheep of the family

As Remi asked why Loren hadn’t listened to his subconscious, he laughed and opened his eyes. Again, there was very little mirth in the sound (read: none). ”My instincts are shitty. You should know that better than most.” He tried to muster up a smile, but it died before it could even reach his lips.

It did make it there when the alchemist brought up the summoner's tendency towards arson. Or at least his lips twitched. "See? Shitty instincts." However, even the Launceleyn knew the joke fell flat. Sighing, he tried to keep the sadness from his eyes but knew he was unsuccessful. "It doesn't really matter now." He rolled his head so that one cheek was resting against his arm and he didn't have to watch the other man's reaction.

Will blood tell

Coding base by Sky!

& all we are is skin and bone, trained to get along

"So you mean to tell me it has been your instincts you've been following this whole time?" Remi asked with a softly skeptical shake of his head, but an equally kind smile.

"Will you stay here then?" The alchemist asked, finding it as always easier to look at the summoner when he wasn't looking back.

The white sheep of the family

Loren shrugged, the motion almost comical given how he was currently positioned. ”Yes? No? Maybe? I don’t know.” He let out a long sigh. ”I don’t know anything anymore. I guess sometimes yes, sometimes no.” Hesitating, mouth still open, he eventually clamped it shut.

At the other man’s question, the Launceleyn shrugged again, ”What else would I do?” Straightening up, he rubbed his eyes. ”Abasi just opened his business and I...I guess I’m hoping things go well. Between us.” He bit his lip, then nodded at the texts in front of the other man. ”How’s the wagon coming along?” Then he found his fingers tapping again. ”Oh uh...my magic got weird. Well. New. And weird” He flushed again, the words tripping awkwardly off his tongue.

Will blood tell

Coding base by Sky!

& all we are is skin and bone, trained to get along

"How illuminating Loren. So glad we are having this talk." Remi said with a boyish laugh, his eyes gently rolling. He didn't expect anything else from the man, but for someone so learned and articulate, it was always amusing to watch Loren tie his own tongue up in knots.

"Ah. Right." Remi could feel heat in his cheeks as he gazed away uncomfortably. He'd told Loren to expect as much from him, so he didn't feel the need to apologize, but nor did he want or expect the summoner to curb what he said. It was simply one of the oddities of their whatever-ship, and there wasn't getting around it (gods knew they'd tried). "Mmm well. Peter actually was teaching me about treads. For the wheels. It's rather ingenious actually. But I was hoping to make the wheels such that they could traverse any terrain, and an interior that was larger than what it looks like on the outside. Walls that show you the surroundings, and a roof to see the stars through." It would all be mostly magic of course, but if the book before him was any indication (and it was) Remi wanted to do as much of it by hand as possible. "What I currently do not know how to do, or if I am capable of doing it, is making a wagon that can fit through the portals."

As Loren verbally tripped over his own words, Remi raised a brow and gave his whatever-friend a mischievous look. "New and weird. Have I ever told you that you have a real way with words, Loren?"

The white sheep of the family

Letting out a sigh as Remi looked away, Loren bit his tongue to prevent himself from saying something foolish. Instead, his eyes widened as he listened to the alchemist list everything they planned for the wagon. ”Well. That’s very impressive.” The Launceleyn’s voice came out with a great deal of admiration and maybe the barest hint of jealousy. At least his smile was kindly enough.

Then his brow furrowed. ”The portal seemed pretty big to me. I’d be more worried about getting it down the steps to the Spire.” He flashed the other man a guilty and apologetic smile. ”Plus I think there’s still rubble in the way and um, the, ah the walls are unstable.” Frowning, he ran a hand through his hair. ”Could you...I dunno. Build it in parts? So that you can disassemble and reassemble it easily?” The Launceleyn’s voice came out tentatively and he shrugged, embarrassed.

The embarrassment grew, bringing a flush to his cheeks. ”I was a librarian not an author.” Closing his eyes he took a deep breath before opening them again. ”The gods apparently intervened to curb my summoning. So far I’ve only been able to summon regular animals and unicorns since about halfway through LongNight. According to Rae’s daughter, Rae or Vi or some combination of the gods must have intervened.” Annoyance flashed across his face before he schooled his features. ”On the plus side, I can now heal people from a distance. And, well, I have water magic now.” Rubbing the back of his head, Loren gave Remi a sheepish smile.

Will blood tell

Coding base by Sky!

& all we are is skin and bone, trained to get along

..The alchemist shrugged with a bashful look at the summoner's praise. He'd likely never truly understand just how impressive his magic had become, or even if he did, he never associate it with anything praise-deserving on his part.

"Oh, are they still? Biting the inside of his lip, Remi refrained from saying anything about the roster who had gone down into the Spire. "I should try and find my way down before I leave. It is partially my fault they are weakened I suppose." The alchemist acknowledged with a light groan. It wasn't though, not really. But if the walls were unstable and it was within Remi's powers to fix it, he felt compelled.

Never one to make someone feel ashamed for their ideas, the considerate smile Remi offered Loren was genuine if not short lived. "Potentially, though the hope was for it being more permanent. That might get us through one portal, but what of the next? And the next?" Perhaps he hadn't been clear enough before when he said he was leaving; Remi wanted to leave and not come back. He wanted to go until he found an ocean.

"I was teasing, Loren." Remi said with a low laugh. Falling silent as Loren spoke, Remi found his brows raising once, and then again as he continued. That the gods would mingle and interfere wasnt so surprising. But...a conversation with the daughter of Rae? And sure, something about healing and water. Unlike Loren, Remi was more than happy to vocalize his jealousy. "Wow. I have always been interested in water magic, though its always eluded me." He said with a crooked smile. "The rest of it though...you met Rae's daughter? And...what does healing at a distance entail?"

The white sheep of the family

Loren bit his lip. ”They were when I went down there.” At the other man’s comment, the summoner drummed his fingers on the desk, but remained silent. Instead, he frowned, brow furrowing as he thought about the puzzle of the wagon. ”Alright, then can it...fold up, or collapse somehow? Put hinges in the sides and part of the floor so that you can...make it smaller?” His voice came out hesitantly and he shrugged helplessly.

Blinking rapidly, the Launceleyn sighed then rubbed his eyes. ”Right.” He gave the alchemist a slightly chagrined look. ”You might still develop it. You’ve got more magic than anyone else I’ve ever met.” This time, Loren’s voice was simply matter-of-fact, without a trace of jealousy.

The other man’s jealousy caused the summoner to look away, though, playing with a loose thread on his pants. ”I did. And Rae’s son. They’re twins. Kai and Oia’i’o.” Frowning as he mispronounced the second name, he continued playing with the thread. ”I don’t know, really. I just...Peter had some cuts, and I offered to heal them, and he said yes, but he shied away from my touch. Then the magic sort of just...jumped out of me. I used it again on the snake but…” His voice trailed off and his eyes grew sad.

Will blood tell

Coding base by Sky!