shine bright, shine far - open GGE

LILY

oh, cover your crystal eyes
and let your colors bleed and blend with mine

Welp. Her gift recipient had listed a lot of things, and no real specifics. Lily adores this person, but the list elicits sigh and a shake of her head when she reads it. Ok then. Time to do a serious think and figure out what might be easiest to get. What does Lily know about? Pretty things.Her immediate thought was to go to Jiao and barter for something, but then she remembers that the Greatwood is still off-limits. Or is it? With Wessex no longer Queen, she thought that meant the lands were open again… but there had been no formal announcement either way.

Hmmm… maybe best to not accidentally trespass. She’s heard the stories of what happens to trespassers. Ok, so plan B.

Food? Maybe. Lily isn’t really a great cook.
Weapons? Also not her thing. She wouldn’t know a good knife from a bad one unless the bad one couldn’t cut her dinner.
So they’re back to shiny things.

Taking a look at her own limited collection of necklaces and jewelry, Lily grabs a piece and puts it into a small drawstring bag before heading to the settlement’s marketplace.

and if all we've got is what no one can break

Where had Remi been as of late? Well, with a home recently burned down, a husband recently abdicated and post-blight, and a toddler, there was really no end to the ways in which that question might be answered. Remi had been busy, and for the first time in a long, long while, he simply allowed himself to be that way.

Eventually though he did emerge out into the marketplace. On the hunt for some bread and cheese for lunch, the alchemist looked a little haggard, but perhaps a good deal happier for it. With curls amess on his head, his cheeks unshaven but plump with a smile, Remi strode with a lazy sort of purpose through the streets.

"Hallo Lily." He sang out in a chipper tone, spying the familiar shock of coppery hair and beneath it the familiar face. Remi hadn't seen much of Lily post-blight, if only because he's not seen much of anyone. LongNight hardly counted given all that had occurred in such a brief period of time.

i know i love you if that's all we can take

Coding base by Sky!

LILY

oh, cover your crystal eyes
and let your colors bleed and blend with mine

She can hear her name called over the slight din of the marketplace, so she turns to find the unexpected summons. It takes a moment, but she finds the scraggly-looking alchemist and her face lights up at the surprise. “Hey, Remi,” Lily returns in an equally chipper tone as she changes her path to come say hello. “How have you been?” she asks as she offers him a brief hug, with nary a reference to anything that’s happened in the past couple of months, because she isn’t that kind of a nosy person. And a lot’s happened. Enough to make her head spin some days.

and if all we've got is what no one can break

"Can't complain." He replies, returning her hug warmly. Physical affection with woman was one of the few things that came more or less intuitively to the alchemist, he having always navigated perfectly the middle ground between warmth and affection and fingers that lingered in places too long. Call it a perk of being a closeted gay man for nearly two decades.

"How are you? What brings you here?" This was said with a touch of amusement given the general hustle and bustle around them that made the market a rather dicey place to be if one wanted to keep from being constantly bumped into.

i know i love you if that's all we can take

Coding base by Sky!

LILY

oh, cover your crystal eyes
and let your colors bleed and blend with mine

“Oh, I’m okay,” she tosses the reply away with a light grin, before she’s knocked off balance and straight into Remi, if he isn’t careful. She reaches out to catch herself, on him - or the ground, whatever - a distant “Sorry!” heard, though no one ever stops to see if she’s alright. “Jesus,” Lily mutters under her breath as she rights herself, checking to make sure her necklace is still there.

It is. Thank God.

“I’m looking for a jeweler, for this Fiat Lux gift giving thing. Did you hear about it?” She pats the little pouch she just checked and then doesn’t let go. It’s a wild day at the market, with Fiat Lux driving everyone here for their own preparations and necessities for their festival stalls. No doubt there are pickpockets out here too. “I’ve got Melita, and want to make her something pretty.”

and if all we've got is what no one can break

As she stumbles and they are knocked about, Remi instinctively reaches for Lily to help steady her. Tawny wings splay from his back to try and roughly encircle the pair, hoping that will be enough of a deterrent should they stay in the middle of the street.

"I did, unfortunately I did not manage to get my name in in time." The alchemist chuckles with a bashful sort of half-shrug. He really had meant to, and then life had simply gotten away from him; by the time he and Ronin had eventually emerged from holing themselves away, the entire thing was already underway.

Hearing Melita, jeweler, and pretty, Remi flashed Lily a smile. "That sounds excellent, though I think the jeweler is home sick if I recall correctly." He'd seen the man shuffling away from the Artisan's Guild looking quite unwell.

"Is there something I could help you with?"

i know i love you if that's all we can take

Coding base by Sky!

LILY

oh, cover your crystal eyes
and let your colors bleed and blend with mine

Steadied by a strong hand and stronger wings, Lily relaxes, mock scowling at the people around them. Tilting her head to one side, she indicates that yeah, they should probably get out of the way of people who are far less courteous than the two of them. Reaching a little empty space between some stalls, she finally hears what Remi has said, her face falling and then all of a sudden lighting up again as the alchemist offers to help.

“Actually, yeah.” Digging into her little pouch with delicate fingers, she produces a necklace of gold, red, and amber. Definitely not super valuable by any means, but the way it shines and matches her hair - and Melita’s - could be quite stunning in the sunlight. And if it gets lost, you know, on adventures or anything, it isn’t any great loss. “I was going to have the jeweler break this up and melt it down into two separate pieces, but… you have that fancy magic, right? Would you be able to… duplicate it?”

and if all we've got is what no one can break

Letting his wings meld back into flesh as they fit themselves between the stalls, Remi is all metaphorical perked-ears to hear what Lily might need. Hearing her refer to his magic as such, the alchemist laughs a touch bashfully, colour blossoming on his cheeks. "I do, yes." He says with a nod, looking down at the necklace and, if Lily permits, taking it from her to study it better.

"I certainly can. Would you want to ...add anything to it?" He asks, fingers shimmering softly with magic. "An enchantment perhaps so that it dazzles like fire, making it unbreakable?"

i know i love you if that's all we can take

Coding base by Sky!

LILY

oh, cover your crystal eyes
and let your colors bleed and blend with mine

Easily handing it over to Remi, Lily watches with child-like fascination as his hands begin to glow. No matter how many times she sees this, or the wings, or whatever it is that her peers wield, she always finds it awe-inspiring. “Oh, that’s a great idea.” Taking a moment to think about his offer, her mouth sets into a contemplative line. His ideas are wonderful, and she wishes she knew what Melita might like more. “She did say she wanted something shiny, so she’d probably really like something that dazzles like fire.”

Hell, Lily would like that too.

and if all we've got is what no one can break

"Dazzles like fire it is." Remi said, his smile growing increasingly boyish with delight. Though he'd likely never get over the awkwardness he felt at having so much he was able to do, he'd also never tire of the things he could do with it, for others. And so, with an easy mixture of creation and earth, the necklace duplicated itself in his fingers. Handing back the original to Lily, Remi softly focused on the remaining beaded adornment in his palm. Closing his eyes, fire began to race over the beads before settling inside. Both in the light and outside of it, each of the stones would pulse and flicker as if holding its own small wildfire.

---

Fire-Stone Necklace | A beaded necklace of gold, red, and amber stones that each flicker and glow as if there are small wildfires held within, producing a small warm light. Gives off no heat. Made by Remi.

i know i love you if that's all we can take

Coding base by Sky!

LILY

oh, cover your crystal eyes
and let your colors bleed and blend with mine

Lily, too, grins in girlish happiness, feeling like this gift will now be a true success, something that Melita will love. When Remi hands her original necklace back, she takes it and clasps it around her neck, leaving the pouch for the gift. She is fixated on his hands, watching as the new necklace appears and then with a wave of his hand, ignites the beads and seems to settle the fire inside them. And like he’s said, they do seem to dazzle like fire. She makes a soft ooooh in appreciation, clapping her hands together quietly as he finishes.

She gingerly reaches out to take the new and improved necklace, holding it up to the sunlight with a wide smile. “This is perfect, Remi. Thank you so much!”

Throwing her arms around his neck, she embraces the alchemist in a warm hug again, happiness vibrating through her veins. When she pulls away, she tucks the gift in the pouch and looks him in the eye. “Let me know if I can do anything for you or your family.” She knows she few skills that he and Ronin don’t already have, but the offer is genuine and really, the two of them have given so much to their community already.

and if all we've got is what no one can break

Returning her hug easily and warmly, Remi beams with happiness. Though his magic has been more of a burden than a blessing (hence being cursed with it, he supposes), the only silver lining is moments such as these.

"Thank you Lily. Perhaps voice lessons for Aoife once her attention span increases somewhat?" He asks, a boyish smile tugging at his lips as he grins broadly at her.

i know i love you if that's all we can take

Coding base by Sky!

LILY

oh, cover your crystal eyes
and let your colors bleed and blend with mine

She acquiesces to the request with light, tinkling laughter. “Of course! Let me know when she can use full sentences and I’m sure we’ll have the beginning of a full choir.” Giving a slightly pointed look to her potential first students father, “Just need a couple of baritones and tenors…” She’s joking of course. And also not joking. With a little pat to her pouch again, she turns to go. “Thanks again and see you at Fiat Lux! Come dance with Ronin!”

{FIN}