[se] give me a second light

Now that the artisan's guild was no longer under his jurisdiction, Remi found himself spending more and more time in his own little shop. It wasn't that after having given over the reins the alchemist was pulling away from the guild, moreso that he was allowing himself a bit of time to indulge in his own crazy schemes—far away from the precious creations of others that he might endanger. Only apparently he wasn't the only one who wanted to spend a bit of time in the shop. Opening the door, the alchemist watched with a gentle amusement as memory mud sludged its way over the floors. Some of it was currently chewing its way up one of the shelves and seemed to be considering devouring one of Remi's inventions. "Oh, I would not do that were I you." He warned with a smirk. R E M I I followed your ashes into outer space

LOREN

Seeing as their last visit had gotten cut short, and Loren was trying to be a better friend, he had decided to go back to see Remi. Of course, the Launceleyn didn’t have a great reason to see the alchemist, but at this point, the summoner was pretty sure he didn’t need an excuse. And this time, he didn’t even knock before entering. ”Hey Remi. Hope you don’t mind me stopping by.” His voice was cheerful enough.

However, he stopped at the sight that greeted him within. Letting out a huff of laughter at the other man’s gentle approach to the mud, Loren shook his head. Shifting into a honey badger, the Launceleyn stalked forward, and snarled at the mud, before jerking his head at the door. In case asking nicely doesn't work. There was a great deal of merriment in his mind.

light is precious in a world so dark
begin at the beginning
tell a story. make some light

Arms folded across his chest, Remi glanced over his shoulder at the sound of Loren's approach. Though his presence was a bit of a surprise—the alchemist never really knowing where he stood with Loren—his smile was just as immediate. "Not at all." He agreed, eyes slipping downwards as the Launceleyn shrunk down and tottered forwards. "Always worth a try." The alchemist chuckled back. "Sounds like you have dealt with this before?" So saying, Remi reached out with his earth magic, trying to pull into the mud and see if it would react. Given its semi-sentience however, the alchemist wasn't able to simply tug it away. R E M I I followed your ashes into outer space

LOREN

Loren returned Remi's smile easily enough, choosing to breeze past any lingering awkwardness between the two of them. Then, however, it turned into a toothy grin as the summoner grew fur and paws. When the snarl proved ineffective, he padded forward, peering at the mud. Then he swatted at it, careful not to damage the item it was clinging to.

The alchemist's question took the Launceleyn by surprise. Definitely dealt with it before. He sent a pulse of amusement through their bond. It's pretty much everywhere in the Hollowed Grounds. Not sure how you missed it. Then Loren reached up with a careful paw to try and scrape the mud off.

light is precious in a world so dark
begin at the beginning
tell a story. make some light

"Easily." The alchemist returned, his honestly unfettered. "By holing myself away with Ronin and Aoife." Shrugging at this, he turned his attention back to where Loren was swiping (carefully) at the mud. "Careful. There is an unstable liquid inside of that." That being a bit of beautifully blown glass with a dark amber liquid inside. "Shake it too much and we will all find ourselves thrown outside." Along with the shop walls and the rest of his inventions. R E M I I followed your ashes into outer space

LOREN

Loren felt understanding dawn in his mind, followed by amusement. Fair enough. Then, however, hints of unease stirred within him. How are they? And how’s the wagon? Not bothering to hide the discomfort from Remi, the summoner glanced over at the alchemist.

Then, however, shock flashed through him. Rapidly backing away from the glass, the Launceleyn turned to face the other man, a bit of mud still cradled in Loren's paw. Why, exactly, do you have something like that? There was a morbid curiosity behind the thought.

Turning back to the glass and eying it warily, the summoner gestured with his non-muddy paw at the glass. I suppose I should let the expert take care of it. And while the expert alchemist did so, the Launceleyn backed away further.

light is precious in a world so dark
begin at the beginning
tell a story. make some light

The alchemist exhaled a slightly prolonged sigh through his nose, eyebrows raised thoughtfully. "Well, Aoife is used to...tumultuous times." He said rubbing at the back of his neck. "Moving from place to place, it does not phase her. But losing the guild...it has thrown Ronin and I out of sorts, I suppose you could say." They were adrift, but at least they were together. "Progress is slow. I had hoped to come here to work, but.." He trailed off with a grin, nosing towards the mud. "To men, a child, and a wagon? I had thought some defenses might be useful." That, and once he'd discovered that a certain amount of percussion made the liquid explode, he'd been too fascinated to dispose of it. With a grin, the alchemist levitated the jar away from badger and mud, setting it high on a shelf. He added a swath of cloth around it for good measure as well. "Speaking of experts, how then am I to get this mud out?" R E M I I followed your ashes into outer space

LOREN

At Remi’s words, Loren sent a pulse of comfort and warmth to the other man. I”m sorry for all your losses. But I’m glad you have each other. The summoner genuinely felt that way. At the alchemist's comment about working, the Launceleyn felt a great deal of determination rise up. Then let's take back your shop. There was a great deal of glee behind those words.

However, the enthusiasm faded rapidly in light of the dangerous substance. Instead, it was replaced by a bemused and teasing feeling. Remi. You turn into a manticore and Ronin can duplicate himself. I'm more worried about anyone dumb enough to attack you. Thankfully, Remi moved the jar safely.

Giving the mental equivalent of a sigh, Loren shifted back to human. Then carefully controlled jets of water burst out of him, targeting the mud and making sure not to touch the inventions or the components. The water gently, but firmly, washed the mud out of the door. Raising his eyebrows, he turned to face the other man, a pleased grin lurking on the summoner’s lips. "You're not. I am."

light is precious in a world so dark
begin at the beginning
tell a story. make some light

"Mmmm." The alchemist hummed agreeably, offering Loren a small shrug in acknowledgement of his sympathy. "That is the thing, really. This is not even the worst either of us have had it, so it is a little strange that it all suddenly feels so...difficult, I suppose." Such were the hardships of characters having to justify the absences of their OOC counterparts. Snorting with approval, Remi raised a curious brow to see what it was the Launceleyn might have in mind to accomplish such a task. Shrugging again, this time with unhappy bemusement to hear his and Ronin's strengths pointed out, the alchemist merely cleared his throat. "Does not mean that no one will. Especially when we are placed that we are unknown." Which was precisely the point; to be somewhere where their names meant absolutely nothing. Watching the water suddenly pour from Loren's fingers—surely that was new?—Remi stepped back. Opening the door with a bit of magic, the alchemist reached into the ground to create a bit of an open-topped culvert for the mud to flow down. "Lucky for me you stopped by then, mm?" Remi snarked playfully. R E M I I followed your ashes into outer space

LOREN

Seeing as Loren wasn’t sure if rolling his eyes as a honey badger would convey what he was hoping it would, he tried to send the feeling of that to Remi instead. You’re tired. You two both need a break, hence the whole going off on a wagon thing. Once you've set off, I'm sure things will get back to normal. Then there was a teasing undertone to the summoner's thoughts. Well, as normal as you can be.

At the other man's surprise, the Launceleyn's amusement grew. However, he didn't show off his tricks just yet. Instead, he pulsed both comfort and warmth through their bond. Then you'll turn into a scary monster and they'll run off screaming, and if they don't you'll paralyze them with your venom. There was a weird cheerful feeling accompanying that thought, and it was clear he wasn't at all bothered by the scenario. Nor was he worried about the alchemist and the demi-god. They could handle themselves just fine in a pinch.

Loren missed the other man’s surprise, since the summoner already told Remi about the new magic and so wasn’t paying much attention to much of anything except making sure the water didn’t damage anything. Once the mud had been safely shooed away, Loren turned to the alchemist. ”Lucky you indeed!” The Launceleyn totally ignored the the other man's tone, though the corners of Loren's lips quirked up and a playful light danced in his eyes.

light is precious in a world so dark
begin at the beginning
tell a story. make some light

A break. Remi nibbled the inside of his lip and offered the honey badger a small shrug. He wasn't sure if it was a break, or if it was simply a chance to live the life that they'd always wanted. The alchemist had never wanted this sort of spotlight, this responsibility. And for his part, notions of grandeur of being the Storm General something or other aside, Ronin didn't either. Snorting at the latter part of Loren's thoughts, Remi rolled his eyes playfully. "Normalcy went out the window as soon as we left Northaven." He agreed with a grin. "Mmmm yes, intimidation and assault. That sounds like me." What worried Remi for a moment, was whether it did. He was absolutely capable of those things now in a way he never had been before, and had utilized them in the past in ways he wasn't proud of (murder, chief among them). He hoped Loren was joking. He needed Loren to be joking. "Right then, out you go." He said to the mud in a softly chastising tone as Loren continued to magically pressure-wash it from his floor. R E M I I followed your ashes into outer space

LOREN

At Remi’s comment, Loren mostly was mostly just bemused at the analysis. Ah but you’re assuming Northaven was normal. I'm not so sure about that. Although his thoughts were teasing, there was a bit of truth to it as well.

Letting out another pulse of amusement at the alchemist's joke, the Launceleyn gave a toothy grin. I'm quaking in my boots at the sight of you. Well. Paws I guess He lifted one paw and shook it to demonstrate. Then the amusement gained a slightly embarrassed edge. Especially when you turned into a raccoon. Hopefully the other man would appreciate the reminder about the summoner's previous over the top reaction to that particular shift.

Continuing his careful ministrations with the water, Loren smiled at Remi's statement. "And stay out!" There was a cheerful tone in the summoner's voice, one that was becoming increasingly common.

light is precious in a world so dark
begin at the beginning
tell a story. make some light

"Maybe not, but it was the only normal we knew." The alchemist countered slyly. "If not by that, then what normal are we meant to return to?" Raising a brow, Remi looked down at the claws that lay dormant even as the badger shook his paw, and gave a disbelieving huff of laughter. "Ahh yes. Clearly at the moment I am the intimidating one." Strong of body though he was, the honey badger could tear him limb from limb if he tried, or so the alchemist's predatory instincts told him.  "Yes well, I might carry all sorts of diseases. You don't know." He added with a grin. "And I do bite." Whoever Loren was now, Remi wasn't really sure. Tempted as he was to say that the summoner had changed, he didn't actually know that with much certainty, given his lack of memories. Still, Remi was quite sure that Loren had, but with all that had happened since the man had returned, not much of anything had stayed the same for long, much less the Launceleyn. "I am forever in your debt." The alchemist said, bowing deeply in the old traditional ways of Northaven. Standing with a grin—since he was no longer a queen for Loren to pester him about—Remi folded his arms across his chest once more. "However shall I repay your kindness? A drink perhaps?" He asked, nodding his head towards the back of his shop where the small sitting area was. R E M I I followed your ashes into outer space

LOREN

Giving the mental equivalent of a shrug, Loren scratched one leg idly. Why do we have to return to any of the normals we’ve known? I didn’t like that normal anyway. Happy to come up with some new. Something better. There was a great deal of hopeful optimism underneath that thought.

Shifting until he looked as innocent as a honey badger could look, he tried to give the alchemist a ‘who, me?’ look. Then it shifted into a toothy grin. Manticore. Strongest mage I've ever met. Again, I am the one who should be terrified, not you. Thankfully, the threat from the summoner would be removed soon enough. At the other man’s next threat, the Launceleyn’s mind filled with more amusement. Diseased huh? Sounds bad. As a medical student, I think I’m obligated to pump you full of healing magic until everyone is safe from your rabid jaws.

As they wrapped up the last of the mud, Loren raised an eyebrow. Then, he swept into a bow even deeper than the one that Remi had just done. ”It was an honor to be of service.” The slightly teasing tone was gone. In its place was the incredibly formal and polite duke the Launceleyn had been once upon a time.

He straightened up with a gentle smile, though. ”Or we could not keep track, and just call it even. Since...you’ve done quite a bit for me. More than I could ever possibly deserve. So if anyone's in anyone's debt, it's me.” Tilting his head, the smile broadened. ”I’ll take that drink though.” He nodded in thanks, and began to make his way over to the sitting area.

light is precious in a world so dark
begin at the beginning
tell a story. make some light