All Alone Together

The desolation around the spire seemed the perfect backdrop for Peters contemplation. It was isolated, quiet, and in the spires belly was the source of his current turmoil. The portal. His connection to the other Launceleyn’s, but also, the first steps away from what he’d built up in the Hollowed Grounds. There was a bag at his side, filled with the few things he considered essential, the few things that seemed acceptable, that he thought he would be allowed to keep. Peter made no move towards the portal though, hadn’t made one since he’d arrived nearly an hour ago, instead sitting in front of the spire, his knees high, an absent finger stroking over Apricum, who sat silently at his side. The sky above threatened rain, has been threatening nearly the entire time he’d been sitting, but nothing came of it yet. Maybe nothing would. Peters thoughts moved much in the same way to the clouds above, squirming, charring a point that seemed too nice further away. Spiralling. He was all but numb to the world around him, not paying attention in a place where it seemed few cane. Peter try, try your whole life to be righteous and good

i'm not the man they think i am at home

Remi might have left the Launceleyn to his contemplation were it not for the incredible creature at his side. The fingers clutching the leather strap of his messenger back that crisscrossed against the alchemist's chest curled softly in silent wonder as he drew to a halt, sea-glass green eyes observing the strange scene with earnest fascination.

"Peter?" He called out. Noting the way the man's fingers roamed over the bony creature there was clearly no threat of harm to the mage that Remi could see. Even so the alchemist approached with a healthy amount of respect for the creature's space, while his predatory instincts were on high-alert, both suggesting that he take to the skies and flee as well as attack before the strange creature could.

It seemed for a moment like Remi’s call was carried away by the wind, for all of Peter lack of movement or response. The skeletal luxere by his side shifted through, the head that was unburdened by things like muscle and ligaments swivelling to fix the alchemist with an empty stare. Peter fingers stilled their slow meanderings across the ribs, and finally, he turned, his gaze distant and his face carefully neutral, though all the discipline in the world couldn’t hide the redness around his eyes. ”Remi.” He called back, a greeting and a question all in one. Why was the other man out here, why did he seem so wary? Though a paranoid, traitorous part of Peter murmured veiled threats and dangers into the back of his mind, he gave the other man a chance to explain, before jumping to any rash conclusions. Peter try, try your whole life to be righteous and good

i'm not the man they think i am at home

"I hope you do not mind me skipping over all the normal pleasantries and such...but I have to ask.." The alchemist's grin broadened, his expression boyishly charming as his eyes fell to towards Apricum. "What in all of Caido is that? Are you doing it? With magic?" Honestly, Remi wouldn't be surprised; the Launceleyns were a powerful magical family and it would make sense for them to make an effort to show their strength especially with Zariah back.

Even so...Peter didn't seem the type..

As he got closer he paused, sinking down onto his heels so that he could more easily look at both Peter and the strange creature.

”I don’t mind.” Came the immediate and automatic response, a distant smile flirting over Peter’s face before it fell into something utterly blank again. Very slowly, he looked down, toward Apricum, regarding his companion like he’d never really done it before. Then, just as slowly, he moved his gaze back up to Remi. ”I’m not doing... anything. This is Apricum, it’s... doing its own thing. I... it found me. In Longnight.” Peter moved his hand away, coaxing his companion to step away fron him, as if to prove it’s autonomy. The alchemist sat down, or at least sank down, and Peter swivelled around so he could meet eyes with the other man more easily. There was a quiet forming between them, maybe comfortable and pensive on the other mans side, but Peter was not in the headspace to deal with extended solves, and sought to fill it immediately. ”How has your um... your wagon coming along? Or... cart?” was there a difference? Peter try, try your whole life to be righteous and good

i'm not the man they think i am at home

Well, LongNight and the skeletal appearance of—Apricum? was it?—certainly seemed to make sense. "I received my..." It fractured something in Remi to speak the next words, but his pain didn't make them any less true. "..companion during LongNight as well." Isla had lost nearly all of the woman that she was, her mind dulled to the intelligence of a unicorn with little of her grit or humour. It was a slow death, and one that Remi wasn't quite sure she deserved.

"Wagon." Remi agreed, if only because carts normally were not covered. "Slow, I suppose. Once it is done Ronin and I will properly set off and I think we are both feeling...not hesitation, but the weight of that change, perhaps." The alchemist explained, his honesty easy as he shrugged his shoulders.

Peter blinked, a frown cracking his emotionless visage as he looked at Remi, not quite understanding his difficulty with the explanation. ”I... don’t know if I’ve seen uh... seen your companion, before.” He admitted, enough sense left in him to at least sound sheepish about that fact. It’s all he says about it though, not willing to poke what is clearly a painful subject for the alchemist.   ”Wagon.” Peter repeated, looking back towards the spire again. For some reason the conversation feels easier when he can look away like this. {aay}”Is it... slow to build, or slow because of the change?” He could understand the latter a little bit better than the former, after all, it was why he was sitting and contemplating the spire. Is Twas of entering it, and the portal it contained in its belly. And if sittin here, talking to Remi, stalled him even longer, did he care? Not particularly. Peter try, try your whole life to be righteous and good

i'm not the man they think i am at home

"She keeps to herself most of the time." Remi's companion was unlike all the rest, her soul more robust in some ways, but shallower in others. "She used to be a woman." He added after a moment, his smile tense as he looked down at the ground, rubbing absently at the back of his neck.

"A bit of both." Remi replied thoughtfully, raising his eyes back to Peter. Before he might have said more a bit of mud began to steadily creep over the alchemist's shoe, slurping up his laces like bits of spaghetti. Raising a brow and sighing a bit ruefully, he shook his head. "Much as I have always loved nature, I think I can safely say this has been the most burdensome."

”Oh. That’s... I’m sorry.” There was really nothing else Peter could say in response to Remi, and even though curiosity burned in him even brighter than it had before, he knew he should not ask about it. The stiff smile and averted eyes told him that loud and clear. The answer, a bit of both, was met with a nod, a quiet understanding on Peters face. ”You’re... y’know. You’ll get... get through it. Work and change.” It took him a moment after that to notice the mud crawling over Remi’s boots, the complaint seeming completely unrelated to anything before Peter realized. ”Here, I can..” Trailing off, Peter tapped his fingers on his knee, a bubble of water growing over Remi’s boot, washing away the mud for the moment. Then, like it was never there, it dropped to the ground, absorbing into the already over saturated muck. Peter try, try your whole life to be righteous and good

i'm not the man they think i am at home

"Work and change." He agrees with a smile, though it isn't as sunny as it might once have been. As it should have been.

Raising his brows at this easy display of power, the alchemist remembers himself and quickly nods his appreciation. It was a trait this Launceleyn shared with Loren it seemed, and something about that made Remi shift uncomfortably. "Well, I will leave you to things." He says, almost apologetically. After all, he'd just interrupted the man to demand information about his companion.

With a flicker of a smile Remi turns, giving the spire an unhappy glance.

!FIN