Like big balls of yarn [Seasonal Event]

The primal part of his mind which was currently in control, blocked out Vai's cry. He heard nothing but the blood in his ears and the singing of bloodlust on his tongue. His paws raked against the ground as he picked up speed, singularly intent on reaching the lantern-weilding spectra before she could- - ow Roaring with pain, Vai's arrow found its way right into his right hind thigh, immediately stifling the movement of that leg. With a roar of pain and anger Remi stuttered to the left trying to bear his weight as best he could on three legs. Snarling at the huntress, the lion's drive to seek revenge was frustrated by his need to seek down the woman with the light and tear her to shreds once again. Glancing over his shoulder he could see his 'mother' standing the same distance away that she had always been, the lantern held high to cast a far-too warm and wholesome glow on her face. Snarling back towards Vai, the lion tried to take a step and found that running would now be more or less impossible. Seizing upon this opportunity, Remi forced his will back to the forefront of their collective mind and through himself back into his own body. Collapsing awkwardly onto the ground, Remi squeezed his eyes shut as pain reverberated anew through his body. Looking down he could see Vai's arrow neatly impaled in the back of his thigh. Hissing through his teeth, the alchemist leaned backwards panting in pain, but thankful for it. Dragging himself backwards with his hands to prop himself up against a tree, he gave Vai a weary but thankful smile. "Nice shot." He chuckled breathlessly. remi sometimes love is war but sometimes you win

A shaky breath that she didn't realise she'd been holding left Vai's lips as the arrow buried itself in the lion, and she lowered her bow and took a few faltering steps back while the beast bellowed and roared and tried to continue onwards to no avail. She was ready, almost, with another arrow, lest the lion decide to turn its ire upon her, but all at once it was the man and not the feline who stumbled awkwardly to the ground. Swiping at her eyes, Vai set off for Remi even as he tried to drag himself to sit against a tree. She had put her weapons away by the time she reached him, kneeling down beside him and holding onto him tightly for a moment - he might want to laugh it off, but then he'd not had to fire the shot. "I'm so sorry," she murmured, fussing over him uneccessarily before turning her attention to his leg and scowling. "Ouch. That arrow needs to come out before I can... well, before I can do as much as I'm able. I don't know if I'm strong enough to heal that." vervain face the wind

"No, no." He managed between gasps of air. Every time he tried to move even slightly the pain washed over him in waves. The alchemist was no stranger to being wounded, and perhaps it had more to do with the circumstances of this injury rather than the wound itself, but he found this somehow more unbearable than he would have otherwise anticipated. Reaching for Vai, he grabbed her arm gently and offered her a shaky but genuine smile. "I am glad you didn't hesitate." He said gently, before releasing her arm and exhaling as slowly and calmly as he could. Glancing down, Remi could only shrug. "If we pull it out, it may bleed more." Already there was a growing circle where the arrow had pierced his pants (shifting was a strange thing indeed), but removing it might do more harm than good. "We could break the shaft and remove it when we're back in town? Or..." Feeling very tired all of a sudden, Remi shrugged and leaned back against the tree. "Or whatever you think is best. Just ..please.." Looking out into the trees where his mother still stood, still called, still beckoned, the alchemist shivered. "..Please just not here." remi sometimes love is war but sometimes you win

Remi was right and Vai felt irritated and helpless as she watched him in pain. Her hand moved over his as he reached for her, a sad smile tugging at her lips. Glad he might have been - and it was good to know that it had worked, too - but she still wasn't pleased to have caused him any injury. They would need to get him back to town, then - she scowled and considered the arrow. Breaking it would certainly help his mobility if nothing else, but... she knew it wasn't likely going to be a 'fun' experience. His gaze drifted and Vai touched a hand to his cheek, drawing his attention slowly back to her. "Look at me," she said softly. "I'm going to break the arrow, then we're going to go to the infirmary. Okay? You need to bite down on something, though - this is going to hurt." Rather than draw it out or give the prospect of breaking the arrow shaft an opportunity to panic either of them, Vai reached out to place a strong and steady hand against his leg around the wound, hoping to steady it against what she was about to do. Then, wasting no time, she used her other hand to quickly and sharply snap the slender wood, dropping it as soon as it came away. vervain face the wind

Nodding, Remi created in his hand a wooden spoon with a particularly thick handle. Placing it between his teeth, the alchemist took a steadying breath which was almost too late given how quickly Vai acted. As the shaft was broken, Remi screamed through clenched teeth as fangs appeared in his mouth. Easily breaking through the piece of wood, Remi roared in pain, his body tensing and his fingers curling into his palms so that the claws forming there would be of no danger to the huntress. Slamming a fist into the ground, Remi tried to unclench his jaw and exhale the breath caught in his lungs. For a moment he could only pant and keep his eyes firmly shut before the tidal waves of agony slowly began to recede and he could think again. Claws and teeth retracted leaving bloody wounds on his palms and a cut on the inside of his mouth. It didn't matter though. He hadn't hurt Vai, which was what was important. "I think if I shift into a bird...with the size of this arrow it could be quite bad. I am afraid we will have to walk back like this." Remi said through a smile that was clearly forced, and yet his pale gaze was without anger or upset. remi sometimes love is war but sometimes you win

Vai could have almost seen this coming, the huntress wincing at the sound of the wooden spoon cracking and breaking between Remi's teeth. She held her hand firmly against the wound as he roared and struck at the ground, trying to keep him as still as possible to avoid aggrivating it further. It was a tense few moments as they waited for the initial shock to die down, and she gave a small laugh that sounded truly miserable, in reality. "You never seem to come out well after seeing me, do you?" she murmured. "You get caught in a trap, you're stuck in a pit, I shoot you... so much for having a good time this time." She nodded as he spoke, shifting to duck under his injured side, slipping an arm around his waist. "Then we'll walk back, we can't risk you making yourself any worse. We'll get up on three, okay? One, two..." At the third count Vai would try to rise to her feet with him, prepared to brace and take the weight of his injured leg while he righted himself. vervain face the wind

Grinning through clenched teeth, the alchemist shrugged. "I wasn't going to say anything." He tried to chuckle but just ended up wincing. It was true that things always seemed to go wrong when they were together, but somehow all of his interactions with Vai were still coloured with fond thoughts and feelings. If this was going to be their fate together, so be it. Allowing one hand to become clawed, Remi reached overhead to the trunk of the tree as Vai counted down. On three, he dug his claws into the bark to assist in raising his body up. Vai was strong to be sure, but at this point Remi was mostly dead weight and the last thing either of them needed was Vai throwing out her back simply trying to get him vertical again. Wincing and panting, Remi let go of the tree and leaned a shoulder against it. Glancing up at the branches Remi wondered if he could grab one and use it as a crutch. Oh. Maybe that wasn't necessary. Winded as he was, Remi tried to focus. He'd never been taught how to use magic before and so drawing on some inner wellspring of power was not something he understood. He just visualized and tried to urge his idea into reality. For a wonder, it worked. A crutch appeared in his hand. It was crude as the alchemist's mind wasn't really thinking about comfort, just form, but it would work well enough, especially with Vai's continued support. "You're on gourd patrol." Remi said with a grin, tucking the crutch under his arm. remi sometimes love is war but sometimes you win

Remi seemed to take it, like most other things, in his stride, but as they got him upright Vai was markedly less buoyant about the whole ordeal. The huntress smiled softly as he fashioned himself a crutch, nodding and releasing him so he could walk - well, hobble as best he could. "Gourd patrol," she agreed, turning to walk them out into the fields and scrublands, her steps slow and silent, her bow on her back but her axe in hand for any gnashing pumpkins. They were hassled by the gourds, of course they were, but with Vai keeping her eyes sharp for trouble she managed to keep them away from the injured alchemist as best she could. She was a little out of breath by the time they reached the Sanctuary, her steps slowing to a halt. She smiled back at Remi. "How are you holding up?" vervain face the wind

As they started, Remi glanced nervously over his shoulders just once. But it was a long and lingering enough stare to fill the alchemist with a cold dread. He could see so clearly the look of sadness on his mother's face despite the distance between them, and could hear her words so clearly as if her lips were pressed against his ear. Indeed his muscles were reminded of the weight of her in his arms, and he shuddered and closed his eyes against the memory for just a moment. " You... you could see her too?" Remi asked, wondering if the madness of his mind was limited to just him, or if Ludo's trickery had poisoned the world as well. Every limping step was actually agony. There was no smooth way of limping forward even with the crutch, and it felt as though the wood of the arrow was serrated with fiery teeth that burned and needling at his flesh with every step. "I am alright." Remi lied, the sheen of pain-sweat on his forehead an indicator of that. remi sometimes love is war but sometimes you win

"Yes," Vai said softly, a note of cold horror in her voice as she recalled the woman with the lantern that had leaped out of Remi's memories to become flesh before the two of them. "Yes, Remi, I saw her too." And the worst part was that she could understand, looking at the lone figure standing in the shade of the trees, why he might want to go to her. She could even understand why the lion would want to hurt her, given their last interaction. The huntress shivered, not wanting to think about it too hard. A frown flashed across her face as he said he was alright while looking positively wretched, the huntress dropping back to walk with him. "It's just a little further," she encouraged him. "Just get to the temple doors with me, okay? I'll go and fetch one of the medics." The going was slow and tough, but Vai resisted the urge to let them stop. They couldn't have that arrow in there for longer than absolutely necessary. Within a few more minutes that felt like hours, the Temple came into view and Vai held the door open for Remi. vervain face the wind

"I do not know if that is reassuring or not." He admitted with a small shake of his head. "I just..." Swallowing the alchemist glanced towards Vai with an unsettled smile. "Part of me wants to find the god again and ask him what all this is for...why it is happening. But .." Pausing, Remi glanced over at Vai curiously for a moment searching his memory. Had he not told her? Frowning, his eyebrows knitting together, he took a breath. "I met another god actually. Well, the same one as I told you about the first time, in the sanctuary? It..." Remi's lip should have trembled, but it didn't. It was hard to mourn something you could no longer feel. "I upset it somehow, by asking it a question...and it took my love for Loren. It took everything, really. How I feel about him, wanting him...loving him. It's all....gone." With a hollow voice and a hollow shrug, Remi itched the side of his cheek against his shoulder slightly and sighed. Moving inside with the weariness of a man exhausted by pain, Remi slumped against one of the walls for support. He thought he knew where Isla had set up shop inside, but he didn't want to walk any farther than was necessary if his assumption was incorrect. remi sometimes love is war but sometimes you win

Vai didn't have answers for Remi, so she heard him out instead. She couldn't imagine being in his position, and part of her uncertainty stemmed from getting too close to that god he'd mentioned. What if she saw the spectres from her past? What would they want? How would she react? She sighed deeply, storing that away as they neared the Temple, but by then Remi was speaking of that other deity, the one that he'd met with Celosia and Phoebe... she hadn't been aware that he'd met it a second time. Her eyes widened as he spoke, the huntress pausing with him as they entered the Temple, but only for a moment. Sadly, she reached out and touched a hand to his chest, shaking her head. "You must be so tired," she murmured, and by her tone of voice she was not referring to the trek they'd just had to make. "I'll get someone. Rest here, okay?" On quiet feet, Vervain swept off into the Temple. vervain I am always on your side

Isla take your medicine It was business as usual for Isla, though she hadn't expected that her new patient would be Remi. The alchemist was a gentle man, at least that she knew of, but apparently - according to the huntress who had come to find her, at least - things had changed a bit since they'd last met properly. The medic swept into the entranceway of the Temple with a small satchel over her shoulder, frowning and nodding to Vervain as if to tell her she would take it from here. The huntress could come back when she knew Remi was patched up. "Hello, Remi," she murmured softly as she approached, smiling to him and reaching into the satchel to draw out a small square of folded parchment, which she offered to him. Inside it he would find a fine, lilac coloured powder. "I normally like to mix this with water, but if you'd like to put that on your tongue, it should take the edge off. Careful, though - it's terribly bitter. Once you feel a little better, you think you can walk with me through to the infirmary?"

Remi smiled shakily from beneath a brow now laden with sweat. "Nice to see you again, Isla." The alchemist offered as politely as he could, despite wanting to grit his teeth against the pain. Why the wound was causing him so much trouble was impossible for him to say - though Isla would likely know. As she offered him the purplish powder, Remi reached out an unsteady hand and took it, immediately depositing it on his tongue and tilting his head back as if it were a shot of something. Running his tongue along the top of his mouth to try and generate saliva, he gulped it down as best he could. Nodding, Remi leaned into the crutch to force himself vertical again. Even just stopping for a short time had given his muscles time to rest, and now that they were being called upon again he could feel his body wanting to resist. "If you do not mind?" He asked almost sheepishly, extending an arm which was really a question: whether she'd help support the side of him that Vai previously had to make their venture that much easier. Unsure what Vai had said thus far, Remi glanced sideways towards the blonde with a smile. "Did Vai tell you what happened?" remi sometimes love is war but sometimes you win