I Brought You Presents!

Isla this won't hurt a bit Isla had done as she had promised, heading out to visit her alchemist friend a few days after he'd come to see her with an arrow in his leg and a dozen, dozen troubles in his mind. The day was cloudy and overcast and Isla was actually looking forward to seeing just what had become of Remi's alchemy shop since she'd helped to set the place up with him. It wasn't that long ago but it seemed like forever, the medic smiling as she came upon the exterior after a few minutes of meandering through the Settlement. In her hands she held a small basket, filled with fruits and bread and some peppermint bark that she'd found out in the Woodlands. Innocuous enough. Also in the basket, however, were a few carefully packed vials and needles filled with the sedative Remi had requested from her. Before they sat down to eat she was keen to get those to him - he sounded like he needed them even if it was just for reassurance. Knocking at the door before pushing it open to let herself inside, Isla smiled brightly and glanced around. "Well this looks much more welcoming!" she said in a warm tone. "Well done, Remi. The place looks great."

As the door opened, the bell above it chimed merrily alerting Remi to the presence of someone in his shop. "Just a moment!" He called from somewhere in the back. The shop had a welcoming and homey atmosphere, feeling just cramped enough to be cozy but not so much that one couldn't easily move throughout. What they were moving through would probably be impossible to say, given the general state of disarray that his shelves looked. Remi however knew what and where absolutely everything was, even if it looked like a bunch of disorganized junk to regular eyes. Hearing Isla's voice immediately brought a smile to Remi's lips as he popped his head around the corner. Wiping his hands off on a cloth, he smiled sunnily at her and limped her way. He'd abandoned the crutch the day before and was trying to exercise his muscles as much as he could without taking them. "Why thank you. I had excellent help." He said with a wink. Having just stroked the fire the shop sung with heat and Remi smelled pleasantly of pine and smoke. "I have something to show you." The alchemist began, the pleased grin on his face unmistakable. REMI I tried to tie my heart down, board up all the windows Oh but it's too late now, I let you get too close

Isla this won't hurt a bit A soft smile tugged at Isla's lips at the sound of Remi's voice, the alchemist sounding much more put together than in their last meeting. The smile broadened into a grin at the sight of him, and the medic approached the desk to set the basket down upon it. "You are looking so much better," she observed, unable not to sound proud of him. Call it a Northavener thing but almost everyone she had treated from there seemed to believe that 'taking it easy' meant a brisk jog rather than a full on sprint. To see that Remi had been taking care of himself was undeniably pleasing. "So I recall." She winked at him, inhaling deeply and relishing the heat and warmth that rolled throughout the place. Compared to the chilly day outside, this was wonderfully cozy. "Something to show me, though? As do I." She patted the basket and tilted her head. "Lead the way, then."

"I was seen by a very skilled healer, I will have you know." Remi chuckled. He might have said something about how it had been a while since he enjoyed having a woman remove his pants, but decided against it. Remi might have been comfortable with his close friends knowing certain details of his personal life - and there had even been that one stranger he'd told - and now that he thought about it, there really wasn't any good reason why he couldn't reveal that to Isla. But as his mind worked, the moment slipped away and the alchemist merely smiled amusedly at her. "This way." Remi said with a flourish, then realizing it was probably better if he did lead the way given the clutter that they were about to encounter, he spun on his good leg and limped his way into the back room. Pushing open the door into a room significantly warmer (since it held the wood-stove), Remi cleared away a space on the wrap-around wooden bench. "I think, you will enjoy this." Not one to boast of his accomplishments, as it was he was quite proud of this. Pulling out a mortar and pestle, Remi looked at Isla. It appeared as though the bowl was empty, but as the alchemist ground the pestle a silvery sort of gel appeared. "Now-" Remi said holding up a finger to indicate he wasn't done, he reached out his hand to hopefully take Isla's in his. Running the end of the pestle up her arm and depositing some of the silvery fluid, he reached for a small sewing needle. Holding her hand gently, Remi's eyes flickered up to Isla's for a moment, offering a soft smile. "I will not hurt you." He said reassuringly. It might not have been necessary, but given the last time he'd visited her it had been because he had literally been shot to be subdued, he thought it worth saying. Dragging the needle gently across the un-numbed portion of her arm to where he had placed the gel, Remi's eyes quickly and excitedly rushed back to her face. "Do you feel anything?" He asked, pressing the needle down, not hard enough to break the skin, but hard enough that if the gel wasn't working, she should definitely be uncomfortable. REMI I tried to tie my heart down, board up all the windows Oh but it's too late now, I let you get too close

"My. I will have to speak with this healer of yours. Mayhap they will share with me their secrets." She giggled to Remi and shook her head, nodding and taking up the basket again before following after the alchemist at a leisurely pace. She didn't at all want him to feel as though he had to rush, and similarly she was enchanted by the brick-a-brack and tools and ingredients and whatever else Remi had to hand in his shop. The heat hit her as they stepped into the back room, Isla smiling and setting her basket back down on the table. When she looked up, Remi was approaching with a pestle and mortar. "You do? Well, you haven't disappointed yet." She smirked, watching as the silvery gel just seemed to appear within the bowl, her pebble blue eyes growing wide with wonder. "How did you..." Wordlessly she held out her hand for him, allowing him to take it and run some of the gel along her arm. As a healer she barely blinked as Remi produced the needle, too busy concentrating on his words and watching her arm. He ran the needle across it and her lips parted in an 'o' of surprise, before an expression of delight flickered across her face. "You... that's unbelievable. It works so fast, I didn't feel a thing!" Isla the flesh is weak

"Oh you can try. She is quite stuck up and snooty about her work though. Beautiful and extremely talented, but I would try to avoid her if at all possible. If you don't, she starts making house calls and it really is a bother." The amusement was clear on his face, and despite the mischievous twinkle in his pale eyes he was doing quite a poor job of sounding convincing. For a moment Remi's one hand trembled ever so slightly as it held Isla's. If this went sideways he'd look an utter fool (not that he minded), but he would actually hurt her. That was the whole point of this experiment and to have it go wrong would mean doing damage (even on a small scale) to the healer. As her mouth formed an O, Remi peered at her through a curtain of curls, brightening noticeably as it became clear that it did in fact work. "Normally most men like to hear that it was neither fast nor without feeling." He said offering her a wink and releasing her hand so that he could grab a cloth for her to wipe off the excess gel. "But in this case I am quite flattered." REMI I tried to tie my heart down, board up all the windows Oh but it's too late now, I let you get too close

”My, she does sound like a right witch,” Isla agreed, the smirk on her face testament to her amusement at Remi’s dry wit. It seemed he was the type to continue with it, too, even if she was thoroughly distracted and enthralled by the seemingly magical (or scientific, she didn’t know yet) discovery he had made with the pestle and mortar. ”Yes, you ought to be very flattered. Most men don’t hear anything of that sort from me whether good or bad, unless it involves surgery on their most sensitive parts.” It might seem like quite a specific example, but Isla had been too close to a lot of... packages as of late. Accepting the cloth to wipe away the gel, she peered into the bowl curiously. ”Come now, Remi. Don’t leave me I suspense - what is it? How did you make it?” The contents of her own basket was thoroughly forgotten by this point, Isla much more interested in whatever Remi had to show her. Isla the flesh is weak

Cocking a brow, Remi gave Isla a slightly surprised and abashed expression. ”Duly noted.” He said with a chuckle, imagining that quite a few men probably would like to be in a position to have the healer between their legs, and probably would take whatever criticism she had to offer simply for the privilege of seeing those blue’s staring back at them from that position. ”Well....” Running a hand through his hair, he looked down at the pestle. “I have cheated a bit as of late...” He murmuered. Looking down, the pestle suddenly floated in the air, bobbing about as if writing something. In fact in was writing Isla in Remi’s nearly incomprehensible handwriting. “I suppose it is a silver lining of all that has happened as of late, but I appear to have acquired...well.” Saying magic still seemed blasphemous since he was by and large still a commoner, but that was what it was. “This. I am not sure how it works, but I was able to enchant a sword the other day, and I thought what better use of enchantment than to repay your efforts with my leg and my other problem.” REMI I tried to tie my heart down, board up all the windows Oh but it's too late now, I let you get too close

Cheated? The look on Isla’s face alone said that she didn’t exactly know how to take that, not until the pestle rose up of its own accord to jot her name in the air (not that she knew that it was her name, given the handwriting). Her eyes widened and she glanced from the object to Remi and back, a delighted smile flickering across her face. A silver lining, he was calling it? He might not want to say the words but she knew magic when she saw magic, even without having it herself. ”Remi, that’s incredible,” she murmured, peering into the bowl just to check he wasn’t playing with her. ”So it just appears in there when you use it? I mean... how long does it last?” What she meant, of course, is whether or not there was a finite supply. At the mention of his ‘other problem’, though, Isla grew a touch more serious, reaching into the basket and drawing out the wrapped cloth with the sedatives in. She offered it out to Remi. ”Speaking of which, this should be what you’re looking for.” Isla the flesh is weak

Looking a little bashful - Remi wasn't really used to having anything about him called incredible - he ran a hand through his hair. "As long as you need it to, and no longer." He said nodding towards her arm which should be full of feeling once again. Then, rather belatedly he realized what it was she had actually been asking and gave an awkward laugh. "It shouldn't run out, no. It will continue to make gel when the pestle is swirled, though it only works in this mortar. " Not needing to look inside the cloth to know what Isla was handing him, a touch of colour lined the alchemist's cheeks as he accepted the gift with a small bow. "Thank you. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate it." A touch nervously he chewed the inside of his lip wondering how long it would be before he required a refill from the medic. How many times would his friends and loved ones have to bring him down before he learned to control himself as a lion, if ever? REMI I tried to tie my heart down, board up all the windows Oh but it's too late now, I let you get too close

"Oh, I see..." Isla looked utterly enthralled by his creation; whilst Remi had a thoroughly brilliant mind - as evidenced here - Isla wasn't sure he could really appreciate just how much this would help her out. To do what she did, day in and day out, and have to worry about causing pain to take it away... this was more than she had ever expected. "Thank you, Remi," she murmured sincerely, smiling as he accepted the sedatives and shrugging her shoulders; they were equally as appreciative, it seemed. Spotting his nervousness, Isla put a brighter smile on and held out the rest of the basket for him. "Are you hungry?" she asked. "I often forget to eat when I'm in the middle of something, so I thought you might want to stop for something to eat with me." Isla the flesh is weak

With a relieved laugh, Remi nodded. "I do the same. I have even been told that I forget to breathe." He didn't need to be told this though, he was very aware he did it. He'd suddenly exhale loudly having apparently been holding a breath for minutes at a time. It was funny how his mind compartmentalized even basic bodily functions when his mind was really focused. Moving to the back of the room Remi grabbed two chairs that he'd salvaged from one of the other abandoned shops. Presumably he could just make his own now, but even with magic Remi would probably always be a bit thrifty and frugal. "Tea?" He offered the medic as he set the chairs down by the fire. Grabbing a kettle he placed it over the flames to heat the water. "You did quite the job patching up Ronin. He mentioned you were working on an antidote for the poison that creature used?" REMI I tried to tie my heart down, board up all the windows Oh but it's too late now, I let you get too close

"Forgetting to breathe? That is a new one. I rather choose not to when I'm concentrating." Isla laughed good-naturedly - it was only half a joke, though. When one was trying to sew someone's insides back into the right places or saw off a leg, an errant breath could ruin everything. From bloody thoughts to tea - Isla clearly wasn't the squeamish type, and she smiled at the offer and stepped over to join Remi by the fire as he put the pot upon it. "I would love some, thank you," she said, taking a seat and setting the basket down between them. Opening it up, she withdrew some of the peppermint bark and offered a little out to Remi, only to grow instantly more attentive as he spoke about the poison from that creature at the Spire. "Oh! Thank you, it was... it wasn't an easy injury." She'd had to work on it for most of the night in fact, and the fang she'd retrieved from Ronin's shoulder was... ominous to say the least. "I've been doing my best, but my progress is limited by the amount of venom I have. I can't afford to get it wrong, because I might not have a second chance." Isla the flesh is weak

Grinning, Remi could only shrug. If she stayed around him long enough no doubt she'd hear him do it at some point: a great bout of silence followed by a woooosh of breath. As they sat, Remi used his magic to gesture a few herbs towards him. Truthfully, telekensis was probably the reason he was healing so well. It was simple to rest his leg when most things could simply be gestured at and they'd come towards him obediently. Grabbing for the herbs Remi deposited them into the water. He'd found that he enjoyed the flavours more if the tea could steep even as it was coming to temperature. He'd had to figure out a way to strain it of course, but that hadn't been difficult. Accepting the bark with a nod of thanks, Remi pondered. "Have you ever seen the way they extract venom from a snake? By milking it? I wonder...." With his creation magic growing ever stronger, Remi was already thinking up ways they could try and extract more venom from the spire monster so that Isla could be better prepared. Then again, if he was going to create anything, perhaps it better just to create some sort of weapon and be done with it. "I've not learned anything more about it ... I've spoken with a few locals, and other than the fact that it appears to be some sort of guard, I haven't learned anything of value." REMI I tried to tie my heart down, board up all the windows Oh but it's too late now, I let you get too close