it was all yellow and blue

WESSEX

There’s a distinct memory - tactile and emotional - about the sun and how it feels. She’s unsure if it will ever fade, but as Wessex stands on the beach of one of the Kaul’i Isles and tilts her face towards the brightest bubble as a cloud drifts past it, she pretends she can feel it again. This is the blessing of time and persistence; the ability to stay out more and more during the day, the ability to almost (haha) pass for a non-Ascended. The Wraith - both her the person and her the persona - might never truly shed her cloak. But the truth is that she no longer needs it.

And that makes her little mechanical heart sing.

Laying down in the hot sand, the pale blonde (ok, so that will never change) checks in with her sensors every now and then, ready to move into the shade of the trees at the slightest hint of a sizzle in her veins.

No, I’ll be the stone
I’ll be the hunter, a tower that casts the shade
I lie awake and watch it all

everything i knew is turning into ruins in your shadow

For those without wings (or the ability to phase in and out, or whatever it is Wessex can do), napping on the isles can be a real dangerous endeavor. That isn't what catches the hawk's gaze as he lazily circles above, enjoying the thermals before Deepfrost pushes and thins them away. It's the fact that it's Wessex,

in
  the
     sun.

Gliding down on soft wings (but knowing that for the demi-goddess he's anything but silent), Remi shifts midflight, landing on the sands with bare feet and a smirk. "I can't decide whether to make a joke at your expense, or be genuinely worried." Remi admits with a chuckle, shading his eyes but squinting nonetheless.

THE ALCHEMIST

i thought that i'd be ready
but falling isn't steady once you let go

WESSEX

When the bird catches her attention, Wessex has to squint to see if the dark figure is a gull-type or a different type. With the sun behind it, she can’t really tell what it is, but the eventual descent leads her to believe that it’s at least an Attuned. Remi is a bit of a surprise (she can’t keep track of the Attuned’s multiple forms now), but a pleasant one nonetheless.

Chuckling a bit at the comment, she turns towards him and shrugs, saying “Why not both?” before crossing her arms across her chest. Not quite meme-worthy (unless it’s the displeased gymnast one), but then if Wessex is ever meme-worthy, the world must be coming to an end.

“I hear very belated congratulations are in order, Governor.” To be honest, when she'd first heard there was an Outlander Governor in Torchline, she'd thought it would have been Ronin. Remi, however, is a much more pleasant outcome. Sunjata would have been best, but Remi? Yes, maybe she can work with Remi.

No, I’ll be the stone
I’ll be the hunter, a tower that casts the shade
I lie awake and watch it all

everything i knew is turning into ruins in your shadow

"Both eh?" The Alchemist grins, ruffling a hand through his curls and shaking his head. He'll leave the realm of both to men and women much more clever than he, with broader palettes for such things. "Think I'll stick to just trying my hand at being good at one thing, before I take on two." So saying, Remi raised a brow. "Wasn't aware the Voice gave out sun-bathing upgrades." He winced at that, the joke sounding flat to even his ears, but it isn't as if he's trying to win any popularity points with Wessex. She can always laugh at his poor attempt at humour, if not the quip itself.

At the mention of congratulations, the Alchemist rolls his eyes and nods in a gesture of yeah yeah yeah. "Very belated." He agrees, but he hardly sounds as if he minds.

THE ALCHEMIST

i thought that i'd be ready
but falling isn't steady once you let go

WESSEX

What, as if a woman can’t get a little greedy in her middle age? When Remi comes out with a joke, there’s the teensiest flare of disappointment that he didn’t choose the worried option, even though Wessex knows full well that she isn’t exactly high on Remi’s friend list. It was something she didn’t mind most of the time, but you know, even even the most independent people like to hear a bit of concern from people every now and then.

She shrugs, genuinely unsure what to say. “As far as I know, she doesn’t. Don’t know what this is, but I’m not complaining.” It could be age, power, something uniquely demi. Who knows? “Did miss the sun, though,” she adds a little wistfully, unable to go so far as to voice the desire to actually feel the warmth again. Some things (many things) must be kept for herself.

No, I’ll be the stone
I’ll be the hunter, a tower that casts the shade
I lie awake and watch it all

everything i knew is turning into ruins in your shadow

Sinking down next to the ascended, the Alchemist idly runs his fingers through the sand, picking it up and letting it drain out from his parted fingers. "Remind me again what it is about you, that means you can't be in the sun? Something about..heat?" His interest was entirely scientific, though given his recent alignment with Ludo it could conceivably be thought of as something else.

Sam had mentioned it a few times; an aversion to flames and the sun. Remi hadn't ever taken it too seriously, given that simply hiding his skin away from the light seemed to do the trick, or remaining in the shade.

"Is this just you? Or can all the ascended be out in the sun now?"

THE ALCHEMIST

i thought that i'd be ready
but falling isn't steady once you let go

WESSEX

And that’s exactly what she thinks it is - some prying of Ludo’s, an inquiry into their vulnerabilities that comes too closely to other interrogations disguised as discussions. Casting a side-eyed look at the Alchemist, Wessex doesn’t immediately answer, trying to first figure something out through observation. But of course, it’s impossible to tell what kind of motivation he might have through simply looking at him. What she sees, what she knows, and what she thinks are all at odds in the moment.

“Why do you ask?” she replies, trying to keep the accusatory edge out of her voice.

No, I’ll be the stone
I’ll be the hunter, a tower that casts the shade
I lie awake and watch it all

everything i knew is turning into ruins in your shadow

If he notices the momentary tension in the air, he doesn't show it. (He doesn't actually; things with Wessex have always been easily aired, after all).

"Sam came to me a few days ago saying he was preparing things here for LongNight for those in the Grounds who'd prefer not to rely on the stupidity and heroism of others." Remi replied with a snort of amusement. "I know there are a handful of ascended in the grounds, many whom I've seen in Torchline already." Amun, Nate, Sam, and Wessex now. "I was just wondering if I needed to start hanging tarps from the trees so you'd all have a place to walk during the day, or if this—" He gestured vaguely towards her, "Is for all of you."

THE ALCHEMIST

i thought that i'd be ready
but falling isn't steady once you let go

WESSEX

“Ahh,” Wessex says with a nod, satisfied with this answer. “Can’t speak for anyone else, but I think it’s just me.” And that’s just because she isn’t speaking to Sam at the moment. Everything she’s done with the Ascended, lately, has been at night. Amun and Nate’s resilience is relatively unknown to her. “That’s a nice offer, but I don’t think there’s any need to go out of your way unless you need to keep people busy.” Which, as one former leader to another, is a legitimate reason.

Peering back up at the sun, she makes a face. “Our fluid is, uh - volatile, I guess you’d say. But maybe it settles down with time?” Another shrug. “I don’t know the mechanics of it. Hell, I don’t have an explanation for most things that happen to me these days.”

That, at least, she can laugh at. She imagines Ronin might be feeling the same way sometimes.

No, I’ll be the stone
I’ll be the hunter, a tower that casts the shade
I lie awake and watch it all

everything i knew is turning into ruins in your shadow

It's almost a relief to hear her say that. While Remi wants to keep everyone in Torchline safe....he also isn't particularly looking for the influx of new arrivals from the Hollowed Grounds to decide they want to stay in Torchline. It isn't for him to decide of course, but there are more than a few reasons he's not been back to the Hollowed Ground with any regularity, and he'd prefer if those reasons didn't suddenly start showing up on his doorstep.

Tilting his head slightly at that, at her not knowing how it all works, the Alchemist can only shrug. "I'd say I was surprised to hear that, but it's much the same with me." Holding out a hand, he makes a fist and then releases it, watching as precisely nothing happens. "Saw a new shrine go up, down on the beach." It isn't really a leading question, but did part of Remi wonder if she shouldn't have asked permission first? Maybe a little. Would he come right out and say that? To Wessex? Never on your life.

THE ALCHEMIST

i thought that i'd be ready
but falling isn't steady once you let go

WESSEX

Much the same with him? Flashing Remi a questioning glance, she watches his hand flex and wonders if something is supposed to happen - and then realizes that maybe that’s precisely the point. Something didn’t happen. Going from hand to face to pushing back a bit to get a better look at him, she realizes she may have missed something important when he came out of the sky.

It’s that extra something that Ronin had when she first realizes he wasn’t entirely human anymore. Probably masked by all that power he has - or doesn’t? “Wait. You aren’t just a follower of Ludo now, are you? You’re like Ronin and me?” Demigods. Whatever that means.

(What it does mean is that the world just got a whole lot trickier).

She’s about to make a joke asking if he’s sure her kin are safe here, when she thinks better of it, knowing what he could throw back at her. “The shrine is for everyone. Options are healthy.” Besides, it may not have been The Voice that brought him and Ronin to Torchline, but she enabled everyone else to be here - those who helped him with the volcano, those who form his government. She deserves a little recognition for that.

No, I’ll be the stone
I’ll be the hunter, a tower that casts the shade
I lie awake and watch it all

everything i knew is turning into ruins in your shadow

"I don't know that I was ever a follower of Ludo." Remi corrected with a slight tilt of his head. "More like...an oath I made was called in." Running a hand along the back of his neck, the Alchemist looked into the sun as if to hide his wince. But given who is present company was, Remi doubted that there was much he could do that would escape Wessex's notice.

"It might help, actually. Given some of the more resentful sentiments towards her." Remi replies with a shrug. "Let people hear it all from the horse's mouth, as it were." From his pocket he pulls out one of the GuArdIan SphEreS and holds it out to Wessex. It looks fairly unremarkable, though glows brilliantly now, suggesting the ascended are close to another portal. "Have you seen one of these, yet?"

THE ALCHEMIST

i thought that i'd be ready
but falling isn't steady once you let go

WESSEX

If what he says is true, and Wessex has no reason to believe it isn’t, she all of a sudden feels a bit sorry for the Alchemist. Having an oath called in seems shitty, and it’s only through pure luck that Arduinna never called her on hers, that the note she’d received upon the Lady’s death had no magic attached to it. It easily could have - and her life would be vastly different right now. “The Gods here are nothing if not… demanding,” she finally settles on the adjective, perhaps a way of saying she sympathizes with him if it’s not the role he wanted to take. “Might as well say it now, though in the end, it probably means jack shit. I don’t ever want to fight you. If it comes to something really big - I say we let the Gods duke it out.”

If they are able to make that choice.  

Anyway, he pulls out a glowing orb and she’s obviously curious about it, brow furrowing a bit. “No, not yet. Did you make it?” The PoRtAl GuArDiAnS are more Sam’s domain than hers, she’s just vaguely heard of the group, she’s not sure who’s in it, or what tools they use.

Mostly because, well, they haven’t done much to try and stop the Ascended from opening portals. Not yet, at least.

No, I’ll be the stone
I’ll be the hunter, a tower that casts the shade
I lie awake and watch it all

everything i knew is turning into ruins in your shadow

The Alchemist gives Wessex a thoughtful look at that, wondering what, if anything, he's meant to read into it. Deciding against wasting his time on such things, he just lets his lips tug wide in a grin and nods. "Deal. I care very little for the wants of the gods or this big struggle that is meant to be playing out with all of us."

It's serendipitous that he brings the sphere out now, given the trajectory of their conversation. "Make it? Oh no. Not this." He drops it unceremoniously in the sand, the gesture revealing a bit about how very little respect he has for the item. "No, this came from Rae. Mine anyways. Amalia's is from Ronin, and Jigano has one from Mort. Phoebe has the twin to this." Nudging it with the bit of magic he did still have left, the Alchemist just frowned. "It's glowing like that because you all are close to opening another portal. Of which we, the oh so important guardians, are meant to...oversee? Monitor? Stop?"

He shrugged, having clearly done none of those things thus far.

THE ALCHEMIST

i thought that i'd be ready
but falling isn't steady once you let go