it was all yellow and blue

WESSEX

Nothing. He’s meant to read nothing into it. It’s the foresight of a de facto leader and nothing more, much like her added boon from the Eirachi is. His agreement brings a smile to her own face as she nods in agreement. Wessex has come to the conclusion that she can only do so much. The Voice keeps many things from her, and right now, she is happy to keep to her mortal role.

And speaking of - her eyes widen a bit as he tells her what the glowing orb is. Who all carries them - himself, Phoebe, Jigano, and Amalia - solid choices, except perhaps on Rae’s part. Amalia and Jigano, at least, were gung-ho on Ascended eradication she assumes. Trying to still her emotions regarding her former daughter-figure, Wessex settles for listening to the story of what’s been supposedly going on. “I… see.” And then she can’t help but chuckle, because, “I’m sure you know about Sam’s role, then. Gods know he can’t keep a secret. Especially from you, I imagine.”

Wessex slowly reaches out to touch the glowing ball and pick it up, ready to stop if Remi tells her to do so. “So… are you going to? Try to stop the opening of another portal?” Looking up to the Alchemist, there’s just straightforward curiosity in her gaze. No malice, no ill-intent.

It’s not like Wessex knows when or where the portal will open. So he, at least, knows more than she does.

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 laughs easily at that, his cheeks dimpling in a way that makes the scarring on his body look improperly placed. "I do yeah. He told me pretty early on. Asked if I was going to kill him, or if it meant he and I would fight." Remi shoots Wessex a look that suggests she can flesh out the rest of the details.

He doesn't tell her to stop. He'd tell her to keep the damn thing if it'd do either them any good. "Not unless it threatens Torchline I won't." Remi replied, exhaling a mouthful of air that suddenly tasted stale. "My part in taking down the Spire Demon was my last intentionally heroic act. Given that it got Ronin killed, it seemed wise to stop there." The lowering of the barrier, political relations (Torchline not withstanding), he'd had no part in.

"You can try and burn that thing, bury it, throw it into the ocean...but it always shows up again next to my bed, no matter what I do. So while I might be stuck with it, by no means am I on team big bad ascended."

Though they both know that might not be the whole truth anymore.

"Roanna once said Ludo told her to kill the ascended." He continued in a low voice, shooting his fellow demigoddess an earnest look, before gazing out at the sea. "Should Ludo ever do the same..." Remi let his head warble back in forth in a gesture of uncertainty. "It holds my soul...it could threaten Ronin...but should it ever come to that, I'll do you the courtesy of letting you know in advance that I'd be breaking this little pledge of ours."

THE ALCHEMIST

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

WESSEX

Little more than a ‘hmmmm’ of something as he talks about Sam, her own thoughts on the Ascended man tucked tightly away for now. No sense in airing that can of worms while they’re getting along so well.

Now it’s her turn to play with the sand, knowing the grains of sand are there, but feeling little from them. “I don’t want any harm to come to Torchline. Or anywhere. She keeps a lot from us, as I’m sure you realize with the Old Gods. So there’s risk with any new thing, new people, new land, new culture.” She pauses and looks out to the ocean, to the vastness that she hasn’t yet seen. “I tend to think the risk is worth it. A life of fear is no life at all.”

But she knows she doesn’t speak for everyone, and change is coming fast. Too fast, for many. “But I’m one person. And could be wrong.” Her tone says she thinks she’s anything but, a shrug added in for good measure to aid her words.  

And as for Ludo, well… she’s aware the herald is more than hostile to her kind. “I heard Mort chastised Ludo quite vigorously for that, but who knows if it’ll strike again. So. No hard feelings if you’re forced to protect your family.” So saying, she sticks out her hand to Remi, offering an official shake.

“In the spirit of sharing, The Voice suggested that if your ah, recent alignment is a problem, that you could be dealt with. But I said no.” More or less. And see, here is is, being reasonable, exactly like she’d predicted he would be.

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

"What does she want?" Remi asks. "Genuinely. I've only really heard Safrin's side of things...or Sam's retelling, and.." With a bashful grin, the Alchemist offers the Wraith a bit of a shrug. They both know Sam well enough that many things simply don't need to be voiced, when it comes to the bookmaker.

Glancing at the offered hand, he reaches for it easily enough, his calloused palm sliding against hers. "I suppose it isn't terribly surprising you understand, but I do appreciate that you do."

Tilting his head in a decidedly avian gesture that he'd probably never shake, Remi's expression was one of patient curiosity, until he heard what Wessex had to say. As she did, he grinned crookedly. "Well I suppose I owe you yet another thank-you for not immediately deciding I needed to be dealt with. I assume should that change you'll let me know as well?"

THE ALCHEMIST

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

WESSEX

“Of course. Fair is fair.” Grasping his hand firmly, she shakes it and withdraws, having never been one for lingering touches with people who aren’t her lover. And with that settled, she can rest a little easier, going back to what the Alchemist asked only moments before - no, she hasn’t avoided the question.

“Truly?” Wessex asks, pursing her lips into a line that is neither a frown nor a smile. “I think it varies. It’s based in wanting to make life easier, in finding the sparks in the souls of people that make them special, and allowing that to grow unhindered.” Without distraction - which can mean taking care of the physical, certainly, but it also means giving them the tools to succeed and go that extra step. “But I also think she wants recognition for what she’s been able to do. The… innovation. Technology. Ability to go above and beyond anyone else.”

The Wraith takes a look behind them, gauging whether or not she should head for the shade.


"But again, I don't presume anything." Turning back with a shrug, the Wraith looks almost disappointed. "As close as I am, I know nothing more than what she wants me to know."

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

"You speak of her so...carefully." Remi notes, head still tilted to the side. "I can't tell if it's respect or fear." Why not both? He wonders if she'll reply.

"That's certainly one of the accounts floating around. I'd ask her myself, but I don't want to get dragged into something I've no part in being in." What could start as a simple query of, hey Voice, I'd love to hear your side of things might easily end up some philosophical debate about the merits of what Remi was doing for Ludo, of gaining information for one side or both, of officially choosing a side. Then again, perhaps Remi was simply being naive to think he hadn't done that yet.

"Where will you be, come LongNight?"

THE ALCHEMIST

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

WESSEX

Carefully? Wessex hadn’t necessarily thought of it that way, but going back, she supposes she is choosing her words precisely. “Respect. And Love. When everything you do and say is scrutinized by literally everyone, it seems important to be precise. If I can protect in that small way, I will.” Which is kind of silly, when you think about it, a mortal protecting a Goddess, but what else can she give the deity who’s given her everything?

But his statement leads to another thought, something she’s considered before, urged in others. “If you could ask without getting dragged into something…” she begins slowly. “Would you? Because if I could ask Ludo why without worrying about getting killed, I would.” She drops the idea in his lap, unsure if it’ll take - unsure if it’s wise to even propose it, given how hell bent Ludo is on destroying the Ascended. The look that follows clearly says that she doesn’t think it possible to walk out of an audience with Ludo unscathed. And the Wraith isn’t so naive as to think that they two of them can solve all their problems with agreements or trades, but there are some things worth mentioning just for the sake of mentioning.

“Wherever I want to be,” she quips, far more blithe about this than anything else they’ve talked about. It might even be a humblebrag, if Wessex were prone to such things.

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

"Is it worth it? To you?" Remi asks in a tone of genuine curiosity. "You'll live longer than me, I take it, but still I can't help but feel like we're all just pawns in a game we'll never live to see the end of."

Instantly, Remi nods. "I would, absolutely. I know that there is...something honourable or praiseworthy about having faith and doing things you're told." Given the contexdt of their conversation, it's clear he means told by a god. "And yet...once Roanna tried to kill Sam on Ludo's authority, and I near cut her throat out. Said he was under my protection." Sighing, Remi folded his fingers in his lap and shrugged. "If I ... don't have my mind made up about things, I think I'll just be constantly running back to Ludo, never knowing how to think for myself.

Rolling his eyes at the Wraith, he nods. "Understandable, given all the options available to you. There's Halo of course, where though you'll be unbothered by the cold there's a high number of Launceleyns to deal with—" (Remi doesn't know about Neron of course and his recent alignment-shift), "—The Greatwood were your infamy likely couldn't be higher...the Hollowed Grounds if you fancy playing the hero, or here." Remi grinned again. "Which...I suppose doesn't present as much of a problem for you as it might once have." He added, gesturing towards the sun.

THE ALCHEMIST

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

WESSEX

“We are,” she says simply, preceding it with a sigh. “And it sucks. There’s a line I won’t cross, but that -” her hands come up and shake around the sides of her head, indicating cognitive dissonance, more or less, “- is the hardest about it all.”

“It’s worth it until it isn’t,” she finally decides. “Given everything she’s done for me. Hard to argue with being resurrected.” Giving a side eye to Remi, she can imagine Ronin might have similar feelings at times, at least for the resurrection bit. “And when people think you’re less than human, or should have stayed dead, it makes some choices easier.” She shrugs, because it’s not an expression of self-pity or anger, just something that’s quite matter of fact for her. She’s weighed some of the costs and benefits, seen where people who once loved her now lie.

“But in all of that, there’s still shit She's done that I don’t agree with. And may not in the future. So.” She’s still a woman who makes her own decisions. Most of the time.

Laughing at his characterization of the known lands, Wessex concedes his points. “Touche. Well,” Because timelines are wonky she can say this. “I was thinking of checking in on Ronin, if he’ll let me. The Ascended had wanted to try to fight the Monsters this year, but it didn’t quite work out… feels like an apt heroic replacement without going overboard. Otherwise - are you trying to convince me to stay here?” Raising a brow at her now fellow demigod, she is absolutely insinuating that he might actually tolerate her company and maybe even like it a bit.

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 listens, trying to hear both the things said and unsaid. Wessex isn't one to mince her words and yet when it comes to the Voice, Remi has never heard her speak so cryptically. But given that she's doing so intentionally, he doesn't ask for clarification. He will one day, should the situation or need arises though. "Oh, I can think of someone who'd disagree." That someone was precisely who Wessex thought it was. Ronin argued plenty with Safrin and had very nearly turned away from her altogether. "But..Ronin and Safrin...they aren't family the way you are." He concludes, voicing the end of his internal thoughts on the matter.

'No, not less at all.' Remi agreed with a shake of his head. Different to be sure, but calling them lesser was missing the point entirely.

"So." He repeated, knowing at least what the unsaid bit of that was meant to imply. 'I can't tell if I respect that, or think it's stupid, to be honest." Holding up a hand in a gesture of surrender, the Alchemist shakes his head. "It applies to me too of course. I just...Before all this, I suppose I thought if I god came and told you to do something, who were you to disagree? Nothing, and no one. Being in it now though..." His head continues to shake as he rubs a hand against the back of his head.

"Didn't work out?" He raises a brow and holds her gaze; this is a topic however sensitive Remi is quite invested in and he's happy to probe more than he ought. 'Oh, Ronin has already been given his LongNight marching orders." The Alchemist said with unfettered sourness. "But by all means."

THE ALCHEMIST

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

WESSEX

Wessex can imagine that for most of the other ‘made’ demigods, their relationships with their ‘parents’ aren’t quite the same. Which is an interesting idea for another time, with Remi more or less pressed into service, and Ronin raging against Safrin… she can see how their loyalties might be tested more often than, say, hers or Delphia’s or the twins’.

“Both?” she says with a shrug. “I suppose what I mean is, now that I’ve mangled it a bit, is that I’m trying to pick my battles. Learning when to press and when not to. Saving up the brownie points in case I need to… say no to something. Ask for a big favor. Something like that.” Save up the credit by not asking for much. On the other hand he could establish himself as an independent thinker, but she’s not so sure Ludo would take well to that kind of persistent micro-challenges.

What she does know is that the Voice has given her remarkable agency within their relationship and within the umbrella of her children. She kinda pities others who don’t have that.

At least Remi had bitten where she’d wanted him to; luckily there’s no need to act a certain way when responding - other than a tad dramatically. With the teenies of sighs, she lays back into the sand and closes her eyes, a sense of weariness washing over her. “Yeah. Didn’t work out. It’s an all hands on deck kind of attempt and not all hands were willing to be on deck. So… not this year for us. I’ll just ease the guilt by helping him a bit.” She does, of course, know full well what Ronin’s marching orders are, and is content just to tag along on some kind of mission, even if it’s from Safrin. The Grounds will otherwise be on their own.

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

'You know, I've just about had it with your reasonableness.' Remi says with a smirk, which is his way of offering the demigoddess a compliment she can hopefully take in stride. He doesn't want to derail their conversation with unnecessary flattery, but now having encountered a bit of what Wessex is mentioning—picking battles, saving favours—he knows just what a pain in the ass it can all be.

"I guess everyone's family has their disagreements." Remi notes, wondering what it could have deterred them. They weren't invincible, he knew that from Sam's antics last year. "Well, whatever your reasons, I'll feel better knowing Ronin isn't alone out there." Better still for knowing it was the Wraith who might be lending his husband her talents. "A luxere shift might be useful for you as well." The Alchemist adds, his voice appropriately awkward knowing what such a thing would entail. But then, he and Ronin always agreed that in battle or to save lifes, ascended-bites were permissible.

THE ALCHEMIST

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

WESSEX

“Likewise,” she mock-grumbles back, making a disgruntled face, but inwardly quite pleased at every millimeter of progress she seems to make. “We could threaten each other at the end of this talk, you know. If it helps.” They could go back to their respective constituencies and say they’ve done their duty, whatever that perceived duty may be.

Although she isn’t about to spill the beans now that the time to do so has passed (and she can’t be sure where he stands on Sam right now - it isn’t her place to potentially put the Alchemist between them), she can’t but feel a little flare of resentment. That quickly disappears when she bursts out laughing at the suggestion of the luxere shift. If he’s suggesting that she bite Ronin, it’s gone over her head because Wessex thinks he’s talking about permanently.

And it makes her almost howl, a ridiculous scenario playing out in her head.

“Can you imagine? The two of us with matching luxere shifts if this all goes down. On the battlefield and then everyone gets confused about who is who? And we’re just staring at each other like what the fuck?” The laughter simmers down to a chuckle by the end of it, but the Wraith has been thoroughly amused.

She does, of course, have her own arsenal of potentially LongNight appropriate tactics.

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

'Well, if it's all for show anyway, I suppose we could just tell everyone that we did." Remi counters with an easy shrug. If it's all smoke and mirrors anyway and there was no one to see, what use of it?

Grinning at her amusement, thinking indeed most of it comes from the thought of biting his husband, the Alchemist can only shrug with boyish mischief. "I can imagine it. You'd make quite the pair you know, all noble and glowing, prancing about and defending the grounds against the darkness." Amusement dimples his cheeks as he shakes his head. "As far as tropes go, it's not bad." He isn't one to talk of course, given that he and Ronin have matching but opposite demi-god alignments and whatnot, but still.

Rising so that the demi-goddess can get back to her sunbathing, strange as that is, the alchemist flips her the bird. "You and the ascended better...you know, watch out." He warns menacingly, waiting just long enough for Wessex to offer up her own insults, but slipping into his avian skin and flying back towards the coast.

~FIN

THE ALCHEMIST

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