Reading is fundamental (OPEN)

R E M I "No—" Remi interrupted, shaking his head as he tried to clarify. "He asked for a memory and said I could name my price for it. I chose what I wanted and what I gave." At first Remi thought the pale-haired man was going to ask an entirely different question and found his studious but stunted mind properly awestruck by the riddle Jigano had posed. "I—" Remi began, eyelashes fluttering as the implications of this slowly filtered into his mind. Quickly he ran through his memories: Loren, Ianto, his mother and Vai and Ronin and— —with a look of horror he realized the totality of what Jigano was saying. He thought he remembered everything important, but of course there was no way to know. "The memory I gave was like a thousand others...a friend I had who simply used our friendship for her own gain." He could still clearly remember Delphine and his words were true: parting with one instance of how she'd meddled and used him wouldn't change much in the long history of their so-called friendship. However as Jigano's tone turned, the alchemist gave the white-haired man a quizzical look, eyebrows furrowing and creating a crease just above his nose. Had he just been compared to a lamb? No warrior was he, but he was far from helpless much as this current conversation might suggest otherwise. Looking down at the feather with a mixture of confusion and turmoil, Remi swallowed as he considered his thoughts. Too naturally submissive to defend himself against Jigano's charges, Remi introspected for a moment to see whether or not he thought that they were true. He was not helpless, but he had put himself in dangerous enough positions (getting lost in the woods when Vai found and saved him from hypothermia) rather thoughtlessly. Now with gods about who appeared vindictive or simply entertained by him, perhaps more caution was advised. But then again, life was not particularly precious to Remi, perhaps even moreso now that Loren had removed himself from the alchemist's life. If danger might bring about some good, then why not risk himself? He who had no-one ? "And you will?" Remi asked, looking upwards with a raised brow.

Jigano watched the thoughts flicker behind Remi's eyes, his open expression moving from distracted thought to fear as the bard's words sank in. It wasn't kind, what he'd done... but it was't done with malice, either. The boy had been reacting, not thinking, and it was the lorekeeper's business to see that people thought.

And, ideally, didn't make the same mistakes again.

"A thousand others?" he asked, tone a bit dry at the unconscious resignation in the other man's voice. "It sounds like you've a bad habit of letting yourself get taken advantage of." Perhaps these new gods were predators, of a sort? The kind that smelled weakness and worked to separate an injured soul from the flock... well. Ludo, at least, with his twice-over attempts to coax the pup to his death.

And what did that mean for the once-Kitsune?

He let the silence fall between them after having his say, giving Remi time to breathe, and to think. That was what the bard wanted, after all, and when the young man raised his gaze again--

"Yes, good! That's the question to keep in mind, even if you don't ask it out loud." Jigano found his anger at the gods - and at Remi's lack of respect for himself - fading at the unexpected progress, tension easing from the corners of his eyes, mouth relaxing almost towards a smile. "And let me pose another: if I say 'no, of course not' -- do you believe me without question?" He sighed, glancing ruefully down at his book, which was barely being read. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying go through life paranoid and trusting no one. But a little caution? A little wariness? Those, in moderation, yes. Make people earn your trust, lad. It'll be more precious to both of you for it."

Even if, in the end, it made it that much easier to betray.

R E M I The dryness of Jigano's tone grated against the alchemist in a way he found hard to describe. Normally so complacent and congenial Remi found himself agitated by the accusations that felt writ into the subtext of the bard's words. Remi was no scholar and no wordsmith as those he (rather annoyingly) always seemed to surround himself with, but as he gazed at Jigano with a sort of desperate and wounded gaze, he found his mind straining to try and parse the difference between being the idiot that the silver-haired man was painting him as, and simply being kind. Yes he often found himself in danger, but it had only ever arrived out of a search for knowledge or to protect and help those he loved. He wasn't stupid, he just cared enough about everyone else to always put them first, no matter the cost. Smiling gently, the dimples in Remi's cheeks deepening as he pressed his lips together, the alchemist shrugged slightly. "Perhaps." The alchemist allowed, his voice subdued. —do you believe me without question? Rather sadly, Remi tilted his head, wanting to nod yes. This felt like a trap, and yet the young alchemist wanted to walk towards it and into it, if only to show the older man that not everyone was quite so jaded. Remi was not naive by any means, nor had he had a particularly easy life. And yet he would, of course he would. Twisting his lips into a sideways smile, it was Remi's turn to look upon the bard with an expression of sad objection. Make people earn your trust. "Perhaps." Remi repeated. Far too compliant and obedient was Remi to simply outright disagree, and he knew enough and was not prideful in the least to think or need or want to try and convince Jigano the error of his ways or perhaps that Remi's way of thinking was correct. Instead, he simply acknowledged the wisdom of the white-haired man, but still hedged towards optimism and hope. Glancing down at the book before Jigano, Remi offered him a small smile. "You came to read. My apologies. Please, I will not interrupt you anymore." Rising, Remi bowed over the table, a no-longer-cuffed hand placed over his heart as his curly head dipped forward. While it was true that this place did not have the social hierarchy of Northaven, it was not without any hierarchy, of which the alchemist was surely near the bottom. "A pleasure to meet you, Jigano. Enjoy your evening." Remi said politely as he gathered up his books.

Perhaps. What a delightfully vague non-answer, and one the bard employed on far too many occasions. Remi... didn't like what he was hearing. But wouldn't say why, and Jigano had to stifle a sigh of his own. What was going on in that curly head?

Would this be another memory the man would spend like coin to buy the favor of a god who'd tried to kill him twice?

Jigano did wince at that thought, protesting even as Remi rose. "Remi, wait. You were here first and it was I who interrupted you. I should be the one to--" But the other man was already gathering his books. The bard had pushed too hard, too fast in his desire to learn what the pup had to tell, and mangled the meeting in the process. Less backbone than Samuel had, though in a somewhat different way, and a kindness that was going to get him killed...

Perhaps.

Before the alchemist finished his preparations to leave the white haired man lost the fight against the nudging of an unhappy conscience. He pushed back his chair and stood, offering Remi a full bow, no less than he'd offered the Black Sovereign, so many years before.

"I am sorry, Remi. I had no right to press you as I did. I wish you safe travels and kind fortune." And may Cassandalee light your path," he almost slipped but--

No, Cassandalee could no longer hear him, here. In Caido... he was on his own.

Given the nature of the local deities, perhaps that was for the best.

R E M I The alchemist looked worriedly down at Jigano's back as the man pitched forwards into a bow. It didn't quite seem as though the bard was mocking him...but at the same time, it wasn't as though Remi was deserving of such. The tension between what seemed like a sincere gesture and the complete lack of merit made the alchemist feel incredibly uncomfortable. "Please. No apology needed." Remi interrupted, the haste in his voice belaying a bit of his unease, his fidgeting fingers revealing it even moreso. Gathering up the books, Remi turned to leave and glanced towards the empty desk where presumably a librarian would normally be seated. Though he knew very little of the customs of a library, having only visited them with Loren—who as the head librarian let the alchemist do as he pleased—Remi frowned a bit before walking over. He thought it appropriate to leave a note saying what he'd taken just in case he hadn't been allowed to. At least someone would know where to reclaim the books. And if Loren was around, he'd know the alchemist had been here as well. Scrawling his name and the book titles with beautiful penmanship, Remi placed the note clearly on the counter before departing back into the wintry cold, which had turned into a dark and frigid evening. ~FIN