the worst that could happen

FIADH

our paths, they did cross, though I cannot say just why

"That's not an answer!" Fiadh says, her frown almost visible as she shakes the branches with a bit more enthusiasm. It's all going well, but then the boughs break just as the basket is freed, and her scream of surprise is abruptly cut off by the fall. From Remi's perspective, he'll only see the toppling basket, heading straight for (hopefully) his open arms. Of the young raccoon there is absolutely no sign - but there's no whump of a small and breaking body either.

After a heartbeat disguised as an eternity, he little voice pipes up. "Unca Remi?" she calls. "I'm stuck, and there are leaves in my underwear." Indeed, Fiadh has been snagged by one of the branches, and it holds her in place by the back of her clothes; no matter how she twists and wiggles, she can't get free. "If I shift, will you catch me?"

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

maybe i'm a runaway train, maybe i'm a feather in a hurricane

There's only a split second for Remi to look for Fiadh amidst the falling leaves and the basket falling toward him. Assuming she's inside, it's with a care he might not have otherwise shown that Remi catches the basket with both arms and wings. Wanting to ensure as little ricochet for the child as possible, he takes the impact in his chest and allows it to throw him backwards. Slightly winded as he is, Remi can immediately tell that Fiadh is not in the basket, whisking away whatever relief he'd started to feel.

Looking up sharply, the alchemist can't help the smile that twists onto his lips to see the girl dangling comically above him. "Of course I will." Tossing away the basket and positioning himself beneath Fiadh, Remi extends his fingers up toward her as his heart tries to find a steadier rhythm now that he knows the girl is okay.

THE LULLABY

maybe it's a long gray game, but maybe that's a good thing

FIADH

our paths, they did cross, though I cannot say just why

"Okay!" Perhaps Fiadh shouldn't have been so trusting, but her father has told her all about her uncle Remi, and if he says he'll catch her, he'll definitely catch her. So, puffing out her cheeks and pulling up her knees as if to prepare to cannonballllllll, the girl once more becomes a raccoon kit barely as heavy as a bag of sugar - a really small bag, at that - and plummets out of the branches.

Weeeeee! she manages on the way down, and her mental peals of laughter are punctuated by chitters of excitement by the young raccoon that makes its way down and into Remi's arms. Once she's there safely - because obviously she will manage it - the alchemist will have to suffer her affections with dark, grabby hands and a snuffling nose and whiskers.

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

maybe i'm a runaway train, maybe i'm a feather in a hurricane

Remi won't ever know if his affection for Fiadh has to do with his being a parent, or because of the love he feels for her father, but in her lifetime, already the alchemist knows he'll do more than just catch her. He'll be anything she needs, in moments of stupidity and in desperation, both.

She weighs nothing of course, and though Remi wants to hold her fast, he has to remind himself that he could break every bone in her body with one hand. As she Fiadh's against him, Remi blows a stream of focused air in her face before raising a brow down at her. "Now, is that enough excitement for you? Or shall we fix your chariot?" If she was too tired she could always serve as his supervisor, or whistle for the wagon that Ianto might bring them lunch.

THE LULLABY

maybe it's a long gray game, but maybe that's a good thing

FIADH

our paths, they did cross, though I cannot say just why

The stream of air blown in her face has the desired effect, and the raccoon kit's little masked face scrunches dramatically, ears flattening back, and she mewls at him and wriggles as if to escape around his shoulders. Again her tail will attempt to wrap around his face, Fiadh somehow ending up half inside his collar and simultaneously trying to remove one of his shirt buttons. Maybe I can watch you fix my chariot? she suggests, sticking her snout into his ear and snuffling loudly.

In exchange I will let you have a ride in it for free, she tells him, as if that's a very reasonable exchange given that she clearly has a chariot and he does not. Finders keepers and all that. Though you will need to make sure that it doesn't fly into any more trees, please.

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

maybe i'm a runaway train, maybe i'm a feather in a hurricane

There is little in what Fiadh does or silently expresses that doesn't absolutely charm the pants off of the alchemist. Had anyone else wrapped their tail (or other body parts) around his lips that way, Remi's first instinct would have been to bite. With Fiadh though, Remi just dramatically hums words behind his lips, as if she were missing out on the most exciting things he had to say by keeping her tail where it was.

Leaning into the feeling of a cold nose against his ear and not minding at all the small hands that try and surreptitiously remove his buttons, Remi nods. "Deal." He agrees, judging her offer to be perfectly reasonable.

"First, I think we need to use the rope from before to make sure your chariot always has a place to sit, wouldn't you agree?" Hoping she would, Remi goes to retrieve the coil of rope that, had it been brought a little bit faster on his part, would have avoided this entire misadventure altogether.

THE LULLABY

maybe it's a long gray game, but maybe that's a good thing

FIADH

our paths, they did cross, though I cannot say just why

Chittering a note of happy acceptance that they have made a deal (her papa will be so proud), Fiadh gets comfortable around the collar of Remi's shirt. Still too small to properly be able to ride on his shoulder, she works at a stray couple of strands of fabric that may or may not be loose due to the removal of one of his buttons. Yes, she agrees heartily, her snout dipping down to snuffle at the rope despite being nowhere near it.

And we mustn't forget to add cushions to sit on. It was a little bit uncomfortable in there when I was sitting before. We don't want you to be uncomfortable when you go for a ride, do we? Yes, because it's absolutely about Remi's comfort and not at all because it's what Fiadh would like.

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

maybe i'm a runaway train, maybe i'm a feather in a hurricane

"That is a good point." Remi agrees with a thoughtful hum. It wouldn't hurt the stones and other things that the catapult was actually supposed to throw to be slightly cushioned, so if Fiadh wanted a comfier ride, so be it.

Spending the next few hours adjusting his design (and having to come up with clever stories about why certain things had to be added to Fiadh's chariot), eventually, the pair were left with a device that flung its payload only when it was supposed to. Remi promised that later Fiadh could help him decorate it, reasoning that brightly coloured and covered with glitter likely wouldn't be such a problematic colour scheme; if the ascended were close enough to see the device on its own, they were probably already in trouble.

'Lunch?' He asks his wet-nosed neck-warmer, before setting off toward where he'd last saw her father's wagon.

~FIN

THE LULLABY

maybe it's a long gray game, but maybe that's a good thing