endless numbered days

REMI "And here I thought we had just established I could be myself around you. But I see how it really is." Remi replied, sniffing as if hurt or put off. Snorting a laugh as Ronin nudged him on his way by, the alchemist shrugged. "A few days ago." He replied casually. New forms, new magic, new curses by the gods...it was all just an uninteresting sort of jumble now. Something Remi tried to take in stride. "I am not so sure how I feel about it though. Although at least with this one I did not try to immediately kill anyone, so there is that." Rolling his eyes at Ronin's generous offer, Remi grinned and grabbed hold of one of the non-shredded banners before glancing over at Sugar's den. "Looks better like that, honestly." He called to the dragon with a wink.

"I never said you couldn't, Remi. You can be your lionest, hawkiest, racooniest self in this guildhall, whenever you like. I just can't promise that it won't have consequences." Ronin grinned and shrugged his shoulders, though he seemed pleasantly surprised to hear that Remi had only discovered his third shift a few days ago. "Yes, I agree that I prefer it to the lion," he said, chuckling as he got hold of the other end of the banner. Together they might be able to get them up in some semblance of not-wonky. Sugar trilled at Remi in response to his compliment, snuggled in her shredded blanket with the ruined banner draped across the chair like a little awning. "Don't say that," Ronin warned, "or she'll rip them all up." He smiled, falling quiet for a few moments to concentrate. "So," he said after a while, "do you think you'll be going on another date?" RONIN I know this whole damn city thinks it needs you but not as much as I do

REMI "Well that isn't very monster-hunter of you Ronin, preferring something cute and cuddly to an impressive lion." Winking at his friend, Remi shrugged. "Likelihood of injury not withstanding." He added with a grin. Glancing from Sugar back to Ronin, the alchemist shrugged casually, leaning towards Ronin to whisper: "You don't think she won't anyways?" Letting Ronin dictate more or less where the banners were meant to go (it was his guildhall after all), the alchemist nibbled the inside of his lip at the suggestion of a second date. "I...do not know. He works next door to me now." Remi said with a nonchalant shrug. "What is the difference between a date and just...doing things together?"

"Excuse me, but I think you will find that my fearsome dragon is also cute and cuddly," Ronin said with a grin - it was true, Sugar was obscenely comfortable in her little nest, and had settled down to nap while they did their share of the work. Her job was done, as far as she was concerned. The intruder was gone. Having to stand on one of the tables to hang the banners, Ronin chuckled and gazed back down at his friend to shrug his shoulders. "Oh, she most definitely will," he agreed. "And I think the difference is in the feeling it evokes. We are doing something together right now, no? But I'd not call it a date. Sorry Remi, but my blushes and butterflies are all for Vanya these days." RONIN I know this whole damn city thinks it needs you but not as much as I do

REMI Dropping the banner with one hand, Remi reached forward to pull up Ronin's sleeve slightly, revealing a small row of dragon claw-marks. "Mmm, very cuddly." Remi agreed with a skeptical grin. "What!" Remi laughed indignantly, looking up with an amused expression that was trying (and failing) to appear wounded. "But I brought you a present, and you gave me wine, and even cuddled me for a moment?" Pouting and pretending to try and sift through the information, Remi gave a forlorn and lengthy sigh. "If this is not a date, then you are quite the tease Ronin Taliesen."

Ronin snatched his arm away with a playful narrowing of his eyes, the guildmaster trying and failing to hide his smile. "Whilst you have a good point, she's still cuddly on occasion." He shrugged his shoulders, finishing with the banner before shifting to sit on the edge of the table, leaning his elbows on his knees. Arching an eyebrow as he heard Remi out, Ronin flashed the other man a grin. "I suppose you are right, then. And I have been a terrible date so far, Remi. I do apologise." Ronin rose to his feet and swept into a practiced and elegant bow befitting a noble. "Whilst I cannot help being a tease, I do always hope to make it worth your while. Come on, then. I'll take you somewhere special and we can get cozy out in the snow." RONIN I know this whole damn city thinks it needs you but not as much as I do

REMI Though normally such a gesture would have made Remi feel awkward and uncomfortable given all that it represented back in Northaven, as the ex-baron bowed before him, the alchemist merely nodded with an appreciative and haughty sort of sniff. "Now that is more like it." Glancing towards Sugar who seemed to be happily sleeping off the afternoon activities, Remi shook his head. "Cannot help being a tease, he says. That sounds precisely like what a tease would say." He muttered to himself, happily following in Ronin's footsteps. "Cozy in the snow hmm, so soon after you've recently thawed out? I am flattered."

"So you should be flattered. You'll be flattered, blushing and all a flutter by the time you've experienced one of my dates," Ronin informed his friend with a laugh, shooting a roguish smile Remi's way and offering the other man his arm as he headed out of the guildhall. It was the gentlemanly thing to do, after all. A quick glance over his shoulder showed Sugar happily napping the afternoon away, and he knew that she'd be riotous the moment someone entered the guildhall who shouldn't. So that left Remi and Ronin to stroll their merry way through the snow. "My only caveat is that we don't go to the woods," he said. He'd had quite enough of those, thank you. RONIN I know this whole damn city thinks it needs you but not as much as I do

REMI "The last time I was all a flutter with you, you could hardly remember the way back to the guildhall we were both so drunk." Remi commented with a laugh, linking his arm easily through Ronin's with a perfunctory nod of expectation. He'd held Ronin's bleeding stomach before, seen the man naked, and fought off a banshee. Whatever hesitation Remi might once have had about being so close to the ex-captain had been all but swallowed up by their numerous adventures together. "Well at least we agree on something." Remi said with a grin. "Between Ludo and the banshees, I think I would be happy to never step foot in those woods again."

"Well then, we ought to do the same again and see how well we get back to the guildhall this time," Ronin suggested with a crooked half-smile, seeming comfortable enough strolling through the cold and snow with Remi (and besides, their close proximity shamelessly kept the heat close). "Though if you'd prefer we could always build a snowman." His laughter was easy, even as they spoke about those eerie woods. "Hear hear," he remarked, nodding and sighing. "Have you been out there, since? I've been looking into those banshees, but they seem quite rare... Not that it's a bad thing." RONIN I know this whole damn city thinks it needs you but not as much as I do

REMI "I can't tell if that sounds like a good idea or a bad one, but you can count me in." Remi replied with a snort. "Although had we passed out in the street last time, we would have been fine. With this cold, I should hope we make it somewhere indoors. "A snowman huh? Now I know you are being a tease Ronin, suggesting that we play with balls together, even of the snowy variety." He said playfully, nudging his shoulder into Ronin's with a grin. Shaking his head slightly, Remi indicated no, he had not. "I am sure I will find myself back in there at some point. We might need more food for LongNight depending on how many shot up to the Rathskeller, and how many of them come unprepared."

"It's an experiment, if you like. We need to collect more data, or something." Ronin shrugged his shoulders, grinning at his friend. He very much doubted they would pass out in the snow - he doubted they'd even get to their experiment now that the prospect of building a snowman had come to light. His grin turned utterly filthy, something mischievous glinting in the guildmaster's eyes. "But they're so cold, Remi. You'll have to warm them up," he teased. Humming in agreement about the Rathskeller and the likelihood of having to return to the forest, Ronin slipped his arm out of Remi's and leant down to scoop some snow into his hand. "If you go back, let me know. I'll come with you," he said, rolling the snow into a bigger ball as he spoke. Snowman it was. RONIN I know this whole damn city thinks it needs you but not as much as I do

REMI "Ahh yes. Or something. How very scientific of you Ronin." Remi said, his grin turning into a blush as the guildmaster continued. "You know I think the cold is sort of the point for a snowman." The alchemist quipped pointedly. "If you want to play with balls Ronin you can just say so." He chuckled, bending down to gather some snow in his mittened-hands as well. "Mmm, will do. Although I am starting to think you are bad luck. Or rather, it is good luck for a monster hunter to run into deadly creatures all the time, but less so for someone like me." Placing the ball into the snow, Remi began to roll it as Ronin was doing, but as soon as it got large enough, Remi decided he wanted to try something. Using half-magic and half strength, Remi picked up the ball and hurled it towards the guild master. He wanted to see if sphere would reassemble after having hopefully struck Ronin right in the back.

"Hey, you're the alchemist. I just know how to keep the peace and kill monsters." Ronin laughed to his friend, rolling the snow into a large sphere that would likely need to be hefted in both of his arms when a snowball struck him in the back. "Oi!" Laughing, Ronin straightened up, swiping up some snow as he did so and launching it back at Remi. "Excuse me, you have been quite without me all the other times you've run into trouble. I am very good luck most of the time, in fact," he told the other man haughtily, not looking or caring whether the snow reformed as he made another snowball and threw it at Remi's chest. RONIN I know this whole damn city thinks it needs you but not as much as I do