a soft place to land

the lullaby

And if the sky grows heavy
wrap your arms around me tight; we'll be alright

Once upon a time in a sleepy wood stood a cottage built by the hands of a witch, a bear, and a lion. Now there is just the witch inside, dozing beneath furs and happily ignorant of the fresh chaos that Remi is about to bring not only to her doorstep but to her bed.

No sooner do they appear, naked and taking up far too much space in Vai's bed, the alchemist's first thought is to distance himself from both woman. Vai might have seen him naked in so far as her motherly duties have been concerned, but the last thing that anyone in this world needs is for any amount of confusion to occur. Similarly with Hotaru, pregnant as she is, that Remi can feel warmth on either side of him meaning that if he flails to the edge, she'll likely be knocked out of the bed.

So shifting easily, Remi hawk-jumps his way to the foot of the bed, before shifting back. "Vai—" No doubt she's already awake. "It's Remi. Don't attack." He pauses. "There is someone else with me."

If the ground gives way beneath us,
If we should fall to pieces
Find me where I first found you

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

I was brought up as a southern belle
I grew into the queen of hell

Being transported from dreams to wakefulness in an entirely different land (and bed) is disorienting to say the least. Blinking in fits and starts, Remi’s voice is what fully rouses her, and only then does Hotaru realize her own nakedness and the fact that she has invaded Via’s bed quite unexpectedly. With nothing to wrap herself in, she slides off the bed to give the woman room to move about, and tucks her breasts in the length of her forearm to hide at least that much as her legs clamp tight.

She has never met Vai personally, so she doesn’t speak, waiting for the woman to turn her questions to Remi while she stands there, pregnant and naked and very out of place. But free. Finally, blissfully free. I told you I wouldn’t stay a week, she thinks vindictively, and has to bite her tongue to keep from laughing rather inappropriately.

You were just a little stowaway
That stabbed her way to save herself

And once upon a time on the shadowy streets of Torchline, a man had ambushed Vai in the dead of night and had instilled in the witch a sense of paranoia that would never leave, not for the rest of her days. And so even though she is used to Remi's random midnight travels, he is not usually so abrupt about it, and at the sudden movement in the bed the witch is already on her feet. Which is how both of her visitors will find the little cottage aglow with the hideous light of a ball of fire perfectly poised above Vai's fingertips. But hawk becomes man, and Remi's voice fills the air, and the fire winks out just as quickly as it appeared. "What happened? Is anyone hurt?" vervain well i'll rest my eyes and i'll let the earth breathe

the lullaby

And if the sky grows heavy
wrap your arms around me tight; we'll be alright

"Sorry—" Remi mumbles as soon as his lips are made of flesh again and not beak. "Sorry." Normally the alchemist softly prodded Vai's mind before appearing, stirring her in her dreams that she might know to expect him. But without the time for it this time, he'd fully expected a good deal more than one singular ball of flame. Then again, Vai had ever surprised him with her power and poise.

Unable to conjure anything magically for Hotaru (the only female garment he could think of was the ballgown Isla had worn on their date), he looks a touch helplessly toward a very pregnant Hotaru, and then back to the witch. "No one is hurt. Hotaru..." Blinking and frowning, Remi suddenly feels exceptionally useless. "It is a long story. She needed to be moved quickly and this was the safest place I could think to bring her."

Glancing from woman to woman, Remi belatedly adds: "Vai, meet Hotaru. Hotaru, Vai."

If the ground gives way beneath us,
If we should fall to pieces
Find me where I first found you

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

I was brought up as a southern belle
I grew into the queen of hell

Hotaru looks between them in the dark of the room, the woman’s face lit by flame that dances in the gleam of her freshly awoken eyes. It is gone a moment later, and Hotaru’s eyes struggle to adjust to the darkness without the aid of feline eyes. Remi seems lost, and so Hotaru steps forward, relatively comfortable with her nude state and willing to turn Via’s attention to herself.

“I’m Hotaru. It’s nice to finally meet you Vai.” The woman’s presence in Torchline had been one marked by kindness and happy reception, but Hotaru had never had the time to meet her before…well. Everything. “I’m sorry we troubled you so late. And to trouble you again by perhaps asking for clothes, or a sheet?” Though amusement is clear in her smile, there is a genuine regret to have stampeded over Vai’s plans for a comfortable night of sleep.

You were just a little stowaway
That stabbed her way to save herself

"Oh." Vai potters around and lets a few pinpoints of fire hover about, so that soft light might fill the room where she sleeps. Because whilst the woman is new to her, the name is not, and although she has already had Remi and Mateo visit for space on the heels of getting a woman pregnant, she had not realised the woman in question was Hotaru. "It's nice to meet you as well," she murmurs, already sweeping towards the small trunk in the corner of the room. "I don't have anything that will fit you, I'm afraid. But you might be lucky with some of Felix's clothes." Leaning down to sift through the items in the trunk, she eventually straightens up with a button up shirt large enough to cover Hotaru's modesty, and a pair of pants that will drown her but at least be comfortable. "I suppose I should put on some tea." vervain well i'll rest my eyes and i'll let the earth breathe

the lullaby

And if the sky grows heavy
wrap your arms around me tight; we'll be alright

'What, nothing for me?' Remi's chuckle is boyish and probably inappropriate, but with Vai is the adultiest-adult he knows of, he can't help but feel instantly relieved to be in her presence. Conjuring a pair of sweatpants for himself (they'd last long enough, and the night was pleasantly warm), Remi offers Hotaru a smile that aims to be comforting, before leaving her to change alone and following Vai into the kitchen.

"I am really sorry." He mumbles softly but quickly. "She cannot go to Stormbreak and in the heat of the moment I could not think of anywhere else." Shirtless and looking quite sleepy, Remi looks for all the world like some reckless teenager who has woken his mother up to deal with a girl. The sad part is how close to the truth this in fact is.

If the ground gives way beneath us,
If we should fall to pieces
Find me where I first found you

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

I was brought up as a southern belle
I grew into the queen of hell

Hotaru lingers on the outskirts of their familiarity, bittersweet and fond. Vai does not seem the type to be taken by surprise easily if the way she sweeps around on a newly formed mission is any indication. “Anything would be wonderful. I appreciate it.” Such immediate kindness is so often missing in Caido. It’s a stabilizing force for the disoriented blonde.

Letting Remi speak his piece, Hotaru takes the offered garments with a grateful smile, silent so that Vai may respond in turn. Instead she begins to slip them on, the shirt settling over her thighs even with the swell of her stomach to contend with. The pants are much larger, but rolling the hem a few times seems to help. She wants to volunteer to help make the tea to make herself useful, but Hotaru isn’t even certain where the kitchen is. Instead she settles for staying out of the way and trying to make herself look a bit more presentable.

You were just a little stowaway
That stabbed her way to save herself

"I'm quite certain you can manage," Vai murmurs with a quiet smile to Remi, heading into the kitchen to give Hotaru some privacy to change. The bobbing firelights ignite in here as well, the witch filling the kettle and grabbing two cups, before remembering the extra. "You are lucky Felix wasn't at home. He isn't quite as calm as I am when someone interrupts his sleep." She glances over her shoulder at him, reaching into the cupboard to grab the tea leaves. "I see," she says of Stormbreak, though she keeps her thoughts about what would have happened if Remi had he decided to take Hotaru there to herself. "How long will she be staying with me?" she asks. "I'll need to find a way to get some extra room. Or perhaps she would be more comfortable in the Sidhe Village. I can make some inquiries..." vervain well i'll rest my eyes and i'll let the earth breathe

the lullaby

And if the sky grows heavy
wrap your arms around me tight; we'll be alright

'Just a few days, if that is alright? I..." Remi's expression becomes pained and then guilty. "..broke her out of jail." And then, expecting the look he's sure to receive from Vai, quickly adds: "She did not even have a real trial, and it was her ex-husbands who put her there. And, being cooped up with stale air to breathe and no way to move around is hardly healthy for someone who is pregnant."

Running a hand through his curls and leaning against the counter, Remi folds his arms across his chest before giving his head another shake. "I do not want anyone else to know." He says of her staying in the Village. 'At least not right away. Not until I can talk to Sunjata." Nate would have to hear the information second-hand.

If the ground gives way beneath us,
If we should fall to pieces
Find me where I first found you

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

I was brought up as a southern belle
I grew into the queen of hell

It’s a relief to have a moment of privacy. Ironic considering the amount of time she’d spent alone in her cell, but she hadn’t been naked then either. Lingering for a moment (and manfully resisting the urge to snoop) Hotaru emerges from the bedroom, uncharacteristically tentative in the face of overwhelming newness. It is not her way to enter situations without some sort of preparation.

Maneuvering on quiet feet towards the two, Hotaru gives a weak smile. “You don’t have to put me up here yourself, I don’t want to impose. Or to drag you into our nonsense.” Having missed nearly all of their conversation, she hovers awkwardly at the table, arms wrapping habitually under her belly to support the weight and take it off her back. “I can always return to Halo straight away,” she offers quietly, directed at Remi but somewhat at large as well.

Turning back to Vai she clears her throat softly. “I know it’s a lot to ask after all this, but before I’m due to leave, could you…Remi said you know medicine? Could you check on the baby for me?” Being a burden is a weight Hotaru is willing to shoulder if it means her baby is safe.

You were just a little stowaway
That stabbed her way to save herself

Vai says nothing, merely raising her eyebrows at Remi as she puts the water on to heat. "Any other requests, while you're at it?" she asks, rubbing at sleepy eyes and brushing her curls out of her face. "The next time I see you, it had better be with the largest bouquet of flowers I have ever seen," she informs him. Glancing up as Hotaru appears, she waves a hand as if to tell the other woman she isn't to worry. "You will stay right here," she assures her. "Take a seat - the last thing you need is to be on your feet for longer than necessary." Putting the tea leaves into the pot, Vai tilts her head a bit at Hotaru's request. "Midwifery isn't my expertise," she confesses. "I do have healing magic, though. If you want me to try to heal you, I might be able to get a look." vervain well i'll rest my eyes and i'll let the earth breathe

the lullaby

And if the sky grows heavy
wrap your arms around me tight; we'll be alright

"Better, I will bring seeds for your garden, and we can plant them together." Remi replies with a relieved smile as he crosses the kitchen to pull Vai into his arms. I love you, his pulse of emotions tries to convey, as joy and ease slide out of him in waves. "I knew I could count on you." He adds, before parting to deal with the tea so that Vai might take a look at Hotaru.

"I will let Sunjata know that I have you." Remi says, mindlessly arranging their various teacups to keep his hands occupied. "Will Halo be safe for you?" Given that Morgan had apparently allowed Hotaru to be taken prisoner (or did she know?), it seemed reasonable to ask. "If not, Deimos is welcome in the Greatwood." He had helped with the stronghold as well as Hotaru.

If the ground gives way beneath us,
If we should fall to pieces
Find me where I first found you

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

I was brought up as a southern belle
I grew into the queen of hell

Something startled and young crosses her face at the command, and she is sitting before she has even considered it fully. There is a maternal air to the woman that she gravitates towards, and her pregnancy emotions are in full swing, making her work her throat a few times to find words that aren’t thick. “Thank you.” Damn, still came out as a whisper. Hotaru always misses her mother in times of pregnancy, but her last had been many years ago. It’s never a good realization that grief doesn’t always fade with time. “Yes, please. Anything at all will put my mind at ease.”

Telling Sunjata is a bold move, and her eyebrows rise silently Remi’s way, an unspoken questioning of that choice. “Morgan was willing to defend me. I was the one that wanted to give them a chance at civility by going myself.” A wasted one, but alas. “I can send word to Deimos - Vai, do you have parchment? I told him three days before alerting Morgan, I don’t want him sending up alarms now I’m safe. I’ll let him know he’s welcome here as well - they seemed intent on hunting him down too.” Just as ludicrous an idea as them targeting Remi. Deimos would have compunctions about flattening them.

You were just a little stowaway
That stabbed her way to save herself