follow my lead

Remi had not been at his shop when Ronin went to stop by for a favour. And he hadn't been in any of his usual other haunts, either; it was only when the guildmaster dropped by the Rathskeller to see if he was working that he had been informed that his friend had nearly died in a mixture of increasingly unpleasant ways. Cut to ribbons by a bear, crushed by a dome of dirt, extensive surgery after losing so much blood already... Ronin's footsteps were soft as he made his way through the ward, having snuck in while the waiting area was empty (obviously) and feeling a little... ominous, really, peeking into rooms and through curtains as furtively as possible so he could find Remi. The guildmaster was dressed to be out and about in the snow, in truth, clad in sturdy boots and with a scarf wrapped about his nose and mouth. Sugar, for once, was nowhere to be seen, but that didn't mean Ronin was without companionship. More on that later. Finally locating the alchemist, Ronin slipped into the room and pulled down his scarf, blue eyes flickering over the bed as if to gauge the state of his friend. "I just heard," he murmured softly, as if to explain his sudden appearance. RONIN if there's one thing i'm good at, it's surviving

remi The hours had probably bled into days, but given the lack of lighting (and clocks) Remi really couldn't tell. Without regular amounts of food he couldn't even judge the passing of time by his bodily functions, though that wasn't to say that Isla wasn't taking care of him, simply that when you were laying in a bed for days on end, your body tended to get a bit lazy. Though the visitors he'd received had been...interesting to say the least, they trouble was that he was still stuck in bed until Isla decided otherwise. Given how precarious he'd come in, and despite how well he pulled through surgery, she seemed quite happy to keep him around indefinitely. "Well it is about time." Remi said immediately watching the door swing open. Despite how grave Ronin looked about the whole ordeal, Remi was over the moon to see someone who wouldn't ask him complicated relationship questions or badger him about how he should not have attacked the bear. "I placed my lunch order hours ago."  The alchemist said, looking annoyed and sitting him with a sideways grin. "Really, the quality of the staff is in a real decline around here."

Clicking the door shut behind him, the sight of Remi awake and sassing him couldn't help but bring a smile to the guildmaster's face, and Ronin stepped up to sit at the side of the bed with a carefree shrug. "I'll be sure to let the gracious head of the infirmary know," he murmured, wondering how Isla would take that if he really did make comment on the quality of the care she was providing. "Though I do have a few bits of jerky if you're that starving," he added, tipping the other man a wink before glancing over him once more, carefully. "That lion shift must have given you the nine lives along with it," he said, sounding rather grave for a moment before he perked himself back up for Remi. The alchemist likely didn't want serious and morose, especially after his ordeal. "More to the point, though - you were not in your shop when I needed to commission you for something. It's simply not acceptable, Remi. You ought to have taken on an apprentice by now, surely." RONIN if there's one thing i'm good at, it's surviving

remi As Ronin sat down on the bed, Remi tried to stifle a wince of pain as his rib-cage shifted unhappily beneath his bandages. "Well I think you had better." Remi replied with a grin, genuinely pleased to see his friend. The mention of jerky made Remi snort indignantly and shake his head. "Are you trying to placate me the same way you do your dragon?" The alchemist would likely never stop hearing an innuendo in that phrasing, but he did mean it literally this time. The mention of nine lives did wipe some of the joy off the alchemist's face as he nodded gravely, humming a note of agreement. "Yes well. My being alive has more to do with Sam and Isla than anything to do with me I think." He said with a sad sort of half-smile on his lips. "I am sorry my near-death has inconvenienced you." Remi said immediately, half joking, but surprisingly half serious as well. "An apprentice? I am gone for a few days and already you are looking to replace me." Tutting, Remi grinned. "What was it you wanted?"

"I'll be sure to do so when I pay her a visit on the way out." He wouldn't, not even to joke, but that was more because he intended for Remi to be with him when he left (shh, it was a secret!) than because he didn't have it in him. The smirk he gave his friend was filthy and unapologetic as the subject of placating his 'dragon' came up, Ronin shrugging his shoulders and patting the alchemist's knee gently. "One of these days you'll realise what a joy it is to placate it," he said, cackling and taking his hand back. His smile faded somewhat as they grew more serious about Remi's near-death experience, Ronin nodding to him. "You owe them something good," he said. "Luckily you are an alchemist with a maybe apprentice, so it shouldn't be difficult for you. And I wouldn't have to try to replace you if you were doing your job," he reminded the other man haughtily, not that he could keep up the pretense for long. "A fishtank," he said. "I need a fishtank, to catch a dreamfish. And I need to fill it with the ashes of something burned by the Spark Bird, and stones from the bottom of the Oasis. And I want you to come with me." RONIN if there's one thing i'm good at, it's surviving

remi "You are by far the worst friend I have Ronin." Remi said with a grin that spread out across his face. If he could have, he might have kicked Ronin from beneath the blanket at the condescending touch of his knee, but of course that would take far too much effort. More than this terrible friend of his was worth anyways. Shaking his head, the urge to call the guildmaster a tease lingering on his lips, he laughed it off instead, nudging him playfully with his shoulder. "You know, maybe if you invited me to be a part of your guild, rather than just sweeping the monsters out of it and making you banners, I would actually be around when you needed me." Remi sniffed, just as haughtily in reply. Fishtank. Dreamfish. Ashes. Stones. Yep. That sounded like a Ronin request. But going with him? Remi hedged a slanted smile in Ronin's direction. "First, How big should this tank be? Second, Isla will have our heads if I try to leave this room." It wasn't a no, or even a "this is a bad idea", just a simple gesturing at the consequences of having the only real healer in the entire establishment upset at the two most likely-to-be-injured men in the entire establishment.

"I'm flattered, truly," Ronin informed Remi with a bright smile, taking the nudge to his shoulder like a good sport and not even retaliating like he might have if Remi had been in any state to accept it. His eyebrows shot up at the idea that he had somehow offended his friend by not inviting him to join his guild, though it was never too late to right that wrong. "Why, I would be honoured to make you a fellow monster hunter. Your skill at alchemy and creating things will be invaluable," he said, placing a hand over his heart as if to formally swear Remi in. But first - his fishtank. At the question of how large it should be, Ronin held up his hands unhelpfully. Like... this big," he said. "Big enough for a fish to be comfortable. Small enough to carry." He grinned. "And don't worry about that - Isla already said I could take you. I'm strong and brave and heroic, after all. Now come along, we've got things to do!" RONIN if there's one thing i'm good at, it's surviving

remi "Not to mention my newfound skill to take on monsters and not die?" Remi droned back dryly. Though as far as things went, Remi would much prefer to be associated with Ronin's particular brand of nonsense than whatever he'd inadvertently got himself into with Bastien. Remi gave Ronin an entirely obvious look of salacious skepticism as Ronin gestured to the size with his hands, his brows raising slightly as he grinned. "Ahh sure. That old standard, big enough for a fish to be comfortable, but small enough to carry. Got it." He snorted, not doubting the seriousness of this proposal even for a moment despite how odd the request was. That Isla had greenlighted this adventure was entirely implausible, but it was good enough for Remi. "Well then. If you are the strong, brave, and heroic one, I suppose that leaves me just to be the clever, good-looking one." With a muffled sort of groan, Remi gripped at Ronin's shoulder so that he could swing his legs out of the bed. Wearing just the hospital gown he was in was obviously no good for this venture, and the clothes Vai had made for him were now shredded. With a shrug, Remi tugged at his magic, suddenly replacing the meager bedclothes he was in with warm outerwear, not dissimilar to what Ronin was wearing. "Even with Isla's ..ah..permission, there are still lots of other patients here. We should probably leave quietly yes?"

"Well I mean, if we are going by the literal meaning of the guild then yes, I suppose that is also an important skill for you to possess. And one I'm very glad to see that you have," Ronin said with a smirk, though he was entirely genuine for the latter part of his comment. For a socialite, Ronin had many acquaintances but very few friends, especially since being dropped into this place. And he and Remi had been through a lot in Northaven, as well as Caido. He did not like the thought of losing him. "Oh, it's a standard? Even better, then! You should have no issue whatsoever in making this happen." He winked, shrugging his shoulders like that made it an easy request. (And with the sort of magic that Remi possessed, it probably was, for all of their talk). Remi gripped at his shoulder and Ronin helped as much as he was able before rising to his feet himself. Good-natured teasing aside, he'd never have suggested his friend leave or move about unless he seemed in a good enough state to do so. And besides, if Remi wanted out, he would be out, and if that was the case at least Ronin could be there to keep him in one piece. He'd even renege on being the good-looking one. Ah, the sacrifices of friendship. The alchemist's ability to dress himself for the cold with a wave of his hand was a useful one, though Ronin was smirking already at the suggestion of their subtle departure. "Incredibly so," he agreed. "Are you able to walk? I'm not taking you on an adventure if you're going to be a deadweight." Meaning, of course, that he'd carry his friend if he bloody had to. RONIN if there's one thing i'm good at, it's surviving

remi "As opposed to the other meaning of the guild, which is just so that you could have a big fancy guildhall for you and Vanya to....?" Trailing off, Remi just chuckled and grinned. "That you would even doubt me, hurts Ronin. It really does." Remi quipped in return, feigning injury. "Almost as much as my ribs do." He added with a groan. "Am I able to talk." Remi said with a laugh as if the answer was obvious, but of course it wasn't obvious at all. Placing a hand on Ronin's shoulder to press himself out of the bed, Remi's legs shook beneath him, having not really been used in a week or so. "You know...perhaps just for..ahh...expediency, a man carrying a raccoon would probably make less noise, right?"

"To make noisy and obnoxious love on every table, chair and other surface you might have touched or seated yourself upon?" Ronin finished for Remi, the shit-eating grin on his face suggesting that the alchemist had almost definitely sat down in a seat that had been christened by the couple. "Doubt you? I meant no offence, my skilled and good-looking friend," Ronin said gravely, sweeping into a bow before straightening back up in time for Remi to use him as a crutch. For all of his laughter and good natured teasing, Ronin was ready and able to help should anything go awry, though he resisted the urge to put an arm around Remi given that his injures were all around his abdomen. He smiled softly to his friend, nodding at his suggestion. "As long as you don't think it will affect your injuries," he said. "I don't wish to be responsible for you having more stitches." RONIN if there's one thing i'm good at, it's surviving

remi Remi offered Ronin a feigned cringe of digust. "Well if it is that noisy, I can see why you have kept your membership low." Then, the actual implications dawned on him and his cringe turned a shade more real as he playfully shook his head. "If you can't be responsible for a few stitches Ronin, how will you be responsible for your child? Consider this like training." Hot on the heels of that suggestion, Remi placed his hands on Ronin's shoulders and immediately shrunk into a small ball of fur, fully expecting his friend to catch him. If he didn't, so much the worse for Ronin's parenting skills, and much the worse for Remi's stitches.

"It sounds like we're killing monsters. I thought that was the point?" Ronin's grin was filthy and entirely intentional in the face of Remi's discomfort, though his friend would soon be able to wipe it off his face entirely. He arched an eyebrow, about to point out that stitches and a living, breathing child were actually quite different, if he thought about it, when the alchemist's hands landed on his shoulders. "Like training? I hope my child doesn't come out covered in fur-- Remi! Luckily for the alchemist-turned-raccoon, it turned out that regardless how good Ronin's parenting skills were, his reflexes could be relied upon. As his friend was replaced with a small furball, the guildmaster quickly lifted his hands to encircle them round him, careful not to hold onto him too tightly. The result was hilarious in that it sort of did look as if Ronin was carrying a little fur baby against his chest, though he was grumbling to Remi even as he mussed up his soft fur. "Training," he drawled, rolling his eyes and stepping out of the room to sneak out of the infirmary. RONIN if there's one thing i'm good at, it's surviving

remi "I know you are the expert Ronin, but I am not so sure it is supposed to sound like that. At least not all the time?" The look Remi offered his friend was half horror, but also half amazement as well. Slyly the raccoon grinned up at Ronin, sharp little white teeth poking out of an all together too cute snout as he buried himself against Ronin. Raccoon-sized though Remi might be, the pain was still enormous, and while he appreciated his friend's care and gentle fingers, his body still ached enormously. This was so not a good idea. But in place of vocalizing those thoughts in anyway, Remi distracted himself with picking at bits of wool fluffing off of Ronin's scarf.