what they say about us

we shall heal our wounds, collect our dead

"Mm, but then again the Greatwood is also sort of secluded. They don't need to know that everyone has begun mounting cannons on their cities," Ronin says, though Remi's suggestion of something more pleasant isn't entirely without merit. "A healing rain... that sounds good." He nods between bites of syrupy pancake. "Or maybe fireflies so there's always something to lighten the place up."

Raising a brow right back at Remi, the mischief in Ronin's eyes suggests something much more than breakfast. "You'll have to race me to it," he says, though he does offer a crispy bit of bacon out for his predator of a husband, as if to make up for the earlier issue with the hot grease. "I love you," he says softly. "And everything we've built here together. Did you think any more about the twins coming to stay? They could visit when Mateo comes over next."

THE DARK STAR

and continue fighting

Now the ashes of tomorrow sing your sad song

'We could always just lie and say we already did the cannons. Would anyone really want to call that bluff?' Shrugging his shoulders and shovelling bits of pancake into his mouth (his mouth which has been lowered towards his plate so that his fork has a shorter distance to travel), Remi nods. "Fireflies could be nice." Should he and Juniper hold a vote after some big drawn-out meeting? Probably. Would they? Not likely.

Snapping his teeth at his husband and accepting the peace offering with one of his tentacles just to be a nuisance, Remi lets his sucker pop! off of the Huntsman's fingers as he devours the bacon while making inappropriately intense eye contact. "I love you more." He agrees, softening instantly, before nearly choking on his own tongue. "Err...I ... definitely hadn't. Not with everything going on." Remi admits, sitting up. "We could...take everyone for a picnic somewhere. You were not wrong when you said there was not enough room here." Not for living, and not even really for visiting, either.

the lullaby

Styling stolen from Sky (obviously)

we shall heal our wounds, collect our dead

Rather than answering verbally, Ronin bobs his eyebrows in agreement - both about the cannon and the fireflies - and he mops up the rest of his eggs and syrup with a bit of bacon. Remi's tentacle play does garner a reaction, at least, Ronin snapping his teeth right back and shaking his hand out after the appendage pop!s off his skin. Grumbling and putting down his knife and fork now breakfast is done with, he at least has the audacity to look a little smug to have caught his husband off guard.

"A picnic sounds good," he says, though he had hoped to have the twins somewhere close to the house to give them the impression that they were welcome there. "LongHeat is a good time for it. I was thinking I could get something for Flora. I feel terrible, after Torchline." Rubbing at the back of his head, he gives a hopeless sort of smile to the alchemist.

"Either that, or we'll have to build an extension on the boat."

THE DARK STAR

and continue fighting

Now the ashes of tomorrow sing your sad song

"I only meant that...if things do not pan out, I wouldn't want it to darken where we live." Remi explains, feeling as though he was suddenly walking out on very thin ice but not quite knowing why. "We could have them here, absolutely though." He adds. Mention of Flora has Remi slumping as he looks down into his plate. Furrowing his brow and tapping his toe against the foot of their table, eventually he heaves in an unsteady breath and shakes his head slightly. "Whatever you think best. She's...she's both the type to move on and forgive just as easily as she'll hold a grudge." Maybe things had been much worse on Ronin's retelling than they were in reality, but then again, maybe not.

"Hotaru took her on an outing, so..." Given that the woman was not high in Ronin's goodbooks, the alchemist wasn't so sure she'd bother putting in a good word should Flora decide to vent.

Crinkling his nose, Remi grumbles. "I would rather multiple boats. I like my space, even from.." He was going to say our children, but had to stop himself. My children rang just as hollowly in his ears. Gods he hated this. "..everyone but you." Remi finishes eventually.

the lullaby

Styling stolen from Sky (obviously)

we shall heal our wounds, collect our dead

"Maybe they could come here for dinner, or something... and then we could walk them back to Vai's together." It's a good start, a potential for an olive branch, and it wouldn't take up too much space for too long. And if things did go south, hopefully it wouldn't be enough to put a dampener on their little floating sanctuary. Giving a grim smile at the idea Hotaru taking Flora for an outing, Ronin huffs out a humourless laugh. "So I can expect poison in my coffee and razors in my food, then?" he assumes.

Silently, the Huntsman rises to his feet and holds out a hand to bring Remi up as well, drawing him close against his chest. "Everyone but you," he confirms, both to spare the other man the impossible descriptions of their situation, and also as an affirmation for his devotion. "We'll be okay," he says, kissing the tip of his nose. "Let's go shower. We can think about how difficult our lives are after that."

THE DARK STAR

and continue fighting

Now the ashes of tomorrow sing your sad song

'Only if you let her cook for you.' Remi agrees in a sing-song voice. Just as he's about to start clearing things up, his hand is in Ronin's and suddenly he's pressed wonderfully against the Huntsman. Grinning as he wraps an arm around Ronin's shoulders, Remi raises a considerate brow. "So...if we aren't thinking about how difficult our lives are until after the shower...that means we shouldn't make things hard on each other then, I assume..?" Remi asks with unfettered wickedness, brushing his nose against Ronin's before leaning in for a slow and breakfast-sweet kiss.

You owe me a dance. He thinks, stretching out a hand to find one of Ronin's and continuing to keep his arm around the Huntsman's neck. It meant Ronin would be the one to lead, but Remi supposed he could endure it. The bathroom wasn't terribly far away. "I am not sure I have ever danced on my way to a shower before. Nor danced with the intention of being fully naked at the end of it."

the lullaby

Styling stolen from Sky (obviously)

we shall heal our wounds, collect our dead

"Noted," Ronin says with a smirk, raising his eyebrows at his husband's remarks. He'd have replied were it not for the lips suddenly pressed against his own, the Huntsman melting into the kiss and slipping his arms around Remi more tightly, only to find himself suddenly leading a dance. Grinning, keeping one arm around the other man's waist and taking Remi's hand with the other, he smooches the Lullaby's cheek.

"There's always time to do something new, even if we are a couple of demigods on the verge of a war," he says, smiling another kiss against his jawline before sweeping them away towards the bathroom. There absolutely isn't enough room for a waltz, let alone one of the Northaven dances, but Ronin does the best he can. They're both good dancers, so he imagines it won't go too badly.

"We can keep dancing even when we get to the shower," he offers, stepping back so he can twirl his husband as gracefully as the space allows.

THE DARK STAR

and continue fighting

Now the ashes of tomorrow sing your sad song

"I can't think of a better time. We could die tomorrow after all." Then, with a crooked grin he adds, "Well.." and then crinkles his nose; they both know the chances of that are extremely low.

It doesn't go badly at all, and as Remi gracefully twirls, Oria peeps up from her nest above their cabinets to trill a haunting sort of melody for the pair to dance to. "We'll have to keep holding one another so that no one slips." The alchemist says offhandedly as he twines back to the Huntsman and gives him what's meant to be a coquettish sort of stare. Coming from Remi though, it probably just looks a bit feral. "Not that I would ever have had the courage to do this with you back in Northaven, but if I had..." With flushed cheeks, Remi smiles both apologetically and bashfully. 'If I am putty in your hands now, after all this time, I cannot imagine what would have happened back then." Actually, there was every reason to think he'd have passed out, actually.

the lullaby

Styling stolen from Sky (obviously)

we shall heal our wounds, collect our dead

"What a shame that I will have to keep holding onto you. I'll just have to find some way to manage," Ronin says with an exaggerated sigh, tipping a wink to Oria in gratitude for the addition of her melody. As Remi twirls back to him, Ronin sweeps him into a graceful bend that would never be possible if the two men weren't who they were (and he manages not to bonk his husband's head on the counter, so that's a bonus, too).

Straightening up again and nudging open the bathroom door with his hip, Ronin twirls them inside, and if coquettish is feral to the alchemist, then apparently that's exactly the Huntsman's vibe. At least it seems that way, from the heat in his cheeks that's also plunging straight south. "Gods, I would have showed you off to everyone, and damn the consequences," he murmurs, leaning in for a kiss.

"Can you imagine us at some stuffy blueblood ball?" he mumbles against his lips. "Or, much preferably, at one of the taverns in Northwind? I'd have you dancing on the tables if it killed me."

THE DARK STAR

and continue fighting

Now the ashes of tomorrow sing your sad song

"Shouldn't be too hard. What with all those extra pairs of hands we can create." Remi agrees warmly. It's as beautiful a display as it one that should have had both of their backs breaking, but as Ronin pulls Remi up, the alchemist has nothing but a sunny smile for the Huntsman.

"Even if it had gotten us tossed into jail or worse, it might have been worth it just to see the look on everyone's faces." Everyone mostly being the high and mighty bluebloods who acted as if they were above everyone, Baron-class included. 'Gods, I can. I should have sought you out a the Masquerade. Did we know each other then...?" Shaking his head unable to remember, Remi bites his lip thoughtfully. " I think my mask had a bunch of cracks in it, from what I recall. As if it were made of clay and falling apart. What was yours?"

Shutting the door behind them with one of his feet, Remi slides his arm from Ronin's shoulders down between them to begin to tug off the Huntsman's sweatpants. "We'll do it in our dreams tonight. How's that?"

the lullaby

Styling stolen from Sky (obviously)

we shall heal our wounds, collect our dead

"You make a very good point," Ronin agrees, though he suspects he will only need the one pair of hands to keep Remi steady at this rate - he has no intention of letting the other man go anywhere. He watches the Lullaby artfully kick the door shut as if it's part of the dance with a playful grin, and as the other man undresses him, he sets the shower to going. "Mm, I can imagine their faces right now. Shock, horror, jealousy," he murmurs, twirling back to catch Remi's lips in a kiss, all the while working to strip him of his own clothes.

"I think mine was bronze. It was quite plain if I remember. I tried to tone it down," he murmurs, bouncing his eyebrows at Remi as if to say yes, me, really. "I wonder if we could arrange a masquerade here in the Greatwood. Not that it would do you any good - I think I'd recognise you anywhere." He winks.

Drawing Remi beneath the stream of warm water, Ronin sighs in a mix of contentment and longing. "That sounds perfect. That's the only thing the Greatwood is missing, I think - a good tavern."

THE DARK STAR

and continue fighting

Now the ashes of tomorrow sing your sad song

So...jealous.. Remi manages. The heat from the water feels almost cold compared to the heat in his cheeks and belly, the contrast of which has him shivering pleasantly in his husband's arms. "Toned down. Of course you would." Remi mumbles, despite Ronin's early acknowledgement of just how ridiculous it sounds.

"Oh, you think? I am very good at disguises you know." Not wanting to use his illusion magic to make himself look like Vanya or Archibald or even Ash for all the complex emotions they'd bring in the Huntsman, instead Remi ruffles through his husband's memories for someone much more innocuous. Looking petite despite his proportions necessarily staying the same, it's with wide honey-coloured eyes that Remi looks at his husband, having covered himself in the illusion of one of the bar wenches from the Tempest. 'Even like this?' Remi purrs, though of course it's his voice leaving the brunette's lips.

"But maybe we should...I wonder if there is a way of...I don't know. Dulling everyone's abilities. No magic, no upgrades, no violence. Just one big shield of illusion and a night where we all don't have to hate each other."

the lullaby

Styling stolen from Sky (obviously)

we shall heal our wounds, collect our dead

"Of course I would," Ronin repeats with a crooked grin, and he's about to lean in to sneak another kiss from Remi's lips when suddenly it isn't Remi standing there at all. Raising his eyebrows and looking his illusioned husband up and down, Ronin's smile softens and he reaches out to cup the 'bar wench's cheek. Gazing into honey coloured eyes, he swears he can see right through to the man beneath if he tries for long enough. "Mm, even like this," he decides, though he does give Remi a nudge as if to encourage him back into himself.

"Oho, that sounds like quite the trick," he says of the Lullaby's imagined night, but he looks absolutely enthralled by the idea. "I think that's precisely the sort of thing Ludo's demigod could arrange, don't you? And it would be nice for us to just... be. As long as the shield kicks people out when they cause trouble."

THE DARK STAR

and continue fighting

Now the ashes of tomorrow sing your sad song

The illusion ripples and fades, leaving the alchemist looking pleased and disappointed all at once. "Well, not from across a room though." He protests with a crooked smile. However that Ronin thinks Remi should be the one to arrange such a thing just has the alchemist laughing. "Do you really think anyone would come to a party I threw? They would all think it was a trick, or just some convenient way to murder them." Which, it would be all things considered.

'I wonder though if Ludo's demigod and Safrin's demigod were to work on it...? Maybe I will promise Ludo to be on my best behaviour all season if it helps me out."

As nice as the party was starting to sound, the rush of water and the press of Ronin against his body was much more enticing. Shivering out of the last of his clothes, Remi edges the pair towards and then into the shower. Letting the warmth rain down onto his shoulders and wet the back of his curls, the alchemist will try and force his dance partner into a spin that he might enjoy the water too.

the lullaby

Styling stolen from Sky (obviously)