Arms deep in a wishing well

Remi hazarded a glance towards Jigano, a small and reluctant sort of smile on his lips. "Probably far too much." He admitted, but with a sad sort of resignation. One that said he'd pay even more—everything he had in fact, which was basically what he'd offered. "A favour, to be called in later." Remi said finally, exhaling softly. "It...might certainly be the end of me. I do realize that." The alchemist added. But it had been for Isla. Isla of all people. Remi would give his life a thousand times for hers. "Ludo said to me once that we always have a choice. I can only hope that if I am asked to do something that I cannot do, that the option of death will be open to me. I cannot see it asking me to wound or harm any but...of course I do not know its mind." /// "Yes, I thought to do that. He seems to have made himself scarce, and with the arrival of the Spark bird, he could be anywhere in the Sanctuary by now. His name is Lucas, blonde with green eyes. An ascended, I believe, as he smiled and showed me his teeth. I suppose he might have been an attuned with some sort of carnivorous shift though." REMI How do you steal what you really want When what you really want is free?

Jigano waited patiently for Remi to find clarity in his words, for he was in no hurry and if he tried to push the younger man might seal his words behind silent lips and then the bard would never know what price had been extracted for the return of a soul and the reversal of death. The answer was so much more than he had expected, however, and the lorekeeper closed his eyes and exhaled a silent prayer to his old friend Cassandalee. For once the alchemist seemed aware of the consequences of his actions, however, and Jigano bit back his retort in respect for that. Ludo was a god associated with death. One who had power over it. Why would he give the man an easy way out that way, if Remi tried to renege on his deal with a god?

Either way, there didn't seem to be much that Jigano could do or say to help matters. The deal was made, and Isla was... changed, but alive. Probably. Or at least something that the trickster god called 'Isla' had been returned to Remi's side, and thinking that it was anything other than her soul inhabiting that equine body led down paths of paranoia and madness he was not yet ready to tread.

Bowing his head in gratitude and sympathy, the tall man took himself out to the bar to retrieve some much-needed drinks for them both.

///

"Lucas," Jigano repeated, a hitch of familiarity in his voice as he frowned thoughtfully. "I met him in the infirmary, a little while back. A fellow Outlander, though..." he sighed regretfully. "I'm afraid I... wasn't in my best shape to pay attention to him as I should have." He hesitated, an idea sparking and he opened his mouth eagerly, then closed it again. He tilted his head at the younger man, speaking carefully. "May I please offer a suggestion?"

Despite all that they had been through, the look that Remi gave the bard was genuine and possibly a little naive in its boyish optimism. "Of course." He said with a nod, resisting the urge to say I am sure that you would anyways. He'd mean it as a joke, a way of breaking the tension, but his earlier jest about being a hero had not been taken precisely the way he thought it would, and so the alchemist ended his sentence earlier. REMI How do you steal what you really want When what you really want is free?

Remi's smile was sincere enough, but Jigano could still hear echoes of the soft-spoken accusations the alchemist had hurled at him not so long ago. He set his drink down and bowed his head, taking a breath, and then another. When he looked up again his smile was wry, and he gave a little shake of his head in rueful negation. "Perhaps," he said, his words slow, "it would be better if I listened, instead. What ideas do you have, and can I help with them? I'll be the first to admit that humility isn't my strongest point, but I assure you: I can be taught... eventually." Lips quirking wryly, he raised the fiery feather in his free hand and - carefully - saluted Remi with it. "I would be especially helpful at setting things on fire at the moment. It has a habit of igniting whatever it touches, even things you'd think were fireproof. But if we - or you - need to go outside the protection of the Sanctuary, this will hopefully keep the monsters at bay."

Happily Remi chuckled, at first thinking that the pregnant pause from the bard was merely time for the man to feed the fire of his criticisms. This would be a time that even Remi would not try to argue, but the words he received instead made him laugh humbly as he shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I suppose the first thing to do is ensure that it is not here somewhere, or that it has not been mistakenly moved. I would not want to accuse anyone of anything without reason ... then again simply asking Lucas if he has seen it does not seem like that much of a problem?" With that said, the alchemist cocked his head to the side slightly, happy to hear what the bard might have to say about the whole thing. REMI How do you steal what you really want When what you really want is free?

"You don't strike me as the type to start breaking glassware without being certain the mask was gone," the bard said dryly, but with a wry smile. "Though I appreciate the need to be absolutely certain before you want to make accusations." He tilted his head thoughtfully, looking around the room with a more intent gaze, trying to pick up details. Finally he looked back at the alchemist and then down at his pile of belongings, smile fading as he took on a more sober mien.

"No one should have been rifling your bag except you, right?" He confirmed. "Would your lion nose be able to pick up any scent on the fabric that isn't your own? And... would you be able to follow it?" His smile returned, a little lopsided. "Once you have the scent you might be able to narrow down your list, and... well, you don't need me to spell things out." He shrugged, trying not to hammer home the obvious when Remi was fully capable of working it out for himself.

"They should not have been going through it, but LongNight has seen some strange circumstances. Perhaps someone thought there would be something they needed within?" Remi ventured, wanting badly to air on the side of optimistic but finding the words falling flat even to his ears. "If he is an ascended as I believe he is, they do not leave scents the way others do. Their bodies seem to just ... not." He said with a fruitless shrug. "Once LongNight is over I might just ... perhaps put the word out that I am in search of him." The alchemist added, already feeling anxious about the confrontation this situation was likely to cause. REMI How do you steal what you really want When what you really want is free?

Jigano arched a brow at Remi's reaching after clouds, hearing the young man's silent admission in his tone and seeing no reason to drive it home further. If someone was going through the bag for a legitimate reason they wouldn't have taken the mask on a whim, after all. Not on this, of all nights.

Twirling his empty glass between his fingers, the bard frowned at the news that Ascended left no scent. He hadn't realized that, but it made a certain sense. "Even so, it would be a way to narrow your possibilities," he said slowly. "If there is no scent, then you know it was an Ascended, at least, and not someone else. It wouldn't confirm that Lucas was the thief, but it would remove all non-Ascendeds from the list of possible thieves. And you should be able to get a headcount of who was here during Long Night..." he trailed off, and shook his head with a sigh. "But I agree, he's the most likely suspect. I'll let him know if I see him, that you would like to speak to him." He offered the younger man a lopsided smile, just before a resounding crash made him flinch. An odd look came over his face then, followed by a heavy sigh.

"Ah... it seems Isuma has found a wine spider. Forgive me, Remi, but I should probably clean that up. If you need anything... well. I'm glad we are not as at odds as we were before." With a courteous bow (that almost set his hair on fire from the feather still in his hand) he turned and made a hasty retreat towards the cellar and the very sheepish gryphlet who awaited him there.