how i wonder what you are

Maeve

She sent a letter ahead of herself, letting Remi know that she'd be in the Greatwood, asking if he'd be willing to lend his astronomy expertise. It's within that letter that she informs him she'll be at the Stonesong the following night should he have the time. So with a bottle of spiced cider and a blanket in tow, the Nightshade carefully picks her way through the trees until she finds a break in the line, stepping out along the shore of the rushing river. There isn't much wind right now, but the haunting melody continues all the same as the water runs through the stones, causing a shiver that has nothing to do with the chill in the air to run up her spine.

Maeve spreads out her blanket, setting down the small basket on the corner before lowering herself to sit, drawing her sweater a bit more tightly around her slim frame. Jade eyes look up to the sky, skin washed silver in the moonlight as she begins to pick out the different constellations, waiting for her company to arrive.

'Cause it's too cold for you here and now
so let me hold both your hands in the holes of my sweater

the lullaby

How do I learn my dreams to mold
To lay them bare in the morning cold?

Arrive he already had. Sitting very, very still in the darkness, shadows had come to collect him, wrapping around his body as if they might mummify him where he sat. It was easy to slow his breathing, to let his gaze go slack that his mind might wander more freely without the constraints of his flesh. Maeve's arrival had tugged his consciousness back down, and it was only with a brief flicker of reluctance that Remi rolled his shoulders and shrugged away the shadows.

"Good evening." Said in a low voice if only because the silence of midnight seemed to demand it, Remi offers the Queen a crooked smile as he inclines his head towards her blanket. "Is there room for me on there, or shall I dream up my own blanket?"

If they're still out there then the chasm grows
For all you know, for all you've known

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Maeve

She doesn't hear him. She doesn't even realize he's there. The shadows hiding him from her view. The Nightshade starts, head snapping towards him as her pulse stutters, fluttering rapidly at the surge of adrenaline. Maeve relaxes as soon as her eyes land on him, a smile curling on her lips as she extends a hand to him, "You know I always have room for you, love." The Queen murmurs, voice quiet in the night, mixing with the sound of rushing water and the faint singing of the stones in the river.

Waiting for him to join her, Maeve motions to the basket, "I brought us some snacks. A little bit of hot spiced cider." Nothing with alcohol, knowing it didn't do much for him anymore. Reaching for the basket, Maeve begins to unpack the tea cakes, carefully wrapped in wax paper. "Thank you for coming. I didn't know anyone better to ask for help with this." She passes him one of the tea cakes, quickly followed by a mug of steaming cider before making one for herself.

'Cause it's too cold for you here and now
so let me hold both your hands in the holes of my sweater

the lullaby

How do I learn my dreams to mold
To lay them bare in the morning cold?

It's no wonder, predator that Remi is, that he smiles despite (because of?) Maeve's sharp reaction to the sound of his voice. Grinning, he nods as he sinks easily down at her side, reclining comfortably back on his hands with his legs crossed loosely at the ankle. "I would say that you have confused me for Ronin..." The alchemist begins, turning his head over his shoulder and sniffing at the air. "But that does smell very good."

Sitting up that his hands might be free to accept his cider and cake, Remi hums his appreciation as he wastes little time in helping himself to a large bite. "I studied the stars quite extensively back...well, back before." The alchemist explains around bites of cake. "And when we first arrived and the barrier was up...there was little else to do." He adds with a boyish shrug. "It was one of the ways Ronin and I were able to judge just how far apart from the Grounds we were, when Safrin plopped us down in Torchline for the first time."

If they're still out there then the chasm grows
For all you know, for all you've known

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Maeve

A huff of a laugh pushes past her lips, puffing into a faint white swirl as it meets the cool air, "Surely Ronin isn't the only one of you two that needs to eat." The Nightshade quips, waiting for him to take both the drink and the cake from her hands. "Otherwise we might need to rethink the whole dinner party." She smiles easily, bringing her mug up to her lips and taking a slow sip from it, the liquid settling warm in her belly.

It's another piece of the puzzle that is Remi Taliesin. A dark brow arches, curiosity coloring her gaze as she takes a bite of her own cake, chewing thoughtfully. It isn't until she's swallowed that Maeve speaks. "Are the stars of your original home different than from here?" Surely they were, but she couldn't help but wonder if there were any similarities at all. "Safrin has tasked me with finding a constellation that speaks to me... Only trouble with that is that I don't know them all that well."

'Cause it's too cold for you here and now
so let me hold both your hands in the holes of my sweater

the lullaby

How do I learn my dreams to mold
To lay them bare in the morning cold?

Smirking, Remi raises his eyebrows thoughtfully as he shrugs. "No of course not. I just tend to catch and kill my own food, whereas Ronin prefers his arriving on a plate." Still, whatever sort of man the alchemist might be, he is still one at heart and not one to pass up food and drink offered so readily.

Looking up into the sky, unburdened by the memories of when once he did this with Isla, Remi's smile is sweetly melancholic. "In some ways." He replies. "There are so many stars you can make almost any pattern you want, so in that way I suppose I can still see all the old shapes, but.." In the end, he exhales and shakes his head, stilling at the mention of Safrin. "Well...that one—" Raising his hand Remi points at a collection of stars. "—is of a lynx. It is said to hide in the dark, using its ability to see things otherwise hidden." He explains. "Or—" Pointing to another cluster, he continues. "Do you see the stars there separated by that cluster? It is supposed to be of a boy and girl who fell in love and began to ignore their duties out of wanting to be together. So, they were separated by a vast river by the gods. One night a year a bridge appears to let them be together, but for the rest of the year they remain on the banks."

If they're still out there then the chasm grows
For all you know, for all you've known

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Maeve

Maeve snorts out a laugh at his admission, "You would be the type." She teases about his hunting and eating when shifted. Maeve supposes there is something easy about that. Not that the Nightshade would have any real idea. Much like his husband, Maeve prefers her food brought to her on a plate already. No killing of her own involved.

Now, she isn't unused to seeing Remi in good moods. Hell, she's one of the few that does, she thinks. This is different. Softer and lighter than he's been with her in ages. Her own smile reflects his as she leans lightly against him, her sweater keeping their skin from touching as she does so, tilting her head up towards the sky to follow his finger. "I didn't know about that one." She murmurs thoughtfully. "Is it based on any truth?" Maeve isn't sure if it is or not, but the story is a beautiful one. Even if a bit sad.

"I'm mostly familiar with the ones over Torchline. Like Hydra and Siren." Her jade eyes scan the night sky, spotting the sea serpent and pointing it out. "There he is."

'Cause it's too cold for you here and now
so let me hold both your hands in the holes of my sweater

the lullaby

How do I learn my dreams to mold
To lay them bare in the morning cold?

Appreciating the lack of skin-on-skin contact, Remi settles against the Nightshade even as his eyes scan the swirls of stars overhead. "I can imagine it being true." The alchemist says thoughtfully, shrugging softly. "I would hope that were Ronin and I ever to be separated in that way we would be given a night together once a year." Smirking to himself, Remi's dimples deepen. "Though knowing us, I think even Mort and Vi would have a difficult time keeping us apart."

Narrowing his eyes and lowering his head slightly that he might see the stars from Maeve's perspective, Remi sees the tangle of stars that likely made up the constellations she was referring to. "What myths would be told about you, if you were a constellation? Would you be a dancer stretching across the galaxies? A blush of nightshade?"

If they're still out there then the chasm grows
For all you know, for all you've known

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Maeve

She could see it too and as the Lullaby mentions his husband, Maeve is able to imagine it clearly, a slight smile curling on her lips at the thought. Bringing her cup up to her lips, Maeve takes another drink, huffing a laugh after she swallows. "I imagine there is very little that would keep you two away from each other." She hasn't known anything to be successful thus far.

The question makes her pause and she imagines this isn't exactly what Safrin meant when she asked her to find a constellation that spoke to her. Still, she thinks on it, a soft hum vibrating through her chest. "A dancer, I think. That's when I feel the most free." Maeve finally settles on, glancing over at him with an arched brow. "What do you think? Can you see it?"

'Cause it's too cold for you here and now
so let me hold both your hands in the holes of my sweater

the lullaby

How do I learn my dreams to mold
To lay them bare in the morning cold?

"Nothing yet." Remi replies with a small smile. Not death, not infidelity, not egos, nor gods. Hopefully, it would always stay that way.

As Maeve considers and then looks at him, Remi narrows his eyes skeptically. "A dancer, mmm?" He repeats, feigning a frown before turning his head ever so slightly to look past Maeve's gaze and into the sky. "Yes, I think I can. You could be there—" Raising a hand, the one missing a few fingers regrettably, Remi begins to sketch out a shape in the stars. "A curve like this for your body, with these stars here to indicate a dress or skirt flying around you. And there—" Gesturing slightly lower, he adds: "—is maybe water, or sand, splashing around."

If they're still out there then the chasm grows
For all you know, for all you've known

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Maeve

Maeve offers him a soft smile in return before her attention turns to the stars as Remi begins to sketch out a constellation just for her. Just as unique as she is. The Nightshade hums softly in consideration, even as he feigns a frown, "I see it, too." Maeve isn't sure if Safrin meant this when she said to look at the stars and find a constellation that spoke to her, but then again, maybe it is. Maybe Safrin wanted her to carve out a spot for herself in the skies. In the universe.

"What would it be called? Simply the Nightshade after me or something more unique?" A huff of a laugh pushes past her lips before she's bringing the cider up again, taking another slow sip. Her eyes still locked on the stars that shine up above them.

'Cause it's too cold for you here and now
so let me hold both your hands in the holes of my sweater

the lullaby

How do I learn my dreams to mold
To lay them bare in the morning cold?

"Dance of the Nightshade, perhaps." Remi murmurs, narrowing his eyes into the night as if his predatory stare might somehow reveal more than the eye could see on its own. "Or maybe Nightshade's Eve. Or dusk?" Or sunrise. Frowning, Remi sighs. "Ronin is more of the poet than I am." He admits with a small but defeated shrug.

Reminded of the warm drink Maeve had brought, Remi pulls his stare away from the sky that he might bring his own cup to his lips without spilling it over them. "So...when you return to Safrin..what is all of this meant to gain you? Will you be tattooed like Ronin is?"

If they're still out there then the chasm grows
For all you know, for all you've known

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Maeve

Maeve smiles, a hum pushing past her lips as she turns to regard him, jade eyes studying his features for a moment. "Perhaps, but I think you're pretty poetic. You've definitely said some pretty things to me." She teases, playfully bumping against his shoulder, being careful not to jostle him too much lest he spill his cider. "I like Dance of the Nightshade, though." It was simple and to the point, but no less lovely.

"While I might be tattooed, it won't be like Ronin. At least, not from what I understand. I asked her for a bow that shoots stars." Maeve's expression shifts, seeming almost smug, "More specifically, I asked her to make the bow you crafted for me capable of doing so." While the Lullaby might not have thought his work as valuable, Maeve couldn't imagine having any other bow besides the one that he made for her.

'Cause it's too cold for you here and now
so let me hold both your hands in the holes of my sweater

the lullaby

How do I learn my dreams to mold
To lay them bare in the morning cold?

"Words have never been my strong suit." The alchemist admits, almost apologetically. "If the truth happened to be pretty, that was just an accident." Like nudging against a bit of marble, Remi doesn't shift as Maeve brushes against him, but merely chuckles and shrugs before taking another sip of his drink.

Feeling somehow relieved that Maeve wouldn't be marked quite the same way Ronin had, Remi sets down his cider (now empty). 'Oh?' The alchemist chuckles again. "That feels like a lifetime ago..." He muses, thinking back to simpler times that had seemed so complicated when they were living through them. Had they any skin contact, Maeve would have felt the alchemist go instantly cold, and bleak, and black. Instead, she would simply sense him shifting against her, and perhaps seeing the way his jaw suddenly set.

"Shooting stars..." He says, almost to himself. "That is the only thing that can ever properly kill Ronin, you know."

If they're still out there then the chasm grows
For all you know, for all you've known

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!