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 Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 5:24 pm
“What are we supposed to do about a wall?” Yvoire asked.
He guided Reims away from the doors over to the wall in question. Nothing about it gave Yvoire any indication what it was, or what it might have been, or what might be relevant about it now. It stood strangely preserved, but otherwise seemed completely normal.
Yvoire frowned, noting Reims’ growing fatigue. A spark of annoyance lit his eyes, but he wasn’t sure where it originated. With Reims himself? With his own inadequacies? Both? Yvoire was angry, and he was hurt, but he was worried, too. None of this could be easy on Reims, who should be resting. He was going to hurt himself if he kept this up.
So Yvoire found a piece of debris large enough to serve as a seat and eased Reims down onto it. Then he turned to face the wall and his own. A closer study offered no further answers.
“I think…” Yvoire trailed off. He paused and closed his eyes, trying to sense anything that might point them in the right direction. “I think there’s magic? You think it’s more of that blood magic? Like the Sanctuary. I could try…”
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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 5:25 pm
Reims cringed at himself when Yvoire set him down on some debris, realizing that he must have been leaning too heavily on him. He wanted to apologize, but there was a part of him that suspected mentioning anything about it would draw more ire from Yvoire.
He’d thought he would have lasted longer. He was feeling a lot better than he had been! They’d just been walking a lot. And he hadn’t been prepared for that. It was foolish, and he knew it made him look weak and pathetic. He wished he could have been completely healed like nothing had ever happened, but he was afraid if he ignored the strange dream he had, he might lose the direction it was pulling him.
“Can you do something other than hurt yourself?” he suggested, but cringed again because he knew it sounded dumb. “Uh, I mean… does it need blood? Can you, like… spit on it or something?”
That contained DNA as well, right? Why did Ganymede require weird blood magic to work, anyway? And he had no idea if the wall actually held anything important, or if it was just his imagination. He didn’t want to look stupid after Yvoire cut himself or something and nothing happened.
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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 5:25 pm
“I’d assume it’s called blood magic because it does need blood,” Yvoire said.
He frowned. It wasn’t as if he enjoyed having to hurt himself. He still wasn’t entirely sure why it worked for him. Yvoire knew he should ask Ganymede; she probably had an answer for it, but… he thought she might not be happy about it, that she might tell him to stop playing with things he didn’t understand, that it was dangerous...
But it was only in his Wonder that he seemed to need it. It was the only thing he’d learned about himself and the past that didn’t come to him second hand. Maybe it was something special about the castle…
Yvoire thought, briefly, of the cavern beneath Reims’ cathedral, and the stained stone slab large enough for a body to lay on.
A shiver worked its way down his spine. Yvoire took a breath and steeled himself. He searched for something sharp among the debris and found a few slivers of glass, too small to cause anything more than pinpricks or a shallow cut. Blood beaded up through the pad of his thumb when he poked himself. A pulse of something seemed to vibrate through his bones—magic responding to magic.
Yvoire smeared his blood along the wall.
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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 5:25 pm
Reims made another face, clearly feeling embarrassed that it was obvious blood was needed for blood magic, but that didn’t mean he had to like Yvoire hurting himself. He wished he could do it instead. Maybe he could find a way to make up for everything by being a useful pin cushion for Yvoire’s blood needs. He knew it didn’t work like that, but he could be hopeful.
As Yvoire smeared his blood against the strangely pristine wall, Reims thought for a few moments that nothing was going to happen. Probably because nothing did happen. At least not in the time it took for Reims to hold his breath and then need to breathe again.
It was then that they heard the sound of stone, scraping and shifting in the wall that Yvoire had touched. A brick seemed to be pushed loose. It didn’t fall out completely from the wall, but on the top was the distinct symbol of Ganymede.
Okay, except now Reims couldn’t just sit around and watch as Yvoire discovered things on his own. So he carefully pushed himself back up and hobbled over to stand beside him. He held his breath again, of course. Not for anticipation, but to make sure he wasn’t huffing and heaving too heavily next to Yvoire’s ear.
“Do you think you could pull it out?” he asked after a moment of weighing his options. He didn’t know how heavy it was, but he was worried that Yvoire would get mad at him for straining too much with his injuries. Or maybe Yvoire would get mad at him for not doing things on his own. Or maybe Yvoire would get mad at him for getting up in his space when he wanted Reims to be sitting, instead.
It was too stressful thinking about all the ways he could upset Yvoire. Maybe that was just part of his punishment. He’d accept it, but it didn’t mean it wasn’t wearing on him.
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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 5:26 pm
Yvoire leveled Reims with a flat stare. He tried to regulate what his face was doing, uncertain about his own emotions and unwilling to express them until he was, but he also didn’t have much control over them. He was tired and upset and frustrated, and it didn’t seem all that fair to him that Reims was looking for something in Yvoire of all places but couldn’t do any of the work to actually find it.
Maybe that was selfish of him, to want the castle to himself, to feel territorial over something he hadn’t even known existed a year and a half ago. They were on the same side of this war. They’d already worked together to clean up their Wonders, to protect one another…
But Yvoire shared his name with the castle. The Code piece there was his to protect.
Why should Reims get to have any part of that?
Why couldn’t something make sense for once?
Yvoire grabbed the brick, pulled it out, and carelessly tossed it among the rest of the debris.
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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 5:26 pm
Reims winced as Yvoire threw the brick. He supposed it must have not been that heavy after all, which just made him look more pathetic. He mumbled a quiet thanks and leaned closer to peer into the opening.
There was a small ridge behind where the brick had been set, clearly in an attempt to protect the small box that was inside. A strange shiver ran down Reim’s back as he reached to pull it out. It was covered in dust, but the box was undamaged. Small red gems and a shiny red inlay along the box shimmered in the dim light from the outside sun.
It was a beautiful little box. A jewelry box, perhaps. Or a music box.
Except it wouldn’t open. There was no keyhole.
Reims sighed, deflating a bit. He didn’t want to get another look from Yvoire that made him wish he hadn’t asked to look for whatever this box was in the first place. He knew why he couldn’t open it. Of course he couldn’t open it.
“Whoever I was in my past life must have trusted whoever you were in your past life a lot,” he frowned, as he brushed his thumb over the front of the box. He still had the flowers in his other hand.
“I trust you, too,” he said after a moment, glancing up at Yvoire as he held the box out for him. “If it takes another lifetime to make things up to you… I’ll do it. I won’t ******** up next time.”
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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 5:26 pm
Several weeks ago, Yvoire would have been happy to have even this small shred of proof that he and Reims had shared something in the past. More than the bridge. More than the symbols on their uniforms. They had known one another. Whoever Reims used to be had trusted Ellis enough to leave something important here, something that called to Reims now, centuries later. It spoke of fate and destiny and all those silly fairytale things Yvoire had known better than to believe in, but had let himself get carried away hoping for.
Because he’d been so lonely.
Because Reims had been so kind.
Now it was all ruined. Yvoire couldn’t even act as hurtful or hateful as he wanted, not after Reims had told him he felt unwanted, not after Reims had nearly died protecting him. He couldn’t take the box and throw it like he’d thrown the brick. He couldn’t take the flowers and stomp them beneath his boots. He couldn’t throw a fist into Reims’ face, or shove him over and kick him where he’d been stabbed. He couldn’t even cry, even if it was what he wanted to do most of all, because Reims would feel bad and try to comfort him, and Yvoire would only be angrier at himself.
Yvoire gnashed his teeth together behind his frown. He used the sliver of glass to p***k at his finger again, smearing the next drop of blood over the box.
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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 5:27 pm
It all happened in an instant. As soon as the blood touched the box, the rest of the red gems and inlays started to glow. The box itself started to tremble in Reims’ hand, and he held onto it tighter so he couldn’t drop it.
A rush of air burst from the box as it sprung open. Inside, which Reims barely caught a glimpse of before the whirl of air had him covering his face and instinctively stepping in front of Yvoire to keep him out of any potential danger, was a shining red gem in the shape of a heart.
Except it didn’t feel like danger. The air was cool and swirled more than bombarded, making his cape rise from the ground, and his hat nearly dislodged from his head.
And then, manifesting in front of them was a creature large enough for Reims to once again try to place himself between it and Yvoire, despite how unhappy Yvoire was with him. It wasn’t like Reims wanted him to get hurt! Even if Yvoire decided to never talk to him again… that was his choice. But for now, Reims ignored the ache in his side and shoulder.
Amber eyes with slit pupils stared at him. It was enough to take his breath away. These were the eyes he saw in his dream. ********>--” he sputtered in alarm as a large lion sat before them. Its black mane reminded him of the fur on his cape, although the lion’s was much more luxurious. And if he wasn’t imagining things, it had wings folded against its sides.
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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 5:27 pm
The rush of air whisked Yvoire’s hat off.
He took several steps back, first to avoid whatever was going on with the box, then to put a little more space between himself and Reims. The protectiveness from Reims was… unsettling. Yvoire thought of the Captain, how simple it had all seemed to her, how Reims had tried and failed and laid on the ground in a growing pool of his own blood. Yvoire didn’t want that to happen again. He didn’t want Reims putting himself in harm’s way for him.
But Yvoire didn’t stop him. He let Reims stand in front of him. One of Yvoire’s hands moved like he would reach out, maybe grab Reims by the cape and drag him backwards to safety, but he dropped it before making contact.
A lion took shape—powerful; majestic.
Yvoire’s hands curled into fists at his sides.
He swallowed thickly. He watched the lion cautiously at first, but when it didn’t leap at either one of them, Yvoire bristled bitterly. From what he knew of Knights, from what he’d seen among his friends, there could only be one explanation as to what this was.
“You have your animal,” Yvoire said, voice tight with rising emotion. “Your summon, or whatever it’s called.”
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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 5:27 pm
Summon? Reims glanced over his shoulder at Yvoire, and then back to the lion. He’d heard the emotion in Yvoire’s voice. The bitterness. The frustration and anger. Reims didn’t blame him. He was upset that Yvoire really seemed like he was pulling away from him, and that maybe they really would never be friends again, but he didn’t blame him.
Realizing why the red gem seemed familiar, Reims carefully balanced the box on his forearm as he lifted the gem from where it had been hidden and held it up to the symbol of Ganymede on his chest.
It was a perfect fit.
It was as though everything was slowly clicking into place.
So why did it feel like everything was also breaking apart?
“Thanks, Evie,” he said quietly, still watching the lion with some skepticism but was otherwise optimistic about its presence. The lion itself didn’t do much other than sit and watch. It ruffled the feathers of its wings some, and flicked its tufted tail. Amber eyes on both Reims and Yvoire, as though waiting to see what they would do.
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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 5:27 pm
Yvoire shrugged because he couldn’t do anything else.
It wasn’t fair how awfully things had fallen apart, how difficult it was to fit it all back together. Reims was Riker and Riker had apologized, but Yvoire couldn't find it in himself to forgive him even now. Before Reims’ confession, Yvoire had experienced fleeting moments of happiness with him. Now he had none of that, just loss and resentment. Riker was Reims. He’d become a Knight saving Yvoire. His summon had been waiting for him at Yvoire, calling to him through dreams.
All Yvoire had were old hurts and new regrets, and power that wasn’t enough to actually save anyone.
He swallowed again and backed away. The lion made no move to pounce, so Yvoire felt no concern taking his stinging eyes off of it. He cast his gaze over the crumbling remains of a room he still had no memory of.
“You can stay and rest if you need to,” he said, unwilling to kick Reims out when Reims looked so pale and tired. Yvoire wanted to help him, but he wanted to avoid him, too. “Leave when you want. I need to be alone for a while.”
With that, Yvoire turned on his heel and fled.
He didn’t look back.
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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 5:28 pm
Reims wanted to call to Yvoire. To ask him to wait. To try and apologize again. But all he could do was watch with sadness and remorse and regret as Yvoire turned on his heel to escape.
He stared down at the handful of flowers he still carried, and then glanced up at the lion.
“Sorry, you’re stuck with a ******** up,” he mumbled quietly.
He moved slowly, carefully moving some of the debris out of the way. He picked the tossed brick up and put it back in place. There was an old table, and what looked like could have been a wine decanter that only had its handle broken, although it was chipped in a few places. Carefully, he righted the table and brushed it off. The pitcher was set in the center.
Even though Reims knew it wouldn’t last long, he still pulled a bottle of water from his subspace pocket to pour into the container. And into it, he placed the flowers. The lion watched quietly, and Reims thought it might be judging him. If that was even possible for a Summon to understand what was going on.
Yvoire might never accept his apology. He didn’t have to. He was not obligated. But Reims knew he would continue to try and make things up to him. He just had to figure out how.
Fin!
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