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 Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2025 6:43 am
Takes place early November 2024. There were flowers on the ground, spreading out in some places like carpet. Trees and shrubs were blooming. Small insects collected pollen and birds flitted around, singing sweet songs to each other.
It was Spring on Ganymede. While the cold winds shifted and blew colored leaves down from the trees on Earth, there was a liveliness here that Reims wasn’t expecting.
Not so long ago, there weren’t even birds chirping. Now he could have sworn he saw a rabbit hopping around some of the plants near the cemetery.
He was still sore, but mostly recovered. His ribs were still mending, and the hole in his abdomen had at least been closed up, thanks to Ephesus’ magic and the springs of Sessrumnir, but it was still very tender and he couldn’t breathe too hard otherwise he would start coughing. And that was painful on its own.
But over the past week, he’d done what he could to rest and heal. About a week after getting injured and then starting to recover, Evan helped him dye his hair. Not a lot, but just his bangs, similar to how Evan dyed his. It didn’t change who he was, nor did it erase his past, but somehow it helped him see that he could step beyond who he thought he should be to appease people who didn’t care about him, and stand more in line with a version of himself that he could be proud of. Or at least accept.
The bridge was looking in much better shape than it ever had. Not so long ago, he and Yvoire had to jump across the rubble to reach each other’s Wonders. Now there were only a handful of areas that required additional attention when crossing.
Reims half expected Yvoire to not show up. They’d come on their own, since Reims didn’t want to force Yvoire into something he wasn’t ready for. If he didn’t show up, then he would just go back to his cathedral and work on cleaning things up.
Or resting. Or moping.
He’d gathered up some of the wildflowers along the way. Purple flowers and pink, along with a handful of white flowers that looked like stars.
It was probably pretty cheesy, and wouldn’t be well received. He was tempted to drop them into the river and pretend like he hadn’t gathered them up in the first place, but for the time being, he held onto them.
Although he had every intention of standing and waiting for Yvoire to meet him at the bridge that separated their Wonders, he ended up out of breath and had to sit on some of the larger chunks of rubble that still littered the path.
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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 5:18 pm
Yvoire didn’t want to go, even if he’d agreed. A part of him didn’t want to face Reims. He couldn’t be sure he wouldn’t cry again. He always felt on the verge of it, seconds away from bursting into tears at the slightest misfortune.
Reims had died. Yvoire had almost lost the chance to forgive him.
He was still so angry with him. Yvoire wondered if it was irrational, if he was being stupid, if he should swallow his pride and get over it. Then he was angrier at himself than he was at Reims.
In the end, Yvoire went out to the bridge because he’d said he would and he didn’t want to be the one to go back on his word. He’d feel too guilty, after everything. Reims had been hurt trying to protect him. Yvoire owed it to him to at least show his face. Even if it hurt. Even if he wanted to turn around and run.
Yvoire told himself he wasn’t a coward.
Sometimes he felt like one.
The heels of his boots clicked along the stone. Yvoire focused on that. He kept his gaze lowered, avoiding loose bits of debris and the occasional half-mended crack. Reims was there already. Yvoire could sense him—stronger than he’d been before. Stronger than Yvoire. Reims had lied to him. Reims had strung him along. As Riker, Reims had been cruel.
He still became a Knight first.
Yvoire came to a stop several feet away. A soft breeze blew through his hair. The translucent material at his hips shifted with it, brushing against the sliver of exposed skin at his thighs. He felt bright and conspicuous in the sunlight when all he wanted to do was hide.
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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 5:20 pm
He felt Yvoire before he saw him, and while there was some relief that Yvoire showed up at all, there was also a stifling dread. Reims knew Yvoire had every right to tell him to jump off the bridge. Every right to change his mind and not let him see what he thought he saw in his dream.
For all Reims knew, it was just a dream. It could have just been his imagination. And yet, he still felt like something was calling to him.
It wasn’t until he heard the click of Yvoire’s heels come to a stop that Reims finally looked up.
His stomach tightened and his heart felt like it fluttered. From nerves? He knew he’d hurt Yvoire and the guilt was heavy, but there was only so much he could do -- so much he could think to do when Yvoire was giving him the cold shoulder.
Reims tried not to focus on the way Yvoire’s hair glimmered in the sunlight, or how his shorts were -- wow were they always that short? Wait, no, he wasn’t supposed to be looking.
He cleared his throat as he stood up, twisting some of the stems of the flowers in his hands.
“Thanks for indulging me,” he said quietly. Not because he was trying to be, but because he was trying to keep his energy conserved. He didn’t know how much walking they’d need to do. Or how many stairs he’d need to climb.
“You okay? Your cheek looks better. That’s good.”
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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 5:20 pm
“I’m fine,” Yvoire said.
It wasn’t a lie. He was fine. He was alive. They both were. The bruise on Yvoire’s face was fading; it hadn’t been that dark to begin with. If he was sad and angry in the aftermath, that was his lot in life. He hadn’t been happy in a long time. Yvoire wasn’t even sure he knew what that felt like anymore.
He’d thought he had—with Reims.
He’d thought a lot of things.
Teal eyes dropped to the flowers in Reims’ hand before flicking away, staring over the side of the bridge instead.
“Do you know where we have to go?” he asked.
It unsettled him, somewhat, that Reims might know of a place in his Wonder that Yvoire hadn’t been aware of yet, even if only in dreams. Maybe he shouldn’t have been so upset. The castle was large. Some rooms had been inaccessible because of the damage done to it. It wasn’t Reims’ fault he’d had a memory, if that was what the dream had been.
Before, Yvoire would have been pleased by the idea that Reims might remember Yvoire in the past. It meant connection between the two—more than the bridge and the city.
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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 5:20 pm
Reims chewed on the inside of his cheek. It was like walking on eggshells with Yvoire. Not that he could blame him. He was already doing Reims a huge favor by letting him into his Wonder, even after everything.
He caught Yvoire’s glance at the flowers, but Reims didn’t say anything about it. Nor did he do anything with the flowers other than hold them. He was still debating on what to do, and he felt more anxious about it than he thought he should. Or maybe he deserved to be uncomfortable.
“Not really,” he winced sheepishly, knowing that any little thing might end up causing Yvoire to call off looking for whatever his dream seemed to point him towards.
“I mean… uh… remember the place where your Code piece is? I remember there being a similar glass floor. Do you know if there are other parts of Yvoire that follow the river like that? Or, are at least above the river? Maybe somewhere with fire damage. Uh… I mean, I hope that narrows things down.”
For all he knew, the whole Wonder could have been covered in scorch marks. Maybe his memory was playing tricks on him and he just made something up in his head.
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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 5:21 pm
“I haven’t found another glass floor,” Yvoire said, voice bordering on emotionless, except for the brittle edge to it.
Most of the castle sat securely on the island in the middle of the river, but there were parts that looked over the water. The bridge, of course, stretched from the eastern side of the castle to the city on the riverbank. The Sanctuary sat to the north, its glass pathway following the flow of the water.
“We can start at the Sanctuary and check the other rooms there,” he suggested. “It would help if you knew the direction the water was flowing, or… maybe where Jupiter was, or what we’re looking for. A lot of the castle was damaged by fire. Some of it’s better than it was.”
Yvoire spoke on autopilot, answering with whatever came to mind so he didn’t have to think too deeply. He turned away from the river but didn’t quite meet Reim’s eye, staring at the tail of hair over his shoulder instead—red bow against rich brown against glittering black fur.
Yvoire wanted to be happy for Reims. He wanted to be proud of him.
“Do you need help getting around?”
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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 5:21 pm
Reims expected the tension, maybe even some hostility. He knew he was only allowed there as a courtesy, probably in memory of what their relationship used to be like. He’d ruined that by keeping things secret. And yet, had he told Yvoire sooner, they wouldn’t have gotten as close.
Maybe that was worse. Not giving Yvoire the chance to decide whether he wanted to spend time with him, knowing he was Riker. It wasn’t fair. Yvoire didn't deserve that.
“Ah,” he breathed quietly when Yvoire explained that he hadn’t found another glass floor. But he was grateful that he had some other ideas. Of course a lot of the castle was damaged by fire, so his vague memory didn’t help.
“Sorry, I didn’t catch sight of which way it was flowing,” he mumbled sheepishly, not looking directly at Yvoire in case that was weird now. “I should be okay, as long as there aren’t many stairs. Then uh… it might be a little slow,” he admitted. He knew he should have just said he was fine, but Yvoire had been there. Had seen what happened. Had given him his blood to save his life.
For a moment, he opened his mouth as if he was going to say something else, but then changed his mind. He shook his head and gestured towards the castle. “After you?”
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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 5:21 pm
Yvoire turned and led the way without looking over his shoulder. He went slow so Reims could follow without straining himself too much, taking a path that steered clear of any debris. The bridge, at least, barely gave them any trouble now; it was easy enough to avoid any of the remaining damage.
Inside the castle was a different story. Despite Yvoire’s efforts, there was still much to be done to get the castle in working order. He cleaned as much as he could when he had the time, but the castle was large and some of the needed repairs were beyond him. Yvoire could only hope his efforts lent something to the magic of the place, that the love and care he gave it would be as restorative as physically rebuilding a staircase or carving a new statue from stone.
Fortunately they were able to make their way without relying on any stairs.
“Did you see whatever it was we’re looking for?” he asked, pushing a chunk of stone out of the way so Reims wouldn’t trip. “Other than the room, I mean. In your dream. Was there something there?”
If Yvoire banished all other thought, it could almost be as if nothing had changed between them.
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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 5:21 pm
His heart felt heavy as he followed Yvoire. Once upon a time, they would have been chatting and smiling, maybe even laughing at each other’s comments or jokes. Maybe even holding hands as they navigated around the rubble.
Now, with one hand still holding the flowers by his side, and the other hand pressed over the healing wound in his abdomen, Reims followed Yvoire in mournful silence.
“It was really vague,” he winced, mumbling sheepishly. He knew how unhelpful it was for him to not know anything about what he was looking for. How long until Yvoire decided he was just making things up? Or got too frustrated to deal with wandering around?
“I saw eyes. They kind of reminded me of a serpent or a cat. And… there was the glass floor -- or at least part of it. And through the glass I could see the river and the glow of fire. But that was really all there was.”
He tried not to sound out of breath as he spoke, but he was already looking forward to being able to sit down.
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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 5:22 pm
Yvoire said nothing for a while, though he listened to Reims’ answer. He had no knowledge of the place Reims’ described, or the eyes he’d seen there, and wasn’t sure what to offer in the meantime. He took Reims through the halls, north to the Sanctuary. The doors stood closed, locked once more by blood magic to protect the piece of the Code sequestered there. If whatever Reims was hoping to find had been in there, Reims would have recognized it.
So he opened the doors to other rooms, many still too damaged for Yvoire to deduce a purpose. Some doorways were still blocked by debris. One hall leading west was inaccessible to them while Reims was injured; they would have had to climb over a large pile of rubble, or move some of the larger pieces of broken stone out of the way to clear the path. Yvoire continued their search south instead, peering over his shoulder only long enough to ensure that Reims wasn’t on the verge of collapse.
Reims looked tired. Maybe he was still in pain. He still held the flowers but made no mention of them. Yvoire would have asked about them weeks ago, might have smiled and teased Reims, then marveled over their existence when everything around the castle had once been dead. A surge of hope swept through Yvoire every time he noticed them, but he squashed it down. Hope was never kind to him.
Yvoire sighed. For lack of any other ideas, he closed his eyes like he had when searching for the piece of the Code. Still, no memories came to him—just a distant, haunting melody and the occasional incoherent whisper of voices he didn’t recognize.
“I don’t know where else to go,” Yvoire said. “If you could see the river through the floor, then it should be somewhere on the ground floor. Do you sense anything?”
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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 5:22 pm
Reims was grateful that Yvoire was giving him a chance to try and find what he’d dreamed about. But he was starting to wonder how much farther they could go before he was suggesting that they give up.
He didn’t want to look like he was weak. He took careful, even breaths, even as his head began to swim the more they walked. In a lot of ways, he was simply following Yvoire, hoping they’d stumble on what they were looking for.
“Huh? Oh,” he let out a quiet breath. He resisted the urge to lean up against the wall while they explored, and planted his feet squarely on the ground to support himself. He suspected when he closed his eyes, he would lose some sense of orientation, and he didn’t want to freak Yvoire out.
But he had to try something. So he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He frowned when he did so. Not because of the dizziness, but because of the weird sensation he got. It wasn’t quite a memory…
“Did you have a place with animals here? Uh… I mean in the past. I don’t know, it feels like something is pulling me but like it’s also getting blocked. But… uh… I don’t know, it’s probably silly.”
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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 5:23 pm
Whether it was silly or not, Yvoire couldn’t say. A lot of the things they experienced as knights probably would have seemed silly to an outsider. If Reims said there was something there he was supposed to find, Yvoire had no reason to doubt him. Something was there. It was simply a matter of finding the right place.
Yvoire glanced over his shoulder. He hadn’t missed the occasional catch in Reims’ breath despite Reims’ attempts to disguise it. Reims lagged a few steps behind, stubbornly upright, but growing paler than he’d been out on the bridge. Yvoire felt bad for him, then angry, then guilty, then angry again. He wished everything could be as easy as it used to be between them. He wished he didn’t feel pulled in two directions when they were together. He wished the last several weeks hadn’t happened at all.
“It’s more annoying when you try to hide you feel like s**t,” Yvoire said, not quite hostile, but still a little more abrasive than he would’ve been before he knew who Reims was.
He turned toward Reims and grabbed him by the arm, forcing it over his shoulders. Yvoire was shorter than Reims, and thinner, more so now that Reims had grown and he hadn’t, but he could handle being leaned on. Being a Squire gave him strength he didn’t always have as a civilian.
“Come on.” Yvoire urged Reims onward, supporting some of his weight. “I don’t know if there were animals here. I assume there was. It wasn’t always dead. I told you I haven’t remembered anything.”
It was a sore spot. Yvoire thought he did a decent job not taking it out on Reims.
Further down the hall there was more evidence of the fire—blackened fragments of wood and scorched stone. The smell of smoke seemed to hang in the air, but it was so subtle Yvoire thought it might be a figment of his imagination. Around a corner, sunlight spilled in from a section of the castle in especially poor repair. A pair of doors hung open, their panels of decorative glass no longer intact.
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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 5:23 pm
Even if Yvoire’s voice wasn’t hostile, Reims still felt as though a knife had been driven through his heart. Annoying? Yvoire would have never called him annoying prior to knowing who he really was. Then again, with the truth out, any sling of insults was deserved.
He tensed a little when Yvoire grabbed his arm, not quite sure what he was going to do. He didn’t think Yvoire would hurt him, but even if he did, he wouldn’t have blamed him.
Instead, he was surprised to find his arm being pulled over Yvoire’s shoulders. His ears burned and he mumbled a quiet thanks. There were a few thoughts that filtered through his head that suggested Yvoire was only doing this because Reims was taking too long to hobble through the castle.
Reims tried not to think about how this was the closest they’d ever been. His arm around Yvoire’s shoulders, Yvoire with his arm around him as well to keep him upright. It could have been sweet…
Had he not just been called annoying.
Well, maybe not being called annoying himself, but not being obvious about being hurt.
“I didn’t want you to think I was fishing for attention,” he mumbled quietly, embarrassed. He was so close to Yvoire that he could smell his shampoo. Had his eyes always been that teal? Maybe it was the lighting?
Reims looked away before he could do or say anything to embarrass himself further, but he gratefully allowed himself to put some of his weight onto Yvoire’s shoulders.
The fire damage that they came across was unsurprising. Reims felt his shoulders sag with the heaviness in the air. Destruction and loss. Hopelessness and despair. Maybe it was his own thoughts being projected onto the scene, but the open once-glass doors pulled his attention.
“Whatever it is, I think it’s in there,” he nodded, keeping an eye out for any hazards as they walked.
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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 5:23 pm
The room beyond the doors, like most of the castle, had seen better days. There were large gaps in the walls where sizable windows used to be. Sunlight streamed in through a hole in the ceiling. Debris littered the floor—stonework and splintered wood and glass ground to dust. Yvoire nudged some out of the way with his foot and found part of the path which looked down into the murky river below.
“If there was anything here, there’s nothing to keep it here,” Yvoire said. “This place is a mess.”
Anything that hadn’t burned away was so degraded as to be unrecognizable. A few pieces of wood sat in an arrangement that might have once been a chair. Yvoire had no memory of any of it, merely the strangest sense of deja vu and the vaguest imaginings of what it might have looked liked—tables draped in white cloth; finely dressed people in murmured conversation; the clinking of teacups; the glimmer of crystal.
To the right, across the expanse of wreckage, were another set of doors. These stood closed, but their inlaid glass suffered the same fate as the windows. Yvoire went over to them, arm still slung around Reims, and peered out onto the grounds. What grass remained was sparse and brittle, more brown than green. Stone pathways meandered through an expansive lawn, sectioned off in areas by crumbling walls and the twisted remains of rusted fencing.
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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 5:24 pm
Reims didn’t know what it was, but there was a pulse of something the moment he was helped into the room. He felt breathless, in more ways than just from his injury. Except… everything was in such disarray and destruction that it was nearly impossible to figure out what this place was, and why it was important.
He allowed Yvoire to help him over to the doors, looking out on the grounds. It was a sad state, just like everything else there.
And yet… he couldn’t help but glance back over his shoulder at a stone wall that remained almost strangely intact. Whether it had been exposed stone before, or covered with artwork, he didn’t know. He could hear the wind rustling the dried, brittle grass. Could hear the rush of water from the river.
“There’s something hidden here,” he mumbled tiredly. Maybe he was becoming delusional. It hadn’t been so long since he’d been injured that he was perfectly fine to be back on his feet for long periods of time. And they’d definitely been walking around for a long period of time. He was leaning heavier on Yvoire’s shoulders now, but without any intention or realization of it.
“I think that wall--” he tried, but paused to catch his breath and shook his head. Maybe he was just imagining things. It looked like a normal wall. Just… undamaged from the fire. As if protected by magic.
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