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 Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2026 11:55 am
Follows Missing VersesBackdated to April 26, 2026
Reims hadn't spent much time there before. The narrow stairs leading up were intact, but the wooden railing creaked whenever he touched it, and the cold seemed sharper so high above the main floor.
The lion had followed them as far as the stairs before apparently deciding it was too dignified to squeeze itself up after them. It remained below, pacing along the center aisle with its head tilted upward.
Reims found the first marked arch near the back of the loft.
It would have been easy to overlook. The carving blended into the surrounding stonework, decorative enough to seem ordinary unless someone knew what they were looking for. Three thin lines crossed through the narrow arch, matching the symbol beside the handwritten note.
"This is it," Reims said.
He set the other two pages somewhere safe and held out the one marked for the choir loft. He avoided touching the written portion, just in case the Wonder decided he needed another memory.
There wasn't much room between the old benches and the railing. Reims stepped aside to give Dering space for his lute, though he stayed close enough to intervene if anything went wrong.
"I don't know if you have to play the whole thing," he admitted. "The memory only sounded like a few notes." He glanced from the music to the carved stone. "And I don't know what happens when you get it right."
That possibility had been sitting heavily in his chest since they left the book room. Reims had found enough terrible things hidden inside the cathedral to know that locked doors weren't always meant to be opened.
He glanced down at the lion below, then back at Dering. "I'm ready when you are."
Reims rested one hand against the stone arch. For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the carving beneath his palm warmed faintly, and somewhere inside the wall, something seemed to draw a slow, waiting breath.
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2026 11:56 am
Dering trailed behind Reims only when they ascended the staircase, but beyond that he stayed at his side. He hesitated only once, briefly, when the lion chose not to join them. It made sense why it stopped–it would have been a struggle for it to ascend the narrow passage. But still, Dering was cautious.
Reims found their location quickly. Easily, even, if you were willing to overlook how upsetting the memory to uncover it had been.
Even with Reims pointing it out, it took a few seconds for Dering to find the symbol.
It was a tight fit, and Dering had to angle himself just slightly away to give himself the space to play without moving too far from Reims.
Before he played, he drew in one slow, steadying breath. There was no pretense of pleasure, but he hadn’t drifted into the realm of dread. He was nervous.
Not just about whatever he was about to play, but about Reims. About whatever this might do, if anything.
He didn’t want to mess up. He might not even know if he messed up.
At first, he strummed his lute experimentally. It didn’t quite sound right, but he blamed the gloves. It was colder up here, but he pulled off his glove and dismissed it to subspace. When he strummed this time, the sound was cleaner, but it echoed forlornly. The sound was haunting, bouncing off the walls and casting an eerie echo.
Dering glanced at the page and practiced the tune in his head once before he made his first attempt at playing it. His fingers were stiff, and lacked confidence, but he didn’t think the music was too complicated.
Which made it all the more embarrassing that he was so stressed about playing it.
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2026 11:58 am
Reims noticed the hesitation. But he knew better than to tell Dering not to be nervous. That usually didn't make nerves disappear. Instead, he shifted his attention toward the carving beneath his hand, giving Dering the privacy of not having someone staring at him while he played.
The first notes echoed through the loft.
They weren't perfectly confident, but Reims wouldn't have known whether anything was wrong if Dering hadn't looked so tense about it. More importantly, the stone beneath his palm grew warmer.
"Keep going," he said quietly. "It's doing something."
As Dering reached the end of the short melody, the last note should have faded into the cathedral.
But it didn't.
The sound softened, but lingered — a faint, impossible resonance humming through the stone beneath Reims's hand. The three lines carved across the arch caught a dim glow before settling again.
Reims stared at it. "Okay. That was definitely right."
Some of the tension left his shoulders, and he glanced over at Dering with a faint, encouraging twitch at the corner of his mouth.
He kept his hand against the arch for another moment. The melody was there. Waiting, exactly like the memory had shown him.
"One down."
Reims carefully collected the page again. "The north alcove is next. It's downstairs, so at least we can get out of this freezing loft."
He paused before heading toward the stairs, looking back at Dering. "You did good, Jules. It doesn't have to be perfect. Apparently the cathedral's less judgmental than we were worried it would be."
Below them, the lion gave a low rumble that carried strangely well through the quiet.
Reims glanced over the railing with a scowl. "Not you. You're extremely judgmental."
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2026 12:01 pm
Dering was already replacing his glove when Reims shared praise, and he flashed a quick smile without looking up. He appreciated that the Wonder was forgiving. He’d done his best. Playing notes from a page was not difficult for him, nor was playing his lute.
It didn’t feel like it should have been difficult. Maybe it wasn’t.
Dering was already prepared to follow Reims to their next destination, but the lion’s strange reaction brought another layer of discomfort. He sighed heavily, unable to contain the weight that swelled in his chest, and stayed close to Reims.
There were benches here. They could have rested for a moment, if he’d needed to.
…But Reims was probably too eager to get some answers. Dering doubted he was paying as much attention to his well-being as he should have been.
So Dering paid attention for him.
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2026 12:02 pm
Reims started toward the stairs, then stopped. Dering was close enough that Reims could feel his quiet presence, and something about it made him glance back at him.
He knew that look. Or, at least, he knew the habit behind it.
"You're checking on me again," he said softly. There wasn't any accusation in it. If anything, there was a faint warmth beneath the words.
Reims looked over at the benches, then sighed and sat down on the nearest one instead of continuing toward the stairs.
"Fine. Five minutes."
The lion rumbled below them again. Reims rolled his eyes. "I was going to sit anyway."
He shifted over, leaving an obvious space beside him for Dering if he wanted it. Truthfully, he wanted answers badly enough that he could have kept going until the cathedral forced him to stop. But Dering had followed him through all of this without complaint, and Reims was starting to think they could both use a minute to breathe. Dering had been with him every step of the way, supportive and patient, and Reims didn't want to take that for granted.
"Come sit down," he said, voice gentle. "You've been hovering over me since the book room."
If Dering joined him, Reims wouldn't make a big deal out of the closeness. He was used to sharing space with Julian — beds, couches, shoulders bumping together without either of them having to think about it.
"Thanks for coming with me," he added quietly. "I know I keep saying that, but… I mean it." Reims paused to glance over at him. "I'm glad it's you."
His ears warmed, and he looked away toward the railing before he could make the words falling from his mouth sound stranger than they needed to be. "Anyway… sit for a minute. Then we can go figure out what creepy thing my past self decided needed a musical lock."
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2026 12:05 pm
Dering sank into the seat next to Reims, taking up as little space as possible while still cradling his lute in his lap.
“Sorry,” he said, a little instinctively, and a little honestly. He even managed a brief, sheepish smile, that almost completely hid the shame he felt for it. “I don’t mean to hover. The, um. The magic earlier just seemed like it was really strong. I was worried that this was taking a lot out of you.”
It’s not like they knew what the magic could do, or what else might be expected of Reims.
“I’m glad to be here with you. Thank you for inviting me. And letting me help.”
Even if he wasn’t sure he was really helping that much, and even if the mistakes he’d made weighed heavily on his mind.
He cradled the lute, letting the bottom rest atop his feet, and he rested his chin on the pegbox. His arms were wrapped around it, mostly to hold it in place, but also as if he were afraid he might drop it if he didn’t.
“Have you found any musical locks around here before?”
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2026 12:06 pm
Reims shook his head.
"No. Nothing like this." He leaned forward a little, forearms resting against his knees, and stared down toward the cathedral floor where the lion still paced below them.
"I've found hidden things before," he admitted. "Just not anything that needed music."
He'd found hidden things before. None of them had given him much reason to be excited about finding more. The last few things Reims had kept buried hadn't exactly been pleasant discoveries. The grove. The altar. The bones. The signet ring on a skeleton he still didn't know what to make of.
Reims rubbed his thumb against the edge of one of the pages.
"I'm not really looking forward to seeing what's behind all this," he said after a moment. The admission felt strange enough that he almost laughed it off, but didn't.
"He was trying really hard to make sure nobody could open it. Burning every copy, rushing because someone was coming…" Reims frowned. "Maybe there was a reason it was supposed to stay hidden."
He glanced over at Dering. "And if touching another page does that again, I don't really want you having to worry about me the whole time."
His ears warmed a little, and he looked away again. "Not that I don't trust you. I do. Probably more than anyone."
The admission made his ears warm even more. Reims cleared his throat.
"I just don't want this turning into you having to take care of me while I keep doing stupid things because I want answers."
He was quiet for another moment before adding, softer, "But I still want to know."
His shoulder shifted just enough to lightly bump Dering's. "So I guess I get to be curious and miserable about it at the same time."
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2026 12:06 pm
As he did with all conversations, Dering listened intently. He was patient while Reims worked through his thoughts, and let a small silence pass between them when he’d finished speaking.
He let his own thoughts settle, but he didn’t need long.
“It means a lot to me that you trust me. I know that isn’t easy for you.”
So he knew Reims meant it.
“But, um.” He shrugged. His shoulders were slow to relax, but he never moved away from Reims. “It wouldn’t be any trouble if this turns into me ‘taking care of you’ while you’re looking for answers. If you’re going to do dangerous things, I’d rather you have someone with you who can make sure you get home safely.”
There wasn’t any way to predict what magic might be woven into these walls, or what traps might have been set lifetimes ago. Reims wasn’t always the best at looking where he was going before he stepped into danger–and he was worse about it when there was someone he wanted to protect.
“...And anyway, I’ll worry about you whether I’m here or not,” he murmured, but was quick to apologize for that, too. “I’m sorry. You’re just very important to me. I always hope you’re doing okay. So I don’t know if ‘worry’ is the right word. But I don’t like when bad things happen to you. So if I can ever help with anything,” another little shrug, this one less heavy than before, “I’d like to. Please.”
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2026 12:08 pm
Reims went quiet. There were probably a dozen ways he could have made the moment less serious. Something sarcastic. Something dismissive. Anything that would keep his ears from getting hotter by the second.
But Dering had said it so plainly. And even though it wasn't the first time they'd voiced each other's importance, there was something heavier about him saying it now.
You're very important to me.
Reims wasn't sure if either of them were particularly good with putting names to things like that. Maybe it didn't need one. If caring about someone enough to worry whether you were there or not, wanting them to be safe, wanting to help even when it was inconvenient wasn't some kind of love… Reims didn't know what else it was supposed to be.
His shoulder stayed against Dering's as he let out a soft breath. "You don't have to apologize for caring about me," he said quietly as he glanced over at Dering, then immediately looked away again when somehow that made the warmth in his face worse.
"And you're important to me too. You know that, right?"
Reims hoped he did. He wasn't always good at saying it. Usually it came out as nagging at Julian to eat something, or making sure he had enough blankets, or putting himself between Dering and whatever danger they might be facing.
"I don't want you thinking you're just here because I needed somebody who could play the music," he added. "I could've waited. Figured something else out eventually."
His voice softened a little. "I wanted you here."
Well… that was probably enough vulnerability for one sitting. Reims cleared his throat and leaned back slightly, though he didn't move his shoulder away.
"So… if you're gonna worry anyway, I guess I'd rather have you here where you can actually do something about it. Just don't start thinking that means you get to throw yourself in front of anything dangerous for me. That's my job."
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2026 12:10 pm
Dering kept his eyes fixed to a crack in the ground with fierce attention, like he might have been planning to count each speck of gravel and dust caught in it.
He smiled, a soft thing, and it might have reached his eyes if they weren’t so tired and half-lidded already.
“But I’m the one with the shield,” he reminded, a little amused, but not at all argumentative. A second later, and much quieter, he added, “And I think I might be a little more durable than you give me credit for.”
Dering, being himself, didn’t give the comment much time to linger at all, and was quick to bury it under another thought. “I think the lute might be a little more complimentary to the acoustics here. I’m sure Lyon would have been happy to play on the accordion.” Or–no, did he know how to read music? Dering actually couldn’t tell, because Cassidy always said he just played by ear, but sometimes he was a little too on the nose, and he didn’t really seem intimidated by music sheets.
He also didn’t seem to care for them.
Of course, Riker could probably have brought his guitar up and played. He was better than he gave himself credit for.
“I mean–I’m glad you wanted me here. I appreciate it.”
But also, he probably got a little more work done than Cassidy, which wasn’t to say Cassidy wouldn’t pull his weight and do his best, but Julian seemed to know more about work and less about having fun, and Cassidy was maybe a little more easily distracted while Riker was around.
“I’m glad to be here. Reims is really pretty. And I can tell how much work you’ve put into it. It’s more beautiful every time I come visit.”
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2026 12:10 pm
Reims glanced over at him.
"I know you're durable," he said, a little more seriously. "That's not why I worry."
If anything, Reims probably gave Dering more credit than he realized.
Dering had a shield. He could sense danger before the rest of them knew it was there. If things went badly, Dering could protect more than one person. He could protect everyone.
Reims was just one person.
That had been part of the point of taking the leadership role in the Brigade, hadn't it? If someone had to step forward first, it should be him. If somebody had to take the hit, hold something off, or make sure everyone else got out, that was his responsibility. Captain went down with the ship and all that.
Nobody had argued when he took the role.
And Reims was plenty durable himself.
He kept all that to himself. Dering would probably hate every word of it.
"You can protect everybody," he said instead. "So yeah, I'm going to try to make sure you're still standing when everyone needs you."
He hesitated before adding, quieter, "And I don't want you getting hurt anyway. That part doesn't have anything to do with your shield."
At the mention of Lyon and the accordion, Reims snorted softly. "Cassidy would've played something whether we asked him to or not."
Probably loudly. Probably with plenty of commentary. Maybe even song.
But then Dering complimented Reims, and his ears warmed all over again.
"It's not that pretty," he muttered sheepishly, glancing out across the cathedral.
Except it was. More than it had been when he first arrived. The stained glass caught the light properly now, the floors weren't buried beneath debris, and rooms that had once felt abandoned were slowly beginning to feel alive again.
"Thanks," he said after a moment. "I've been trying."
His shoulder remained comfortably against Dering's as he looked up towards the carved arch where the first melody still seemed to hum faintly in the stone.
"And I'm glad you notice." A pause. "Still think the lion likes you because you like organizing things, though. He's probably hoping you'll fix the rest of the cathedral for him. Probably thinks I'm taking too long to do anything."
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2026 12:11 pm
Dering’s smile was half-hearted, more to appease than anything else. “Oh, I bet he’s friendly for all of your guests. You only bring people you like, don’t you?” Even without Reims involved, Riker was fiercely protective of all things personal to him.
Of course his Wonder would be very high on that list.
“I’m sure they all tell you Reims is beautiful. You should believe them,” he encouraged, but then, as if he were afraid he’d been too presumptuous, or pushy, he corrected himself. “I mean, I just hope that one day you’ll be able to look at everything you’ve accomplished and be proud of yourself. You’ve done a lot. You don’t have to be modest.”
He lifted his head, tilting it slightly so he could observe the colored light cascading from the windows.
It was much prettier than the dust on the floor.
He did like organizing things. He’d have loved to spend some time here with just that goal. There wasn’t much to organize on Dering, and everything he did there felt like the stakes were just so high.
It was probably all in his head. It would probably all stay there.
Dering meant it when he said he liked helping. There was something cathartic, something pleasant, about tending told things in disarray. There was a magic here on Reims that poured energy into repair. He hoped the books could fix themselves. He wished he knew how to do it, without magic.
…Although, there wasn’t really a practical use for it.
Dering didn’t have books.
Or, maybe it did. Maybe he just hadn’t found them yet. Maybe he never would.
“Just, please don’t go anywhere too dangerous without backup. I know you’re strong. And capable. And brave. But I’d like if you were still standing when everyone needs you. Making shields isn’t so special, we have a lot of people in the Brigade who are really good at it. But there’s only one leader. Only one you. So…I won’t ask you to change. That’s not what I mean. I know you’re you.”
And Dering liked him just like that.
“But, um. I don’t want you getting hurt, either. So I just hope that in the future we can find a way to make sure you don’t have to.”
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2026 12:11 pm
Reims glanced over at Dering when he dismissed the lion's interest so easily, but didn't argue.
There wasn't much point. Reims could tell him a dozen times that the lion liked him and Dering would probably find a dozen reasons why it didn't count. Which was a little rich coming from someone currently telling Reims to believe what other people said about his Wonder.
He'd just have to let the lion prove it eventually.
At least the rest of what Dering said was easier to take seriously.
"I'm not planning on going anywhere dangerous alone," Reims assured him. "That's kind of why I have you." His mouth twitched a little as he continued. "You're really good at that not special shield thing, remember?"
But then Dering called him the only leader, and Reims made a face.
"Okay, don't make it sound like I'm some irreplaceable captain or something. Mary's better at talking to people than I am by a mile."
Probably several miles.
Reims looked down at his hands for a moment, though he didn't move away from Dering.
Still, the quieter part of what Dering said lingered. Only one you.
His ears warmed again.
"I get what you mean, though," he huffed. "And I'll try not to do anything stupid without backup." That was about as much as he could promise. Reims knew himself well enough not to swear he'd never put himself in danger.
He bumped his shoulder lightly against Dering's.
"But you know all of that applies to you too, right?" His tone stayed gentle, nowhere close to trying to corner him. "There might be other shields. There's still only one you."
Reims let the words settle for a moment before pushing himself to his feet, mostly before Dering could watch his face get any redder.
"Come on," he huffed again, holding out a hand to help Dering up if he wanted it. "Before we both sit here telling each other not to die until Reims freezes us to death."
Fin
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