Jigano also perked up at hearing that Remi had personal experience with the dreamfish - given their description it seemed entirely fitting - but Ronin's name served as well as a splash of cold water to silence the questions that crowded upon his tongue. Instead he bowed his head in acknowledgment of the loss of a good man, and who he assumed had been a good friend to the alchemist, given that Remi was now raising his daughter.
Rather than empty platitudes, he continued with his description of the last item on the list, something he could help with, at least. As Remi mused, the bard began flipping pages in his books with a more confident hand, though he kept an eye on the baby and the gryphon kit. The casual display of the alchemist's magic sparked a brief flare of jealousy in his soul, but he swiftly quashed it - it was a dimmer, weaker thing than it had been when he had first arrived, nearly half a year prior - when the toy saved his companion's fuzzy ears from being smeared with... jam? Whatever it was that made babies so sticky.
"A dangerous tree," Jigano corrected, giving the young man a wry smile. They weren't friends, and might never be, but at least they weren't enemies anymore (or... whatever they had been) and that was enough for him. He listened to Remi's explanation with a little surprise - and a growing respect as he sat back, one brow arching in wry agreement that once the young pup might have thrown himself heedlessly into danger. "Ahhh," he said when Remi had finished. "I am relieved to hear it. Sam mentioned that Ludo had taken your memories... for that, you have my condolences." He bowed his head again, an acknowledgment of genuine sympathy for the younger man's loss, though it had been his own actions which had led to it. "And I will lend my help as a Loreseeker to this. Beginning with the Wicker Woman."
He turned one of the books and slid it across the table to Remi so he could see the illustration of the tree. "It's carnivorous, and quite large enough to trap a person, hence the danger. If you get close enough to touch it, the branches will close around you and hold you tight against the trunk. I'm not sure if your lion form would be strong enough to break free or not... Though your hawk form might have possibilities for harvesting the sap and getting away before it can entangle you." He chuckled as Isuma patted curiously at the tail of her stuffed counterpart, her attention stolen by the sudden appearance of the toy. "Be careful with the sap itself, too. It's said to be hallucinogenic - but it's not clear how. Rather, it's not clear if it has to be eaten, or if smell or smearing it on your skin is enough to trigger the effects. I'd assume touch is enough - if you thrash in your attempts to escape and damage the tree, the sap from broken bark would get on you and make you pliant and drugged to a dream-filled death by starvation."
Rather than empty platitudes, he continued with his description of the last item on the list, something he could help with, at least. As Remi mused, the bard began flipping pages in his books with a more confident hand, though he kept an eye on the baby and the gryphon kit. The casual display of the alchemist's magic sparked a brief flare of jealousy in his soul, but he swiftly quashed it - it was a dimmer, weaker thing than it had been when he had first arrived, nearly half a year prior - when the toy saved his companion's fuzzy ears from being smeared with... jam? Whatever it was that made babies so sticky.
"A dangerous tree," Jigano corrected, giving the young man a wry smile. They weren't friends, and might never be, but at least they weren't enemies anymore (or... whatever they had been) and that was enough for him. He listened to Remi's explanation with a little surprise - and a growing respect as he sat back, one brow arching in wry agreement that once the young pup might have thrown himself heedlessly into danger. "Ahhh," he said when Remi had finished. "I am relieved to hear it. Sam mentioned that Ludo had taken your memories... for that, you have my condolences." He bowed his head again, an acknowledgment of genuine sympathy for the younger man's loss, though it had been his own actions which had led to it. "And I will lend my help as a Loreseeker to this. Beginning with the Wicker Woman."
He turned one of the books and slid it across the table to Remi so he could see the illustration of the tree. "It's carnivorous, and quite large enough to trap a person, hence the danger. If you get close enough to touch it, the branches will close around you and hold you tight against the trunk. I'm not sure if your lion form would be strong enough to break free or not... Though your hawk form might have possibilities for harvesting the sap and getting away before it can entangle you." He chuckled as Isuma patted curiously at the tail of her stuffed counterpart, her attention stolen by the sudden appearance of the toy. "Be careful with the sap itself, too. It's said to be hallucinogenic - but it's not clear how. Rather, it's not clear if it has to be eaten, or if smell or smearing it on your skin is enough to trigger the effects. I'd assume touch is enough - if you thrash in your attempts to escape and damage the tree, the sap from broken bark would get on you and make you pliant and drugged to a dream-filled death by starvation."
