the monsters turned out to be just trees

hope keeps us breathing, just to kill us in the end

"Kiada's luxere. She..." Remi pulled in a breath, unable to look anywhere except the fawn, his eyelashes fluttering softly though not quite closing. "..she is the reason Isla died.." He added, in a far away voice. There was no blame, only the cold guilt of memory.

Far too engrossed in what he was doing, the only indication that Remi was aware at all that Astra and Loren were still present was how more and more grasses of various sorts rose to meet the prancing luxere. Glancing up as Loren cupped the bloom, the alchemist let his head tilt to the side. He wore an expression of a man in a dream, a man not truly seeing or feeling or even existing really, and yet managing to seem as though he was. Pulling in his now-healed bottom lip, Remi gave the summoner a look that was simultaneously thoughtful and kind, but also as if he was seeing right through him. Lowering his gaze to the blossom in Loren's hand, Remi softly blew against it.

Eyes that weren't quite eyes, as well as other anthropomorphic features, suddenly appeared in the flower. It gazed up at Loren, holding happily onto his finger with not-quite hands. The seed-pods at the top of the grasses nestling around Astra made this transformation as well, tittering at the fawn as they leaped into her coat. This was the magic Remi hadn't been able to talk about with the summoner when he'd first asked, but now? Hiding it seemed so silly. Ronin was dying, Loren was...well, here, what of a little strange magic.