the monsters turned out to be just trees

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

"Love does not mean being together. Not always. And based on what I was told, I did overcome that." There was an edge to the alchemist's voice now. Though Remi didn't remember things first hand, he'd not let Loren re-write his first and most influential-love. "For you." Swallowing hard, Remi tried not to recoil much as he might have liked at the deadness in Loren's eyes. That was perhaps the most hurtful of all. Perhaps, but what a thing to stand before someone and declare that your love had been unconditional, only to be told that no, you were wrong. Remi couldn't remember a time he'd felt so low, perhaps ever. At least with Ronin's verbal and physical attacks Remi could defend against the worst of it by telling himself it wasn't really Ronin.

But this? This might indeed be who Loren was.

Watching as blue overtook the pale skin beneath his fingers, broken and desolate as he felt, the alchemist couldn't help but smile. It made his tears come all the faster for it, something like relief and a mixture of pride and happiness for Loren pressing outwards from his chest and expanding in the back of his throat. However as the light began to seep up onto him, Remi gasped and pulled sharply away. "No...I.." The alchemist bit his lower lip hard, his breathing suddenly coming in short pants. "Some scars I.." Loren had shown Remi his, perhaps the same was only fair. Turning slightly to the side, Remi pulled up the many layers of pelts and fabrics, tugging them as high as they would go. Up the side of his ribs were a nasty assortment of deep scars, the tissue of which was still pink rather than a quieted silver.

"I...nearly killed a man." It had been almost a year ago, exactly. "I cannot let myself forget that." He whispered, unable to meet Loren's gaze too heavy was his shame.