catching fire

right now everything you want is wrong
& right now all your dreams are waking up

There is a newness to all of this that's undeniably attractive. He knows Isla inside and out in a way he'll never know anyone else. No matter how close he is to Ronin, how many lifetimes they live together, Ronin won't have literally been a part of him. Seeing something that well known and comfortable shift this way, catching the light and revealing itself to be entirely new has stolen away any sense that might have made Remi reconsider. If he can reforge that relationship with the help of the room—even for just a moment—he will.

Remi follows swiftly and silently behind Isla. He's all but holding his breath as if at any moment this bubble of theirs might all burst and they'll be struck with rationality. It doesn't though, not yet, and soon they're at the door. Isla's hand turns the handle, but she's met with resistance. Without even thinking the alchemist reaches for the handle, but adds his shoulder against it, heaving with more than enough force to shove the bolt through the wooden door frame.

Pushing it open, Remi nods that Isla should go in first. It's latent politeness on his part as much as it's an unspoken opportunity for her to stop this.

The Lullaby