the more people you love
the weaker you are

Rather than explosive tears, she is greeted instead with uneasily pinned harks, a face that is both terrified and angry. Her body goes still, tentative around this display, and her head lowers a little submissively. Even when the tactician in her mind chirps and whirs with pleasure at this new display of emotion she has not encountered, her primordial body knows what to do. Anger is a natural aggressive habit to develop to ward away others, but it is used out of fear, the annoying voice in her head clicks out monotonously. But what does that mean? How can that possibly help her? Romina has still yet to figure out these vast chasms between her personalities, and how to maneuver them without falling into the black pit between, the hysteria she'd fallen into after meeting Yael.

But any violence in the stallion's form seems to soften when she speaks, and her big ears rise hopefully beside her antlers. He grunts at her, a low snorting sound, and she delightedly snorts back at him. That was the correct reply, right? It reminded her of when Leif had taught her how to sing through imitation. If he was doing it, then it was surely familiar territory. And then he speaks, which is something she can definitely rely on.

Fear sweeps out of her body like dust on a brisk wind, sensing that he has no qualms with her and proceeding fearlessly. Someone that spoke was someone she could understand, unlike Yael's wailing ramblings and her own fearful responses. "Hi!" It comes out far too childishly exuberant in the wake of her relief, so she clears her throat and tries to put on a serious face to mimic Nero's. When his voice hardens doubtfully, her lips curve into a bit of a pout that she tries to conceal, remembering the mean candy-faced woman she and Kiada had run into. But he softens just as quickly, and he reminds her of Deimos very strongly. It makes her feel comfortable, to see her herd's leader in him, and she smiles instead.

"My mama is the Lady of the herd in the north, so...I can help that way?" she loses her confidence halfway through, wondering if that really was helpful in any way. All she knew was that she hated the cold, and with her twin's disappearing act she was left alone in the world. This was where she wanted to be, shepherding lost souls as an excuse not to return to the empty cavern that was supposed to be her home for the night. Her face falls and shatters like glass on concrete, his concern for her and the recollection of why she does not have a companion like an arrow to her porcelain heart.

"I'm sorry," she breathes, though the voice in her head scoffs - what are you apologizing for, stupid girl? You've done nothing wrong. "It feels less lonely to meet new people, but most of them don't like me," she states clinically, tiny shoulders shrugging helplessly, not understanding why it could potentially be a sad thing to say. It's all she knows, and though her mother begs her to stay in the Basin, she wanders in hopes that Hotaru will come down and find her instead of trying to keep her caged. The logical part of her knows, though, that a Lady cannot always abandon her post in such a manner.

Then a new mare comes, and Nero's aggression returns. Romina cocks her head and observes him, worried not for herself but for him. He is the only one of the strangers she has met in the Threshold so far to spare her any kindness or ask how she is capable of helping, and she likes that. Grumpy disposition and all. So she latches onto it with both hands, and doddles after him on tiny limbs when he backs away from Myrrine. "Are you okay?" she whispers it like a secret, like she used to do with her brother and Kiada. Things like this she'd quickly learned were only shared in private - emotions, feelings, secrets.

Then another mare comes, and Romina steadily shrinks smaller, averting her eyes and unsure of her place once more. "I'm Romina," she tells Myrrine in undertone, not sure what else to say. Her heart warms when Nero says he wants to keep her safe, and she smiles at him, her antlers lighting up in pretty pinks and blues with her happiness. Casting colorful shadows all over her face until Arah speaks up, interceding on behalf of Myrrine.

Though Romina does stare strangely at Arah's last words. "Really? I don't think you're right. Nobody has ever been very happy when I've tried. Maybe they're allowed to be unhappy then. It is a new place," she points out, though her voice is still soft and unsure, perhaps even a little stiff. She's never spoken up against an adult before - simply manipulated, cavorted, and white-lied her way around them to get what she wanted. But Romina hadn't had a positive Threshold experience before, so surely the mare must be lying?

"Maybe he can feel how he wants," she murmurs, eyes dropping and hoof scratching at the earth, digging her flexible toes into the frozen ground. This is the extent of her rebellion, without the assuring force of Kiada's wit or Ru'in's bulk at her side. It feels so much colder these days without them.

Romina