the more people you love
the weaker you are

Romina has never really experienced disappointment, but she feels it like a strange entity in her chest when he denies needing any aid. Unlike the others she'd encountered, she actually kind of liked Nero, and if she had been able to aid him in some way...perhaps she would have felt a little less useless. But it doesn't matter because he says he likes her, and her eyes light up like orange paper lanterns, smile shining on her little face. "I like you too!" she chirps, her long tail swishing in the snow, flames heating her antlers once again in her delight. Little legs stamping and ears flicking with joy. Ru'in loves her, Mama loves her, her and Kiada had been more partners in crime than anything. But Romina doesn't have friends, and it's a novelty that makes her blood feel like spiced cider, even in the face of the other mares.

The butterfly girl, almost as exotic as the fawnling mutant, at least is somewhat nice and apologetic for her actions. But Nero takes control of the conversation, and nobody is really talking to her, so she just...sits quietly. Listening. A little uncomfortable, a little unsure. But then Arah turns and Romina's horns flame up into opal colors again, and her face turns twisted.

"You weren't there when I was there either, though," she points out softly, and the tactician in her mind is suddenly grabbing onto the reins, wrenching her mouth into words. "I didn't say you were wrong? I said "I don't think you're right". Isn't that an opinion?" And okay maybe her voice wobbles a little there, suddenly unsure if it really is an opinion. But the wording...it is, isn't it? Then why is Arah telling her she's wrong?

"You didn't even say anything about the fact that they're allowed to be unhappy, you don't care that he's different or that I'm different, not everyone feels the way you do and you're mean about it." Her chest is quickening and she's suddenly crying midway through her sentences, her antlers swathed in fire and her cheeks wet with emotion. They aren't loud sobbing cries, but the tears come in silence nonetheless. Childish in her accusation of Arah being mean, perhaps, and it's definitely not the right word. Insensitive would perhaps be better, or apathetic, but Romina isn't old enough to know those kinds of words.

She doesn't really like this mare, the gentle, almost mocking condescension just because Romina tried to stand up for Nero. When she was just trying to do the right thing. What even is the right thing to do anymore? The filly doesn't understand morality, she tries her best mimicking people, but it's like hanging from a ledge and one wrong move can wreck her for the rest of her life. She doesn't understand, and she doesn't know how to translate her own emotions, and her eyes are shocked at her own tears because she doesn't comprehend what they are or why they're happening again.

"You don't even care how he feels, you don't even look! He's not mean, he's...he's just hurting! Do we...do we just ignore that? I thought we're supposed to help in the Threshold? Isn't that our job? I just don't understand. You didn't even give him a chance," And her little voice breaks and she's hiccuping through her words, not really angry but upset, feeling like she has no earth beneath her hooves. He's not mean, he's not. He said he liked her, and nobody likes Romina. Doesn't that mean he deserves kindness? It's like when her Mama says that the voice in her head isn't real, or that she just needs to grow up into it. It's like when nobody understands the things she sees, the actions she points out, the words on her tongue.

She's just so lost. She doesn't understand anything about the world or people, and she can't stand the not-knowing.

Her tears slow, and she clenches her jaw and backs away, furious at herself for the expression of emotion she never allowed in herself. But then Arah is suddenly nice, and Romina makes an odd bleating sound of distress, not sure how to reconcile all of this. She doesn't hate the woman, she just...she's so sick of being told that she's weird, and wrong, and it hurts.

"I...I don't want to go home, I don't like it there. But...Nero, what do you wanna do? Do you want a herd?" Her spat with Arah had distracted her, and her wet eyes are so, so sorry as they gaze at Nero. It's not his fault she's emotional, or that she has these buried issues that Arah had poked at unintentionally. It's probably not even Arah's fault, either. "I can stay, I can show you where things are if you want. If not..." she tries to regain her composure and looks over to Arah, though her eyes stay low. "I'd...like to go. But I'm not good friends with foals," she admits quietly, though after her outburst it wouldn't be a surprise if Arah didn't want Romina to meet her daughter.

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Sorry for the tears, but I like to stay true to the fact that she is a young and troubled girl and therefore emotional!

Romina