The filly trudged north, leaving her brother behind in the now awkward stage her herd had been. Though she was careful to make sure she hadn’t been followed on her adventure to the North – toward the mountains she had once called home and yearned for, if for nothing else but the simplicity of her life there. Her mother didn’t shield her as her father seemed to, she wasn’t constantly surrounded by people where she knew one wrong move would have word spread to the King faster than she’d have a chance to respond. A small sigh passed through her lips as they moved on, Khairi lingering back in the chilly birdsong morning. Her dark legs carrying her into the Frostbreath Steppe, a place that was somewhat icy from the morning’s dew having frozen over – but the sun was appearing between the mountain peaks and burning away the clouds that had accompanied the sunrise.

That was when she paused in her step, unsure if she should continue. If Ru’in would be willing to see her after the things Romina had said – after the things Kianzo had done pointed toward him. She at least felt the need to apologize – because of the dramatics that seemed to often occur between the two souls she felt the closest to. Regardless of how Ru’in and her met the first time, she was fond of the boy over everything he did. From the bronze trinkets he made, down to the way he talked, to even the tusks that protruded him his lips – and how sometimes she wondered what they felt like. (She’d question it internally and claim for curiosity, but surely there was a different reason below the surface.)

In her internal conflict, she paused in her step along the icy trail. She wanted to call his name out into the wilds, to see if he’d even come, but instead she withdrew into herself while elephants sprouted in the flames along her back. A sigh passed through her lips as she turned her head back to see Khairi swooping in circles to be sure nobody was following her from behind, while she debated on whether or not to just turn back and go home.

"Kia talk?"

kiada & ru’in

i have late conversations with the moon.
he tells me about the sun, and I tell him about you.

SCREAMING THIS IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PICTURE OF THEM AND I ADORE THE TABLE AND YOU AND THANK YOUUUUUUU <3


He finds her almost immediately. Since the event, as he has come to think of it in his mind, the mutant boy has been watchful, searching for his twin. After Kianzo attacked, Romina pulled herself into the shadows and was gone. Ru'in hadn't seen her since, and yet she'd been a lingering and black force in his mind. She echoed in his ever footfall and coated his every thought. He didn't know where he stood with her, and that was something he'd never experienced before. Up until this point, the one constant force was Romina and the power she exerted over him. He'd never questioned her, and had never disobeyed, whether implicitly or explicitly.

But then he had.

Although he'd never vocalized his thoughts about Kiada - he hadn't even really allowed his mind to thinK about her for too long, for fear of what it would do - but something in him had opened up at her touch. That day as they cleared, she'd been close enough to touch, and even though he hadn't, he had wanted to, and that was enough of a crime in Romina's mind. He was sure of it. How much she knew, he had no idea. But he knew that she knew enough.

And so, not wanting to be caught unaware again, he'd searched their snowy home for her, but had found nothing.

Then his bi-coloured eyes locked upon her, and all thoughts of Romina suddenly exploded into foxes composed of fire and griffons and eagles.

Ru'in stopped, his massive body growing still and filling up with heat and ice as his gaze searched the delicate lines of Kiada's body. First he was looking to see if there were any new wounds upon her - if perhaps her brother had taken out the remainder of his anger upon his twin - and then he was looking simply for the sake of looking. He drank her in like she was a waterfall in the desert. Then, feeling as though perhaps he was betraying her in some way by staring at her without announcing his presence, he moved forward, out of the trees and into the open.

"Arh ye ahlright?" He asked, voice thick but gentle. His mind, studious and simple did not try and assume why it was she might be here.

@Kiada <3

kiada & ru’in

‘I know it’s over’ Icarus says to the sun
The sword sinks in, lightning strikes
And two force, two forces collide

Her gaze lingered perhaps a bit too long on the trail behind her as her companion scouted the area. While Kiada was only worried about Kianzo, Khairi had taken the initiative to look for Romina as well – not sure how the next interaction between them would be like if things continued to deteriorate how they headed in the first place, when Kiada found her fiery vortex magic and Kianzo attempted to attack Ru’in. She huffed slightly, eyes narrowing on the trail as she dwelled deep in her thoughts that she didn’t even notice Ru’in’s appearance.

Perhaps he intended on being hidden at first, watching the unknowing gilded girl surrounded by stone and trees. Perhaps he was dwelling on the events that occurred, but she remembered his approach as she confessed her alignment with Kaos, and how despite everything that happened he still aimed for her despite the threat of Kianzo remaining. And she began to wonder just what she felt like when it came to Ru’in, for it was nothing like anything else she had ever felt. But despite her continued question in her mind, she dared not ask him. Of course unless he were to ask first, in which case she’d honestly answer.

Elephants danced in the trail of flames across her back, though while her wounds had healed and left small scars behind along her shoulders, her mental state retained wounds. Wounds that she hoped Ru’in could fix, in some way. So when he stepped from the trees and asked her if she was alright in his familiar rich accented voice, she froze – not expecting him to be so near in her attempt to find him. Yet, Khairi remained away and circling checking for those unwelcome while Kiada slowly turned to the spotted mutated man as squirrels trailed across her back in her small moment of surprise and thankfulness.

She wanted to look him in the eye, but she refrained, blue gaze dancing everywhere but his eyes as her held was held slightly lower. “Ye – Yes.” She began, internally wincing at her stutter. Then she finally mustered up the courage to look at him, standing up a bit straighter though regret trailed the creases of her eyes. “I came to see you… I wanted to apologize for what happened at the gathering.” Her voice was somewhat helpful but she shied away from the idea, partially regretting that she came all this way if he had planned on dismissing her apologies.

"Kia talk?"

kiada & ru’in

i have late conversations with the moon.
he tells me about the sun, and I tell him about you.

Without even really realizing that he was doing it - something that almost never happened to Ru'in - a gust of magical energy surged forward. It was the same energy that had once shoved the tri-coloured girl down, but now, it was softly caressing the side of her cheek, and pushing an errant bit of mane backwards from her face, so that he could catch her gaze. The gesture was so delicate and romantically confident, that it seemed as though it should have come from someone other than the mutant boy, whose expression was suddenly surprised, sheepish, and concerned. But it was the only

As she spoke, Ru'in's tusked-skull shook slightly. His face was open and honest, and his bi-coloured gaze harboured no ill-will towards Kiada or her brother. Ru'in was simple like that, and unlike the Kianzo and Romina's of the world, he did not hold a grudge. He took the world as it came to him, and easily allowed the past to become a memory. Simple as he might be, at least he wasn't complicated.

Well, not that complicated.

"It's Fihne." He whispered, absolving her of whatever apology she thought she owed him, shaking his head to indicate that no explanation was needed. Which was perhaps exactly what she did not want from him. On some base level, he more or less understood Kianzo's actions. If he was more clever, he might have gleaned more about Kiada's feelings towards him based on her interaction with her twin (as Romina likely did), but he did not.

@Kiada <3

kiada & ru’in

‘I know it’s over’ Icarus says to the sun
The sword sinks in, lightning strikes
And two force, two forces collide

She didn’t exactly know what she was expecting from him, but what he did do was out of the realm of impossibilities to her. That energy he harnessed, it reached out like a warm embrace, caressing the side of her cheek and fluttering her mane with such gentleness she didn’t think it was possible. She remembered the day that the same energy was felt as she stumbled, the rage that boiled in her chest with him and how from the ashes of anger, a flower had sprouted with his name on it. Her gaze immediately snapped toward his own bi-colored ones as the flames danced with hints of butterflies sprouting.

Never before had she felt such a thing, such tenderness. Kianzo had always tried, but it wasn’t like this. She watched him momentarily as he shook his head against her words, her lips forming into a small tight line until he simply replied with a whisper of ’it’s fine’. But was it truly fine? Kiada often spent a lot of time focusing on the little things, turning them into much larger beasts than she needed to. Did he not think of what it meant? Or was he saying that because it was the thing she wanted to hear? Her lips formed their way into a slight frown as she stepped slightly closer to him and shook her head to him, her inky head lowering slightly.

“Are you sure?” She questioned him plainly. Eyes glancing up to try and catch his expression, if he were to show it. “I was worried that you’d get hurt.” The words left her lips before she had a chance to think them over. Her head lifted slightly as her gaze grew more intently on Ru’in, ears flickering in uncertainty. “I was worried you’d never want to see me again.” Was the last thing she wanted to say, but she refrained. One of the few things she did manage to catch herself before slipping. Yet, it surely wouldn’t last long. Ru’in was a welcoming change of pace, a gentle slope of excitement and adrenaline. She wouldn’t be able to keep her balance long.

"Kia talk?"

kiada & ru’in

i have late conversations with the moon.
he tells me about the sun, and I tell him about you.