[PRP] I'm lucky just to linger in your light. (Cela & 'Reno)

[derivative]

A PRIVATE ROLEPLAY BETWEEN DERIVATIVE'S CELANDINE AND KYAISHI'S KURENO.



Bad Day
Daniel Powter

Where is the moment we needed the most
You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost
You tell me your blue skies fade to grey
You tell me your passion's gone away
And I don't need no carryin' on

You stand in the line just to hit a new low
You're faking a smile with the coffee to go
You tell me your life's been way off line
You're falling to pieces everytime
And I don't need no carryin' on

Because you had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
The camera don't lie
You're coming back down and you really don't mind
You had a bad day
You had a bad day

Well, you need a blue sky holiday
The point is they laugh at what you say
And I don't need no carryin' on

You had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
The camera don't lie
You're coming back down and you really don't mind
You had a bad day

(Oh.. Holiday..)

Sometimes the system goes on the blink
And the whole thing turns out wrong
You might not make it back and you know
That you could be well oh that strong
And I'm not wrong (ahhh...)

So where is the passion when you need it the most
Oh, you and I
You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost

'Cause you had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
You've seen what you like
And how does it feel for one more time
You had a bad day
You had a bad day

(Oh, yeah, yeaaah, yeah)
Had a bad day
(Oh, had a bad day)
Had a bad day
(Oh, yeah, yeah, yeeeeah)
Had a bad day
(Oh, had a bad day)
Had a bad day...
Had a bad day...

 

[derivative]

If things could go wrong, they would. At least, that was how it felt to Celandine, and she normally was as far from pessimistic as a person could be. Still, from the moment she'd woken up that morning, things just hadn't been going right.

First of all, a branch had broken and landed right on top of her head, which was not her preferred method of waking. Vrabel had been out hunting, so she'd been alone and with a smarting head - a definite recipe for a foul mood. Despite that, she'd tried to remain cheerful, and had even managed to find some apples to munch on.

Of course, in the true spirit of the day, she'd bitten into a rotten apple. Not really rotten, just a little, but still! Her mouth had been filled with mush and she hadn't liked it one bit.

All of that could have been forgiven, though, if the rest of her morning had been all right. Her leg was still sore from her misadventure with the root, and even though Drashi had been kind enough to help her out in that particular situation, he hadn't been able to heal her. Possessing no powers for healing herself, she'd simply limped along, knowing it would sort itself out in time. If not, she was bound to run into a unicorn sometime, right?

Well, that was hardly the most pressing of her worries. Most of her traveling she could do in the air, since she'd grown familiar with the area Kureno liked to frequent. Flying would, of course, be much easier if she hadn't tripped earlier and landed on her wings, bruising the two on the right side.

"I get it, I get it. I should've just stayed in bed today," she muttered, bracing herself for a rough landing.

Wincing when her injured leg hit the ground, she stumbled, nearly falling on her butt for the second time that morning. With a little luck, she managed to remain upright, though it cost her. Leg throbbing, she pinned her ears, muttering under her breath as she began the familiar trek to hers and Kureno's meeting place.

If he wasn't there today, boy, she was going to just lay right down and sleep.

Bumping her shoulder against a tree, she huffed, annoyed. Normally, she would have skirted right around it, but for some reason, she was just off today. None of her senses seemed to be working right, and if she wasn't mistaken, she still had some leaves in her mane from her abrupt encounter with a tall tree en route to the little clearing.

There was at least one blessing. Tired of her abuse, Vrabel had informed her he would find other things to do until she worked the knots out of her tail, and they'd gone their separate ways for the day. So, even though she might have missed the company a little, she at least had the freedom to sulk if she wanted to.

Well, she'd had it. Noises ahead alerted her to someone else's presence, and she assumed it was Kureno.

Something was going right, anyway.

Ducking under a branch - ah hah, at least she remembered that one - she limped into the clearing, ears flickering forward briefly.

"Hello!" Despite her mood, she tried to sound cheerful. "It's a... well, I was going to say lovely day, but it's just not. So, it's a day, anyway. How are you?"

 

[Kyaishi]

Although Kureno was never one to pay any mind to whether a day actually went as planned or not, today was an exception. Not that he had planned anything, per se, but it was rather hard not to notice when something was out of the norm. At least in his daily routine.

His (almost) daily meetings with Celandine has become something that he was accustomed to, and though he would never have admitted it, aloud or otherwise, perhaps even looked forward to. Of course, he didn't always show up to their unspoken meetings- he had a reputation to uphold, after all... though it held little importance to him, the issue was mainly with his own uncertainty. He still maintained the image that he didn't want or need her help, no matter how insistent she was in offering it, but the truth was that Kureno was beginning to wonder.

Disregarding these wayward thoughts, however, he had ventured today into their appointed meeting place with the aspirations of another discussion, though the subject of such didn't matter to him. Even less likely was it to matter to her.

Today, however, he had arrived to find a scene that he had least expected, though in hindsight, he should have expected to find something like this eventually.

She wasn't there.

Throughout each one of their meetings, she had always been the one to arrive first, to wait for him and welcome him when he did arrive. That she wasn't already there could only mean that she wasn't coming. And this... could only be the beginning of the end. Eventually, she would get sick of his cold demeanor, his lack of pleasant company, his aversion to unnecessary words. It simply seemed that it had occurred sooner rather than later.

For a moment after his realization that he was the only inhabitant of their sanctuary, all Kureno could do was stare. Then... anger. Not just at her, but at himself, for simply expecting her to be there, no matter what. He knew this was likely to happen- it was part of the reason why he had been so hesitant to agree to this arrangement in the first place. He was still hurting from Eve and Connor's disappearance, loathe though he may have been to admit it. Why would he intentionally open himself up to the possibility of having it happen again? It didn't matter what she promised, how kind she was, or how much she insisted that she wanted to help. Her words were meaningless.

And she wasn't here now.

Snarling to himself, he paced back and forth in rough, jerky movements, muttering furiously to himself as he glared at the ground beneath his hooves. This was utter stupidity. Why did he care so much? She hadn't become an irreplacable fixture in his life, yet. They had only known each other for a little over a week! His steps stopped abruptly. '...Yet?' Had he actually just thought that word to himself? As if it were a possibility, even a probability that she might become precious to him? Absurd! She barely knew him, and he her!

And the fact that she wasn't here now was proof enough that the illusions she had led him into believing were false.

A low growl rose in the dark stallion's throat as he resumed his livid pacing, steps stiff and sharp as the muttering grew in volume. Not enough for an outsider to hear the words, but enough so that it was obvious he was angry and talking to himself. He refused to let himself sink into the self-destructive mode he had previously been in after... before Celandine's appearance. He had regained a bit of himself since then... however futile that may have been. He refused to acknowledge that it probably had everything to do with the angeni mare's presence.

So distracted was he in his inner fury that he almost missed the soft words that pierced the heavy, uncomfortable atmosphere that he had unknowingly created, ebony-tipped ears perking up and head jerking towards where he saw the petite figure approaching through the treeline.

He said nothing.

Though she might have attributed it to his quiet nature, the truth was that he had been surprised into speechlessness. So intent was he on berating himself for actually expecting and looking forward to her being there, he didn't even stop to consider the possibility that she might simply be late.  

[derivative]

Was he ignoring her? ... again? She knew Kureno was a stallion of few words, but she'd thought they were making progress in their meetings. Lately, she'd been trying to think of him as less of a, well, "project" and more of a friend. The truth of the matter was, she'd grown to like him a great deal anyhow, so it wasn't too much of a leap. Sure, he was grumpy and brusque, and more often than not, she ended up chatting at thin air while he offered little in response. Still, she'd thought they'd developed something of a rapport.

Perhaps she'd thought wrong? Well, that would just be the cherry on top of her... everything!

Mouth tugging into a frown, she continued forward, swallowing a yelp as a branch swatted her in the face. That was new.

"Ouch! Stupid branch." Muttering, ears pinning once more, she limped closer to where she assumed he was standing. He wasn't making much noise anymore, so she couldn't be entirely certain.

Idly, she wondered how Kureno would react if she accidentally bumped into him. He'd probably take it like a man, and not say anything at all. Maybe snap at her, if he was feeling particularly cranky. She hoped not.

With a day like she'd had, she'd probably snap right back.

Exhaling slowly, forcing herself to stay even-tempered, she stopped, leaning heavily on her good side. There was no point in getting all riled up before the guy even had a chance to speak, right? Maybe things would go better than they had been, and he was just... gearing up for something.

The idea of Kureno being shy made her smile, a little.

"Are you okay? I didn't hear you if you said anything." Swishing her tail, trying to discourage a fly, she asked, "You haven't been waiting long, have you? I've had some kind of day, let me tell you."

 

[Kyaishi]

After several more moments of simply staring, the wheels of his mind finally began turning once more, and cerulean hues blinked stupidly as he regained control over his slack jaw. Silently, he thanked whatever higher power there was that at this particular moment, she couldn't see his reaction... though perhaps that was a bit insensitive. He didn't mean anything ill by it in this context, anyway.

One eyebrow raised in curiosity and maybe even a hint of amusement at her less than graceful collision with a low branch, though his facial expression didn't change... at least he was not gaping like a beached fish anymore. The normal air of grace and delicacy she usually exuded was, at this moment, nowhere to be found, and he wondered absently what in particular had changed on this day.

"I haven't said anything yet," was the low murmur he offered, devoid of his previous aggression- though for what reason he did not know.

Hadn't he just been furious moments ago? How did such an abrupt turnaround come to be? Normally, it took him hours to calm down from such a state, and more than a little sweat... a nice, long run or fly usually helped, but never did the trick entirely on its own. Why then, was it gone in the blink of an eye this time? He wanted to retain his anger, at her, at himself, at the world- it may have been irrational, but it kept him grounded. Kept him from making foolish mistakes.

He wondered at the small smile that adorned her features, but was abruptly distracted by something else.

Two of her wings were limp. The swollen state of her foreleg immediately drew his gaze, and all at once, his anger came back to him in a rush. Superimposed over her frame was the image of a demure, dappled grey mare, imaciated and weak, tattered and bruised. Fury flooded through him anew, and his hackles raised as his posture stiffened until it was nearly vibrating in suppressed aggression.

"Who," he ground out through gritted teeth, azure glare focused fiercely on the perceptible injury of her side and foreleg. It was not a question, it was a demand. He would tear the offender apart, make them beg and plead for mercy, make them suffer. "Who did this?" he snarled, bringing his gaze up to meet her unseeing one with a furious glower.

She may not have been able to see, but there was no way she could miss the suffocating air that his anger had created in the atmosphere around them.  

[derivative]

It didn't take someone with the gift of vision to be able to tell that the entire situation had changed fast. Whereas before she'd been a bit cranky but overall looking forward to the encounter, now she felt a sliver of fear sneak its way under her skin. She didn't believe that he would hurt her, not for an instant, but the atmosphere of the peaceful little clearing had changed drastically, and she could all but feel it pressing down on her.

Temper. Potent and heavy, it almost choked her, and she was simply a bystander. It took a moment for her mind to latch onto the fact that he was angry on her behalf, though she was honestly confused as to why, and could do little but gape at him.

Not the most elegant reaction, but she wasn't feeling very elegant that day. Especially not when this had come out of no where, at least for her.

Taking a step back, forgetting herself and wincing when she did, she furled her wings at her sides. It hurt a little, but she felt more comfortable the smaller she was, somehow. Not the best instincts in the face of a predator, but to her, Kureno wasn't anything to fear.

Er. Not normally.

Shaking her bangs out of her eyes, she frowned, mind racing to figure out what he meant. Who had done - oh.

Oh.

Her leg, and her wings. He thought someone had attacked her? It wasn't an entirely ludicrous assumption, as she'd had a scuffle here and there in the past, but the strength of his response was shocking. He didn't care that much about her - or, well, hadn't given that impression - so she couldn't help but wonder at the sudden intensity.

Head dipping a bit, she said clearly, "No one did anything, Kureno. This, er, this is my fault."

Her own problems shoved to the back of her mind, she edged forward once more, carefully keeping her face blank of any strain that might have entered it. Spirits knew she didn't need him any angrier than he presently was.

"I got in a little accident, and a kind stallion helped me out. It's nothing, really. Just bumps and scrapes." Cheer in her tone, she fanned her wings out again, flexing the injured ones with a bit of effort. "See? I'll be right as rain in no time."

 

[Kyaishi]

For a moment, she said nothing, and the ice cold fury that coursed through his veins only intensified, though it seemed to fizzle slightly at the flicker of emotion he witnessed cross her eyes.

Fear.

She was afraid of him? She believed that he would harm her? The thought was more than unsettling, more than disturbing to him- it was just... wrong. All at once, he felt the anger die, and began to draw away in something like... disappointment. Something tugged at him more fiercely than the anger that had driven him only moments ago, and... it hurt.

Though he had never exactly been kind to her, he had never given her any reason to believe that he would do her harm. Physical harm, anyway. Mockery and insults were part of his nature, but most of it was in good fun. He had never directed his ire at her, save for the first time they met, when she insisted that he share his innermost troubles with her. Of course, he was cold and rude at times, but it had never held any bite towards her, and he had suspected that she had grown used to it. Obviously, it was a bit of an oversight on his part.

A step back, both physically and emotionally, and his eyes were shuttered once again by the impenetrable shield of stone and ice.

Something like relief calmed his nerves when she admitted that the injuries were only due to an accident, but his hackles raised again at the mention of another stallion. Now, the tumultous emotions, the foremost being annoyance, were a complete mystery to him. Why should he care who she had been rescued by? His eyes narrowed at the thought, though it only led to another step back, away from her. He did care, for some ridiculous reason... and it bothered him.

Still, though, there were more pressing matters at hand... he would leave the questioning about her rescuer to when they were taken care of.

"Come this way," he spoke lowly, his tone resigned as he turned away from her, withdrawing back into his shell as the disappointment made itself more obvious. "You should get off that leg." Inwardly, he cursed that there were no unicorns in the vicinity... though he could venture back to his herd, where that strange, masked unicorn stallion had joined them, but he wasn't entirely sure it would have worsened Celandine's injuries, and he wasn't about to leave her here alone, defenseless.

Kureno, no matter whatever else he claimed to be, was a protector. Of his mother, of his sisters, of Eve. He had wanted to leave it behind, but it appeared that it was a name that would follow him, no matter what he did.  

[derivative]

She could feel it slipping away. Warmth, and any ground she'd made, taken swiftly and almost effortlessly by one misunderstanding. If Celandine could take back her reaction, even briefly, she would have in an instant. When the shock of the moment wore away, she knew there was nothing to fear, but he had of course noticed. Even not knowing her well, there weren't many other things that would cause a mare to shy away. She was embarrassed, and she was a little ashamed of herself.

Everything really was going wrong, wasn't it? She should've just rolled over and gone back to sleep when that branch hit her.

Lips tugging downward once more, unhappiness obvious on her face, she nevertheless stepped toward him. Already she was thinking of ways she could mend things, but each possible solution seemed as unlikely as the next. What could she say that he would trust? What could she say at all?

The truth, of course, but there were ways of telling the truth that elicited different reactions. She knew Kureno a little, as much as he would allow, but she didn't know him that well. Celandine was an adaptable mare, but she had the feeling that in this situation, and for that matter, most regarding him, honesty would be best.

So why she was slinking toward him like a scolded child, she couldn't say.

Ears flickering toward him, she drew in a breath. As a rule, Celandine didn't like to talk too much about herself. She would give a little, of course, because you couldn't become close to someone unless you gave a bit of yourself. Still, she tried to keep her personal life private, especially the parts of it that made her unhappy. Her mission, after all, wasn't to burden others with her worries - it was to help them.

"Kureno, I..." She sighed, stopping and planting her hooves firmly. It hurt a little, but the thought of going back to square one with him hurt a little more. They weren't close, no, and to most, it would seem like she was fighting a losing battle. Still, she'd made some progress. she didn't want to lose it all.

Closing her eyes, she shook her head slightly, willing away the memories that wanted to come forth with her words. "It's just been a very long time since anyone was really, truly angry with me. I know you weren't. It just, er, it reminded me of that. I used to get yelled at a lot, and worse, and I guess I just reacted without thinking."

Peeking at him, despite her lack of sight, she continued, voice unusually subdued. "Thank you, for worrying. It's been a long time since anyone worried, either. I guess I'm not used to it."

 

[Kyaishi]

Deep ocean blue eyes shifted back towards her smaller form when he heard her footsteps cease, glancing back in a mild annoyance. At her conflicted expression, however, his scowl fell, replaced by a forcibly neutral facade as he looked pointedly away.

His irritation increased as she felt the need to explain herself, though this time it was directed at himself. It didn't matter, so why was he making such a big deal out of it? He couldn't deny that there was something wrong, but whether or not it was her wrong to right was a fact that he would rather not dwell on.

Her words made his gaze soften, though only fractionally, and instead of answering, his eyes simply lifted to look upon the clear, blue sky above. He was tempted to snap at her that he wasn't worried, thank you very much, that it was simply instinct- but the latter reaction to her fear had already disproven any excuses that he might have thought to produce. Instead of answering her words, he simply stared into the clouds with a distant look in his eyes, ears laying flat against his head.

"Did I ever tell you... that the reason I became strong was to protect my mother?" he offered softly instead. It was pointless to reflect on the reasons for his emotional maelstrom at the moment... Kureno could sense that Celandine was afraid of losing what little headway they had made with this simple misunderstanding... and if he were honest, he didn't want that, either. Changing the subject, offering another tidbit about his past that he was so normally adamant about keeping to himself seemed like a good way to convey that there was nothing to apologize for.

He could not fault her for being afraid of him, he supposed, since in a way, he was afraid of her.

"We were alone, when she first had me. My father was nowhere to be found, and I had a sister, but she had been lost to them both. There was always... this deep sadness in her eyes, whenever she looked at me, and I wanted to become strong enough to fight it away." His expression contorted into a ruefel one, though he didn't look her way. "A naive hope, when I came to understand that I was the reason for her sadness."

He had never shared this much with anyone. Not even Eve.  

[derivative]

Her heart burned for him, both for the little boy who'd wanted to ease his mother's pain, and for the grown stallion who had never forgiven himself for being unable to. Somewhere along the line, instead of being held softly and told that it wasn't his fault, someone had turned from him, neglected to do what was right, and had allowed him to believe that his existence was the cause for unhappiness. She didn't know his mother, didn't know if she ever would, but she couldn't understand that.

Whether it was true or not, no one should allow their child to carry a burden like that. She'd had her reasons, no doubt, but without knowing them...

But no. She couldn't judge her, the distant figure that she only knew through Kureno's memories. Celandine had no way of knowing what life had dealt her, and even though she'd allowed her son to suffer, she just couldn't hold it against her. It would be against anything she'd ever been taught, every promise she'd made to herself.

Even still, she dearly wanted to.

Her heart knew Kureno, not his mother. And her heart ached for him.

The silence around them was still heavy, but this time, tinged with sadness instead of anger. Going with instinct, she began walking once more, though she was careful to keep a slight distance between them.

He'd opened up to her, but he hadn't given her permission to close the gap between them. She wanted to, more than anything - wanted to rest her cheek against his, or brush her wings over his back, or even nudge him gently with her shoulder - but she didn't. It had to be his call, after all, and she respected his privacy. Even as she waited, and hoped, to learn more of him, she knew very well there were boundaries between them, and she didn't want to break the fragile trust he'd given her.

"I really admire you." It was simply said, though a smile ghosted around the corners of her mouth. "I don't think I realized it before. But it's true."

Ducking her head slightly, she perked her ears at him, tone becoming lighter. "Not just for wanting to do the right thing, either. Anyone can want to be brave, or strong, or special, for the sake of someone else. But, you know, even when it was the hardest thing in the world.. You still love her, I can hear it."

She closed her eyes, remembering the sound of her own mother's voice. Did she love her? Her mind said yes, of course yes. But did her heart agree?

"It's when we do things that we know are right even when they aren't easy, even when they hurt us, that make us... well, what we're trying to be."

Smiling fully, she tilted her head toward him. "And so, Kureno, I admire you! Thank you."

 

[Kyaishi]

For a moment there was only silence... and although some may have argued that the dark stallion was taking the time to gather his words, the truth may have been closer to the fact that he was savoring the moment.

Admired him? Perhaps a week ago he wouldn't have believed those words, thought them just another trite method to draw out his softer side in insincerity... but after learning as much as he had about this mare, he knew the words were genuine. Some part of him argued their logic. What was to admire? He was introverted, cold, sometimes even cruel, and had never been capable of grasping even the smallest shred of joy in his lifetime. He had thought himself a failure because he was one.

But instead of bringing about doubt and incredulity as was wont to happen, the words stirred a warmth somewhere in the depths of his frozen heart, made a small glimmer of light come back into the oceanic depths of his eyes. He had shared perhaps what was his greatest failure with the angeni mare, and in return, she gave him what, in the end, amounted to hope. Hope for what, he was not certain, but at this particular moment, it ceased to matter. Perhaps later on he would lament in the showing of his vulnerable side, as he had sworn never to do with another, but now... now there was light.

What started as a tiny, almost imperceptible twitching of the corners of his mouth grew, stretching across his features until it was visible in the upturn of his eyes, and though he knew she could not see it, he hoped that she would somehow be able to sense the drop of his walls.

"Thank you, Celandine," were the quiet words that fell from his maw, softened by the wind, but strengthened in their resolve. In a way, he admired her as well. Not that he was ready to admit it yet, to her or anyone else... but it was there none the less, and he hoped that she could garner the meaning from his unspoken affection. His eyes met hers as he allowed the soft smile to linger for a moment before it died, and turned his head away as a gentle breeze stirred the ebony forelocks upon his head, but the glimmering warmth in his azure gaze remained long after the smile itself had vanished.

It was a big step.

"Come, you should get off that leg," he said gruffly, though his tone beheld a gentleness not previously perceptible though his normally stoic tone. Perhaps now, when she asked her questions, he would be able to answer. He was not, and never had been, particularly eloquent or articulate, but he could convey enough to imply what needed to be said, and for the first time, he found himself wanting her to understand him, more than what he showed her of himself on a daily basis.

One step at a time.

For now, he actually had a reason to smile.  

[derivative]

Had she been alone, or in possession of four fully working limbs, Celandine would have danced a quick circle. Not out of glee, or victory even, just out of pure happiness. Some days, she felt like she would gain only inches at a time from the stoic stallion, and she could admit, if only to herself, that she'd gotten a little discouraged a time or two. They hadn't been meeting long, and so she hadn't wanted to expect too much, but...

But she really couldn't help herself. There was something about him that she liked. Even through the misunderstandings, outright denials, and sometimes, blatant avoidance, she felt like she and Kureno were forging a steady bond. It might not have moved very fast, but she could be patient.

She could be patient because of moments like this. The softly spoken thank you, the warmth she could feel threading through the space between them, stirring an answering heat in her own chest. It was small, and most likely wouldn't consider it much at all, but to Celandine, it meant more than any other expression of gratitude she'd received in her life.

For a moment, just a moment, she'd made a difference to him. Enough of one that he'd softened, and they'd come closer. In that moment, she felt all her convictions become strengthened, and she knew that she had chosen the right path for herself.

Unable to suppress the happy smile, she nodded to him, limping to his side. Somehow, even her leg hurt less - or perhaps, she just wasn't noticing it as much in the wake of such a present surprise.

Either way, her mood was soaring, especially compared to that morning's. She'd woken and thought that everything would go wrong, but she couldn't have been further from the truth in that assumption. She was glad, now, that she hadn't simply slept the day away, and had instead slogged through it until it started to improve. Otherwise, she never would have gotten his smile.

Did she know he smiled? Not for certain. She couldn't see it, and never would be able to, so it was hard to say. She certainly couldn't ask him; it would ruin the magic of the moment.

He'd smiled. She'd felt it. Whether she was right or wrong didn't matter so much, really; even if there hadn't been a physical smile, she'd heard in his voice, felt it in the subtle shift of the dynamics between them.

"Lead the way, then!" All but bubbling with cheer, she rustled her wings, the only outlet she had for the dance she would have preferred. "I'll be glad to take a little rest, too. Can you believe that all this happened because I was clumsy?"

Gesturing to her leg with a wing, she began to pout just a little. "I was distracted by Vrabel and I tripped on a vine, then got my leg caught between a couple of thick roots. They had thorns, too," she added mournfully, remembering the struggle that had cut the inside of her mouth, and Drashi's.

Normally, she wouldn't have gone into detail about an incident that highlighted her disability. If she hadn't been blind, Celandine would have been able to see the root and wasn't likely to have tripped over it, as she possessed a good deal of natural grace even in her current state. Somehow, though, she didn't mind poking a little fun at herself with Kureno.

"And my wings, well, I flew into a tree on my way here." She scowled, remembering the incident, and shook her head. "Vrabel and I argued this morning, so he's off doing his own thing, so that's my fault as well."

Reflecting, she said philosophically, "I guess that'll teach me for being a grump."

 

[Kyaishi]

He could tell, though it was muted and hidden beneath a visage of careful repression, that his words of gratitude, and perhaps the smile that she could not have seen, had made her happy. Strangely enough, it made him happy, as well. It was a gesture that took no effort, and he lost nothing for it, yet it gave her such satisfaction and joy that he almost wondered if maybe she was a little off her rocker. A bit of amusement tugged at his mouth at that thought, though it remained only that, and he discarded the thought after humoring it. Nahuel was off his rocker, Merric took leave of his mind occasionally, and Avalee was wont to letting hers float into the clouds for brief periods. He snorted at the thought.

It was only in Celandine's company that he found himself reflecting upon things of no importance, whereas he had always discarded them as not worth wasting his mind over before... it was odd, even the little changes, that her presence was beginning to affect in his life. The smile alone was proof of that, though it wasn't likely to become a regular thing. At least, he hoped not. There were still certain... images about him that had to be maintained. One could not intimidate while being known for smiling a lot in the presence of a pretty mare.

Her cheeriness almost brought back the smile, however disinclined he was to offer another after his previous thoughts, but he managed to suppress it enough so that his amusement was limited only to his voice. "Hopefully you'll learn to keep your head out of the clouds, unlike a certain sister of mine..." he had only mentioned Avalee in passing, he remembered, but had said enough to convey that she was a bit of an airhead at times. Absently, he wondered if perhaps the two might get along, then shrugged off the thought for later contemplation. Introducing her to his family was another big step- and two in one day would most certainly destroy his reputation. In a slightly more serious sense, he didn't really want to contemplate what that would mean, either.

"Sounds painful," he murmured, though not without a bit of sympathy... "I still think you should roast the bird and feed it to a raccoon. Maybe the raccoon will be grateful enough to volunteer for the job." ...Or not. For the most part, Kureno kept his blatant distaste for Celandine's feathered companion under wraps in her presence... but he didn't let it stop him from taking well-aimed shots at him when he wasn't around.

One brow lifted in obvious amusement at her latter statement, incredulity lacing the tones of his voice as he spoke again. "You, a grump? You're about as much of a grump as I am a social butterfly," he snorted, continuing on their path, though he had taken notice that her steps had become more uneven.

Slightly, so as not to startle her, he brushed a wing past her side, simply to let her know it was their, before it was his side touching hers.

There wasn't a thought involved. He had done this for Evelyn before, his mother, even his sisters on occasion... but it didn't occur to him until the events were already in motion that this was, perhaps, an even greater step than the previous one. Whatever the consequences, a raven feathered wing carefully draped over her side, beneath her own wings, and tightened its hold around her girth so that she would lean into him slightly as she walked. It was simple concern, he told himself, he was allowed to be concerned for someone who had become, what he may or may not have admitted at this point, a friend.

"If you ever decide go on a warpath, remind me to take shelter before it happens," he said stoically, though not without humor, hoping it would keep the conversation from turning where he did not want it to go.  

[derivative]

The contact startled her despite his best efforts. With anyone else, Celandine would have shied away, made a light joke to assure the other that she wasn't angry, just disinclined to accept the assistance. As a rule, she took care of herself, period. It was nice of others to offer, but if she could do it herself, she wanted to. Perhaps it was some misplaced need to prove herself, even now, even as a mare fully grown, but she couldn't shirk the habit, nor could she completely bury the embarrassment that surfaced at any offer of aid.

Still, the fact that it was Kureno had her holding her breath a moment, keeping the light-hearted refusal at bay. From all that she knew of him, and it was admittedly not a great deal, she didn't imagine he would willingly invite such closeness with just anyone, for just any reason. She was injured, yes, but part of her wanted to think that he was at least a little fond of her.

Smiling, she brushed a wing over his back, debating a moment before mimicking his pose with her own wings. Linked, she was able to lean against him a bit, and it made walking easier.

She also liked the closeness. It was... nice.

"Don't worry. I promise if I ever go around stomping the stuffing out of people, I'll spare you." Ears tipping toward him, she grinned. "Unless you're one of the ones who made me angry. Then all bets are off, buddy."

She ignored the comment about Vrabel, mostly because she knew the two held a very mutual and very intense dislike for one another. Why, she couldn't fathom, except for the fact that both were male and therefore unreasonable about strange things. Neither one meant the other any true harm, at least not that she could tell, and so she would let them have their strange animosity.

It wasn't hurting anyone, right? Not everyone could get along. She'd live with it.

"And, actually, I can be quite grumpy. I'd best warn you now. I'm not always the sweet, angelic mare you've come to know." To emphasize she was teasing, she fluttered her lashes at him.

 

[Kyaishi]

He felt her flinch, though it seemed to be more out of surprise than discomfort. For a moment, however, he was sure she would pull away. He wondered after a moment just what he had been thinking seconds ago, though it was not difficult to come to the conclusion that he hadn't been thinking at all. It was a rare gesture of kindness and care that he had only given to those closest to him, and subconsciously, his mind- or possibly his heart- had already accepted Celandine as one of these. Whether or not she reciprocated, however, was an entirely different matter, and Kureno could not help but wonder if the small gesture had been a big mistake.

He didn't get the chance to contemplate the idea much further before he felt her weight lean into him, and one smaller feathered wing curling around his own side in return. The muscles he hadn't even realized were tensing up with unease in the preparation to withdraw abruptly relax, and a small sensation of warmth grew within him at the movement. Her limp seemed to ease a bit, and his concern was abated for the moment.

"Well, that's bound to happen eventually," he said dryly, cerulean hues keeping a watchful eye on the path before them for anything that would make her stumble. "I suppose I should simply bide my time and wait for the inevitable explosion, then."

In reality, Kureno was only actually half-joking. He was well aware that he wasn't the easiest person in the world to get along with, and misinterpretations and disagreements were common. He was scarce with words, and even more guarded and quick to judgement when he did speak. Arguments were bound to happen, and the wing stallion knew better than to trust his insensitive mouth not to run away from him when they did. He knew she was caring, patient to an extent- but everything had its limits. It was only a matter of how far hers could be pressed before they broke.

Now, however, he could take solace in the fact that he had not destroyed anything yet, and she seemed to be as fond of his company as he was coming to be of her own. At her words, however, he couldn't help but give a sarcastic snort, a wry grin twisting his features as azure hued darted back to land upon her own opaque ones.

"Sweet and angelic?"

The tone was light and almost teasing, though his voice was as low and rough as it had always been.

"I seem to remember one of our meetings involving a prank on your feathered friend, which you took part in- in fact, the whole ordeal was your idea, if I remember correctly." Oh, he had enjoyed that, no matter how much he had scowled and scoffed at the ridiculousness of such immaturity at the time. Vrabel's reaction had been well-worth the childish effort.