I won't beg you to stay; any

[Amet]

if there's a light at the end, it's just the sun in your eyes

Iset's vehement greeting is unexpected, although, admittedly familiar. Amet's lips drop from their smile and into a terse line, his pupils narrowing as he stares at his younger sister even after she's turned her attention back to Ryan. She moves further away from him, no longer a facade of solidarity to put on display for their newest companion, but the metallic colt doesn't mind. It's better this way, the space between them, so that the electricity does not build until they lash out. Amet would never seriously injure his sister, but they had only ever seen one technique for problem solving, and despite their attempted restraint, it could sometimes get ugly.

Blunt teeth clenched together, the light bay colt flicks his eyes back to Ryan, all anger forgotten as his maw drops open, amber eyes taking in the sight of the small panther before them. "Whoa," he whispers quietly, eyes wide open, "I'd like to be able to do that." He wishes he could do anything to make himself unrecognizable to Him and Shalla, but Amet keeps that tidbit to himself.

Dropping back slightly, he lets Ryan and Iset control the conversation, content simply to watch with a tight jaw. His heart is heavy with sympathy for the other colt, who would soon be parent-less, but there's a silent light of hopefulness within him that his younger sister and the purple-pointed boy would be fast friends. Iset chooses to open up about their past, as well, and while Amet doesn't stop her, he can't help but to shift uncomfortably. It had been difficult enough to even acknowledge their circumstances between the three siblings, let alone someone who had not seen it firsthand, but the lanky two-year-old silently reminds himself that this is their new beginning - they might as well share their past, if they ever hope to move beyond it.

When the filly finishes her story and officially invites Ryan to stay, Amet almost hopes that she has cooled down from her jabs at him. That, however, is obviously not the case, as she sends another scathing look in his direction before disappearing into the cherry trees. Amet frowns but swiftly turns his attention back to Ryan, offering him a sheepish shrug. "I'm sorry about that. Truly, though, we would love for you to stay here with us. I think that you and Iset will get along well." There he goes, making assumptions for his sister again.

"Feel free to explore, and don't hesitate to come hang out with either of us," Amet offers warmly, before moving closer to the Lake, lost in his thoughts.

Amet