02-05-2017, 12:52 PM
Ruan
"I can't tell you how glad I am to see you again, after so long," she said. The sentiment surprised him a little. He never felt like he really made lasting impressions on people, and he'd been glad she'd recognized him at all. But he found he was glad to see her again too, and his eyes warmed for her. "Our world is an unpredictable one. I can never be sure when I'll see someone for the last time." There was a heaviness to her grave words that made his heart harden, his blood run colder. He wondered if she spoke of the red-child she'd had before and lacked now, but he didn't want to ask and have it upset her. If it was a topic that would cause her pain.
"There are things we should discuss."
He heard a tension beneath the statement, a taut string prepared to snap or sing depending who mastered it, and he glanced to her curiously and away again. They both could sense Jinju approaching, hear her as she caught their scent and neared, and they slowed to a stop.
"Dad!" the dark girl exclaimed, sliding to his side and offering her black muzzle to him. He was glad to see her and it showed in the warmth in his eyes, but he nipped at her nose instead, passing a shock of chill to her fire-skin in the contact as he claimed his space.
She was growing, no longer a little child to be coddled safely and protectively at his side. She was a young mare now, powerful and steady on her own. The shelter of his wing was no longer needed -not that he had them anymore, the solid warmth of his side was now his to offer when he chose to. She was strong, he'd not let her think otherwise by allowing her to claim her own embraces.
Jinju welcomed her warmly, and Circinae pointed out that they had already met, when Jinju was just a small girl. "Ruan must be beside himself keeping prying eyes off of that gorgeous black coat," she said. He gave a short grunt of amusement at that, knowing that Jinju had been gone away a while on her own and he'd had no say in who might have seen or touched her rich coat. She was grown now, her own woman. Letting go was hard, but he'd had no choice in it as he shielded himself from the pain of losing her, the one that had always been a constant at his side.
He reflected back on Circinae's earlier words; there were things they should discuss. He somehow felt that whatever was on her mind she might prefer privacy for it, so he didn't bring it up again yet. "Welcome back to the Taiga," he said instead, remaining at her side and passing a careful breath over her cheek. There was something about her that still itched at his senses, tickled the back of his mind. And he felt that same wary reluctance to turn his attention from her as he looked to Jinju again.
His eyes saw Jinju, and yet his entire body remained locked onto Circinae at his side, his senses drinking her in as he stood easily next to her. His nose drifted absently towards her but he spoke to Jinju when he gently requested, Leave us, please. Allow me to find you later. Because he wasn't one to waste time with pleasantries, and there were things they needed to discuss.
"There are things we should discuss."
He heard a tension beneath the statement, a taut string prepared to snap or sing depending who mastered it, and he glanced to her curiously and away again. They both could sense Jinju approaching, hear her as she caught their scent and neared, and they slowed to a stop.
"Dad!" the dark girl exclaimed, sliding to his side and offering her black muzzle to him. He was glad to see her and it showed in the warmth in his eyes, but he nipped at her nose instead, passing a shock of chill to her fire-skin in the contact as he claimed his space.
She was growing, no longer a little child to be coddled safely and protectively at his side. She was a young mare now, powerful and steady on her own. The shelter of his wing was no longer needed -not that he had them anymore, the solid warmth of his side was now his to offer when he chose to. She was strong, he'd not let her think otherwise by allowing her to claim her own embraces.
Jinju welcomed her warmly, and Circinae pointed out that they had already met, when Jinju was just a small girl. "Ruan must be beside himself keeping prying eyes off of that gorgeous black coat," she said. He gave a short grunt of amusement at that, knowing that Jinju had been gone away a while on her own and he'd had no say in who might have seen or touched her rich coat. She was grown now, her own woman. Letting go was hard, but he'd had no choice in it as he shielded himself from the pain of losing her, the one that had always been a constant at his side.
He reflected back on Circinae's earlier words; there were things they should discuss. He somehow felt that whatever was on her mind she might prefer privacy for it, so he didn't bring it up again yet. "Welcome back to the Taiga," he said instead, remaining at her side and passing a careful breath over her cheek. There was something about her that still itched at his senses, tickled the back of his mind. And he felt that same wary reluctance to turn his attention from her as he looked to Jinju again.
His eyes saw Jinju, and yet his entire body remained locked onto Circinae at his side, his senses drinking her in as he stood easily next to her. His nose drifted absently towards her but he spoke to Jinju when he gently requested, Leave us, please. Allow me to find you later. Because he wasn't one to waste time with pleasantries, and there were things they needed to discuss.
