chemical kids & mechanical brides

R I X E N The heavy mist cleared away some as I followed Kiada deeper into the bamboo maze. At first everything had been so grey that I could hardly see a thing. But now the sun peeked in here or there, and our laughter echoing off the leafy walls wasn’t the only thing that brightened up the gloomy setting. Though everything had been bathed in silver, it wasn’t the kind that was dark anymore. It was a soft, ivory light shimmer, mixed with yellow overtones of the sun’s gentle rays.  Before I saw the stream, I could hear the sounds. The murmur of the water could only just be heard, a backdrop to the crunching sounds of our hoofsteps and music of our voices. After a few more seconds, the trees peeled away to reveal the water that Khairi spoke of. The thick bamboo walls slowly transformed into clusters of limber, young bamboo stalks. Peering between the branches, I caught a glimpse of open space and the glimmer of water. As I stepping closer, my hooves followed in Kiada’s path, allowing the gilded mare to guide me closer to the stream’s edge. When at last no trees obscured the view, I paused behind Kiada for a moment to take in the scenery that surrounded me. My emerald orbs widened subconsciously as I swung my head back and forth slowly, surveying. Even when everything appeared serence, the vagabond side of me was still on the lookout for any sign of danger. "So, this is it, huh?" As I made the remark, my voice sounded overly pleased, almost childishly so, without really meaning to. I mean, I wanted Kiada and Khairi to know that I thought the location was nice, but I would’ve liked to have been slightly less obvious about it. As I watched the flowing water, my eyes twinkled almost like reflections of the water in the faint sunlight. My brows quirked, that ridiculous half-smirk plastering itself across my maw. All of this was in an idiotic manner and I was powerless to control it. Oh well. The stream passed through the Labyrinth wide, for a stream that was, and opaque. The water was a grey-blue color, darker in the shadows and more pale in the light, but still that kind of pretty grey-blue that was clear enough to see the pebbles beneath the gently babbling current. It wound through the Labyrinth disappearing in either direction, welcoming stray flora that came its way and carrying it by the place we stood. It was part of this place, integral to life, yet also a thing unto itself - a slice of mellow harmony amid the limber bamboo trees. It flowed like time, always onward, always toward its destiny. Kiada stepped forward, to the edge, and lowered her head to drink. Maintaining a small distance between us, my tiger-striped frame followed, drifting to the water's edge. I stepped closer, my hooves stopping just before the soil gave way to the lapping waters. Letting myself relax a little, a gentle snort escaping my nostrils before I craning my neck and sipped the cold, liquid surface.  I raising my head again, just in time to catch a glimpse of Khairi standing on the bank and Kiada casting a look in my direction that signalled she was up to no good. Then she proceed to give the bird a push, not too forcefully, but just enough to send him into the water in a flurry of feathers and vocal protest, accompanied by a loud splash. Though I tried not to show my amusement, obvious hints of it were carried in my voice, "I wouldn’t trust you anymore, either." I couldn’t help but chuckle softly alongside the black-and-gold mare.  With a smile manifesting across my features, I stepped into the water, which wasn't too deep, slowly wading toward the bird. The the sudden shock of cold rising around my knees made my muscles tense. As the bottom of the stream was rocky, each hoof was carefully placed, my movements more graceful than expected despite the slippery terrain and the current tugging at my legs. It was only a few steps before I could reach out over the water and attempted to gently nudge Khairi back in the direction of the bank. "It's cold, but not bad. You coming in?" I looked up expectantly at Kiada from where I stood before her in the water.  "Talk." they heard me singing and they told me to stop quit these pretentious things and just punch the clock

image credits || coding credits

LOL poor Khairi xD