K'nahli's gaze flicked over to K'iara as she hurried her way past her and took refuge behind a nearby cart. Had she not noted her interaction with K'ile moments earlier then she may have been suspicious of her presence there, but for now she decided it best to ignore it. Instead, her eyes averted back to the commotion that had now been occurring between K'ile Tia and her father. Her stare widened once again as she witnessed a behaviour from her father that was almost totally alien to the personality of the man she thought she knew.... or perhaps, maybe it wasn't that unusual. Could it simply be that maybe she had unconsciously allowed her earlier memories to fade over the course of the past five years? It certainly would have explained a number of other things too - and despite that tingling feeling of spite and anger that continued to burn at the pit of her stomach, the girl couldn't help but hope that it really was in her father's nature to have such a playful side in him. Though, better yet, this only just proved it. K'rahto, or rather K'iara, was mistaken. K'ile may be behaving a little competitively right now, but there was simply no way that he had plans to challenge anyone. That wasn't in K'ile's nature. While there was no question that the two weren't the best of friends at any point that she can remember, K'ile would not dare to seek a title that he had no pleasure in obtaining beyond besting her father in combat. Once again, a thought that bore the girl a light sense of comfort, though one that was deeply subdued by more prominent and powerful concerns that never failed to escape her mind for very long.
K'nahli gingerly crossed one of her arms across her stomach to loosely grip the other's elbow as she continued to watch the scene noisily taking place ahead of her. A feeling of doubt once again made it's presence known with the trickling sensation of a running droplet, slowly creeping it's way down from the base of her neck along the youth's, slender back. If she had the nerve to approach him now, how would he behave? Would it match a reaction he'd likely give to K'mih under the same circumstances? The girl's brow furrowed ever so slightly in thought as she pondered the question. After all, wouldn't a good humoured reaction like that matter more than the one from when his mood was soured on their final day before departing? K'nahli blinked slowly as a wistful look crossed her features. Her tensed posture began to soften as she withdrew deeper into her thoughts. Watching her father with such conflicting emotions was a tiring task and yet tearing her eyes away from him would do her no favours. She didn't understand what she was supposed to feel, what she even wanted to feel. Trying to bring about her own happiness and satisfaction through any kind of reasoning just didn't feel sincere enough to her. Succumbing to that would only feel like she were trying to make things easier on herself - but even so, wouldn't that be okay? The blue-haired girl continued to watch the males from a distance that felt too far away to ever be noticed but close enough that she need only have a fleeting thought of positivity to take a chance and for once assume that perhaps she was wrong.
"....."
Another slow blink announced the beginning of a new thought and a decision made. The huntress's rear leg slowly grew weightless as it prepared to take a reluctant, single step forward, the girl's chin turning up decisively as her mind had all but been made up....... that was, until, a familiar yet grossly, undesired voice suddenly forced it's way into her skull.
"K'nahli... why don't we bathe with them too?"
It was the last voice that the girl wanted to hear at this moment. It's softness grated on her nerves as though it were a shard of shale rock grinding against the fragile tissue that lined the inside of her ears... and the sweet affection that coated every syllable that slipped past the young girl's, soft lips left the most bitter of tastes in K'nahli's mouth. She struggled hard not to frown too deeply but preventing it entirely was an impossibility. Her skin began to crawl with disgust and loathing as nothing short of negative thoughts emerged from every corner of her mind like burrowed insects forced out of hiding by an unsuspected disturbance. The unique vibrance that was key to the girl's piercing glare grew even more fervent as her lips parted with an irritated quiver, her words taking only a second to force their way out over her moistened lips without restraint.
"If you want to bathe then go do so by yourself."
The coldness of her response was powerful enough to overcome even the sweltering heat of the desert climate as it immediately killed off any warmth that was there for K'mih to find in the atmosphere between them. The words themselves came almost too quickly given the unexpectedness of K'mih's presence, almost as if they had been rehearsed and delivered prematurely by an eager mind - and though none of that were true, it still only emphasised on the sudden and great distance that had stretched out between the two siblings in that moment. K'nahli had been too concerned with loathing the situation as a whole and plainly avoiding all contact that she hadn't even considered what she'd say should a situation like this arise - and yet her mind formulated one so quickly and easily. Her defence mechanism, the wall built up around herself for the past five years was quite the formidable foe it would seem, once again proving itself worthy of preserving the 'present K'nahli' and slowly destroying any hope's for a future one.
Despite K'nahli's prior vigilance, the younger sister had approached from an angle that had left her out of the older's vision up to the moment she spoke, and so did she continue to remain. K'nahli, stubborn as she was in her ways, continued to face out ahead of herself toward the two male's that were indeed becoming uncomfortably close with each other. Under normal circumstances, the girl might have blushed heavily, embarrassed by her father's absurd behaviour with not just another person, but with another male. Now, however, she struggled to pay much focus to it and merely delivered little beyond a displeased squint upon beholding it. Comfort abandoned her and instead a crawling feeling consumed the girl as she eagerly awaited K'mih's departure. She didn't want to be near something so precious and perfect right now.
It's funny that it only crossed her mind now; that K'nahli must seem so despisable by contrast when having been around her sister.
K'nahli gingerly crossed one of her arms across her stomach to loosely grip the other's elbow as she continued to watch the scene noisily taking place ahead of her. A feeling of doubt once again made it's presence known with the trickling sensation of a running droplet, slowly creeping it's way down from the base of her neck along the youth's, slender back. If she had the nerve to approach him now, how would he behave? Would it match a reaction he'd likely give to K'mih under the same circumstances? The girl's brow furrowed ever so slightly in thought as she pondered the question. After all, wouldn't a good humoured reaction like that matter more than the one from when his mood was soured on their final day before departing? K'nahli blinked slowly as a wistful look crossed her features. Her tensed posture began to soften as she withdrew deeper into her thoughts. Watching her father with such conflicting emotions was a tiring task and yet tearing her eyes away from him would do her no favours. She didn't understand what she was supposed to feel, what she even wanted to feel. Trying to bring about her own happiness and satisfaction through any kind of reasoning just didn't feel sincere enough to her. Succumbing to that would only feel like she were trying to make things easier on herself - but even so, wouldn't that be okay? The blue-haired girl continued to watch the males from a distance that felt too far away to ever be noticed but close enough that she need only have a fleeting thought of positivity to take a chance and for once assume that perhaps she was wrong.
"....."
Another slow blink announced the beginning of a new thought and a decision made. The huntress's rear leg slowly grew weightless as it prepared to take a reluctant, single step forward, the girl's chin turning up decisively as her mind had all but been made up....... that was, until, a familiar yet grossly, undesired voice suddenly forced it's way into her skull.
"K'nahli... why don't we bathe with them too?"
It was the last voice that the girl wanted to hear at this moment. It's softness grated on her nerves as though it were a shard of shale rock grinding against the fragile tissue that lined the inside of her ears... and the sweet affection that coated every syllable that slipped past the young girl's, soft lips left the most bitter of tastes in K'nahli's mouth. She struggled hard not to frown too deeply but preventing it entirely was an impossibility. Her skin began to crawl with disgust and loathing as nothing short of negative thoughts emerged from every corner of her mind like burrowed insects forced out of hiding by an unsuspected disturbance. The unique vibrance that was key to the girl's piercing glare grew even more fervent as her lips parted with an irritated quiver, her words taking only a second to force their way out over her moistened lips without restraint.
"If you want to bathe then go do so by yourself."
The coldness of her response was powerful enough to overcome even the sweltering heat of the desert climate as it immediately killed off any warmth that was there for K'mih to find in the atmosphere between them. The words themselves came almost too quickly given the unexpectedness of K'mih's presence, almost as if they had been rehearsed and delivered prematurely by an eager mind - and though none of that were true, it still only emphasised on the sudden and great distance that had stretched out between the two siblings in that moment. K'nahli had been too concerned with loathing the situation as a whole and plainly avoiding all contact that she hadn't even considered what she'd say should a situation like this arise - and yet her mind formulated one so quickly and easily. Her defence mechanism, the wall built up around herself for the past five years was quite the formidable foe it would seem, once again proving itself worthy of preserving the 'present K'nahli' and slowly destroying any hope's for a future one.
Despite K'nahli's prior vigilance, the younger sister had approached from an angle that had left her out of the older's vision up to the moment she spoke, and so did she continue to remain. K'nahli, stubborn as she was in her ways, continued to face out ahead of herself toward the two male's that were indeed becoming uncomfortably close with each other. Under normal circumstances, the girl might have blushed heavily, embarrassed by her father's absurd behaviour with not just another person, but with another male. Now, however, she struggled to pay much focus to it and merely delivered little beyond a displeased squint upon beholding it. Comfort abandoned her and instead a crawling feeling consumed the girl as she eagerly awaited K'mih's departure. She didn't want to be near something so precious and perfect right now.
It's funny that it only crossed her mind now; that K'nahli must seem so despisable by contrast when having been around her sister.
![[Image: ecec20e41f.png]](https://puu.sh/xvMxb/ecec20e41f.png)
Characters: Andre Winter (Hy'ur) / K'nahli Yohko (Miqo'te)
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