Live a Little | Xia x Nuriko RP

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Navigating through the streets of Nariah was normally no problem for Xia. However, with the recent explosions and the rubble coating the ground had made his mental map obsolete. It was like his world had been flipped upside-down during the tremors as he attempted to lead the civilians away from the fires and to safety. In the aftermath, many streets had been closed off due to collapsed buildings. Luckily for Xia he still remembered the ways through the streets, but his cane was needed. The blind horse could live with that at least.

Now, however, Xia was on a mission. He’d been back in the city for a few days, helping to clear away what he could. Though his duty was a consul, Xia’s heart was always with Sirith and her cities. The capital was his home and the home of his family and friends and king, so no matter what orders he was given he wouldn’t leave until Nariah and her citizens were safe and comfortable. Eventually he’d travel back to the herd of Cascade, but for now he was needed at home. That didn’t mean the Consul wouldn’t take breaks however. Xia had been working himself to the bone most days in order to help, leaving him weary and exhausted by the end of the day. So, after a long day of cleaning Xia decided that he had earned a well-deserved break, and knew just who he wanted to spend it with.

It’d been months since he’d last seen Nuriko, and he’d been dying to catch up with his old friend and favorite subject to tease.

Though it took him slightly longer than usual, Xia managed to find his way to the home of the King’s Guide. His cane lightly rapped on the door, trying to get the attention of the resident within. No matter how well he shut himself in, Xia would be able to tell that Nuriko was home. “You might as well come out now, Nuri! I know you never leave.” the hippocampus called out with a laugh.

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Xia could only laugh at his friend’s haughty attitude. Of course he would manage to walk in on Nuriko playing dress up. The hippocampus softly walked into the landing, cane rapping away at the floor. Xia rarely actually came into the unicorn’s home, so he had to rely heavily on his cane in order to maneuver around the various furniture. Luckily, the plan was to not stay here long enough for him to move that far. Xia stopped in the archway, grinning at his friend. He could hear the tinkling of jewelry and rustle of metal links against each other. “The gods themselves could feel your expression from the heavens my friend.” he said loftily, rolling his eyes at Nuriko’s antics. Xia could practically feel Nuriko’s eyes rolling in their sockets.

“And I am sure you look stunning, I can hear all those metals and gems. You have created quite the hoard. I am almost jealous.” Xia snorted. Even if he couldn’t see the other stallion, Xia was sure he was preening in the mirror like a puffed up peacock. “You would fit right in with the Talorians.” The stallion muttered under his breath as the hippocampus moved further into the house, wooden cane back to tapping against the stone floor.

He stopped close to Nuriko with a huge grin on his face. “Well, Ko-ko,” he stressed the nickname smugly with a stifled giggle “as busy as you might be, you still need to get out of the house once in a while.” Xia told the stallion, poking him in the side with the finer tip of his cane. “You cannot be a hermit your whole life! Who will hang out with me besides my brother? But alas, even he has become too busy for me. I am so lonely Ko-ko!” Xia bemoaned, giving the unicorn a mock pitiful look. It was a tiny white lie in reality. Jie had been stuck to his twin’s side almost every day since the blind equine had arrived back in Nariah. Nuriko didn’t need to know that however.

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The stallion could only nod his head in agreement. “It is a good plan, getting to know the younger generation and gaining their trust. I think it silly that the generations are being separated based just on ideology. After all, Argus has created us all.” Xia shrugged with a soft smile. Once in a while the hippocampus would wax philosophic, it was one of the subjects he loved about being a Monk. However, those days were behind him and he would no longer preach. Perhaps that is the only thing he missed about his old life before becoming a Consul. It was fun, wooing a crowd with his preaching and blessings to the side of Argus. He still prayed whenever he could, even while visiting Aquore.

Xia shifted nervously when Nuriko expressed interest in visiting the Talorians. “I am not so sure my friend. They can be…extreme.” Xia muttered to himself. He’d heard whispers of what happened around him as he walked through the streets of Inaria. The hostile words to the pegasi made his insides curdle. The whispers of forbidden love between those of the same sex. How strictly gender was dictated by appearance. It was quite the culture shock when he had first arrived to stay with the Talorians. It was almost enough to make him run back into the welcoming arms of Nariah. After experiencing this all first hand, Xia had kept his mouth shut about his own sexuality and heritage, he was already an outsider and didn’t need any more reasons to be targeted with distrust.

At Nuriko’s mention of “his mares” the blind equine could only let out a bark of laughter. “Oh my dear friend, you know my lovers adore the nicknames. They swoon at them, and I swoon at the beauty of my lovelie’s hearts.” he wasn’t lying either. Though recently he’d been left single, Xia loved all of his partners with his heart. He couldn’t favor one of the other at any time.

“But, if it makes you uncomfortable, I suppose I could cut it out.” The Xia muttered disappointedly, however, when the unicorn stallion told Xia that he was willing to get out as long as he paid, the hippocampus grinned wickedly. “My dear friend, you cannot be anti-social all day, that is why I am here.” He told the other stallion a she bustled toward the door.

“We are going to relax after a long day of hard work.” The consul said mischievously, opening the door and ready to set out.

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The pure white stallion trotted with a grin on his muzzle and the stars sparkling in his blind eyes as he led his friend down the path. He waited for brief second outside as Nuriko threw on his cloak with a flourish, a gesture that Xia’s sharp ears picked up on the dense cloth sailing through the air, which made the Consul roll his eyes with both annoyance and affection over his friend’s dramatics. As soon as the other stallion had finished his prayer to Argus, that Xia quite appreciated and did his own short prayer under his breath, he was off and dragging his friend long by an invisible thread. Nuriko was free to leave whenever he wanted, but Xia hoped that their friendship would have the unicorn sticking by his side.

“We, my friend, are going somewhere new.” Xia told Nuriko with a mysterious look in his eyes and a mischievous grin plastered on his face. There was a bar that Xia had quite literally stumbled into one day while he was wandering around during his missionary days through Sirith. It had quickly had become his favorite due to the cheerful atmosphere, the décor of paintings of Argus and other gods that seemed to move on their own with gems studding them that changed daily, and the softly spoken whispers of the other patrons. Of course, Xia couldn’t see the pictures, but the barkeep had been more than happy to boast about their complex paintings.

Xia was sorely tempted to hum under his breath in happiness just thinking about the bar when Nuriko asked about him. The Consul almost stumbled over nothing, but caught himself just in time before he could trip. Not wanting to worry his friend, Xia simply looked over his shoulder at the other stallion with grin. “I am fine, my friend.” He reassured Nuriko, picking up his pace.

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