Irshi was born a pure soul—unmarred by the burden of expectation or responsibility. She had simply been set free into the night, a moth emerged from a cocoon with wet wings that she unfurled and fluttered under the light of the moon. It was a blessing to navigate the world this way. As such, she had never met a stranger; after all, an abundance of strangeness therefore made it less so.

It was always intriguing to meet others who did not have the unique benefit of her upbringing, which she knew was uncommon. Such differences only fueled her curiosity, fed her restlessness with the satisfaction of an ever-changing landscape. It was here where she felt most at home; basking in the presence of others young and old who accepted her wholly despite how strange and otherworldly she often seemed.

The golden girl smiled brightly as the shadow-mare acquiesced to her cryptic inquiry. She of course could have said no and rejected her invitation to look backward, and Irshi would not have blamed her. It was not always comfortable to be retrospective, and as much as pieces of all of them had existed for eons, so much still felt new.

“Wonderful,” she chirped in response, taking a step closer to the dark mare, closing the distance between them so that they might share the intimacy of secrets and breath.

“Who has changed you most, shaped your soul most?” Irshi inquired, her eyes gleaming with interest.

There was still time for her to change her mind; to revoke her consent and so they could instead gallop freely between the trees in the night and feel the warmth of the evening on their backs. Either way would be equally fulfilling for her, and yet she cannot help but be excited about the prospect of new puzzle pieces from which to assemble a splendid picture.

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IRSHI

kahraman x nekharat