1/26/2025, 8:14 PM
Zora held herself perfectly still. Like a snake poised to strike, she struck a pose of pristine, demure elegance. Her face was regal marble, her body coiled into a delicate pile of limbs and fur with her tail draped like decoration over her hind legs, and her front paws crossed politely. It was a defense mechanism, mostly abandoned these days but never forgotten, from her days as a princess.
From her days cutting bits of herself off, piece by piece, to fit the molds she had to to reach the heights she coveted. Only her eyes still flickered with emotion, wariness but hope still warm within their depths.
Dia stuttered through an explanation. Zora, ever the thespian, was mentally halfway through cutting each and every tie to emotionally protect herself. It took a long few seconds of Dia's talking to actually get through to her. That they'd been as surprised by their own admission as Zora. That they were still surprised by it, but surprised by the truth of it - not the fact it had happened at all.
Her tension dropped, and the Dusk tilted her head to indicate that she was listening carefully now. A softened, curious expression smoothed her deer-in-the-headlights look from before.
Oh.She breathed. A paw reached out, gently pawing at the limb that was draped over Dia's eyes.
Zora loved their eyes.
Sorry, I...this is new for me too.She murmured, placating but fond. This kind of softness was foreign to her, unmapped terrain she found to be more rocky than expected. How did everyone else make it look so natural, so simple? Loving Dia was the easiest thing in the world. Showing it, in the right way - was Zora ever going to feel like she measured up to this kind of adoration? The serpent queen could wrap her fangs around the world, conquer everything she touched if she put enough of her mind to it - but a part of her would know she didn't deserve it, and this....
The wolf she was curled around meant more to her than any of that imagined dynasty, and Zora didn't know how to express that nor even contain it.
I love you, Zora Dusk. Her ears wilted, a fierce and unexpected blush tingeing her cheeks as Zora's chin tucked shyly to her throat. Her heart skipped, but didn't wait to start beating again.
Gods, you...She supposed Dia did, in fact, know exactly what they did to her. Zora huffed out a fond sigh.
I love you too, Gladiator Mercer. Okay?And she moved her muzzle to plant a kiss to the redhead's forehead.
