[table][row][cell][img]https://i.imgur.com/tbIvwoy.png[/img][/cell][cell][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/240504/7ea89157aa7490b85c1faa2a61df7e74.png[/img][/cell][/row]
[row][cell][sub]Location: Hot Springs[/sub][/cell][/row][/table]Kira’s smirk widened as Orion’s dry retort hung in the air. For the first time in what felt like forever, a spark flickered to life within her—a warmth she hadn’t realized she’d missed so deeply. The rhythm of playful banter. The subtle dance of give and take. The unspoken challenge laced within words. A flicker of something stirring in her chest that she thought she’d long forgotten how to feel. For a fleeting moment, she felt alive again. Human. 

[color=DC561E]“A stable boy? Mmm…”[/color] she mused, leaning into a teasing tone. [color=DC561E]“Not my type either, I’m afraid.”[/color] She paused, tilting her head and looking upward, as if weighing her words with exaggerated thoughtfulness. [color=DC561E]“I think I prefer something… more mysterious. Brooding, perhaps.”[/color] Her fiery eyes locked onto his, a mischievous glint in them. 

For a heartbeat, the air between them felt charged, her words hanging there with a daring edge. Then, just as quickly, she shifted her attention back to Sya, whose bold and flirtatious words spilled freely—likely encouraged by the bottle of wine that she had downed more than half of. 

At Sya’s flirtatious remark seemingly aimed at her, Kira arched a brow in amusement. Her gaze flicked to Sya’s blue scales, lingering there for a moment as she considered the comment. She had been with a woman or two before, but a half-snake? That would be a new one.

How would that even work? Did Sya only gain pleasure from her top half now?  She blinked a few times, her lips pressing into a firm line as she yanked her mind back to the present. Clearly the alcohol was going right to her head, too. 

Without another word, she grabbed the bottle Sya had passed around and took another sip. Placing the bottle down beside Orion, Kira chuckled lightly under her breath as Sya proposed “lightening their purses” for some of the Prince’s wine. [color=DC561E]“I might take you up on that offer sometime.”[/color] she murmured with a faint smile, enjoying the sassy energy that radiated off Sya now. Despite the turmoil of her emotions, Kira had to admit that there was something endearing about Sya’s unabashed nature. 

Her mood shifted sharply, though, as Sya brought up Ayel again. A spark of irritation flared in her chest, and her amusement disappeared, replaced by a steely expression. Kira clicked her tongue. [color=DC561E]“Tch. Don’t waste your time worrying about him,”[/color] she said coldly, her voice low. [color=DC561E]“He’s just a weak little man who doesn’t know his head from his ass. Let him talk. You have more power in a single scale than he does in his entire being.”[/color] She seethed, her hatred of him palpable. 

[color=DC561E]“He doesn’t get to decide who holds the power here.”[/color] There was an edge to her words—a subtle, dangerous undercurrent. At the end of the day, Ayel’s life existed here because blight-born allowed it. Because [i]she[/i] allowed it. If not for her weak desire for community, Kira would have already drained every last drop of his life force. 

The words hung in the air for a moment, edged like a blade. Her patience for men like Ayel was razor-thin, her sense of justice and her lingering rage a volatile combination. Kira’s gaze flicked to Orion briefly, half-expecting a look of disapproval or for him to chime in with some tempered wisdom to counter her aggression. 

But then Sya shifted the conversation, her teasing directed squarely at him, and Kira’s expression softened. The fire of her irritation dimmed to a faint flicker, yet lingered like a dying ember. 

Though she still felt the residual tension from the mention of Ayel, she tried to push it aside, trying to reclaim that spark of life she’d held so briefly. Her eyes flit between the two of them as she watched the interaction. The corner of her lips quirking upward ever so slightly as she watched Orion, curious to see how he would handle Sya’s brazen flattery. 

[hr]

[sub][b]Interactions:[/b] Orion [@Qia], Sya [@PrinceAlexus][/sub]