[center][img]https://i.ibb.co/0CZnHYX/Orion-removebg-preview.webp[/img][/center][sub]Interactions/Mentions:[@The Muse] Kira, [@PrinceAlexus] Sya [/sub][hr]
[indent][color=#ffffff]Orion found Kira’s teasing words both unexpected and oddly disarming. [/color]

[color=#ffffff]Her comment about preferring something more “mysterious and brooding” elicited a subtle tilt of his head, his crimson gaze steady as it locked onto hers. The charge between them was undeniable, a fleeting spark of something unspoken that lingered just long enough to unsettle him. It was a game he wasn’t entirely unaccustomed to, but one he hadn’t played in some time. [/color]

[color=#0054a6]“Brooding, is it?”[/color][color=#ffffff] he replied smoothly. [/color][color=#0054a6]“Careful what you wish for. Mystery and brooding often come with more baggage than you’d like.” [/color][color=#ffffff]The corners of his mouth lifted in the faintest smirk, but there was a weight to his words—a quiet acknowledgment of the truths behind his own enigmatic exterior.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Sya’s playful remarks were a welcome distraction. Her laughter blended with the soothing sounds of the spring—the gentle lapping of water against stone, the hiss of steam rising into the cool morning air. As her tail flicked droplets of water in his direction, Orion raised a brow but made no effort to dodge, letting the ripples roll over his legs. Her cheeky comment about tall partners earned a soft chuckle from him, a rare sound that felt foreign even to his own ears.[/color]

[color=#0054a6]“You have a knack for negotiation, Sya,”[/color][color=#ffffff] he said dryly, acknowledging her earlier suggestion of “lightening his purse.” [/color][color=#0054a6]“I’ll keep that in mind should I ever need someone to charm a room—or an entire town, for that matter.” [/color][color=#ffffff]His tone was light, but there was a genuine respect in his words. Despite her playful demeanor, Sya was resourceful, and it was clear she had carved out a meaningful role in Dawnhaven. It was no small feat for anyone, let alone a Blight-Born.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Then, as Ayel’s name surfaced, the mood shifted as if a cloud had passed over the moon above them.  [/color]

[color=#ffffff]Orion could feel the heat of Kira’s anger, as palpable as the steam rising from the water, and he studied her in silence for a moment. Her words weren’t just about Ayel—they were about power, control, and the scars left by those who thought themselves untouchable.[/color]

[color=#0054a6]“That man’s weakness is his own undoing,”[/color][color=#ffffff] Orion said to her after a beat. [/color][color=#0054a6]“But don’t let him take up space in your mind. He’s not worth the energy it takes to hate him.” [/color][color=#ffffff]His words weren’t meant to dismiss her anger but to offer perspective. It was something he’d learned to do with his own situation thanks to Flynn. [/color]

[color=#ffffff]Sya, perhaps sensing the tension, shifted the focus with a playful remark aimed at him. Her flattery was bold, her teasing so exaggerated it bordered on absurdity, and yet it managed to draw a faint smile from him. [/color][color=#0054a6]“Abs, is it now?” [/color][color=#ffffff]he echoed, arching a brow as his voice took on a drier edge. [/color][color=#0054a6]“I’ll have to remember to wear a thicker coat next time if my reputation is getting this out of hand.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]The attention, however playful, unsettled Orion in ways he couldn’t entirely name. [/color]

[color=#ffffff]It wasn’t the teasing itself—he’d faced far sharper wit in courtly circles—but something about the simplicity of the moment left him unmoored. Perhaps it was because it felt so distant from the life he had once known. Before the blight had claimed him, comments like Sya’s might have been met with a smirk or a quick-witted reply. Back then, they would have simply been part of the easy rhythm of human connection—playful, fleeting, and inconsequential. Now, they tugged at something deeper, a reminder of how much he had lost. Not just in himself but in the bonds he had once cherished, the ones that had fractured under the weight of his transformation.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Like with his wife. His ex-wife. [/color]

[color=#ffffff]She had loved him once, flattered him with words that held a tenderness no one else could replicate. And he had flattered her in return, their affection woven into the fabric of their daily lives. He had taken it for granted, he realized now.  Her laughter, bright and unrestrained. After the blight, it had turned brittle, her gaze weighted with something he couldn’t bear to name—fear, perhaps, or worse, pity. [/color]

[color=#ffffff]He hadn’t blamed her for leaving; he couldn’t. [/color]

[color=#ffffff]How could anyone stay when the man they loved had become a stranger cloaked in the form of a monster?[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Orion shifted slightly, the warm water lapping at his legs as he pushed the thoughts aside. [/color][color=#0054a6]“Though,”[/color][color=#ffffff] he added after a beat, his tone lightening again as he met Sya’s gaze, [/color][color=#0054a6]“I suppose there are worse things to be known for.” [/color][/indent]