His reaction is far from what she expected. Zira draws her head back toward her neck, recoiling in shock. Her pinned ears and stomp had done nothing to dissuade him from entering her personal space and addressing her. She watches him swoop into a bow, his lips nearly kissing his own knees. Heat rises to her cheeks when he looks up at her and she snorts, making a face to hide her embarrassment. "I-," she stammers, shifting her gaze elsewhere, anywhere. He reminds her of Castillon, it had taken her some time to grow accustomed to the way he treated her. This one, she thought, was far more dramatic. He was shadows and speckled snow and she felt her heart hammer uncomfortably in her chest.
"I'm not a firefly," Zira finally manages to say, pawing her foot on the ground with a gentle stomp, near his face as best she could. It wasn't an attack, he'd know if it was, but she wanted to see him squirm. He'd gotten such a visceral reaction from her and she wanted to return the favor. If she'd been raised with care and attention and love perhaps she'd have had a healthier reaction to his forwardness, but instead she wanted to continue her charade of being strong and unbothered, and maybe a little mean.
He didn't seem to be hurt of scared or in need of her assistance in any way. But she remained there, watching him through dark eyes. Her tail, sunlight personified, snapped in feigned irritation against her haunches. "My name is Zira," she announces, her tight-lipped frown doing it's best to hide her interest in remaining exactly where she was.
"Who are you?" she asks, though it sounded more like an accusation than an honest question. After having been alone in the Lagoon for so long it was strange to have attention on her. For someone to so openly look at her, smiling however roguish it was, was strange. It felt nice and it felt bad, and her conflicted feelings were evident in her body language and her face. She huffs, impatient for an answer, her gaze narrowing.
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| ATTICUS X VITANI | 17.1HH | PALOMINO | THE WILDS | KIWI |
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