The Desert Orchid

She wore her hopes like a crown, and Eve has come to witness it. There was no other place she could go, not after the fight. There is a smile that feels immortal upon the ivory lioness' lips. It feels like it will not be lost nor ever extinguished. The light of it, the delight in her friend's victory, is an unquenchable fire. Not even the humidity of the rainforest is enough to wet it.

But it dampens the lioness' coat. The deeper she steps into the forest, the more she feels the damp coating her lungs. She steps softly, quietly, warily. Her teal eyes seem to blend here. A shiver slips along her spine as she feels the tip of a palm frond run along her back. The shade is deep, cooling. The woodland ever more wild than she imagined.

A soft chuff escapes her lips, calling for @Talitha. Her ears twist listening into the strange darkness. She longs for her soul sister, to press a hug against her body, to check she is well, to bow before a freshly crowned queen.

eve
if our demons cannot dance
neither can we.

i died and was born in the spring her steps are half-hearted, nearly stumbling beneath her own meager weight. the fight had not been easy on her and it shows, her body still healing from the onslaught of violence. but as she heals, so does the forest — it comes alive along with her. when she wakes, the dawn peeks through the leaves and when she lays her head down to go to sleep, the birds quiet and lull her to sleep. this is a haven, she knows; that must be why she was drawn here in the first place. it is her haven, and her doors are wide open. when @Eve's voice calls out, it is as if the whole world pauses. time seems to freeze as she pauses her way forward, mouth falling open in a tiny little gasp. she knows that voice, recognizes it well, and she grins to hear it here. of course eve has found her here! her steps hurry to find her soul sister, a glided goddess amongst all the lush vegetation. eve seems to glow when paired against the rainforest and talitha’s heart skips a beat to see it. enthralled and delighted in equal measure. welcome to my new home, she says in a breathless little voice — grinning widely as she speaks. it is not pride that colors her tone, but joy, eager to share this haven. our new home she wants to correct, but that will come she knows.

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The Desert Orchid

Her friend appears from amidst the brush, the dark of her skin like a dappled shadow upon the forest floor. Eve's smile grows as she rushes toward @Talitha, magnets drawn together, now and always. Her heart ached to see her sister's gait, slow, stiff, pained. But there is no evidence of the pain within the lioness' emerald eyes - eyes that reflect the beauty of her new kingdom. Her wounds are well earned, the price of this land.

The ivory woman does not hold back but presses her brow into Talitha's familiar, dark neck. She drinks in her friend's scent, so familiar yet perfumed by the new smells of her new home. Her lips find her friend's dark cheek, pressing a kiss there as she exclaims, "I am so proud of you!" The words rush together, breathy, filled with passion and pride.

Welcome to my new home.

Laughter spills like champagne as Eve pulls away, turning in a circle as she drinks in the sights of this new place. "You deserve it Talitha." Then with her lips tipping into a playful smile she dips into a curtsey, "Your Majesty." Oh that smile grows as her gaze tips up beneath the fan of her lashes, settling upon her friend. "Never have i met a more worthy Sovereign."

Playfully coy, she steps away, slipping beneath the arch of a great palm. It drapes across her back and chest. "I think green suits me." She says with a laugh, "I know it suits you."

Then, moving back, the palm still reaching for her, Eve's eyes trail over her soul sister's body. "Are there any wounds I can help heal? I am no healer, but I would like to help, if i can."

eve
if our demons cannot dance
neither can we.

i died and was born in the spring there is little hesitation in either woman. there is no room for it here, not when they’re bond has already been solidified. and here, in this haven of their own making, eve will always be welcome. she, like the sun, will help coax this place back into a wonderful, living thing. talitha has no doubt about this — even now, it seems more like a garden and less of a graveyard. she leans into the comfort the woman provides, trilling softly as eve places a delicate kiss upon her cheek. these touches are mild but healing too, filling her with the same vibrancy and splendor that eve seems to carry around with her. it makes her a little lighter on her feet, makes her forget about the pain a little. enough to smile wide, teeth brilliant in the dappled winter sunlight, her attention solely on her companion. basked in @eve’s golden brilliance, already it feels more like home. tufted ears twitch as eve’s attention pulls from the landscape around them and turns back to her, gently coloring beneath her dark fur. oh, stop that! she says with a little giggle, tone suddenly shy. there’s no need for any of that — i’m still just talitha! she murmurs with another little giggle — easily shrugging off the golden woman’s terms of endearment. they sound funny when directed at her! she is nothing special, this lamb; such lofty titles were more reserved for those in the fellowship who’d proven themselves useful to the cause. though.. isn’t that exactly what she’s done here? regardless, sovereign was still a strange title to wear but talitha would do her best. anything to be worthy of the sparkling look in her friend’s eye. anything to be worthy of her warm smiles. eve investigates some more, remarking that she’d look rather good in green. talitha’s heart seems to skip a beat, veins thrumming with anticipation. before she can gather up the courage ( or the audacity ), eve turns around — offering aid. her heart seems to skip another beat at that, but it is relief that chases it. hot on the heels, and she smiles fondly. oh, yes! please! only if you do not mind, she says, a hint of relief in her tone. mordecai had done the best he could ( and she, too, had done some patching up herself ) but she is no healer. neither is her soul-sister, it would seem, but talitha has nothing but the upmost trust in the golden woman. if anyone could piece her back together, it would be eve. truly i feel much better already, just having you here!

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The Desert Orchid

The dove-white lioness jests, as she adorns herself in the emerald leaves of her soul sister's new kingdom. Yet, there is a seriousness to her play. A longing, a hope, one she does not even let herself address. It sits there, within her chest like a thorn her lungs snag upon each time she breathes. An ear twitches at Talitha's hitched breath - her best friend stumbling over the words they both want her to speak. But neither are brave enough - yet. Not Eve to ask for a place here. Not @Talitha to ask her friend to give up her home, her pride. Though, it is quite simple, Eve would, in a moment, in a heartbeat. She would ask Seneca and it would be done.

And when she turns back to Talitha, her eyes pressing across each inch of flesh she sees, lingering upon wounds and lamenesses she sighs lightly. It is easy to move toward her friend, as if their souls are magnets, bound to wander together in friendship. Lightly she tends to the deepest wound, gathering herbs and leaves and water, turning them into ointments. She lays them across the healing wounds, focussed upon her job - she is no healer, but it is moments like this, that she thinks she might one day like to be.

Then, because Eve has forever been the most upfront, smiles lightly and murmurs, "I hope you will be happy here, Tali. You have long deserved a pride of your own and I am privileged to see you achieve it."

eve
if our demons cannot dance
neither can we.

i died and was born in the spring bravery is a fickle thing. it had dawned in her chest the day of the challenge, burning bright until the fight had been over. yet here, she all but stumbles over her words and her desires; here, she feels the incessant need to fidget like a nervous cub. all in the face of eve's brilliance — like the sun, her soul sister is far too bright, and makes the shadows of doubt too deep and dark to traverse. it is easier, then, to just let the moment be and just admire the way her golden coat seems to shine underneath the dappled sunlight. the mending is a subtle affair. there is no bedside dramatics from her or her doctor; instead, it is just a quiet sliver of an afternoon spent getting better. in her youth mordecai had always pressed upon the importance of being strong, and talitha had always been happy with the terms her life had laid out before her. she was never meant to be physically strong, but wasn't the heart a muscle, too? could she not wear her sister's burdens just as well as she'd withstood ransom's claws? oh, i don't know if i deserve it! she says, a sheepish little laugh tumbling from her lips, self-depreciating and delightful both. i must admit — i am very happy to have a home again, she says, in a small voice. admitting this feels too monumental a thing. wasn't envy a sin? was it not envy, too, that twists her heart in her chest when she thinks of @Eve returning to the desert? a little paw reaches out as her smile warms, softening at the edges with shyness. but — thank you, eve. she says, eyes shining, the other woman's name spoken soft with benediction. for everything.

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The Desert Orchid

Eve tends to her friend with quiet focus, listening to the sounds of the jungle as it breathes out its heartbeat across her ivory body. Only when each wound is properly tended to does Eve lift her face toward her soul sister's and lets the smile grow. Neither girl was particularly strong. @Talitha was even smaller than she, yet both were fine boned, slim. Despite her small stature, Talitha had won her fight, an achievement, impressive. Of course Eve would be proud.

"It is." Eve affirms with a voice low and smooth as amber liquor. "Do not sell yourself short. You desired a home, you fought for it, you won. That is worthy of your own pride and most certainly my mine." Then, with a coy laugh and a smile that grows impish, "It is quite something to be in the presence of a queen. I am humbled." it is jest, yet there is a seriousness too - an honesty that strikes into her heart and soul. Every word that slips from her ivory lips is honest. Every word is earnestly meant.

A small paw reaches out and it is without a moment's pause that Eve's own reaches out in answer. Her eyelids lower, lashes pressed along the arch of her cheek as she relishes that humidity of the jungle for a moment. Her brows lift, her smile still warm, still playful. "Who tended your wounds before me?" She breathes impishly as one eye opens to peer, sea-green, at her soul sister.

eve
if our demons cannot dance
neither can we.

i died and was born in the spring if she was a queen, then what did that make eve? a goddess, surely. there is no comparison to be made here, talitha knows. she is nothing more than scuffed knees and dirty, bare feet -- twirling around in pretty dresses, yes, but lacking any sort of refinery. compared to @Eve she is a mongrel, but these soft moments give her... hope. for what, she isn't sure. that she could be worthy of such devotion and love? that she could be chosen twice in one lifetime? it was selfish, she knew ( and you know greed is a sin, little lamb ), but she cannot help the yearning in her heart. soft and out-of-focus though it may be, a gentle filter to the waking world she views. one that comes without drugs or flower petals. although, in its way, isn't love also a drug? talitha is not keen on dwelling on these sorts of questions. not when eve's hand reaches out to meet hers. a quiet purr rumbles in her throat as their fingers slot together -- easily, as if they were always meant to -- lips curving in a matching smile. at the question she cannot help but laugh, a rush of delight warming her veins. my sovereign, she says, voice low -- as if this was a secret, shared between two girl friends at a sleepover. his name is mordecai and he -- she begins, voice trailing off as she realized. her muzzle ducks with another little laugh, shyer this time. maybe a little more guarded, but certainly trusting eve wholeheartedly. he is the reason we met. i'd been so upset with him, and that's when you'd found me. remember? she asks, head tilting a little with the prompting. she, for one, could never remember the way their chance meeting had seemingly flipped her world upside down. such things were not done by chance -- they'd been brought together for a reason, and she is delighted to know that the reason for their meeting was sleeping none too far from here.

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The Desert Orchid

Did @Talitha truly think that Eve was much more than a girl also inclined to shirk off her shoes and feel the mud between her toes and study the patterns of it upon her dress? Maybe that is why she and Talitha have grown so close, so fast? Their souls are twins, sisters, cut from the same fabric of space and time. They exist together, content, brave, bold.

Eve lets herself fall at last to the ground. Where their bodies touch, where toes entwine and palms press against palms, the desert orchid reaches to pull her friend down to the grasses beside her. And there she gazes up to the leaves of the jungle and, rising higher, up to the stars that spiral outward, on and on and on and on and-

My sovereign.

It is a soft whisper, barely enough to stir the air at Talitha's lips. Yet close as they are, with limbs intertwined, Eve hears it, feels it. Intimately breathed into the space between them. The utterance of it makes the gold upon his skin more lavish, more royal. A shiver rattles her slim body, the force of such a confession. The meaning that reaches down through Eve's skin and bones and reaches in to her heart and her soul and squeezes. It steals her breath with it.

But then, she blinks, wide like stars and laughs. Oh she laughs like stars colliding, like crystalline waters spilling. "Tali, you mock me!" And she tilts her fine head until she captures Talitha's gaze beneath the fan of her ivory lashes.

Then her soul sister changes, becoming ever more shy, ever more at peace. Eve knows, she knows it is the glow of love - warm bliss seeping out through Talitha's body. And he has a name and -

"Him?!" Eve sits suddenly up, her smile slipping away, darkness oozing where moments ago there had been only light. "But Tali he hurt you so much! How - how did this happen?" And then there is something more fierce that slips across her face, it cuts itself upon her sharp teeth, bleeding across her lovely mouth with its promises, "I hope he apologised. I hope you made him pay and that he has only shown you loyalty and love and devotion since." And then, as if she has a right, as if Talitha should, when she truly need not, Eve says with fierce determination, "I want to meet him."

eve
if our demons cannot dance
neither can we.

i died and was born in the spring truthfully it does not take much coaxing to get her to rest in the soft grasses beside her friend. she goes easily with a small little laugh — her movements a little rusty as she lays herself down without aggravating the wounds — taking her time and getting comfortable. stretching out beside @Eve like a queen, lounging in the grass of the place she can finally call hers. her sister laughs in the face of her confession, bare-boned though it may be, and talitha looks at her. playfully affronted but there is really no masking the bespotted expression that flutters across her features. and not just for mordecai, wherever he may be, but rather for this woman here. masked in gold and alight in the brilliance of the rainforest, eve is a wonder to behold — and she grows only more darling when she bristles. watching eve’s smile slip away, though, is hard. she reaches over and squeezes her friend’s paw with her own, mismatched eyes wide and almost pleading. waiting for the moment where she can speak and offer an explanation — or, at least, the beginnings of one. he did apologize, he did. she says, a wry little smile tilting her lips. it is.. hard to explain. both of you vanished around the same time, she says, pausing as her voice goes quiet. thinking of those awful, lonely months. losing one had been hard but losing both? talitha was not meant for solitude and it had been the hardest stretch of time she’s ever faced. but when he returned, he was — he is — different. like he was revitalized by the time he was kept away. he is more like the man i knew before, and less like the one who lead me to you. despite the tears shed over the shepherd’s disquiet since coming to the island, she will never begrudge him for it — not when it meant that their paths crossed. she leans into eve, offering her a small smile — hoping the gold-touched woman knows that. i would love for you to meet him! she says, a little promise to her words. she has no intention of hiding him from eve — in fact, her life would be all the better for if they met. tufted ears pitch forward, looking to her friend with stars in her eyes. he is living here, with me. he was just a short call away, if eve truly wanted to lay eyes upon the man that had inadvertently brought them together.

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