Moved by a sudden impulse

Sohalia

Say my name
And every color illuminates

Whatever he wanted to call it - starting or waiting - Soh had to admire it. He was doing something, while all she'd been doing was sitting around pining for a time that was long since gone. Whatever she did next, she decided, it would be action - not more moping around. Things had been bad, yes, but they were looking up now. She had a second chance at living the life that she wanted to built. No more wasting it.

”Have they been this generous with everyone?” she asked, curious now. It was one thing to give something to the previous Commander, and another thing entirely to give to a random citizen. Soh had to wonder how far the Enders’ generosity stretched. Of course, if it was anything like in Torchline, the evacuees were well provided for. ”It’s been nice, seeing everyone come together to help. Kind of restored my faith in people, you know?”

And then she was sassing him, and however playful it was, she meant it, too. Raising her spoon to tap her lower lip, she considered. ”Wellllll… maybe a painting of Sol,” she began. ”But that feels a little obvious. So… hmm. I think a landscape. It’s King’s End, so we need to capture the hills. Beautiful rolling hills at… sunrise!” She gasped, excited, the painting already taking form in her mind, beautiful, cheerful, enduring - like Zavien himself. ”It would be symbolic of your new life. The sun rising on new opportunities.”

We are shining
And we will never be afraid again

Courage is not simply one of the virtues,

His eyebrow raised, sweeping his gaze across the collection of items donated to him. "I wouldn't have accepted it otherwise," he said, smirking when his gaze landed back on her. If people had been less forthcoming with the others, Zavien hadn't heard of it. If he had, there would be nothing in this house besides dust and sunlight. Special treatment wasn't something he tolerated. Not when he'd been Commander, and not now. His people came first - always. 

But the Enders had been kind, doing and giving whatever they could to make the Breakers feel welcomed. Furniture was only the beginning of their generosity, and Zavien smiled as he recalled those first few days, the community banding together in a swarm of movement and unending kindness. Reminiscing, he nodded his head. "It was nice to see everyone working together to help each other." Although he'd rarely doubted the goodness of people, it'd been one less stressor for him when their world was falling apart. 

His eyes dropped to her lips where the spoon tapped, darting back up while she threw out various musings. Not being much of an artist himself - or an admirer of the arts for that matter - Zavien's imagination was quite limited despite her enthusiasm. Sol was easy enough to picture, but the landscape in his mind resembled that of a three-year-old's crayon drawing, the sun looking like a big yellow circle with lines wiggling into the blue sky. 

Still, his smile widened, enjoying how much she beamed with purpose. "That sounds wonderful - although Sol will be very disappointed to hear he's not your subject." The dragon would get over it with enough treats, and perhaps a promise to be painted later, but Zavien wouldn't tell Soh that. 

Pushing off from the wood to step closer, his eyes roamed the empty walls, seeing them in a new light. "Where do you think it should go?" There was a playful deference in his tone. After all, she seemed to be the one in charge right now. He wouldn't dare get in the way of her vision.

Zavien

but the form of every virtue at the testing point.

Sohalia

Say my name
And every color illuminates

The goodness of people was something that, unlike Zavien, Soh had often had reason to doubt. Somehow she still believed that most people were inherently decent, but she knew all too well that sometimes good people did bad things - herself included. That, however, was a debate for another day. Instead, Soh smiled and nodded, then returned to her survey of Zavien's space.

It was easy to fall into the old habits of an artist - for that was, first and foremost, what Sohalia had been, back even before she'd been a cartographer. "Sol can certainly be a subject, don't worry," she laughed, but then she was back to her musings. Strolling idly to each of the windows, she peered out until she found just the view she was looking for: rolling, verdant hills stretching as far as the eye could see. "See, look - out this window, but if I could just see it at sunrise..."

As for where it should go, Soh turned and was surprised to find Zavien closer; laughing lightly as she nearly ran into him, she was suddenly stricken by how good he looked in the light from the window. It was that perfect indirect light she was always chasing in the back of her mind, lighting up the man's physique without being too harsh. Her fingers itched for her journal and a pencil; she had the strangest desire just then to draw him. Then, realizing she was staring, she blushed and looked away.

Get it together, Soh, she told herself. This was Zavien. He was just a friend, and even if he wasn't, he certainly had never given her a reason to think that he could see her as more. This was just her bad habit of falling for any guy who was nice to her rearing its ugly head. There was nothing here but friendship.

But, sneaking one last appreciative look, Soh had to admit that friendship had its perks.

Clearing her throat, she circled back through the space, considering. "Here. This is the perfect spot," she declared. It was on the opposite side of the house from the window where she'd stopped, so it wouldn't be immediately obvious where her muse had come from. The wall was large enough to support a substantial painting, but not so large that the canvas would be lost in miles of plaster. Feeling smug, she turned to toss a smile towards Zavien. "So next time I visit, I'm bringing it, and we can put it up."

We are shining
And we will never be afraid again

Courage is not simply one of the virtues,

Although unsure Sol could sit still long enough to be a subject, the thought was endearing enough to warm his smile further. Zavien lingered a few steps behind her, letting Soh peruse and search for something he didn't himself understand. Where he saw the usual expanse of hills and the practicality of the view - how far it would take to travel, the threats, the defenses, etc - she took it in with a painter's eye, imagining and full of potential that hadn't yet been realized. He did his best to picture it, leaning forward to peek through the glass at the rolling landscape of open field, but his own lack of creativity left him wondering what art she might make with the uninteresting reference. Her comment had his head tilting to offer what little assistance he could. "You're welcome to stay until sunrise to see it, if that would help." 

Then she turned, nearly bumping into him. Her laughter was more gilded than the sunlight on her blonde hair, skin glowing with such passion that even the most unartistic of men could appreciate. He paused for a moment, forgetting manners or usual embarrassment in favor of taking in her beauty. It was something he'd noticed in passing, thoughts he'd never given weight or power to. Soh was a friend. A beautiful friend, but a friend that was always at a safe distance. Work, loyalties, and other obligations had always seemed more important, although he was beginning to wonder why. 

She cleared her throat, breaking his thoughts as she moved to a large, empty wall. He straightened and followed with unhurried strides. His ice cream - mostly melted by this point - was still in hand and he offered some to her as he took in the chosen place. "Will you be able to carry a painting that big yourself?" Depending on her canvas size, he imagined it wouldn't be easy getting on and off the skyship, so he gestured to the white space, nonchalant as he asked, "What if you painted it directly on the wall?" A 'mural' as some might call it.

Zavien

but the form of every virtue at the testing point.

Sohalia

Say my name
And every color illuminates

The offer to stay the night was a surprise, although not an unwelcome one. It would certainly be helpful in Soh's quest to paint the perfect masterpiece for Zavien, but thinking back, the only person she'd ever stayed the night with was Jude, and look how that had turned out. Shoving those unhelpful thoughts aside, Soh fanned herself with one hand as though to fend off the heat. In reality, she was just hoping she wasn't blushing too obviously. "You might regret that offer," she teased. "I've been told that I snore. I wouldn't want to keep you up." Unless, of course, they didn't sleep - and stayed up to talk, obviously.

The question of placement was soon solved - or so she thought. When Zavien offered up the entire wall as her canvas, she lit up. "Oh, could I?" she asked, nearly giddy with the thought. Reaching out, she ghosted her fingertips over the wall in question, as though already imagining the brush strokes that might result. "I've never done anything that big before." Not that she wasn't up for the challenge. "Are you sure you'd want something like that? A painting can be taken down, but a mural is fairly permanent unless you paint over it - which, by the way, would offend me greatly," she added with a wink.

We are shining
And we will never be afraid again

Courage is not simply one of the virtues,

What were houses if not places for friends and family to stay? Never one to withhold an offer for anyone to rest or lay their head at his place, Zavien was quick to respond with a good-natured grin. "I doubt it." Laughing, he took the blush as a sign of embarrassment for her snoring. With a large, conspiratorial wink, he added, "Maybe we can have a snoring contest then. I've heard mine rivals a bear, and Sol could rattle the windows with his." Their house was a distorted symphony of sleeping notes down to the occasional whistle. 

He hadn't expected the suggestion to cause such an excited reaction. Looking between her and the wall, he couldn't keep the smile from his face. "Only if you're up for the challenge. I'd be honored to have your amazing artwork cover the whole wall - and then some." Hell, he'd let her paint the whole house if it made her this happy. Just the thought of having someone disrespect that passion by erasing it offended him. Zavien shook his head, crossing his arms like a bodyguard ready to stand watch, unwilling to let even a mouse pass while he was on duty. "If someone wanted to paint over it, they'd have to get through me." Although tough looking with his wide stance and intimidating stature, there was a playful light in his eyes, a curve to his lips that ruined what could have been quite the threatening image.

Zavien

but the form of every virtue at the testing point.

Sohalia

Say my name
And every color illuminates

Soh laughed. "Poor Anani might murder us all in our sleep," she commented, eyes dancing with mirth. What made the statement even funnier was that the cloud wyrm didn't have a violent bone in her body; the creature was the embodiment of peace and goodwill. It had taken Soh some time to get used to such a serene companion; Tarak had been nothing like her, but that was a blessing, in a way. They were each their own unique individuals in her mind, neither there to replace or outrank the other.

Soh took a step away from the wall, tilting her head as she surveyed her canvas. "I'm definitely up for it," she assured Zavien. "But I don't have any supplies, so painting will have to wait for next time." It was easy to assume that there would be a next time right now, when everything seemed to flow so easily between the pair of them. Soh couldn't remember being this at ease around someone in... well, a long time. Particularly not a man.

"Please," Soh giggled, Zavien's imposing figure softened by the playful gleam in his eyes. "Like they'd ever even get past Sol." The little dragon would be as protective as his bonded, she was sure, especially since she fully intended to include his likeness in her planned artwork. Then Soh's gaze turned playful. "Buuuut just as a matter of curiosity, please do demonstrate how you'd be willing to defend my masterpiece."

We are shining
And we will never be afraid again

Courage is not simply one of the virtues,

Joining in Soh's pitying laughter for the cloud wyrm, Zavien shook his head. "Or she'll just go crazy." Some of his fellow Dragoons had joked about it, but they'd been fairly sincere about their annoyance. 

The prospect of a 'next time' was sounding more and more like a certainty. Even if they hadn't planned for further ice cream ventures, it felt natural to assume they'd see more of each other. The painting seemed like just another opportunity to add to the growing list, and Zavien smiled just thinking about it, dipping his head in respect to her authority on the matter. "Yes, ma'am. My door is always open." For painting or otherwise. 

Although it was true that Sol would be the first obstacle, his eyebrow raised along with the corner of his mouth as he considered her teasing request. "'Demonstrate?'" He finally set aside his ice cream, his grin turning coy as he pulled her into the scenario. "Sure. You'll make a great attacker." Zavien let his gaze linger on her a moment longer, letting her get the full brunt of his playfully mischievous expression before he rolled his shoulders and looked away unassumingly.

Pretending to be minding his own business, he walked in front of the empty wall until he stood across from her, then - as if he'd only just noticed the intruder - Zavien gasped, his attention snapping to her. "Oh no! My house has been infiltrated by an art hater who threatens to ruin the gift painted by my beautiful friend! Stop!" He took a theatrical stance, placing a hand on his hip and straightening his arm in a threatening means to halt any opponent. Whether Soh played along or not, he acted as if she'd picked up a pail of paint, preparing to splatter it over the imaginary artwork. In another dramatic voice, he called out, "No! They're going to throw paint at it! I must apprehend them!"

Zavien then lunged for Soh, wrapping his hold around her smaller frame to pin her arms and lift her off her feet, unable to hide the amusement brightening his eyes or the laughter threatening to break through his voice. "You won't get away with this! Justice will be served!" Then he began to walk her towards the couch, ready to throw her in 'jail' where she would pay for her crime.

Zavien

but the form of every virtue at the testing point.

Sohalia

Say my name
And every color illuminates

Well, things were certainly getting interesting, and Soh set aside her own ice cream remnants as she was pulled into this false scenario. Stifling her laughter at Zavien’s mock surprise (and did he really just call her beautiful?), Soh grinned and said, ”Oh dear, a guard for this excessively unnecessary piece of horrid art. Whatever is an art hater to do?” Hands on her hips, she pretended to survey the wall with distaste.

Then, playing along, she picked up an imaginary can of paint and took a step towards the wall - but suddenly, Zavien was moving, lunging for Soh and wrapping his (very strong) arms around her smaller frame, pinning her arms in place as he lifted her off her feet. With a playful shriek, Soh pretended to struggle against his hold, cheeks flaring crimson as she realized that she was pressed against his very naked chest.

And then she was deposited unceremoniously on the couch, where she draped herself dramatically back against the cushions. ”Oh, no,” she sighed, throwing an arm up to placed the back of her hand against her forehead in a mock faint. ”I have been captured.” A smile tugged at the corners of her lips - she’d never been a particularly adept actress - as she looked up at Zavien. Something like anticipation uncoiled low in her abdomen, though she refused to acknowledge the feeling. Friends, she told herself. Just friends.

But as she gazed up at Zavien from her position laying on the couch, she fluttered her lashes playfully. ”And what is my punishment, oh protector of all things beautiful?”

We are shining
And we will never be afraid again

Courage is not simply one of the virtues,

The brightest, most wicked of grins spread across his face, an idea bursting forth in his mind as she egged him on. Leaning forward, Zavien lowered his voice with true threat while his hands trailed to the sensitive spot along most people's sides. "Brace yourself. We reserve only the cruelest of punishments for such heinous crimes." 

But as his hands found their places - poised to tickle and torture - he was met with the bare skin below her cropped top, warm and soft and vulnerable beneath his fingertips. All thoughts of punishment vanished as he froze. Something shifted, his brain blanking so fast that he had to reassess their positioning in a new light. 

Zavien was propped over Soh, who lounged dramatically beneath him, so much closer than they'd been before, more skin exposed between them than he would usually find appropriate for a friend. And yet he was captivated by the blonde hair tousled beautifully around the high flush in her cheeks, framing the molten silver of her eyes that stared expectantly at him, lips parted in a playful smile that could light up a room. The sight nearly took his breath away. 

He had the sudden urge to kiss her. 

Where he would have usually paused to think of the consequences - to think of all the ways kissing her was not a good idea - Zavien was already pressing in, placing his lips softly against hers. It was instinct and unhesitant experimentation, only the recesses of his mind flickering with the damning consideration of Koa and propriety and ruined friendships, mixing with the confusion of his own unhindered actions. But in the moment, all he could do was give into the brief impulse, curiosity and desire driving him forward to capture her lips with his own.

Zavien

but the form of every virtue at the testing point.

Sohalia

Say my name
And every color illuminates

Soh waited, a playful smile tugging at the corners of her lips. She was sprawled shamelessly on the couch, her cropped top riding up to expose more of her navel than she would normally be comfortable with, but here, now, she found she didn’t mind. Zavien threatened a most heinous punishment, his hands trailing to her sides - where they met with bare skin. His touch sent a tingling thrill through her, and she had to remind herself yet again that this was all in good fun.

But then… then he kissed her.

Soh froze, shock coloring her thoughts as all sense of playfulness suddenly drained away. This was not at all how she had expected things to go, and the unexpected shift had her eyes widening and her body tensing beneath him. All the reasons why this was a bad idea ran swiftly through her mind. There was Koa, for one: Zavien’s friend, and Soh’s… what, exactly? A rebellious thought sparked in her mind, for they had never been officially anything. Koa certainly didn’t own her, and she didn’t owe him anything, especially not now.

And Zavien… Zavien was kind, and thoughtful, and generous, and handsome. What was wrong with kissing him? What would be wrong if kissing turned to more? Aside from all the questions she had about the state of their relationship… why shouldn’t they have a little fun together?

All this and more ran through the young woman’s mind quicker than a blink -

And then she was kissing Zavien back.

We are shining
And we will never be afraid again

Courage is not simply one of the virtues,

There were a million reasons this was a bad idea. Warning bells chimed in the distant darkness of his mind, trying desperately to remind him of why he should stop, of why he should pull away and apologize now before things went further, before he passed the point of no return. But the truth was that he wanted to kiss her. He liked Soh, liked how kind and playful she was, how dedicated and loyal, how beautiful. There was no denying any of that, and while he'd often bury urges to act on those feelings beneath loyalty and fear and altruism, Zavien couldn't stop himself this time. What had felt like firm walls before, fell away like spiderwebs, dissipating to nothing more than tendrils in the wind the moment he broke through.

Still, it wasn't until she was kissing him back that Zavien pressed further. What had started as something simple and impulsive and chaste deepened. His hands shifted their hold - no longer threatening or playful but attentive and bracing. They trailed along the exposed skin, pulling her closer as he drank her in, tasting the chocolate on her lips and begging for more with the greedy rhythm of his mouth, unable to stop the desire quickly building.

Zavien

but the form of every virtue at the testing point.

Sohalia

Say my name
And every color illuminates

A part of Soh knew that this was a bad idea, that this could end very poorly. Even aside from past loves, Zavien was her friend, and she had come to treasure that friendship. She didn’t want to mess it up with an unexpected kiss. But maybe that friendship was also the reason why it was so easy to fall into him, her world narrowing to the man hovering above her on the couch and the way his lips pressed insistently against hers.

It was just like everything else that seemed to define their relationship, though the lines of just what that relationship was were currently growing very blurry indeed. The ease that they found in one another made this almost… expected. Welcomed, even. And so she couldn’t bring herself to listen to all the reasons why this might end in tears. Because what if it didn’t? What if Flora had been right, and something better had really just been waiting here for her to realize it existed?

So she kissed him back, and she didn’t have even the slightest hesitation when the kiss deepened into something less chaste and more greedy. One hand trailed from where it had fallen above her head to caress his cheek; her other reached up and around his neck, tugging him insistently closer. His touch against the bare skin of her sides had her arching against him, eager and pliant beneath his fingers. She wanted more, she realized. More than kisses, more than friendship, more, more, more - consequences be damned.

We are shining
And we will never be afraid again

Courage is not simply one of the virtues,

Everything about this was wrong. And yet nothing could have felt more right. Part of him had expected Soh to push him away, to be the person of reason here, but the way she surged into him had every good intention scattering. The best he could do was find enough distance to breathe in the scent of flowers across her skin, echoing their shared thoughts, "This is a bad idea." But the words were empty, a formality without any intentions of fulfilling the unspoken understanding that they shouldn't continue. He had every impulse to do the opposite, and the words were barely out of his mouth before he was kissing her again, discarding any misunderstanding that he wanted to stop. 

To the contrary, his hands began to push at her shirt, fingers slipping beneath to find more skin and heat along her arching spine and ribcage. He propped his body on a single knee that dipped into the couch between her legs, giving leverage to pull her closer, doing what he could to eliminate the distance between them like it would crush whatever hesitations might linger, leaving nothing but the two of them and the taste of her on his lips.

Zavien

but the form of every virtue at the testing point.