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Zahra was not exactly sheltered, growing up. For all that she was kept in a cage, it did not shield her from anything. Hunger, fear, distrust, pain. You know.
When freedom was offered to her on a cold floor and a somehow warmer moonbeam, she embraced it carefully. Mostly because the first time she could eat - really, truly eat! To her heart’s content! Whatever she liked, claimed the kind tiefling that took her in! - she bloated up like a balloon and retched most of it. And panicked (at the waste, she couldn’t waste, she was a waste).
Safe to say, Zahra took to the lesson well. Free as she might be, there were still limits out there. To her body, to her powers, to the world. And, truthfully? She had no interest, none at all, in finding where the bars of this cage were.
All that droll prologue to say… well. This is new.
“Candy?”
“Candy,” Vex’ahlia confirms, with the lithe grin of one familiar. She rifles through - no, really picks through it, like a bird at grain in gravel - to pluck a twin to the one she just popped in her mouth.
Vex takes a moment to roll it around in her mouth, cheek round with the lozenge. She speaks around it: “You know - sweets. Usually made from fruit juices, or chocolate. I know I didn’t see any in shops in Vasselheim, but have you really never -”
“Oh, I’ve heard, darling,” Zahra interrupts. Vex’ahlia will throw the gleaming thing at her with no provocation, so she reaches over to pluck it from her fingers before she can. The wrapper crinkles in merry silver and reds. Like one of that Percival’s bullets, painted with blood. Charming! “Just never… thought such a small snack was worth the coin.”
Vex hums, already looking for her next prize. “Well, it’s worth mine. And it’s my treat. Go on - try some, before the boys get to the stash. Or Pike.”
Alright, alright. The claws make untwisting the waxy paper a bit of a hassle, but she unveils an elegant little lozenge with curls of vibrant color. She can’t quite smell the fruit flavor her friend noted, and so opens her mouth and drops the candy on her tongue.
Zahra purrs, tail curling loops around the chair’s arm. Strawberry and lemon melt and meet in something she can only describe as magical.
“You’re exaggerating,” Vex grouses. Then, with great cheer: “Try the orange one, darling.”
No, absolutely not. Zahra takes the whole bowl, to Vex’s laughter. She’s trying all of them.
(Unfortunately, that alerts Vox Machina to her loot, which is a whole
ordeal.
)