𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐝𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐠

09 | BARRIERS

09 | breaking down
barriers that were build
over the centuries

-

2023 | peru

"I KNEW THEY would send you out here." Druig spoke softly, looking out at the village from a patio of one of the houses while Zora resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I just didn't think you would agree."

"I didn't." Zora didn't look at him, just staring out at the village while Druig turned her head to look at her.

"But here you are." Druig replied, admiring her and trying to hide his smile.

"Here I am." She whispered. "Why'd you keep the drawing?"

"Same reason you still wear the necklace." He shrugged.

Zora rolled her eyes, turning to him, "And what is that?"

"I don't know," Druig lifted her chin up with his finger and Zora refused to let her poker face fall. "Why don't you tell me?"

Scoffing, she shoved his hand away. Druig held in a sigh, trying to find the words to express how guilty he felt.

"Mamá, ¿dónde debo poner estas canastas?" Zora turned to near the patio, where a mother spoke to her daughter.

"Mom, where should I put these baskets?"

"Allí, cerca del jardín de Zora flores." The mother replied and Zora looked at them, confused. The daughter ran over to a small patch full of the orange and red flowers that covered the entire village.

"Over there, near the garden of Zora flowers."

"Zora flowers?" She turned to Druig, giving him a question look.

He stood silent, walking over to a table and grabbing an orange flower from a vase. Druig walked back over to her, leaning close. "Zoras. They practically cover the entire village. They were named after someone much more stunning then the flowers."

She couldn't stop her heart from melting entirely, and all the old feelings that Zora had spent centuries burying came stirring back up again.

"For you, my flower." Druig held out the flower before slipping it behind her ear, and Zora let him. She couldn't do anything beside stare at him in that moment, mentally yelling at herself for the influence he had over her.

"Stop, you do not get to do this," Zora shook her head, taking the flower from behind her ear and looking down at it. "You don't get to woo me and ask me questions when you are the one that walked away. And I'm not even here for that. Fuck's sake, what is happening?"

"Zora." Druig looked at the girl.

"No, no," She cut him off. "I am not here for you, I am here because the world- A world full of people is about to be destroyed. And they have started wars and fought, and they are not perfect, but neither are we. I'm not here for you, I'm here because we need your help, and you are going to help, got it?"

Druig nodded quickly, using all of his resistance to not kiss the redhead. "Got it."

"Good." Zora nodded before her phone rang and the girl quickly slipped it from her pocket. The two jumped at the sound of a roar that was way too familiar.