might not be forever

Thalassa

They created the monster

Had they been able to speak, Thal might have scoffed at Maea's line of questioning, knowing that her 'past' was vastly different than the life she now chose to live. Whether that was a 'choice' or not was still something she asked herself. It hadn't been in the beginning, when she'd been alone, vulnerable, scared; but in order to protect herself, Thal had learned to be everything she wasn't - to stand tall when she was called short, to lash out when she was called weak, to be confidently brave when she was terrified. After a time, it was hard to tell if it was an act or not. The emotions settled in her skin, disguising what had once lived beneath, making her something new. Sometimes she wondered if she went too far in the opposite direction, being too abrasive, standoffish, too independent, but she was trying to change that in small ways, to build friendships and find community. It made it easier to enjoy life than to just 'survive' it, even if the risks still made her want to run.

Gliding next to Maea, she thought she might have found one of those friends. They didn't always see eye to eye, and sometimes she wanted to scream at her, but Thal felt a kinship to the woman, felt like she was someone who challenged her, who sometimes felt more like a sister than a friend. 

For now, Thal was blessedly ignorant of any disagreements to come, instead putting distance between herself and a crew that still had a lot to learn. She pumped her wings again to keep them warm, watching as the Crag came more into focus, curiosity slowly overpowering the anger.

and then asked why I bite.