[o] [SE] everything that we should be

Maea

I see you when you chase
All the dreams inside your head

Following the stream of locals that spilled off the skyship and spread like a tidal wave through the streets, Maea too noticed the difference. Despite being a stranger to this city with it's arrow straight roads and polished facades, something in the air had changed since the Family disappeared. Like an unwelcome guest had finally taken the hint and left, the citizens all but sighed a collective breath of relief. The volume of conversation on street corners and shopping streets was increasing, children could be seen moving along without anxious parents hovering over them - and there were smiles appearing every now and then. Laughter.

Dropping a handful of loose change into the hat before a blind old fellow playing his lute on a street corner, Maea continued out onto the Plaza. Bundled up against the raw damp of the ever present wind, she scanned the shop signs for a fabric store when a familiar face snagged her attention; with a bright smile she waved at Sohalia to catch her attention, and approached the bench where she was seated.

"Hey there! Long time no see. How are you?" It seemed like only yesterday they'd been sprawled out on the Observatory floor, stargazing and trading stories. Thee young queen had been forlorn, her land occupied and overcome - and seeing her here now, Maea could only hope that her fortunes were improving.

I see you when you laugh
And when you love until the bitter end

Table by Skylark