Theea
maybe there's a way out of the cage where you live
I think back to before—before I grew up, before I had to. I almost never cared what I was wearing. If it kept me warm or didn’t rip too easily, it was good enough. ”Everyone in Torchline feels like they’re made of glamour and high-stakes social situations.” I admit, adjusting my stance a little as he works. “But everyone has been nothing but kind to me. Somehow that makes me more nervous to mess it up.”
His eyebrow bounce and that grin pull a blush to my cheeks before I can stop it. Oh, I definitely catch his drift. I’ve been so focused on finding my family, on proving I can stand on my own, that I haven’t really stopped to think about… anyone like that. Not really.
There’s one person my mind lingers on, unbidden, and my heart jumps in my throat a little. I clear it away with a crooked smile. “I think I might be starting to get what you mean?" It's more of a question than I mean it to be. "Why was that the hardest part for you?”
I glance down at myself. I actually like the simple wrap around my torso—no sleeves, no straps. Clean. Easy. I tuck the fabric higher around my breasts so it contains more—then pause, remembering his words. Own it. My lips purse, eyes narrowing in thought. I tug the fabric differently, letting it skim lower, hinting at curves without dipping so far the whole thing would be one wrong step from disaster.
“I think Ludo’s an interesting one,” I add, a grin tugging at my mouth as I snip another ribbon—this one just as veering as the last. “I spoke to one of its demigods recently. The Honeybee. She said Ludo wants everyone to stop being so serious all the time.” I watch the scissors glide, deciding I like the way it feels more than I care about getting the edges perfect. Maybe Melita’s right.
His eyebrow bounce and that grin pull a blush to my cheeks before I can stop it. Oh, I definitely catch his drift. I’ve been so focused on finding my family, on proving I can stand on my own, that I haven’t really stopped to think about… anyone like that. Not really.
There’s one person my mind lingers on, unbidden, and my heart jumps in my throat a little. I clear it away with a crooked smile. “I think I might be starting to get what you mean?" It's more of a question than I mean it to be. "Why was that the hardest part for you?”
I glance down at myself. I actually like the simple wrap around my torso—no sleeves, no straps. Clean. Easy. I tuck the fabric higher around my breasts so it contains more—then pause, remembering his words. Own it. My lips purse, eyes narrowing in thought. I tug the fabric differently, letting it skim lower, hinting at curves without dipping so far the whole thing would be one wrong step from disaster.
“I think Ludo’s an interesting one,” I add, a grin tugging at my mouth as I snip another ribbon—this one just as veering as the last. “I spoke to one of its demigods recently. The Honeybee. She said Ludo wants everyone to stop being so serious all the time.” I watch the scissors glide, deciding I like the way it feels more than I care about getting the edges perfect. Maybe Melita’s right.
maybe one of these days you can let the light in
