you are what you love

Ellyra

Get hot
Get too close to the flame

Her name broke warm and bright across the crowd, and she turned fast enough that relief showed before she could school it. She was running before she knew it. "Sohalia!" The name left her rushed, breathy call back.

She leapt into the hug without thinking, arms closing tight, grip stronger than she probably intended. The heat, the noise, the restless churn that had followed her since the docks—all of it softened at the edges. "It’s good to see you too." she said, voice a little thinner than usual, fraying at the edges as white hot tears pricked the corners of her eyes. When Soh pulled back to inspect her, Ellyra let it happen, offering a the brightest smile. 

The cafe’s cool air wrapped around her like a blessing. Only then did she realize how tightly she’d been wound; her shoulders dropped a fraction as she reached up to retie her hair, fingers slightly unsteady. "Shaved ice sounds perfect!" she said, sliding into the seat across from Soh. "Honestly, if you’d said salted seawater I’d probably have agreed."

Ellyra tried not to rush right into the conversation, but never having mastered shielding her side the attuned bond, Sohalia would surely feel the woman vibrating with curiousity and worry.

Wild, open space
Talk like an open book