you are what you love

Ellyra

Get hot
Get too close to the flame

Ellyra leaned back in her chair, letting the cool air of the cafe wash over her. She smiled at Sohalia, broad and bright, though her fingers drummed lightly against the tabletop, betraying the edges of her restless energy. "Everyone’s out." She said. "I mean… gods, Soh, I knew you would make it happen, but hearing it out loud—there’s nothing like it. Although I didn't really know you were still helping run the city, to be honest." Ellyra had kind of holed herself away in King's End, working in the House's clinic.

She gestured vaguely toward the window, the distant hum of the city beyond, and let her hazel eyes sweep the crowd inside the cafe as if scanning for any trace of the chaos Stormbreak left in its wake. "I kept imagining the docks, the skyships, all of it stacked on top of each other. I kept picturing someone getting left behind, and that’s the kind of thing that keeps you awake at night." She let out a breathy laugh, eyebrows dancing biefly towards her hairline.

Her hands smoothed over the condensation of her glass, tapping once for emphasis. "But that’s done. You did it. You all did. And now people are moving on, finding their footing again. That’s what matters, right?"

Ellyra’s gaze landed on Sohalia again, her words flowing with the ease of familiarity now and less wit hthe tension of worry. "I needed to see you, too. Not just to check in, but to actually see you standing here, catching your breath, knowing you’re okay." She leaned forward slightly, elbows resting on the table. She held her breath for a moment, her mind taking a turn she didn't expect. "I'm sorry, Soh, for disppearing to King's End the way I did with the Family in Stormbreak and all..."

Wild, open space
Talk like an open book