Ainsley— ( Maker preserve her ) Ainsley cheated! You know that as well as I!
( But her indignity is a mumble, and lost to the bewildering prospect of seeing someone from before, in all senses. Before the Spire fell, before Starkhaven burned, before the Circles and before her father.
There is a great deal of "before," and it would be a lie to say she doesn't consider running. The thought shocks herself, that she could come so close to buckling into cowardice. She is not afraid of Saoirse; she is her friend. She does fear, though, the judgment. The being deemed something... unworthy of the memories they share, that they might no longer be kin of the sort that is forged in an alienage, no matter if you are tied by blood.
She's struggling to breathe properly when Saoirse arrives. It's— an uncomfortable sensation. The hug, strange as it might be, is a relief. )
Many years. ( A slightly croaked agreement, as she stiffly raises her arms to hug Saoirse in return. It is not reticence, so much as shock. ) It is— hard to fathom.
we can totally handwave if you prefer btw i know this is hideously late
( But her indignity is a mumble, and lost to the bewildering prospect of seeing someone from before, in all senses. Before the Spire fell, before Starkhaven burned, before the Circles and before her father.
There is a great deal of "before," and it would be a lie to say she doesn't consider running. The thought shocks herself, that she could come so close to buckling into cowardice. She is not afraid of Saoirse; she is her friend. She does fear, though, the judgment. The being deemed something... unworthy of the memories they share, that they might no longer be kin of the sort that is forged in an alienage, no matter if you are tied by blood.
She's struggling to breathe properly when Saoirse arrives. It's— an uncomfortable sensation. The hug, strange as it might be, is a relief. )
Many years. ( A slightly croaked agreement, as she stiffly raises her arms to hug Saoirse in return. It is not reticence, so much as shock. ) It is— hard to fathom.