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“Likewise, Lyra,” Ayla replied, her voice tinged with a hint of genuine warmth. It was a boring dress in her opinion, unlike Ayla’s pink and white flare for dramatic, a sore thumb in the crowd. She kept that opinion to herself though. Ayla was not one for displays of emotion, especially in public settings like this. That was how she smoothly ended the hug, still holding Lyra lightly by the shoulders as she took in her cousins lovely dress.
“I must say though, it was… strange hearing about the students who are missing. It made me think of,” Ayla cut off sharply, before regaining herself. “Lysander, who made me think of Alexander. Who—who would be…proud, of us for coming.” The mention of Lysander and Alexander brought a shadow of sadness to her features, a heaviness weighing on her heart. But she pushed through. She forced a smile. It looked real. She had practiced in front of the mirror countless times.
Her hands clasped behind her back, a subtle gesture to ground herself as she navigated the memories of her lost loved ones. Ayla’s shoulders rose in a slight shrug, a defense mechanism to downplay the emotions bubbling under the surface. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to go there,” she deflected, her voice steady but with a hint of vulnerability. “Big life events usually make me think of him.” Ayla swiftly shifted the conversation back to a more positive note. “I do want to say how cool it is we’re going to school together. You definitely influenced my decision to come.”
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@Jass ✦ Lyra