It was supposed to be a good week.
She had returned from wandering and camping in the Eversong woods, haven taken her ram and her sunfur panda for her only company. She’d danced between trees, walked barefoot down deer runs, fished for her supper, woven flower crowns from weeds, and laughed with a crab on the beach. She’d only left a note for the clinic and tacked up a notice at her booth. She had needed it. Needed the time wandering, as only a Traveler could.
It had all been so freeing. It was supposed to help. A reset. Surely she’d feel herself after that.
She’d come back renewed and happy, dimples fairly permanent with her smile and remembering the Tournament of Ages just in time to make it to the Wonderlight Ball. So she ...
After a long and tiring night of going circles, Tris was home. Without even bothering to turn on any lights, she made her way to her bedroom, shoulders were slumped in defeat and exhaustion. She shed her clothing, save for an underslip, and plopped down in a chair, ignoring Duir as she’d done for weeks now. She looked down at her arm, fingers tracing the new skin in spots along it…still marked from her bout with fire. Though, the wounds weren’t nearly as bad as they seemed in her head. They had healed fine, with only discoloration and mottled texture remaining.
“You could try being a dominatrix…” “Maybe you need a different friend with benefits…” “You should train as a mercenary…” “Join the military!”
She...