[center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/tgbbhnFP/Elara.webp[/img][/center][Sub]Interactions: Sunni-[@The Savant][/sub]
[hr][indent][color=#a93226]“Good morning,”[/color] Sunni repeated, this time more confidently and calmly. 

[color=#4169e1]“Good morning,”[/color] Elara replied softly. Her calm and reassuring tone was like a gentle breeze, easing the tense atmosphere ever so slightly. The man appeared to be responding more positively to her presence now, his initial wariness giving way to a tentative sense of trust, though a hint of unease still lingered in his eyes. [color=#4169e1][i]At least he didn’t run away[/i][/color], she thought, taking solace in this small but significant sign of progress.

As he listlessly pushed the food around in his bowl, Elara did her best to offer a warm, encouraging smile, hoping to break through the cloud of discontent that hung over him. It was evident that something significant and troubling [i]had[/i] occurred before her arrival, casting a shadow over the morning. [color=#4169e1]“I’m doing alright,”[/color] she replied, her voice gentle yet probing.[color=#4169e1] “But I’m more concerned about what happened here. It seems like it’s been a tough morning.”[/color] Her eyes searched his face for any clues, trying to understand the depth of the situation.

It couldn’t possibly be about [i]that [/i]right? 

But it was just as Elara feared, her heart sinking at Sunni’s words. She dropped her gaze, her hand instinctively playing with a strand of her hair in a nervous gesture. 

Octavia had been honest with Flynn, just as the handmaiden had asked her to be. 

Regret washed over her almost immediately at this realization, a heavy, suffocating feeling that settled deep in her chest. She should have just kept her naive mouth closed, as was expected in these kinds of personal matters. Now, the consequences of her well-intentioned honesty loomed large, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that she had made a grave mistake.

[color=#4169e1]“This…might be my fault,” [/color]she admitted, surprising herself with the confession. She lacked the courage to look up and gauge the other’s reaction though, her eyes remaining fixed on the floor. [color=#4169e1]“I’d encouraged Octavia to be honest with Flynn about something, and now… now everything seems to be falling apart.”[/color]

[color=#4169e1]“I don’t think I can honestly stomach anything right now.” [/color][/indent]