[table][row][cell][img]https://i.imgur.com/tbIvwoy.png[/img][/cell][cell][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/240504/7ea89157aa7490b85c1faa2a61df7e74.png[/img][/cell][/row]
[row][cell][sub]Location: Hot Springs[/sub][/cell][/row][/table]Kira barely had time to react as Sya’s embrace engulfed her, warm and damp from the water of the hot spring. Her entire body stiffened in shock, her arms awkwardly hovering mid-air as she froze, unable to process the sudden skin-to-scale contact. What was she supposed to do? Pat her back? Return the hug? Say [i]something[/i]? 

Before she could decide, Sya released her and slithered toward Orion. Kira blinked, part of her stunned at Sya’s boldness, the other half entirely fixated on Orion’s reaction. Her gaze darted to him, noting the way water slicked off Sya’s body and soaked into his clothes as she wrapped him in a similarly overzealous hug. It was almost comical, if only Kira could have shaken the discomfort that now overwhelmed her senses. This level of personal invasion, she hadn’t experienced in years, and was completely caught off guard.

Kira’s eyes flickered back to Sya, who now seemed utterly carefree, her mood lifted as she reclined with her drink in hand. The innkeeper's gratefulness tugged at something within—maybe guilt, though she wasn’t entirely sure why. Kira’s defense of her had simply been incidental, driven by her seething disdain for that pompous nobleman. It wasn’t about friendship.

It wasn’t as if she disliked Sya, but she didn’t particularly like her either. She was nice enough, sure, but Kira wouldn’t go as far as to call her a [i]friend[/i]. That felt… excessive. If standing up to an arrogant idiot was all it took to earn someone’s friendship, Sya’s standards were far too low. Or perhaps Kira’s were far too high. She’d always been careful about who she let close, wary of people’s intentions, and that cautiousness left her unsure of how to handle someone as open and impulsive as Sya.

The water suddenly felt stifling, and Kira realized with growing clarity that her time in the hot spring had run its course. She shifted, rising from the water with a quiet grace, [color=DC561E] “I’d better get going.”[/color] she said, moving toward the edge of the spring. The crisp air bit at her skin as she stepped out, her naked body quickly heading for her neatly folded clothes. With her back to the others, Kira hurriedly dried off and dressed, focusing on the motions as a way to push down the lingering awkwardness.

[hr]

[sub][b]Interactions:[/b] Orion [@Qia], Sya [@PrinceAlexus][/sub]