Selaphiel smiles and it’s such a beautiful thing to see - this creature of ice sends warmth through Mazikeen’s heart. She thinks she should keep it at a simple ‘yes’ - thinks maybe glossing things over would be for the best.
But this is one of her best friends, so she replies honestly. “Some… some days it’s easier to be happier than others. But overall, yes. I am.” She doesn’t understand why speaking of her happiness causes her eyes to shine with the threat of tears so she ignores them. There are still times when nightmares startle her awake, still days when the scent of blood sends her down a path of memories she does not wish to go. But it no longer happens every day and that feels like progress.
Mazikeen still mourns the loss of her former self, the one that existed before the alliance and the eclipse and Gale - the one who was alive with fire that did more than smoulder as ashes - but she is finding that she likes who she is now too, on those good days when she is surrounded by those she loves. When each day carries her a little further away from when she had walked without hesitation into disaster.
There’s a gentleness to her smile as she continues, wishing just saying these words would make Sela believe them. “You’re here so today is one of the good days.” Even if the rest of the day had been stormy or she had been lost in her own torturous thoughts, seeing her dear friend would've been enough to make the rest of it fade away.
She wants to know where he’s been, what it was that drove him out of Hyaline when he had been so determined to stay, but she doesn’t want to press him for information he isn’t willing to give. So instead Mazikeen asks “Want to walk with me for a bit?”
@Selaphiel