[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/yxK9VOX.png[/img][/center]
[sub]Location: In Front of Temple of Seluna[/sub]
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Céline’s breathing had begun to stabilize as the two women approached the pair of them. Earlier the emotional stimulation from the temple had been too much, now as her senses calmed she was keenly aware of the hand pressed against her back, holding her steady through the waves. 

“[color=royalblue]Advisor Orion. I didn’t expect to see you here.[/color]”

“[color=#0054a6]Miss Elara, it wasn’t planned.[/color]”

A subtle tension had formed in the air, muddled slightly with the concern this woman, Elara, was feeling towards Céline. It wasn’t an animosity between the two, but apprehension, a guarded wariness. If it was simply a concern of him being a blightborn, Céline doubted the woman would have even approached them; but then was it Orion himself?

Though Céline couldn’t feel his emotions, it was obvious enough in Orion’s body language how guarded he seemed. Elara had only offered a potential solution to her problem, Orion had responded by pressing his body closer to hers. Céline quietly wondered if he felt it was truly necessary for him to put up walls in this moment, especially with someone he knew, or if it was simply in his nature to treat every encounter like a potential threat? 

Her mind wandered back to their initial interaction, how he had snuck up on her unintentionally, placed her under his care to keep the guards attention off her. Though that interaction then was different from the one happening now, the commonality between the two is blightborn and humans. In both instances Orion put himself between her and the humans, given his station, it made sense for him to feel responsible for her safety. Despite how she appreciated the sentiment, she once again wondered the necessity of it all.

By now she’d regained her composure and her grip had slackened considerably. Céline’s eyes found Orion’s gaze and she gave as reassuring a smile as possible, her lingering hands giving his arm another squeeze. Her grip was no longer desperate, looking for support, this time it was gentler, more reassuring, a way to say [i]‘I’m okay now — [b]we[/b] are okay now’[/i]. Slowly she pulled away from him, finding her own footing again as she turned her attention on the two women in front of them.

[color=60cf11]“Céline,”[/color] she started, her eyes settling on Elara, [color=60cf11]“My name,”[/color] she smiled and bowed her head slightly, [color=60cf11]“Thank you for taking the time to check on us, I was feeling rather nauseous and just needed a moment, but I’m doing better now.”[/color]

Now that her head wasn’t throbbing she took stock of the women in front of her. Both wore similar attire, though clearly not clergy and given Elara’s use of Orion’s title perhaps in service to nobility? Both young, thinly built, Elara’s hair as white as the landscape surrounding them, her unknown companion’s as dark as the skies above. 

[color=60cf11]“It’s a pleasure to make both your acquaintance and I hope it’s not an issue for Orion to be here, I had asked him to come at my request,”[/color] she turned her attention back to Orion, gauging his reaction which continued to appear neutral; at least he didn’t seem perturbed. [color=60cf11]“I don’t need anything for myself, I’d only come to pay my respect to the dead, when Orion first told me about the guard, I—”[/color] Céline paused in her tracks, suddenly realizing where she was and who she was talking to. Potential handmaidens to nobility, both Lunarians, both just emerging from a Seluna temple, [color=60cf11]“I’m sorry, I…did either of you know the deceased?”[/color] Her gaze softened considerably, [color=60cf11]“If so I’m so sorry for your loss…”[/color]
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[sub]Interacting with: Orion, Elara [@Qia] and Ramona [@enmuni][/sub]