Bramblepoint i have reached these lands but newly

Alya preened. She loved nothing more than being the center of attention, and although that usually meant annoying her father, the girl had always ceded the true spotlight to Hydra. It was simply the way of things. But here, she was the best, the most beautiful, and - apparently - taller.

"You did, too," she replied, a bit shyly. He'd gotten thicker, too, and older. More handsome. Wilder.

She laughed at his next question, and a bit of the tension she'd been feeling seemed to break. A story? "Of course I do!" she said, dancing in a quick circle to release some of her nervous energy. "And of course I am!" She darted her gaze around until she caught sight of a crackly, yellow maple leaf. Snatching it up, she wasted no time in shoving it into his chest, her eyes downcast in embarassment as she looked for any excuse to touch him.