'...fuck my life.'
Consciousness returned to Aria not with a jolt, but as a slow, reluctant tide.
The first thing to breach the surface was sensation— a deep, resonant ache in her chest, a phantom echo of the shattering impact that had promised her oblivion.
It was a dull throb now, held at bay by a gentle, pervasive warmth that seeped into her bones.
"Qwy."
The second thing was sound: a frantic, high-pitched chirping, close to her ear.
"Qwy...?" Her voice was a dry rasp, barely scraping its way out of her throat or what would be her vocal organs if she had them.
"Qwy! Qwy, Qwy!"
A soft, feathery weight crashed into her cheek, then cuddled desperately into the crook of her neck.
"Oh baby..."
Aria lifted a heavy hand, her fingers finding the familiar, leathery skin and fluffy feathers of her companion.
Through the Soul-Latch bond, a torrent of raw emotion flooded her, bypassing words entirely.
