[ Athessa chuckles, softly, appreciative of the sentiment. The smile that translates through her voice isn't for the memory she speaks of, but for Bastien. Because she's telling it to him. ]

I've found myself thinking about her a lot lately. Mostly about how I felt back then, and how I feel now. Wondering if it's always gonna hurt. [ She's been thinking about that old flame of his, too, wondering if Bastien is hurting the same as she. But she keeps that to herself. ] Not that I can remember what it's like not to.

[ The chair creaks as she sits back and rubs at her eyes. She can feel her body begging for her to just turn in already, get some rest before the new day. If she didn't have to worry about hiding the crystal, she'd happily fall asleep talking to Baz. ]

I dunno why I'm thinking about this now, either.