cradle my spine; label my pride

When Avantika got back from her patrol, she was still thinking about how she might manage to get better relationships. Although the train of her thoughts had twisted at some point; something more anxious and bitter ran through her mind. She was doing better right now, but fate only knew how long that would last. Her happiness and sense of safety were precarious things, and life, as she knew too well, liked to throw difficulties her way like shooting arrows at an apple on her head. At any point she could be hit with another crisis. Somehow those things always seemed to rattle her more than they did others. And with that chance in mind, was it worth it to bring others into the messes caused by the risk she was? It was fine if she only hurt herself; it was her and her cowardly mind's fault anyway. But anyone else didn't deserve to be hurt by her sudden anger or cold neglect. She was a liability.

What would cheer her up? As if she was pulled, she made her way into the dojo. Maybe someone else would be in there, looking for a fight to blow off some steam.

"Speech"