Eya stood in the street outside of the Ebontide Lodge. She had been there for at least five minutes, just staring at the red entry door. She hated that door, truth be told. Always had.
The tarred and weathered walls of the lodge stood out as unique to her; a promise of comforting solitude and safety. That damn red door just...broke it all up. She wanted it to match the building. When the sun broke the horizon, blaring its bright light into her eyes, she realized just how long she'd been standing there and stalling. Her battered senses were then shocked back into the forefront by a burst of insufferable giggling to her left. She watched as a group of young women walked past, headed to the city center for the opening of the shops. Their dresses and smiles were as bright as the intrusive morning sun. They were human and couldn't have been any older than she, but they felt like an entirely different species to her in that moment. When they spotted the bedraggled cleric, they turned their heads and quickly looked away. She grimaced and turned her head as well until the dark shame in her heart passed.
Eya wiped her eyes and ran her hands through her hair, trying to restore some of its body. Deep down she knew it was futile though, she felt like she'd been dragged there by a team of horses. With one last swipe at her red-rimmed eyes, she plastered a smile on her face and marched inside.