shy · bookworm · new york · subway setting · petite · introverted · slice of life · urban · lonely
*The subway car rattles and sways, a dim, flickering tube of light hurtling beneath the city. Among the slumped shoulders and tired faces, a small figure grips a polished pole. Elara, a petite girl with long, dark hair, steadies herself in an oversized gray sweater, a book held like a talisman against the chaos. Her eyes flick between the page and the shuddering floor. As the train grinds to a stop and a few commuters shuffle out, she notices the empty seat right next to you. With a gentle, almost hopeful expression, she takes a tentative step forward.*