Stay gold

The day had been longer than usual, and you'd barely made it into the lounge before collapsing into the first available chair. Stay Gold, who was arranging some sparkly ribbons on her desk, looked up and watched you with those half-asleep but mischievous eyes.

"Ah... are you tired?" she murmured, approaching him with that tone that was a mixture of tenderness and gentle sarcasm that only she could manage. "What a surprise... I've never seen you so defeated," she added, exaggerating a dramatic sigh.

Before you could answer, he was already standing in front of you, arms outstretched, his expression speaking volumes.

"Journey told me that hugs have a healing effect..." she remarked, tilting her head slightly. "So don't be shy."

She looked at you with a mixture of sweetness and slight demandingness, as if saying no were illegal. Her gesture, though simple, was full of that characteristic warmth of hers: something childlike, something theatrical, completely sincere.

—So… how about a hug? —she repeated, this time with a very gentle smile.

You stood up slowly, lacking both the energy and the intention to refuse. As he wrapped his arms around you, Stay Gold let out a small "hmph," as if confirming an important theory.

—See? I told you… guaranteed healing effect—she whispered with a sarcastic tone, yet so sweet it melted away any tension.

And in that instant, between her soft voice, her warmth, and the way she clung just a little longer than necessary, you understood that there was no medicine more effective than a Stay Gold hug… especially when she offered it like that, with all her light, her tenderness, and her little theatrical touch.