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Elle let her fingers relax, but didn't pull her hand from his. Lonan would do that himself, most likely...she felt no need to steer. Lifting her eyes, she studied his face for a moment for any hint of teasing...smiling when she did not see it.

Two things occured to her suddenly. The first was that Lonan did not have that luxury...to read the expression of another and ascertain their motives. He relied on his other senses for that...and Elle was used to coaching her voice for tone and impact. Silently, that intricate play of verbal manipulation had begun to slip from her....she hadn't realized it until now. There was no need to speak in any way but plainly before him, and that led her to her second understanding.

Lonan was...genuine. Perhaps the first genuine person she'd had the pleasure of meeting. Elle was more than easy on the eyes, as they say...and suddenly that saying held a whole new meaning. Even her dear Asra, bless his pink heart, certainly based quite a few aspects of his affection on her outward appearance. Though she was sure Lonan would have reacted a bit differently had he felt a hunch and bulbous warts, his appreciation was not based on her more...material assets.

"You know..." Her voice was quiet, after the long pause...only the sound of snapping fire had kept them company. She felt as though she should be close to tears, but nothing except a thrumming calm pressed within her. "...I feel, that perhaps some day...we could understand one another. I hadn't realized I was alone until I met you."

It was a rather profound thing to say to someone who had been a stranger half an hour ago, but the words seemed to echo. Elle was surrounded by love, by life, by the press of busy and hungry lives. This was the first time she'd truly shared a silence, and she'd learned more in it than from all the lectures and stories she knew.

What a rare and beautiful night.

"I have no great fear of being alone...we learn when we have only ourselves to speak with." Her smile appeared again as she thought upon his words. That was not the case? He was correct...even if Lonan miles away, the understanding she now held would never leave her.

She leaned unconsciously towards him as his wing unfurled, the barest touch of feathers upon her shoulders causing her eyes to flutter closed. "But perhaps, without a reflection or measure to put ourselves into perspective, we can only truly know half of what we are or may become." She didn't intend to sound cryptic, there was simply no other way to say it. Her voice was still quiet, and her words serious, but the calm elation had not left her. Lonan didn't demand her happiness, her approval, her attention or her favor. He simply was, and allowed her to be the same.

"Broken little souls, waiting for someone to remind us what it is to be whole." Elle sighed softly, still enjoying the caress of his wing, and laughed quietly at her words. She was tired, she realized...perhaps she had lost him in her ramblings a while back. Or, perhaps, he understood.

She liked that thought better. "I hadn't thought about it, but I would appreciate a spot for the night. I don't need a whole room, anywhere to spread my coat would be fine. Thank you." She made no move to rise or shift...her agreement hadn't necessarily signaled an end to the conversation. Rather, she lifted herself from her musings and addressed his question, grateful for his offer.

Tilting her head, Elle smiled up at Lonan...catching his gaze, but hardly registering the pale difference. It was simply a smile shared, whether he noted it or not.

Her lips curved into a thoughtful smile as she pondered his idea of mirrors...the idea of a visual echo appealing in an imaginative way. She settled gently beside him as he guided her closer, the warmth of his wing around her shoulders a blessing she hadn't known she desired.

"Perhaps everything around us is an echo, in that sense. That's why it is so moving to meet something...real."

Her smile grew deeper at his jest, breath changing and body moving ever so slightly in gesture. She certainly had no objection to sleeping upon the floor, but then, Elle had never been one to scorn a comfort for the sake of modesty. As long as she wasn't taking away from someone else's wellbeing, life was meant to be enjoyed.

"Well, where ever you put me is fine, then. Somewhere close, in case I have a lonely dream." She was playing, as well...but only in part. She wasn't ready to leave him just yet...Elle was still adjusting to the awareness that had settled within her. There were so many things she wished to tell him, so many things to discuss and share, yet she felt no rush...only a steady comfort in the presence of the first truly lucid and accepting soul she had met.

As his fingers smoothed through her hair, she sighed almost inaudibly...a soft sound, full of appreciation and relaxation. His words seemed to float for a moment, giving her time to accept them...she was used to kind words, but nothing so genuine or meaningful.

"Don't forget, Lonan..." She guided his hand once more, settling it lightly over her heart if he would allow it. There, she let it rest...enjoying the pressure of his palm, knowing he could feel her steady beat. "...the beauty you find is, in part, the echo we share. I don't shine for just anyone, you know." She was making light of herself, in a way. She wished to tell him of the stunning depth and kindness that she saw within him, and thank him for it, but for now...

Being here, right where they were, was enough. Raising her face again, Elle smiled at the recent memory of his whisper. She'd finally realized part of the feeling within her, and her heart was glad for it. "Kismet." Luck, perhaps, or fate...but for once, she wouldn't have it any other way.

As Elle settled against his chest, she let her eyes close once again. She could hear his heart, feel the warmth of his skin against her cheek...and it all felt as natural as a hug from an old friend. In that moment, they were children, lovers, shared souls...never before had she felt the same from another as within herself. Simple, and infinitely complex...a delicate balance that nothing could destroy.

"I'm not sure...that anyone has ever listened closely enough to realize it. I have always joined the stories of others, helping when I can...this, I believe, is the first time I've been truly selfish." Could he feel her smile, against his warm chest? "Where I am always scattering, wishing to be everything for anyone, you seem so peaceful and so strong, on a path of your own. Yet here I am, finally walking as I wish...and here you are, letting someone join you."

She lifted her head, hair trailing across his arm as she leaned farther into the circle of his wings. Raising her hand, gold at her wrist chiming softly, Elle let her fingers settle with a light touch upon the back of his neck. "Even an invitation to your sacntuary? I'm honored, Lonan...and I accept. These lives of ours are short, even if they are many...I cannot think of another way I'd like to spend these moments."

Her voice was warm, and though her smile had faded, it could be heard still in her tone. "I have met many people in my time here, since the moment my reflection became reality. Some I call mentor, some sister...some lover, and some child. I have never found anyone that defies definition...before you. It is like trying to define yourself, something so close..."

His hair slid between her fingers, almost unfelt. She barely brushed him, knowing it was still a new realm...yet the motion was there, a simple caress that spoke of delicate protection and respect. Light and dark...and she was everything in between.

"This echo shall not fade."

I would have to find you and bring you back if you did.

Elle paused, hand sliding gently back towards her lap. She sought Lonan's hand with both of her own and held it gently...fingertips trailing over the rough spots and lines. That was the only disqueit she held, that recent memory...being taken back to that place, and witnessing the power of that ineffable being. That darkness...

She didn't blame Asra, he had been tugged along, the same as she. But the idea of being snatched so easily away...

"I would be searching for you as well, and I have no doubt that we would be found. There is a story I'd like to tell you, some time...of the only place I fear." He would know of the weight that settled upon her, but it was not his doing. She didn't try to disguise it, for she found truth in Lonan's words. He knew her, as surely as she could see the pain and beauty within him. She would share it, when the time was right.

"Perhaps you know of it, as well. It isn't the darkness, it's the emptyness...nothing and nothing and nothing. Deafening, timeless and lonely. It is no place for a living soul to be, yet..." She had been through it. More than once. Unbound, then bodied. Her shoulders stayed strong, but the sadness was there...to think of Lonan being taken, into that deafening nothingness...

Her hand tightened on his, a bit more strongly than she'd intended. "There is a beginning to this story, but I seem to have skipped it. My apologies, it will be told in its own time." Her smile was back, genuine and unforced. Lonan was strong, and together, nothing could hold them.

Her smile grew a touch, sadness leaving as she pushed the dark thoughts from her mind. Nodding, despite the fact the gesture was unseen, she raised her face again. "I am calm, it's simply part of...caring for someone. The scope of what comes with in. I have faced it before, and will again, and hopefully will be stronger for it."

Entwining her fingers with his, Elle rose gracefully...careful not to brush the feathers against the grain, and planted her feet to give Lonan a tug up as well. "Some tea sounds lovely, and the thought of being wrapped in a robe while sipping it is too much to resist. I can fetch one of the two if you tell me where to find either kettle or closet!" With her free hand, Elle hung the pouch for Devi upon a likely corner...out of the way, but plainly seen in her signature color.

"Perhaps, after I share this tale with you, you could tell me of what you've endured? What it is that could be preferable to that emptiness?" Her hand tightened on his again, a willingness to share that pain and draw it from him.

Elle stood to the side as Lonan strolled about the kitchen, watching him with the ghost of a smile absently upon her lips. She wasn't watching how adept he seemed, navigating in a world so different...instead, she simply enjoyed the sight of him, his compelling silhouette. It was like coming home.

"Some day, perhaps we'll share it. There are things I don't wish to revisit as well, so it's understood. Enjoy your shower, and take your time...it should be steeped by the time you return."

She twisted up her hair as she spoke, twirling it round her wrist before tying it off in a thick knot. Heading for the sink as he made his way across the room, Elle watched him go over one shoulder.

Shifting her weight from one bare foot to the other, she waited for the water to warm...rolling the soap between her palms. The idea of having no image of your own face was an interesting one...liberating, perhaps. The story of him was already forming, a waterfall of words bringing color high into her cheeks.

One last look, before he vanished.

After he parted, Elle continued to wash her hands...lost in thought. The cool smell of the soap rose around her, sharp and smooth as she smiled into the suds. An image rested plainly in her mind, with no embarrassment...he would have his eyes closed, head tilted back to the spray. A misty image of arching wings and pale skin, dark hair and twining streams of scalding water. A singular soul, such a meaningful incarnation...

Abruptly, Elle realized the water over her hands had cooled...the steam dispersed in the warm air. Shutting it off, she dried her hands on the nearest towel. She was saddened by the waste, but grinning at her own distraction. Without a second thought, she turned and wandered slowly for the stairs...stepping up silently as her fingers trailed along the railing.

She followed the noise, the image of the rushing water as clear to her mind as her ears. As her hand found the door, the water ceased...and once again, she realized her mind had wandered free. Smile spreading once again, Elle wondered what she would possibly have to say before retracing her steps to the kitchen. No trail was left...not one she could see, at least.

The water was at a boil when she returned, and Elle added the mix carefully. She chose chamomile and rose hips, soothing and poignant, and added a dash of orange. The smell was divine, a quiet hum of appreciation echoing to Lonan as he approached.