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Perhaps it was the view he received while his friend climbed up the ladder that had Asrafel pausing before he prepared to float up and meet her there. When she turned to look down at him, his wings had already started to shimmer like a hummingbird behind him, and he'd hovered an inch above the ground before he was told otherwise. His wings slowed to a halt before drooping dramatically behind him, and he cocked his head with a pout.

"I.. have.. to.. climb?" His voice cracked at the last word, though his little act didn't last long. He put one hand on the ladder, then the other, and paused for a moment.

He really had no experience climbing.. anything.

Taking from the example Elle had just given him, he put one foot on a rung and began the slow and steady climb upward. He wasn't afraid to fall, but more afraid of breaking the ladder or doing something wrong simply because he didn't know what he was doing. When he reached the top without incident, he climbed inside and remained on his knees, grinning triumphantly.

"I did it!" He exclaimed, as proud as if he'd just climbed Mount Everest. ".. Why couldn't I fly up, again?"

But before he could finish his sentence his curious eyes were already roaming, and they widened, looking around. A treehouse! It was so adorable! He pushed himself to his feet, bending to keep from hitting the roof with his head, and started to take a look around.

"Who built this? I want one!"

Asrafel was looking out at the road she'd pointed out when she mentioned Shauna, and he smiled just barely, as if amused by some hidden secret.

"Yes, I'm sure Shauna will love it up here, we should bring her. Oh, and Joce and Karma as well!" He turned and watched her settle down, before taking a seat in front of her, sitting indian style. "Oh yes," He mused with a grin. "There are many others. The number grows with each day. Even I haven't met them all! But I have met many.. I'd love to introduce you to some of them! Joce especially, she's my best friend. I just know you'd love her! And then there's Karma, he's still a baby but he's so smart for one, and Calumet as well. He's so affectionate! You probably saw many of them at that party for my aunt a while back when you met Shauna, but I know there are more now."

She was correct; he was as easily distracted as a puppy. Even as he rambled on about their kindred spirits, his eyes wandered, and he reached out and brushed a hand against her bare thigh lightly, almost innocently.

"Gee Elle, you have such pretty legs." He murmured under his breath quietly.

That had nothing to do with the conversation, and as quickly as he'd been entranced by them, he was interested in something new. "..Say, what are those things you picked off the wood?"

Asrafel shifted in a rough movement to flop down beside her and sat there, looking back at the oyster mushrooms once more. "Oh. No no, I don't want to eat one, I was just curious what they were!" He grinned at her, shrugging softly. "You sound so clever, knowing how to use all thoses things from nature to make other things. The only thing I can make.. is a mess!" He reached up and lost his fingers in his hair, mussing up his own hair as he scritched his head for a moment, leaving his cotton candy locks in disarray.

He thought back on all the children he knew, and mulled over Elle's words. Shauna, Calumet, Ilistala.. she was right of course. One by one each of his little friends would end up growing, and perhaps one day they would be burdened just as much as he. There was no way for him to tell. After all, he couldn't live forever.

"Ophi is the one I think you're talking about, he has the most interesting little snake hood. And I think we should invite them all over, some day. It'd be a nice get together, I think. Soon, definitely, before time runs out."

His smile faded, but his sharp lapis lazuli gaze remained focused firmly on her.

"But not today. I'm not ready to share your company with them just yet."

The rare gem of a serious moment lasted a minute, before he gave a faint smile. "Today is my Elle day." He whispered mischievously, biting his tongue.

"Weeeell," He dragged out the word as if carefully considering the option. "Not necessarily. I simply request your company. You can take me anywhere you wish, show me anything you desire, as long as you don't flitter off on me before I am completely satiated by your presence." He nodded firmly, as if to solidify the demand. "But eventually I would like if you showed me around, I'm pretty sure this place has a lot of beauty to offer. I mean, if it didn't, you wouldn't be here. Right?"

He wasn't consciously aware of what a vibrant flirt he'd become, but it gave him an untold thrill to be able to say whatever came off the top of his head, and anytime he looked at Elle, he thought of things he hadn't thought of before.

Things that, despite being new to him, still felt so familiar.

"So! What is the lovely Elle interested in showing me today?"

Out of instinct Asrafel leaned back when Elle pressed forward, but his smile remained as bright as ever. "A secret! I'm wonderful at keeping secrets!" He exclaimed, breaking out into a happy grin. His own hand was only too happy to take hers, and he looked down at them briefly when she held them up to intertwine pinkies. Pinky swear!

"I promise to keep all of your secrets, should you wish to tell me them. And in exchange, I will share some of my own. After all, who can I trust if not you?" He rested his lips against the back of the hand that held his own, though they didn't pucker, they simply pressed against her warm skin while he looked up at her with an open, happy gaze.

She had the most interesting scents surrounding her, more interesting than anyone Asrafel had ever met. He supposed it was because of all she did with those ingredients she spoke of, and he found it just a little intoxicating. Though he vaguely remembered mentioning it once, he did nothing more than take a deep breath now, so close to her skin. His stark gaze fluttered for a moment before opening fully once more, curious as to what this secret he was about to be told was.

The bright yellow ribbon nearest to Elle's hand moved of it's own accord, needing no wind to bring it her way. It brushed against her fingertips before wrapping softly around her wrist, and resting it's tip against her palm. One might say that particular ribbon had grown suddenly quite.. attached to her.

"Everyone wants to share their secrets with someone, Elle." He responded quietly. "It's simply a matter of who you can trust. And I can trust you! Right~?"

He nodded in reply to himself, before his eyes caught the movement of his yellow ribbon, and he smirked softly.

"I think it likes you."

He rested back before finally flopping down onto the wood of the floor, looking up at the ceiling.

"I like it here. Shall I tell you my secrets now, and hope these walls will never talk, or do you have a better idea?"

Asrafel waited for her to resettle, before pushing himself up on his elbows and moving without a second thought. Snuggling into someone as soft as Elle? Yes please. He melted against her, tilting his head to rest against her stomach and closing his eyes. If it were possible, Asrafel could have sworn that she smelled even sweeter and more intoxicating from this position.

"Mmm.. careful. You're so comfortable that I may lose track of what idle thoughts might wish to escape my head and end up just thinking of you."

He smiled wistfully and made himself comfortable, before even attempting coherent thought.

"I wish I was free, Elle. I don't know why it's so important to me now, to have my own sense of free will, but I suppose it's because it was taken from me."

His smile faded, and a foreign look crossed his face. It was dark, and almost brooding. His jaw clenched stiffly for a moment, before unclenching.

"All of our kindred need someone who can.. help them. I understand this. I understand how important it is. I understand everything.. I just wish.."

He opened his eyes, the crystal blue gaze settling almost sadly on the beautiful face above him. "I wish it had been my choice to begin with."

His eyes would not remain open for long, for as her hand brushed down his chest, it sent shivers down his spine that made his eyelids flutter closed. He was right; she would make it hard to keep his thoughts focused, without even trying. Besides, it was so much nicer to think about how soft her hands felt on his skin. When her hand stilled just above his stomach, it was a slow but solid reminder of what lay beneath. The comfort of the moment drifted away, and his eyes opened while his hand lifted to rest against hers.

"When he put them inside of me, he called me the wish maker, the path, the way. I think I understand the first part, but just barely. The others, I have no clue. Sometimes I think he's just rambling."

He had been looking in no particular direction when he spoke, but now he looked up at Elle, absent-mindedly reaching out to brush the back of his fingertips against her cheek. His eyes opened just slightly as it suddenly hit him; she may not even know who 'he' was.

"Have you ever met Halexei?"