There were many things that Elain took delight in. The way the birds would be singing in the trees as she strolled through the trails of Hyde Park with nowhere to be and no one to meet, maybe how a warm summer breeze would brush gently against her lightly freckled face on such a day where she didn't have to think about what would need to be made for dinner or perhaps what sort of miserable mood her brother would be in when she meandered her way back home, or perhaps even the sweetness of a frozen treat that she so enjoyed during the hotter weather as she would walk leisurely through the city streets only pausing every now and again to peer into those large display windows allowing for curious gazes to drift towards the various items within that might entice new or recurring customers into those swinging doors. The list went on and on for miles, really. If she tried to write them all down, she worries just how many pages it would take for her to jot down every little thing that brought her a bright warmth or happiness. Puppies and kittens were definitely high on the list, next to mint chocolate chip ice cream and sitting on the beach on a clear day much like this very one. But perhaps the one thing that trumped all else, that took priority and adoration over anything and everything in this world and the worlds beyond it, was her family. Yes, that most certainly meant her less than pleasant and cheerful big brother, Lazarus. Even on his worst days when he seemed so easily agitated or perhaps just grouchy, Ellie couldn't help but love him with all her heart. He was the only blood family that she had left. Well, that she knew of anyway. Ever since the murder of their mother and father, it had just been them making it through each and every day that came and went. If there were others out there, other Darays that were living somewhere else in this big world, then they certainly didn't know of them, though there was a small and flickering hope in the honey-blonde woman that just maybe they still had family out there. But, there were others on that very same list as well - and they were much more enjoyable than the grumpy guy that insisted on making sure he knew where the young woman was at all times.

A woman with long and perfectly braided hair the color of winter's first freshly fallen snow is the first face that came to Ellie as she walks down the streets on the eastern side of Sacrosanct. Vhal. She missed the witch, doing her best not to worry that she had just vanished into thin air. After all, she surely had her own life and her own family that might want to spend time with her. Maybe she was away visiting them, or maybe work had called the witch to another part of the country and she had simply been far too busy to return the worried young woman's anxious text messages or phone calls. Ellie tried asking Lazlo if he had seen Vhal recently, and he'd been quick to claim that he hadn't and he was perfectly content that the witch had decided to stop coming over or calling Ellie so much. So, whether or not he really did know where she was, he wasn't about to tell the honey-blonde. Which in and of itself seemed rather odd, the two having taken to a routine of training together, the very idea of them not trying to literally kill the other entirely surprising to the her. She was almost certain that there was something going on with those two, but she never got anything but avoidance when she'd dared to ask either of them. It only deepened her suspicions, but for now, she didn't press her brother further. He was already acting strange since Vhal had gone missing in action, so any time that he was home and not out wandering the streets during the twilight hours was comforting enough for Ellie. As she moves further along 40th Avenue, she fishes for the smartphone within the right pocket of her jean shorts. When slender fingers wrap around the sleek device, she presses the button on the side to check for any texts or calls, only to fine neither notification flickering across the locked screen. A small sigh rushes through the young woman as she returns the phone back to its place, knowing she really shouldn't have expected Vhal to answer back to her millionth "hi, how are you?" text message. Her best friend would get back to her when she had a moment, the honey-blonde woman just needed to he patient. Even if she was worried... Vhal was a strong and independent woman, who would be foolish enough to try and hurt her? One very unlucky individual.

Her thoughts then turn to a handsome Italian man she'd met not long ago, and she finds herself smiling warmly as she thinks of how he'd walked her home that day when she went to "The Bakery" for the very first time after school a few months ago. Ludo, like Vhal, had become a quick friend to the huntress, and it definitely didn't help that she'd found Ludo rather charming. He had been the warmest person she had accidentally come across in the time that she and Lazarus have lived here within Sacrosanct. Most people here were cold and uncaring, moving almost robotically along the sidewalk so caught up in their own little world that they never seemed to stop and smile or say a simple hello to those that walked past them or beside them. It had been quite shocking for the honey-blonde woman at first, but she still refused to let the indifference of the countless strangers around her change the way she saw the world. Ludo was much like Ellie in warmth and openness, and it has made her so endlessly happy to know that there were others out there who still dared to keep their minds, hearts, and arms open. But, he too had vanished. The last few times she'd stopped by the bakery he worked at, he wasn't there with her favorite batch or cookies. And just as she did with Vhal, the young woman worried for the man. She knows that it was silly to be anxious when he also did not seem to answer her calls or texts only ever meant to check in on him, to make sure that he was alright and didn't need anything. Yes, he was a grown man just as Vhal was a grown woman, neither of them needing the young woman to worry over them, but she simply couldn't help it. He's probably just vacationing in Italy, maybe visiting his family he probably still has over there. This was what she tells herself as she walks past that familiar bakery, pausing just long enough to peek inside and see if Ludo was there today only to find that he wasn't. That would certainly explain why he hasn't texted her back or returned any of her phone calls, either. What were the chances that his phone would work overseas? She'd never been to another country before, so to her, it made sense that he didn't know she was trying to reach him. I just need to be patient. I'm sure that where Ludo and Vhal are, they're okay. There's no way that they could be in trouble. This was just one more thing she tells herself to try and stop her silly anxieties on how they were faring.

At least she knew that Lani was okay - or so she thought. While the blue-eyed blonde woman hadn't exactly told Ellie when she would be getting back, she did tell the huntress that she was going on a road trip. And to Ellie, that typically translated into sneaking off with Andras, the fae man that her friend was so very smitten by. Odds were the couple/not couple was at the lodge - where that was exactly, Ellie wasn't entirely sure except for up in the mountains somewhere from what Lani said - doing goodness knows what. Maybe finally figuring out their feelings for each other. Enough time has passed, one would think they might finally understand what it was that had the two of them always yearning for one another. Even Ellie, whom has never known love, knew what it looked like from all the movies she'd watched. The very idea of Lani and Andras has her smiling again to herself as she turns onto Georgia Street, hardly minding the curious yet blank looks that she receives as she walks past two women whispering among themselves. Pushing aside the thoughts of the people that meant so much to her, the honey-blonde decides that on this afternoon, an iced coffee sounded great, so it was only natural for her to find herself making her way to Inner Sanctum from having gone to Lani's apartment and tending to the sweet-natured tortoiseshell feline Ellie had promised to look after while Lani was away. When she finally reaches the familiar little café, she pushes open the door and is greeted by the rich smell of brewed coffee and freshly roasted espresso beans. She breathes a soft sigh at the aromas, moving to the front counter where shania greeted by a brunette woman with a radiant smile. "How can I help you?", the barista says brightly, Ellie offering a smile just as bright in return."One twelve ounce iced vanilla latte, please", she replies, reaching into her other pocket and retrieving the four dollars to pay for the drink. The barista nods and rallies the other to the other woman behind the espresso machine, the honey-blonde woman moving to stand there at the pick-up counter where she waits patiently.

It wasn't long before the barista turns to hand the huntress her drink, a generous helping of whipped cream trapped beneath the domed lid."Here you go!", the woman says warmly and Ellie gives a smile of thanks before pulling a straw from the cup on the counter, unwrapping it and placing the plastic into the drink. She makes her way to the door then, bringing the tip to her lips and delighting in the sweetness of the drink as it filters onto her tongue. She exits the busy cafe and resumes her leisurely stroll, thankful that she's chosen to wear her light-yellow spaghetti strap on this warm summer afternoon. She is peering in the window of another shop, taking another drink of her iced coffee when suddenly she can feel the phone in he pocket vibrate. She nearly jumps at the sensation, her heart slipping a beat as she shoves her hand into her pocket to retrieve the phone. Maybe it was finally Vhal or Ludo replying back to let her know they were back in Sacrosanct or even just telling her they were doing well and that they would be back soon. However, when she clicks the button on her phone to illuminate the screen, she sees that it was just another email from her english professor to let her know what the curriculum for next semester would be. She tries not to feel too disheartened, returning the device back to her pocket then. However, as she is rounding the corner of another local shop, she is too slow to look up, the huntress immediately bumping into someone. It wasn't with much force to spill her drink all over herself or the other person, but it was certainly enough to have her pale blue eyes like glacier ice darting up quickly only to meet the bright blue gaze of a man."Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!", she says almost breathlessly then, warmth igniting in her fair-skinned cheeks out of embarrassment. Her free hand reaches up to tuck a stray stand of golden hair behind her ear bashfully, very nearly certain that the stranger would be furious for her lack of attentiveness."I was just checking my phone, I didn't even see you there. I should been paying attention", she adds, feeling entirely compelled to explain exactly why it was that she'd bumped into him, as if she had to plead guilty to some sort of crime when it really was just an honest accident. But she has had the misfortune of bumping into strangers on the street before only to be met with icy glares or a snarled "watch where you're going next time", so she inwardly prepares for the same reaction that would leave her backing out of the man's way. Goodness, she really needed to be more mindful...