Losing track of time seemed to be getting easier and easier for the young woman as she goes about her small apartment getting herself ready for a night of fun. It was hard to think that it had only been a few days ago that she'd been returned to the limits of Sacrosanct with the much needed assistance from the dark fae man that now seemed to find her in almost every quiet moment when those thoughts of hers would drift away from her sooner than she could figuratively reach out and reign them back in. She had hardly been ready to leave that enchanted lodge and all its wintery splendor that Andras had assured her would be there when they came back, and already the young woman was eager to return â€" though next time she would have to be sure that poor Chika was looked after. And Ida... She found herself wondering how the old fae woman was doing in those short days that she'd bene restored to her mostly normal lifestyle. That place had been so big, with so many rooms and so many things that needed tending to and while the blue-eyed blonde was aware that the entire place was filled from floorboards to vaulted ceiling with a magic she couldn't even begin to truly understand, she still wondered how the woman did it all and with such warmth and willingness that touched Beylani and filled the young woman with a fondness that she hadn't felt for anyone aside from her family, the smiling fae reminding her so much of the sweet old woman that had played such a big part in her childhood. Those memories had come back in full force since then and Beylani found herself missing her grandmother a great deal, having gone to the extent of looking through her old photo albums just so that she could see the woman's face again.

Chika had met her at the door that morning when Beylani had returned and the poor tortoiseshell would simply not leave the blue-eyed blonde alone, mewing and crying for most of the day while seeing to it that her human companion was trapped on the couch and left with nothing more important to tend to other than to sit there and stroke that long, silken fur of scattered orange, black, and brown. Beylani hadn't intended to be gone for those two whole days, but then again her ending up at the lodge had been far from planned. Still, that night would find her as she slept. She would be back on that eerily quiet street, walking down the concrete pathway alone in that Tinkerbell costume. The buildings were still shrouded in shadows as they towered over her, if anything taking on a more menacing and foreboding appearance that they had that night. Then suddenly, she would see him, that shadowed man standing there in the alleyway. She would try and run, but in this nightmare, she seemed to have no control over her body. That smooth yet venomous voice would whisper menacingly into her ear, and she would re-live the excruciating pain all over again. Some nights, she would jolt awake, but when those baby blues would close again, she would be thrust back into that icy embrace. Then, Andras would appear and as she lay in a weakened heap on the cold alley floor in a growing pool of her own blood, baby blues watch as the dark fae man threw the vampire to the other side of the alleyway and away from her. His words would ring in her ears then... "She's mine and you will not touch her"... Suddenly, everything would become blurred and then eventually entirely dark before she would find herself back in those covers of his bed, the cracking of the fireplace the only sound to find her. He would be there, those hazels ever watchful. And then the sun would rise, chasing away that dream.

The sound of birds chirping catch the young woman's attention and, with bright blonde locks tinged in milk chocolate undertones elegantly curled as they so often were, she moves from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her slender frame, crossing the living area and through the doorway to her bedroom. She arrives at her nightstand to see a small red light blinking on her phone, alerting her that she had received a text message. Clicking the button located on the side of the phone and swiping her index finger across the slick surface, the device unlocks and she is greeted by a text from her newest friend, Elain. A bright smile dances across feminine features as she reads the message. I'll be there to pick you up in half an hour, birthday girl! Replying with a quick "okay!", she removes the towel from around her and begins to dress herself in the necessary undergarments, having selected her favorite white lace thong and matching bra, followed by a fitted white shirt with sleeve made of lace and floral design, faded blue bootcut jeans, and white lace flats that tied her outfit together beautifully. She picks up her phone in time to feel it vibrating from an incoming call. Looking at the screen, that sweet smile is softened."Hey, mom", she answers brightly."Happy Birthday, baby! It's so hard to believe you're twenty-one now! Any special plans â€" special, safe plans?", replies her mother on the other end, the background noise suggesting that she was cooking dinner. The young woman is unable to supress a gentle note of laughter at her mother's words, rolling those baby blues playfully."Actually, yes I do have plans. I'm going out to dinner with my friend Elain. You don't need to worry though, she's a minor so we won't be bar hopping or anything", she replies with amusement dancing through her voice. Her mother is quick to laugh lightly in response to the young woman's assurance."Alright, well you girls have fun then. Dad sends his love since unfortunately he got caught up in a project as usual", she pauses lightly, fondness echoing in her words."I'll let you go, though. We love you, have fun, and we'll come visit on Wednesday so we can take you out as a belated birthday present, okay?", she finishes lovingly, the sound of food sizzling just barely audible in the background."Okay, mom. I love you guys and I look forward to seeing you Wednesday!", Beylani answers with clear love for the woman who had been there for her since day one.

Pressing the disconnect icon on her phone, she finishes gathering up the last of her things, ensuring that she had her license and her debit card as well as a little cash in case the place they went to had a hard time accepting her visa card. As she moves to sit down on the futon to wait for that knock on the door to inform her that Elain had arrived, her gaze falls over the wool yarn that sits there on the coffee table before her, colors of royal blue and forest green intertwined in the beginnings of what would soon be a scarf that she hoped to have finished soon. A gentle smile dances across her lips as a familiar warmth washes over her at the thought of the dark fae man that it was intended for. She knew that he wasn't the sort to celebrate human holidays, and she certainly didn't fault him for that, but that wouldn't stop her from making a gift for him. After that night, after that afternoon that they'd spent together, there had been a shift that she hadn't expected. Perhaps at first she'd thought it was simply because she owed him her life for saving her that night, but the more time that she had to think of that moment when he'd hauled her onto that bed by firelight, the sultry smiles that even now seemed to quicken her heartbeat... She had tried to deny those feelings that overwhelmed her that day, but she knew now that she felt for him as more than a friend. Did he feel the same? Don't be stupid, Lani. Why in the world would High Lord of the faeiries want anything like that with a human, let alone a human like you? A soft sigh ushers softly from her as she stands from her seat and gathers the materials, carrying them into her room where she would continue to work on the scarf when she got home later tonight. She still had a fair number of weeks before Christmas, but working on making this for him helped. Helped what, she didn't quite know or fully understand, but it helped something. If only she were able to see into those thoughts of his that she often saw flicker across those hazel eyes as easily as it seemed he was able to read her baby blues. She would just need to accept that there was no way he would ever feel the same for her, she needed to be okay with that, and with time she was certain that she would.

Moments after she emerges from her bedroom, there is a knock at the door and the blue-eyed blonde moves eagerly over to the front door, turning the knob and opening it to see the radiant young woman standing there with that same bright smile Beylani had run into at the local market."Elain, you look beautiful!", exclaims the young woman as she admired her newfound friend standing there in her doorway. With long locks tied up into a messy bun, face framed by a few curled strands and wearing a cute powder blue blouse accented with glitter along the collar that caused her pale blue eyes to stand out, the college girl was looking every bit the same age as Beylani despite knowing well that she was only nineteen. The two women could almost be sisters really, though Elain was just a few inches taller than the blue-eyed blonde and her locks were a few golden shades darker than Beylani's own, they appeared to be quite similar."Thanks! You look amazing yourself, Lani! I absolutely love that blouse! You look soooo elegant", Elain replies, nearly swooning as she observes her companion's own outfit. It was then that the tortoiseshell feline joins the two women at the door and Elain is quick to turn those sparkling and vibrant eyes down to the mewing creature."And you must be Chika! You're just as pretty as your human, aren't you?", she says to the feline who brushes against Elain's legs in typical feline greeting, prompting then for the younger woman to bend down and stroke mottled fur a few times before standing back up once more to watch the cat saunter into the kitchen to eat the kibble Beylani and placed in her dish just moments ago."Well, let's head out! I'm starving!", urges the younger woman, her blouse catching the light from the front patio that led down to where the white sedan was parked."Sounds good to me", answers the blue-eyed blonde, stepping out of the apartment with her phone tucked into the front pocket of her jeans and slinging her purse over her right shoulder, locking and closing the door to her apartment behind her. Satisfied with ensuring the door was properly closed and locked, the two women walk side by side down the stairwell and towards the white sedan that would prove to be their chariot for their night on the town, excitement bubbling in Beylani at the idea of her very first birthday in the big city.