While the honey-blonde woman hardly had any qualms about the classes that she had seen ahead of her, the courses that she would be taking when the autumn semester began only promising to push the young woman to test the limits of her knowledge so that she could shatter them and conquer one more part of her pursuit to obtain the career, there was no denying that she was utterly relieved for having chosen to take the summer off. Even before the untimely death of her mother and father, Ellie had known what it was she wanted to do with her life. She knew how it was that she wanted to make a difference in the lives of those around her, both in the present time as well as those she was bound to meet in the near and far future that waited for all living things. With absolutely perfect clarity, the young woman can remember her father sitting there at his desk while the honey-blonde draped herself over the loveseat beside the floor-to-ceiling shelf packed full of books. She'd always loved being near the man, even when they both sat in silence, Ellie enthralled with a book while the dark hunter was occupied tending to the family business and addressing the concerns of the other council members. From day one, she had been a daddy's girl, and she knows without even an inkling of a doubt that if he were still alive, she still would be..."What is it that you want for your future, Ellie?", the often solemn man had asked seemingly out of nowhere, even when in all reality he had been watching his daughter and the deep expression on her young face while those eyes so much like her sweet mother's caressed those aged pages."I want to be a teacher", she'd said then, not even looking up from her reading, her answer so very certain and self-assured, taking no time at all to answer her the man's question. It wasn't even something that the young woman had needed to think about when her father's question reached her, unable to feel any more certain of the dream she wanted for herself. Most her age would have been unsure of just what it was they wanted from this life, from the years that they had ahead of them to become something grand. Their plans would always be changing, but not Ellie's.

"A teacher, hmm? And why is it that you want to pursue such a career?", Tal had asked the girl having only just crossed the threshold dividing her from maidenhood to womanhood. And again, the young huntress who had only just been turned in the name of family tradition knows the answer without having to look within herself for it."I want to make a difference, and what better way than to help the newer generations find their own way in life?", came the young and sterling voice of the honey-blonde as she finally does look up into the hunter green eyes of her father, the honesty and determination a flame that flickers across eyes of early morning frost in a way that often seemed to go unnoticed beneath that radiant smile, bright spirit, and warm heart. How he had smiled proudly to his daughter then, the man only moving to resume his previous tasks as though he were satisfied with Ellie's answers. And still to this day, it remained the one dream she worked tenaciously towards each and every day, if not more so than the one before. Now more than ever, it was the dream that she chased, eager for the day that she could obtain that degree she would need and a job shortly after. Only then would she return to her birth town and stand there before the graves of her mother and father to show them that she had done it, for herself and yet in the same singular moment, she had done it for them as well. The young woman knew even now that they were proud of just how far she'd come, and they were always her source of encouragement, strength, and determination. She truly felt that in teaching children, she would find her purpose intended for her. The young woman remembers just how much she had looked up to her own teachers from her childhood, and so it had become her inspiration and drive. Many little kids dreamt of becoming firemen or police officers, veterinarians or artists, but Ellie had wanted something else entirely. Besides, as she'd grown older, the huntress found just how much she adored young children and their purity, their innocence so untouched and unscathed by the world and the darkness in it. If there was even the smallest chance that she could protect it, she would with her one and only life.

However, even those that worked hard day in and day out needed a break. And while she most certainly could have endured a summer of college books, projects, and exams, she was taking advantage of the freedom that came with not having to be up before the sun would begin to rise in the east. How absolutely glorious it felt, being able to sleep in for as long as she so desired! There was no obnoxiously loud alarm to ring out suddenly through the warm darkness of her bedroom, summoning her from sleep's embrace and dragging her conscious mind into that state of wakefulness and drowsiness as she pulled her senses back to her. For the next few weeks, she was able to sleep until it was the morning sun filtering through white linen curtains and cheap plastic blinds that would cause her glacier blue eyes to flutter open at the soft warmth touching her lightly freckled face. And yet, even when she would steal those extra hours of sleep that often eluded her during the autumn, winter, and spring months, the young woman still did not waste nearly as much of the day as Lazarus. For Ellie, sleeping in was defined as waking up with the sun or perhaps just a little after it had risen over the tall metal buildings and far-off mountains. It would still be morning, though. Recently, the sound of her brother making his way up the stairs and closing the door to his bedroom would be among the first thing to reach the huntress as she unraveled herself from a deep and sound night's rest. It wasn't like him to be home so late in the morning, but the honey-blonde had been noticing that be wasn't returning home with the scent of a woman on his skin, those sharp senses of her own only ever finding either the thick smell of alcohol, sweat, or even both on the man anymore. She had attempted to ask him if everything was alright, but of course Lazarus would always give Ellie the same growled answers like "I'm fine, stop asking me that" or "don't worry about it". She knew better than to think that nothing was wrong with her brother, though. Ever since Vhal disappeared, he'd been acting differently... He seemed more mopey lately, but the honey-blonde didn't dare say such a thing to him, knowing perfectly well he would deny anything has changed about him in that same stubborn and grumpy way. She knew Lazarus, though, and there was something shifting in that man that she couldn't decide was for better or for worse.

This morning had been no exception to what has become her summer routine. She'd awoken of her own accord, the sun having since risen. The young woman had then shuffled out of her bedroom and padded quietly down the stairs of their townhouse, hearing the soft snoring of her brother from behind his closed bedroom door and not wanting to wake him - even if it would do nothing for his mood. Moving quietly into the kitchen only to look over to the couch and see that Donovan had gone already, remembering that their were companion had been... working for the last few months. The huntress had asked him once what it was that he did now, and the answer had been an encrypted and vague one, but she hardly pushed the cheetah to tell more than he wanted. The man was just as stubborn as her brother in the end. Dismissing those thoughts of the tattooed man that occupied their living room, she made some coffee and a small scramble with fresh bell peppers, spinach, and salsa. Sitting there in the kitchen, she indulged in the peacefulness of her morning while skimming through one of her mother's cookbooks to see what a good choice for dinner might be later tonight while contemplating what is was that she wanted to do today. Adelaide had scheduled the young woman for the day off, and she already knew that Lazarus would hardly be up by the time the sun started going down, so coercing him into exploring the city with her was not going to be happening. It is then that she decides she would go to the park and read there in the sunshine and fresh air. After all, Hyde Park was close to her favorite local market which was also coincidentally the very same market that she and Vhal had gone to the day they met. The memory alone is enough to further prompt the young woman sitting there to close that book and quickly wash, dry, and put away the dishes she'd dirtied. Moving quietly back up the stairs, the huntress wastes no time hopping into the shower, slipping into a pair of light blue jean shorts and a jade green V-neck t-shirt, then pulling her hair into a French braid that falls over her right shoulder. Satisfied, she retrieves her keys, phone, and wallet before departing from her bedroom. She pauses just outside her brother's bedroom, ensuring that his breathing was calm and betraying the sleep he finally surrendered himself to. Once certain that he was asleep, she moves silently down the stairs, grabs the cook book off the kitchen table where she'd left it, and carefully closes the front door behind her.

As soon as that sunshine touching down upon her skin, the young woman feels herself come alive, glacier blue eyes bright and shining as she strolls leisurely down the streets that have become familiar to her in the time that she's called Sacrosanct her home. She didn't get lost nearly as much as she used to, though still she was certain that there were many things, many hidden treasures she had yet to discover. She would in due time, though. She smiles to those whose eyes met hers, hardly able to keep from beaming whenever someone might offer her a casual smile in turn. How rare such a small thing was here in the big city, and still it surprises her that other could be so close and not even see the person beside them or in front of them. Still, the honey-blonde woman was adjusting to the cold distance that divided so many, instead choosing to take joy in those fleeting moments were a stranger would help keep her faith in the world alive. She glances at the shops and department stores as she walks past, never wavering from her destination as she moves ever closer to the southern parts of the city where things felt a little more like home to her. Ellie hardly pays any mind to just how long it takes her to reach a little coffee shop she'd passed a time or two, stopping there to peer inside, remembering with fondness how she and Ludo had ventured into a little café much like this one, only on the eastern side of Sacrosanct. What she wouldn't give to spend another day like that with the handsome and warm Italian man. Pushing aside this thought, she pushes open the door and walks to the counter, met brightly by a barista."Welcome to The Bean, miss! What can I serve you today?", the brunette woman says sweetly and Ellie glances up to the menu for a moment. She wanted something cold..."I'll take a small iced hazelnut coffee with whipped cream please. Oh, and a couple of those apple cinnamon scones, as well if I could", she requests then, the pastry case so beautifully displayed catching the young woman's attention. She reaches into her wallet and offers the money to the barista who nods with a warm smile."Coming right up!", the older woman says before closing the cash drawer and moving to gather the items that Ellie had ordered. The huntress waits patiently beside the immaculate display of sweet, though it is hardly a long wait at all when the woman calls out her order. Exchanging a quick thank you with the woman, Ellie grabs the pastry bag and exists the café, resuming her journey to the expanse of green trees she can see in the distance. While she would be alone on such a beautiful afternoon, or so she thought anyway, Ellie was bound and determined to enjoy the summer sun.

Crossing the street and entering the park, the huntress strolls down one of the many pathways, again offering a warm smile to people walked past her. She takes a deep breath, finding delight in the freshness of the air here. It was free of the smog and strong stench of hot pavement that overwhelmed the heart of the city, only energizing the woman that much more. It was impossible for her not to feel so content, so blissful as she turns her gaze to watch the children playing on the structures made for them, circled by benches where parents were sitting there reading while they watched their sons and daughters release all that pent-up energy confined in such small bodies. A wistful sigh ushers softly from the young woman then as she looks for an empty bench, though it seems that many others had the same idea as Ellie today. However, her glacier eyes soon spot a tree a small way away from the trail, all alone and casting its shadow across the cool grass. Yes, that's perfect! She veers off the marked path then, walking into the shade of the large oak and settles herself there against its mighty trunk. Placing one leg over the other and setting the bag of pastries beside her, the iced coffee placed next to it, she opens her book then and begins to flip through the pages. It seemed like an odd choice of reading, but Ellie hoped that maybe with enough practice, she might be as good of a cook as her mother had been. She is quickly absorbed into those recipes, contemplative and thoughtful, not even realizing that a lone man was approaching her until he's leaning there against the tree with a devilish grin."Hey there, sweetness. Whatcha doin' all alone?", he says in a voice smooth as molasses. Only then do her eyes snap up to look at the man with slicked back black hair, dark eyes glinting with something she remembers seeing once before... in the man that had been at the bar Vhal had snuck her into.

She hides her unease at his presence, partly out of not wanting to be rude and partly out of being unable to forget the night that a man had put his hands on her before Vhal had appeared."Oh, I'm not alone", she says then. It was a lie â€" though in all fairness there were still people around them, just none paying attention to the man and the huntress â€" and she wonders if he can see through it, hoping that maybe he would realize that they truly weren't alone exactly."Sure looks to me like you are. Mind if I join you?", he replies then, and Ellie hesitates. She wants to tell him that she did mind, that she really wasn't comfortable with the air that surrounded him. While she was almost always the last one to ever judge another being, almost always willing to give anyone a chance where others would not, that didn't mean that the honey-blonde young woman couldn't tell when someone wasn't up to any good.