Had it not been for Ellie, her closest friend and perhaps the only one from her past life whom she'd kept in her world, it was entirely likely that the blue-eyed blonde woman would not have found herself returning to the city. So many memories resonated within these city limits, it was almost impossible for the fae woman to not see them, no matter what it was she ventured. Hazel eyes always seemed to be following her, dark and very nearly predatory, even when Lani knew that he was nowhere to be found. But, despite knowing that the fae man wasn't standing there on the corner of a busy street or sitting on a nearby bench, watching her from a distance... somehow, she still felt his presence. Even after three years have passed her by, it was always lurking just on the outskirts of her mind, seeming to wait for the very moment Lani might dare to let her guard down so that all those past emotions and moments long since passed could come crashing over her like fierce, foam-crested waves given fury by the figurative hurricane of everything she kept hidden within the deepest part of her soul. Gods, how she tried so hard each and every day to build those walls around her ever-taller, ever-stronger so that the world wouldn't be able to see the battle that she felt she was losing. No matter how many minutes, hours, days, weeks, or months seemed to come and go, the struggle against the turmoil always threatening to overwhelm her when she was alone or weary never seemed to get easier. In three years, the only strengths she had to show for the battles within herself were a half-hearted smile she often wore as it to tell the world "I'm okay" when, on those long and sleepless nights, tear-filled eyes of clear summer skies would be screaming "I'm not okay"...

On her "good" days, there were scarce moments of silent calm where she could find a moment where breathing felt just a little easier. They never lasted nearly as long as she'd hope they would, but the fae woman would take any chance that she could to forget about everything.

The warmth of the sand between her toes, the smell of the salty ocean air, the sound of thundering waves against the shoreline... these would serve as that reprieve she needed more than any words could ever manage to express. Although she makes sure that long, elegantly curled blonde locks fall over her shoulders in such a way that they hide the delicate point of her ears, there is a break in the metaphorical clouds that so often hung over her. She takes a deep breath, dark lashes fluttering closed over baby blue eyes for a fleeting moment as she does, grateful to find no ache in her chest for the time being. Lani walks slowly across the sand arms folded across her chest as she allows herself to become swept up in the moment of the late afternoon, gaze turned upwards to watch the sun as it slipped behind several thick tufts of cumulus. How she wishes that time would just stop, right here and now, with the sun still hanging in the sky above the glittering expanse of ocean stretched out before her and beyond the furthest point of the horizon. How she would dare to think longingly that the world would cease its endless turning, if only for a day, so that she could hold tightly onto this moment. She wanted to stay here, wrapped up in the sounds and sights surrounding her, the contrasting blues of sea and sky and distant laughter of families nearly lost in the background of crashing waves and screeching seagulls as they, too, soaked up what remained of the afternoon. Rare were moments like this where she could almost manage to forget the countless nights of heartache as she pleaded fervently to silent stars for sanctuary from both the nightmares as well as the memories that so relentlessly ravaged her broken sleep. It is here, lost in a fleeting moment of contentment, that she can't be touched by the thought of him.

She is seemingly spellbound by the serene peace of the afternoon, almost entirely relaxed for the first time in years, the weight she'd been carrying for so long upon slender shoulders. So much so, the blue-eyed blonde almost doesn't notice the sensation of eyes upon her in that moment.

Lani very nearly startles as the man seems to fabricate out of nothingness beside her. She tries to ignore the sudden leap of her heart, eyes of clear summer skies widening ever so slightly in surprise as she turns to look at her unexpected company. He was a tall man, dressed well in a deeply hued navy-blue hoodie, dark jeans, and black leather boots. His hair was dark and well-groomed, his gaze a rich milk chocolate. So very unlike the hazel gaze that haunted her thoughts... His voice is smooth, accented in a note that she's not entirely familiar with, but it certainly seemed foreign. She keeps her arms crossed over her chest as they'd been before, watching him for a moment as he leans forward, offering her a... soft smile. She'd learned in such a cruel way to be wary of others, and as she notes both the familiar scent and how his ears held a delicate point to them as well, she knows that he, too, was fae."Well, the sun's still up... So, I suppose it could be worse", she answers almost carefully, thoughtfully. Casting her gaze up to the sun for only a moment, the fae woman can see that there were still a few hours of bright daylight left before she had to start genuinely worrying. His next words have her almost surprised. When was the last time she'd been in the presence of a stranger? Three years, perhaps longer? The fae man didn't seem dangerous... but then again, neither had Cas at first. And yet, as baby blues watch the unfamiliar face before her, she can't seem to find a good reason to deny him."Sure", she replies softly. Lani tries not to let her uncertainty and timidity show, instead looking back out to the crashing waves. For a moment, she doesn't know what to say to the fae man beside her.

"So... what brings you out to the beach?", she asks then, keeping her eyes upon the ocean, deciding that her askance as neutral enough that it could either be given a simple answer and leave the two of them simply standing in silence for however long he chose to linger or perhaps lead to some sort of casual conversation. That she left for him to decide.