xxxSnow, it was something see had never once scene before, at least, not until now, when it's blanket of white was almost all she saw of their surroundings, along with the grayness of the rocks beneath that managed to peak out from it's covering. It was mesmerizing in a way she only noticed through some hidden part of her mind as the rest of her was frozen at the sight of the man before her, like thousands of crystals had been ground into fine, powdery dust, and they each sparkled in the light of the sun, or all of the millions of stars clustered together in the sky, each brightly showing their light. It was beautiful, entrancing, dangerous, viciously cold, and yet she could feel none of it's threats to freeze, not while her world had become just a single man that stole the breath from her lungs and the words from her tongue, and pulled her in in her entirety, to focus on him. She should have noticed the cold surrounding her, the nipping chill, but she couldn't, not when for reasons she could not explain, she, and her world had frozen at the sight of the prince. She had seen many things, truly, horrible things that would make many lose their ability to form words and run, but she had never lost her words before, not even then. Nothing had ever made her freeze as she spoke, and never before had someone felt so inexplicably special, an different to her before, and not because of the reasons that should have been obvious. T'Challa had rendered her frozen, when it was meant to be the snow that would freeze her, and she could not even begin to explain why. The snow should have captured her attention, something she had never before seen, but it hadn't, and instead it was a handsome man who had claimed her gaze, when truly, it should have been the world of ice around her, and the increasing cold, especially, since she was very underdressed for a being who's kin had adapted to being cold to survive the warmth of their home, rather than being warm to survive the cold.
xxxThe Forest of Losmealia didn't get snow, it had never been cold enough for the water to freeze but many thousands of years ago, in the times of Shrelen and before, snow had been the elves' world; it had been all they knew. Freezing snow, powerful dragons, and the trees. Their home then, had been the lower half of Losmealia, below the Vaas River where there used to be a luscious forest, always shrouded in deep snow. Back then their skin had been white, a true white, exactly like the snow, with shades of red violet hues and those of blue to shade their skin. The Ancient Elves had camouflaged well, and their city in the winter forest had flourished well for thousands of years until it's end, and everything about them began to change when a dragon claimed the land in his tyranny and an elf they all thought had been lost returned with a special friend, their first two saviors. That home was now long gone however, left in ruined rumble of destroyed land, burned too many times by fire, by the dragons that had forced them to live in terror. There were rumors that there were humans beginning to settle it again, though she doubted their validity. They could not survive lifeless earth; they would need magic to breath life into it again, and a human learning to use their magic without the guidance of one already fluent in it's tricky ways was far too rare for that possibility to likely ever come to pass. The elves had abandoned it, and it would be very wise that the humans did too; that land was intrinsic with a time that brought nothing but sorrow, terror, and fear, and it was best that it be left to stay that way until the earth reclaimed it in thousands of years, lest it risk corrupting those who stayed far too long in it's burned, ruined midst. Very few things were left from that time, most purposely forgotten. All they had was the shambles of the language twined with their spells for them to slowly piece back together, and the memories and pain of a time that seemed to refuse to be forgotten, along with a god that still incited fear, even after his mortal end. There were a few other things, but they were very few, and much harder to find. The color of her hair happened to be one of the few things still left behind, though admittedly, hers was a bit blonder than all those who had worn the color of silvery white hair before her. Theirs was a stark as the white winter snow, as it had been in the time of the Ancient Elves, while hers contained the faintest of blonde hues, and had the appearance of being blonde in many certain lights. It wasn't blonde though, not quite; it was still white, very white, to the elves at least, and not at all blonde enough to be considered the fairly uncommon hair color amongst elves that was blonde. Regardless of how hers was closer to an off-white technically though, it was still considered white amongst her kin, a color that was so very rare, rivaled only by red in how rarely it appears, and now, a color that now only appeared in those descended from royalty. She however, was descended from the brother of Suiledir's father, Lord Iothormen, who's name had long since been lost to time, rather than the royal line, though that did have her close to royal, in a way. Should anything befall Los' line, and there were none left or able to take the throne, then the responsibility of ruling would fall to her, because Los would recognize the bloodline of the one she loved most, and the forest needed to have a descendent of Los, or in an emergency, a descendent of Iothormen's family, on the throne to rule to survive. Should anything happen to the forest, they would be the first to know, to feel the forest's pain, and they would be able to stop it in time, and by the time others felt it, it would be too late. That was why she would often hide her hair and features with her cloak's hood, and sneak away to the tavern's at night to hear the stories told within. If she went with nothing to hide herself, then no one would treat her genuinely as they did while she was doing her job as a healer; she had learned that the hard way. It was also part of why she so highly valued Rashka as a friend; the wolf never cared about any of that, or treated her any different because of who she was. Her reasons were genuine, true, and kind, and their bond was because they had grown together as close friend, and neither had ever truly known what life was like without the other right at their side, or near by to experience it, like Rashka was now, as she pulled herself out of her odd freeze and back into reality, and the wolf took it upon herself to turn the two other men into her newest friend. She seemed quite lively, livelier than normal, and if she paused a moment to think, it made a lot of sense. Heat and humidity could make things sluggish and tired, and sometimes a splash of cold could force the senses to wake, sharpened and alert, and ready after the sudden, cold attack. For Rashka, the snow and the cold that surrounded them was probably quite refreshing, especially after spending all of her years thus far in a warm forest that was never cold enough for snow or even dustings of frost, with her coat of thick, fluffy fur. She wasn't sure that the wolf had even yet recognized the presence of a colder temperature yet though; she seemed far too excited by all the new people to meet and faces to greet, and more than a little curious of their new surroundings, and a world she had never before imagined or seen.
xxxThere was a smile upon his lips as she spoke, hurriedly flooding the air with rushed apologies. It was a wonderful smile, no matter how small it was, and it was lovely to see upon his features. She so hoped that she would get to see it much more, and that it wasn't a rare occurrence she would have to be lucky enough to see. His smile made a grin want to form upon her own lips, and it filled her with a feeling that she couldn't quite describe, unlike anything she had ever felt before. Did that mean she hadn't ruined this already? That it would be alright? That nothing was terribly wrong? He gave no reply after she offered to repair his suit if the wolf had damaged it, so did that mean he, and his lovely tailored suit were fine? She found herself caught frozen in his presence once again as her eyes searched his features for a more definite answer, something invisible, something she couldn't explain holding her there, holding her still, and guiding her to get lost in his deep eyes, eyes that seemed to carry a weight and depth behind them that she could only hope to one day unlock the key to. When the man's eyes, his deep, beautiful, entrancing eyes tore themselves away from her, and he held up a hand, her gaze swiftly turned to follow his own, and she gave a jolt of surprise at the sight she had been greeted with. The woman she had seen before was standing to the side of her spear raised in a defensive manner. She swallowed. Her eyes flickered briefly back to T'Challa as he began to speak, her ears twitching at the use of a language she did not know, before they returned cautiously to the woman. She responded skeptically, which was understandable, and Celesse hoped that she had not upset her, or done something horrible, or put someone in danger. The woman- Okoye if she was correct in guessing that was her name from the words the prince had spoken- reminded her quite a bit of Heiley's grandmother, except Okoye, appeared to actually have a good heart, and not one corruption by foul dreams of power and envy and dark ambitions. Gwaeliel sought to place her daughter, Heiley's mother upon the throne, so she could rule after her father had given their crown away on a deal that would return it to their hands long after she had gone, while this woman seemed to only seek to protect the Prince. It made her feel assured in an odd way, to know that this man had such a fierce protector. Her gaze returned to him when she caught a movement again, that of his hand pushing forward lightly in a gesture she assumed to be of authority, and at the movement the woman gave a nod of her head, and lowered her weapon. Celesse couldn't help but let out a soft sigh of relief at that, and gave one final glance to Okoye before her attention fully returned to the prince. It seemed his had retuned to her as well, because he began to speak as soon as his eyes shifted back to her. She hadn't been able to truly appreciate it while she had been processing the surprising sight of a spear aimed at her, but his voice was just as lovely as he so far seemed to be, with an accent that she could easily say she loved, although the words he spoke sent a deep rose springing to her cheeks, and she gave a rather sheepish nod after he told her there was no need for that where they were, her cheeks only darkening. She would have begun to worry she had messed something up again if it wasn't for the softness in his expression. His eyes lingered on her a moment as he seemed to try and reassure her, before he motioned to Okoye, and her expression instantly softened. He didn't at all have to apologize for the caution, and her heart warmed at the fact that he had. It was fine, she understood it and the reasons for it completely, and took no offense to it, or anything similar. She knew that while Loki and Princess Heiley were well loved and praised within the Forest of Los, they were much less so here, especially Loki, who before meeting her, had destroyed much of one of their cities and caused an alien invasion that the man of iron had to stop. Anything involving those two on this planet, would likely be treated with a great deal of apprehension and even greater caution, and she was more closely connected to them that most, and along with that, part of her job as a healer was to get inside others' minds, to ease them, calm them, and to be with them in death so they did not go alone, and to someone on this planet, she imagined someone getting inside their head, no matter how benevolent the intention, was a terrifying prospect. Elves could force their way inside someone's mine and take control or kill them from within, they were experts at navigating through all parts of the mind, and some could even proficient enough to reach several at a time, and while entering someone's mind past brushing consciousnesses, or hovering in front of the mental gates that barred entrance to their mind, without their permission was strictly forbidden and the worst crime anyone could commit, it wouldn't stop people from worrying; she knew that. She was here to help the Captain's friend heal from the horrors he had been through, to help bring his memories back, and remove the dangerous triggers from his mind, for all they knew, she would get into their heads too. They didn't know her well enough yet to know that she would never do such a thing; she would never force her way into their conscious without their express permission first, and she would never mean them any harm. They didn't know that yet though, and what with Rashka having practically pouncing on the future Wakandan King, she could perfectly understand why the woman had been pointing her spear. She also knew that the elves would have done exactly the same, had their positions been reversed, though the elves also likely wouldn't have raised a hand and spoken them down; they were a bit more suspicious of outsiders, and even more protective of their forest; those not from it weren't even allowed to be within the forest for a single moment without an assigned guide, to assure everyone's safety. His caution was absolutely nothing to apologize for
xxxBefore she could do much more than open her mouth to begin a reply, to assure him that it was more than alright, and that she understood, however, the Captain walked over to them, stepping forward p, and offered his hand. She paused at that, the action catching her off guard. Was she meant to take it, shake it? Was this their way of introduction and or greeting here? Amongst the elves it was usually a respectful dip of the head, or gently touching noses in the platonic way it was done, and with the more royal elves, there was usually a kissing of the hand. Occasionally there would be kissing cheeks, but such a gesture tended to be reserved for their loved one, as to the elves, it was considered a sign of deep love and affection. Celesse regarded the outstretched hand with a mixture of curiosity and caution for a moment more, before gingerly taking his offered hand. She had heard of the custom of shaking hands before, was this what it was? She turned her attention back to him, as he began speaking and introducing himself, and offered a small smile in return, one that only widened when he finished, and T'Challa gave a nod, adding that they were grateful. She could feel her heart warm at that again, and her expression softened even more, into something sincere. "It's no trouble, I assure you. I want to be here, to help, truly, and we will always be happy to aid our friends on Earth, especially those of the Captain, our Princess speaks especially highly of you," Celesse assured, casting her gaze on them both, and then allowing her blue gaze to flicker fully to T'Challa. "as I'm sure she would of you as well, if she had met you." Celesse added softly, hoping that he especially knew that it truly was no trouble. She was a healer, it was who she was at her heart, at her core, at her soul. She of course hated to see people hurt, but helping them get better and healing their wounds, mental and physical, was what she loved to do. When becoming a healer she took an oath to ignore no injured soul that needed aid, no matter who they were or what they had done, and she was not going to turn down helping someone just because they were stars away. The Captain's friend had gone through more than she could even begin to imagine, and minds were suck tricky things. She had been told that his memory had been wiped, erased, but had begun to return when he saw his childhood friend Steve, the one who had meant the most to him in the entire world, that would take more than technology to fix; technology couldn't weave into his mind, and untangle the webs that held his memories back, and break the connections of the triggers those monsters had left in, or at least, she strongly doubted that it could do so as well as an elf. It would take time, but she didn't mind it at all, and with the technology of Wakanda and the magic she possessed working together, she hoped that the soldier would be alright again, and no longer afraid of his own mind, and himself. One's mind was their only true sanctuary, and to be scared of it, to feel trapped by it, could only be a nightmare that never ceased, a hell that rose above it's depths, something that no soul should ever have to feel. She wanted nothing more than to help however she could, to help him heal and recover from the horrors he had been through, that he would hopefully soon never have to live through again. He seemed like a good man, a man with such a truly good heart; he didn't at all deserve the fates he had been handed, and she wanted to help to help him however she could. She sent Steve another reassuring glance then; she knew how much this all meant to him, it was something she could feel, even without seeing his aura, and she hoped that it would help to ease the worries that undoubtedly plagued at his mind. She wished she could send him some feelings of reassurance, something to help him calm, but she knew now was not the time, for a plethora of reasons. She was sure that the Captain had already felt Heiley's presence in his mind, and knew about it it all and what it felt like, but she had not yet asked him permission if she could enter to help ease him, and now certainly wasn't the time for that either. Thankfully, before she could get too wrapped up in that, the prince spoke again, introducing himself this time, and she couldn't help but respond with a smile. "It is wonderful to meet you, T'Challa." Celesse told him, her smile growing a small bit as she spoke. She had already figured out that it was him, and that he was the prince, but she liked hearing his voice again, and it truly was beyond wonderful to meet him, and the others as well, but there was something especially special about T'Challa that she couldn't shake. That feeling of how special he truly was only seemed to increase when he spoke again, expressing that he hoped she had had a safe and comfortable journey, and then asking if she would like to join them now. She gave a nod to that, and straightened, and another more absentminded nod as he continued to say that hey had a long journey ahead of them. She had never really been on a long journey before, or really any journey at all, so she was curious as to what that would be like, and if she would get to spend it talking with T'Challa, if he of course warned that as well, because she would never want to force him into something. Celesse watched as his eyes trailed down to Rashka, who had returned somewhat near to her, as the wolf sniffed the ground near T'Challa's feet before looking up at him with her tail wagging. She couldn't help but smile at that, and then feel the grin grow as the man assured her that there would be plenty of room for her dear wolf friend. "I'm glad there will be, I wouldn't want anyone to be uncomfortable at being stuck too closely to her." Celesse glanced to Rashka again, who had already returned her snout to the ground, and then returned her blue gaze to settle on T'Challa. He smiled again, genuinely, though she noticed it was weighed by an exhaustion, and her expression fell to one of concern, with light eyebrows knitting together. She was reminded of the reason she was here then, and all of the things he, and the two other men, had gone through. Her instinct was to reach out with her mind, and ask if he was okay, and if he minded her sending him some energy, or strength, but she held herself back; she had just arrived, and he barely knew her, and magic, and entering his mind, were not things to jump into, or do without his consent, and there was not enough time for that now when they had somewhere to be, and he likely wanted to get out of the biting cold that was at least starting to nip at her skin. Before the nipping cold could really sink in it's bite however, his pleasant voice returned, and her heart swelled at the words. She had been worried about bringing Rashka here, if she would be accepted, or even allowed to come with her, and he had just eased them all within a few moments, and within the kind things he had said before. She would not take advantage of that kindness though, and she would make sure that Rashka didn't either. She sent him a warm smile, and then turned her gaze fondly to the large wolf, who was pawing at a small rock, sticking above the rest that was frozen to the ground, her claws scraping the ground around it, and leaving grooving marks to show where her sharp claws had been. Her blue eyes flickered back to T'Challa. "I am glad of that as well, and beyond grateful, and again, I do promise that she will be on her best behavior, and not harm a soul. She can help with things too, if she must earn her keep, or is causing trouble and needs to be kept busy. She gives elflings rides in the forest often, but I have a feeling that would not be received well here, at least for awhile." Celesse promised again, her cheeks beginning to heat up again at the end of her words. Now that she had had a few minutes to recover since arriving, and all seemed to be all right, it was much easier to speak, and she felt far more at ease. It also wasn't hard to feel safe and relaxed around the prince either; she trusted him completely, and with no other elves around, it was a relief to let up on the constant guarding of her mind. Of course, she unfortunately could never quite let that guard go. Due to her not being a full elf, with a human grandparent, her magic, like that of her Uncle Quig's, had been heightened above that of the average elf- when an elf had human parentage, their magic was either stronger than normal, or far weaker than normal, and her family, had a tendency to be stronger; it all depended on when they were first able to see auras-, and if she did not always have some control over it, her mind would reach out and she would hear things she was not meant to hear, and enter minds she was not meant to enter, and she never wanted to violate someone's thoughts and privacy like that now that she could. It had happened so often when she was little, too small to even realize what was going on or do anything to stop the thoughts that were not her own from coming into her head. It had been scary as a small child, and she had heard so many things that she was never meant to, and if she was able to prevent it, she wanted to, especially now that she was here, with three men and a woman, who had never had the proper training to guard their minds. She didn't want to do that to any of them, none of them should have to go through that.
xxxA moment seemed to pass, and then the prince gave a motion for their group to enter. Once she noticed that they had begun entering the Wakandan aircraft, Rashka swiftly returned to Celesse's side, and the young she-elf pressed her fingers to the wolf's soft side, her hand moving in symbols against her fur, a sign language of sorts that contained trained commands telling her to be careful and to behave, and to not touch anything she shouldn't. Celesse could tell that the wolf wanted to leap ahead and explore, but she was heeding her commands carefully for the moment at least, and for that she was more than a little relieved; a giant wolf bounding into a very unknown ship without her there to stop her was not something she at all wanted to encounter. Almost instantaneously after they had all entered the aircraft though with T'Challa and Okoye entering last beside each other, Rashka pulled away from her side and bounded forward to press her nose into the odd, seemingly magical projected map and diagram- she believed that it was called a hologram, this one being more physical, and not like an illusion that was only there and present in sight- of the winter ground below, and appeared to be very surprised and confused when her snout did not go through the environment's projected edge, and instead bumped into something hard, her head tilting and sniffing at it more than a few times. It was above a sleek looking table, of a very odd design and style she had never seen before, and the hologram seem to mesh well with it. The elves could do something similar in their own way with illusions, and they could use magic to create things so small, or identical, detailed replicas of much larger things; she had even seen a much older woman who's dark hair had turned gray, weave a tiny ship, with even the tiniest parts included, out of grass with the most beautiful magic, and then breathe life into if with a simple spell, and bring it truly to life with a mere push toward the sky sending it sailing through the air and upwards to the clouds and canopy of ancient tree leaves, all while she had been in the healer's hut, and fading from age, but it was nothing like what she saw before her, which was so incredibly new in every way. The elves had never had a need or use for such a thing, as they could almost always see their surroundings no matter the thickness between, as long as some form of life was continued within, but this technology intrigued her greatly nonetheless, and she wanted to know more about what it was, as she did with all of the unfamiliar pieces of technology she had seen thus far, and all that she would see. Now was not the time for that though, that could come later, after she had been there awhile, and earned their trust. At least until then, she could admire the marvels they had created, and learn what she could until there was enough trust in place to be told. Slowly, her eyes rose from the miniature imitation of the landscape beneath, and when she looked past the hologram that resided on the odd looking table only a few feet high, she noticed the rest of the craft, and took a moment to take it all in, her blue eyes scanning the unfamiliar world surrounding her of metals and power. All of it was very sleek and open, and modern in design, and certainly incredibly very futuristic. It wasn't anything at all like the elves had or ever would create, although that didn't at all make it unpleasant, it instead made her even more curious. The elves preferred smaller spaces, filled neatly and cleanly with things, a warm and welcoming feel, with many plants and critters around, and this aircraft, which she now realized was shaped like a spearhead, was almost exactly the opposite as to what she was used to. It was closer to the healer's hut or the throne room than anything else, where they were empty and clean, and without many items within unless they were needed. Beneath the map and it's table, there was a design that looked geometric, or something similar to it, yet another thing the elves certainly didn't have. There were what she assumed to be called screens towards the front on either side, with chairs before them, and she couldn't even begin to guess what they would do. It was all very new, none of it was familiar, and a device to fly was most certainly not. The elves didn't exactly have the best experiences with the creatures that rules the skies with fire in their breaths, and none of them, except for an odd few, had ever desired to soar the skies. They would much rather keep their feet upon what was anchored to the ground, with their plants, and their trees. There looked to be a raised bench lining the side of the aircraft, slightly raised to the height of a seat, that appeared to be where passengers were meant to sit. She didn't know quite what to call it, as the elves had nothing even remotely similar that could possesses a similar or matching name. The closest thing she could think of was a bench that had been sung from the side of a tree, or perhaps even a counter, that would hug the walls of the curving tree. She knew that most certainly wasn't what it would be called though. It seemed to be made of interesting woods, with rings that were much brighter than the rest, and there were cushions on the very edge, and higher up on the matching backing. Above there were horizontal white lights between matching panels of the same wood that appeared to wrap around the entirety of the shop, stopping at the window in the front. Rashka had already hopped up on a seat, and then back down, and was not eagerly watching Okoye as she was quick to take a seat at the very front. It seemed as if she was going to be the one to pilot them home. She seemed to do something to cause the doors to close, but not before looking giving another hesitant look to the white wolf, who merely wagged her tail happily in response. She took a step further into the aircraft, and turned her attention to T'Challa, just as he seemed to look to her. It was hard to keep the blush from creeping up onto her cheeks. She wasn't quite sure what to do when he told her to make herself comfortable, as she did not want to touch anything and risk damaging something, but when he continued on to say that it would be a few hours before they reached Wakanda, she bit the inside of her lip, and folded her arms. She sat down on the bench rimming the aircraft carefully closer to it's edge than where most people would likely sit, her form a bit stiff and awkward, and her mind very unsure as to is this was okay of her to do. She hoped that it would be alright, and that she hadn't just done something to greatly upset or offend them all. Celesse shifted slightly, her legs close together, knees bent, and angled slightly to the side, because she was just the tiniest bit too tall to sit on the bench comfortably with her legs stationed directly in front of her without stretching them out a bit, which she had never been fond of doing. She felt too exposed in a way when she did that, and that feeling only seemed to intensify now as she wore clothes she didn't really feel comfortable in, and was surrounded by others she did not know. Of course, she could just sit further back on the seat, but somehow that felt worse to her. She could also sit with her knees pulled up to her chest, but it seemed a bit rude to put boots on someone else's seat cushion. That was a pose that closed her off, and she did not want to give these people the impression that she was blocking them out, or not open to them. She stayed silent for a moments then, biting her lip, before turning to him again, eyes sincere, and her posture a bit more relaxed than it had been before, as her mind returned to his apology, and how she had never gotten the chance to say that it wasn't necessary, and that it was alright. She shifted to look at him better, and then took a gentle breath, relaxing even more. "Your apology for the caution, earlier, it's- it's alright, you needn't apologize for it. I understand it completely; I know Princess Heiley, and her husband, Loki, are not exactly seen well here, and Rashka didn't quite, well," Celesse's cheeks had heated up then, and she gave a soft, quiet cough, as if she were clearing her throat. "give you a normal greeting. I'm also here to use my magic, and help remove awful things from Bucky's mind, which I'm sure will spark much more caution and uncertainty, if not fear or worry. If there is anything I can do, to ease it, or questions I can answer, I will happily do them, and answer all that I can, the last thing I want is for anyone to be uncomfortable with me being here, or afraid." Celesse assured softly. She hoped that he could hear how sincere she was, and that she hadn't instead made things awkward or anything like that. She just really didn't want him to worry that he had offended her, or that he would offend her in the future with more precautions, especially if they involved Rashka, because she had not at all been something they could have possibly predicted showing up from that blinding light that took her here. Rashka. Rashka. Her head turned almost a bit too quickly to find her, and when she spotted the wolf she let out a soft sigh. She reached out with her mind, calling the beast back to her side when she noticed the rather large wolf getting a a little too close to Okoye while she was in a position, one not unlike meditation, that she was almost certain required focus, and likely a delicate and careful touch with nothing like a cold, wet dog nose to the side as Celesse had been speaking with the prince. Rashka returned to her within the moment, sitting before her and a bit to the side, tongue lolling as she panted happily, her tail hitting the young elf's boots and dusting the floor below while her hands weaved their way into the soft fur on either side of her shoulders, gently holding her close. The wolf was about the same height as she was while sitting on the bench, but she was quite used to that being the case; they often sat like this together, and it was nice to have a large, fluffy wolf right there to hug and bury her face into after a draining day of healing, though she wasn't going to do that here.
xxxAgain Celesse fell silent for some moments, sitting still, just thoughtfully running her slender fingers softly through Rashka's fur, before turning to the man again, some question clearly pressing at her mind that just couldn't wait to come out. "Could, could I ask what language you were speaking before, though? And is there anything I should or shouldn't do when we arrive? I do not wish to offend anyone." Celesse questioned a bit sheepishly after a moment of gathering courage, her blue eyes searching his dark ones. There really was something special about him, there truly, truly was, and she so wished that she could explain what this was, and why whenever she looked at him, he felt so very different, yet beyond incredible, and so very special all the same.