Elizabeth
Elizabeth watched as Maea gathered up her investigation papers, looking very much like a squirrel trying to gather its nuts. It wasn't necessarily a funny sight as it was an interesting observation. Was she hiding from Elizabeth, or her own emotions? Was the investigation a deflection or a distraction? She was tempted to write a few notes, already trying to understand how the Ancient's thoughts processed.
But she resisted, laughing politely at the question. "Not at all. The Hollowed Grounds is quite easy to access." Giving Maea a reassuring smile, she asked, "How about the beginning of next week?" She pulled out a pen and elegantly wrote her address on a strip of paper before offering it in a slide across the wooden table. "You can send me a specific time and place of your choosing. I'll be there." The ball would be entirely in Maea's court. She could change her mind at any point or change the intimacy level of their meeting. It would be up to her.
Leaning back into her chair, she took another sip of wine, letting the gesture indicate her intentions to stay a little longer. She hadn't yet completed her observations of the other patrons and she wanted some time to prepare for her new client. A warm, light smile played across her face. "Thank you for inviting me to your table, Maea. I would have regretted not getting to meet you tonight. I hope we can meet again soon." It wasn't a dismissal, but a pleasant observation with aspirations for future interactions.
But she resisted, laughing politely at the question. "Not at all. The Hollowed Grounds is quite easy to access." Giving Maea a reassuring smile, she asked, "How about the beginning of next week?" She pulled out a pen and elegantly wrote her address on a strip of paper before offering it in a slide across the wooden table. "You can send me a specific time and place of your choosing. I'll be there." The ball would be entirely in Maea's court. She could change her mind at any point or change the intimacy level of their meeting. It would be up to her.
Leaning back into her chair, she took another sip of wine, letting the gesture indicate her intentions to stay a little longer. She hadn't yet completed her observations of the other patrons and she wanted some time to prepare for her new client. A warm, light smile played across her face. "Thank you for inviting me to your table, Maea. I would have regretted not getting to meet you tonight. I hope we can meet again soon." It wasn't a dismissal, but a pleasant observation with aspirations for future interactions.
Every adversity,
every failure,
every heartache
carries with it
the seed of equal or greater benefit.
every failure,
every heartache
carries with it
the seed of equal or greater benefit.
