The formal phrasing of his speech brought her quickly back to her senses, and though she felt an inclination to move closer still and stand beside the man, revel in this unexpected kinship... Maea lingered where she was. Out of reach, out of touch, unconnected. Some things would never change, after all.
"No" she replied, and regretted it. Having to disappoint him, not being who he had searched for. "I've always been here. Though you haven't, I'm sure I would have known..." Those who were different always stood out after all, one way or another. In a society as small as this anything different would be strange, frightening, to be viewed with suspicion or rather not at all.
Come to think of it though, the silhouette of this person might not be entirely unfamiliar. Had she not seen him when the Sparkbird arrived? There had been so many people around, and the light of the bird so blinding, but she had seen something pale in the midst of a huddle of others back then... Perhaps the Outlanders were less intolerant of the unusual, or simply so numb to everything by now that white hair and colorless eyes ceased to be a big deal.
And yet, and yet. To her it was not so easily shrugged away, because the very existance of this tall, whiteclad stranger was like a ray of light to her. How very strange, that something so trivial as haircolor could make her want to get to know someone. It seemed petty and whimsical even to her, but at this point Maea would have leaped at any excuse.
"Who is Edy?" she asked, while inching closer. The little creature that balanced on his shoulder was a blur of white on white to her poor vision, and she strained her eyes to try and make out what it was. Not a cat, nor a ferret... and was that wings?
"No" she replied, and regretted it. Having to disappoint him, not being who he had searched for. "I've always been here. Though you haven't, I'm sure I would have known..." Those who were different always stood out after all, one way or another. In a society as small as this anything different would be strange, frightening, to be viewed with suspicion or rather not at all.
Come to think of it though, the silhouette of this person might not be entirely unfamiliar. Had she not seen him when the Sparkbird arrived? There had been so many people around, and the light of the bird so blinding, but she had seen something pale in the midst of a huddle of others back then... Perhaps the Outlanders were less intolerant of the unusual, or simply so numb to everything by now that white hair and colorless eyes ceased to be a big deal.
And yet, and yet. To her it was not so easily shrugged away, because the very existance of this tall, whiteclad stranger was like a ray of light to her. How very strange, that something so trivial as haircolor could make her want to get to know someone. It seemed petty and whimsical even to her, but at this point Maea would have leaped at any excuse.
"Who is Edy?" she asked, while inching closer. The little creature that balanced on his shoulder was a blur of white on white to her poor vision, and she strained her eyes to try and make out what it was. Not a cat, nor a ferret... and was that wings?
