It as like she could almost see the end of the tunnel, all this long nights and even longer days slowly yet steadily bringing her one more day closer to that sweet freedom she could only just now begin to taste. Just a few more days... and finals will be over. Yes, it was beginning to actually take the certainly ment and near physical effort from that self-encouragement on part of that bright little voice in Elain as the young woman dredged almost painfully through those seemingly endless studies only to tackle yet another one of her exams. Normally, it was easy for her to simply sit down in the comforts of her townhouse, either in her room at her desk or on the loveseat in the living room if she decided to stay up and wait for Lazarus to come home from his late-night escapades, book in hand as she ventured through those college books to pull from the pages everything she believed she would need. Then, she would wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, take her shower, get dressed, and take her newest bus route to the university and look forward conquering yet another of those tedious course exams all of the university's study body was fighting a metaphorical battle against. Anyone who knew Elain, even just from a few casual encounters, would know that the young woman was never the sort that tired from her bright and hopeful disposition, no matter how cold and distant the world around her and those in it wanted to be. She would always look for the light in every scenario, in every soul that those glacier blue eyes would be set upon by mere coincidence as it was hardly ever an intention of hers to bump into those that she did.

Elain was... perhaps too kind. She would smile at the people walking past her on the streets, some even accidentally bumping into her shoulders on a handful of occasions, but the number of smiles the honey-blonde woman would earn in return for that terribly small act of warmth and kindness was admittedly so small that she could usually count them on one hand. Most people might have been jaded by now from all those failed attempts at being kind towards complete strangers with a simple "hello" or "how are you?", perhaps even just holding a door open for someone with arms full of groceries or boxes or whatever it was they were hurriedly juggling. Ever since moving here to this city with her big brother, she had been quick to notice that a vast majority of individuals moved through the crowded streets bundled into their scarves with their eyes on the pavement in front of them without so much as casting a glance at those they walked by. It had been perhaps the hardest thing for Elain to learn to cope with, and even then she refused to simply stop being kind or warm because the "fast lane" city-goers wouldn't return her easy compliments she could give to each and every being or offer her even a half-hearted smile in return. She believed that in this world of give and take, too many people these days were too focused on the "taking" part instead of the "giving". This world needed love more than ever these days, and she was bound and determined to continue each and every day to try and make at least one other person's day just a tiny bit brighter. Yet, she was finding that it was seemingly easier to try and bring a little more love into this distant city than it was to keep up that chipper attitude towards this never-ending downpour of hours spent in a classroom working through yet another test that would reflect upon the future she tirelessly pursued.

She was fairly certain that Ludo didn't even begin to fully understand just how much those oatmeal sugar cookies in the morning right before class were beginning to mean to the young woman. Ever since stopping by that new bakery in Sacrosanct one afternoon after those grueling classes had finally reached a conclusion for the day, Elain had hardly been able to stay away from The Bakery. No, it wasn't the most prettily named establishment ever, so many places bestowed catchy names that left a lasting impression and forced itself to stand put amidst its competition. The Bakery hardly needed a flashy name, though, the baked treats inside speaking entirely for themselves and the many treasures within. Then again, maybe it wasn't just those delicious and freshly baked cookies that the drew the honey-blonde woman into its doors every early morning, Elain getting up even before the sun would rise over those distant peaks far beyond the city limits and just barely visible from the second story of her home in Hawthorne Village so that she could be one of the first to walk into The Bakery when Taliah and Ludo would open their doors to the public. There was no doubt that she absolutely loved the baked goods they made, those oatmeal sugar cookies serving at that saving grace she needed to power through her first classes in the morning, but what really made everything worth trekking through was the Italian man's smile. It was unlike anything she had yet to see here in Sacrosanct. It was warmth and genuine in this otherwise aloof and muted place that appeared to be stuck on fast-forward. She knew that Ludo felt the same strangely cold isolation and loneliness in a sea of strangers like she did, and perhaps that was why the two of them had hit it off immediately, why it was that Elain couldn't help but love the way that his smile reached his eyes for more than just near flawless customer service.

Having decided to walk this morning instead of rising the bus, long and silken honey-blonde hair laced into a French braid that fell over her right shoulder while the strap of her navy blue messenger back was slung over her left, she takes another bite of her warm and softly baked cookie, the other hand tucked cozily into the pocket of that pale-yellow hoodie she favored despite never having the hood drawn over her head even when it rained. She'd only just left Inner Sanctum moments ago, having stopped within that busy and infamous café to see if Beylani was around with no luck, decidedly grabbing a caramel white mocha with whipped cream before resuming her journey that would inevitably lead her to the university, moving through the streets yet to become as crowded as they would here in the next few hours. Turning onto B street, taking another delighted sip of that hot coffee that further warded off the winter morning chill that nipped at her face and colored her cheeks a gentle flushed hue, she sighs happily as she moves with those easy and calm strides, knowing by now that she had more than enough time to be one of the first in her Shakespeare class to arrive with these ever earlier starts to just another Tuesday. And so, she takes her time as she examines the stores that lined the southeastern side of the city and makes mental notes of their names while silently marking several of them as places she would need to explore on one of her weekend days that she wasn't spending indoors going over those books filled to the brim with things she would need to learn. There is a soft smile that dances on her lips for no reason beyond the simple fact that it was just how Elain was, ever bright and warm as she would greet any that might make eye contact for even just a fleeting second. Suddenly, those keen icy blue eyes spot a sudden disturbance a small distance ahead, a handful of people quickly veering to the side not too unlike how a gently flowing river would move around a boulder in its path as they sought to avoid something - or rather, someone.

When the crowd ahead parts, Elain's pace quickening as she peered through the moving bodies, she discovered a woman who had tripped and fallen, the rich aroma of black coffee splattered across the icy pavement hitting against those ever so sharpened senses of the young woman. She hurries over to the nameless stranger now, eyes of early morning frost bright with concern."Oh my gosh! Are you okay?", She exclaims softly to the woman with beautifully flowing chestnut hair then as Elain bends over to offer her free hand if the woman wanted help standing back up. It still surprises her how so many people walked by them and no one even bothered to give them a look of even just the smallest sliver of concern or stopped to ask briefly if the two women were alright. Back in Fairfield, at least one person would have stopped to help the unknown woman."The pavement sure is slick this morning", Elain says as the woman slowly collects herself, the honey-blonde woman quickly studying the petite creature before her for any bad cuts or scrapes, only satisfied when it didn't seem that she was hurt too badly from that fall she'd taken."I couldn't tell you just how many times I've slipped and fallen right on my butt because of the ice. I'm sorry about your coffee, though", came the bright voice of the young woman once again at first before her second string of words soften sympathetically before gesturing to the spilled drink as she offers a gentle and warm smile to the stranger she finds herself standing with, people walking around them as they stood there in the center of the sidewalk."Oh, I'm Elain, by the way. But you can call me Ellie. I can take you to this cute little coffee shop just around the block from here if you'd like", she adds quickly, that warm smile growing ever more radiant as she gives the woman her name and extends her offer to help the woman replace her coffee, waiting patiently with bright icu blue eyes watching the stranger that no one had cared to stop and help up, wondering if just maybe she might be different from the rest of the less than friendly faces that moved around them.