Txelu had not asked his question out of mere conversation. He wanted to learn more about her, and the answer she gave was both predictable and not. In a way, he could understand the feelings she voiced, because times had passed when he had felt oppressed and chained and unhappy too.
Somethings are so much the same.
Butterflies were for girls, though. And sentimental longings too.
When Xanth refused Ella's offer, the nymph bowed her thanks.
“I will definitely do my best, ma'am,” she promised, clutching her gift lovingly. She waved good-bye as the blonde-haired woman dashed away into the crowd.
The two watched until her figure had disappeared, and she seemed a bit less mysterious yet so much more mysterious than before, at least to Txelu, who was filled with wonder at this point.
Ella finally broke the silence.
“What a curious person,” she noted quietly.
“To be honest, I really wanted to ask for her name, but it didn't feel appropriate.”
Txelu smiled.
“Do you want to know something then, Ella?”
She stood on her tippy toes as the vampire leaned past the counter to whisper in her ear, a top secret exchange.
A moment--
Ella gasped.
“What? Really! ...I--I had no idea! ....Oh, I wish we had spoken longer.” She stared off into the distance.
“Thank you, thank you!”
To that, Txelu laughed freely and got off the counter on which he had been leaning. A crisp breeze stirred their hair.
“You know, Ella, you're such a good girl, and she knows it.”
She grabbed a ball and threw it at him before spinning to help another customer, but he didn't miss the bright grin that lit her face. Bouncing the handcarved sphere in his hand, Txelu began walking off - it was still his break time, after all, and he felt like exploring. Actually, he felt like a lot of things.
So what else is in store today?
(( I'm fine with ending here. Thanks for the great thread, Ems!
))