[ his answer initially makes her chest ache more than it has any right to. it's not as though he isn't right. it's real but it's not. his place is with his family, fighting a shadow war, and her place now is in teleios. being here really doesn't change that. she won't even remember any of this once the door opens and then closes behind her.

elena's gaze lowers down to the water again, for a moment.

suddenly it feels silly, having asked him out here in the first place, but she is very deliberately not accessing any of these thoughts. she knows he wouldn't read her mind without permission, but there's always bits and pieces on the surface she knows he catches without meaning to. ]

No, it's not. [ she allows that, because it's true, and somehow she manages a genuine smile in his direction. (she'll miss them all when she goes.) ] But I'm glad we're all here anyway, for however long we are. [ a comfortable silence follows before she tips her head back to the masquerade's direction. ] We should head back in before people start wondering where we are.

[ where she is. she gives his hand a light squeeze before she lets it go, picking up the skirts of her dress and waiting until they head back inside, the din of noise and music and laughter growing louder with every step she takes. there's still time. ]