Khyrren was caught completely off guard. It wasn't exactly a serious conversation, mundane even - but as Haelyn slid across the narrow gap to get to her seat, their eyes found each other, and lingered on for a moment longer.

He would later come to a realisation that that was the first time they had ever really looked each other in the eyes, despite the weeks they had spent discussing the world.

Khyrren already knew how much he liked her. Haelyn was all kinds of right, and hit pretty much every one of his cues. She had a way about herself - witty, sharp and passionate, yet beyond the crisp shirts and fitting pants, there was something softer, more human. He counted among the fortunate few who has ever seen that side. He never fully understood why.

Yet this was something else altogether. As their gazes locked, an ensemble of thoughts flooded into his mind, striking him so rapidly that it seemed to stop time for a second. Just as well, he thought. It was a second longer peering into the intense eyes of the woman he had grown to care for.

Turning away before she could see the smirk on his face turn blank, Khyrren walked quietly back to his desk. Amazing, he whispered in his mind as he collected his thoughts. Who knew that someone as distanced and spaced as Haelyn would be able to connect with him at such a primal level.