09-18-2014, 01:33 PM
As soon as the redhead stepped in and answered the question, she realised how dumb it must have sounded. It was the void behind the man's words that had prompted her. Without any sense of sentiment behind them, they'd been worthless. Questionable. She felt a blush creep up her neck, leaned forward to support herself a little on the back of the chair as the woman sighed and began mop up the mess. As if to compound her embarrassment, normal feeling filtered back in from those who had been hidden, and with it the panic faded. Emily's concern washed around her in a gentle tide, and she pulled it around herself, guiltily drawing reassurance from that quiet concern. Enough to straighten, brush the hair from her face, offer a poor smile. "God. That was really clumsy of me."
There was no point trying to explain, and she felt awkward for the outburst. The woman's offer hung in the air as the man was herded off by the arrival of ambulance crew and a police officer. It would be a good time to leave, and she did consider it, until Emily spoke up and the kindness sunk under her skin. Wandering the streets would be no worse than staying here, not now things had calmed. In the absence of siphoned fear her own emotions had room to flourish. A seed of curiosity took its place. Emily left the decision with her, and she tipped her shoulders in a wondering shrug, but broke into a slow smile. The warmth was genuine, if a little reticent while her mood stabilised. "Thanks. I'm Asha."
That, to the flame-haired woman and her companion.
As they moved to swap tables, she caught Emily with a soft touch on the arm, mouthed the words thank you before they sat. Even if it wasn't entirely clear what the gratitude was for, she thought the woman would probably understand on some level. Her lips quirked into a somewhat more dry smile. Now that her world had returned to its normal parameters, she felt more herself. A little shaken, a little drained, but no longer afraid. "So that was some welcome to Moscow."
There was no point trying to explain, and she felt awkward for the outburst. The woman's offer hung in the air as the man was herded off by the arrival of ambulance crew and a police officer. It would be a good time to leave, and she did consider it, until Emily spoke up and the kindness sunk under her skin. Wandering the streets would be no worse than staying here, not now things had calmed. In the absence of siphoned fear her own emotions had room to flourish. A seed of curiosity took its place. Emily left the decision with her, and she tipped her shoulders in a wondering shrug, but broke into a slow smile. The warmth was genuine, if a little reticent while her mood stabilised. "Thanks. I'm Asha."
That, to the flame-haired woman and her companion.
As they moved to swap tables, she caught Emily with a soft touch on the arm, mouthed the words thank you before they sat. Even if it wasn't entirely clear what the gratitude was for, she thought the woman would probably understand on some level. Her lips quirked into a somewhat more dry smile. Now that her world had returned to its normal parameters, she felt more herself. A little shaken, a little drained, but no longer afraid. "So that was some welcome to Moscow."