08-26-2016, 04:25 AM
The range of Asha's sense picked up their surroundings long before the spring of neon lights advertised it clearly. Darkness cloaked little from her ability, and this part of Moscow had a unique feel. "Take a sentient to the red light district. Real smooth."
She jabbed Elias playfully in the ribs, but seemed more amused than distressed. She doubted he had known where they were headed when they'd left.
She was curious even as the leaking sensations behind blackened windows made her vaguely uncomfortable. Awkward as it could be, the voyeuristic sensation of others having sex was not unusual for her, just something to try and ignore (Aria's neighbours were at it all the time, when they weren't fighting). And boredom here was also prevalent, joined in places by a squeeze of desperation. Eyes and senses disagreed. Windows displayed human wares; the silky bare of flesh, pouted lips, a crooked finger. But little true desire emanated from those offering themselves; almost all the tingling lust came from the patrons. Still, it was the eye contact that made her blush and look away, even from the holos. Her unique perspective and the unconscious reaction of her body left her feeling vulnerable.
She didn't hold on to Elias as she had in the Red Square, but neither did she trail far from his shadow. Self-consciously, she yanked the sleeves of her sweater down over her hands, shielding herself from uninvited touch as she glanced at the picture he offered. But it was his explanation that pricked her attention. Her mouth opened to speak the question Atharim? before she thought better of speaking the word aloud. Instead she looked away, frowning, which was when her senses caught on the jagged edge of something ahead.
She was watching the couple rather than the screen of Elias' wallet, so she saw the man stagger and fall in the same moment she unpicked the disingenuous emotions of the street-worker. Elias pushed her back and promptly blinked out. Fear assailed her, followed by a wince of pain. Her own alarm swirled within. Maybe some of the fear was her own too. She didn't like the violence.
As Elias stalked down the woman he had flung like a rag-doll, Asha knelt by the man collapsed on the ground. People never stopped feeling, even whilst asleep, but unconsciousness was different. Flatter. Emptier. But not as finite as death. He was beautiful, even out cold as he was. Blood striped his chest. She had nothing to wipe it with and the wounds did not look deep. Neither did she want to touch a stranger, even an unconscious one, but it railed against her nature to do nothing. So she spoke to him, a whisper really. She supposed he couldn't hear, but it made her feel better at least. "Hey. You're okay now. Someone drugged you, but she's gone now. We'll take care of you, don't worry."
She jabbed Elias playfully in the ribs, but seemed more amused than distressed. She doubted he had known where they were headed when they'd left.
She was curious even as the leaking sensations behind blackened windows made her vaguely uncomfortable. Awkward as it could be, the voyeuristic sensation of others having sex was not unusual for her, just something to try and ignore (Aria's neighbours were at it all the time, when they weren't fighting). And boredom here was also prevalent, joined in places by a squeeze of desperation. Eyes and senses disagreed. Windows displayed human wares; the silky bare of flesh, pouted lips, a crooked finger. But little true desire emanated from those offering themselves; almost all the tingling lust came from the patrons. Still, it was the eye contact that made her blush and look away, even from the holos. Her unique perspective and the unconscious reaction of her body left her feeling vulnerable.
She didn't hold on to Elias as she had in the Red Square, but neither did she trail far from his shadow. Self-consciously, she yanked the sleeves of her sweater down over her hands, shielding herself from uninvited touch as she glanced at the picture he offered. But it was his explanation that pricked her attention. Her mouth opened to speak the question Atharim? before she thought better of speaking the word aloud. Instead she looked away, frowning, which was when her senses caught on the jagged edge of something ahead.
She was watching the couple rather than the screen of Elias' wallet, so she saw the man stagger and fall in the same moment she unpicked the disingenuous emotions of the street-worker. Elias pushed her back and promptly blinked out. Fear assailed her, followed by a wince of pain. Her own alarm swirled within. Maybe some of the fear was her own too. She didn't like the violence.
As Elias stalked down the woman he had flung like a rag-doll, Asha knelt by the man collapsed on the ground. People never stopped feeling, even whilst asleep, but unconsciousness was different. Flatter. Emptier. But not as finite as death. He was beautiful, even out cold as he was. Blood striped his chest. She had nothing to wipe it with and the wounds did not look deep. Neither did she want to touch a stranger, even an unconscious one, but it railed against her nature to do nothing. So she spoke to him, a whisper really. She supposed he couldn't hear, but it made her feel better at least. "Hey. You're okay now. Someone drugged you, but she's gone now. We'll take care of you, don't worry."