08-12-2016, 04:04 PM
Obvious as the question probably was, it gave Asha pause. "I...I've never considered otherwise, I guess."
She tipped her shoulder into a half shrug, uncertain. "I've never had a proper home. We always travelled. Well, apart from when I was really small - we spent three years at the monastery in Leh. I think my uncle meant to leave me there actually. Though he didn't manage to shake me off for another ten years."
The pain banked abruptly into her expression; not because she minded talking about it, but because it still cut deeply. He hadn't even said a proper goodbye.
She turned the key in the lock, distracting herself. Elias's emotions were close and twisting; they washed through her, but without context were not interpretable. She felt the sliver of surprise, though; a brief spike that quickly gave way to his usual equilibrium. "And I can't stay here living on charity forever. I think Aria only gave me something to do so I wouldn't feel guilty."
The apartment was vastly unchanged from the way Aria had left it; Asha hadn't touched or moved anything that had been left behind, and disturbed things minimally with her daily routine. There were only two additions; a vibrant patchwork throw hung over the back of the sofa - a thrift store bargain - and a bright bunch of flowers sat in a pint glass on the window sill. The latter was a complete novelty. The soft floral scent reminded her of being outdoors.
The monster manual - as she so affectionately called it - lay open on the coffee table. Various florescent paper markers dotted the other pages. A desk held the computer equipment and a neat pile of the journals Aria had given her to work on. Everything was efficiently organised; she was used to making do with cramped spaces, and sharing with another besides. Her gaze flickered over it all for only a moment. Aria had warned at the content, but not said she could not share it, and Elias was as much Atharim prey as she was. She didn't think it would matter.
"That's what I do to earn my keep."
Her hand fluttered over it briefly, before turning to unwind the scarf from her neck. She hung it behind the door, alongside her coat. "Are you hungry. I have plenty of food."
She tipped her shoulder into a half shrug, uncertain. "I've never had a proper home. We always travelled. Well, apart from when I was really small - we spent three years at the monastery in Leh. I think my uncle meant to leave me there actually. Though he didn't manage to shake me off for another ten years."
The pain banked abruptly into her expression; not because she minded talking about it, but because it still cut deeply. He hadn't even said a proper goodbye.
She turned the key in the lock, distracting herself. Elias's emotions were close and twisting; they washed through her, but without context were not interpretable. She felt the sliver of surprise, though; a brief spike that quickly gave way to his usual equilibrium. "And I can't stay here living on charity forever. I think Aria only gave me something to do so I wouldn't feel guilty."
The apartment was vastly unchanged from the way Aria had left it; Asha hadn't touched or moved anything that had been left behind, and disturbed things minimally with her daily routine. There were only two additions; a vibrant patchwork throw hung over the back of the sofa - a thrift store bargain - and a bright bunch of flowers sat in a pint glass on the window sill. The latter was a complete novelty. The soft floral scent reminded her of being outdoors.
The monster manual - as she so affectionately called it - lay open on the coffee table. Various florescent paper markers dotted the other pages. A desk held the computer equipment and a neat pile of the journals Aria had given her to work on. Everything was efficiently organised; she was used to making do with cramped spaces, and sharing with another besides. Her gaze flickered over it all for only a moment. Aria had warned at the content, but not said she could not share it, and Elias was as much Atharim prey as she was. She didn't think it would matter.
"That's what I do to earn my keep."
Her hand fluttered over it briefly, before turning to unwind the scarf from her neck. She hung it behind the door, alongside her coat. "Are you hungry. I have plenty of food."