Exploration

[Emily Shale-Vanders]

Asha decided to stay and it made Emily glad. A slight touch on the arm and Asha's mouthed words brought more joy to Emily. She was glad the woman was feeling better. Helping others always seemed to bringer her joy. After Asha introduced herself, Emily did as well.

"I know I already said it, but an official introduction. I'm Emily."


The group headed to a new table and they got more coffee. She checked her watch - still early morning in Chicago. She expected some phone calls asking what she wanted to do from her CFO or some other director when things got running in Chicago.

"So that was some welcome to Moscow."


Emily smiled at that. "I understand completely. This isn't an everyday thing I'm hoping."
She grew up in Chicago - crime wasn't something new to her, but she had been sheltered a bit growing up. It wasn't something she was used to seeing.

The ladies spoke awhile before the man came back. He smirked and said a sarcastic comment. Emily didn't usually like the sarcastic types, but it suited him well and Emily smiled at it. He was a unique one.

[Ayden]

Ayden laughed. Emily and Asha were new to Moscow. "You'd be surprised what happens in Moscow."


Ayden offered her hand. "I'm Ayden. This is Sasha, and that's Sebastian."
Ayden nodded towards the direction of the door. The cops had gotten all their statements, but they had a special interest in Bas. Some hero! He killed the man. But Ayden would keep his secret, the man had after all threatened Sasha, and would her if you thought about it when they were back in the alley.

Sasha didn't seem to be doing well, she clung to Ayden now that Bas was gone. She'd lived in Moscow her entire life and she was this scattered on a first hand experience, it made Ayden wonder what kinda of life Sasha lived.

"What brings ya'll to Moscow?"
Ayden didn't really care, but it was conversation. It didn't seem she was going to be window shopping any time soon. And such a drag now, she was really looking forward to trying on wedding gowns. But it was no fun without a friend. Sasha was hardly company and she didn't think she'd be leaving Bas' company for a good while. Maybe it was all a game for Sasha too, surely Bas wasn't the type to stay committed, she'd gotten that from the moment he'd looked at her ring.

Ayden sipped at her refreshed coffee as Bas took a seat with a medal comment. Ayden rolled her eyes but smiled none-the-less. "But you deserved it."
Her comment was laced with sarcasm. He was definitely a piece of work.


Edited by Ayden, Sep 19 2014, 08:27 AM.

[Sebastian]

Once he sat down, he looked at the girls with a smirk. "They wanted to give me a medal. I had to talk 'em out of it."
A grin.

Ayden rolled her eyes. "But you deserved it."
He couldn't help but laugh. No one else at the table knew what really was going on. Too bad about that damn ring. Or rather, too bad she seemed smitten with her fiance or whatever.

"Of course."
He looked at Blondie and Brunette. "I don't think we've been introduced. I'm Sebastian. All around good guy and hero in white."
He winked to show that he was just kidding around.

He looked down at the table and realized that he had no drink. Of course he hadn't ordered one. He'd been too busy talking to Ayden. He could go for a cup. And Sasha didn't have anything. She was quiet. Probably the shakes after everything that had happened. He imagined that kind of thing could do that to you. Not him, of course, but violent situations and guns was pretty much how he'd grown up. "I'm going to get some coffee. What do you want Sasha?"
She didn't really respond. Poor thing.

He put his arm around her and hugged her to him. "It'll be ok. That kind of thing sucks, I know."
He brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "But you did good. You did real good. I'm gonna get you some tea, alright? Some chamomile maybe? You'll feel better."
Another hug and a smile for the other three girls at the table, and he went to the counter.

The barrista was pretty sweet. He'd have to come back. She tried to give him his drinks on the house. Which of course he took. This hero thing was kinda cool. Might get old after a while, of course. Maybe. Who knew. But this was fun for now. Roman would get a kick out the story when he told him. That made him laugh inside. Yeah, what a kick.

When he got back to the table he set Sasha's tea down gently and then took his own seat. With a bit of encouragement, the girl finally had some and she seemed to relax a bit. That was good. Looking around the table again, "So what are we talking about?"

[Emily Shale-Vanders]

"What brings y'all to Moscow."
The woman's accent was American and it reminded Emily of home.

Before she could answer, the man, Sebastian, came back, introducing himself. Emily followed with an introduction. "Hi Sebastian. I'm Emily."


Sasha had become silent and sullen and Emily's heart went out to her; her instincts wanting to help the young woman. She ignored her envy and reached out to her as she had with Asha as Sebastian left to get some beverages. Even though it made her happy, Emily was tired and being strong for others gets tiring. She was already tired and was beginning to feel a little drained. She sipped at her coffee, hoping the warmth would help pick up her energy a bit.

Sebastian came back and asked about what they were talking about. Emily had taken some time to help Sasha and she seemed to be getting better. Emily hadn't yet answered the question Ayden had asked.

"Ayden was asking Asha and me what brought us to Moscow. I'm here for a few days - have a meeting in the city to attend."



Edited by Emily Shale, Sep 20 2014, 03:07 PM.

[Ashavari]

Asha settled quickly enough, buzzing faintly with the transient emotions of those around her. When the adrenaline drained, she felt it flag a little hollowness in her own energy - reminding her that she didn't want to leave it too long before she began the journey back to her car. Otherwise her attention remained on her company, pleasantly curious now her frame of perception had returned to normal. You'd be surprised what happens in Moscow. Her lips quirked a little smirk at that, mostly to herself.

As they talked, her chin dropped to rest in her palm. To draw strength from Emily's reassurance, she also felt the fatigue - and all the little worries that buried beneath her warm exterior. But it was better than the alternatives. The other girl, Sasha, was a bundle of bad feeling she shied away from. Not that she meant to ignore the woman, but it helped push herself away from those leaking feelings. And Ayden was simply distant, maybe a little bored. It was all background, there but only peripheral - something she'd never realised before she could find comforting.

The man was grinning when he returned some time later, and made a joke that vaguely bothered her. She'd felt that man die. But of course if the bullet had gone through the girl's brain instead, she'd have felt that too. It wasn't blame she felt, just a desire to distance herself from the memories, and a reluctance to talk about it. "Asha."
She tacked her name after Emily's, pleasantly enough. The fear had evaporated without a discernible trace.

"And I'm travelling through. Or maybe I'll stay awhile, I'm not sure yet. It's expensive here, though. And, you know, some of the locals."
She fed off the undercurrents of sarcasm, though smirked when she said it. Why the man had had a gun to Sasha'a head in the first place she didn't ask, but she hadn't overlooked all Sebastian's tattoos. That didn't matter so much as how three of the four around the table had the ability to slip entirely from her radar though.


Edited by Asha, Sep 26 2014, 03:46 PM.

[Ayden]

Ayden knew that Moscow was expensive. She'd just recently remedied that situation herself. Moving in with Connor had been a godsend. "It is very expensive. But there are still things to do and see."


Sasha didn't look too well. Fright and a gun to your head probably would make Bas a little sad, and Sasha too if she thought about it hard enough and got out of her funk. Fragile women. Ayden was defintely not the norm.

The tea didn't seem to be helping Sasha much she looked at her friend with concern, and then at Bas. She wanted to glare at him and give him what for. He brought this down on them and now Sasha was paying the price. Bas had saved her, even if his methods were cruel, however ingenious they were.

Ayden smiled at Bas. "Maybe you should take Sasha home. I'll do my shopping alone. She looks like she could use a hot bath."


She turned her attention back to the other two. "Moscow kinda grows on you. I hadn't intended on staying, but here I am working a dead end job, waiting to marry a man I hadn't thought I'd ever meet."

[Sebastian]

The mood at the table was a little cooler. Truth was, you really couldn't expect different, not after Boris. And a gun to Sasha's head. The blonde- Emily- was being friendly, though there was a tired air about her. Another time, a time without Sasha there, he'd be sidling up to her something friendly-like. She seemed no worse for wear, for the most part.

The brunette on the other hand, Asha, she said her name was, which was a right pretty name- almost as pretty as she was- seemed to have drawn in on herself. She talked a bit, but that was about it. And she seemed to have decided to be cool, especially to him. Nothing she said. But body language said all kinds of things the mind didn't mean to reveal. Growing up, you had to learn to watch that as much as the words coming out of a person's mouth. Guy walking passed you might seem to want nothing, but the placing of legs and adjustment of center of gravity told a whole different story. Enough that if you were careless enough to miss it you'd end up with a few bruised ribs and a split lip. If you were lucky. So he didn't miss the pretty girls shifting of legs and shoulders that indicated that she wasn't including him in her conversation, such as it was. Which was fine by him. Can win 'em all.

Sasha, on the other hand, seemed to be having a hard time of it, tea or no. Ayden was the most pragmatic at the table- next to him that was. "Maybe you should take Sasha home. I'll do my shopping alone. She looks like she could use a hot bath."
She smiled as she said it, but he caught the tone. And it made him smirk at her. She knew full well that this was all his fault. But she also wasn't gonna make a stink about it.

He looked down at Sasha. Yeah, she needed to get home. Was already pretty clingy. Which probably meant some nice, I-just-survived-a-near-death-experience-and-I-want-to-reaffirm-life sex. But....that usually came with a price. There was far more emotional attachment. He looked at Ayden warily. He wasn't afraid of her, not really. And he didn't think she'd rat him out. But he liked her and didn't want to have her think less of him. What a puzzle. He thought for a while, as Ayden went on about the shmoe she'd decided to marry. Course, he had no idea what the guy was like really. Ayden was pretty cool, all around. No panicking at being threatened, at seeing violence or even death. He wondered at what sort of man got a girl like that.

It might not last. She seemed pretty wild, at least by his instincts anyway. Might not last at all. He laughed to himself. Yeah, don't wanna burn any bridges there. He turned to Sasha. "Sweety, why don't I take you home. Let you get some sleep. You've had a rough day."
To Ayden. "I'll take her home and make sure she's ok. Give me your contact info and I'll text you that I got her home safe and sound. Scout's honor,"
he said raising up two fingers in promise.

Ayden would learn later that he was the perfect gentleman. That the most he'd touched her was when he helped her home and gently tucked her in. That he'd not taken advantage of her emotional state. Who knew? And of course he'd get Sasha's number as well. He still may decide to take her out another time. It was always nice making new friends.

He stood, helping Sasha to her feet. "Ladies, it was nice to meet you, considering..."
he trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid. "I hope you have a better afternoon."

[Emily Shale-Vanders]

Bas wished them a better afternoon. Poor Sasha - she'd had quite a day today. Emily reached out once more and touched her shoulder. "It will be ok. Go home and take a nap."


Emily looked Bas up and down. At first her eyes were admiring. The guy was cute alright...but then she caught herself and gave him a slight glare - he'd better not take advantage of Sasha.

Moscow was expensive. It was something Emily knew but didn't understand. It made her wonder if Asha was low on money - well Emily knew she was low on money. Emily knew she was in the minority of rich people - she didn't care about money. She might ask Asha if she needed a hand later - she didn't want to embarrass her. Not to mention she didn't really like to flaunt her wealth. It's one thing to tell Asha that she had money, another thing to announce it in a cafe.

Ayden was getting married!!!! Oh my God! Emily loved weddings and took a quick look at Ayden's left hand. It was a nice ring. She didn't know Ayden well, but she couldn't help but feel happy for her.

"Congratulations!! Do you have a date yet? Tell us about the lucky guy?"
Weddings tended to make Emily channel her pre-college days. She was all sorts of excited now - enough to let go of her grief for awhile.


Edited by Emily Shale, Sep 29 2014, 11:06 AM.

[Ashavari]

Sasha's emotions were stifling, so Asha wasn't exactly displeased with the idea that she be coaxed away. The absence would lighten a little of the burden it took to shield herself off, and negated the need to anchor herself to Emily. Sebastian seemed to misinterpret her coolness as towards him rather than the girl clinging to his side - which made logical sense, given her initial reaction to him. But indifference washed through her when he glanced her way, so she didn't feel too guilty for the rudeness. Curiosity clamoured into her brain the moment the excess emotion cleared out, and she'd had questions despite how afraid she'd been. But she'd rather a lack of answers than remain in Sasha's company. She didn't watch them leave.

When they were gone she let go, and relief loosened a knot in her shoulders. The coat snaked free too, like she no longer needed the extra protection. Not that an extra layer had any impact over the penetration of emotion, but the cocoon of it comforted in a way that reminded her she was the one living in her own skin, not all those who vied constantly for her attention. Her wrists rested on the table; she leaned into the conversation, interested, though it was only the fleeting talk of strangers passing time.

Asha couldn't imagine a city growing on her, not enough to make her want to stay in and of itself; to travel was in her blood, not so much because of boredom as general restlessness. The freedom was invigorating, and if she was going to analyse it, probably the ability to escape provided a sort of security. A wide-open highway, no cars or towns for miles, the radio up full blast - that approximated a pretty close idea of heaven to her. Moscow already felt claustrophobic, but for now she had no intention of leaving.

She didn't need her gift to sense Ayden wasn't completely enamoured of her situation, that it was probably not the city and dead-end job that kept her anchored, but the man she had met here. Her head tilted a little as if in askance, but she tried to stay out of the woman's head. It was really none of her business. And actually, with Ayden distance wasn't too hard; there was a coolness to her, steady and powerful, that didn't invite for trespass. She was so balanced Asha was unlikely to sense the minutiae unless she really looked. And she wasn't going to.

Emily's enthusiasm, on the other hand, was infectious, but Asha really had nothing to add on the subject of weddings. Her uncle had been as protective as a stone fortress when he'd been around, but her sensitivities made intimacy almost impossible anyway. It required too deep a trust to invest in how little time she spent before moving on. Plus, awareness of every scrap of emotion to pass through someone hardly filled her head full with romantic notions. Of course, she couldn't help but grin anyway; laughed, in fact, at Emily's sudden animation, and turned to gauge Ayden's reaction.

[Ayden]

Ayden wasn't exactly the girl who had planned her wedding as a child. Hell she hadn't even imagined it until recently. And now here she was planning it. Sasha had said she wanted to go with her, but now because of their impromptu coffee date with Bas she was stood up. And now had an over energetic girl yammering questions at her about the date, and stuff. Really enthusasitc about it. She'd oblige with fake excitement, she prayed Connor never saw the actress side of this affair.

Ayden put on a smile. She got into character and the enthusastic bride to be emerged. It was like stepping into her job, just this time she was trying to kill anyone. "No date yet. Though I think I'll surprise him with something a bit closer than we discussed. He asked, I wasn't exactly ready. I said yes, but not soon. Things changed."
Ayden gave a laugh.

Ayden dropped back in her chair and smiled off into the heavens. "Connor's great. He gets me. It was a very chance meeting. Though we did live in the same building I suppose we would have met at some point or another. It was almost like I shot him with cupids arrow."
Ayden smiled. The reference almost made her fall out of character. A love struck girl over the man of her dreams. It wasn't far from the truth, but the act was just that an act. She wasn't that girl.

"Sasha and I were going window shopping. Seems the fates had other plans."