Elizabeth
Elizabeth was finding it very difficult to focus. Between the virality of their laughter, the slow buzz of alcohol, and the quirk of his lips, she didn't immediately recognize the double meaning of his words. Even as Iskra stumbled to correct himself, she laughed more at the reaction than the subtly inappropriate undertones. The only part she really caught was the last sentence, and she had to laugh at the idea of chasing people down, forcing healthy coping methods, boundaries, and self-love down their throats like cough syrup. It was enough to leave her ignorant of her own words as she leaned forward on her hand. "Well, as I'm sure you wouldn't offer your wood to anyone that doesn't want it, I try not to force my therapy on people." Her smile was bright and playful for a moment before the sentence echoed in her mind along with his previous utterings, knocking over a few bottles of common sense in the haze of distractions. She immediately turned a deep, vibrant shade of red that spread at an impressive speed from her cheeks to her ear tips and down to her chest. Elizabeth opened her mouth in shock, trying to find the right phrase or shove her own foot in her mouth, whichever worked better.
A glass might be just as effective as she suddenly decided to down the rest of her drink, pretending the burn of the alcohol might be the source of her flushed face and not the reason for her lapse in word choice. She knew it wouldn't convince him, but she wanted to live in denial for a second, if only to keep from joining Goose under the table. After a moment of avoiding his gaze, she finally swallowed some of her embarrassment and looked up at Iskra again. She'd have to remember to ask him to supply her own house but couldn't think of any ways of saying it that wouldn't set her face aflame again.
Back on a topic that didn't involve 'wood' or anything of the sort, Elizabeth gave Iskra an encouraging - although still somewhat blushing - smile, hoping he might actually seek out a session. As for 'crazy stories,' she shook her head, laughter bubbling up again. "Oh no. I take client confidentiality very serious." Her words may be playful, but she didn't joke about maintaining people's privacy, planning to take their secrets and confessions to her grave. Instead, she tilted her head, trying to soothe the rejection with a dazzling grin. "Plus, you probably wouldn't find them that interesting anyways. Lots of marital problems, childhood traumas, and the general Caido catastrophes wreaking havoc on people's lives."
A glass might be just as effective as she suddenly decided to down the rest of her drink, pretending the burn of the alcohol might be the source of her flushed face and not the reason for her lapse in word choice. She knew it wouldn't convince him, but she wanted to live in denial for a second, if only to keep from joining Goose under the table. After a moment of avoiding his gaze, she finally swallowed some of her embarrassment and looked up at Iskra again. She'd have to remember to ask him to supply her own house but couldn't think of any ways of saying it that wouldn't set her face aflame again.
Back on a topic that didn't involve 'wood' or anything of the sort, Elizabeth gave Iskra an encouraging - although still somewhat blushing - smile, hoping he might actually seek out a session. As for 'crazy stories,' she shook her head, laughter bubbling up again. "Oh no. I take client confidentiality very serious." Her words may be playful, but she didn't joke about maintaining people's privacy, planning to take their secrets and confessions to her grave. Instead, she tilted her head, trying to soothe the rejection with a dazzling grin. "Plus, you probably wouldn't find them that interesting anyways. Lots of marital problems, childhood traumas, and the general Caido catastrophes wreaking havoc on people's lives."
Dive into the sea of thought,
and find there pearls beyond price.
and find there pearls beyond price.
