Can't Turn Back

Ash listened to the two, breathing slight through her nose.

Really, were they all children?

"Oh both of you," she sighed, "He's technically right - he was merely asking what happens. He has a right to know how much trouble he may or may not be in."

"And what freedom are you talkin' 'bout Sokol. Don't go giving the boy false hopes. This life isn't freeing, no matter what they promise you. Its just the opposite."

A grim smirk as she heard a familiar set of footsteps coming towards the room. Her eyes sparked.

"Speaking of no Freedom," she drawled as the tall man with a guarded expression came in. "Hello Daddy dear."

Pandora ran a hand through her midnight black hair. She raised her eyebrows at Afonka's surge of anger. She shook her head at both Afonka and Ksenia. Bickering like little they were and Pandora sneered at the child like attitued from both of them.

"Maybe it would be simpler if one another would just ask a question and give a straight answer in the future. It would not then lead to childish bickering." Pandora said to them with truth. Pandora ears picked up foot steps, She turned her head towards the door and cover her emotions up totally behind her occlumency wall. She raised her eyebrows again at what Ashleen said to the man.

Ksenia raised her eyebrows at Afonka, her expression remaining distant. "You have to be smarter than that to achieve anything in this place," she stated as she rose from the couch and walked over to the window. "I merely wanted to point out that this organisation is sexist as well," she said as she looked outside, her voice not carrying any emotions. The Slushatel crossed her arms across her chest as she remained standing there, just looking.

Nodding along to Ashleen's words, he gave her a tiny smile before looking back at Ksenia, unable to stop himself from giving her a smug smile before it fell of his face, turning towards the approaching man.

An actual mafia member. Letting out a little squeak, Afonka's eyes widened as he took the man in, pushing himself farther into the couch in an involuntary attempt to become invisible.

Staring at the man, Pandora and Ksenia's words simply went through one ear and out the other.

Ashleen rolled her eyes, "Everywhere's sexist Sokol; you just need to learn to stop whining about it, and do something about it."

She let her gaze flick back towards the man, who had taken one more step into the room, and looked around with blank calculating eyes. He rested on each face before landing on his daughter, who just gave him a charming grin.

"Look Daddy, still in one piece," she drawled, "I'm not as mental as you seem to think I am."

His blank gaze - which the girl knew to mean no danger at all - darkened, a warning, not that she cared.

"Ashleen," his tone was also a warning, something that clearly said 'We don't discuss our problems in front of strangers'.

"Daddy," her tone clearly said, "I couldn't care less."

The man breathed through his nose, his nostrils flairing, but he left the matter alone, and turned once more to the other children in the room.

"So, this is what the next generation has to offer us, does it?" he appraised them slowly - an act purely to intimidate - before going to his daughter, "Friends of yours?"

Ashleen gave a disinterested shrug, "Some of them yes, some of them no."

Her father nodded slightly, his gaze lingering on them all for a moment before he promptly turned on his heals.

"I am finished; we are going."

He did not stop to check if she was following, and Ashleen was tempted to just stay where she was.

But she had been getting tired of these people bleak conversations.

So with a nod, and a half wave, she pushed herself off the couch and silently followed her father out of the room.