@buriedwithit ( zsófi x ed )
The air inside The Bearded Lady was cool and dim, a welcome contrast to the noise of the streets outside. Zsófi paused just past the door, scanning the crowded room for any place to sit. She’d thought her week had been long—until she saw the sheer number of tired faces packed inside. Maybe she wasn’t the only one trying to drink the edge off.
She slipped between a group still arguing over what to order, catching the familiar sound of Celeste’s voice as the singer took the stage. That small comfort tugged a grin out of her.
At last, she spotted a single empty chair tucked in the corner. A man sat beside it, but the seat itself looked unclaimed. Zsófi tapped his shoulder and gestured toward it. “This seat—taken?” she asked, then added with a wry tilt of her head, “Say no. There’s nowhere else to sit.”