The girl easily let’s herself be led by the stranger, thankful that he went along with her plea immediately. She couldn’t say why she ran to him but when she panicked he was the only person she seemed to be able to see clearly out of the sea of people shuffling about. Hearing his words she gave a nod, focusing on normalizing her movements and breathing though she dare not loosen her hold on the guy’s arm, it was too much of a safety net to relinquish just yet. Ah Ri tried to let his strangely calm demeanor bathe her but it was easier to think of than to actually let happen.
She let’s herself be guided to sit and finds firm but gentle hands directing her attention to the kind strangers face. His hands are big and act like blockers, eliminating all from sight but his face - a breathtakingly handsome face actually but she wasn’t in the frame of mind to notice just then. What she did notice, however, were his captivating green eyes which her own locked onto, hypnotized. She let his words sink in, giving a small nod and meekly grabbing onto his other hand as one moves to fix her hair. She holds that hand of his in place on her cheek, feeding off the odd feeling of protection it gave her. That he gave.
“I’m sorry Tora-sama. My name is Ah Ri. Thank you.” The woman gave a slight inclination of her head, still keeping his left hand fixed to her face. Her voice had lost the shaky, frightened tremble from before and for that she was glad. She hated being needy and was quite stubborn but her pride took a back seat to comfort right then as she continued borrowing his hand. “I was window shopping when I realized he was following me. When he saw that I saw him he started talking to me, saying dirty things. I tried ignoring him and getting away from him but he was persistent. I tried telling him off but he… Grabbed at me and… That’s when I ran to you…”
Ah Ri sighs, biting her lower lip harshly for a moment before a torrent of words leave her. “I’m sorry Tora-sama. Thank you.” She repeats, her eyes flooding with unshed tears. “I’m not from here, I’ve been keeping to myself as much as I can and its been lovely the few days I’ve spent here so far. I don’t want any trouble, I panicked, I had no idea what to do. If I lashed out I may have gotten into trouble and I really can’t let myself be sent away from here just yet, I can’t have any run ins with police and such. My agency would flip, after all I’m the one who insisted on not having any bodyguards I just wanted to be like a normal person here..”
“Ah Ri, that’s a cute name.” He mused, the soft smile still lingering on his face as a source of encouragement and comfort to the young woman as well as amusement at the apparent fact that his palm had been abducted. Tora let her get it all out of her system, knowing it would be good for her - but even before she let it all overflow he knew he’d be visiting their ‘mutual friend’ in the not too distant fututre. Her concern about reprocussions over lashing out at a street pervert had him taken aback a bit. “Okay, so, firstly; Tora. Just Tora, if you could drop the ‘sama’ it would be lovely.” He continued looking her directly in the eyes, a deep brown that reminded him of the fertile earth or rich chocolate. Her hands had stopped their shaking which was a good sign.
“Secondly; if ever you’re in the situation where running to safety isn’t an option, go on and fight. You seem like you’re confident you could protect yourself.” The vampire thought his new companion looked quite fragile but he knew looks could be decieving. As well, Ah Ri’s tone pointed at a body trained in some form of martial arts or one was that very much active in the least. “Don’t think of the reprocussions, your safety comes first. Even if you aren’t from here - your rights are still protected. I assure you, you won’t be sent packing.” A small sigh escaped him just then, “I do think, however, a bodyguard may be a decent idea. you can never be too safe and I don’t think one guy would be too much of a scene.”
The older man stood, gently pulling Ah Ri to her feet along with him. “Now, can I interest you in brunch? After that, well, I’ll escort you safely home if that’s what you want. If not, I guess we’ll see - the day is still young and I’m free. I could accompany you in your window shopping if you wish.” The offer was genuine, Tora’s main concern was not just calming the little lady down but also making sure she was comfortable enough not to wind up scared the moment she was left alone - though he was almost 100% she wouln’t be a heap of mess without him, a fact which he should’ve been totally happy about but he wasn’t quite sure.
