[attr="class","witness"]Asher glanced around. There was literally them and the forest, but, if she wanted to be alone, he supposed they could go get something in town. Or possibly, go further into the route.

"For once, little miss, I am at your disposal. Wherever you would feel more comfortable, I'll go. There is a decent cafe, or we can continue into the route, if you'd prefer."

Asher wasn't going to deny the idea of wanting some coffee, but he wanted the girl to feel comfortable. If only for the sake of business. How? Because, she could fetch a decent price if he held her randsom.

Well, not that he would do it, but he could let a shady contact or two in on what he was doing and they could handle the business so long as he got a cut.

No, no. Not with his little miss. He did care for her, if only as a student, and felt that, if only due to her age, she needed protected.

@chloe

[attr="class","witness"]As 'Chloe' had, Asher remained silent. There was no reason to strike up a conversation with her if she was going to be so tense. She had every right to be that tense, of course. But Asher knew that prompting conversation wouldn't help. Instead, he kept himself quiet, and let her lead. Both in conversation and in direction.

Once there, Asher took his seat and opened the menu. He wasn't surprised when she said she ran away. Her father wouldn't have been the sort to just up and drop her off in the middle of a region and wave good luck.

"Well, I'd assumed as much with how overprotective your mother could be, and how much your father values his reputation."

He wouldn't even bother mentioning how his father spoke of her as a tool to be used to further his business. He understood her father's perspective, but had unfortunately disagreed because her harbored feelings for the girl. Which was slightly annoying, if only because emotions were not easily controlled.

"Did your brother help you escape? I can't imagine it was an easy feat on your own."

@chloe

[attr="class","witness"]"And who is to say that they might not follow behind you? You're a very innovative girl, given your family line."

Well, save for her mother, who was always finding ways to work around the man who had control over her to make a better life for her daughter than she had. In a way, he was sure that her mother was in on it all as well.

"I'm relieved you're doing so well, little miss. And as far as your family is concerned, I can write to see how they're doing if you'd like. We can meet up regularly and discuss how the family is doing. A way for you to keep tabs without having to expose yourself, or where you're hiding."

Why offer these things to a girl that wasn't his student any longer? Because he actually had made a friend in that woman that Chloe called mother, and he felt like he owned that woman something. Because that woman was caged with no sign of freedom, if only because she wouldn't put her children in jeopardy to obtain it.

@chloe

[attr="class","witness"]"Little miss," Asher began with a calm voice as he waved a waitress over. "I have no intention of taking you back home. It wouldn't benefit me to do so, and it certainly wouldn't make one of my favorite private students happy."

Mostly, he needed her to believe him. Just in case she was kidnapped, or anything of the like, and escaped. She'd see him as a beacon of safety, and not as the reason for her misfortune.

As the waitress came, he ordered himself a beverage and allowed Chloe the time to order her own, leaning back in his seat and giving the waitress as charming a smile as he always gave anybody.

@chloe

[attr="class","witness"]While the non-sexual very friendly hug had taken Asher very much by surprise, he didn't... hate it. In fact, he found that he had allowed himself to enjoy the young girl's embrace if only because he had no other choice, really. This girl was a special thing to him, a student he had helped to grow into an independent young woman who took her life in her own hands, regardless of how scary she had thought the step to be.

Once they parted, he gave her a fond smile. It held no charm and was far more genuine than his other smiles.

"I'm doing well. I've settled a few debts here that have really got my shoulders relaxed."

Nevermind that those debts meant he'd secretly burned down a village and an entire ancient tomb out in the many scattered and deserted island of the Hoenn banks, but...

"How about you? Being out and about on your own, with your beautiful kittens. How are you fairing? I'm sure it's much easier with that delightful gift Klaus managed for you."

Clever Klaus.

@chloe

[attr="class","witness"]Immediately Asher felt something burn in his stomach. It wasn't the beverage he'd gotten, it was.... worry. He didn't know that though, and pretended that it was the beverage. He set the drink down and leaned back in his chair as he ignored the fact that he was having an emotion.

"Sounds very nice... who is it? I might know of them."

He was pretending that he didn't want to get the name so that he could do a bit of research and make sure she was alright where she was staying. There were seedy people in the region and he did not want her to have succumbed to something so sinister when only just reaching the region.

The world can be a cruel place, but to Asher, the world is nothing but a cruel place.

@chloe