Mary watched as the young girl carefully dusted her garments off and smoothed her ebony hair back into place. There was something a bit unsettling and unnerving about the child and the way she was dressed, but she couldn’t quite place her finger on it at the moment. It finally struck her after several seconds. She hadn’t seen any family come to the aide of the children, when Mary had accidentally knocked her down. The fact that the girl showed absolutely no expression or emotions made her feel a little uneasy about carrying on a conversation with her.
"The apology was meant and usually I am not
this careless, when I come to the market.
It’s just that I have a million other things
on my mind at the moment. Are you alright?”
A million other things? A predatory smile flashed over the Ifrit’s face for only a moment before melting back into the neutral expression of an innocent girl. Except, perhaps, now would be a time for a softer smile. Women were more likely to divulge information to young girls, weren’t they? Iblis settles its face into the perfect expression of remorse.
"—Of course you meant it.
That did come out rude.
I’m fine, but are you?
What’s troubling you? Cast
your burden upon me.”