[Nexus] Home 11

[Gullara]

[Riss' Quarters]

Mimi frowns at the pink flower. Now why did it do that? "It's kinda weird." She says as a way of explanation. It's the only explanation she can come up with at least.

Mimi could practically jump up and down with glee as Riss places the flowers around, if only she could. She doesn't request to be moved. Though maybe she'll accept that pillow anyway. She could probably use some sleep herself. "Have a good sleep, Riss." The pixie says, returning her smile with a broad one of her own.

[Slii Arhem]

Riss' Quarters

"Same to you Mimi. Hope you feel better in the morning." Misha nods to the pixie with a small smile, and then follows Riss to the bedroom.

The first thing Misha does as the wall goes up behind them is attempt to wrap her arms around Riss from behind, drawing the muse into a brief embrace.

"You're doing a lot better with the touching thing these days. I'm proud of you." She says honestly as she tries to nuzzle Riss' neck and shoulder a bit, taking in the lingering smell of flowers as she does so.

"I think I need to make you a permanent hair tie. You looked really nice when you came in with that ponytail." The fact that Riss doesn't know what a pony is escapes her. Complimenting her muse's appearance is what's on her mind for the moment.

[Terumitsu]

[Riss' Quarters]

Riss would try to keep the embrace from being anything but brief, attempting to hold on with one hand and tilting her head to expose more of her neck toward Misha as she finished unbuttoning her shirt with the other. "I'm trying.. It's difficult, but I don't think I would really have started making attempts in earnest if not for you. And well.. This as well." the muse said, failing to suppress a small shiver when Misha reached the base of her neck. "I've got a definite idea of who I prefer on that subject, though..And.. Um.. You really though I looked nice?" the muse asked, not entirely resistant to the complement.

After a moment of fumbling with the fastener of her pants, those too would be kicked off whereupon the muse would try to lead Misha over to her bed. Still trying to keep holding on to the embrace as she did so. "You know.. I'm starting to wonder if you and Mimi have the right idea about clothes. I mean at least as long as I'm inside and all." she said in a bit of a playful tone.

[Slii Arhem]

Riss' Quarters

The nereid smiles and tries to give a short nibble at where the line of Riss' neck meets her shoulder, "I know neither of us will mind. I just go with what's comfortable, which means being cool." Of course, she doesn't seem to mind the body heat all that much, but then their contact seems to be a special case for each of them.

The nereid move one hand up and attempts to clasp the hand Riss used to hold Mimi, before slipping a layer of liquid in between them and scouring the muse's skin briefly. She doesn't know if it could help with any lingering sensation of oiliness, but she wants to try.

"And yes, you looked amazing. I like your hair long, but it's a shame when it gets between me and your eyes. Speaking of clothes, I asked Archie to order me something I could wear outside without getting too hot. It'll be easier for us to go out if people aren't always turning up their noses at me." Not that she'd usually care, but she has a feeling Riss values the opinions of others slightly higher than she does, which is to say not at all.

[Terumitsu]

[Riss' Quarters]

The sensation, being mentally crafted, wouldn't be completely assuaged by trying to wash it away but it helped. It had been nearly gone by now anyway but Riss greatly appreciated the sentiment. She would have mentioned as much if it weren't for the fact that she was well distracted. "Mmmnn.. Okay.. Not telling you to stop but if you keep up then I'll start doubting how much you really want me to get some rest." And wouldn't normally mind but, judging on past evidence, we haven't exactly been timely.

Riss said nothing more about the complements on her appearance but it was easy to tell she enjoyed the remark about her eyes. ...You know, feeling good about something like that could be considered odd from a certain point of view. If all of it can be replaced, one would think that one wouldn't feel prideful about it but, here we are. Heh, kinda silly in a way but at the same time, they're mine so I might as well, right?

"Oh you did? I guess this means I could take you places now. But I don't really have anywhere to really go so.. There's that." the muse said, the playful tone returning. "But I would like to see how it looks on you." she said in a less teasing voice. For a moment, Riss would try and break away so that she could actually sit down without the awkward logistics of trying to do so while holding on to a person. Well, that and it was easier to remove socks and other garments while sitting down. Once those things had been delt with, however, Riss would reach back out and make to pull Misha down alongside her, shifting so that her legs weren't hanging off the bed as she did so.

[Slii Arhem]

Riss' Quarters

"Mm.. you're still standing, so you aren't resting yet. I'll do what I want until then, deal?" She teases her breath over the nape of Riss' neck, but acquiesces to the separation so that she can finish undressing.

Then, once she's pulled down onto the bed, she'll immediately try to curl up against Riss' back. Big spoon demands cuddles!

"We'll make places to go. You still have to see my pool, and we can make the day of it, bring some food even. Maybe if Mimi is feeling better, we can take her too... but maybe not the first time." She says with a cheeky tone. It's clear what Misha wants to do on their first trip to her home.

"Oh, can you swim? And... do you have any of those things that protect your eyes from water lying around? The water in my pool kinda hurts your eyes if you're in it for too long. At least, that's what people have told me." It doesn't hurt her, seeing as it's a part of her. The pain comes from minute concentrations of the poison she uses to temporarily blind people.

[Shadowcaller]

Trisha's Cabin

The Champion's dismay is replaced by a cool frown. "No, it's not nothing." She says bitterly as she tries to get right in front of Michicora and set her arms on the Huntress' shoulders. "You're the kindest and greatest person I've met in a very long time. I'm grateful that you've stuck by me so much even though we've only known each other a short time, and I'm even more thankful that you didn't seem to mind when I asked if you could watch over me when I slept. Even the thing with the mirrors didn't scare you away." She states firmly before her expression softens into one of worry. "Michicora, whatever is bothering you, no matter if I caused it or not, I want to know. I want to know what I can do to help, or how I can change. It's the least I can do in return and I don't want you to leave me in the middle of the night for something I've done."

Trisha's Cabin

Trisha might almost hear the hunters heart rate increase as she talks. What Trisha had just said had made all her doubt melt away, it was now or never. She had to admit it.

"Trisha..." She starts. "I want to be with you, more then just a friend." She attempts to take the champion's hand who can feel the elf's are most with sweat. "Ever since we met I have been looking at you..." She blushes profoundly as she admits this. "I... I have never said this to anyone before but with you I want to take a chance." As she speaks she looks both hopeful and scared at the same time coming out like this. "Otherwise... I hope we can still be friends." Unless you think I'm a freak of course.

[Gullara]

[Riss' Quarters - Other Side of the Wall]

Mimi sighs wistfully as the wall closes with Riss and Misha on the other side. She lays stomach down on her cushion and tries not to let the strong surge of jealousy get to her. As far as she can tell, she's at least made progress today. She just has to keep at it! For the moment, though, she tries to get some sleep.

[Terumitsu]

[Riss' Quarters]

"She'll be under the affects of assimilation sickness so she's likely going to be asleep for the most of three days. Moving her wouldn't be in her best interests anyway." the muse said, possibly saying that out loud to keep herself from feeling guilty about not paying much attention to Mimi.

Pulling up the comforter and being reminded that she still needed to get a new sheet, Riss did what she could to allow Misha to cuddle up as she lay her head down. It was a little difficult to do any actual cuddling on her part but she wouldn't deny that she was rather partial to Misha being pressed up against her like this. There had been a reason why she had gotten so close earlier, after all. "..I've never been swimming so I'll probably stay in the shallows... Or you could try to teach me." Given my lower mass to surface area ratio, I suppose it'd be easy enough with the additional buoyancy. "I mean, assuming we have time, and all. I think I could grab some eye protection, though." she said, reaching out to try and grab one of Misha's hands.

"Hey.. Misha?" the muse asked after a moment of thought. "If you can keep water on the tailbone from being anything more than a medical condition, could you do that thing from earlier again?" The cool sensation had been rather nice even if there was that small shock when it trickled down her back.

[Slii Arhem]

Riss' Quarters

Misha decides not to ask what assimilation sickness is, as rest time isn't the best time to have your brain picked at. She doesn't really understand the medical joke, but she knows what Riss is asking for in general.

"Of course. Just lay there and let my fingers do the work." She says softly, leaning back a bit so she can put a hand between herself and Riss' back, turning a single digit into water and drawing a cool, wet line down the muse's spine, leaving a trail of water behind.

Although Riss can't see it, she'll almost certainly begin to feel it as the watery line begins to undulate back and forth like a serpent, caressing her back and forming little swirls and spirals over her skin. Her shoulderblades gain half-remembered traceries of mathematic equations from the time Riss traced across her back, although the designs are flawed to the point of being unrecognizable. Small pools collect over the places Misha knows hold the most tension, after having subjected Riss to a massage, higlighting them in shimmering damp relief.

"How is that?" The nereid breathes out questioningly.

[ThirdEmperor]

Fortress Mountain- Some Time Before the Attack

Mountain, snow, nearby village, etc. Fortress Mountain is pretty much the same giant chunk of ice-covered rock it's always been, looming over the surrounding country-side and casting it's shadow upon the tiny, disaster-prone burg of Hamlet.

Without, the place is as quiet as the grave, peaceful and unmoving. Within, it's a buzzing hive of activity, motion, progress. Forges blaze with molten light, dozens of cloned minions hard at work converting the raw resources provided by the replicator into usable equipment; guns and ammo and explosives and every tool of war they could possibly need.

Up above in the high reaches, the scientists work as well, in a rather less physical sense. Engineering, adapting, modifying, refining... In theory at least. In practice, Icarus spends nearly all his time training the ground troops and tending to the increasingly unstable cloning device, while Daedalus simply ignores his duties in favor of impractical experimentation upon the basic laws of reality and nature. Especially so now that the boss is out.

[Terumitsu]

[Riss' Quarters]

The muse trembled with an unsuppressed shiver as the cool water flowed over her spine, relaxing as the trails weaved their way about. For a while, she followed each trail in her mind, holding a mental image of glowing, colored streams dancing about against a dark background. It wasn't exactly meditation but it did help to slow her mind down and actually ready herself for rest.

The small shock of Misha's breath upon the designs that had been traced on her back was enough to make her skin prickle just a bit. "Mmm. Yes." the muse said in a somewhat drowsy yet contented tone. "I'd ask for a massage right now if I didn't know where those to lead to." she said with a small laugh. Again, trying to reach back to grab hold of a free hand, Riss would pull it forward and press it gently over her heart, her own hands clasping it there. And unless Misha brought up something to delay it, the muse would then gently drift off for the next two hours.

[UncleWolf]

Trisha's Cabin

Trisha is silent as she listens, stunned by Michicora's admittance. Me? She wants...me? But I... Her train of thought stops, unable to continue. She was what? Not attracted to Michicora? How could she know that for certain? For all her life, Michicora was only the second person she knew to admit such a thing to her, and the other person had been a too hedonistic Champion of Lust she'd been sent to kill.

That hardly counted at all.

The Huntress will see Trisha slowly absorb the words, trying to wrap her head around it, but she doesn't let go of the Huntress. In her confusion, Trisha knows she isn't disgusted or repulsed by the idea of being with Michicora. The fact that she'd been utterly transfixed when the mirror had shown her things had proved that. If anything, what disturbed her was the complete lack of her own experience in relationships. The only stuff she knew was what her old Master, a Champion of Love, had told her, and she'd only been half listening to him. She'd only been a child at the time, she didn't know it'd ever be relevant. She'd just been so angry.

Trisha struggles to remember and is surprised when she almost hears her Master's voice in her head, remembering something he'd told her once as he put her to bed. She didn't understand it then, and only a little bit now, but it eased her heart and worries.

"Trisha, I know you may never learn to forgive your people for what they did to you, but even so, you should love them for it." He said, looking down upon her with a gentle smile and kind eyes.

"Love? How could I love those people? They hurt me and left me to die!" She had nearly shouted to him in anger.

Her Master's eyes turn a bit hurt, and the smile tightens, but he just leans down to give her a hug, pulling up her covers. "Because when all else is stripped away, those people have helped shape who you are. If you don't think you can love the people, or their actions, love the results, which are you. You have to remember something about Love, Trish."

Looking up, she'd been puzzled and despite her earlier anger, curious. "What?"

"Love is complex, messy, and even the most surprising and unrecognizable thing in the world sometimes. You can find it everywhere, and you should. Don't be surprised when you find it in an unexpected place and accept it. You'll be grateful."

No, Little Trish hadn't understood what he had meant, but now...Trisha does and she gives Michicora a small smile before trying to set her hand on the elf's cheek. "I want to try with you, Michi." She admits, her heart feeling warm in her. "Even though I don't know if I even can and I don't pretend to understand why, but I want to and that's enough for me."

[Slii Arhem]

Riss' Quarters

"They lead wherever we want them to." Misha replies saucily, but doesn't object. Being pulled forward by her free hand will press her up against Riss' back once again, doing interesting things to the trails of water pressed between them.

When Riss wakes up, she may find herself in an interesting position. Misha, having little else to do while she watched Riss slumber, has traded an apparent year worth of age and shapeliness to extend the trails of water all over Riss' body, cool lines forming slowly moving rivers of moisture along the muse's limbs and torso, all the way up to her neck, while avoiding any areas that might wake her early. The nereid hasn't detached herself from Riss either, content to lay there with her hand held over Riss' heart. A hand that is now covered in a skin of water, and connected to all the other lines as a centralized pool.

[Terumitsu]

[Riss' Quarters]

It was an interesting feeling, waking up both warm and cool at the same time. Turning off her mental alarm, Riss blinked away the last vestiges of sleep as she took inventory of this development. A small laugh escaped her as she turned her head around to look at Misha over her shoulder. "So, I suppose you found something to amuse yourself with." she said, giving the hand she still held a gentle squeeze. "Well this is definitely a nice way to wake up." the muse said, a certain gleam in her eye briefly making itself known as if to imply Misha could probably think of other 'nice' ways to wake her up as well.

Though Riss wanted to stay, there was only a short amount of time left to get back to the forge and start anew on the next cycle of toil. Making to bring the nereid's hand up to her lips, Riss would lightly kiss Misha's fingers before letting go. "Alright, I think I'd better start getting ready." she said "...Though I suppose it would help a bit if I wasn't as covered in little streams as I am now."

[The Alexandrian]

[Fortress Mountain - Some Time Before the Attack]

A dark, sinister yet awfully bubbly figure blanketed in bundle upon bundle of warm faux down clothing fast approaches the none too restful hamlet on a less than divine mission. The clothes restrict her movement, somewhat, retarding the speed which she can trudge forward.

If she actually had to stumble across this unwelcoming landscape to commit locomotion! Ha! Walking is so passe and tacky! Yuck! Instead, she has chosen to glide through the air with agility and decorum befitting one of her august station.

Clarissa, the reputed and respected omnipotent goddess of who knows what, settles upon a bed of snow, which instantly melts out of reverence to her. With a courteous, well-rehearsed smile, she sets off to draw the attention of the guards, an entourage which she suspects will escort her to the man of the year in this small, backwater town. Riv.

[Shadowcaller]

Trisha's Cabin

As Trisha touches her cheek it feels like her heart is attempting to escape her chest. She isn't sure wherever to cry or just smile, all she know that fuzzy happy feeling is filling her completely now.

Trisha was a 'freak' like her, it didn't make any sense to her but there it was. It was what she had asked for wasn't it? One of the most beautiful women she had ever seen was interested in her the way she was. It felt too good to be true but Trisha didn't lie. She could tell.

Even better it seemed she was at the same level at her when it came to relationships.

She could kiss her right now but she didn't want to scare her, instead She just squeezes the champions hand again and smiles goofily. It came to her she had no idea what to do now, she hadn't really thought beyond asking. It hadn't seem important.

"I don't think I can really understand it either..." Michicora says nervously and then takes a deep relaxing breath.

Setting new air fill her lungs. As the breathes out everything seems a lot lighter. Like she was floating. "So, um, what do you want to do now?" It felt pretty lame asking this after so many years of doubt, but she had no real idea.

The champion will note that the elf is slowly caressing her arms affectionately however however.

[Slii Arhem]

Riss' Quarters

"Are you sure?" Misha counters with a grin, "Well, if you insist, let's get you cleaned up and off to work. The sooner this thing is done, the sooner we can move on to important things." There's no doubt in her mind as to what Misha considers important.

With that, her water-covered hand starts exuding even more water, and all the streams start thinning out until it should cover Riss in a light film below the neck, which then tries to move up over her scalp and down each strand of hair. Again, the light scrubbing sensation should occur before Misha pulls the mass of water back into herself, leaving Riss dry, for the most part.

The concentration that little trick requires leaves Misha slightly out of breath, even though she doesn't need to breathe, but it sure beats a shower for cleanliness.

[ThirdEmperor]

Fortress Mountain- Hamlet

It seems that security's been upped since the last invasion, for rather than the zombie-like drone soldiers that previously guarded this tiny village, Clarissa is met by two of the all-new, all-improved, much-more-talkative Einherjar models, kitted out in bulky dual-layer armor.

Both of whom are pointing some futuristic-looking rifles her way, by the by.

"Name, business, point of origin." The one in the lead demands, the scowl on his face very much implied in his words even if the gasmask and visor he wears conceals any such actual expression.

Would look as though Clarissa has had the misfortune of running into one of the less friendly supersoldiers, although, really, that should have been easy to predict. People stuck on guard duty are rarely the most sociable.

[The Alexandrian]

[Fortress Mountain - Hamlet]

"Clarrissa von Smith, has a document for Riv, AMEN and the emptiness that the mortal mind can't even begin to fathom."

Clarissa elaborates, doing her best to imitate the sternness of the soldier, and then snickering merrily at her own attempt afterward. She'll now point at the soldier in preparation for the delivery of her next line!

"You sound like you'd be happier with a belly full of mead!"

"I can probably arrange for that. If you'll take me up to see the boss, that is."

[UncleWolf]

Trisha's Cabin

Trisha feels her heart speed up and she bites her lip. Everything that happened in the past few days suddenly made sense and took on a new light, making her somewhat light headed and embarrassed that she couldn't have seen the obvious. She wasn't surprised that she didn't, and after a thought, is glad she didn't. If she had had longer to puzzle it out, her answer might be different.

"As to what to do..." Trisha says as she looks into Michi's eyes with a smile. "Well, there's only one way for us to know for sure whether or not this will work, you know that, right?" She states more than asks before slipping one arm around the Huntress' waist and another around her shoulders in an effort pull her in for an awkward kiss.

[ThirdEmperor]

Fortress Mountain- Hamlet

"What?" It seems Clarissa has the soldier at a complete loss, his very first reaction to step away and aside from the pointed finger.

Doesn't take him long to start yelling again though. "I... I have no interest in alcohol and do not appreciate the attempts to tempt me! I will, however, relay this document to my superiors. Hand it over." Jeez. For an organization led by a raging alcoholic, Excelsior as a whole sure seems to hate liquor to a fanatical degree.

[Terumitsu]

[Riss' Quarters]

"I'm starting to think I'm not really gong to get much use out of my shower anymore." Riss said, running a few fingers through her hair. I have to admit, all of my rough spots have started getting softer since she started doing that. I guess I never really noticed how much a little exfoliation works. It did feel quite nice to be cleansed, though. Riss let Misha rest for the time being as she dressed herself. There wasn't too much time left for her, truth be told, but the muse managed to find enough to sit down next to the nereid for a few minutes and simply try and hold her close for a while. "Right.. Well, I suppose I'll see you again in a while." Riss said, making to plant a chaste kiss on Misha's forehead before pulling away.

As the wall came down, Riss' usually quiet footsteps nearly vanished completely as she gingerly made her way through the outer room so as not to wake the pixie sleeping there. She considered pausing to at least do something that would say she hadn't forgotten Mimi on her way out but there really was nothing at hand. Well, perhaps... Riss gently picked up the lotus bloom from it's place in the mug and lay it down near the pixie. Hopefully that would be sign enough..

[Gullara]

[Riss' Quarters]

Mimi wakes up a while after Riss has left. She sits up and starts to stretch before a twinge of pain stops her. Ouch. It takes her only a moment to realize that that flower wasn't sitting beside her before. She runs her hand over a petal. Did Riss put it there? The pixie isn't sure why it's there, but it's kinda nice to think that Riss paused for her, for whatever reason.

Welp, she better see if she can get a hold of Archie. They need to go for another walk!

[UncleWolf]

[Wolfy's Yurt]

Ithuriel doesn't resist. "Oh, I see." The angel stares back at Wolfy. On the outside she's all smiles, but internally it takes her a moment or two to remind herself that she does want to do this, and that there's no way she could harm a god...should the worst happen.

It's most likely all in her head anyway! She should stop being so paranoid about it all and-

"Well, I suppose I would be doing my duties as a divine servant rather poorly if I kept you waiting then." With a wave of her hand, Ithuriel rids herself of her simple white robe and sandals, revealing her long hair, almost golden in colour...as well as everything else. She pauses for a moment to let Wolfy enjoy the view before reaching for the curtain.

Wolfy's Yurt

Wolfy doesn't need to look her over to see how beautiful she is, and he knows how frightened she is at the moment, but he also knows that this is the best thing for her. With that in mind, he's happy to oblige. "We'll take it slow." He swears as he leans up to kiss her, pulling the curtain as he does.

[Terumitsu]

[Riss' Quarters]

The next few days passed in a similar manner, with Archimedes doing what it could to stand in for Mimi's wings on their outings. Oftentimes, given the objects the were searching for, the intelligence would wax on about a few of the more interesting parts about botany, a subject the A.I. found most interesting due to the near entire lack of plant life from whence it came. Given that Misha had the room to herself for long stretches of time, however, the A.I. did what it could to keep her entertained, lighting on the subjects of decorum and anatomy for a while although there was more than once where it would trail off into something completely different.

In all actuality, the project ran over by an additional day and a half as a few complications halted progress more than once. Still, it could be considered rather impressive work regardless due to the amount of progress done in such a relatively short time. However, it was also evident that, while the short breaks for rest had helped, the forced pace had become wearisome and Riss was obviously suffering from fatigue the night she finished; saying nearly nothing and making an almost direct path to her bed once she returned. At the very least, she had placed an order for the 'solution' which held all the necessary components with which Mimi would finally get an enhancement. This had been one of the main driving points behind the refitting of the forges, after all.

But the following morning, at least, however much morning it could be in an underground base, the resultant grey sludge contained in an airtight canister was delivered and ready to be imbibed... It certainly didn't appear to be all that enjoyable to drink, though... Riss had taken the time to explain the process, at least, and Archimedes was on hand with another borrowed body for any complications that would arise. It wouldn't be very fun next few days for Mimi but she would likely sleep through most of it. Though, while the muse was trying her best to be patient with her patient, she couldn't help but feel just a tad bit anxious. "It doesn't really taste of anything. Its just the consistency may be a little strange." she said as she held out the opened canister to Mimi. Though it was comparatively little, there would still be quite a bit there to someone with the same point of view as a pixie.

[Gullara]

[Riss' Quarters]

Mimi looks at the contents of the canister with obvious disgust. "Ew, it's slimy. And grey." She does take it, though. If Riss says she needs to take this stuff to get better (in an at all reasonable amount of time), then she needed to get over how nasty it looks. Her little nose wrinkles up and she starts to drink it. Ick, why does there have to be so much? Ew ew ew! She will get it all down, though, despite how gross it feels.

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Wolfy's Yurt]

Wolfy will find that taking it slow isn't much of an option, as Ithuriel gets...rather aggressive. Nothing demonic, mind you, but not what one might expect from the angel.

*****

Afterwards, Ithuriel finds her sleep rather disturbed, waking after only a couple of hours. She carefully wriggles out of the bed, feeling too awake to just go back to sleep, heading over to the fire to start it up, refuel it, or just sit by it, depending on what state it's in.

Sitting there, she ponders the events that led her to be here. It'd been a nice and simple, if rather foolishly optimistic plan initially. Come down here, go to GLoG, spend some time trying to fix herself, and become the angel that she has to be.

Now...she's sitting by a fire in another god's realm, having just slept with him. While it's certainly a relief for her to know that she is completely free of demonic influence, now she's questioning her reasons for remaining as an angel in service to her master. Wolfy's offer had steadily become more and more tempting. He had raised some very valid points after all...

The angel's body shifts and grows, her wings sinking into her body. Within moments the angel is a were-rhino, her skin hardened and grey, her face elongated with a horn sticking out at the end. Hardly a typical angel. Some things about her hadn't changed. The angel just stares at her own hand, wondering whether maybe she would be better suited serving Wolfy. He's hardly a stereotypical god, and she had to admit that her master certainly did seem to embrace the typical godly sort of behaviour. She's hardly a stereotypical angel. She questions gods...she doesn't even look like an angel all the time...

[The Alexandrian]

[Fortress Mountain - Hamlet]

"Hmm? Really now? Enriching a patriot by bestowing a harmless sip of a little somethin'-somethin' upon him is classified as a temptation here? Well then, you'd better not drink any fluids while I'm about! Especially not liquids out of my hipflask."

Clarissa taps the hipflask slung from her, well, hip! It is a flashy steel number that could easily accommodate enough brandy to drive the hardiest drinker to the floor!

"Might I tempt you with something more to your liking, then?"

Those that submit to the uncompromising laws of temperance typically fall prey to other vices easier than most.

Clarissa strikes an inviting pose before facetiously beckoning to the soldier.

"Look, I get that you're all keen on protocol and structure and aren't allowed to indulge in alcohol, but I have my orders too. I'm not to surrender this-"

In a puff of violet smoke, Gordon's letter written ages ago reappears onscreen between the middle finger and index finger of her right hand. She flirtatiously attempts to tease the soldier by sweeping it from side to side just out of his reach.

"-message except to Riv himself. Unless, of course, you have the guts to-"

Clarissa, with a solitary flick of her fingers, sends the letter spinning up into the air. She leisurely rolls up her sleeve, exposing a lenient expanse of skin. When the letter descends, assuming that the soldiers haven't tried redirecting its course, it should land upon Clarissa's skin on edge and, in the blink of an eye, be absorbed by it.

"-try to confiscate it from me. Or find it for that matter."

There is not a trace of attempted intimidation peppering Clarissa's voice. There is only humor. Witnessing firsthand people's reactions to her own antics greatly amuses Clarissa!

[ThirdEmperor]

Fortress Mountain- Hamlet

No attempt to snatch the paper mid-flight. Not much of a reaction to Clarissa's teasing flirtation either, except more confusion. Even without being able to see his face, the abject bewilderment is clear in his body language -the defensive nature of his stance, the way he clutches his gun like a lifeline- the poor fellow is far out of his element and floundering.

"Stop. Just stop your... your nonsense, and I'll put you through to the Commanders. Will that acceptable?" Clarissa confuses him. She's not someone he can ignore, knows better than to try violence and he's certainly not about to take orders from her. In short, the solution to the problem Clarissa presents is not one known to him and he just wants her gone and out of his hair.