Valdana staggers back as if she's been pushed much harder than she was, shock in all the usually-elegant lines of her body. She looks between the two of them and laughs, the sound a little unhinged.
"He'll kill me?" she repeats incredulously, and laughs again. "I'm the Administrator of one of Gov's most valued sources of technological innovation! Imagine the consequences!" She narrows her eyes at them both, her rictus grin showing teeth.
"If he means anything to you," she says, pointing at Koumyou and addressing Devero, "you'd better not let him do anything that you'll both regret later."
Behind Koumyou, Devero straightens up. He catches the priest's shoulder again, his restraining squeeze asking for one more chance. "Valdana, you have no idea where I've been or what I've seen," he says, looking down his nose at her. "You have no idea who this man is and what he's capable of. You have no idea who I am anymore. Maybe you never did." His voice goes a little quiet on the last few words, but is otherwise deep and resonant and firm-- the way Koumyou's heard it get on missions when Devero's directing people in the middle of chaos.
This is the voice of the World Guard sergeant who'd been well on his way to lieutenant when he first caught Valdana's eye. Present right now is the power she'd wanted leashed to her service, the steel she'd contrived to maneuver out of the Guard and into her hands. She'd put years into taking that power for herself, shaping that steel to fit her grip exclusively, and now he stands before her with his head held high and disrespect on his lips. How dare he?
And yet she can't help but listen, as if compelled, as he continues. "I am begging you, if you ever held any real affection for me, turn around and walk away. Please. If you push this any further, you will die."
The expression of uncontrolled fury that twists her face is raw and ugly; he's never seen her like this. Then again, why would he have? She's never been out of control around him. He's always been her good boy, hasn't he?
Valdana reaches behind herself and produces a device very like one of Devero's tac batons in its inactive, collapsed form. "Oh Devero," she says with an oily false sympathy, activating the baton with a flick, "I hate that you're making me do this."
Two things happen simultaneously, then. The first thing is that Valdana lunges at Koumyou with the baton, electricity snapping between the prongs of the extended rod.
The second is that Devero takes Koumyou's nearer hand in one of his and places the holy scroll in it with the other, and then turns away.
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"He'll kill me?" she repeats incredulously, and laughs again. "I'm the Administrator of one of Gov's most valued sources of technological innovation! Imagine the consequences!" She narrows her eyes at them both, her rictus grin showing teeth.
"If he means anything to you," she says, pointing at Koumyou and addressing Devero, "you'd better not let him do anything that you'll both regret later."
Behind Koumyou, Devero straightens up. He catches the priest's shoulder again, his restraining squeeze asking for one more chance. "Valdana, you have no idea where I've been or what I've seen," he says, looking down his nose at her. "You have no idea who this man is and what he's capable of. You have no idea who I am anymore. Maybe you never did." His voice goes a little quiet on the last few words, but is otherwise deep and resonant and firm-- the way Koumyou's heard it get on missions when Devero's directing people in the middle of chaos.
This is the voice of the World Guard sergeant who'd been well on his way to lieutenant when he first caught Valdana's eye. Present right now is the power she'd wanted leashed to her service, the steel she'd contrived to maneuver out of the Guard and into her hands. She'd put years into taking that power for herself, shaping that steel to fit her grip exclusively, and now he stands before her with his head held high and disrespect on his lips. How dare he?
And yet she can't help but listen, as if compelled, as he continues. "I am begging you, if you ever held any real affection for me, turn around and walk away. Please. If you push this any further, you will die."
The expression of uncontrolled fury that twists her face is raw and ugly; he's never seen her like this. Then again, why would he have? She's never been out of control around him. He's always been her good boy, hasn't he?
Valdana reaches behind herself and produces a device very like one of Devero's tac batons in its inactive, collapsed form. "Oh Devero," she says with an oily false sympathy, activating the baton with a flick, "I hate that you're making me do this."
Two things happen simultaneously, then. The first thing is that Valdana lunges at Koumyou with the baton, electricity snapping between the prongs of the extended rod.
The second is that Devero takes Koumyou's nearer hand in one of his and places the holy scroll in it with the other, and then turns away.