32 - Video - Backdated to 3rd

[bodilesswarrior]

[She's never felt so small.

It's the sort of thing she would hide, usually, but not today. Her shoulders are slumped, and her expression is worn, and her voice is dull.]

Everyone I know - I'd just like you to check in.

[Iris, of course, has been at her side since they got back. It's helped - it always has, holding her close - but it can't overcome everything else.

She made a promise.]

[Emperor]

You, especially.

[A strained, bitter smile.]

You can say "I told you so" if you want.

[Spam! Open to All]

[She needed to get out. Out of her tower, out of her head.

She's dressed in an old black tank, hair pulled back in a short, low ponytail. Her hands are wrapped in frayed strips of cloth.

As soon as she gets to the gym, she picks a punching bag and starts wailing on it. It's not about precision, or stamina; she'll pummel the leather until her hands bleed.]

Comments

[private]

[bodilesswarrior]

[A part of her, by no means insignificant, desperately wants to say let's do it, then. The temptation is written all over her face.

But she takes a breath, and smiles tightly.]

All right.

[At this stage - it's not worth it.]

The only other option, of course, is playing by his rules.

Your future, your life - that's worth it, to me. [His life, and so many others.]

[private]

[heisrisen]

And what would they be?

[Other than 'don't break my ship'.]

[private] i couldn't resist icon paralells

[bodilesswarrior]

No mutinies. No crashes. No undermining his authority, such as it is.

We focus on you.

[private] beautiful

[heisrisen]

I'm not looking.

[Not scheming, not trying to engineer opportunities. But he doesn't know that he can promise not to take one, if he finds a clearer chance than the mirror barge offered. If he could promise, honestly, to forgo such a thing in favor of trusting the process, he'd probably be graduated and then some.]

[private]

[bodilesswarrior]

Sometimes opportunities fall into our laps.

I'm asking you not to jump on them. Not immediately, at the very least.

[private]

[heisrisen]

I have - reasons to hesitate.

[Depending on the shape of the opportunity. It's why he didn't turn Iris over to other mirror wardens the moment they woke there, why he wasn't as brutal with Jean as he might have been. But there's quite a lot of grey space between revolt and escape, nebulous potential opportunities that don't involve stranding Zane and Morgana on a dying ship. He's still not promising.]

Obedience to the rules isn't the same as loyalty.

[The Admiral can't have that, and she can't ask it.]

[private]

[bodilesswarrior]

No. Loyalty needs to be earned. [She won't begrudge anyone not giving the Admiral that, particularly Inmates. She's grateful for what he offers with the Barge, but the execution leaves too much to be desired.]

[private]

[heisrisen]

In the meantime.

I think I'll go see how the infirmary's faired.

[Playing by the rules. Doing his job. Productive barge citizen, get. There's a line of irony, because it's so similar to what he did there, because it's what he did for months, planning his first takeover. It's his general strategy.]